After his trip to Singapore, Lin Zhichao and Tang Caiyun parted ways, and he came to Japan to order ships.

Lin Zhichao and his entourage came to Ishikawa Island Harima Heavy Industries and were warmly welcomed by its president, Jiro Omura.

In recent years, Ishikawashima Harima Heavy Industries has grown dramatically in its shipbuilding capabilities and has become the largest shipyard in Japan.

THIS YEAR (1968) EVEN TOOK THE LEAD IN BUILDING THE 326,000-TON "UNIVERSE IRELAND" TANKER, WHICH WAS 345.3 METERS LONG, BECOMING THE FIRST TANKER TO EXCEED 300,000 TONS. KNOWN AS THE ULCC (ULTRA LARGE CRUDE CARRIER), IT IS SAID THAT THREE ORDERS HAVE BEEN PLACED FOR SUCH TANKERS, THE FIRST OF WHICH IS THE "UNIVERSE IRELAND" TANKER, WHICH HAS ALREADY BEEN LAUNCHED.

The profit of Universal Group this year is probably more than 250 million US dollars, which is equivalent to paying off the debts of all the ships launched (theoretically, a lot of money is not in a hurry to repay). Of course, there are 10 more VLCCs to be launched in the middle of next year (1969), which amounts to 'new debt', but on the whole, the money earned next year will be enough to pay off the debts of the ships launched that year.

In fact, global shipping has already achieved - soon after the ship is launched, there is no 'revenue scale' of debt, and there is even a surplus profit in the future. Theoretically, in mid-1971, it was the last ships to be launched that could pay off all the debts (a fleet of 19.3 million tons).

Since 1973, Lin Zhichao has been thinking about reducing the weight of the fleet, of course, only considering ships that cannot be contracted on long-term contracts.

"Mr. Lin, I heard that Japanese steamships and Yamaguchi steamers have commissioned you to build a 326,000-ton oil tanker?" Jiro Omura asked when Lin Zhichao was inspecting.

Lin Zhichao turned his head, looked at Jiro Omura's shrewd eyes, and responded: "Yes! ”

Jiro Omura then said: "Actually, they have already built one ULCC each, and it seems that they have a lot of trust in the Global Group led by Mr. Hayashi, and would rather lease your ship than build another ULCC." ”

"Haha" Lin Zhichao said with a smile: "They do trust us very much, just like we trust Japanese shipyards very much." It's been a pleasure to work together! ”

Jiro Omura nodded and said, "What Mr. Hayashi said is extremely true! ”

For Lin Zhichao, Japanese shipyards did not dare to 'elevate themselves', but were very respectful. The reason is very simple, Lin Zhichao has a huge customer base in Europe and the United States, and can charter a large number of Japanese-made ships to Westerners. Under the leadership of Lin Zhichao, European shipowners, especially Greek shipowners, were temporarily suppressed.

In fact, the world's largest shipping star at this time, although it is Japan; However, Japan's shipping companies basically serve their own country, because Japan's economy is developing strongly, but the country does not have any resources, so it needs a lot of transportation capacity.

As a result, Japan's shipping industry is regarded as the largest in the world.

But in fact, Hong Kong is the largest shipping volume, only the global group has launched 12 million tons of ships, Dong Haoyun also has more than 3 million tons. Together with the ships of other shipowners, the whole of Hong Kong is probably a ship of more than 20 million tons, much larger than the merchant ships of the entire Soviet Union.

Of course, some of the Hong Kong shipowners' vessels are also registered overseas, so there must be a big deviation in the middle.

"Chairman Omura, if I build five ULCCs, will your shipyard be in time?" Lin Zhichao asked seriously.

Japan's shipbuilding capacity is so strong that since 1966, half of the tonnage ships launched in the world every year have been made in Japan. This is followed by Germany, the United Kingdom, France, Italy, Spain and other European countries, which together are not as large as those made in Japan. At present, the total tonnage of ships launched in Japan a year is about 14 million ~ 15 million tons, and this data is still growing.

"In time, it will be delivered in 20 months at most, and we are willing to postpone more orders for this batch of orders." Jiro Omura said sincerely.

"That's great! This time I have ordered five VLCCs in Japan, plus these five ULCCs, which is very rewarding. Lin Zhichao said lightly.

Jiro Omura was shocked beyond measure!

There is no crazy shipbuilding 'ship king' like Lin Zhichao in the world, and in recent years, the shipbuilding scale of more than 2 million tons has been every year.

To be honest, many insiders are worried that Lin Zhichao's investment method may be hit hard once the Suez Canal opens. For example, if the Suez Canal is opened in the first half of next year, then Lin Zhichao's 20 big ships may not be able to lease a few, and nearly 500 million US dollars can only depreciate wildly.

As everyone knows, Lin Zhichao knew that the Suez Canal was reopened in 1975! Of course, during the period of 1973.10~1974, because the Middle East did not sell European and American oil, there was about a period of early a year, and the volume of oil tanker transportation was very low.

Knowing this information makes Lin Zhichao full of confidence!

Perhaps at this time, shipowners in many countries did not dare to build ships, fearing that Suez would reopen at any time; But Lin Zhichao built a large number of ships to seize their market and share.

After spending 2 days at Ishikawajima Harima Heavy Industries, Lin Zhichao signed a shipbuilding contract. In order to reduce Lin Zhichao's burden, Harima Heavy Industry offered to require only 20% of the deposit.

This is the credibility of the king of the world!

After all, the main thing needed for shipbuilding is steel, and there is no iron ore in Japan, so almost all of them are purchased from outside; In the same way, the steel required for Harima Heavy Industry shipbuilding also has to be paid for in advance.

Therefore, the lower the down payment, they are also making certain concessions.

However, the Universal Group pays the money quickly, and almost soon after the ship is launched, it will be paid in full, and there will be no arrears.

Shortly after New Year's Day (1969), construction of Far East Finance Centre Tower AB at Raffles City began, and construction of the former Navy Yard site was announced.

Because it is not a listed company, it is still a mystery how much to invest. Of course, Lin Zhichao will not say that the construction investment of the first phase of Raffles City alone (Far East Financial Center Tower AB and Shangri-La Hotel) is as high as 500 million Hong Kong dollars.

If it spreads, I'm afraid Hong Kong and Kowloon will be shaken!

Coupled with Singapore's 'Raffles City', the Lin Zhichao family needs to pay 600 million Hong Kong dollars in construction costs.

Fortunately, Lin Zhichao calculated that in the five years of 1967~1971, Cheung Kong Industrial Group could contribute 250 million yuan, and at the same time, Cheung Kong Industrial Group could also contribute 3~400 million Hong Kong dollars.

So, theoretically, there is no need for a loan, it is enough to complete; However, in the next few years, the Hong Kong government should take out a piece of land for auction in the reclamation lot of the Central Pier, that is, the land of the former Jardine Building, so Lin Zhichao is also bound to win.

There is always not enough money to spend, so you have to take out a loan.

The scene of the opening ceremony.

As an invited guest, Dai Lintoe said jokingly: "Back then, Sir Lin overwhelmed European, American and Japanese investors, those pieces of land. Now it seems that Sir Lim's vision is top-notch! Such a large first-class prosperous area is bound to develop into a landmark area in Hong Kong. ”

The expressions of the people around him were a little strange, because it was rumored that Lin Zhichao had found Hong Kong to accompany the investors in Europe, the United States and Japan, but because there was no evidence and it was legal and compliant, this was just a private talk for everyone.

Lin Zhichao said with a smile: "Your Excellency the Governor of Hong Kong, it's not that I praise myself, if I were any investor to develop the naval dockyard, it would not be as good as our plan and the amount of investment. You know, in order to invest in this land, I almost sold a few boats. ”

Dai Lintoe nodded, he had to admit what Lin Zhichao said.

In fact, at this time, although the Hong Kong government felt that it was cheaper, all officials recognized Lin Zhichao as an investor to build a naval dock.

The plan for the entire naval dockyard has come out, including the planning of the Yangtze River Square, which is also in the renderings; In 10~15 years, the Navy Dockyard will become the core commercial area of Central.

Dai asked curiously: "In the whole planning, why is Mr. Lin willing to reserve a plot of land in the east, is it because of lack of funds?" ”

Everyone was curious, Lin Zhichao's reserved land was at least two or three hundred thousand square feet.

Lin Zhichao said with a smile: "When the Hong Kong government sells this land, it aims to revitalize Hong Kong's real estate, which is a good thing. So I thought that in addition to building a garden, the vacant land over there could also be reserved for future use. ”

In fact, he plans to negotiate with the Hong Kong government in the future, if the subway station is set up in the shopping area of Raffles, he will consider donating a piece of land to the MTR company, near Wan Chai, and then cooperate with the MTR company to build the police building in the previous life into two commercial buildings. If the subway company built the subway station in the garden, then Lin Zhichao sold part of the land to the Hong Kong government as a police building.

In short, he will not suffer, and the subway station will only be in this area of his Raffles City.

Dai Lintoe smiled: "I see! ”

At this time, he, as well as government officials, did not consider the value of the land in the future. They only know that Lin Zhichao's investment in the naval dockyard is very beneficial to the development of Hong Kong.

Back to Cheung Kong Industrial.

Lin Zhichao had a short meeting with Huang Changhong, Zhou Fuzhao, Hu Zhaoxu, and Liang Guangchang in the office.

Cheung Kong has won the Hong Kong and Macau management rights of 7-Eleven, and is currently preparing to open stores.

"This year, we are going to open three 7-Eleven stores, which are located in Central, Wan Chai, and Causeway Bay. When we join 7-Eleven, it doesn't mean that we have to learn exactly the same from him, on the contrary, we have to have our own set of plans. For example, the requirements for site selection and store layout"

Liang Guangchang said while recording: "Okay, we have entered the plan in this area, designing the site selection, store layout, and product channels. We will make a good plan for you to see! The retail department has been set up and is full of fighting spirit. ”

This is Cheung Kong's real entry into the retail business, so a department has been formed, which is temporarily managed by the commercial real estate department; When the time comes, a separate department will be set up.

Cheung Kong's commercial department is strong, and it is not just about collecting rent, but also has a core job, which is to build a partnership and channel for global brands. For example, take the initiative to invite a well-known brand to open a branch in Hong Kong and provide good shop cooperation. This kind of work has become very complicated, so the number of employees at the headquarters has climbed to more than 200.

Lin Zhichao said with satisfaction: "Very good! When the real estate company develops to a certain extent, it will tend to be diversified, complex, and even horizontally - such as entering the related enterprises of the real estate company. As long as the company continues to develop, Cheung Kong Group will become a multinational enterprise in the future, with tens of thousands of employees. ”

"Understood, boss!" Everyone said confidently.

In fact, Cheung Kong is now a multinational enterprise, and its investment in Sing Tao is not small.

Next, Lin Zhichao told his understanding of convenience stores: "Our convenience store business hours should be extended, five o'clock in the morning ~ one o'clock in the morning, the implementation of two shifts of work mode and then on the layout, next to the cash register, there should be hot dogs, hamburgers, buns and other food for sale, which is really convenient for others. There are 1~2 small tables in the store, which can be used to sell magazines and newspapers at the entrance of the restaurant, and services such as public telephones and mail delivery are provided at the convenience store, and as the name suggests, it is a convenient place for the public. Service is very important, and everyone knows that we work with Daimaru Department Store and they train the clerks, which is worth learning."

Liang Guangchang remembered it while thinking in his heart - the boss is really a business wizard, he has never run a convenience store, but he feels that he is a master of management.

"Okay, I've got it!"

"Well, strive to open a store in the first half of this year, Hong Kong's economy is poised to take off, and convenience stores are the best moment to be born!"

"No problem! We opened a store in Central as soon as possible in May and June, and the store is already booked and is our own property. ”

After some discussion, the 7-Eleven convenience store belonging to Cheung Kong Asset Group has taken shape.

Causeway Bay, Media Group.

Li Ziduo reported a surprising news to Lin Zhichao: "Boss, Yu Puqing, the general manager of Hong Kong Cathay Organ, suddenly fell ill and died!" ”

Lin Zhichao was stunned, the time is so coincidental?

Last month, Li Ziduo went to contact Zhu Guoliang, the owner of Hong Kong's Cathay Pacific Organization, hoping to buy Hong Kong's Cathay Pacific Organization; Zhu Guoliang didn't directly refuse, but he didn't agree either, it seemed that he wanted to struggle again.

And now Zhu Guoliang's number one assistant suddenly died violently, thinking that Zhu Guoliang has a headache!

"Well, then don't contact Zhu Guoliang for a while, let Zhu Guoliang deal with it. On your side, first assist me in setting up the 'Golden Harvest Film Company', mainly to recruit administrative staff. After a while, I will go to explore Zhu Guoliang's tone. ”

Since he decided to recruit Zou Wenhuai to join, he naturally wanted to take a salary from the bottom of the kettle, and even won the signboard for him.

Li Ziduo nodded and said, "Okay! The last time we met, it could be seen that Zhu Guoliang was still hesitant to sell, just because he felt that he could still fight with Shaw Brothers. But now that his general manager Yu Puqing has died suddenly, he must be flustered, because Yu Puqing is Zou Wenhuai of the Cathay Pacific organization, and his role is very big. ”

Lin Zhichao thought about it for a while, and said, "Well! In this case, when Yu Puqing's matter is over, you can make an appointment with Zhu Guoliang for me, and I will talk to him personally. ”

It's better to get it early, as the saying goes, there is no plane tree, how to attract the golden phoenix.

If he didn't build the platform first, how could Zou Wenhuai consider joining!

Of course, Lin Zhichao also made a plan, that is, without Zou Wenhuai's team, then he must also vigorously develop the film industry.

Li Ziduo said: "No problem, I believe that the boss will come out, Zhu Guoliang will definitely consider it seriously." After all, Hong Kong's Cathay Pacific organization has not made a good movie for a long time, and it is possible that it will be closed within a year or two. ”

Lin Zhichao nodded, Hong Kong Cathay Pacific is indeed a sunset asset, in his previous life, he directly closed the studio in 1971 and handed over Yonghua Studio to Golden Harvest. As for the theater chain, it can naturally be disbanded.

The so-called cinema chain is actually composed of movie theaters, which can be the assets of the cinema chain itself, or they can be joined in and handed over to the theater chain for management.

For example, in the hands of Cheung Kong Industrial, there are two movie theaters, and both are multiplex cinemas, namely the upper floors of Miramar Shopping Center and Xintiandi Shopping Center.

These two cinema chains are the only two high-rise cinemas in Hong Kong, and the cost is very low, but the business is very good. Because, these two shopping malls are popular, and citizens can complete a one-stop service of eating, drinking and having fun in them.

Then, Li Ziduo reported: "Shaw Brothers movies have also changed, I heard from friends that Shao Lao Liu introduced his confidante Fang Yihua into Shaw Brothers films. Whoever Zou Wenhuai signed the order must now ask Fang Yihua to sign the order again in order to get the money. I heard that Zou Wenhuai was very dissatisfied with this! ”

God help me!

Lin Zhichao said with a smile: "This Shao Lao Liu is really digging his own grave, you continue to communicate with Zou Wenhuai, we have been waiting for him here." Tell him that we have a big investment and that here are the things he needs most. ”

Li Ziduo nodded and said, "No problem!" I believe that Zou Wenhuai is bound to jump to us this year. ”

Lin Zhichao said confidently: "That's right, this is the right time, the right place!" Of course, even without Zou Wenhuai, Golden Harvest Movies can kill Shaw Brothers movies, and I still have this confidence. But I'm a person, you know, there is not too little talent, and everyone can earn money together. ”

Li Ziduo looked at Lin Zhichao with admiring eyes and said: "Yes, the boss spans so many industries, and almost all of them are the top existences in the industry." If Zou Wenhuai joins us, the main thing is that we can save some energy and effort, if we don't join us, I believe the boss can also make clever moves. ”

"Haha" Lin Zhichao laughed happily, and then he said: "You can do it well, the media group has just been established, and everyone has great opportunities!" Moreover, Hong Kong may not be able to trap us, and our business can expand indefinitely. For example, the comic industry, which you think is small, is also looking at the whole of Asia, and even the whole world, but it needs to develop step by step. ”

Li Ziduo did not doubt that the boss would not boast for no reason, and there must be enough ideas.

"Yes, boss, I'll try!"

Lin Zhichao nodded with satisfaction!

Li Ziduo is like his retainer, after studying abroad, he joined the Yangtze River Toy Factory, and at the age of 27, he was already a manager and a technician. After several years of training, at the age of 31, he became the vice president of a group company.

As long as he doesn't make mistakes in the follow-up, he will be Lin Zhichao's right-hand man, and he will also be the Taifu-level figure of Lin Zhichao's son in the future.

Lin Zhichao likes to use 'retainers' to manage the company, of course, some subsidiaries with strong professional nature, you can poach outside professionals. One thing about the retainer is that he can firmly carry out the boss's intentions.

And precisely, Lin Zhichao's meaning is 'wise sayings', which cannot be wrong in theory, because they are all from the experience and insight of the previous life, and they are Kui Bao summed up.

(End of chapter)