Chapter 199: The Ten-Thousand-Person Industrial Park Plan
Soon after, Yang Wendong and Su Yiyi brought Elena up to his office, where Su Yiyi began preparing tea for their guest.
Elena smiled warmly. "First of all, congratulations on the pregnancy. You're both going to be parents soon."
"Thank you," Yang Wendong replied with a smile, then asked directly, "Ms. Elena, is there something I can help you with today?"
Since becoming successful, Yang had made a point to visit Elena a few times. She was, after all, the only person in his early days who had helped him without any profit motive. Others had cooperated with him, sure, but it had always been for mutual business gain.
He'd even considered buying her a better apartment when he learned her living situation wasn't great, but Elena had politely refused. Instead, Yang made sure to send gifts on holidays, small tokens of appreciation.
And ever since Yang had become a well-known figure in Hong Kong, Elena had never approached him for help. She only attended his wedding after he personally invited her.
Elena nodded. "Yes, there's something I wanted to discuss with you. I believe you might be the only one who can really help."
"What is it?" Yang asked.
"You know about the fire last month in the squatter huts of Kwun Tong?" Elena asked.
"Yes," Yang nodded. "It was all over the newspapers—three dead, over twenty injured."
Squatter huts, or liao wu, weren't exclusive to Tsim Sha Tsui. In fact, nearly every developed area on the Kowloon Peninsula had them nearby. They were much like the slums of other cities—home to the poor who relied on adjacent urban centers for survival. They lived in makeshift huts and sought work wherever they could.
The fire last month in the squatter area near Kwun Tong had been severe. Casualties were thankfully not worse only because it happened during the day, allowing residents to flee.
Elena added, "The actual death toll was higher than reported. The government covered it up."
"Covered it up?" Yang raised an eyebrow. He hadn't heard that.
But on second thought, it made sense. Major disasters often got downplayed—no government wanted to admit to severe negligence. Even the British colonial authorities wouldn't dare to completely disregard Chinese lives. Too much outcry could cause diplomatic pressure and backlash from international media.
Elena nodded. "Yes, the real number is much higher, but I won't go into that now. What matters is that once the fire broke out, thousands were displaced. Many now have no homes, and some don't even have food."
"So now this falls under your department's responsibility?" Yang guessed.
Elena worked in the colonial government's social welfare division. While that office was originally intended to maintain social stability, it still included people genuinely committed to helping the underprivileged.
"Yes. We're doing what we can to help the displaced residents," Elena said. "And I've come to ask for your help."
"That's no problem. I can donate money to help these people," Yang offered without hesitation.
When one reaches a certain level of wealth, it's expected—whether out of sincerity or image—to give back. It's part of maintaining reputation. And helping poor Chinese families was one of the causes Yang was most willing to support.
"Thank you. That means a lot to them," Elena said with a smile. "But I didn't come just to ask for a charitable donation. I want to help solve this issue at the root."
"How?" Yang asked.
"The government has been building resettlement estates over the past few years—you're probably aware of that?" she said.
"I am," Yang nodded.
In truth, fires in Hong Kong's squatter areas were alarmingly common—almost a yearly event. With tens of thousands living in flammable wooden huts and cooking over open flames, it was practically inevitable.
The most infamous case had been the Shek Kip Mei Fire of 1953, which left over 50,000 people homeless. That disaster had brought massive international criticism and prompted the colonial government to begin constructing resettlement blocks—the first generation of public housing.
Since then, the government had continued to build more in different districts, resettling people gradually.
Elena continued, "This time, the government plans to build a large estate near Kwun Tong to house around ten thousand people.
But they'll only be given shelter. Their livelihoods are another issue. If that problem isn't solved, the area will fall into disorder again."
"So you want me to invest in Kwun Tong to provide jobs?" Yang finally understood her real intention.
Today, Changxing Industrial was arguably the largest manufacturing company in Hong Kong. Most of their plastic production was outsourced, which indirectly created a wide network of employment.
At a conservative estimate, about 10,000 people in Hong Kong were directly or indirectly working for Yang. And that only counted his suppliers—the full economic impact, including service industries, was impossible to measure.
There were only a handful of companies in all of Hong Kong that could drive localized economic growth. Changxing Industrial was one of them.
Elena nodded. "Exactly. That's why I came. I looked into your products—they're very popular overseas, and you clearly haven't fully saturated the market yet.
If you're planning to expand production, why not do so in a place where investment is desperately needed? I'm not asking this from a financial standpoint. I care about the people—people who are either unemployed, or worse, being drawn into crime due to desperation."
"To be able to help that many Chinese in squatter settlements… of course I'd be happy to," Yang said after a pause. "But this is a major decision. It would require adjusting my entire development plan. And many of our suppliers don't necessarily follow my lead, so I'll need some time to evaluate the feasibility."
In theory, building new factories in places like Tsim Sha Tsui or other bustling parts of Kowloon would bring the greatest long-term benefit.
Kwun Tong wasn't terrible, but it couldn't compete with more central areas—at least not yet.
But this wasn't just about profit. When something touched the lives of thousands, and he had the power to help, Yang knew he had to seriously consider it.
Elena smiled. "I understand. I didn't expect an immediate answer. And don't forget, this is still the government's responsibility.
If you step in, the colonial government will definitely reward you."
"What kind of reward?" Yang asked.
He was willing to help, sure—but he didn't want the government to escape its own responsibility entirely. If they benefited from his contribution, then he deserved something in return.
"I'm not sure," Elena said honestly. "That would be between you and the government to discuss. And to be clear, this isn't a private negotiation—we've approached several Hong Kong entrepreneurs."
Yang nodded thoughtfully. "I see."
He appreciated Elena's honesty—and her effort to make it clear that he wasn't being singled out unfairly. The scale of the issue, and the potential impact, made it a worthwhile conversation for everyone involved.
"If it's helpful, the Hong Kong government will be grateful. I imagine that anyone who seriously considers investing in Kwun Tong will negotiate with the government," Elena said with a smile.
"So this visit—it's your personal initiative? Not an official request from the colonial government?" Yang Wendong asked.
"It's not entirely personal," Elena clarified. "We discussed the matter internally within our department. I was the one who thought of you, and my superior approved my idea of reaching out to you."
"Alright, I understand. I'll think it over as soon as possible," Yang said. "If it involves significant investment, I'll definitely need to negotiate with the government."
"Very well, I'll take my leave then," Elena said, rising to her feet. "Best wishes for your child."
"Thank you," both Yang Wendong and Su Yiyi replied with warm smiles. Yang personally escorted Elena downstairs and arranged for his driver to take her home.
Back in his office, Yang called for Wei Zetao and relayed the conversation with Elena.
After hearing everything, Wei nodded. "Mr. Yang, actually, this might be a good thing for us."
"Oh?" Yang asked with curiosity.
Wei explained, "You know how we've organized production for Post-it notes—very centralized. The only outlier is the glue factory, which is in Tuen Mun because of its pollution.
Then we started producing a few plastic components, but since we don't manufacture them ourselves, they've been outsourced to other plants all over Hong Kong. Some are even being assembled in warehouses we bought ourselves. It's scattered everywhere."
Yang nodded. "I know. We expanded so fast, we had no choice but to use the existing plastic production facilities across Hong Kong. We couldn't afford to be picky about location."
"Exactly," Wei said. "But in terms of production efficiency and cost control, centralizing everything in one place is always better.
I've thought about this before, but Central and Tsim Sha Tsui no longer have large open spaces available. The only other option would be moving north, but that area is mountainous—the cost of leveling the land is so high, even big real estate firms shy away."
"So, you're thinking of establishing a future industrial base outside of Tsim Sha Tsui?" Yang asked.
"Yes," Wei nodded. "And under normal circumstances, it would be nearly impossible to find large enough land—unless we go as far as the New Territories, which lacks infrastructure. It's not suited for industry.
But if the government is willing to help, then it becomes feasible."
"So you're saying this opportunity in Kwun Tong might be exactly what we need?" Yang asked. "But what about our suppliers? Some of their production is more technical—can the local labor force handle it?"
"That's not a big problem," Wei said. "We can build dormitories for technical workers or arrange buses to bring them to and from the site. Hong Kong isn't that big—it's only a thirty to forty-minute ride to Kwun Tong. That's manageable."
"True," Yang nodded thoughtfully.
"Mr. Yang, I actually have an even bigger idea," Wei said, leaning forward. "Per your previous instructions, I've acquired several warehouses in Tsim Sha Tsui for storing suitcases awaiting shipment.
But a single warehouse only costs a few hundred thousand HKD. Meanwhile, the company's cash flow keeps growing—we're sitting on more money than we know what to do with.
So, why don't we make a large-scale investment in Kwun Tong?"
"What kind of investment are you thinking?" Yang asked.
He had explicitly forbidden Changxing Industrial from investing in real estate or any business outside its core manufacturing focus. But with such enormous profits, there really was a surplus of idle capital.
And given his knowledge of the upcoming 1966 real estate crash, hoarding land now might not pay off—it could lead to years of losses. Prime properties weren't being sold, and the cinema investments were too small in scale.
Right now, even he was beginning to wonder where best to place the extra funds.
Wei said, "We petition the government for a large plot of land in Kwun Tong. We build modern factories on it—not just for ourselves, but to lease out to our suppliers and other factories.
Even our own assembly lines could move there. This way, we consolidate our scattered industrial operations, help the government solve the employment problem, and generate rental income. It's a triple win."
"It really is a solid idea," Yang nodded. "But it's more than that. It's actually a four-fold win. Have you considered the impact of moving most of our future production capacity to Kwun Tong? It could change the entire local economy."
Large factories have the power to transform a city. Changxing Industrial might not be a Fortune 500 company, but it could absolutely reshape a district like Kwun Tong.
Wei nodded. "Exactly. That's why we shouldn't overlook the real estate aspect."
"Alright," Yang said, standing. "Call Zheng Zhijie over. Once he arrives, we'll discuss it further."
"Got it," Wei said and made the call immediately.
Over an hour later, Zheng arrived, slightly out of breath. "Apologies for being late."
"No worries," Yang said with a smile. "The ferry crossing is always like that."
Wei briefed Zheng on the earlier discussion.
After listening carefully, Zheng said, "This is a massive project. Just the rumors of it will cause land prices around Kwun Tong to spike."
"Exactly," Yang said. "That's why we can't miss the window. Of course, this won't be finalized quickly. I'll need to use the project as leverage to negotiate with the government. At the very least, we'll need them to grant us a large plot of land at a heavily discounted rate.
Meanwhile, Changxing Real Estate should begin acquiring property in Kwun Tong—starting tomorrow.
Focus on street-facing shops, old buildings, and see if local companies are willing to sell land directly."
"Mr. Yang," Zheng said with concern. "All of our company funds—and our loans from Liu Chong Hing Bank—are already tied up in two new housing developments."
Yang responded, "Don't worry. I'll reallocate funds from Changxing Industrial for this project. It will be independently funded and managed, completely separate from your current real estate operations.
No cross-use of funds is allowed."
"Understood," Zheng said. "Then, for the land we purchase in Kwun Tong—do we plan to develop it ourselves?"
"No need," Yang shook his head. "That land isn't suitable for our high-end residential projects. Building ordinary housing would just distract your team.
We're simply holding the property for now. Rent it out as-is, and when the time is right, we'll sell at a premium."
"Got it," Zheng nodded.
At that moment, Su Yiyi, who had been quietly listening, finally asked, "What are we calling this project? Something this big should have a name, right?"
Yang thought for a moment, then smiled. "Let's call it the Changxing Ten-Thousand-Person Industrial Park. After all, we'll be profiting from it, yes—but it's also likely to create jobs for at least ten thousand people… maybe even more."
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