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

Looking at Luo Xinghan's smiling face, Wang Yaotang was very curious about how this guy had the nerve to ask such a question. Shameless.

“Selling it won’t help. You can’t get it up and running. The navy is a technical branch of the military. It takes years to train even one person. You can’t even recruit enough people, let alone the supporting ports, docks, and maintenance. Can you even repair the radar if it breaks down?” Wang Yaotang said with a smile.

"Alright." Luo Xinghan sighed with some regret.

"As for weaponry, a full set of Type 56 equipment, including semi-automatic rifles, submachine guns, light machine guns, heavy machine guns, anti-aircraft machine guns, mortars, and afternoon main guns..."

"The full set of equipment for an infantry brigade, right?" Wang Yaotang interrupted with a smile and a wave of his hand.

“Yes, I also want the 107mm rocket launcher!” Luo Xinghan said emphatically.

Wang Yaotang had learned his lesson about this old man's shamelessness. No wonder he was able to sell out the Yang family and escape back. He probably had the heart to protect the interests of the Han people, but he had more ulterior motives in his mind.

It just goes to show how complicated people really are.

"How about the Type 66 152mm howitzer? It has a range of 17 kilometers and is a true weapon of mass destruction. Having it in your hands will immediately put the military on edge all day!" Wang Yaotang said with a smile.

"Yes!" Luo Xinghan slapped his thigh hard.

Wang Yaotang scoffed, "Do you want aircraft? Y-5, a modified platform that can be converted into ground attack aircraft, bombers, and transport aircraft."

"Yes!" Luo Xinghan seemed oblivious to the sarcasm in his words.

Wang Yaotang gave a thumbs up, and Luo Xinghan burst into laughter, saying that if he had any shame, he would have died at the hands of the military more than ten years ago.

“I can sell you 107mm and 152mm howitzers. I can sell a lot of things, all kinds of machinery, vehicles, fuel, and technology. But I have some requirements,” Wang Yaotang said in a deep voice.

“Please speak,” Luo Xinghan said, his eyes burning with enthusiasm.

"The funds must be clean. I don't care what you do internally, but there must be a recognized company, and the transactions must be settled in US dollars."

"can."

“I require you to build Chinese language schools in the controlled areas according to the population ratio, and the number of teachers and students must meet the standards to promote Han culture.”

"This..." The group looked at each other, not expecting that Wang Yaotang, a businessman, would make such a request.

Luo Xinghan's eyes flickered. He thought that if Wang Yaotang could get a warship, then the rumors that he had connections with his hometown were not just rumors. It was not surprising that he would make such a request.

"can."

“You better listen to me.” Wang Yaotang looked sharply at Luo Xinghan. “I will arrange for someone to investigate. If you try to fool me, you will not be able to bear the consequences. I will not care about saving face.”

"Don't worry about that." Luo Xinghan laughed. "Do you think we just want to grow opium? Who doesn't want to make money cleanly? The problem is where the money comes from. Without money, how can we buy weapons and support the army? Without guns, the military government can arrest us all tomorrow, and the Chinese will completely disappear from the land of Burma."

"Bending over and planting opium in the fields will never improve your situation in this lifetime, but the military government is developing. If you continue like this, you're just delaying your annihilation." Wang Yaotang sneered, "You're talking to me about difficulties, but can you even talk to the military government about difficulties?"

"Don't tell me that fisheries and agriculture can't be developed. If you can grow poppies, you can grow potatoes."

“This won’t sell for money. How can we buy weapons without money?” Luo Xinghan’s lips twitched.

"Timber!" Wang Yaotang had actually researched the situation there a few days ago out of curiosity. "The Salween River and the Moi River flow downstream, and it can be transported by boat or by rafting along the river."

"In addition, Shan State has a lot of mineral resources. Its gemstone reserves are among the best in the world. Silver, tin and copper mines can all be sold for money once they are developed."

“Southeast Asian Chinese businessmen are not very willing to do business with us.” Luo Xinghan rubbed his hands, somewhat embarrassed.

Wang Yaotang beckoned someone to bring him a map of Myanmar, then pointed to 'Tachileik' and asked, "Who controls this small village right now?"

"Zhang Qifu has it under control."

"What's his relationship with you?" Wang Yaotang asked with a smile.

“This…” Luo Xinghan’s expression was a little stiff. The other people in the meeting had strange expressions, and they simply turned their heads away to suppress their laughter.

This brings us to his dark past.

Luo Xinghan, Peng Jiasheng, and Zhang Qifu were all classmates at the Kokang Military Academy. Luo and Peng were in the same class, while Khun Sa was in the class one year later.

In the 60s, after Luo Xinghan sold out the Yang family, he surrendered to the Burmese government. In 65, Peng Jiasheng established the Kokang Revolutionary Army to resist the Burmese government. Luo Xinghan, as a military agent, repeatedly besieged Peng's forces. In 1968, Peng Jiasheng defected to the Burmese Communist Party and, with the help of the Burmese Communist Party, defeated Luo Xinghan and the military, thereby gaining control of Kokang.

In the early stages of the conflict between Lo Hsing Han and Khun Sa, Lo held the upper hand, but the turning point came in the Opium War of 67.

Under the planning of his chief of staff Zhang Suquan, Khun Sa ambushed Lo Hsing Han's drug-smuggling caravan on the Thai-Myanmar border, seizing opium worth millions of dollars. He used this as capital to establish a refining plant, and his power expanded rapidly. At this time, the two sides were evenly matched. However, in 73, Lo Hsing Han was arrested and imprisoned, and Khun Sa was completely at a disadvantage from then on.

Now Zhang Qifu is the only one in power, controlling 70% of the production in the Golden Triangle. He has an army of over 10,000 men, known as the "Mong-Thai Army," and is pursuing "Shan State independence." This is no longer something that Luo Xinghan and his "Shan State Revolutionary Army" can challenge.

Zhang Qifu and Peng Jiasheng had a limited cooperative relationship. Zhang Qifu allowed Peng's goods to cross the border through Tachileik without paying taxes because they were both fighting against the Burmese army.

Of course, the relationship between Luo and Peng is quite complex, and it cannot be simply judged as right or wrong.

Wang Yaotang looked at Luo Xinghan with some amusement. This guy was a fence-sitter among the Burmese Chinese. On the one hand, he cooperated with the Burmese army, and on the other hand, he secretly tripped them up. Or you could say that he was a sophisticated egoist who was unwilling to give up his Chinese identity. He was quite a contradictory person.

Peng is a staunch advocate of self-discipline among Chinese people.

Zhang Qifu was an independence advocate.

However, looking at the fates of the three, Luo Xinghan had the most comfortable life, while Zhang Qifu suffered the most, being imprisoned until his death, which is quite... ironic.

“Alright, our cooperation needs to proceed step by step.” Wang Yaotang smiled and put down the map. “After all, we don’t have much trust between us yet. We can talk about the future later. As for the arms, there’s no problem with normal infantry equipment. As for the 107mm rocket launchers and large-caliber howitzers, we can put them on hold for now. The transaction will be settled in US dollars. How does that sound?”

"Fine." Luo Xinghan's smile held a hint of frustration.

Good news: The negotiation results were better than expected.

Bad news: Wang Yaotang's plan to make multiple bets and act as an intermediary to leverage the situation has been completely thwarted.

The mixed feelings made Luo Xinghan very uncomfortable.

In terms of military strength alone, Luo Xinghan felt that he was no less capable than the man surnamed Wang. He had several thousand men under his command, and within the controlled area, he was like an emperor, with his word carrying immense weight. However, in reality, things were quite different outside.

The man surnamed Wang was acting legitimately, and his hometown was backing him up; he didn't even have a chance to argue back.

Even a local tyrant is still an emperor!

suffocated.

That evening, the Burmese group was treated to a good meal at a nightclub, and then the rest of the time was left to their own devices. 'Tiao Lin', 'Yi An', and 'Sheng Wo' were each given a grand reception, followed by the major gangsters of Hong Kong Island, and only then could other underworld forces be treated.

Despite his passive stance during negotiations with Wang Yaotang, Luo Xinghan is extremely famous in Hong Kong and throughout Southeast Asia.

The goods in Hong Kong all come from the Golden Triangle. Although Luo Xinghan's power is not as great as Zhang Qifu's now, his annual shipment volume is not small, which is enough to make him a guest of honor for these underworld forces.

However, none of this has anything to do with Wang Yaotang.

The underworld forces in Hong Kong have to be mindful of Luo Xinghan's wishes, but Luo Xinghan has to be mindful of Wang Yaotang's wishes. The Siamese police might not be able to handle their shipping teams, but Wang Yaotang can!

……

"Brother Yao, what are you really thinking?" A-Jie asked, puzzled. "Are you really going to get involved in Tachileik?"

As the Australian video gained traction in Southeast Asia's underground, the Australian government's arrest warrant for "Sheng Yi" further corroborated the videotape's existence. Coupled with the news that Luo Xinghan personally led a team to visit Wang Yaotang in Hong Kong, the aftermath of the Pattaya incident was finally brought to a complete close.

While these criminal groups can certainly intimidate ordinary people and even the police, Wang Yaotang's revenge is far more ruthless. He doesn't care about public or international repercussions; if he says he'll kill your whole family, he'll kill your whole family!

All parties acted as if nothing had happened, and business continued as usual. With the example of their Hong Kong counterparts, they were simply following the rules set by Wang Yaotang. After all, 'Sheng Yi' was not a police officer and had neither the obligation nor the inclination to enforce the law.

With everything safe, Ah Jie took a plane back to Hong Kong Island to recover and relax at home.

“Yes, Brother Yao, we’ve already started investing in Pattaya. Although we can solve most of the funding problems with loans from Pangu Bank, we’ve reached our limit in terms of human resources. After all, we don’t have much experience in real estate development. Now, we’re starting with such a large project as a tourist city, which is really beyond our capabilities,” the four-eyed guy said in a deep voice.

“Not only that.” Ah Wei tapped the table. “Brother Yao, have you forgotten about Tuen Mun Port? The Fourth Harbor Engineering Bureau has already completed the survey work. With so much experience from previous port construction, we can draw on that experience. The design draft will be ready soon, and then a large sum of money will be poured in.”

"The Zhuhai power plant, the acquisition and integration of Zhuhai Stone Mining, and the cooperative ship repair business with Wenchong Shipyard," the bespectacled man said, counting on his fingers. "These all cost money. Preliminary estimates suggest an investment of over HK$30 billion over the next year, not even considering the development of Bangkok." "Brother Yao, where will the money come from!"

"Hey, hey, hey, you're making it sound like I have no idea what's going on," Wang Yaotang said irritably. "Yaoxing will be listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange this year, and its market value will be no less than HK$20 billion. Are you going to let all that money sit in an account and get moldy?!"

"Once the stock price stabilizes, we will acquire Yaoguang's videotape recording business. Yaoguang occupies 70% of the Hong Kong audio-visual recording market. At that time, Yaoxing will have a closed loop integrating recording and sales. If this story is told in the stock market, the stock price can double. The money from the acquisition will still end up in our hands. Next year, we will have more than HK$30 billion in funds at our disposal. If we pledge the shares, the funds we can mobilize will not be less than HK$40 billion!"

"So much money?" A-Jie and A-Ji stared wide-eyed in disbelief. "Could the top ten families possibly have that much cash?"

After years of training, they are no longer the clueless street thugs they once were.

Ah Wei looked at the four-eyed guy; among the brothers, he was the one who knew the most about finance.

“It’s definitely possible.” The bespectacled guy pushed up his glasses. If it weren’t for the fact that the company was listed on the stock exchange, he would have already spoken to Wang Yaotang about it.

"Wow! We're so rich now?" A-Jie excitedly rubbed his face.

“You’re kidding me.” Wang Yaotang’s mouth twisted. “The ten major families started out little by little under the pressure of British capital. Over the years, most of their profits have been eaten up by the British. They only got a small share, so naturally their development was slow. We’re different. We earned our success through hard work and have kept all the profits firmly in our own hands. Of course, our development is fast.”

"Don't you even know who's leading you? Little God of Wealth, I'm just joking with you!"

"Yeah, yeah, Yao-ge, you're awesome!"

"Brother Yao, you're so cool!"

Ah Jie laughed loudly and egged on, "Come on, give Brother Yao a scrub!"

Ah-Ji jumped up and hugged Wang Yaotang. Four-Eyes and Ah-Wei held his arms down, while Ah-Jie's fingers danced in the air as he grinned and raised his hand to tickle Wang Yaotang's armpit.

"Ah, ah, hahahaha, stop, stop, hahaha, I give up, I give up!" Wang Yaotang's face twitched from laughing.

You bunch of traitors!
After a brief commotion, Wang Yaotang slumped onto the sofa. "It's not about how much money we can make by setting up shop in Tachileik. My goal is to expand our influence in regional affairs."

"Simply having money is useless; without influence, one cannot be respected."

"After settling in Tachileik, we will control both arms and the export economy. All decisions made by the three countries on border affairs will have to take my opinion into account. Besides, who says that settling in Tachileik won't make money?"

"Shan State has an area of ​​15.6 square kilometers, which is 140 times the size of Hong Kong. It has a population of about 300 million and abundant timber and mineral resources. Even if it is poor, its border trade can still amount to several hundred million US dollars a year. Even if the profit is only 10%, it is still tens of millions of US dollars. Is that a small amount?"

"Besides, the money for settling in Tachileik will naturally be paid by Luo Xinghan, Zhang Qifu, and Peng Jiasheng."

……

Chiang Rai, Siam.

Wang Yaotang stood at the entrance of his newly purchased villa, smiling as he greeted Luo Xinghan, Peng Jiasheng, and Zhang Qifu.

Luo Xinghan seemed more like a businessman than a warlord, Peng Jiasheng gave Wang Yaotang a very tough impression, and Zhang Qifu was younger, with eyes full of surging ambition.

"Mr. Wang is so young and has such a great reputation, I didn't expect him to be so timid." Zhang Qifu was quite impolite from the start.

They took a great risk coming to Chiang Rai.

Luo Xinghan was arrested in Siam. Although Zhang Qifu had private dealings with local warlords in Siam, he was also a thorn in their side. Peng Jiasheng fared slightly better.

Moreover, Luo Xinghan said that Wang Yaotang might have designs on Tachileik, which is Zhang Qifu's territory, so he naturally didn't give him a friendly look.

"What did you say!" Ah Jie stepped forward and said sharply, "If you're afraid, you don't have to come!"

Wang Yaotang raised his hand to stop A-Jie, spread his hands and laughed, "I think Khun Sa is right, I'm just a coward."

"Have you ever heard the saying 'The one who remains is king'? I'm talking about the ones who are left over."

Zhang Qifu and the other two froze. They had heard of "the winner takes all" before, but this was the first time they had heard of "the survivor." However, after thinking about it for a moment, it made a strange sense of logic.

Luo Xinghan nodded vigorously, feeling that these words had struck a chord with him.

The Yang family is certainly bold. Miss Yang the Second was once so glamorous, the Queen of Northern Myanmar. Now look at her, living in seclusion in Yangon.

Zhang Qifu took a deep breath and gave a thumbs-up, "You're awesome!"

Back then, there were many powerful figures among the Kokang Military Academy members, but it was impressive that someone with such power could still be so cautious.

After a brief exchange, the group entered the villa, brewed tea, chatted for a few minutes, and then got down to business.

Wang Yaotang pushed the price list of various weapons to Luo Xinghan and Peng Jiasheng. When it came to Zhang Qifu, Wang Yaotang wrote down an increase of 30%.

Luo and Peng forgot about the price quotes and stared at the two men, suppressing their laughter. This was going to be interesting.

"Why am I so much more expensive!" Zhang Qifu slammed his hand on the table, blatantly showing favoritism and going too far.

“I am a Confucian.” Wang Yaotang smiled faintly. “Have you ever heard the saying of our Confucian school: ‘The way of the king is to restore the past, to respect the king and expel the barbarians, and even a feud of ten generations can be avenged’? It means that people with the surname Wang have a more traditional philosophy of life, and they dislike barbarians very much. Even if there is a feud, they will take revenge on their descendants.”

"You, you, you!" Zhang Qifu gritted his teeth in anger. All I did was call you a coward!

"We Confucianists also have a saying: 'If I hear the Way in the morning, I can die content in the evening.'" Wang Yaotang continued with a smile, "It means that if you find out your enemy's address in the morning, you should go and wipe out his entire family by nightfall!"

Luo Xinghan's smile froze on his face. What the hell? He found out his enemy's address this morning? Isn't that talking about him?

Peng Jiasheng couldn't hold back any longer, "Pfft, kukuku—"

Zhang Qifu stood with his hands on his hips, truly speechless.

“Mr. Wang is indeed a remarkable person. This interpretation of Neo-Confucianism is very much to my liking. Let me offer you a cup of tea instead of wine,” Peng Jiasheng said, raising his teacup.

"Haha, I have long admired Mr. Peng's reputation for respecting the emperor and repelling the barbarians. I salute you." Wang Yaotang raised his teacup and clinked it with his.

With just a few words, Wang Yaotang skillfully dissolved the three-way alliance and brought Peng Jiasheng into his camp.

Shared ideals are sometimes more trustworthy than mere interests.

Luo Xinghan and Zhang Qifu exchanged a glance and sighed inwardly.

"Don't think my stuff is expensive, everyone. You have to consider the market situation," Wang Yaotang said with a smile, putting down his teacup. "Who else in East Asia would sell so much active-duty equipment to a group of anti-government armed groups? Only me!"

"The Russians prioritize politics over profit when selling arms, but would you dare to go against your homeland?"

"My brother's arms dealers don't care about factions; they just want money. But my brother's equipment is not something a poor person can afford. I can sell it for twice the price and still get a much lower price than them. Besides, my brother's equipment can't withstand the harsh environment of the jungle."

"Things from Eastern Europe are cheap and easy to use, but their reach doesn't extend to the southeastern peninsula."

Wang Yaotang spread his hands, "Who else!"

"An Indian?"

Previously, Luo and Peng's equipment came from the Burmese Communist Party's connections with their hometowns, but those connections have now been severed. Zhang Qifu's equipment mostly came from secondhand goods smuggled from Vietnam, which were of questionable quality and unstable.

In Southeast Asia, Chinese people dominate business, but they are not involved in the arms trade.

That's why they risked traveling alone to Chiang Rai to meet Wang Yaotang, as the arms market is mostly a seller's market.

The thought that most of the ill-gotten gains they made under the guise of infamy would end up in Wang Yaotang's hands made the three of them feel very uncomfortable. However, the thought that Zhang Qifu would have to spend even more made Luo and Peng much happier.

Luo and Peng: Hehe!
Zhang Qifu: No, not at all!
"Tell me how much you need first, and make it clear. I currently only have equipment for a brigade of 5000 people. If you need more, you'll have to wait."

The three of them didn't care about anything else and immediately started arguing. In the end, Zhang Qifu won half, while Luo Peng and the other man each won a quarter.

"Alright, the arms deal is done. General Zhang, let's talk about Tachileik. I want to rent half of the territory. Name your price." Wang Yaotang raised his hand.

Rent? Zhang Qifu frowned. (End of Chapter)