Hong Kong Storm: The King of Jobs

Chapter 702, Section 292: Letter paper is more reliable (Seeking monthly votes)

(Double monthly votes this month, Ah Xian is begging for votes!)
There weren't many cars in the underground parking lot. Chi Mengli, with a cigarette in her mouth and her car keys dangling from her finger, arrived at her designated parking space.

I didn't check the almanac before going out today! And I actually ran into a jinx!

Chi Mengli saw several thugs in black suits standing next to her Chevrolet Corvette C3 sports car.

"Chi Sheng, my boss wants to see you."

"This way, please!"

A tall, fat man walked up to Chi Mengli and spoke very politely.

They were just being polite on the surface. These guys in suits all had bulging waists; they were either short-haired or had weapons.

Having exhausted all his strength on the sea, Chi Mengli really didn't want to fight, so he could only let the fat man lead the way.

"Brother Sheng, it's been a long time!"

After turning a corner, Chi Mengli saw the ultimate jinx, Mai Tou, who was radiating bad luck.

When Mai Tou saw that Chi Mengli had arrived, he pretended to be excited, raising his hands above his head and waving them around as if he were watching a concert.

"Damn it! You scared me half to death!"

"Brother Mai, I last saw you at Wen Sheng's funeral. I thought you had died young. I didn't expect you to still be alive?"

"People who are shameless will not be punished by heaven!"

Chi Mengli put the car keys in her pocket, stubbed out her cigarette on the bodyguard leading the way, and sighed sincerely.

"Murderers and arsonists wear golden belts, while those who repair bridges and roads leave no trace of their bodies."

Mai Tou waved his hand, dismissing the bodyguard with an angry expression, and walked up to Chi Mengli, offering his answer.

"Brother Sheng, you've been in this business for so long, you don't need to ask for favors for every little thing in this world, do you?"

"funny!"

"How's your thinking about the collaboration I mentioned last time? Our Nanmen Group really appreciates talent."

"Once we reach a cooperation agreement, from now on, your business is Nanmen Group's business. We'll be brothers in our hearts! Your business is my business."

Mai Tou took out his cigarette case, pulled out two cigars, lit one, and handed it to Chi Mengli.

"Brothers are in our hearts, but when I call, the phone is always busy!"

Chi Mengli doesn't like smoking cigars; she always feels the taste is strange and her mouth feels bitter.

An olive branch can be grafted, but not without any benefit.

"My boss was killed by Song Sheng. If I don't seek revenge, I might as well not be able to survive in the underworld."

"Once you're on my little sampan, the bow faces outwards, and the blade faces outwards."

“Aren’t you afraid that your master will find out you’re a traitor and use you as a sacrifice?”

Chi Mengli made her stance clear; whether Mai Tou followed suit or not was none of her business.

Mai Tou didn't say anything. He touched his right glove with his left hand. The glove was very expensive and was made from the skin of a three-month-old lion cub.

Even the most expensive gloves can't hide the little finger that's been lost.

The old man didn't say a word, but sent a fax saying he wanted to soak the tip of his little finger in liquor.

Having no other choice, Mai Tou could only down a whole bottle of the strongest vodka and then have his henchman chop off his little finger.

The messenger sent by the old man stood by and watched until Mai Tou's henchmen had taken care of everything.

He then threw the severed little finger into formalin and took it back to Song Sheng for inspection.

My own curiosity caused me to lose my most useless little finger.

"Tsk tsk tsk, I see a weakling."

"I heard recently that Mr. Song is pregnant, and it's a boy!"

"Mr. Mai, do you know why the 'Wo' triad is the most powerful in Hong Kong?"

Chi Mengli took out his cigarette case, lit a Double Happiness cigarette, put it in his mouth, took a deep drag, and blew the smoke through his nostrils onto Mai Tou's face.

"In the underworld of Hong Kong, the oldest is the Fook family, the most ruthless is the Wo Luen Shing family, and the most lucrative are your Shui Fong family."

"The Wo Kee Group is very powerful because it has 36 different characters, which means 36 chairmen, and each one of them is quite capable."

"More people, more territory; more territory, more ways to make money! Brother Sheng, you're a gangster, you don't need me, a shady character, to explain this to you, do you?"

"What do you want to say? Don't beat around the bush, just say it!"

Mai Tou knew that Handsome Sheng's words had a hidden meaning, so he told him not to beat around the bush and to just say what he meant.

"The twelve imperial uncles of Wo Hop Toh will discuss everything. The head of Wo Luen Shing will be chosen every two years. The other branches of Wo Kee are all similar."

“Song Sheng has a son, which clearly means he wants to pass the family business down to his son. It’s only natural for a father to pass the family business down to his son. But while family assets can be passed down, can a group be passed down?”

“A criminal syndicate with billions of US dollars a year controls Asia’s most important sea route. Whether it’s fame or fortune, Mr. Song will not let go of it. He will definitely pass it on to his son.”

"In addition, I also know that Song Sheng is sick, with lung cancer! Once a person gets cancer, they definitely won't live for more than a few years. Mai Tou, you need to think more about yourself!"

Teacher Li also gave herself a copy of Song Sheng's lung cancer X-ray.

But after reading it, Chi Mengli knew it was a setup, designed to trick Song Sheng.

There are very few old scoundrels left in the world who can pull off this kind of trick; they are all big names with names and identities.

The trick wasn't sophisticated, but it was effective. Song Sheng had to use a very clever method to clarify things, both to prove he was alright and to give a warning to some of his unruly henchmen.

It’s difficult!
Even if Song Sheng proves that he is physically unharmed, it will still sow seeds of doubt in the minds of his henchmen.

As you get older, you definitely need to think about what will happen to you after you die!

That's really rubbing salt in the wound! As soon as Mai Tou heard what Liang Zai Sheng had to say, he felt the broken end of his right little finger start hurting again.

"This invitation will definitely work; you should seriously consider it."

"My boss really likes you. He says you're a talented person and wants to create a new way for you to make money."

Chi Mengli didn't believe that she could make Mai Tou harbor wolfish ambitions and become a traitor with just a few words.

Shenxianjin is right. Winning people over is not something that can be done overnight, but after a few back and forth, people will unknowingly get on board.

"I like making a living; when you're out in the world, it's all about making a living."

"Brother Sheng, I'm new here, is there anything I can do to help?"

Mai Tou came to confront Liang Zai Sheng to discuss a collaboration, but the collaboration with Wo Luen Shing has completely fallen through.

Black Tiger and the Wen family, one died, and the other retired from the underworld, no longer concerning themselves with matters of the martial arts world.

His own losses were significant, and he could only use half of Professor J's blue blood in his possession to settle the debt and make up for the losses on paper.

He's gotten past the hurdle with Nanmen Group, but he needs to find new partners and reopen channels.

"It's not a matter of special treatment, the water room just needs a batch of shark fins, Tianjiu shark fins."

"You transport the goods to Hong Kong, and I'll take care of the rest."

Chi Mengli told them her order details, then randomly picked a luxury car, braced herself with her hand, and jumped in.

"I have Tianjiu Wings, but I only have fresh ones, not processed ones."

“Brother Sheng, I know you’re familiar with the seafood business. We can cooperate. There’s no profit in fresh seafood, only in dried seafood.”

"I'll provide the goods, you make the dried goods, and then sell them through the water store's channels. I guarantee it'll be a huge hit!"

"One person benefits while two people benefit, so we'll split the profits 40/60. Brother Sheng, you get 60%, and I'll take 40%!"

Mai Tou had long wanted to find someone to cooperate with for deep processing, but now even Tianjiu Wings can only sell for 1,800 yuan per kilogram.

It sounds good, but you have to smooth things over at every stage along the way. Once you get to Hong Kong, the profit is pitifully small.

Seafood vendors in Hong Kong are now offering a new twist: premium shark fin soup, but at a low price of only HK$760.

Hong Kong is the world's shark fin center, consuming 80% of the world's shark fin production annually.

But the foreigners aren't innocent either, because 90% of the world's shark fin suppliers come from Spain, Portugal, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom.

Of course, these are all publicly known shark fin suppliers, but the shark fins supplied by these four companies are all cheap.

Moreover, Hong Kong doesn't even need the shark fins from these four companies; what it needs is the shark meat from these four countries.

This kind of low-quality shark fin can only be sold for 99 yuan a bowl, and the profit is so-so.

Hong Kong needs a huge amount of shark meat. The fried fish balls in curry fish balls are made with shark meat. Hong Kong people consume more than 20 tons of fish balls every day.

White fish roe, supplied by food stalls, is made with mackerel filling, but a small amount of shark meat is also added.

Eating from one end to the other along a single route is the most taboo thing in the seafood business, especially since each seafood shop has its own unique methods.

Major restaurants only recognize specialized seafood vendors; even if you give them away for free, they won't accept them if you change your signboard.

If a customer finds sand in the Tianjiu Wings that costs 999 yuan, they'll definitely flip your table.

Good news doesn't travel far, but bad news travels fast. If our regular customers find out, they definitely won't patronize our business anymore.

Ingredients are the most important, the chef's skills are second, and the ambiance is third.

"Calling you an idiot is absolutely right! What's wrong with you? Do you want to open a seafood restaurant and compete directly with these bosses?" "Crazy!"

Chi Mengli was also amused by Mai Tou. He cursed, threw his cigarette butt on the ground, and said, "Customs declaration, waybill, I'll handle it."

"But you're an idiot who doesn't do things properly, so you need to pay a deposit of three million!"

"Nothing less than this number, no discussion!"

"Three thousand kilograms of Tianjiu wings, two thousand kilograms of top-grade golden hook wings, and five thousand kilograms of shark meat."

"Let's weigh you first!"

"You keep talking about Nanmen Group all the time, let's see how capable you really are!"

Practice makes perfect, so be careful when working together for the first time to skim profits.

A deposit of three million is very reasonable! If Mai Tou isn't sincere, then there's no need to continue negotiating.

"Tianjiu shark fin costs 2,000 yuan per kilogram, top-grade golden hook shark fin costs 1,000 yuan per kilogram, and shark meat costs 3 yuan per kilogram."

"Six million, two million... fifteen thousand!"

"It's eight million in total. I'll give you the shark meat for free, Brother Sheng. After all, it's our first time working together, so I have to give you a discount!"

Mai Tou took out a calculator and started typing away, quickly arriving at the number eight million.

This guy is really trying to be a sucker!

Chi Mengli jumped off the front of the car, snatched the calculator from Mai Tou's hand, and entered 1,500 yuan into it.

"Two thousand yuan a kilogram, I'd rather just buy the legal stuff, why bother arguing with you here."

"Tianjiu shark fin costs 1,500 yuan per kilogram, and top-grade golden hook shark fin costs 700 yuan per kilogram. Since you're offering to give me shark meat for free, I'll gladly accept your offer."

"1,500 yuan per kilogram, multiplied by 3,000 kilograms, is 4.5 million."

"Seven hundred yuan per kilogram, multiplied by two thousand kilograms, that's one million four hundred thousand."

"Free shark meat!"

"Five million and nine hundred thousand!"

"According to the rules of the underworld, I'll round it up to 20%, which is 1.2 million. I'll deduct it directly from the deposit."

"When the three million is delivered to my branch, then we can continue our discussion."

After Chi Mengli finished calculating the accounts, she threw the calculator at Mai Tou and told him the specific numbers.

"A deposit of three million, and a commission of one million two hundred thousand, no problem!"

Asking for exorbitant prices, haggling on the spot, deducting money from the bill, and catching a thief across the street.

This is how business is done; those who are disgusted are the real buyers.

If the handsome guy handles all the paperwork, there's still a profit margin in this kind of price negotiation, around 15%.

But we can't let Handsome Winner lead us by the nose; we need to have countermeasures.

Mai Tou bent down to pick up the calculator from the ground and wiped the dust off the calculator with his gloves.

"I don't believe you, and you don't believe me either, which is normal."

"Why would you trust me? I don't even trust myself. Smart people only believe in money!"

"Legitimate businesses buy insurance, but we street thugs can't afford it. Please send a messenger!"

Hong Kong also has messenger families that offer underworld insurance services, but without compensation; instead, they use a simpler method.

Whoever breaches the contract will be eliminated!

Blood for blood, tooth for tooth—that's the way of heaven and earth!

Betting your life on it!

That's one way!
Mai Tou nodded, indicating that the method was feasible.

But he quickly realized that most of the messenger families in Hong Kong were members of the Hongmen, and even if their bones were broken, their tendons were still connected.

"I'll choose the messenger family!"

There are hundreds of families in Asia that act as messengers, all of whom are willing to sacrifice their wives, children, and elderly parents to complete their missions.

Grandpa died, Dad took over; Dad passed away, the kid took over.

A family that has built its reputation with their lives over a dozen generations will never allow it to be tarnished.

"You come looking for me, so you have to pay the bills."

"Alright! The business is done. Tell those bastards around you to get lost."

Chi Mengli was annoyed whenever she saw Mai Tou, that unlucky guy, so she waved her hand and told him to take his henchmen and get lost.

After closing a big deal, Mak was very satisfied. He nodded to his men and let Handsome Sing leave.

He took out his keys, opened the door of the Chevrolet sports car, got in, started the engine, pressed the clutch, turned the steering wheel, and drove straight out of the underground parking lot.

Since it wasn't rush hour yet and the streets were clear, Chi Mengli quickly arrived at Kowloon Island.

Yau Ma Tei was still very lively. We drove straight to the entrance of Hei Yan's antique shop.

The antique shop is hanging up its signboard, a signboard made of rosewood, which is slowly rising and hanging in an auspicious position.

Hong Kong people value feng shui and timing. When a shop opens, they not only have to perform dragon and lion dances, but also invite a feng shui master to calculate the auspicious time.

Not a minute more, not a second less; it has to be just right.

Xi Ren specializes in ancient books and has put in a lot of effort in this area, so she changed the name of her antique shop to Jigu Pavilion, intending to specialize in the sale of ancient books and texts from now on.

Chi Mengli parked her car on the side of the road. The valet in the parking lot saw that the boss had returned and quickly went up to greet him before parking the car at the entrance of the Mahjong parlor.

The workers and feng shui master were at work, and not wanting to disturb them, he went straight into the antique shop.

The signboard had been changed, but the interior remained largely the same. Xiren was standing in front of the counter, fiddling with an abacus, when she heard the copper bell on the door frame ring, and she quickly looked up.

"I thought you weren't coming back tonight!"

"Ice water?"

Xi Ren first picked up a pen and made a note in the ledger, then walked out from behind the counter and asked Chi Mengli what she would like to drink.

"Longjing tea, please!"

"The new signboard is nice, the color is just right."

After drinking ice water all day, Chi Mengli really couldn't drink anymore, so she decided to have some hot tea to warm her stomach.

Xiren nodded and told her younger sister to brew a pot of pre-Qingming Longjing tea that she had just bought from Zhongying Street, and to take out a few steaming egg tarts that she had just bought.

"This time we have received fifteen top-quality items. We have already spoken with experts from the Hongmen headquarters, and they will be loaded onto the ship tonight. The deposit has already been received."

"Following the old rules, we went to exchange the contaminated rice."

"The price of dirty rice has recently increased, from five to one to six to one."

Xiren brought the account book and placed it on the tea table next to Chi Mengli for the master to review.

"Not bad!"

For an antique shop, a turnover of over 300,000 is already quite good.

Antique shops operate on a membership system; they may not open for three years, but once they do, they'll make a living for three years. They never cater to walk-in customers.

It was during the late Qing Dynasty and early Republic of China that China experienced a great upheaval unprecedented in three thousand years, which led to countless fine goods flowing into the hands of the people.

But in the last two or three decades, the world has changed back, and the antique business has returned to its proper course.

"The procedures must be legal. The Commercial Crime Bureau will be watching us closely. We need to hire a foreign lawyer. Monochord is my business, so don't use her."

“Once she gets involved in the antique shop, even a fool would know that this business is going to be won by my handsome guy.”

"There are some things you should never admit, no matter what!"

There are too many tricks to the antique business; most of them are declared to customs as handicrafts.

Although Renekton is about to be promoted and leave, Ge Wei and Liu Wenfeng are still there.

Shui Fang and Chi Mengli jointly donated three million dollars in cash to Ge Wei's wife's charity foundation so that Ge Wei's wife could use it to improve the living environment of seabirds.

However, if I'm not mistaken, Gervais's wife won't use those three million to save endangered seabirds.

Instead, they would donate money to the wife of the provincial governor to save her husband's precarious future.

Ge Wei is currently working on a green channel system, which allows any type of cargo listed in the documents to be exempt from inspection and directly loaded onto the ship, but requires a guarantee from the freight logistics company.

Registering a shipping logistics company in Hong Kong only requires a stamp duty of 2,000 yuan, a handling fee of 500 yuan, and a printing fee of 100 yuan.

Because it is a free port, the review process for shipping logistics companies is very simple.

After all, hundreds of container ships weighing tens of thousands of tons wait to unload their cargo at Tsing Yi Pier every day.

At the other end of the blue-green line, there are hundreds of container ships with a capacity of tens of thousands of tons, waiting to be loaded by gantry cranes.

(End of this chapter)