The Industrial Giant Reborn

"The treatment is really good enough." Chen Zhiwen said with a smile. In fact, he knew this. The most fundamental reason why Orient Overseas was able to come back to life in the 1980s was because of the help from the mainland. Otherwise, it would be impossible to survive the billions of Hong Kong dollars in debt and the losses in the shipping market in the 1980s. You must know that a large number of ships and a large amount of real estate are completely different when the corresponding industry is in crisis. .

When the real estate crisis occurs, although the house depreciates severely, it does not consume funds. You can even make a fortune by collecting rents and continue to make profits. Although rents may also be affected by the real estate crisis, there are some Employee wages, but firstly, there are not many employees in the rent collection industry, and secondly, you can choose to lay off some employees to relieve financial pressure, unless it is a special situation where the property is not completed yet and cannot be handed over.

Most of the companies that cannot withstand the real estate crisis are actually because the projects have not been completed, resulting in problems with the capital chain. But after all, they are still a minority. If you are really ruthless, you can sell them at a low price. There will always be someone who wants to lose a little money. Most of them There is no problem for the branch to survive with a broken arm.

But ships are another matter entirely. Once a shipping crisis occurs, when orders cannot be received, shipping companies have to maintain the ships and find ports where they can berth. Both of these are very expensive. The former does not maintain , then the ship will be scrapped after a long time. Under normal circumstances, the ship is in motion. Suddenly a large number of ships need to find a place to park. The berthing fees near the port will only increase significantly, and even the employees will not be able to do anything about it. There are a lot of layoffs. These are skilled workers and they know their own ship. If too many people leave, they will still damage the ship.

Therefore, once the shipping crisis breaks out, many companies would rather send the ships for scrapping than keep them, which is too expensive. Some of Hong Kong's shipping kings, including Pao Yukang, actually used to borrow money when they were young. The shipping crisis bought second-hand ships, and then took off after the shipping crisis ended. However, this shipping crisis in the 1980s was obviously not ordinary. Many in the global shipping industry did not survive it.

In the next few years, Oriental Shipping will lose nearly one billion a year. Unless people like Chen Zhiwen continue to support it, it will be impossible to survive. Even Huo Yingdong and the mainland are unlikely to take advantage of themselves. The funds support him, but if enough orders are given to ensure that it survives, it can still be done. After all, after the mainland is reopened, the demand for shipping is getting higher and higher. When one's own transportation capacity is insufficient, no one can give it. it's the same.

"Yes, the mainland also needs to expand the scale of long-sea shipping. Orient Overseas Shipping is more suitable. In fact, global shipping will also get a large number of orders. Even Bao Yugang and Bao Sheng are not short of funds. , so there is no need to invest in shares." Huo Yingdong explained with a smile: "On the mainland, those who can take care of Hong Kong companies will definitely take care of them a little bit. Mr. Chen has also invested a lot in the mainland in recent years, and he must be very optimistic about it. Considering the mainland's future economy and export scale, since OOCL can get so many stable orders, as long as the shipping market recovers, this investment will definitely not be a loss. The same is true for Hisense Bank."

"That's okay, but I also have my own conditions." Chen Zhiwen said. He knows the future and naturally knows that OOIL can survive it. And relying on its relationship with the mainland, it will become a global shipping giant in the future, even more powerful than Bao Bao. Yugang's global shipping was much stronger. After Pao Yugang's death, the latter was given to his foreign son-in-law. The relationship with the mainland gradually became estranged after the 1990s, and such a golden opportunity was wasted. But what will happen to Bao Yugang in this life is still a bit hard to say.

For Orient Overseas, investment will definitely not lose money, but the time span is too long. It only depends on the rate of return, which is actually very average. It is definitely not as good as the real estate industry in Hong Kong or the Mainland. The investment in this is mainly for the Mainland. The face of the government, Huo Yingdong and the future Hong Kong Governor is worth investing without making money. However, if you act too proactively, it will make your investment seem unimportant.

"Sheng Chen, please tell me." Huo Yingdong said with a smile. If there are conditions, then it is basically negotiable. That is half the battle.

"According to the provisions of the Hong Kong Banking Law, if I want to arrange a loan from Hisense Bank, the investment share cannot exceed 16%. The specific investment amount will be based on the stock price in the recent period. Hisense Bank can also arrange a loan. , as long as the interest rate is normal." Chen Zhiwen said: "However, after OOIL survives the current difficult period, Hisense Bank will have priority for all OOCL's future loans."

Under normal circumstances, investors will get a discount for this kind of investment in rescuing a company that is about to go bankrupt. However, now Orient Overseas has fallen into a penny stock and is almost delisted by the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. The total value It’s only a few hundred million Hong Kong dollars. If you acquire 15.9% yourself, it might only be tens of millions of Hong Kong dollars.

"All? This requirement seems a bit high." Huo Yingdong was a little stunned after hearing this. The loans of this company are actually a kind of resource, especially for large real estate companies or shipping companies. They can often be used to make profits. In exchange, after all, no matter how large a bank is, it still needs loan customers, and loans of hundreds of millions or more are enough for banks to do a lot of things for themselves.

Of course, this is also a two-way weapon. Many banks will also use low-interest loans as their own resources. For example, some shipbuilding countries will use their own banks' low-interest loans to attract shipping companies to place orders for their own country's shipyards. , which is also a way for shipping companies to avoid high costs. If this is locked by Hisense, it will be very unsatisfactory for the future development of Orient Overseas.

"My request is that Hisense needs long-term cooperation. If we can't do it all, what kind of ratio will it be?" Chen Zhiwen said with a smile. At least in the original history, OOCL could survive, so he couldn't really If you ask for excessive prices, just the right amount of benefits will suffice. If you eat too much and are too harsh, you may not necessarily have a better relationship.

"I can't make the decision on this, it can only be decided by the Dong family." Huo Yingdong said. The Dong family didn't know Chen Zhiwen, so they entrusted him to be a lobbyist. However, when it comes to such a big matter, the Dong family still needs to make the decision. of.

"Okay." Chen Zhiwen nodded and said, "This matter is indeed important. I guess it will take some time for the Dong family and the management of OOCL to decide. So, three days later, I will host Huo Huo at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel. Sheng and the Dong brothers, we will discuss what to do when the time comes."

Huo Yingdong and the Dong family are both very powerful people in the future, so it is normal for them to treat themselves to a meal.

"Okay, in three days, I will bring the Dong family to the banquet." Huo Yingdong nodded and said.

"OK, see you in three days." Chen Zhiwen said with a smile.

Later, the two discussed investing in the mainland. However, because the fields they were involved in were quite different, namely real estate, Huo Yingdong did not seem to want to invest in the country on a large scale, so they did not have much in common. After the meeting, Chen Zhiwen personally saw Huo Yingdong out.

After Huo Yingdong's Rolls-Royce left, Chen Zhiwen also met Liu Xiaoli who was taking a walk. She was about to give birth in about a month, and there were several "safety officers" around her.

After Chen Zhiwen approached, several people around him also retreated a few meters away, so that they could respond at any time and not hear the boss's conversation.

"How does it feel to walk?" Chen Zhiwen asked.

"It's okay, nothing unusual. There are more fetal movements. It seems that the child must be more naughty." Liu Xiaoli said with a smile.

"It doesn't matter if you are a little naughty, but those who are too obedient will have no independent ideas of their own." Chen Zhiwen said with a smile. Most parents like obedient children, but in fact, the ones who can achieve major achievements in this world are those who were naughty in childhood. Although the latter is more likely to not study well, it can still be changed as long as the education is good.

In the shopping mall, most of the people who can succeed in starting a business are the latter. Not to mention others, there are those few people in the United States who dropped out of school to start a business. Those who are too obedient will not succeed.

Of course, for a big family, future generations may just have to keep the line, which may be good or bad.

"As long as you're healthy, everything else doesn't matter." Liu Xiaoli smiled and asked, "What's Huo Yingdong doing here?"

Liu Xiaoli also knows some of the well-known rich people in Hong Kong. After all, they still need to meet occasionally.

"What happened with Orient Overseas? This company is going bankrupt, and they want me to invest in it," said Chen Zhiwen.

"Oh, is this troublesome?" Liu Xiaoli asked. Although she didn't care much about Chen Zhiwen's business affairs, there were still some things she needed to know, and she couldn't just ask three questions without knowing.

"It's not a trouble, it's just a question of how much benefit you'll get. And this investment is not for making money, but for making good relationships." Chen Zhiwen said with a smile.

In fact, even if Hisense Bank can obtain a stable share of loan priority, it may not have high returns in the future. Again, it will definitely not be comparable to real estate investment in the Mainland or Hong Kong. The real purpose of this investment is It is still necessary to make good friends with the Dong family, who is also the future governor of Hong Kong after all. Chen Zhiwen naturally does not have to be afraid of him, but it will definitely be more beneficial to make good friends with him. The other so-called requests were just to make this "help" more consistent with business logic. At the same time, Chen Zhiwen was not so cheap. As soon as Huo Yingdong came over and said it, he immediately agreed?

"There are so many things in here." Liu Xiaoli said.

"It's nothing. There are very few in Hong Kong worthy of our attention." Chen Zhiwen shook his head and said.

"Then the Dong family is very important?" Liu Xiaoli asked puzzledly. She has been in Hong Kong for more than two years and has learned about all the big companies in Hong Kong. She doesn't think there is anything special about OOIL. At its peak, compared to Chen Home is also far away.

"The Dong family now has a relationship with the central government of the mainland, which is very unusual." Chen Zhiwen said with a smile. In fact, he was also very curious about how the Dong family brothers got in touch with the mainland and their relationship is so good. , you know, many of Hong Kong's richest people have defected to the mainland. It is simply unbelievable that they can be the governor of Hong Kong after the return. However, the Dong family will definitely not talk about this kind of thing. It can only be said to be a historical mystery.

"Oh, so that's it." Liu Xiaoli nodded and said.

"Let's go walk on the grass over there for a while. Also, don't go out too far. Hong Kong has been a bit chaotic in the past few years." Chen Zhiwen added.

In the 1980s, there were several kidnapping incidents among Hong Kong's richest people, and some people lost their lives. Chen Zhiwen naturally attached great importance to the safety of himself and his family. In addition to keeping a low profile on a daily basis, security was also very strict and he also commissioned very professional security guards from around the world. The company came to provide guidance and teaching, and ensured both hardware and software aspects. At the same time, very strict control has been implemented at the information level. Once someone inquires about family members' whereabouts and other information, they will be investigated immediately, and those who report will be awarded big prizes.

Anyway, if we continue to spend like this, the consumption of tens of millions of Hong Kong dollars a year is just a drop in the bucket for the Chen family.

"Okay." Liu Xiaoli nodded, and then everyone followed the boss, forming a circular protective circle. When there are enough people, these people can stay far away from the boss, and have little impact on the daily actions of the boss's family. Not big anymore.

…

On the fourth day, at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel, Chen Zhiwen met the current head of the Dong family: Dong Jiancheng.

As for the future chief executive, he has now entered politics, stepped out of the family business, and joined forces with some elites from all walks of life to edit the Basic Law after the future handover. He is not currently in Hong Kong.

"Hello, Mr. Chen." Dong Jiancheng met Chen Zhiwen under Huo Yingdong's introduction, and he was very polite and courteous.

"Hello, Mr. Dong." Chen Zhiwen smiled and said, "Sit down, this is my favorite teahouse, you can also have a taste."

If you take the ordinary route, then coffee will obviously be easier to grow, its taste will be trendy, and it will be easily accepted by the general public. Drinking tea will not work, but there is no problem in going high-end. The real rich people in Hong Kong are still A group of older people, they don't spend money randomly, but they don't show mercy when they meet the right ones. It just so happens that this place is more suitable for discussing business or chatting between friends.

"When my father was still here, he often liked to come over for tea. In the past few years, because the company has been quite busy, I don't have much free time. This time I have to thank Chen Sheng for procrastinating," Dong Jiancheng said.

"You're welcome. Mr. Dong's achievements in the Chinese community are obvious to all, and I admire him a lot." Chen Zhiwen said with a smile.

Although Pao Yugang's business ability is still higher than that of other Chinese shipping kings, the difficulty of starting a business may not be as good. You must know that the earlier the era, the more difficult the situation for Hong Kong Chinese. Those who created a world under the environment are all strong men. As far as the social environment is concerned, at least many Chinese fleets have already reached a large scale during the Pao Yugang era. The latecomers followed up and at least had a template. After that, Li Jiacheng and others In the era of the Five Real Estate Tigers, it was much easier.

Let's talk about Chen Zhiwen. If he traveled back to the 1940s, even if he knew the history, many things would be difficult to operate. In the 1970s, at least on the surface, Hong Kong society was basically fair to Chinese and British capital. This fairness has been fought for by countless Chinese people with their blood and sweat.

"Yes, I also admire my father very much. It's just that when I took over Oriental Overseas, it turned out to be like this. I'm really ashamed." Dong Jiancheng said with a wry smile.

"No one can avoid a market crisis. This can be considered a natural disaster." Chen Zhiwen said with a smile.

"Chen Sheng takes care of my face too much." Dong Jiancheng laughed and said: "Chen Sheng, Huo Sheng has conveyed your request to me, and this is why I came here today.

You should also know that in the shipping industry, bank loans have a great role and room for maneuver. They cannot all be locked up. The commitment I can make is only half, how about it? "

"Half?" Chen Zhiwen thought for a moment and then asked: "Then how much loan do you need Hisense to give you?"

"OOCL's current liabilities are almost HK$12 billion, of which about 4 billion have low interest rates and do not need to be replaced. The other 8 billion were borrowed at high interest rates before 1983." Dong Jiancheng said: "We hope to be able to If we obtain a loan of HK$8 billion, the interest rate will be as normal as possible."

Orient Overseas is a listed company. Although these debts are numerous and chaotic, they are all disclosed to the public. Even if others want to check, even if they cannot find out the accurate figures, they can basically estimate them with a good accuracy, so there is no need to keep them secret.

"Eight billion is too much. I heard that you are also talking to HSBC. Why don't Hisense and HSBC share the loan equally." Chen Zhiwen thought for a while and said.

In the original history, HSBC loaned another 3.8 billion Hong Kong dollars, Huo Yingdong injected more than one billion in capital, and the Dong family's shares were cleared. These three methods were used to save Orient Overseas. It must be said that the ability of the second generation of the Dong family is real. powerful.

"Four billion!" Dong Jiancheng paused and said, "Sheng Chen, if you want to get so many loans from HSBC, their interest rates will be very high, which may drag down the normal business of the entire OOCL."

"What I can provide is a normal loan of HK$4 billion. If it is more, the risk will be too high. Besides, it is really difficult for Hisense Bank to take out so much money at once." Chen Zhiwen shook his head and said.

Now the conditions I have given have actually exceeded the help that OOCL has received in history. As long as it can ensure that the other party does not die, I am not a savior and will not provide unlimited help.

Besides, it is indeed very difficult for Hisense to spend 8 billion Hong Kong dollars. Although Hisense Bank has developed rapidly in the past two years, after all, it is only in Hong Kong that its deposits have only risen to more than 40 billion Hong Kong dollars. It is difficult to spend 20% of it all at once. , it’s really impossible to do it.

"Okay, then 4 billion first!" Dong Jiancheng nodded and said.

"But there is a prerequisite. I need to know about OOIL's series of self-rescue plans. Only after confirmation will Hisense lend money." Chen Zhiwen added. (End of chapter)