Writer’s Success and Happiness

By Longfei

Leung Fung-yee is a phenomenal writer and business wonder based in Hong Kong. For ten years, she wrote diligently and published 100 books. These books sold 10n million copies across the world. Half of her novels were adapted to television dramas and many were screened in the prime times on CCTV, the largest television network in China. The talented woman is married into a rich family. The company she founded and operated is now listed in Hong Kong and is worth 3 billion RMB. She is regarded as the richest smart Chinese woman. It is said that all of her dreams seem to have come true.

On May 20, 2009, the 60-year-old Leung Fung-yee and her 70-year-old husband Philip Wong came to Beijing. In an interview, she talked about her life, marriages, success and regrets.

She was born in January, 1949 in Hong Kong. As she grew up, her father often brought her to attend social gatherings. The family ran into big financial trouble when she was 14. It was the first time she experienced the brutality of the business world. Her literary talent burgeoned in her college days. In 1972, she met Ho Man-wui at a theater salon in the Chinese University of Hong Kong. They fell in love and got married.

When Ho studied for a PhD degree in London, Leung Fung-yee gave up a job offer from a Hong Kong television studio and went with her husband to London. She worked as a housewife in London. In 1975, they came to University of Wisconsin, US. They started from scratch. Leung Fung-yee worked as a waitress for half a year before she decided to write scripts for a Hong Kong television studio. Six months later, the couple was able to buy a house in America.

In 1976, Leung Fung-yee decided to come back to Hong Kong for further development. She worked as a playwright and producer at a local television studio. She started a service to introduce servants from the Philippines. Hers was the first agency of its kind in Hong Kong. The company began to make profit in the fourth month and she bought a Benz in six months.

Her business took off in Hong Kong while her marriage ran into rocks. Her husband, now a college teacher in America, was dissatisfied with the marriage. The wife and the husband decided upon divorce in a friendly way. They have kept in touch since the divorce.

In November 1985, the successful business woman got a job offer from Hong Kong Joint Stock Exchange. It was here that she met Philip Y Wong, the then deputy chairman of the exchange and chief executive of Winco Paper Products.

While working, Leung Fung-yee began to write essays for newspapers. Luis Cha, the famous kongfu novelist and owner of Ming Pao in Hong Kong, inscribed 勤+缘 (Qin Jia Yuan or diligence plus opportunities)as the name for her column. Her essays became popular. Since her creativity urge was so overwhelming that she felt she needed to write novels. Her first novel was published in April, 1989. In 1990 she wrote six novels featuring dramas in the financial world. In 1991, she wrote a series of novels. Her novels became bestsellers and she was viewed as a literary tornado.

In 1992, three of her business thrillers were published by Peoples Press on the mainland. These books made her a great reputation.

Leung and Wong set up a media service entitled勤+缘 in 1995. The Qin Jia Yuan Media Services became a hit. In 18 months, it earned back the investment in 8 figures. In two years, it became one of three most successful media services by sales. The business went public in 2004.

In December, 1995, she married Philip Y Wong.

When talking about her life, success and regrets, Leung Fung-yee says she has three regrets. First, her parents passed away before they could see her success; second, her first marriage was a failure; third, she was not able to give birth to a baby. Fortunately, her husbands three sons treat her as if she were their birth mother. On the 14th wedding anniversary in December, 2008, the three sons gave their parents 3.3 million in cash in congratulation of the happy marriage. The couple donated the cash to the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Leungs alma mater.

The husband is happy with the marriage. Wong thinks his wife is 99% perfect; the 1% imperfection is that she occasionally loses her temper with her colleagues.□