Chapter 235: The Opening of Changxing Mall and the Unofficial Legislative Councillors
"Five ships?" Fukada Shigenobu was visibly surprised but quickly composed himself and said, "Mr. Yang, our Mitsubishi Shipyard can absolutely deliver your order in the shortest possible time."
From their earlier conversations, Fukada already understood that this Chinese client placed a high priority on delivery timelines. Initially, he had assumed that as a first-time buyer of new ships, Yang would perhaps order one or two vessels—five was a quantity typically reserved for large-scale shipping companies.
"How long will it take?" Yang Wendong asked in return. He was indeed very concerned about delivery. With only five years left until 1967, even if the upfront costs were high, the right timing could allow the ships to recoup their investment in a single year. In such a scenario, time was far more valuable than money.
Fukada replied, "Eighteen months in total. We will assign multiple docks to the order. The first ship will be delivered in the tenth month, and then one ship approximately every month and a half after that."
"Then I'll leave the technical specs and other details to Ms. Zheng. She'll handle them with your team," Yang said, not indicating whether he was satisfied with the timeline.
He couldn't afford to express any clear stance now. In business negotiations, every word and gesture could tip the scale. If he seemed too eager, the other party might exploit that during later discussions, potentially costing him hundreds of thousands of dollars. Deals of this size were as intricate as diplomatic negotiations between nations.
Fukada gave another small bow. "Understood. We will work closely with Ms. Zheng from now on."
Zheng Yuhua nodded. "Of course."
After some polite farewells, Fukada left, and Zheng returned to her room to organize documents.
Su Yiyi, noticing Yang Wendong now appeared much more relaxed, teased, "Buying five brand-new ships at once—that's a big financial pressure, isn't it?"
"There's definitely pressure," Yang admitted with a nod. "But the shipping industry, much like real estate, heavily depends on bank financing—actually, it depends on it even more. As long as we make full use of bank capital, the pressure becomes manageable. Once the business is up and running smoothly, we can repay the loans gradually from operating profits. That's how all of Hong Kong's shipowners do it."
Indeed, in any industry, rapid growth is impossible without leveraging financial institutions. Even with Pao Yue-kong's extraordinary talent, he wouldn't have become the king of shipping with a 20 million-ton fleet in just two decades without the help of banks.
Real estate and shipping were going to be Yang's two flagship industries moving forward, and both would require smart financing strategies.
Before coming to Japan, he had already met with HSBC's Saunders to verbally confirm support for this new round of loans. In fact, if his manpower and management team had been more robust, he might have even considered ordering more ships.
"Mm." Su Yiyi didn't press further and instead said, "These last few days in Japan, I visited a lot of clothing stores. I've realized now—you were totally right. The majority of them just sell everyday wear."
"Exactly. That's the norm." Yang nodded. "Same goes for my supermarkets. They're built to serve the general public. The high-end consumer market is always the minority."
"Yeah, and I've picked up a lot of practical knowledge while we were here," Su said thoughtfully.
Yang smiled. "There'll be plenty of chances to come back. Japan's just a few hours away by plane."
"Great. When we return tomorrow, I'll spend more time reflecting on what I've learned," she replied.
"Mm. If you want to succeed in business, you've got to think deeply," Yang said.
In the beginning, his success had come from patented products. Even with knock-offs on the market, his strong distributor relationships allowed him to dominate a decent share. The initial business scale was also small, so competition wasn't overwhelming.
But in normal industries, success was all about operational capability. Giants like Walmart or Uniqlo hadn't risen from luck—they fought their way through blood-soaked competition.
—
October 27th
Yang Wendong, Su Yiyi, and several others returned to Hong Kong, while Zheng Yuhua and the technical team stayed in Japan to continue negotiations on the ship order—now worth nearly $10 million USD.
Deals like this couldn't be finalized in just a few days. In fact, Changxing Shipping had already visited multiple shipyards even before this trip.
Once all the terms were finalized, Yang would return to sign off on the final decision himself.
Back home, Su Yiyi went straight to check on their child, and Yang spent the day playing with his son.
—
October 28th, Sunday – A Good Day for Grand Openings
Today, word had spread across Hong Kong: the Changxing Mall on Des Voeux Road Central was officially opening.
Outside the main entrance of the mall, a large crowd had already gathered, including many reporters and photographers.
"Congratulations, Mr. Yang."
Yang Wendong stood at the front entrance of the mall, personally welcoming guests from both political and business circles.
In Hong Kong, the opening of a new building or shopping mall was a big deal. Even for major conglomerates like Jardine or Swire, top executives would attend opening ceremonies and invite high-profile guests to witness ribbon-cutting events.
"Mr. Yang, congratulations!" A man in his mid-thirties walked up with a smile.
Recognizing him, Yang said, "Thank you, Mr. Zheng. I heard you're also planning to open a mall in Central?"
Zheng Yutong laughed. "Yes, that's true. But mine's much smaller in scale, and the location isn't nearly as good. The core areas of Central are all dominated by the British firms. It's hard for Chinese businessmen like us to get a prime spot."
"It's alright. The British got a head start—it's natural they have an advantage," Yang replied. "But I believe we Chinese will catch up to them, sooner or later."
"Let's hope so," Zheng said with a polite smile.
Yang then added, "Please go inside and rest for a bit. After the ribbon-cutting, I'll come find you."
"Of course." Zheng Yutong nodded and entered the building, where many other mall owners and businesspeople were already gathering. It was a rare opportunity for the local retail world to come together.
Over the next half hour, a steady stream of business acquaintances arrived, and Yang personally greeted each one.
"Mr. Pao," Yang said warmly as he spotted a familiar face—none other than the future shipping magnate, Pao Yue-kong.
Pao smiled and said, "Congratulations, Mr. Yang. Owning a major property like this in Central is something many people envy."
"Haha." Yang Wendong chuckled. "Mr. Pao, if you're interested, even if this particular location isn't available, there are still plenty of decent spots in Central."
In the early 1960s, real estate was just one key indicator of economic activity in Hong Kong—it hadn't yet become the central pillar it would be two decades later. Many industrial or shipping tycoons weren't short on money, but they simply focused on their own industries. Some outright refused to touch real estate, out of fear or principle.
Pao Yue-kong shook his head and said, "If I had that kind of capital, I'd rather buy more ships. I heard you're planning to purchase five cargo vessels from Japan in one go? That's quite the move."
"I am. I've got full confidence in the future of the global shipping market," Yang replied honestly.
Acquiring large cargo ships was not just his business alone—it involved multiple shipping companies and several banks. With so many parties involved, it wasn't something that could be kept secret. Industry insiders could easily catch wind of it.
Pao nodded. "I'm optimistic too. But I just don't have the funds to expand quickly."
"In that case," Yang said, "how about reconsidering my previous proposal? I'd be happy to invest in your company."
Pao paused to think, then said, "I've thought about it. But the issue is, our shipping companies all operate under heavy debt. On paper, the value isn't high. Even if you invested a significant amount, it might not even be enough to buy half a ship."
"True enough." Yang considered for a moment. "It's hard to reach a consensus on this. Let's revisit the idea another time. Even if we don't go through with the investment, we can still collaborate in many other ways."
Capital-intensive industries all share a similar trait: their market capitalization often pales in comparison to the actual funds they can leverage. Real estate companies are a perfect example. A firm might be worth just HK$1 billion, but through bank loans, pre-sales, and deferred payments to suppliers, they can leverage that into tens of billions of capital.
Take, for instance, a certain famous developer in Yang's previous life: at its peak, the company was worth around HK$500 billion—but its total debt exceeded HK$2 trillion.
Shipping was no different. Everyone ran on heavy leverage—buy ships with borrowed money and pay back the loans over time. After deducting liabilities, the actual equity left wasn't much, making it hard to raise additional funds.
"Alright." Pao smiled and let it go. "I'll head inside now and won't take up more of your time."
With that, he made his way to the designated seating area. He was the only shipping magnate there—most of the attendees were from real estate, manufacturing, or even government circles.
At exactly 10:00 a.m., the opening ceremony began. With the media watching, Yang Wendong invited a senior government secretary—John, a middle-aged British official—to join him for the ribbon-cutting.
Together, they snipped the red ribbon as cameras flashed.
Then, the doors of Changxing Mall swung open, and crowds poured in.
Inside the mall, all the shops had been fully prepared, offering their best prices to welcome the flood of customers.
Yang and a group of guests made their way up to the open third floor, where they could look down over the entire main atrium and observe the bustling crowd.
John smiled and said, "Eric, your mall looks like a huge success. I've attended quite a few opening ceremonies on behalf of the Governor, but I've never seen one draw such a crowd."
"I'm just happy to be able to serve the people of Hong Kong," Yang replied with a smile.
Of course, a big part of the turnout was due to his control over media outlets.
Honghua Daily, for instance, catered to high-end readers—who just so happened to be frequent shoppers in Central. At the same time, Yang had good relationships with Ming Pao, Sing Tao Daily, Ta Kung Pao, and other major newspapers. Paying for extra coverage wasn't an issue.
And then there was Hong Kong Commercial Radio, with over 100,000 listeners across the city. Most families with radios weren't necessarily wealthy, but they weren't poor either—and all of them were potential customers.
John continued, "The Governor hopes that the citizens of Hong Kong can one day enjoy the same standard of living as those in Britain. That goal requires entrepreneurs like yourself to help make it happen."
"You flatter me," Yang said modestly.
John then said, "By the way, besides attending the mall opening, I'm also here to deliver some news. Your application to become an Unofficial Member of the Legislative Council representing Tsim Sha Tsui has been approved. The formal appointment letter will be sent to your residence in the coming days."
"Oh? Thank you very much," Yang replied with a polite smile.
About half a year earlier, during negotiations with Governor Black regarding the Wanren Industrial Park, the Governor had suggested Yang could be appointed as an Unofficial Member of the Legislative Council.
While the position didn't come with much actual power, it did offer political visibility—a prestigious title. Following that conversation, government staff had helped file the paperwork, and all that was left was to wait for the result.
Now, finally, it had come through.
John explained, "Applications for new Legislative Council members are processed annually in August. So even though yours was submitted back in March, the results only come out now."
"I understand. I was told about the timeline already," Yang replied. "I'm honored to serve the people of Hong Kong in any way I can."
Although the role lacked formal authority, unofficial council members could still make proposals. And those appointed were usually either wealthy or highly respected in the community.
"Very good," John said. "The local administrators in Tsim Sha Tsui will be reaching out to you soon."
"Understood." Yang nodded.
Inside the mall, most of the shops were similar to those in other malls. But the basement level stood out—a large "general store," or more accurately, Hong Kong's first Carrefour-style self-service supermarket. Outside the grocery section were several snack stalls.
Many customers who entered for the first time were astonished to find all the goods laid out openly on shelves, each marked with a price tag.
"Everything's just out here? No staff watching over it?" one middle-aged woman asked in disbelief, her companions equally puzzled.
At that moment, a young woman in a yellow uniform approached and said with a smile, "Ladies, there are baskets over there. Please take one. In our Carrefour supermarket, you're free to pick any items you want from the shelves and place them in your basket. When you're done, head to the front to check out. If you have questions about a product, feel free to ask me or any staff member wearing a yellow uniform."
"We can just take things ourselves?" the middle-aged woman looked completely baffled.
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