Hong Kong Storm: The King of Jobs

Chapter 774 (364): Showdown (See you in October!)
After breakfast, Chi Mengli went to Xiren's antique shop to catch up on sleep, and slept until five o'clock in the afternoon before getting up from Xiren's opium couch.

Standing to the side, Xiren offered a cup of warm tea that she had prepared beforehand, to help this meritorious official, who had stayed up all night, to sober up.

The opium couch is extremely inhumane because it is a product of the late Qing Dynasty and has a mortise and tenon structure. Whenever someone lies on it, it creaks and groans.

Chi Mengli considered herself not tall, only 1.75 meters, but lying on this historic opium couch, she couldn't straighten her legs at all and could only curl up.

Even so, he managed to get some sleep and regain his energy.

After waking up, she went to Xiren's private bathroom to wash up, changed into a brand new Armani suit, and left the antique shop.

Xizai was standing by the roadside chatting with Baozhong when he saw the big boss of Baimen come out, so he quickly opened the car door.

"Brother Sheng."

"Boss."

These two forms of address correspond to different identities.

Xizai calls Sheng Ge because they are all disciples of the Water Room, and the incense is placed in Sheng Ge's incense burner, so it is only natural to call him Sheng Ge.

But Bao Zhong has already left the temple and is no longer a disciple of the Water Room. He is just a young man who begs for food with Chi Mengli and Xiren, so he should be called "Old Man".

"leave!"

Chi Mengli didn't get into the car. Instead, she walked up to Bao Zhong, straightened his suit, and said, "Are you kidding me!"

"It's 28 degrees Celsius today, and you're wearing a suit and tie. Do you have to be so stylish?"

"You're so beautiful, it puts a lot of pressure on me!"

Chi Mengli made a joke, then patted Bao Zhong on the shoulder and dusted him off.

"If we're talking about looks, there aren't many people on Kowloon Island who can compare to you, boss. When Fourth Brother came last time, he even told us that he wanted to persuade you to debut as a movie star."

"Brother Guangrong tells everyone he meets that you have the face of a rising star!"

I know the boss was joking, but it would be a real shame not to take this opportunity to flatter him.

Bao Zhong quickly spoke up and flattered Chi Mengli again.

At this moment, Chi Mengli's smile was somewhat ambiguous, but he still nodded in satisfaction and turned to get into the car.

Xizai got into the car, quickly fastened his seatbelt, and glanced at Acong sitting in the passenger seat.

Ah Cong was trimming his nails with a thin-bladed knife when he saw Chi Mengli come up and said coldly, "Unsolicited kindness is either a trick or a theft!"

Sitting in the back seat, Chi Mengli took out a cigarette case, lit one, and blew a smoke ring before speaking: "Brother Acong, you've got it wrong. This bastard isn't being nice for no reason!"

"A sword dance at Hongmen could pardon the Han, but the sinking of the ship at Julu ultimately led to the downfall of the Qin."

"If you're going to plant a spy next to me, you can't choose someone with a sharp mind!"

“I’m a gangster. If all my underlings are smart and capable, I won’t be able to hold onto my position as the leader.”

"But judging from his behavior, he doesn't seem like a cop!"

"Brother A-Cong, you need to put in more effort and do more research. Don't leave me lying in bed, hanging there without knowing why."

After finishing speaking, Chi Mengli put the cigarette in her mouth, turned on the reading light in the car, and picked up today's financial newspaper.

Today's edition of the Hong Kong Economic Journal has begun assessing the Hong Kong stock and property markets.

In Hong Kong, the property market and the stock market are twins, inseparable.

OPEC oil prices have now risen to $23 per barrel, which is a devastating blow to the Hong Kong market.

Hong Kong Electric and CLP have announced that they will adjust commercial and residential electricity prices from HK$0.23 per kilowatt-hour to HK$0.28 per kilowatt-hour.

After the first price adjustment, HK Electric failed to maintain the electricity price, which dropped to HK$0.3 per kilowatt-hour, an increase of about 60% compared to before.

The fundamental reason is quite simple: both HK Electric and CLP Power rely on red oil for electricity, which means they are subsidized by the government.

Hong Kong is now heavily reliant on BP's North Sea oil fields because the mainland no longer has oil refining facilities due to environmental protection concerns.

The oil refining bases have been relocated to Asia, mainly to Singapore and Hong Kong.

Several oil refining bases in Hong Kong are also being relocated, with Singapore as their destination.

However, relocation takes time. Some of the crude oil from the North Sea oil field and the crude oil brought back from the Middle East arrive in Hong Kong, are turned into oilseeds, and then dyed and processed into subsidized red oil.

Electricity is the lifeblood of an industrial city. If the internal organs have problems, they can still hold on and manage, but if the blood stops flowing, the person is doomed immediately.

The investigative report published by the Hong Kong Economic Journal is very relevant because crude oil shipments to Hong Kong have been decreasing since March.

By April, the stock price had already been halved.

This only represents a reduction in the share of crude oil shipped from the Middle East; the share of crude oil shipped from the North Sea oil fields has become zero.

The Grangemouth refinery has already started operating at full capacity, processing crude oil from the North Sea oil fields.

However, the businessmen of the Zu family had no regard for their compatriots or the country. When BP saw OPEC raising prices, it also raised its prices and announced that it would follow suit.

After reading the analysis in the Hong Kong Economic Journal, Chi Mengli knew that the Hong Kong stock and property markets were doomed.

However, this is a good opportunity because Hong Kong people speculate on real estate and land using leverage. I can take this opportunity to acquire properties and land and continue to accumulate funds.

At the same time, they could take advantage of the stock market downturn to acquire shares of several major trading companies as a ballast.

Chi Mengli pressed the button, rolled down the car window, and flicked the cigarette butt out of her mouth.

The Volvo sedan drove directly into the Peninsula Hotel. The doorman saw the license plate and the car's signal and quickly ran to the back door.

There's a proper way to park. Experienced drivers will position the car door, which the boss has locked, so that it faces the gate.

The doorman opened the car door for Chi Mengli. Chi Mengli got out of the car, gave the doorman a red snapper, waited for Ah Cong for a moment, asked Xi Zai to watch the car, and the two walked in side by side.

Geddes is the most famous French restaurant in the Peninsula Hotel, and it opened in 1953.

Chi Mengli, with a cigarette dangling from her lips and her arm around Acong's shoulder, stepped into the elevator. The waiter inside asked for the floor number and pressed the button for the floor where the Jidishi Restaurant was located.

"Brother Sheng, why don't we just get rid of this bastard? Out of sight, out of mind. Even if he's full of bad intentions, he'll have no way to use them."

Ah Cong took out his wallet, pointed out a crab, tossed it to the elevator attendant, and then casually took out his cigarette case and lit a cigarette as well.

"No rush! Let's play around with this bastard for a bit. I need to find out where he came from so I can know who cares about me so much and is concerned about my daily life."

Chi Mengli smiled. A one-time solution wasn't his style. He'd rather keep this little devil by his side and let him eat the dead cat and be the scapegoat at crucial moments.

"Ding dong."

The elevator doors opened, and Chi Mengli and Acong stepped out, preparing to enter the Jidishi Restaurant.

"Gentlemen, do you have a reservation? If not, I'm sorry, the restaurant is booked for the entire day."

"I'm very sorry for the inconvenience!"

The receptionist standing at the counter saw a guest approaching and about to enter the restaurant, and he quickly stepped forward to stop him.

"My surname is Chi, and I have an appointment with Miss Ling."

Chi Mengli hadn't expected that Miss Zero from the Plum Blossom Group would have such a grand presence, booking out the entire Jidishi Restaurant and clearing it out.

The restaurants within the Peninsula Hotel are all well-established and deeply rooted, and booking an entire venue isn't just a matter of money; the hotel and restaurant have to pay for it.

"Chi Sheng, this way please, both of you!"

The waiter had already memorized the names of the guests arriving that evening. He quickly pushed open the crystal door of the Jidishi Restaurant and invited Chi Mengli and Acong into the restaurant.

The usually bustling Geddes restaurant was unusually quiet today, with a female pianist in a formal dress playing Bach's English Suites.

This piece is so famous that even Chi Mengli, who knows nothing about music, knows its name and melody.

Miss Zero, dressed in a velvet evening gown, sat in the center of the restaurant, wearing black-rimmed glasses and flipping through the documents in her hands.

Hearing the clear sound of the copper bell at the door, she raised her head and looked at Chi Mengli and A Cong, who were walking towards her step by step.

When the guest arrived, Ling closed the document in her hand, handed it to her assistant behind her, stood up gracefully, and took the initiative to greet Chi Mengli.

Chi Mengli opened her arms and gave the mysterious Miss Zero a hug, then lightly kissed the gossipy woman's cheek.

"Miss Ling, let me introduce you. This is my good brother, Acong."

"Ah Cong, this is Miss Ling, whom I often mention."

Chi Mengli took the initiative to introduce A Cong to Ling. After watching the two shake hands, the three of them came to the dining table.

Formal French banquets are quite complicated, but none of the three of them liked being constrained, so they each ordered a few of their favorite dishes.

“Chisheng, you invited me here saying you had a big business deal to discuss. I was worried someone might disrupt things, so I cleared out the Jidishi Restaurant.”

“My men have searched the entire Geddes restaurant, and I guarantee no one will disturb our serious conversation. You can speak freely.” “Three bottles of Petrus, from Pomerol.”

Ling closed the wine list, handed it back to the waiter, and then looked at Chi Mengli and Acong, continuing, "I like young wines, not vintage wines."

"Even with the most advanced processing techniques, it's difficult to prevent problems with the cork. For the finest red wines, there's not much difference in taste between new and old."

"Chinese people always say, 'New clothes are worse than old ones, but old friends are worse than new ones!' But I think that new friends who you know well can bring new sources of income."

"Chi Sheng, do you think I'm right?"

Compared to top-tier red wine, Chi Mengli prefers soda. If he had a choice, he would definitely prefer to drink soda with Zero.

Picking up the aperitif in front of him, he said casually, "The market is far away, so the dishes are simple; the wine is just old brew from my poor family."

"My girlfriend always looked down on me for being uncultured, so she would recite a classical Chinese poem in my ear every day, and that's the one I remembered!"

"Our ancestors always drank new wine because it tasted the best!"

“New friends you know well usually have money to be made from, so you can take advantage of them.”

Zero maintained a smile and listened attentively to Chi Mengli's high emotional intelligence conversation. She was in charge of the Plum Blossom Group's Asian business, and the Asian business was inevitably intertwined with the Hong Kong Triads.

Because of his dealings with the Triads, Zero also got to know many underworld figures, members of the Hongmen, and Triad gangsters.

Chi Mengli is different from these people. These people have flames of desire in their eyes. Whether they are refined or barbaric, they do not hide the aggression in their bones.

But the handsome young man in front of them was different from these people; he was more like a stagnant pool of water, a stagnant pool that could drown everyone.

This is a weirdo who can drink and make friends with his father's killer!

The thought suddenly popped into Zero's mind, but she smiled to herself and let the silly idea disappear from her head.

The several exquisite dishes we ordered were served, and because we only needed to serve one table of guests today, the food was served very quickly.

Having slept all day, Chi Mengli's stomach was growling with hunger. He picked up a piece of still-warm pretzel bread and dipped it in the Brie cheese sauce in front of him.

Ah Cong kept staring at Ling, his attitude bordering on offensive, but Ling remained focused on sipping his red wine.

The chef at Geddess Restaurant was very skilled, and all three of them enjoyed their meal.

After the food was finished, the waiter quickly removed the empty plates, served a few more small dishes to accompany the drinks, and then left.

After the female pianist finished playing the English Suite, she stood up and bowed to the only table of guests.

Zero picked up the long wallet on the table, pointed out three large gold bulls, and threw them into the empty plate next to him.

"Chi Sheng, this beautiful lady's hands are almost cramping from playing so much, we still need to express our gratitude."

Upon hearing Ling's words, Chi Mengli also took out her wallet from her suit pocket, pointed out two large gold bull bills, and threw them into the money plate.

Ah Cong continued to leverage his bloodline advantage, maintaining a blank expression, and drew a large golden bull card, tossing it into the plate.

The waiter, who was standing five meters away, saw that the customer had already started tipping, so he went over, picked up the plate, walked up to the female pianist, and whispered something to her.

The female pianist put the silver notes into her small bag, then went to the dining table to express her gratitude.

Chi Mengli, Ling, and Acong all nodded politely, but there was a sense of distance between them.

The female pianist was very perceptive; she knew this was a way of asking them to leave, so she tactfully left.

After a satisfying meal, it was time to discuss business.

"I heard that you found a buyer for the diamond you gave me, Mr. Chi?"

Zero took a sip of red wine, savoring its complex flavors, and then drank it all in one gulp.

Chi Mengli, who doesn't like drinking alcohol, ordered a bottle of Perrier. The Perrier with fresh lemon slices tasted quite good. He coughed and cleared his throat.

"Yes!"

Chi Mengli put down her cup and said calmly, "A big buyer can take all of Miss Ling's fire oil drills."

"I just don't know what Miss Ling means!"

Having a buyer is the best thing ever!
De Beers' entry fee is very high; they charge 20% of the total price of the oil drill.

Only after receiving 20% ​​of the profits will they apply for GIA certification for the batch of oil drills in their possession.

This is an outrageous demand, which Zero certainly cannot accept. As a regional agent, he cannot allow himself to cause losses to the company.

If losses occur, the Plum Group will recall itself to reassess its eligibility to continue serving as the Plum Group's agent in Asia.

An agent is a protective shield, but likewise, this identity is also a death knell.

If Chi Mengli can really help me handle this hot potato of oil drills, maximize the group's profits, and allow me to make a profit as well, it would indeed be a great thing.

"Commodities have no attributes, so I agree to sell them to whomever I want."

"Of course, the price must be right!"

“Prices that are too high or too low are not in the best interests of me and the Plum Blossom Group.”

Zero put down his wine glass and said in a lukewarm tone.

"The price of a commodity depends on the supply and demand relationship, but the supply and demand relationship is sometimes independent of market fluctuations."

Chi Mengli took out a cigarette case and lit one for herself.

A cigarette after a meal is better than being a god.

"There is demand now, but there aren't enough products on the market, so I have the power to set prices."

"Whether you're the buyer or not, you have to listen to me, the middleman."

Chi Mengli exhaled a smoke ring, stared at Zero's face, and said calmly.

After listening to what Chi Mengli, who was sitting opposite him, said, Ling smiled and remained silent, letting Chi Mengli continue to name her price.

"I don't want the money!"

Chi Mengli, true to form, made a startling statement, directly declaring that she did not want cash.

Cash is a burden for gangsters; they can't deposit it in legitimate silver shops, financial companies, or money exchanges because they worry about security.

The gangsters tried to exchange their silver for hard currency, so that they could have the capital to turn their fortunes around in the future.

This was not unexpected for Ling; she remained silent and let Chi Mengli continue playing her cards.

"I need support!"

Chi Mengli flicked some ash into the crystal ashtray on the table and continued, "I always say that a lot of people are watching me lately."

"It seems that quite a few people are interested in the business I'm currently running. I'd like to know who they are."

"Teacher Li said that your Plum Blossom Group is very powerful, so you must know who is secretly watching me."

"I'll get you the oil drill, guaranteed to sell for the highest price on the market. Miss Zero, give me the list!"

"how?"

Chi Mengli crossed her legs, a cigarette dangling from her lips, and smiled faintly.

The smile on that guy's face is irritating!
Because this is the smile of a victor!

But isn't it too early to celebrate now?

Zero picked up his glass, took a small sip, and after a three-second silence, replied, "Lang Wan of Luzon is dead."

"His death was very suspicious; he died silently in his own bathtub."

"The forensic doctor said he suffered cardiac arrest, then passed out in the bathtub and drowned."

“I know Lang Wan, and I’ve dealt with him before. I know that old guy never takes a bath.”

"Without Lang Wan, Luzon's Chinatown would be leaderless and in complete chaos."

"The Plum Group has many investments in Luzon, mainly concentrated in Baguio City, where there are copper mines, and the Plum Group owns 99-year mining rights to several large copper mountains."

“The Hongmen Triads control the highways. If you want to transport copper ore out, you have to go through the private highways controlled by the Hongmen Triads.”

“This week, three of Plum Blossom Group’s super mining trucks have been destroyed. The CEO needs me to play a role in finding the mastermind behind this and making him pay the price.”

"Chi Sheng, I'm waiting for you to sort out this mess."

Zero didn't choose to beat around the bush, but directly confronted Chi Mengli.

(End of this chapter)