Rebirth in Hong Kong: From Dessert Shop to Industrial Empire

Chapter 155 The Mobile Wallet (Seeking monthly votes, recommendations, and continued reading)
“Of course.” Chen Bingwen took out a simply designed business card from his suit pocket and handed it to the two men.

The business card only had his name, a headquarters phone number, and the words "Chen Ji Food Co., Ltd." on it. "This is my business card. I look forward to hearing from you two anytime."

Liu Zhitang and Xu Shiwen solemnly accepted the business cards and exchanged their own with Chen Bingwen: "Okay, Mr. Chen, I will give you a preliminary reply as soon as possible."

Whether it succeeds or not, it's a pleasure to meet such a courageous young person as you.

“I am also deeply honored.” Chen Bingwen smiled sincerely.

After exchanging a few more pleasantries, Chen Bingwen politely took his leave, leaving Xu Shiwen and Liu Zhitang behind.

The two exchanged a glance, their eyes filled with surprise and a hint of excitement, and began to discuss in hushed tones the sudden topic and the series of possibilities it had sparked.

After walking a few steps away, Chen Bingwen let out a long sigh of relief.

He knew that this was only the first step in a long journey.

Acquiring a company of Watson's caliber involves complex asset valuations, equity negotiations, group strategies, and even high-level power struggles; it is by no means an easy task.

Xu Shiwen is merely a managing director of Watsons, while Liu, the director of Vantone, is probably just an external director and shareholder of Watsons.

While the two individuals could influence and transmit information to some extent, the real decision-makers and those who could drive the deal were Hutchison Whampoa's chairman, John Woo, and its controlling shareholder, HSBC.

"The real battle is yet to come."

Chen Bingwen thought to himself.

For the rest of the time, Chen Bingwen wandered around with a wine glass in his hand.

With a faint smile on his face, he took the initiative to chat with the business people from Hong Kong Island present.

He knew that the value of such occasions lay not in closing deals immediately, but in making a name for himself and leaving an impression of being "young, promising, humble, and polite," thus paving the way for future cooperation.

He skillfully maintained the appropriate level of discretion in the conversation.

Chat with bankers about international exchange rates and credit policies, discuss the potential of the Southeast Asian market with traders, and exchange ideas with manufacturers about production line efficiency and cost control.
His insight and vision were completely unlike those of a young boss who had just made a name for himself, which made many people who had previously paid little attention to him take notice and were more willing to exchange business cards with him.

He even noticed Lin Xiufeng, who was standing alone to the side and seemed somewhat listless.

This young master, who comes from Hengfeng Bank, is nearly forty years old but still indulges in a life of pleasure and debauchery.

He has repeatedly failed in business and achieved little, but he frequently makes headlines in the entertainment section for pursuing female celebrities. He is a well-known "dabbling" tycoon in Hong Kong.

After a moment's thought, Chen Bingwen picked up his wine glass and walked over.

"Mr. Lin, I've long admired you."

I am Chen Bingwen from Chen Ji Foods.

Chen Bingwen greeted him with a smile, "A few days ago, I revisited the story in a magazine about Mr. Lin spending a fortune to book a full-page advertisement just to make Miss Miu Hin-yan smile. That boldness and romance is still a legend in Hong Kong."

Lin Xiufeng was feeling bored when someone came to talk to him. He brought up his most "glorious" deeds, and a smile immediately appeared on his face. His vanity was greatly satisfied, as if he had found a rare kindred spirit.

"Hahaha! Mr. Chen, you have a good eye! You have a good memory!" Lin Xiufeng patted Chen Bingwen's shoulder hard, as if they were old friends. "Those are all things from my youthful days!"

However, Miss Miao Qianren is indeed exceptionally beautiful and charming; she deserves it all!

He swirled his wine glass, his eyes filled with ecstasy, as if he had returned to those glorious days of extravagant spending and dominating all the entertainment headlines.

Chen Bingwen maintained a perfectly measured smile, patiently listening to his endless recollection of his "heroic deeds" from back then, occasionally adding comments like "Lin Sheng is truly a man of character" and "No one can match his spirit," making the other man feel comfortable and pleased.

A few minutes later, seeing that the time was almost right, Chen Bingwen gently changed the subject: "Lin Sheng's carefree attitude towards life is truly something we all envy."

Those of us in manufacturing are destined to be busy, constantly thinking about how to sell our sugary drinks further afield. Lately, we've been racking our brains trying to find new markets.

If I had half of your vision and courage, Mr. Lin, what great things couldn't I accomplish?"

Chen Bingwen's words flattered the other party while subtly elevating himself, implicitly pointing out Chen Ji's business scope and development momentum, so that the other party wouldn't really see him as an unknown nobody who only knew how to flatter.

Lin Xiufeng was in high spirits when he heard this. He waved his hand and said with a bit of alcohol and arrogance, "Chen Sheng is young and promising. I have high hopes for you!"

If you need any help with business in the future, just let me know!
In Hong Kong Island, I, Lam Sau-fung, still hold some sway!

Although he knew that these words were probably just polite remarks at a dinner party, that was exactly the effect Chen Bingwen wanted.

He immediately raised his glass and said with a sincere smile, "Then thank you very much for your kindness, Mr. Lin! I will definitely need to bother you in the future."

The two smiled at each other, clinked glasses, and drank it all in one gulp.

After chatting for a few more minutes, Chen Bingwen politely excused himself, saying he didn't want to disturb Lin Sheng's meeting with his friends.

Lin Xiufeng had a very good impression of him and even added, "Let's have tea together sometime."

After leaving Lin Xiufeng, Chen Bingwen's smile faded slightly.

Lin Xiufeng may not be a business whiz, but in certain situations, his reputation and the seemingly unrelated relationship with Hengfeng Bank behind him may play an unexpected role in the future.

Moreover, from the conversation just now, Chen Bingwen confirmed one piece of information: Lin Xiufeng does not currently know Chen Songqing.

This means that the massive scam has not yet begun to take shape. Lin Xiufeng's "connections" are currently just a potential "variable" that could bring huge risks, but could also be used or avoided in advance.

"Time window." Chen Bingwen quickly calculated the timeline of the "Jianing case" in his mind.

This means he has a brief but crucial strategic window of opportunity.

During this period, Lin Xiufeng and the elusive resources of Hengfeng Bank behind him had not yet been tainted or bound by Chen Songqing's scam.

If used cleverly, it might be possible to access Hengfeng Bank's financing channels through Lin Xiufeng's connections at crucial moments, providing financial support for the acquisition of Watsons or other expansion plans.

However, this is also an extremely dangerous double-edged sword.

It is imperative to maintain an extremely careful distance and never get involved in any suspicious transactions that Lin Xiufeng may participate in in the future, and even more so to avoid becoming a "background" for being implicated after the outbreak of the Jia Ning case.

"We must both take advantage of their power and avoid their harm."

Chen Bingwen quickly came to a conclusion.

If possible, interactions with Lin Xiufeng should only involve legitimate business collaborations.

We will never participate in any form of their private, opaque capital games.

Furthermore, their movements must be closely monitored at all times, and any signs of contact between them and Chen Songqing must be immediately distancing oneself from them.

This unexpected piece of information was no less valuable than the news that Watsons might be sold.

This gave Chen Bingwen an absolute advantage due to information asymmetry in his future interactions with Lin Xiufeng, enabling him to anticipate risks and accurately grasp the appropriate boundaries.

At this moment, in his eyes, Lin Xiufeng had transformed from a spoiled brat into a walking wallet!
He continued to hold his wine glass, like a precise social hunter, moving among the crowd and constantly sowing the seeds of future possibilities.

It wasn't until he caught a glimpse of the entrance that Li Guowei was accompanying a tall, steady man as he walked in.

Wang Jianjun finally arrived.

Chen Bingwen perked up, a sincere smile spreading across his face, and quickly went to greet him.

He knew that the real highlight of the night was only just beginning.

When Wang Jianjun saw Chen Bingwen approaching, his face lit up with joy, and he quickly went to greet him. He extended his hand and shook hands with Chen Bingwen firmly, expressing his gratitude with some excitement: "Mr. Chen, your 'Jinba' instant powder works very well! Thank you so much!"

He didn't exchange many pleasantries and went straight to the point as soon as they met.

Although he had his soldiers test the "Jinba" instant powder before and knew that it was effective, it had not yet been tested in actual combat.

Therefore, after the large-scale distribution, Wang Jianjun was always worried about the final effect until the feedback from the front line came back.

"Jinba" instant powder is very popular among officers and soldiers.

Especially in environments where one needs to maintain a high level of vigilance for extended periods and where physical exertion is extremely high, drinking a bowl of it is a great comfort.

It has a very significant effect on refreshing the mind and restoring physical strength!

And in the recent battle against the South Vietnamese monkeys, he made great contributions!

The soldiers generally reported that in that hot and humid environment where continuous combat was required, this stuff was much more effective than tea. It was easy to brew, provided a quick energy boost, and greatly helped maintain and enhance combat effectiveness!

Chen Bingwen felt the strength of the other person's hand and the weight of his words, and was also a little excited. He responded succinctly, "Mr. Wang, you flatter me. I'm glad I could be of help."

Wang Jianjun nodded emphatically and said directly, "After an emergency assessment, we need to place additional orders immediately!"
This time the quantity is large, and the timeframe is extremely tight!

“No problem!” Chen Bingwen replied without hesitation. “How much do you need?”
The production line can be adjusted immediately, and I will personally coordinate the supply of raw materials to ensure priority!

After calculating the time, Chen Bingwen knew that the southwestern border should be entering a stage of border standoff at this time.

We need to remain vigilant in the long term, as the demand for "Jinba" instant powder is certainly not small.

Five million bags!

Wang Jianjun revealed a startling figure: "The quality and effect must be exactly the same as the previous batch; that's the bottom line!"

We aim to complete the delivery within half a month!

"Understood!" Chen Bingwen nodded solemnly. "Quality is absolutely guaranteed! I will arrange for three shifts to produce immediately to ensure the fastest possible delivery!"

"Okay! Manager Li will handle the details with you." Wang Jianjun shook Chen Bingwen's hand firmly again, everything was understood without words.

Li Guowei interjected at the opportune moment: "What do you think, Mr. Chen, about raising the price by 5% from the previous agreement?"

After all, both raw material and labor costs are rising.

"Let's do as Mr. Li says!" Chen Bingwen agreed without hesitation.

This price is already quite generous, but more importantly, it reflects the significance behind this order.

(End of this chapter)