Additionally, Hong was the company director of Seng Hup Hin & Co.[1] in Kuala Belait, where he contributed significantly to the local business landscape and community development.

This journey is a familiar tale shared by many Henghua people from the Putian region of Fujian Province, mainland China, who travelled abroad in search of a better life.

He had seen firsthand how Miri, just 30 kilometres (19 mi) away, transformed into a bustling community after oil was discovered there in 1910, and he believed Kuala Belait would follow suit, attracting skilled workers and immigrants from places like British Hong Kong and Penang.

Starting from scratch, Hong constructed makeshift shops from wood and palm leaves, re-establishing his bicycle trade and expanding into transportation by acquiring trucks and hiring twenty staff.

"[2] In the 1960s, Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddien III appointed Hong to a position in the royal palace and bestowed upon him the title "Pehin Bendarhari China Kornia Diraja" as a reward for his contributions.

[2] In 1962, following the sultan's address to the LegCo, Hong was appointed to a committee tasked with gathering public opinion on Brunei's potential merger with the proposed Federation of Malaysia.

[2] In 1967, Hong announced the commencement of construction projects for modern hospitals in Brunei Town, Kuala Belait, and Tutong, and advocated for salary increases for medical and health workers.

In 1955, Hong was elected chairman of the school's management committee, overseeing the construction of a modern double-storey building with government aid of B$80,000, a substantial amount at the time.

In 1951, when Kapitan-China Shen Ren Shi proposed the founding of the Chinese Chambers of Commerce for Kuala Belait and Seria, Hong was the first to respond positively.

[12] Hong was bestowed the title of Manteri Dagang, Pehin Bendahari China Kornia Diraja, by Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddien III on 24 May 1960, with the honorific Yang Dimuliakan.