Since the spring of 1978, news has been circulating that the Japanese steamship company is facing closure due to poor management.

At its peak, the Japanese steamship company and Yamaguchi steamship were two of the largest customers of the Global Group, and at their peak, they leased more than 20 super tankers and more than 20 100,000-ton tankers, totaling about 8 million tons.

The total tonnage of these two shipping companies is almost 18 million tons.

Fortunately, Lin Zhichao knew about today's situation for a long time, so all oil tankers whose leases expired in the past year were immediately sold; If a customer buys a boat, it even comes with a charter agreement. After a year-long downsizing, the total tonnage chartered to the two shipping lines was cut in half.

But it is clear that there are still many ships leased to Japanese steamship companies, and if this company goes bankrupt, Universal Group will also suffer. After all, it is impossible for Lin Zhichao not to maintain these customers, after all, the main business of the Universal Group will include shipping.

As of May this year (1978), all the non-VLCC oil tankers of the Global Group were sold out, and more than 50 oil tankers of 10~150,000 tons were sold for a total of 260 million US dollars, which was only more than 40% of the cost. This is due to the fact that the ships are relatively old and have high operating costs.

VLCC oil tankers have also been sold, with a total tonnage of 3.5 million tons, and the return of funds is as high as 250 million US dollars, and the sale price has reached about 70%. This is because the cost has risen by more than 50%, so although the ships are also older (10 years), they still sell at a good price.

At present, the Universal Group (Universal, Huanyu) has only 35 VLCCs left, with a total of 8.5 million tons of oil tankers. The remaining bulk carriers were injected into Huaxing Shipping (a listed company mainly engaged in container ships); Its listed companies, Asia Shipping and Longfeng International, have also reduced their ships, leaving only 2 million tons and 800,000 tons respectively.

The big moves of the Global Group in the past year can be said to have a great impact on the industry. Of course, everyone is a little confused, so they only think that the decision made by Universal Group is to acquire Wharf Group.

In other words, no one will say - the global group is reducing ships, is it that shipping will usher in a trough? They won't think like that.

On this day, Shen Bi came to the office of the Global Group to visit Lin Zhichao.

The matter of SITC Bank has been officially agreed by the United States, so it is already a certainty. Therefore, Lin Zhichao and HSBC's transaction can be regarded as very satisfied with each other.

However, this time Shen Bi visited Lin Zhichao, obviously not for those things, after all, it was in the office of the Global Group.

"Mr. Hayashi, the lease of Universal Shipping to the Japan Steamship Company, and the eight VLCCs. Now that it is rumored that a Japanese steamship company is facing bankruptcy, do you have any countermeasures? ”

His tone was a little worried, as well as a little suspicious - since Lin Zhichao was reducing ships, why did he slow down the ship reduction action of Universal Shipping.

Lin Zhichao said calmly: "Shen Bi Taipan don't panic, in a few days, the president of the Industrial Bank of Japan, Ikeki Saburo, will visit Hong Kong in the near future, and as long as this person has the support, the Japanese steamship company will survive this crisis, and Huanyu can also avoid huge losses." What's more, we have already made a lot of profits in the past, and now we are not in debt, so why worry? ”

The implication is that your HSBC bank has not made less money over the years, and now there is no debt in Universal Shipping, what are you doing in a hurry?

After Shen Bi heard this, he immediately changed his face and said: "If there is an endorsement from the Bank of Japan, it is indeed safe and secure." ”

Lin Zhichao said: "This is a matter of national credibility, and I believe there is no problem." ”

Shen Bi nodded, he still believed in Lin Zhichao's skills very much, so after a brief chat, he got up and said goodbye. As for why Huanyu Shipping is slowing down, he doesn't need to ask to know that Lin Zhichao must give priority to taking care of his own son.

Three days later.

Arriving in Hong Kong, Ikeura Kizaburo said at a banquet that almost all Hong Kong dignitaries and business tycoons would give strong support to the Japanese steamship companies, especially for their foreign debts and charter parties, and later gave assurances to the Hong Kong media to do the same.

At the banquet, Lin Zhichao and many Hong Kong shipowners got together to discuss.

Lin Zhi generously shared his experience: "Ladies and gentlemen, shipping has been prosperous since World War II, and it has been 30 years now. Today's shipping industry is facing shrinking business and increasing competitiveness. Therefore, I suggest that Hong Kong colleagues should consider it carefully! ”

The words just fell!

Dong Haoyun, Bao Yugang, Zhao Congyan, Cao Wenjin, Gu Guomin (Dong Haoyun's wife and brother), etc., all pay attention to this topic.

Bao Yugang said with a smile: "Lin Sheng did not build ships in batches as early as the early seventies, and now he is the first to reduce ships, which can be described as very cautious!" ”

Smiling Tiger?

If Lin Zhichao did not expect, Bao Yugang also had the intention of reducing the ship, but now in his words, he did not mention the point of view that he agreed. Could it be that he is worried that he will sell his ship and suffer competition from Hong Kong shipowners, resulting in a lower price?

To be honest, Lin Zhichao was also willing to kindly remind everyone on this occasion after he sold a lot of boats.

Dong Haoyun then said: "Lin Sheng's fleet at its peak, we can only look at it. Later, we fought hard to catch up, and finally narrowed the gap little by little, and Lin Sheng began to reduce the number of boats to go ashore again. I really want to compete with Lin Sheng on the same stage, but I don't have this blessing! ”

This is a tough man, what are you doing with so much debt for your son!

Zhao Congyan said: "If you encounter a trough, just absorb it, shipping always has a cycle, we are not like Mr. Lin can develop in multiple industries." ”

Sure enough, it's hard to persuade damn ghosts!

Of course, there are also shipowners who ask Lin Zhichao for advice!

Cao Wenjin said: "Lin Sheng is not optimistic about the follow-up development of shipping because of the incident of the Japanese steamer? ”

Lin Zhichao saw that there were already many shipowners around, so he generously shared his opinion: "This is just an effect, not a cause. The real reason is that Europe has North Sea oil fields, the United States has restarted the exploitation of Texas oil fields, Japan is focusing on a new energy source - nuclear energy, and even China, which is underdeveloped in industry, has aroused the interest of Western countries and actively helped China develop undersea oil in the South China Sea. ”

Cao Wenjin nodded and said, "Indeed! The number of ships has increased dramatically, but the business has been decreasing. ”

Gu Guomin also listened to it and said, "Listening to Lin Sheng's words is better than reading a book for ten years." ”

Dong Haoyun didn't say a word, his brother-in-law is his brother-in-law, he is him.

Lin Zhichao saw that he had already reminded his fellow shipowners, so he no longer paid attention to this matter, the persuasion had already been persuaded, and there was no way to listen to the persuasion. In his heart, he still hopes that Hong Kong shipowners can reduce their losses, after all, everyone is Chinese and should be taken care of.

Tsuen Wan, Global Seafarers' Club.

Lin Zhichao attended a seafarers' demobilization meeting, which was attended by almost 200 people. If the buyer is a Hong Kong shipowner, the seafarer will have the opportunity to continue to perform his duties, and if the overseas shipowner is an overseas shipowner, the seafarer will have to be dismissed.

Of course, either way, every full-time seafarer in the Universal Group will receive a generous severance pay, which is something that no shipowner in Hong Kong can do.

Lin Zhichao came to the seat and first greeted everyone kindly.

"Ah Quan, you've been working for the Global Group for 15 years, right?" Lin Zhichao cordially greeted a senior seafarer.

At the beginning of last year, the global group had seven or eight thousand seafarers, and in the last year, hundreds of them have been dismissed every month. And Lin Zhichao will also participate in the severance meeting when he has time and chat with everyone, after all, he knows many senior seafarers.

"Boss, it's been eighteen years since I joined Universal, and I didn't expect you to remember me." Ah Quan said excitedly.

The few hairs on his bald top fluttered, unable to hide the excitement in his heart.

Lin Zhichao patted him on the shoulder and said, "I remember, you are a senior seafarer who graduated from the Global Maritime Academy and is a senior first mate. And your name is Chen Bin. You called Wang Shengdu to make great contributions to our Global Group! ”

The emotions of the two hundred seafarers were mobilized at once, and some began to wipe away tears.

Universal Group, the world's largest shipping company, has the best benefits in Hong Kong, and is an extremely memorable enterprise. The turnover rate is the lowest among all shipping companies, which is the best proof.

"Boss, why did the Universal Group lose so many ships overnight?" A seafarer asked, puzzled.

Yesterday it was the world's largest shipping company, but today it has reduced its tonnage by more than half, and the change is frighteningly fast.

Lin Zhichao said: "Shipping is cyclical, we do not reduce ships today, and in another two years, I am afraid that there will be no business, and second, there will be a large depreciation of ships." So I was thinking that it would be better to sell the ship while it was still worth a lot of money, so that everyone could get a good severance package. If the market is not good on that day, the company will not be profitable, and I am worried that everyone will not have a place in the future. ”

For a while, the applause was thunderous.

They had heard that the severance pay of global shipping was very high, so there was not much resistance today.

Lin Zhichao then stepped onto the rostrum and began to speak: "Ladies and gentlemen, many years ago, I expected today's situation. At that time, I forced senior seafarers to pay pensions, which later spread to older seafarers over three years (i.e. from the first contract renewal). At first, many people didn't understand, but I insisted on going my own way, and now it seems that our global group's pension system must be the most successful. The group does not have a penny in the ink, on the contrary, the pension system investment has made money every year over the years, and the value has increased a lot. Therefore, the biggest amount of money after your dismissal actually comes from your pension, and the older the employee, the more he will get. ”

For the pension investment of the global group, Lin Zhichao also personally commanded and invested in many projects, all of which obtained good returns; Of course, there are also some banks that eat interest.

The old seafarers in the audience applauded excitedly!

It's a sense of belonging!

"The pension is the first expense you deserve, and the second amount you deserve is that I will give you a part of the money from the sale of the ship as severance pay. This fee is the amount of the most recent month's salary for every year you work for the Global Group, and if you have worked for the Global Group for 16 years, we will pay you 16 months' salary. ”

Boom, many people at the scene blushed with excitement.

Tang Quan, who has worked for 16 years, suddenly has a feeling of making a fortune. He is the first mate, with a monthly salary of 10,000, that is, he can get 160,000 severance pay. And that's not even counting pensions!

(PS: The current wage situation in Hong Kong is 50 Hong Kong dollars per day in the manufacturing industry, 68 Hong Kong dollars per day in the furniture industry, and the lowest is 36 Hong Kong dollars per day for flashlights, second only to Japan in Asia)

In fact, Tang Quan is a senior seafarer, although his monthly salary is only 10,000, but in fact, he can receive more than 16 months of salary a year, as well as various subsidies and 45 days of vacation.

"The third is the placement of you, I asked my other companies to recruit you. If you are still willing to work in my company, you can choose to apply voluntarily. If you can find a better job, then I wish you all the best. ”

Marine engineers, who can work as technicians, are valuable assets. Ordinary seafarers can only go to work as factory workers. As for the captain, first officer, and second officer, these senior seafarers, they do not need to worry about their future, and they themselves are not short of money.

"Okay, basically these three benefits, if you have anything to say to me, just say it!"

"Boss, is shipping really going downhill?" A seafarer asked.

Lin Zhichao said: "This is my personal opinion, shipping is going downhill, and it may enter a cold winter. Why is this young man still addicted to being a seafarer, I remember Hong Kong people say they don't like to be a seafarer! ”

Seafarers are still among the many people who are reluctant to go, unless there is no way.

Someone said loudly: "He thought that every shipowner in Hong Kong would pay him a high salary!" ”

"That's it! If you are a seafarer in global shipping, it is impossible to go to another shipping company to be a seafarer! ”

Quite a few people laughed.

The salary of Global Shipping is 30% higher than the average of its Hong Kong counterparts, and more importantly, there are some hidden benefits, which are 50% higher than the benefits.

The benefits are so high, so how does Lin Zhichao make money! In fact, just talking about the part of the salary that is 30% higher, and only the remaining bank interest money every year, is enough.

Shipping is very profitable, otherwise Bao Yu in his previous life just started in 1955 and created a huge fortune in only 25 years.

Not to mention, people like Lin Zhichao, who understand cycles, have made profits up several grades.

Lin Zhichao does not do sweatshops, which he has always pursued, even in the Yangtze River Industrial Group, the average salary of workers is 60 Hong Kong dollars, 20% higher than that of the manufacturing industry. This is because zippers are high value-added, Changjiang toys are also high value-added (Audrey company formulates OEM enterprises), and Midea has also entered the high value-added industry.

Lin Zhichao motioned for everyone to be quiet, and then said: "Don't laugh, everyone, it's normal to have a career crisis at this time!" If you are an ordinary seafarer, I recommend going to my factory as a worker, so that you can spend time with your family, and the salary is more than 1500. Since we have come to this point, I would like to advise some seafarers with a lot of money not to invest blindly in business. Think about it, how much do you know about things at sea and on land all the year round, and with your pension money in your hands, the people who are staring at you may be the people around you. Be cautious! Here, I recommend that it is better to buy a house, which is the safest investment and does not require a lot of brains. Or buy the shares of Cheung Kong Group and HSBC, which can be held for a long time, with annual dividends and guarantees. ”

For every wave of dismissed seafarers, the Global Group has held a meeting like today, even if Lin Zhichao is not present, Feng Yongfa and other senior executives will follow Lin Zhichao's model.

This large-scale layoff may involve four or five thousand people, and Lin Zhichao also tried his best to settle everyone, using hundreds of millions of funds, not including the expenditure of the pension system, as well as the jobs taken out. Even, it also plans the investment for everyone, which can be described as a conscientious enterprise.

"Boss, I heard that the house has risen very much, will it fall?"

"In recent years, it will not fall, it will only rise. But I don't recommend that you flip a house, if you can, you can buy a set to live in or rent it out. ”

Now the mid-to-high-end residential buildings in Hong Kong and Kowloon have risen to 450~500 Hong Kong dollars, and a 600-foot unit has to be 300,000 yuan. Of course, the houses in the New Territories are cheaper, plus there are four or five hundred square feet of units.

At the end of an hour of a meeting, everyone left the conference room satisfied.

Lin Ruihai, who was with him, really felt at this moment why his father was so prestigious in Hong Kong, it was really a great good.

Is there a second boss in Hong Kong who spends hundreds of millions of Hong Kong dollars to lay off employees?

The answer is absolutely no!

In fact, Lin Zhichao also thought about one thing, capitalists are always capitalists. People in this era are more easily satisfied, and people will not be so grateful to him in the future.

Of course, Hong Kong is a place where the 'hatred of the rich' is relatively weak, and everyone recognizes the spirit of hard work.

Tang Quan received a pension of 315,000 yuan from the Global Group (the Hong Kong pension is a one-time pension) and severance pay, and left the company with Mei Zizi. He is only 35 years old today, but he has been with the Universal Group for 16 years, and due to his studious and hard-working youth, he has risen from ordinary seafarer to senior seafarer.

Coming downstairs to the residential building, Tang Quan happily greeted people.

"Uncle Ping, Uncle Da, you're playing chess again!"

"It's Ah Quan, why are you back today, aren't you running the boat!"

"On a long vacation, I plan to spend some time with my wife and children."

"Good"

At this time, an old woman said, "What's the matter, his wife doesn't need to be accompanied, someone is with her!" ”

Tang Quan was like five thunderbolts, and hurriedly asked, "Chun Po, what do you mean by this?" ”

"I saw a man taking your wife back to the mansion and driving a car!"

After a long time, Tang Quan ran home angrily, he didn't expect that one day this kind of thing would fall on his head. It is true that this happens a lot as a seafarer, but he thinks that he and his wife have a good relationship, and the two have a son and a daughter.

Over the years, his salary has been used for his wife and children to live in, and his wife doesn't have to go to work, and he likes to play mahjong, as long as he takes care of his children.

"I must give this woman a good look!" Tang Quan rushed home angrily.

At the same time, he also extinguished the idea of telling his wife about getting the money this time, and if it was true, he asked the woman to get out of the house.

When he got home, Tang Quan opened the door with a key, this set of 600 square feet was bought a few years ago, when it was only in the early 100,000s, and now it is worth more than 200,000 yuan, which is worth a lot of money.

"Hurry up, I still have to pick up the kids, why didn't you play today!"

"Let the boy come back on his own! Besides, is this child your man's? ”

"Fart, of course this kid is his"

"Do you want me to give him another one?"

Tang Quan was furious when he heard this, picked up a guy, and kicked open the bedroom door.

"Dog man and woman, Lao Tzu will kill you today!"

"Ah Quan, listen to my explanation!"

"Big brother, I'll give you money, don't fight!"

Soon, a naked man ran out of the building, shouting 'Kill'!

On the same day, the police came to the scene to deal with the matter, and Tang Quan was also taken to the police station, and he beat the person out of blood, but fortunately it was not fatal. And Tang Quan's wife stole people, and the whole building knew about it.

Things have come to this point, Tang Quan and his wife can only divorce, he has given all his work to his wife all these years, and it stands to reason that the family should have a lot of savings, after all, he is the first mate on the ship, and the salary is five times higher than that of a worker on land. However, there is almost no money in the family, which has been squandered by his wife, and what is even more infuriating is that his wife is good, but he has no money, and buying a car is part of his wife's support.

A week later.

Tang Quan and his wife completed their divorce, he got custody of his two children and a house, and his wife left the house. The reason why this is so is because the wife is afraid that Tang Quan will kill her, and the Hong Kong law is better for the protection of men's property, plus the woman is the party at fault.

The wife was about to say goodbye to her son, but she didn't expect her twelve-year-old son to say something like this: "Mom, my father said to take us to buy a house and live in a big house in the future." ”

The wife was stunned for a moment and asked Tang Quan, "Where did you get the money?" ”

Tang Quan said: "The pension and severance pay issued by the company"

The ex-wife hurriedly asked, "How much?" ”

Tang Quan snorted coldly and said, "Hundreds of thousands"

The ex-wife was stunned for a moment, and hurriedly said: "Ah Quan, can you forgive me, I promise to listen to you in the future!" ”

For a while, his ex-wife begged for mercy, and Tang Quan felt an inexplicable feeling of refreshment in his heart, and finally fought for a breath.

"No way, you gave me all the green hats to wear at home, have you considered the feelings of the children? In the future, I will allow you to come and see the child, but remember to ask your lover to give you money, do not be empty-handed, and bring gifts for the child. ”

After speaking, Tang Quan led his son away in a chic manner, and there was a daughter at home.

He didn't doubt whether the child was biological, because the son was still like him, not to mention the last time he heard his wife say that it was his.

Life is really impermanent!

I wanted to share the happy event with my wife, but I didn't expect my wife to give him a 'surprise'.

"Dad, can you accompany us every day in the future?"

"Well, Ah Jin, why did you choose to follow your father instead of your mother?"

"Because Dad is rich!"

KAO, Tang Quan scolded in his heart, in this world of CAO eggs, you have to be rich for everything. When he got a high salary, the matchmaker broke the door, he married his current wife, it only took three days, and then it took more than a week to make a person. When the vacation is over, I immediately go to work.

Buy a house, don't make any other investments! Tang Quan thought to himself that this was the advice of the boss.

He has already thought about spending more than 200,000 yuan to buy a residential unit, then move in and rent out his current house. In this way, he is equivalent to having a share of the income. The remaining tens of thousands of dollars will buy stocks of Cheung Kong Industrial and HSBC, and the boss's words must be listened to.

As everyone knows, Tang Quan's decision, he has been grateful to Lin Zhichao for decades, and has been thinking about Lin Zhichao's goodness, which has influenced generations of descendants.

(End of chapter)