Globe Shipping, Radio Communication Room.

Lin Zhichao and more than a dozen core senior executives and technical engineers are holding daily technical meetings with captains sailing around the world.

At the headquarters of Global Shipping, there is a direct line for telegraph users, through which ships from all over the world can report all kinds of problems encountered in a timely manner, such as time delays caused by accidents, unfortunate accidents of sailors, machinery failures, insufficient berths and other natural and man-made disasters, and the headquarters of Universal in Hong Kong can be the first to know about these situations.

The length of the meeting varies from day to day, but each vessel reports on the problems encountered in the past 24 hours, as well as the weather in the sea area under sail. Global Shipping has 31 ships, and at the same time, it also has offices in Europe, Southeast Asia, Japan, and the Americas, realizing the strategy of global real-time information communication. Of course, there are also a few ships that do not receive a signal, but may return to the channel every day or two.

What Lin Zhichao once thought of was to use all 26 English letters, and it has now been realized; Therefore, the prefix 'gold' has been used up, and the prefix 'dong' is currently used, such as 'Dong'an' and 'Dongshan'.

The captains report the situation in turn, and the management and technical engineers take notes, analyze the various problems encountered, and take remedial measures in time.

Seeing that the 'technical meeting' has entered the right track, Lin Zhichao is also very pleased, as the so-called 'if you can't do it, you don't want to make money', he warned himself that there will never be a pie falling from the sky, if you want to succeed and get rich, you have to work hard and do it yourself.

Of course, Lin Zhichao's first pot of gold is indeed pie in the sky, but if he doesn't work hard, he will be a moderately rich man, and even Li Jiacheng and Bao Yugang in his previous life can't surpass it, so how can he become the richest family in the world.

After the technical meeting, Lin Zhichao returned to the office.

This month's (July) rent has been received and the loan and instalments have been disbursed.

At present, there are only three debts left in Global Shipping:

The first is HSBC's loan in August last year, and there are only two installments (months) left, totaling $560,000 (including interest);

The second is HSBC's loan in March this year, with only eight installments (months) left, totaling $2.24 million (including interest);

The third installment is the installment payment of the European shipping company, and there are currently eight installments (months) left, totaling 1.32 million US dollars (including interest).

The total debt is $4.12 million.

However, Global Shipping not only supported Cheung Kong with $2.2 million (this is the cost of buying properties this year), but also had $1.85 million in cash flow on the account.

In fact, if it weren't for spending money to buy, global shipping would already be 'extremely low debt', with only tens of thousands of dollars.

In any case, it's time to consider buying a freighter and fulfilling this year's target of adding 150,000 tons of deadweight. At present, there is still a difference of 50,000 tons, which is about six or seven ships, and the cost will be about 3.5 million US dollars.

There is still a difference of 1.7 million US dollars, that is, about 9.5 million Hong Kong dollars, of course, you can pay in installments. However, in order to be on the safe side, it is better to borrow $2 million from HSBC.

With the current strength of Global Shipping, HSBC will not be stingy with this $2 million loan. There is only one situation in which HSBC may be 'timid', that is, shipping has fallen into a low ebb, but obviously even in 1954~1955, the market will not be bad, at most it can only be said to be ordinary.

Lin Zhichao came to the HSBC headquarters building and walked unimpeded towards the Sandash office, many of the staff here knew Lin Zhichao, because Lin Zhichao was the first person to take out a loan from HSBC to buy a boat. Everyone was very curious about what Lin Zhichao had to do to get the HSBC senior management to agree.

Of course, the senior management of HSBC is not a chatterbox, and everyone will say that Lin Zhichao's loan is successful because of the signing of a long-term contract, a letter of credit, and strong strength, that is, the risk is greatly reduced.

Lin Zhichao came to the office of the import department and found a strange scene: he saw Sandas put his two feet on the desk, and his expression was like a rich man facing a beggar.

Of course, this beggar is not Lin Zhichao, but a Chinese about 30 years old.

"Manager Sandas, there are guests!" Lin Zhichao greeted.

Seeing Lin Zhichao's sudden visit, Sandas withdrew his feet and said to Lin Zhichao: "Lin Sheng, you take a sip of tea first, and I'll be fine right away!" After speaking, he motioned to the assistant to entertain him.

Lin Zhichao nodded, and then was taken to the sofa area by the assistant and made tea.

Bao Yu just looked at this scene in surprise, and he was dismounted by this Sandas when he came, but this Lin was born and was greeted by Sandas with a smile. He knew that this Lin Sheng must be from eastern Guangdong.

The reason why he 'took the liberty' to come directly to the door was because HSBC now only deals with compradors, and these compradors are almost from eastern Guangdong. When he first came into contact with the Cantonese, Bao Yugang felt a hundred times more difficult than he had been when he first went to Hankow to study, he could not understand what they were saying, and they did not understand what he meant, whether he spoke Ningbo or English. Pao Yugang decided to avoid these Cantonese people who were doing business at HSBC and found another way, that is, to go directly to the door and enter Sundash's office by mistake.

"Mr. Sandas, I used to be a banker and now we run a trading company, and the American manager who used to take over the business came back and closed that branch, so I want HSBC to take over our business." Bao Yugang said neither humbly nor arrogantly.

Sandas didn't seem to take a fancy to Bao Yugang at the first time, and sneered: "The trade business of your bank is a business strictly prohibited by the British government in Hong Kong, right?" ”

Bao Yugang was a little embarrassed for a while, but soon returned to normal, he couldn't back down, as a banker, he knew that with the help of the bank, it was easier to stand firm.

"We don't trade directly with the mainland, and the object of my transaction is the company of Omen, so we do not violate the laws of the Hong Kong government, and it is a very formal business." Bao Yugang said neither humbly nor arrogantly.

This is indeed reasonable, and it is indeed not illegal for Hong Kong to trade goods to Omen.

Even, ships and cargo are legal as long as they are in Hong Kong waters. Only when they go out of the high seas can the departments of the Hong Kong government have the right to investigate and deal with cargo ships departing from Hong Kong, but once the ships reach the high seas, they will be able to fly with the sea and the sky high.

Although Sandas is arrogant, he is serious about understanding the situation, and he is not like old Madden, who is arrogant, with rejection and deception.

"How big is your company's business?"

Bao Yugang already showed a hint of joy, and then said: "The annual profit is more than 1 million Hong Kong dollars, and there are only four employees!" ”

Sandas nodded, he felt that a company of four people could make an annual profit of 1 million Hong Kong dollars, which was obviously remarkable.

"Okay, please leave your contact information, I hope to investigate your company."

"Good"

In this way, Bao Yugang also entered the eyes of Sundash, Lin Zhichao thought not far away. Of course, he knew that Bao Yugang would not enter shipping immediately, at least in three years.

After all, a 7,500-ton ocean-going freighter costs more than $500,000, and it's a second-hand ship. Bao Yu only came to Hong Kong for 100,000 US dollars, so if he didn't trade for five years, he would definitely not be able to make up it. What's more, he can't think of doing shipping, which is the case at the moment.

When Bao Yu just left, he cast a gaze at Lin Zhichao, and Lin Zhichao took the initiative to nod and send a friendly smile.

When Bao Yu saw this, he immediately replied, and hugged his fists before leaving.

In his opinion, if it weren't for Lin Zhichao's arrival, Sandas might have been talking to Erlang with his legs crossed, and even his attitude would not have changed.

And Lin Zhichao no longer regards Bao Yugang as an opponent, the reason is very simple, the opportunity has been robbed by him; If Bao Yugang is engaged in shipping, he can only become a medium level, and the carrying capacity of five or six million tons may not even be reached. After all, at the beginning, it was impossible for HSBC to support the two, and it was even more impossible for HSBC to support Bao Yugang.

Lin Zhichao's attack on competitors is not for you to live or die, but for the purpose of weakening opponents, including Li Jiacheng.

He himself also hopes that Hong Kong will become a 'big star' in the world's shipping, and everyone will go together to earn gringosin's money, as long as he earns the most.

"Are you here?" Sandas came to the sofa and accompanied Lin Zhichao.

It's like two faces!

Sure enough, it has to rely on strength!

I think that at the beginning, when Lin Zhichao came to the door, Sandas also wanted to raise his legs, but when he heard that he was the boss of Changjiang Real Estate and Cheung Kong Industrial, he stopped his arrogant behavior; Although the tone is still a little arrogant, the attitude is still a lot better.

Lin Zhichao said his idea, that is, to borrow 2 million US dollars and buy six or seven ships.

"Why are you so anxious to develop shipping?" Sandas asked.

Lin Zhichao said with a smile: "It's not that I'm in a hurry to develop shipping, but that I may sign a long-term contract with a good price this year." If it is next year, I believe that the price of shipping will fall, although not in the cold winter, but it will almost return to the normal market in the late forties. That's why I thought, this year, to complete the last expansion of shipowners. By the time of next year, I will no longer take out loans, but will buy a ship with my own funds and develop steadily for a few years. ”

Sandas asked curiously, "How do you know that shipping prices will fall next year?" ”

Lin Zhichao said: "When we do shipping, we naturally have to analyze the international situation and the possible impact of regional conflicts. There is a high probability that the war in the north will stop next year, and even if it does not stop, Japan's capacity is almost enough for the time being, and the market will naturally fall. Although these are just analyses, I think it would not be wrong to start buying a small number of ships a year next year and stabilize the development. ”

Sandas nodded and said, "You're amazing!" As far as I know, you have also retreated from developing real estate and avoided losses. Moreover, your fleet is already one of the largest in Hong Kong, and it may still be the leader, so it is time for it to develop steadily. ”

Lin Zhichao said with a smile: "If the market is still good next year, it is natural to take out a little loan, and if it returns to normal, it will naturally develop steadily." ”

Sandas thought about it, and it was really like that. The market is good, which means that Lin Zhichao has a way to rent the captain, and the risk is naturally low. What's more, almost all the ships of Global Shipping are on long-term charters, and the deterioration of the market will not reduce the profits too much.

"Well, $2 million isn't much! According to the situation of global shipping, you don't actually have much debt, right? ”

"Some money has been withdrawn this year for the acquisition of some properties, with the intention of diversifying the investment."

Sandas was stunned, after all, he was not the project department of HSBC, so he did not often audit the financial situation of Global Shipping; So for this thing, there are still some surprises.

"That's not bad, reduce the risk!"

Next, according to the old rules, HSBC will first audit the financial situation of Global Shipping, and then the project department will make the decision. And in this process, Sandas has a lot of right to speak, and HSBC's senior management will respect his ideas.

Of course, Lin Zhichao is now equivalent to a comprador of HSBC, and if he guarantees who to lend, there is almost no problem.

HSBC's current loans to the Chinese still need to be guaranteed by the Chinese, just like the purchase of the embassy building by Airship Thailand in the previous life, which was guaranteed by Li Mingze, with a loan of 1.5 million Hong Kong dollars. And Airship Tai originally wanted to pay in full, but Li Zeming told him about the importance of the bank and vouched for him.

In fact, although Lee Hysan was born to sell opium, Lee Mingze and Lee Hsiao-wo were 'patriotic businessmen', and when Lee Mingze died in later generations, the leaders also sent messages of condolence and condolences. At least one point, many businessmen can't do it, and in his previous life, Li Mingze sympathized with a group of people in 6 or 7 years and angrily resigned from the government department of the Hong Kong government. Li Mingze is also a Masonic Asian mentor, and his guarantor is the current British Prime Minister Yau.

Worldwide shipping.

In the conference room, Lin Zhichao said: "The goal this time is to have six or seven ships with a total weight of 50,000 tons. You may think that we have developed into a large shipping company with a deadweight of 350,000 tons, and we are complacent, but I think that is very wrong. People who do shipping know that shipping is extremely cyclical, and if it is a low tide in shipping, let alone making money, it is normal to lose money. Therefore, an excellent management system can at least make us live better than our peers; At the same time, we are going to compete with European and American fleets, so you have to ask yourself from time to time, are we qualified? What are the advantages? ”

For a while, everyone's expressions were serious and serious, and the boss's words were warning everyone that global shipping is now just a corner of the country; At present, these second-hand ships of global shipping are really not very competitive in Europe and the United States.

The important thing is that global shipping has no credibility in Europe and the United States, so why should others hand it over to you for transportation.

Seeing that everyone listened, Lin Zhichao stopped at the right time, and then said: "This time, maybe half of the captains can't be rented, what are your business methods?" ”

It is not necessarily that long-term rentals cannot be made, the key is that Lin Zhichao does not want to rent all long-term, he needs to enrich the company's business methods, fixed lines to do, and one-way short-term rentals must also be involved, which is conducive to the healthy growth of the company.

There is even a way of chartering, that is, the global shipping only charters the ship out, and does not care about anything else, including any expenses of the ship, seafarers, insurance premiums, etc. However, this leasing method is afraid that the return on investment is very slow, and it is probably only suitable for a very few individual cases.

Gao Qiqiang said: "You can add two fixed routes, and if there are one or two more ships, you can only rent them for a one-way short trip. That Huaguang Shipping often undertakes one-way short-term rentals from Japanese customers, so the profits seem to be quite high. ”

What is high, once it reaches 1954~1955, as long as it is empty for a period of time, the profit will be greatly reduced.

However, Lin Zhichao asked: "What kind of way do Japanese customers come to Hong Kong to charter ships?" ”

Gao Qiqiang said: "We took the initiative to seek it, and many Japanese customers have contacted us, but we are all fixed lines and short-term rentals, otherwise we are quite popular." It is said that they all came here and said that our fleet was very good. ”

Lin Zhichao didn't care about those sycophants, but said: "I know, but if we have a one-way short-term rental business, of course we can't wait for the business to come to the door." ”

Gao Qiqiang immediately nodded and said, "Our department must take the initiative!" ”

Lin Zhichao said with a smile: "Take the initiative, I'm afraid you don't have a clear plan!" Let me ask you, do Japanese merchants have to take a plane when they charter a ship in Hong Kong? ”

Gao Qiqiang knew that Lin Zhichao would not say this for no reason, and as soon as he had an idea, he said: "What does the boss mean to go to the airport to recommend?" ”

Lin Zhichao nodded and said, "It's like a water source, it's best to intercept it at the source." When the ship arrives in Hong Kong, if you really want to open a one-way short-term rental, I will personally take you to the airport to sell it. ”

Flights in Japan are fixed, and Japanese people can see it at a glance, so grab one at the airport. Of course, there may also be other businessmen, so naturally they need to make a quick inquiry.

"Okay"

Everyone knows that the boss has always claimed to be a salesman, so in the business of global shipping, in fact, Lin Zhichao has always been hands-on, and Gao Qiqiang can only be assistants.

Lin Zhichao has always attached importance to the relationship with customers, and the three Japanese partners are in direct communication, and where they are not satisfied, Lin Zhichao must solve the problem as soon as possible.

Otherwise, senior seafarers and seafarers started preparing very early, so there were no problems.

In the evening, Lin Zhichao returned home for dinner.

"At the end of this month, I went on a business trip to buy a ship, and I had to inspect it, so in about 15~20 days, Caiyun went to Changjiang Industry and Changjiang Industry to sit more."

As soon as the words fell, Xu Caiying said: "This time for so long? ”

In May, Lin Zhichao took Xu Caiying to talk about a trip to San Francisco, but only stayed for three days before returning to Hong Kong.

"Investigate the shipping market, naturally a little longer." Lin Zhichao said with a smile.

In fact, this time he went to Europe, and he probably stayed for four or five days, and then he planned to go to the United States to see the investigation, and also to visit Audrey Hepburn. Audrey Hepburn has already starred in a stage play in the United States, and it seems that she is not far from taking over "Roman Holiday".

"Oh"

The whole family has become accustomed to it, Lin Zhichao has to go abroad four or five times a year, each time for about 15 days. In fact, the main thing is that it takes time on the road, but Lin Zhichao treats it as study time every time, reading books on the plane.

This time he went to Europe, he would deliberately look at the model of the plane, and if it was a comet, he would not sit on anything.

(End of chapter)