Rebirth in Hong Kong: From Dessert Shop to Industrial Empire

Chapter 191 Debut (Seeking monthly votes, recommendations, and subscriptions!)
Friday, June 9th.

At 9:40 a.m., the room outside the main conference room of the Mandarin Oriental Hotel was already bustling with people.

Chen Bingwen arrived twenty minutes early with his secretary, Ali. He glanced at the banner hanging at the entrance of the venue that read "Preparatory Meeting for the Development of China Resources Tin Shui Wai Project" and walked in calmly.

The conference room is large and can accommodate nearly a hundred people.

Many representatives had already arrived and were standing in twos and threes exchanging pleasantries.

Chen Bingwen noted that due to the massive scale and wide-ranging implications of the Tin Shui Wai project, those present today included not only shareholders of the joint development company such as China Resources and Cheung Kong, but also representatives from several banks including HSBC and Standard Chartered, as well as prominent figures from related industries.

The scene was larger than expected.

Zhang Jianhua, general manager of China Resources, was talking with a refined-looking middle-aged man when he saw Chen Bingwen enter and immediately waved with a smile.

"Chen Sheng, over here!"

Chen Bingwen whispered something to Ali, then calmly walked over.

Zhang Jianhua warmly stepped forward, took his arm, and then turned to the refined-looking middle-aged man, introducing him, "Mr. Chen, let me introduce you. This is Wang Kuang, the director of the Xinhua News Agency's Hong Kong Island branch."

President Wang, this is Mr. Chen Bingwen of Chen's Foods, whom I often mention to you.

President Wang Kuang immediately put on a friendly smile and extended his hand: "Mr. Chen, I've heard so much about you!"

Seeing is believing; he is indeed a young and outstanding talent.

Your achievements in the Hong Kong business community are astonishing; you are an outstanding representative of our Chinese youth.

His attitude was very enthusiastic, showing no sign of having the power to reach the heavens.

Chen Bingwen did not feel flattered by Wang Kuang's words.

He knew that during this period, Hong Kong businessmen like himself, who were powerful and had good relations with the mainland, were precisely the people he needed to actively unite with.

"President Wang, you flatter me." Chen Bingwen shook his hand firmly and smiled modestly. "I've just been fortunate to live in a good era and have done some small business. I don't deserve such praise."

Wang Kuang smiled and shook Chen Bingwen's hand, carefully examining him. He then said with great admiration, "Mr. Chen, Mr. Zhang has mentioned you many times, saying that you have put forward many constructive suggestions for the development of Tin Shui Wai. Your thinking is clear and insightful."

I was initially somewhat skeptical, but after meeting you in person today, I'm about 70-80% convinced.

Chen Bingwen was about to respond modestly when he was interrupted by a slight commotion at the conference room door.

A tall foreigner walked in, surrounded by several Chinese people.

He was dressed in a well-tailored British suit, his silver hair was neatly combed, and he exuded a powerful aura, becoming the focus of attention as soon as he appeared.

Seeing this, Zhang Jianhua gestured to Wang Kuang and Chen Bingwen, then turned and went to greet them.

"Sir Sir Michael Sandberg, welcome, welcome! Thank you for taking the time to attend."

"Mr. Zhang, you're too kind. HSBC will naturally pay attention to and support China Resources' major projects."

Shen Bi smiled and shook hands with Zhang Jianhua.

After a few brief pleasantries, Shen Bi, with a broad smile, walked towards Wang Kuang accompanied by Zhang Jianhua, and greeted him in fluent Chinese: "President Wang, it's been a long time."

"Mr. Shen Bi, hello." Wang Kuang smiled and shook hands with him.

When Shen Bi shook hands with Wang Kuang, his gaze naturally turned to Chen Bingwen standing to the side.

Zhang Jianhua immediately understood and introduced with a smile: "Sir Sir Michael Sandberg, this is Mr. Chan Ping-man of Chan Kee Foods, our special advisor for the Tin Shui Wai project. Mr. Chan is young and promising, with very unique ideas."

Chen Bingwen took a small step forward, extended his hand with neither humility nor arrogance, and said, "Sir Shen Bi, I have long admired you."

Shen Bi shook hands with him, his gaze lingering on his face for a moment, and said, "Mr. Chen, I've heard of you."

The acquisition of Watsons was swift.

His tone was flat, making it impossible to tell whether he was praising someone or stating a fact.

"The market presented an opportunity, and we simply followed the trend," Chen Bingwen replied with a faint smile.

At this moment, another group of people arrived at the venue.

Li Jiacheng of Cheung Kong Holdings also came in with his secretary, Hong Xiaolian.

He immediately spotted Chen Bingwen talking with Shen Bi and Wang Kuang, paused almost imperceptibly, and a look of surprise flashed in his eyes.

He clearly did not expect Chen Bingwen to appear at a meeting of this level, and he seemed to be having a pleasant conversation with Shen Bi and Wang Kuang.

Li Jiacheng quickly adjusted his expression, putting on his usual humble smile. He first greeted several familiar delegates before walking towards Zhang Jianhua and the others.

"President Zhang, President Wang, Sir Michael Sandberg." Li Jiacheng greeted them one by one, and finally his gaze fell on Chen Bingwen, his smile unchanged: "Mr. Chen, what a coincidence, you're here too."

"Mr. Li," Chen Bingwen replied with a slight smile and a nod.

Zhang Jianhua explained with a smile: "Mr. Li, Mr. Chen is now a special advisor to our Tin Shui Wai project development preparation team. He has provided a lot of valuable advice on the overall planning and phased implementation."

Li Jiacheng suddenly realized, his smile widening as he said meaningfully, "So that's how it is!"
Chen Sheng truly has a keen eye and a far-sighted plan; I admire him greatly.

His words sounded like a compliment, but they were actually a veiled criticism of Chen Bingwen's meddling.

Chen Bingwen seemed oblivious to the implied meaning and said calmly, "Mr. Li, you flatter me. I am merely doing my bit to learn from you seniors."

Watching their subtly witty exchange, Sir Michael Sandberg wore a thoughtful expression. He had previously focused more on Lee Ka-shing, believing him to be the right person to take over Hutchison Whampoa.

But at this moment, the appearance of Chen Bingwen, and his close relationship with China Resources and Xinhua News Agency, made him realize that the landscape of Chinese businessmen in Hong Kong Island may be quietly changing.

The meeting officially begins.

As the host, Zhang Jianhua first introduced the overall plan for the Tin Shui Wai project and the adjusted "rolling development" strategy, emphasizing the importance of creating a core demonstration area and a closed-loop funding system.

Representatives from all parties then spoke in turn, with the focus of the discussion on the overall planning, funding arrangements, and development timeline of the Tin Shui Wai project.

When it was Chen Bingwen's turn to speak as an advisor, he succinctly focused on the crucial roles of "market confidence" and "cash flow."

"The success or failure of the demonstration zone depends first and foremost on confidence. We must let citizens and investors see a real, convenient, and high-quality prototype of the new area, rather than just a grand blueprint on paper."

With confidence, pre-sale revenue can be collected smoothly, supporting subsequent rolling development.

China Resources' credit and strength are the foundation, but the specific execution and attention to detail require a professional team and strict cost control.

His speech was practical, specific, and to the point, which drew frequent nods of approval from the delegates.

Shen Bi listened attentively, occasionally glancing down to jot down a few notes in his notebook.

He discovered that this young man had not risen to his position through connections, but rather possessed a clear business logic and practical approach.

Li Jiacheng sat to the side, his face calm, but his heart was in turmoil.

With each word Chen Bingwen spoke, he could sense the other party's increasing influence in the project, which invisibly created obstacles for his future plans to gain control of the project.

During the tea break, everyone chatted freely. Shen Bi, holding a cup of coffee, casually walked over to Chen Bingwen.

"Mr. Chen, from what you just said, you seem quite knowledgeable about real estate development?" Shen Bi asked tentatively.

"I wouldn't dare say I'm an expert," Chen Bingwen said with a modest smile. "It's just that after running a business for a long time, I know that cash flow and market demand are key."

Ultimately, any project must withstand the test of the market.

China Resources has the capability, but what it needs even more is an operational model that conforms to business principles.

“A very pragmatic viewpoint.” Shen Bi nodded. “I’ve heard that Sugar Heart Capital has been making some moves in the capital market recently?”

He finally steered the conversation in a more interesting direction.

Chen Bingwen knew perfectly well that Shen Bi had definitely noticed Sugar Heart Capital's activities in Yingni, Qingzhou.

He answered frankly, "It's about making some financial investments and asset allocations."

Hong Kong Island has a promising future for economic development, and we believe that companies with high-quality land resources or unique advantages are very valuable in the long run.

He didn't specify, but the phrase "high-quality land resources" evoked a wealth of associations in Shen Bi.

Sir Michael Sandberg smiled slightly and did not ask any further questions. Instead, he started talking about the overall economic trend of Hong Kong Island. The two talked for about ten minutes in a harmonious atmosphere.

All of this was observed by Li Jiacheng, who was not far away.

Seeing Shen Bi and Chen Bingwen chatting happily, his unease and sense of competition grew stronger.

He originally thought that his competition with Chen Bingwen was mainly limited to Yingni in Qingzhou, but now it seems that his opponent is consciously expanding the battlefield.

He needs to expedite his communication with Sim Bi.

After the meeting, Zhang Jianhua, Wang Kuang, Shen Bi, and others left first.

Chen Bingwen, along with his secretary Ali, also prepared to leave.

At this moment, Li Jiacheng walked over, his face still bearing that warm smile, and said meaningfully, "Chen Sheng, you had a wonderful performance today."

I didn't expect you to be so interested in the Tin Shui Wai project.

“Mr. Li is joking. I was just offering some advice.” Chen Bingwen retorted sarcastically, “It is you, Mr. Li, who, with so many businesses in Cheung Kong Holdings, is truly admirable for being so dedicated to Tin Shui Wai.”

The two shook hands and said goodbye, their eyes meeting, each seemingly seeing competition in the other's gaze.

"I hope we'll have more opportunities to cooperate in the future," Li Jiacheng said.

“There will definitely be an opportunity,” Chen Bingwen replied with a smile.

After leaving the hotel and getting into the car, Chen Bingwen breathed a slight sigh of relief.

Today's meeting has basically achieved its objectives.

Not only did he gain recognition from Shen Bi, establishing himself as a capable and insightful young businessman, but more importantly, he seemed to put considerable pressure on Li Jiacheng.

"Go back to the company," he instructed Zhao Gang.

Every step from now on needs to be planned more carefully.

The first informal contact with Shen Bi was just the beginning; the real test was yet to come.

Li Ka-shing's foundation and his ties with HSBC cannot be easily shaken by a single performance.

He needs more substantial leverage and faster action.

(End of this chapter)