Smuggling is common, and many Hong Kong merchants engaged in maritime transportation have played an important role in the anti-embargo process. They transported "embargo materials" to the mainland to seek their own survival and development path, but it is undeniable that they are also fighting against the US embargo.

The embargo caused a slump in Hong Kong's business, a sharp increase in unemployment, and social unrest, which also caused the Hong Kong and British authorities to adopt a double-faced attitude. At the same time, the Industry and Commerce Department, the Political Department, the Customs Department, and the "Anti-Corruption Department" specializing in checking corruption, were very clear about the situation of exporting embargo materials to the mainland to make profits, and there were also many ways to transfer embargo materials to the mainland.

Therefore, after the Korean War, these agencies often included private exports. Other departments also regarded the embargo as a good opportunity to fill their own bags and make money, so they all rushed to participate in the "anti-smuggling". The Hong Kong Port Authority also accused of trade with the mainland, and prepared two ships from the port to Tianjin, and the export clearance procedures were prepared, one was forged (such as exporting to the Japanese Monji), and the other was true, and went to Chinese ports just in case.

Money can make the devil push the mill, and Meng Youtian can fill most or all of the profits he earned from smuggling, bribery or hand over to Hong Kong Customs and Water Essence. Business can be neither lost nor profitable. Anyway, he has other industries, unlike many people who want to support their families.

However, the Korean War had a serious impact on Hong Kong. Not only did the re-export trade that had just recovered and developed after the war, which had plummeted and plummeted. As the strategic material embargo was also targeting Hong Kong and Macao, many raw materials were lacking and prices soared, Hong Kong's construction, real estate, weaving, transportation, hardware, warehouse, banking, rubber, foreign and other industries suffered a serious blow.

Although I bought the land, Meng Youtian knew that it was not the time for comprehensive development. He already knew the specific plan. Baide New Street would be the commercial shopping area in Causeway Bay in the future. It is more suitable for developers to use office buildings and medium-sized residential buildings. Jardine Mountain is a luxury residential area in the future due to its superior scenery.

Relatively speaking, the embargo order did not have a great impact on Meng Youtian's factory, especially the instant noodle factory, which developed paper barrels and tin foil packaging, thus entering the European and American markets. The difficulties of clothing factories and toy factories are temporary, and it doesn't matter if you make less money. As long as you can persist, Meng Youtian knew that the Hong Kong government would formulate new industrial policies soon, and the Hong Kong economy will then shift from re-export trade to processing trade. The booming processing industry will become the economic pillar of Hong Kong.

Despite this, Meng Youtian's eyes were mainly focused on real estate. Taking advantage of the business depression caused by the embargo, the factory went bankrupt. He used funds to buy several yarn mills and moved his own company over. This had the effect of killing two birds with one stone. First, he had his own fixed place and did not have to pay rent to his own factory. Second, these three factories were in a good location, and when the real estate recovered, he could make a lot of money again.

In the early 1950s, the real estate market in Hong Kong was not active, and it was even more sluggish due to the influence of the Korean War. The land prices were particularly cheap. Meng Youtian took the opportunity to stock up on land, Tsim Sha Tsui, To Kwa Wan, West Ring and other territories were included in the bag, with only a dozen yuan per square foot, and buying a piece of land only costs hundreds of thousands of yuan, which was simply too cheap.

Foreign merchants retreated and Chinese merchants started, which was the main feature of Hong Kong in that era. Because compared with Chinese merchants, foreigners had no confidence in the New China policy and their fear of GCD was even stronger. Whenever there was a stir, they would prepare to evacuate their investment and evacuate their overseas Chinese.

After Meng Youtian bought this land, he instructed Haisha Company to enter the construction industry. After recruiting a group of construction workers, he began to build residential buildings in the West Ring Road. Most of these residential buildings were five floors, and some were six floors, which were considered relatively taller in Hong Kong at that time.

The construction cycle is one or two years. When all these buildings are built, it is almost time for the end of the Korean War. Then there is the full recovery of Hong Kong's economy, and the real estate industry is even more prosperous. Looking back on the economic development history of Hong Kong for nearly half a century, we can see that Hong Kong's economy has taken off and finally become one of the "Four Asian Little Dragons", which actually started with the booming real estate industry.

The preparation was sufficient. First, take a piece of land to make Haisha Company familiar with the construction industry, cultivate and form its own construction team. This was not enough. Meng Youtian hired two lawyers to do legal preparations.

At that time, renting out buildings was the most popular method in the Hong Kong real estate industry. The way to sell buildings was to use a whole building as a unit. Without huge funds, it was difficult to buy it. But even if you had money to buy the whole building, it was very difficult to sell it. Therefore, those engaged in building trading were large companies with strong strength, and private individuals rarely got involved. After a large company owned a building, if it was either sold the whole building, it would use it by itself or rent it to other users. Therefore, real estate companies at that time were usually called real estate companies and were not called developers.

Selling buildings in layers and selling buildings are naturally two major sales tools that Meng Youtian masters, but there are still troubles to realize, mainly because the property rights and responsibilities of the building cannot be solved. At that time, the Hong Kong government did not recognize the building's upper construction, that is, building the first, second floor, fourth or fifth floor, and ignored it. After selling the land to you, it only recognized that you, one owner, and only charged the land price and land tax from you, one owner. If the building was sold in layers, the legal problem could not be solved.

In fact, not only in Hong Kong, but also in many parts of the world, building transactions were used as units. This old business rule was used for many years, and no one thought it was bad, and no one proposed to reform it. But Meng Youtian realized the limitations of this business method, so he wanted to change his course and explore new ways of selling buildings. It was like "cutting moon cakes", cutting the building contract, that is, "dividing the contract", and then selling the buildings in layers. But at that time, there was no precedent for "dividing the contract".

Since others can succeed, there must be a solution. Meng Youtian is quite confident in this. He instructed the two legal counsel to study and consult with his colleagues and come up with solutions as soon as possible.

Professionalism is professionalism. In Meng Youtian's opinion, legal issues that cannot be started, but the legal counsel believes that this law is desirable and does not conflict with the current laws. In a few months, they solved the legal issues of layered sales, and only needed to go through complicated reporting procedures.

Everything is ready, just waiting for the sound of North Korea's cannons to stop, Meng Youtian can show his strength and emerge. It was already 1952. In order to take care of Britain's emotions and to make it more resolutely implement the embargo order, the United States decided to open the market to Hong Kong, which eased the economic downturn in Hong Kong.rs!.
Chapter completed!