Please scroll down for English version

安麒兒寫照：天使來過這世界 王貽興×唐安麒每個人生命裏都會遇上天使。Angel除了是全港需要纖體美容的女生的天使，也是我生命裏的天使。她就像很疼惜照顧我的姐姐，永遠在我迷惘失落的時候如天使降臨，扶你一把。

認識Angel之前，我不免跟其他人一樣，以為她是個強悍、厲害的揚眉女子，真正認識後，驚訝真正的她原來是個少女，不過是恰巧生意做得很成功罷了。教我一直嘖嘖稱奇的是，在江湖打滾明明易老，她卻可以一直逆生長，愈活愈年輕，無論從外表到心思，都是一個只有19歲的女生……

王：王貽興　唐：唐安麒

王：大家表面只看到Angel是瘦身行業的翹楚，卻不了解你入行初期鮮為人知的辛酸……

唐：回顧當年19歲創業，尚欠幾萬元資金，那時的幾萬元對我來說金額不少，因為我不是含着金鎖匙出生，更是單親家庭，後來媽媽有晚回家忽然塞了5萬元支票給我說：「放心收下支票吧！我相信你可以創業成功的！」公司幾個月後終於做到收支平衡，有一天，撫養我長大的奶媽在我深宵回家喝湯時對我說：「你要用心工作，你知道媽媽給你的支票是她全副身家嗎？她已經兩個月沒有給我出糧，你不要誤會，我不是要你給我錢，而是提醒你不要玩樂，因為家中已經沒有錢了……」那刻，我感到非常震驚。在這樣的情況下，我沒有任何退路，也輸不起。我在創業期間隔日才睡覺，抱住「只有前路，沒有退路」的心態生活……

年輕創業 沒有退路

王：「只有前路，沒有退路」這句話，令我想起《一代宗師》的金句「只有眼前路，沒有身後身」。我認為Angel如今已經是美容瘦身界的「一代宗師」，堅強了那麼多年，目標算是達成了，有否萌生鬆懈的念頭？

唐：坦白說，是有的。在2011年下半年開始，我已經漸漸放鬆自己，如參與舞台劇，可能好多人以為我是去年才接觸舞台劇，其實20年前我已經做舞台劇，更擔任舞台劇《山水有相逢》的女主角，當時我已是生意人，公司生意也開始上軌道，所以後來我便沒有再參與舞台劇，因為當時我太喜歡賺錢！（大笑）

王：香港的瘦身熱潮，早幾年可算頂峰，坊間湧現形形式式的瘦身公司。無論這個熱潮是進還是退，你在業界的地位依然屹立不搖，甚至近年來其他公司都找明星做代言人，你卻自己走出來，彷彿你就是公司最佳的代言……

唐：最佳代言，我可不敢說。我是很高興近年「自己走出來」，這表示能被大家接受和喜歡。想當年，很多人會笑（王：當年是指90年代初期嗎？）對，創業初期，用自己名字跟樣貌代言公司，好多人會笑「唐安麒唔知醜，自己捧自己」，又或認為我是在Show Off，對此我都一笑置之。至於為何我會把自己的姓名和樣貌做生意？主要是打工時期，我發現當時很多美容業的公司，他們的營業手法很齷齪，例如今日是「美麗美容中心」，推出誇張的廣告，好像「兩天減肥20磅」、「三日豐胸四吋」，以吸引顧客，賺盡很多錢後，客人發現無效便前來投訴，投訴太多，消委會便勒令結業，一個月後「ABC美容中心」開幕，所有幕後都是同一班人，直至今時今日，業界依然上演着這一幕。所以我選擇用自己真名，我要用我一生，對我的顧客作出一世承諾，我擺自己上枱（笑）。

王：如何看待現今明星代言氾濫的局面，或者頂爛市的情況？

唐：很多人會問，當時為何選擇林志玲呢？或許我講出來會惹來其他人笑罵，我是喜歡她平凡，事實上，當年的她只是很平凡的模特兒，所以我希望從造型、打扮、皮膚和身材等各方面加以改造，主要是我喜歡挑戰。

 

難忘奶媽愛心湯水

王：如果有機會讓你遇到19歲剛要創業的那個你，你會想勸誡或安慰她甚麼呢？

唐：我只可說：「對奶媽再好點吧！」至於其他事則是無悔的。當年我對奶媽未夠好，她就離世了，現在想起，也有點難過。回憶當年，工作結束回家後，枱上總擺放一碗湯，雖知她是愛錫我，但我嘴邊仍忍不住嫌她囉嗦，休息過後卻會乖乖把湯水喝完。正當我想待她更好時，她便患上癌症，那年我從台灣趕回來，日以繼夜地照顧她，無奈不久她還是離開了……

王：過去且由它過去吧。現階段你希望爬上的人生高峰，是事業還是興趣方面？

唐：興趣吧！說不上對演藝生涯有甚麼野心，畢竟我年紀也不小了！（笑）隨緣吧！看看未來有甚麼機會好了，現時的心態，是希望好好照顧女兒，活得開心！

後記：19歲到永遠

Angel有位研究心理學的朋友曾說，她的商業智商超越了她實際年齡20年，換言之，她20歲時就擁有40歲的商業智商，然而生活智商方面卻永遠只有19歲，只因她在那一年創業，涉足江湖，從那天開始，真實的那個她就被封印住，直到如今。

沒有人永遠19歲，但永遠有人19歲─這句話在Angel身上並不適用。永遠19歲的她，凍齡不因纖體美容，卻因心善，因為喜歡幫助年輕人，所以蒙受祝福。當世上愈來愈多外表像天使內心卻是蛇蠍的魔鬼當道，表裏如一的Angel，更值得我們珍惜喜愛。或許就如亦舒《安琪兒寫照》劈頭第一句謂：「喜歡安琪，有許多許多因素……」

其中一個，就是因為，她永遠是個善良慈愛的19歲女生。

相片轉載至 ON.CC網站

————————-

Reflection of Angel Tong :
Ong Yi Hing X Angel Tong

Everyone encounters angels in their lives. Angel Tong is not only the angel of girls who need slimming and beauty in Hong Kong, but also the angel in my life. She is like a sister who takes care of me. She always comes down like an angel when I am confused and lost.

Before I met Angel, I thought she was a tough, powerful woman. But after I knew her, I was surprised to find out that she was really a teenager at heart who happened to have a successful business. I have always been amazed at how easy it is to grow old in the harsh world of business, but she keeps becoming younger and younger: from her appearance to her mind, she maintains as a 19-year-old girl ……

Ong: Ong Yi Hing, Angel: Angel Tong

Ong: People only see that Angel is the leader of the slimming industry, but do not understand the rarely known hardships at the beginning of her career.

Angel: Looking back at the time when I was 19 years old, I still owed tens of thousands of dollars to start my own business. At that time, tens of thousands of dollars were a lot for me because I was not born with a golden spoon and I was living in a single-parent family, and then my mother suddenly came home one night and gave me a $50,000 cheque, “Take the cheque! I believe you can start a successful business!” The company finally broke even after a few months. One day, my nanny, who raised me, said to me when I came home late at night for soup, “You have to work hard. Do you know that the cheque your mother gave you is her full wealth? She hasn’t paid me for two months, don’t get me wrong, I’m not asking you to give me money, but to remind you not to have fun because there is no money left at home ……" At that moment, I felt very shocked. Under such circumstances, I had no way out and could not afford to lose. I slept every other day during the start-up period and lived with the mindset of “there is only a way forward, no way back”.

—————
Young Entrepreneurs. There is no turning back

Ong: The phrase “There is only a way forward, no way back" reminds me of the motto from “The Grandmaster", " We are at the point of no return". I think Angel is now " The Grandmaster " in the beauty and slimming industry, she has been strong for so many years and has achieved her goal. Has she ever thought of relaxing?

Angel: Frankly speaking, yes, I have. Since the second half of 2011, I have gradually relaxed myself, such as participating in stage plays. Many people may think that I only came into contact with stage plays last year, but in fact, I already did stage plays 20 years ago, and I was the lead actress in the stage play “Burn your Bridges", and I was already a businessman at that time, and my company business was also on track, so I did not participate in stage plays again because I was too fond of making money at that time! (laugh out loud)

Ong: The slimming craze in Hong Kong was at its peak a few years ago. Various slimming companies have emerged in the market. Regardless of whether this craze is advancing or retreating, your position in the industry remains unshakable. Even in recent years, other companies are looking for celebrities to be spokespersons, but you come out on your own, as if you are the best spokesperson for the company!

Angel: The best spokesperson? I do not dare to say. I am incredibly happy to “come out on my own" in recent years, which means that I can be accepted and liked by everyone. Thinking back then, many people would laugh. (Ong: Do you mean the early 90s?) Yes, at the beginning of my career, when I used my name and appearance to endorse the company, many people would laugh at me and say, “ Angel Tong is so shameful, make a fool of herself.” They may think that I’m showing off, I just laugh it off then. Why did I put my name and appearance in business? The main reason is that when I was working part-time, I found that many companies in the beauty industry at that time, their business practices were very dirty, for example, today is “Pretty Beauty Center", which launched exaggerated advertisements, such as “lose 20 pounds in two days" and “enlarge breasts by four inches in three days", in order to attract customers and make a lot of money. Customers finally found that it was useless and came to complain. The Consumer Council ordered the closure of the business. One month later, the “ABC Beauty Center" opened. All the staff are the same. This same scene is still being played out in the industry today. That is why I chose to use my real name. I want to spend my life and make a lifetime commitment to my customers, and I’ll put myself in the spotlight (laughs).

Ong: How do you see the current situation of celebrity endorsement, or market-disrupting low-cost rivalries?

Angel: Many people will ask, “Why did you choose Lin Chi-ling at that time?” Maybe I’ll get some laughs from other people if I tell you, but I liked how ordinary she was. In fact, she was just a very plain model back then, so I wanted to transform her in terms of styling, makeup, skin quality and body figure, mainly because I like challenges.

——
Unforgettable Nanny’s love soup

Ong: If you had the chance to meet the 19-year-old you, who was just about to start her own business, what would you advise or comfort her?

Angel: All I can say: “Be nicer to your nanny!” As for the rest, I have no regrets. Back then, I feel I was not good enough to my nanny, and she passed away. Now that I think about it, I feel a little sad. Looking back, when I came home from work, there was always a bowl of soup on the table, and although I knew she loved me, I couldn’t help but dislike her for being garrulous, but I would finish the soup after the break. Just when I wanted to treat her better, she got cancer. I rushed back from Taiwan that year and took care of her day and night, but she passed away soon afterwards…

Ong: Let the past be the past. In what aspect of this stage of your life would you want to advance in, your career or other hobbies?

Angel: I guess it’s a hobby! I can’t say I have any ambitions for my acting career, well, I’m not young! (Laugh). Let it be! Let’s see what opportunities come up in the future. Right now, I want to take good care of my daughter and live a happy life.

——-
P.S.: 19 years old to forever

A friend of Angel who studies psychology once said that her business IQ exceeded her actual age by 20 years. In other words, she had the business IQ of a 40-year-old at the age of 20, but her life IQ was always 19, just because she started her own business in that year. From that day on, the real her was sealed until today.

The age of 19 cannot last forever, but there are always people who are 19 – a phrase that does not apply to Angel. The forever 19-year-old is blessed not because of her slim and beautiful body, but because of her kindness, and because she likes to help young people. When the world is full of hypocrites, Angel is able to maintain her integrity inside and out, and this is a trait that deserves our cherish and love. Perhaps it is like the first line of Yeh Su’s novel “Portrait of Angel": “There are many factors that make me like Angel ……".

One of the reason is she will always be a kind and lovely 19-year-old girl.