A century-old wealthy family that rose from Shanghai

In early October, Chen Guangliang and Jiang Meiying appeared at a port in Canada. When they saw the "Mei Ying" superyacht, they were both very surprised.

This 99-meter warship, converted into a 'superyacht,' is so luxurious that the $400 million conversion fee seems well worth it!
With its spacious deck, the pool that can be raised and lowered, its massive size, and its perfect streamlined shape, it's practically a castle at sea.

Jiang Meiying exclaimed in surprise, "Is this a yacht? It's unbelievable!"

Chen Guangliang said in a gentlemanly manner, "Please, my beloved concubine!"

Jiang Meiying was wearing a Western-style dress and a white hat today. She slowly knelt down to pay her respects and said, "Thank you, Your Majesty."

Then, she took Chen Guangliang's arm, and the two walked together toward the landing craft.

To board the 'American & British' superyacht, a shuttle boat is naturally required.

Once aboard the 'American and British' ship, one can see that the railings are all bronze in color, resembling gold, though they are actually copper.

The pool area at the front of the deck has a bar in front of it, and tables and chairs on both sides, making it a great place for a pool party!
The top deck has sun loungers for sunbathing and dining tables for gatherings.

Of course, the most important part is the interior, with a spiral staircase that makes full use of the two-story space, and the interior decoration is even more luxurious.

"It's so beautiful! I love it here so much! If my older sister saw this, she would definitely be jealous and say, 'Why am I the first woman to board this ship?' Haha!"

Chen Guangliang laughed and said, "Why are you jealous? She just couldn't come, otherwise you would have all boarded at the same time!"

Jiang Meiying came to accompany him this time because she had something to do, and a woman definitely needed to stay in Hong Kong, since there were two young children.

Afterwards, Chen Guangliang and Jiang Meiying began their vacation, traveling from Vancouver to New York City.

This superyacht has more than 60 people, including crew, bodyguards, and servants, more than half of whom are of Chinese descent and have all been trained in advance.

When dining, Chen Guangliang and Jiang Meiying chose a restaurant that could accommodate 20 people, which had a rectangular table.

He sat in the main seat, while Jiang Meiying sat to the side. As they ate, a maid would bring them food from time to time.

Enjoy!
However, Chen Guangliang did not forget the main business. He said, "Once we get to New York, you will need to manage your assets. First, you need to cash out all your stocks in the remaining two months of this year and temporarily deposit the funds into the bank."

Jiang Meiying asked curiously, "Not investing for the long term anymore?"

At this time, she already had a fortune of more than 3000 million US dollars in the United States, and this time she cashed out more than 2000 million US dollars worth of securities.

In other words, the investment from that year more than doubled, which is much better than putting money in the bank, with an annual profit of around 15%.

Chen Guangliang laughed and said, "After the Battle of Shangganling, the United States is no longer able to launch large-scale campaigns, and it's time to enter the negotiation stage. So the 'wartime economy' should also come to an end. We'll withdraw our funds first and find an opportunity to buy back in next year."

In early 1953, U.S. President Truman anticipated an "unprecedented boom" for the year, but things didn't go as planned. From January to July 1953, the stock market continued to decline, dampening the spirits of President Eisenhower, who had just taken office at the end of January.

Chen Guangliang predicts that this wave will pull back by 10%.

Of course, Jiang Meiying's stock investments also need to be adjusted, so she can start buying more stocks gradually from June next year.

"Understood"

At night, Chen Guangliang was handling official business in the study of the superyacht "British American".

The ship's radio waves are connected to the Global Group's 'information network'. Chen Guangliang's 'secretary team' will send important work or information to the yacht via radio waves so that Chen Guangliang can be informed.

This method allows Chen Guangliang to work at sea for several months without any problems.

"Your Majesty, it's late. Why don't you retire for the night?"

Jiang Meiying was wearing a Chinese-style cheongsam, high heels, and most importantly, black stockings. Her voluptuous figure looked like a live volcano, ready to erupt at any moment.

The perfect woman!
Chen Guangliang likes black stockings, so he is quite grateful to DuPont for using nylon in black stockings. Currently, Chen Guangliang's favorite style is the Chinese cheongsam, which he pairs with black stockings. The cheongsam is made of high-quality silk.

Silk cheongsams are soft, skin-friendly, breathable, and moisture-wicking, which is perfect for Chen Guangliang.

Chen Guangliang put down his work and gestured for Jiang Meiying to come to him. As she sat down with her ample bosom, Chen Guangliang felt a beautiful woman with the charm of Jiangnan embrace him.

The elegance and poise that Cantonese women of this era cannot learn is something that Shanghai women possess; their every move exudes sophistication and charm.

Hong Kong actresses of that era, like Xia Meng and Lin Dai, were all beauties from the Jiangnan region. Only after the concept of 'Hong Kong people' emerged did Hong Kong begin to produce its own local beauties.

Chen Guangliang tossed the documents on his desk aside, then placed Jiang Meiying on top of them and began to admire her face to face.

"Won't you get tired of it someday?" Jiang Meiying asked coquettishly.

“No, as long as we have a variety of ideas, X’s life can be like a honeymoon every day!” Chen Guangliang’s eyes were full of admiration, but his hands were not idle.

Jiang Meiying, sitting on the desk, had her long legs dangling in the air, just the right spot for Chen Guangliang to admire her closely.

Jiang Meiying also knew how to please Chen Guangliang, perfectly demonstrating the hidden charm of "Shanghai's No. 1 Beauty" on her desk.
That night, Chen Guangliang became emperor, and he will continue to be emperor in the future!

The appearance of the superyacht "British American" in the port of New York attracted a flurry of photography from American reporters, who immediately mobilized all their resources to find out the owner of this "castle on the sea".

The very next day, the entire American media knew that 'Shipping King' Chen Guangliang's new car had appeared at the port of New York.

"This wealthy Chinese man is not as reserved and low-key as other Chinese. His 'British American' superyacht is currently the most luxurious yacht in the world. He is the emperor of the sea!"

"While his fellow Hong Kong compatriots were still struggling to get enough to eat and have nowhere to live, this Chinese shipping magnate had already spent US$400 million to build a superyacht."

Some people admired it, while others looked down on it!

But Chen Guangliang had already considered these things, so he didn't care.

soon.

His superyacht, the "British American," hosted a party that included Henry Morgan, T.V. Soong, and several American oil company bosses, including John D. Rockefeller III, who all boarded the ship.

Today, Global Shipping has an 8-ton oil tanker fleet, of which 5.5 tons are about to be put into operation.

Therefore, the main purpose of holding this banquet was to build good relations with American oil companies. It should be noted that an 8-ton oil tanker was already a behemoth in this era.

In its previous life, Onassis had only about 6 tons in 1955, and only 1 tons in 1950.

Because at that time, the importance of oil to a country was only just beginning; oil tankers accounted for only one-tenth of the total merchant fleet. Starting in the 1950s, the proportion of oil tankers in the merchant fleet steadily increased, reaching a peak of 30-40% in the 1970s.

At the banquet, everyone was amazed by the luxury of the "British American" superyacht, but at the same time, they must have also felt contempt for Chen Guangliang as a "country bumpkin".

After all, Chen Guangliang was just a nouveau riche in Shanghai during the Republic of China era.

During the conversation, Chen Guangliang raised his glass and said in fluent English, "Ladies and gentlemen, the two large oil tankers that we, Global Shipping, ordered in Germany will soon be put into operation. If any of you have oil transportation business, please consider us!"

A transport capacity of 5.5 tons is not what small countries need. Even Japan at this time could not afford to lease it long-term (multiple single-trip leases). Only large oil companies in the United States and Europe could provide enough business.

At this point, John Davidson Rockefeller III of Esso Oil (formerly Standard Oil of New Jersey) spoke up, saying, "In the field of oil transportation, we have more faith in the American and European fleets. Although Mr. Chen's fleet has new ships, the overall quality of the fleet may not be able to handle such a large transportation task."

The scene became somewhat awkward, but most people just laughed at Chen Guangliang!
How could Chen Guangliang be embarrassed? He had been in the business world for 26 years. He said politely, "Our first oil transportation mission was with Esso Oil Company. We gained your company's approval that time and have been cooperating ever since."

John Davidson Rockefeller III laughed and said, “That’s quite a coincidence! However, we have only entrusted small transport missions to World Shipping. For large transport missions, we will entrust them to fleets we trust more. In our opinion, even Greek ship owners are more trustworthy.”

"Ha ha"

Song Ziwen, who was standing to the side, became somewhat worried about Chen Guangliang. Although everyone had attended the banquet today, it seemed that they were not giving Chen Guangliang any face at all.

Henry Morgan remarked from the side, "I can tell he won't be easily defeated!"

As a Wall Street financial tycoon, and given the animosity between the Morgan and Rockefeller families, he still sided with Chen Guangliang.

Faced with the ridicule from the group of oil tycoons, Chen Guangliang simply said, "Time will tell!"

"Alright, let time prove it!"

Clearly, tonight's banquet did not earn the trust of these oil giants; instead, it only resulted in ridicule.

It was foreseeable that once the two German oil tankers were launched, business might not be very busy. In particular, the period from 1953 to 1955 seemed to be a low point in shipping.

Regardless, Chen Guangliang still treated everyone to a warm welcome that evening, and they didn't disembark until the next day.

Afterwards, Chen Guangliang and Song Ziwen chatted casually.

At this time, Song Ziwen could only be considered a "recluse" in the United States, occasionally analyzing the international situation; he was no longer the second most powerful figure in the Republic of China, and his power had become a thing of the past.

However, the fact that he introduced Henry Morgan to Chen Guangliang yesterday shows that he was very considerate of Chen Guangliang as a friend.

“It’s a difficult road for a Chinese person to become a world shipping magnate! But you’re already very impressive. I heard you’ve leased twenty or thirty ships to Japan,” Song Ziwen said with admiration.

He wanted to be the Morgan of China back then, but he didn't succeed.

But Chen Guangliang, who was not only his junior but also his subordinate (during the China Merchants Group period), is now making his mark on the world business stage.

Chen Guangliang said, "The arrogance and prejudice of Europeans and Americans will not disappear overnight. But as long as we demonstrate our strength, they will be willing to do business with us respectfully. So what happened last night is not a big problem for me. I believe that everyone will trust us soon."

Soong Tse-ven said, "Alright, then congratulations in advance on becoming a shipping magnate! But I have one more thing to ask. Back then, you hated the Japanese the most, so why did you do business with them immediately after the war?"

Chen Guangliang did business with the Japanese immediately after the war, which inevitably drew criticism, but he did not regret it.

"Since Japan has already acquired the title and has the support of the United States, what can we do even if we hate them in our hearts? Rather than that, we might as well be more realistic and pragmatic. I'll lease my fleet to Japan to support thousands of Hong Kong refugees; they are my compatriots."

"Pragmatism! I see, you and that guy from Taiwan share the same idea!"

"I dare not compare myself to the Commander-in-Chief!"

The two chatted for a long time before Song Ziwen and his wife left. It was a gathering of longtime friends, and the two had talked quite a bit.

The superyacht "America & England" welcomed its second female owner – Audrey Hepburn. Audrey Hepburn, along with her son Chen Wen-ou and mother Ella, flew to New York and then boarded the "America & England".

Meanwhile, the superyacht 'American & British' has completed its repairs in New York and is heading towards Britain.

“Darling, this is truly your future car, it’s so luxurious!” Audrey Hepburn exclaimed with delight.

At this moment, Chen Guangliang was holding his mixed-race son, Chen Wenou, and teasing him.

Turning to Audrey Hepburn, he said, "That's great, we can vacation on this ship from now on!"

Chen Guangliang didn't see anything wrong with Audrey Hepburn becoming a 'housewife', since he already had an impression of her from "Roman Holiday" in his mind, and had even done cosplay.

He couldn't possibly let Audrey Hepburn appear in public, especially if she were pursued by male celebrities in the entertainment industry. Besides, it would be difficult for Chen Guangliang to spend time with Audrey Hepburn anyway, so it was better to keep her as a lover and keep her in the palace!

"awesome!"

Audrey Hepburn ran happily on the deck, her beautiful dress accentuating her status as Chen Guangliang's princess.

Chen Guangliang handed Chen Wenou to the nanny, then smiled and followed suit, mimicking the Titanic pose by embracing Audrey Hepburn from behind.

"Am I being selfish? You could have become a world-famous actress!"

This is nothing more than reverse PUA!

Audrey Hepburn turned around and laughed, "Is that why you're saying this? Don't forget, we already have a son!"

Her playful expression clearly showed that this was not something she was worried about.

Moreover, she has never regretted having Chen Wenou; at this moment, her focus is on her family and children.

"How could that be? I hope you'll stay with me for another 60 years!"

"Sixty years? Of course, that's possible!"

The two looked at each other and smiled, then kissed.

Ella, standing some distance away, holding her grandson Chen Wen'ou, couldn't help but sigh, "Audrey's life is going to be like this. This man can actually last two hours. But if they had two or three children and made them rich in the future, it wouldn't be so bad!"

She also noticed Chen Guangliang's unusual behavior. First, he looked much younger than his forties, appearing to be in his early thirties. Second, he had excellent stamina, exhausting her daughter until she begged for mercy. Finally, he was very confident, showing no concern whatsoever about his daughter betraying him. (End of Chapter)