Chapter 67

Li Xuan saw Lu Qintian out of the office, shook hands, and said goodbye. Before he could turn around, Lin Yuhao, who had been waiting impatiently, walked over and asked, “Is everything settled?”

“Everything is settled. I just need to go in and get a jacket, and we can leave!” Li Xuan nodded and said.

The new executive president of the company, Han Peng, had not yet officially started work, so Li Xuan could not relax these few days. After getting dressed, Li Xuan greeted his assistant, Cao Jingya, and then went downstairs with Lin Yuhao.

The current Ansheng Building was much busier than when Dongfang Electronics first moved in. Dongfang Electronics had signed a new lease with the building's developer, securing all the floors from the fifth to the eleventh. The fifth floor was used for administrative offices and technical research, while the floors above were used for the arcade factory and the yet-to-be-established motherboard factory.

“Boss, didn’t I already transfer the money to the new company’s account? You should at least buy a car!” Li Xuan complained as they walked to the Fo Tan station.

“You don’t know the value of money. Our company’s actual paid-in capital is only one million. We pay Jin Ge six thousand a month, and we still need to rent office space and hire staff. I calculated that we need at least one accountant, one cashier, and two saleswomen, which will cost us nearly ten thousand a year. If we buy a car, how much money will be left for actual business?” Lin Yuhao replied unhappily.

The company they were talking about was not Dongfang Electronics, but Fei Hong Real Estate Co., Ltd., which had just completed registration at the General Registry. The new company had a registered capital of one million Hong Kong dollars, all contributed by Li Xuan, who held 60% of the shares, while Lin Yuhao held 40%. The company was named Fei Hong, symbolizing the lofty aspirations of a sparrow.

“Sigh, the money doesn’t have to be paid all at once. We can pay monthly, right?” Li Xuan shook his head helplessly.

“That’s not necessary. You don’t manage the company. Right now, it’s just Jin Ge and me. We usually take the bus, and we can always take a taxi when needed. Why do we need to buy a car?” Lin Yuhao countered.

They had just bought their tickets and walked onto the platform when a train pulled in and stopped. They could board immediately without any delay. The East Rail Line runs from Hung Hom to Lo Wu, renovated from the Hong Kong section of the Kowloon-Canton Railway. From Fo Tan station, it takes about an hour to reach Lo Wu, passing through five or six stations.

Exiting the Hong Kong immigration checkpoint, they could see the steel-roofed Lo Wu Bridge nearby. Li Xuan and Lin Yuhao walked across the bridge, officially entering the motherland and the Shenzhen Special Economic Zone. The first thing they saw was a huge sign that read, “Long live the great unity of the peoples of the world!”

The customs inspection on the mainland side was more detailed than the exit from Hong Kong. The foreigners in front of Li Xuan had to register their cameras and other valuable items. The China Travel Service in Hong Kong provided a half-day tour of the special zone for foreign tourists, requiring only a filled application form, no special visa needed.

When Li Xuan and Lin Yuhao cleared customs, Zhang Wencor, whom Lin Yuhao had mentioned, was already waiting for them. He was the engineer Li Xuan had met at the Lin family dinner, standing next to Cai Yongmin. Zhang Wencor studied architecture and graduated from a prestigious university on the mainland with a degree in civil engineering. After coming to Hong Kong, he joined Lin's real estate company as a construction engineer.

In terms of skills and ability, Zhang Wencor was no less capable than local engineers who had studied abroad, but Hong Kong did not recognize mainland degrees. For the same work, his待遇 was much lower than that of local Hong Kong engineers.

So Li Xuan decisively instructed Lin Yuhao to poach him, offering a high salary of five thousand a month and a heartfelt appeal. Finally, Zhang Wencor decided to resign from Lin's real estate company and join the empty shell of Fei Hong.

Li Xuan only remembered that in the early years of the Shenzhen Special Economic Zone, property sales in Hong Kong were very popular, but the specific details needed to be collected and analyzed by Lin Yuhao and Zhang Wencor.

“Xuan Shao, Lin Shao, over here!” Zhang Wencor waved and called out from a distance.

When the two approached, Zhang Wencor had already called for three bicycles. He smiled at Li Xuan and said, “You two have probably never ridden a bicycle taxi in Hong Kong. This is unique to the special zone, and today you can experience it!”

In 1980, Shenzhen was very backward and desolate, far from the bustling metropolis it would become thirty years later. The bicycle taxis were local farmers who had attached a small wooden board to the back of a men's heavy-duty bicycle to serve as a seat, transporting passengers from the Lo Wu checkpoint to Bao'an Town for a fee of fifty cents per ride.

Zhang Wencor reported their destination to the cyclist and then turned to the two, saying, “We’ll go directly to the city planning bureau in Shangbu. Director Cai and the others are already there!”

The road from the Lo Wu checkpoint was all dirt, and the bicycle tires occasionally hit small stones, causing some bumps. The wooden board on the back of the bike provided a relatively comfortable seat for the passengers, a small but thoughtful service.

After about ten minutes, they arrived at their destination. The planning bureau was squeezed into a newly built residential building by the roadside, and the people inside had already come out to greet them.

Deputy Director Cai Yongmin of the housing bureau warmly shook Li Xuan's hand and introduced the others, “Xuan Shao, welcome to the special zone! Let me introduce you. This is Director Liu Yuanfei of the city planning bureau, this is Director Fu Yaonan of our housing bureau, and this is Comrade Shen Chao from the design department of the city planning bureau!”

After Li Xuan shook hands with everyone, they all went inside. The special zone was just established, and conditions were still very tough. The offices of various units were scattered. Director Liu Yuanfei, the head of the planning bureau, only had a small room that served as a bedroom, office, and meeting room.

Director Liu brought out several clean enamel cups and poured tea for everyone. He was not tall, somewhat thin, and smiled as he said, “Our conditions in the special zone are not as good as in Hong Kong, and I apologize for the poor reception.”

“The current Shenzhen is very backward, but it doesn’t mean it will still be backward thirty years from now. As long as it develops, it will become more prosperous! Hong Kong is now known as the Pearl of the Orient, but it was just a small fishing village in the past!” Li Xuan said with a smile.

His words made the people in the special zone feel as if they had been given honey. To others, it seemed like he was flattering the special zone, but only Li Xuan knew that he was just expressing his feelings.

“Xuan Shao’s words are very inspiring. If all Hong Kong compatriots could understand and support the special zone’s reform and opening-up like you, there would be no worry about Shenzhen’s transformation!” Director Fu Yaonan of the housing bureau clapped and praised.

“The Shenzhen Special Economic Zone is just starting, and conditions are not yet up to par, but this is also an opportunity! We welcome all investors with open arms and high praise,” Liu Yuanfei said with a dignified tone. “We sincerely welcome investment, but we will not beg. The opportunity is there; it’s up to you to have the vision and courage to seize it!”