The birth of the Hong Kong Island family

Global Shipping has a total of eight second-hand ships in Europe, including four second-hand oil tankers and four second-hand freighters.

The four oil tankers were all built in the 1930s. They are about 20 years old, with a tonnage of 15,000 to 16,000 tons. The price is about 1.2 million US dollars, which is about 1.5 times the price of a cargo ship with the same load.

The four freighters were also built in the 1930s, with a tonnage of 12,000 to 15,000 tons and a price of around 800,000 US dollars.

Therefore, it is necessary to spend 8.2 million US dollars this time to purchase eight ships with a total load capacity of 111,000 tons.

After the matter was settled, Lin Zhichao and Audrey Hepburn inspected the shipyard in Hamburg, Germany, and were warmly received by the president of the shipyard, Franz.

Lin Zhichao himself has purchased 600,000 to 700,000 tons of second-hand freighters in Europe, and enjoys a high reputation here, and he is not an unknown shipowner. After all, the deadweight of 700,000 tons is already 3% to 5% of the size of British merchant ships.

"Mr. Lin, Miss Audrey, welcome to the Hamburg shipyard!" Franz obviously knew Audrey Hepburn, although he was a little surprised, he still said calmly.

And Audrey Hepburn and Lin Zhichao already had no scruples, let alone they were not reporters, so it didn't matter if they knew.

Lin Zhichao stretched out his right hand and said: "President Franz, hello, I am very interested in large oil tankers, so I came this time to check whether the technology in this area is mature. If I am satisfied, maybe I will consider ordering a new oil tanker. "

Franz did not dare to underestimate Lin Zhichao, the king of second-hand ships. After all, it is a reasonable development trend to switch from second-hand ships to new ones.

"No problem, I guarantee you'll leave satisfied!"

Later, Franz and others took Lin Zhichao and his party to visit the entire Hamburg shipyard.

When he came to a 'behemoth' under construction, Franz proudly said: "Mr. Lin must also know that last year we built the tanker 'Tina Onassis' for the Greek ship owner - Onassis .The deadweight of that tanker reached 45,270 tons, making it the largest tanker in the world.”

Lin Zhichao nodded and said, "I know, I am very envious of what kind of large tanker I own!"

Franz smiled and introduced the oil tanker under construction in front of him, saying: "This ship is called 'Sinclair'. Its load capacity has increased again to 56,089 tons, and it can be launched next year."

Lin Zhichao asked suspiciously: "Not to mention the technology of such a large oil tanker, but as far as I know, global port facilities and mooring technology will trouble it."

Of course, the channel conditions are also very critical. If Lin Zhichao buys a large oil tanker, he must ask the captain and senior seamen to strictly implement the fixed channel and never leave the channel without permission.

Because, he was worried about stranded oil spills, that would be a terrible thing. Once the oil leaks in the waters of the United States and Europe, the price will be very high. Especially in the waters of the United States, there was a leak in the 1990s in the previous life, and the American oil giant paid a total of 5 billion US dollars because the location of the leak was in the waters of Alaska.

Franz explained: "We designed the oil pipeline system for large tankers. If the port is not accessible, small tankers can be used to transfer oil."

Lin Zhichao understood that a 50,000-ton oil tanker can transport 2-3 times more than the 10,000-20,000-ton oil tankers currently on the market, which saves a lot of costs: First, the steel required for the construction of a 50,000-ton oil tanker may only be The steel used for the construction of 2-3 10,000-ton oil tankers is saved by about 40%; secondly, fuel consumption is also reduced a lot.

Of course, these advantages are not considered "great" at present. Once Suez was closed in 1956, the oil transported from the Middle East to Europe would increase by 5,000 nautical miles, fully doubling the voyage, and it would take an extra 16 to 17 days to waste.

At that time, tankers around the world will have to develop towards greater load capacity.

If Lin Zhichao did not make a mistake in his estimation, a new 50,000-ton oil tanker could definitely earn back its capital within a year when Suez was closed for a year in 1956, or it might not even take a year.

It’s not wrong to say it’s a God-given opportunity!

Lin Zhichao asked again: "How long will it take to build such a 50,000-ton oil tanker?"

Franz said happily: "Usually 12 to 18 months!"

Lin Zhichao nodded and asked, "Do you need to line up?"

Franz said: "At most three months!"

Lin Zhichao believed in German technology, so he asked again: "How much is a car?"

Franz was convinced that Lin Zhichao would definitely buy it, and said quickly: "Currently, a 56,000-ton oil tanker costs 7.6 million US dollars. The first payment for construction is 40%, and the final payment is 60% when it is delivered."

Lin Zhichao immediately calculated in his mind that oil tankers are not cargo ships. When Suez is closed, the freight price of oil tankers will definitely rise higher than that of cargo ships; in addition, the current cargo ships are generally 10,000 to 20,000 tons, and oil tankers are making money from Europe and the United States; therefore, the time of oil tankers must be After all, one month cannot be wasted.

He would rather the oil tanker implement a one-way short-term lease before the closure of Suez, and earn every opportunity of that wave. Sometimes some shipowners prefer to park their ships at the port for high rent, which is the reason.

Of course, considering that the Suez Canal was closed for the first time, it only took one year, so it would be ideal to sign a contract at a high price for three years (75-80% of the short-term rental price); ), which means that the customers are already scared, and Lin Zhichao has to wake up with a smile.

"I probably need to build six 56,000-ton oil tankers!" Lin Zhichao said lightly.

Franz lost his composure and said in shock: "Is what Mr. Lin said true?"

Six 56,000-ton oil tankers, with a total tonnage of 336,000 tons, which is more than 25% of Germany’s annual shipbuilding tonnage. Even Onassis didn't dare to build so many in one go, so he built them in stages.

Lin Zhichao nodded and said, "I currently have 700,000 tons of second-hand freighters and oil tankers, and my annual profit is around 20 million U.S. dollars. I believe this strength will not worry President Franz, right?"

He made a calculation and found that in the next two years, Global Shipping can earn a profit of about US$45 to 50 million with its current fleet (700,000 tons). In addition, there is more than 8 million US dollars left in the account, enough to purchase six 56,000-ton oil tankers.

At the same time, he can also take out a loan from HSBC to buy more boats. Therefore, in July 1956, Global Shipping's fleet had a deadweight of at least 1.1 million tons, and it would even impact more fleets.

And the money earned in that wave of opportunities cannot be used to build a fleet immediately, because the price is high, and the low tide of shipping from 1959 to 1961 must be avoided; while shipbuilding must be built during the low tide of shipping, the price is low, and it can be avoided. Low market.

"No, no, of course I trust Mr. Lin! As far as I know, you are not only strong, but also backed by a bank. Your strength is no less than Onassis." Franz said flatteringly.

Although he was shocked by Lin Zhichao's strength, saying that Lin Zhichao's strength was not inferior to Onassis's was indeed a compliment.

Lin Zhichao said: "So, can the price and down payment ratio be reduced?"

Franz said: "Yes! The down payment ratio can be reduced to 35%, and I can decide the price and reduce it by another 200,000 US dollars per ship."

The price is not that of buying groceries, so the price reduction is reasonable.

Lin Zhichao then said: "Okay, I will go back and sort it out, and then I will lead the team to discuss it in detail with you!"

Franz said happily: "No problem! Don't worry, Mr. Lin, we will ensure the quality and progress."

This is a big customer!

336,000 tons of oil tankers, Germany cannot build that many oil tankers in a year, it is almost more than a year.

At the same time, Lin Zhichao also slandered the British shipyards in his heart, and the price was too high. The cost of a 12,000-ton freighter is as high as 2 million US dollars. In Germany, a 56,000-ton oil tanker only costs 7.4 million US dollars.

British shipbuilding is the most expensive in Europe, followed by France, followed by Germany, and other European countries are not considered.

Lin Zhichao dared to order six 56,000-ton oil tankers in one go, naturally because of the "Suez Canal is closed", otherwise he would not dare to take such a risk. And this kind of behavior may also be questioned by many people. It is expected that HSBC will not dare to gamble, so the loan will not be too high for him. Ten million US dollars is not bad.

On the flight back, Audrey Hepburn finally uttered the question that had been hidden in her heart for a day: "My dear, why are you always so confident? When you said that you would build six ships, the Mr. President seemed like he had never Something happened before. Although I don't know how to do business, it seems that others think you are a bit aggressive!"

With more than 40 million US dollars, she feels that she will not be able to earn it in a few lifetimes. The salary of "Dragon and Phoenix" is only 15,000 US dollars, and the advertising endorsements are also tens of thousands of US dollars.

Lin Zhichao patted the back of Audrey Hepburn's hand with a smile, and said, "I'm not confident, you should have the most experience! Although the six ships are expensive, I'm actually not in debt, so there's no need to worry."

In fact, it is a liability. For example, if the market suddenly plummets in the next two years, ordinary people may not be able to pay the final payment; however, in addition to the implementation of many five-year contracts, Global Shipping itself still has 8 million US dollars left.

Of course, the market cannot plummet.

Audrey Hepburn remembered the moment after the two met. This mysterious man was like a prophet. It was indeed a great charm to predict that she would succeed in the showbiz.

"I have asked Frings to refuse all the jobs for me, and nothing can affect my mood as a mother!" Audrey Hepburn said, holding Lin Zhichao's arm and leaning on his shoulder.

It can be seen from this sentence that Audrey Hepburn attaches great importance to being a mother, which may be more important than her relationship with Lin Zhichao, of course it is possible; maybe if this child is not kept, she will have a relationship gap with Lin Zhichao.

But fortunately, Audrey Hepburn is already in good health, and it is almost impossible for accidents to happen. Lin Zhichao has already arranged for people to go to the lakeside of Zurich, Switzerland, to find a villa, intending to let Audrey Hepburn go there to rest and have a baby.

"Don't worry, your body has already been taken care of by me, and we won't have only one child!" Lin Zhichao comforted the nervous Audrey Hepburn.

Because she lacks fatherly love, she also wants to be a mother.

Audrey Hepburn looked at Lin Zhichao miraculously, but didn't say much, some things were not scientific at all.

"Then how many times can we meet again this year?" Audrey Hepburn asked again with concern.

Lin Zhichao thought for a while and said, "I have a chance to meet in the United States next month. I'm going to sell oil tankers there. Before the child is born, I will definitely come to Zurich to accompany you. If I have time in between, I will also come."

Audrey Hepburn said very satisfied: "Well, as long as you come to accompany me before the child is born, I am very satisfied. At other times, you are busy with work. I believe some of your words will lengthen your life. Short-term get-togethers for various reasons, as long as it lasts for a long time, it will not be much better than those couples who have had conflicts for a few years."

She was PUAed by Lin Zhichao, so she firmly believes that Lin Zhichao can modify her genes, so that she will not age and get sick easily, which is very important; although she has to eat some protein occasionally, she enjoys it very much.

Lin Zhichao put his arms around Audrey Hepburn, and coaxed: "Besides, with the maturity of jet civilian aircraft, I will have more time to arrive around the world in one day. I will also buy a private jet for you to enjoy the world. There is no sense of distance."

Audrey Hepburn was full of longing, but then she whispered in Lin Zhichao's ear: "Honey, how do you know there is something wrong with the comet model plane?"

It turned out that in the first half of this year, two Comet-type aircraft crashed due to technical reasons, and the UK quickly stopped the project.

"Technical analysis! But don't be afraid to fly, because this is the safest means of transportation in the world. I'm talking about the probability of accidents."

Audrey Hepburn nodded, she had a kind of blind trust in Lin Zhichao. Then she said: "If one day you really have extra money and buy me a private jet, I think it's better to do charity!"

The words are very sincere!

Lin Zhichao said: "Charity and enjoyment have nothing to do with each other. Enjoyment can stimulate people's desire to create wealth, and can promote social progress and civilization. We Chinese have a saying--if you are poor, you will be alone, and if you are rich, you will benefit the world, which means So, in the future, if you have the strength to do your own philanthropy, you will also experience the rapid changes brought about by technology. In short, listen to me!"

Audrey Hepburn was obviously persuaded, but she still acted coquettishly: "I'm not your marionette, so be more obedient!"

Lin Zhichao smiled and said nothing, he was confident!

Sure enough, Audrey Hepburn added another sentence: "You can listen to many things!" After speaking, she did not forget to kiss Lin Zhichao on the cheek.

Sunday, August 8.

Lin Zhichao, who returned to Hong Kong, happened to be spending the weekend, so he would not be in a hurry to go to work. For Lin Zhichao at present, he no longer cares about the gains and losses of a city or a place, because he will not touch his roots.

Shipping business: As long as he grasps the cycle well, he can make money with his eyes closed; not to mention, he has already established a management system for global shipping; so he will command remotely, and there will be no major mistakes.

Real estate business: It is not a good time yet, and Tang Caiyun is already familiar with the essentials of the real estate industry, so there will be no mistakes.

Industrial undertakings: All are developing gradually, presenting a diversified and collectivized development scale, with strong ability to resist risks.

Generally speaking, the three businesses go hand in hand. The Lin family's ability to resist risks is very strong, and there is no need for Lin Zhichao to do everything by himself.

As long as Lin Zhichao is alive, there will be no chaos.

Even if there was an accident, Lin Zhichao arranged it very well, and the family lived better than the descendants of the He Dong family.

Lin Zhichao often gave the lawyer a sealed envelope, which was his new survivor, and the previous ones would be destroyed. He doesn't think there is any bad luck, and he pays more attention to planning for a rainy day.

During his time in Europe, some things happened in Hong Kong. For example, a flight from Cathay Pacific—Thailand to Hong Kong was shot down by the opposite side, causing ten deaths and eight injuries. Caused by tension; for example, there was another Tai Hang Tung fire in Hong Kong, which burned 2,000 wooden houses, killed nine people, and affected 24,000 people.

In short, this society is not absolutely peaceful, and it is a good thing to make more preparations.

"Father, look at what I wrote!" In the study, Lin Ruihuan handed the brush calligraphy he had just written to Lin Zhichao, and said with a hopeful expression.

Lin Zhichao put down the brush in his hand, and he was also practicing calligraphy. He was born in a scholarly family, and his younger sister was taught by his father when he was young. He didn't finish his studies until 1944. Therefore, he has traditional cultural foundation.

At the same time, he will also ask his children to take into account both Chinese and Western cultures, so he spends at least one hour every weekend practicing calligraphy with his children.

"There is progress, keep working hard!" A simple comment.

Although Lin Ruihuan is only five years old, she has a very high IQ. In addition, Lin Zhichao and Tang Caiyun have strict requirements, so she has also developed some good habits, such as being eager to learn.

"Okay, Dad!" Lin Ruihuan said happily.

If he can get his father's praise, he will be more motivated.

Lin Zhichao touched Lin Ruihuan's little head. As the eldest son, he must be under pressure. No matter how busy Lin Zhichao is, when he comes home from get off work or at home on weekends, he will check his studies and instill some principles of life.

"Let me teach you another old saying: If you don't accumulate steps, you can't reach thousands of miles; if you don't accumulate small currents, you can't form rivers and seas. Do you understand the meaning?"

"Something understands!"

"Then memorize this sentence first, and slowly you will understand it completely."

Lin Zhichao enjoyed the process of father and son teaching and learning. Therefore, it is still necessary to control the number of children to about ten, which is more conducive to cultivation.

After walking out of the study, Xu Caiying greeted her happily after a while, and said, "I'm pregnant again!"

Lin Zhichao said with a smile: "Normal heart! Our body is so good, pregnancy is normal."

It's all planned. For example, planting seeds in August will definitely happen that month.

"It makes sense!" Xu Caiying smiled meaningfully.

As they spent more time together, they also understood that Lin Zhichao was a real man; from some information obtained from her mother, their men were obviously very different.

The two came to the living room on the first floor together, waiting for lunch time, and playing with the children. In the afternoon, he will go shopping. Lin Zhichao is also a person who can't stay idle. He likes to go shopping with his family. The first is shopping, and the second is to understand the market.

"Husband, the land growth this year is very fierce. The land in Tsim Sha Tsui business district has risen to 100 to 110 Hong Kong dollars per square foot!" Tang Caiyun said in a casual chat.

Although Lin Zhichao never works or talks about work on weekends, it is still possible to talk about the land.

Lin Zhichao said casually: "It's normal. This year it will rise to 130, next year it will rise to 190~200, and the year after that it will rise to 250. This is the way to increase it."

Tang Caiyun suddenly said excitedly: "Then why don't we get more land?"

Lin Zhichao said with a smile: "The return rate is 40% to 50%, which is similar to shipping, so don't worry. What's more, without a suitable goal, there is no need to make a small fuss look bad."

To be honest, Cheung Kong currently does not have land reserves after the 1960s, but Lin Zhichao is in no hurry.

There are so many opportunities ahead!

Tang Caiyun blushed, and then said, "I'm a novice in real estate!"

Lin Zhichao said: "It's very good, it's good if you can learn it! But our family must uphold the investment rule that you can't put all eggs in one basket."

The two women nodded and absorbed the experience!

Lin Zhichao felt that it was inevitable for women to intervene in his career.

In the previous life, whether it was Li Jiacheng or Li Zhaoji, they all let their wives get involved in their careers. When the time is right, the wives can launch their careers. And like Guo Desheng, if it weren't for his wife to take care of him after his death, it wouldn't be a matter of three sons fighting, it might be the whole Sun Hung Kai falling apart. With Guo Desheng's wife taking care of him, at least the family business has been preserved and developed. No matter how much my son fights, he still has his grandson, so what should he be afraid of?