Chapter 283: Business and Charity Hand in Hand
"It really does seem possible," Lin Haoyu said thoughtfully. "Dong-ge, your company alone has already hired close to ten thousand people from the squatter areas. Plus, with the rapid growth of Hong Kong's industry and the constant demand from the real estate sector, there are jobs everywhere."
Changxing Industrial now had over 15,000 direct employees. Including those working at affiliated suppliers, the total workforce likely exceeded 30,000. Among them, nearly ten thousand had been intentionally recruited from the squatter population.
Yang Wendong smiled. "You're really paying attention to this? It's true — the number of people living in squatter settlements is gradually decreasing. Hopefully one day they'll disappear completely."
Even without Yang's efforts, by the 1970s, most squatter communities would vanish. The fundamental reason was economic growth. As more jobs were created and urban expansion continued, the younger generation in squatter areas slowly moved out and integrated into the mainstream cityscape.
Of course, many of them still led difficult lives. But overall, thanks to economic progress, their standard of living was better than before.
In Yang's past life, there were still reports of people living in Hong Kong's infamous "cage homes." But even those, for all their notoriety, had electricity, electric fans, and basic mosquito-proofing — a far cry from the squalor of the squatter settlements.
"I've paid attention," Lin said. "Our rat control company used to hire mostly from squatter areas. I talked to those folks often.
Now we've got a new issue — there's a surge in refugees, and their situation is even worse than what we went through in the squatter areas."
"I know," Yang nodded. "I've already sent food and water over a few times. But beyond that, there's not much I can do. We'll have the Changxing Charity Foundation organize regular food deliveries in the future."
In charity work, resources were always limited. That's why Yang's first principle was to protect basic survival needs. Once those were addressed, then he could think about education, healthcare, or environmental concerns.
"Understood," Lin replied.
Yang added, "Alright, head back. Tell the supervisors at the water stations to be extra careful. Make sure nobody collapses from heatstroke — the sites are far from hospitals. One accident could be fatal."
"We've already started broadcasting messages through loudspeakers," Lin said. "Telling people to bring fans when they queue."
"Good," Yang nodded, then got into the car and headed back to the city.
The Hong Kong drought would continue for over another year — only starting to ease in 1964. It wouldn't be fully resolved until 1965, when water from the Dongjiang River was finally piped in.
Yang would continue to invest time and effort into these efforts, but not at the expense of all else. Once the system was set up, he could leave execution to his team and focus on other priorities, stepping in only when necessary.
After all, while a drought was a natural disaster, the suffering of ordinary people was an economic issue. True relief would come only when the economy improved. Without that, neither government nor private efforts could solve anything permanently.
Back at Changxing Tower, Yang summoned Zheng Zhijie, head of the real estate division.
"Old Zheng," Yang said as they sat down. "You've heard about the water storage project, right?"
Zheng smiled. "Of course. It's all over the news — hard not to notice."
The drought had become a massive issue across Hong Kong. Even on the relatively affluent Hong Kong Island, people were experiencing frequent water cuts and low pressure.
Of course, the wealthy were fine. Many had begun installing large water tanks or using their swimming pools to store water. But they were the minority.
Amid all this, Yang's actions had shot him into the spotlight. From buying cargo ships to building water stations across Kowloon, he had clearly stepped up as a key figure in tackling the crisis.
And it wasn't just his own media coverage. Other outlets, and even the Water Supplies Department, had issued public statements promising rapid progress on pipeline installation.
"This has blown up more than I expected," Yang admitted with a chuckle.
He'd only planned to apply pressure on the Water Department to get things moving. He hadn't anticipated such extensive media coverage. Then again, "drought" and "water supply" were naturally hot topics.
"You deserve the praise," Zheng said. "You've earned every word."
"Fame's a burden, too," Yang said. "I originally just wanted to build a few stations near the squatter zones. But now that there's momentum, I'm thinking about scaling up."
"You mean expanding to other districts?" Zheng asked.
"Yes," Yang nodded. "I plan to build stations near several towns in Kowloon, and in a few areas on Hong Kong Island too."
During peak water shortages, nearly every district was affected — not just the squatter areas.
"That's a big expansion," Zheng said. "Even if the government agrees, it'll be costly. And water supply will become an issue. Ten stations is manageable with our current fleet, but dozens? Or a hundred?"
"Don't worry," Yang said. "Zheng Yuhua's team is negotiating to buy several large, very old oil tankers — around 50,000 tons each. Just a few of them can handle the same load as our current twenty vessels."
"Second-hand oil tankers? But won't those be hard to convert for oil shipping after the drought ends?" Zheng asked, concerned.
Yang smiled. "Of course. That's why we're buying them at near scrap prices. I'm not planning to use them for oil later — they'll be used strictly for water, then scrapped.
We won't make much, but we won't lose money either. There's still a small profit margin in water transport."
"That's reasonable," Zheng nodded. "But even so, the cost of the water itself will be massive."
"For the squatter areas, I'll supply it for free," Yang said. "But in the more developed towns and on Hong Kong Island, we'll charge for it."
"Wait — charge?" Zheng raised a brow. "Mr. Yang, water supply is a government monopoly. We don't have the right to charge."
"I know," Yang said calmly. "That's why I'll partner with the Water Supplies Department. They'll collect payment. I'll just earn a property fee — and that income will go directly into the Changxing Charity Foundation. I won't keep a single cent.
This way, the entire project remains charitable. The revenue will fund additional water deliveries. Otherwise, I'd be running at a loss — and that's unsustainable."
This was the highest level of charity — not blind giving, but designing a system that could sustain itself.
The people in towns and on the Island had money. Paying for water wasn't a burden. And if their payments helped supply water to those who truly couldn't afford it — that was a worthy system.
It was like the low-interest student loans Yang had seen back in his previous life. You help students attend university, then let them repay once they're earning. The funds keep circulating and helping new students.
Zheng nodded. "You'll need to work closely with the Water Department — or get the Governor's approval."
"No need to bother the Governor over this," Yang said, waving it off. "The foundation is still new and doesn't have much experience. You'll oversee this project. Any land we buy will be under your real estate division."
The Governor held a high office. Even though he and Yang had a good relationship, it wasn't appropriate to go to him over every detail.
Tasks that could be handled through normal administrative procedures or government applications should follow standard protocol.
"Understood," Zheng said.
Yang added, "The land acquisition is just a bonus. The core goal is solving the water shortage."
"Got it," Zheng replied. "And these lots will be zoned for industrial use — they won't be very profitable."
Yang chuckled. "That's fine."
Industrial lots required a conversion fee to be repurposed for commercial use, which put many people off.
But the real value was in securing the land early. Once it was yours, you had options — including converting it during a real estate downturn or upturn, when the profit potential would be much greater.
That said, Yang's focus remained on water relief. Making money came naturally to him — there were plenty of ways to profit.
Lin Haoyu, nearby, asked, "Dong-ge, if we leave the pricing to the Water Department, why are we even doing this? Won't they eventually supply water to those towns themselves?"
"You're missing the point," Yang shook his head. "Governments care about the people, sure. But sometimes, other things matter more — like the economy."
"The economy matters more than people's lives?" Lin asked, confused.
"I'm not saying they're mutually exclusive," Yang replied. "If it's a life-or-death situation, then of course, human life is more important.
But if the government is choosing between a partial hit to the economy or letting a small group suffer manageable hardship, what do you think they'll choose?"
Lin fell silent.
Zheng answered, "They'll protect the economy. As long as no one dies, people can scrape by with minimal water. When the crisis ends, they'll forget. But a damaged economy causes lasting effects — job losses, revenue drops. It's better to let a few go thirsty than to risk systemic collapse."
"Exactly," Yang nodded. "And Zheng was being kind — he didn't even mention political metrics."
Zheng added, "A government official is judged by economic growth during their term. No one remembers how well they handled a drought."
"I see," Lin said, nodding slowly. "I hadn't thought of it that way."
Yang continued, "The government has its logic. It's not wrong — if water shortages cut into electricity or industrial output, the damage multiplies.
So I won't interfere. I'll handle our side. Since I don't have the right to sell water, I'll partner with the Water Department.
Our focus will be residential water. If we have spare capacity, we can assist the government with transport — but our core mission is to serve the people."
"Understood," both men said.
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