Hong Kong Storm: The King of Jobs

Chapter 372, page 149: Exceeding the budget was all an accident.
Upon entering the factory, Brother Leg did not immediately move forward. Instead, he closed his eyes and waited for three or four seconds before slowly opening them.

A dozen or so Osram HQI-TS metal halide lamps are emitting a light similar to that of sunlight.

Looking up at the dozen or so small suns on the ceiling, Brother Leg marveled at his boss's wealth and power. He'd heard that only cleanroom precision manufacturing workshops in Europe and America would buy and use these kinds of lights.

A lamp priced at three thousand pounds is something even the Governor's Mansion on Victoria Peak probably couldn't afford.

Once his eyes adjusted to the brightness inside the factory, Leg Bro quickly lowered his head and walked inside. There were several operators in white protective suits adjusting the machines. Two industrial-grade exhaust and dehumidification air conditioners were running at high speed, expelling toxic and harmful gases from the factory.

The gas contains many harmful chemical raw materials, and the sea turtles on the nearby beach have been continuously contributing to the reproduction of their species.

Three diesel generators are used to supply the factory with electricity as much as possible.

Just maintaining this small island factory requires 1,000 liters of standard red oil every day. Recently, the red oil from Xinji has been unreliable, containing at least 10% water and alcohol, even though they have added special anticoagulants.

It seems I need to find a new seller of red oil. I've heard that the red oil from the "Xiaozi" brand is pretty good, and Ma Jiaozai can also get compliant red oil.

However, all of this will happen next March. After these three days, the factory will stop production, and all the unused red oil will be destroyed.

Although selling five or six tons of red oil on the black market or to boat captains could fetch at least tens of thousands of dollars, the boss was afraid that if he sold it a few times, he would be spotted by plainclothes customs officers, so he ordered it all to be burned.

What a waste to burn such a pile of hard-earned silver!

Walking along the refining tank, we arrived at a sterile laboratory separated by transparent plastic sheeting.

A man in a denim suit was standing in front of the laboratory. When he saw Leg Bro arrive, he didn't say anything, but just nodded as a greeting, and then stared straight at Leg Bro.

Leg Brother knows the rules! He quickly spread his arms, just like Jesus on the cross, to accept the inspection.

The man in the denim jacket is called Ah Fei. He's the boss's bodyguard, his closest confidant. The other guys all say Ah Fei and the boss are having an affair, but if you ask Brother Leg, that's absolutely impossible. The boss's eyes are devoid of any warmth; he looks at everyone as if they're dead, and Ah Fei is no exception.

Every time the boss stared at him, he would get goosebumps all over his body, which made him very uncomfortable.

Ah Fei reached out and began to check Leg Brother, not relaxing for a moment. He checked both the places that should be checked and the places that shouldn't be checked. After confirming that he wasn't carrying a weapon, Ah Fei pointed in the direction of the Dustless Laboratory and told Leg Brother to follow.

Following behind Ah Fei, Leg Bro entered the sterile laboratory, where a petite figure sat in Herman Miller's executive chair. She was wearing a white lab coat, had her legs crossed, and was holding a notebook filled with chemical data.

"Second Uncle, I'm back!"

Despite the petite stature of the person in the boss's chair, Leg Bro remained humble and respectfully bowed his head to greet him.

The two old men!?
The petite woman in the chair frowned, tossed the notebook in her hand onto the desk, and said with a smile, "The name 'Second Boss' is interesting, but I don't like it."

“You can call me Professor, but since there are several other professors on our team, you can call me Professor K for easier distinction.”

"The goods have all been delivered to the warehouse?"

This was the first time the boss had talked to him so much. Hearing that Professor K was in a good mood, Leg Bro quickly nodded and said, "Everything is done! As you said, Professor K, we selected nine warehouses this time."

“They’re all from the North. Even if the cops investigate, they won’t be able to find any leads on this line, just like the Annan girls before.”

"Hey!"

"Everything is created by the mind! The realm of hell is a manifestation of the three poisons of greed, anger, and ignorance! Only by cultivating boundless compassion and universal empathy can one truly break through the gates of hell and open the path to enlightenment!"

"By helping these warehouses end their suffering and conclude their calamities in this life, I have performed a great act of merit!"

"The thoughts and intentions of all sentient beings in Jambudvipa are nothing but sins!"

This hypocritical and quackery, if a Buddhist master well-versed in Buddhist teachings were to pass by, would surely smash Professor K's head with his all-copper Zen staff.

But Leg Bro didn't even finish elementary school. Although he felt that everything Professor K said was a bit strange, it was not something a rough guy like him could understand. All he could do was nod in agreement and give it a double thumbs up!

Professor K knew she was talking to a brick wall, so she opened a drawer, took out a dozen stacks of already bundled golden bulls, and placed them on the table.

"According to the rules, if the warehouse doesn't return to Malan, the Malan boss will cause trouble for the middleman. This is a fee for the middleman to smooth things over."

We needed the goods urgently during this period, so we used two groups of Northern women. If we had followed the plan, we should have only used Annamese women. We couldn't communicate with them because of their language barrier, and even if we went to the police, we wouldn't be able to get through to them.

Besides, these people have no criminal record, so neither the smugglers nor the Malan boss will cause trouble.

But the situation is different for the Northern Girls. Even if money is given to bribe them, it will eventually become a ticking time bomb. If someone with a purpose investigates, they will definitely be able to find some clues. Everyone understands the principle that a thousand-mile dike can be breached by an ant hole, but no one can handle it well.

If you want a smuggler, the Malan bosses either have to step forward and cause trouble or they have to pay you enough money.

But this increases costs significantly!

Professor K's greatest aversion was budget overruns, because budget overruns meant that unexpected events were about to occur.

Leg Bro stood still, nodded, and said, "The water room has a good reputation. Even if something happens, the water room will take the blame first, and they won't be able to find us."

“However, we’ve cooperated too many times, and I think it’s time to change the crew! Including the ship captain. The ship captain we used this time doubled the freight price before I disembarked. I think we should change the ship next time, or we can buy a ship ourselves.”

"Buy a larger cargo ship, modify it, and sail on the high seas. I guarantee no one will cause trouble."

Professor K listened to Leg Bro's advice and continued to take out banknotes. The island was not safe, and the high seas were even more unsafe.

Da Tian Er rarely went to the island, after all, their numbers were not large, and there were firearms in the camp, so Da Tian Er did not dare to confront them head-on.

But things are different on the high seas. Three top-tier gangsters dare to hijack a merchant ship. There are gangs on land and top-tier gangsters and ship guilds at sea. Only the island is slightly safer and has the ability to protect itself.

"We'll talk about that later. Tonight's shipment is for the 'filial piety' pile, a total of three tons. Are the trucks on shore ready?"

Professor K only spoke again after all the banknotes in the drawer had been taken out and laid out on the desk.

This was a matter of utmost importance, so Leg Bro quickly replied, "Professor K, everything is ready. The three special chemical raw material transport vehicles—the professor has prepared all the necessary paperwork. Even if the police investigate, they won't find anything wrong." "Excellent!"

"At night, have the fishmonger clean the warehouse, but do it discreetly, so no one can see it. After all, it's disgusting."

"This is the money for the middleman to settle things with the smugglers and the human traffickers. It's 20,000 yuan per person. Tell the middleman that the person will run away as soon as they get ashore, and you can help report it to the authorities!"

"Twenty thousand yuan per person is enough to shut these losers up!"

"Three days later, the red oil will be destroyed, the factory will be sealed up, and the fishmonger will guard the island. Leave him more supplies, and leave him more red oil too, because it's cold on the island and they need red oil to keep warm."

"We need to use the remaining warehouse from last time, plus these nine warehouses, to transport these 6,000 kilograms of pork to Japan, Seoul, Taiwan, and Australia."

"This is the brothers' salary. The New Year is coming soon, so everyone got an extra five Golden Bull bonuses."

Professor K divided the banknotes in his hand into several portions, each portion being earmarked for a specific purpose.

"Professor K, the shipping cost has doubled next time, now it's 100,000 yuan per trip. I'm afraid this guy will turn against me, so I'm agreeing to it now. Should I get rid of him, or pay him?"

After wiping his neck, Leg Bro asked Professor K for his opinion.

"In the last three days, don't cause any trouble. If you're going to die, die on land, not at sea."

People can't die at sea because the maritime radio system will continue the route, and the captain will write a nautical log. Once this log falls into the hands of the police, they can cooperate with the marine police to find the island.

Although one cannot stay on a small island for too long, the sewage has not yet attracted the attention of the people on the shore. They can endure it for one day at a time, and it will not be too late to move to another place when large numbers of dead fish appear on the sea surface, just like before.

Professor K agreed to take action, but disagreed with taking action tomorrow and with taking action at sea, since there were still tons of pork that had not been transported out yet. They would discuss it after the cargo shipment was completed.

"Is there anything else?"

Professor K, who had been working all morning, was already a bit tired. She gave an exaggerated yawn and subtly asked the guest to leave.

Having been in the underworld for so many years, Brother Leg still had some discernment. He quickly shook his head and said with a smile, "Professor K, you are the reincarnation of the legendary Zhuge Liang. Our little schemes have nowhere to hide in your eyes."

"Knowing that you like to eat crabs, I specially prepared some three-eyed crabs. None of them have red oil on them, they are very big, and they have a lot of meat. I have already asked the kitchen to clean them. Stir-fry them with scallions, ginger, and garlic in seasoned oil, and I guarantee they will be so delicious that they will make your tongue tingle."

"I'll head down now! Professor K, you're busy!"

This is the art of language. This cage of three-eyed crabs was given to Brother Leg by the boatman with the beard. Brother Leg had then gotten a favor from Big Bull and then flattered Professor K.

This isn't about cooking a fish two ways; it's about selling a crab three times over!
It’s really high!

Leg Bro carefully put the banknotes on the table into his pocket in batches to make sure he didn't make a mistake.

Professor K also stood up, walked to the cabinet, took out 100,000 yuan and a bottle of Remy Martin from the safe, and handed them to Leg Brother: "Thank you for the three-eyed crab. I've been really craving this lately. Thank you so much!"

"Good food deserves good wine. This is some good wine I bought in France. Take a taste!"

"Thank you!"

"Thank you!"

Legs, holding the banknotes and the wine, bid farewell to Professor K. He was very happy, eating three-eyed crab and drinking Remy Martin. Good luck naturally came to him, but he didn't notice that Professor K's eyes were colder than usual.

P.S.: I had dinner with my former boss today. He has a very strong background; he's from a compound in the inner city of Beijing. He's in his fifties or sixties, went to Hong Kong to study in the 1970s, attended the same church university as Ah Xian, and then earned his PhD from the University of Chicago.

He worked at McKinsey, was a VP at Goldman Sachs, and now works with Huang, the famous Leather Jacket Huang. He manages an investment company for Huang and serves as its CEO. He can be considered a darling of the times.

When my old boss came to Northeast China, I, as his lackey, naturally had to go and greet him. As the saying goes, "South Dongguan, North Changchun," my old boss was very easygoing and never turned anyone away.

Alcohol is a poison that burns through the intestines, and lust is a steel knife that scrapes the bones; under the influence of these two, the floodgates of conversation are opened.

After a few drinks, the old leader spoke up, revealing the purpose of his trip: to come to the Northeast to discuss patent cooperation with these large research institutes, specifically patents and technologies that were about to become obsolete.

Using data that you experts can understand, let's say the performance of a 2080 is such that if a factory were built in Northeast China, Leather Jacket Huang wouldn't contribute a single penny; the research institute would fund the optimization, and then it would be sold to car manufacturers.

The majority of the shares are from leather jackets, and the patent transfer fees, even around the Qingming Festival, still feel a bit excessive.

Simply put, Huang granted patents to leather jacket manufacturers and then extracted billions of dollars from these large research institutes and universities.

Ah Xian knew his old boss's background. After listening to him, Ah Xian was momentarily delirious, thinking that his old boss's father had been resurrected from Babaoshan Cemetery, won the final qualifying round of his life, and become one of the seven kings.

But with her drunken father, her unfortunate mother, her gambling brother, and her broken heart constantly pushing her, she immediately sobered up.

This business requires extraordinary connections to succeed, especially since government offices are now aiming for the top eight and striving for the top ten.

The old leader traveled all over the area north of the Yangtze River, inside and outside Shanhaiguan, and even with his household registration book in hand and spending over ten thousand yuan on travel expenses, he still couldn't get it done.

Even her former boss, who had a smooth and successful life, would often have tears in his eyes and his hands constantly moving when talking about his difficulties, allowing her, who was also heartbroken, to feel the surge of his emotions.

While eating the "Resurrection Dumpling Soup" at Zhuangyuan Pavilion, the old leader released the pent-up emotions in his heart and body, opened his heart, and decided to resign as soon as he returned to Shanghai, ending this journey that almost caused him to have a cerebral hemorrhage.

However, the lords of Beijing are much more shrewd than a night owl like me from outside the Great Wall. They pack their bags, plan to find a 211 university to pursue a career in government, and wait until retirement age to collect more pension benefits.

Ah Xian doesn't have that ability, so I can only write for you big shots while hiccuping from drinking.

While typing and thinking, Ah Xian came to a conclusion: when it comes to doing business, neither the underworld nor the legitimate world is as effective as the legitimate world.

Chan Ho-nam of Causeway Bay, who scrapes the land three times a day, still doesn't make as much money as the little ideas of Leather Jacket Hwang.

It's true what they say, comparing people is a recipe for disaster, comparing goods is a recipe for disaster!

For the sake of your scalp, go to sleep!
(End of this chapter)