Chapter 137 [Ship King’s Wedding] (Please vote for me!)
Author: Ren Zhufei
Chapter 137 [Ship King’s Wedding] (Please vote for me!)
After returning to Hong Kong, Lin Zhichao immediately inspected various companies. After confirming that everything was developing stably, he began to take a plane to Japan to promote his own cargo ships.
Although the cargo ship has not yet arrived in Hong Kong, we can make contact first and sit back and relax after reaching a preliminary intention.
After arriving in Japan, Lin Zhichao and Gao Qiqiang split up. Lin Zhichao went to visit Tatsuro Yamashita, while Gao Qiqiang went to large shipping companies such as Nippon Shipping Company to submit the ship's information and make an appointment.
Yamaguchi Steam Turbine Company.
"We have leased all three ships, but the prices are a little more favorable, and we are only willing to sign the lease for three years." After seeing the information handed over by Lin Zhichao, Yamashita Tatsuro flashed with joy, and then returned to the same state.
They are short of merchant ships, and even the whole of Japan is short of merchant ships. If we buy a large number of second-hand ships from overseas, it will require a lot of foreign exchange; it will be difficult to get all government approvals in a short time.
Therefore, he likes to rent boats.
Lin Zhichao did not give Yamashita Tatsuro all the information on the seven ships. He only gave him a 15,000-ton Victory ship and two 10,000-ton cargo ships.
Because he probably knew the freight business volume of Yamaguchi Steamship, he was worried that he would blackmail him into bargaining if he gave too much information. At the same time, Lin Zhichao did not want too many major customers to be concentrated, and Global Shipping needed another major customer.
, maintain at least two major customers in Japan to avoid being manipulated.
Lin Zhichao said cheerfully this time: "There is no problem with signing the contract for three years. I believe that the prospect of shipping will last for a long time. As for the price, to be honest, the price of second-hand ships in Europe has generally increased by more than 20%. But President Yamashita helped me
If you are very busy, how about signing for $2.9 million a year?"
If you sign a contract for three years, at worst, after three years, you can sign another two years at a cheaper price.
In short, he would never let his ship have a long-term contract in mid-1956, because then he would suffer heavy losses!
Yamashita Tatsuro was overjoyed. For the same tonnage, the contract was shortened by two years, and the price was saved by US$100,000 per year.
Sure enough, this young man was cheerful enough and the favor he received last time was worth it (in fact, he got more than this benefit).
With the shrewdness of a Japanese businessman, Yamashita Tatsuro waved his dragon-slaying knife again and said: "How about 2.8 million US dollars a year? Your other two 10,000-ton cargo ships are a little older."
Older ships mean cheaper rentals, that's true.
But in fact, the price range is not that big.
Lin Zhichao readily gave a compromise plan: "In this way, if I am more sincere, the price is still 2.9 million US dollars a year, but we can accept payment of 30% in Japanese yen and 70% in US dollars. In this way, I believe that Yamaguchi Steam Turbine will definitely
You can see our sincerity.”
He accepted Japanese yen because Japan's repair shops are now good and can repair warships. Global Shipping has 12 cargo ships of about 10,000 tons and many old ships, so problems may inevitably occur throughout the year.
When Japan can build ships in the future, global shipping can increase the proportion of payments in Japanese yen; importantly, the Japanese yen is very valuable and is currently pegged to the US dollar (1 US dollar equals 360 yen). Around the 1970s, the Japanese yen began to appreciate.
, we should insist on settlement in Japanese yen.
Tatsuro Yamashita was indeed happy. If he paid 30% in yen, it would be equivalent to reducing foreign exchange expenditure by US$870,000 a year, which is a good thing for the company.
"It's settled! When your ship arrives in Hong Kong, we will formally sign the contract."
"OK"
Later, Lin Zhichao and Gao Qiqiang went to the Japanese Shipping Company to discuss cooperation.
Due to rising freight rates and a large amount of cargo waiting to be transported, the Japanese shipping company also attached great importance to this issue and finally decided to charter all four cargo ships of Global Shipping at one go.
However, they are more cautious and are only willing to sign a three-year contract with a rental fee of US$3 million per year (total load capacity of 36,000 tons).
Lin Zhichao still chose to agree!
The ship price has soared this time, and the freight is not very affordable due to long-term charter.
The annual rental of the seven ships is only 5.9 million US dollars, and the theoretical profit is more than 4 million (depending on the ship's maintenance status), which is equivalent to taking just over a year (14 months) to recover the capital.
Although it may seem like a bit of a loss, after all, many shipping companies can now earn back an old ship in less than a year.
In reality, this is not the case. A three-year contract can maintain the same profit every year without being affected by market fluctuations. In the end, it may not be much different from a one-way short-term rental. After all, Lin Zhichao signed a long-term contract at the peak of the market. This is obviously very beneficial.
The important thing is to establish a kind of trust with Japanese business, which will be beneficial to later business development.
After returning to Hong Kong.
Lin Zhichao reported the recent development of global shipping to Sandus.
At present, although Lin Zhichao is not worried that HSBC will not borrow money (it has already been borrowed), he is worried that HSBC will suddenly collect the debt; in that case, Lin Zhichao will fall short.
Of course, this kind of thing does not exist in theory, but Lin Zhichao needs to let Sandus firmly support him.
After hearing this, Sandus marveled at Lin Zhichao's boldness and took a loan of US$3 million to purchase seven cargo ships worth US$4.5 million.
"After you formally sign the contract with Yamaguchi Steamship and Nippon Steamship Company, you must notify me. To be honest, I don't really feel relieved until I see the contract."
Don't blame him for being nervous. In the eyes of bankers, a ship cannot be regarded as an 'asset', at least it would be difficult for you to use it as a mortgage.
Lin Zhichao nodded and said: "As soon as the ship arrives in Hong Kong, I will go to Japan to formally sign the contract. Japan has a large amount of goods waiting to be shipped overseas, and they are also eager to use the ship."
Sandus did not relax his vigilance because of Lin Zhichao's analysis.
But since Lin Zhichao has already bought the boat, he will naturally not interfere.
Sandus then said with a smile: "Many people now believe that leasing smuggling ships to China is the most profitable way to make money in the Far East. Only you can see it best. Japan's demand for shipping is also a huge market. Hong Kong
There are also shipowners who rent their ships to Japanese merchants, but they are all one-way short-term rentals. Although the price is high, the business may inevitably be sluggish. After all, you have avoided the risks of shipping, I admire you!"
As if he had discovered a jade in the rough, he slowly came to admire Lin Zhichao's shipping management methods. Sandus believed that if Lin Zhichao develops as he does now, he will still be able to become a world shipping king like Orasis in the future.
HSBC can also benefit a lot from supporting global shipping.
Lin Zhichao said modestly: "I have also tried every means to consider stability in order to gain the trust of the bank. Otherwise, it will be very difficult to develop rapidly if I rely solely on my own funds."
Sandus nodded! It was precisely because of such difficulties that this young man came up with a good idea, just like Lin Zhichao when buying real estate, he also came up with installment stratification because of financial problems.
The two chatted for a while, and then Lin Zhichao left. As long as Sandus guarantees it for him, Global Shipping will be worry-free.
As long as the contract is officially settled, Global Shipping's monthly profits can repay the loan and balance payment.
Saturday, January 27, 1951.
On this day, the weather in Hong Kong cleared up and the sea was clear with boundless blue waves.
A Victory Ship is parked in Victoria Harbor, looking as majestic and unyielding as a warship. In fact, when the Victory Ship was produced, it had artillery and other weapons and equipment, and had certain defensive capabilities. So it makes sense to say it is a warship.
The Victory Ship has a load capacity of 15,000 tons. The entire hull is quite huge, and it looks even smaller when standing on it. The deck area is quite large, and it is equipped with several crane devices. Large merchant ships of this era have self-equipped cranes on the deck.
Unlike the container era in later generations, the lifting devices are basically docked.
Today is a good day. Lin Zhichao will marry Xu Caiying, the daughter of the Xu family. He has moved the wedding to the Victory Wheel.
So as soon as the Victory Wheel entered Hong Kong, it was immediately decorated. It took two days to finally set up the wedding scene and luncheon scene, and invited more than 300 people to the scene.
The dinner will also be held at the Hong Kong Hotel (Pedter Street), and the wedding will look very grand.
Because it was a 'bungalow', it was held on the scale of the main room. This time the size was even larger. Of course, this was due to Lin Zhichao's increased status.
For example, for this wedding, Lin Zhichao tentatively sent invitations to Hong Kong Governor Grant Hung and his wife, and they have already received a response. As for Sir Robert Ho Tung, he sent his children to attend because of his age.
At 10:30 in the morning, guests arrived one after another, and Lin Zhichao, Xu Caiying and his wife, their parents, adoptive parents, and the main wife Tang Caiyun greeted them at the entrance.
"Mr. Xu, Xu Sheng, welcome!" Lin Zhichao welcomed Xu Aizhou and his third son Xu Shixun.
Xu Aizhou inquired about the victory wheel for a while, and then said: "This wedding is very innovative. It really makes everyone feel ashamed that you have such strength. It really is the waves behind the Yangtze River that push the waves ahead!"
Victory Wheel! Apart from government-owned enterprises, the Chinese have never heard of such a large ship owned by private individuals.
Now there are rumors in Hong Kong business circles that Lin Zhichao has received support from HSBC Bank and is even more prosperous.
"You are serious, please come this way!"
"good!"
Soon, Chinese relatives, friends, and partners arrived one after another. Everyone lamented Lin Zhichao's strong strength. Now that he has received a loan from HSBC, it is even more amazing.
Of course, no one in Hong Kong except HSBC knows how many ships Lin Zhichao has; one thing is certain, that is, relying on Lin Zhichao to recruit hundreds of seamen, some people speculate that Lin Zhichao owns a fleet of about 50,000 tons.
Even so, this strength is second only to Xu Aizhou's fleet, not to mention that Lin Zhichao is only in his twenties and has the support of a bank.
"The Governor is here!"
I don't know who shouted, and found that Grantham and his wife were riding the Hong Kong government's yacht, approaching the Victory. At this time, everyone also discovered a problem. The Hong Kong government's yacht looked a bit small under the Victory wheel.
Fortunately, one is a cargo seller and the other is a yacht.
After a while, Grantham, surrounded by several foreigners, boarded the deck.
"Welcome Governor Ge Gang and Mrs. Ge Mulian!" Lin Zhichao greeted in a very gentlemanly manner.
Grantham and his wife looked at Lin Zhichao and his wife, and then Grantham said with a smile: "The wedding is very innovative! I heard that you own many 10,000-ton ships. It seems to be true."
Lin Zhichao said with a smile: "There are indeed a few ships. Thanks to the support of HSBC, these ships are currently repaying their loans. Fortunately, these ships are all leased to Japanese shipping companies on a long-term basis, so there is no problem in repaying the loans."
There are many meanings in what he said. First, he was grateful for the support from HSBC, which was equivalent to moving closer to the Hong Kong government; second, he had long-term leased the ship to a Japanese customer and would not participate in smuggling.
"That's it! But if you can get a loan from HSBC, it must be because your business is very good. I understand that it is difficult for shipping to get a bank loan."
"Governor Ge thanks you for your praise, please come here!"
At this time, the Chinese people all lamented the deep relationship between Lin Zhichao and the Hong Kong government. Even the governor and his wife attended the wedding.
As everyone knows, Ge Lianghong was a little surprised when he received Lin Zhichao's invitation.
Although he had paid attention to Lin Zhichao, he rarely interacted with him, so he was not very familiar with him.
However, after receiving the invitation, he immediately asked his secretary to give him all the information on Lin Zhichao. This knowledge shocked him.
The twenty-three-year-old self-made business tycoon, real estate tycoon, industrial tycoon, and shipping tycoon have all achieved remarkable results. Especially in the recent shipping business, more than 200 seafarers (actually more than 300) have been recruited, and more than 200 seafarers have been recruited (actually more than 300).
The loan from HSBC is said to own more than five large cargo ships of 10,000 tons.
He immediately decided to win over such a business elite.
In fact, Grantham and Grantham are the kind of Hong Kong governor and his wife who love money. They not only represent the plutocrats in Hong Kong, they are also said to have participated in smuggling in their previous lives.
Next it’s time for the wedding ceremony, this time it’s a Western-style wedding.
"Ehuang Nüying, Lin Sheng is in charge of her career, and her family will have a good harvest!"
"That's right! In a few years, I'm afraid Lin Sheng will become our Chinese business leader!"
People around him were in disbelief.
After thinking about it, I have to admit that the Victory Wheel under their feet alone is said to be worth four to five million Hong Kong dollars, and it is rumored that Lin Zhichao owns four or five large cargo ships of 10,000 tons. With the support of HSBC, the future is really unlimited.
Under the auspices of the priest, the wedding scene was very romantic. Lin Zhichao looked at the charming Xu Caiying and felt very proud. This life is worth it.
Then the main meal started, using Western style, because it was Chinese food in the evening.
During the dinner, Ge Lianghong asked Sanda Shidao: "How many ships does Global Shipping have? How much tonnage?"
He knew that Sandus was an executive of HSBC Bank, so he planned to understand Lin Zhichao's specific strength.
Sandus, however, kept an eye on it because he was a businessman, not a politician.
"There were five ships in the front, and now I have bought this Victory, which already has a load capacity of more than 60,000 tons."
Grantham, Ge Mulian and their assistants were all in disbelief, mainly because Lin Zhichao was too young.
Next, Grantham learned about other situations and found that the Hong Kong government's information had underestimated Lin Zhichao, a potential businessman.
Ge Mulian asked: "Did his fleet transport goods to the other side?"
Sandus glanced at the Governor's wife and didn't know why he asked. Then he shook his head and said: "If this young man does this, he will not get a loan from HSBC because we think there is a risk. On the contrary, he will be greatly
Most of the ships are leased to Japanese merchants on a long-term basis, so we don’t have to worry about repaying the loans.”
Ge Lianghong understood, nodded and said: "Sure enough, he is very shrewd. He knows how to gain the banker's trust first."
He was also thinking whether he should have more contact with Lin Zhichao. This young businessman had a simple background and was exactly what he needed to lead the British Empire. Moreover, Lin Zhichao did not have any honors yet. He should be encouraged to do more charity and then strive for it.
The title of Justice of the Peace in the past two years.
Late that night, after the wedding, the Lin family finally moved into the three-storey bungalow on Conduit Road.
The third floor of the bungalow is the bedroom of Wu Wenying, Lin Zhichao, Tang Caiyun, and Xu Caiying, as well as a living room and study room;
The second floor of the bungalow is the living area for Lin Xiner, Lin Ruihuan and their future children, as well as a living room and study room;
On the first floor of the bungalow, there is a restaurant, etc., and a room for a live-in nanny.
Overall, the space is quite large. Although it is said to be a bungalow, it actually covers an area similar to that of a villa and has an independent yard.
"Husband, I am so happy today!" Xu Caiying said affectionately.
At today's wedding, she received a lot of blessings. Even Tang Caiyun doted on her, the second sister, without any hint of jealousy.
Lin Zhichao hugged her and said: "As long as you are happy! Life is like this, and it will get better and better in the future. I will take you to the United States for vacation after a while."
Every year, you still have to arrange two vacations, and you can earn money slowly.
Rich people in this era are not called traveling, but called sojourners. Many of them like to live in Europe and the United States for a period of time and then return to Hong Kong. Of course, these are generally wealthy families, at least where their children grow up and inherit the inheritance.
After going down.
"Well. Then should I serve my husband and rest now?" Xu Caiying said mischievously with a wink.
Lin Zhichao asked: "Are you sure you can eat it alone?"
Xu Caiying immediately gave Lin Zhichao a pink punch, and then said: "I can't eat tonight, so I have to hold on, and I have to win once."
Then, she squatted down directly, planning to start the fight first and consume Lin Zhichao's energy.
tear!
The next morning, Xu Caiying happily served tea to Wu Wenying.
Then, she said to Tang Caiyun: "Sister, it's your turn, I have to offer you tea too!"
Tang Caiyun held up her five-month pregnant belly and said with a smile: "What are you talking about? I am not an elder, and you are not a concubine. What kind of tea do you want to serve?"
The two sisters laughed and joked about it, and they were really in love with each other.
Seeing this scene, Wu Wenying and Lin Zhichao were naturally very happy.
Although Tang Caiyun and Xu Caiying are not biological sisters, they are better than biological sisters. As the saying goes, everything is prosperous when everything is harmonious at home. With them taking care of things at the back, Lin Zhichao can fight in the mall with more confidence.
While eating breakfast, Lin Zhichao said: "The Spring Festival is only a week away. If you want to buy anything, hurry up and buy it. Our family's living conditions have improved, and we don't need to think too much about spending money in the future."
"Well, there are several of us women running the house, so don't worry, my son. As a mother, I'm not an old man. I know that my daughters-in-law love beauty, so I won't interfere with your expenses." Wu Wenying said proactively.
She fully supports her son's idea and is determined not to be a bad mother-in-law. After all, she never dreamed of marrying two such beautiful daughters-in-law.
Lin Zhichao, on the other hand, does not believe in being too frugal unless he needs to establish a personal profile in the future.
Tang Caiyun and other women have also been shocked by Lin Zhichao's work recently. 12 10,000-ton cargo ships are worth a total of eight million US dollars, equivalent to nearly 50 million Hong Kong dollars. Although the debt is only 5 million US dollars, as Lin Zhichao said, one year
You'll make it back in no time.
By this time, Lin Zhichao had already distanced himself from other wealthy people in Hong Kong, and he still had to do everything possible to rely on HSBC.
At present, Xu Aizhou's fleet is only 50,000 to 100,000 tons. It looks like there are many ships, but in fact they are all cargo ships with a load capacity of 1,000 to 5,000 tons.
In fact, in terms of the tonnage of Chinese privately owned cargo ships, Lin Zhichao is already No. 1 and is a veritable ‘Chinese Shipping King’.
This is related to his bold style and his courage to borrow nearly 5 million US dollars in total.