Compared to metropolises such as New York in the United States, the history of building skyscrapers in Hong Kong is actually very short. In the early days, the city was mainly positioned as an entrepot and the demand for skyscrapers and offices was not too high.

In addition, in 1903, the Hong Kong government promulgated a restriction on the height of buildings, i.e., the construction of buildings with more than five storeys must be approved by the Governor of Hong Kong in conjunction with the Executive Bureau.

As a direct result, there are only a handful of high-rise buildings in Xiangjiang. With a total of 13 storeys and a height of 70 meters, the third-generation HSBC Head Office Building became the tallest building in Hong Kong from the 1930s to the 1940s.

It was not until 1955 that the Hong Kong government amended the building ordinance to relax the height of buildings. Prior to this, there were only a dozen high-rise buildings with more than 5 floors in Xiangjiang.

But even in the 1960s, the new high-rise buildings in Hong Kong did not cross the 150-metre threshold of skyscrapers.

As the economy of Hong Kong began to grow rapidly between the 1960s and the 1970s, the first skyscraper in Hong Kong, the Connaught Building, completed in 1973 in Central, was the tallest building in Hong Kong and Asia in the 1970s, making it a famous landmark in Hong Kong.

In 1980, this record was replaced by the Hopewell Centre at Queen's Road East in Wan Chai. Designed by Hopewell Chairman and architect Hu Yingxiang and headquartered by Hopewell Holdings, the 66-storey skyscraper has a height of 216 meters.

Although it has lost its position as the number one in physical height, Connaught Building will show its extraordinary status in another form, and its owner, Hongkong Land, has announced that Connaught Building will be officially renamed as Qin Wo Building next year, becoming the headquarters of Qin Wo Group, the largest enterprise in Hong Kong.

Presently. One of the renovations of the Connaught Building is to re-wiring the interior to create the world's first high-tech office building that fully adopts a composite communication network and an intelligent power system.

Shaw Yifu, who specifically instructed the driver to slow down, could see through the car window that the original façade of Connaught Building, which was mainly made of concrete and papier-mâché stone, was being replaced with a more modern aluminium façade that could avoid the risk of papier-mâché stone flying off and injuring people.

This building was built by Hongkong Land. It took only 16 months from the start of construction to the flat top, setting a record for the speed of construction in that era.

At this speed, it is still not as fast as its owner, the Land Company, or even the higher-level Jardine Matheson, to change the court.

Shao Yifu, a tycoon who has been in Xiangjiang for decades, still feels incredible in retrospect, how could the first British-funded foreign firm, which has been in business for more than 100 years, change its owner so much? Even he began to believe the rumor. That is, the chairman of Jardine Matheson, New Bijian, was a big traitor from the beginning.

If it is said that eating Jardine in front of the gong can only show that Tang Huan is a super nouveau riche, then after Qinhe methodically digested the heritage accumulated by Jardine over the past hundred years, and trained thousands of foreign devils to be obedient, the skills shown in the whole process can only be described as clever.

Regardless of whether others think that Tang Huan's status as the king of the Xiangjiang River is too opportunistic, anyway, Shao Yifu admits that it is better to be friends with the other party than to be an opponent. He went to the meeting this time. It's the same attitude.

……

Seeing that the car with the No. 6 license plate in front of him slowed down, Zou Wenhuai instructed the driver to slow down as well. This is not to show how much he respects Shao Yifu, but because he has not completely figured out how to negotiate with Tang Huan in a while.

The recovery momentum of the Hong Kong film industry has become more and more obvious.

For example, the two historical films "The Burning of the Old Summer Palace" and "Listening to the Politics of the Curtain" directed by Li Hanxiang with a background in mainland production reached more than 15 million and 12 million respectively at the box office in Xiangjiang; Xu Ke and Lin Qingbian squeezed out time to participate in Teddy. Robin, Lin Zixiang and others filmed the comedy "I Love Night Prime". The box office is close to 14 million.

This also shows from another perspective that the production links of the Xiangjiang film industry have become more and more diversified, and as long as there is money, you can pull people to set up projects. However, the distribution and screening links still maintain the original resource monopoly nature.

Zou Wenhuai, who is aware of this, is adjusting the operation mode of Golden Harvest through a series of means, including relaxing the cooperation conditions of satellite companies.

But unfortunately, this mystery was also seen by DreamWorks, and from the second half of the year, it launched a series of theaters to compete for the movie-going group.

Jiahe is naturally bitter, Zou Wenhuai often complains secretly, Tang Huan, you already have so many easier businesses to make money, why bother to come to the movie circle to grab food! If it is said to be to settle a confidante, where did Hu Yinmeng, a little woman, squander so many resources?

In this meeting, the matter of the theater chain will definitely not be avoided, but no matter how fanciful Tang Huan says, Zou Wenhuai is unwilling to let go of the interests of the theater in his heart.

Looking at the future Qinhe headquarters that is being renovated outside the car, the Kangle Building, the round windows with artistic design characteristics, as if a pair of eyes are looking at him, and there is a question of "do you have the strength to compete", Zou Wenhuai couldn't help but feel timid.

……

Coincidentally, Lei Juekun's car followed behind Zou Wenhuai.

At this time, he was annoyed in his heart. In addition to the Golden Princess Cinemas and Golden Harvest Cinemas, Guy is suffering from the competitive pressure from DreamWorks Cinemas, and Xinyicheng is obviously a little disobedient.

Lei Juekun's film business is mainly operated by Golden Princess Entertainment Company, while Xinyicheng is just a satellite company that provides film sources for Golden Princess Cinemas.

The control of Xinyicheng is mainly achieved through the cinema film Xiangjiang Co., Ltd., which is controlled by Golden Princess Entertainment Company. It holds 72% of the shares of Xinyicheng, and the remaining 28%, Shi Tian is 19%, and Huang Baiming is only 9%.

As for the shareholding structure of Studio Film Heung Kong Co., Ltd., Golden Princess Entertainment occupies 51%, and the remaining 49% belongs to Mai Jia.

In other words, Mai Jia owns almost 36% of the shares of New Arts City.

This kind of difference in shares, which is close to the multiplication gap, did not cause any problems at the beginning, after all, no one would have thought that the market of Xiangjiang Film would be so good, and "Best Partner" was launched. The department won more than 20 million at the box office, plus the income from other films, and this imbalance was vividly expressed in the coming and out.

Suffering from unevenness instead of widowhood, coupled with the fact that someone seems to be secretly stirring up, the relationship within the new art city has obviously shown a tendency to be incompatible.

Other than that. Lei Juekun instructed Xinyicheng to sever cooperation with DreamWorks' personnel, as well as poaching each other's directors and stars, all of which did not go well.

You must know that Lei Juekun has already invested tens of millions in Xinyicheng, and it is strange that he is not angry when he sees that this right-hand man is not so obedient.

Unlike Shao Yifu and Zou Wenhuai, who mainly relied on the film industry to make their fortunes, Lei Juekun's industrial focus was previously reflected in Kowloon Construction and Kowloon Bus.

However, on 11 November 1980, Sun Hung Kai Properties announced the acquisition of Kowloon Motor Corporation's shares in the stock market. Thus causing a takeover war. As a result, on November 17, Sun Hung Kai Properties successfully acquired a total of 39.5% of the shares of Kowloon Motor Corporation, and the owner of Kowloon Motor Bus changed.

Therefore, now Lei Juekun still attaches great importance to the income of the Golden Princess Cinema Line, and does not want to exchange it easily.

"Why don't you try to find Zou Wenhuai and see if you can unite weakly to resist DreamWorks?" Look at the Christmas lights placed in some of the buildings. Lei Juekun thought.

……

The destination of Shao Yifu, Zou Wenhuai and Lei Juekun is the only five-star hotel in Central, the Mandarin Oriental Hotel.

Tang Huan is in the name of the Heung Kong Society. Invitations issued. However, since the second-generation Heung Kong Club Building, built in 1897, has been demolished and rebuilt, and it will not be completed until next year, the event venue has been transferred to the Mandarin Oriental Hotel.

Heung Kong Club is a private club in Heung Kong, founded in 1846. To provide business and high-end catering services, members are either rich or expensive, and membership must be introduced through an introducer, and at the same time, they need to pay expensive entrance fees, annual fees, and bonds issued by the club.

In colonial times. The most famous example of the Hong Kong Club being a place for British entertainment and socialising was even a place for Chinese to enter in the early days, and the most famous example of being refused membership was Sir Ho Tung, a wealthy businessman of mixed Eurasian descent, who was the father of Ho Tsok-chi, the founder of Heung Kong Commercial Radio, and the elder brother of Ho Gambler's grandfather.

Tang Huan won Jardine, which not only includes the digestion of hardware assets, but also software network resources, and this Xiangjiang Club is one of them.

At this time, Tang Huan was meeting with Li Junxia, a Chinese with great potential in the Xiangjiang police circle.

He joined the Heung Kong Police Force in 1957 and was promoted to Superintendent in April 1969, Chief Superintendent in 1978 and Assistant Commissioner of Police in 1979.

The ranks of the Heung Kong Police Department are divided into three categories, namely the constitutional committee level, the inspector level and the rank and file level, under which they are further subdivided into more than 10 ranks.

The so-called "constitutional commission" means that its appointment must be published in the "Hong Kong Government Gazette", and the appointment and removal must be approved by the Governor of Hong Kong. To put it bluntly, it is on the list and on the list, and the number of "constitutional committees" in the entire Xiangjiang is only three or four hundred.

The Commissioner of Police, the Deputy Commissioner of Police, the Senior Assistant Commissioner of Police, the Assistant Commissioner of Police, the Chief Superintendent, the Senior Superintendent of Police, and the Superintendent of Police all have the rank of "Constitutional Commission".

In other words, Li Junxia has been promoted to the fourth highest rank in the Xiangjiang police force. At this stage, such an achievement is commendable for the Chinese, after all, there are only more than ten people in this position.

And judging from Li Junxia's current qualifications, he is likely to be promoted to another level next year and become one of the four senior assistant commissioners of the Police. Above this level, there are only two deputy commissioners of police left, as well as the first brother commissioner of police.

……

"Tang Sheng, it is a good choice to use the Gaza soldiers as bodyguards. They have received military training, are hard-working, and do not know Cantonese, so they will have a high degree of secrecy. As for the drivers, they still use the Chinese, because they are more familiar with the roads of Xiangjiang. Li Junxia gushed his opinions.

"Raka soldiers?" Tang Huan raised his eyebrows, "Are you talking about mercenaries from the Nepalese Gurkhas?" ”

"Tang Sheng has a lot of knowledge, it's them." Li Junxia smiled and nodded, "The Gurkha tribe lives in the northwest of Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal, and speaks Kas. As early as the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty, he invaded Western Tibet twice, intending to rob the wealth of the lama temples all over the place. ”

Tang Huan listened carefully while refilling the tea for Li Junxia, and after the other party thanked him with a red face, he continued to speak.

First invasion. It was withdrawn after the Manchu army general Ba Zhong negotiated peace with Kalun Tenzin Banjul on the condition that 300 silver ingots weighing 32 taels per year were obtained.

But a second invasion, on a larger scale, took place the following year, with little resistance from local Tibetan soldiers or Manchu garrisons, and the Gurkha were able to plunder.

Later, Qianlong ordered the general Fukangan and the counselor Hailancha to lead the Qing troops to support the local Tibetan soldiers, and drove them back to the southern foot of the Himalayas, and even counterattacked to the Resuo Bridge, which was 20 kilometers away from Yangbu, the capital of the Gurkha at that time, which is now Kathmandu.

The war forced the Gurkha to pay tribute to the Qing Dynasty once every five years, and this relationship stabilized until 1908, when the century began. At that time, the Gurkha were already completely controlled by the British.

It is said that in the early days of the British Gurkhas, they were defeated by the brave and warlike Gurkhas. The Gurkha then surrendered the captured British armaments and asked the Qing court for merit. However, due to the different languages, the translation of the name "Britain" was different, which led to the fact that when the Gurkha people reported it, the Qing court officials thought that the "Britain" referred to by the Gurkha people was only an unknown small country in the southwest, so they did not pay attention to it.

The Gurkha people still retain the martial habits of the mountain people, so they are best at mountain warfare and guerrilla combat, and their unique weapon is the Gurkha scimitar.

It is precisely because of this that the Gurkha warriors were deeply loved by the British, and a standing Gurkha army was specially formed, and a Gurkha mercenary brigade with a total of about 3,700 men was still retained, which was sent to the colonies, including Xiangjiang, which was also shown in the Battle of the Falklands last year.

"Sir Li's suggestion won my heart, and I will ask for a lot of information about recruiting the soldiers." Tang Huan solemnly thanked.

"It's an honor for me to work for Tang." Li Junxia waved his hand again and again.

As he was talking, his subordinates came over to report, "Boss, Sir Shao has arrived." ”

"Tang Sheng still has important guests to meet, so I won't bother." Li Junxia saw the opportunity to get up and say goodbye.

When Tang Huan sent Li Junxia out, Shao Yifu came to meet him.

"Sixth uncle, if you miss the distance, please forgive your sins." Tang Huan greeted with a smile.

"Don't dare to be." Shao Yifu said meaningfully, "It seems that I, the old man, arrived first." ”

"The sixth uncle is his own person, of course, he is the most popular." Tang Huan complimented, and heard the assistant report in a low voice, "Mr. Zou and Mr. Lei have also arrived, but they didn't enter the hotel immediately, but gathered together to talk." (To be continued.) )