When Lin Zhichao came to the HSBC Bank headquarters in Queen's Road Central, he couldn't help but look envious. What he envied was that HSBC could own such a beautiful building, and when would he be able to build his own headquarters office building in Central.
Currently, HSBC has only two head offices in Hong Kong: the head office at Queen's Road Central on Hong Kong Island and the Kowloon branch. In Hong Kong, only two or three banks have opened branches.
Unlike later generations, these banks had dozens of branches. It is estimated that it was not until the end of the Peninsula War that major banks gradually opened a large number of branches in order to grab deposits.
Approaching the HSBC Building.
At this time, HSBC still retained such a practice: foreigners entered HSBC through the front door, while Chinese could only enter through the back door. It was obvious that the British consortium looked down upon the Chinese at this time.
Not only that, HSBC did not bother to do business directly with the Chinese at this time. If the Chinese wanted to borrow money from HSBC, they had to go through a foreign bank or an old family like the Lee Family and the He Family. The foreign bank would then lend it to the Chinese businessmen or the old Chinese families. Make a guarantee or introduction.
Of course, nothing is absolute!
Despite these implicit regulations, HSBC staff did not stop Lin Zhichao from entering through the main entrance.
"Sir, what's the matter?" A British employee came up and asked.
He was impressed by Lin Zhichao's calm and confident temperament. He thought that this person must be from an established family among the Chinese, that is, "higher Chinese", so he used a very polite tone.
Lin Zhichao said: "I have an appointment with Sandus, please take me to his office!"
The foreign clerk thought to himself, as expected, he immediately said: "Okay, please come with me!"
Lin Zhichao felt funny in his heart. These foreigners seemed to be superior to others, but in fact they were equally respectful to the strong.
Therefore, if Chinese people want to gain respect, they must have money.
Ho Tung once told Lin Zhichao such a story:
When he was young, he asked his foreign father: "Why do the British look down on the Chinese?"
He Shiwen said: "Because Chinese people are poor."
This sentence is unforgettable to Ho Tung and has become the driving force for him to settle down and settle down.
Lin Zhichao thinks it makes sense. Even Hong Kong garment factories at this time looked down on orders from Africa. The reason was not that different. When you see a group of people who don’t even have enough to eat and whose clothes are in tatters, your first reaction is not pity, but rejection and contempt in your heart.
The whole world is like this. As long as you are rich enough, you will be a guest of others wherever you go.
soon.
Lin Zhichao followed the British staff to the door of an HSBC office. There was 'Import Department' written in English on the outside.
"Dong dong"
"Deputy Manager Sandus, this Mr. Lin said he has an appointment with you."
Lin Zhichao walked into the office and found two people inside. Based on the staff's words, he analyzed that one was the manager of the import department and the other was Sandus, the deputy manager of the import department.
This slightly changed his mood. It turned out that Sandus was only the deputy manager of the import department at this time. It seemed that all the talk on paper was wrong. At the same time, he was also worried about one thing. If Sandus was willing to support global shipping, he would have to take over!
In this way, wouldn't Lin Zhichao be unable to take advantage of the Peninsula Campaign to rapidly expand his fleet?
But now is not the time to hesitate. Lin Zhichao quickly took over the staff's words: "I am Lin Zhichao, the founder of Cheung Kong Holdings, Cheung Kong Properties, and Global Shipping. I have taken the liberty to contact HSBC. Please take care of me."
Sandus was about to lift his legs and put them on the desk to give this rash Chinese a showdown, but he stopped when he heard 'the founder of Cheung Kong Holdings, Cheung Kong Real Estate, and Global Shipping'.
The name of a person, the shadow of a tree, as a new wealthy Chinese, Sundarshi will not turn away the door. Because there is news that he has been appointed as the project manager to be responsible for the loan project in Hong Kong.
The other person is Guy Senna, the manager of the import department, who has also been tipped to be the future chairman of HSBC.
Although Sandus was impressed by Lin Zhichao's strength, he did not stand up to greet him. Instead, he said in a calm tone: "Did Mr. Lin come to HSBC through the front entrance or the back entrance?"
He is applying pressure! HSBC is the economic lifeline of Hong Kong. How can it win over a Chinese businessman who has just emerged?
"Of course it's the main entrance. Sooner or later, HSBC will take the initiative to put down its posture and seek loans from Chinese factory owners. Will you continue to continue such stereotypes and evil customs?"
Lin Zhichao was not forced to the cliff, so he did not need to be humble to HSBC. If HSBC doesn't support him, Lin Zhichao will open his own bank. Although it may not become bigger and stronger, it can always attract a lot of deposits.
What's more, he entered the shipping industry five years earlier than the charter king, how could he lose!
Guy Senna watched the excitement from the sidelines and did not intervene in the confrontation between Sandus and Lin Zhichao.
Sandus laughed "haha", his affectionate expression still full of British arrogance and rudeness, but he did not chase away guests; in this regard, he was much better than Old Madden.
"Don't worry about this!"
Then, Sandus added: "So, you are here to seek a loan. But you may have come to the wrong department. We are the import department."
These words alleviated the unpleasantness of the first meeting. Both parties must have been a little unhappy, but the conversation finally ended.
Lin Zhichao said calmly: "I don't know the heads of various departments of HSBC, but I think that since I came to the import department's office, I naturally don't want to return without success."
Upon seeing this, Sandus remembered that he had already appointed a project manager, so he took advantage of the situation and said, "It doesn't matter, you can talk about your demands. If possible, I wouldn't mind introducing you to someone from the project department."
Lin Zhichao said: "I want to lend money to Global Shipping! Currently, our Global Shipping has a total of four cargo ships, including one Victory Ship and two Liberty Ships. We have found an excellent customer - Japan's Yamaguchi Shipping Lines, and A half-year lease agreement was reached, so I wanted to use the contract as collateral to secure a loan for Global Shipping.”
After a detailed introduction, Lin Zhichao looked at Sandus and Guy Senna. This loan was like a 'letter of investment'; if it could be achieved, Lin Zhichao would have gained the trust of HSBC Bank and laid the foundation for next year's contract loan. Base.
After listening to this, Sandus said: "It is impossible for HSBC to provide shipping loans, including the Bank of East Asia or other banks you have been cooperating with, will not provide shipping loans. Presumably, you should be aware of this."
HSBC has an unwritten rule, which peers and its staff call its "black book," which reads: Please don't invest in the shipping, aviation and film industries. This "rule" is not only followed by HSBC, but also by other banks. The reason is probably that the risk is too great.
Of course Lin Zhichao would not give up: "The reason why we refuse to lend is because the risk is too great. I have three reasons that I can tell you: First, after the Second World War, the world economy recovered, trade between various places increased, and shipping It is the cheapest mode of transportation and will definitely make a difference. Some American economists predict that there will be a 20-year shipping situation.”
"Second, our Global Shipping adopts a long-term lease contract. Japanese customers send money regularly every month and we repay the money regularly. This is a pioneering initiative. Although the profit is only about 80% of the one-way, the risk is also low. At the same time, we also gain access to Japan Customer trust.”
"Third, when the Peninsula War begins, Japan has become a logistics base for the United States. A large number of orders will rapidly boom Japan's economy. There will be a ship shortage in the Far East, and demand and freight rates will rise."
He knew Sandus' future, so he was naturally willing to tell his reasons and convince Sandus that if he didn't get a loan immediately, then he would get a loan later.
Sure enough, the expressions on the faces of Sandus and Guy Senna changed, and they thought seriously about Lin Zhichao's words. As a banker, you naturally need to have your own analytical skills.
After a long time, Sandus still said: "Mr. Lin, your analysis is very convincing, but I can say with certainty that the HSBC Project Department will still not choose to lend you a loan." Then he added: "Of course, I I’m very interested in global shipping, if you don’t mind if I take the time to check it out.”
The so-called inspection is nothing more than to see how well the company's financial statements are doing and how its operations and management are, so as to determine whether the company has development prospects.
At this time, Lin Zhichao also understood one thing. Although Sandus is currently the deputy manager of the import department, he is likely to be transferred to the project department as manager in the next few years. And his boss Guy Senna will also be promoted, maybe he will become the chairman or deputy chairman of HSBC.
"Of course! Although I have not received a loan from HSBC now, I insist that HSBC will see the stable and good operation of Global Shipping." After saying that, he handed his name card to Sundashi and Saipan Senna. .
After Lin Zhichao left, Saipan asked: "Do you think highly of this Chinese businessman?"
Sandus nodded and said: "I have heard of both Yangtze Real Estate and Yangtze River Industries. This young man is very capable and is a Chinese businessman worth attracting for our HSBC. So, no matter how good the shipping is, I will go visit the natural no problem."
Saipan said: "It does make sense! He can start from scratch and create what he is today. This young man deserves our support from HSBC anyway! Of course, if he buys property and starts a business, there will be no problem; but looking at him, he just wants to Seeking loans for shipping. So, keep an eye on it, maybe like he just said."
Sandus added: "Indeed! What I admire about him very much is that Japan's economy will develop rapidly and there will be a ship shortage in the Far East. These analyzes can be concluded, which shows that this person has a very vicious vision. Of course, whether there is trouble in the Far East or not, Ship shortage, this is unknown, we can continue to observe."
The other side.
Lin Zhichao walked out of HSBC, not feeling depressed, because he knew from the beginning that this year was just a matter of observing time on both sides. When he signs a "three to five-year long-term contract" with Yamaguchi Steamboat next year, it will be the real test for both parties.
Yes, Lin Zhichao plans to try to sign long-term contracts with Japanese customers for three to five years because he feels that HSBC is wary of shipping. He is not worried about Japanese merchants not signing contracts. He must know that once there is a shipping shortage or freight rates rise, some customers are willing to sign long-term contracts of more than three years because this can avoid higher costs.
For example, for a contract of more than three years, the freight price is only 75% of the previous year, which obviously can save a lot. As for the shipping cycle, everyone knows that it does not end in one or two years, but is very long.
How did the charter king prosper in his previous life? He bought an 8,200-ton cargo ship and leased it to Japan for only a few months. Then Egypt closed the Suez Canal and his ship contract expired. If you renew the contract for three years, the price will be at least three times the price.
Based on this, Lin Zhichao is full of confidence. The starting point of his shipping business is five times higher than that of the charter king. There is another opportunity - there is a ship shortage in the Far East. If he gets support from HSBC first, then he is already in an undefeated position. place.
Even if Bao Yugang is supported by HSBC in the future (Shen Bi supported many shipowners during the era, but on the contrary reduced support for Bao Yugang), then Bao Yugang will not be able to achieve half of the achievements of his previous life.
It can be said that Lin Zhichao robbed the luck of 'Bao Yugang' and 'Li Jiacheng', and with his knowledge, he can achieve greater success overseas.
Two days passed.
Sandus brought the HSBC staff to Global Shipping's Central office building. Lin Zhichao personally entertained them. On behalf of HSBC, they carefully reviewed Global Shipping's accounts and operations.
Lin Zhichao also handed over all information about Global Shipping to people at HSBC because both parties wanted to gain mutual trust.
At this time, Lin Zhichao felt that his guess was true, that is, Sandus also knew that he had already appointed a project manager, so he was so enthusiastic.
"Global Shipping's profits are very high. This is something that surprised me! Your Global Maritime Academy can be regarded as the first to open up shipping in Hong Kong. It is a very innovative initiative. Overall, Global Shipping is impeccable. Even Mr. Lin, as the boss, has great confidence."
From the company's management and operations to its financial situation, Global Shipping was very satisfied with Sandus, so he couldn't help but praise him directly.
Lin Zhichao responded with a smile: "I know the 'black book' of bankers, but I also have enough confidence to gain the trust of banks. I think bank loans generally require guarantees, and my achievements in real estate and industry should be able to guarantee it." Myself. Plus Global Shipping has the charter in hand, so there should be no problem. What do you think?"
At this time, Sandus was already excited. He would become a project manager in the future, but he also needed to make his own achievements. The Chinese in front of him was a very outstanding businessman. He was only in his twenties, but he had created tens of millions of wealth from scratch. It also has a broad business network.
I wonder, is there a better candidate?
Directly introduced to the project manager, Sandus felt that it was a bit 'unfavorable to himself', so he asked: "Does Mr. Lin know how to play golf?"
Lin Zhichao answered this question with his usual attitude: "I think it shouldn't be difficult!"
Sandus laughed 'haha', and then said: "Not necessarily! Do you have time on the weekend?"
He had decided to be friends with Lin Zhichao first, and then he would consider that in the future, as a friend, he would guarantee and handle shipping loans for Lin Zhichao.
In other words, Sandus decided to bet his future!
This is a very risky move, but Sandus feels that he has a good chance of winning because he sees many advantages in Lin Zhichao.
Of course, this is a slow process, and Sandus needs to slowly understand Global Shipping and Lin Zhichao.
Later, the two agreed to play waves at the Deep Water Bay Golf Course on the weekend, and Sandus left with his staff.
"Boss, will HSBC provide us with a loan?" Feng Yongfa couldn't help but asked excitedly.
If we really get the support of HSBC, Global Shipping will simply connect the sky and the future will be bright.
Lin Zhichao said calmly: "It is easy to provide loans! For example, based on the current asset situation of Global Shipping, assuming a loan of four to five million US dollars, coupled with my personal credit guarantee, I believe this is not a problem. The biggest problem is that HSBC How much strength are you willing to use to support our global shipping? Assuming that just one or two loans will not change much, we must work hard to prove ourselves and do better in management, operations, finance and technology."
Feng Yongfa nodded immediately and said: "The boss said it is true! As far as the situation just now goes, Sandus seems to be very interested in the quality of our sailors, operational routes, company management, etc."
Lin Zhichao immediately said: "You should ignore these things for the time being. To strengthen the management team, you have to do some work immediately. The first task is to expand the management team and increase the talent reserve; then you can look for a larger office building in Central, preferably close to HSBC For a bank office building, it would be best if you can rent one floor."
He is not afraid of raising "idle people" because he understands that global shipping will develop very quickly, and the key is that the management system cannot lack talents.
"Okay, I'll get ready right away!" Feng Yongfa said enthusiastically.
Lin Zhichao nodded. He valued Feng Yongfa very much. Although he was from Ningbo, he had rich experience in large government-owned enterprises in the mainland. It was almost similar to Bao Yugang's position in banks in the mainland. Of course, Feng Yongfa was the management of a shipping company. .
Gao Qiqiang, the business manager of Global Shipping, is a native of Guangdong Province. In his early years, he worked for a British-owned foreign company as a manager.
In Global Shipping, there is no geographical distinction, because their boss is a Cantonese and Shanghai-based son-in-law; moreover, Lin Zhichao prefers to use systems to manage people and attaches great importance to the company's welfare system and corporate culture.
For example, when the sailors were still students, they would often organize football activities on the open space of Cheung Kong Industrial. When Global Shipping's finances allow, Lin Zhichao also plans to build a seafarers' building to provide a leisure space for seafarers after disembarking from the ship.
Although there are a lot of extra expenses, Lin Zhichao is good at taking advantage of the 'shipping cycle', so it is just a sprinkling of water.
After Feng Yongfa went to work, Lin Zhichao thought of Sandashi's attitude and immediately felt relieved.
After all, he was not Bao Yu who just came to the door when he was poor. After all, he had already made achievements in the business world, and naturally it was easier for him to win the favor of HSBC. Therefore, he will work hard to expand his fleet in this 'shipping cycle'.
(End of chapter)
