Orphan Hunger as Permanent Engine

“Therefore, people often talk about how Wang Chuanfu still lives in a two-bedroom, one-living room apartment in Kuiyong Town, Longgang District, Shenzhen, drives an old Lexus, and his only valuable possession is an Adidas sports watch, which accurately tells him whether BYD's global institutions are operating during the day or night. Wang Chuanfu is a low-profile person in the auto circle. For most people, the satisfaction derived from self-actualization far exceeds the modest personal enjoyment of "eating well and using good." This former farm boy from Wuwei County, Chaohu, Anhui, fears nothing more than mediocrity.”

“In the Chinese business community, there are many mavericks who have “automotive dreams.” For example, the astonishing Geely Auto President Li Shufu, who is always the center of attention wherever he goes; and the humorous and witty Chairman Yin Mingshan of Chongqing Lifan, who always brings laughter before he even arrives. Only Wang Chuanfu has consistently been silent and stable like an "invisible person." He is not tall, and he walks very quickly. Like most of China's private entrepreneurs, Wang Chuanfu likes to work late into the night. He even has never been to the top of Huangshan, although it is very close to his hometown. Wang Chuanfu said: “I didn't go before because I didn't have the money, now it's because I don't have the time.” When chatting with others, Wang Chuanfu prefers to talk about cars. About himself, he often sums up this way: “I think I still have some adventurous genes in me.””

“During his brief stays back home, Jean-Paul Bouchard would take them on an activity that left a deep impression. After they piled into his old car, the family embarked on driving tours of businesses of the region: garages, hardware stores, restaurants, trailer parks. Jean-Paul nurtured a single dream in his heart: to enter the business world once again. His children, brought along on these strange adventures, would see first-hand his yearning to find his way back to that road, that pathway to restoring his dignity. The unusual team would disembark, arrive unannounced abruptly and begin to examine the premises and question the owner about his or her revenue, traffic levels, the price of rent, inventory, employees and their wages, profit margins and sales prices. Then their father, who had only a third-grade education and had trouble with basic math, would turn to his son Alain. “He would say, ‘Alain, do the totals,’” Alain Bouchard recalls. Though the boy was just 12 years old, his father was conferring on him, symbolically at least, the responsibility of understanding the workings of a business, of identifying ways to alter the variables and increase profits. The task became deeply connected with having enough food on the table, restoring his father’s honour and lifting his mother’s spirits. It was the dream of returning to the life they had led before the tragedy. It would be hard to overstate the invisible weight carried by this exercise of mental calculation or the profound impression it would make on him.”

“It is said that the survival of humankind rests on two pillars—a mother’s love and a father’s protection. But it is equally true that it depends on a powerful lever to propel it forward (or, in some cases, to drag it backward): a son’s desire to restore his parents’ honour.”

“The strong impression of the founder of Giordano It's not just the youth. When dealing with Asian businesspeople, a fervent hunger to grow more and become wealthier comes through. In essence, they're hungry. Hence, the forcefulness with which they engage in their work is completely different, regardless of their abilities. The impression I got from Mr. Jimmy Lai, the founder of Giordano, a SPA (Specialty store retailer of Private label Apparel) I met while working in Hong Kong, was intense. Giordano not only produced its own products but also subcontracted for Limited, which used to be the world's largest SPA. What surprised me was the volume of their production, they produced as much as 300,000 pieces for a single item. When I asked Mr. Jimmy Lai about his background, he said that he had swam from mainland China to Hong Kong, an illegal entry so to speak. However, he did not consider this a disadvantage. Instead, he started a business entirely on his own and went on to become wealthy enough to drive a Rolls-Royce. To put it simply, this man has extraordinary vitality. Everybody in Japan is surprised when I tell this story, but if you go to China or ASEAN, you'll encounter as many people like Mr. Jimmy Lai as you want. That's the reality of rapidly growing Asia.”

“Moreover, it is not just the number that is significant. Just as the Japanese people, who dreamed of a prosperous life after the war, sought after the 'Three Sacred Treasures' of television, washing machines, and refrigerators, these four billion people are hungry for prosperity. Their desire to consume is incomprehensible to today's Japanese.”

“By his own account, Masa enjoyed his early childhood, playing hide-and-seek in the haystacks and fishing in the local Daigi river. His first encounter with overt discrimination left a scar, both mental and physical. One afternoon, on his way home from kindergarten, Masa was attacked by Japanese kids taunting him for living in the Korean ghetto. One threw a stone which struck his forehead and drew blood. It was a moment of humiliation but also self-realization: Masa spoke Japanese and he had inherited a Japanese name (‘Yasumoto’), but he was still a pariah.”

“Masa suffered hardship in those first five years, but it was nothing compared to the suffering of his parents’ generation. Their sacrifice was a powerful motivating force for the young boy, leaving him with a profound sense of obligation. Whatever he accomplished in life, however much money he made, he felt he could never erase the debt he owed his parents and grandparents.[14](private://read/01jg9b8njt7zc5haz30afb9n29/#ch02_14)”

“Leonardo is fourteen years old and has a life to devour with one specific goal: to never again be forced to suffer the hardships of childhood. He has an obsessive desire to succeed. He is hungry for affirmation, ready for any sacrifice necessary to shake off poverty, hunger, misery.”

“"Martinitt we are called, this heroic and holy name, which we have been handed down, is for us such a noble pride, because we are certain, in a better tomorrow." It is the song and motto of the college. It doesn't matter if you are a child of nobody, if you start at a disadvantage: if you have strength of character and perseverance, you can go far and success will come.”