Vicious dogs in Hong Kong, entrepreneurs practicing evil cultivation

Chapter 115 Dog Leaps Over the Dragon Gate to Rescue

Wan Chai, Lung Mun Restaurant.

Yu Jingwei had been waiting there for a while. When he saw Chen Guanjiang's convoy arrive, he quickly stepped forward to greet him, saying, "Ah Jiang, come quickly! I've prepared some good things for you..."

"Uncle Wei, you're too kind!"

"You are a distinguished guest..."

Chen Guanjiang was pulled inside, fully aware of the reason for Yu Jingwei's enthusiasm.

With HK$6000 million, it purchased 840 million square feet of land, becoming a major landowner in the New Territories. Kwong Land has become one of the rising stars in the Hong Kong and Kowloon real estate industry.

Once the company stabilizes, it will inevitably enter the real estate market, and his son, Yu Yisheng, as the manager of Yikang Real Estate, has a promising future.

Given this, how could Yu Jingwei dare to be negligent?

Approaching the restaurant's signboard, Yu Jingwei took a half step back and pointed to the five large, golden characters "Longmen Grand Restaurant," saying, "Ah Jiang, you go first, let's go down Longmen."

“…………”

Chen Guanjiang was somewhat amused and exasperated by the colorful decorations, and following the host's lead, he stepped over the threshold, also known as the Dragon Gate.

"Once you ascend the Dragon Gate..."

"Ten times more valuable..."

A man and a woman, one on the left and one on the right, were shouting loudly, immediately attracting the attention of everyone in the hall.

The phrase "crossing the dragon gate" isn't just a casual remark; the restaurant only calls out loudly to the most distinguished guests of the night.

Moreover, many people recognized that the person knocking on the door tonight was the owner of Longmen Restaurant and his wife, indicating that the person who came tonight must be of very high status.

Yu Jingwei then introduced, "Ah Jiang, let me introduce you. This is Xie Shunliang, the owner of Longmen Restaurant, and his wife, Lu Xingtao."

"Welcome to our most distinguished guest tonight!"

"President Chen, welcome!"

"You're too kind. I've been wanting to try your char siu for a long time."

"I'll personally supervise the cooking; I'll make sure Chairman Chen is satisfied!"

"Thank you for your trouble, thank you for your trouble..."

Chen Guanjiang smiled and nodded in greeting.

While researching the local construction association's information, I came across the couple's background. Their Longfeng Teahouse, established in 49, was one of the first teahouses to install air conditioning, causing a sensation at the time.

It was later renamed Longmen Tea House and also operates a restaurant business. In addition to owning the property, it also acquired two adjacent plots of land and built three restaurants this year: Longmen, Longtu, and Longtuan.

Yung Kee Restaurant's roast goose and Lung Mun Restaurant's char siu are recognized as the best representative dishes in Hong Kong and Kowloon.

Step over the threshold and enter the hall.

The guests at each table clearly recognized Chen Guanjiang, the young man who amassed hundreds of millions of assets at the age of fifteen. His exposure of the "poisoned horse case" at the Opening Cup is well-known to everyone.

Chen Guanjiang looked at them with curiosity. Judging from their clothes, he knew they were workers. How could the working class afford such a magnificent restaurant?

Yu Jingwei explained with a smile, "Longmen is different from other restaurants. The downstairs area was originally a place where laborers from the Sanhang trade area gathered to look for work, and it gradually became a place for exchanging information..."

The so-called "three types of workers" are bricklayers, scaffolders, and painters. This group was in huge demand during the post-war reconstruction, and there are still a large number of people employed in these jobs today.

The earliest Longfeng Tea House was not luxurious. These workers often rested nearby, and when someone wanted to hire someone, they would come to the tea house to discuss it. Gradually, they started recruiting directly from the tea house.

As the business grew larger, it was no longer limited to the three types of workers; people from all walks of life came to the teahouse to look for work and try their luck.

Wherever there are people, there is a social circle. These people gradually divide themselves into different areas based on their different jobs. When they sit together, they often gossip and share information, which gradually forms a place for them to find out inside scoops.

Among them, the most famous was Ip Kai-man of Wing Chun, who passed away peacefully at the end of last year, and his disciple Li Xiaolong will soon follow him.

"Mr. Chen, welcome, welcome..."

"Hello, Chairman Chen..."

“…………”

Upon arriving at the private room on the third floor, a man and a woman were waiting there. Yu Jingwei introduced them: "This is my wife, Xue Yuting, and this is my son, Yu Yisheng."

"Hello, sister-in-law, Ah Sheng," Chen Guanjiang greeted her with a slightly embarrassed nod.

The discrepancy between Chen Guanjiang's actual age and his social status creates a strange sense of mismatch in terms of seniority.

On the one hand, he called Yu Jingwei "Uncle Wei," on the other hand, he called his wife "Sister-in-law," and on the other hand, he called his son "Asheng."

Of course, this is not a random title, but rather a combination of considerations based on social status and actual age.

Clearly, the family of three didn't care. Yu Jingwei pulled Chen Guanjiang into the private room and said, "Ajiang! Come on, see what good stuff I've prepared."

The first thing you see is a round plate, surrounded by colorful toppings such as shredded perilla leaves, shredded mint, shredded radish, shredded carrot, and crushed peanuts.

Upon seeing their distinguished guest arrive, the two chefs took a carp from the tank, stunned it with the back of a knife, cut off its tail, and hung it up to bleed it.

"Please sit down, please sit down!"

“…………”

Seeing this, Chen Guanjiang lost all appetite. Who knew that the good thing Yu Jingwei was talking about was actually sashimi.

After the bleeding was almost complete, the two chefs began to remove the meat, cutting exactly 108 slices from each of the two fish fillets.

Once the dish was plated and served, the two chefs shouted, "Lo Hei! Lo Hei! May your business flourish!"

Under everyone's watchful eyes, Chen Guanjiang reluctantly picked up his chopsticks and lifted the fish meat, while the two chefs continued to chant, "Carp leaping over the dragon gate, chopsticks stirring in all directions!"

Bang bang bang! !

The sound of firecrackers outside the window made Chen Guanjiang's smile stiff with embarrassment, yet he had to admit that the emotional value he received was truly substantial.

Yu Jingwei said expectantly, "Ajiang, you should try this! This is Wuyuan red carp that was just transported here. It has been a tribute item since the Ming Dynasty."

"I have a sensitive stomach and can't eat raw fish, please forgive me, Uncle Wei..." Chen Guanjiang bowed repeatedly, finally understanding why the Yu Rensheng family members generally had short lifespans.

Whether freshwater or deep-sea fish, they all contain some parasites.

Although freezing at -35 degrees Celsius can effectively kill parasites, it is ultimately not as safe as high-temperature cooking.

Since his rebirth, Chen Guanjiang has stopped smoking and drinking. While studying professional knowledge, he also makes sure to exercise to improve his physical fitness, hoping to live a longer and healthier life.

Therefore, he wouldn't even dare to touch women, so how could he possibly consume this parasitic meal?

"It was my oversight..."

Yu Jingwei slapped his forehead and waved his hand, saying, "Take all of these away."

Fish and mutton have been considered delicacies since ancient times!

However, the sheep in the south are mostly goats with a coarse diet, mainly consisting of grass roots, tree bark, and straw. They are omnivorous, with little fat and coarse muscle fibers, resulting in a strong muttony smell. They do not belong to the same genus or order as the delicious sheep.

Therefore, in the South, the pursuit of freshness is mainly based on fish, and honored guests should be entertained with the freshest raw fish.

They replaced the dishes with sweet char siu and didn't order any other dishes. The sensible restaurant owner will make appropriate arrangements in this situation.

After gesturing with his eyes, Yu Jingwei raised his glass and said, "Ah Jiang, thank you for giving Ah Sheng a chance. This glass is for you!"

"Don't worry, Mr. Chen, I will do my best for the company!" Yu Yisheng stood up and solemnly promised.

Chen Guanjiang, offering tea instead of wine, said, "We are just starting out in this humble place, and we are counting on you, Ah Sheng, to take good care of us."

"It's my duty!"

Yu Yisheng downed his drink in one gulp and initiated conversation, saying, "President Chen, I have a question! The company is named 'Rongkang Real Estate,' what is the meaning behind 'Rongkang'?"

“…………”

"How come you don't even know this?"

Before Chen Guanjiang could explain, Yu Jingwei interrupted, saying, "The idiom 'licking chaff and then rice' originally meant to lick the chaff and gradually get to the rice grains inside, and it's a metaphor for gradually going deeper from the outside in."

"So that's what it meant. It shows Mr. Chen's original intention in establishing Yikang Real Estate. I've learned a lot!"

"Ah Sheng grew up in Southeast Asia and then went to study in the United States. He doesn't understand Hong Kong and Chinese culture. Ah Jiang, you need to teach him more."

"Not at all, we're learning from each other..."

Chen Guanjiang knew that the father and son were putting on an act, but he still felt a little pleased. No wonder so many people like to be flattered.

The idiom "狧糠及米" (literally, "dogs lick the chaff and gradually eat the rice") comes from the Book of Han. Originally, it referred to the process of dogs licking the chaff and gradually eating all the rice grains. Later, it came to describe the idea of ​​gradually invading and pressing in from the outside in.

As the general manager of Yu Yisheng Real Estate, how could Yu Jingwei claim that he hadn't researched the company beforehand, given that Yu Yisheng deliberately removed the chaff from the dog food?

After the stock market crash, his assets skyrocketed, and Chen Guanjiang heard people call him "mad dog" less and less; at least no one dared to call him that to his face.

After several rounds of drinks and five courses of food,

When it came to business, Yu Yisheng said, "President Chen, I'm planning to entrust the cattle farm construction project to Far East Development. What do you think?"

"Qiu Degen...no problem! Ah Sheng is very kind." Chen Guanjiang glanced at Yu Yisheng and couldn't help but look at him with new respect once again.

Most of Hong Kong's real estate development is concentrated in Hong Kong Island and Kowloon. The two largest developers in the New Territories are Chinachem Group, owned by Wang Dehui, and Far East Group, owned by Qiu Degen.

Far Eastern Group has a wide range of businesses, while Chinachem Group focuses on real estate development.

Chen Guanjiang had a disagreement with Wang Dehui at Zhou Xinian's banquet. Afterwards, the two met with the Dijian Chamber of Commerce at the Kaisai Cup, but they never greeted each other, so it was hard for outsiders to know.

Yu Yisheng's decision to hand over business to Far East instead of Chinachem was clearly based on his research and careful investigation.

Chen Guanjiang witnessed Chen Guanjiang's ability to read people's expressions, but ultimately, leading a company requires real ability.

"Mr. Chen!"

Yu Yisheng continued to ask, "The day before yesterday, I went to Wangjingwei for an inspection. The local villagers raised some demands, hoping that in addition to the cattle farm, we could also develop some real estate and commercial properties."

"I will develop real estate, but not now!" Chen Guanjiang refused without hesitation.

Real estate is different from finance!

Centralized power restricts the actions of various departments, leading to a situation where each department shirks responsibility and avoids taking ownership.

Delegating power would turn the Jia family into a family that builds the Grand View Garden and does everything in its power to line its own pockets.

The scope involved is too broad and the standards in between are extremely difficult to control. Chen Guanjiang believes he cannot control it and will not get involved for the time being, resolutely preventing the situation from happening where an outsider leads an insider.

Entrusting the entire cattle farm construction business to Yu Yisheng was Chen Guanjiang's way of testing him.

If it can be done well, Rongkang Real Estate can try to acquire land and build buildings, creating its own properties and owning its own land.

If he doesn't perform well, Chen Guanjiang can replace him. For Yu Jingwei's sake, he can arrange for Yu Yisheng to take another position.

Therefore, Takagi Land will definitely enter the real estate development industry, but definitely not now.

Trying to run before you can walk is bound to lead to a big fall. Anyone with a brain wouldn't do something so foolish. We should maintain a basic level of respect for any industry we don't understand.

Yu Yisheng hesitated before continuing, "The clan chief of Wangjingwei has said that if we don't develop commerce and real estate, they will refuse to let us build a cattle farm. I'm worried they might try to sabotage us..."

Wangjingwei is surrounded by mountains on three sides, mostly farmland, with very little land available for commercial development.

Chen Guanjiang wouldn't be foolish enough to exchange wetlands for land. He only needs to hold onto the necessary dozen or so plots of land to enclose several large wetlands for pasture growth.

As a result, there will be even less land available for commercial development in Wangjingwei. It's no wonder that the villagers of Wangjing Village, who have lived here for generations, would want to riot. Who the hell would be willing to let their descendants farm for generations?

It's obvious to anyone that industry brings jobs and commerce brings wealth, so villagers would naturally prefer developers to engage in commercial and real estate development.

Chen Guanjiang pondered for a moment and said, "I'll say it again: the company will not develop real estate for the time being, but I can give them a deadline. We will definitely engage in commercial development within ten years."

"Mr. Chen... I'm afraid they won't agree to that!"

Yu Yisheng continued, "These villagers won't act until they see a benefit; they won't let us start construction unless they get something in return."

Wangjing Village was established in 1450. It was originally founded by the three major surnames Li, Zhang and Ye. Later, the Deng family from Jintian moved here. Today, the three major surnames Deng, Huang and Xue intermarry for generations.

These villagers are extremely united. Back then, they dared to confront the British troops stationed in Hong Kong head-on. As long as the clan leaders of the three major surnames took the lead in resisting development, no developer could successfully develop the land.

Of course, they are not really refusing to develop it.

Whether it's building a cattle farm or developing real estate, it will benefit the local villagers. The difference lies in how much benefit the villagers and even the heads of the three major clans want to gain.

The developers have costs that they can't afford to waste on with the local villagers, and the local villagers also know that the developers can't afford to waste time, so they take the opportunity to make some demands.

Any developer will inevitably encounter this situation: if the villagers are not given enough benefits, they will really cause trouble. The difference lies in how much benefit the villagers want to gain.

After all, they're making a living on someone else's turf, and they'll be running into each other all the time, so it's best not to fall out.

Therefore, the conditions will generally be met, and it's not worth delaying the project progress for a few small amounts of money.

The real danger lies with those who demand exorbitant prices, completely disregarding the developer's well-being.

After much deliberation, Chen Guanjiang said, "I promise that within ten years, I will give them a building with more than 300 housing units, each with a floor area of ​​no less than 1,000 square feet. The specific allocation method will be determined by the clan heads of the three major surnames."

The total number of registered residents in Wong Tsing Wai is only 383, including men, women, children and the elderly. If we consider the total number of registered households as no more than 150, the 300 thousand-square-foot housing units are more than enough to accommodate everyone.

Yu Yisheng said with an indescribable expression, "Their appetite... is a bit too big."

“…………”

Looking into that hesitant face, Chen Guanjiang immediately realized that the villagers of Wangjingwei had found out his age or someone else had revealed it, thinking that he was young and easy to bully.

"Then... we'll have to try diplomacy first, then resort to force!"