Video Game Empire

Four or five years ago, due to the rapid rise of Dongfang Electronics relying on the arcade industry, a large number of follow-up capital poured into the emerging video game industry for profit. For a time, there was a huge gap in game programming talents in Hong Kong, and many newly established game companies offered sky-high wages in order to poach people.

Due to the shortage of talents, Dongfang Electronics also had to set up Dongfang IT College to train specialized game and software programming talents. Various colleges and universities in Hong Kong have also separated a new software engineering major on the basis of the original computer major to meet the employment needs of the Hong Kong society.

In the past year or two, the first batch of software programming talents born in the classroom gradually began to graduate from the school, and the shortage of talents at the beginning has completely disappeared. The biggest beneficiary of this is naturally the video game industry in Hong Kong. Although most of the game companies that wanted to copy the success of Dongfang Electronics and set up to make a quick buck were not able to survive in the fierce market competition.

But after all, there are still a group of companies that have survived the big waves. Whether these companies are based in the arcade market themselves, or transformed into third-party software suppliers for game console platforms such as Dongfang Game Company, they are now living relatively well thanks to the rapid development of the entire video game industry.

And Gu Jinhong is also a beneficiary of the surge of software programming talents in Hong Kong. If he pushes forward a few years, even if he can sign a labor dispatch contract with Dongfang Group, he will not be able to recruit enough people. In fact, this wave of software talents in Hong Kong is just at the right time. With the hot rise of the computer industry, a brand-new software industry is also being formed.

Gu Jinhong finally signed a venture capital agreement with United Capital, which he talked about earlier. The latter raised HK$1.5 million from Hongtu Technology and acquired a 25% stake in the company.

As a result, he has become another entrepreneurial hero emerging in the cafe street of Fotan Industrial Park. There may have been a lot of chance in his success. But still a small number of people have noticed the potential of it outsourcing and the emerging software industry.

For Li Xuan, the chance encounter with Gu Jinhong can only be regarded as a small episode in life. His focus is on other, more important things, such as Hong Kong's first-ever indirect election to the Legislative Council.

The Hong Kong Legislative Council is nominally the highest legislative body in Hong Kong, but in reality it has always been just a rubber stamp. However, when the question of Hong Kong's future is gradually becoming clear. The British Empire, a veteran player in international politics, is naturally unwilling to let China reap the fruits of victory.

One month before the initial agreement between China and the UK last year, the Hong Kong government suddenly threw out a "Green Paper on Representative Government System", proposing to transition Hong Kong to a democratically-elected government through a gradual approach. The first step in the process of democratization is to change the method of selecting members of the Hong Kong Legislative Council from the original appointment system of the Hong Kong Governor to the election system.

The purpose of the British is well known by Sima Zhao, and naturally it is to continue to maintain a special influence on Hong Kong after the 1997 deadline under the guise of democracy. Because even fools know it. The democratization process under the guidance of the British Hong Kong authorities will never cultivate a group of pro-China forces.

According to the plan of the "Green Paper on the Representative Government System", the Legislative Council will hold its first indirect election at the end of September this year. All 24 members are elected by the Electoral College and each functional constituency, with 12 elected by ballot.

This was naturally strongly opposed by the Chinese side. The pro-China media, led by Ta Kung Pao and Wen Wei Po, launched a violent attack on the Hong Kong government's violation of the agreement between the two countries and its unauthorized initiation of political reform.

And Asia Satellite TV, which has always maintained a neutral attitude. All of the invited guests who were selected in the "Chong Qiang Threesome" program for three consecutive episodes all complained that the Hong Kong government did not focus on resolving the immigration wave, revitalizing Hong Kong's industry, and solving the problem of Vietnamese boat people. On a series of problems that concern the vital interests of 5 million Hong Kong citizens, they made a euphemistic attack on the inappropriate timing of the political situation in Hong Kong, which had just stabilized.

Everyone knows that Li Xuan is standing behind ATV, and Li Xuan can influence a huge electronics manufacturing cluster. Directly or indirectly relying on this industrial cluster, the number of Hong Kongers who come to work and survive may be as high as several hundred thousand. No one can ignore this emerging force.

Li Xuan is naturally unwilling to be directly involved in the wrestling between China and the UK, but the turmoil in Hong Kong will indeed damage the overall interests of the Oriental Group. For example, after the signing of the Hong Kong Agreement between China and the United Kingdom, the United Kingdom has made it clear that it has no intention of granting British citizenship and the right of abode to Hong Kong people.

This directly triggered panic among some Hong Kongers who were skeptical of the Chinese mainland government, triggering an intensifying immigration wave in Hong Kong society. Since the beginning of the year, there have been continuous employees in the Oriental Group. The resignation was submitted due to the reason of immigrating overseas, which caused a lot of disturbance to the development of the whole company.

And this Legislative Council election has sparked antagonism between China and the UK, which has further deepened the anxiety in Hong Kong society, which is naturally not in the interests of the Eastern bloc.

"Your Excellency, I have always believed that TV stations, as public communication agencies, should retain the right to speak freely and impartially without external interference. So whether it is for the ATV Group in Hong Kong or the US broadcaster, although I am the main behind the scenes. Investors have never used their personal opinions to sway the independent judgment of journalists!" Li Xuan said with a smile to the somewhat bald Hong Kong governor in front of him.

Youde had previously expressed to Li Xuan his dissatisfaction with Asia TV's recent position, but Li Xuan used the phrase that the media has freedom of public opinion to distance himself from his relationship. As a senior politician, Youde would never refute this kind of issue even if he disapproved of Li Xuan's righteous and awe-inspiring attitude. The protection of freedom of opinion is one of the most important cornerstones of Western democratic societies.

"Mr. Li Xuan, I invited you to be a guest today. Do you want to hear the business community's views on Hong Kong's political reform?" The two chatted while strolling in the garden of the Governor's Palace. Youde continued to say with a smile.

"Your Excellency Governor, I am not opposed to promoting the democratization process of Hong Kong society, but Hong Kong is now in a sensitive transition period. I hope that the Hong Kong government should communicate effectively with the Chinese government in advance when launching various major issues. .

Only when the two sides reach an understanding will they not intensify conflicts and cause unrest in Hong Kong society! Democracy is to ensure that the long-term interests of each citizen will not be damaged, but it should not be at the expense of harming everyone's current interests! "Li Xuan said irrefutably.

In fact, the Hong Kong government also invited Li Xuan and Han Peng, the president of the Oriental Group, who was a member of the Legislative Council, to stand for the new Legislative Council election on behalf of the industrial and commercial functional constituencies, but they have politely declined.

The original Legislative Council member was only a symbolic honorary political position. However, after this reform, the Legislative Council will be given more real power, so Li Xuan and Han Peng naturally do not need to go out in person.

With the endorsement and recommendation of the chairman of the chamber of commerce, Li Xuan, the seat of the Legislative Council reserved for the Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce is likely to be won by Lu Qintian, the boss of Lu's Electronics Company. In addition, Huang Xizhao, chairman of ATV Group, will also run for election as one of the candidates from the media sector, and has a high chance of being elected.

On the surface, Li Xuan made a euphemistic criticism of the Legislative Council election through Asia Television, but in fact he did not give up his own layout. Now that the Hong Kong government has pushed forward, this indirect election of the Legislative Council is imperative.

If it is put on hold just because of China's opposition, the prestige of the Hong Kong government will be severely damaged, and the "Green Paper on Representative Governmental System" proposed earlier is bound to become waste paper in an instant.

However, in the face of fierce public criticism, the pressure on the Hong Kong government is not small. Especially after a neutral in the eyes of everyone like Li Xuan seems to have expressed their opposition, everyone will definitely have more doubts about whether the timing chosen by the Hong Kong government is ripe.

Therefore, it is necessary for the Hong Kong government to do more persuasion to these dissenting voices. In fact, Youde had an appointment with the director of the Hong Kong Xinhua branch yesterday before inviting Li Xuan to the Governor's Mansion for a luncheon. He hopes to go to Beijing-Beijing to explain to the senior Chinese government after the Legislative Council election.

"Mr. Chung submitted a proposal to the Chief Secretary's Office not long ago, hoping to use the Tin Shui Wai land plot in Yuen Long District in the western New Territories for industrial development to establish a special electronics industrial park!" Youde suddenly changed the subject and said.

A smile flashed in Li Xuan's eyes, and he knew that the meat scene he was looking forward to was coming. Politics is an art of compromise, and Li Xuan has no intention of acting as a vanguard against the Legislative Council election. It is better to use it in exchange for some benefits.

"In fact, Sir Zhong and I have discussed this issue many times. We both feel that Hong Kong's industry is in a critical period of upgrading and transformation, and the government needs to come forward to provide appropriate support and guidance! Long is far away from the urban area and is one of the most economically backward areas in Hong Kong except for the outlying islands.

If the electronic industrial park is located there, it can drive the development of the entire western New Territories. Most of the land in the Tin Shui Wai area is already in the hands of the Hong Kong government. Choosing the industrial park there can also reduce land disputes with residents of the New Territories! "Li Xuan unabashedly expressed his agreement.

In fact, everyone with a discerning eye knows that the Tianshuiwei Electronic Industrial Park project is actually vigorously promoted by Dongfang Group.

"If the Hong Kong government really intends to set up an electronic industrial park in Tin Shui Wai, Dongfang Semiconductor, a subsidiary of Dongfang Group, is willing to invest in the largest chip packaging and testing plant in Asia in Tinshuiwei! The Hong Kong society is now again shaken in confidence due to the issue of the right to reside in the UK. The Oriental Group is willing to cooperate with the Hong Kong government to boost morale!" Li Xuan further offered his own price.

Although the British are reluctant to hand over a truly prosperous Hong Kong to China, they have already started various actions mixed with sand. But it also never wants to see Hong Kong society fall back into the chaos of previous years. Because this not only affects the face of the British Empire, but also affects the withdrawal of British capital from Hong Kong! (To be continued...)