Hong Kong Movies: You Hongxingzi, what the hell is the charity king?

Chapter 887 Hong Kong Island Side Story 5: 10 Years Later, a Tourist from Shaanxi Visits Hong Kong Island! A Chance Encounter with Mr. Kwan!
In January 2019,

For Tencent, there is something very important—going public in Hong Kong!
Since receiving investment from Five Star Group in 1999, Tencent has been free from financial worries and has been making bold and ambitious moves.

QQ defeated all other communication software and became the dominant communication software in China.

By 2004, QQ had 1.85 million active registered users and 1240 million accounts online at the same time.

In terms of revenue, Penguin's total revenue in 2004 reached 23.44 billion yuan, with a net profit of 9.47 million yuan.

The QQ Games platform, which began trial operation in December 2002, had over 12 million concurrent online users by June 2004, ranking first in the country.

This progress is about 40% faster than in the previous life.

It's all because Five Star Group has such a good reputation in China.

Since 98, every year we have carried out educational poverty alleviation in a different inland province. The inland companies in which Five Star holds shares have also made real contributions, such as donating money to schools or promoting medical assistance projects in rural areas.

Against this backdrop,
Tencent was scheduled to be officially listed on the Main Board of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange on June 16, 2004, with the stock code HK00700. It was the first major internet company to be listed on the Main Board of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.

……

the other side,
Huaxing Technology Building, Wensan Road, Hangzhou

Alibaba's office area was bustling with activity.

In the open-plan office space, the sound of employees typing on keyboards rises and falls, whiteboards are covered with dense business plans, and the green ivy in the corner sways gently in the air conditioning breeze.

This office area is more than ten times larger than the original office space of the Eighteen Arhats.

Jack Ma's office,
At the far end of the office area, a calligraphy scroll with the words "Success Upon Arrival" hangs on the wall, below which is a sofa.

Jack Ma sat at his desk with a weekly magazine in front of him.

The front page prominently featured the headline: "Tencent goes public in Hong Kong, becoming the first mainland internet company to list!"
That's to be expected.

With its large user base and the backing of a major investor like Five Star Group, a Hong Kong listing was a natural progression.

"We don't compete to be number one on Hong Kong Island..."

"After all, our stage isn't on Hong Kong Island, but in America..."

Jack Ma's gaze was fixed on the Hangzhou skyline outside the window, heading east, where, thousands of miles away, lay the United States.

"If Alibaba wants to do business globally, it needs to be listed on the world's top capital markets. Only the NYSE or Nasdaq can contain our ambitions."

Currently, Alibaba's financing progress is very stable, and it has completed its third round of financing.

In the 1999 round, Five Star Group invested $300 million;
In 2002, Five Star Group and SoftBank invested a total of US$1 million.

At the end of 2003, Five Star Group partnered with Fidelity Investments and Granite Global Ventures in the United States, investing another $1 million.

Currently, Alibaba has ample funds.

In the first half of this year, Alibaba's B2B platform had more than 20 paid members, of which nearly 30% were overseas members. Many small and medium-sized enterprises have sold their products to the world through Alibaba.

Last year, the company's total revenue was 8.59 million yuan and its net profit was 1.6 million yuan, more than double that of 2002.

Taobao, after only one year of operation, has already surpassed 50 daily active users. Although it is still burning through cash, its user growth rate is extremely fast.

Regarding the future,

Jack was full of confidence.

……

……

Hong Kong Island.

On the morning of June 16, 2004,
Sunlight streamed into Victoria Harbour, piercing through the curtains of the Shangri-La Hotel and into the Executive Suite.

Little Horse woke up and quickly sat up in bed.
What comes into view is the towering skyscrapers of Central, Hong Kong Island, visible through the floor-to-ceiling windows.

"Good morning, boss!"

The assistant pushed open the door, dressed in a suit, looking shrewd and capable, holding a document in his hand.

"Today is your big day."

"Yes, it's a big day!"

Little Horse smiled happily.

Assistant: "Boss, let me report today's schedule to you."

"At 8:00, I went to Five Star Group to have a final discussion on the details of the listing with many shareholders and underwriters."

"At 9:00, proceed to the Hong Kong Stock Exchange to attend the pre-listing preparation ceremony."

"9:30, ring the bell."

The symbolic moment of a company going public, ringing the bell, usually takes place at the opening of the market, signifying that the company has officially entered the capital market and embarked on a new journey.

"How did the preparations go last night?" Xiao Ma asked while washing up.

"Everything is ready. The prospectus and promotional materials have been distributed. Our display area at the Hong Kong Stock Exchange is very eye-catching, with the QQ penguin logo being particularly prominent," Li Yue quickly reported.

There is a question.

Why didn't Tencent choose to list in the United States?
In fact, there are many considerations behind this.

Although the US capital market, especially Nasdaq, is regarded as the "cradle of the global internet," and major internet companies such as Sina, Sohu, and NetEase have previously listed on the capital market there, Tencent's business model cannot find a comparable benchmark company in North America.

All instant messaging tools in the United States, from ICQ to Yahoo! Messenger to MSN, are not from independent companies and none of them have found a profitable business model.

Americans, who hold the belief that all internet innovations should originate in Silicon Valley or Boston's Highway 6, and that other places are merely responses to American-style innovation, may be unwilling to pay the price for Penguin's unique story from the University of Tokyo.

In addition, Hong Kong Island is close to Shenzhen, and investors on Hong Kong Island have a natural affinity for penguins.

Another crucial point is that shortly after its founding, Penguin promised stock options to its early core employees. Pony Ma hoped to complete the purchase at a lower price before the IPO. This practice would be considered "inappropriate behavior that reduces company profits" in the US capital market, but it was widely accepted in Hong Kong, where the rules were more favorable to employees.

Taking all these factors into account, Pony.ai ultimately decided to list on Hong Kong Island.

After washing up, changing into a sharp suit, having breakfast, he left the hotel and got into his car.

Arrival at the international financial center.

That's right, Five Star Group has moved its offices.

Starting in 1999, Five Star Group, together with Mr. Lee Kee and New World Development, invested in the construction of the Hong Kong Island Finance Centre (Phase II), which is 420 meters tall, 46 meters taller than the 374-meter Central Plaza.

Therefore, Central Plaza became the second tallest building.

(Photo: Hong Kong Island International Finance Centre)

then,

Guan Zu, of course, wants the tallest building.

So, Guan Zu moved the Five Star Group to the top floor of the financial center.

In the previous life, the top floor of the International Finance Centre was the office of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority, which was bought for HK$37 billion. This time, it was occupied by Guan Zu.

The Five Star Group has occupied the top 10 floors.

(Central Plaza: "…………" Pshaw, what a scumbag!)

Then, further down the list are the Hong Kong Monetary Authority, the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the Bank for International Settlements Asia Pacific Office, Blackstone Group, Standard Chartered Bank and Standard Chartered Securities, Hillhouse Capital, Ping An Asset Management of East China University of Technology, China Minsheng Bank, UBS Group Hong Kong Branch, BNP Paribas…

In short, this building is currently the absolute center of Hong Kong.

On the top floor, Xiao Ma met Guan Zu.

"Mr. Guan!"

"Congratulations, Little Pony... After today, Penguin will begin a brand new chapter."

"Thanks to Mr. Guan and the Five Star Group for their support over the years, without you, there would be no Tencent today," Xiao Ma sincerely responded.

Next,
Representatives from numerous underwriting structures were present.

Next, we had a meeting.

9:00
A black Chevrolet arrived at the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.

Guan Zu and Xiao Ma got out of the car and walked side by side toward the entrance of the stock exchange.

9:29, get ready to ring the bell.

(Photo: Instead of Penguin ringing the bell, Xiaomi did.)
Because of the involvement of the Five Star Group, the listing of Tencent attracted a lot of attention from citizens.

At the beginning of the month, the media had already started reporting on it extensively, and the public was paying close attention.

Guan Zu did not stop this attention, because in his previous life, the stock price of Tencent was considered an exceptionally high-performing stock, appreciating 717 times in 21 years since its listing.

With the backing of the Five Star Group in this lifetime, the 717-fold increase may be achieved ahead of schedule.

If citizens held penguin stock, they would definitely make a lot of money.

Therefore, Guan Zu will not stop it.

Because of Kwan Cho's attendance, the bell-ringing ceremony attracted media from all over Hong Kong Island, resulting in a densely packed crowd with various cameras.

"Countdown..."

"14 seconds..."

"13 seconds..."

As the countdown reaches 0...

9:30,
Little Ma gripped the bell mallet tightly and struck the gong with all his might. Clang!
Before the echoes of the bell had even faded, the real-time data for Tencent's stock on the big screen began to fluctuate.

The opening price of HK$4.375 caught everyone's eye, 18.24% higher than the issue price of HK$3.7, and cheers immediately erupted from the audience.

In the next time,
The stock price soared.

Because of the Five Star Group's investment, citizens have great confidence in the penguin.

The stock rose to a high of HK$6.225 during the session, marking a 68% increase on its first day of trading.

It's much better than my previous life.

In its previous life, Tencent's IPO was quite bumpy. It rose 13% on the first day, but even fell below the issue price in the first month. It was only after its rapid performance that it quickly boosted its stock price and became a star stock.

……

……

A new day,
Over Hong Kong Island.

A Dragonair flight arrives over Hong Kong Island.

"Fellow villagers, we're now flying over Hong Kong Island!" Our tour guide, Sister Zhang, picked up the microphone and announced in Mandarin with a Shaanxi accent.
"Do you remember what I said before we left? The fact that our hometown has so many newly built school buildings and children can study in bright classrooms is all thanks to the more than 10 billion HKD donated by the Five Star Group in Hong Kong. Today, we are here not only to travel and see the scenery, but also to witness this heartwarming friendship."

As soon as he finished speaking, a chorus of agreement arose in the carriage.

"That's right, that's why I came to Hong Kong Island for tourism~~"

"Our village primary school was built 10 years ago, and it has a playground, library and everything else. We really have to thank the Five Star Group for that..."

"Our village has produced quite a few college students..."

As everyone chatted, they unconsciously felt a greater sense of familiarity with the city below.

"Alright, let's get back to the main topic. I'll tell you about some must-visit places on Hong Kong Island."

Tour guide Sister Zhang cleared her throat:
"The first place we'll definitely go is Victoria Harbour. Tomorrow evening, we'll take the Star Ferry for a harbor cruise. We can enjoy the sea breeze and see the skyscrapers on both sides of the harbor, and we can also catch the 'A Symphony of Lights' light show. Dozens of buildings light up and change colors at the same time; the scene is absolutely breathtaking..."

"Also, we'll go to Victoria Peak, take the Peak Tram up, and from there at The Peak Tower, we can see the entire Hong Kong Island..."

(Picture of Lingxiao Pavilion? I think it looks a bit ugly? Or is it just my imagination?)

"Oh, and we'll also be going to the Tian Tan Buddha on Lantau Island. That Buddha is 34 meters tall with over 200 steps. We'll climb up to pay our respects and also visit the Po Lin Monastery next door..."

"And Ocean Park..."

"Tour guide, can we go see the Five Star Group building?" someone asked loudly.

"Yeah, can we take a picture at the Five Star Group?"

Many people started to jeer.

Most tourists from Shaanxi have this idea in mind.

Simple yet sincere.

Sister Zhang smiled and nodded: "Of course! When we go to Central the day after tomorrow, we'll pass by the Five Star Group headquarters. I'll point it out to everyone then. I heard that building is the tallest on Hong Kong Island, it's really impressive!"

After introducing the attractions, tour guide Sister Zhang changed the subject: "Next, I'd like to tell you a few things to note to avoid making any embarrassing mistakes during our trip. First, Hong Kong uses Hong Kong dollars..."

He went on to list a whole bunch of things to be careful about.

Then he added,

"There's one more thing to note..."

"If you encounter those arrogant service staff during your trip, you can complain to me, and I will connect you with Five Star Property Management... You may not know Five Star Property Management, but it's a company under the Five Star Group..."

After three years of gradual internal competition, the service attitude on Hong Kong Island has improved considerably.

It is attracting more and more tourists.

Unlike in my previous life, I no longer chased away guests.

"Okay, that's all..."

At this moment, the plane began to circle, slowly descend, and adjust its landing position. The view outside the window became clearer and clearer—the azure waters of Victoria Harbour, the International Finance Centre in Central, and the Central Plaza in Wan Chai.

Oh, and there's also the Tian Tan Buddha on Lantau Island.

Here, Han Chen once said: "Ten years ago, in Tai Hing Village, Tuen Mun, the parking lot of the Royal Palace Restaurant was grandly opened... One general's success is built on the bones of ten thousand..."

10 minutes later,
The plane landed at the new airport.

A group of tourists from Shaanxi exclaimed excitedly, "Hong Kong Island, here I come!"

……

……

A new day,
Guan Zu, being lazy and taking it easy, didn't arrive at the International Finance Center until 11 a.m., late to get ready for work.

"Before I transmigrated, I was a beast of burden; after I transmigrate, I'm still a beast of burden... Didn't I transmigrate for nothing?"

Guan Zu muttered to himself.

Get out of the car,
Then I raised my milk tea and slurped it down!
It's so refreshingly cool~~~
Awesome!!
At this moment,
He saw a group of tourists, dressed in various casual clothes and speaking Mandarin, gathered outside the International Finance Center, posing for photos.

He was speaking in a familiar Shaanxi dialect.

"Aunt Wang, move over here a bit so we can get a full picture of the building in the background!"

"Li Ming, don't run around! The tour guide will call us to gather soon!"

"Is this the headquarters building of the Five Star Group? It's so impressive!"

Guan Zu smiled.

Since investing in Ctrip, and with the backing of the Five Star Group's reputation, Ctrip has achieved rapid development.

Ctrip is also vigorously promoting tourism projects for mainlanders to Hong Kong Island, offering subsidies for airfares and hotels.

In 2003, more than 1600 million mainland tourists visited Hong Kong.

This is nearly double the 847 million visits in the previous life.

They accounted for 75% of all tourists.

Guan Zu's measures were very effective.

According to statistics from the Cultural and Tourism Department, mainland tourists visiting Hong Kong spend an average of 7500 RMB per person, which is nearly 2000 billion RMB.

This represents a very large source of funding for Hong Kong Island.

Everything is different from my previous life.

Just as he was about to look away, an auntie Wang in the crowd suddenly spotted the most handsome guy in the crowd.

His eyes suddenly lit up.
He then rubbed his eyes, looked again carefully, and suddenly shouted excitedly:

"Oh my! Isn't that Mr. Guan? Mr. Guan from the Five Star Group!"

"Our great benefactor!"

This loud voice instantly attracted the attention of all the tourists, who all turned their heads and looked at Guan Zu in the direction Aunt Wang pointed.

"Yes, yes! It's him!"

"It's Mr. Guan!"

"Wow~~~"

The crowd erupted in excitement, rushing over with faces full of surprise and excitement.

Aunt Wang walked quickly to Guan Zu, grasped his hands tightly, and exclaimed excitedly, "Mr. Guan, I'm so glad to finally meet you in person!"

"Our village's primary school was built thanks to the Five Star Group. The children no longer have to study in leaky classrooms. We are so grateful to you!"

"Yes, Mr. Guan!"

Guan Zu was overwhelmed by this sudden enthusiasm.

"Slacker mode, off!"
Business model, open!

Guan Zu was a man of integrity.
He shoved the milk tea into Ding Hu's hand, saying, "How can you be like this? You're dragging me into drinking milk tea!"

Ding Hu: "??"

Facing the tourists from Shaanxi, Guan Zu smiled brightly and exuded charm: "You're all too kind. We're happy to be able to contribute to education in Shaanxi."

Then they chatted for a while.
The two sides chatted enthusiastically.

"Mr. Guan, may we take a picture with you?" someone asked cautiously. "We can tell our fellow villagers when we get back that we met the benefactor of the Five Star Group!"

"Of course!" Guan Zu readily agreed, and even stepped into the middle of the crowd, smiling as he said, "Come on, everyone, come closer, let's take a group photo. Oh, and let's include the building in the background too, consider it a 'family photo' with the Five Star Group!"

The tourists cheered and crowded around Guan Zu, some leaning in, others making peace signs, their faces beaming with smiles.

Secretary Wu Lianqian held up the camera and adjusted the angle.

"Everyone look at the camera, one, two, three—cheese!"

"eggplant!"

Loud Shaanxi dialect echoed downstairs at the International Financial Center, and the camera captured this heartwarming scene.

(End of this chapter)