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

For Lü Zhihe, the most important issue at present is to get these technicians back to work. He cannot afford the losses from a three-day work stoppage. Whether it is the contracts signed with those construction companies or the land reclamation project, cutting off supplies means breach of contract. Although he can get away with it by saving face, it will undoubtedly damage his business reputation.

So, after packing his things, he prepared to personally visit those technical engineers to persuade them and ensure their safety was not threatened. He believed that after so many years in the industry, he still had that much influence.

Of course, he wouldn't ignore the matter of Yaoming Building Materials. Gu Yuanbin went to the Public Works Bureau to inquire about Yaoming Building Materials. If it really was Wang Yaotang...

This is indeed a bit difficult. The methods he used to dominate the stone industry are unlikely to work on Wang Yaotang. He might just have to experience the same fate that those opponents he once crushed might suffer.

He ran around from morning till night, persuading half of the people to come back to work. The other half also agreed to come to work tomorrow, but Boss Lü insisted on having someone escort them to and from get off work. He couldn't risk his life just to make money for Boss Lü.

Boss Lü readily agreed, even though he knew that such protection was just psychological comfort and that his men couldn't stop the other party from doing anything they really wanted to do.

He had used this tactic on his opponents before, or to put it another way, in mining operations anywhere in the world, force is the foundation of everything.

What kind of mine can't be opened?
It was past 9 p.m. when he left the last engineer's house. After talking all day, Mr. Lü's lips were chapped. He hurried back to the company, where Gu Yuanbin was waiting for him.

After gulping down a large pot of tea, Boss Lü forced himself to sit on the sofa, determined not to show any weakness in front of his subordinates. "So? Have you found out everything?"

“Wang Yaotang is not the registered owner of Yaoming Building Materials, but I used my connections to check the shareholding structure. Wang Yaotang is the major shareholder, holding 65% of the shares. The rest are held by his brothers,” Gu Yuanbin said, pursing his lips.

Boss Lü's face immediately darkened; this was the worst news.

Seeing that his boss remained silent for a long time, Gu Yuanbin asked softly, "Boss, what should we do?"

"What? Are you scared?" Boss Lü looked up and smiled at him.

"No, how could that be?" Gu Yuanbin quickly shook his head.

“I admit that Wang Yaotang is very powerful. He just swallowed up the soft drink factory and became one of the four new big names in Hong Kong. But are ‘Yi On’, ‘Tiao Lin’, and ‘Sing Wo’ not powerful?” Boss Lu snorted. “30 years ago, stone mining was controlled by various gangs. But now, the person who controls the Hong Kong stone market is me, Lu Zhihe.”

"What's the use of just fighting and killing? Doing business requires using your brain. Do you really think that stone mining is so simple, just setting off blasts to blow up mountains and then hammering and chiseling?"

"Are you kidding me? Those guys were all driven bankrupt by my pressure, and in the end they still sold the mining rights to me!"

"Don't worry, he wants to compete with us, so let's give it a try and see how it ends."

Gu Yuanbin nodded repeatedly, his face full of admiration, and recounted the glorious moments when Lü Zhihe gradually acquired other mines over the years.

Neither of them mentioned Wang Yaotang's nickname, "Little God of Wealth."

After boosting morale, Lü Zhihe took another sip of tea. "In that case, we shouldn't underestimate Wang Yaotang. He must have some impressive qualities to rise to prominence in such a short time. Go and inquire about him tomorrow to see if he has any other plans in the stone market."

After thinking for a moment, Lu Zhihe said, "I heard that the mines in Fanling seem to have changed hands. You can check the situation there."

"Okay, boss." Gu Yuanbin nodded in agreement. "If there's nothing else, I'll head back now."

"Go."

After the person left, Lü Zhihe slumped on the sofa to rest for a while, but as soon as he closed his eyes, Wang Yaotang's name kept flashing through his mind, making him unable to calm down.

Hong Kong's stone market is only so big. After Lui Chi-wo founded K Wah in 55 and won the mining rights to his first mine, he spent 15 years taking over almost all the mines except for Shek O and Lamma Island, which were retained by the British Hong Kong government. He looked down on mines like Fanling because of their relatively small production volume.

After making a name for himself in the Hong Kong quarry market, Lui Che-woo then turned his attention to the real estate market. In 62, he built his first residential building, and in 74, he built Parkview Garden, pioneering the early housing estate-style villas in Hong Kong.

After that, Lui Chi-wo found that there were too many competitors in the real estate industry, so he turned to the hotel industry. In 78, he spent HK$6800 million to win the bid for the land at 70 Mody Road, Tsim Sha Tsui East. He cooperated with the internationally renowned Holiday Inn brand and introduced a franchise management system to build the 'Holiday Inn Harbour View Hotel'. Last year, after opening in 81, it became a famous five-star hotel with its superior location, high-quality facilities and services.

Currently, Lui Chi-wo has shifted most of his focus to the hotel industry. However, considering the uncertain future prospects of Hong Kong, the withdrawal of capital, economic recession and other factors, he has set his sights on the west coast of North America, establishing Stanford Hospitality Holdings and preparing to build its first hotel in North America in Los Angeles.

It was only when the Hong Kong British government suddenly released the Shek O mine and planned to auction off the Lamma Island mine that he turned his attention back to it.

The stone industry is not only the business he started in, but also the foundation of his family. His great influence in Hong Kong is not because of the "Holiday Inn" or the few villa communities he developed, but because he monopolizes 50% of the stone market in Hong Kong. His ideas can cause stone prices to fluctuate.

Everyone knows that the richest people in Hong Kong are real estate developers, and even these most powerful people have to give Lui Chi-wo face!

After a while, he stood up and called out, "Yuanjie, Yuanjie."

The office door opened, and a man with a short haircut and a missing ear walked in. "Brother Lü, you called me."

Yuan Jie started working for Lü Zhihe at the age of 20, rising from a henchman to the captain of the security team. Every stone quarry bears the blood of his men, and he is Lü Zhihe's most trusted person.

“I remember Chu Kwok-wah from Shek O was shot and killed by the Sheng Yi gang. Have someone find out what the Sheng Yi gang is up to, but try not to alert them.”

"Okay." Seeing that the boss didn't speak again, Yuan Jie thought for a moment and said in a low voice, "Boss, should I prepare a few more people..."

Lu Zhihe suddenly turned his head, his fierce gaze fixed on Yuan Jie, "Who gave you the guts!"

"Do you think he's one of those poor, arrogant miners, or that he's one of those short mules from before? He's only more skilled at these tactics than we are. Don't use your weaknesses to challenge someone else's strengths!"

"I'm sorry, boss." Yuan Jie lowered his head.

Lu Zhihe took a deep breath and his tone softened. "I haven't paid attention to things in the martial arts world for a long time. Find out more about it this time and come back to tell me. Okay, that's all."

"Okay, boss." Yuan Jie took two steps back and then turned to leave.

Preparing manpower... Lu Zhihe lay on the sofa with a furrowed brow. He didn't want to do this unless absolutely necessary.

As mentioned earlier, Wang Yaotang is not like those miners. Many people want to kill him, but why doesn't anyone do it?
On the one hand, he was always surrounded by about 20 elite security guards, making it impossible for ordinary people to get close to him. On the other hand, even if those who were rich and powerful actually killed Wang Yaotang, they were afraid of being retaliated against by his brothers.

However, preparation is key to success, and lack of preparation leads to failure. It's never a bad thing to be prepared. He's spent most of the last few months in the United States, and he's seen for himself that Americans aren't as virtuous as the propaganda portrays them. There are many people with strong moral character among them...

The next morning, Lü Zhihe arrived at Jia Hua on time. After personally confirming that all the engineers were on duty, he immediately arranged other tasks.

A fake business war: Both sides scheme and plot, leveraging supply chains and capital chains to compete for sales channels.

Real-world business battles: physical fights in parks, car crashes, the theft of company seals, and the fierce competition among numerous group-buying organizations...

Lu Zhihe believed that if threatening and intimidating the technical engineers failed, Wang Yaotang would resort to other means, and they had to be prepared to deal with it.

"Yuan Bin, you go to the Anderson Quarry in person and keep an eye on things. Deal with any problems immediately, and call me right away if you can't handle them."

"Okay, boss. What about the other mines?" Gu Yuanbin asked softly.

“I will arrange other things to go, you don’t need to worry.”

Should we call the police?

Lu Zhihe simply waved his hand, saying that if calling the police were effective, he wouldn't have become the quarry tycoon.

On the first day, nothing happened, but Lü Zhihe did not let his guard down.

Nothing happened the next day either.

Day three...

With a loud crash, a speeding truck veered off the road and crashed into a concrete utility pole. The enormous impact caused the passenger side of the truck to cave in, and the concrete utility pole, bearing tons of damage, collapsed suddenly. Under the immense pulling force, the power lines were bent more than two meters down. The tilted concrete utility pole swayed precariously, and one could almost hear the wires creaking and snapping.

Wearing a construction helmet and covering his face with his hands, the driver struggled to lift his head from the steering wheel, coughed painfully, and sprayed blood and foam onto the steering wheel, clearly suffering from internal injuries.

After catching his breath and clearing his head, he picked up the bottle next to him and gulped down half of it, then poured the rest onto the car. He unbuckled his seatbelt, jumped out of the car, and staggered for more than ten meters before collapsing to the ground.

Seven or eight minutes later, the wire could no longer withstand the tension and snapped with a 'bang'.

At the Anderson Mine, a kilometer away, the crushers and ore drying machines suddenly stopped running with a rumble, and the conveyor belts extending from the mine also came to a halt with a clattering sound.

Gu Yuanbin immediately called Lü Zhihe, saying that there was no need to arrange for someone to check the lines; it was right to suspect that Wang Yaotang was behind it.

Police responded to the call and found the wrecked truck and the driver lying on the ground on the way.

Lui Chi-wo rushed over to take a look, exchanged a few pleasantries with the Kowloon police chief, and then left. The interrogation results would definitely be that the accident was caused by drunkenness, and the insurance company would certainly refuse to pay. In the end, the only outcome would be to go through the process and sue the driver who caused the accident, but it would be useless, as they couldn't afford to pay that much money.

The losses suffered by Jia Hua during the line repairs went unaddressed; that was an unexpected incident.

As for the losses suffered by others on this power line... they don't even deserve to be recorded.

In business warfare, it's the same principle as unplugging the power cord in a server room. The difference is that Hong Kong is a society governed by the rule of law, where everything requires evidence. The police simply won't bother Wang Yaotang until it can be proven that he instigated the incident. From this perspective, insisting on evidence and procedural justice in everything isn't necessarily a good thing.

Stone quarries are major power consumers, and production is impossible without electricity. However, Lü Zhihe was somewhat prepared for this situation and contacted an emergency power generator as soon as possible. Although this would increase costs beyond the threshold, now was not the time to consider costs.

However, the crusher and ore drying machine should be inspected first, as a sudden power outage can cause great damage to the machines.

In the factory's office area, Gu Yuanbin looked at Lü Zhihe with a heavy expression. "Mr. Lü, should I go and talk to Wang Yaotang?"

Of course, he knew he wasn't qualified; he was just reminding his boss.

“It’s pointless to talk now.” Lui Chi-wo stood at the window, looking at the distant mine. After acquiring the mining rights to Hong Kong’s largest stone mine in 64, this was K Wah’s most core asset. “Would MacArthur agree to negotiations before the North launched its major counter-offensive in the Korean War?”

"Did the US military negotiate before withdrawing from the Vietnam War?"

"What's the point of negotiation if we don't have countermeasures? Who's going to negotiate with you unless I'm prepared to surrender?"

“But… this can’t go on forever. Even if the circuit is repaired, he can still sabotage it. We can’t just keep people guarding it all the way, and we can’t keep up with that.” Gu Yuanbin asked, frowning.

"First, we need to let him know that a broken circuit won't disrupt our production. These are all methods I've used before. Let him use them as he pleases and see if I can handle them." Lü Zhihe turned around, his face regaining its confidence, and waved his hand with an air of authority. "This isn't just for Wang Yaotang; it's for the Hong Kong construction companies!"

“Our stone quarries supply half of Hong Kong’s market. K. Wah has been deliberately targeted and sabotaged, and there is a risk of production stoppage at any time. The market will react first, and stone prices will start to rise today.”

"Moreover, if we cut off the supply, those construction sites and land reclamation projects will also face the risk of stopping work. Have you calculated how much money we will lose every day?"

"So all we need to do is weather Wang Yaotang's first three attacks, and then someone will come after him without us even having to say a word!"

"Besides, there's still the Hong Kong British government. If someone deliberately disrupts the market and public works, they can't just do nothing."

"I've said it before, doing business isn't something you can do by fighting and killing. It's not like fighting for territory or opening a nightclub. It's all interconnected. Those brainless mules can't understand this. Otherwise, they would have become one of the four great families long ago."

Gu Yuanbin was stunned by what he was told, and the anxious look on his face disappeared in an instant. At this moment, in his eyes, Boss Lü, who was leaning against the window, was shining.

No wonder he became a quarry tycoon while I could only be a general manager.

After sending Gu Yuanbin out to appease the people at the mine, Lü Zhihe sat in his boss's chair, his brows furrowed deeply. If only everything were as simple as he described.

Several phone calls were made, inviting him out for lunch, dinner, and late-night snacks. Wang Yaotang is no nobody; he can't be dealt with just by someone saying a few words.

They received triple pay, and the engineers hired from the manufacturer worked overtime until noon the next day to repair several machines. As for the power supply line... they still had to wait. However, with an emergency generator truck, the mine was able to barely resume operations.

Before Lui Chi-wo could even breathe a sigh of relief, news came from the Lam Tei Stone Quarry in Tuen Mun that its power lines had also been cut off...

"Bang!" Lu Zhihe smashed the teapot in his hand to pieces with a grim expression.

……

"Good afternoon, Mr. Wang Yaotang." A middle-aged man with slicked-back hair smiled and extended his hand. "Let me introduce myself, I am Ji Junqing from the Electrical and Mechanical Engineering Department."

"Hello, Mr. Ji, please have a seat here. Would you like something to drink?" Wang Yaotang smiled and shook hands with the other party.

After tea was served, both sides knew what the other wanted to say, but they still exchanged pleasantries as usual.

"Mr. Wang, have you heard about the car accidents that happened to Anderson and Lam Tei-shek in Tuen Mun, which caused power outages?" Ji Junqing asked with a smile.

"No, when did this happen?" Wang Yaotang asked with a surprised look.

“These past two days, the power outage has caused a lot of trouble. Many factories have stopped operating, and nearby residents have also lost water and electricity, resulting in significant losses,” Ji Junqing said with a helpless expression. “Local residents and business people have approached the Hong Kong government, and the government is in a difficult position.”

Wang Yaotang picked up his teacup, took a sip, and then slowly said, "I remember that the power supply, line construction and maintenance on Hong Kong Island are the business of CLP Power and Hong Kong Electric, right? The Hong Kong government is not responsible for this."

“They are indeed in charge. The two companies suspect that someone deliberately damaged the circuit and have reported it to the police. The police are investigating. Our Electrical and Mechanical Services Department also has supervisory responsibilities, and we have been held accountable by our superiors.”

“If someone deliberately caused damage, then investigate. I believe the police won’t find that difficult,” Wang Yaotang said with a smile.

“Mr. Wang, everyone is eating in Hong Kong Island. It’s difficult for us to do this.” Ji Junqing’s face turned cold.

"In what capacity did Mr. Ji say this?" Wang Yaotang asked expressionlessly.

Ji Junqing's expression stiffened, and after a brief silence, he said, "Of course it's the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department."

Wang Yaotang nodded. "My answer is simple. When the Hong Kong government deliberately set up obstacles for me on the southern Kowloon Walled City site, they didn't consider whether it would be difficult for me. The price difference is more than HK$100 million. Do you know how much you can do with HK$100 million?"

"That's the Land Administration Department's business."

"They are all under the Public Works Bureau, or rather, they are all Hong Kong government agencies; there is no difference."

"Does Wang Sheng really show absolutely no mercy?"

"Who do you represent to question me like this!" Wang Yaotang pointed at Ji Junqing.

"CLP Holdings, Kadoorie!"

"Then let Michael Kadoorie talk to me. Who do you think you are to talk to me like that!"

The line maintenance cost no more than 10, a problem that a manager in the CLP Power maintenance department could solve. How could such a thing possibly reach the ears of the Kadoorie family?

"You!" Ji Junqing stood up abruptly, his face ashen as he looked over, but after meeting Wang Yaotang's cold gaze, he subconsciously looked away. "I, I just brought a message."

“This is between Lü Zhihe and me. You Tai Lao should just quietly make his money and stop trying to interfere,” Wang Yaotang said coldly.

“I… okay.” Ji Junqing lowered his head.

"Don't let me find out you're talking nonsense here. Losing a few won't affect the operation of the Hong Kong government and no one will care."

"I understand." Ji Junqing forced a smile, took two steps back, and walked out.

After leaving the Youlian Building, Ji Junqing wiped the sweat from his brow. He had to make that guy surnamed Lü compensate him; damn it, that was too dangerous!
……

When Lü Zhihe released the news, the stone market surged. However, this did not affect the builders who had signed supply contracts early on. Instead, many middlemen in the stone business suffered both profits and losses as a result.

Several people who suffered significant losses wanted to speak out, but they couldn't even see Awei or Four-Eyes before being turned away by their subordinates, let alone Wang Yaotang.

The subordinates also learned Wang Yaotang's style of doing things, and directly said that if they could do it, they could do it, and if they couldn't, they could die. Even the most insignificant people dared to speak up!

After receiving Ji Junqing's reply, Lü Zhihe cursed the damned head of the Land Administration Department, but it was to no avail. Wang Yaotang's disregard for the Hong Kong government and his attempt to use the Kadoorie family's influence were exposed. The small suppliers were of no use, and the major construction companies simply ignored them...

He can't just take the beating without fighting back. He's not incapable of using tactics like cutting off water and electricity, threatening employees, and physically cutting off supplies.

That very night, Yuan Jie led his men to blow up the power substation of the building where the videotape burning factory was located. This was something that couldn't be repaired in a short time, so he rented all the emergency power generation vehicles on Hong Kong Island, forcing the factory to shut down.

Upon receiving the message in the morning, Four-Eyes immediately went to Wang Yaotang. "The Yaoguang Power problem must be resolved immediately. We have orders worth 10 billion from Southeast Asia, Japan, and South Korea. Every day's production output has been calculated. If this continues, we will definitely default on the contract!"

I'm not afraid that these underworld forces will use the contract to pursue me for breach of contract and impose penalties, but it would be very embarrassing for me.

"If there's no electricity, we can generate our own. We can buy a few diesel generators."

"The power is out, and the elevator is out of service too."

"Then let people carry it. A living person won't die from holding their pee. If ten people aren't enough, then twenty will do. Don't worry about what the building management says, just make sure production is maintained first," Wang Yaotang said irritably.

"That... is fine, but it would be best to find a new place to produce later. Before, when the quantity was small, it was fine to produce in the building, but now that we have nearly ten million in orders a year, we can't operate in the building."

"Go to Kwun Tong, go to Tseung Kwan O, go to Chai Wan, these are all our territory. If that doesn't work, we can go to Tuen Mun West. There's the Castle Peak Power Station right next door, so why worry about insufficient power supply!"

“Lu Zhihe won’t give in so easily. I reckon he’ll target us again later.” The four-eyed guy said in a deep voice, “Nightclubs, clothing stores, music stores, over three hundred stores. There are too many places to target.”

Just as he finished speaking, the phone rang next to him, startling the bespectacled guy. "Holy crap, did I guess right?"

"What a jinx!" (End of Chapter)