Hong Kong Tycoon: Starting from Delivering Dongfeng Express

Chapter 121 Boss Ye, Guangzhou needs Dongfeng Express!

Guangzhou has been a prosperous commercial city since ancient times. During the Qing Dynasty's policy of isolationism, Guangzhou, as the only city open to the outside world, became the richest city in the country, giving rise to the Thirteen Factories and Wu Bingjian, the richest man in the country.

After the founding of the People's Republic of China, Guangzhou, as the capital of eastern Guangdong and the southern gateway to China, has enjoyed various resource advantages and has always been the most important city in South China.

Although Beijing has opened up a special economic zone, its overall economic level is still lagging behind Guangzhou!

Dongfeng Express wants to continue its expansion, and its next target is Guangzhou!

Ye Dongsheng naturally wanted to personally develop Guangzhou, a crucial destination. Unlike his previous trip to Huicheng, this time Ye Dongsheng had done his homework beforehand, noting that there were currently as many as 6000 factories invested in by Hong Kong businessmen in Guangzhou.

Although it's not as many as the 8000 in Jinghai, this number is still quite considerable!
The White Swan Hotel, which opened in 1983, was the first five-star hotel in mainland China. It was jointly invested and built by patriotic businessman Henry Fok and the government, and it was also the first large-scale modern hotel designed, constructed and managed by Chinese people themselves.

As soon as Jimmy entered the doorway, he was somewhat lost in thought upon seeing the impressive revolving door.

Upon entering, the Chinese-style sailboat sculpture in the lobby immediately caught his eye. Then, the "Hometown Water" area in the atrium was stunning, with its cascading waterfall, lively koi, and winding corridors lined with lush greenery, instantly drawing people into the picturesque atmosphere of a Lingnan water town, making them feel comfortable and at ease!
Jimmy had been looking at the dilapidated state of the mainland all along and had subconsciously felt a bit disgusted with it. But now, seeing the well-dressed guests and many foreigners coming and going, he felt a little awkward and couldn't help but swallow. He used to be a gangster and had never been to such a high-class place before!

I never expected there to be such a high-end place in mainland China. I suppose the Peninsula Hotel is no better!

Upon hearing Ye Dongsheng mention booking two rooms, Jimmy instinctively asked, "Boss, am I staying here too?"

Ye Dongsheng chuckled and retorted, "What? You don't want to stay here?"

Jimmy immediately shook his head: "No, boss, I..."

Ye Dongsheng understood what he meant, and waved his hand, saying, "Since I've asked you to do this, I won't treat you unfairly!"

This time, he brought Jimmy with him to Guangzhou, intending to have him work here in the future. Guangzhou is an important market, and it needs someone quick-witted and shrewd. To be honest, Jimmy is indeed better at this than his subordinates.

As for whether he's worried about Jimmy betraying him, if he dares to, he'll really be fish food next time!

The way to win someone over is through a combination of kindness and severity, or in other words, the carrot and the stick.

The heavy blows from before must have left a deep impression on Jimmy, so now we naturally need to give him some sweetness to fill him with hope for the future so that he will be willing to work hard, right?
Otherwise, it's better to have no employee who is negative every day and full of resentment!

Jimmy felt a surge of warmth in his heart. He had never lived in such a nice place before. Since his parents died, who had ever been so kind to him?

Although I know that Ye Dongsheng might be trying to win people over, it's already pretty good to have a boss who's willing to do that. Guan Zisen and Long Gen never even tried to win people over before!
He suddenly felt that this time, breaking away from the Wo Luen Shing and coming to the mainland with a new identity to start over might be the turning point in his life!
He joined the underworld out of necessity, but now that he has a good boss like Ye Dongsheng, if he performs well enough, he might have a brighter future!
A moment later, after the two had settled in, Ye Dongsheng led Jimmy toward the restaurant, saying as they walked, "Get some rest today. Tomorrow, we'll split up and do a site visit to the industrial areas around Guangzhou. Pay close attention and write down any locations that fit the criteria for a shop. Is that alright?"

“No problem, Brother Sheng, I’ve done all of this in Jinghai before!” Jimmy is experienced in this, after all, he accumulated a lot of experience when he opened Heji Express.

"Okay, and one more..."

Seeing Ye Dongsheng suddenly stop talking, Jimmy followed his gaze and saw two waiters pushing a set of display boards out. The display boards read:
"A warm welcome to all distinguished guests attending the 58th China Export Commodities Fair!"

Ye Dongsheng hurried over and asked the waiter, "Has the Canton Fair started?"

"Yes, sir, the Canton Fair officially opens in five days. Aren't you here to attend the Canton Fair?"

The waiter found it a bit odd; the guests arriving at this time were mostly there for the Canton Fair.

Ye Dongsheng cursed inwardly, how could he have forgotten about this!

Since 1957, China has held a trade fair for export commodities twice a year, in spring and autumn. Because of Guangzhou's historical tradition of exporting goods, it was held in Guangzhou and is therefore known as the Canton Fair, which is hailed as "China's No. 1 Exhibition".

At this time, overseas merchants interested in Chinese goods will flock to Guangzhou, including Ye Dongsheng's target customers, a large number of Hong Kong businessmen!

At the same time, Ye Dongsheng suddenly realized that he had overlooked a problem: he had targeted Hong Kong businessmen who invested in factories in mainland China, which was not wrong. But in fact, his customers were not limited to these! Many Hong Kong businessmen engaged in trade were also customers of Dongfeng Express!

Take Guangzhou for example. While Hong Kong businesses have invested in fewer factories here than in the Beijing-Haikou Special Economic Zone, Guangzhou's commerce is far more developed, and there are far more Hong Kong businesses doing trade here. They also need Dongfeng Express!

If you calculate it this way, the potential customers in Guangzhou are no less than those in Beijing!

In this way, we can't miss this Canton Fair, as it's a great publicity opportunity for Dongfeng Express!

Thinking of this, Ye Dongsheng couldn't help but feel excited, but at the same time, he felt the urgency of time. He opened his right hand and said to Jimmy:
"No time to rest! Let's get moving after lunch! We need to finalize the store location within 5 days!"

In three days, Ye Dongsheng and Jimmy traveled all over Guangzhou. Fortunately, Guangzhou at that time was not as big as it is in later years, otherwise the two of them would not have been able to handle it.

The two were sitting together discussing something at that moment:

"There definitely needs to be a store here in the development zone. There are policy supports here, and many foreign investors choose to invest and build factories here!"

Located in Huangpu District, Yangcheng Economic and Technological Development Zone was approved in 1984 and covers an area of ​​approximately 37 square kilometers. Currently, it focuses on attracting foreign investment and developing an export-oriented economy. It has formed an industrial investment dominated by light manufacturing, chemicals, and electronics, attracting many multinational companies to settle in.

"Brother Sheng, there's another factory cluster in Panyu District! Fulong Jewelry, Chow Tai Fook, and Chow Sang Sang have all set up jewelry processing plants here, as well as many toy and textile factories!"

Panyu's advantage lies in its status as a hometown of overseas Chinese, with over a million Hong Kong and Macao compatriots originating from Panyu. For example, Henry Fok's ancestral home is Panyu. This has attracted many Hong Kong-funded enterprises to invest and develop their hometown, thus creating a cluster effect.

Later, Panyu became a nationally renowned jewelry processing base, with over 90% of Hong Kong brand jewelry being processed in Panyu.

Ye Dongsheng nodded, then said, "That's not enough, we need to add one more!"

“These two districts can cover most of the factories invested by Hong Kong businessmen, but the location is a bit remote, so they are not a good choice for Hong Kong businessmen who are engaged in trade.”

"Brother Sheng, if I were one of those Hong Kong businessmen doing trade, I would definitely set up my office near the White Swan Hotel!"

Ye Dongsheng smiled and nodded: "That's right, that's what I think too!"

The White Swan Hotel was built, at least half of its purpose, to better accommodate foreign businessmen who come to China for the Canton Fair. Most of them stay here, so a large number choose to set up their offices in the Liwan District, where the White Swan Hotel is located.

"It's settled then, three stores, we'll buy them tomorrow!" The two then picked and chose from the previously listed alternative locations, and finally selected a few. They went to negotiate early the next morning and finalized the transfer contract that same day.

The shops in the Development Zone and Panyu District are not too expensive, one is 8 and the other is 10. The shops in Liwan District are more expensive than the two, at 15, after all, they are not far from the White Swan Hotel and have a good location.

By the time the two returned to the White Swan Hotel, it was already dark.

Upon seeing the two, the receptionist quickly smiled and said, "Sir, there's a banquet in the banquet hall at 7 p.m. If you're interested, you're welcome to attend!"

Ye Dongsheng asked curiously, "What kind of banquet is it?"

"It was hosted by Mr. Fok, who invited all guests from Hong Kong Island to exchange ideas!"

Upon hearing the name "Mr. Huo," Ye Dongsheng immediately thought of one name: Fok Ying-tung!
He quickly pulled Jimmy aside and said, "Come on, let's go back and change!"

……

Ye Dongsheng had prepared a formal suit for this trip, but Jimmy was dressed casually. He followed Ye Dongsheng to the banquet hall with trepidation, wondering when he had ever attended such an occasion before.

In his view, those inside were all wealthy businessmen and social elites from Hong Kong! He didn't even have the right to talk to them before!

Ye Dongsheng wasn't bothered, after all, it wasn't the first time. He had already seen everything he needed to at Long Jiajun's charity gala last time.

Once inside the banquet hall, the atmosphere was relaxed, with people chatting in small groups.

Ye Dongsheng didn't know anyone there, so he planned to find a place to sit down. His main reason for attending the banquet was actually to see this old Mr. Huo and catch a glimpse of his impressive appearance!
As he was walking, a voice suddenly called out to him: "Hey, Mr. Ye!"

Ye Dongsheng turned his head and immediately smiled: "Thank you, Mr. Xie, it's a pleasure to meet you!"

The person in front of me is none other than Mr. Xie from Zhengda Kangdi, whom I met once at the Long Jiajun Charity Gala.

Ye Dongsheng thought about it and understood. It was perfectly normal for Hong Kong businessmen who invest in the mainland to participate in the Canton Fair!

"Haha, you're here for the Canton Fair too!"

"This is my first time participating, and I'm here to broaden my horizons!"

Boss Xie was very enthusiastic and introduced Ye Dongsheng to the people around him:

"Come, let me introduce you all. This is Ye Dongsheng, the owner of Dongfeng Express. Those of you who have invested in Jinghai should be familiar with him, right?"

"How could we not have heard of Mr. Ye's Dongfeng Express? Our company is already a long-term customer!"

"So it's Mr. Ye! It's a pleasure to meet you!"

The group greeted Ye Dongsheng politely. They were all seasoned businessmen, and they wouldn't show any of their thoughts.

"Mr. Ye, Dongfeng Express only operates in the Jinghai area. When will you expand to other areas? Let people in Guangzhou also enjoy Dongfeng Express's services?"

Ye Dongsheng smiled and said, "Dongfeng Express has already launched its service in Dongguan. As for Guangzhou... I'm already here and will be joining them soon!"

Mr. Xie laughed and said, "Haha, it seems you're here to investigate the market, Mr. Ye!"

"Mr. Ye, no need for further investigation. Guangzhou desperately needs Dongfeng Express! As long as you're willing to open a store here, we'll give you our full support!"

Anyone who has used Dongfeng Express's services and experienced its convenience would never want to go back to the cumbersome old way.

"Haha, since Mr. Ma says so, then Dongfeng Express will try its best to open the store before the Canton Fair ends!"

"Oh! That's great! Mr. Ye, you must keep your word!"

Jimmy stood silently to the side, watching Ye Dongsheng chatting and laughing with everyone, feeling a deep sense of envy and admiration.

If it were him, Jimmy, even if he handed over Hutchison Express, could he chat and laugh with these big bosses? Absolutely not, he wouldn't have a chance to integrate into their circles at all!

He looked around. In this kind of situation, did Jimmy, who stayed with Wo Shing, have any chance to participate? Never in his entire life!
Now that Jimmy has seen a wider world with Ye Dongsheng, how could he possibly still have any nostalgia for his past club life?

Now, Jimmy looks at Ye Dongsheng as if he were a benefactor. If he does well enough, maybe Ye Dongsheng can bring him into this circle in the future.

After chatting for a while, Ye Dongsheng asked, "Mr. Huo, is there something you need for this banquet today?"

Mr. Xie laughed and said, "You don't know this, but since the first Canton Fair, our Hong Kong Island Chinese General Chamber of Commerce has been the general agent, sending out invitations to all parties to attend the fair."

Mr. Huo is currently the president of the Chamber of Commerce, so naturally he pays close attention to the annual Canton Fair!

Ye Dongsheng suddenly realized that for decades, New China had faced Western blockade, so even issuing invitations could only be done through non-governmental organizations in Hong Kong, a situation that has continued to this day.

As he spoke, Boss Xie suddenly asked, "Mr. Ye, I wonder if you have joined one of the four major chambers of commerce?"

There are four major chambers of commerce on Hong Kong Island: the Hong Kong Island General Chamber of Commerce, the Hong Kong Island Chinese General Chamber of Commerce, the Hong Kong Island Chinese Manufacturers' Association, and the Hong Kong Island Chinese Importers and Exporters Association.

Other groups are based on regional affiliations, and some of the more influential ones include the Chaozhou Chamber of Commerce.

In Hong Kong, businessmen who are doing well will join the Chamber of Commerce. This not only helps them build connections, but they can also sometimes leverage the power of the Chamber. At the very least, having that name printed on their business cards can impress others, right?
It's only because Ye Dongsheng, who has only recently started his business, doesn't have the energy or inclination to scheme about these things that he hasn't joined anything.

Upon hearing that Ye Dongsheng had not yet joined any chamber of commerce, Boss Xie warmly invited him:

"Oh? Then Mr. Ye might consider our Hong Kong Island Chinese General Chamber of Commerce!"

(End of this chapter)