Chapter 35 – Company Registration
"Five thousand?" Yang Wendong replied calmly, keeping his expression neutral. "That's far from enough."
The average monthly wage in Hong Kong at this time was around 80 dollars. In one year, that came out to roughly 1,000 dollars.
So five thousand dollars was equivalent to about five years of a worker's salary.
But exterminating rats across Kowloon Wharf, one of the largest logistics hubs in all of Hong Kong? That was like asking someone to clean up the Port of Shanghai with the budget for a public bathroom.
Absolutely unrealistic.
Wang Zhixian smiled. "Of course, it's not enough on its own. That amount is just the bonus—your reward if the job is done well and thoroughly.
"All the actual operating costs—equipment, supplies, labor—those are covered separately by us. As long as your material and labor expenses are reasonable, we'll approve them."
"I see," Yang said, nodding. "Then I'll need time to consider this properly."
Five thousand dollars was no small sum. In this era, that kind of money could buy a small home in a more remote part of the city.
And if he ever wanted to pivot into manufacturing or trade in the future, he'd need capital—serious capital.
"Alright," Wang said. "I'll wait for your good news."
That night, once the core team gathered—Zhao Liming, Lin Haoyu, and Su Yiyi—Yang shared what had happened earlier in the day.
"Kowloon Wharf?" Su Yiyi's eyes widened. "That place is enormous…"
Zhao Liming and Lin Haoyu wore similar expressions. They were all stunned.
Yang nodded. "That's right. We're talking about Kowloon Wharf, one of the biggest dockyards in the city."
Anyone familiar with modern Hong Kong would know Harbour City, one of the largest shopping complexes in the city, located in Tsim Sha Tsui.
That mall is part of the Wharf Group, controlled by one of Hong Kong's most powerful families.
But few know that in the 1950s, the same land was part of the three main commercial wharves in the city.
Before containerized shipping, wharves weren't just important—they were the lifeblood of a city. One dock could sustain thousands of jobs and feed entire communities.
In fact, most warehouses in Hong Kong only existed because of the wharf system. Even Yang's current pest control contracts were indirectly tied to the ports.
"That dockyard is enormous," Zhao Liming said. "Even if we manage to clear the rats inside the docks, the ones in nearby homes and shops will just sneak back in."
Over the past few months, thanks to Yang's teachings, the trio had not only learned to read and write, but also picked up advanced pest control techniques. They were far from novices now.
Yang nodded. "We'll never completely eliminate the rats. But a major reduction? That's achievable. Even the Wharf Group doesn't expect perfection—just visible improvement."
Su Yiyi asked, "Do you already have a plan in mind?"
"I have some ideas," Yang admitted. "But I need to prepare a few things first."
"Like what?" she asked.
"I need to register a company," Yang said.
Su Yiyi blinked. "A company? Now?"
She paused. "I mean, I understand the long-term goal… but why now?"
"Because this job is our opportunity to break through," Yang said. "If we can pull this off—if we clean up Kowloon Wharf—then other ports like Whampoa and Taikoo might come knocking.
"Even more warehouse clients might join. This could be the moment that puts us on the map."
Sitting nearby, Lin Haoyu frowned. "But even if we succeed, what's stopping others from copying us again? Just like the trap design—people started copying it the moment they saw it worked."
Su Yiyi added, "Yes. And even some of the people we trained—two of them left last month, and they were both good."
Yang nodded. "You're both right. We can't stop that. Which is why I've decided to register a company—and then file patents for what we're about to build.
"What we're developing next won't just be another tool—it'll be something unique. Something we can protect legally."
"Patents?" Su Yiyi thought for a moment. "That's smart in theory… but this is Hong Kong. Can we even enforce patents here?"
Over the past few months, Yang had spent time teaching the others about business and even used newspaper clippings to help them expand their worldview. So they had a basic understanding of concepts like intellectual property.
Yang grinned. "If you thought of it, I definitely thought of it. Hong Kong's legal environment isn't great—but on the surface, it still follows the law.
"More importantly, I want to register the patents overseas—in Europe, America, and Japan. If we get protection in those places, we're secure."
Su Yiyi nodded. "That makes sense. Once you hold international patents, it's harder for others to challenge you—even if the local market is messy."
Yang added, "Even the powerful won't risk violating international patent laws for a few crumbs. It's just not worth the trouble."
"But what kind of pest control invention are we talking about?" Su Yiyi asked.
"You'll see soon," Yang replied. "But registering patents in multiple countries costs money—a lot. I'll need to talk to Mr. Wang again."
…
The next morning, Yang returned to Wang Zhixian's company.
Wang was surprised when he heard the request. "You want a 2,000-dollar advance?"
"Yes," Yang said calmly. "Given how well we've worked together so far, I trust you won't worry about me disappearing."
Wang didn't look suspicious—just curious. "That's not the issue. I know you wouldn't run. But I'm wondering—what do you need it for? We're covering all extermination expenses, aren't we?"
"Yes. But this is for something else," Yang explained. "I'm going to register my company."
Wang didn't seem surprised. "Makes sense. With everything you've achieved, it's about time."
"It'll also make our future cooperation smoother," Yang said.
Wang nodded. "Alright. I'll approve the advance. But don't let us down. If you fail this job, the loss won't just be money. It could damage our reputation with Kowloon Wharf—and that's priceless."
"Understood. Thank you, Mr. Wang," Yang said. "Also, do you know any good lawyers?"
"Lawyers?" Wang tilted his head, then suddenly got it. "Ah—you want one to help with the registration? Sure, give me a second."
He grabbed a business card holder, flipped through it, and pulled one out.
"This one's a bit unconventional," he said. "His name is Zhang Weida. His office is just a few kilometers away, also in Tsim Sha Tsui."
"Zhang Weida?" Yang muttered, reading the card. The name sounded a bit… unserious.
Wang noticed his hesitation. "You've heard of him?"
"No, just… it sounds familiar."
Wang laughed. "He used to do criminal defense, but he had a string of bad luck. Took on three cases back-to-back where clients were hit with new charges mid-trial. Lost every time. After that, no one hired him again. So he switched to business law."
Yang: "..."
Still, when Yang later looked into other lawyers' fees, he realized that Zhang was dirt cheap.
So he went with the bargain.
What did he have to lose?
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