Restarting life in Siheyuan

Zhu Xuefeng, who was preparing to leave Hong Kong, had his schedule interrupted again. His uncle came, accompanied by the Huo family.

Zhu Xuefeng then realized that his uncle had been running around for more than a year. It turned out that he was considering transforming the family business. The market ceiling of the two directions he had previously been engaged in was too low. Although he had Wu Qianqian's help, he still felt unsatisfied. His city, Xingcheng, was planning industrial upgrading, which was a rare opportunity for him. In short, Xingcheng was going to develop rapidly, and he was optimistic about the development prospects of the real estate industry, but unfortunately the scale of funds was too small.

"That's why I frequently travel to Hong Kong, hoping to find some like-minded friends. I'm honored that your Uncle Huo is willing to help me."

The uncle finished stating his request in one breath and looked at his nephew eagerly.

"You didn't have enough people, so you came to your family. Uncle, you are too polite."

Zhu Xuefeng understood that his uncle wanted to change his career. He had had this idea for some time. Unfortunately, the real estate in Hong Kong was developing very well, and no one was willing to leave Hong Kong to invest in Star City. Everyone knew that Hong Kong was developing much faster than Star City. There was no way around it. Hong Kong's international status was much higher than Star City, so it was more appropriate to stay in Hong Kong to make money.

"Originally, your uncle Huo also found a few friends, and everyone was ready to work together, but who knew that the wind direction suddenly changed here, and many people backed out. Uncle had no choice but to find you."

Li Jinglian felt a little embarrassed. Who would be willing to seek help from the younger generation? There was nothing he could do. The intention had been reached over there, but except for his good friends, everyone else here had given up and was pessimistic about the development prospects of real estate.

Zhu Xuefeng knew Star City well. This city-state had been developing rapidly since the 1960s, and its subsequent achievements were surprising. It was a good time to invest now, but his own funds seemed to have been arranged. If the investment was too large, it would affect the development of his Hong Kong industry. The profits here were definitely higher than the returns from investing in real estate in Star City, but he had to help his uncle.

Seeing that Zhu Xuefeng didn't say anything and just lowered his head in thought, Li Jinglian felt a little embarrassed that he was causing trouble for his nephew.

"Xiao Feng, if you are in trouble, uncle will think of a way. I just think this is a good opportunity and it would be a pity to lose it."

Before Zhu Xuefeng could express his opinion, Mr. Huo on the side spoke up.

"My dear nephew, I don't know what you think about the prospects of real estate development. I am quite optimistic about the development of real estate in Xingcheng. It just so happens that the real estate in Hong Kong has been affected and is showing signs of decline. It is appropriate to change places."

"Uncle Huo, you are right. I agree with your judgment on both sides of the real estate. To be honest, it is indeed a good opportunity to move to Xingcheng at this time. Uncle, your judgment is also correct. Xingcheng is now upgrading its industry, and there are a large number of suitable real estate projects worth investing in."

Mr. Huo felt relieved. Since Boss Xiao Zhu had made this judgment, the matter could be discussed. He was afraid that the judgments of the two parties would be inconsistent, and then there would be no basis for further discussion. He originally thought that the problem was not a big deal, but his friends' withdrawal of interest really caught him off guard.

The Huo family's current development projects are too large and they have some problems with funding. Not only have they vigorously developed real estate, they have also reorganized their dredging fleet. Together with the He family and four other families, they obtained a casino license in Macau and began to get involved in the gambling industry.

"Uncle, how much money do you need?"

Zhu Xuefeng thought about it and decided that it would be better to first find out the scale of funds his uncle needed so that he could make some fund adjustment plans purposefully.

"Forty million, no, thirty million Hong Kong dollars."

Zhu Xuefeng breathed a sigh of relief. For others, 50 million Hong Kong dollars was something that probably no Chinese in Hong Kong could afford. But for him, it was less than 5 million US dollars, not a big deal, and he didn't need to adjust his fund use plan.

"Uncle, no problem, whenever you want it." Seeing Zhu Xuefeng looking relieved and agreeing easily, Mr. Huo smiled.

"I'll tell you what I mean. Others may not be able to raise the money even if they sell everything they have, but your nephew is definitely the richest man in Hong Kong. Don't think he is too low-key. Haha, Lao Li, now you can start your real estate company."

"Xiao Feng, let's talk business. Although I am your uncle, let me briefly introduce this real estate company. I will invest 1.5 million US dollars, and your uncle Huo agrees to invest 2.5 million US dollars. If you invest 5 million, then the total will be 9 million US dollars. We will take the shares according to the investment, and I will go to Xingcheng to make connections."

Zhu Xuefeng looked at Mr. Huo, who looked calm and not surprised at all. He knew that the two should communicate with each other, so he nodded in agreement.

"Okay, I'll listen to my uncle. I only pay for this company, but I don't have time to manage it. It's up to my uncle and Uncle Huo to decide how it turns out."

Zhu Xuefeng was about to run away, but was stopped by Li Jinglian, who looked at his nephew with a strange look.

"Xiao Feng, I don't know how you have grown your business to such a big size. You paid me before I even finished speaking. You just walked away without me explaining the situation clearly. You don't act like a businessman."

Zhu Xuefeng scratched his head awkwardly. "Uncle, to be honest, Qianqian is the one who is in charge of all the industries in Xiangjiang. I just point out the direction of industrial development, and she helps me handle the rest."

Mr. Huo smiled, "You have a good wife. You are used to being a hands-off boss. Listen to what your uncle says first. This real estate project is a little different from the one in Hong Kong. You should listen first. Don't blame us two old ghosts for deceiving you when you don't make money."

"That's right, listen to me first."

It turned out that this real estate project was somewhat special, so many real estate companies in Xingcheng were unwilling to take it over. Only Li Jinglian, who wanted to change careers, had the opportunity to take it.

The key point is that Xingcheng wants to build a commercial district in the city center to boost commercial development in this area, but a large amount of funds have been invested in the transformation of basic industries. Now the commercial center is to be built, but there is no money to pay for it.

"Advance payment? How long will it take to get the funds back?" Zhu Xuefeng was not worried that Xingcheng would owe him money. If this real estate company invested all its cash flow in a project that could not get the money back, what would it do? There is no talk of selling the pre-sale properties yet, and if the capital chain was broken, the real estate company would go bankrupt.

Zhu Xuefeng looked at Mr. Huo strangely. He was also an old hand and his family also owned a real estate company. It was impossible for him to invest in such an obvious pit. It was a bit weird.

"Xingcheng is temporarily unable to pay, and can only wait a few years to settle. They are willing to mortgage the land first. Of course, they also need to collect rent for the mortgaged land." The uncle explained, but Zhu Xuefeng still didn't quite understand. Mortgage the land? Xingcheng is just a city. How big can it be? It seems to be only more than 700 square kilometers. There seems to be some problems. How big can a palm-sized city be mortgaged? And they also need to collect rent? Shouldn't the funds and profits for building the commercial plaza be counted as interest if they are in arrears?

"You don't have to think about the land in the city. Xingcheng is so small. Xingcheng agreed to use the use rights of two nearby islands as collateral. The islands are close to the Strait of Malacca and have a good location, not far from the shipping channel. Xingcheng is willing to lease them for fifty years. When the final settlement is made, the rent for these fifty years will be deducted."

Zhu Xuefeng was secretly shocked. With such harsh conditions, it was no wonder that no one from the local real estate companies took the offer. His uncle must be eager to change careers and wanted to seize this opportunity, so he took the offer. The strange thing was that Mr. Huo seemed to have agreed very early.

"Uncle, how much is the annual rent? Don't let the rent be higher than our capital."

Zhu Xuefeng had never dealt with people from Star City, so he thought he should ask more questions to avoid making a fool of himself. Although the money was not too much, the face of the richest man in Hong Kong could not be lost in Star City.

"Don't worry about that. They're not trying to cheat us. The two islands are less than a square kilometer each. The land is small and the rent is cheap. Each island is only $300 a year, which means it's only $ for years. Two islands for years is only $."

Li Jinglian briefly introduced the specific situation of the two small islands. There is a larger island dozens of nautical miles away, and the distance to the land is more than 80 nautical miles. There is no transportation, no wonder it is so cheap.

"The rent is not much, but uncle, these islands can only be landed by ship, and transportation is inconvenient. What use will it have if we get them?"

Seeing that his nephew did not understand his uncle's good intentions at all, Mr. Huo could not help but speak up, "My dear nephew, it is useless to others, but it is useful to us. Now that they want to develop vigorously, they can't always rely on our fleet."

"Well, you're right. You mean I should open a shipyard on the island again?"

"Yes, this is a good thing. Your uncle is trying to support you in various ways. Your family is the undisputed leader in Hong Kong's shipbuilding industry. It is only natural for you to help produce cargo ships. With your uncle's connections, no one can compete with you. There are no good shipyards there, and the two you acquired are the most famous in Southeast Asia."

Zhu Xuefeng waved his hand. "That was before World War II. It's not the same now. The shipyard attached to it is very powerful now. Let's not talk about me building a shipyard. Uncle Huo, what about you? You got an island, but you only have the right to use it for 50 years. What are you going to do with it?"

Mr. Huo smiled. "As for me, of course I'm doing my old job, digging sand. Now many people in Xiangjiang are against me digging sand, saying that it will disturb the feng shui of Xiangjiang, and they won't let me dig sand anymore. I can only find another place to dig sand. You know what's going on with Xiangjiang Real Estate now."

Zhu Xuefeng nodded to indicate that he understood, and Mr. Huo continued.

"If nothing unexpected happens, no one in Hong Kong will use my sand in the next few years. I have to find a way to make a living. Since they are vigorously developing infrastructure here, of course I have to help out, haha."

Zhu Xuefeng raised his thumb and said, "Uncle Huo, you are this. When it comes to real business, I am far inferior to you."

Zhu Xuefeng had figured it out. Building a pier and a few docks seemed like a good idea. Fifty years would be enough for him. A commercial plaza? Wu Qianqian's plaza was built with an investment of only over 38 million Hong Kong dollars, less than 7 million US dollars. Nine million was basically enough. If it didn't work out, he could borrow some more money on his own, and it wouldn't count as a shareholding.

"Okay, since you two want to help me so much, let's do it."

Zhu Xuefeng actually thought a lot about it. Xingcheng is right on that narrow and long coastline, just a little further south, and it is also across Malacca from Yinni. If there is a piece of land here, Zheng Xun and Zheng Dayong on the opposite side can also get support easily. This seems to be something that can be used.

"My dear nephew, I suggest that you pay more attention to this city when you have time. I am optimistic about its development. Don't just listen to us two old guys and make hasty decisions. Since this city is going to adjust its industrial layout, there should be many opportunities. You can ask Qianqian to take people to investigate. A city that wants to vigorously develop basic manufacturing industries has a great demand for logistics."

Combining what he had seen and heard in later life, Zhu Xuefeng understood that what Mr. Huo said was true, and he nodded in agreement. Seeing that his nephew was so eager to follow his advice, Li Jinglian also smiled and said, "Now Xingcheng is changing its previous model of collecting tolls from ships and doing some re-export trade, and turning to the development of manufacturing and commerce. It is indeed highly dependent on logistics. Coincidentally, Xingcheng basically has no ocean-going fleets. Not only do you have a fleet, but you also have routes here. These are advantages that others do not have. Let Qianqian go and investigate. This is really a good opportunity."

Although Star City is located in the Strait of Malacca, it has almost no shipping capacity of its own. It can only rely on collecting tolls from passing ships and doing some re-export trade. If it wants to revitalize commercial trade, it must solve the logistics problem.

Now, apart from Fuso, the largest airlines and fleets in Southeast Asia are all in Hong Kong, including Hong Kong's shipbuilding industry, which is under their control. The carrying capacity of air feeder lines also accounts for the majority of Star City's external shipping.

"Uncle, thank you two masters for your guidance. Don't worry, I will arrange for someone to go over and investigate and negotiate. I will let Qianqian arrange it when she gets home from get off work."

Li Jinglian was very happy to see his nephew agreed so readily. He knew that these two things would definitely make a lot of money in Xingcheng's future commercial trade and the labor-intensive industrial logistics that were about to be launched.

"Uncle, for this project, Uncle Huo and I have other income to make up for it, but you, if you can't get the money back for a few years, the real estate company will be in danger. How about I give some more money as a loan to the real estate company?"

Li Jinglian was a little embarrassed. His original idea was to use this project to earn some fame in the industry, and then use the limited funds to take on some small projects. After a few years, he would expand massively after he had sufficient funds. He did not expect his nephew to be so considerate.

"It won't cause any trouble to your business, will it?"

"Of course not, uncle, don't worry. If we are going to do this, we should make it big and become the industry leader. Don't you think this makes sense?"

"As expected of a young man, he is courageous. Old Li, I am convinced that it is no accident that your nephew has made it to this point. I would not even dare to think about it."

"Honey, is what you said true? You are going to invest tens of millions of Hong Kong dollars there and build a shipyard. We have a plan for the use of funds here. Even if we squeeze in, we can only guarantee the completion of one of the projects."

On the third floor of the Repulse Bay Villa, the two were snuggling together. Today's spying lasted for a long time. Wu Qianqian was handling affairs at the company and did not participate in the whole process. The man only explained to her now. (End of this chapter)