Rebirth in Hong Kong: From Dessert Shop to Industrial Empire

Chapter 15 The Dust Has Settled (Please add to your favorites, vote for monthly tickets, recommend this book, and keep reading!)

“Director, I am just a law-abiding businessman.” Chen Bingwen’s voice was not loud but clear enough. “As a citizen, it is my duty to cooperate with the ICAC in fighting corruption.”

In a corner of the tea room, two reporters were frantically recording this scene.

ICAC Investigations Director Chan Chi-ming stared grimly at the flashing camera flashes, gave Chan Ping-man a meaningful look, said nothing, and quickly led the ashen-faced Inspector Lam out of the tea room.

The news that Inspector Lam had been taken away by the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) for investigation appeared on page three of the Sing Tao Daily the following day.

Although the report only briefly mentioned that "an inspector surnamed Lin from the Department of Health was asked to assist in the investigation on suspicion of bribery", it is clear to everyone that those who are targeted by the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) are unlikely to escape punishment.

This is the first time that Chan Kee Desserts has entered the public eye in Hong Kong in this way.

The Department of Health responded faster than expected.

Before Chen Bingwen had even finished reading his newly bought newspaper, the newly dispatched inspector from the Department of Health came to his door.

This was a young man in his early thirties, surnamed Ma, wearing gold-rimmed glasses, and speaking in a very formal and measured manner.

"Mr. Chen, this is your new license." Inspector Ma took the document out of his briefcase. "We apologize for the time we were delayed."

Chen Bingwen took the license and found that it was valid for three years.

He accepted it without batting an eye, knowing full well that the Department of Health was trying to distance itself from the matter.

"Inspector Ma, what are our factory's hygiene standards?"

“I’ve checked it, it’s very standardized.” Inspector Ma pushed up his glasses.

As he spoke, Inspector Ma suddenly lowered his voice: "The department is also shocked by Inspector Lin's case."

He paused for a moment, then said, "If you have any questions in the future, you can come to me directly."

The meaning behind this is clear: the Department of Health doesn't want to cause any more trouble, and as long as Chan Kee follows the rules, they won't deliberately make things difficult for him.

Chen Bingwen nodded, which was considered a gesture of goodwill from the Department of Health.

After seeing off the people from the Department of Health, Chen Bingwen returned to Chen's Food Factory and gathered Zhong Qiang and others to begin trial production of sweet soup.

Chen's Food Factory currently has six workers.

Besides Zhong Qiang, A Chang, and A Bing, who were former employees of the preserved duck factory, the other three were newly recruited by Gao Zhenhai from the Labor Department.

Family workshops rely on experience and feel for production, but industrialization must rely on data and processes.

If this transformation cannot be completed as soon as possible, Chen Ji Dessert's expansion plan will inevitably be hindered.

The future of Chen's Dessert is at stake, so Chen Bingwen must personally oversee the project.

"Boss, the thermometer shows 98 degrees!" Zhong Qiang stared at the thermometer on the stainless steel steamer, his voice filled with excitement and nervousness.

Chen Bingwen walked over quickly and carefully observed the red beans bubbling in the pot.

"Wait two more minutes, then add the dried tangerine peel." Chen Bingwen's voice was calm and powerful. "Achang, prepare to record: First batch, pot number 1, 98 degrees Celsius, time: 9:17 AM."

This is the first day of industrialized production at Chenji Food Factory.

After a busy morning, we have preliminarily determined the standardized production process for several types of sweet soups.

Just as Chen Bingwen sat down to take a sip of water, Zhou Mingzhe, the manager of Wing Lung Bank, called to inform him that the 80,000 loan had been approved and would arrive in his account that afternoon.

These past two days, he's been renting factory space and buying raw materials. He's almost spent all the money he earned during this period. If the loan doesn't come through soon, Chen Bingwen is even preparing to go to Zhou Mingzhe for help.

At lunchtime, upon hearing that the permit had been issued and the bank loan would soon be available, Chen Guofu and Wang Qiaozhen finally felt relieved.

"It's good that it's approved, it's good that it's approved." Chen Guofu rubbed his hands together, and the wrinkles on his face smoothed out.

On January 20, the annual bidding for stalls at the Victoria Park Lunar New Year Fair was being held in the auditorium of the Wan Chai Urban Council.

Several well-dressed tea restaurant owners huddled in a corner, talking in hushed tones.

The four cooked food stalls at the Victoria Park Lunar New Year Fair are neither appealing to large catering groups nor have the necessary barriers to entry for small vendors.

Furthermore, with only seven days to prepare and an investment of several thousand to tens of thousands of yuan, those unaware of the details are unlikely to participate in the bidding.

This has resulted in the food stalls at Victoria Park's Lunar New Year Fair rotating among a few fixed vendors.

When Chen Bingwen led Gao Zhenhai in, it didn't attract much attention.

The two young men, dressed plainly, were nothing more than naive newcomers watching the spectacle in the eyes of these seasoned veterans.

Chen Bingwen found a seat towards the back, while Gao Zhenhai straightened his back somewhat awkwardly, trying his best to appear composed.

The bidding process has begun.

The auctioneer read the rules in a flat voice: "...Valley Park Lunar New Year Market food stalls one through four, starting price HK$5,000 per stall, highest bidder wins. Each bid must be at least HK$500 higher."

"Stall number one, starting price five thousand!"

"Five thousand and five!"

As soon as the auctioneer finished speaking, a tea restaurant owner immediately and skillfully raised his paddle and began bidding.

"Six thousand!"

"Six thousand five!"

The price fluctuated among several tea restaurant owners, quickly rising to eight thousand.

At this moment, as if by unspoken agreement, the bidding speed began to slow down.

"Eight thousand once. Eight thousand twice."

"Ten thousand!" A clear voice rang out from the back row, not loud, but loud enough for everyone present to hear clearly.

All eyes immediately turned to the back row.

Chen Bingwen calmly held up the number plate in his hand.

The tea restaurant owners exchanged bewildered glances, each with only one question in their minds: "Who is this young man who suddenly appeared?"

"Ten thousand...ten thousand?" The auctioneer was also stunned for a moment. He raised the price by two thousand in one go, directly pushing the price of stall number one to its highest level in recent years.

The auctioneer had to confirm with Chen Bingwen.

After receiving Chen Bingwen's affirmative nod, the auctioneer asked, "This gentleman has bid ten thousand for stall number one! Any further bids?"

There was a brief silence.

"Ten thousand for the first time! Ten thousand for the second time! Ten thousand for the third time! Sold! Stall number one goes to this gentleman!"

The auctioneer's gavel slammed down, and a buzz of discussion immediately filled the hall.

Several tea restaurant owners whispered among themselves, occasionally glancing back at the unfamiliar young man.

"Brother Wen." Gao Zhenhai swallowed nervously, his fingers unconsciously gripping the armrest of the seat.

HK$10,000 is equivalent to a year's salary for an average worker, just for a seven-day stall?
Chen Bingwen remained calm and simply patted Gao Zhenhai's knee lightly.

His gaze remained fixed on the auction stage, oblivious to the commotion around him.

The Victoria Park Lunar New Year Fair attracts hundreds of thousands to millions of visitors. To make it more convenient for visitors, four food stalls are located in the four central areas of the fair.

Ensure that tourists can find convenient dining options regardless of which area they are in.

How could we possibly miss such a great opportunity to both make money and expand the influence of Chen's Dessert?

Chen Bingwen is determined to spend all 80,000 yuan today.

Therefore, they took the initiative from the start, intimidating the other competitors.

"Bidding for stall number two is now open, starting price is five thousand!"

The subsequent bidding process became a one-man show for Chen Bingwen.

"Stall number two, starting price five thousand!"

"Ten thousand!" Chen Bingwen raised his paddle again.

"Eleven thousand!" A tea restaurant owner finally couldn't contain himself.

"Fifteen thousand!" Chen Bingwen didn't even blink.

"..." "Fifteen thousand for the third time! Sold! Stall number two goes to this gentleman!"

"Stall number three."

"Fifteen thousand!"

"."

No one responded.

"Stall number four."

"Fifteen thousand!"

The auction gavel fell.

The dust has settled.

The entire auditorium was completely silent.

I bought it from four different stalls for an average of 13,750 yuan!

Nearly three times the base price! Everyone stared at the young man who stood up as if he were a madman.

Gao Zhenhai's hands were trembling with excitement as he whispered, "Brother Wen, we got them all! All four!"

A smile finally appeared on Chen Bingwen's face: "Let's go! Let's sign the contract!"

As Gao Zhenhai walked out of the municipal government building, his legs were still trembling: "Brother Wen, we spent 55,000 yuan on just four stalls. How many bowls of sweet soup do we have to sell to break even?"

"The average daily visitor flow to Victoria Park during the Lunar New Year Fair is between 50,000 and 100,000, and the last day is all night, with the visitor flow reaching between 200,000 and 500,000."

The conversion rate should be at least 30%, meaning that 150,000 to 300,000 meals can be sold in seven days.

Even if each serving of sweet soup costs only one yuan, the total revenue would still be 150,000 yuan, not to mention that this doesn't even include the brand premium.

Seeing that Gao Zhenhai was a little confused by the numbers, Chen Bingwen laughed and said, "Just remember, after this battle, the whole of Hong Kong will know about Chen's Dessert!"

Back at Chen's Food Factory, the workers were stunned to hear that the boss had spent 55,000 yuan to take over all the stalls.

Zhong Qiang asked in surprise, "Boss, how much sweet soup do we need to prepare to sell?"

Chen Bingwen did not directly answer Zhong Qiang's question.

Instead, he addressed the crowd and gave instructions:
"Ah Hai, go to the Labor Department first thing tomorrow morning. Recruit thirty more quick and efficient people, preferably experienced in the catering industry."

Zhong Qiang, you are in charge of leading people to turn the red beans, lotus seeds, and other raw materials that can be processed in advance into semi-finished products.

The day before the Victoria Park Lunar New Year Fair opened, production began in three shifts, operating 24 hours a day.

At an event like the Victoria Park Lunar New Year Fair, it's impossible to sell just desserts; they also offer freshly cooked snacks like curry fish balls and salted water dumplings.

As long as preparations are made in advance, Chen Bingwen is not worried at all about not having anything to sell.

The following day, the Oriental Daily News published on its front page: "The Dessert King spends a whopping HK$55,000 to win four cooked food stalls at the Victoria Park Lunar New Year Fair."

For a time, people in the Hong Kong catering industry began to inquire about the origins of Chan Kee Dessert.

The Oriental Daily News report was like a pebble thrown into a calm lake, creating ripples in Hong Kong's catering industry.

In the Fulimen Tea Restaurant, the owner, Zhang Shichang, slammed a newspaper heavily on the table, making the teacups clink.

"Damn it, I didn't get a single stall this year."

Several tea restaurant owners who had bid together yesterday sat together, passing around the day's newspaper.

"What's the background of this Chen Ji?" Mr. Li, the owner of Ronghua Restaurant, squinted.

"It's said to be a dessert shop in Sham Shui Po!"

"Is this Chen Ji the one who was reported in the newspaper a few days ago, the one who reported the Department of Health officials?"

A tea restaurant owner suddenly interjected, still holding half a char siu pastry in his hand.

His words immediately quieted the atmosphere.

"you sure?"

Mr. Zhang asked suspiciously.

"It can't be that much of a coincidence."

Another boss offered words of comfort.

"I'll have someone look into it." Boss Zhang suddenly stood up, walked to the cashier, picked up the phone and dialed a number: "Ah Wei, go and investigate the background of that Chan Kee in Sham Shui Po!"

Awei's muffled reply came from the other end of the phone. Mr. Zhang hung up the phone irritably, his eyes narrowing into slits behind his gold-rimmed glasses.

He turned to the crowd and said, "Whoever dares to steal our stall will have to pay the price."

Meanwhile, long queues had formed in front of Chan Kee Dessert Shop on Kwai Lam Street in Sham Shui Po.

Wang Qiaozhen and Aunt Zhang were so busy that they barely had time to breathe. The sweet soup, which usually didn't sell much in the morning, sold more than two hundred bowls today.

"Ah Zhen, why are there so many people buying sweet soup today?" Aunt Zhang wiped her sweat and asked in a low voice.

Wang Qiaozhen didn't have the habit of reading newspapers, so naturally she didn't know that all of this was due to Chen Bingwen's bidding yesterday.

"Yes, I'm wondering about that too."

Songji Dessert Shop.

The owner and three employees stood idly in front of the shop, looking at Chen's Dessert Shop across the street with mixed feelings.

Chen Bingwen, who caused all of this, had no time to care about these things.

The four cooked food stalls have desserts made by Chen Ji Food Factory, but a lot of kitchen equipment is still needed on-site for heating and selling.

To control costs, purchasing second-hand kitchenware is definitely the most cost-effective option.

Second-hand kitchenware shops on Apliu Street are naturally the best choice.

After buying kitchenware from four stalls at extremely low prices, Chen Bingwen rushed off to the Sham Shui Po Fabric Market.

Chan Kee Dessert's stall at the Victoria Park Lunar New Year Fair needs a unified visual design. He plans to use an eye-catching red signboard with gold lettering, paired with aprons and flags printed with the "Chan Kee Dessert" logo, to create a strong brand identity.

To achieve the best promotional effect, basic elements such as unified stall design, unified logo, and unified uniforms are essential.

In the fabric market, Chen Bingwen's fingers traced a roll of bright red silk.

This color is perfect for the festive atmosphere of the Lunar New Year.

"Boss, I'll take the whole bolt of this red cloth, and add gold thread," Chen Bingwen said to the stall owner. "Also, I need fifty aprons, to be picked up the day after tomorrow."

The stall owner, a lean middle-aged man, brightened up upon hearing this: "Young man, in such a hurry? Express delivery will cost 30%."

Chen Bingwen didn't even frown: "Okay, but the workmanship must be exquisite. The words 'Chen's Sweet Soup' must be embroidered on the front of the apron, and the font must be uniform."

After leaving the fabric market, Chen Bingwen glanced at his watch; it was already three in the afternoon.

With the opening of the Victoria Park Lunar New Year Fair drawing ever closer, there is still much preparation work to be done, and time cannot be wasted.

"Brother Wen!" Gao Zhenhai came running up, panting. "The Labor Department has recruited thirty people, all of them experienced. Zhong Qiang is training them at the factory."

Chen Bingwen nodded: "Let's go back to the factory and take a look."

Inside Chen's Food Factory, the roar of the machines was much louder than usual.

The newly recruited workers lined up in three rows, learning standardized operating procedures under Zhong Qiang's guidance.

“Red beans must be soaked for six hours, and dried tangerine peel must be soaked in advance,” Zhong Qiang’s voice echoed in the workshop.

Chen Bingwen stood at the door and observed for a while, then said to Gao Zhenhai, "Ah Hai, you should also learn from Zhong Qiang how to standardize the production of sugar water."

I'm going to hand over the management of this factory to you from now on. You can't just sit back and do nothing, relying on others for everything.

Gao Zhenhai scratched his head, somewhat embarrassed: "Okay, I will definitely learn the whole process carefully."

(End of this chapter)