Chapter 263: Taking on the Mainland Grain Shipping Business
On February 5th, the Lunar New Year arrived once again.
For Yang Wendong, this marked his fifth New Year since arriving in Hong Kong after his transmigration—and this one held special significance. Because this year, the Yang family was no longer a trio. There was now an addition: his son.
Little Zhiwen was already eight months old, had grown a few teeth, and could crawl around actively.
"Here it is—tomato fish! My own invention, give it a taste," Yang Wendong said with a grin.
This year, Su Yiyi had suddenly said she wanted to cook the New Year's meal herself. Ever since the family had become wealthy, she hadn't touched the kitchen much.
Yang Wendong happily agreed. Cooking together once in a while wasn't just about the food—it was a meaningful ritual. So he joined in.
But if he was going to cook, it had to be something unique. After thinking long and hard, he realized that the tomato fish soup he used to love in his previous life wasn't something commonly seen in 1960s Hong Kong, so he decided to make it himself.
"It smells good, but it looks a bit odd," Su Yiyi commented, eyeing the tomato broth filled with fish slices and various vegetables.
Yang Wendong laughed. "Just try it."
"Okay." Su Yiyi picked up some fish and cabbage with her chopsticks and took a bite.
"Well?" Yang Wendong asked expectantly.
Chewing for a moment, Su Yiyi nodded. "It actually tastes really good! Mom, you've got to try this."
"Really?" Auntie Guo, their long-time housekeeper, looked doubtful. After all, she had watched Yang Wendong grow up and could count on one hand the number of times he had cooked.
Back in the days when they were poor, Yang Wendong had been the family breadwinner, working hard outside every day. Meals were prepared by Auntie Guo and her daughter. After they became wealthy, he cooked even less.
After taking a bite, Auntie Guo looked surprised. "It really is tasty. I don't think I've ever had anything like this in Hong Kong."
"It's a dish from the Chongqing region in the mainland. I came across the recipe by chance," Yang Wendong explained with a smile.
Su Yiyi said, "No wonder it's unfamiliar—so good!"
"It's delicious, yes, but it uses a lot of ingredients. Good for a restaurant, not so practical at home," Auntie Guo noted.
Although they were wealthy and could afford any ingredients, people who had known poverty rarely wasted food.
"Yeah, it's something for special occasions. You wouldn't want to eat it all the time," Yang Wendong said. "Let's get the chef to learn how to make it later."
"Okay." Su Yiyi nodded.
"Time to eat," Yang Wendong said again.
"Wait," said Auntie Guo, pulling out two small embroidered pouches. "These are lucky blessing charms I got at the temple. One for each of you—to keep you safe and healthy this year."
Su Yiyi looked at the embroidery and asked, "Mom, did you go to Wong Tai Sin Temple today?"
"Yep, had to queue for a long time to get these," Auntie Guo chuckled.
Yang Wendong said, "Yiyi, keep it. What we need most is peace and safety."
The Yang family no longer needed blessings for wealth. What they needed most was protection.
"Mm." Su Yiyi carefully tucked the charm away.
"Alright, let's eat," Auntie Guo said with a smile. "Dong, the fifth day of the New Year is for worshiping the God of Wealth. Want to go together? You're a businessman after all."
"I suppose we should," Yang Wendong nodded after a moment's thought.
In his previous life, Yang Wendong hadn't believed in such things. But now, after transmigrating, he figured it was either alien technology or maybe the divine was real…
And people in this era were very devout—especially in Hong Kong, where many business tycoons were firm believers in feng shui and fortune-telling. Some even paid their feng shui masters more than their company executives.
When in Rome, do as the Romans do. There was no harm in going. And it gave his family peace of mind.
"Great, let's go together," Auntie Guo said with a big smile.
The New Year holidays passed quickly, and in a blink, it was the fifth day.
Yang Wendong took his family, along with several bodyguards and assistants, to Wong Tai Sin Temple.
As one of the most renowned temples in Hong Kong, Wong Tai Sin had been founded in 1921. Located in the Wong Tai Sin district at the southern foot of Lion Rock, the temple worshipped multiple deities from Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism—including Confucius and Guanyin. Its syncretic nature was one of its defining features.
In no time, Yang Wendong and his family finished their offerings.
"Had I known it would be this easy, I would've brought you along last time," Auntie Guo joked.
"No need," Yang Wendong smiled. "You can just write my name next time."
The temple had many visitors, but even a charitable institution had VIP tiers. Hong Kong's wealthiest elite had their own spaces to pray.
On the way out, Yang Wendong spotted a familiar figure.
"Mr. Huo," Yang Wendong called out. It was Huo Yingdong.
It wasn't unusual to run into familiar faces on a day like today. Many Hong Kong tycoons believed in feng shui. Yang Wendong wasn't surprised.
Huo Yingdong had already seen Yang Wendong and returned the greeting with a smile. "Mr. Yang, hello."
"Did you just finish as well?" Yang Wendong asked.
Huo Yingdong nodded. "Yes, just finished. You're a believer too?"
"Somewhat," Yang Wendong replied with a grin.
"I'm quite devout," Huo Yingdong admitted. "When I was younger, my mother was gravely ill. Doctors said it was hopeless. I turned to prayer, and she gradually recovered.
Later, during my entrepreneurial journey, I faced many crises. My mother prayed each time, and I always pulled through."
"I've heard that you have great faith in feng shui masters. Now I see why," Yang Wendong said with a light laugh.
Several of Hong Kong's super-rich, including Huo Yingdong and Li Ka-shing, were known for their unwavering belief in feng shui. Some even employed full-time feng shui consultants.
Huo Yingdong asked, "Are you praying for business?"
"Not entirely," Yang Wendong replied. "Mostly praying for health and peace."
"Me too. Though I also prayed to the Dragon King," Huo Yingdong said. "I hope the weather will return to normal. Too many people are suffering right now."
"You're referring to the mainland?" Yang Wendong asked.
Hong Kong was certainly struggling with the drought, but the situation wasn't at its worst yet. People were still managing.
But in mainland China, where the economy was weak and agriculture was the backbone, abnormal weather was disastrous.
"Yes. I go up to the mainland quite often. Things are tough there," Huo Yingdong said.
Yang Wendong sighed. "There's not much we can do if it doesn't rain. No one can change the heavens."
Most Hongkongers couldn't travel to the mainland, but Huo Yingdong was an exception. He could come and go freely.
After a pause, Huo Yingdong asked, "Mr. Yang, do you have time now? There's something I'd like to discuss with you."
"Sure," Yang Wendong replied. "There's a park nearby. We can sit there and talk."
"Perfect," said Huo Yingdong with a smile.
…
Yang Wendong instructed his family to return home first, then walked with Huo Yingdong to a nearby park. They found a quiet bench and sat down.
Huo Yingdong glanced around and said, "This is a good spot—quiet. No one can eavesdrop. It's safer than a hotel."
"Yes, an open space is actually the safest," Yang Wendong nodded in agreement.
Before the invention of compact wireless eavesdropping devices, no hotel could be safer than a place with no one around.
Huo Yingdong smiled and said, "Very well. I had actually been looking for an opportunity to visit you, Mr. Yang Wendong. I didn't expect to run into you today by chance. There's something I'd like to ask for your help with—it's a business collaboration."
"A collaboration? In real estate?" Yang Wendong raised an eyebrow with interest.
In Hong Kong's real estate industry, Huo Yingdong was a pioneer. As early as more than a decade ago, he was already a well-known Chinese real estate tycoon. It was he who initiated the concept of pre-sale and unit-based sales, which led to the rapid growth of Hong Kong's property sector.
It was said that in the 1950s, Huo Yingdong could invest just HKD 200,000 to develop a real estate project worth HKD 5 million and walk away with more than HKD 1 million in profit.
After so many years, no one really knew the full extent of the Huo family's wealth, but it was certainly in the tens of millions—possibly even hundreds of millions.
If it hadn't been for political suppression in 1967, figures like Li Ka-shing might never have risen to prominence in the 1980s.
Huo Yingdong shook his head. "No, it's about shipping."
"Shipping?" Yang Wendong was surprised. "Mr. Huo, are you looking to get into the maritime industry?"
Huo Yingdong shook his head again. "Not exactly. I'm looking to import a large quantity of grain from overseas, and that requires a lot of cargo ships. I heard you recently purchased nearly 20 vessels, so I thought we might be able to collaborate on this."
"Grain?" Yang Wendong immediately understood and asked in a lower voice, "You're looking to transport grain to the mainland?"
"Not to purchase it—just the transport," Huo Yingdong replied honestly. "Mr. Yang Wendong, due to poor harvests recently, the mainland needs to import grain from overseas.
Shipping companies around Asia are stretched thin, and with your recent purchase of 20 ships, I thought you might be in a position to help."
Yang Wendong nodded and asked, "How much grain is the mainland looking to import? Is it all coming through Hong Kong?"
"I don't know the exact amount," Huo Yingdong admitted, "but last year it was around 5.8 million tons. This year, it's likely to be even more.
Naturally, this will put huge pressure on shipping resources. As you know, the mainland didn't have many foreign trade relationships a few years ago, nor any long-range shipping fleet of its own.
Hong Kong won't be the only port, but it will be one of the most important. That means there will be a need for ships here to assist with transportation."
Yang Wendong asked, "Which countries are supplying the grain?"
"The U.S., Canada, South America, Australia, Europe—they don't rely on any single source," Huo Yingdong said. "I've also heard that your cargo ships are used to transport your own products to Europe and the U.S. If they carry grain on the return trip, wouldn't that be perfect?"
"Indeed, it's a good fit," Yang Wendong nodded. "But I can't commit just yet. I'll speak with the leadership at my shipping company tomorrow.
If there are no issues, I'll have my team contact your representative?"
"No need to go through me," Huo Yingdong waved his hand. "This is being coordinated by China Resources. I'm just helping them look for suitable partners. I'll have someone from China Resources get in touch with your side directly. How does that sound?"
"That works." Yang Wendong nodded. "But if the mainland is facing a grain shortage, is Hong Kong's grain supply still coming from the mainland?"
"Yes. The mainland has a supply agreement with Hong Kong," Huo Yingdong explained. "Even in difficult times, they still supply us, but it's clearly straining their resources.
That's why this plan includes importing grain from overseas specifically for the Hong Kong market. Doing this helps reduce pressure on domestic supply and avoids unnecessary transport costs.
However, this only applies to staple grains—vegetables and meat will still be imported from the mainland."
"I see." Yang Wendong nodded. "I'll confirm things on my end tomorrow and invite someone from China Resources over for formal discussions."
"Excellent, Mr. Yang Wendong—quick and decisive as always," Huo Yingdong praised. "You can negotiate the pricing directly with them."
"Understood."
...
The next morning, Yang Wendong arrived at Jili Tower.
"Mr. Yang Wendong," Zheng Yuhua had already anticipated his visit and came promptly.
"Take a seat," Yang Wendong said. "How's the matter I asked about yesterday?"
Yesterday morning at Wong Tai Sin Temple, after meeting with Huo Yingdong, Yang Wendong had immediately called Zheng Yuhua, asking her to investigate the grain transport issue in half a day.
"I got on it right away after your call," said Zheng Yuhua. "I also asked Mr. Qin Zhiyi to help. According to our findings, the mainland imported approximately 5.8 million tons of grain last year.
And this year, the numbers are expected to be even higher. This shows that demand is increasing rapidly."
Yang Wendong nodded. "And I assume they don't have enough ships?"
"Most likely not," Zheng Yuhua said. "Previously, the mainland didn't have a long-range shipping fleet. Their trade with the West was minimal.
Now that they suddenly need to import such massive quantities of grain, a shipping shortage is inevitable.
China Resources has already contracted several overseas shipping companies, but many of them are foreign firms who are taking advantage and raising their rates.
As for Chinese-owned shipping companies—most are either too small or hesitant to get involved."
"What's there to be afraid of? Transporting grain isn't illegal. The West hasn't restricted food trade," Yang Wendong said, shaking his head.
Even during tense Cold War conditions, food was rarely sanctioned.
Now, with the mainland buying and the West selling, both sides stood to benefit. There was no reason to block the trade.
"Mr. Yang Wendong, are you thinking of taking on the grain shipping business?" Zheng Yuhua asked.
"Yes. Our ships are already headed to Europe and the U.S. anyway. It would actually improve efficiency to bring back grain on the return trip," Yang Wendong said.
Compared to other types of cargo, bulk goods like grain were relatively easy to handle. Packaged in sacks, easy to stack, quick to load—perfect for saving time at ports.
This was advantageous for Changxing Shipping, which valued time and efficiency.
"Understood," Zheng Yuhua replied. "I'll contact China Resources and set up a meeting. In terms of pricing, what's our bottom line?"
Yang Wendong thought for a moment. "Just enough to break even. Don't be like the foreign firms gouging them—I'm not looking to make big profits off this."
For any other product, he might take a market-based approach. But this was grain—an essential good. There were countless ways to make money; he didn't need to profit from this.
In fact, even breaking even would be fine. Doing more might even attract unnecessary attention. There were better ways to help.
"Got it," Zheng Yuhua nodded.
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