A century-old wealthy family that rose from Shanghai

Not long after the Spring Festival, Hong Kong's business community was shocked by news coming from across the border—the shipping magnate of Chongqing had died!

In a private room at the Hong Kong Hotel on Pied Avenue, Liu Hongsheng, Liu Jisheng, Fang Jiaobo, Tong Runfu, Xie Hengchuang, and other veterans from the old Shanghai beach hopping scene were gathering with Chen Guangliang.

"I never expected it, I never expected that Kuixian would not make it!"

Liu Hongsheng, 64, was terrified.

If it weren't for Chen Guangliang back then, would he be the same Lu Kuixian today?

He felt he could accept the previous 'public-private partnership', since it was still a joint venture to some extent.

Chen Guangliang said, "I've said it before, we are ultimately capitalists, so don't have any illusions. Right now, China is like a chaotic world, and in chaotic times, harsh measures must be used to eliminate all the monsters and demons of the old society. Of course, I still believe that one day, China will reopen its economy, and then we can go back to invest."

Liu Hongsheng sighed, "I probably won't live to see that day! But it's alright, my children will live to see it!"

In fact, it's clear to everyone that Chen Guangliang approves of things happening in mainland China; it's just that everyone is looking at it from a different perspective.

This wave of crackdowns targets unscrupulous merchants; if they are not dealt with severely, the social landscape of the Republic of China era will inevitably repeat itself.

But from the perspective of those who came to the gathering today, everyone felt a chill down their spine!
Even Chen Guangliang, he liked to engage in speculation and profiteering. Back then, he hoarded gold, silver, and cotton, which was enough to warrant countless executions!
Maybe we can even save the bullets!
While everyone was grieving, they also gradually began to feel grateful that their family had come to Hong Kong, and they were very thankful to Chan Kwong-leung.

With Chen Guangliang as a bellwether in this era, it's estimated that the wealth of Shanghai's rich exceeds 20% of that of Hong Kong. According to Chen Guangliang, this includes all the descendants of Yu Qiaqing and Du Yuesheng—all of them have fled, though not necessarily to Hong Kong.

In fact, many people experience some culture shock when they come to Hong Kong.

For example, after Fang Jiaobo and Xie Hengchuang came to Hong Kong, they achieved nothing in their careers. They might have only bought some properties, and they didn't even dare to invest much in properties.

Even the brothers Liu Hongsheng and Liu Jisheng, after arriving in Hong Kong, not only opened Hong Kong's first wool textile factory but also invested in shipping; however, the wool textile factory did not make much progress at this time, after all, Hong Kong was facing great difficulties; while the two ventured into shipping and trade, they risked going to the north a few times and earned some hard-earned money, but by this time they should have already been included in the US sanctions list.

In the long run, Liu Hongsheng and his descendants should fare better than Rong Zongjing's descendants.

After Rong Zongjing's descendants came to Hong Kong to develop their business, they opened several textile factories, but they were not considered anything special in Hong Kong and will probably be overtaken by "rising stars" in the future.

Liu Hongsheng is still alive today. With his experience, he has bought several ships in recent years. Even though he is sanctioned by the United States, he can still be a big shipowner. At worst, he can just stop going to American ports. Moreover, there will be a chance to have the sanctions lifted after the 1960s.

Overall.

The changes Chen Guangliang brought about in this life, besides his own strength, included an increase in the number of merchants from Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Shanghai. While the individual strength of these merchants might not be too great, their overall strength would be much greater, and they would practically monopolize the factories of this era.

Just one month later, Yueyuan reopened, but it was renamed 'Songcheng'.

Of course, only the 'amusement park' section is open to the public.

Originally opened in 1949, Moon Garden already had facilities that were close to those of a modern amusement park.

For children, there is a children's playground with a miniature train, steamship, and toy cars, allowing them to experience what it's like to be a driver.

Moon Park's rides were also at the forefront of trends. While common rides like carousels and Ferris wheels were plentiful (then called carousel races and windmills), there were also more thrilling attractions like the "Meteor Swing," similar to the later Ocean Park's Flying Swing. Other thrilling rides included a giant roller coaster, the "Couple's Cradle" (a two-seater cradle that gradually increased in speed to give men the opportunity to protect women), and the "Living Dragon" ride, which was marked "Not suitable for people with heart conditions."

As for the amusement park, 'Songcheng' only underwent simple maintenance and upkeep before reopening.

The Moon Garden also originally had a 'zoo', mainly featuring monkeys riding bicycles and circus performances, which will reopen in the following month.

In short.

Songcheng is divided into four parts: an amusement park, a zoo, a theater (including performances and a dance hall), and an ancient-style street (including performances), which will all reopen in rotation.

The only business that was cancelled was the nightclub, as well as some illegal activities that were operating in the shadows.

On the day Songcheng opened, Chen Guangliang also brought four of his children to join in the fun.

The scene was packed with people, but the security measures were excellent, with a large number of staff and security personnel.

Regular customers were discussing it.

"This is no different from the old Moon Garden. I thought they were going to build a new amusement park."

"Different areas haven't opened yet. Haven't you noticed? Only the amusement park is open now, right? The zoo is also opening later, and I heard they're going to bring in elephants and tigers. Also, the nightclub has been demolished; I heard they're going to build a real Song Dynasty town, with an antique-style street. The theater is also being renovated."

"I see, that makes a lot of changes!"

"More than that, there will be no more thugs or hooligans here, and all those shady dealings will be eliminated. After all, this is Mr. Chen Guangliang's property, and I heard he's personally overseeing it."

"Mr. Chen Guangliang is a good man. He should have canceled all those messy things long ago."

The overall plan for Songcheng has already been published in the newspapers. Except for the antique-style street, which cannot open this year, the rest will open one after another.

"Dad, I want this couple's cradle to be made?"

Originally called the Lovers' Cradle, it was renamed the Couples' Cradle by Chen Guangliang, since the name wasn't very elegant.

Daughter Chen Leyi pointed at the couple's cradle, eager to try it out.

Chen Guangliang called Chen Wenkai over and said, "Go sit with your sister!"

Although she's called the older sister, the two were born in the same year.

Chan Lok-yee is the fourth child in her family, with three older brothers and three younger brothers. She and Chan Man-kai were both born in Hong Kong in 1938 and are both 14 years old this year.

She clung to Chen Guangliang's arm and said coquettishly, "Dad, I want you to come with me! Third Brother isn't here today, so I don't want my younger brother to come with me. Only you can come!"

The third son, Chen Wenming, is already in high school and will be studying abroad next year, so he doesn't have time to go out and have fun.

Chen Wenkai said from the side, "Sister, we're the same age!"

"So what if we're the same age? Aren't you my brother?"

Hearing Chen Leyi's blunt words, Chen Wenkai immediately deflated. No one in his family dared to offend this older sister. Perhaps only his mother's unborn child could handle her in the future. Chen Guangliang smiled and said, "Alright, alright, I'll go with you!"

He was really worried about his daughter sitting in something like this, even though he knew it was safe.

He only feels at ease when I'm with him!

Soon, the two were sitting in the 'couple's cradle'. Chen Leyi was a little worried at first, but when she saw her father on the side, she quickly felt relieved.

The process was indeed very exciting, but it was stress-free for Chen Guangliang. Although Chen Leyi was a little scared, she did not show any fear because her father was protecting her throughout the process.

That day, Chen Guangliang spent time with his four children at the amusement park, which was a rewarding experience!

On this day, Chen Guangliang came to Japan on official business.

He first met with Tadao Yoshida, and the two discussed the matter in a conference room.

Tadao Yoshida said sincerely, "Mr. Chen, thank you for coming to Japan in person to discuss the establishment of our new factory."

It turns out that this year, Tadao Yoshida plans to build a large factory in Kurobe, Japan, and unless there are special circumstances, the company's zipper and aluminum profile manufacturing equipment, as well as the zipper production equipment and machinery, will be fully managed by YKK's Kurobe factory.

Initially, Chen Guangliang was very worried that Yoshida Tadao intended to go solo, which would bring his plans over the years to an abrupt end. More importantly, Yoshida Tadao now possessed the financial strength, and Japanese bankers were happy to lend him money.

YKK zippers began their collaboration with Hehe zippers in 1948, with both companies holding a 50/50 stake in their factories in Japan.

Chen Guangliang's initial idea was that once the Korean War started, Hong Kong's zippers would be impossible to sell to the Americans, and the only option would be to cooperate with the Japanese; on the other hand, even if someone like Yoshida Tadao could be suppressed temporarily, he could not be suppressed forever; finally, Japan had a natural advantage in technology.

From a long-term perspective, there was definitely no problem with the cooperation at that time, and YKK zippers have made a lot of money in recent years.

Chen Guangliang laughed and said, "Actually, Mr. Yoshida could completely abandon our Hehe Zipper and set up a new factory on his own. After all, the advantages you have now are just like the advantages we had back then."

Tadao Yoshida bowed slightly and then said, “Mr. Chen, if I did that, I would inevitably feel uneasy for the rest of my life. When I was about to go bankrupt, Hehe Zipper gave me 50% of the shares and then strongly supported the development of YKK Zipper without considering gains or losses. That’s how YKK Zipper came to be today. So, I will always remember this kindness and hope that we can continue to cooperate.”

Even today, the management of Hehe Zipper admires Tadao Yoshida.

“Alright, in that case, we are certainly willing to cooperate. And we will have in-depth discussions regarding the cooperation between YKK zippers and Hehe zippers!”

Tadao Yoshida nodded.

In his mind, Hehe Zipper is not simple either, as it already has a mature market, the ability to produce some aluminum alloys, and design in the mechanical field.

Of course, these things still won't have a significant impact on YKK Zipper's long-term plans, since he knows Hong Kong's weakness—a shortage of talent.

So, Yoshida Tadao's next idea was to use the profits currently in YKK Zipper's account (after there were basically no dividends) and then, with the help of bank loans, to establish the Kurobe factory.

There was no need for bargaining, and Chen Guangliang readily agreed.

But Yoshida Tadao's next words made them feel that things were beyond saving.

"Mr. Chen, I would like to ask YKK Zipper to give up 10% of its equity as employee stock ownership, which would be more beneficial to the contributions of technical personnel!"

If this statement comes true, the new shareholding will no longer be 50/50, since the 10% shareholding is held by Japanese technical personnel or management, who will naturally side with Tadao Yoshida.

After a brief moment of thought, Chen Guangliang said, "Of course! But my suggestion is to make this 10% an option for the next five years, allowing the real technical staff and management to receive this 10% equity."

After a brief moment of thought, Yoshida Tadao said, "Mr. Chen has great foresight!"

In fact, even if the company were to go public, Chen Guangliang no longer opposed it.

In short, he earns profits and has no need to compete with Tadao Yoshida for management control.

Moreover, if YKK zippers develop independently in the future, then Hehe zippers can also compete on the same stage, and it is not necessarily true that they will not have any development.

After all, there are so many zipper factories in the world. YKK zipper can become a giant, and so can Hehe zipper. So what will die out are the European and American zipper factories.

Afterwards, Chen Guangliang met with Wang Feichao, Ge Zhaoming, and other members of the management team of Hehe Zipper at a hotel in Japan.

He also said, "From now on, Hopewell Zippers and YKK Zippers are both partners and competitors. So we should not be saddened by the loss of control over YKK, but rather be inspired by the fighting spirit of Hong Kong industry."

Everyone's spirits immediately lifted.

"Yes, boss"

Then, Chen Guangliang said to Wang Feichao, "Sending management and technical personnel to participate in the establishment of the YKK Kurobe factory is a learning experience. I believe that with Yoshida Tadao's confidence, he won't have any objections."

Wang Fei nodded and said, "Okay."

Meanwhile, Tadao Yoshida was in his office.

He exclaimed with relief, "We've finally regained control of Japan's zipper industry!"

A trusted aide asked, puzzled, "President, why don't we abandon Howa Zipper and develop independently? Even their cooperation with Hitachi Machines still has two years to go, which we can afford to wait for."

When Hitachi Machines was researching and developing automatic rice conveying machines, automatic rice milling machines, etc., Hop Ho Zipper signed a five-year exclusive contract with them.

In other words, the calendar mechanics machines can currently only be sold to Hopewell Zippers, which then licenses them to YKK Zippers.

Tadao Yoshida said, "I have a deep affection for YKK zippers and I will not abandon this brand. In addition, Mr. Chen was kind to me in the past, and I cannot be such a despicable person."

The Japanese joint venture zipper brand is YKK zipper. When Hop Ho Zipper invested in YKK zipper, the brand naturally had a 50% stake.

"We admire the president's high moral character!"

Tadao Yoshida waved his hand; he had achieved his goal: to regain control of Japan Zipper. As for the 45% stake he still held in Hope Zipper, he didn't feel it was a loss. After all, he had been on the verge of bankruptcy back then, and without Hope Zipper's support, he wouldn't be where he was today.

In life, we should strive for a 'cycle of good'! (End of Chapter)