My Lord, you need to stand up!

Chapter 695 Rich people are all smart people; being very rich means being very smart.

Li Bancheng, a wealthy tycoon who has gradually been hailed as embodying the spirit of Lion Rock, is a prime example of this.

It's absolutely impossible to deal with someone of Chen Wenliang's level in the underworld; at the very least, it's very difficult to openly associate with them.

He's reached a point where he needs to be careful about his reputation.

It can only be said that Chen Wenliang is ruthless enough. Back then, he asked Wei Dong to encourage him to build container ships of the Panamax class, and after thinking it over, he found this guy.

To the average person, it seems like an unbelievable risk; there are no such container ships in the world.

Those with foresight saw the enormous potential profits.

Only if I dare to be the first to try something new, even if it's something unique in the whole world, can I earn immense wealth.

Container ships first appeared thirty years ago, and it is precisely today that Panamax ships, with a capacity of no more than four thousand containers per ship, have truly dominated global shipping routes.

This means that the huge global shipping market has matured, with major shipping companies dividing up the enormous pie.

If you want a piece of the pie, you have to find a unique way.

Wei Dong inadvertently pointed the smugglers in the right direction.

Do you dare to make the ship bigger?

If the carrying capacity of a single ship doubles or even triples, huge profits will follow; if the cost per container decreases, global business will come.

This is the path to becoming a global shipping magnate!

Anyway, when Lao Li said it so publicly, everyone was in an uproar.

It was as if Wang Meng's mind had been lit up.

But they weren't fools; they could almost instantly guess the intention behind Lao Li's public statement.

He and Rang Weidong worked in the docks.

The more new ships and new plans are offered up as a tempting offer, the more new ship owners are attracted... It's exactly the same principle as everyone pooling money to build a highway.

If Wei Dong encourages everyone to build a highway, the port will ultimately be the one to benefit.

All the factories in all the counties and cities along the route from Guangzhou to Pengzhen would send their goods to Hong Kong and then to Pengzhen to be loaded onto ships.

If cargo ships can be loaded directly at Pengzhen Port, why go through the trouble of clearing customs to Hong Kong? Previously, those who couldn't clear customs had to be sent to Guangzhou to board ships.

Now that we have this highway and new, cheaper cargo ships, all freight business will be concentrated in Pengzhen, and even the container business in Hong Kong will be taken away!
Because the Eastern Port is known for its deep waters, building the port based on new cargo ship quotas has become a significant variable.

Despite all these changes, the port still makes a steady lot of money.

Of course, it cannot be ruled out that these two port tycoons will also get involved in shipbuilding.

That's right. Now everyone can see that Rang Weidong is already a port tycoon who is on par with Lao Li.

A significant portion of Hong Kong's port terminals and container operations are controlled by the Li family.

Two years ago, everyone just regarded Rang Weidong as a small dragon crossing the river from the north, but now he can actually go toe-to-toe with Li Bancheng.

It's impossible not to focus our attention on young people.

Qin Yuye was so excited that her skin flushed slightly, and she couldn't help but secretly pinch the inside of Wei Dong's arm, and even pinched it hard!

She learned the "Tyrannosaurus Rex Technique" from the Sichuan and Chongqing area, knowing that men there wouldn't dislike a volatile temper; it's truly a manifestation of her henpecked husband genes.

All Wei Dong really wanted to say was thank you!

The stinging pain in his arm was as if reminding him not to fall for sweet talk and flattery at this moment.

To remain alert throughout.

He started by sharing an idea he'd had since he heard someone in Hong Kong was working on the Eastern Wharf: "There's definitely a reason for this, but if you can purchase more than five Shanghai-made shore cranes at the Eastern Wharf, I'll gladly offer you this idea."

This statement is absolutely unexpected.

They're obviously asking for a higher price.

For merchants, things with a price are the cheapest; what they fear most is things without a price.

If it can be negotiated, the deal will be finalized.

Li Bancheng, in his fifties, is at the peak of his business empire's growth, and his combat power is naturally at its highest. He smiled and said, "Hmm?"

"A shore-based machine manufactured in Shanghai? Is there any explanation for that?"

Wei Dong, who was originally from a sales background, said: "I just ordered two units at the West Wharf, and they will be installed soon. You can send someone to the port to inspect and verify the value of the equipment. Their core components are all imported from Europe, America, and Japan, and other parts are made as domestically produced as possible to reduce costs. In this way, a shore crane is almost half the price of a fully imported one. You are an expert in shore cranes, so you know whether the cost and profit are high if you do it this way."

Cranes are enormous machines, and their core components naturally involve high levels of technology, so it's only fair that they're expensive.

However, buying the complete machine means that all the components of the machine are priced at a premium based on that core technology, which is a high price for bundled sales, and you have no choice but to buy it.

It can be described as a money-making secret after gaining control of the situation through first-mover technology.

Wei Dong, being stingy, spent his own money to order two shore cranes. Container terminals in Hong Kong and Singapore often order dozens of them!
Imported shore excavators cost seven or eight million US dollars each, and their maintenance costs are also considerable.

Speaking of which, the investment in a single port can reach tens or hundreds of billions of Hong Kong dollars.

Ten shore excavators would cost hundreds of millions.

It can be said that the most expensive equipment cost in a container terminal is the shore crane.

We can't do without this stuff. Qin Yuye returned to Hong Kong to acquire a bunch of crane ships, brought them back to Shanghai for repair and painting, and distributed them to ports along the Yangtze River as the main lifting equipment.

Before containers became mainstream, they were the mainstay of various dry cargo bulk loading and unloading ships.

Later, Hong Kong ports mostly used tower cranes, which was somewhat due to the short-sightedness of businessmen. This was overshadowed by the government-led Singaporean ports, which adopted gantry cranes throughout the region.

This is also one of the reasons why Hong Kong's port was completely outpaced by Singapore in the 1970s and 80s, falling behind by nearly half in size.

The defining characteristic of large container cargo terminals can be summed up in two words: efficiency.

Lin Wangfu repeatedly mentioned to Rang Weidong that the rise of Singapore relied on these two words, which made it surpass the entire Southeast Asian countries, including Hong Kong.

Originally, Hong Kong had better basic conditions than Singapore in all aspects. It was precisely after Singapore gained independence in the 1960s that it developed a national-level strategic vision, which was fundamentally different from Hong Kong, which was still in a colonial state and making a mess of things.

Li Bancheng admired Wei Dong's business model of displaying samples: "Do you own shares in this company?"

Wei Dong shook his head meaningfully: "No, but this company is controlled by the Shanghai state-owned assets, so of course I will get some preferential treatment from the Shanghai government if I do this, and you can too."

It's a public teaching session.

If you still focus on targeting a certain section chief or customs chief, you'll ultimately remain a low-level smuggler.

However, if one helps state-owned assets in this way and receives reciprocal treatment from the government, then that person is a patriotic businessman.

Those who had accompanied Wei Dong to Shanghai for exchanges all had expressions of sudden realization on their faces.

It turned out to be the case.

No matter how much you talk about background or connections, there will always be a time when they run out and can even backfire. Only mutual benefit can bring lasting happiness to everyone.

Li Bancheng smiled and nodded, saying, "Once I've verified the shore cranes at your dock, I'll order five, and I don't rule out ordering more in the future."

Wei Dong gladly leaned forward to shake hands: "Then I'll visit you after the equipment is installed..."

Right? Even five shore excavators would be a business worth thirty to forty million US dollars. It's reasonable for them to pay that much and discuss it separately.

More importantly, he was so excited that he wanted his wife to keep a calm expression, but in reality, he was pinching Wei Dong's arm so hard that he felt like jumping up.

Take the opportunity to shake off and escape.

At this moment, Lao Heng suddenly spoke up: "As long as there are no problems, I'll also order five units."

He also currently owns a portion of the Hong Kong cargo terminal.

Being able to upgrade equipment at half price is certainly a good deal, but more importantly, it expresses my desire to get involved in this business.

Immediately, Uncle De, who owned a cargo terminal business, also spoke up: "Then I'll follow up with the plan and order five units."

Immediately afterwards, another person ordered five units.

Even if this person is just a very small shareholder of the dock, a retail investor, they still have to bid and participate!
The expressions on the faces of the others were priceless, a mixture of emotions!

What's the drama in Las Vegas compared to the betting 200-300 million Hong Kong dollars here!
Moreover, you need to have entry qualifications; you at least need to have dock business, otherwise your bids are useless.

The atmosphere was intensely heated, like a white-hot flame.

Qin Yuye couldn't help but reach out and hug Wei Dong's arm tightly, pinching it against her chest again!

But there are smart people everywhere. Someone looked at Rang Weidong and said, "I'll order five more and rent them to your West District dock. Is that alright?"

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Wei Dong elbowed his wife away, stood up and shook her hand: "Thank you, thank you. I will visit you as soon as I get the order contract."

Now I have a whole new perspective!
I don't own a dock, and I don't even plan to do port business or shipping business, but I can't be left behind.

The whole incident was essentially Li Bancheng endorsing Wei Dong, spending two or three hundred million Hong Kong dollars to buy what he thought was worth the price.

Actually, Li Bancheng didn't lose out at all. He had just signed an agreement to invest in and build the Pengzhen East District Wharf, so it was obvious that he would have to purchase shore cranes.

Since we're going to buy them anyway, and dozens of them at that, we might as well test the waters with a few first. If there are no problems, then we can make a full purchase, which would actually save us a lot of money.

From his perspective, it could save billions of Hong Kong dollars!

To others, it's just a concept worth hundreds of millions!

As things have evolved, the proposed solution is to turn the money from this purchase idea into a financial investment project.

I'll pay for shore cranes and invest in leasing them at your dock. As long as your dock continues to thrive, my shore cranes will become a continuous money-printing machine!
Even if your dock is deserted, not operating, or even goes bankrupt, the shore excavator can still be resold and dismantled for use elsewhere, unlike investing in a dead project like a dock where you're gambling with your life or death.

This is somewhat similar to crowdfunding to build the Yuepeng Expressway, where everyone shares the risks, and there are both immediate small benefits and the overall changes in the business environment after completion.

Investing in shore-based machinery is worse than investing in docks; these are much more flexible.

One stone stirs up a thousand waves!

One after another, hands were raised: "I'll order five!" "Me too!" "Me too!"

Previously, Hong Kong tycoons had suggested that Wei Dong take Chen Wenliang's seaweed, saying that he had joined forces with Lao Li and other Chaoshan businessmen to take over one of the largest trading companies in Hong Kong.

This is a practice familiar to Hong Kong businessmen: when they encounter a huge and guaranteed profitable project, they join forces to acquire it, and then reward each other for their contributions.

The West Wharf now has dozens of shore cranes without spending a single penny!
Wei Dong bowed and shook hands with each of them to express his gratitude.

Worth it!

(End of this chapter)