Chapter 232: An Invitation from Pao Yue-kong
By early October, things had started to move quickly.
The colonial government had officially approved the shipyard construction at Drunken Bay and issued the authorization documents. This was likely because, at this point in time, the government hadn't yet considered building a container terminal in Kwai Chung.
As soon as he obtained the authorization, Yang Wendong immediately transferred HK$3.5 million from Changxing Industrial and followed up by contacting Saunders again to finalize the loan procedures. This time, he secured a loan of HK$8 million from HSBC, which would be disbursed in stages according to the progress of the project.
With funding secured, the Drunken Bay coastline quickly became a hive of activity, filled with construction crews and engineers.
On October 10th, Yang Wendong visited the site in person.
As soon as he got out of the car, he saw over a hundred workers laboring vigorously across the sandy beach ahead.
"Mr. Yang, this is Mr. Zhao Wenjie," said Zheng Yuhua, approaching with a man beside him. "Mr. Zhao was once the highest-ranking Chinese executive at the Whampoa Dockyard. He'll be in charge of overseeing the construction and future operations of our Changxing Shipyard."
"Nice to meet you, Mr. Zhao," Yang Wendong said with a smile as he shook his hand.
As his company continued to expand, Yang Wendong rarely participated in final interviews for mid- and upper-level hires—especially for highly technical positions. He wouldn't have the expertise to assess them anyway.
However, all hiring decisions for subsidiaries still went through the main office. The headquarters would conduct rigorous background checks, in-depth interviews, and evaluations to ensure that the people they brought on were genuinely capable. This process lightened Yang Wendong's personal workload while also improving the quality of their recruitment.
As for him, he only needed to be aware of the final decisions. If both the subsidiary's leadership and HQ signed off on a candidate, he would usually give his approval.
He also knew that Zhao Wenjie had been recruited through Zheng Yuhua's personal network.
"Pleased to meet you, Mr. Yang," Zhao Wenjie replied. "You can just call me Old Zhao or Wenjie, whichever you prefer."
"Then I'll go with Old Zhao," Yang Wendong laughed. It was a casual, respectful title—especially since Zhao was older than him. Normally, if they were closer in age, Yang might have just called him by name.
"I'd like to give you a quick rundown of the situation here," Zhao Wenjie continued. "Once you're familiar with the site, I'll submit a detailed construction proposal for your review."
"Sounds good," Yang Wendong nodded.
Zhao then led him on a walk across the uneven terrain of the beach, explaining the projected plans and technical aspects of the site.
Yang Wendong listened carefully. While he wasn't an expert, he focused on remembering key figures and overall timelines—that was enough for now.
After the walkthrough, he asked, "When do you estimate the shipyard will be completed?"
"Construction should take around six months," Zhao replied. "If we work 24/7, we could finish in four, but that would significantly increase the cost. Before that, though, we need to level this area and carry out land reclamation offshore, which will take another three to four months."
"So, the earliest we could be operational is next summer," Yang calculated aloud.
"Exactly," Zhao nodded. "And with shipyards, safety is paramount, so this timeline is already extremely aggressive. On top of that, a lot of the equipment needs to be imported, which also takes time—about six months, actually. That'll align perfectly with our construction schedule."
"Alright," Yang said. He wasn't going to challenge a professional on their own turf. He'd still ask another expert for a second opinion later, but unless there were major discrepancies, he'd proceed as planned.
Zhao added, "Mr. Yang, more important than the construction or equipment is the team itself. We'll need a large number of skilled technicians. Without them, the shipyard won't function, no matter how complete it is. We'll need to poach talent from other places, and we'll likely have to offer higher salaries."
"No problem. Go ahead and recruit whoever you need. Offer better pay than the other shipyards if you have to," Yang replied. He understood the importance of human capital.
Even in the 21st century, where automation and smart factories were commonplace, there was still a constant shortage of highly skilled professionals.
A shipyard, in particular, required experienced personnel. This wasn't like an ordinary factory where a few engineers could oversee dozens or even hundreds of unskilled workers.
Zheng Yuhua agreed, saying, "Exactly. Old Zhao, go ahead and recruit as many people as necessary. Compared to the cost of building an entire shipyard, labor expenses are nothing."
Yang also agreed. Wages in Hong Kong weren't particularly high at the time—even ship captains earned only about HK$3,000 a month, which was less than a regular worker in Europe or America.
"I appreciate that you both value talent," Zhao said. "However, there might be one issue. Hong Kong only has a handful of shipyards, and their talent pool is already thin. If we poach too aggressively, we could end up making enemies."
"The colonial government supports a free market. What can they do if we hire their people?" Yang said with a calm smile.
It was true that Hong Kong was still under the dominance of British capital, and Yang wouldn't go out of his way to antagonize major British firms. But if even basic recruitment required such caution, what was the point of doing business?
Besides, his relationship with HSBC was now solid, and his large-scale industrial park project would generate plenty of jobs. Even the Governor was trying to win his favor. He had some leverage now, and the British capitalists weren't likely to give him trouble over something so minor.
"That's true," Zhao acknowledged. "But there's no need to create unnecessary friction. I have another idea—we could try recruiting talent from Taiwan."
"Taiwan?" Yang raised an eyebrow. "I hadn't thought of that. Isn't their shipping industry less developed than ours?"
"That's correct," Zhao explained. "But they do have shipyards over there. While the ships they build aren't particularly impressive—definitely inferior to Japanese ones—they've still produced a fair number of technicians. These people could easily adapt to working in a repair yard. And we might even be able to hire them for less."
"That's actually a good idea," Yang said. "But wouldn't that upset the shipyards over there?"
Zhao grinned. "We're only recruiting mid-level technicians, not high-end designers or structural engineers. Those wouldn't be useful for us anyway. A few ordinary engineers won't cause any drama—they've got plenty to spare."
"Alright then. Send a team to Taiwan and start recruiting," Yang instructed. "I'd rather have the team assembled early and waiting on construction than the other way around."
"Understood, Mr. Yang. I'll personally go to Taiwan and handle recruitment," Zhao said. "But we'll also need to address worker accommodations. These Taiwanese hires, along with our future workers, will need housing. I suggest having Changxing Real Estate build a dormitory nearby for them."
"Not a problem," Yang replied. "Our group companies help each other out. As long as the request is reasonable, the other branches will support it."
"Great. Thank you, Mr. Yang," Zhao said with a smile.
"It's no big deal," Yang responded. "This project is now in your hands."
If it were a housing project, Yang, as someone from the future, could offer plenty of input. But when it came to shipyards, he was totally out of his depth. It was best to leave it to professionals. That said, he still planned to hire a third-party inspector to provide oversight.
As long as multiple professionals, who didn't know each other, gave similar assessments, he could rest assured as the boss.
At the Taikoo Dockyard, a British man frowned as he read a report handed over by his assistant. "Another shipyard? These Chinese, instead of staying content running factories, now want to compete with us for business?"
The assistant replied, "Mr. Lynde, this Mr. Eric has become somewhat of a public figure in Hong Kong. He's involved in manufacturing, real estate, shipping, and media. Building a shipyard now likely means he's planning to take the shipping business seriously."
Lynde scoffed. "Kwai Chung is a remote, underdeveloped place. How many ships can he possibly attract there? I doubt it'll have any real impact on us."
"Of course," the assistant nodded. "It'll probably just pull in some older Chinese vessels with cut-rate repair fees." Then, after a pause, he added, "But the shipyard is financed by HSBC."
"HSBC?" Lynde furrowed his brows. "They used to steer clear of the shipping industry. But now they're helping Chinese shipping companies? What are they thinking?"
"If Chinese shipping firms start getting serious backing from HSBC, it could spell trouble for us," the assistant noted cautiously.
Lynde, however, remained dismissive. "You worry too much. What can these Chinese shippers really achieve? They don't even own terminals. At most, a shipyard lets them repair boats."
"Yes, sir," the assistant nodded along, though he personally felt the Chinese shipping companies shouldn't be underestimated. Still, it wasn't his place to argue.
Meanwhile, in an office in Admiralty, Hong Kong:
Pao Yue-kong held up a newspaper excitedly and said to the man beside him, "Ah Wai, look at this. Another Chinese entrepreneur has opened a ship repair yard."
Ah Wai, a middle-aged man, was surprised. "Who did it? Tung Hao-yun?"
"No, it was Yang Wendong," Pao replied.
"Yang Wendong? The 'Post-it King'?" Ah Wai raised an eyebrow. "I thought he only had a few cargo ships. Doesn't seem worth it to open an entire shipyard."
"He must be planning a large-scale entry into the shipping industry," Pao said. "The shipyard is probably part of a longer-term strategy."
"Sounds plausible," Ah Wai nodded. "Yang Wendong has been rising fast. That industrial park he built employs tens of thousands. I'm genuinely impressed."
"Just a few months ago, he acquired several buildings on Hong Kong Island. And now he's diving into shipping."
"Haha, the guy's got talent," Pao laughed. "I'd like to meet him someday."
Ah Wai thought for a moment. "Since you're both in the same business now, you'll definitely cross paths sooner or later."
"Exactly." Pao nodded, then said, "Actually, about that thing I mentioned last time—I think we should get Yang Wendong involved. With his resources and interest in shipping, he'd be the perfect partner."
"You're right," Ah Wai agreed. "He's got the money and a clear need in this area. Definitely a good fit."
"Exactly," Pao smiled. "I heard he's working with HSBC as well. Next time I see Saunders, I'll ask him to make the introduction. If this works out, it could be a huge win for all of us."
"Worth a try," Ah Wai said with a nod.
The news of a new shipyard wasn't exactly headline-worthy, especially in a city like Hong Kong. Within the industry, people took note, but it didn't generate nearly as much buzz as Yang Wendong's earlier acquisition of multiple buildings or his massive industrial park project.
Some newspapers mentioned it in passing, tucked away in minor columns, with a few short paragraphs. Average readers didn't even notice.
October 18th
Yang Wendong arrived with Su Yiyi and little Zhihwen at the new Changxing Shopping Center.
The mall hadn't opened yet, but preparations were already well underway. By today, most of the retail spaces—both self-operated and franchised—were nearly ready to go.
"Let me carry him for a bit," Yang said as he picked up his son.
At five months old, little Zhihwen still couldn't sit up, but he already disliked lying in his stroller. He preferred being held, or he'd cry.
Su Yiyi often got tired after carrying him for long, and while they had a nanny, when they were out together, it was usually the parents who carried the child.
"Good, my arms were starting to ache," Su said as she handed the baby over. Then she asked, "When is the Carrefour supermarket opening?"
"End of the month—on the 28th," Yang replied as he bounced the baby gently in his arms.
"There's so much stuff in here," Su said as they walked through the mall.
Yang chuckled. "This is nothing. Supermarkets in Europe and America have way more. At most, what we've got here is a large-scale general store where customers can choose items freely."
In his past life, supermarkets in the West had countless variations of the same product—dozens of brands of toothpaste, for example. But that kind of diversity was impossible right now.
They only had one store, and purchasing power was limited. They couldn't stock dozens of varieties of a single product. Logistics and supply chains also weren't advanced enough.
Even modern Western supermarkets still couldn't match the efficiency or range that future tech would allow.
"I think this is already a lot," Su said. "You can't compare Hong Kong to Europe or America. As long as it meets local needs, it's enough."
"Right, we'll gradually improve," Yang nodded.
Everything had to be improved step by step—including supermarkets. At present, the biggest competition came from department stores and national goods stores like those operated by China Resources.
As long as his offering outperformed those, he would have an edge. Even if prices couldn't compete with state-run stores, they could position themselves differently. After all, not everything was produced on the mainland.
They made another loop and ended up at Su Yiyi's clothing shop: Home of Yiran.
"These clothes are really affordable," Yang said.
"Yep. Or as you like to say—high cost-performance ratio," Su replied with a grin.
Yang nodded. "Once the shopping center opens, I'll have the Honghua Daily and the radio station promote both of our shops. As for photos, you can take them yourself or have someone else do it. Your call."
"Sure," Su agreed cheerfully.
"Let's go check out the third floor. That's where all the food vendors are," Yang said next.
Every good mall needed good food. Without it, people wouldn't be interested in hanging around. Who comes to the mall just to shop?
"Is there lunch today?" Su asked.
"There is," Yang smiled. "But it's mostly frozen food. We can wait a bit and eat later."
…
After lunch, they took another quick tour around the mall and then returned to the Geely Building.
A personal assistant approached and said, "Mr. Yang, Pao Yue-kong from Global Shipping would like to invite you for tea."
"Pao Yue-kong?" Yang thought for a moment. "Did he mention what it's about?"
"No, sir," the assistant replied. "The call came from HSBC's Mr. Saunders. He said Mr. Pao asked him to extend the invitation. The time and place are up to you."
"Could it be about the new shipyard?" Su Yiyi guessed.
"Doesn't seem like it," Yang replied casually. "That's a minor matter now."
"Set it for tomorrow afternoon at 2 p.m. at the Peninsula Hotel," Yang instructed.
"Yes, sir," the assistant replied and left to make the arrangements.
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