Rebirth in Hong Kong: From Dessert Shop to Industrial Empire

Chapter 14 Accident
After submitting the application for license renewal, the clerk from the Department of Health adjusted his glasses and cast a scrutinizing glance from behind the counter: "Changes to food categories require on-site verification. A specialist will come to your factory for inspection within three working days."

As Gao Zhenhai walked out of the Department of Health building, he wrung his hands anxiously: "Brother Wen, how long do we have to wait? The sooner we start production, the sooner we can make money!"

Chen Bingwen smiled dismissively and said, "Ah Hai, the first lesson in doing business in Hong Kong is learning how to deal with the Hong Kong government."

Gao Zhenhai nodded blankly, having no clue how to deal with the situation.

"Since the license will take two or three days, let's get the preparations done first. You can go back and deliver the sugar water."

I'll go check on the food factory again.

When Chen Bingwen returned to the food factory, Zhong Qiang was leading two new workers to debug the equipment.

Seeing Chen Bingwen return, Zhong Qiang wiped the sweat from his forehead: "Boss, all the equipment is debugged and ready for production at any time."

"No rush. The health department will be coming to inspect in the next couple of days, so we need to clean the factory thoroughly."

Chen Bingwen looked around and noticed some miscellaneous items piled up in the corner of the factory: "Qiang, get rid of all this useless stuff."

"Achang, go buy some disinfectant and wipe down the floor and walls."

Since the Department of Health is coming to inspect the site, we can't let hygiene issues affect the renewal of the license.

“Brother Wen, I’ve found out! That dessert stall in Lai Chi Kok is a family-run business. The owner’s surname is Huang. He makes the dessert at home every day and then brings it out to sell.”

At noon, Gao Zhenhai, who had just returned from selling sweet soup, couldn't wait to report to Chen Bingwen as soon as he entered the door.

Chen Bingwen gestured for him to sit down and explain slowly: "What exactly happened?"

Gao Zhenhai took a big gulp of herbal tea, wiped his mouth and said, "That Boss Huang used to work as a kitchen helper in a tea restaurant. He saw that our business was good, so he learned how to do it."

I chatted with him for a while, and he said he makes a maximum of two buckets of sweet soup a day, and closes down once they're sold out.

“We don’t need to pay too much attention to these individual vendors.” Chen Bingwen nodded. “Their production capacity is limited and they won’t affect the overall situation.”

We need to pay attention to those vendors who are backed by dessert shops.

Food is different from other commodities. Different people have different preferences. What you think tastes delicious may be something that others find smelly and wouldn't want to touch.

In their past lives, the Houttuynia cordata (fish mint), which the Southwest F4 considered an ordinary dish, was rarely sought after in the northern market.

Dipping vegetables, which are popular in the north, are very rare in the south.

Every region has its own dietary habits, and every person has their own habits.

With so many industrial zones in Kowloon, Chan Ping-man knew that Chan Kee's own capabilities alone were simply insufficient to capture the market.

These dessert stalls are not only a supplement to the market, but also, in his view, a source of high-quality customers for the future.

Gao Zhenhai nodded as if he understood, then asked, "Brother Wen, what should we do next?"

Chen Bingwen took out his notebook from his pocket and turned to the page with the map: "This is a map showing the distribution of the entire Kowloon Industrial Zone."

I plan to divide this place into 12 areas, with one dessert sales point in each area.

The goal is to capture the entire sugar water market in the factory area as quickly as possible.

"Therefore, obtaining the food production license as soon as possible and expanding the sugar water production capacity is the key to our subsequent expansion."

Chen Bingwen tapped the map lightly with his finger and smiled, "Look, each of these 12 regions has thousands of workers. If we can capture 30% of the market share in each region, we can sell nearly 4000 bowls of sweet soup every day."

Gao Zhenhai gasped: "4000 bowls? How much money would that make!"

"But the prerequisite is that we need to solve three problems: production, distribution, and sales network."

That's why I wished there were more dessert stalls.

Chen Bingwen pulled Gao Zhenhai over and sat him down on a bench in the factory. "What we need to do is not to compete with these street vendors for business, but to turn them into our partners."

He opened his notebook and pointed to the diagram drawn on it: "Look, what do these street vendors lack the most?"
A stable supply of goods, a unified brand, and sales channels. These are precisely what we can provide.

Gao Zhenhai's eyes lit up: "Brother Wen means to have them help us sell sweet soup?"

“That’s right!” Chen Bingwen patted Gao Zhenhai on the shoulder. “We can provide them with three major supports: First, unified supply to ensure the quality of the sweet soup;
Second, standardize packaging and signage to enhance brand image;

Third, we handle the delivery, while they only handle the sales.

In this way, even if the price of the sweet soup is lower than our retail price, the increased sales volume will still result in substantial profits.

"Brother Wen, I understand. I'll try to get along better with the vendors selling sweet soup from now on."

Chen Bingwen nodded in satisfaction, "These small vendors may seem insignificant now, but they could all become our franchisees in the future."

"Brother Wen, I understand."

Gao Zhenhai nodded solemnly.

Three days later, the inspectors from the Department of Health arrived as scheduled.

Chen Bingwen, along with Gao Zhenhai and Zhong Qiang, were waiting at the factory early in the morning.

In the distance, a gray official vehicle with the words "Department of Health" printed on it could be seen slowly driving towards us.

"Brother Wen, they're here!" Gao Zhenhai whispered a reminder.

Chen Bingwen straightened his suit collar and said in a low voice, "Remember what I told you: say what you should say, and don't say a single word that you shouldn't say."

The problems discovered during these inspections often stem from talking too much.

To avoid any further complications, Chen Bingwen repeatedly instructed everyone not to speak carelessly, so as not to give others cause for gossip.

The inspector from the Department of Health was a middle-aged man in a crisp uniform.

He had his hair slicked back in a 3/7 part, wore a badge of the Department of Health on his chest, and carried a briefcase under his arm, looking arrogant and haughty.

An assistant was also present.

"This must be Mr. Chen, right?"

The inspector, speaking with a Chaozhou accent in Cantonese, scanned Chen Bingwen with his eyes, "I am Lam Kwok-tung, Senior Inspector of the Department of Health."

Chen Bingwen stepped forward and shook hands: "Hello, Inspector Lin, welcome to guide our work."

Inspector Lin did not respond immediately, but slowly took out an inspection form from his briefcase: "Take me to see your factory."

Inspector Lin first had Chen Bingwen show him around the entire production process and warehouse to get a general understanding of the basic situation.

Only then did the formal inspection begin in the raw material warehouse.

Inspector Lin put on white gloves and stopped in front of the shelf where white sugar was stored: "Where is the purchase order for this batch of white sugar?"

Gao Zhenhai quickly handed over the receipt.

After carefully checking, Inspector Lin suddenly pointed to a cardboard box in the corner and asked, "Why is there rat droppings there?"

Chen Bingwen looked in the direction of the finger and indeed found several black particles in the corner of the wall.

Chen Bingwen was taken aback.

They cleaned the area meticulously in preparation for the inspection.

Before Inspector Lin arrived, they were afraid of overlooking anything, so they checked each other's work again to make sure everything was in order.

Since then, the raw material warehouse has remained closed and no one has gone inside, except for the time I just took Inspector Lin for a tour.

It's really baffling that a bad apple has suddenly appeared.

However, now is not the time to investigate the cause; we need to deal with Inspector Lin first.

Chen Bingwen immediately explained, "Inspector Lin, we do rat extermination work every day, this might be..."

"What could it be?"

Inspector Lin interrupted Chen Bingwen's explanation, saying, "Article 38 of the Hygiene Regulations clearly stipulates that there must be no traces of rodent activity in food processing sites."

This one issue alone is enough to keep you busy for half a month.

After saying that, he turned to his assistant and said, "Write it down!"

"Yes!" Having been given a rude awakening right from the start, Chen Bingwen knew that today's inspection wouldn't be so easy to pass.

As Chen Bingwen had predicted, the subsequent inspections became increasingly stringent.

Inspector Lin was able to find fault with almost every step: the disinfection records were not detailed enough, the workers' clothing was not up to standard, and there was slight water accumulation in the drainage ditch. Two hours later, the inspection form was filled with non-compliance items.

Back in his office, Inspector Lin sipped his tea leisurely: "Mr. Chen, your factory has a lot of problems."

Chen Bingwen smiled ingratiatingly: "Inspector Lin, this is our first time setting up a factory, and we're not familiar with many of the rules. Could you please make an exception?"

Inspector Lin gave him a meaningful look: "Make an exception? That depends on your attitude."

The Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) was established in 1974. Until the police-ICAC turmoil in 77, some gray areas that existed before still existed, only the methods of extortion became more covert.

Chen Bingwen knew that in Hong Kong in 1978, this kind of "tea money" was still an unspoken rule in some departments.

His current thinking is that he's not afraid of you pointing out problems, he's just afraid you won't accept it.

As soon as Inspector Lin finished speaking, Chen Bingwen immediately took out an envelope from the drawer and handed it to him: "This is a small token of my appreciation for Inspector Lin to buy some tea."

Inspector Lin took the envelope, felt its thickness under the table, and his face immediately darkened: "Mr. Chen, are you trying to fob me off like this?"

Chen Bingwen's smile froze.

He put two thousand Hong Kong dollars in the envelope.

In Hong Kong in 1978, an ordinary worker's monthly salary was only seven or eight hundred dollars, so two thousand dollars was the maximum sincerity he could offer.

The 80,000 yuan loan hasn't arrived yet, and even this 2,000 yuan was taken from the profits of selling sweet soup these past few days.

"Inspector Lin, we're just a small business."

"Cut the nonsense!"

Inspector Lin ignored Chen Bingwen's explanation, slammed his hand on the table, and said, "With your sanitation conditions like this, you need to clean up for at least three months!"

The atmosphere in the office froze instantly.

Faced with Inspector Lin's deliberate attempts to make things difficult, Gao Zhenhai stood aside, his fists clenched until they turned white.

Chen Bingwen took a deep breath and suddenly smiled: "Inspector Lin is right, we didn't think it through."

He winked at Gao Zhenhai, "Ah Hai, go and get our sanitation improvement plan and show it to Inspector Lin."

After Gao Zhenhai left, only Chen Bingwen and Inspector Lin remained in the office.

Chen Bingwen lowered his voice and said, "Inspector Lin, how about this?"

I'll give you a two thousand yuan deposit first, and you'll pay the remaining three thousand once the license is approved.

In Chen Bingwen's mind, five thousand Hong Kong dollars was nothing more than a few days' profit; at worst, he could just use it to buy something to his heart's content.

Once the food production license is obtained, this amount of money will be earned back in no time.

Inspector Lin sneered and waved his index finger: "Five thousand? At least ten thousand! Otherwise, forget it!"

A cold glint flashed in Chen Bingwen's eyes, but he did not show it on his face. He still said respectfully, "Inspector Lin, ten thousand dollars is not a small amount. Please allow me two days to raise it."

"Deliver the money to Luk Yu Tea House at the back entrance of the Department of Health before 5 p.m. tomorrow." Inspector Lin stood up, straightened his uniform, and said coldly, "No exceptions."

After Inspector Lin left with his assistant, Gao Zhenhai stamped his feet anxiously, "Brother Wen, ten thousand yuan! That's outrageous!"

At this moment, Chen Bingwen was surprisingly calm: "Ah Hai, have Ah Qiang write down the whole process of today's inspection, the more detailed the better."

Remember to have all the workers present at the time sign as witnesses.

"Brother Wen, what are you going to do?"

"Do you remember how many corrupt police officers the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) arrested during last year's police-ICAC scandal?"

Chen Bingwen sneered, "He dares to ask for ten thousand? I'll make sure he rots in jail! And by the way, I'll give our 'Chen's' a free advertisement before the Victoria Park Lunar New Year Fair!"

"Call the Commercial Daily and Sing Tao Daily to report a big story at Luk Yu Tea House tomorrow afternoon!"

The next day, at Lu Yu Tea House.

Chen Bingwen arrived half an hour early.

He chose a seat by the window, ordered a pot of Longjing tea, and leisurely sipped his tea while watching the bustling crowds outside.

In this day and age, it's truly rare to find someone like me who can sit down and enjoy tea in peace, experiencing the charm of Hong Kong Island in the 1970s.

During this period, I have been busy running the dessert business from dawn till dusk.

Chen Bingwen picked up his teacup, and amidst the fragrant aroma of tea, the tram slowly passed by outside the window.

Hong Kong Island in 1978 was brimming with vibrant energy.

At 4:50, Inspector Lin pushed open the door and entered precisely on time.

He had changed into casual clothes today, and after cautiously looking around, he went straight to Chen Bingwen's table.

"Did you bring the money?" Inspector Lin asked in a low voice.

Chen Bingwen calmly put down his teacup, took a bulging envelope from his briefcase, and pushed it to the center of the table: "Inspector Lin, please take a look."

A glint of greed flashed in Inspector Lin's eyes as he reached out to take the envelope, but Chen Bingwen pressed down on it with one hand.

"Inspector Lin, when will my food factory be able to obtain a production license?"

Inspector Lin's face darkened, and he lowered his voice, saying, "Mr. Chen, what do you mean by this?"

Chen Bingwen tapped the envelope lightly with his fingers, a faint smile on his face: "Inspector Lin, I value integrity above all else."

"I brought the money. But you have to give me a straight answer, don't you?"

Inspector Lin narrowed his eyes, his gaze shifting back and forth between the envelope and Chen Bingwen: "The license issue is easy to discuss."

"Easy to say?" Chen Bingwen chuckled. "Inspector Lin, I wouldn't dare give you this money so easily if you didn't give me a definite answer."

Inspector Lin's face immediately darkened, and he lowered his voice to threaten, "Mr. Chen, you'd better think this through."

Without my signature, you'll never get your license in your lifetime!

"Alright, I hope Inspector Lin will keep his promise and approve my food production license as soon as possible."

Chen Bingwen pushed the envelope over with a look of helplessness.

When Inspector Lin received the envelope, he was about to put it in his pocket.

Chen Bingwen suddenly sighed, his eyes sharpening.

"Actually, if you weren't so greedy, I would be very willing to make friends with you, but what a pity."

Before Inspector Lin could react, four plainclothes officers surrounded him from a distance. The leader flashed his badge: "Lin Guodong, Independent Commission Against Corruption! You are suspected of accepting bribes. Please come with us for investigation!"

"You!" Inspector Lin stood up abruptly, his face turning deathly pale. The envelope in his hand fell to the ground with a "thud." "Chen Bingwen, you dare to frame me?"

"Don't be so serious! It will affect the effect if it's published in the newspaper!"

Upon hearing what Chen Bingwen said, both Inspector Lin and the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) officials had a bad feeling.

Sure enough, as soon as Chen Bingwen finished speaking, a flurry of camera shutter clicks rang out from the other side of the tea room.

Upon hearing this, Inspector Lin trembled and instinctively raised his hand to cover his face, but it was too late.

The flashes of the cameras captured his disheveled appearance.

"Mr. Chen, what does this mean?"

The ICAC investigation officer, with a grim expression, questioned him.

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(End of this chapter)