Hong Kong Tycoon: Starting from Delivering Dongfeng Express

Chapter 136 Old Huo, who loves playing football

37 Flower Market Road, Mong Kok.

Mong Kok Stadium, formerly known as the Army Stadium, was handed over to the former Urban Council in 1961. Initially named the Flower Market Municipal Stadium, it was renamed Mong Kok Stadium when it opened to the public on June 16, 1973.

The sky was clear and the breeze was gentle.

A beautiful arc swept across the sky of Mong Kok Stadium from the right flank, lofting towards the goal 10 meters in front. As the ball dipped, 62-year-old Henry Fok strode forward, chested the ball down, and before the defenders behind him could intercept, unleashed a powerful volley!
The goalkeeper rushed to make a save, but the ball was too fast and too tricky to stop, and it went straight into the goal, causing the white net to ripple.

Henry Fok excitedly waved his right hand. He hadn't been able to unleash such a satisfying volley in several years as he got older!

Henry Fok loved sports from a young age, especially football. He even dreamed of becoming a full-time athlete when he was young. Even after his business grew, he would organize football matches whenever he had free time.

At the age of 43, he became a first-division football player in Hong Kong Island and scored 3 goals, which became a legend at the time.

He later served as the president of the Hong Kong Island Football Shoes Association and vice president of the Asian Football Confederation for a long period of time, and still does so today!
Because he played football so often, his eldest son, Fok Chun-ting, was so confused about his father's profession when he was in primary school that he filled in "football player" in his father's occupation information section.

Henry Fok's football skills were undoubtedly excellent, but ultimately he couldn't escape the passage of time. Over the years, as he aged, his physical condition declined, and he hadn't made such a satisfying shot in a long time!

In that instant, he even rediscovered the feeling of his youth, and his heart was naturally filled with immense joy!

Henry Fok happily jogged over, gave a thumbs-up to the young man who had provided the assist, and laughed, "Ah Sheng, that was a really great pass!"

Wearing a white jersey, Ye Dongsheng ran to Fok Ying-tung's side to celebrate with him: "No matter how good the pass is, it's not as wonderful as Mr. Fok's shot! Even if I had 10 chances like this, I might not be able to shoot such a beautiful shot!"

Henry Fok laughed heartily and said, "Sheng, you play really well. You're young and physically strong, able to run and hold your own. Our Chamber of Commerce now has a worthy successor for the right winger position!"

The Hong Kong Island Chinese General Chamber of Commerce regularly organizes activities for mutual exchange and communication. Some activities are meetings, and some are tea gatherings. Since Henry Fok took office as president, he has designated football as such an activity!
However, most of the business owners in the chamber of commerce were busy with their businesses, and there were very few who loved playing football like him. Moreover, most of them would be out of breath after running a few steps. Now that a football talent like Ye Dongsheng had emerged, it naturally delighted Fok Ying-tung!

"Mr. Huo, I don't have many hobbies, but I love football the most! I definitely won't miss any events in the future!" Ye Dongsheng said with a smile.

Ye Dongsheng wasn't lying. In his previous life, he loved playing football and was a member of the school team when he was in college. Although he couldn't compare to professional football players, he was still a formidable force on the amateur field.

Moreover, even after starting work, football provided him with a lot of help. He would feed the ball to his superiors and clients, which provided a lot of emotional value. After a few games, the relationship naturally became closer!

So his shooting skills may not be that great, but his assist technique is top-notch!
And now it's the same. In his opinion, this Chamber of Commerce football match is pretty much a health-preserving game. With him constantly feeding and assisting, Old Huo is being served very comfortably. After one game, he completed a hat-trick and it's obvious that he's become much closer to him!

During the post-match break, Fok Ying-tung gulped down half a bottle of mineral water, then smiled at Ye Dongsheng and said, "Ah Sheng, do you know what the name of the first football team I formed when I was young was?"

Ye Dongsheng wiped the fine sweat from his forehead and asked curiously, "What's your name?"

"Dongsheng Football Team! So, you really are destined to be with me!"

Ye Dongsheng looked delighted: "I never expected to have this connection, Elder Huo. It seems I'll have to learn more from you in the future!"

Old Huo smiled. Now, when he thinks back to when he first formed the Dongsheng Football Team, it was 1959, 26 years ago! He was only 36 years old then, just as spirited as the young people before him, running wild on the field!
He still loves sports, but he plays less and less, devoting more of his passion and energy to the development of sports in China.

Bringing his thoughts back, Old Huo asked Ye Dongsheng, "Ah Sheng, how's business lately?"

Ye Dongsheng smiled and said, "Thanks to Elder Huo, everything has gone relatively smoothly. Especially the last Canton Fair, which helped Dongfeng Express open up a market in Guangzhou and gain a foothold. I have to thank Elder Huo for speaking up for me back then!"

Old Huo smiled and waved his hand: "It's all only right. Your business is beneficial to promoting cross-strait trade and economic exchanges, so of course I will give it my full support! You've just joined the Chamber of Commerce, so if you encounter any problems in the future, you can come to the Chamber of Commerce to exchange ideas more often~"

Ye Dongsheng immediately replied, "The Chamber of Commerce is full of my seniors, and I hope to participate in more activities and learn more from them!"

As he spoke, Ye Dongsheng had a sudden thought. He remembered a problem he had encountered in the past few days. Since the other party had brought up this issue, he might as well take the opportunity to ask for help.

Old Mr. Huo smiled and nodded. If the younger generation in Hong Kong could interact and get closer to the mainland like Ye Dongsheng, that would be wonderful!
Over the years, due to his close relationship with the mainland, he has been suppressed by the British Hong Kong government. Although the Sino-British Joint Declaration was signed last year, he found that many of the younger generation in Hong Kong who grew up in the British Hong Kong environment had no idea what Chinese culture and patriotism meant, and even clamored to immigrate, which made him quite melancholy.

So he is very happy to see young people like Ye Dongsheng who are devoted to the mainland!

At this moment, Ye Dongsheng asked, "Elder Huo, I have come across a matter that I would like to ask you for advice on."

Henry Fok smiled and raised his hand: "What do you think?"

"I am currently planning for Dongfeng Express to expand into the Chaoshan region market, but as you probably know, Chaoshan is far from the Luohu border crossing, and the transportation situation on the mainland is not very good. If we use land transportation, it will take a whole day to transport a shipment."

So I want to transport it by sea, directly from Hong Kong Island by boat!

Henry Fok nodded: "A good idea! Land transport is indeed still somewhat underdeveloped on the mainland, so going by sea saves time and effort!"

Mentioning this, Fok Ying-tung recalled his glorious past, when he used to drive ships back and forth between Hong Kong Island and the mainland to deliver goods. Now, this younger generation is about to follow in his footsteps, which makes him feel an even stronger connection with him.

"I originally wanted my employees to deliver the packages by passenger ferry, but after inquiring, I learned that there's only one round trip per day between Hong Kong Island and Shantou Port. This can't meet Dongfeng Express's timeliness requirements!"

So later I thought about buying a few boats, starting a shipping company, and delivering goods myself. But after consulting with relevant people, I realized I was just daydreaming!

Then Ye Dongsheng said with a wry smile, "It's not like I can just set up a shipping company. First of all, I need to have the qualifications. Hong Kong Island will review it. Moreover, if I want to open up shipping routes, I not only need to report to and get approval from various departments of the Hong Kong government, but I also need to submit an application to Shantou Port."

I can accept all of that, but the time frame is too long. A route from Hong Kong Island to the mainland takes an average of 1-2 years from application to approval. Dongfeng Express simply can't afford to wait that long..."

After listening to Ye Dongsheng's explanation, Fok Ying-tung understood the problems he was facing. Opening a shipping route between the mainland and Hong Kong Island was indeed not an easy task, as it involved multiple departments such as customs, border control, and port authorities, and the procedures were very complicated.

He recalled that a few years ago, when shipping magnate Y.K. Pao collaborated with mainland China, he needed the Ministry of Transportation to coordinate the establishment of a joint venture and obtain cabinet approval. While the process may not be as strict now, many procedures are still unavoidable.
Now, it's even more difficult for someone like Ye Dongsheng to apply for a new company!
Henry Fok thought for a moment and said, "I can't comment on procedural issues. One thing we Hong Kong businessmen must adhere to when doing business in the mainland is to abide by local laws and regulations and not do anything illegal or disorderly!"

"Mr. Huo, you're right. I certainly won't break the law! But I'm a little anxious right now. I want to follow the proper procedures, but I'm afraid my competitors won't."

"As you know, the triads love the transportation industry. They won't follow the rules like I do; they'll just smuggle it over in their big planes. If I really had to wait like this, the whole market would be handed over to them!" Ye Dongsheng said, shaking his head with a bitter face.

Henry Fok also sighed. He knew that what Ye Dongsheng said was true. Smuggling between Hong Kong and the mainland had been increasing in recent years, and most of it involved triads.

If Ye Dongsheng were to wait patiently and follow the rules and regulations, he would be no match for those who break the rules!
In this way, those who follow the rules suffer losses, while those who break the rules gain advantages, forcing everyone to break the rules. This is not the cross-strait exchange situation that Fok Ying-tung wanted to see.

He pondered for a moment and asked, "These packages of yours, there aren't any sensitive items, are there?"

Upon hearing this, Ye Dongsheng was overjoyed, knowing that Old Master Huo must have a solution. He shook his head repeatedly and said, "No, no! Dongfeng Express strictly follows the requirements of customs. We don't even deliver some electronic products. We can definitely withstand inspection!"

Henry Fok nodded: "If you just want to deliver the package, you don't necessarily have to apply for the flight route yourself."

Ye Dongsheng immediately pressed, "Mr. Huo, what do you mean?"

"Lease another airline's flight route!"

"rent?"

"That's right!"

Henry Fok smiled and nodded: "This way, you don't need to apply; it's like using their qualifications, and you don't have to wait so long!"

Ye Dongsheng exclaimed in sudden realization, "Thank you, Elder Huo, for enlightening me!"

But then he adopted a seeking tone: "May I ask, Mr. Huo, which of these shipping companies are more reliable and willing to lease out their routes?"

Henry Fok smiled and shook his head: "You~"

He immediately understood Ye Dongsheng's ulterior motives. It wasn't that the other party hadn't thought of leasing flight routes; he had come today specifically to ask for Ye Dongsheng's help!
However, Huo Yingdong also felt a connection with the young man Ye Dongsheng, so he was willing to give him a helping hand.

Henry Fok smiled and said, "How about this, you contact Zhenting later and ask him to introduce you to someone from the Bao family! The shipping magnate has changed his development strategy in recent years, abandoning shipbuilding and going ashore, but his shipping routes are still there, so he will surely give me some face!"

Ye Dongsheng was overjoyed upon hearing this: "Thank you so much, Elder Huo! Thank you so much, Elder Huo! You have really helped me a lot!"

His original purpose in coming to play football was to befriend Old Huo and strengthen their relationship. He never expected Old Huo to mentor a younger generation like this, which truly increased his respect for him!

Bao Yugang, the shipping magnate and once the richest man in Hong Kong, was one of the most powerful figures in the island.

However, starting in the late 70s, the shipping magnate's strategy changed. At the peak of the shipping industry, he predicted the cyclical risks of the shipping industry and the promising future of Hong Kong Island real estate.

Therefore, they chose to "abandon ship and go ashore," actively reducing their fleet while using the funds to acquire land assets on Hong Kong Island.

His most famous battle was the acquisition of Wharf Holdings. His goal was not only that Wharf Holdings' docks could provide infrastructure support for shipping, but also that they had huge potential for commercial real estate development. Developing these into real estate would definitely make him a fortune!
His choice proved to be absolutely correct; the shipping industry fell into recession in the 80s, while the real estate industry experienced a boom!

When it comes to shipping routes, shipping magnate Y.K. Pao certainly has them, but if Ye Dongsheng were to go up there and try to rent them, he could forget about it!
Why should I rent it to you?
It's not about the money; it's about the fact that even if they don't need it anymore, they won't lease it to someone whose background they don't know at all. Who knows what kind of shady business you might be using their routes for?
But things are different now. With Fok Ying-tung speaking up and endorsing Ye Dongsheng, the Bao family will give him face, and the deal to lease the air route can be done!
……

The next day, at the racetrack.

A middle-aged man wearing glasses was shaking hands with Ye Dongsheng; he was none other than Fok Ying-tung's eldest son, Fok Chun-ting!
Huo Zhenting said with a smile, "My father scored a hat trick yesterday and even brought the ball home! I haven't seen him play so happily in a long time!"

Taking the match ball home after scoring a hat-trick is a tradition in football, though it's usually only done in official matches. Fok Ying-tung took the ball home yesterday as a souvenir, showing how happy he was!
Ye Dongsheng also said with a smile, "Old Huo's performance on the field yesterday was far superior to that of us younger generation!"

"Ah Sheng, I've heard about your situation from Father. I've arranged for Su Wenhai to come here for the horse race today, so we can talk about it!"

Su Wenhai is the eldest son-in-law of shipping magnate Bao Yugang. He took over Bao's shipping empire and is the current de facto ruler!

P.S.: I was originally planning to include a picture of Huo playing football, but I thought it was too sensitive.

(End of this chapter)