Go back in time and be a chaebol

Chapter 2732 Snake's Mouth and Dragon's Mouth (First Update, Please Subscribe)
"You mean, they're interested in the north?"

In the Xu family's living room, when Xu Zhaozu looked at his son and asked him a question, he used "they" instead of "he".

Xu Zhiheng nodded and said:

"The way they do business is quite different from ours. They place great importance on information collection. Even companies like Lixin actively collect various business information and then hand it over to research companies for analysis."

After a slight pause, Xu Zhiheng recalled SEA, the company where he had once worked:

“When I worked at Hsing Tai, all the overseas offices would collect all kinds of information and report it to the company, and the senior management would make decisions based on that information.”

Hearing his son's explanation, Xu Zhaozu nodded slightly:
"No wonder they're so good at doing business. They run their businesses like they're waging war. It's really not easy!"

Xu Zhaozu said this because he was a soldier and naturally knew the importance of intelligence, both on the battlefield and in the business world.

"Yes, so they're definitely interested in the export special zones in the north. And I think they seem to be very interested in that area. Could they also be thinking of investing there? After all, the salaries there are so low, it's hard not to be tempted."

"Feeling attracted?"

Xu Zhaozu shook his head as he took a cigarette from the pack:
"You're overthinking it, Zhiheng. They won't do that."

After lighting a cigarette and taking a puff, Xu Zhaozu said:
"The differences between them are still very significant, and they probably won't consider this aspect for the time being."

Xu Zhiheng looked at his father and said:

"Dad, there are 900 million people there! A huge market of 900 million people!"

“You’re right, but…”

Xu Zhaozu glanced at his son, his eyes seeming to possess a wisdom that could see through everything.

"That's a huge factory with 900 million people, and like you said, the wages are so low."

Xu Zhiheng was stunned by his father's words and couldn't speak for a long time. Looking at his silent father, he seemed to understand why his father was able to build such a business with just over a hundred old brothers and their sweat when he had no money.

Just as this thought popped into his mind, Xu Zhaozu paused for a moment and said:

"By the way, if you're free these next few days, why don't you go over there for a visit and do some research?"

"I see,"

Since his father had given the order, Xu Zhiheng boarded the Guangzhou-Kowloon Through Train in Kowloon the following morning. This train had been suspended for decades and only resumed operation on April 4th of this year.

Since its resumption of operation, the through bus has been the preferred mode of transportation for people traveling from Hong Kong Island to Guangzhou. Naturally, it is also the first choice for Hui Chi-hang when traveling north.

Because most of the passengers on the train are Hong Kong residents and foreign guests, the Guangzhou-Kowloon Through Train was specially equipped with air conditioning and televisions to make them "comfortable." The attendants wore stylish uniforms, light makeup, and leather shoes. Imported apples, pistachios, and canned drinks were also provided. Many of these amenities are unique to mainland China.

However, for Hui Chi-hang, the first thing he noticed upon boarding was the crowding. Although there were no standing tickets, the seats were still very cramped. The resumption of the through train primarily benefited Hong Kong Island residents traveling back to their home provinces to visit relatives.

Due to the relative scarcity of resources on the mainland, many Hong Kong Island residents always try their best to bring back things for their relatives when they return home. Their suitcases are not only filled with various clothes, but also stuffed with daily necessities such as soap and laundry detergent. If there is no more room in the suitcase, they will put on some clothes. In order to bring as many clothes as possible for their relatives, some people will even wear six pairs of trousers and as many shirts as possible when going through customs, and even wear multiple layers of women's underwear.

This is why everyone looked quite bulky, making the seating somewhat cramped. However, everyone seemed used to it, and since everyone was bringing gifts for relatives, they were all understanding.

"Oh dear, I'm sorry, I wore a few extra layers, so it's a bit cramped, but I'll be getting off soon. I'm going to Bao'an, sir. And you?"

Hearing the man's apology, Xu Zhiheng smiled and replied.

"I also got off at Bao'an."

"Oh, you're from Bao'an too?"

Then the man looked him up and down, and shook his head, saying:
"No, sir must have been in Bao'an for an inspection,"

The reason he was easily recognizable was because he carried little luggage and was only wearing a wool coat. The man sized him up, then glanced at the beautiful woman opposite him, also wearing a wool coat. She had attracted considerable attention the moment she boarded the bus, not because of her looks, but because she wasn't wearing multiple layers of clothing. He asked:

"This lady over there must be your secretary, right? Shall we go on the inspection together?"

Upon hearing this, Lou Xiao'e, who was sitting opposite, waved her hands repeatedly and said:

"No, sir, you've misunderstood. I'm going to Guangzhou..."

Xu Zhiheng also explained:
"Yes, I'm alone, I've come to Bao'an to take a look."

As he explained, he glanced at the woman opposite him; she was in her thirties, with a pretty face and the roundness typical of a young married woman. She was a very beautiful woman.

Not only beautiful, but also capable, he heard the woman ask:

"Are you planning to invest in Bao'an, sir?"

"I'm just taking a look first; there might not be investment opportunities in the industry I'm in."

Upon hearing this, Lou Xiao'e asked curiously:

"Oh, what industry do you work in, sir?"

"Steel, Changhai Steel, Xu Zhiheng."

Xu Zhiheng voluntarily gave his name.

"Changhai Steel, Changhai, Changhai... It sounds familiar."

After thinking for a while, Lou Xiao'e seemed to have thought of something and said:
"Ah, I remember now, it's the old Changhai ship dismantling company, right? You just acquired Dadong, and Dadong has a steel mill."

Xu Zhiheng asked curiously:

"Miss, you're in this line of work too?"

"I've only read about Changhai in the newspaper. I'm in the clothing and electronics business. I'm here in Guangzhou to discuss some business."

"Is it a clothing business?"

While others were discussing visiting relatives, Hui Chi-hang and Lou Hiu-ngor were talking about business. The two got along very well. Compared to Hui Chi-hang, Lou Hiu-ngor, who had traveled to and from the mainland many times, knew the mainland better, and besides, she had only been in Hong Kong for a little over ten years.

With someone to accompany them, time flew by. When the train arrived in Bao'an, the two of them realized that they had been chatting all the way.

When Xu Zhiheng got out of the car, he made a point of exchanging business cards with him and made an appointment to have morning tea sometime.

After getting off the train, Xu Zhiheng looked back at the carriage amidst the crowd and saw Lou Xiao'e waving to him through the window. He waved back and then followed the crowd toward customs.

He quickly passed through customs. This was his first time here, and everything around him was unfamiliar. There were few cars on the street, and unlike Hong Kong Island, there were no tall buildings everywhere. Instead, there were low-rise houses and a few two-story tiled roofs. In the distance, he could vaguely see a few white buildings. The overall color scheme was gray and black. The only bright color was a huge red slogan on a wall in the distance, with neat and orderly lettering.

Outside the station, there were many people wearing dark blue cotton-padded jackets; the people here dressed almost uniformly in blue, gray, and green. In the square in front of the train station, many people sat on bicycles soliciting business. However, there were more than a dozen cars parked outside the station. Lou Xiao'e had told him on the train that these were taxis, specifically for Hong Kong residents and foreign visitors.

Just as he was about to walk in that direction, someone quietly approached him and asked:
"Sir, do you have Hong Kong dollars? I can offer a high price..."

Sure enough, just as Lou Xiao'e had said, there were foreign exchange dealers here. According to the official rate, it would take about 5 Hong Kong dollars to exchange for 1 Hong Kong dollar, but because the demand for Hong Kong dollars was high, its value was far higher than the official rate. Therefore, foreign exchange dealers were often willing to pay a high price to exchange for Hong Kong dollars.

So, according to Lou Xiao'e's introduction, Xu Zhiheng only used 1000 Hong Kong dollars to exchange for 300 yuan. Soon, he took a taxi to Shekou. On the way to the city, he saw many thatched huts in the fields by the roadside, and many people were busy working there. Dozens of tractors were leveling the ridges of the fields.

Seeing that everyone was wearing green uniforms, Xu Zhiheng asked:
"Who are they? Are they soldiers?"

"Sir, you can tell at a glance that they are all railway soldiers sent by the state, here specifically to carry out construction."

The taxi driver explained to Xu Zhiheng:

“These days, railway soldiers come by train every day. Look, sir, over there... those green tents, they've set them up. Let me tell you, the factories here are being built very quickly. If you invest and set up a factory here, there will soon be a lot of factories here…”

As the taxi driver recounted all this, his tone was full of anticipation. But what did Xu Zhiheng see when he looked out the window at the bustling construction site of Shekou?
It's not just a construction site with massive building activity; it's a signal that everything seems to be different now.

Who would have thought that they would also establish an industrial zone and start developing foreign trade through exports?
Is this road really that easy to travel?
After the car arrived at the guesthouse, although the conditions there were very poor, what was on Xu Zhiheng's mind?
It's a change!
The changes that have taken place on this land in the past year have been astonishing.

From the reopening of the Guangzhou-Kowloon Railway, to this bustling construction site, and even Lou Xiao'e, whom I met by chance on the train, who was going to Guangdong to do clothing business.

The changes Xu Zhiheng felt were unlike anything he had ever experienced before. Gazing out the window at this land, and thinking of the place name, he couldn't help but think of the "Dragon Tiger Fight" he had eaten before, and then he muttered to himself:
"The snake's mouth... a snake transformed into a dragon must spit out a pearl. The snake's mouth... is actually the dragon's mouth! Hmm, this place will really develop in the future, and it will become the new dragon's mouth!"

Does this place name foreshadow an unlimited future for this place?

Like most Hong Kong people, Hui Chi-hang believes in feng shui. Although he doesn't understand it himself, he naturally associates many things with this place name.

Is this possible?
Xu Zhiheng did not know the answer.

However, the world changes so fast that anything is possible.

(End of this chapter)