The birth of the Hong Kong Island family

Worldwide shipping.

In the conference room, Lin Zhichao and a group of senior executives were having a meeting.

"Deputy General Manager Feng, go to Europe and the United States to inspect and see if there are any suitable second-hand oil tankers!"

Feng Yongfa nodded and said, "Okay, I will arrange the work as soon as possible and set off."

At this time, Lin Zhichao has safely handed over the purchase of second-hand ships and supervision of the construction of new ships to senior officials such as Feng Yongfa. In fact, he is also preparing to go to Europe and the United States for inspections, but more of them will be to inspect the shipping conditions and meet with some politicians and politicians. Meet the clients.

The ultimate requirement for shipping is to be well-informed. Although Lin Zhichao has the memory of his previous life to assist him, he still cannot be a 'frog in the well'; in a year, he will go abroad at least four or five times, for half a month at a time.

Next, Lin Zhichao continued: "Manager Gao, go to Japan and contact Yamaguchi Steamship, Nippon Steamship, and Sanko Steamship to see if they are still willing to lease second-hand freighters. The lease period can be about 3 to 7 years. The rent can be very low”

Gao Qiqiang immediately said: "No problem, I will have a good talk with them."

He understood what the boss meant and thought that the boss wanted to compensate the three companies because the lease period and rent given were very beneficial to the Japanese shipping company.

For a second-hand cargo ship of 10,000 tons, Global Shipping’s profit is 250,000 to 300,000 U.S. dollars. Based on the value of the ship, the payback time is about two and a half years. This is the reason for the second-hand ship; the same new ship will take six to seven years to pay back the cost. .

However, continuing to operate second-hand ships will put a bottleneck in the development of a company. Therefore, although second-hand ships are profitable, when the scale reaches a certain level, new ships must be built.

Lin Zhichao suddenly arranged for his subordinates to visit three important Japanese customers, but he actually had Xiao Jiujiu in mind.

These three shipping companies are Japan’s shipping giants and the cornerstone of global shipping’s Japanese business.

He can't allow anyone to poach him!

certainly.

This situation cannot be avoided in the later stage, but we must try our best to recover some losses.

Time flies, and a month passes in the blink of an eye.

Mid June.

In order to suppress excessive real estate speculation, the Hong Kong government has introduced measures to regulate the sale of uncompleted properties. It stipulates that developers must invest a certain amount of funds in a building under construction before they can sell off-the-plan properties; the money from selling off-the-plan properties must be earmarked and cannot be used for other purposes.

After these measures were introduced, the real estate market did not collapse immediately.

Because these measures actually only hit some small-scale developers and large real estate developers whose investments are too aggressive.

For example, it stipulates that developers must invest a certain amount of funds in the properties under construction. ’ This article has little actual impact on Lin Zhichao, Li Gaofu, Feipingtai, Liu Baoshan, Zhang Kum Kee, Dasheng Real Estate, etc., because everyone has sufficient funds;

However, risks arise for major real estate developers such as Li Kangjie and Chen Detai, because they lacked funds at the beginning and relied on "sales of off-the-plan properties" to develop rapidly. Later, they grabbed a lot of land at high prices, for which they only paid 10% of the capital. , once the off-the-plan properties cannot be sold, they will not be able to pay for the land, let alone the construction fees.

For example, 'money from selling off-the-plan properties must be earmarked and cannot be used for other purposes.' This clause also limits the possibility of someone using the money from selling off-the-plan properties to continue to purchase land.

However, real estate is already on the verge of collapse and may collapse at any time.

The key is that fewer and fewer people are buying buildings in the current market, but more and more buildings will be completed.

Some people estimate that 2,000 buildings (including all buildings in Hong Kong, including two- and three-storey tenement buildings) will be completed in 1957, and no less than 1,500 buildings will be completed in 1958 (the investment amount has increased, and is expected to reach HK$700 million) about).

Suddenly, a storm is coming.

Lin Zhichao had just returned from his inspection tour in Europe and the United States. When he heard the news, he was immediately secretly happy.

He had a lot of cash flow but found no investment situation. Yangtze River Industrial has 120 million yuan in capital (part of which has not yet been collected), and Yangtze River Industrial Group also has a cash flow of more than 80 million yuan. Needless to say, as for Global Shipping, the money has become moldy.

As for the stock market, Lin Zhichao is not familiar with the situation in Japan and the United States at this time, so he will definitely not invest. For Lin Zhichao, the stock market in Hong Kong is too small, and investment is of little significance.

Therefore, Lin Zhichao would rather have funds idle than invest rashly.

If land and property prices plummet, I believe there will be good bargain-hunting opportunities and some funds can be released, but only slightly.

"Boss, now other real estate developers have accumulated a large number of unsold residential units. For example, Liao Chuangxing Real Estate, Gaofu Real Estate, and Lixin Real Estate have at least two or three unsold properties; and for example, Li Kangjie, Chen Detai, etc. These aggressive real estate developers not only have a lot of high-priced land that has not yet been developed, but also have a large number of properties under construction that have not been sold out. Now life is very difficult." Hu Zhaoxu is like a spy, knowing the market situation very well.

These were actually taught to him by Lin Zhichao.

Lin Zhichao said easily: "Wait! I remember that these two companies are law firms collecting 'off-the-plan funds'. Once the law firms notice the risks and listen to people's deception, they will definitely stop paying funds to the two companies immediately. In addition, The fees for acquiring their land have not yet been paid, and the owners will be unable to support themselves if they ask for money.”

Including a piece of North Point land sold by Changjiang Real Estate, the funds have also not been collected. Of course Lin Zhichao is not in a hurry. If Li Kangjie and others cannot afford to pay, he will take back the land and the deposit will not be refunded. He can also go to Bing Court to ask for liquidated damages.

Hu Zhaoxu immediately said: "Land and property prices are already falling, and they will fall sharply. By then, there will be many properties auctioned by banks and law firms on the market, and we can take advantage of this opportunity to increase our 'reserve land'."

In their conversation, the two regarded those real estate developers who were expanding too fast as lambs waiting to be slaughtered.

Lin Zhichao came to the HSBC Bank Building and, under the guidance of the staff, walked into the office of HSBC Chairman Douglas.

"Call Manager Sandus to come over!"

"Okay, Mr. Chairman."

Douglas asked his assistant to invite Sandus. The reason must be because Lin Zhichao and Sandus had a close relationship. After all, Sandus had a share of the credit for the success of Global Shipping Lines.

Without the loan from HSBC, Lin Zhichao’s fleet would not have developed so fast.

After a while, Sandus came to Douglas's office.

"Mr. Lin, I invite you to my office this time because we, HSBC Bank, plan to invite you as a director of our board of directors. What do you think?"

Lin Zhichao was stunned, he didn't expect it to happen so quickly. He also considered that HSBC would invite him to join the board of directors as a director; HSBC would even invite him to serve as vice chairman of the board of directors.

However, HSBC currently has a Chinese vice-chairman, Xu Aizhou.

Therefore, if Lin Zhichao is added, then HSBC will have two Chinese directors. Although it may not be so strange in later generations, it was still very unexpected in Hong Kong in the 1950s.

Anyway, this is a good thing.

Lin Zhichao immediately said: "This is my honor! I have always been very optimistic about the development of HSBC, because its credibility is deeply rooted in the hearts of Hong Kong citizens. As a place where the East and the West meet, Hong Kong's financial industry will definitely be very developed in the future, and HSBC will also It will go beyond Hong Kong and become a world-class bank."

There is no other way, he also wants to rely on HSBC, so there is no shame in flattering him.

What's more, the reputation of HSBC is indeed unrivaled in Hong Kong. 60% of all deposits in Hong Kong flow into HSBC. HSBC's stocks have become the first choice of Hong Kong investors. In later generations, there are even people who buy a few lots of HSBC every year, which is equivalent to giving them a lot of money. It is a folk saying that I am buying a pension.

Douglas said happily: "Okay, it's settled, we will hold a board meeting later, and you are welcome to join us!"

The senior executives of HSBC unanimously agreed to add Lin Zhichao, a Chinese director, because everyone thinks that Lin Zhichao is simply a business wizard, especially his understanding of the shipping cycle, which is very accurate. In addition to his achievements outside of business, there is also the fact that Lin Zhichao is an outstanding figure among Chinese people in Hong Kong. Influence in mind, which also helps HSBC.

Lin Zhichao nodded and said, "Thank you, Chairman Douglas, for your trust!"

After everyone chatted for a while.

Lin Zhichao also suddenly mentioned a proposal: "Chairman Douglas, Manager Sandus, what do you think of Hong Kong Airlines? What do you think if Worldwide acquires it?"

Douglas and Sandus were all surprised.

They did not expect that Lin Zhichao, a Chinese, was so bold that he wanted to acquire a purely British-owned company.

Hong Kong Airlines, an airline based in Hong Kong, is the second airline to provide civil aviation services in Hong Kong. Hong Kong Airlines' main shareholders are Jardine Matheson and British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC, the predecessor of British Airways). The shareholding ratios of the two companies have changed significantly during the operation period, so both companies have dominated the operations of Hong Kong Airlines. The fleet of Hong Kong Airlines is mainly composed of DC-3 and Vickers Viscount.

Hong Kong Airlines was established in 1947, with British Overseas Airways being the largest investor. At that time, China implemented an open sky policy, allowing two airlines from the two places to fly the China-Hong Kong route. Therefore, British Overseas Airways operates routes to and from the mainland through Hong Kong Airlines.

At that time, a large number of wealthy refugees from the mainland came to Hong Kong to escape the war, which made the many routes to and from the mainland operated by Hong Kong Airlines very busy - at that time, there were more than 4 flights a day to and from Guangdong alone; but later , after the founding of New China, the route from Hong Kong to the mainland was naturally completely stopped.

Currently, Hong Kong Airlines only has four routes: Japan, Taiwan, South Korea, and Manila. Regarding Hong Kong's route arrangement, the Hong Kong government will allocate the northern area to Hong Kong Airlines and the southern area to Cathay Pacific Airways.

Therefore, Cathay Pacific’s routes are to Southeast Asia and can also fly to Europe and the United States. But it is obviously unrealistic to fly directly to Europe and the United States at present, so Cathay Pacific is not much stronger.

Douglas then said: "Hong Kong Airlines has been dominated by Jardine Matheson and British Overseas Airways in turn, and the reason is that it has been in a state of loss. Investing in such an enterprise is obviously risky, and Mr. Lin has never run an airline."

Lin Zhichao said: "Chairman Douglas, if the aviation industry wants to make money, a region's economy must reach a certain level, or the global economy must reach a certain level. Hong Kong's economy has developed very smoothly in recent years, and its industry has developed very fast. I believe that in a few years In 2020, overseas companies will enter Hong Kong one after another, and overseas tourists will also come to Hong Kong for tourism. Based on this, if we invest in Hong Kong Airlines and work hard for ten or twenty years, we may not be able to become a golden rooster placing orders."

Sandus also raised a question: "However, although World Shipping is making money, it will also build oil tankers in the future and continue to develop shipping. If funds are allocated to develop the aviation industry, and it is an investment that lasts for 10 or 20 years, will it affect shipping?"

Lin Zhichao immediately said: "Of course we have to make money from shipping. But if we miss a golden rooster to place an order, we will have no chance in the future."

Without HSBC, there is no hope at all. If Hong Kong Airlines is acquired, and HSBC holds 40% of the shares, British Overseas Airlines may consider it.

As for Jardine, they will not give up this opportunity. They can not only get a sum of funds, but also get rid of this long-term loss-making enterprise.

The reason why Lin Zhichao is challenging British companies now is because the opportunity cannot be missed and will never come back.

In his previous life, Bao Yugang also wanted to enter the aviation industry, but was completely defeated. If Lin Zhichao had tried to develop the aviation industry in the 1980s, he would have failed. The reason is very simple, the rules are fixed for you, even if you have money, there is nothing you can do about it.

Therefore, there is only one chance in one or two years.

If you don't succeed, you will have to give up the idea of ​​entering the aviation industry.

Douglas and Sandus are both considering this issue. Of course they are considering the interests of HSBC. As for the rest, they leave it to Lin Zhichao.

"Do you have any plans for the development of World Shipping Company?" Douglas confirmed again.

Currently, World Shipping can earn more than 18 million U.S. dollars a year, and HSBC holds 40% of the shares, which means it can pay dividends of 7.2 million U.S. dollars every year; of course, no one has mentioned dividends.

Obviously, HSBC has changed its original intention and shown great interest in shipping, especially with Lin Zhichao at the helm.

"Yes! It is expected that in the late 1950s, we will arrange funds to continue building 100,000-ton oil tankers. The 1960s will be a period of global economic growth, and the demand for oil will be very strong. By then, this company will have nearly one million tons of oil tankers. As for the funding issue, I think both of us have the strength to continue injecting capital into the business!"

After all, HSBC originally invested less than US$12 million in total, but the profit was terrifyingly high!

In the end, Douglas was convinced by Lin Zhichao and said: "We need to hold a high-level meeting to think about it and give you an answer later!"

Lin Zhichao knew that at least Douglas and Sanders had agreed.

Walking out of HSBC, Lin Zhichao had a determined look on his face. There was nothing to fear from British capital, even in this era. Among the four major foreign banks in Hong Kong in later generations, only Swire Bank was 'unbreakable', but there were also weaknesses at this time. That is, Hong Kong Airlines has not yet received its subordinates.

As soon as Bao Yu returned to Hong Kong from Japan, he immediately received the concern of Bao Zhaolong, Bao Yuxing and others.

"How's it going? Has the boat been rented out?" Bao Zhaolong asked eagerly.

There was no choice but to raise funds from friends and family, plus bank loans, and finally raised US$1.5 million. Then I bought two second-hand ships of 10,000 tons in the European market. The ships are 27 years old and still cost US$700,000.

The service life of a ship is approximately forty years. Although it may not necessarily be scrapped after forty years, the operating costs will definitely increase significantly and the port will face difficulties.

Bao Yugang said: "The charter quotas of several large shipping companies are full, and only one medium-sized shipping company is willing to sign a four-year lease for two cargo ships. The rent will probably be paid back in the past three years."

Everyone was a little surprised at such a cheap price!

Bao Yuxing said: "It doesn't make sense. Brother, didn't you say that with the current market conditions, we can recover our capital in less than two and a half years?"

Bao Yugang said: "The ships of several large shipping companies are fully booked, and they all have a deep cooperative relationship with Global Shipping. As a small shipping company, it is difficult for us to break into their business. Can a medium-sized shipping company be willing to charter , it’s already a very good result, the Japanese are very good at keeping prices down.”

Bao Zhaolong pondered for a moment, and then asked puzzledly: "Although what you said makes sense, large shipping companies need a lot of ships, not to mention that we can lower the price, so they have no reason to be indifferent."

Bao Yugang said: "It is said that they have recently rented ships with enough long-term contracts. They are all global shipping ships, and the prices are very cheap."

Bao Zhaolong finally understood and said: "It seems that you are a step too late. The ships in Lin Zhichao's hands have made a lot of money in the past year. After the opening of the Suez Canal, he immediately leased them to Japanese shipping companies at a low price. It seems that , it’s still very difficult for you to compete with him!”

Bao Yugang was also a little discouraged because he found that he was a shipowner who followed others; importantly, HSBC and Japan Shipping Company absolutely supported Lin Zhichao, not him, a small shipowner.

After a while, Bao Yu just said: "It doesn't matter, at least we have rented out three boats!"

Bao Zhaolong warned: "Since things have fallen behind, you should think carefully about playing it safe and not making any further advances."

Bao Yugang also figured out that without strong bank support and no business priority, he would not be able to quickly expand shipowners.

Now he has three boats, and if he wants to buy a fourth boat, he will have to wait until a year later.

This kind of development speed is very different from his expectations.

What Bao Yugang didn't know was that according to the history of his previous life, he could expand seven ships in the first year. First of all, his second-hand ships were about to expire before the Suez Canal crisis. In this way, renewing the contract at a price several times higher gave him the ability to buy several ships; secondly, HSBC would also agree Higher loan; finally, Nippon Shipping was more than happy to sign him to a long-term contract.

Just Lin Zhichao's "game" is enough to change Bao Yugang's fate.

As for the sudden chartering business of the three major shipping companies that has reached full capacity this time, of course Lin Zhichao's tactics are also involved, but it can only be said to have a small impact.

Lin Zhichao does not hate Bao Yugang and Li Jiacheng, but he must weaken his competitors in advance.

If it is really annoying, I am afraid that more severe methods will be used.

There is no room for two tigers in one mountain!