Chapter 277: The Worsening Drought
The probability of having twins during pregnancy is typically low — said to be around 1%.
But in truth, this has a lot to do with genetics. People with a history of twins in the family may carry genes that increase the likelihood, and their descendants are far more likely than that average 1% to have twins themselves.
There have even been cases of "twin villages" in his previous life, where entire communities had unusually high twin birth rates.
Given that the Bai family itself had twins — Bai Yushan and her sister — it made perfect sense. Naturally, Yang Wendong was overjoyed.
That afternoon, he took Bai Yushan to a major hospital on Hong Kong Island, and after confirmation, brought her back home directly.
"You should stop working at HSBC for the time being," Yang said gently once they were home. "Once the babies are born, you'll still need time to care for them. We have plenty of nannies, but it's always best for children to be raised by their own mother."
Even as the head of a business empire, Yang himself often chose to reduce time spent on work just to be with his children and family.
Life was finite, after all. It was about priorities. Fortunately, his main role in the company was setting strategic direction, so he didn't have too many time constraints. He wasn't like those workaholic CEOs who gave up everything — even family — in the name of success.
"Mm." Bai Yushan nodded. "Sanders once told me that if I ever needed to take extended leave, my position would be held for me, and I could stay on payroll."
"Let him keep it open then," Yang said after a pause. "In the future, I plan to expand further into finance. I won't ask you to lead it, but having you involved will definitely help."
Finance — often maligned as parasitic to the real economy — didn't produce tangible goods, but it remained a critical pillar of modern civilization and one of the most profitable industries in the world.
For nations, finance had to be carefully regulated, especially in industrial economies, where moving too far from physical production could be disastrous.
But for individuals? Of course you had to play both sides.
In a few years, Hong Kong's financial sector would rapidly expand. The same would happen globally. With a few well-timed plays based on key historical events, Yang's foray into finance might yield more profit than all his industrial ventures combined.
"Sounds good," Bai Yushan smiled. "Sanders probably only said that because of you. Otherwise, why would he?"
Yang nodded. "True. But it's still important to maintain a good relationship with him. Over the next ten years, we'll need HSBC's support if we want to grow faster."
Even now, despite his significant success in Hong Kong, he didn't yet rank internationally. Plus, the 1960s were still uncharted territory for him — too many unknowns. He couldn't influence global markets yet, so his focus had to remain local for the time being.
By the 1970s, once his Hong Kong empire was fully established and China-U.S. relations started to normalize, he could begin moving into overseas markets and partnering with foreign banks.
Until then, relying on HSBC would be crucial. No need to grovel, but the relationship must remain strong.
"Mm," Bai Yushan said. "I don't think Sanders will want to lose a client like you."
"Exactly. Mutual benefit — that's the best kind of partnership," Yang smiled.
The best way to maintain a long-term relationship was always through mutual gain. Changxing Group used HSBC's capital to grow faster, and HSBC profited greatly from interest on Changxing's loans.
"But I can't just sit at home all day," Bai Yushan added. "I'll still need to get out now and then."
"Of course," Yang agreed. "The area around here is beautiful and safe. And if you want to visit Central, Admiralty, or Causeway Bay, go ahead — just take a bodyguard with you."
Their villa was already heavily secured, with guards and trained dogs on-site at all times. Unless it was a small armed force, no one could break in quickly.
And in the worst-case scenario, the villa had a modified panic room that could house up to ten people for a month.
When it came to safety, Yang spared no expense. Money was replaceable. Even if he lost everything today, he knew how to rise again in a few years with the right historical opportunities. But if he lost his life, that was the end.
As for going out, it just had to be the safe parts of the city — Hong Kong's business districts. With bodyguards, there'd be no real danger.
"Alright," Bai Yushan nodded, then said, "Since I'll be off work for a while, I want to spend the time studying — especially postgraduate and PhD-level finance courses from Europe and America."
"That's a great idea. Feel free to buy any books you want," Yang replied. "If you can't attend classes, I can arrange for professors to come to you. I'll hire some overseas economics professors to tutor you right here."
"Really?" Bai Yushan's eyes lit up.
"Of course. Professors love money too," Yang chuckled. "As long as we pay enough, taking a sabbatical to teach in Hong Kong won't be a problem."
Though his wealth wasn't yet comparable to some of the top billionaires in the West or Japan, hiring a few professors was trivial. Especially since Changxing Industrial's products sold well in the West, they held foreign currencies that could be spent abroad — even better, they were tax-deductible.
"Then that would be amazing," Bai Yushan said, genuinely excited.
"Good. That's settled. Now focus on the pregnancy," Yang said with a gentle smile.
"Okay~" she replied.
With two new members about to join the family, Yang suddenly felt even more driven to expand his empire.
He'd have many children in the future, and he wanted to give each one a strong foundation — in both wealth and influence.
That meant diversifying his businesses was more important than ever. With multiple children, some would inevitably be more capable than others. The capable ones could oversee specific divisions, and the rest could live comfortably under professional management.
Multiple ventures also helped spread risk — especially in a few decades when the global tech revolution would disrupt nearly every traditional industry.
May 16
After nearly two weeks away from work, Yang returned to Changxing Tower.
"Good morning, Mr. Yang," greeted Zheng Yuhua from Changxing Shipping. She had arrived early.
"Take a seat," Yang nodded, then asked, "The government asked us to increase water shipments again?"
Although he'd been away from Hong Kong for half a month, his assistants had kept him in the loop on major developments.
And nothing major had happened internally — he'd pre-coordinated everything with department heads before leaving. It was external events that had grown worse: the drought was intensifying.
"Yes," Zheng confirmed. "It hasn't rained here in a long time. The same goes for a large area to the north. The mainland's water supply to Hong Kong is starting to fall short.
Many parts of the city are suffering from severe water shortages. The only solution now is to send large cargo ships further north to bring water from deeper inland."
"Is there a shortage for regular citizens yet?" Yang asked.
The Dongjiang Water Project didn't formally begin delivering water to Hong Kong until 1965. But as early as the 1950s, Guangdong Province had been cooperating with Hong Kong — supplying water from nearby dams and lakes via pipelines.
The volume, however, was limited. During normal seasons, it was just barely enough.
Zheng replied, "There's no official word yet, so I don't think households are badly affected. But industrial and construction sectors are already taking a hit — many factories and work sites have started intermittent shutdowns."
"Wait a moment, let me call Qin Zhiye over," Yang Wendong said as he waved a hand and made a quick phone call.
Within a few minutes, Qin Zhiye arrived. He was already in the Changxing Tower since his office was located there as well. With Yang having just returned to Hong Kong, most of the senior executives of the Changxing Group had gathered at the headquarters.
"Mr. Yang, Sister Zheng," Qin greeted them as he walked in.
"Sit," Yang gestured, handing him a bottle of soda. "Tell me — how bad is the water shortage in Hong Kong now?"
Qin Zhiye was in charge of the newspaper and media division, which served not only as the company's voice but also as its main channel for gathering information.
In this era without the internet, anything happening even a kilometer away might go unnoticed unless someone told you. They relied entirely on a network of reporters spread throughout the city, collecting news daily from every corner.
"It's getting worse," Qin said. "Northern water supply is steadily declining, and with no rain for weeks, I've heard even the power plants are being told to limit their water usage."
"Power plants?" Yang frowned. "If electricity becomes affected, that's going to hit the economy and the general population hard."
Power generation required enormous amounts of fresh water. In his previous life, both thermal and nuclear plants in China were built near major water sources.
First, because the core principle of modern energy was still about generating steam — boiling water to turn turbines. And second, because the equipment and boilers needed constant cooling with clean water.
While some of that water could be reused, losses were significant.
"At the moment," Qin continued, "it's just that they've started conserving water — it hasn't reached the point where society is directly affected.
But if it keeps up, and especially with summer coming and demand for power rising, it could get serious."
"So residential water use is still normal?" Yang asked again.
Qin nodded. "In most wealthier districts, it's still being managed. There's some rationing, with water supplied intermittently, but it's not too disruptive.
But according to our reporters, the situation on the Kowloon Peninsula is already worse — residents there are struggling to get clean water."
Yang sighed. "That's to be expected. When I used to live in the squatter areas, even finding clean water was a daily challenge."
In any disaster, the poorest always suffer the most.
Qin added, "Oriental Daily has already begun reporting on those areas, but so far, there's no good solution in sight."
"Our capabilities are limited," Yang said. "Keep spreading awareness. And reach out to Jin Yong — maybe he can lend his voice too. He's far more influential with the general public than we are."
While Yang's name carried weight among Hong Kong's elite, it was Jin Yong — the famous novelist and journalist — who had the trust and attention of the average citizen.
"Understood," Qin said with a nod.
Yang turned to Zheng Yuhua. "How many ships can we deploy for this?"
"Of the thirty-two ships we currently own," she replied, "fifteen are allocated to Changxing Industrial's luggage business. The other seventeen have already been dispatched to the mainland to fetch water."
"Alright. Let's keep it that way for now," Yang said. "The ones transporting luggage will also be bringing back grain from Europe and the U.S."
Although Hong Kong's water crisis was worsening, it hadn't yet reached its peak. And even if it did become extreme, it would more likely result in massive inconvenience rather than people dying of thirst. The colonial government, apathetic as it could be, wouldn't dare let it reach that point.
Meanwhile, grain shortages on the mainland were just as urgent. It was a delicate balance.
The only real solution in Yang's eyes was to buy more ships. After all, when the drought ended and the global shipping industry boomed — which he expected it to do in a few years during the Middle East crisis — these old ships could be resold or repurposed for a tidy profit.
Even if they weren't needed long-term, the short-term use would pay off.
"There are currently eight old ships we're negotiating for," Zheng reported. "Sellers from all over the world — prices are still under discussion."
"Good. As long as the price is fair, go ahead with it," Yang instructed. "And keep scouting for more. I have a feeling this drought in Hong Kong is only going to get worse."
Now that Yang had wealth, he began to care more about reputation — a trait he shared with many tycoons in Hong Kong and around the world.
One of the motivations behind building the museum was this.
And now, if he could help mitigate a citywide drought — even just symbolically — it would boost his public image tremendously.
Not to mention, as a Chinese man living in this era, he felt a duty to help his fellow countrymen however he could.
And from a practical angle — buying all these ships wasn't just about the present. He was preparing for the oil crisis to come. If there weren't water transport needs now, those ships might sit idle. So even if water shipments weren't profitable — or even lost money — they still served a strategic purpose.
"Understood," Zheng said. "If we continue acquiring ships, I'll widen our search. But Mr. Yang, that will increase financial pressure. You'll need to consider funding."
"Funding won't be a problem," Yang said with a smile. "In a few days, I plan to visit the Governor again. We're solving a major problem for the city — the government ought to help us out a little."
After all, it was the colonial government's duty to ensure its residents had access to food and water. If Britain really wanted Hong Kong to be the "Pearl of the Orient," then it had to take responsibility.
Zheng smiled. "If the government supports us, we can get good loans from HSBC or Standard Chartered. Then ship acquisition won't be a problem."
Many shipowners were optimistic about the future of shipping. But even those eager to expand were often held back by funding constraints.
Banks, of course, didn't care how rosy your industry outlook was. They only cared about risk control.
"Get everything ready," Yang told her, then turned to Qin. "Old Qin, we can't help everyone, but I want you to assign someone to investigate the conditions in some of the squatter settlements. I want to help those people directly."
Facing a natural disaster of this scale, even if Yang's net worth increased tenfold, he couldn't save all of Hong Kong's millions.
Only a full-scale government operation, backed by sufficient funding, could do that — and even then, it would only offer temporary relief. True resolution would only come when Dongjiang River water was officially piped into the city.
Still, he could help some people. And the squatter area residents — who lived in the toughest conditions — were his first priority.
These people were already struggling to survive, spending nearly every waking hour working just to afford basic necessities. Now that even water was out of reach, the situation could turn deadly.
As for those living elsewhere, well, they could still get by — even if it meant paying more for bottled water. It wouldn't kill them. They'd just have to endure.
"Understood," Qin said seriously.
He knew full well that this wasn't for publicity. Yang truly wanted to help — not just because he'd once lived in those same squatter areas, but because he knew, deep down, that power meant responsibility.
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