Chapter 351: Justice of the Peace
The retail industry forms the foundation for many real-world industrial sectors. Take Walmart in Yang Wendong's previous life—for example, with hundreds of billions of dollars in annual sales, even a slight preference toward one city's suppliers could revitalize its entire local economy.
Now that supermarkets were still in their infancy worldwide, this was the perfect time for Yang Wendong to carve out his place. Still, trying to expand a retail empire globally through self-funded efforts alone was nearly impossible. Even Walmart had struggled beyond U.S. borders, often unable to compete with dominant local giants—just like in Europe's fragmented and heavily localized retail landscape.
That's why investment was the smarter route. By investing in the future titans of retail, Yang Wendong could not only earn massive future returns but perhaps even gain some influence over their procurement strategies.
As for his own Carrefour operations, if they could secure a decent share of the Asian market over the next 20 years, that would already be a success. Once China opened up, breaking into the domestic market would turn Carrefour into a true global retail powerhouse.
After Lin Youtian left, Yang Wendong wrapped up some paperwork and noticed it was still only a bit past 10 a.m. Since there wasn't much going on mid-year, he called his assistant and told them to prepare the convoy to head home—just in time for lunch with the family.
At the Yang family villa, Su Yiyi was surprised to see him. "Dong-ge, what brings you back?"
Yang Wendong grinned. "Business is under control—nothing too urgent."
Changxing Group had long since transitioned into a fully professionalized managerial structure. As the chairman, Yang Wendong focused only on major strategic direction and high-level investments. He rarely got involved in operational details—there were just too many, and honestly, he wasn't an expert in most areas either.
With the fiscal plans and short-term strategies of each business unit already set, mid-year gave him a chance to relax.
"You could've called ahead," Su Yiyi said. "We already finished lunch."
"No worries, I'll just grab something simple," Yang Wendong replied casually.
He had genuinely forgotten to call. The idea only struck him once he was already en route, and it wasn't a big enough deal to make the family wait. It was one of the many small inconveniences in an era without mobile phones—even for a tycoon like himself.
Just then, Bai Yushan came out carrying one of the twins, followed by her younger sister holding the other.
"I'll go reheat the food," Bai Yushan said.
"Mm, okay," Yang Wendong said, watching her take the leftovers out of the fridge and pour them into a pot. "The R&D center at Glory Electronics in the U.S. just developed a device that can reheat food in just a few minutes. I've asked them to send a few units over. We'll test them here at home."
"Reheat in just a few minutes?" Bai Yushan asked curiously. "How fast, exactly?"
"Two to three minutes, depending on the portion," Yang Wendong replied.
After two years and several hundred thousand U.S. dollars invested, the American research lab had finally produced a small-scale microwave oven.
Of course, "small" was relative—smaller than the bulky prototypes they'd started with, but still a fair bit heavier than the models from Yang Wendong's past life.
"Really? That would be so convenient," Bai Yushan said with delight.
Yang Wendong smiled. "That's why it has such market potential. Once this market matures, breaking the $100 million revenue mark will be a breeze."
The appeal of home appliances lay in time-saving, effort-saving, comfort, and even entertainment. A microwave oven checked all those boxes—rapid food heating, no need for pans or stovetops.
While waiting for the food, Yang Wendong went to play with his three children. His oldest, Yang Zhiwen, was already three and building with blocks, while Su Yiyi played alongside him.
The twin babies were far harder to manage—as anyone who has cared for newborn twins can attest.
That's why Bai Yushan had asked her younger sister to help. It wasn't that they couldn't afford a nanny—it was that the babies only wanted their mother. No one else would do, and it was simply too exhausting for one person alone. Infants couldn't even distinguish between the twin mothers.
Even Yang Wendong, their father, often got rejected when he tried to hold them.
"Here, take her—she keeps kicking me," Yang Wendong said as he handed his daughter back to Bai Yujie.
Bai Yujie laughed. "You need to spend more time with them. Babies prefer whoever's around them the most."
"I know," Yang Wendong nodded. "But mothers can stay home because the father is out working to make that possible."
Unless one parent was completely idle, even wealthy families couldn't have both parents home 24/7. It was a division of labor seen across all social classes. In most households, a stay-at-home mom meant a breadwinner dad who was constantly exhausted.
"You're right," Bai Yujie agreed. "But we women can earn money too."
"You're different," Yang Wendong smiled. "You're starting at Chinese University in September, right?"
"Yes," Bai Yujie nodded. "I'll start working then."
"Nice. Being a university lecturer is quite a respected profession," Yang Wendong said. "Which courses will you be teaching in the PE department?"
"Yoga, badminton, table tennis, and running," she replied.
"Yoga? Just for female students?" Yang Wendong asked, surprised.
"Yes," Bai Yujie explained. "CUHK doesn't have women-only colleges anymore, and classes are mixed. But some PE subjects are still gender-specific. Basketball and soccer are for men. Yoga is for women. The others are mixed."
"Makes sense," Yang Wendong nodded.
In early Hong Kong, schools were gender-segregated. Social development had since changed that, but mentalities took longer to evolve.
"By the way," Bai Yujie added, "I heard Changxing Group is one of the university's sponsors?"
"Yes," Yang Wendong confirmed. "Supporting education is part of our philanthropy. But it's also about aligning with our own needs. We provide targeted support to schools and students from underprivileged backgrounds—especially those with a background in the sciences."
Supporting local education meant supporting one's own long-term interests. It was a responsibility every major company had to shoulder. Plus, charitable giving helped with taxes—and public relations.
"That's great. A lot of people can't afford college," Bai Yujie said with a smile.
"Actually, Yujie, I have something to ask of you," Yang Wendong said. "We rely on school-provided lists to identify students who need support. But some of the info is hard to verify. You're in a better position to check. Help us make sure the truly needy are getting help—not just people gaming the system."
Every institution had its loopholes. Even public housing was sometimes claimed by people who could afford better. Schools weren't immune, and Yang Wendong couldn't send his own people to investigate directly.
"I'll keep an eye on it," Bai Yujie agreed after some thought.
"And also, keep an eye out for students with outstanding scientific potential," Yang Wendong added. "Those are the ones we need."
"Will do," Bai Yujie promised with a smile.
"Of course, I'll pay you for your help," Yang Wendong added.
"Haha, that won't be necessary. I'm not exactly short on cash," Bai Yujie said. "But with this water shortage, I may need to come by more often to mooch water off you."
"Fine by me. And you can spend more time with your sister too," Yang Wendong said. Then he asked, "Even your place doesn't have enough water? I thought it was a villa district?"
Bai Yujie shook her head. "Doesn't matter. Water and electricity are shared across the whole area. If the zone runs dry, we all go without—unless you're in a super-rich enclave like yours.
That said, we're still better off than most. We still have a bit of water—just very low pressure. Sometimes it cuts out completely. It's a hassle."
"Having water at all is a blessing. Some people can't even drink," Yang Wendong sighed.
All his efforts to bring water in had helped Hong Kong through the drought—but the fundamental problem remained unsolved. There were still people struggling just to stay hydrated.
Still, it was better than in the original timeline, where water was only released every four days—and sometimes not even that.
Thankfully, it was already summer 1963. Rainfall would pick up across South China in the fall, easing the situation. And historically, once the Dongjiang Water Supply Project came online in 1964, by early 1965, Hong Kong would no longer worry about water shortages.
His efforts since arriving in this timeline had, in this respect, truly benefited Hong Kong and its people.
"You really are a hero, Yang the Benevolent," Bai Yujie joked. "Every newspaper in town is praising you."
She never would have guessed that the boy who used to sneak into her university lectures had now become Hong Kong's most famous tycoon—and had helped millions solve the water crisis. In ancient times, such merit might have earned him a noble title or a regional governorship.
"Haha, no need to brag," Yang Wendong said modestly. "As long as I know I did my part, that's enough."
Indeed, this would go down in history. His actions would be remembered, praised in official records, and cherished in public memory.
And unexpectedly, Watsons had also made a fortune off their bottled water business—a rare coincidence that made the entire venture even more worthwhile.
The next day — Changxing Tower
As soon as Yang Wendong arrived at the office, his assistant approached with a big smile. "Yang
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