Nathan Road, Kowloon.
The Miramar Hotel was capped today, and a 'capping ceremony' was held at the site.
The so-called "topping out" means that the main structure of the building has been completed, and the subsequent decoration of the "Miramar Hotel" and "Miramar Shopping Center" will take about 12 to 14 months. The final opening time is expected to be New Year's Day in 1961. .
I saw an 18-story hotel building and a 5-story shopping mall on site, forming a huge building with a total floor area of 800,000 square feet, of which the hotel area reached 520,000 square feet. The center is 280,000 square feet. The hotel has 680 rooms, which are in accordance with five-star standards; the shopping mall has 168 shops, a central stage for performances, and an amusement park on the roof.
Lin Zhichao asked: "Have you made contact with the American Western Hotel Group?"
American Western Hotel Group, later known as 'Best Western of America', is the largest single hotel brand in the world; Miramar Hotel intends to become its member and enjoy its reservation system and management guidance, and it will cost about 4%. Management fees (turnover).
Liang Guangchang, general manager of Miramar Hotel Group, said: "I contacted them. They are very interested and plan to send someone to Hong Kong for inspection soon!"
Lin Zhichao nodded with satisfaction!
I value two hotel management giants, one is InterContinental Group and the other is Western Hotels Group. Let's talk to Western Hotel Group first. After all, this company's reservation system is connected to giants such as Pan American Airlines, and it can bring guests to the Miramar Hotel. The advantage of InterContinental Hotel is luxury, so it is a second consideration.
The Miramar Hotel can only barely be regarded as a five-star hotel. It is designed according to the standards of a five-star hotel, but it is certainly not a leader in five-star hotels.
"The next step is to enter the decoration process. Manager Liang, you are from the real estate industry, so you should pay more attention. Miramar Hotel Group will operate independently as a subsidiary of Yangtze River Holdings in the future, and Miramar Hotel and Miramar Shopping Center are owned by this group. For two parts, I will appoint two general managers of Sun Company.”
After Lin Zhichao finished speaking, many of the management behind him showed a look of hope. After all, there were two more general manager positions, and it was still unclear who would take them. Among them, there are hotel professionals recruited in the past year or two, as well as real estate management talents trained by Cheung Kong Holdings.
And Lin Zhichao's meaning is also very clear, that is, to promote from within.
Managing a five-star hotel is a great honor for Chinese people.
And why didn’t Lin Zhichao choose to hire a foreigner as the general manager of the hotel?
This is because he feels that there is no need. Chinese people can also manage a luxury hotel, not to mention that he has an insurance company - Western Hotel Group. Once the two parties cooperate, the other party will also send a management consultant team.
Liang Guangchang said quickly: "Don't worry, boss, I will supervise the construction and ensure it is completed on time and with high quality."
He has been promoted rapidly in the group in recent years. Everyone knows that the Miramar Hotel project is huge, and more importantly, the project's uniqueness. Whether it is a five-star hotel or a shopping mall, they are the company's unique assets.
Now, the boss is letting this group company develop independently, which shows that there are still opportunities for expansion in the future.
In fact, Liang Guangchang's guess was correct. Miramar Hotel would be listed separately in 1972 and would be affiliated to "Cheung Kong Holdings". It would then become a sister company to "Cheung Kong Industrial Group".
After the stock market plummeted in the 1980s, Lin Zhichao arranged for the Cheung Kong Group to privatize the remaining shares with stocks or cash, and then returned to the Cheung Kong Group. Of course, Lin Zhichao's personal family's shares will definitely It’s a lot to cash out by arranging in advance.
After a series of combination punches, Lin Zhichao not only got cash, but the company was still his.
Chen Ping, general manager of Doll Noodles, came to Lin Zhichao’s office to report on his work.
"Boss, we have recently investigated and found out that there are currently about 21 instant noodle brands of a certain scale in Japan. This is their detailed information!"
Lin Zhichao took the information, read it casually, and asked: "How much patent transfer fee do you think is appropriate?"
After Chen Ping thought for a while, he said seriously: "Instant noodles are of great significance to Japan. They are one of the best channels to solve the food crisis. If the price is too high, I am afraid it will cause resentment from the government. Fortunately, Japanese instant noodles brands There are many, so I suggest that a fee of US$50,000 to US$80,000 is more appropriate, and the specific amount will be determined based on the size of the company.”
It can probably collect more than one million US dollars, which is fine. After all, it is more than five years of profits from doll noodles.
Lin Zhichao said: "Okay, you can continue to do this! It is also right to catch the big ones and let the small ones go. It's not ugly if they eat like this."
At the beginning of this year, Doll Noodles obtained the "Instant Noodles Copyright" through legal means in Japan. In this regard, the Japanese government still does not dare to be unreasonable for small profits.
Now that we have obtained the 'instant noodles copyright', we will naturally charge a patent transfer fee.
Chen Ping said: "Okay, I will definitely do this well! At present, the Japanese instant noodle market is about 300 million bags (annual sales), and the average annual consumption per capita is 5 to 6 bags. Even if the competition is fierce, the price has also increased from 35 yen to 35 yen. A bag, down to about 25 yen (7 cents, 0.4 Hong Kong dollars)”
Lin Zhichao immediately said: "Isn't it hard for Nissin Ramen?"
Chen Ping nodded and said: "Many consortiums have also entered this industry. With their strong capital, the prices are very low, and Nissin Ramen's life is not easy. But after all, it has already earned more than 10 million Hong Kong dollars, so it is also the most promising one." A wave of competitiveness.”
Lin Zhichao knew that the Japanese were very aggressive in doing business. They first lowered prices desperately to bring down their competitors. After gaining market share, they began to increase prices in search of higher profits.
In the previous life, the doll noodles in Hong Kong were competed by Nissin Ramen. It happened to encounter a 'political incident', so the original owner Zhou Wenxuan sold the doll noodles to Nissin.
Hong Kong doll noodles are not for sale in this life, and no one can match Lin Zhichao's wealth.
After Lin Zhichao thought for a while, he asked again: "What do you think of Momofuku Ando?"
Chen Ping also thought about it and said: "Probably he is a Chinese naturalized Japanese. He is quite kind. He also helped us with some help this time. His business ability is also very good. Under his leadership, Nissin Ramen , is still very powerful. In other respects, he knows your strength, boss, and would never dare to come to Hong Kong to engage in a price war, not to mention that our two companies are cooperative. "
At present, the Hong Kong market still only has doll noodles, dominating the entire market.
Lin Zhichao nodded and said, "Well, I understand!"
Chen Ping then left the office and went to do his own business. He also has a very busy day. The doll noodles have factories in Hong Kong and Sing Tao and are sold in both places. The doll noodles also have to litigate in Japan and collect patent transfer fees.
Lin Zhichao will not directly participate in the management of such a small business. At most, he will listen to reports from his subordinates and give some guidance. Of course, Chen Ping is also managed by Yangtze River Industrial Group, and it will also be managed by Yangtze River Industries in the future.
Japan, Itsuki Ramen Company.
"President, this is a letter from a law firm to our company!" A staff member came to the president's office and handed over a letter.
As the founder and president of Itsuki Ramen, Ichiro Matsumoto suddenly felt something bad, so he read the letter immediately after receiving it.
"What? You want 80,000 US dollars in patent transfer fees? Baga, why don't they grab it!"
Itsuki Ramen currently sells only 800,000 bags per month, less than 10 million bags a year; and the price has reached 25 yen per bag, and they only earn 5 yen per bag.
In other words, their annual profit is only a few hundred thousand US dollars, and this patent fee is most of the year's profit.
The clerk asked curiously: "President, is this letter from the law firm entrusted by the Hong Kong company?"
Ichiro Matsumoto nodded and gave the letter to his subordinates to read. At this time, his anger was still lingering.
After reading it, the employee said: "President, there are dozens of instant noodle brands in Japan, each of which charges US$80,000. This doll noodle company has a great idea and can easily obtain a million US dollars in patent fees. Want me He said, let’s just unite and not pay the patent transfer fee.”
Ichiro Matsumoto was not happy about this, but said: "Then our lawsuit will still be lost. The Japanese government cannot favor us for more than one million US dollars. After all, if this matter breaks out, it will lose the face of Japan as a whole. Others enjoy international patents, US and UK patents, and if we don’t pay patent fees, our Japanese ramen products will never be sold in Europe and the United States.”
If a company fails to pay tens of thousands of dollars, it will definitely be embarrassed internationally.
The clerk said again: "Then the president plans to pay?"
Ichiro Matsumoto said: "Don't rush now. Let's see other people's reactions. Maybe we can bargain."
In fact, the patent fee is deliberately set to the highest level because it leaves room for negotiation. According to the standards set by Doll Noodles, the patent transfer fee paid by Wumu Ramen should be US$50,000 to US$60,000.
The matter quickly escalated in the Japanese instant noodle industry. The law firm entrusted by Doll Noodles sent 21 letters, bringing together all large and medium-sized instant noodle companies in Japan. As for the dozens of small instant noodle businesses, they will still have to pay in the future, but currently they are focusing on the big ones and letting go of the small ones; when the small ones grow up, they will have to pay again.
At the same time, the presidents of many instant noodle companies approached Momofuku Ando of Nissin Ramen, hoping that he would mediate and lower the patent fees.
Momofuku Ando was immediately overjoyed. He was not afraid of the difficulty of the task, but of his own lack of influence. He had originally wanted to establish the 'Japanese Ramen Industry Association', but he did not have enough appeal. Now is the time.
So, he agreed to everyone's request and prepared to go to Hong Kong to talk about it in person.
Lin Zhichao took the time to meet with Momofuku Ando. After all, the two parties were in a cooperative relationship, and Lin Zhichao felt that Momofuku Ando had other effects on him.
"Although the 'tonkotsu ramen' proposed by your company has not yet been successfully developed, I have already predicted that it will be a best-selling product like 'chicken soup ramen'." Momofuku Ando was the first to express his goodwill.
The two parties have jointly developed 'Tonkotsu Ramen' and shared technology. It has now entered the experimental stage and is expected to be launched within one or two years.
It takes 2 to 3 years to research a flavor of instant noodles, because it requires a lot of technology to achieve mass production and the 'perfect' taste.
Lin Zhichao said with a smile: "Our two companies have a cooperative relationship and are allies, and doll noodles are restricted in a small area, so I also attach great importance to the cooperation with Nissin Ramen."
Momofuku Ando immediately thought that if the patented technology of doll noodles was not very valuable, I am afraid that Nissin Ramen could "turn its focus on customers" and acquire doll noodles.
Of course, if the person in front of him wants shares, then he won't do it. After all, the other party already owns 49% of the shares.
As for Nissin Ramen coming to Hong Kong to beat Doll Noodles, Momofuku Ando has absolutely no confidence. In terms of taste and quality, Doll Ramen is not inferior to Nissin. If you are comparing price, then you must have chosen the wrong person. This Hong Kong chaebol has great financial resources. Strong, comparable to the Japanese chaebols.
Thinking of this, Momofuku Ando shook off the thoughts in his mind and decided to be the leader of Japanese ramen first, and then develop the market in Europe and the United States in the future to become the world's largest ramen brand.
"Mr. Lin, I am coming to you this time. I am entrusted by many ramen brands in Japan. I hope your patent fees can be lowered. Everyone is willing to pay, but you don't know that the competition in Japanese ramen is fierce, and the price has been reduced by nearly 30%. Profits are already razor thin.”
Lin Zhichao did not directly agree to anything, but asked Chen Ping who was accompanying him: "General Manager Chen, can the patent fee be lowered?"
Chen Ping's expression was solemn, and then he said: "Maybe it can be lowered, but I'm afraid that after the lowering, the Japanese manufacturers will find reasons to shirk it. Then we will have to spend energy and money to continue to protect our rights!"
When Momofuku Ando saw this, he immediately said: "I can mediate and plan to establish the 'Japan Ramen Industry Association', and then everyone will pay you the patent transfer fee."
Chen Ping asked: "What are your expectations?"
Momofuku Ando said: "We hope it will be 50,000 US dollars, and the first batch will be 21 companies; as for new companies in the future, we hope to lower the standard to 20,000 to 30,000 US dollars."
Lin Zhichao said cheerfully at this time: "Okay, after all, we don't want to spend too much energy just to give Mr. An Teng some face."
Momofuku Ando quickly expressed his thanks!
After this matter was settled, everyone relaxed and chatted more easily.
During this period, Lin Zhichao said: "Mr. An Teng, are you interested in cooperating in investing in Japanese stocks?"
Momofuku Ando was stunned, and then said: "Mr. Lin wants to buy Japanese stocks?"
Lin Zhichao nodded and said: "I really want to buy it, but the Japanese stock market is not yet open to foreigners, so it is inconvenient to invest. I remember that Nissin Ramen still has a lot of funds in its account, so why not invest in some stocks. In recent years, Japan Electronics Industrial and shipbuilding industries, just like the light industry in the early to mid-1950s, are advancing by leaps and bounds, and I believe that stocks will definitely rise sharply in the next two to three years."
The Japanese stock market opened to foreigners in the late 1960s. Lin Zhichao was not sure. Foreigners could not enter the Japanese stock market at this time.
Nissin Ramen has never paid dividends. In addition to investing in new factories, it still has more than one million US dollars on its account!
Momofuku Ando was persuaded by Lin Zhichao. He felt that Lin Zhichao's analysis was very reasonable, but he still said cautiously: "If you invest in stocks, it is not impossible, but you can only invest up to 500,000 US dollars. Other funds are mainly needed to develop ramen. Industry, Mr. Lin also knows that there are too many ramen manufacturers in Japan, and whoever can break through the most successfully will definitely need strength."
Half a million dollars is half a million dollars, which is better than leaving it rusting in the account. Because Lin Zhichao was optimistic about the long-term development of Nissin Ramen, he did not ask for dividends, but the accounting was still very strict.
Lin Zhichao said: "Okay, let's discuss the specific stocks to buy later. By the way, since Mr. An Teng is so dedicated to the ramen business, are you interested in opening another 'chain ramen' brand?"
When talking about this, Momofuku Ando became interested and quickly asked: "Is this ramen chain that Lin Sheng mentioned similar to KFC and McDonald's in Western fast food?"
Lin Zhichao nodded and said: "That's right! We all know that eating instant noodles will cause problems such as malnutrition, so I think it would be good to open a ramen chain. The ramen can be seafood. I even thought of a name, so it's called Ajisen Hand-Pulled Noodle."
Momofuku Ando applauded. He originally thought that Lin Zhichao was a business genius. It is of course a good thing to continue the partnership now.
In the end, Momofuku Ando took matters into his own hands, of course in the name of Nissin Ramen.
As for whether Ando Momofuku will comply, that doesn't matter. Lin Zhichao just mentioned a few words casually, which is not worth anything.
Generally speaking, Lin Zhichao still trusts Momofuku Ando and is willing to be friends with him.
Two new collaborations:
One is stock market investment. Originally, Lin Zhichao could not enter the Japanese stock market. By cooperating with the Japanese to enter the stock market, he could get at least half of it. The only pity is that the capital was only 500,000 US dollars. However, no matter how small a mosquito is, it is still meat, and if you make money in the stock market, you can give back to Nissin Ramen, which will help Nissin Ramen's future growth.
One is 'Ajisen Ramen'. If Nissin Ramen can develop a chain brand, the brand value will naturally be higher in the future. It is also beneficial to Nissin Ramen, in which Lin Zhichao holds 49% of the shares.
Lin Zhichao’s idea is that in the future, the doll noodles will be injected into the Cheung Kong Holdings Group for listing. However, the shares of Nissin Ramen were transferred to "Yangtze Holdings Enterprises" as part of the family heritage.
At noon that day, Lin Zhichao invited Momofuku Ando to have dinner together, which was regarded as a formal friendship with this Japanese friend.
As for the reduction of patent fees, it was originally expected by Lin Zhichao and Chen Ping that a patent fee of one million US dollars is already very impressive; not to mention that patent fees can continue to be collected for 20 years in the future.
Even if it's cheaper later, I'm afraid it could still fetch nearly one million US dollars, which would be 2 million US dollars.
That’s it!
Of course, compared to the contribution instant noodles have made to people around the world, a mere two million US dollars is not much. (End of chapter)
