Hong Kong Film: Short mules have no future, I am in charge of Hong Kong

Chapter 282 The wealthy customer who bought on credit ran away

The neon lights of the East Bay Casino were still on, and people were still coming and going at the door, but the tense atmosphere inside could no longer be concealed. In the VIP room, Jin Shao sat alone at the table, with various data reports spread out on the table, but he didn't even look at them. His eyes were fixed on the glass of whiskey on the table, and his fingertips tapped lightly on the table.

Zhang Hai pushed the door open and walked in, his face full of anxiety and fatigue: "Master, the news just came that Old Man Liang completely rejected our request for financing, and he also spread the news in Macau, saying that Dongwan's financial situation is unstable, and advised those who are ready to invest not to come."

Young Master Jin sneered, picked up the wine glass and took a big sip, as if suppressing his inner anger: "Old Liang is an old fox, changing his attitude according to the situation. I should have thought of stepping on me at this time."

"Young Master, what should we do now? The casino's working capital is almost running out. If it continues like this, even paying salaries will become a problem." Zhang Hai reminded in a low voice.

"What's more, those Middle Eastern customers have completely withdrawn. They even spread the news of our problems in the business circles of Hong Kong Island."

Young Master Jin's eyes were as cold as a knife. After a few seconds of silence, he said, "Transfer all the remaining income from the marginal industries to fill the funding gap of the casino first. At the same time, contact those high-rollers who are willing to gamble big money, give them bigger chips and discounts, and even let them buy on credit. As long as they continue to come, we still have a chance to turn things around."

"Buy on credit?" Zhang Hai was stunned for a moment, and said hesitantly, "This risk is too great. What if they don't pay me back..."

"Not paying back? Let them try!" Jin Shao said coldly, with ruthlessness in his eyes, "We have plenty of ways to make them pay. If they want to buy on credit, I'll make them pay with their lives!"

Zhang Hai had no choice but to nod: "Okay, I'll arrange it right away."

Young Master Jin stood up, walked to the floor-to-ceiling window, and overlooked the lights of the entire East Bay.

He clenched his fists, his eyes full of stubbornness and unwillingness: "As long as I can hold on, these people will come back and beg me on their knees. Su Hanze, that old fox, can win for a while, but he can't win forever!"

At the same time, in the office of Xiwan Theater, Su Hanze was looking down at the latest customer flow report.

Ah Liu stood beside him, his tone revealing his undisguised excitement: "Boss, more than half of the high-rollers in East Bay have withdrawn their investments. Many of them are now contacting us and want to move to West Bay to play."

"Very good." Su Hanze nodded and put down the report in his hand, but his tone remained calm, "But don't rush to receive them, let them wait for a while."

Ah Liu was stunned for a moment: "Boss, why do we have to let them wait? These wealthy customers are big moneybags. Once they come, our profits will definitely skyrocket."

"The high rollers in East Bay are all gamblers," Su Hanze said slowly. "These people are not loyal to Young Master Jin, and they will not be loyal to us. They come here because the situation in East Bay is unstable, but if we accept them rashly, people will think that there is no difference between West Bay and East Bay. What we need to do is to screen out those customers who are truly valuable in the long term, rather than those impulsive gamblers."

Ah Liu nodded: "I understand, Boss. So what should we do next?"

"We will introduce a new membership system," said Su Hanze. "We will classify our services into different levels. Only customers who meet certain standards can enjoy the best services. Through this screening mechanism, we can not only retain existing customers, but also build a high-end brand image for Xiwan."

"Brilliant!" Ah Liu's eyes lit up. "Once this trick is used, even if those wealthy guests come, they will have to follow our rules."

Su Hanze smiled slightly and nodded: "There is one more thing. Keep a close eye on Dongwan's funding chain. I need to know every move that Young Master Jin makes next. Once his funding chain is completely broken, it's time for us to take action."

"I understand. I'll arrange it right away." Ah Liu immediately turned around and left.

A few days later, the atmosphere in the East Bay Casino became increasingly strange. The gaming tables in the hall were still bustling with people, but people familiar with the place could feel that many high rollers had disappeared, and most of those who stayed were small gamblers. More importantly, the service in the casino had obviously declined, and even the champagne in the VIP area had been replaced with cheap brands.

Young Master Jin stood in the VIP room, listening to Zhang Hai's report with a grim face: "Master, now even some old customers are starting to leave. Although those wealthy customers who are willing to buy on credit have come, they have no intention of paying at all."

"Let's give them more chips to play with," Jin Shao said through gritted teeth, "As long as they keep gambling, they will lose everything one day, and then they won't be able to escape."

"But..." Zhang Hai wanted to persuade him, but when he saw Jin Shao's gloomy face, he could only swallow his words.

Just then, a security guard rushed in, looking panicked: "Master, this is bad! Someone from the Financial Management Bureau just came and said they want to thoroughly check our accounts."

Jin Shao's expression suddenly turned ugly: "Why are they investigating me?"

"They said they received a report that someone suspected we were using the casino to transfer funds illegally," the security guard whispered. "They also said that if we don't cooperate, they will directly apply to freeze our financial accounts."

Young Master Jin kicked over the chair next to him and shouted angrily, "Who is it? Who is behind this?"

Zhang Hai whispered, "Master, it's probably Su Hanze. He has been operating in secret recently, spreading rumors to make customers lose confidence in us, and now he has let the people from the Financial Administration target us."

"Su Hanze..." Young Master Jin gritted his teeth as he chanted the name, his eyes filled with hatred. "I will make him pay back tenfold this time!"

"Young Master, what should we do next?" Zhang Hai asked, with obvious panic in his voice.

Young Master Jin took a deep breath and tried to calm himself down: "First stabilize the casino, cut all unnecessary expenses, and concentrate funds to deal with the investigation of the Financial Administration. At the same time, contact Master Qi and ask him to come forward to suppress these people."

"But, Seventh Master has been..." Zhang Hai spoke hesitantly.

"Seventh Master will not sit idly by." Young Master Jin said coldly, "Dongwan is his territory, he will not allow outsiders to interfere. This time, I must hold on!"

In Jin Shao's office, he paced back and forth like a trapped animal. The cigarette in his hand burned to the end, and he came to his senses only when it burned his fingertips. He slammed the cigarette butt into the ashtray and looked up at Zhang Hai.

"Ah Hai! How many days can our current cash flow last?"

Zhang Hai held the account sheet tremblingly: "Master, three days at most. If the Financial Administration Bureau really wants to freeze the account, we won't even be able to pay the salary."

The veins on Young Master Jin's forehead twitched, and he suddenly smiled, but there was a hint of madness in his smile: "What's there to worry about if we can't pay the salaries? As long as the casino is open for another day, we can earn more money! Aren't they here to check the accounts? Well, let's let them check to their heart's content! Transfer the remaining funds to an overseas account and leave an empty shell for them to check!"

Zhang Hai was so shocked that his mouth opened wide: "Master, isn't this too risky? If Master Qi knew..."

"Seventh Master?" Young Master Jin slammed the table. "He doesn't even answer the phone now! If Seventh Master really cared about Dongwan, he should have taken action long ago! Now, it all depends on us!"

After that, he sat down and took a gulp of whiskey, his eyes cold: "Also, contact those high-rollers who buy on credit and tell them that if they don't continue to come to play, we will come to their door to 'collect the debt'." Zhang Hai looked at Jin Shao and moved his lips, but he didn't dare to say anything in the end. He knew that Jin Shao was on the verge of completely losing control.

In the office of Xiwan Theater, Su Hanze sat in a wide chair and listened to the reports from Xiaolong and A Liu.

"Boss, most of the high rollers in the East Bay Casino have left. Recently, some customers even contacted us and wanted to move to West Bay to play." Ah Liu smiled so hard that his teeth were showing. "They are simply sending people to our door!"

Su Hanze did not show any complacency. He tapped the table lightly and said, "Don't rush to accept these people. Most of Mr. Jin's clients are short-term gamblers who are too sensitive to profits. These people will only increase our risks."

"Then... we won't answer it?" Ah Liu was a little confused.

"Yes, but we have to screen them." Su Hanze smiled and said, "We will introduce our membership system. Let these people know that Xiwan is not a place that anyone can enter. Only qualified customers can enjoy high-end services."

Xiaolong's eyes lit up: "I see, Boss, this way, Xiwan's brand image will be taken to a higher level!"

"That's right." Su Hanze nodded. "Also, we need to strengthen our publicity efforts for family customers. We need to let tourists know that West Bay is not only high-end, but also suitable for the whole family to play together. East Bay's reputation is almost ruined now, so we can use 'safety' as a selling point to completely seize the market."

In Qi Ye's mansion, he was leisurely sipping Pu'er tea, while the accountant next to him was reporting the latest situation in Dongwan with a nervous look on his face.

"Seventh Master, Young Master Jin's funding chain is close to breaking, and the Financial Administration Bureau is investigating his accounts. If this continues, not only will the casino in East Bay collapse, but even our other industries will be affected."

The Seventh Master put down his teacup, his eyes cold, "Young Master Jin is really losing his sense of propriety. Does he still think he can cover the world with one hand?"

The accountant hesitated for a moment and whispered, "Seventh Master, how about we take over Dongwan now?"

Qi Ye shook his head and said, "Dongwan is a hot potato right now. If we take over, we can only take over a clean piece of land, not a mess. After the Financial Administration Bureau has taken action, we will come forward to clean up the situation."

The accountant nodded, but still couldn't help asking, "What about Young Master Jin?"

The Seventh Master's eyes were cold: "He has brought this upon himself. When he makes things out of hand, we will decide whether he should stay or go."

At the night market, tourists were happily participating in a "family-friendly" themed event. Children were running around with lanterns, while adults were buying handicrafts at the stalls.

"Mom, the lanterns here are so beautiful!" A little girl with pigtails smiled happily while holding a lantern.

The owner of the snack stand next to him couldn't help but say, "Little boy, not only are the lanterns here beautiful, the food is also delicious. Do you want to try uncle's candied haws?"

The little girl nodded, eating the candied haws while pulling her mother, "Mom, can we come to Xiwan again tomorrow?"

"Okay!" Mom nodded with a smile, "Xiwan is indeed a good place."

On the other side, a stall owner who had just come from Dongwan was sighing with emotion: "It's still better here! There are more customers, the income is stable, and I don't have to look at the faces of people like Jin Shao anymore!"

It was late at night, and the hall of the East Bay Casino was still brightly lit, but there were very few high-rollers. Young Master Jin stood in front of the French window of the VIP room, looking coldly at the gambling table below, his fists clenched tightly.

Zhang Hai pushed the door open and walked in, looking panicked: "Master, this is bad! I just received news that the Financial Administration Bureau has frozen some of our accounts!"

Young Master Jin turned around abruptly and roared, "How dare they!"

"It's true, Master!" Zhang Hai was about to cry, "And... a few high-rollers who bought on credit ran away."

"Escaped?" Jin Shao grabbed Zhang Hai by the collar and shouted, "Can they escape? Send someone to look for them! If you can't find them, go look for their families!"

Zhang Hai nodded, but the expression on his face could no longer conceal the despair.

At this moment, the security guard rushed in: "Master, something bad has happened! A lot of reporters have come to the casino entrance, saying they want to interview us about our funding issues!"

Young Master Jin kicked the chair over and said through gritted teeth, "These bastards! Today, Young Master Jin will let them know what regret is!"

However, when he was about to go out, the phone rang. The name of Qi Ye was displayed on the screen.

Jin Shao's hands trembled slightly, and he took a deep breath and answered the phone: "Seventh Master..."

The voice on the other end of the phone was extremely cold: "Mr. Jin, from today on, Dongwan is no longer your territory. The accountant will take over everything. You have to clean up your own business."

Mr. Jin was stunned and his hand holding the phone dropped.

The news of Jin Shao’s failed gambling spread throughout Hong Kong Island, and East Bay fell completely silent.

His men dispersed one after another, and the gambling tables in the casino were covered with thick cloths. The former East Bay Night Market was now so empty that one could almost hear the sound of the wind echoing between the stalls.

After losing Dongwan's support, Jin Shao seemed to be hollowed out. He huddled in a cheap bar, drinking beer one glass after another, his face pale and his eyes bloodshot, as if he had just endured countless sleepless nights.

On the other side, the lights of Sai Wan are still bright. The victory of the stall owner conference established Su Hanze's reputation and attracted more and more business opportunities.

That morning, Liu pushed open Su Hanze's office door, holding a latest industry report in his hand, with an expression of uncontrollable excitement on his face.

"Boss, the jewelry industry has been doing very well in Hong Kong Island recently, especially the demand for gold jewelry has surged. Didn't you say before that you wanted to expand new business? Now is a good time." Liu put the report on the table, his tone full of expectations.

(End of this chapter)