Rebirth in Hong Kong: From Dessert Shop to Industrial Empire

Chapter 213 Clash (Seeking monthly votes, recommendations, and subscriptions!)
July 18th, 9:30 AM.

Meeting room at Hutchison House, Pedder Street, Central.

The directors took their seats one after another around the long conference table.

A subtle atmosphere filled the air, occasionally punctuated by the crisp sound of a teaspoon striking the cup.

This was the first board meeting attended by Zhou Jinqian, vice chairman of Cheung Kong Holdings, as a new director after Cheung Kong Holdings acquired HSBC's 10.65% stake in Hutchison Whampoa.

As the chairman of the board, Wei Li sat in the main seat.

Chen Bingwen sat in the third seat to his right, with meeting materials spread out in front of him, his expression calm.

Zhou Jinqian, Li Jiacheng's capable deputy, sat diagonally opposite Chen Bingwen, with a humble and polite smile on his face, but his eyes inadvertently swept over every director present.

Swire's Shih Ya-di and Jardine Matheson's Newt Bi-jian were also present, and the two were talking in hushed tones.

After the meeting began, several routine operational topics were discussed, including port throughput, retail revenue, and quarterly financial reports. The process was smooth and uneventful.

When it was the new director's turn to speak, Zhou Jinqian cleared his throat, his smile widening, and began:

"Thank you, Chairman Wei Li, and thank you to all the directors."

Cheung Kong Holdings became a shareholder of Hutchison Whampoa based on its strong optimism about Hutchison Whampoa's future prospects.

The real estate market is currently showing a clear recovery trend and has a promising future.

I believe that the group can adopt a more aggressive strategy in real estate development and accelerate the development of some high-quality plots of land.

For example, the warehouse district in Kowloon Bay has a prime location and huge potential for real estate development.

His voice was gentle, but the content of his proposal was clearly aggressive, targeting Hutchison Whampoa's most valuable land reserves.

There was silence in the conference room for a moment.

After exchanging glances, the directors turned their attention to Wei Li.

Wei Li pondered, seemingly considering how to respond.

Seeing that Wei Li was not quite sure what to say, Chen Bingwen said, "Mr. Zhou's suggestion is very constructive. Real estate development is indeed an important way to enhance the company's value."

Zhou Jinqian's lips curled up slightly, just about to reply.

Chen Bingwen then changed the subject and said coldly, "However, precisely because real estate development is related to the company's long-term interests, it requires even more careful planning."

Hutchison Whampoa has diversified businesses, with ports and trading being the mainstays of its current cash flow, and these sectors also require resource investment to ensure stability.

As a director of Hutchison Whampoa, I believe the most urgent task is to consider how to optimize the Group’s overall internal management processes and financial controls, improve operational efficiency, and solidify the foundation.

Instead of investing heavily in long-term, capital-intensive real estate development when the foundation is unstable.

His words showed Zhou Jinqian absolutely no mercy.

By rushing to bring up the topic of a major foray into real estate at his first board meeting, Zhou Jinqian clearly had no good intentions.

Zhou Jinqian's smile froze, but he quickly recovered: "Chen Sheng is right."

Stability is the foundation.

However, market opportunities wait for no one.

If the Kowloon Bay site can be developed as soon as possible to capture this wave of property price increases, it will bring huge returns to all shareholders.

We can consider partnering with reputable developers to share the risks and profits.

It goes without saying who the "powerful developer" in this statement refers to.

Wei Li then took over the conversation, saying, "The board has received Director Zhou's suggestion."

Real estate development is indeed a promising area, but as Director Chen said, it needs to be fully evaluated.

I think it would be better to have the planning and finance departments prepare a detailed feasibility report first, including funding requirements, cooperation models, and risk assessments, and then discuss it in more detail at the next board meeting.

Currently, optimizing existing business operations according to the established plan remains the top priority.

Shi Yadi and New Bijian nodded slightly, indicating that they seconded the motion.

Seeing that things were not going well, Zhou Jinqian knew that it was not advisable to press too hard at the first meeting, so he took the opportunity to back down: "Chairman Wei Li has considered everything very well, I agree."

The first round of confrontation seemed to end uneventfully, but in reality, undercurrents were surging.

Chen Bingwen and Wei Li tacitly joined forces to temporarily shelve Cheung Kong's radical proposal.

Zhou Jinqian successfully brought the development issue to the forefront, laying the groundwork for subsequent negotiations.

After the meeting, Chen Bingwen and Wei Li exchanged a glance, understanding each other without saying a word.

Chen Bingwen returned to his office on the top floor of the Weiye Building. As soon as he sat down, his secretary, Ali, knocked on the door and came in, reporting with a happy expression, "Mr. Chen, the headhunting company just called and said that Mr. Michael has given a clear reply."

Chen Bingwen perked up: "Oh? How so?"

"Mr. MacLehose is very interested in your invitation! He has agreed to come to Hong Kong soon to meet with you."

The time is tentatively set for next Wednesday afternoon. Is that alright with you?

“Sure.” Chen Bingwen nodded without hesitation. “Please arrange a safe meeting place, either a suite at the Peninsula Hotel or a private club at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel will do, to ensure quiet and privacy.”

"Understood! I'll arrange to confirm right away." Ali noted it down and quickly left.

Michael is an important figure in Chen Bingwen's future plans.

This person comes from a British trading company, is well-versed in international business rules and financial operations, and is adept at dealing with European and American capital. He is exactly the kind of leader his team currently lacks who can take charge of future global business expansion.

If they could recruit him to their team and have him oversee Sugar Heart Capital's overseas expansion and international capital connections, it would undoubtedly be a tremendous boost. Just then, Vincent Fang and Canning Huo arrived together, both with joy on their faces.

"Mr. Chen, the rectification efforts in Yingni, Qingzhou are showing initial results!"

Fang Wenshan spoke first, "Jianning acted swiftly and decisively, eliminating redundant departments, standardizing financial processes, and cutting unnecessary expenses."

Administrative expenses alone decreased by 15% this month! The cash flow improvement is very significant.

As they spoke, Huo Jianning handed over a briefing and added, "Mr. Chen, these are the initial results."

The main focus was on plugging several loopholes and strengthening budget review.

In addition, preliminary plans and cost estimates for relocating the cement plant to Tuen Mun have been released, and the costs are lower than expected.

Chen Bingwen quickly glanced through the briefing and nodded in satisfaction: "Very good. This is the efficiency we need."

Jianning, keep pushing forward, don't be lenient.

The next step is to focus on evaluating those poorly performing related companies, closing down or selling them off as needed to quickly recover funds and optimize the asset structure.

"Understood!" Huo Jianning replied calmly.

Chen Bingwen looked at the young financial expert in front of him with admiration.

His arrival made Chen Bingwen feel much more relaxed, as he could confidently entrust many tasks to him.

Talent is the core competitiveness of an enterprise.

A few days later, news about "Pulse" electrolyte water quietly spread among the people of Hong Kong Island, and the cause was quite dramatic.

A small trading company owner in Wan Chai suffered from acute gastroenteritis, vomiting and diarrhea, and severe dehydration, and is now recuperating at home.

In a moment of panic, his wife saw a TV commercial that said "Pulse Electrolyte Water" could quickly replenish water and electrolytes, so she ran to the convenience store and bought a few bottles.

The boss drank it on a whim, and to his surprise, it didn't taste bad. Moreover, he felt much better after drinking it, and his body recovered much faster than when he only drank plain water or thin porridge.

He would tell everyone he met that this "electrolyte water" was amazing, more effective than drinking salt water, and tasted even better.

As word spread, many housewives and office workers began to regard "Pulse Electrolyte Water" as a "safe emergency drink" for their homes, especially to deal with dehydration caused by heat, diarrhea, or exercise.

Although Chenji Foods has always emphasized in its advertising that this is a "functional beverage and cannot replace medicine," the word-of-mouth marketing from the public has been surprisingly effective.

Sales in the Hong Kong Island region saw an unexpected surge.

When Chen Bingwen heard the report, he couldn't help but smile.

That's how the market sometimes is; it always gives you some unexpected surprises.

July 25th, Wednesday afternoon.

Inside a highly private suite at the Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong Island.

Chen Bingwen arrived ten minutes earlier than the agreed time.

He asked Zhao Gang and Ali to wait in the rest area outside the suite, while he went into the inner reception room alone.

The window of the reception room was half open, and the noise downstairs could be faintly heard.

Chen Bingwen did not sit down, but walked to the window, looked at the city below, and silently sorted out the key points of the conversation that would follow.

MacLehose is a top student in economics from Cambridge University and was formerly the president of Hawthorn & Leopard Company in Singapore. He is familiar with the Southeast Asian market and the operating rules of British trading companies, and his abilities are beyond doubt.

More importantly, this person has a strong strategic vision and is skilled at building financial models and conducting international capital operations. He is exactly the top-level design talent that his team currently needs most.

In his previous life, MacLehose was recruited by Li Ka-shing and became the core strategist for Cheung Kong Holdings and its international expansion, making outstanding contributions.

Now that he has the upper hand, he absolutely cannot let this person fall into the Li family's hands again.

Must be taken.

The key is how to move him.

Money and position are certainly important, but for someone at McLeish's level, they are probably not the decisive factors.

What he needs is a broad platform where he can truly showcase his talents and realize his ambitions, a business blueprint that offers a clear future and enormous potential.

Footsteps came from outside, interrupting Chen Bingwen's thoughts.

The suite door was opened by a waiter, and the head of the headhunting firm entered with a refined-looking Englishman in his early forties.

This person was none other than Maris.

"Mr. Chen, hello. This is Mr. Michael.

The headhunter enthusiastically introduced, "Mr. Michael, this is Mr. Chen Bingwen from Sugar Heart Capital."

“Mr. MacLeish, welcome. I’m Chen Bingwen.” Chen Bingwen smiled and took two steps forward, extending his hand.

"Mr. Chen, I've heard so much about you. Thank you for your invitation," said Mi Lisi, shaking hands with Chen Bingwen politely.

His voice was deep and resonant, with a standard Oxford accent.

"Please have a seat." Chen Bingwen gestured to the sofa for Mai Lisi.

Seeing this, the headhunter tactfully excused himself, leaving only Chen Bingwen and Mai Lisi in the room.

After serving the black tea, the waiter quietly withdrew and gently closed the door.

(End of this chapter)