A century-old wealthy family that rose from Shanghai

Chen Guangliang returned to Monaco, where Brownie had already secured the official shares of the Monaco beach resort for them.

They have already spent $800 million to acquire full ownership of this beach resort, which is considered a bargain since no one else is competing with them.

Of course, the $800 million investment is only for equity; further capital injection is needed to revitalize the project.

This time, Chen Guangliang arrived in Monaco aboard the superyacht "British American" with his "lover" Audrey Hepburn.

When the superyacht 'British American' arrived off the coast of Monaco, King Rainier III of Monaco had already been informed by his subordinates.

"Damn it, why did this Chinese person buy the beach? Don't we have any investors in Europe and America?"

Prince Rainier III was quite displeased with Chen Guangliang's uninvited arrival!
The subordinate then said, "Your Highness, the beach resort has been abandoned by Europeans. Without this Chinese shipping magnate's investment, no one would have auctioned it off. Moreover, their purchase was legitimate; if we..."

The implication is that this was a legitimate transaction!

Rainier III then said, “Of course I will abide by the law. As long as they don’t break the law, the deal is valid. Tomorrow, invite them here, and I will receive them.”

"Ok"

Monaco's officials are all happy to see this deal, because Monaco is on the verge of bankruptcy, and the new investor in the beach resort is a good thing.

On the other hand, although Chen Guangliang is Asian, he has a great influence and almost drove the Americans to the brink of despair.

As for Rainier III, he was in a high position, so it was normal for him to look down on Chen Guangliang, who had come uninvited. (Chen Guangliang entrusted Brownie to buy the shares of the bathing beach in batches. When Rainier III auctioned off the government's shares, even if there were investors, they would choose to give up when they learned that they only had a little over 30% of the shares and that the other 60% were in someone else's hands.)

The next day, Chen Guangliang, along with Audrey Hepburn and Brownie, arrived at the Monaco Royal Palace.

Rainier III, accompanied by government officials, greeted the three.

When Prince Rainier III saw Audrey Hepburn, he was almost speechless for a moment. Such a noble and beautiful Western girl was actually involved with Chen Guangliang.

At this moment, Audrey Hepburn, dressed in a princess gown, exuded a noble aura. Although she did not star in "Roman Holiday" in this life, it did not diminish her charm in the slightest.

“Your Highness, this is my partner, Miss Audrey Hepburn. She was captivated by the beaches here when she first came to Monaco.”

When Prince Rainier III addressed Audrey Hepburn, he politely remarked, "That was Monaco's good fortune."

Then, everyone sat down to discuss the matter.

Prince Rainier III asked directly, "Mr. Chen, you've always been in the shipping business. Is there any plan behind your sudden purchase of this beach?"

There's a certain amount of unhappiness in this!
Chen Guangliang knew that his uninvited visit would displease Prince Rainier III, but he didn't care.

Of course, he still wants to maintain a good relationship with Rainier III, since they will be dealing with each other for a long time to come.

Therefore, he said confidently, "Your Highness, we will continue to invest, add new facilities, and build a new luxury hotel. At the same time, I have some friends and a reputation around the world, so I will naturally do my best to promote this place. I believe that in just one year, this place will be bustling again."

During this period, they have developed many rectification and publicity plans, so they are very confident.

Upon hearing this, Rainier III felt somewhat better, as the new investment could prevent the country from going bankrupt.

After finishing their business, during the meal, Chen Guangliang said, "I heard that the Prince is dating Miss Grace. Miss Grace is a national treasure of America. If the Prince wants to win her heart, he'll have to put in some effort!"

Prince Rainier III's expression changed slightly. He hadn't expected Chen Guangliang to be so resourceful as to find out that he was dating Grace.

However, he quickly became serious and said, "This is my private matter and has nothing to do with Mr. Chen's visit to Monaco!"

Seeing this, Chen Guangliang continued, "Although it's irrelevant, I'm willing to offer the 'British American' superyacht to the Prince for use, whether to go to the United States to propose marriage or for a vacation!"

Rainier III was immediately intrigued. After all, although he was the king of a country, it had nearly gone bankrupt and was not considered wealthy. Moreover, in order to pursue Grace, he hoped to have such a superyacht as a vacation vehicle.

The British American superyacht has a great influence in the world.

"Thank you very much"

As a result, Rainier III's attitude changed somewhat, which gradually dissipated the negative impact of Chen Guangliang's uninvited visit.

Chen Guangliang actually knew that Prince Rainier III and his wife Grace might be jealous and envious in the future, but he still chose to invest in the project.

After all, that's the law of the business world—risk often comes with huge profits.

Moreover, the bathing beach can also help the Chen family's businesses enhance their international influence.

the next day.

Mr. and Mrs. Chen Guangliang also invited important figures from Monaco, including Prince Rainier III, to the British American Superyacht.

As the host, he entertained everyone, and they all had a very pleasant conversation.

In early November.

When Chen Wenjin arrived in Boston and saw the Holiday Inn under construction, he excitedly asked, "Brother, this hotel will be open soon, right?"

After a year of training, Chen Wenjie has begun to show the maturity and demeanor of a professional. He said with some joy, "Yes, it officially opens in September. It took us eleven months to take over the hotel and renovate it to Holiday Inn standards!"

When discussing this topic, he looked at the Holiday Inn in front of him as if it were his own child. Over the past year, he has devoted himself to his work, acquiring a hotel for renovation and purchasing a plot of land to build a hotel building, with two projects underway.

Chen Wenjin said, "We will definitely succeed! Mid-range prices and high-standard service are the advantages of Holiday Inn. Before Holiday Inn appeared, there were almost no mid-range hotels in the US market, so Holiday Inn's success is a natural outcome."

Chen Wenjie patted his younger brother on the shoulder and said, "I'm asking you, did you even study this past year? How come you know everything about business!"

He felt that his younger brother was more successful in business than he was.

However, he was not jealous. Compared to his younger brother, he would proceed with his work step by step, without any rush.

His younger brother, however, would have to make his own way. Although the family had funds and their father offered advice, it mainly depended on him. Chen Wenjin immediately said, "Big brother, I've already received my graduation certificate!"

The implication is that he successfully completed the task.

"I know, I know, you're amazing! You not only graduated smoothly, but you also registered 'Audrey Toys' and are even registering a patent for 'Barbie Dolls'!"

"Hehe, we Chen family members are naturally a bit more capable!"

The two brothers communicated and shared what they were doing, and occasionally gave each other advice.

Chen Wenjin continued, "However, Audrey's toys are mainly made by Third Aunt, and I am her subordinate. After all, a doll is a doll; it's not something that can really be invented by us Chinese."

Chen Wenjie could tell that his younger brother was somewhat disappointed, so he said seriously, "Wenjin, your father put you in Audrey Toys to cultivate your abilities. Even if a toy brand becomes the biggest in the world, that's not what your father expects of you; but if you can't even make toys well, how can your father look at you with respect?"

Chen Wenjin perked up and immediately said, "I've been working hard, but Third Aunt's image is indeed very fitting for the boss of Audrey Toys. My current thought is also to work diligently!"

Chen Wenjie patted his younger brother on the shoulder and said, "Let's go back and have dinner together. Yuanzhen is still waiting for us!"

Chen Wenjin put his arm around Chen Wenjin's shoulder and said, "Brother, you and your wife aren't pregnant, are you going back to Hong Kong together?"

With his winking and squinting, he clearly has an outgoing personality.

Chen Wenjie said, "If I did that, my mom would beat me up. Besides, Yuanzhen plans to go back to Hong Kong to find a job first. Getting married and having children is something for later!"

Zhuang Yuanzhen's idea was also at Yan Renmei's behest; as a woman, she needed to work for a while. As for their marriage, that would be considered later after they returned to Hong Kong.

Eager to have a grandson? That's not true.

My youngest daughter, Chen Mengyi, is only three years old!

Hong Kong.

Chen Guangliang arrived at a factory in Hung Hom, where a sign for "Huatai Toys" was hanging.

Today, Huatai Plastics Factory has been split into two, with one part focusing on plastic flowers and the other on toys. It can be said that it is rising with the tide in the Yangtze River industrial system and is vaguely becoming the second largest.

However, due to the influence of Hong Kong real estate, Rongchang Heavy Industry has also developed in the fields of steel smelting, aluminum alloy smelting, and aluminum alloy doors and windows.

"Boss" Su Dongsheng and his men came to greet them.

"Have you gotten the Barbie doll sample yet?" Chen Guangliang went straight to the point.

"We've secured it. We're focusing our efforts on overcoming the technical challenges. There aren't any major issues; we possess the production technology thanks to years of accumulated expertise and experience. Meanwhile, we're also coordinating with Rebecca Wig Factory and Xinfeng Textile."

Chen Guangliang's idea for the production of Barbie dolls, including plastic bodies, wigs, and clothing, is to have 'Audrey Toys' in the United States operate the business and 'Wah Tai Toys' in Hong Kong produce the dolls.

Audrey Hepburn was the inventor of the Barbie doll, and Chen Wenjin was just an operator, not even the CEO. They would have to find an American manager to implement a professional management model.

After visiting the R&D center, Chen Guangliang said, "Quality must be guaranteed, as this is related to the development prospects of Hong Kong's toy industry."

Su Dongsheng and the others were taken aback, and quickly replied, "Yes, boss!"

People don't understand why this 'Barbie doll' is so important, that it actually concerns the development of Hong Kong's toy industry?
Of course, as everyone knows, the fathers of Hong Kong's textile, metallurgical, plastic flower, and wig industries were all their own bosses. If the toy industry were to be further boosted by these bosses, it could be said that Hong Kong's industrial development was essentially driven by its own owners.

After inspecting the factory, Chen Guangliang bid farewell to Huatai Toy Factory.

Although Barbie has already registered its patents, its actual operation has only just begun. It may need to participate in an exhibition before it suddenly becomes a hit.

The Asia Building, located on Queen's Road Central, occupies an area of ​​only 1.7 square feet. Cheung Kong Holdings ultimately acquired it for HK$690 million.

The price was calculated to be HK$400 per square foot, setting a record for the price per square foot of land in Hong Kong.

In fact, this price was already higher than the market price, but Cheung Kong Holdings needed the land, so it immediately acquired it after Asia Petroleum Company offered this price.

In Chen Guangliang's view, this price should be the price at the end of 1955 or the beginning of 1956, and buying it would save him from later troubles.

After Asia Pacific Properties acquired the property, CK Asset Holdings Limited prepared to invest in the design and planning of the headquarters for Lane Crawford Department Store. The initial plan was to build a 26-story building with a total floor area of ​​approximately 30 square feet or more.

After acquiring Asia Pacific, Chen Guangliang began to focus on his financial affairs in his office.

His large investments in shipping and real estate, coupled with his near-total disuse of funds from other depositors at Ping An Bank, have strained his own cash flow.

For example, he built an oil tanker of over 2 tons (Japan built two oil tankers of over 5000 tons each), plus several cargo ships, with a total price of up to 10 million US dollars. He will need to pay at least 2500 million US dollars as a 'down payment' before October next year, with the rest being paid in installments.

Cheung Kong Holdings has also made significant strides in recent years, acquiring numerous valuable properties, including the Hong Kong Hotel, Lane Crawford Department Store, Asia Pacific, Moon Garden in North Point, Era Film Studios in Kowloon Bay, and the Brunner Mon Warehouse on Paterson Street.
They recently invested over ten million US dollars in the Monaco beach resort.
With so many large projects, Chen Guangliang's cash flow was being depleted very quickly, and even his US deposits had to be withdrawn back to Hong Kong for safety.

Of course, the priority is to ensure the safety of Ping An Bank. After all, if a bank run occurs, HSBC and Standard Chartered might stab them in the back, and other banks would likely stand idly by. Ping An Bank has already gained some clout to challenge HSBC and Standard Chartered, and other Chinese-owned banks are bound to be jealous of their competitors.

Fortunately, Chen Guangliang's family businesses are enormous, with huge cash flows, and they form a conglomerate with Ping An Bank at its core.

Soon, Chen Guangliang decided to sell a few more buildings. Although the profit from each building was only a few million, it would still provide more cash flow.

On the other hand, if Cheung Kong Holdings had only sold 1200 residential units in the six buildings on Public Square Street during this wave of real estate development (1955-1957), but the Chan family still held so many properties and land, it would have likely resulted in a slow improvement in Hong Kong's housing situation.

This is not what Chen Guangliang wanted to see!

Although there are many residential apartments on that half of Paterson Street, they are intended for long-term rental and are not planned for sale!

Therefore, Chen Guangliang set his sights on the warehouse owned by Ping An Bank in Sai Wan, planning to demolish it to build a residential building and then sell it to the public.

However, there's no rush for these things. We can formally initiate the project when our eldest son, Chen Wenjie, returns next year, which will also give him some experience.

The main strategy is to acquire land to build new residential buildings; after all, once the land reserves are used up, the company's foundation will be diminished. (End of Chapter)