Days in Hong Kong variety shows

Once the seafood and waste paper businesses stabilized, Cao Tai could earn a net profit of around HKD 2000 million per month. However, since the seafood market on Hong Kong Island was already saturated, further development required expanding outwards, and Cao Tai currently lacked the resources to leave Hong Kong Island to develop markets in other regions.

As for waste paper, if Cao Tai were to buy it freely at A-mei's place, he could get tens of millions of Hong Kong dollars worth of waste paper arriving every month. Unfortunately, the buyers don't have the financial strength to take on that much right now.

By selling over ten million yuan worth of waste paper each month, Cao Tai netted 1000 million Hong Kong dollars, which essentially depleted the Hong Kong dollars or foreign currency reserves of domestic paper mills.

On the day Cao Tai arrived in Hong Kong from his sister's home, the Hong Kong government launched a linked exchange rate system pegged to the US dollar at a fixed rate of HK$7.8. However, the exchange rate under this system is now fluctuating frequently; the money Mr. Cao deposited today might be exchanged for US$100, but tomorrow it might only be exchanged for US$90.

Therefore, depositing nearly HKD 2000 million in a bank every month to earn interest is a very foolish thing to do, because you never know when that money will depreciate.

If he knows of any good projects, Cao Taishi is very willing to invest his money. His decision to visit Shenzhen and invest in opening a garment factory was made after careful consideration.

The leaders of the investment promotion department in Shenzhen warmly welcomed Hong Kong businessmen investing in garment factories, and when they learned that Cao Tai's initial investment amounted to tens of millions of Hong Kong dollars, even high-ranking government officials took time out of their busy schedules to meet with Mr. Cao from Hong Kong to discuss the details of the investment.

Since 1983, a small number of wholly foreign-owned enterprises have been established in Shenzhen after strict review. Therefore, it is permissible for Hong Kong businessmen to set up factories in Shenzhen. This is an important part of the Shenzhen Special Economic Zone's "pilot program". However, the review process is extremely strict.

Fortunately, Cao Tai is now investing in a new garment manufacturing company, rather than an existing domestic company, and garment manufacturing does not involve strategic industries. Therefore, the government approved the application within two days.

Then Cao Tai leased a piece of industrial land of about 10 mu in Futian from the Pengcheng government for a term of ten years, with the rent settled in Hong Kong dollars at HK$30 per year.

After Cao Tai's initial funding was transferred to a local bank, the factory design and planning were put on the agenda. In Hong Kong, lawyer Hu Zhiyong, upon receiving the notification, once again took on the role of recruitment manager, tasked with finding several individuals with garment factory management experience.

With nothing to do for the time being, Mr. Cao thought of that magical sweet drink from Sanshui again, wondering if it had been developed yet.

Without hesitation, Cao Tai contacted local officials and, under the guise of an inspection, once again traveled through Guangzhou to Sanshui District of Jihua City.

During his visit to the Sanshui Winery, Director Li confirmed that the factory wanted to launch a functional carbonated beverage. After learning more about it, Cao Tai discovered that the beverage was developed by a professor from the Provincial Sports Research Institute, but its taste was far inferior to existing carbonated beverages on the market.

Later, Director Li used the profits from the winery's Weibo account to support the professor in conducting in-depth research on the product, aiming to combine taste, nutrition, and trace element supplementation.

After dozens of adjustments, the taste is much better now, but it is still slightly inferior to other products on the market.

Hearing this, Cao Tai became interested. This orange-colored sweet drink actually had the potential to dominate the domestic market after entering it. In 1996, it already had sales of 58 billion yuan, accounting for 23% of the national soft drink market, three times that of Coca-Cola, and Pepsi couldn't even see its taillights. Unfortunately, a series of bizarre events later abruptly interrupted its growth momentum.

They later tried to regain their former glory, but unfortunately the market had already been taken over by other brands, and even at their highest valuation, they did not reach the sales volume of 96.

If we have the opportunity to intervene now, we'll still have the ability to protect ourselves in crucial moments later. Even if this company doesn't become an international giant like Coca-Cola, it should easily become a domestic giant.

After coming up with the idea, Cao Tai quickly negotiated with all parties for investment. A few days later, the contract was signed, and Cao Tai, in his private capacity, invested HK$300 million to establish a joint venture, "Lippo Group," with the Sanshui government, holding 49% of the shares, while the government held 51%.

The patent for the orange-colored sweet drink is held by both parties. Cao Tai secured a veto right on the board of directors and appointed Director Li of Sanshui Winery as the general manager of the Lippo Group to oversee all group affairs.

With the contract finalized and Director Li taking office, the construction of the new factory proceeded rapidly.

After working non-stop for almost half a month since returning to the mainland, Cao Tai can finally breathe a sigh of relief. He has already found a place to spend the first big sum of money he earned in China.

Garment manufacturing is a labor-intensive industry, and clothing may not seem to have high added value. However, Mr. Cao's products are intended for export. They will be sold together with nameplates and trademarks produced locally in Hong Kong Island, and the selling price will be at least 10 times higher than the cost price. It is not impossible for it to reach 20 or 30 times the cost price.

As for the orange-colored sweet water, even the local government didn't have much confidence in this product. It was only because a wealthy man from Hong Kong invested a large sum of money that the government supported it. Didn't you see that no one objected to Mr. Cao's suggestion that the marginalized factory manager, Mr. Li, should serve as the general manager of the new joint venture?

With an investment of HKD 300 million, didn't anyone want to take a gamble? If it were invested in other projects, there might actually be people vying for the general manager position, but nobody was optimistic about this orange-colored sweet drink at the time!

If you become the general manager of a new company and then the company collapses within two years, your resume will be completely ruined! So it was by chance that Director Li was able to take office. Regardless of whether his reputation was mixed afterward, he truly deserves great credit for the development of Orange Sweet Water in my previous life.

With some free time, Cao Tai wanted to explore this southern martial arts town, so the Jihua Municipal Government sent a staff member as a guide.

Ji Hua's well-known martial arts schools are mostly located near the Ancestral Temple, and the bread truck travels along Ancestral Temple Road.

"Mr. Cao, that's the 'Hung Kuen Athletic Association.' There are nearly 200 students learning there now, and even more who graduate after completing their training. It's one of the well-known martial arts schools in Jihua," Guide Xiao Li explained, pointing to a cluster of ancient buildings they had just passed.

"Are there many well-known boxing gyms in Jihua now?" Cao Tai's eyes swept across the buildings on both sides of the street, and the signs hanging on them showed that many of them were martial arts gyms.

"There are many, after all, this is the hometown of martial arts in the South! The most famous one is 'Hong Sheng Guan' (actually, it was shut down by the Kuomintang in 1927, and a large number of its core members went into exile overseas. Many of them later joined the Dongjiang Column and it was not until 1998 that it was reopened. However, in the novel, it is directly chosen to reopen after the founding of the People's Republic of China). Before the founding of the People's Republic of China, there were 13 branches in Jihua, with more than 10,000 students."

It fell into disrepair for a period of time, but was reopened after the founding of the People's Republic of China. Although it now has only eight branches, and the Taishang Temple branch has been converted into a memorial hall and no longer serves as a training center, the other seven branches have at least three thousand disciples.

Xiao Li answered proudly.

"You also came from Hongsheng Hall?" Looking at Xiao Li's expression, Cao Tai guessed that it was because of his sect that he was so proud.

"Yes, I studied there before, but I wasn't talented enough, so I only stayed for two years before I started working!" Li said, sounding a little embarrassed, and his voice lowered slightly.