Chapter 381: Ordering a Private Luxury Yacht
January 19, 1964 — Yang Wendong traveled to Europe accompanied by Bai Yujie, several assistants, and a group of bodyguards. Their first stop: Venice.
Known as the "City of Water," Venice had appeared countless times in Yang Wendong's childhood textbooks back in his past life. Even then, he had dreamed of seeing it for himself.
After arriving on the outskirts of Venice by car, the group made their way into the city on foot. Like most European cities, Venice wasn't particularly large—only a few kilometers across—making it perfect for exploring by walking.
"It's so beautiful," Bai Yujie said, cradling a camera in her hands and snapping photos. "There are so many pigeons!"
"Be careful," Yang Wendong warned. "Pigeons can poop on you."
He quickly asked someone to go buy several hats for the group.
This, he explained, was one of the reasons Europeans loved wearing hats.
In the following days, the group visited Venice, Florence, and Rome, spending a day in each city, before finally arriving in Paris, France.
European cities in this era had better security and hygiene than they would decades later. As long as the group stayed in upscale areas, they didn't encounter any problems.
January 26 — In Paris, Pierre, the deputy head of sales from Chantiers de l'Atlantique, personally came to meet Yang Wendong.
"Mr. Yang, it's a pleasure," Pierre greeted him in fluent English.
Knowing English was essential for international business. For European nations, whose languages were somewhat similar to English, learning the language wasn't too difficult—especially given its simple grammar.
"Hello, Mr. Pierre," Yang Wendong replied politely.
Half a year earlier, Yang Wendong had authorized one of Changxing Shipping's marine engineers to investigate luxury yacht shipyards around the world. Europe quickly emerged as the top candidate.
While Japan had already become the world's largest shipbuilder by volume, that dominance only applied to cargo ships.
Luxury cruise ships and private yachts were still dominated by European manufacturers—even decades later. These vessels were considered the "jewels" of the shipbuilding industry. Even by the 2020s, mainland China still struggled in this niche.
Pierre said, "Our CEO heard that you've arrived in France, so I've been instructed to personally escort you to our yard at Chantiers de l'Atlantique. You'll also have a chance to inspect one of our luxury yachts currently under construction."
"I've been very interested in Chantiers de l'Atlantique for some time," Yang Wendong said with a smile.
The shipyard was France's largest, and one of the biggest in Europe. It built everything from naval warships and oil tankers to cargo ships and fishing vessels.
After reviewing the materials from different companies, Yang Wendong had selected this shipyard as one of his top candidates.
France wasn't a big country, which was also why they held the Tour de France—cycling across the entire country didn't take very long.
A few hours later, the group arrived in Saint-Nazaire, in the Loire-Atlantique region, where the massive shipyard was located on the Atlantic coast.
From a distance, it looked like a forest of steel rising into the sky—a truly breathtaking sight, far more imposing than any light industrial factory in Hong Kong.
"Mr. Pierre," Yang Wendong said, "your shipyard is even bigger than the Japanese ones I've seen."
"Those Japanese?" Pierre scoffed, clearly dismissive. "They only build low-end ships. In terms of technology and quality, they're far inferior to us in France—or any other European country for that matter. They even use many of our patented technologies.
Mr. Yang, I know you also operate a shipping company in Hong Kong. I highly recommend our vessels. In every way, they're superior to what Japan can offer."
"Your technology is definitely better," Yang Wendong replied with a chuckle. "But your prices are still too high—unless I'm operating within Europe."
Ships built in Europe cost 50–100% more than their Japanese counterparts. From a business perspective, you'd be crazy to order from Europe unless local laws or incentives justified the premium.
European shipbuilders still had clients mainly because of protectionist policies. If you wanted to operate in Europe or register a shipping company there, regulations often required you to buy European ships or offered subsidies for doing so.
These same Western countries that preached "free trade" were quick to block access or raise tariffs the moment they lost their competitive edge.
Pierre paused and said, "Operating rights within Europe are complicated. But I may be able to introduce you to a leasing company."
"Let's talk more about that later," Yang Wendong replied with a grin.
He wasn't planning to enter the European shipping market just yet—but leaving the door open never hurt.
"Very well," Pierre said. "Soon, you'll be able to see one of our latest luxury yachts nearing completion. Just give us a little time."
About ten minutes later, the group arrived at the shipyard. Several senior managers greeted them at the gate.
Pierre introduced everyone. The highest-ranking official there was the General Manager of Sales.
This made sense. A single yacht order was a huge deal—especially when the client was an influential Asian shipowner like Yang Wendong. The shipyard was clearly hoping for a long-term business relationship.
After a short half-hour session in the conference room, during which Pierre went on about the company's proud history and technical achievements, they were taken to a smaller dock where a gleaming white private yacht awaited them.
"Mr. Yang," Pierre said, gesturing to the vessel, "this is the Robin, a custom-built private yacht for a Dutch industrialist. It's due to be completed and delivered in two months."
"How long is it? Give me the specs," Yang Wendong asked.
Pierre explained, "This yacht is 41.6 meters long, 11.3 meters wide, and displaces 3,150 tons. Inside, it features six master bedrooms, nine bathrooms, a cinema, gym, two kitchens, and a full conference room."
Yang Wendong and Bai Yujie listened carefully, then Yang Wendong asked, "What about radar capabilities?"
Pierre replied, "The radar system was imported from Germany. I can't disclose the company name, but it's the best civilian radar available.
It can detect any vessels within several dozen kilometers, especially in deep-sea conditions. As long as the other vessel isn't tiny, it will be detected—even at night or in heavy fog."
"Can it detect weather systems from afar?" Yang Wendong continued.
On the open sea, safety was paramount. The two biggest threats were other ships and extreme weather.
"Large-scale weather patterns within a few hundred nautical miles can be picked up," Pierre replied. "But for less severe weather, radar alone may not be sufficient.
That's why we recommend combining radar with data from land-based weather stations via radio. Together, they provide a very reliable system. As long as you don't sail into the eye of a storm, our yachts are built to endure rough conditions."
"Alright. I'll look into that a bit more." Yang Wendong nodded. "Now, how much does this yacht cost?"
Pierre smiled. "Mr. Yang, the base hull of this yacht is $850,000. The interior—furnishings, design, special features—are additional. The one you're looking at now costs $2.06 million."
"Two-point-zero-six million?" Yang Wendong raised his eyebrows. "That's more than some 20,000-ton cargo ships."
Pierre laughed. "Yes, but you're not just buying displacement. You're paying for compact luxury and safety. Unlike cargo ships, which are mass-produced using standard components, yachts like this are customized from top to bottom—every inch."
Yang Wendong understood that and didn't press further. "Can we go aboard for a look?"
"Of course," Pierre said. "Just keep in mind that the interior isn't fully finished. Only about half is complete."
"Half is good enough." Yang Wendong nodded.
The group boarded the vessel. As they explored, Pierre explained the details:
"Mr. Yang, the flooring is made from teak grown in the Alps. It's highly resistant to saltwater and pest-free. The sofas use high-end aviation seats, upholstered with African crocodile leather.
Our appliances are all from top global brands. For example, these speakers? Sennheiser—imported from Germany."
Yang Wendong listened carefully. The interior was indeed luxurious—on par with the most extravagant yachts he'd seen online in his past life. The only difference was the lack of futuristic technology.
"What do you think?" he asked Bai Yujie.
"It's amazing," she said. "But isn't $2 million a bit… much?"
"Don't worry about that," Yang Wendong replied with a smile.
He had made so much money—he deserved to enjoy some of it. There would always be more investment opportunities, even well into the 21st century. He wasn't going to spend his entire life chasing profits without ever relaxing.
Besides, this purchase might even allow for some tax write-offs in France. Some Changxing products were already sold in the French market.
Pierre stood nearby, quietly waiting.
After a while, Yang Wendong asked, "Mr. Pierre, what if I want to custom-build an even larger yacht?"
"Larger?" Pierre looked surprised. "How large are we talking?"
Yang Wendong thought for a moment. "Around 50 to 60 meters in length. All other dimensions scaled proportionally."
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