Chapter 376: TVB Television Station's Ambition
After concluding his meeting with Sanders, Yang Wendong scheduled another appointment in the afternoon—this time with Standard Chartered Bank's regional director, Albert.
"Good to see you, Mr. Yang," Albert greeted him in fluent Cantonese. In the Hong Kong business world, speaking Cantonese was a must.
Yang Wendong shook his hand and said, "Mr. Albert, welcome. Please, have a seat."
"Thank you." Albert smiled. "Mr. Yang, what can I do for you today?"
Yang Wendong got straight to the point. "Mr. Albert, I'm currently looking to take out a loan in U.S. dollars. I thought of Standard Chartered as a potential partner for this project."
Although HSBC was larger, it was never smart to put all your eggs in one basket—especially in business. In real estate, Changxing Real Estate had always worked with multiple banks: HSBC, Bank of East Asia, Hang Seng, and even several Chinese banks.
But shipping was different, as it required large sums in foreign currency. Most Chinese banks in Hong Kong simply didn't have the capacity to offer dollar-denominated loans of that size. That meant he had to work with foreign banks. Last year, he worked with HSBC. This year, though he'd continue to cooperate with them, he didn't want to be overly reliant. Having two or more financing channels was always better.
Albert's eyes lit up. "And what kind of cooperation are you proposing?"
At this time, Standard Chartered's presence in Hong Kong had already fallen behind HSBC. In fact, it was in danger of being surpassed by Hang Seng Bank—a Chinese bank. This made Standard Chartered anxious, but they struggled to catch up.
Most of Hong Kong's newly rising Chinese businesses had long been scooped up by HSBC or Hang Seng. Back when manufacturing in Hong Kong was in decline, it was these two banks that stepped in to support local industry. Now that the economy was booming, Standard Chartered was left on the sidelines.
And when it came to Chinese conglomerates growing the fastest, Changxing Group stood at the top. But getting Yang Wendong to work with them was another matter entirely.
Yang Wendong didn't beat around the bush. "I plan to purchase a new round of ships from Japan—similar to the arrangement I discussed this morning with Mr. Sanders from HSBC."
He gave a brief rundown of his plans. Since cooperation was on the table, there was no need for secrecy. Until the MOU was signed, core confidential data wouldn't be disclosed anyway.
Albert listened carefully, then let out a sigh. "Mr. Yang, your ambition is truly impressive. I admire it."
"If the ambition isn't big, how else do you grow?" Yang Wendong smiled. "Mr. Albert, what do you think? Can we work together on this?"
Albert hesitated. "To be honest, Mr. Yang, based on what you've described, the total loan size approaches ten million U.S. dollars. That exceeds my local authorization limit. I'd need approval from our global headquarters.
Also, this venture carries considerable risk—especially considering that your shipping company, Changxing Shipping, just placed a $50 million order for ships last year. Now you're launching another round…"
"I understand," Yang Wendong said with a calm smile. "But every risk is also an opportunity, isn't it?
I have long-term confidence in the shipping market. If we succeed in this round, I'll be sure to consider Standard Chartered for future loans."
Loans aren't just about who's asking—they're also about which bank gets the business. Banks exist to lend money. Who's more dominant in the conversation depends entirely on the context.
In the 1990s, when Hong Kong's property market was at its peak, even the Four Great Families dared to go toe-to-toe with HSBC because real estate was so dominant that every bank was eager to lend.
Shipping hadn't reached that level of influence—yet. But Yang Wendong was no ordinary borrower. He held weight.
"Alright. I'll report this to headquarters," Albert said after a pause. "Personally, I have great confidence in you, Mr. Yang, and I sincerely hope we can work together."
"I hope so too." Yang Wendong nodded. "If headquarters is concerned about risk, we could arrange for a syndicated loan. I'm open to working with multiple banks."
Large-scale financing deals, infrastructure projects, or real estate ventures often involved multiple lenders pooling funds to spread risk and ensure success.
Albert immediately asked, "Who else would be part of the deal?"
"HSBC," Yang Wendong said with a slight smile.
If one party felt the risk was too great, the best way forward was to divide the exposure. Involving two or more banks not only made the deal safer but also gave Yang Wendong more flexibility in international finance.
Historically, Standard Chartered was crushed by HSBC in the 1980s. But perhaps if he gave them a bit of support, they wouldn't fall so far behind—or maybe even rebound.
Of course, support always came with a price. But that was a conversation for another day. This shipping order alone wouldn't be enough to tip the scales.
"Just as I suspected." Albert smiled. "Alright, I'll get the paperwork started. Hopefully we'll have an agreement soon."
"Sounds good." Yang Wendong nodded.
Albert added, "Mr. Yang, aside from shipping, we at Standard Chartered are also open to cooperating with Changxing Group in real estate and manufacturing."
"Sure, though in the short term I have no new plans in those areas," Yang Wendong replied. "Let's focus on the current deal for now."
It wasn't a bluff. Hong Kong's real estate market was nearing its peak. In the coming year, Yang Wendong was preparing to cash out of non-core assets. He wouldn't be taking on new debt.
As for his manufacturing ventures? Those were already highly profitable and cash-rich.
Right now, the only sector requiring large-scale investment was shipping.
"I understand," Albert said with a nod.
The message was clear: if this deal worked out, more cooperation might follow. If it didn't—well, both sides understood what that meant.
That evening, Yang Wendong returned home. After a hearty dinner, he sat with Bai Yushan and Su Yiyi on the sofa to watch TV. Their three children played with building blocks nearby.
Both Bai Yushan and Su Yiyi had visible baby bumps by now, so they moved more carefully. Still, they weren't bedridden—moderate activity was good for them.
Since there was only one TV station, they simply watched whatever was on. When the animated segment began, the children dropped their toys and immediately focused on the screen—it was Mickey Mouse, imported from America.
The adults chatted casually. Bai Yushan asked, "Brother Dong, will Changxing Culture adapt some of its comics into cartoons?"
"Yes," Yang Wendong said. "Once my TV station launches, we'll start airing them. Black Cat Detective is already being animated by an outsourced studio in the mainland.
Nezha Conquers the Dragon King is still ongoing. We'll wait until the comic is finished before adapting it. The same goes for the other titles—we need a complete story before animation production begins."
Although it would be at least six months before the TV station launched, the team had already been assembled. They were working on content for the debut schedule.
Much of it would have to be acquired from overseas. There was no way to produce everything in-house from day one. That was the global norm—even the world's top broadcasters began with a mix of domestic and foreign content.
Once the station went live, Yang Wendong planned to gradually enrich the programming and eventually begin in-house content production. Since he already owned a comic company, there was no reason to let the benefits flow to outsiders. Naturally, the comics would be adapted into animated films or series.
Su Yiyi asked, "What about Calabash Brothers, the one we watched together before?"
"Calabash Brothers will air too," Yang Wendong said. "Unless it's a long-running series like Black Cat Detective, the usual strategy will be to release the animation as a film first, and then broadcast it on TV. That way we can maximize profits."
Movies brought in the most direct revenue. Television, especially short-format content, was much less profitable—often a money-loser. Only long-running content could attract and retain a stable audience, enabling the station to earn returns through other channels and build real influence.
"Oh," Su Yiyi nodded and didn't press further.
Bai Yushan added, "I think the comics from Changxing Culture are really entertaining. I enjoy them myself. If they end up on TV, I'm sure a lot of kids will love them too."
"That's part of my goal," Yang Wendong said with a smile. "But it's not easy to pull off. You need three things: a free-to-air channel, affordable TV sets, and high-quality Chinese cultural content. Only when all three align can we truly achieve that."
Building a cultural industry was about more than just making money. It was also about preserving and promoting one's own culture. If there came a day when all children in China preferred watching Japanese cartoons, that would be a serious cultural invasion.
That's exactly what had happened in the original timeline. Especially for kids born in the '80s and '90s, there were almost no quality domestic animated series. Japanese anime dominated the screens. To be fair, they really were good for their time.
Yang Wendong's current goal wasn't as grand as defeating Japanese manga, but at the very least, he wanted to ensure that the Chinese cultural world had something of its own. Even if he had to borrow a few ideas from his past life as a time traveler, as long as the stories were rooted in Chinese heritage, it was justified.
Bai Yushan laughed. "So your years of preparation are finally about to come full circle. Now it's just a matter of launching the broadcast."
"Exactly. We're just waiting for the final push," Yang Wendong nodded. "Everything else is mostly ready."
The televisions from his company, Rongyao, were already outselling Japanese models in Hong Kong due to their lower prices and reliable quality. Rongyao had become the market leader.
However, because there were still no free-to-air broadcasts, buyers had to subscribe to a paid cable service that cost HKD 30 per month. That was too expensive for many households, so the market hadn't yet fully exploded. But once the free-to-air channel launched mid-year, TV sales would surge in response.
Once there was a television station with a large viewer base, it would become the most powerful media asset within the entire Changxing Group.
"I'm really looking forward to it," Bai Yushan said. "That way, our children will grow up watching their own animated shows."
"Not just cartoons," Yang Wendong added. "There will also be Chinese drama series. Take Jin Yong, Gu Long, and Liang Yusheng's novels—people have tried making movies based on them before, but the stories are too long. Films just can't do them justice.
In the future, I plan to turn all those classic martial arts novels into TV dramas. That's something I'm personally excited about."
As a time traveler, Yang Wendong had an extremely high threshold for entertainment. Over the past few years, he barely watched any TV or movies. But once he began investing in productions based on these martial arts epics, maybe he'd finally find something that could hold his interest again.
"I love martial arts novels too," Su Yiyi chimed in. "Especially the story of Xiaolongnü and Yang Guo."
"You women always focus on the romance," Yang Wendong teased. "We guys care more about the plot and action. But to be fair, a truly good story combines both."
"That's true," Bai Yushan nodded. "Especially Jin Yong's stories. After I read them, I even gained an interest in history. I used to hate it."
"Exactly. This is also a way to change people's perceptions," Yang Wendong said. "A lot of people avoid history. But if our TV shows are done right—if we can weave compelling stories into real historical settings—then people will learn without even realizing it."
In fact, in his past life, many people learned about history through Jin Yong's martial arts novels.
Some might find that hard to believe, but it was true. Without Jin Yong's books, most people's knowledge of history would be limited to a vague sense of "Tang, Song, Yuan, Ming, Qing." Beyond that? Nothing.
But after Legend of the Condor Heroes became popular, people became curious about the fall of the Northern Song, the rise of the Jin Dynasty, and the early Mongol conquests. Some even developed a deep admiration for Genghis Khan.
"That's not a bad idea," Bai Yushan said with a smile. "I always get bored reading history books."
"Haha~" Yang Wendong laughed softly.
Su Yiyi asked, "By the way, Brother Dong, what's the name of your TV station going to be?"
"I plan to call it TVB. Short for 'Television Broadcasts Limited,'" Yang Wendong replied.
He was going to use the same name from his past life. It was simple and easy to remember.
"TVB—it does sound catchier than Rediffusion Television," Bai Yushan complimented. "And those martial arts series you mentioned—have they started filming already?"
Yang Wendong nodded. "Yes. I've asked the Changxing Film team to begin filming the early episodes of Legend of the Condor Heroes. That way, we'll have our own content ready when TVB goes on air."
"I can't wait for TVB to launch," Su Yiyi said with a bright smile.
"Me neither," Yang Wendong replied.
How much money TVB would make wasn't the point. It could never match the earnings of real estate or electronics. But if it could produce TV dramas that swept across Asia, the sense of accomplishment would be priceless.
After all, life was about pursuing meaning. Once you no longer had to worry about money, fulfillment became the real goal. Success in any form was satisfying.
That's why many billionaires, after amassing wealth, turned to philanthropy. Beyond all the external factors, helping people escape poverty, saving lives, earning genuine gratitude, and receiving public recognition—all of that provided immense emotional satisfaction.
Of course, no matter the motivation, doing good deeds should be rewarded.
Yang Wendong planned to do his share of charity work, but he also hoped that through TVB, he could produce timeless classics that would bring joy to generations of viewers. That way, he could earn profit and fulfill his deeper aspirations at the same time.
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