A century-old wealthy family that rose from Shanghai

It's now 1973.

Over the past year, the Ping An Index has climbed from 400 to 1000, an increase of 150%.

Such a surge was unimaginable in mainland China in later generations, yet it occurred with such madness in Hong Kong. This was because 'Hong Kong people love to gamble,' and at that time, almost everyone in Hong Kong was involved in stock trading.

Stock trading has permeated all levels of society, including housewives. Conversations among citizens inevitably revolve around stocks, and the fervor with which people inquire about stock market news surpasses even the frenzy of unsuspecting women and children in Guangdong province during the gambling era, eagerly seeking information from fortune tellers. This reflects a societal shift where many stock market retailers disregard business ethics, prioritizing only exorbitant profits. Many housewives and maids are abandoning savings for stocks, as savings interest rates are meager compared to the lucrative returns. Even white-collar workers are distracted during office hours, using the phone to "buy and sell" stocks at the slightest hint of news. This is commonplace in central office buildings. Furthermore, even teachers in government-subsidized schools are preoccupied with stock market fluctuations during class, neglecting their duties and causing discontent among many parents.

New Year's Day.

Jiang Meiying, Audrey Hepburn, and Si Yezi all came to Hong Kong for vacation, but they didn't insist on having their children and grandchildren come to Hong Kong, since everyone would come during the Spring Festival.

Currently, the Chan Group usually holds two gatherings a year, each lasting two weeks, both in Hong Kong; at other times, everyone maintains relative independence and freedom.

Over the past two weeks, everyone has shared their experiences and strengthened their bonds; of course, the bonds within the Chen family are already ingrained in their very being.

For example, in the third generation, there may not be much contact between the different branches, but the members know from a young age that they are members of the Chen family and that unity should be the top priority. In this way, even if they only meet twice a year, they will feel very close to each other because they share the same bloodline.

This situation seems to be more like having Chen Guangliang as a 'soul figure' who keeps everyone closely connected. It's just unknown whether this connection will continue after Chen Guangliang's death; of course, Chen Guangliang wouldn't be too concerned about such things.

In the living room of Villa No. 79 in Deep Water Bay, Chen Guangliang, his four wives, and the four sons of his first wife were chatting together, while the third generation of children from the first wife were playing on their own.

Meanwhile, on the other side, the eldest son's wife, Zhuang Yuanzhen, was directing the servants in preparing for the gathering. She held a high position among the second and third generation of the family, not only as the "Crown Princess," but also because she had been very familiar with the Chen family since childhood, and Chen Guangliang and Yan Renmei regarded her as a daughter.

Therefore, the other daughters-in-law also know that sometimes, if there is something, it is not necessary to ask the four mothers-in-law; asking this sister-in-law is also very helpful.

"Aunt Qin, what kind of seafood did Father-in-law eat today? Was it fresh?" Zhuang Yuanzhen came to the housekeeper, Aunt Qin, and asked personally.

Why only care about the father-in-law? Because the father-in-law is the most important person in the family. If four mothers-in-law were here, they would ask the same question.

Aunt Qin said with a smile, "They're all fresh! There's Chilean lobster, Bering Sea king crab, and Japanese abalone. Oh, Yuanzhen, Mr. Chen's lunch, would you like to get a bottle of his treasured baijiu? He likes to drink some baijiu at times like this."

Zhuang Yuanzhen immediately said, "Yes, then I'll go to my father-in-law's wine cellar to get it, and the wine glasses must also be the special kind."

After saying that, she went to the basement alone and opened the security doors. She first took out a bottle of 1954 "Golden Wheel" Moutai from the wine cellar. She was certain there was still a considerable amount of this type of liquor left; she had been taught by her mother-in-law that some vintages of liquor should only be consumed occasionally, otherwise it would be too much; and once a certain number of bottles remained, consumption should be reduced. In reality, her father-in-law's wine cellar contained a vast quantity of Moutai, starting from 1950, and it was all very well preserved.

After obtaining the Moutai liquor, Zhuang Yuanzhen used the key to open a treasure vault. Upon entering, she discovered many antique porcelain pieces. She didn't look at them much, but instead took out a pair of wine glasses from a cabinet and carefully closed the vault door.

A few years ago, her parents-in-law gave her and her husband all the keys and combination locks to the basement vaults. This honor made Zhuang Yuanzhen feel a great sense of responsibility, and she began to take on the role of the second-generation "eldest sister-in-law," actively contacting her other sisters-in-law. Just like her husband, she has become the "decision-maker" for the entire family when her father-in-law is on vacation.

"Dad, let's have some 1954 Jinlun brand Moutai for lunch!" Zhuang Yuanzhen came to Chen Guangliang's side to pour wine during lunch.

"Okay, let them drink a little less with me too," Chen Guangliang said happily, turning around to look at his eldest daughter-in-law.

Later, Zhuang Yuanzhen poured wine for Chen Wenjie, Chen Wenming, Chen Wenkai, and Chen Wensheng. Chen Wenming, Chen Wenkai, and Chen Wensheng all stood up and held their wine glasses.

Thank you, sister-in-law.

These tasks were originally done by the housekeeper and maids, but Zhuang Yuanzhen was willing to do them, which was naturally within her authority. If other wives were to pour the wine, it would be somewhat abrupt. Although there weren't many rules, this was, after all, Chen Wenjie and Zhuang Yuanzhen's home, and they were considered the 'masters'.

Chen Guangliang glanced at his four daughters-in-law from the eldest son's side. Although they didn't have the same "anti-aging" qualities as his four wives, they still looked younger than other women. For example, Zhuang Yuanzhen was already 39 years old, but she looked like she was only in her early 30s and didn't look old at all.

This fully illustrates that although Chen Guangliang's genes were weakened considerably in the second generation, the second generation still possessed his superior genes, which would affect his wife and children.

It's a well-established fact that women who consume the saliva and essence of the men in their family have anti-aging effects. Of course, these daughters-in-law may not be aware of this, since their 'anti-aging' effects are limited, but they have noticed the unusual behavior of their four mothers-in-law, though some things cannot be said.

The large table seated more than a dozen people, so the third generation had to eat at a separate table. If members from other households came, several more tables would be needed.

Chen Guangliang savored the delicacies on the table. He had eaten many rare and exotic foods in his life, including a lot of century-old ginseng from Changbai Mountain every year, which had special channels in mainland China. The key was that Chen Guangliang was in good health, so he could digest the supplements even without them, and he was far superior to ordinary people.

Yan Renmei picked up a piece of lobster meat and placed it in Chen Guangliang's bowl; on the other side, Jiang Meiying picked up a piece of abalone and placed it in Chen Guangliang's bowl.

It may seem like they're vying for favor, but everyone understands this is perfectly normal; the father has always received this kind of treatment.

"This year, the family office will be fully operational. From now on, you can get help and solutions to any problems you may have, such as investment, taxation, education, and travel," Chen Guangliang said with a smile.

Starting today, the Chen Guangliang family office has offices in five major cities around the world—Hong Kong, Singapore, New York, London, and Zurich—and the number of employees has increased to just over 100.

Zhuang Yuanzhen then said, "Dad, it seems that none of the women in our four wives have made any investments or own any properties, because they feel that investments are not worthwhile."

Like other families, the 'nuclear family' certainly has its own investments, and the women in the nuclear family always have their own small investments.

Chen Guangliang smiled and said, "That's true. Your husbands control such large companies. If you were to invest in real estate and securities, that would be 'competing with the people for profits.' Besides, Hong Kong is so small, there's really no need to squeeze in. However, in the next few years, I plan to have each of your families' inherited company dividends go to your four small families to establish a small family investment fund. When you use it for investment, global investments will naturally require the advice of a family office."

The four wives dared not respond to this and instead handed the question to their husbands.

Chen Wenjie said, "Thank you, Father."

The other brothers all expressed their gratitude.

Chen Guangliang waved his hand and said, "Diversified investment is what I hope to see. Besides, you also have your own children who are growing up soon, and it's time for you to have this kind of family financial management."

The children of the second wife had long since realized the family's wealth. Conversely, the children of the first wife, although inheriting Chen Guangliang's four major conglomerates, actually lived off their salaries and gifts each year. Jiang Meiying, Audrey Hepburn, and Si Yezi, standing nearby, participated in the conversation about the first wife without any awkwardness. Even when the children of the first wife called them "Second Mother, Third Mother, and Fourth Mother," they felt perfectly at ease and treated them as sons and daughters-in-law.

All the unity and affection in this family is based on Chen Guangliang as their 'spiritual leader'.

In the afternoon, everyone boarded the 'British American' superyacht.

There was naturally some exciting entertainment in the evening. In Chen Guangliang's private gym, the four women were all wearing bodysuits. Their faces were no longer shy, and their thighs were covered with stockings as they pretended to exercise on the gym equipment.

Yan Renmei is dignified, Jiang Meiying is alluring, Audrey Hepburn is noble, and Si Yezi is traditional. The four women have different temperaments, but they are all undoubtedly top-notch beauties.

Time flies, and the four of them are still in great shape. Even though Jiang Meiying is 60 years old this year, her skin and physical condition are only 35 or 36 years old. She still has the feeling of a mature woman, which perfectly shows what a woman is. She has a perfect figure, a noblewoman's face, and large, white, soft breasts, which is the body that Chen Guangliang likes to sleep with the most.

That's good. This way, Chen Guangliang can stay in the 80s and at least won't go looking for younger women.

Chen Guangliang sometimes tries to control himself; there are too many temptations around him. Some young girls, upon seeing Chen Guangliang, are like hungry wolves eyeing meat. It's not just the wealth Chen Guangliang possesses, but also the fact that even in his sixties, his looks and charm are still immense.

To put it bluntly, he was penniless, yet he had one girlfriend after another. Chen Guangliang was truly blessed with all-around success in this life.

"Are you crazy? You're 63 years old and you still think two hours is enough?"

"You need to control this in the future. I'll go get you some ginseng chicken soup later."

"We'll help you bathe, but you're not allowed to come again."

I'll go prepare a set of loose-fitting clothes.

Chen Guangliang lay on the sofa, gazing at the cabin ceiling, a smile playing on his lips. Even the emperor's life wasn't as comfortable as his. The four women, though exhausted, had already begun tidying up.

After the holiday, Chen Guangliang arrived at the family office headquarters in the Ping An Bank Building.

The four brothers, Chen Wenjie, Chen Wenming, Chen Wenkai, and Chen Wensheng, came to his office.

"Starting tomorrow, whether it's a family office or Ping An Investment, they will gradually liquidate all their securities investments within three months."

"Yes, father"

The two brothers had no doubts; they believed their father's judgment was correct.

In recent years, family offices have mainly invested in newly listed companies, generally buying no more than 5% of the equity; as for Ping An Investment, it mainly invests in traditional companies that have been listed before.

Then, Chen Guangliang said to Chen Wenjie, "As for Cheung Kong Holdings, we must insist on maintaining a 51% stake in Hong Kong Resorts International, and also clear out our stake in Cafe de Coral, which should be completed within three months."

Cheung Kong Holdings holds a 75% stake in Hong Kong Resorts International. By reducing its stake by 24%, it is expected to receive over 2 million.

Last year, Hong Kong's transaction volume reached HK$550 billion, and it is estimated that the transaction volume in the first quarter of this year may reach HK$300 billion. It would be truly unacceptable for the Chen family not to make at least HK$10 billion.

Moreover, in this life, the conservative safety index can reach 2000 points, after all, the economy is there, and everyone has a lot of money in their hands.

The Chen Guangliang family has money in Hong Kong and can spend it, so Chen Guangliang doesn't feel any psychological pressure.

Chen Wenjie nodded and said, "Okay. In this way, Cheung Kong Holdings' investment in Hing Yip in Hong Kong will be recouped."

Cheung Kong Holdings invested over HK$200 million in Discovery Bay, and this sale is a good way to recoup that investment. The total investment in Discovery Bay has reached over HK$300 million, but before the IPO, it carried over HK$100 million in debt. Therefore, the HK$150 million raised from the IPO was mostly used to repay debt, with the remainder used for further development.

In short, CK Asset Holdings has recouped its costs and still holds a 51% stake in Discovery Bay, with the value of Discovery Bay increasing to over HK$8 million.

Cheung Kong Holdings also invested HK$6 million to build the new Shangri-La Hotel. These funds were also raised through a rights issue at the end of last year, raising HK$3 million to alleviate investment pressure. Of course, Cheung Kong Holdings has also made considerable profits in recent years.

Therefore, at this time, Cheung Kong Holdings' debt was not high and it had a lot of cash flow, which was sufficient to cope with the bottom-fishing in 1974-1975 and overseas expansion.

Then, Chen Guangliang said to Chen Wenming, "We need to cash out our positions in the Japanese stock market as soon as possible. Don't use the cash to pay off debts in advance; keep it to buy assets at bargain prices later."

Chen Wenming quickly replied, "We started cashing out last December, and we expect to finish in January."

Chen Guangliang nodded and said, "It seems that we have basically paid off our debts."

"almost"

The other three brothers were surprised. They knew that Worldwide Shipping had enormous assets; their combined assets probably didn't even equal Worldwide Shipping's approximately $25 billion.

Chen Guangliang smiled and said to them, “Global Shipping may seem to have the most substantial assets, but in reality, its prospects are the worst. By the 1980s, the shipping industry may not only face a shipping slump, but also competition from other countries, and even shipping in Taiwan has begun to rise. Therefore, I must rack my brains to arrange the ‘landing’ layout of Global Group. The key is that Global Group cannot develop too much in Hong Kong, because there is no room for it anymore.”

Chen Wenjie quickly said, "Father."

Chen Guangliang knew what his son wanted to say, so he waved his hand and said, "Alright, I know what you're thinking. You brothers maintain independence in your careers, but you're also very united. I believe in you."

The four brothers nodded in agreement. (End of Chapter)