Siheyuan, Shazhu: I have both parents in this life

Chapter 421 Relocation
The Special Administrative Region's cybersecurity laboratory is making steady but difficult progress under the "mentoring" model.

Although the personnel sent by the ministry did not start from a high level, they were very enthusiastic about learning. Under the guidance of the technical backbone of Yellow River, they gradually began to undertake some basic vulnerability analysis and rule writing work.

Li Wenjie's weekly technical sharing sessions have gradually evolved from a one-way lecture to include interaction and discussion.

He Yaozong regularly reported the laboratory's progress and difficulties to the ministry, while subtly expressing his hope for more support in areas such as research funding and approval of imported equipment.

After several rounds of communication, import licenses for a batch of urgently needed testing instruments and specialized software were approved relatively quickly, which relieved the immediate crisis.

Meanwhile, in Hong Kong.

With a thousand days to go until that historic moment, Hong Kong's business community appears calm on the surface, but undercurrents are surging beneath.

Some astute investors began to adjust their strategies, and some British-funded conglomerates accelerated the pace of asset transfer, resulting in a number of high-quality assets available for sale in the market.

Under He Yaozu's leadership, the Yellow River Group acted prudently yet decisively.

With its strong financial resources and clear strategic vision, the group's investment company has made a series of acquisitions, including several promising port logistics companies and a long-established local trading company, further consolidating its industrial foundation in Hong Kong.

This opportunity also attracted other wolves. After being driven out of Hong Kong, Li Huanggua was not doing well in Malaysia. When he learned that He Yuzhu had been stationed in the mainland for a long time and that the group's focus had shifted north, he had the idea of ​​returning to Hong Kong.

His staff from Cheung Kong Group began returning to Hong Kong to try and get involved in some projects.

How could such an action be kept secret from Bai Yifeng's men? The news quickly reached He Yaozu.

Why He Yaozu? Since He Yuzhu has handed over the power of Hong Kong to his son, Bai Yifeng naturally has to support his nephew.

He Yaozu directly sent people to negotiate openly with those people, which was actually a warning: if they did not heed his advice, Huang He would not mind going to Malaysia to do something.

Upon receiving the report, Li Ka-shing sighed with regret and ultimately instructed his subordinates to cease all activities in Hong Kong.

He knew very well that the Ho family was no joke, and if they came to Malaysia, all his efforts over the years would be in vain.

He Yaozu reported this matter to his father, He Yuzhu, who felt that his methods were too lenient and only a warning. He ordered He Yaozu to send people to investigate what businesses Li Huanggua was currently involved in. He said that the guy's vision and methods were still very impressive, and He Yuzhu would not hesitate to take away his opportunities.

Although He Yaozu was somewhat skeptical of his father's claim that Li Huanggua was as formidable as he had imagined, given that Li was a defeated opponent, he still did as his father said.

The results of the investigation really surprised him. The company had done a lot of business in ports, telecommunications, and real estate in Malaysia, and also had many projects overseas, which made him put away his contempt.

He also found out why Li Huanggua wanted to return to Hong Kong. After all, Malaysia is not Chinese territory and is not so friendly to Chinese people. It is not as safe as Hong Kong.

However, Li Huanggua's overseas expansion strategy gave him a lot of ideas, and then Hutchison Whampoa began a new round of expansion, with the goal of acquiring the operating rights of those ports overseas.

Bai Yifeng's men in the north also brought He Yuzhu some small surprises; those guys spontaneously did something.

That is to help the group snatch people, taking advantage of the chaos to use all kinds of means, including coaxing, deceiving, and even semi-forcibly, to transfer a group of engineers, experts and their families involved in precision machinery, aerospace and basic physics through various secret channels.

The value of these "special talents" is immeasurable, but their movements have attracted considerable attention.

When Bai Yifeng reported over, He Yuzhu praised those people and asked Bai Yifeng to reward them. He then ordered those people to retaliate if necessary, and then to lie in wait or withdraw.

Bai Yifeng relayed the order, and those people became more discreet, but their actions also became more daring, because they were even more aware that opportunities and time were running out.

The development of mobile communications in Europe, America, and China led to the decline of the previously booming paging service.

Then the paging business unit broke the ice and went overseas, targeting Asia, Africa and Latin America. In response to the strong demand in these emerging markets for cheap and reliable communication tools, Huanghe launched several easy-to-operate, durable and highly competitively priced pagers.

These products quickly became popular in many countries in Southeast Asia, South Asia, Africa, and South America, with their market share rising steadily and almost forming a monopoly.

Screen displays tailored to local languages, extended battery life, and designs adapted to harsh environments have become powerful tools for conquering these markets.

Some even suggested building the factory elsewhere, but He Yuzhu rejected the idea outright. He argued that there was nowhere to place the domestic workforce, so why should it benefit outsiders?

At the same time, He Yuzhu also made a decision to order the majority of Hong Kong Yellow River Helicopters, Yellow River Automobile, and Yellow River Steel to be moved to the mainland.

All laboratories will be retained, new laboratories will be built in the mainland, and data will be shared. One helicopter production line will be retained to support the laboratories. Only the high-end car production line will be retained in the automobile factory, and only the steel production capacity for construction steel will be retained in the steel plant.

The target was chosen to be Harbin, which is located further north, and He Yuxin was sent to negotiate.

After receiving his father's decision to relocate the industry to the north, He Yaozu immediately convened a meeting with the core management of the three companies: Hong Kong Yellow River Helicopters, Yellow River Automobile, and Yellow River Steel.

The atmosphere in the meeting room was somewhat somber. These three companies have been rooted in Hong Kong for many years, and many of their employees are long-time employees who have served for over a decade or two.

"Everyone is aware of the chairman's decision," He Yaozu said bluntly. "The relocation is a strategic move for the group and is inevitable. But you and the employees below have all made great contributions to the group, and the group will never treat you unfairly."

He gestured to his assistant to distribute the preliminary resettlement plan.

"In principle, we encourage employees to relocate to the mainland. The conditions and facilities of the new factory areas in Harbin, Tianjin, and the Special Economic Zone will not be worse than those in Hong Kong. The group will provide relocation subsidies, housing arrangements, and assistance with children's schooling. Salaries and benefits will be reassessed based on the living standards in the mainland, but the overall income level will not decrease, and there is room for improvement for outstanding performers."

Yang Tao, the general manager of the car company, reviewed the plan and raised a question: "Mr. He, many of the veteran drivers have their entire families in Hong Kong. Asking them to move their whole families north might be difficult."

He Yaozu nodded: "I understand. So for the second point, for those who are unwilling to go north, the group offers several options: First, those factories in Hong Kong will most likely be converted into electronics factories or communications equipment factories, which will also need manpower, so internal transfers will be given priority; second, other companies under the group in Hong Kong, including real estate, ports, hotels, and retail, will give priority to hiring for vacant positions; third, if you choose to leave voluntarily, the group will provide compensation that is better than the market standard based on your years of service."

“I agree. Hong Kong’s heavy industry can’t develop. We’ve basically reached the top, and that’s about it. The chairman has been looking for ideas for a long time, but he hasn’t taken action because he’s considering the people below him. Now the situation is changing, and it’s time.” Gu Yuanheng was the first to support this.

"I agree as well," Xian Xingyao also expressed his opinion.

A murmur rippled through the room.

Some people breathed a sigh of relief, while others remained frowning.

“For each individual, department heads must speak with them one by one to understand their intentions and provide explanations,” He Yaozu said seriously. “I don’t want to hear about any coercion or perfunctory responses. Any difficulties should be reported promptly, and the group will do its best to resolve them.”

"Yes," everyone in the conference room replied in unison.

After the meeting, the news quickly spread within the three companies.

In the workshop, veteran technician A-Qiang held the expression of interest form, his brows furrowed in worry.

He was in his early fifties, had spent half his life working in a car factory, his wife sold vegetables at the market, and his son had just started college. "To Harbin, a place of ice and snow?" he muttered, shaking his head repeatedly.

The younger technician, Xiao Li, was somewhat tempted.

He is unmarried and has no ties in mainland China, so the "development opportunities" and "housing benefits" mentioned in the plan are very attractive to him.

"It would be good to go and take a look. I've heard that the mainland is developing very rapidly now."

Similar scenes are playing out everywhere.

Following He Yaozu's instructions, the management team patiently and meticulously communicated, explained the policies, and registered the intentions.

Preliminary statistics show that only 10% of employees are willing to relocate with their families, mainly young, technically skilled employees with relatively light family burdens.

About 30% hope to transfer to other companies in the group located in Hong Kong.

Nearly 60% of the employees chose to leave with compensation, either due to family reasons, age, or concerns about life in mainland China.

This result was within He Yaozu's expectations.

He consulted his father, who then gave instructions: respect individual choices and implement the plan properly. At the same time, expedite coordination with the mainland authorities to ensure the smooth progress of the new factory construction, equipment installation, and personnel relocation.

The compensation was paid out quickly and the resignation procedures were completed promptly, with the group's finance department having prepared sufficient cash.

The long-term employees who received generous compensation were somewhat reluctant to leave the place where they had worked for many years, but most had no complaints about the group's handling of the situation. Some employees who chose to transfer to other positions reported to departments such as real estate and ports under the coordination of the group's human resources department.

Employees who wish to move north will be organized in batches to visit existing factories in the mainland to familiarize themselves with the environment.

Seeing the existing factory dormitories and the schools and hospitals promised by the local government, many people felt relieved and looked forward to the future.

He Yuxin's negotiations in Harbin went quite smoothly.

The local government has shown great enthusiasm and sincerity in welcoming enterprises from the Yellow River system to settle in the area, offering generous incentives in terms of land, taxation, and supporting policies.

They have high hopes for the potential job opportunities and the stimulating effect on the industrial chain that this may bring.

Under He Yaozu's command, a series of tasks involving the relocation of industries to the north, such as asset liquidation, equipment dismantling, and transportation, were carried out in an orderly manner.

In Hong Kong, the existing factory buildings are gradually being transformed into high-end manufacturing, logistics warehousing, and R&D centers according to the new plan.

This massive relocation, involving thousands of people, inevitably brought some upheaval and growing pains, but with thorough preparation and generous resettlement conditions, it was generally stable.

During this process, some middle-level managers were poached by competitors based on their work experience and technical skills at Yellow River.

As for the laboratory personnel, He Yaozu wouldn't let them go so easily. They could leave, but they would have to pay hush money. If they found out about the leak, the consequences would be unbearable for them.

The core laboratory personnel cannot leave unless the Yellow River Group abandons their research project. Gu Yuanheng, Xian Xingyao, and Yang Tao have already spoken with those people, and they have no objections, after all, they have worked at the Yellow River Group for so many years.

He Yaozu gave a detailed report to He Yuzhu on the preliminary arrangements for the relocation of Hong Kong's industries to the north.

"Dad, the personnel placement is basically stable. The management and core technical teams of the three companies are stable. Those who are willing to go north have been organized in batches to go to Harbin and Tianjin to inspect the environment. Yang Tao is in charge of the construction of the new factory in Harbin, Uncle Yao will stay in Hong Kong to manage the remaining business, and Uncle Heng will go to the special economic zone first to coordinate the subsequent industrial adjustment plan."

After listening, He Yuzhu nodded: "Tell Yang Tao to keep a close eye on the equipment installation and commissioning in Harbin. The local climate and infrastructure are not as good as in Hong Kong, so we need to have a comprehensive contingency plan. The first batch of products must be of high quality."

"clear."

"As for Yuanheng, have him come up with a plan for integrating the remaining assets in Hong Kong as soon as possible. After the divestiture of heavy industry, the vacated factory buildings and land need to be carefully analyzed to determine whether to transform them into high-end manufacturing, logistics and warehousing, or partially convert them into commercial development."

"I've already given the instructions."

"As for Yuanheng, let him decide for himself. He's not young anymore, and I'm afraid he won't be able to handle the preparatory work."

"I will tell Humber."

The father and son chatted for a few more minutes before He Yaozu hung up the phone to attend to other matters.

Harbin, the proposed site for the new Yellow River Automobile plant.

Wrapped in a thick cotton coat, Yang Tao trudged through the snow, surveying the site with coordinators dispatched by the local government.

"Mr. Yang, the land leveling work has been completed, and we can start building the factory in the spring. The planning for the staff dormitory building next door has also been approved, ensuring that it will be ready for occupancy before the equipment is moved in," the local official said enthusiastically.

Yang Tao, his breath steaming in the air, nodded: "Thank you for your support. Our first batch of relocated employees and equipment should arrive next month. We'll need your help to ensure that the power, water, and heating are all in perfect working order."

"Don't worry, the city held a special meeting, and these are all top priorities."

Looking at the vast, empty snowfield before him, Yang Tao felt a heavy weight in his heart.

Moving the automotive industry from warm Hong Kong to this icy north would be incredibly difficult, not to mention the challenges those people from Hong Kong would face in the cold.

But he also knew that this was a necessary path to take. Hong Kong's industries were becoming increasingly focused on trade, finance, and shopping, and the manufacturing sector might eventually struggle to find workers.

Despite his thoughts, he still took out his notebook and checked the upcoming equipment list and personnel placement details once again.

Hong Kong, Gu Yuanheng's office.

A map of Hong Kong and detailed reports on the group's assets in Hong Kong were spread out in front of him. After the relocation of heavy industry, large areas of factory buildings and land were left behind. How to revitalize these assets and achieve a smooth transformation was his most important task at present.

His initial plan is to transform some well-located and well-equipped factory buildings into high-end electronic product production lines or precision machining centers; areas near the port will be planned as modern logistics and warehousing bases; and several other plots of land have commercial development potential.

He needs to elaborate in detail on the advantages and disadvantages of each option, the investment return cycle, and its supporting role in the group's overall strategy in the proposal.

A few days later, Gu Yuanheng flew from Hong Kong to Beijing with a thick stack of plans. In He Yuzhu's study, he spread out the plans.

“Boss, my team and I have come up with three preliminary plans.” He pointed to the blueprints. “The old factory in Kwai Chung is close to the port, so it’s the most suitable place to convert it into an automated warehouse; the site in Kowloon has convenient transportation and can be used to build a high-end electronics assembly line; as for the Shau Kei Wan site, it’s in a good location and some developers are interested, but I think it’s more cost-effective to keep it for our own use.”

He Yuzhu carefully examined the markings on the blueprints: "What are our advantages in electronic assembly?"

“Costs are controllable, and delivery is fast. Moreover, the R&D center in the special economic zone can provide technical support.” Gu Yuanheng handed over another document, “This is a detailed return on investment analysis.”

What about logistics and warehousing?

"With the rapid growth of import and export business, owning our own warehouses can reduce operating costs and is more cost-effective than renting them out in the long run."

He Yuzhu pondered for a moment: "We can start building the electronic assembly line first, beginning with small-batch trial production. I agree in principle with the logistics and warehousing plan, but the selection of automated equipment needs further evaluation."

"clear."

"We'll leave the Shau Kei Wan site for now. The future of Hong Kong is still uncertain, so keeping a good piece of land in hand gives us flexibility," he said, pointing to the map.

Gu Yuanheng nodded and noted it down.

"Also, Yuanheng, is your body able to handle it?"

“I’m not much older than you, and I’m perfectly healthy,” Gu Yuanheng said with a smile.

"Alright, you can decide for yourself. If it's too tiring, just tell Yaozu. There are plenty of places in the group that need people."

"I know, I won't be polite."

"That's good."

Meanwhile, in the Special Administrative Region's cybersecurity laboratory, Li Wenjie is leading a hybrid team in conducting a new round of stress tests.

Xiao Wang, who was sent by the ministry, was staring intently at the screen when he suddenly shouted, "Engineer Li, there is an abnormal delay in the response of node 3!"

Li Wenjie strode over: "Traffic characteristics?"

"It looks like a normal access request, but it comes from a few IPs, and the concurrency is extremely high."

"Activate Contingency Plan B and limit the number of concurrent connections from these IPs," Li Wenjie ordered. "Xiao Zhang, analyze the attribution and access behavior patterns of these IPs."

After several months of adjustment, the technical personnel from the ministry are now able to handle some routine problems independently. Although key personnel are still needed to handle complex attacks, the progress is evident.

After the test, Li Wenjie convened a brief debriefing meeting.

"Today's situation is very likely due to some new variant of the virus attack. Our contingency plan worked, but it still consumed too many resources. The next step is to consider how to more accurately distinguish between normal users and attack traffic."

An experienced engineer from a ministry asked, "Could we add a challenge mechanism to the authentication process? For example, a random CAPTCHA?"

“It’s worth a try, but we need to consider user experience and not add it to every access.” Li Wenjie affirmed his idea, “This direction is worth studying.”

(End of this chapter)