After graduating from St. Stephen’s College at the age of twenty‐one, Haking Wong returned to Bangkok with his wife to assist in managing the family hardware business. Despite this responsibility, he remained determined to establish a career of his own. In 1930, he returned to Hong Kong in search of new opportunities. That same year, tragedy struck when his father passed away suddenly at the age of fifty‐eight during a mahjong gathering.

The inheritance left by his father became a turning point in Wong’s life, providing both the means and the impetus to embark on an independent entrepreneurial path. Resolved to forge his own future, he ventured into a range of businesses, including bicycle tyre manufacturing and confectionery, deliberately testing his abilities beyond familiar territory.

Between 1930 and 1932, Wong recognised the growth of shipbuilding and repair activities in Quarry Bay, driven by the expansion of the British‐owned Swire Group. Seizing this opportunity, he invested in shipping and dockyard enterprises. With limited capital, he formed partnerships with a former classmate from St. Stephen’s College and with Peninsula Dockyard Company. Although the venture lasted only two years and was ultimately curtailed by changing economic and political conditions, it marked Wong’s first direct encounter with business failure — an experience that would strengthen his resolve and resilience. Temporarily setting aside his entrepreneurial ambitions, he entered salaried employment to regain financial stability and reassess his direction.