Return to 1958 and build a century-old giant

Chapter 944 Mainland Charitable Investment and Investment in Jianlibao
After the Golden Dragon Fish matter was settled, Zhou Haoran immediately arranged for people to register the name Golden Dragon Fish globally, and then arranged for people to go to Europe, America, Japan and Southeast Asia to find suitable acquisition targets.
Yang Wendong would not participate in the process of these things; he only needed to know the final outcome.

The Golden Dragon Fish brand is indeed a big business, but at present, it is not large in scale, so there is no need to pay too much attention to it.

After visiting the deep sea for a few days, Yang Wendong discussed the Yantian Port with the senior management of the deep sea company. Yang Zhiwen also participated, but did not speak throughout the discussion.

Some aspects of cooperation have been almost finalized. This time, it's a decision made at the highest level. After that, all the details will be reported to the central government. Once the central government approves, construction can begin.

On September 22, Yang Wendong left Shenhai City and went to Sanshui County, which is under the jurisdiction of FS City in eastern Guangdong Province.

After learning about the situation, Guangdong Province and FS City quickly dispatched relevant officials to accompany them. Other cities in China, although they do not have the special policies of the four special economic zones, also have the task of attracting investment.

Once you establish a connection with Yang Wendong, one of Hong Kong's top tycoons, even a small investment could result in a large factory with a reach of thousands or even tens of thousands of people, generating millions or even tens of millions of US dollars in foreign exchange annually.

Cities across the country are extremely envious of Yang Wendong's investments in special economic zones, Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou over the years, but often, without connections, it's difficult to even meet with him.
FS City knew this was its opportunity and sent several leaders who were good at business.
However, they didn't understand why Yang Wendong, a top Hong Kong tycoon, would come to Sanshui, such a poor little county.

All the leaders of Sanshui County were naturally there to welcome them at the entrance of the county government. Yang Wendong and others shook hands with each of the officials and also got to know the names of several key officials.
After entering the government building, Yang Wendong and others were first taken to a conference room, where everyone was provided with warm tea in white mugs with the words "Labor is Glorious" engraved on them.

"I haven't seen this kind of cup in a long time." Yang Wendong looked at the cup in his hand and fell into deep thought.
Including the 20-plus years of this life and the 20-plus years of the previous life, it's almost 50 years in total, which is quite typical of the 80s and 90s.
The others didn't think much of it, assuming the boss must have used it in mainland China a few years ago. Yang Zhiwen said, "Daddy, we can buy some to take back with us."

"Okay, go buy some. We'll see if you need them later." Yang Wendong didn't care about the details and looked at his son, asking, "This is your first time visiting a poor area in the interior. How does it feel?"

"It was indeed very poor, much poorer than the American countryside I had visited before, and much worse than the working-class areas of Hong Kong in my childhood memories," Yang Zhiwen recalled.

He was born with a silver spoon in his mouth, but he occasionally travels to various places in Hong Kong, including the countryside.

But no matter what, it's much better than here. On the way here, because of the rain, the road was full of puddles and mud. If I hadn't been in a car, I would have been covered in mud and water.

"That's the situation in the mainland right now. In comparison, the poor counties in eastern Guangdong Province are much better off than those in the inland areas."

Yang Wendong remarked with emotion, "In the future, while the group continues to do business in China, it will also need to engage in some charitable activities, including education, healthcare, and other related issues. You should also keep that in mind in the future."

Yang Zhiwen replied, "Yes, I understand. Wherever we do business, as long as the scale is large, we have to do some charity work appropriately."

“That’s one aspect,” Yang Wendong shook his head and said, “On the other hand, we are all Chinese, so naturally we need to help other Chinese people more. Overseas, those are just business dealings, but here, we need to invest some genuine charity.”

Many Chinese people are still living in extreme poverty, possibly not having enough to eat, or struggling to survive the winter. At least those whose lives are threatened need appropriate assistance.

Furthermore, doing more of these things will undoubtedly benefit you more in the future. We Chinese are no less capable than white people. Now, with a comprehensive focus on the economy, the mainland will definitely become a true superpower. Providing timely assistance in the early stages will be far better than simply adding to someone's existing success later.

As a time traveler, he naturally knew about the situation in the future mainland and what to do;
However, the second generation of the Yang family may not be able to make accurate judgments, so he still needs to remind them.

Yang Zhiwen asked, "Does Daddy want me to take charge of the charity work in China?"

"I suppose so. It will be one of your future tasks." Yang Wendong nodded and said, "This will greatly help you build your network in the mainland. You will be in charge of everything."

Even though his eldest son received a very good education, it was too early for him to take over his business.
Letting them take over the charity business in full wouldn't be a bad idea, since we're not expecting any monetary returns anyway, but rather considering it as a long-term endeavor.

“Okay, so what is the focus of charity?” Yang Zhiwen asked.

Yang Wendong thought for a moment and said, "Prioritize supporting the construction of primary and secondary schools and township hospitals nationwide, so that children can go to school and have enough to eat, and sick people can receive the most basic medical treatment. Let's leave it at that for now."

Charity involves too many projects, but Yang Wendong's personal philosophy is that saving lives is the most important thing, and when it involves life-threatening situations, it is definitely the most important thing.
However, even with immense wealth, it's impossible to help everyone when facing hundreds of millions of people. Therefore, we can only build some hospitals to make things easier for people in rural towns.

Education is the second most important aspect. It's not just about the children's future; the more education these children receive, the greater their future contributions will be, and the more important it will be for the economic development of the entire society. It's similar to investing now, but there will be returns in a decade or so.

Furthermore, the mainland government will inevitably show goodwill towards these people in the future. Perhaps they invested a lot in the early stages and did not see any obvious returns, but as the domestic economy develops in the future, these will also provide feedback in other ways.
Besides, even without a return, he would be happy. After all, his money was just a bunch of numbers, and with the development of the electronics industry, the opportunities in Japanese real estate, and so on, his wealth would grow exponentially in the future.

There's no point in keeping so much money in the bank; you can't possibly spend it all. You might as well take it out and do something that a Chinese person should do.

Yang Zhiwen nodded in agreement, saying, "Okay, then when I have time later, I will also visit some inland rural areas."

“Okay, let’s go take a look, but safety is paramount. Bring plenty of bodyguards. Also, invite the local government and police to go with us. Don’t go on your own blindly.” Yang Wendong reminded, “Some places in the mainland are still not very safe, so be cautious. Also, be careful about natural disasters. Don’t go to the mountains when it’s raining heavily.”

In the 80s, there were crackdowns, and these crackdowns were not because public security was too good.
Yang Zhiwen laughed and said, "Daddy, don't worry, I'm not a child anymore. I'll take care of my own safety."

"Okay, then." Yang Wendong nodded.
As a father, he cannot completely and strictly control his children for his entire life; even the emperors of ancient times could not do so.
Furthermore, a child is an independent person with their own thoughts and freedom, and no one should force them too harshly.
After a while, an official meeting was held, and Yang Wendong expressed his wish to visit the Jianlibao factory in Sanshui County.

This was not unexpected for several officials, because Sanshui County, a poor place, had nothing much to offer except for the recently popular Jianlibao.

At Yang Wendong's suggestion, Yang Zhiwen announced that he would donate to build ten primary schools, two middle schools, and six township hospitals in Sanshui County, which immediately delighted the leaders of Sanshui County and FS City. A group of people then set off in a grand procession to the Jianlibao factory. However, a small incident occurred along the way: a car from Sanshui County broke down halfway there.
Unfortunately, it was raining at that moment, so Yang Wendong immediately ordered that he squeeze out a car and set off again.

This has made some people on the mainland lose face, but there's nothing they can do about it;

"The Santana factory in Shanghai should be up and running by now, right?" Yang Wendong asked Director Chen, who was sitting next to him.

Director Chen quickly replied, "Yes, construction started last year, but the number of cars produced was small, and they were produced using the CKD model, which made them expensive. They were all sold to Beijing and Shanghai."

Yang Wendong asked in surprise, "Director Chen actually knows so much about this?"

Director Chen said, "Our city of FS also wanted to buy two cars, but it didn't work out. Besides, the price was too high, 8 RMB, which is five times more expensive than getting a Shanghai license plate. The city is also hesitating about whether to buy them in the future if the opportunity arises."

“In the short term, the production capacity in Shanghai is unlikely to be able to increase.” Yang Wendong continued, “You can consider the mini in Yanjing. Although it is a bit small, it is much cheaper and more stable.”

Mini cars were among the first to enter the Chinese market, and their sales in China are still quite good. However, their inherently small size makes it difficult for them to become official vehicles.

Unfortunately, in the early stages, this was the only acquisition target he could find. Meanwhile, in the UK, with his investment, plus Chrysler's help and technology licensing, a normal-sized car was being developed. If it succeeded, it could be launched in the domestic market.

“Okay, I will make the suggestion to the Municipal Party Committee,” Director Chen said.

Yang Wendong said "Hmm" and didn't say anything more.
Sanshui County is not large, and the Jianlibao factory is not far from the county government, but the road is difficult to travel. In addition, there are many pedestrians and bicycles on the road. It took half an hour to reach the destination.

At this moment, a lot of people were already waiting outside the Jianlibao factory. They had obviously received the call. Although the mainland was a bit poor, important factories still had telephones.

"Welcome, distinguished leaders, to the Sanshui Beverage Factory." The leading man greeted them hurriedly after they disembarked, "Director Wei, Director Qin."

“This is Mr. Yang Wendong from Hong Kong,” one of the health bureau chiefs quickly introduced. “Mr. Yang, this is Mr. Li Jingwei, the factory manager of Sanshui Beverage Factory.”

"Hello, Mr. Yang," Li Jingwei quickly stepped forward to greet him and shake hands.

"Hello, Mr. Li." Yang Wendong countered, "Have you heard of me, Mr. Li?"

Yang Wendong also has some respect for this powerful figure in the history of mainland China who successfully made domestic beverages number one in the country, even surpassing Coca-Cola and Pepsi at one point.
Li Jingwei laughed and said, "Mr. Yang is joking. In the mainland, anyone who does business knows your name."

"Okay, that makes things much more convenient." Yang Wendong smiled.

Immediately afterwards, Li Jingwei led his group into the Jianlibao factory, where Yang Wendong also inspected the production of Jianlibao beverages.

A large number of workers were busy at work, and at the back of the factory, several small trucks were waiting to load goods. The whole factory was bustling with activity.
"Looks like your business is doing well?" Yang Wendong asked.

Li Jingwei said, "Yes, after the Olympics, our orders exploded. We are now in full production, but we still can't keep up."

"Using the Olympics to improve yourself, you are one of the very few people in China who can seize this opportunity," Yang Wendong praised.

Overseas, it is common to advertise at the Olympics. Even if some companies cannot afford the cost, they know that it is effective.

Domestically, few brands have seized this opportunity.

Li Jingwei laughed and said, "I just thought of it by chance. It's not really an advertisement; it's just sponsoring our athletes."

"That's good too," Yang Wendong continued. "Let's find a quiet place."

"Yes, this way please." Li Jingwei understood that a big shot like Yang Wendong couldn't have come here just to look at the factory.

Afterwards, the group went upstairs to a conference room, which was a little worse than the one at the county committee, but Yang Wendong didn't care.
After serving the tea, Yang Wendong went straight to the point and asked, "I'd like to invest in your factory. What do you think?"

The room fell silent upon hearing this. Some of the people present had already considered this possibility, but now that it had been brought up, they were unsure how to respond. Li Jingwei spoke first: "Mr. Yang, do you have confidence in the future of Jianlibao?"

“Of course, I’m optimistic about your ability to seize the opportunity presented by the Olympics,” Yang Wendong continued. “However, you currently lack the funds for rapid expansion, while I can provide you with sufficient US dollars to directly purchase the most advanced overseas can manufacturing and packaging equipment. This would be a win-win situation for both of us.”

Li Jingwei then asked, "So how much are you planning to invest?"

Yang Wendong said, "This naturally requires a reassessment of your value. In addition, you can also obtain low-interest foreign exchange loans from my Hong Kong bank, and my trading company can also help you export and earn US dollars."

PS: Requesting monthly votes

Let me explain further. Many people complain about why the protagonist is always received by a bureau chief. Theoretically, this shouldn't be the case, but novels can only depict bureau chiefs; anything higher is not allowed.
(End of this chapter)