Hong Kong Tycoon: Starting from Delivering Dongfeng Express

Chapter 44: The people in mainland China are so tough!
Since its opening in 1911, Luohu Bridge has become the main channel connecting Hong Kong Island and Beijing.

After the establishment of New China, this place also became an important window for the mainland to connect with the outside world.

In 1955, Qian Xuesen, leading his son in one hand and carrying a guitar in the other, returned to the embrace of his motherland from Luohu Bridge. In those days, overseas Chinese who overcame hardships to return to their hometowns to build their motherland would be moved to tears when they saw the five-star red flag for the first time at Luohu Bridge.

Now in 1985, the newly built Luohu Port Joint Inspection Building has come into use. Ye Dongsheng walked out of the brand new double-deck passage bridge and breathed in the fresh air of the motherland. It smelled so good!
A month ago, they had smuggled themselves into Hong Kong Island, but now after returning to the mainland, their identities have changed drastically and they have become Hong Kong Islanders!

"Brother Sheng, it took a total of 1 hour and 43 minutes." Ahua said while looking at his watch.

This time, Ye Dongsheng brought a few people to the mainland, one to establish the Jinghai branch, which is Dongfeng Express in Jinghai, and the other to experience the customs clearance process.

The procedures for passing customs and entering the country are very cumbersome. You must first get an application card, which will be verified by the staff. Then the staff will stamp the Home Return Permit and submit the completed application card and Home Return Permit to the verification desk. After the verification is passed, you will be inspected. If you pass, you will also have to undergo random checks and inspections of the items you carry. Only after passing all the processes can you pass customs.

Ye Dongsheng wasn't surprised by the current 1 hour and 43 minutes. Last year, before the Joint Inspection Building was completed, this time would have been double that. Back then, "snake pancakes" were common, with customs clearance congestion necessitating serpentine queues to maintain order.

Now the newly built joint inspection building has greatly improved efficiency. The spring breeze of reform and opening up is really good!

Ye Dongsheng thought for a moment and said, "It took nearly an hour to queue up, which means if we just follow the procedures, it will be done in about 1 minutes."

There is no way to save on the formalities, but there are ways to solve the queue, which can shorten the entire process. Dongfeng Express is known for its efficiency and speed, so it is necessary to find ways to shorten the time of the entire process.

"Brother Sheng!"

Ye Dongsheng turned his head and looked at Wang Jianjun, who seemed a little impatient, and said with a smile: "Let's go, let's go find Jianguo first!"

At the beginning, he, Wang Jianjun and Xiaofu smuggled themselves across the border, leaving Wang Jianguo in Jinghai. Now that they are back in the mainland, Wang Jianjun, who is obsessed with his younger brother, can't help it.

Outside the Joint Inspection Building, all kinds of people gathered here.

In addition to these traditional small vendors selling food and drinks, there are also some that are very characteristic of the times, such as a chair with a telephone on it and a sign saying "5 yuan/minute", which is in line with the popular business philosophy of "a telephone can earn thousands of yuan a day".

Some people were holding signs and anxiously waiting for their loved ones to return, while many people simply dropped their bags and hugged their loved ones and cried loudly. There were even several people carrying old TVs and excitedly walking past Ye Dongsheng. It was really a mix of people.

Ah Hua watched as everyone bundled their luggage onto their bicycles and left, chatting and laughing. He couldn't help but scratch his head: "Brother Sheng, there aren't any taxis in mainland China right now, right?"

As soon as he finished speaking, a thin young man came out from the side with a flattering smile on his face:
"Boss, do you want to take a taxi? Please follow me!"

They looked at each other and followed him out.

"There are too many vendors at the entrance, and it's hard to park."

As he walked, the frail young man introduced the taxis: "We just opened the first batch of taxis in Jinghai last year. The starting fare is 6 yuan, and it's 2 yuan per kilometer. Not everyone can afford it! Ordinary people usually ride bicycles or take the bus."

After walking a few dozen meters, I saw about ten red taxis parked on the road ahead. Seeing that there were passengers being led over, the drivers waiting for passengers also gathered around enthusiastically.

"Hello gentlemen, where are you going?"

"Boss, take my car! It's new, clean and sanitary!"

Ah Hua breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed that the mainland was not as backward as he had imagined.

"Let's go to Bao'an." The thin young man's face changed slightly: "Boss, are you going to leave the customs?"

"Yes, can't we go?" Ye Dongsheng took a look and found that the few people who were enthusiastic just now were looking at Ye Dongsheng and the four young and strong men with hesitation.

A driver asked tentatively, "Boss, can we send it to the second-line customs?"

Ye Dongsheng shook his head directly: "I came to you just for convenience. We are halfway there, and you want us to walk the rest of the way?"

In later generations, many outsiders who have never been to Jinghai, and even local young children, think that the Jinghai Special Economic Zone refers to the entire Jinghai.

But in fact, the original scope of the Special Administrative Region did not include the entire city, but mainly covered Luohu, Yantian, Nanshan and Futian, which are adjacent to Hong Kong Island.

A 90-kilometer-long cobblestone road was built outside this area, with a 3-meter-high barbed wire fence, dividing the Special Zone and the outside of the Special Zone into two worlds. It is called the Special Zone Management Line, or the Second Line, and the checkpoint on this line is called the Second Line Checkpoint.

As for the so-called first line, it is the border line between Hong Kong Island and Beijing.

Among the local population in Jinghai today, the outside of the second-line customs is outside the customs, and the inside is inside the customs. People outside the customs must have a pass if they want to enter the customs.

Wang Jianguo was not a local and did not have a pass, so he could only stay in Bao'an outside the customs.

Obviously, these taxi drivers don't want to go outside the customs.

Just when the scene fell into silence, a burly man pushed aside the thin young man:
"200 yuan, I'll take you there!"

Ye Dongsheng looked at the man carefully. He had dark skin, a big head, a thick neck, and a burly figure.

Ye Dongsheng smiled when he saw this face: "Okay! It's you!"

"Boss, I can go for 200!"

At this time, the person who had hesitated just now regretted it and shouted at Ye Dongsheng, but was slapped by the burly man and became wilted.

"Damn it! Did I give you guys any face? You dare to steal my business from me, Xu Jiang! Get out of here!"

Amid Xu Jiang's cursing, the group of people quickly scattered.

Xu Jiang led a few people to his car and said, "Last month, a driver was killed outside the customs. The case has not made any progress yet. Seeing how you look, these cowards dare not go outside the customs!"

These days are very chaotic, and public security is completely different from that of later times. If these four young and strong guys had any bad intentions, it would be really worrying.

Ye Dongsheng looked at Xu Jiang with a smile: "Master, then you are not afraid?"

Xu Jiang chuckled, lifted up his shirt, revealing the pistol on his belt.

Ah Hua swallowed his saliva. The people in mainland China were so tough that even a taxi driver carried a gun with him!
PS: Xu Jiang, it’s enough for everyone to know who he is, I can only change my name.

(End of this chapter)