A century-old wealthy family that rose from Shanghai

In April, Prince Rainier III of Monaco and Hollywood Oscar-winning actress Grace Kelly held a grand wedding.

At this moment, the whole world came to know this small European country, because the Hollywood Oscar-winning actress was far more famous.

What surprised Monaco government officials even more was that the biggest beneficiary of their king's wedding was actually the 'seawater bathing beach'.

Many guests arrived in Monaco early and flocked to the casinos, hotels, beaches, and sea. The beaches also attracted a large number of tourists.

When Chen Guangliang, Audrey Hepburn, and Brownie arrived at the beach, they found it packed with people, at least three times more crowded than a year ago.

Brownie pointed to the marina and said, "Mr. Chen's suggestion to vigorously develop the yacht club is very popular with tourists. The sea in Monaco is already very beautiful, and now tourists can rent yachts to go out to sea, which can be said to fulfill the wishes of tourists."

When the company took over the beach resort last June, it spent millions of US dollars to rebuild the yacht marina and purchase a large number of new yachts of all sizes.

At this moment, Audrey Hepburn, arm in arm with Chen Guangliang, was completely oblivious to the stares of others.

Some have already said that she, not Rainier III, is the true 'Queen' of Monaco, because the influence of the beach will surpass that of the entire country of Monaco.

Chen Guangliang asked Brownie, "How's the luxury yacht being sent to the Prince going?"

He understood that the better the business at the beach, the more jealous Grace would be of Audrey Hepburn, so he first tried his best to build a good relationship with Rainier III.

Brownie said, "The Prince and Queen were very happy to receive it, and have even gone out to sea once."

Chen Guangliang nodded, looking at the bustling scene at the yacht marina. Of course, there were also many people taking pictures of the world's most luxurious superyacht, the "British American," on the sea.

Many people know that it belonged to the 'shipping magnate', an Asian man.

The beach was packed with tourists, and the hotels were fully booked.

Brownie said happily, "Our newly renovated hotel is already fully booked. Our company will probably be the biggest beneficiary of the Prince's wedding."

He felt he was at the pinnacle of his life. Although the conglomerate had appointed Miss Audrey Hepburn as the "Queen" here, he, as the general manager, was the "Queen's" chief minister, actually in charge of all the work here.

After the new consortium acquired the beach, its main focus was on speed. Chen Guangliang believed that within ten years at most, Prince Rainier III of Monaco would probably feel that he had "grown up" and had broken free from the new consortium's economic control. At that time, he would use administrative means to forcefully reclaim the beach.

Therefore, how much money you make in these ten years is the real skill!
Of course, the beach can also be sold for a profit ten years from now.

After acquiring the beach resort, the new consortium immediately upgraded the facilities of the original hotel and also leased the property to renovate it into a new hotel.

The last place they visited was the Monte Carlo Casino. As they entered the casino, they were greeted by a sweltering heatwave.

Rows of slot machines, each with two or three people standing around. These people may be real gamblers, tourists looking for entertainment, European nobles, or American tycoons, all of whom are immersed in them.

The casino was huge, filled with blonde, blue-eyed bunny girls and beautiful dealers. It wasn't until Audrey Hepburn secretly pinched Chen Guangliang that he quickly looked away.

"You know a lot!"

"Audrey Hepburn said in a low voice."

It turns out that many of the suggestions in this casino came from Chen Guangliang.

"It's about making money, there's nothing shameful about it!"

Audrey Hepburn laughed; she wasn't really jealous.

This man trusted her so much, treating her like the 'Queen' of Monaco, that she naturally became even more 'loyal'.

Brownie took a break to report: "We never close here. If people get tired, they can rest in the hotel next door, and when they wake up, they can walk a few steps into the casino to continue their gamble. If they get hungry, they can eat as much as they want in the buffet for nearly $5. The oxygen level is 50% higher than outside, and the lighting is controlled to the optimal level, so people never feel tired inside and are always in a state of high excitement, eager to beat the slot machines."

Good heavens, they're going to drain these gamblers dry!

Former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill also attended the wedding of Rainier III and Grace.

At the banquet, everyone noticed that Winston spent the most time talking with Chen Guangliang and Audrey Hepburn, and immediately understood the shipping magnate's influence.

During this time, Chen Guangliang invited, "Sir Churchill, after you attend Prince Rainier III's wedding, would you like to travel with me on the superyacht 'British American' to London?"

Winston readily agreed, "Of course, Sir Chen. I've heard about the luxury of your superyacht, the British American. It's perfect for a vacation, what do you say?"

"Of course, you'd be most welcome!"

At this time, Chen Guangliang, being a knight of the Commonwealth and with the influence of the shipping magnate, naturally had no problem befriending a retired British prime minister.

Two days later, Chen Guangliang and his wife, along with Winston, boarded the superyacht "British American" and headed to London.

The news quickly spread in Monaco.

Newlywed Grace said sourly, "Darling, this Chinese and British man have really benefited a lot from our wedding!"

Prince Rainier III embraced Grace and said, “Although I’m not very happy about this uninvited Chinese man, the resurgence of activity at the beach is very important for our Kingdom of Monaco. My dear, don’t worry about outside opinions; right now, our country needs the economic development of the beach.”

Grace nodded.

Although she was jealous that Audrey Hepburn had stolen her thunder, she also understood that Monaco's economy had only just begun to recover and could not afford any setbacks.

the other side.

Chen Guangliang and Winston had a very pleasant conversation on the superyacht "British American".

During the conversation, Chen Guangliang asked directly: "Sir Churchill, some American media outlets have suggested that Britain and the Commonwealth should now play a passive and subordinate role in the world. I would like to hear your opinion on this."

Upon hearing this, Winston's expression immediately turned serious, and he said earnestly, "No one should ever underestimate our energy, potential, and enduring strength. Britain and the Commonwealth still play an important role in the world. Sir Chen, as the shipping magnate of the Commonwealth, what do you think this title has given you?"

Chen Guangliang immediately said, "Being a member of the Commonwealth has indeed brought me a lot of convenience, and it has also brought some convenience to Hong Kong's economy. However, I am in the shipping business and I am very concerned about the Suez Canal. Can Britain maintain control over it in the long term?"

In 1954, under pressure from the United States, Britain withdrew its troops from the military base there, taking advantage of the flirtation between Egypt and the Soviet Union, with the United States fearing that Egypt would become communist.

Winston immediately replied, "Of course, Britain will do everything in its power to maintain its influence and control in this region!" "Then I'm relieved, after all, these shipping lanes are crucial to the lifeline of the world economy!"

After returning to London, Audrey Hepburn immediately flew to New York, USA.

The 'American Toy Fair' was held in New York, and Barbie participated in the exhibition with the theme 'Barbie - A Role Model for Teens'.

Barbie dolls officially debuted at the end of last year, but their popularity has been lukewarm, and they have even encountered some setbacks. Monthly sales are only around 5000 units.

"Chairman, Mr. Chen attaches great importance to this expo, saying that it will help Barbie gain recognition in the American market!" Chen Wenjin reported proactively after meeting Audrey Hepburn.

At work, he addressed his wife by her formal title, "Third Aunt," and also referred to his father as "Mr. Chen," which was more formal.

Audrey Hepburn said, "Okay, I'm just here to act as your spokesperson. You and President Jones can handle things."

Chen Wenjin is the vice president, mainly responsible for the production and logistics system, since he is familiar with Hong Kong; Jones is an external professional manager who used to be a senior executive at a toy manufacturer.

When the two entered the exhibition, Jones was already acting as an agent, showing Barbie dolls to children, a scene witnessed by many toy retailers.

Wow, Barbie dolls are so beautiful!

A female employee smiled and said, "Kids, Barbie is a role model for young girls. Look at her, she exudes confidence, elegance, and fashionable charm. Don't you want to be a girl like her?"

"I want to, I want to so much!"

The female employee then added, "Our Barbie dolls can also be dressed up. Whether it's a professional young woman or a princess dress, you can manually change their outfits."

More and more people gathered around, many of them toy dealers and department store employees, and it quickly became a bustling scene.

Before long, Audrey Hepburn, as the owner of 'Barbie', explained her idea for creating 'Barbie' to the toy dealers, which gained her even more recognition.

Audrey Hepburn herself was the most authoritative 'Barbie spokesperson', and many distributors began ordering Barbie dolls.

Barbie became an overnight sensation at the New York Toy Fair, and American newspapers reported on it extensively, with orders pouring in like snowflakes.

President Jones immediately approached Chen Wenjin: "Chen, Hong Kong is supplying us with 2 units every month, is that alright?"

He knew about the company's network of connections, but he didn't care. All he knew was that Audrey Hepburn was the best spokesperson for Barbie, and he also felt that Barbie's future was limitless, so he treated this business as his own.

He wants to become one of the best professional managers!

Chen Wenjin said confidently, "President Jones, you can rest assured. We have predicted that Barbie dolls will definitely be a hit, so production in Hong Kong will absolutely not be a problem."

Jones felt even more awe at the unfathomable nature of this family, who dared to predict that Barbie would be successful sooner or later. He himself dared not say that Barbie would sell more than 20,000 units a month.

"Okay, then I'm relieved!"

Jones was quite confident about the product quality. American engineers frequently traveled to Hong Kong for communication, and Vice President Chen Wenjin personally supervised the process.

When Su Dongsheng, the general manager of Huatai Plastics Factory in Hong Kong, learned about the new contract for 'Audrey Toys', he was stunned. The original monthly supply of 5000 toys had been changed to 2 toys per month, and that supply would increase.

"Fortunately, the boss had anticipated this and expanded the production capacity to 3 units per month. We have made sufficient preparations in terms of factory buildings, equipment, and raw materials."

Su Dongsheng seized the time to set up production, and the entire Huatai Plastics Factory ushered in explosive growth, with Barbie toys and plastic flowers becoming very outstanding achievements.

"Ladies and gentlemen, according to my information, Barbie has become the fastest-growing toy in the United States. They are now asking us to supply more than 2 Barbie dolls, 12 sets of clothing, and 6 wigs every month. So our task now is to produce for me 24 hours a day while ensuring quality. In addition, we need to work hard to prepare the new production line and I want to see it running within a week."

"Yes, General Manager!"

All the management team was excited. Following the success of their plastic flowers business, Huatai Plastics was poised for another major boom.

Cheung Kong Industrial Group's large-scale recruitment in Hong Kong, particularly targeting women (due to their low wages), has attracted media attention in Hong Kong.

Oriental Daily News: Hong Kong's industry is achieving another great success, with the toy industry booming. Wah Tai Toy Factory has received orders for 2 Barbie dolls per month and is urgently recruiting nearly a thousand workers.

Sing Tao Daily: Wah Tai Plastics Factory has become a large factory, mainly producing plastic flowers and toys, with more than 4,000 workers.

The Hong Kong Commercial Daily reports: The entire Cheung Kong Industrial Group, employing nearly 2 workers, has become the absolute industrial hegemon of Hong Kong. Recently, its subsidiary, Wah Tai Plastics Factory, has experienced a surge in business, particularly after receiving a large order from American toy manufacturer Audrey Toys. This has drawn envy from Japanese toy manufacturers, who have protested to their American masters.

"That's outrageous! Cheung Kong Industrial Group has 2 workers. What percentage of Hong Kong's workforce does that represent?"

"There should be 15 registered workers. Do the math yourself! Of course, there might be around 20 unregistered workers. But all the workers at Yangtze River Industrial Group are definitely registered."

"My God, that's almost one-seventh of registered workers."

When Chen Guangliang returned to Hong Kong, he saw a vibrant and thriving scene.

The move to Hong Kong to produce Barbie dolls was undoubtedly a major blow to the Japanese toy industry. It's important to remember that the Japanese toy industry was experiencing rapid growth in the 1950s.

Starting in 1954, Hong Kong experienced a boom in three industries: wigs, plastic flowers, and toys. These industries created countless jobs and generated substantial revenue for Hong Kong.

In this wave, the Yangtze River Industrial Group made a great contribution to the Chen family's enterprises, creating enormous wealth, all of which was deposited into Ping An Bank as an 'important cornerstone' of the entire conglomerate.

Of course, upon returning to Hong Kong, Chen Guangliang immediately convened a meeting with senior executives from Cheung Kong Industrial Group and Huatai Plastics.

No one from other industrial groups attended this meeting; only senior executives from the group's headquarters and Huatai Plastics participated.

"The production quality of this Barbie doll must be strictly controlled, otherwise Audrey Company will not cooperate with us for a long time. That's one reason."

"Recruiting women as workers for Barbie dolls is a reasonable approach, as they are low-cost. Additionally, we can increase partnerships, because orders sometimes surge and sometimes decrease; having more production partners makes it easier to regulate productivity without incurring excessive costs. That's the second point."

Su Dongsheng and others immediately expressed their agreement.

Barbie's three main production lines are: plastic bodies, clothing, and wigs—all three of which happen to be areas where Hong Kong excels. (End of Chapter)