The birth of the Hong Kong Island family

March.

Spring is cold and rainy.

On the second floor of the Yangtze River Bank, Lee Shau Kee sat in his office and glanced at the phone on the table from time to time. His mood was just like the weather, which was not good.

In the past two months, Yangtze Bank's gold speculation funds only increased by 50,000 Hong Kong dollars, barely reaching 3.2 million Hong Kong dollars, which made him feel that he had betrayed his boss's trust.

Of course, the main reason is that the price of gold has fluctuated greatly in the past two months. Its price has been fluctuating in the range of 430 to 500 Hong Kong dollars per tael. Since the price of gold hit 500 Hong Kong dollars per tael at the end of last year, gold has never reached that level again. HKD 500 per tael.

At the same time, Li Shauji and his brother Li Zhaolin teamed up to smuggle gold from Omen and cash it out at the gold and silver trading market. Under this operation, his own wealth increased by more than 10%.

Therefore, Lee Shau Kee felt a little embarrassed. After all, if it weren't for the support of his boss, he would not have the net worth of more than 100,000 yuan today.

"Jingle Bell"

The phone rang, and Lee Shau Kee immediately picked it up and answered it.

"Shopkeeper Li, the price of gold has risen to 466 Hong Kong dollars per tael. It is suspected that Hang Seng Bank and Chaoji gold dealers bought many lots."

Li Zhaoji frowned. Recently, everyone has begun to be wary of the Yangtze River Bank, and it is difficult to capture detailed information.

"Let's buy five lots first and try the waters!"

As the order was issued, Ah Jin from the gold and silver trading center notified Ah Shan to buy gold.

5 lots of gold is not a lot, only more than 200,000 Hong Kong dollars, and the Yangtze River Bank has enough funds to buy more than 70 lots of gold.

Ashan quickly bought five lots, but he was already being targeted.

A telephone operator immediately reported to his boss: "Boss, the Yangtze River Bank has entered the market, and the price of gold has begun to rise."

A Mandarin accent came from the other side: "Okay, we will follow up and buy 10 lots immediately, so we have to act quickly."

"no problem!"

When the news reached the Yangtze River Bank again, Li Shaoji frowned, and the price of gold rose a bit too fast.

"Switch with Ashan and ask Ashan to connect the line. Ah Jin, you go buy 10 lots of gold. If you have any specific situation, tell me immediately!"

"Okay, Shopkeeper Li!"

Lee Shau Kee felt that they seemed to be targeted by many people, as a kind of market vane, or as a target.

In fact, although the Yangtze River Bank is a high-roller in the gold and silver trade market, it is not among the top five, but the attention it has received can rank among the top five. The reason is very simple, that is, Cheung Kong Industries uses buying and selling methods to make profits.

Hang Seng Bank, Guangdong-based gold merchants, etc., mainly smuggled gold from Austria, eliminating the need to inhale large amounts of gold, thus attracting relatively little attention.

At the gold and silver trading market, Ah Shan and Ah Jin switched positions. Both of them are gold traders and are very skilled in the business. In normal times, Ah Shan is usually the gold trader and Ah Jin is the telephone operator.

A Jin ran to the gold trader in the middle of the patio this time, and was quickly tapped twice on the shoulder, which made his blood boil. This means that he has bought nearly 90,000 gold. Although he only bought it on behalf of the company, he was still very excited.

"This Ah Shan must be very passionate about what he does normally. Today I have a rare opportunity. It feels really good!" Ah Jin thought to himself.

I must be a little envious of Ashan, who can often stand in the middle of the patio, as if he is in the middle of the stage. But in fact, their salaries are about the same, and their share of the profits is also about the same. Although Ah Jin is a telephone operator, he is responsible for keeping an eye on the ‘seeded players’ in the field.

In any case, the two of them earned an income of six to seven thousand yuan last year and are considered to be senior management talents in Hong Kong. Therefore, the two of them work very hard and are very loyal to the company. It's just that in the past two months, Yangtze Bank has not made any money, so the two of them will naturally not get much commission, and they are suddenly worried about their boss.

After standing in the middle of the patio twice, someone soon discovered the Yangtze River Bank's 'dirty trick'.

"Boss, the Yangtze River Bank has taken in a lot of gold again, and even specially changed the gold trading hands!"

Ashan looked at the operator next to him and said immediately: "Is there any mistake? Why are you staring at us? Just let our company do it for you!"

The operator was stunned for a moment, and then realized that the Yangtze River Bank's phone number was next to him, and he was immediately embarrassed.

"I will report the information on the field, brother, don't be angry!"

"cut"

Ashan was also helpless. After all, if others didn't violate the rules, that was all he could do.

at the same time.

Hang Seng Bank and other companies holding smuggled gold have also begun to cash out the gold. The gold they smuggled is relatively cheap. Now that someone is raising the price, they are naturally very happy to cash out.

The Yangtze River Bank unknowingly became a "working leopard", raising the sales price for the gold smuggled from Omen.

Lin Zhichao came to the second floor of the Yangtze River Bank, and after checking the accounts, he felt a little disappointed; the Yangtze River Bank did not make any money from gold speculation in January and February, almost no profit or loss.

Lee Shau Kee was also a little embarrassed. After all, his dividend last year was as high as 80,000 Hong Kong dollars. Now that he has not made any money for his boss, it is obviously not very good.

However, Lin Zhichao immediately adjusted his mentality and said: "It is also very good to be able to stay even in a turbulent environment. If you don't lose, you will gain!"

In the past two months, gold has fluctuated greatly, fluctuating in the range of 430~500 Hong Kong dollars per tael, the key is that the overall price has not risen. So if it is fair, Lin Zhichao is also understandable.

Lee Shau Kee explained: "Our current amount of funds is too large, and the target is relatively obvious, so whether we are buying or selling, it will cause following the trend or targeting. In addition, the market has been unstable in the past two months, so Yangtze River Bank has not earned money."

Perhaps worried that Lin Zhichao would be dissatisfied and feeling that he had betrayed Lin Zhichao's trust, Li Shauji added a few words: "Boss, my brother Li Zhaolin and I recently bought gold in Omen and brought it to Hong Kong. I used the same operating method, but made a profit More than 10%. I think the Yangtze River Bank now has a large amount of funds, so it can consider buying gold from Omen, then transporting it to Hong Kong in batches, and then taking advantage of the opportunity to cash out."

Lin Zhichao immediately thought about what Lee Shau Kee said:

He has some very useful information, such as the liberation of NJ in April and the liberation of SH in May, which will cause gold to rise sharply. This is because a large number of wealthy people from Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Shanghai came to Hong Kong, and they brought a large amount of gold with them. At the same time, gold merchants and financial circles in these places participated in gold speculation, which would raise the price of gold.

Gold is a tradable asset. The idea of ​​these rich people is that if things go wrong, they will use Hong Kong as a springboard to immigrate overseas. Therefore, they have a special love for gold.

Even the citizens of Hong Kong almost have this mentality. If they don’t save money, they save gold, silver, and jewelry. Although there are many banks in this era, many of them are speculating in gold and foreign exchange.

It is precisely because of these reasons that the gold price in mainland China and Hong Kong fluctuates greatly, and it is outside the Bretton Woods System. In other places overseas, the price of gold is linked to the US dollar. Of course, they also have a black market, and the price of gold also fluctuates (the peninsular war will fluctuate greatly), but it is not as huge as Hong Kong and the mainland.

Based on the information in his mind, Lin Zhichao felt that he only needed to do something big to get out of gold speculation.

This is Lin Zhichao's guess that gold will skyrocket after April and May, climbing to more than 600 Hong Kong dollars.

Therefore, he only needs to smuggle 'cheap gold' from Omen and then cash it out in June and July to make a profit of millions in one fell swoop.

Since he is importing physical gold, the risk is almost zero. Of course, there are other risks, that is, the risk of smuggling by sea, but considering that smuggling can be done in batches, the risk is something he can bear.

Of course, there must be enough trusted people to help him do these things.

Otherwise, he alone would not be able to achieve it at all.

"How much does it cost to import gold in Omen?"

Hearing Lin Zhichao's heart-warming question, Lee Shau Kee immediately said: "They set the price based on an average of recent gold prices in Hong Kong. Of course, the price is still lower than this average. After all, Hong Kong gold merchants have to bear risks and also need profits. For example The recent gold price is 440 Hong Kong dollars per tael, and there are discounts for large quantities."

The Omen "He'an" gold company has obtained the patent right to operate gold through Luo Bao. The company is mainly run by He Xian, who monopolizes overseas gold import channels.

As for why He'an didn't cash out from the Hong Kong gold and silver trading market, this is of course because without Hang Seng Bank and Cantonese gold merchants, Hong Kong's gold would not have risen. If no one is speculating, the price will naturally not be high.

What's more, Hong Kong is Hong Kong, and Omen is Omen. If you walk sideways in Omen, you have to lie down in Hong Kong, and vice versa.

Therefore, 'He'an' sold the gold to major gold merchants and banks in Omen, and they only earned part of the profits. The profit is not low, and African gold is still very cheap.

And ‘He’an’ pays US$1.5 million in patent fees to Macau every year, as well as more than US$7,000 in social welfare donations.

Lin Zhichao asked again: "Do you think it is possible for me to import a large amount of gold from He'an, such as ten thousand taels?"

If you want to do it, make it bigger, too small is not worth it!

Li Zhaoji thought for a while and said: "I know He Xian, so I can introduce it to the boss. After confirming the information, the boss will consider this matter again. The main reason is that the boss has a large amount. If it is a few thousand taels, there is a high probability of success." .”

Lin Zhichao was not surprised that Li Zhaoji knew He Xian. He Xian was from Panyu, but he did business in Shunde back then; Including Hang Seng Bank, several founders are either from Panyu or Shunde.

In his previous life, Lee Shau Kee, through his brother and Uncle Shi, followed He Xian's path and made a lot of money speculating in gold for three years.

"Your brother Li Zhaolin, are you willing to help me? My idea is that you two brothers will still join the team, but this time I will only share 1% of your profits, plus a fixed salary."

The gold needs to be melted in Omen and then cast into large yellow croakers, so Omen needs a place to stay.

Lee Shau Kee immediately said: "The boss has been kind to me, and this time the boss is not considered speculation, so he doesn't need to give me 1%. As for my brother, I believe he will do it. I can introduce him to you know."

Lin Zhichao immediately smiled and said: "Okay, let's make an appointment to have a meal together. The share is 1%. After all, I sold it for 10,000 taels. As long as I make a deal, the profit may reach hundreds of thousands. You two brothers, mainly It is to help me with financing and transportation in Omen and Hong Kong. Of course, I have many people working with me on this matter."

He has been operating in Hong Kong for more than two years, and he also has many trustworthy people, especially Li Gaofu, who has cultivated rich experience in the smuggling trade. Now, it's time for him to repay himself.

Lee Shau Kee nodded and said, "We understand! As long as the boss gives you any instructions, I will go through fire and water."

Without Lin Zhichao, Li Shauji felt that he would only earn ten thousand yuan if he could survive, but he could have a net worth of hundreds of thousands.

After that, Lin Zhichao temporarily stopped speculating in gold. This time his idea was to buy gold and then cash out at an appropriate opportunity.

After collecting funds, Yangtze River Bank has 3.18 million Hong Kong dollars in cash, which does not include store funds and gold pledged in the Bank of East Asia. At the same time, Changjiang Real Estate can still get HK$500,000 because all the money for the real estate project has been collected and Telford Garden is about to be delivered.

In this way, 3.68 million Hong Kong dollars can be spent to buy gold this time.

In the evening, Lin Zhichao sat in the back seat of the car and looked through the window at the streets on both sides, which were filled with a large number of people, including many refugees. Hong Kong's population has soared from 600,000 to 1.8 million after the war. One can imagine the pressure involved.

Lin Zhichao invented stratification and installment sales. In less than two years, thousands of buildings have come to the market, which can be regarded as a small change in the real estate market.

Of course, what he changed was the living situation of the rich. After all, in this era, those who can afford to buy a floor are themselves rich, and the working-class people have no ability at all.

Last year, media reported that for a building with more than 1,000 square feet in Mid-Levels, the top-up fee was as high as HK$15,000, and the monthly rent was HK$450. Lin Zhichao knew that the landlord was no longer as demanding as in his previous life.

After all, the top hand fee in Mid-Levels District in the previous life was 20,000 Hong Kong dollars.

It's hard to describe Hong Kong in this era. Although it is "hopeful", it is inevitably too shabby.

The car arrived at a high-end restaurant in Wan Chai. Xue Junshan, who was in the front row, quickly got out of the car, looked around, and then opened the door for Lin Zhichao.

The two walked into the restaurant, leaving the driver to park the car.

Currently, Lin Zhichao brings a driver and bodyguard Xue Junshan when he leaves home; this is not an exaggeration, but it still provides a certain level of safety.

When they arrived at a private room, the person inside was none other than Li Gaofu.

"Zhichao"

"Brother Gao Fu"

The way the two get along has finally returned to normal, which also proves that Li Gaofu has risen.

At this time, Fu Hexing had already made three trips on the Hong Kong-Weihaiwei-Japan trade route. According to Li Gaofu, he had made a full 460,000 Hong Kong dollars.

On average, I earn more than 150,000 Hong Kong dollars per trip. Assuming that it runs in July and August, I should still be able to make three or four trips.

Li Gaofu just finished his business a few days ago and repaid Lin Zhichao's 100,000 loan when he returned home.

After ordering the meal, Lin Zhichao asked: "When will I run the boat again?"

Li Gaofu immediately said: "I'm afraid I don't have to run the boat myself! Two of the partners will each make a trip, and then we can arrange for the associates to go with the boat."

Lin Zhichao nodded. This arrangement was very reasonable. Each of the four partners ran twice. Since the first three times were in pairs, there were five runs in total. After five times, hand it over to an old friend you trust. That will be enough to ensure smooth operation without taking any more risks.

In fact, this route is not very risky, at least there are no mines deployed in the Taiwan Strait.

"I have something here and I would like your help!" Lin Zhichao said seriously.

Li Gaofu immediately said: "You tell me, I must have no problem!"

He had already thought about it in his mind that it was a risky matter, but now that he had received the money, he was able to settle down his family well, so what if it was risky, it was important to repay the favor.

Lin Zhichao nodded. He knew Li Gaofu's attitude, so he then said: "I would like to ask you to run the smuggling route from Omen to Hong Kong for me and escort many batches of valuable things for me."

In this era, the gold smuggled in Hong Kong from Omen all used speedboats with a speed of 40 knots, or at least 30 knots, and were equipped with arms. In this way, even if you accidentally encounter military police and pirates, the chance of loss is very small.

Of course, if the military and police officers encounter someone, it is best to throw money away. They want to make a fortune and will not fight against a smuggling ship armed with guns.

Li Gaofu said: "This route is not difficult. I have access to the pier and there is no problem in opening this route. I just don't know if you are in a hurry. If possible, I will prepare first."

Lin Zhichao said with satisfaction: "We are not in a hurry. I haven't even bought the goods yet. It will probably be shipped ten to eight times, and there may be more in the future. In order to ensure greater safety, I will also hand over Xue Junshan to you. You can call one of our own people (relatives). Also, I’ll go to the Bank of East Asia first and ask if they have any introduction to smuggling ships.”

The Bank of East Asia is also speculating on gold, but its actions are not big. With Jian Dongpu's high status in the world, he may still be able to help Lin Zhichao.

At this time, Li Gaofu knew that the smuggled goods were most likely gold. After all, it was impossible for his cousin to smuggle other things.

And his Yangtze River Bank is really speculating on gold.

"Okay! We can practice it a few times then."

"Okay, I will arrange people to handle you in Macau and Hong Kong, so it doesn't count as a drill. Just try it out in small batches first."

In fact, there is not much risk in smuggling gold from Australia to Hong Kong as long as you are well prepared. Since the plane was hijacked and crashed last year, gold has started to be transported by sea. If you really step on dog shit and encounter Datian Er, you will have to exchange fire. If you can't defeat it, you will lose the goods.

After dinner, Lin Zhichao took a car back to Lantian Yayuan. Seeing the dedicated look of the security guard at the door, Lin Zhichao couldn't help but smile.

Uncle Qin in his previous life is now a young man who can fight.

Lantian Yayuan has a total of eight security guards who patrol the community 24 hours a day. Security is very high in this era. And these eight security guards are not from the same province. This is to prevent the formation of a gang and plot to steal the property of the owner.

Lin Zhichao's car passed smoothly, but it was impossible for these security guards to check carefully, which would easily arouse the resentment of the owners. They rely more on experience to judge whether strangers break into the community and give people a deterrent effect.