Chapter 154: Securing the Radio License
Yang Wendong nodded and said, "Alright, I understand. And thank you both again for your help."
When it came to media-related tenders, price was important—but not the deciding factor. Yang Wendong's biggest disadvantage was his lack of relevant experience. In this situation, even if his bid was financially competitive, the government could still reject him on the grounds of inexperience. That's why having internal advocates was crucial.
Tian Yunjian smiled and said, "You're being too polite, Mr. Yang. Your company, Changxing Industrial, has already created thousands of jobs in Tsim Sha Tsui and made society here more stable. Ordinary citizens are now able to live and work in peace. With that kind of contribution, if you want to start other legitimate businesses, it's our duty as government officials to support you."
"Haha, let's hope that under the leadership of the government, Hong Kong continues to thrive," Yang Wendong replied with a smile.
Whether or not the officials were sincere, the truth remained: any entrepreneur who could create employment and contribute to tax revenue would be welcomed by any government. Social stability and economic growth were things no authority would turn down.
After taking a sip of wine, Tian said, "Then let's hope we can help Mr. Yang successfully win the new commercial radio license."
"Agreed," Yang nodded. "And if this works out, then if either of you ever needs help with anything, I'll do everything I can."
In politics and business, it was all about mutual benefit. People helped each other by exchanging resources. Everyone gained something, maximizing returns—fully legal and aboveboard. Even if the Independent Commission Against Corruption arrived a decade later, they wouldn't be able to find any fault.
…
Three days after the meeting, Zhao Chengguang arrived at Yang Wendong's office, bringing someone with him.
"Mr. Yang!" Zhao greeted cheerfully as he entered. "This is Mr. Zhang Hui, introduced by Mr. Tian."
"Mr. Zhang, nice to meet you," Yang said with a smile, standing up to shake his hand.
"Pleasure to meet you too, Mr. Yang," Zhang Hui replied, smiling in return.
Yang gestured toward the nearby sofa area. "Let's talk over here."
Zhao added, "Don't be shy, Mr. Zhang. Mr. Yang may be famous as the Post-it King, but he's one of the most approachable people you'll meet. Once you work with him, you'll realize my compliments don't even do him justice."
"Haha, Mr. Zhao is too kind," Yang said with a chuckle, grabbing a few chilled drinks from the office fridge.
Then he asked, "Mr. Zhang, judging by your accent, you're from the north?"
He'd already guessed based on the man's name. In Hong Kong and nearby Guangdong regions, most names had three characters. The vast majority of celebrities, tycoons, and public figures in his previous life followed that pattern.
Zhang Hui smiled. "I'm from Anhui. Strictly speaking, not really the north, but compared to Hong Kong, it might as well be."
Yang nodded. "So you've been working in radio for nearly twenty years?"
"That's right," Zhang replied. "I started in Shanghai's commercial radio station back on the mainland. After moving to Hong Kong, I joined the government's public radio station and have been working there for eighteen years."
"Then you've had a stable government job for quite some time. What made you decide to leave?" Yang asked.
Government jobs in Hong Kong weren't quite as secure as civil servant roles in the mainland of his previous life, but they were still relatively stable and often lifelong unless you messed up or offended someone.
Zhang responded, "It's true, the job is stable—but it's stable poverty. I've worked for over a decade, but between rent and daily living expenses, I've barely saved anything.
Right now, my three wives and five children are crammed into a 600-square-foot flat. It's far too small. I've never had the ability to buy a proper home. So tell me, Mr. Yang—what's the point of stability like that?"
"...?" Yang Wendong was silent for a moment. He couldn't tell if this guy was humblebragging or just being painfully honest.
No wonder he couldn't save any money. Supporting a family that size? Most corporate executives couldn't afford that. The salary from public radio probably wasn't terrible, or they'd all be living on congee by now.
Out of curiosity, he asked, "Mr. Zhang, with so many wives, is your household peaceful?"
"Absolutely. As long as everyone can eat, it's fine. The kids are older now and working too," Zhang said. "But they also want to buy homes, and they can't afford it either. So the pressure falls back on me."
"Yeah, for ordinary people, buying property really is tough," Yang nodded.
Even during the housing slump of 1958, getting into the market wasn't something the average family could do.
Zhao sipped his cold drink and added with a smile, "Mr. Zhang, don't worry. If you work with Mr. Yang, buying a house will be a breeze."
"That's definitely true," Yang chuckled. "Alright, let's get down to business."
Zhao stood up with his drink. "You two talk. I'll leave—this is commercial confidential stuff."
"Sure," Yang said. "There's a stack of newspapers in the meeting room next door. Feel free to pass the time there."
"Will do!" Zhao walked out, leaving the two men alone.
Yang got straight to the point. "Mr. Zhang, I assume you already know what I'm trying to do. The most important thing right now is to secure that radio license.
I've already spoken to people inside the government. Price is the key factor here. What's your estimate? What kind of bid would give us a good chance of winning?"
In truth, the radio license wouldn't be that expensive. In a few years, even the gambling licenses in Macau would only go for two to three million HKD.
But Yang wasn't about to throw money away either. He just needed to raise his offer slightly to ensure security—no need to go overboard.
Zhang thought for a moment and said, "Mr. Yang, to be honest, the biggest cost isn't the license—it's the long-term investment afterward.
Looking at the current setup of Hong Kong's public radio, building a transmission tower alone would cost HKD 300,000 to 400,000. Then there's operational expenses—staff salaries and so on—amounting to another 100,000-plus per year, and that's not even counting marketing costs.
Right now, the public station makes about HKD 100,000 profit per year, and that's after many years of running.
Based on my estimate, the winning bid for the license should be under HKD 200,000. Any more than that, and it would definitely be a loss."
"So if we set the bid just over 200,000, we'll have a strong chance of winning?" Yang Wendong asked.
Zhang Hui nodded. "Based on my calculations, yes. In fact, even if we win the bid at just 100,000, the radio station will still be difficult to make profitable in its early stages. That's something I thought I should tell you in advance."
"Mm, I've already considered that. Right now, what matters most is securing the license," Yang said with a calm smile.
Zhang Hui continued, "Alright, then I can draft a complete investment plan for the station after we acquire the license. The only uncertainty at the moment is the location for the transmission tower, but everything else can be laid out in detail."
"Great. Since you're still technically a public servant, even resigning will take some time," Yang paused for a moment. "So I'll need that plan done as soon as possible. The application is due at the end of the month. I'll also issue a separate payment for the planning work—it's only fair. You're doing work, and I'll pay for it. No need to feel awkward about it."
He wasn't the type to exploit pre-hire workers for free. It wasn't even about the money—it was about company culture and professional respect.
Zhang Hui appreciated the offer. "Alright, then I'll calculate it based on a standard overtime rate."
Yang added, "I'll also raise the bid slightly to be safe—probably around 250,000 HKD. That way we don't lose out purely on financial grounds.
As for post-license operations, I'll leave them to you. Whether we get this license or not depends on this round.
But don't worry, you can wait until the results are announced before resigning from the public radio station. If we don't win, I'll also provide you with some compensation for your time."
Zhang Hui nodded. "Understood, Mr. Yang. I believe our cooperation will be a successful one."
"Mm, good." Yang nodded, then added, "We'll discuss your salary once we've secured the station. There's no point in setting it now. But rest assured—it'll be much higher than what you're currently earning."
"That's fine." Zhang agreed readily. He was starting to realize that this young boss was surprisingly considerate. It was rare to find someone in his position who actually thought from the employee's perspective.
…
After their meeting ended, Yang headed to the conference room next door. "Mr. Zhao, how are things going with Mr. Tian?"
Zhao Chengguang smiled. "He's arranged everything on his end. He's also had a quiet word with a few relevant people.
Of course, he won't make any promises about guaranteeing success."
"Of course not." Yang nodded. Whether in politics or business, even if someone was close to you, they'd rarely promise outright success.
Zhao continued, "You go ahead and finish your preparation. I'll see if I can gather intel on the other bidders."
"Keep an eye on He Zuozhi in particular," Yang said after a brief pause.
In the original timeline, He had been the one who successfully secured the license. That made him Yang's biggest rival in this life as well.
Meanwhile, in a hotel suite in Central Hong Kong—
"Mr. He, there's something I need to tell you," a man reported as he entered. "Director Qian sent word—he says there's a strong new competitor entering the race for the radio license."
"Who is it?" He Zuozhi asked with surprise. "Some big company?"
"No, it's that well-known Post-it King—Yang Wendong," the man replied.
"Yang Wendong?" He paused in thought. "I heard the Hong Kong Chinese Daily is also his. Now he's going after the radio license? Looks like he's planning a full-scale entry into the media industry."
"There's a good chance," the man said. "Yang Wendong's financial resources are much greater than ours, and his political connections seem to be stronger too."
"Did Director Qian say anything else?" He Zuozhi asked.
The man shook his head. "He said the Commerce Bureau is currently leaning in Yang's favor—due to his stronger finances and public reputation. Several deputy directors are already speaking on his behalf.
Director Qian suggested you consider leveraging your family connections through the Ho family."
He Zuozhi sighed. "That won't work. I started this venture to make something of myself without using the Ho family's resources. If I run back to them now, even if I win, the radio station will become theirs in name and influence. And their help doesn't come free."
"So what now?" the man asked.
"We compete fairly," He said with a frown. "Let's see who wins."
…
One week later, Zhang Hui returned to Yang Wendong's office and handed over a thick binder. "Mr. Yang, this is the plan I put together. Please review it."
"Alright." Yang took the document and carefully read through it. "There are parts I don't fully understand, so I'll have someone else go through it too. If there are no issues, we'll proceed with the 250,000 HKD bid."
"Great. Then let me offer my early congratulations, Mr. Yang," Zhang said with a smile.
After a bit more casual chat, Zhang left. Yang then summoned Zhao Chengguang. "Mr. Zhao, please deliver this to Mr. Tian in advance and ask him to review it for any potential problems."
Since Tian was on the inside, getting his early feedback would be a big help. And given both sides were aiming for long-term collaboration, a little mutual trust was expected.
Zhao took the folder and nodded. "Sure, I'll get it to him as soon as I can.
By the way, I didn't find much concrete information on He Zuozhi, but I did learn that he's negotiating a 200,000 HKD loan from East Asia Bank."
"200,000?" Yang nodded. "Sounds like it's related to the radio station. If that's all he's got to work with, then he's not that well-funded."
"Well, he's not a direct heir of the Ho family, and Mr. Ho Tung has passed away. So it's likely he can't access much of the family's resources," Zhao analyzed.
Yang smiled. "That's good news for us then."
Three days later, Zhao came back with an update—Mr. Tian had reviewed the plan and had no objections. Yang then summoned Zhang Weida and instructed him to convert the proposal into a formal bid package and submit it.
And after that, all that was left was to wait.
On December 3rd, Yang Wendong was casually snacking on sunflower seeds while reading Gu Long's latest novel when his phone rang. It was Zhao Chengguang.
"Mr. Yang, congratulations! I just got an inside tip from Mr. Tian—the radio station license is yours."
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