Hong Kong Island: From a small stall to a global supplier

"This is the Oriental Daily News."

"My name is Jasper Fletcher, Colonel of the Irish Republican Army. I am responsible for the four shootings that occurred in Hong Kong two days ago on behalf of the Irish Republican Army," the bespectacled man said in a deep voice, then hung up the phone and dialed other newspapers again.

On the other side, the receptionist at Oriental Daily, who was in charge of answering the call, froze on the spot. It took her several seconds to realize what was going on, and she exclaimed in surprise.

The shout drew the attention of many people in the lobby, and they saw the receptionist rushing towards the editor-in-chief's office in a panic.

The door was pushed open with a bang. "Editor-in-chief, editor-in-chief, there was just a phone call. They said it was from the Irish Liberation Organization and that they were in charge of the shooting."

Editor-in-Chief Chu Chongjin looked up at the receptionist who rushed in, his brows gradually furrowing. "Say that again?"

How could the newspaper editor-in-chief, who is the most well-informed, not know the inside story of this matter? Before Shenxian Jin ran away, he told the subordinate gangs to be on high alert. How come an Irish Liberation Organization has suddenly appeared?
After listening to it again, Editor-in-Chief Chu Chongjin asked in a deep voice, "Where did the call come from?"

"It's an international long-distance call, it should be from the UK... I need to check."

"Okay, I understand." After waving the person out, Chu Chongjin sat in the boss's chair and closed his eyes to think.

Although the newspaper editor-in-chief didn't earn much money, he had a high social status, was extremely well-informed, and was well-versed in politics. He quickly realized that someone was trying to shift the blame.

It makes sense, really. The higher-ups probably know what's going on, but they can't catch the culprit and they don't have any evidence. Keeping the case unsolved is bad for everyone's reputation.

If the police can't solve the case, the Hong Kong government, citizens, and the media will all criticize them; it won't look good.

The inability to find the murderer has tarnished Hong Kong's international image, which the Governor's Office has painstakingly cultivated over the years, and it's not a good look.

It's good that the Irish Liberation Organization (ILI) has stepped forward now. They even plotted the assassination of Mountbatten three years ago. They have a big enough reputation and have been responsible for thousands of murders and bombings, including in London. If Hong Kong is included, it will be insignificant.

From another perspective, the fact that Hong Kong is being targeted by the Irish Liberation Organization shows that Hong Kong has considerable influence.

With this fig leaf in place, everything would be peaceful and prosperous.

For the Hong Kong government, the death of a few dozen thugs is a trivial matter.

Does right or wrong matter?
Does the murderer matter?
It's not really important; what's most important is saving face for the Hong Kong government.

From this perspective, it's understandable why the same incident could result in completely different judgments.

With this phone number, the newspapers can publicize it, the Hong Kong government can issue a condemnation, and the police can bring out the Flying Tigers to conduct a few drills, and the matter will be over, and everyone will be happy.

What ordinary citizens see as a catastrophe, the Hong Kong government views as nothing more than fodder for conversation at a banquet.

They can't even catch the real culprit who assassinated the US president. What makes you think the Hong Kong government will pursue them to the end?

After figuring out the key points, Chu Chongjin smiled and shook his head. After thinking for a moment, he picked up the phone and called Zheng Donghan of PolyGram. After chatting for a few minutes, the conversation turned to the phone call he had just received. "I didn't expect it was done by the Irish Liberation Organization. After the newspaper is published tomorrow, the pressure on Wang Yaotang should dissipate."

Zheng Donghan chuckled, "Thank you for speaking up for me, Editor-in-Chief Chu. How about this, once things calm down outside in a few days, I'll invite Wang Yaotang out for a meal?"

"Okay, let's get together in a few days."

Within a short time, Zheng Donghan of PolyGram, Zhang Yaorong of Ocean Paradise, Li Menghui of Finance Company, Lao Song of Red Bean Clothing, and Qiu Dechang of Yaoxing Audio all received phone calls, all from the newspaper.

If I've done something for you, I naturally want to let the other party know.

……

Starting from noon, the New Territories police received a constant stream of dispatch calls. Within about an hour, all available personnel had been mobilized, with operations taking place in Tsuen Wan, Sha Tin, and Tseung Kwan O. Eventually, there was no one left to deploy.

All the available personnel from other police stations in the area had already been deployed, leaving no choice but to request assistance from headquarters. However, headquarters was also short-handed, as its personnel had already been dispatched to the Yau Tsim Mong district, where fighting had already begun several hours earlier.

Of course, Wang Yaotang's men acted quickly and used military tactics, unlike the car crashes and murders in the New Territories. However, the commotion caused in broad daylight was still considerable. The Yau Ma Tei Police Station was on high alert. This is the most prosperous area in Kowloon. If a scene of thousands of people randomly attacking each other in broad daylight were to occur, things would be too ugly.

They were constantly making arrests and handling various cases. At night, they worried that Wang Yaotang's black-clad squad would come out on the streets. They were on tenterhooks all night until the next day when the headlines of major newspapers were all about "Irish Liberation Organization taking responsibility for New Territories shooting." Only then did the Yau Ma Tei Police Station breathe a sigh of relief.

Around 10 a.m., Chief Inspector Queiroz of the Yau Ma Tei Organisation (OCT) arrived at the Union Building and saw Wong Yiu Tong drinking with Ah Kit and Ah Chik as soon as he entered.

"I knew you'd be sent here. Come on, let's have a drink together," Wang Yaotang said with a smile.

Queiroz was stunned for a moment when he saw this. He pointed at Wang Yaotang, but he couldn't say anything he wanted to say.

"come."

Taking a deep breath, Queiroz pulled out a chair and sat down. "I know you're angry that Wu Mingdong is dead, but you've caused such a huge mess that it's difficult for the police to handle."

Wang Yaotang smiled and poured Queiroz a drink. "Don't say that. The police have been watching me. You know that, but I haven't made a single move."

"Don't tell me that what's happening outside has nothing to do with you," Queiroz said with a stern face.

"A life for a life, a debt for a debt—I believe this principle is accepted by both East and West. Their boss was murdered, so they can't just do nothing. Theoretically, the police should be upholding justice and arresting the murderer. But a whole day has passed, and the police have done nothing. So they can only seek revenge in their own way." Wang Yaotang smiled and raised his glass in a gesture of respect.

Queiroz reluctantly raised his glass and clinked it against Wang Yaotang's two companions, taking a small sip.

“Queiroz, the men down here want to avenge their boss. We can’t just stop them, can we?” A-Jie said with a smile. “We haven’t taken any action; that’s already giving the police a lot of face.”

Queiroz's face immediately turned ugly.

"Ah Jie, what are you saying?" Wang Yaotang said in a mock scolding tone, "The police have their difficulties; they don't have evidence."

"The police have difficulties, but do we not? Are we supposed to tell our subordinates that without solid evidence, even if we know who the murderer is, we can't do anything and we have to be law-abiding citizens?" Ah Jie sneered. "Are we the ones who educate citizens? Am I the Governor of Hong Kong?"

“Look at this, look at this.” Wang Yaotang looked at Queiroz. “This kind of person didn’t even graduate from junior high school. He doesn’t understand anything. He doesn’t know how to think about the big picture, and he doesn’t understand the difficulties of the adults.”

"The Hong Kong government only collects a little tax from these commoners, yet they dare to ask the Hong Kong government to do this and that. They are simply ungrateful. These kinds of people should be dragged out and shot."

"The big picture? Whose big picture? What use is it if there's no big picture for me!" Ah Jie grabbed the cup and drank it all in one gulp.

The two brothers took turns teasing Queiroz until he was completely speechless.

“Alright, we’ve known each other for a long time now. Don’t you all know what kind of person Officer Queiroz is? The police’s attitude isn’t something Queiroz can decide on his own. I believe Queiroz is on his friend’s side.” Ajay smiled and raised his hand to smother the conversation. “What’s done is done. We can look at it from a different angle. A bad thing might turn into a good thing, right?”

Even though he knew it was all planned by the three of them, Queiroz still felt much better after hearing what Ajax said.

Queiroz glared at the smiling Wang Yaotang and the stern-faced A-Jie, then picked up his wine glass, took a swig, and suppressed his displeasure before asking, "How did a bad thing turn into a good thing?"

"Oh right, this is the Mark Six lottery ticket you asked me to buy before." Wang Yaotang took a plastic bag out of his pocket and handed it over. "Since you're here, keep it safe. It's not my problem if you lose it."

Queiroz instinctively took it. He didn't remember the winning numbers for this draw, but he knew Wang Yaotang was always very generous, so he couldn't help but smile. His earlier displeasure was swept away by the lottery ticket. "Haha, look, I almost forgot about this. Thanks!"

He casually put the lottery ticket in his pocket, saying, "I am very sorry about what happened to Wu Mingdong."

“I will hold a funeral in a few days,” Wang Yaotang said in a deep voice.

Queiroz lowered his head and thought for a moment, then said, "Okay, I'll go."

This isn't the first time that police have attended the funerals of powerful figures in the underworld; the lines between the police and criminals, good and evil, aren't always so clear.

"You all know about my promise to my men that whoever takes over the place will be the boss," Wang Yaotang said with a smile, pouring Queiroz another drink.

"I know, but I never expected you to go to such lengths. The people on the streets of the New Territories are bloodthirsty. By 9 a.m., the police had responded to 126 calls in the New Territories, arrested over 700 people, and killed more than 30, with even more injured. The vast majority of the deaths and injuries occurred before 8 p.m. The people at the soft drink factory were completely scattered." Queiroz still felt lingering fear when he spoke of it. They were also afraid last night. Tsuen Wan, Sha Tin, and Tseung Kwan O are sparsely populated, so the chaos there wouldn't have a significant impact. But if it all concentrated in Yau Tsim Mong…

Even the Yau Ma Tei Police Station couldn't imagine it.

"So, the soda factory is finished." Wang Yaotang said with a smile as he raised his glass.

These words struck Queiroz like a chord, and he immediately understood Wang Yaotang's meaning: "You have evidence?"

“A lot of documents and accounts have been sent up. All you’re missing now is witnesses. Nobody dared to testify before because they were afraid of being stabbed in the back afterward. But now that the soda factory is gone, they should be afraid of the police.” Wang Yaotang said with a smile, “When you leave later, take all those materials with you. I don’t need to do anything else, right?”

Queiroz laughed heartily, "Your Majesty, thank you very much!"

Police don't arrest people based on who strikes first... they arrest whoever loses, because the winners all run away.

So now that a large number of spies from the soda factory have been arrested, the focus is on physical evidence. As long as Wang Yaotang adds fuel to the fire and burns down the soda factory, Queiroz will have a way to get those people to confess.

After finishing his drink and taking the suitcase of evidence given to him by Wang Yaotang, Queiroz left in a cheerful mood, until he returned to the Yau Ma Tei Police Station, where James called him into his office...

"What did Wang Yaotang say?"

what--

Queiroz suddenly remembered the task assigned by the director: to have Wang Yaotang quell the chaos on the street as soon as possible.

"What's going on? Tell me!" James frowned.

"I've brought back a large amount of evidence of crimes committed by the soft drink factory. This time, I'm very confident that I can completely wipe out the triad-affiliated soft drink factory in the Yau Tsim Mong district!" Quiroth shouted.

James took off his hat and scratched his head to make sure he hadn't misheard.

So you didn't get any guarantees at all?
Are you sure you can take down the soda factory?

"I'm sure!" Queiroz said, forcing himself to speak.

"Could it be that Wang Yaotang's forces will replace them?" James asked, squinting.

Queiroz turned and closed the door before clearing his throat and saying, “Sir, we all know that even if one force is eliminated, a new one will emerge. There is always a shadow under the sun. So why can’t we let Wang Yaotang’s forces occupy the control area of ​​the soda factory? In all the statistics we have in the past two years, the number of cases reported in Wang Yaotang’s control area is far lower than in other areas. This data is the best in any city in the world.”

"Moreover, he has just established a security company, and things will only get better from here on out. I agree with one of Cabel's statements: Hong Kong's security cannot rely solely on the police. The police force is limited and should be deployed to where it is more needed. The security company is under the supervision of the police and is an important supplementary force to the police."

James smiled and raised an eyebrow. "So, Queiroz, how much the hell did you take from Wang Yaotang?!"

"Cough cough cough..." Queiroz didn't expect James to be so direct.

“Tell him I’ve invited him to play golf this weekend,” James said with a faint smile.

"Okay, sir, I'll go out and do my work now."

"Go."

In the past, if Wang Yaotang paid James too little, James wouldn't want to get his hands dirty; if he paid too much, Wang Yaotang wouldn't be willing to spend the money.

But these days are different!
As Wang Yaotang's harm to society grew, he became more willing to accept money, even if it was less.

Ordinary people, even if they risk their lives, can cause very limited harm to society. Such people are easily brought down by the slightest storm, and taking their money is likely to backfire.

But if it were a cucumber, a small decision made for personal gain could cause enormous harm to Hong Kong society. However, such people are extremely resilient to risks. Even if the Hong Kong government knows that it has been tricked by him, it will just have to swallow its pride and not touch him. Taking money from such people is actually beneficial to one's career.

……

On the other side, after Queiroz left, Wang Yaotang called Sha Ze over and changed the glutinous rice wine, as he still preferred to drink this.

Ah Jie stopped sitting in the chair, pulled over a sofa, and lay down like Ge You. "We've almost swept up the small and medium-sized factories of the Yau Tsim Mong Soft Drink Factory. The guys down there have their eyes on a dozen or so big factories. They don't dare to ask you directly, so they asked Big Cat to ask me what to say?"

"Heh, if they have the means, they can go and fight." Wang Yaotang laughed, took out a cigarette case, tossed one to the two men, lit it himself, and took a deep drag. "Old She and Ma Jiaopei are scared out of their wits. They just got wind of it, and the guy is hiding at the Peninsula Hotel. I bet they won't dare to open their shop."

"Damn, what kind of cowards are these?" Ah Jie sat up, looking surprised.

As he said this, Wang Yaotang sneered, "Otherwise, if those few bastards had been decisive enough yesterday and gathered their men together, the four gangs could have mobilized at least 8000 thugs. With such hot-blooded gangsters gathered in Yau Tsim Mong, the Hong Kong government would have had to step in to mediate the conflict."

"But they don't dare. The men below were completely scattered overnight, and that's without us even lifting a finger. If the leader is so cowardly, how can the underlings dare to fight us? If they don't hide now, they're afraid of being betrayed by their own people and coming to me to claim credit."

"From this point of view, Prince Rong is indeed worthy of being a second-generation gangster. He has the courage to lead the Single Ear Alliance."

Ah-Ji and Ah-Jie chuckled. Most of those who had opposed them in the past two years had died, but Prince Rong was still alive and well, which showed how formidable he was.

“They’ve taken refuge at the Peninsula Hotel, so it’s difficult for us to make a move now.” Aji frowned.

Wang Yaotang stroked his chin, his expression not good either. He extremely disliked the Kadoorie family, but not only was that family rich, but their network of connections was spread all over Hong Kong Island, and their power was deeply rooted.

Oil Stains is not the kind of place where everyone is a businessman and everyone is educated, as advertised. The Oil Stains gang has a lot of influence in North and South America, and they are the ones who love to use assassination in business competition!
During the Russo-Japanese War, Yakovsky, a wealthy American, raised $2000 million in loans for the Japanese. In order to attract more capital to support the war of aggression, the Japanese launched the "Pufferfish Plan," which aimed to establish an autonomous region in Northeast China. Although the plan failed, it did attract a large amount of capital.

Because they owed money to the oil stains, the Japanese treated them well during the war. When Hong Kong was occupied by the Japanese, they didn't touch the Peninsula Hotel, the oil stains' stronghold. During that period, Kadoorie made a lot of connections in Southeast Asia.

"Send three squads over there to block the front and back gates. Make it clear what's going on." After thinking it over, Wang Yaotang suppressed his urge to go in and kill.

The main problem is that without a Tier 3 identity card, you can't even get in!

Those red-haired Indians can tell at a glance whether someone has a high social status or not. It's a kind of mystical ability, an ancestral skill. The words 'caste system' are etched on their blood plates.

"Shall we proceed as planned on the island tonight?" Aji asked.

"Well, we've taken over 160 venues at once. Theoretically, we're already stuffed. The police had a large-scale operation during the day, so the people at the soda factories on this island should be relieved now." Wang Yaotang said with a laugh, "The lower-ups all know how to use military tactics now, hehe. In Yau Tsim Mong, we crippled them, leaving them with nothing. Now that we're on this island, we'll change our tactics and launch a decapitation strike!"

Wang Yaotang counted on his fingers that the soft drink factory had nine branches on the island, located in Central, Wan Chai, Causeway Bay, Happy Valley, North Point, Quarry Bay, Shau Kei Wan, Chai Wan, and Aberdeen.

The area around Central is the most prosperous, including Admiralty, Central, Sheung Wan, and Sai Ying Pun. However, this area is a financial district and a government district, leaving little room for triads to make money. Wang Yaotang also looked down on loan sharks, money laundering, and high-class prostitution, so he excluded them.

Quarry Bay, Shau Kei Wan, Chai Wan, and Aberdeen are the locations of several triads, which are considered residential and industrial areas. The places here mainly operate gambling dens, horse racing, loan sharking, human resources, or small to medium-sized entertainment venues. They are definitely much better than places like Tsuen Wan and Sha Tin, but Wang Yaotang doesn't think much of them.

Tonight's target is four prime locations: Wan Chai, Causeway Bay, Happy Valley, and North Point!
"I'll take some men!" Ah Jie suddenly sat up, his face full of excitement.

"Go to hell! What kind of status do you have that you'd go and get into fights? Not only would you get hurt, but what would you say if the police caught you?" Wang Yaotang said irritably.

"Then all my training in Italy was for nothing!" A-Jie slammed his hand on the sofa. "You wouldn't let me go when I went to catch Da Niu and the others the other day. All my skills have no use!"

“I…” Wang Yaotang took a deep breath, “Fine, you go and take Big Cat and the others there. You’re not allowed to get out of the car yourself, you can only give orders.”

"That works too!" A-Jie clenched his fist and twisted it excitedly.

Wang Yaotang couldn't bear to watch any longer. He shook his head, stood up, and said, "I'm leaving."

"Hey, where are you going?" Ah Jie called out.

"Go and poach some talent from the police!" (End of Chapter)