In a quaintly furnished teahouse, Stanley Ho and Fok Ying-tung sit by the window, two business tycoons sitting opposite each other, in a seemingly peaceful atmosphere.
Stanley Ho leisurely picked up the teapot and poured tea for Fok Yingdong, and the fragrance of tea was overflowing. They talked about cooperation and the future, and their words were full of wisdom and vision.
However, the quiet atmosphere was suddenly shattered by a roar.
A burly man slammed the door in, his eyes filled with anger and displeasure. Everyone present was taken aback by this sudden scene.
The man went straight to Stanley Ho and Fok Yingdong's table, staring at them angrily, and the atmosphere instantly froze.
Stanley Ho and Fok Yingdong exchanged a look, and at this moment, the man suddenly reached out and grabbed the teacup on the table, and slammed it on the ground, the teacup shattered in response, shards overflowed, and the tea splashed on the ground.
He rebuked loudly, his voice filled with irrepressible anger and disappointment, but his words were drowned out by the murmur of the teahouse.
Fok Yingdong's gambling dream
In 1961, the Macau government's decision completely changed the face of Macau's gaming industry.
Prior to this, Macau's gambling power was in the hands of a few families, a model that made the gaming industry lucrative, but lacking broader social participation and supervision, forming a relatively closed operating system.
The government's practice of reclaiming gambling rights and re-bidding not only ended the situation of private monopoly, but also heralded a new stage of development for Macau's gaming industry.
When the news of the Macau government's announcement of the re-tendering of gaming patents shook the entire casino, Fok Ying-tung had already begun to prepare his own plan.
He knows that this is not only a business opportunity, but also a pivotal moment in shaping Macau's future.
The "Gambling Plan for the Prosperity of Macau" proposed by him not only covers the operation of casinos, but also includes the development of tourism, entertainment, hotel industry and other aspects, aiming to build Macau into an international leisure and entertainment center.
The grandeur and depth of this plan far exceeds the general business investment plan, and it reflects Fok Ying Tung's comprehensive consideration and deep insight into the overall development of Macau.
During the bidding process, Fok Ying-tung's plan stood out for its comprehensiveness, practicality and accurate grasp of Macau's future development potential, and finally succeeded in obtaining the patent rights of Macau gaming.
This achievement not only marks another great success for Fok Ying Tung in the business field, but also heralds an unprecedented change in Macau's gaming industry.
In the process of preparing the company, Fok Yingdong found that his partner Stanley Ho was facing a shortage of funds.
At this critical moment, Fok Yingdong did not choose to give up or find another partner, but chose to lend Stanley Ho 2 million yuan.
Fok Ying-tung knows that the power of one person is limited, and only by uniting all the forces that can be united can we achieve the economic development of Macau's gaming industry and the wider society.
After lending the funds, Fok Ying-tung and Stanley Ho worked closely together to promote the "Prosperous Macau Gambling Plan". They not only focus on the operation of casinos, but also on how to promote the economic development of Macau as a whole through the development of the gaming industry, including enhancing Macau's international image, attracting more overseas tourists, and promoting local employment and related industries.
This series of measures has gradually transformed Macau from a gambling-based city into a diversified international tourist city.
In the process, Fok Ying Tung's business vision and insight into Macau's future have been widely recognized. He not only succeeded in liberating Macau's gaming industry from the old business model, but also paved the way for Macau's long-term development.
Cracks in change and cooperation
With the rapid development of Macau's gaming industry in the early 80s of the 20th century, Fok Ying Tung felt the increasing competitive pressure within the industry and the various complexities it bringed.
He began to think carefully about his future position in the gambling industry and eventually decided to gradually retire from the gambling industry in order to divert his energy to other areas of the business.
This decision, although well thought out, encountered unexpected difficulties in its implementation.
In 1986, in order to discuss the direction and distribution of future cooperation, Fok Ying-tung and Stanley Ho arranged a meeting at a well-known teahouse in Macau. This was supposed to be a friendly and peaceful negotiation, but unexpectedly, the atmosphere of the meeting became extremely tense due to the appearance of an unexpected participant, Feng Zhaoming.
Feng Zhaoming, known as "Ma Jiaofeng", was a well-known underworld figure in Hong Kong and Macao at that time, and had a complex connection with Stanley Ho. His appearance was not accidental, and it was clearly intentional on the part of Stanley Ho to add leverage to the negotiations.
As the negotiations progressed, Stanley Ho was unhappy with Fok's proposal, believing that Fok's plan to fade out was forcing him to make compromises that were not in his favor.
The atmosphere gradually tensed, and the conversation between the two sides became more and more discordant. At this moment, Feng Zhaoming saw Stanley Ho's displeasure and immediately took more drastic action to express his position.
He suddenly picked up the teacup and slammed it into the floor with an astonishing force, the teacup shattered instantly, making a crisp and loud sound, and the splashing debris and tea became a portrayal of the tense atmosphere of the negotiation.
Feng Zhaoming immediately looked directly at Fok Yingdong with his fierce eyes, this move was undoubtedly exerting pressure on Fok Yingdong, trying to force the other party to give in in such an extreme way.
Fok was undeterred by the sudden violence. In the face of Feng Zhaoming's threat, Fok Yingdong remained calm. Instead of fighting back immediately and not going furious in the field, he chose to maintain his dignity and composure.
Huo Yingdong sneered, there was no fear or anger in this laughter, as if he was contemptuous and disdainful of the farce in front of him.
Immediately, he slowly stood up, patted the dust on his trouser leg, and turned to leave the teahouse.
At this moment, Huo Yingdong made his position clear with his actions: in the face of unreasonable coercion, he will not give in, nor will he give in.
The choice between breaking the game and exiting the shares
After a tense and unsuccessful meeting at the Macau Tea House, negotiations between Fok and Stanley Ho on the issue of the share withdrawal did not progress.
Since then, Stanley Ho's reaction to Fok Yingdong's request for a withdrawal has become more and more ambiguous, and whenever specific operational and execution details are discussed, Stanley Ho can always find various reasons to avoid it, an attitude that has brought the already complex negotiations to an impasse.
Fok Yingdong faced Stanley Ho's prevarication and procrastination again and again, and his patience was gradually exhausted. After several unsuccessful attempts to find a mutually acceptable solution, Fok began to reconsider his strategy.
He knew that if he continued like this, not only would he waste time and resources, but it could also have a negative impact on his plans in other areas of business.
As a result, Fok Yingdong made an important decision and decided to sell his shares to Cheng Yutong and Stanley Ho and others at a price of 600 million yuan.
This price not only reflects the market value of Macau's gaming industry at that time, but also reflects Fok Yingdong's judgment on the future development trend and a kind of trust in partners who have cooperated for many years. In this way, he hopes to be able to completely and peacefully exit the Macau gaming industry, while also leaving more possibilities for the company's future development.
However, Fok Ying-tung's decision did not bring about a turnaround in solving the problem as he had hoped. Despite Fok Ying-tung's clear sale plan, Stanley Ho's attitude remained vague, and he did not give a clear response or accept Fok's proposal.
Whenever the two sides are close to reaching an agreement, Stanley Ho always uses various excuses to avoid it, which not only disappoints Fok Yingdong, but also frustrates the entire withdrawal plan again.
This strategy of procrastination puts Fok Yingdong in an extremely passive state, and his plans are constantly frustrated, and time passes like this.
Fok Ying-tung realized that it was no longer possible to achieve his goals by relying only on negotiation and consultation. In this situation, Fok Yingdong had to rethink his strategy and find a new solution.
Fok Ying-tung's initiatives and legacy
In the face of successive challenges and setbacks, Fok Ying Tung made an unexpected decision to donate all of his 27% stake in Macau Entertainment Company to Macau for the establishment of a construction foundation.
This decision caused a huge shock in the business community and society, and many people were surprised by his behavior.
Fok Yingdong's move happened on a sunny morning. In his office, a document sits quietly on the table, clearly stating the decision to donate 27 percent of the shares to the Macau government free of charge. This document was soon sent to Macau, marking the official implementation of this generous decision.
The donated shares are supervised by the Macau government to ensure that their value is handled and utilized reasonably.
This decision not only freed Fok Yingdong from the complicated business battles, but also won him a high reputation. At the donation ceremony, Fok Ying-tung appeared in a peaceful manner, surrounded by people from all walks of life, including government officials, business colleagues and media reporters.
Under the light of the flashing lights, he handed over the donation document to the representative of the Macau government, and at this moment, the applause was thunderous, and the media reported this historic moment.
Fok Ying Tung's behavior not only reflects his desire to contribute to Macau society, but also has a profound impact on the development of Macau's gaming industry.
With the implementation of this huge donation, Macau's infrastructure has been improved and the social welfare system has been strengthened, providing a more stable social environment and development space for Macau's gaming industry.
In the following years, Macau's gaming industry ushered in a period of rapid development. Fok Ying Tung's decision to donate was widely discussed and seen as a key turning point in the development of Macau's society and gaming industry.
While people praise him, they are also discussing the far-reaching implications behind this initiative.
[1] Wang Yingna, Stanley Ho in the eyes of reporters[J].Chinese World,2006(6):36-36