money player

During afternoon tea, Sin Yiu Man visited the Changi Golden Garment Factory, inspecting the factory and chatting with the female workers, regardless of race, talking to both Chinese and Malays.

The female factory workers earn relatively high incomes compared to other female workers, and most of them are regular moviegoers. Their reviews of movies are very valuable.

At five o'clock, he returned to Narcissus Manor and went into the kitchen to prepare for cooking French cuisine.

While doing it, summarize the useful information in your mind.

Ode's subsidiaries in various regions, such as Ode Delire in France, Ode Montague in the UK, Ode Queensland in Australia, YouTai in Taiwan, Old Black Cat in India, and YouSingapore and Malaysia, all emphasize the development of distribution channels when they start with Ode, while those with independent names emphasize independent development.

His vision for the development of Youxing is to capture the Malay and Indonesian markets. Singapore is just a bridgehead. Once Youxing's reach extends into Malaya and Indonesia, the next step is to open Youji branch in Kuala Lumpur and Youya branch in Jakarta, respectively, to achieve localization and expansion.

Next, Yuxing's film business underwent a transformation, focusing on the distribution of Hong Kong films, Hollywood films, and European films in Singapore, while providing distribution support for its sister companies.

Singapore's film market is too small; it's not worth operating a Chinese-language film production base here. His sights are set on radio and television stations, laying the groundwork for Singapore's market after independence. Before the British leave, he wants to establish a de facto private ownership structure and hold more bargaining chips in his hands.

His future relationship with his "brother-in-law" may appear to be that of a family to the outside world, but the "brother-in-law" will be surrounded by a group of interest groups. The "brother-in-law" represents the interests of the Cai family as well as the interests of the interest groups. How should he and Cai Jinman's children conduct themselves in the face of these two interests?
From the perspective of Cai Jinman's children, integrating into the interest group is the best strategy, while remaining detached from the Xian family and outwardly representing the interests of the interest group.

However, from the perspective of the Sin family, the personal interests of Cai Jinman's children are not the whole story. In his strategic plan, Singapore is merely a hub for the movement of personnel and funds, radiating outwards to East Asia, including Southeast Asia, with personnel and funds moving in and out quickly through this transit point.

The relationship between the Sin family and the Singaporean forces represented by the "brother-in-law" or others is more like a strategic partnership, with shared interests but also potential conflicts of interest.

To put it simply, Sin Yiu-man only feels inferior to his brother-in-law in the title of brother-in-law; in all other aspects, he wants to be superior. In their relationship, Choi Hin-wing will mainly play the role of balancing the brother-in-law's mindset—"I'm superior to my father, so I can put on airs with my son, okay?"
He will help his "brother-in-law" have the last laugh. This help is not following, but supporting, support from above. This is the Sin family's position in Singapore. The Sin family will not shout "Long live the brother-in-law" or "overlord" him. They are partners, seeking common ground while reserving differences, and finding a balance of interests in the face of conflict.

In the future, the Cai family will be an important resource for the Xian family in Singapore, but they cannot be the only resource, nor can they be without checks and balances. They must have the ability to overturn the table. If the old Cai family cannot cooperate, they may turn to the old Li family or the old Huang family. Their children can replicate their current practices and form marriage alliances with other families.

According to his plan, Cai Jinman would have a son and a daughter, thus integrating into the interests of the local power; Shui Xian would have a son and a daughter, representing only the interests of the Xian family in the local area.

If Li Yueru has a daughter, and she has a strong personality and her own ideas, he should let her fly freely. He, as her father, will provide support and give her ample room to try and make mistakes. If she is willing to fulfill her obligations to the family, she can consider marriage when looking for a partner.

The "2+2+1" combination is the best. If it can be achieved, it will be easier; if it cannot, it will be more tiring. However, it would be best if Li Yueru did not give birth to a son, as he could imagine how many troubles would arise in the future.

Li Yueru wanted a child out of maternal instinct, but her desire to have a child with him was full of scheming. She clearly wanted to have a son to seize the throne, which was not what he wanted to see.

Li Yueru's son is not without the possibility of becoming his successor, but this situation can only be a helpless move for him. It means that the Xian family will undergo a reshuffle, the resources he has accumulated for the Xian family will be lost, and the Xian family's pace in the historical process will slow down.

If one step is slow, everything else will follow. His great-grandson might end up as a programmer at a major internet company, following the instructions of AI leaders and writing information firewall rules for AI.

Perhaps when you ask the AI ​​system "1951 Sin Yiu-man", the AI's answer will be "the male protagonist of a web novel written by a lousy author that nobody reads", instead of triggering the correct answer.

His arrangements for the grain, vegetable and water industries were for the benefit of Cai Jinman's children, and he was ready to sacrifice them for the common interests of the Cai and Xian families at any time. How could food and drinking water security be in the hands of private individuals? The "brother-in-law" vowed to defend the people's right to fill their stomachs and nationalize Itman and Waterman.

This is about seeking common ground, while the arrangements in finance and media are about reserving differences and maintaining checks and balances.

The media, including radio, television, and newspapers—the mouthpiece and voice of public opinion—need to maintain a certain degree of independence and should not unconditionally cooperate with the rulers in artificially creating information cocoons.

The media must be just, and can only be just.

Radio Asia and Television Asia's principle is to never tell lies, but out of a sense of justice, while also considering cost-saving, they selectively, one-sidedly, and out of context tell the truth.

The big picture, the future that is still invisible and intangible, is planned in this way; the thing to consider now is to take the first step.

In 1951, the Malay film market was almost monopolized by two companies: Run Run Shaw's Malay Film Company and Loke Wan Tho's Cathay Crest Productions. The former was stronger, while the latter was slightly weaker.

Although producing Malay-language films is not the focus of either company, and the annual production volume is extremely limited, only in the single digits, Youxing's entry into this field will undoubtedly threaten their interests. Right now, he not only has to conceive a Malay-language film that can become an instant hit, but also has to think about how to communicate with the two of them, so as to be able to get in without making them too disgusted.

After chopping some ingredients, he went to the wine cellar, picked out two bottles of red wine, put them in the kitchen, opened a coconut, chopped up the coconut meat, and took it to the woods outside.

A makeshift chicken coop was set up under a tree, housing chickens that Shui Xian had brought back from Lixia Farm, including Wenchang capons and roosters.

"Hee hee, hee hee."

He shooed the capon aside, placed the bowl of shredded coconut next to the two roosters, and muttered, "Don't say I didn't warn you, this is your last meal. Whoever eats the most will be slaughtered."

Set it aside and let the two roosters enjoy it.

One rooster had glossy feathers, exuded a powerful aura, and even a hint of malice; the other had duller feathers and lacked the same imposing presence, clearly indicating it didn't get enough protein and wasn't particularly adept at catching insects. The first rooster, on the other hand…

He observed carefully and concluded that this rooster was probably quite formidable in combat. It could easily catch earthworms, crickets, grasshoppers, and termites, and even centipedes couldn't withstand more than a few blows from its claws. It probably ate quite a few centipedes and was suitable to be kept and sold at a high price to wealthy people who believed in the idea that "fighting poison with poison is more nourishing." His only concern was that the rooster's body might have accumulated too many heavy metals.

Fortunately, he wasn't wrong. This rooster was indeed fierce. The other rooster only took one bite before being pecked away. It was too cowardly. In a fit of anger, he made a decision that broke the rules: he would eat it.

"The Great General of the Huang Family descends the mountain, yellow flags, yellow banners, yellow tassels, cough ya, cough ya, yo~ dong dong qiang, dong dong qiang, yellow horse, yellow saddle, yellow warrior, yellow helmet, yellow armor, yellow clothes, cough ya, cough ya, yo~ dong dong qiang, dong dong qiang, Huang Xian arrives to open the divine path, to lead his disciples to Dangyang, ai cough, cough, yo~ cough ya, cough ya, yo~"

He circled the chicken coop, muttering to himself, "Where does the Huang family general go? The first two points are the Xian family. Rooster stewed in red wine, but one chicken is missing... cough, cough, yo~"

He crossed his hands at the base of his thumbs, forming a thunder seal, lightly touched the roof of his mouth with the tip of his tongue, inhaled through his nose and exhaled through his mouth three times, and silently recited, "Disciple Xian Yaowen respectfully requests Master to speak."

After completing the procedure, his body trembled violently, his eyes lost focus, and he made the distinctive "ka ka" sound of Wong Tai Sin. After chanting a string of words, his body stopped trembling, and his eyes regained focus. He patted the top of his head and said in a high-pitched voice, "Please, immortals, take your seats and let's switch to human language."

He raised his voice and said, "Autumn is just around the corner, let's quickly get a young rooster and stew it."

"Disciple thanks Master and returns to the mountain; I'll go catch a chicken now."

"Crack, crack..."

"Yes, disciple provoked." He straightened up, turned to Xie Zhanran and said, "Guards, raise the drums."

Xie Zhanran chimed in, "What tune?"

"General's order."

Xie Zhanran chuckled, "No."

Xian Yaowen pointed at Xie Zhanran, "Your punishment is to catch chickens."

Xie Zhanran dusted off his suit. "This is a brand new suit. Look at this fabric. It'll be ruined in a second if you touch a chicken."

"Good, good, good." Sin Yiu-man gave a thumbs up. "You're all high and mighty. You're just an old-fashioned family. Take a break and let us do our own thing."

After exchanging a few words, Sin Yiu-man climbed into the chicken coop, grabbed the rooster in a few quick movements, pulled its head back to expose its neck, and plucked a single downy feather to make it easier to chop later.

Boiling water, killing the chicken, and plucking its feathers were all done in one go.

After cutting the chicken into pieces and marinating it, he cleaned the chicken feathers, washed them, and hung them outside to dry so he could use them to make feather dusters. At the same time, he wondered whether he should produce a feather-plucking machine.

He had seen hand-cranked hair removal machines at the market, and in his previous life he had also come into contact with more advanced programmable hair removal machines, which were simply changed from manual to electric, requiring no help from others, and he could draw up the blueprints himself.

The challenge lies in miniaturization and household applicability. If it's just an industrial machine, it won't sell many units. It's more promising to develop it as a home appliance. Not only can it sell more units, but it can also create gimmicky product iterations. It can produce three different machines for processing turkeys, regular chickens, and chicks. If someone tries to copy it and grab market share, it can launch a three-in-one version immediately.

Following this line of thought, he thought of juicers. Currently, most families in Europe and America still use hand-cranked juicers. Electric juicers also exist, but their popularity is not high. Now, he could try to enter the market and compete for the title of pioneer.

There are also peelers, dicers, and pitters—all low-tech gadgets, but convenient for gimmicky marketing and for salespeople to tell stories…

Hong Kong manufacturing groups should launch a separate "Leave it to collect dust" series. It looks very tempting when you see the advertisement, but once you actually buy it and use it once or twice, it will be left to collect dust in a corner. You can't say that the product is bad; it's just that you've lost the desire to use it.

Yes, these are lifestyle-oriented appliances that are inexpensive and have a certain flair. They seem practical, but we don't use them much. This largely avoids after-sales issues. We make a quick buck, sell the patent, and reinvest the profits into the research and development of truly practical appliances.

The idea was being perfected in his mind. He was mechanically busy at the stove, simmering a rooster in red wine over a low flame, making a convenient French-style Italian braised pasta dish, boiling macaroni in water and setting it aside, stir-frying tomatoes in a pot, adding diced carrots and beef, adding water and simmering until soft and tender, then serving it as a topping.

In the middle, I opened a package and took out the silver cutlery that Richard Winters had given me.

Richard Winters acquired a considerable amount of silver cutlery during his looting of the Berchtesgaden Hotel, including sterling silver knives, forks, trays, and tea sets engraved with the "AH" mark. Because they were not popular in the market and were not expensive, he only sold a few sets and kept most of them in his possession.

I washed it and put it in the dish cabinet in the dining room.

I took food from the refrigerator and developed the C-3 burger and F-12 beef patty, and used the burger as a substitute for dessert.

Although none of the Old Friends stores have opened yet, the preliminary preparations are already underway. The burger making needs to be tested to find the best recipe. This best recipe is not only about the taste, but also about the cooking standards. The products must be consistent across all stores.

It's impossible to use whole cuts of beef for beef patties, as standardization and cost control cannot be guaranteed. Therefore, minced beef must be pressed into shape.

The ground beef is made from inexpensive yet carefully selected scraps. For example, steak raw materials need to be roughly trimmed before entering the restaurant. The scraps that are trimmed off are all good materials, but they are quite cheap. They can easily get "add-ons" from the slaughterhouse contract.

Friends will achieve the ultimate in cost control and taste. When they make a move, they will bankrupt a large number of burger shop owners in the United States. Friends' early store expansion will be completed on the backs of countless others.

Therefore, Friends needs an Irishman to step forward to mitigate the hostility that consumers are bound to be stirred up.

For example, in California, one must establish one's own tomato plantation and tomato sauce production plant. Coffee, iced tea, and orange juice all need to establish their own supply chains. Coca-Cola needs to negotiate with two companies first to discuss a tiered support agreement.

Essentially, Friends' initial plans were geared towards a widespread network of stores, but in practice, they took a down-to-earth approach, starting from the very first store. In the realm of Western fast food, history would certainly have been different; many brands that later became globally renowned never had the chance to emerge from their infancy.

As the dishes were being prepared, Grace arrived promptly at 6:30, holding a glass of red wine and leisurely watching Xian Yaowen bustle about.

Sin Yiu-man's busy work was coming to an end; he could start eating as soon as he finished mixing the salad.

As he stirred, he looked at Grace and asked, "What do you want?"

"what?"

"Bankman".

“Bankman,” Grace swirled her wine glass. “Bangkok, Saigon, Yangon, Kuala Lumpur, Penang, Johor Bahru, Kota Kinabalu, Kuching, Jakarta, Surabaya, Medan.”

Sin Yiu-man put down the glass bowl in his hand and said seriously, "Representing an individual or HSBC?"

"Now it's an individual, but in the future it could be HSBC."

"How can Bangkok help me break out of this predicament?"

Grace chuckled and said, "I'll vouch for you."

"So, Bankman will be adding two more shareholders?"

"Bankman, Adam, your ambition is not hard to read."

Sin Yiu-man picked up the glass bowl again, stirred it a few times, and used a fork to put some salad to Grace's mouth. After Grace took a bite, she forked some more and put it in her own mouth. While chewing, she said, "I never intended to hide it. There is a lot of wealth among the Chinese in Southeast Asia. Opening a bank that serves them can be very profitable."

Grace asked with a half-smile, "Just Chinese?"

“It’s just Chinese people for the time being.” Sin Yiu-man stirred the salad. “Would you like some more red wine vinegar?”

"I don't think it's necessary; things are just right now. What about in the long term?"

"Judging from the current situation, it seems that long-term planning is no longer up to me alone. Go sit in the dining room, we can start eating now."

"Do you need help?"

"unnecessary."

Sin Yiu-man carried the plates to the dining room, just as Narcissus returned. She set the plates and they began to eat.

Grace took a bite of the rooster meat, praised it, and said, "Adam, I invested in Bankman because I believe in your abilities, and I unconditionally support any decision you make."

What about HSBC?

"Also out of confidence in your abilities, and of course, strategic planning, a resolution was made at the annual general meeting in May that HSBC will continue to issue new shares to local Chinese-owned companies and also intends to recruit new directors. Mr. Morgan mentioned you."

"What did you say about me?"

“HSBC is undergoing a strategic transformation, transitioning from a trade bank to an industrial bank and developing industrial lending business. Mr. Morse thinks you are very suitable to manage this business.”

“Oh.” Sin Yiu-man nodded slightly. “Thank you for your kindness, Mr. Morse. However, I have lost the opportunity to wait for HSBC’s call. During my recent trip to the United States, I sold myself. After I finish this busy period, I will go to the United States to work for someone else.”

Grace asked in surprise, "Someone can actually afford to hire you?"

“I’m not very expensive, with an annual salary of $20 and travel expenses of $5.”

"There's a lot, but not much for you."

"This is just the trial period treatment. After the test, I will have the opportunity to manage assets worth billions of dollars."

"Jorge Guinno?"

"uh-huh."

“His judgment is quite good.” Grace said thoughtfully, “The $100 million has been deposited into your account, and the $100 million credit line has been opened. You can come to my office to pick it up anytime.”

“I haven’t told Michelle about your investment yet.”

Grace said nonchalantly, "I trust you. It's okay if the shareholding agreement is signed later."

“I’ll handle it as soon as possible.” Xian Yaowen picked up his wine glass. “How many shares of Bankman do you want?”

Grace also picked up her wine glass. "What's your valuation of Bankman?"

“$4000 million, I’ll negotiate with you for $2000 million.”

“Very good.” Grace paused for a moment and then said, “500 million US dollars, give me 30% of the shares, and 100 million US dollars as stock purchase, which I will deposit directly into your account.”

“The price is negotiable, but there are too many shares.”

"HSBC won't ask for too much, especially given your current valuation."

"That's still too much. $350 million, 20%, I want to take $150 million."

“$550 million, 30%, you can take $200 million.”

“I want to withdraw $250 million, just take it, without any conditions.”

Grace fell silent for a long time before saying, "Adam, you should know my requirements."

“I am very clear that you can withdraw at any time, but you need to give me a year to raise funds.”

“I don’t want to exit; I just want you to achieve the valuation.”

Sin Yiu-man raised his glass in a toast, "Grace, with your help, I am full of confidence."

Grace and Sin Yiu-man clinked glasses. "It's been a pleasure working together."

"cheers."

After dinner, Grace took her leave, and Sin Yiu-man and Narcissus took a walk in the garden.

"Sir, Bankman is worth $2000 million?"

"It's not worth it now, but it will be worth it in the future."

"Miss Sassoon is investing in the future?"

"Ah."

Narcissus rested her head on Sin Yiu-man's arm. "With HSBC as guarantor, Bankman's business in Bangkok can proceed smoothly. The master is really capable, solving problems so easily."

“It wasn’t me who approached Grace, it was her who approached me.” Xian Yaowen stopped in his tracks. “Do you know why I brought up a valuation of $4000 million?”

"Isn't this a negotiation tactic?"

"Yes and no. The $4000 million represents a commitment: I want to achieve that valuation for Bankman. There's also an implicit commitment..."

Narcissus immediately understood: "If Bankman didn't reach this valuation, won't the master start somewhere else?"

“Yes.” Xian Yaowen nodded. “I must do everything in my power to protect Grace’s interests. I cannot hold back on Bankman’s development, or I will break my promise to her.”

"Is the promise a heavy one?"

“It’s very heavy.” Xian Yaowen patted the back of Shui Xian’s hand. “The higher you go, the fewer people can sit at the same table. Once you reach a certain height, Sun Tzu’s Art of War won’t work anymore. You don’t need any tricks or schemes to do things. Everyone judges heroes by their strength and friendships by their reputation. If you don’t keep your word, you are breaking the rules, and others will have a reason and opportunity to unite and devour you.”

Shui Xian asked suspiciously, "The greater the strength, the more trustworthy they are?"

Xian Yaowen chuckled and said, "Everyone who can sit at the same table is a cunning old fox who eats people without spitting out the bones, and everyone has a bunch of strategists around them. If you raise your tail, everyone will know what you're up to. Whether it's deceiving the heavens or secretly carrying out a plan, if you dare to use it, just wait to fall into the trap that others have dug."

"Oh, they're all shrewd people, and neither of them can do anything to the other."

"Pretty much. Once you reach a certain level, conspiracies stop working; it's all about overt strategies. It's a competition of who has the longer-term vision. The Sassoon family has reached the point where they only need overt strategies, and Grace Investment is playing the overt strategy game with us."

"Bankman is nothing special; they only valued us at $2000 million. We can't do that, and she can accept her bad luck—she misjudged us. But if we could have done it and failed, then we're the ones playing tricks. Just wait for the Sassoon family to come after us."

Shui Xian hugged Xian Yaowen's waist. "So, we're under a lot of pressure?"

"A little pressure is good; pressure is what drives us." Xian Yaowen patted Shuixian on the back. "How's that piece of land going?"

"It's just started, there's not much progress yet."

"You're planning to have Yi Shui preside over this?"

“Yes.” Narcissus nodded. “Yi Shui negotiated with the landlord and got the land price down to 7 cents. He only spent 3710 yuan to buy the land.”

"Oh, it was all negotiated with just words?"

Shui Xian glanced at Xian Yaowen and said, "Master, Yi Shui is not that despicable. She did not sacrifice her body."

“That’s not what I meant. I won’t interfere with how you use people, but I need to be well aware of Yi Shui’s capabilities.”

"Yi Shui is quite capable; she will be taking a flight to Hong Kong the day after tomorrow."

"Go and take care of Hu Shan?"

"Ah."

“I heard from people at the Sing Tao Daily that Hu Wenhu is not very satisfied with Hu Shan and may remove him from his position as editor-in-chief. He may be thinking of doing something to change Hu Wenhu’s opinion of him.” Shui Xian smiled and said, “Yi Shui may be able to easily handle Hu Shan.”

"I've heard rumors that Sing Tao Daily has been losing money since April, and the board of directors is not very satisfied with Hu Shan. The two sides are mutually disgusted."

"In that case, Yishui will surely succeed immediately."

Xian Yaowen gently patted Shuixian's cheek, "You little thing, you're so fierce. I almost fell for your tricks back then."

Narcissus laughed and said, "Master is really ruthless. Luckily, I was fortunate that Lu Yuepeng helped me out of the disaster, otherwise I would have been thrown into the wilderness by Master long ago."

Xian Yaowen pinched Shuixian's cheek. "Who told you to be so greedy and think I'm a sucker? Well, we became friends after our fight, which can be considered a good story. By the way, it's best not to do anything about the Taishan Pavilion cemetery yourself. If the land is speculated on, it will give others a chance to profit."

"Does the master want others to play the villain so we can reap the benefits?"

Sin Yiu-man nodded. “That location is excellent, with huge potential for future development. The Taishan Pavilion cemetery will be relocated sooner or later; it just depends on who does it.”

"The price of resin has skyrocketed, and many people are making money without lifting a finger. Business is booming every day, with girls going to six or seven events a night, and the lady has acquired many more small pipa (traditional Chinese stringed instruments)."

"What, are you running out of female prostitutes?"

"It's not enough. They're all very generous. They look down on the courtesans and want to buy a virgin instead. These young women are so naive. They think it's easy to be a rich man's concubine. Before they've even had their honeymoon and become old women, they've already been seduced by their patrons."

Sin Yiu-man chuckled and said, "You can't say that. A virgin is easily cherished. Once she becomes an old woman and then redeems herself, the chances of her being abandoned are much higher."

“That’s true.” Narcissus nodded. “I’ve already asked my acquaintances in various mansions to keep an eye out for patrons who have become rich from rubber. We can choose from among them.”

"This is a good idea. Money that comes too easily can make people blindly confident, thinking that no money is hard to earn, and that they are the king of heaven who can do anything."

You'd better find out about the families buried in the Taishan Pavilion cemetery. If any of their relatives are troublesome, secretly help the 'lucky one' and make sure the relocation goes smoothly.

"I'm afraid the lucky ones won't be able to think of a way to relocate the graves."

"The winds of land speculation can blow out of the mansion, and the methods of relocating graves can also be told to those who are interested through Pipazi's mouth."

“I hadn’t thought of this idea if the master hadn’t mentioned it.” Narcissus chuckled. “I’ll get a few more acquaintances to chime in, and use all my savings to invite the lucky one to get rich with me.”

Sin Yiu-man said with a faint smile, "You'd better find another courtesan to connect with the British patrons at the Governor's Mansion. Rumors don't come from nowhere, and they have to have a source. Let the news about the development of that area spread from the mansion."

"Which Englishman?" Narcissus blinked. "I can't get close to the Governor's House."

"I'll take care of that." (End of Chapter)