A century-old wealthy family that rose from Shanghai

Chen Wen-ou, a graduate of Harvard Business School, made his first stop in Hong Kong, where his elder brother Chen Wen-jie personally took him to visit the Red Bull production workshop.

In the dust-free production workshop, Chen Wenjie smiled and said to his mixed-race younger brother, "The Red Bull formula has been gradually perfected over ten years. Currently, Red Bull has opened up the market in Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and other regions through word-of-mouth and direct sampling."

Lin Wen'ou nodded and said, "I remember trying Red Bull when I was in college, and I always brought it to the United States while I was studying. I found that its energizing effect was far superior to regular drinks. This time, my father wants me to expand it to global markets such as Europe and the Americas. To be honest, I feel a lot of pressure!"

He is only 21 years old this year, but his father has high expectations for him. Even before he went to university, he had already interned in marketing at Mattel.

Chen Wenjie patted his younger brother on the shoulder and said, "Based on my understanding of Father, he has already devised a plan for you. Moreover, this is a collaboration between our two parties. We will be responsible for the raw materials and technology, and you will be responsible for the operations. With your performance at Harvard University, there will definitely be no problem."

"Yes, thank you, brother."

"Don't mention it, we're brothers."

Soon, the brothers Chen Wenjie and Chen Wenou arrived at the Cheung Kong Group office and found that their third mother/biological mother was also there, which was a rare occurrence.

"Bring it to the conference table"

Chen Guangliang stood up with a smile, and Audrey Hepburn, who was massaging his shoulders behind him, also smiled and walked towards the desk.

After the four sat down, Chen Guangliang said, "Wen'ou, I actually prepared two careers for you after you graduated. The other one is a new project under Mattel Toys. The product uses an 'adoption' marketing strategy as its core, targeting the emotional needs gap caused by the rising divorce rate in the United States at the time. It adopts a differentiated design concept, with each doll having a unique appearance, birth certificate, footprints, and other personalized identifiers. By signing an adoption certificate, it strengthens consumers' understanding of the parent-child relationship. This is a marketing tactic. However, I've calculated the time. The divorce wave in the United States has only just begun, and the Vietnam War in the United States has not yet ended, so I'll postpone it for two years."

Chen Wenjie and Chen Wenou looked at their father with admiration, as if their father could plan out many classic business projects on his own, which saved them from many detours, and even if they had taken too many detours, they might not have been able to complete these projects.

Chen Guangliang continued, "The second one is Red Bull. I hope it can be a bestseller worldwide and become world-famous. Do you think that's difficult?"

Chen Wenou nodded directly and said, "I brought some to my friends in Europe, and they said this Red Bull tastes a bit like medicine!"

Chen Guangliang smiled and said, "This is a genuine review. However, we want to take a differentiated approach. This is my rough design for Red Bull's appearance in Europe; the overall packaging will be a blue and silver interplay. You can have a professional design it for more details. Secondly, regarding the formula, it could include carbonated soft drinks, which is also worth trying. The water could be sourced from the Alps, so you could choose Austria for the factory. Finally, and crucially, is the operation and marketing. This is extremely important. Red Bull Europe will sponsor extreme sports, such as racing, cycling, winter sports, and water sports, with the slogan 'Red Bull gives you wings.'"

Red Bull gives you wings, but that's fake; Red Bull only gives you death compensation.

As Chen Wenou listened, he understood more and more clearly, and his confidence grew. He quickly took notes in Chinese on paper without any difficulty. It can be said that his Chinese and English proficiency is very high.

Later, Audrey Hepburn added, "Besides your father providing you with a comprehensive plan, I also found several assistants from Mattel's European division to help you from the start. All you need to do is fulfill your father's expectations and bring this product to the world!"

Chen Wenou quickly said, "Father, Mother, Eldest Brother, I will definitely achieve this goal!"

Chen Guangliang waved his hand and said, "This goal is a long-term goal, not something that can be achieved overnight, so there's no need to rush. Of course, three years from now, I still hope that you will have achieved certain results, at least built a complete team and a complete company. After all, you still have things to do!"

The meaning couldn't be clearer: how could this small business be Chen Wen-ou's complete career? It's just a business for Chen Wen-ou to prove himself.

Chen Wen-ou dreams of becoming an entrepreneur like his "second brother," because his eldest brother inherited the family business, while his second brother, Chen Wen-jin, although also receiving guidance and support from their father, was ultimately starting a new company.

"Okay. I will definitely achieve results in three years."

In early July, members of the Chan family gathered in Hong Kong. After a brief meeting at 79 Deep Water Bay, they went to the Discovery Bay villa area to spend a week.

All members were present, excluding married daughters, of course. For example, Chen Leyi, who is already married, usually only appears at gatherings of the second branch of the family, or perhaps at family office meetings.

Chen Guangliang's treatment of his daughter wasn't about refusing to meet his son-in-law; rather, it was about taking care of him. The reason was simple: he understood that his daughter, Chen Leyi, was a strong-willed woman. If he didn't interfere, their children would all bear the Chen surname and be completely integrated into the Chen family. However, his son-in-law, Tang Wensheng, was, after all, the son of his old friend, and if that were the case, he would feel indignant on behalf of his friend.

Therefore, Chen Guangliang always hoped that his daughter would prioritize the 'Tang family'. Amgen Biopharmaceuticals is also a Tang family business. Although Jiang Meiying invested in 50% of the shares, she did not participate in the management.

Discovery Bay.

The second and third generations of the four families get along very well, and everyone cherishes this rare opportunity to bring their wives and children to get to know each other's sibling relationships.

Unity is ingrained in the very bones of this family.

On the first day, they reconnected after not seeing each other for six months and chatted happily.

The next day, everyone started having karts at the swimming pool, played tennis on the court, or soccer on the lawn, having a great time.

Day 3, Day 4
On the seventh day, Chen Guangliang gathered his four wives and concubines, along with all his children who had started working, in the conference room of the villa for a family reunion.

It's worth mentioning that Chen Mengyi from the first wife's family is a new member. She is 21 years old this year and has just graduated from an American university. She has returned but has not yet joined Times Pictures. She was allowed to attend this meeting.

"In the first and second quarters of this year, whether it was US stocks, Japanese stocks, Hong Kong stocks, or UK stocks, all experienced downward fluctuations. Hong Kong even experienced a major stock market crash."

The children nodded in agreement, their eyes filled with utmost admiration as they looked at their father.

The second-home sellers cashed out US stocks, the third-home sellers cashed out European and American stocks, and the fourth-home sellers cashed out Japanese stocks. At the same time, they also sold some non-core properties.

At this point, everyone had cash on hand, or had purchased a considerable amount of physical gold for safekeeping.

Chen Guangliang continued, “The situation in the Middle East has become quite clear in recent years. In 1972, Sadat publicly declared that Egypt would go to war with Israel, saying that Egypt was prepared to ‘sacrifice one million soldiers.’ Since the end of 1972, Sadat has focused on building up his military and preparing for war, acquiring MiG-23 fighter jets, SA-6 anti-aircraft missiles, RPG-7 anti-tank grenades, T-62 tanks, and especially the AT-3 anti-tank missile from the Soviet Union, and improving military tactics. All of this suggests that the Fourth Middle East War is not far off. And this time, Saudi Arabia may unite, not militarily, but perhaps by using oil as a weapon, reducing production, raising prices—all of which could trigger a global oil crisis.” The children, hearing this for the first time, were filled with surprise, yet firmly believed their father’s prediction was correct.

"Of course, everyone should keep these things in mind. You don't need to do anything. Just hold onto your cash and wait for the global asset market to crash. Then, under my guidance, you can buy assets at the bottom."

"Yes, father"

Next, Chen Guangliang gave instructions in turn: "For the main branch of the family, Cheung Kong's focus in this opportunity is Hong Kong, followed by Singapore and Japan, and they will not develop in Europe and America."

Chen Wenjie nodded and said, "Yes, we are ready. In particular, the plan in Japan is to invest in the Shangri-La Hotel, as well as commercial buildings and shopping malls."

Chen Guangliang added, "The Global Group is significantly affected. The outbreak of the oil crisis means a reduction in oil transportation volume, which may last for a year. But it also serves as a reminder that shipping will not always be so profitable, and the importance of cycles is very important."

Chen Wenming nodded and said, "This year, we have sold 16 non-VCLL oil tankers, totaling 150 million tons. At the same time, we have increased a small amount of container shipping capacity. In the coming months, we will reduce our oil tanker fleet by 50 tons, and we will also reduce some of our older bulk carriers."

This arrangement is reasonable; oil transportation will decrease, but container shipping is expected to perform well for the next two years. Of course, container shipping requires some financial strength.

Currently, both the United States and Europe place great importance on 'national interests,' and private container ship operators like Worldwide Shipping can only gradually get a share of the pie.

Chen Guangliang told Chen Wenming, "Reducing capacity is necessary. However, Global Group cannot ignore future development. We already have trade, container terminals, and aviation in Hong Kong, so we can only expand overseas, because this group is also the strongest. When the opportunity arises, we can buy office buildings in Manhattan at bargain prices. We can communicate and cooperate with the secondary housing sector in this regard. In the future, Global Group will retain a considerable amount of shipping capacity while reducing capacity, achieving 'reducing shipping to shore'."

Chen Wenming quickly replied, "I've got it."

Chen Guangliang continued, "In the future, Yangtze River Industrial Group will gradually develop from light industry and low-end industry into industries with higher added value, high-tech electronics industry, and IP for animation and toys. Of course, we will take it one step at a time."

"Yes, father"

Chen Guangliang continued, "Ping An Financial Group, this time in addition to mainly buying up Asian assets at bargain prices, can also invest in some securities in the United States and Japan, after all, they have a large scale. Of course, I will arrange the specifics."

"Okay, Father"

Next, it was the second son's turn. His three sons sat very upright, looking at their father and waiting for instructions.

Chen Guangliang nodded and continued, "This time the oil crisis is underestimated, making it a good time to buy up office buildings in Manhattan. Wenjin, you and your mother should work together to buy up large-scale office buildings in Manhattan. You'll need my notification for specific signals."

"Yes, father."

Chen Wenjin's spirits lifted. He realized that if he were in charge, he would probably have already bought up office buildings in Manhattan within the next year or two, completing Amazon Group's diversified real estate development spanning shopping malls, hotels, and office buildings.

But if that's the case, then he overpaid!
Chen Guangliang continued, "Wenhua, since you've chosen to invest, you should naturally consider buying at the bottom after the oil crisis breaks out. I will give you the same signal. Also, your Taiyang Company should focus on real industry."

Chen Wenhua nodded and said, "Currently, United Madison has cleared all its shares, and its market value has increased to $3 million, making it one of the best-performing stocks in the US in recent years. United Madison's strong performance is mainly due to three factors: First, the insurance business has been particularly profitable in recent years, leading to a significant increase in United Madison's insurance revenue; second, its wholly-owned subsidiary, Taiyang, achieved great success with its development of Post-it notes, generating substantial profits; and third, United Madison's investment business boasts an annual return of up to 30%."

When he acquired United Madison, its market value was only $500 million, but now it has increased 60 times, making him a 'new generation of Chinese stock god' in the US stock market.

Of course, compared to Tsai Chih-yung, the American media's evaluation of Chen Wen-hua is much higher, even on a completely different level; it's simple, Chen Wen-hua has been his own boss for the past seven years, while Tsai Chih-yung started out as a fund manager; secondly, Chen Wen-hua's Taiyang Company invented the Post-it Note and established itself in the real economy, something Tsai Chih-yung has never done.

Therefore, Chen Wenhua has a more stable path than anyone else, including Buffett.

Chen Guangliang turned his gaze to Chen Wenhai, who had also just graduated this year, and asked, "Have you found a job yet?"

Chen Wenhai didn't complain or look downcast. Instead, he said, "I found it. I'll be an engineer at the Silicon Valley branch of Midea Entertainment Games."

Chen Wenkai was somewhat surprised and said, "Why didn't you tell me? I could have made the arrangements directly!"

Chen Wenhai said with a smile, "I just wanted to test whether that degree certificate would be valid."

Chen Wenkai laughed and scolded, "You're a top student who graduated from MIT, and you had all sorts of outstanding performances during your studies. No wonder they're unhappy."

After Chen Guangliang and his brother finished speaking, Chen Guangliang said, "That's good. It's good to have some experience in the technology industry before starting a business. Overall, the personalization of computers and console games are good entry points in the future, as these are based on the development trend of integrated circuits."

Chen Wenhai instantly grasped the key point—personal computers and console games—he knew his father was pointing him in the right direction.

Chen Wen-ou, the third son, has already made it clear that he will start with 'Red Bull World Operations'.

Chen Wenying, the fourth wife, still has a year left before graduation, but she is actually half studying and half working. She has joined the arcade team of Electronic Arts and is working on arcade-izing the 'Western Cowboy Showdown' game.

Finally, Chen Guangliang encouraged everyone, saying, "There will be many opportunities in the future, but right now we must focus on achieving our established goals. If we can't even do a small thing well, how can we accomplish great things in the future?"

"Yes, father"

With this meeting over, everyone should consider returning to their home countries to develop their careers. This week-long family gathering has been a complete success. As the children of the first and second wives have all entered the workforce, the eldest son of the third wife has just started working, and the eldest son of the fourth wife is about to enter the workforce, this family is truly ushering in a globalized development.

Over the years, Chen Guangliang hasn't personally gotten involved in much of the work, precisely because he's been waiting for his children to grow up. (End of Chapter)