In the evening, Lin Zhichao was having dinner with his family, a mother, a wife, a sister, and a son. It was a happy family, and there was a servant to serve them.
"This Sunday, I'm going to Europe to buy a ship. It may take half a month this time." Lin Zhichao suddenly said during the meal.
There is no way. In this era, only a one-way trip takes three days, and a round trip takes six or seven days. As for this ship purchase, Lin Zhichao still went to England to try his luck. There was no intermediary, and he was a little untrustworthy.
Shipping agency in Hong Kong.
Why not go to the United States to buy a boat?
You must know that after World War II, the United States had 38 million tons of merchant ships, while the United Kingdom only had 18 million tons of merchant ships; the third-place France had only 2 million tons, and the Soviet Union, Italy, and Japan only had more than one million tons.
It is normal for Lin Zhichao not to seek opportunities in the United States, because once he purchases a ship in the United States, it will definitely leave a record; once the Peninsula Campaign begins, his fleet will be monitored and may even cause trouble.
Of course, Lin Zhichao would definitely not risk being sanctioned, but he was still worried about these things.
What's more, if you want to make a living in the British colonies, you will naturally need to do more business with London, and the pound has just depreciated, so the prices of goods will naturally be reduced.
"So long?" Tang Caiyun said reluctantly.
She knew that she definitely couldn't follow him because she had to take care of her son at home.
Lin Zhichao nodded and said: "Well, this time we are mainly looking for ships, which will take a long time. Maybe even half a month may not be enough."
Seeing what he said, Tang Caiyun immediately changed her attitude and said, "Okay, you can rest assured that my mother-in-law and I are at home."
Although the family is reluctant and worried, they also understand that Lin Zhichao's decision cannot be changed; what's more, Lin Zhichao attaches great importance to his career.
After eating dinner and washing up, Lin Zhichao and Tang Caiyun returned to the bedroom. As for Lin Ruihuan, they both shared a room with their grandma.
Lying on the bed, hugging his wife, Lin Zhichao talked about something for the first time.
"Every time I go abroad, I will leave a document with my personal lawyer, and it is the same this time. From now on, Caiyun, please learn more about the family business and sit firmly behind me."
Tang Caiyun understood what it meant, and immediately held Lin Zhichao's arm nervously. She seemed to be a little resistant to this aspect, but she didn't dare to say it for fear of being unlucky.
Lin Zhichao patted her shoulder and said, "This is a normal procedure. Don't worry too much."
Tang Caiyun calmed down and then said: "Okay! I won't worry about it!"
Lin Zhichao said with satisfaction:
"Well, that's right! Especially now that I have Lin Ruihuan, I will be more prepared for these things. Today I will tell you what assets I have: Changjiang Real Estate: This company currently has no liabilities and has three net assets.
Properties worth more than one million include a 212,000-square-foot warehouse on Paterson Street, a six-storey property in Lam Tin Court and Telford Gardens. Remember, Hong Kong’s properties will continue to rise, and any decline is just
For a while, it will rise again sooner or later. Because land is rights."
Tang Caiyun immediately asked: "How do you plan to develop the land on Paterson Street?"
Lin Zhichao smiled. This was a good question. Of course he would share it with the person he sleeps with.
"It's very simple! In the next five years, Hong Kong will undergo an industrialization process. After all, we have inherited so much capital and technology. As Hong Kong's population increases, sooner or later the Hong Kong government will encourage real estate development, such as allowing the construction of high-rise buildings. By then,
If you turn this land into eight or nine commercial and residential buildings, you can get thousands of residential units and a large number of commercial rent-collecting properties. It doesn't matter if you don't have money to invest. As long as you sell off-the-plan properties, you can immediately use other people's money to develop. You probably know
Just get off!"
Tang Caiyun nodded and said, "Well, I feel like there are a lot of problems here."
Real estate is not that simple! Lin Zhichao also learns by doing.
When Tai was working in real estate in his previous life, he didn't even know how to open a bank account or get a bank loan. He was completely clueless. As a result, he quickly became a real estate tycoon. Because things would force him to think of ways to develop.
"The second asset: Cheung Kong Holdings. At present, it has achieved simultaneous production in Hong Kong and Sing Tao, and its products are exported to Europe, America and Asia. There are currently two debts - Bank of East Asia 1.5 million principal and interest, and Westbourne Machinery 800,000 follow-up
Equipment payment. There are sufficient funds in the account. Even if I withdraw 3 million Hong Kong dollars, our net debt this year will actually be more than 1.5 million Hong Kong dollars. A mere 1.5 million Hong Kong dollars in net debt is nothing. Only the land and factories owned by Cheung Kong Holdings
It’s much higher than this amount.”
Tang Caiyun asked curiously: "You set aside 3 million Hong Kong dollars to develop shipping?"
Lin Zhichao said: "Yes! Our family's third asset is Global Shipping, which was just established. It contains almost more than 1.6 million US dollars and a full 9.2 million Hong Kong dollars. I have deposited this money in HSBC as a ship purchase.
of money.”
Tang Caiyun suddenly felt incredible. It was the first time she knew that Lin Zhichao was so rich.
A pair of beautiful big eyes, staring at her husband.
In fact, no one knows that Lin Zhichao is a multi-millionaire. It is estimated that Jian Dongpu cannot count him. After all, he has no idea how much Lin Zhichao earned from gold speculation. As for the U.S. dollar speculation, Jian Dongpu only knows about Cheung Kong Holdings.
"Husband, since you are so profitable, how about we have more children?" Tang Caiyun took the initiative.
Lin Zhichao responded immediately, but said: "Don't rush, let's take our time, have one every two years, four or five will be enough!"
Tang Caiyun was pinned down by Lin Zhichao, and she said softly: "Are you still thinking about Caiying?"
Judging from the recent performances of Lin Zhichao and Tang Caiying, Tang Caiyun understands that everything is developing towards this man's idea. Tang Caiying likes it, her parents don't stop her, and she has already let go.
Lin Zhichao smiled and said: "Isn't this great! The children of you two sisters will have a land career and a maritime career in the future."
Tang Caiyun immediately pretended to be angry and said: "This Caiying, she hasn't even entered the door yet, but she's already in love with me, but I won't let her do this!"
Tang Caiying, who was downstairs, suddenly sneezed and didn't know why.
Lin Zhichao smiled and said nothing. How will the two sisters get along in the future?
"Smile! Husband, your plot has succeeded! But you are not allowed to miss her now!" Tang Caiyun hugged Lin Zhichao from behind and tightened her grip.
Soon, the two of them rolled up the sheets.
After Lin Zhichao arrived in London at the end of December, he quickly obtained various information from major shipping managers, but he still did not take action.
On this day, a shipping manager named Willis saw that after he introduced information about many ships, Lin Zhichao still showed no enthusiasm, so he said: "Mr. Lin, I have introduced you to so many excellent second-hand ships.
You are not interested at all. Could it be that you are interested in Williamson's Liberty Ship? This ship is cheap, but it was built in a hurry in the United States during World War II. It has slow speed and short life. We shipping managers are not willing to sell them."
As soon as Lin Zhichao heard "Freewheel" and "Williamson Company", he immediately wrote it down, and then said sheepishly: "Mr. Willis, I will go back and think about it carefully and give you an answer as soon as possible!"
Upon hearing this, Willis did not doubt that he was there, so he politely stood up to see him off!
"Stay!"
Lin Zhichao walked out of the office building. It was already dark. In this winter in London, the smog is quite serious. No wonder 12,000 people will die from the smog in two years. Of course, these people themselves also have serious respiratory diseases, heart disease, etc.
At this time, his mind began to think about Willis's last words.
Freewheel, he is familiar with it!
During World War II, Germany launched "unrestricted" submarine warfare in order to cut off Britain's overseas supplies (from the United States). To this end, Germany equipped an unimaginable number of thousands of submarines and cruised around the Atlantic Ocean. Regardless of whether they were military or civilian ships, as long as they were
If they are not from the Axis powers and appear in the Atlantic, Germany will use submarines lurking everywhere to sink them. This will prevent the British and European battlefields from receiving weapons and other supplies, and force them to surrender, so that Germany can win the entire war.
Europe wins the world war.
Then Britain asked the United States for help, and American mathematicians gave the government a plan: the United States must build ships faster than the speed at which German submarines could sink them.
Although this was not a scientific research conclusion, the United States took it seriously, and the Freewheel Project was born.
A Liberty Ship only took 30 days from keel laying to sea trial. By 1943, this process was shortened to 24 days, and dozens of Liberty Ships were built at the same time. Later, the construction became faster and faster, with the fastest taking more than three days.
, the steps from laying the keel to launching the water are completed, because Ford assembly line operation is adopted.
"Liberty Ship" is not a small ship, but a very sturdy transport ship that can cross rough oceans. It has a total length of 135 meters, a displacement of 15,000 tons, and a cargo load of 5,000 to 9,000 tons. From 1941 to 1944, the United States built a total of 2,710 ships.
On average, 3 boats are launched every day.
In order to speed up the construction, simplified technology is used wherever possible, especially when assembling the hull, more advanced and faster welding technology is used to replace riveting, which performs slightly better than traditional transport ships in terms of reliability and durability.
A little worse.
What Shipping Manager Willis means is that since the design life of the freewheel is five years, those ships have almost reached the end of their life (theoretically), so many shipowners dare not start at this time.
The cost of building a Liberty Ship was 1.8 million U.S. dollars. During the war, the cost could be recouped with just one shipment, because the cargo on the ship was worth 2 million U.S. dollars. After the war, these Liberty Ships were sold to countries around the world by an American Steamship Commission.
Greece alone bought 600 ships; the Z Commercial Bureau of the Republic of China also bought ten ships, totaling 5.5 million US dollars. The United Kingdom took away more than 180 ships, and the Soviet Union refused to return 43 ships.
Others may be worried about the quality of free ships, but Lin Zhichao is more confident because these ships can be used until the 1970s; even in the late 1960s, in the previous life in the mainland, a batch of these dilapidated ships was purchased for 30,000 to 40,000 pounds.
The free wheel was not used until the 1980s.
Therefore, if Lin Zhichao can buy a free ship, it will theoretically last for at least 20 years; one free ship can earn him ten new ships of the same tonnage within ten years.
Not long after leaving the office building, Lin Zhichao was preparing to take a taxi back to the hotel.
Suddenly, he found a foreign girl not far away who was swaying, as if she was drunk or sick. Just as he was considering whether to step forward to help, the girl then sat by the flower stand and fell down again.
symptom.
Once he fell down, he might be injured. Seeing this, Lin Zhichao decided not to hesitate.
"Madam, do you need me to take you to the hospital?" Lin Zhichao stepped forward and asked.
When the girl with her head hanging down heard that she was sent to the hospital, she quickly raised her head and said, "No! Thank you, I'll just sit down and be fine!"
At this time, Lin Zhichao was shocked when he saw the girl's face!
Why is it her?
While he was surprised, the girl probably didn't want to be like this in front of strangers, so she wanted to get up and leave.
Who knows, I can't hold on anymore and I'm about to fall down.
Lin Zhichao quickly supported Hepburn, then raised his head and glanced nearby, and said: "I will take you to the restaurant over there to sit down and drink a cup of hot water. Your situation will be relieved soon!"
He knew that Hepburn had always been thin due to malnutrition when she was a child. At this stage, Hepburn and her mother did not have much money, and she herself only played some inconspicuous roles in the song and dance troupe.
"Thank you" Hepburn said drowsily.
She was already severely dizzy and could only follow Lin Zhichao's movements. Although she was surprised that Lin Zhichao was Asian, she could no longer care about that at this time.
Afterwards, the two came to the restaurant, and Lin Zhichao immediately ordered two cups of hot water and some bread, and took care of Hepburn carefully.
After about 30 minutes, Hepburn's condition eased.
"Thank you very much, sir! My name is Audrey Hepburn, what's yours?"
"My name is Lin Zhichao, you can call me Lin."
Hepburn's big eyes regained some vitality and asked: "I'm making you laugh, maybe I forgot to have lunch, so I was a little dizzy just now."
She lied because she was worried about being seen as poor!
Lin Zhichao said very straightforwardly: "Your body is very thin, probably caused by long-term malnutrition. You should usually eat on time, rest on time every night, and recover your body through slow conditioning."
Although Hepburn was surprised by Lin Zhichao's subtle observations, she did not want to show that she was poor in front of others, so she explained: "Actually, I am a musical actor, maybe because of fatigue. I have studied ballet since I was a child, so
The body is relatively thin.”
Lin Zhichao smiled and said nothing. Hepburn suddenly understood that this man could see through her thoughts at a glance, and he suddenly seemed a little embarrassed.
Fortunately, Lin Zhichao immediately said: "You have a very good image and will become a good actor, even a Hollywood actor."
The original intention was to comfort her, but unexpectedly Hepburn immediately asked: "Really? Why do you think so?"
Lin Zhichao was at a loss for words. He couldn't say, "I am a prophet!"
Hepburn soon discovered that others were just being polite, but she became serious and could only say: "Sorry!"
Lin Zhichao felt that the atmosphere was going to end like this, so he said: "I really think you will become a good actor. If I were the director, I would definitely let you play a princess."
Hepburn became serious again and asked: "Princess? What kind of princess is she?"
Why is this person always so serious?
Lin Zhichao could only helplessly search the plot of "Roman Holiday" in his mind, and said: "She is a princess who has been locked in a cage since she was a child. She needs to pay attention to her words and deeds, her diet and daily life, and she has no free soul. Suddenly there is
One day, she was curious about the outside world, took advantage of the housekeeper's negligence, and climbed out of the window to escape, planning to take a day off for herself. On this day, she ate cheap ice cream, and even went to the flower shop without knowing that she needed to pay. She met a commoner,
Play truth or dare, attend a public party, fall in love with civilians, and finally have to face reality, pick up your national responsibilities, and end this one-day romance. That's about it!"
Hepburn's eyes suddenly turned bright and she said, "Are you really a businessman, not a screenwriter? I think your script looks good."
Lin Zhichao smiled and said: "It's a very simple story!"
When things developed to this point, Hepburn became a little curious about Lin Zhichao, and asked: "What kind of business are you?"
Lin Zhichao replied: "Shipping! I am buying a ship in the UK, a very big ship. My dream is that the ship I own can occupy every port in the world and provide convenience for the development of the world economy."
Although anyone who heard it would think that Lin Zhichao was bragging, Hepburn said: "Well, you can do it."
She saw that Lin Zhichao was the same age as her and had an Asian face, but she had no doubt that this was her kind quality.
The two chatted for a while, and Lin Zhichao happened to take a taxi, so he took Hepburn home with him.
After Hepburn got out of the car and looked at the car going away, she realized that she had forgotten to leave a contact information, and she immediately felt annoyed. She had a good impression of Lin Zhichao, and since she had received help from others today, she should ask others back one day.
Thinking of this, she touched her empty bag, meaning that she was too poor.
"Hey, how can this be rich?"
When he took out the contents of his pocket, Hepburn was surprised to find that it was a thick stack of pounds.
Immediately there was a note (borrowed from the hotel) that read: "Give it back to me after you become a star!"
For a moment, Hepburn was stunned!
After a while, I counted the pounds in my hand and found a total of 500 pounds.
"He found out that I was malnourished, so he planned to help me! But how could I spend the money? Besides, he didn't even leave his contact information, so he might not be able to meet me in the future."
After hesitating for a while, Hepburn kept the money carefully and did not plan to spend it for the time being!
On the other side, Lin Zhichao returned to the hotel with no regrets.
Your career has not yet been successful, so how can you think about such good things?
Although she is still just a poor girl, they are thousands of miles apart, so how can he have the heart to chase the girl!
So in the end, he didn't want to exchange contact information, although he knew Hepburn's address.
The next day, Lin Zhichao found Williamson Company.
This company is a company with diversified businesses, shipping is only one of its businesses. When Lin Zhichao came to buy a ship, Charlie, the head of Williamson Company, looked at him with strange eyes.
"I'm sorry, Mr. Lin, we only deal with ship managers, and all ships are handled by ship brokers."
Seeing this, Lin Zhichao said sincerely and without any hurry: "I hope to buy the two Liberty Ships of your company. I need them very much. I want to engage in shipping, but my funds are limited. I want to get a more reasonable price."
Although he was sincere, this time he obviously met someone who sticks to his principles.
Charlie then said: "Although I am touched by your determination for shipping, it still cannot change my decision. These two Liberty ships were produced in 1943. We sold them very cheaply for 150,000 pounds, but only recognized ship managers.
"
When Williamson originally purchased it from the United States, the price of the boat was just over US$500,000. Now, after almost three years, the cost has been recouped, and it can still be sold for US$420,000. Why not?
Lin Zhichao said unwillingly: "But the ship managers seem reluctant to promote these two Liberty ships. They think that no one will buy a Liberty ship with a design life of only five years."
Charlie was stunned. He had not thought of this. No wonder the two Liberty ships had not been sold, although the ships had been in operation.
"Only those of us who actually use Freewheel know that this kind of ship has a lifespan of not only five years, but also twenty years without any problems."
Lin Zhichao added: "But the slow speed of the ship is also a disadvantage. Generally, merchant ships can maintain a speed of 14 to 15 knots, while freewheelers can only maintain a speed of 11.5 knots."
The speed of 1 knot is equal to 1 nautical mile in 1 hour, and 1 nautical mile is equal to 1.85 kilometers. The distance from Europe to Hong Kong is more than 9,000 kilometers, which is about 5,000 nautical miles. Therefore, a one-way trip takes 18 to 20 days, and the free wheel is also flawed.
But Lin Zhichao didn't care. A few days' delay was not a problem. What was important was that in the second half of 1950, there would be a shipping shortage in the Far East.
For a moment, Charlie hesitated. Seeing that Lin Zhichao came prepared and was more sincere, and that the agent had indeed not pushed it out for a while, his mind began to change.
In fact, even if Charlie insists on having a broker, Lin Zhichao can still find ways to save some brokerage fees. For example, he takes the initiative to find a broker and proposes how much commission it will be. If you don't do it, I will find the next one. Anyway, I have already found the source of the goods.
"Well, since you have analyzed the advantages and disadvantages of the free ship clearly, you must be very eager to get them. I will sell these two ships to you directly, and the price is 300,000 pounds for two ships."
Lin Zhichao was overjoyed and immediately agreed.
Of course, he still had to find a law firm to deal with the details. At the same time, the two ships still needed to be overhauled in the UK before sailing back to Hong Kong.
What makes Lin Zhichao happy is that the two Liberty Ships only cost 840,000 US dollars, which is equivalent to him still having 800,000 US dollars in ship purchase funds. In this way, he can also purchase two cargo ships, but of course he will not continue to purchase them immediately.
This allowed his fleet in 1950 to reach at least four ships with a capacity of 8,000 to 10,000 tons. Of course, it is not certain, because in the second half of 1950, he may add more ships.
This strength is enough for him to quickly become a shipowner at the level of Dong Ship King and Xu Ship King.
Of course, Lin Zhichao invested nearly 10 million Hong Kong dollars in his first investment, which is considered a very generous investment.