A century-old wealthy family that rose from Shanghai

This summer, the Chen family held a grand "recognition of ancestors" ceremony. At their ancestral home on Gande Road, Audrey Hepburn, along with her son Chen Wen'ou, visited the child's grandmother, Yang Hui, and offered tea to Yang Hui and Yan Renmei.

All the details had been explained, and Yan Renmei didn't put on airs, smiling as she accepted the teacup.

Next, Chen Guangliang, as the head of the family, said to everyone: "Our Chen family has only existed for more than 20 years. We can't be considered an ancient family or a century-old family. I only have one requirement for you all—to unite like a blazing fire and scatter like stars across the sky."

The sensible children were very excited at this moment, and they carefully pondered their father's words.

This statement is not hard to understand. Chen Guangliang hopes that everyone has their own career, and even if they develop in different parts of the country, they can unite as one and fight against the enemy together when the family is in trouble or when a member of the family is bullied.

It's that simple!
Normally, everyone should just do what they need to do. There's no need for too many gatherings or pretense. But as long as they have Chen Guangliang's bloodline, they should learn to unite against external forces.

"Yes, father"

Chen Wenjie led his younger siblings in answering loudly.

Afterwards, the older children went out to play, while the younger children were taken to play by the maids. With three women, there was quite a scene, and even Yang Hui took the initiative to find an excuse to go and rest.

Yang Hui was naturally very happy. Her eldest son had a successful career and many children, and he was so busy calling her "Grandma" that he couldn't even keep up with the demand!
The eldest son, Chen Wenjie, followed Chen Guangliang to the study.

“You have a year left, but Yuanzhen has three years left, so I support you working or continuing your studies in the United States and bringing her back with you!”

Last summer, Chen Wenjie and Zhuang Yuanzhen officially started dating, and he even accompanied Zhuang Yuanzhen when she went to study abroad (Boston College).

Chen Wenjie was surprised, and then he said, "Father, it's only two years, and I can visit her whenever I have time. There's no need for such arrangements!"

Prioritizing family is his lifelong belief as the eldest brother.

Chen Guangliang shook his head and said, "Every time a child grows up, it's something I'm proud of, and it gives me more support. As for when you start working or when you can achieve something, I've never been in a hurry. So next year, you can choose to continue your studies or manage my real estate business in the United States."

Chan Man-kit still had doubts, saying, "Father, although I know you love us very much, I don't think I want to study for another two years, because I will have time to study in the future; and if I manage the real estate business in the United States, it will just be managing rental properties, which I don't think will help my growth much! So, I would rather go back to Hong Kong and start from a junior position!"

Chen Guangliang thought about it. He still respected his son's arrangement, but he quickly came up with a good idea: "How about this, there is a hotel brand called 'Holiday Inn' in Memphis, USA. It is a mid-priced drive-in hotel. After you graduate, you can start your own business in the United States. That is, to franchise Holiday Inn and renovate or build one or two Holiday Inn hotels in places accessible by highways in the United States."

Chen Wenjie studied in the United States for seven years, so he naturally had no problem with the environment there.

As for whether he can succeed, Chen Guangliang is hopeful, but he is also willing to accept failure.

Chen Wenjie happily agreed, "Okay."

Chen Guangliang still said, "I will arrange the funds and the people who can help you. Of course, if you have good helpers, that's also possible."

"Thank you, Father. I will work hard!"

Chen Guangliang nodded, then suddenly asked, "What about my feelings towards your third mother?"

Chen Wenjie quickly replied, "My father's actions naturally have their reasons, and I haven't thought much about it. I was just thinking that when Wen'ou grows up, I'll help him integrate into this big family; he'll be a brother and a friend!"

He speaks so succinctly!
Fine, Chen Guangliang decided to assume that these children were absolutely obedient to him.

"But what if I were to tell you that it's okay to date a few times before marriage, but if you choose to get married, then you're not allowed to have any other thoughts?"

Chen Wenjie said, "That's only natural. I've only ever loved Yuan Zhen in my life!"

Chen Guangliang blushed slightly, then waved his hand, signaling Chen Wenjie to leave.

Wouldn't it be better for this child to date a few more girls at school before marrying Zhuang Yuanzhen?

What a pity!
In late July, the war finally came to an end.

In fact, the Korean War had already effectively ceased by the end of last year, after only six months of negotiations.

Between 1951 and 1953, Hong Kong's entrepot trade was hit hard, but every cloud has a silver lining—Hong Kong's industry took the opportunity to develop.

On this day, Chen Guangliang visited the 'Sun Fung Textile Industrial Park' in Tsuen Wan to inspect the work and held a management meeting.

As the only textile dyeing and finishing company in Hong Kong, and also the largest textile company in Hong Kong, Sun Fung Textile Park is the industry's trendsetter and leader.

For example, after they entered the Indonesian market, other strong Hong Kong textile companies followed suit; after they entered the South African market, Hong Kong's textile industry also made efforts to enter that market.
In this regard, Chen Guangliang seemed very generous, saying that apart from the key technologies, Xinfeng Textile Group could tell everyone everything else.

As a result, as of now, there are approximately 2400 registered factories in Hong Kong, with 12 registered workers and about 10 unregistered workers, of which textiles account for more than 25%; while the number of workers in the Xinfeng Textile Group has exceeded 5000.

Stepping into a first-class factory, one can feel the excellent management of Xinfeng Textile. The 4S management system is implemented quite well here, and even Japanese factory owners come here to learn from it.

The workers were quite motivated, although not as motivated as the textile workers in Shanghai, but they were still better off materially.

Where are these goods being exported to?

"It's being exported to South Africa, Mr. Chen!"

Chen Guangliang carefully examined the 'white cloth' in his hand, feeling the craftsmanship of the textile industry, before finally putting it down with satisfaction.

With Tong Runfu as a "technical expert," Xinfeng Textile Group has indeed always been at the forefront of Hong Kong's textile industry in terms of technology, and even far ahead of others.

Otherwise, Hsin Feng Textile Group wouldn't account for 15-20% of the entire textile industry's exports.

After the inspection, everyone sat in the conference room for a meeting.

"The war is over. What are your thoughts on the future and development of this industry? Let's discuss it today!"

Chen Guangliang started by reciting the text, and then had his subordinates recite it.

As a qualified manager, one must have a long-term vision, a phrase he often tells his subordinates.

Deputy General Manager Zhang Fangshuo said, "My colleagues and I discussed that for Hong Kong's textile industry to have long-term development, it must not be limited to countries like Indonesia, India, Pakistan, and South Africa. Instead, it must penetrate major consumer markets like the UK and the US. As the leader of the Commonwealth, and with its own emphasis on heavy industry and the gradual decline of light industry, our next step is to strive to penetrate the US market. We don't know when trade export restrictions will be lifted, but in the short term, the US seems quite hostile towards Hong Kong products. Therefore, my opinion is to continue developing exports to the Commonwealth; at the same time, when the US market opens up, we must also make technical preparations in advance to try to enter the market as soon as possible."

He was Tong Runfu's assistant, six years younger than Tong Runfu, and also the second-in-command of the Xinfeng Textile Group, and the former factory manager of the Xinfeng Textile Factory in Hong Kong. Having studied abroad, he became the head of the Xinfeng Textile Hong Kong factory in his thirties, making him quite experienced.

Chen Guangliang nodded and said, "The United States is an ally of Britain and cannot blockade Hong Kong indefinitely. In a year or two, this largest market in the world will definitely open up to us." Everyone was surprised for a moment, then became excited again.

The boss has always had a very sharp eye; if he says it will be within a year or two, then it certainly won't be much different.

In fact, around the time Hong Kong's economy was in its infancy, the United States seemed to have opened its market to Hong Kong. But opening the market was one thing, and large-scale imports were another. At that time, the Americans' impression of Hong Kong people was that of an accomplice in the Korean War, an accomplice who caused many American casualties. So this impression needed to be reversed, which meant it would take time.

Subsequently, Lin Jianyun, who is in charge of the garment industry, reported: "The garment industry is a middle link in the value-added segment of the textile industry. Currently, Hong Kong's garment industry is mainly concentrated in Hong Kong and Southeast Asia. Our next goal is to penetrate other countries and regions. We have already achieved some success in Africa. The highest value-added aspect of the textile industry is 'brand.' Currently, our 'Crocodile Garments' brand has four stores, as well as counters in Wing On Department Store and Sincere Department Store, and has opened its first store in Singapore."

Chen Guangliang then said, “Before coming here, I went to Crocodile Garments for a private visit, and here are my thoughts. First of all, we make mid-to-high-end clothing, so currently our fabrics are all imported from Europe (our textile technology is still not as advanced as Europe's), and we have Italian designers as consultants for our design concepts—these are our advantages. However, since a single Crocodile Garment garment is so expensive, haven't you thought about how to improve your service?”

Lin Jianyun tentatively asked, "Do the shop assistants need training?"

They must have been trained before starting work. Could it be that the shop assistant was oblivious? Someone like the boss, even if he wears shabby clothes, his charisma is undeniable.
Chan Kwong-leung said, “The staff are fine; regular training is necessary. What I'm saying is that we should consider the customers more. To make the shirts more durable, Lacoste could offer a free exchange service. Customers can exchange the shirts for free if the collar or cuffs are worn out. In this way, Lacoste would symbolize Hong Kong and permeate the lives of Hong Kong people from childhood.”

Everyone praised the service, and Lin Jianyun immediately decided to implement it.

Finally, Chan Kwong-leung encouraged everyone, saying, "The war is over. We must establish the spirit of 'Hong Kong people': to strive, to forge ahead, and to never stop challenging ourselves!"

"Yes, Mr. Chen!"

In this lifetime, Hong Kong's progress will be driven by him, Chan Kwong-leung, to be faster, more developed, and more comprehensive!

That day, the "British American" ship docked in the waters off Hong Kong, but did not get too close, because Chen Guangliang also wanted to be mindful of the impact and not give those people an opportunity to resent the rich.

He took his whole family on a small boat to board the superyacht for a week-long vacation.

Of course, for safety reasons, the ship did not go too far, and since it was a converted warship, it would be difficult for pirates to board if they did not use the boarding ladder.

Once activated, it becomes invincible, making it impossible for pirates of this era to board its ships.

On the boat, Chen Guangcong's family of five was also invited, and everyone had a great time.

"Brother, based on our investigation over the past six months, we believe that Japan's shipbuilding industry is fully comparable to that of Europe and the United States. They have already brought back their technology from the United States, and although global steel prices have risen this year, the Japanese government is willing to subsidize the development of its shipbuilding industry."

In the study, Chen Guangliang and Chen Guangcong discussed business matters.

After all, although these seven days are a vacation, they can also take the opportunity to discuss work. Moreover, the ship's radio is always on, and the heads of Chen's Enterprises have the right to contact them.

Chen Guangliang was well aware of this. As soon as the Korean War ended, Japan's shipbuilding industry had fully developed. In his previous life, by 1956, Japan had become the world's leading shipbuilding power, surpassing Britain and accounting for about 40% of the global market.

"Okay, then I'll go to Japan next month to build two cargo ships of over 2 tons each, since we also need to upgrade our fleet."

“Japan’s shipbuilding industry is very cheap, 20% cheaper than Britain’s. A 10,000-ton cargo ship costs only 1.3 to 1.5 million US dollars (the price varies depending on the model).

During the three years of the Korean War, Global Shipping increased its cargo ship capacity to 300,000 tons, building only one 10,000-ton cargo ship in the UK, with the rest being second-hand ships.

Chen Guangliang said with a smile, "During these three years of the Korean War, we earned 2500 million US dollars in Japan. If we don't build ships in Japan, we're afraid we won't have any business to do in the future!"

Chen Guangcong nodded and said, "However, we have been investigating the Japanese shipbuilding industry since last year. Now that the war has subsided, it is the right time for us to get involved. In addition, many of our ships still have 1-2 years of contract period remaining, so we are not too worried about the short-term downturn in global shipping."

This wave of activity did indeed make Worldwide Shipping a lot of money, and the company's assets increased to over 5000 million US dollars.

After chatting for a while, the two went out to accompany their families.

night.

Yang Xiuying was wearing a cheongsam, and her voluptuous figure even surpassed that of Jiang Meiying, with her large breasts looking as if they were about to burst open the cheongsam.

Looking at his wife's appearance, Chen Guangcong felt a flutter in his heart. Then, somewhat nervously, he took out a pair of black stockings. These were given to him by his elder brother, who said they could enhance the relationship between husband and wife.

"What is this, Chen Guangcong? How could you bring this thing? Do you think I'm too old and therefore not good enough for you?"

Chen Guangcong was dumbfounded. Before he could even say anything, his wife Yang Xiuying was already extremely jealous.

"No, I bought this in America as a gift for you. I wanted you to try it on and see if it fits."

Yang Xiuying glanced at Chen Guangcong and said, "Lying. It's obvious that your older brother gave it to you. Do you want to follow his example and take another concubine?"

Chen Guangcong finally stood up and said, "Yang Xiuying, can you please not talk about your elder brother at a time like this!"

Yang Xiuying was stunned, then realized what her husband meant. She immediately squeezed out tears and said, "You heartless man! Since I married you, when have I ever thought about my elder brother? I was just saying that he was a charming womanizer who married three women, and you made sarcastic remarks and slandered me!"

Chen Guangcong softened again, quickly coaxing, "Xiuying, I'm sorry."

If Chen Guangliang saw his younger brother like this, he would immediately ask Jiafa to give him a beating!
Originally, Chen Guangliang felt that marrying Yang Xiuying was unfair to his younger brother. In the past few years, Yang Xiuying has given birth to a son and two daughters for his brother and has stopped trying, which makes Chen Guangliang even more resentful.

Yang Xiuying also knew that she should know when to stop. If she became lawless because she was favored, even if her husband gave in to her, someone would still deal with her.

"Hmph, that's more like it. I'll wear it, as long as you don't mind this old woman!"

"No, no, I don't mind at all. Besides, you're not old at all, you're still young!"

In fact, the two of them are already 40 years old, and are indeed getting old.

Before long, Chen Guangcong seemed to have discovered a new continent, excitedly admiring Yang Xiuying's legs back and forth.
"Xiuying, this place is so big!"

"Oh, come on! As long as you don't take a concubine, you can do whatever you want with me!"

"Really?"

"Have you ever considered taking a concubine?"

"No, I didn't hear the beginning, I heard the end."

That night, Chen Guangcong finally understood what a real man was. (End of Chapter)