Rebirth in Hong Kong: From Dessert Shop to Industrial Empire

Chapter 203 Ambition (Seeking monthly votes, recommendations, and subscriptions!)
On the way back to the company from the sporting goods store in Central, Kwan Ka-wai sat in the back seat of the car, somewhat absentmindedly watching the street scenes rushing past the window.

The numbers she had just heard in the store were still echoing in her mind.

A set of golf equipment costs over 500,000 Hong Kong dollars.
What was an astronomical sum for her was just an ordinary item that Chen Sheng would casually purchase for a single meeting.

This huge sense of disparity felt like a needle gently pricking her heart.

She recalled the gloom and despair that enveloped their home after her father's business failed.
It turns out that money can be obtained so easily, and it can change everything so easily.

She instinctively clenched her hands on her knees.

Her fingernails dug slightly into her palm, causing a slight pain that brought her back to her senses from her chaotic thoughts.

She can't go on like this.

The interns' meager salaries are far from enough to change their families' financial difficulties.

She needed to seize an opportunity, one that would allow her to quickly escape her predicament.

Right now, the biggest opportunity seems to be...
Guan Jiahui's gaze involuntarily drifted to her secretary, Ali, in the front passenger seat, before quickly returning to her own.

Back at the Weiye Building, Guan Jiahui helped Ali deliver the newly purchased golf equipment to Chen Bingwen's office.

Chen Bingwen was standing behind his desk making a phone call, with his back to the door.

Hearing the noise, he turned to the side, said "wait a moment" to the person on the other end of the phone, and then nodded slightly to Ali, indicating that she should put the things in the corner of the reception area.

His gaze casually swept over Guan Jiahui, who was helping to arrange the golf bags, without lingering, and quickly returned to his phone call.

"Yes, give me the preliminary estimate as soon as possible."

In addition, we will maintain communication with Attorney Gu to ensure that the application documents are flawless.

Upon hearing Chen Bingwen's voice, Guan Jiahui's heart skipped a beat for no apparent reason.

She lowered her eyes, trying to make her movements as gentle as possible, but her ears couldn't help but catch every word he said.

"Application for rezoning", "land price supplement", "board of directors" - these words were somewhat unfamiliar to her, but she could feel the weight they contained.

After putting her things down, Ali whispered "thank you" to Guan Jiahui and then signaled that she could leave.

Guan Jiahui nodded, then quickly glanced up at Chen Bingwen's back.

Only then did he leave the office.

Meanwhile, in the chairman's office of HSBC.

Shen Bi put down his coffee cup and sighed softly.

On the sofa opposite him sat Li Jiacheng, whose expression was slightly gloomy.

"Mr. Li, let's put the matter of Yingni in Qingzhou aside for now and stop thinking about it."

Shen Bi broke the silence, saying, "A loss may turn out to be a blessing in disguise."

The key is to focus our efforts on handling the situation with Hutchison Whampoa.

Li Jiacheng nodded, trying to suppress his resentment: "I understand, Sir. It's just that Chen Bingwen acted too quickly, and Cheung Kong Holdings is currently facing a tight cash flow situation."

"Young man, energetic and ruthless," Shen Bi commented, his tone ambiguous, whether it was praise or something else. "However, He Huang is not the same as Yingni from Qingzhou."

The plate is bigger, the water is deeper; it can't be swallowed up by brute force and speed alone.

He paused, then looked at Li Jiacheng: "Are you ready for the 10% share transfer we agreed on before?"

"The legal and finance departments have completed the final review, and I have also prepared the funds."

Li Jiacheng replied with some concern, "It's just that Sugar Heart Capital currently holds 10.8%, and Wealth Management is clearly leaning towards them."

"Will our transfer at this time provoke them and trigger a more intense reaction?"

Shen Bi smiled, with a confident air of being in control of the situation: "We need to make them react."

This 10% transfer to you is just the first step in testing the waters.

Let's see how Sugar Heart Capital and Weili respond, and what the other members of the board of directors think.

HSBC's sale of its own assets is reasonable and legal.

He leaned forward slightly and lowered his voice: "I have spoken privately with several key independent directors, and they are not opposed to the deal in principle, as long as the procedures are compliant and the price is reasonable."

While Shi Yadi and Newbijian may have their reservations, as long as their core interests aren't touched, they shouldn't really break off relations.

Li Jiacheng felt somewhat relieved: "With you, Sir, strategizing, I can rest assured."

"Yes." Shen Bi nodded. "You should also make preparations on your side."

After the share transfer, join the Hutchison Whampoa board of directors as soon as possible.

The primary task is to stabilize the situation, familiarize ourselves with the business, and prevent Weili and Sugar Heart Capital from finding any leverage against us.

“I understand,” Li Jiacheng replied solemnly.

“Also,” Sir Michael Sandberg added, “the first phase of funding for Tin Shui Wai needs to be in place as soon as possible; we shouldn’t let small gains lead to big losses.”

That project is very important for the future.

"The funds have been allocated and will be transferred in the next couple of days," Li Jiacheng assured him.

Although dealing with multiple fronts simultaneously made his cash flow feel strained, he knew what was more important.

Although Shen Bi supported him, this support was not unreserved; it was more like a calculation and choice based on interests.

He must prove himself worthy of this support and demonstrate that he is more capable than others of controlling Huang.

Saturday morning, Deep Water Bay Golf Course. The weather was nice, sunny and breezy.

Bao Yugang's villa was nearby, so we arrived a little early and did some simple warm-up exercises on the side.

He was wearing a well-fitting polo shirt and casual trousers, and his expression was calm.

He was still pondering the purpose of Chen Bingwen's invitation.

Logically, the two had no prior dealings. Given that this young man had been making rapid and aggressive moves in the business world over the past six months, it was highly unlikely that he would suddenly approach him simply to ask for advice on shipping.

However, he had heard Sir Michael Sandberg's affirmation of Chen Bingwen's abilities, and he also sensed something unusual in Li Ka-shing's recent somewhat cryptic remarks, which made him genuinely curious about this younger generation.

The decisive factor was that Bao Yugang heard Chen Bingwen's name from Zhang Jianhua, the general manager of China Resources, and Wang Kuang of Xinhua News Agency's Hong Kong Island branch. This made him realize that this young man was probably quite extraordinary.

Therefore, after receiving Chen Bingwen's invitation to play golf, he readily agreed.

"Sir Bao, hello! I'm sorry to have kept you waiting."

Bao Yugang turned his head upon hearing the sound and saw Chen Bingwen walking quickly towards him.

Chen Bingwen was dressed in a seemingly simple but well-tailored tracksuit. He was full of energy and had a warm smile on his face. He was neither obsequious nor arrogant, which made people feel very comfortable.

"Mr. Chen, hello, the timing is perfect, I arrived early."

Bao Yugang smiled and extended his hand. The two shook hands. "I've long heard that Mr. Chen is a promising young man. Meeting him today, I can confirm that he has an extraordinary demeanor."

"You flatter me, Sir Bao."

In your presence, I am still a student.

"This invitation is made without prior notice because I have long admired your reputation as the 'Shipping Magnate' and hope to have the opportunity to learn from you in person," Chen Bingwen said sincerely.

At this time, Bao Yugang was over sixty years old. Although he looked energetic, he was still much older than Chen Bingwen.

Before he arrived, he had considered how to address Bao Yugang.

Neither Bao Sheng nor Bao Chuanwang is very appropriate for the occasion.

And they seemed distant.

After much thought, I decided to address him by the knighthood he received in 76. This way, it wouldn't seem distant, but rather show extra respect.

"Haha, no problem, no problem."

The shipping business is fraught with difficulties and complexities; I've simply spent a few more years at sea and have some experience.

As expected, Bao Yugang smiled and waved his hand, but a hint of smugness still flashed across his face.

As a shipping magnate featured in Time magazine, he subconsciously still hoped that others would respect his achievements in the shipping industry.

"Let's go, we can talk while we play." The two got on the electric scooter and headed towards the first tee box.

For the first few holes, the two chatted about golf techniques and recent business anecdotes, creating a relaxed atmosphere.

Chen Bingwen's ball skills are average, but his attitude is serious.

Pao Yu-Kang, on the other hand, had a steady swing, demonstrating a solid foundation.

The fifth hole is a long hole with a wide view around it.

While waiting for the next group, Bao Yugang looked at the ships that were faintly visible on the distant sea and took the initiative to start a conversation: "Mr. Chen, you said before that you were interested in shipping."

At this point, many people would avoid it like the plague.

Chen Bingwen's smile faded, and he became serious: "Sir Bao, to be honest, because Chen's products need to be sold to Japan, Singapore, South Korea, and North America, and with the increasing volume of shipments, I have indeed been researching the shipping industry recently."

I've noticed some recent adjustments made by Global Shipping, and I have some questions about them that I can't quite understand, so I'm here to ask you for your advice.

"Oh? What's your question? Tell me."

Bao Yugang turned around and looked at Chen Bingwen with great interest, thinking to himself, "He's definitely not just here to play ball."

"I noticed that Global seems to be dealing with some tankers that are not that old."

Moreover, there are rumors circulating in the market about the financial situation of your largest customer, the Japanese shipping company. Chen Bingwen paused here.

After observing Bao Yugang's expression and seeing that he was not displeased, he continued, "Logically speaking, this should bring considerable cash flow pressure."

But Sir, you don't seem flustered at all; on the contrary, you are quite composed.

I don't quite understand where this confidence comes from.

Or, to put it another way, what dangers did you see that ordinary people didn't?

At their first meeting, Chen Bingwen was unlikely to offer any groundbreaking opinions. Instead, he explored the core challenges facing global shipping.

Bao Yugang was slightly startled.

He didn't expect Chen Bingwen to be so accurate, directly pointing out the problem that was troubling him the most recently.

This is no longer just general talk, but hits the nail on the head.

He pondered for a moment, then decided to reveal some of his true thoughts to see Chen Bingwen's reaction: "Mr. Chen is very observant."

Shipping is a cyclical industry; there are peaks and troughs.

With oil prices now doubling and transportation demand shrinking, some long-term customers are indeed facing difficulties.

Disposing of some assets in advance to recover funds is a way to prepare for a potentially longer winter.

As for our confidence, I wouldn't say it's based on anything more than taking precautions.

(End of this chapter)