Hardy Empire 1945

Chapter 240 Freight Exchange Land

The price of the free wheel and the victory wheel is only half of the fake one. Although it is a second-hand boat, it is still very attractive.

The four major foreign companies not only have business in Hong Kong, but also have business in the United Kingdom, India, and Europe. They have their own shipping business, especially Jardine Matheson, which had several routes in mainland China and eight freighters to transport goods.

The same goes for other foreign firms, even they have their own piers in Hong Kong.

After the visit, the presidents and managers of the foreign banks went back to hold a meeting to discuss. In the end, Jardine Matheson decided to order 4 boats, two free boats and two victory boats, but I hope Victor will lower the price.

Victor thought for a while, and said to the manager who came to negotiate: The price of the freighter can be negotiated, but we also have a condition.

What conditions? the manager asked.

I heard that you have a piece of land in Nanwan. Hardy Group is developing in Hong Kong. There is a shortage of land. I hope Jardine Matheson will transfer it to us. Victor said.

The so-called Nanwan refers to the later generations of Repulse Bay and Deep Water Bay, but the area is larger.

The manager was a little confused, Mr. Victor, this is not something I can decide. I need to go back and ask for instructions.

no problem.

After the manager went back, he reported to the president, and the president communicated with the directors. They were actually quite optimistic about the Nanwan area and planned to develop real estate there in the future, but that may be a plan in ten or even decades.

Now Nanwan is very remote, mainly because it is far away from the urban area. It takes more than three hours by car and has to go around the mountains. There is only one resort built by Jardine Matheson, several buildings and dozens of villas. Fu came here for a vacation.

How much land do they want to buy? asked a Jardine Matheson director.

I didn't say it, I just said that the more the better. Given the appetite of the Hardy Group, it is estimated that it will not look good. The manager said.

At this time, another director said: I think it's OK. The land is exchanged for freighters. The price of their freighters is very cheap. I think this condition can be agreed.

If they want more, I suggest giving them all the land, as many freighters as they can.

The president frowned slightly and said, Mr. Davis, if the land is kept for a while, it will definitely increase in value. It's a pity to exchange it now.

Director Davis shook his head and said solemnly: Have you been paying attention to the domestic war situation in China? Now Jiang's army has a feeling of being unable to support it, which makes me very worried about the future of Hong Kong.

You mean the Communist Party will win?

It's not impossible, war, any outcome is possible,

Haven't you read the newspaper? The analysis in the Global Times is very clear. Because Jiang was disobedient, the United States imposed sanctions on him and banned the export of weapons, and the Communist Party has the support of the Soviet Union, so it is very difficult for Jiang now.

What I worry about is that if the Communist Party wins, will they snatch back Hong Kong? All our investments here will be wasted by then. Now the land-to-ship business is just an equal bid, and we won't suffer.

And once the things we worry about happen, these ships can go back to the UK, but the land can't be taken away.

Another director nodded, I think Davis' analysis is good, we need to think long-term, the company's land on Hong Kong Island is enough for us, and there is only investment, I think it can be traded.

In the end, the majority voted in favor, and Jardine Matheson agreed to sell the land and formed a team to contact Victor.

Mr. Victor, how much land do you plan to ask for? the president asked.

We will pay as much as you sell, Victor said.

The president took out the map. The red marked all land was owned by the company, and the one in Nanwan had the largest area.

The land in Nanwan, including the beach and the mountains behind, is 3,561 acres in total, and there is a resort on it. We also opened a road there, and the investment amounted to 3.36 million US dollars.

If you take the land as a whole, our price is $10.7 million.

Victor looked at the numbers, calculated in his heart, and frowned: The price of land is about $2,000 per acre, which is about to catch up with the price of land in New York and Los Angeles. No, it's too expensive.

I mean $1,000 an acre.

The president of Jardine Matheson immediately shook his head, and he did not accept the price, and the two sides began to argue with each other.

Victor wants the land, Jardine Matheson wants the freighter, if you don't sell me the land, then I won't sell you the freighter.

Both sides have handles and advantages, and the rest is to grind their lips.

After two days of negotiation, the deal was finally sold at US$8.6 million, including the entire Nanwan land and buildings on the ground owned by Jardine Matheson.

On the Hardy Group side, there are 4 Victory ships and 4 Liberty ships. The price of one Freedom Ship is 80 yuan, four ships are 3.2 million yuan, one Victory ship is 1.5 million yuan, and four ships are 6 million yuan, for a total of 9.2 million yuan.

Victor gave the other party some discounts. Each freighter was 20,000 cheaper. In the end, there was a difference of 440,000 US dollars. Jardine Matheson supplied cash to the Hardy Group.

Selling eight boats at once, Victor is so excited, you know, he has a commission for selling boats, and he can make 46,000 US dollars for this transaction alone.

Hardy is not a stingy person, and the bonus he should give is a lot. As long as you do things, the money promised to you is absolutely in place.

Swire Pacific also found Victor and was going to buy 2 freighters. Victor proposed to buy land. Swire Pacific took out a piece of land in Shatian and asked Victor if he wanted it.

Shatin.

Now it is a small fishing village in the wilderness.

It is surrounded by wasteland, and the roads are blocked. If you want to go to the past, you need to take a boat to go around half of Hong Kong. However, the area of ​​this land is not small. There are more than 2,000 mu of wilderness, mountains and farmland. The price is naturally much cheaper than Nanwan. .

In the end, the land was valued at 560,000 yuan, and the remaining money was made up in cash.

Hutchison and Wheelock both have docks, but instead of buying boats, they are very interested in leasing.

not only them,

Some Chinese families are also very interested in this business.

Some people were originally involved in the shipping business, such as the current Hong Kong shipping tycoon Xu Aizhou, who is the grandfather of the later Xu Jinheng and the founder of the Hong Kong Xu family.

The Xu family has been running shipping for more than 20 years. There are domestic routes, Southeast Asia, Japan, North Korea, and even Australia, Britain and France. There are more than 40 freighters, and they are now the veritable Chinese ship king in Hong Kong.

He knew the price of the freighter very well. The price that Victor offered could not be bought anywhere else. Xu Aizhou planned to buy a batch.

A family manager said: Master, we have checked the information. Back then, when these ships were built in the United States, welding technology was used instead of tenon and tenon joints because of the lack of time. This is the first time to use this technology to build a sea ship, so the given design uses The time limit is 5 years, and many of them have exceeded the time limit now.”

Xu Aizhou thought for a while and said, Usually a 10,000-ton freighter costs more than 5 million US dollars to build, while the Victory ship costs only 3.3 million, and now the second-hand one is only 1.5 million. There is a reason for the cheapness, there is no cheap and good in the world. matter.

Everything, as long as you think it's suitable, do it, and don't do it if it's not suitable. Usually a freighter needs 5 years to pay back, but this ship can pay back in just over a year, so how do you calculate it? Both have advantages.”

Let the company find a bank loan. Xu Aizhou ordered.

How much money do you want to borrow, sir?

Loan as much as you can.

Which bank are you looking for?

Look for everything!

After saying this, Xu Aizhou paused, Including the newly opened Wells Fargo Bank, I heard that Wells Fargo Bank is the property of the boss of the Hardy Group, you say we plan to buy a boat and see how much they can lend us.

Good sir.

Dong family in Hong Kong.

Dong Haoyun also participated in Victor's freighter sales meeting. After returning, he thought about it a lot. He felt that this was a rare opportunity.

Dong Haoyun has been in the shipping business since 1941. At that time, Japanese invaders were rampant in Asia. He opened a company in Hong Kong, flying the British flag and the Panama flag. The business was smooth, but soon Hong Kong was occupied by Japan, and the company was taken over by the Japanese. .

After Japan surrendered, he resumed his previous career, setting up companies in Hong Kong and Shanghai, and owned thirteen freighters in the past few years.

This time Victor publicly sold the free wheel and the victory wheel. Dong Haoyun was very envious. He really wanted to eat them all at once and quickly set up a world-class large transportation company, but unfortunately he was not so powerful.

Last year, he only ordered two new ships, both of which are 10,000-ton freighters, and now there are more than 8 million US dollars in bank loans.

Now he is trying to raise money, maybe he can buy two or three freighters, but Dong Haoyun is very unwilling. The so-called time is not to be missed. If this opportunity is missed, it may take him a few years or even more than ten years to catch up. .

How to do?

After thinking hard, he was going to talk to Victor.

Called about Victor, the two met at the Hardy auction, and the company's younger sister left after serving tea.

Mr. Dong, you said on the phone that you plan to do freighter business with me. I don't know how to cooperate? Victor asked.

Mr. Victor, to tell you the truth, I am very interested in the freighters your company sells, but unfortunately I don't have that much money right now. I have an idea. I wonder if your company is willing to take a stake in Global Shipping? Dong Haoyun said.

Global Shipping is the name of Dong Haoyun Shipping Company.

Victor was a little surprised when he heard it, Let us take a stake in your company. We really didn't have this consideration before. Please tell me your thoughts carefully.

My idea is very simple, I now have thirteen ships in my global shipping, the smallest is more than 3,000 tons, the largest is more than 14,000 tons, and now there are two 10,000-ton freighters under construction, with a total of 15 ships. , the tonnage exceeds 100,000.”

I am willing to accept the shareholding of Hardy Group. I can invest in ships or funds. I will manage and expand the company. I am very optimistic about the development of the shipping industry, and the future will be promising.

I can't decide about the investment. I need to ask the head office for instructions. How much investment is allowed by Mr. Dong, and how much is the share? Victor said.

The bigger the investment of the Hardy Group, the better, but I hope to account for more than 30% of the shares. Dong Haoyun said.