Chapter 295: Television Station and TV Manufacturing Plans
After Yang Wendong left, the water station remained orderly. The crowd quietly waited in line. Some left with their water, while more people continued arriving. Over a dozen security personnel patrolled the area to prevent line-cutting or other disturbances.
A young woman carrying a water bucket cautiously approached one of the security guards. "Sir, my family doesn't have enough water. Can I get in line again?"
The guard replied, "Sure, just line up again. We don't limit how many times you line up — as long as everyone follows the rules."
"Thank you!" the woman beamed with gratitude.
The guard added, "But I suggest you take this batch home first and come back. With so many people here, I can't guarantee your safety if you stand in line holding water."
The woman looked around. The pavilion was packed with several hundred people. Holding onto her filled bucket while standing in line again truly didn't seem safe.
"Thank you, sir," she said with understanding.
"No need to thank me. Thank Mr. Yang. It's his water. We're just working for him," the guard replied with a smile.
"I thank you both," she responded cheerfully.
"You're welcome," the guard said. "Changxing Group built this to help everyone get water. But look — more people are coming every day. It's taking longer and longer to get water.
And honestly, we can't guarantee the supply. You should drink what you have now. If it runs out and there's none left tomorrow…"
"Understood," the woman nodded. "Thank you again. I'll head back now."
As she left, another guard approached with a grin. "Brother Kun, you've really mellowed out. You used to be so tough."
"Don't talk nonsense," Brother Kun snapped. The once-fierce guard immediately reverted to his hardened demeanor. "When we were fighting for territory, we needed to be fierce. But now? We're here to keep order and help the poor. This is a blessing. So yeah, I'm polite."
"Yes, yes," the younger guard quickly agreed.
"And don't forget," Brother Kun added, "Head office made it clear: if anyone takes advantage of these people, or tries to pocket anything under the table, they're done. No mercy."
"Got it." The younger guard nodded. "I never thought I'd be part of something like this — doing good."
"Do a little good when you can. Maybe our ancestors are smiling down on us," Brother Kun said. "Now get back to work. It's getting hotter. HQ said we have to offer people water every three hours to prevent heatstroke."
"But some folks just guzzle it, trying to get more," the younger guard said.
"Keep control," Brother Kun instructed. "Give everyone a little. Anyone who complains — toss 'em out. Water's running low. If we don't ration it, people who've waited for hours might get nothing."
Not far away, two young men with cameras were capturing the scene.
"Brother Kun, this footage is gonna be powerful," said one of the young men. "I knew Yang Wendong had been handing out water in the shantytowns, but I didn't expect crowds this large. This line's even longer than the bank run at Liu Chong Hing Bank last year."
Brother Kun nodded calmly. "This is how it is. Disasters always hit the poor the hardest. Water shortages are brutal for people in the squatter areas — or those without stable housing.
Even Hong Kong Island has water cuts now. Shantytowns? No plumbing. They rely on rainwater. Yang Wendong grew up in one — he knew what was coming and prepared. Otherwise, these tens of thousands would be in deep trouble."
"Yeah," the younger man replied. "I heard Yang Wendong even bought massive secondhand oil tankers just to transport water. If this drought doesn't last long, he might actually lose money."
Brother Kun nodded. "That's right. Those tankers are docked now for cleaning and repairs. After we're done here, we're heading to Changxing Shipyard to take a look."
"Great," said the young man. "I'll go interview a few people first. It's rare for Ming Pao to get this kind of exclusive — Oriental Daily's already had plenty of their own headlines."
Brother Kun laughed. "That's because they've done enough self-promotion. Time for someone else to report on the good being done."
"Regardless, this kind of charity deserves wide coverage," the young man replied.
Indeed, not just Ming Pao — other major newspapers in Hong Kong had started reporting on the Changxing water stations. But more than that, they were covering the drought itself. It had become the most pressing issue in society. Too many people, even on Hong Kong Island, were running out of water.
These media reports were especially accurate because most journalists lived on the island themselves — they were experiencing it firsthand.
"Daily water at the squatter areas?" a middle-aged man asked as he read the paper. "I live in North Point, and we often go a whole day without water."
"Same here," someone nearby added. "I heard Changxing Group partnered with the Waterworks Department to build water stations elsewhere too — but outside the squatter areas, you have to pay."
"Pay?" The first man thought for a moment. "That's fine, as long as it's not too expensive."
"No idea what they charge," the second replied. "I heard it's the Waterworks that sets the price. Changxing just built the stations."
"Let's hope it rains soon," the middle-aged man sighed. "This can't go on."
Ming Pao, Ta Kung Pao, the South China Morning Post — major newspapers, in both Chinese and English, were reporting heavily on the drought.
Many citizens were buying more newspapers just to find out where to get water. Aside from Changxing, the government and the Waterworks had set up other distribution points. People living nearby usually knew, but due to frequent outages, they needed the papers to stay informed.
This, ironically, was boosting newspaper sales across the board.
At Changxing Tower:
Qin Zhiye arrived early. When Yang Wendong came in, Qin Zhiye reported, "Mr. Yang Wendong, Oriental Daily's circulation has surpassed 30,000."
Yang Wendong asked, "Because of the drought?"
"Yes. Our paper lists detailed updates on water stations and supply notices. Most people buying Oriental Daily now are doing it just to find out where they can get water," Qin Zhiye confirmed.
"Good. It's mutual benefit then," Yang Wendong nodded. "But even if they're only buying for water info, we can't drop the ball on content. After the drought passes, we want to keep them as loyal readers."
Changxing Shipping had become the main player transporting water from the mainland to Hong Kong. Thanks to good relations with both the government and the Waterworks Department, and its own water stations, the company had access to a wealth of accurate information.
The government needed media outlets to spread the word. Without clear communication, people would scramble for water and chaos would erupt.
That gave Oriental Daily an edge — and its sales soared as a result.
"I understand," Qin Zhiye said. "We've been pushing hard on coverage. We're also pressuring the government to address shortages in overlooked areas."
Yang Wendong nodded. "There's only so much we can do on our own."
Hong Kong may have been just one city, but it had over three million residents. Even though Yang Wendong was now one of the city's top tycoons, he could only help a fraction — mainly his own employees and people in squatter areas.
Everywhere else, the burden fell on the government or the Waterworks Department. Even without him, they would've acted. The difference was that Yang Wendong had foreseen the crisis and made early preparations — securing infrastructure and transport.
But even beyond these efforts, many people were still suffering from water scarcity. Not even the government could help everyone.
"You've already done more than enough," Qin Zhiye said. "The media is speaking very highly of you, even some of the English papers."
"That's my silver lining," Yang Wendong replied with a smile.
Since ancient times, those who relieved famine or drought had always earned the public's respect.
"I've assigned over a hundred reporters," Qin Zhiye continued. "Each with a camera — some even have video equipment. They're documenting the drought in detail. We're preserving history."
"Good," Yang Wendong nodded. "A history book might summarize this in just a few words. But those words represent suffering for tens of thousands.
Let's leave behind as much documentation as we can. When the Hong Kong Museum is built, this needs to be included — to remind future generations about the importance of conserving water."
Suffering shouldn't be romanticized. But it should be remembered. No matter the era, water, food, and energy should never be wasted.
"Understood," Qin Zhiye replied.
Yang Wendong continued, "One more thing. I've applied to the Governor to build a wireless TV station in Hong Kong. Whether he approves or not, I need you to begin researching.
Especially across the globe — identify experienced Chinese professionals in television broadcasting. If we get the license, we need to be ready."
Even if Governor Trench didn't approve it immediately, laying the groundwork now would still prove useful in a year or two. Wireless broadcasting was the inevitable future — unless forced otherwise by administrative fiat.
"A TV station?" Qin Zhiye's eyes lit up. "Wireless stations overseas always have larger audiences than cable ones. And TV is the fastest, most effective way to convey information.
If we control a TV station, we'll control half the media landscape in Hong Kong."
"Exactly. Television is the core of media," Yang Wendong nodded. "But even if I propose it, the government won't hand the license to me directly. We'll have to compete with other financial groups.
I'll handle the funding. But money alone won't win it. We have to be prepared on all fronts."
Television was the heart of the media industry. In Europe and America, this was already obvious — once TV entered a home, who still listened to the radio? Newspapers still mattered, but they were clearly impacted.
Before the Internet, TV stations were the most powerful media tool. In many countries, they were considered assets of national strategic importance.
"I'll start assembling a team and gathering all necessary materials," Qin Zhiye said.
"Good. I'm counting on you," Yang Wendong said. "If we get a TV station, Changxing Media will be able to support the whole group even more effectively."
"Understood," Qin Zhiye replied. Then he paused and added, "There's just one problem — TVs are still too expensive. Most families can't afford them."
"That's true," Yang Wendong nodded.
"Unless we do what we did with radios — start local production. That would significantly reduce the price," Qin Zhiye suggested.
Yang Wendong understood exactly what Qin Zhiye meant and responded, "I've been thinking about that too. But televisions are far more complex than radios. We'll have to see if it's even feasible."
Even a black-and-white TV set had a significantly higher technical barrier than a radio — it wasn't a one-step transition.
"Understood," Qin Zhiye said, then left.
Later that day, Yang Wendong traveled to the Changxing Industrial Park in Kwun Tong.
"Mr. Yang Wendong," both Wang Zhiqun and Wei Zetao were already waiting for him at the entrance to the Glory Electronics lab.
"Let's go in. It's scorching out here," Yang Wendong said with a smile.
Once inside, Wang Zhiqun led everyone to a large table. On it were more than a dozen electric rice cookers, all in operation.
"They're all cooking rice?" Yang Wendong asked with a grin, noticing the steam rising from each cooker.
"Yes," Wang Zhiqun replied. "We borrowed over 400 people from Changxing Industrial. The people never stop, and neither does the equipment. We've been continuously cooking and logging data. After two months, we've finally figured out the correct timing for the materials we're using."
Yang Wendong laughed. "What are you doing with all the cooked rice? Feeding the workers?"
A bit embarrassed, Wang Zhiqun said, "Yes. We can't waste food. It all goes to the brothers working at Changxing Industrial. Though at the start, the rice was often undercooked, so some of the guys had a rough time with it."
"Haha, it's not a big deal," Wei Zetao chimed in with a laugh. "Even if it was undercooked, it was still edible. The rice that was really too raw, we just made into porridge and reboiled it — still good to eat."
Yang Wendong nodded. "So we're ready to launch our own rice cooker?"
This was one of the biggest benefits of having Glory Electronics located inside Changxing Industrial. They had unlimited access to manpower, funding, and supplier relationships. It allowed them to rapidly move through even time-consuming testing phases.
"Yes," Wang Zhiqun confirmed. "The rice we're cooking now is consistently done. As long as you add enough water, it's never undercooked. The only thing is, sometimes it forms a crust at the bottom of the pot."
"That's fine," Yang Wendong replied. "Some people like the crust. As long as it doesn't burn."
In his childhood, Yang Wendong recalled that every rice cooker left a bit of crust. It wasn't until the 2000s that that crust disappeared altogether. For a first-generation product, it didn't need to be perfect — especially since most people were still cooking over wood or gas stoves, which often made even more crust.
"Understood," Wang Zhiqun said. "We'll still need some time before launch. We've got to plan the marketing and stock up inventory. Producing rice cookers is much more difficult than mosquito swatters or kettles — we can't mass-produce on short notice."
"Alright. Handle it however you see fit," Yang Wendong nodded.
He rarely micromanaged minor decisions, especially since Glory Electronics was still small. Managers could decide on their own, then report outcomes afterward. It saved him time.
Wang Zhiqun continued, "As for the microwave project, we haven't made much progress. Its core lies in miniaturizing the magnetron. The R&D team in the U.S. is working on it, but no breakthroughs yet.
And without a working magnetron, we can't design the rest — everything depends on its size."
"Yeah, microwave ovens are high-tech. We were never going to crack that overnight," Yang Wendong said calmly.
How could complex R&D ever go quickly? Many electronics companies took years to bring new technology to market. Yang Wendong's foresight helped avoid dead ends, which already saved time. But in these early stages, their research capabilities were still lacking.
"Exactly," Wang Zhiqun agreed. "We've already sent over 20 people to the U.S. They're helping out with development and learning as much as they can. Eventually, they'll come back and handle simpler R&D in Hong Kong."
"Training talent is crucial," Yang Wendong nodded. People were the soul of a business. Even with the best ideas, without skilled personnel, nothing could be achieved.
Wei Zetao added, "Mr. Yang Wendong, once the magnetron is complete, I can have all supplier samples ready within two weeks."
"Perfect," Yang Wendong laughed. "Now, there's one more thing — let's talk in private."
"There's a meeting room over there," Wang Zhiqun said.
The three of them stepped into a small conference room while the others waited outside.
Yang Wendong began, "Radio prices in Hong Kong have come down, even lower than before Japan raised export tariffs. That's boosted our own radio listenership."
Wang Zhiqun nodded with a smile. "Yes, our locally made transistors are much cheaper than Japan's, and the quality holds up. I think radios will become a major export product for us."
"Mm." Yang Wendong paused before continuing. "But globally, television is becoming the dominant medium. Wealthier families are starting to buy TVs. Here in Hong Kong, we still import them — they're expensive.
So I'm wondering… can we produce televisions ourselves?"
This was the crux of Yang Wendong's private meeting.
TVs were clearly the next big thing, and if they couldn't be made affordably, the market would remain inaccessible to most of Hong Kong's population. That, in turn, would stunt the growth of wireless TV.
Now that he was planning a wireless broadcasting station — potentially Hong Kong's first — television set accessibility had to be addressed.
Wang Zhiqun thought for a moment. "We can't do it right now. Hong Kong doesn't have the full electronics supply chain yet. But in terms of basic assembly, I think it's doable.
The core technology would still need to come from the U.S. or Japan — things like picture tubes and some components. But as long as we import those and handle the rest locally, we could lower the price significantly."
"That's what I was thinking," Yang Wendong nodded. "If we can knock even 20–30% off the retail price, that opens up the market."
"Exactly. And once people start buying, demand will snowball. That would also create a bigger audience for our wireless channel."
"If we can control both the station and the TV sets, we'll dominate the entire pipeline," Yang Wendong added with a glint in his eye.
TV stations were only valuable if people watched them — and people could only watch if they had the hardware.
That's why manufacturing the TVs was just as critical as securing the license.
"I'll start putting together a feasibility report," Wang Zhiqun said. "It'll take time to find the right partners and components."
"Do it," Yang Wendong said. "You've got full authority. Let's prepare early. Wireless TV is the future, and we need to be at the forefront."
For Yang Wendong, the television was more than just a product. It was a strategic asset — one that would shape Hong Kong's information ecosystem for decades to come.
Thank you for the support, friends. If you want to read more chapters in advance, go to my Patreon.
Read 40 Chapters In Advance: patreon.com/johanssen10