Hong Kong variety show: I Am a Tycoon

Chapter 191: Moving Forward Together
In 72, the Hong Kong government launched a rural development plan. In order to appease the indigenous residents of the New Territories, the government granted special privileges to male residents of the New Territories, known as the "Ding Quan" (male rights).

From then on, each male in the New Territories could build one three-story house in his lifetime, with each floor not exceeding 700 square feet, exempt from land premiums.

Note that women in the New Territories do not have this privilege.

Lu Yongyu doesn't have much ambition right now. Once she does, she'll do anything to take Lu Guo Group public, so that her power within the group can be transformed into "Ding Quan" (a derogatory term for a powerful figure).

That's why she did so many things that violated human ethics.

"Tuen Mun may not be a good place in your eyes, but I grew up here."

"Jun-ge, I like it here. Although Tuen Mun doesn't have women's rights, it has the Luk Kwok Group, and it has you."

To Chen Jiajun's utter surprise, Lu Yongyu refuted him.

At that moment, Chen Jiajun finally understood.

Lu Yongyu's words resolved Chen Jiajun's last remaining lingering doubts at that moment.

Chen Jiajun stroked Lu Yongyu's exquisite face.

"what?"

Lu Yongyu was completely taken aback, and lowered his head even further, not daring to look Chen Jiajun in the eye.

“Since you love this land, you should go and gain experience at a large listed group like Kowloon Motor Bus Group.”

"Um……"

“I will stand by your side, so you can do it with confidence. If you need anything, just let me know.”

"I know……"

Chen Jiajun pulled her into his arms: "I'm not a good person."

"Don't underestimate yourself. In the eyes of the people of the New Territories, you are a good person."

Lu Yongyu buried her head in Chen Jiajun's arms.

The next day.

When Grandpa Lu got up, Chen Jiajun and Lu Yongyu were nowhere to be seen.

His beard trembled with anger: "Those two didn't come back last night?"

"came back."

"What about that person?"

"They left after having morning tea, and I saw that the two of them were holding hands."

"What?" Lu Hantao felt both heartache and relief at the same time. He was relieved because Chen Jiajun was, after all, a junior he valued.

What breaks my heart is that my daughter was taken advantage of.

"You idiot..."

The rooftop reception room of Guojun Building.

Chen Jiajun introduced Lu Yongyu and Lu Yeqiang: "This is Sir Deng Zhaojian's grandson, Deng Yongqiang."

"Young Master Deng."

"Young Master Deng."

Lu Yeqiang and Lu Yongyu greeted each other.

"This is Lu Yongyu, Lu Hantao's daughter, and also my girlfriend. This is Lu Yeqiang, Lu Huangfa's son." Chen Jiajun then introduced Lu Yongyu and Lu Hantao.

"Young Master Lu, Miss Lu."

Deng Yongqiang shook hands with the two men and said, "Ah Jun, these are the two you found for me to join the KMB Group, right?"

"Correct."

"I'm a straightforward person. Since we'll be working together from now on, there are some things I need to make clear. I'm a bit easygoing, and you're all business elites. If I ever need your help in the future, please don't refuse."

And so, the three future heirs of the wealthy family joined the Kowloon Motor Bus Group in place of the Guojun Group.

James Chan disclosed the shares of Kowloon Motor Bus Group held by the Guojun Group. As of now, the Guojun Group holds a total of 4234.8 million shares, representing a 40.02% stake.
Immediately after the announcement that Deng Yongqiang, Lu Yeqiang, and Lu Yongyu would replace Guojun Group on the board of directors of KMB Group, shareholders' confidence in KMB Group actually increased instead of decreasing, and the share price rose to HK$20.

In the afternoon, after the Kowloon Motor Bus Group held its board meeting, a new leadership team was formed, and Lei Juekun was thus ousted from the company.

With no general manager position available for KMB Group, the triad influence that had been surrounding Raymond Lui vanished in an instant.

"Mr. Chen's capital operations have truly opened my eyes. Even if you leave now, you can still earn two or three hundred million Hong Kong dollars."

I, Lei, am completely convinced of my mistake. I shouldn't have let Ishida and Mecca switch sides.

At the Guojun Building, Lei Juekun looked at the young man in front of him and shook his head with a wry smile.

"The business world is like a battlefield. I'm not targeting you personally, but I do have high hopes for the future of the Kowloon Motor Bus Group." Chen Jiajun crossed his legs and puffed on a cigar.

"I don't believe you for a second." Lei Juekun muttered to himself. Didn't he know what kind of person Boss Jun was?
Whoever becomes Boss Jun's enemy will be doomed.

If Raymond Lui were still the general manager of Kowloon Motor Bus Group, he wouldn't mind challenging Chan Ka-Chun, since many triad members depend on him for their livelihood.

Some people may wonder why so many organizations rely on minibus routes for their livelihood.

To put it simply, without the profit threshold set by Hong Kong Eagle, KMB and China Motor Bus could raise the average ticket price by five or six times, and KMB and China Motor Bus could instantly become large conglomerates with a market value of several billion.

However, due to the existence of this profit-making route, KMB simply doesn't bother with some long-distance minibus routes from the New Territories to Kowloon, because operating this route is completely unprofitable.

In Hong Kong, buses are divided into two types: red vans and green vans.

Green vans are buses operated by KMB or Chung Bus Group. They have fixed routes, schedules, and fares.

The term "red van" refers to red minibuses, which do not have fixed routes, schedules, or fares.

In Hong Kong, where foreigners are rampant, the use of terms that are half-local and half-foreign, half-Chinese and half-English, best reflects its international flair.

If you're from out of town, once you board the red minibus in Mong Kok, you'll never know where the next stop will be.

The red minibuses shuttling through the mountain roads and streets are Hong Kong's "daredevil cars," and every driver is an "unyielding retired race car driver."

The green minibus from the southernmost point of Hong Kong Island to Mong Kok takes 70 minutes, while the red minibus takes only 20 minutes.

When waiting for a minibus on the roadside, the most important thing is to be quick and nimble. The moment you see the minibus coming, you must wave immediately. If you are even a little slow, the wild red minibus will whiz past you.

In reality, only minibuses heading to slightly more remote areas like Kwun Tong, Tuen Mun, and Yuen Long truly deserve the title of "death minibuses." Sometimes, the drivers exceed 100 kilometers per hour, and they don't even try to stop.

Big D, the head of the Tsuen Wan branch of Wo Luen Shing, controls several high-volume minibus routes between Tsuen Wan and East Kowloon. This red minibus route alone brings Big D tens of millions of dollars in revenue every year.

Those unlicensed taxis that want to run this route have to pay Big D an entry fee and management fee. If they want to operate independently, they will be suppressed by Big D's leader, Longhair, in various ways, making it impossible for them to survive.

How could the minibus route controlled by Big D possibly survive without the approval of Lui Kok Kwan of the KMB Group?

With just a word to the Hong Kong government, Lei Juekun could get Big D sent to Stanley.

But now Lei Juekun has lost that skin, and he has lost the capital to fight Chen Jiajun.

Therefore, after the KMB Group board meeting, Lei Juekun called Chen Jiajun to arrange a meeting.

After taking a sip of Pu'er tea, Lei Juekun put down his teacup: "Whether you think highly of KMB Group or not, it's none of my business anymore."

"Hey, Golden Princess Cinemas, name your price."

Lei Juekun's decisiveness surprised Chen Jiajun: "Really?"

“Of course it’s true, I’ve already lost the ability to fight you.” Lei Juekun shook his head and laughed.

Lei Juekun's decisiveness actually won Chen Jiajun's favor.

Chen Jiajun initially spent 2000 million to acquire Jiahe Cinemas, but that was because Jiahe's owner, Mr. Zou, didn't give him face, so he resorted to outright robbery.

Since Lei Juekun was so sensible, Chen Jiajun didn't want to ruin the harmony: "How about 4000 million for the 18 theaters in the Golden Princess Cinema Circuit?"

Chen Jiajun offered what he considered a reasonable price.

However, Lei Juekun shook his head: "Mr. Chen, Golden Princess Cinemas is not Jiahe Cinemas. I already spent 5000 million to acquire Lisheng Cinemas and several other cinemas, and that was last year's price..."

Property prices in Hong Kong have risen significantly again this year.

"Ahem." Chen Jiajun was also a little embarrassed. He was used to being respected in the gang... He pondered for a moment and said, "How about 5500 million?"

"???"

Lei Juekun was full of question marks. Only five million more?
The two sides argued for a long time, getting bogged down in the price. In the end, Chen Jiajun raised the price to 6000 million and refused to raise it any further.

"Add another 2 million, making it 62 million. The first payment will be 22 million, followed by 20 million after 6 months, and the remaining 20 million after 1 year. If you, Mr. Chen, are unwilling, I will have no way to explain this to the shareholders."

Lei Juekun got angry.

His payment method, ironically, resonated with Chen Jiajun.

Although Chen Jiajun can pay it off in one lump sum, he can't just hand it over so easily. After all, such a large sum of money would earn a considerable amount of interest if kept in the bank every day.

“Okay, Boss Lei, I’m definitely going to be your friend.” Chen Jiajun extended his hand.

The following morning, both parties, accompanied by lawyers, signed an agreement, and Chen Jiajun immediately paid 2200 million.

From then on, Jiahe Cinemas and Golden Princess Cinemas were merged into Chen Jiajun's Hongxing Cinemas.

The news caused a sensation in Hong Kong and shook the entertainment industry.

On the day Hung Hing Cinemas was established, a press conference that shook Hong Kong was held at the Tsim Sha Tsui East Shangri-La Hotel.

"Welcome to all the journalists attending this press conference."

"Our Hung Hing Cinemas has acquired the Golden Princess Cinemas and Golden Harvest Cinemas. Hung Hing Cinemas currently has a total of 37 cinemas and 160 screens." This number far exceeds that of Shaw Brothers Cinemas, which had 16 cinemas with a total of 97 screens. Thus, a cinema chain giant was officially born.

"I hereby announce that, starting today, Hongxing Cinemas will officially abolish the base fee. All films shown on Hongxing Cinemas will no longer need to pay the base fee. We will only collect the actual box office revenue share from the cinemas and theaters..."

"Wow..."

Before Chen Jiajun could finish speaking, the press conference was already in an uproar.

The cancellation of the theater-buying system by Hung Hing Cinemas is a game-changer for the Hong Kong film industry. This is not just a change in the landscape of the Hong Kong film circle, but will also have a profound impact on the production and release of Hong Kong films in the future.

With the lure of Hung Hing Cinemas not charging a theater rental fee, countless production companies would inevitably risk offending Shaw Brothers by showing their films on Hung Hing Cinemas.

It's fair to say that Chen Jiajun's breaking of the guaranteed minimum fee system is more eye-catching for filmmakers than the establishment of Hung Hsing Cinemas.

Prior to this, all cinema chains in Hong Kong operated on a minimum guarantee fee system. When a film was released in a particular cinema chain, a minimum guarantee fee had to be paid. If the film performed well at the box office, the excess revenue would be split between the film company and the cinema chain, with the film company taking the lion's share.

If the box office is poor and doesn't exceed the minimum investment, the film company will not make any profit and will definitely lose money.

This model is very unfriendly to some small film companies and some low-budget films.

Before the Q&A session even began, Liang Kun dropped another bombshell: "To celebrate the Lunar New Year, Hung Hing Cinemas has designated the period before and after the New Year as the Christmas season."

The film "A Better Tomorrow," written by Chairman Chen Jiajun and directed by Chen Jiajun and Wu Yusen, starring Chow Yun-fat, Ti Lung, Leslie Cheung, and Zhu Baoyi, will be released on December 25th in all 37 cinemas of the Hongxing Cinema Circuit.

"boom."

The press conference erupted into another huge uproar; no one expected the final announcement to be this.

Is Chan Ka-Chun not the underground emperor of Hong Kong Island, the largest shareholder of KMB Group, the mysterious chairman of Kwok Chun Group, a philanthropic and enthusiastic citizen, a stock market sniper in Hong Kong, and the creator of the bloody night in Macau?

Why did you suddenly go off to make movies?
what?
She's actually a screenwriter.

What merits or abilities does Boss Jun possess?
As soon as the Q&A session began, dozens of reporters rushed to ask their questions:

"After Hung Hing Cinemas abolished the minimum subscription system, what measures can be taken to mitigate the risks of cinema operation?"

"Mr. Chen Jiajun, what brings you to making movies?"

The Springtime of Independent Film Companies – Hung Hing Abolishes Theater Pricing System

Chen Jiajun – Justice of the Peace, Entrepreneur, Screenwriter, Director?

"Screening in 37 theaters simultaneously, what makes 'A Better Tomorrow' so special?"

The next day, all the newspapers in Hong Kong, without exception, had news about Hung Hing Cinemas on their entertainment pages.

Those in the film industry are particularly sensitive to this. Many directors and screenwriters, envious of the huge profits in film, are eager to make their own independent films and then release them in Hong Hing Cinemas to make a fortune.

As for the news of "A Better Tomorrow", many people have also paid attention to it. After all, Chow Yun-fat, who is known as box office poison, is a popular young actor, Ti Lung is a washed-up martial arts hero, John Woo is a director who almost lost his job, the big boss Jun personally wrote the screenplay, and Leslie Cheung joined the cast. What surprises can this movie bring?
In the following days, under Chen Jiajun's manipulation, major Hong Kong newspapers and entertainment magazines frequently published reports of celebrities visiting the set of "A Better Tomorrow".

As for Boss Jun, he went into hiding again.

Guojun Technology Building.

Wrench En was summoned back by Chen Jiajun, and several buses of various kinds were parked at the door. All of these buses were pushed into the Guojun Research Institute.

Orn transforms into a tech fanatic, disassembling buses in the workshop.

After the loading bar is complete, open the workshop door.

A double-decker bus, 4 meters high and about 15 meters long, appeared in front of Chen Jiajun.

With eight wheels, a metallic chrome silver paint finish, and large transparent glass windows, it looks much more advanced than the double-decker buses currently on the market.

Chen Jun was stunned. He circled the double-decker bus again and again. He climbed onto the hood, lay down next to the engine to observe for a moment, and listened to Wrenchman En's explanation:

"V8 turbocharged engine, 1L displacement, 800L fuel tank."

"800 horsepower, with a torque output of 1800 N·m at an engine speed of 10001 rpm."

"Equipped with ESP, ABS, ASR and other auxiliary safety systems, and an 8-speed semi-automatic transmission."

Chen Jiajun entered the carriage and observed that the design of the center console was not significantly different from that of buses in Hong Kong. As Chen Jiajun had instructed beforehand, control buttons for the front and rear doors had been added.

Meanwhile, the center console can monitor tire pressure at any time, allowing the driver to stay informed about tire pressure changes and ensure driving safety.

The lower level is 1.9 meters high, and the seats adopt a more rational symmetrical layout for travel.

The staircase is located at the rear of the car and features a compact rotating design. The wide steps prevent passengers from feeling the height when getting on and off the vehicle, and extended handles are provided on the sides.

The upper level is also 1.9 meters high, and the seating is also arranged symmetrically. It also uses more large glass areas than the lower level, providing excellent natural light.

The bus has a capacity of about 83 people, but as a passenger bus, it has many railings and handrails on the aisles of the first and second floors to accommodate passengers who do not have seats.

Sitting in the driver's seat, Chen Jiajun took a special drive around Butterfly Bay. The handling was far superior to that of buses in Hong Kong, and the riding experience was also good. He believed that it would definitely dominate the Hong Kong bus market once it hit the market.

That's right.

The next batch of buses purchased by KMB Group will be manufactured by Kwok Chun Group.

But here's the problem: the Hong Kong government has always only allowed Hong Kong bus companies to purchase buses from Commonwealth countries.

This restriction was not lifted until 83, and Chen Jiajun needed to have the relevant business license to list his bus business.

Obtaining a license to manufacture cars isn't particularly difficult, but the problem is that it seems a bit counterproductive to go through the trouble of getting a license just for the sake of KMB Group's bus procurement...

So Chen Jiajun sighed and turned his gaze to the minibus.

As mentioned earlier, there are only two bus companies in Hong Kong: Kowloon Motor Bus (KMB) and China Motor Bus (CMB). CMB is responsible for Hong Kong Island, while KMB is responsible for the New Territories and Kowloon.

China Bus is also a listed group. Its chairman, Yan Chengkun, chose Hong Kong Island as the exclusive franchise for China Bus because he considered that the income of Hong Kong Island residents was generally higher than that of Kowloon and the New Territories.

But with the passage of time, looking back now, Yan Chengkun would definitely choose Kowloon and the New Territories.

The China-Pakistan Group is a conglomerate with a market value of nearly 5 million. For tycoon Jun, a conglomerate with a market value of 5 million is just a small dish.

However, unlike Kowloon Motor Bus, China Motor Corporation's shareholding structure is not dispersed; China Motor Corporation's shareholding has always been very stable.

Putting all that aside, a very serious problem for Chen Jiajun right now is that he's out of money.

Continue to borrow from banks?
Come on.

Chen Jiajun has already borrowed 65 billion from HSBC. Which bank in Hong Kong would dare to lend him money now?

He emptied Hung Hing's finances again.

Do we really have to withdraw some of the funds from Japan?

When Chen Jiajun thought of the Japanese stock market, he had an idea.

Although he himself did not have any working capital, his business friends did, and those wealthy men were all rolling in money.

Borrow money from them?

Borrowing money is out of the question.

If news of Hung Hing tycoon Jun borrowing money from private individuals reaches HSBC magistrate Sir Michael Sandberg, wouldn't it cause him panic?

After all, HSBC is his biggest creditor right now.

The hardest thing in the world is getting someone to willingly put money into your pocket, but for Hung Hing boss Chun, it's not actually that difficult.

The next day, Chen Jiajun paid a special visit to his friend, Sir John Paul Woo, the chairman of Wharf Holdings.

That's right, Chen Jiajun has set his sights on Sir Bao.

Sir John Paul II is incredibly wealthy, extremely wealthy.

"Ah Jun, what brings you here today?"

As an independent director of HSBC, Sir John Paulson was aware of Chan Ka-Chun's financial resources.

As a left-wing businessman, Sir John Paul also knew some inside information about Chen Jiajun's Pengcheng Industrial Base.

Chen Jiajun took a sip of coffee, put down his cup, and said, "I want to acquire the China-Pakistan Group."

"Oh?"

"You want to monopolize Hong Kong's bus industry?"

“But you are already the largest shareholder of KMB Group, so I’m afraid the acquisition of China Motor Corporation will face a lot of resistance.”

Sir John Paul was slightly surprised.

Chen Jiajun smiled and revealed his true purpose: "So I want the Bao family to set up a company, and we will jointly invest to complete this acquisition. At that time, the chairman of the board of directors of the China-Pakistan Group will be a member of the Bao family."

“The acquisition of the China-Pakistan Group also has many benefits for the Bao family.”

"Although I have dispelled the outside world's suspicion that I coveted the land value of the KMB Group, in reality, the land value of both KMB and China Motor Bus is immeasurable."

"Especially the land reserve potential of the China-Pakistan Group."

“The subway lines have already been laid out, and the bus companies are becoming increasingly conservative in their operations. Their heyday is over, and now is a great opportunity to take advantage of their weakness and kill them.”

“If we wait until more and more people realize the potential of China-Pakistan land reserves, it will be very difficult to acquire Kowloon Motor Bus Group.”

"Another intention of my acquisition of KMB Group is to leverage KMB Group's minibus routes to tap into the land potential near the route stops."

“Sir Pao, you know a little about this. Kowloon Motor Bus and minibuses have a huge passenger volume, and passenger volume means money.”

As Chen Jiajun explained in detail, Sir Bao nodded repeatedly: "So how do you plan to divide this cake?"

"Progressing side by side, a 50/50 split."

Despite having very little cash left, Chen Jiajun still acted very generously.

(End of this chapter)