In the conference room of Cheung Kong Industrial, Lin Zhichao was having a meeting with the senior management.

At this time, Cheung Kong Industrial did not reorganize and reorganize its assets, and still had a relationship with Cheung Kong Real Estate as a family, regardless of each other; The land bank and commercial buildings are all owned by Cheung Kong Real Estate, but all employees belong to Cheung Kong Industrial, as well as shopping malls, construction companies, and stone mining enterprises, all under the name of Cheung Kong Industrial.

In the conference room, Lin Zhichao said: "The emergence of a convenience store in the United States, although the area is not large, but it can basically meet the basic needs of citizens. I want to introduce Hong Kong. Manager Liang, you led a team of senior staff from the retail department to investigate. And get in touch with the American Southern Company to win the regional operation rights of their 7-Eleven convenience stores. ”

Originally, he was very familiar with convenience stores, but with a ready-made signboard to join, he didn't have to build a new sign. After joining, add new business ideas and management to the original model, and then you can achieve great success.

Liang Guangchang nodded and said, "No problem!" I have also learned that there are many new retail models in the West, such as supermarkets and convenience stores. This convenience store is one of the best breakthroughs in our retail business, and I will definitely talk about this cooperation seriously. ”

He has been in charge of Cheung Kong's commercial real estate projects since the beginning, so he is no stranger to the retail business. Strictly speaking, department stores and shopping malls are a kind of retail business.

"Supermarkets have been developing in Europe and the United States for many years, but they have not yet been born in Hong Kong. However, supermarkets have high requirements for retail management and channels, and we can only start from a simple convenience store, and we can't be ambitious. The scale of convenience stores should not be underestimated, once the chain model is formed, then Hong Kong can accommodate hundreds of stores, and it will be a large retail business at that time. ”

Huang Changhong nodded: "Not only that, but relying on our commercial real estate project, opening this kind of small convenience store enjoys many advantages. ”

In Hong Kong, you can't do anything without dealing with real estate developers, who are the masters of any business.

After some discussion, the management unanimously decided to take the 'convenience store' as an opportunity to enter the retail industry.

At present, there are three types of retail industry in Hong Kong: department stores, specialty stores, and groceries.

In the field of department stores, Hong Kong has brands such as Sincere Works, Wing On, Lane Crawford, and Inchcape, and has more than 100 large and small department stores in Hong Kong. These department stores are actually shopping malls, but the model is different, but in fact, the products are also very rich, in addition to the sale of goods, there are also catering services.

Specialty stores, stores that sell a certain variety or type, such as selling electrical appliances, fashion, footwear, jewelry, clocks and watches, kitchen supplies, sports equipment, etc. The same type can be classified, such as clothing, which can be divided into men's clothing, women's clothing, and children's clothing.

Store, the transliteration name of the English Store, is the most popular retail store in Hong Kong, which is called 'small grocery store' in Huaxia; The stalls are small, do not pay attention to decoration and decoration, but only seek to be practical - according to the location and the source of customers, they sell goods that are closely related to daily life.

Of course, there is another important form of retail industry in Hong Kong, that is, small vendors, itinerant vendors; Most of these vendors are unlicensed hawkers, so they are also oppressed by the community and chased by the JC, this form is also called 'walking ghosts' by the citizens, and the most suitable for 'walking ghosts' before 8 o'clock in the morning and after 8 o'clock in the evening, when there were few police officers on duty, there was a great opportunity.

After the meeting, Lin Zhichao and Huang Changhong came to the 'Café de Coral flagship store' on Queen's Road in Central to attend the opening ceremony.

After seven or eight months of planning, the 'Café de Coral fast-food restaurant' finally ushered in its first store in Central, which is also opened in the model of a flagship store, with two floors, upstairs and downstairs. The model of paying first to get the ticket and then to get the food.

Café de Coral's central food processing factory in North Point is served with dishes and cooked in the kitchen on the second floor of the Queen's Road store. This model can greatly reduce the kitchen area of each store and give more area to business.

"Second uncle, what do you think?" After Lin Zhichao arrived at the scene, he said to Lin Yunchu with a smile.

Café de Coral Fast Food is a cooperative enterprise between Cheung Kong and Lin Zhihao, and the management is handed over to Lin Zhihao.

Lin Yunchu sighed: "The investment is very large! I didn't even think that a fast food restaurant would have to invest so much! ”

It is also a central food processing factory, and it is a large shop in Central, and the investment is really large.

Huang Changhong said with a smile at this time: "Lin Sheng, don't worry, how many white-collar workers in office buildings in Central are very troubled to eat at noon every day, or the speed is not fast enough, wasting time; Either the taste is simple and the food is not very enjoyable. A model like Café de Coral is just right for these white-collar workers! ”

In fact, if it weren't for the boss's involvement in the investment, he would have been a little skeptical of this model. After all, most people still have a traditional mindset and enjoy serving, and this kind of fast buffet has little service to speak of.

Lin Zhichao then asked: "Zhihao, has there been a lot of publicity in major office buildings?" ”

Lin Zhihao nodded and said, "Yes, almost all of them have been publicized in this neighborhood, a lot of leaflets have been printed, and reporters from Oriental Daily have been invited to report. That's it! ”

Lin Zhichao said with satisfaction: "We must have a stable consumer group in others imitating Café de Café de la Café money, so that no matter who follows the trend, it cannot shake the status of Café de Café de la And this fixed consumer group is to rely on word-of-mouth to pass on. ”

"What Brother Zhichao said is that I must remember it!" Lin Zhihao said respectfully.

After the ribbon-cutting ceremony, Lin Zhichao and Huang Changhong inspected the interior, which was very tidy in terms of decoration, but each table was relatively compact to maximize space saving, which was originally the situation of Hong Kong catering. When eating in a small restaurant in Hong Kong, it is normal to share a table, and you even have to finish it quickly and give it to the next wave of people. This is also why later generations did not allow strollers to enter the small store, because placing the stroller in the aisle directly affected the circulation of the entire store.

No matter how much you investigate, it is better to experience it yourself, and soon arrive at the restaurant, where Lin Zhichao and Huang Changhong happened to have a fast food.

At this time, everyone is happy to eat fast food, Chinese fast food is big meat and small meat vegetables, customers buy tickets first, and then hand over the tickets to the food staff, customers can choose their own dishes, but large meat and small meat vegetables are played according to the number on the ticket.

This model will waste a little time when customers choose dishes, and individual customers may be very slow; But there's no better way to do it right now, let alone just open your business.

In the future, it will be a fixed order, and Café de Coral will be able to develop 'barbecued pork rice', 'teppanyaki rice', etc., all of which are fixed packages, rather than the current model.

After an experience, Lin Zhichao was still full of praise and said: "It is very convenient, and this model is very practical for white-collar workers in office buildings and school students." ”

Huang Changhong also said: "Indeed, if you want to eat Chinese and Western food, I will choose this place too!" ”

Lin Yunchu couldn't help but smile from ear to ear, the eldest son followed his cousin and finally developed. Listening to the eldest son, Café de Coral fast food is a chain situation, and the future goal is to spread all over Hong Kong and Kowloon, and eventually choose to go public and form a restaurant group.

Obviously, he never dreamed that this business would be so huge.

When the crowd left, the entire restaurant was almost full, and when they finished eating, a waiter quickly took away the plates, and then someone took up the seats.

All of a sudden, a new catering model in Hong Kong was born!

Three months later.

Friday, November 8.

Today is an auspicious day, and it is also a big event that is about to happen in Hong Kong, that is, the opening of the Hung Hom Cross Harbour Tunnel today.

At the opening ceremony, Dai Lintoe, Lin Zhichao, Sandas, Xiao Ma Deng, Qi Dezun, Li Mingze and other Chinese celebrities gathered together, and the scene was full of joy.

The 1.86-kilometre-long Hung Hom Tunnel is constructed as an immersed tunnel with a speed limit of 70 kilometres per hour. Constructed and operated by Hong Kong Tunnel Limited on a "Build, Operate, Transfer" basis, with a franchise that expires in 2004, i.e. a 40-year franchise.

The entrance and exit at the northern end is located in the Hung Hom Bay reclamation area, and the toll plaza is located at the exit of Hung Hom Bay, with a total of 16 toll booths; The southern entrance and exit is at Chili Island in Causeway Bay, which is located in the eastern part of Hong Kong Island.

The initial fare of the Hung Hom Tunnel is HK$3 per trip, HK$5 per minibus, and HK$8 per bus/truck. The maximum number of vehicles per day is 80,000, but it can be overloaded in practice, after all, 80,000 vehicles is only a theoretical number.

Vehicle tariffs are based on the number of cars in Hong Kong and the debt position of the Hong Kong Tunnel Company Limited (HK$220 million at 10% per annum). In fact, the fees are already low, and the income in the first year is probably only enough for the interest part, plus a small amount of principal repayment.

In short, the investor roughly estimates that the return on investment is 12~15 years (in fact, it is not needed), and this rate of return is completely charitable. In this era, the interest rate of banks in Hong Kong is 5~6%, and the interest rate of bank loans is as high as about 15%. Of course, there are also low-interest loans, which depend on relationships.

The largest shareholder of the operator, 'Hong Kong Tunnel Company Limited', is Cheung Kong Industrial, accounting for 50% of the shares; However, the Hong Kong Tunnel Company Limited is an independent company, with Cheung Kong as the largest shareholder and Qi Dezun as the chairman (Lin Zhichao does not like to hold public office or other part-time jobs).

At the opening ceremony of the Hung Hom Tunnel, Dai Lintoe first delivered a speech: "Today is a major event in Hong Kong's transportation, the Hung Hom Tunnel connecting Hong Kong Island and Kowloon is officially opened, ending more than 120 years of inconvenient transportation (British colonial years) Here, we have to thank the many consortium masterminds who invested in the Hung Hom Tunnel, Sir Lin Zhichao, Sandas Taipan, and Keittsun Taipan The charging of the Hung Hom Tunnel is a matter of great concern to everyone, and the Hong Kong government has specially negotiated with the investment consortium many times, and the final price is also very reasonable. ”

It must be reasonable, after all, it is impossible to charge expensive at first; And taking into account the increase in the number of subsequent trains, the price can also be raised in the seventies, etc., in short, the initial charge, under Lin Zhichao's suggestion, is almost only enough interest, and then deducting operating costs, etc., and finally only a small amount of profit.

Next, as the chairman of the board of directors, Qi Dezun stepped forward to speak!

And Lin Zhichao did not choose to speak on stage, he has never liked to be in the limelight.

After the opening ceremony, the first car officially began to pass through the Hung Hom Cross Harbour Tunnel, and at the suggestion of Lin Zhichao, Shen Dianxia was selected from TVB. The reason is very simple, a chubby woman is a blessing, and I hope to bring blessings to the Hung Hom Cross Harbour Tunnel.

At this time, Shen Dianxia hosted "Happy Tonight" for less than a year, and she was already famous, but she was not very famous, so she was also very surprised.

Subsequent reception.

"Sir Lam, Hong Kong's economy is recovering, and the opening of the Hung Hom Tunnel is a very important event, which will enhance the entire Hong Kong economy. As we all know, you were the one who built this undersea tunnel against all odds. Thank you for your congratulations on Hong Kong's economy! ”

His words, the people around him are not unconvinced.

When the construction of the undersea tunnel was proposed, almost no one was willing to invest, and even the Hong Kong government was not optimistic. It was Lin Zhichao who used his connections to lobby everywhere and successively asked HSBC, Standard Chartered, and IWC to provide low-interest 10% loans, which would not have been obtained if Lin Zhichao had not personally guaranteed it; Later, I found investors, and the four main partners - HSBC, Wheelock, Hutchison, and Hysan - all invested in Lin Zhichao's face.

Lin Zhichao said modestly: "Your Excellency the Governor of Hong Kong has won the award!" In fact, it is a good investment to make a steady income and contribute to the Hong Kong economy. Of course, His Excellency the Governor of Hong Kong said that the economy is recovering, in fact, I have a somewhat different view, Hong Kong's economy has never declined, where is the recovery! ”

"Haha"

The crowd laughed.

Lin Zhichao's words are very reasonable, although the stock market and real estate plummeted last year, but at this time, Hong Kong's economy mainly relied on trade, industry, etc., and the real estate and stock market did not have a great impact. Trade and industry, on the other hand, both had good gains last year, and were not affected by the Zuo Lengchan incident.

Subsequently, Lin Zhichao also chatted with Qi Dezun, Hutchison Foreign Company was not very powerful at this time, and it was only in 1966 that it annexed Watsons, Dehuibao, and Taihe, three long-established foreign firms, and its strength was instantly promoted from small to medium.

As for the promotion of Ocean Bank, there will be a series of actions later, such as the annexation of Whampoa Dock, Junyi Warehouse, etc., in short, as long as the stock market is well used, the speed of expansion can be very fast.

Following.

In the morning, Hong Kong newspapers published the grand occasion of the opening of the Hung Hom Tunnel, and the praise accounted for 80~90%; However, there are also some media outlets that comment on the problem of overcharging.

Lin Zhichao had expected this situation. To be honest, even if it is operating at a loss, some people say that the price is too expensive.

A car is 3 yuan a time, calculated according to the car for five people, a total of 6 cents per person; The first-class seat of Hong Kong's Star Ferry is 3 Mao 5, which seems to be a little more expensive, but in fact, the money for the car has not been calculated!

A car ferry costs at least $6 a time, and the Hung Hom Tunnel is only half of it, and importantly, the Hung Hom Tunnel hardly has to wait.

"Husband, you have to let your subordinates purify the content of "Oriental Daily" and reduce the dust!" Tang Caiyun walked into the courtyard and preached to Lin Zhichao, who was reading the newspaper.

When Lin Zhichao heard this, he immediately said: "No problem! It seems to be a bit excessive, I'll let Luo Wenhui and them purify the content later. ”

At the beginning, for the sake of sales, it was indeed a little unscrupulous.

Today, Tang Caiyun brought it up, and Lin Zhichao immediately decided to correct it, after all, it may affect his reputation or the people of his family.

"Well, I don't think there's anything wrong with reporting timeliness news, but there are too many things that are lustful, and it will always lower the face of our family." Tang Caiyun was seriously moved.

"You're right! It seems that I haven't managed for a long time, I haven't thought about this seriously, and I'm a little slow to react. The advice was good! ”

Tang Caiyun suddenly smiled, she thought that she was going to have a little conceptual collision with her husband, but she didn't expect her husband to be so sensible.

Later, she said: "Aren't you still planning to enter the film and theater industry, and I haven't seen you act in the past six months?" ”

Lin Zhichao smiled: "No hurry! I've had people look into the details, so it's already preparing! ”

He didn't want to worry too much about himself, so he hoped to win over one person, that is, Zou Wenhuai, who was still in Shaw Brothers Pictures. He certainly did not invest in movies to make money, but to lay the foundation for a future media empire, especially the foundation of television stations.

"Hmm"

With the passage of time, now Tang Caiyun is also more concerned about the family business, and she has paid attention to the five group companies, such as Cheung Kong Industrial, Cheung Kong Industrial, Shangri-La Hotel, Uniqlo Enterprise, and Media Group.

In the morning, Lin Zhichao drove to the Cheung Kong Industrial Park in Tsuen Wan.

In recent years, the profit of Changjiang Industry has been maintained at 9000~10000000 Hong Kong dollars, and 5000~60000000 Hong Kong dollars can be set aside every year after removing the reinvested funds.

All these funds have been injected into Cheung Kong Industrial, which is the investment in Singapore's Raffles City and Far East Financial Center Tower AB.

Lin Zhichao is still trying to avoid loans, after all, they are all his own rent-collecting properties, and he doesn't want to increase the cost.

If it is after listing, this aspect naturally does not need to be considered.

CK Industries' conference room.

The general managers of the four businesses, including zippers, toys, steel, and electronics, as well as the senior management of the group, held a meeting together.

Zippers are the highlight of the annual investment, and there are factories in Europe, America, and Southeast Asia, almost all of which cooperate with locals; Of course, the factory capacity in these places is far from being proportional to the Hong Kong box, and they are more of a precaution; If there is a trade war, then Yangtze Zipper can localize its production capacity as soon as possible.

"Hong Kong toys should surpass Japan's exports, and in this regard, Changjiang toys should set an example; Therefore, in addition to OEM Barbie dolls, Rubik's cubes and other inherent products, we must strive for more European and American toy OEM, as well as strengthen our own R&D and creative strength," Lin Zhichao made an important decision, that is, to lead Hong Kong toys to surpass the total export volume of Japanese toys.

Ke Yanping suddenly felt the boss's long-lost ambition, and was immediately affected, and said: "Okay, I will definitely encourage everyone to start again and create brilliance again!" ”

Lin Zhichao said with satisfaction: "You said it well, we have been comfortable for a long time, it's time to start a second business." In this way, a special car toy research and development creative room was set up to independently develop more products. To look at the world, we have the best ally, Audrey, so we don't have to worry about channels and promotion strategies. ”

"Yes, boss!"

Due to the relationship between Changjiang Toys and Audrey Toys, I also know some American toy dealers; If you really have a good idea, you can cooperate with American toy manufacturers to promote it in the Americas. Although the majority of the profits are taken away, it is originally the market of Americans, and Yangtze River toys can earn a part of it.

This kind of cooperation is normal, for example, when the toy king Cai Zhiming was working on Snoopy in the previous life, he also innovated a little, designed a new shape and a variety of toys for Snoopy's dog, and was very popular in the market.

Of course, Lin Zhichao's heart really wants to be deeply involved in the field of car toys; When the time is ripe, a toy war with ammunition provided by 'Yangtze River Toys' and Audrey's strategy will officially start.

Yes, it's Transformers!

The two sides cooperated again, following toys such as Barbie dolls, Rubik's Cubes, and cauliflower dolls, and once again won the boy's favorite toy, Transformers.

At the end of the meeting, Lin Zhichao asked: "How many tons of steel production has been expanded?" ”

Cheng Yuanxiong said: "The annual production capacity has reached 100,000 tons! ”

"Well, the recovery of real estate is imminent, and the amount of steel used in Hong Kong will increase significantly, so we should not miss it."

"Okay"

Several major industries were planned by Lin Zhichao one by one, and his subordinates only needed to follow his goals. The more than 13,000 workers of the Yangtze River Industrial Group are no longer Lin Zhichao's ability to do everything.

He can only make a good big plan for the company, provide some 'classic ideas', and build a network, and as for the rest, a lot of good management and talent, will be shared for him.

(End of chapter)