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

Chapter 425 Studying Hard? No, Studying Like a Slave!
The makeshift airport was fucking too basic!

This crappy plane is really uncomfortable to sit in. It's okay when they're dropping bombs in the air, and you can't feel the noise when you're excited. But when it's flying in the air, it's really uncomfortable. Wearing noise-canceling headphones for a long time makes my ears hurt, but it's too noisy to wear them.

There was no welcoming party or anything like that; we just rested right after getting off the plane.

There was no other way but to be patient for a while longer. He had already placed an order for a Gulfstream 3 more than two months ago when Teresa Teng gave birth. However, the ordering time for aircraft is usually quite long. He also added some modification projects, such as a bedroom, which would take about six months to be delivered.

The aircraft and modifications cost a total of $4300 million. Half of the money earned from selling arms was thrown into it all at once!
Distressed!

Myanmar is not profitable for the time being. The meager profits from the three ammunition replenishment projects can only cover subsequent industrial investments. Therefore, the only option left is to set their sights on Siam!
They must ruthlessly exploit the Siamese people to make back double the money they lost, only then can they soothe their wounded hearts.

The four-eyed guy kept nagging about not having enough funds, which drove Wang Yaotang crazy. That's when he had the idea of ​​going to Myanmar to hide and relax.

The next morning, Wang Yaotang chaired a meeting, which was attended by family leaders from the Chen family and other local families involved in the Pattaya tourism development project.

Project manager Sun Weihao used a video recorder connected to a large TV to monitor the project progress, as requested by Wang Yaotang, who wanted a dedicated filming and editing team.

There's no other way, we still have PowerPoint presentations.

The homeowners, who couldn't keep track of the project's progress all the time, were completely absorbed in watching the construction unfold so clearly from the start.

Intuitive, accurate, and clear!
"Great, that's wonderful! This will greatly help people in all departments understand the situation, improve cooperation, and make it clear at a glance how much work has been done and how well it has been done," Mr. Chen Bichen said with a smile.

The meaning wasn't explicitly stated, but everyone understood: this method could be applied not only to construction sites but also to their individual companies, making it harder for subordinates to fool them.

Everyone praised Wang Yaotang for a while, saying that he was indeed a self-made man with flexible thinking, advanced ideas, a business genius, innovative management methods, and so on, showering him with great titles.

Wang Yaotang waved his hand modestly, reminding himself to stay sober, but he couldn't suppress his smile, which revealed his teeth.

You have to be discerning when it comes to flattery; look at the status of everyone here!
After a round of praise, the meeting continued. Sun Weihao handed the stage over to the heads of each department to introduce their department's work achievements, follow-up work plans, and a clear work schedule, including what kind of cooperation was needed, all accompanied by edited videos.

The working meeting lasted all day, and all the investors, including Wang Yaotang, gained a relatively clear understanding of the progress.

"Overall, it was done quite well." At the end of the meeting, Wang Yaotang commented, "Those who have made contributions should be rewarded. Discuss the specific plan and submit it."

"However, there is no best in work, only better. Can the project progress be faster? Can each link and department divide the project more finely? Can the cooperation be improved? Can redundant links be reduced as much as possible? Can the workers' enthusiasm be improved?" Wang Yaotang said with a light laugh, "Of course, this does not mean that you should take a whip and drive the workers to speed up."

The laughter made the air in the meeting room freeze slightly.

This sounds like sarcasm to me.
Did you go to the United States to study 'slave studies' during this time?

"What I mean is to change the incentive method, such as increasing some bonuses, reducing working hours without reducing workload. No worker doesn't want to leave work early. Don't insist on three shifts. Can we change it to four shifts? Workers are lazy, and there is still a lot of room for exploitation of labor."

Everyone: So he really went to pursue further studies!
“Don’t think my demands are unrealistic. Your management team is the same way. You only do 60% of what you need to do, leaving 40% room to show your abilities later. This kind of thinking is human nature, and I understand it.” Wang Yaotang grinned. “But I don’t support it.”

Wang Yaotang glanced around the meeting room at the representatives of each company. He was telling them that most of the project's profits were going to be taken by each of them.

"The construction progress in my hometown is twice as fast as here. The facts are right in front of us. Don't tell me about racial differences or management problems. If there are problems, deal with them. The sooner the project is completed, the sooner everyone can make money. There are many businesses that can be done. According to the current calculations, the annual profit of Pattaya Tourism City can reach HK$3 million after it is completed. So every day wasted is a loss of millions of Hong Kong dollars."

"I have no grudge against money, but I do have a grudge against the people who make me lose money!"

Wang Yaotang was already quite unhappy when he heard the progress report. He had been in Hong Kong for a while and had seen the progress of the Tuen Mun Port project firsthand. The Fourth Harbor Engineering Bureau was really moving very fast.

What does it mean to have the demeanor of a great power?
With such a stark contrast to the situation, and a group of people slacking off, Wang Yaotang was naturally furious.

"If you don't have enough workers, recruit them; if you don't have enough talent, hire them; if you don't have enough machinery, submit a report; if you don't have enough materials, submit an application. Don't tell me about difficulties. The money is meant to help you solve problems. If spending money could solve problems, then the money would be wasted!"

Wang Yaotang's cold gaze swept across everyone's faces. "Either you solve the problem, or I solve the problem for you. There is no other way!"

Be kind to grassroots workers.

High-level officials need to be under pressure!

Management is actually very simple; the first thing is that it's hard to talk to people.

Because good people should be held at gunpoint!

"Mr. Chen, is there anything else you'd like to add?" Wang Yaotang turned his head, a smile returning to his face.

“No, Yaotang, you’re absolutely right. There should be a proper work attitude,” Chen Bichen said in a deep voice.

Sun Weihao's team slunk away without daring to breathe.

Seeing that the heads of the various families did not look too good, Chen Bichen smiled and tried to smooth things over, "Yaotang hasn't been here for a long time. I've arranged a banquet for you tonight to welcome you back."

"Great!" Wang Yaotang said with a smile as he stood up. "It's been a long time since I've had drinks with everyone. We're definitely going to have a good time tonight."

"of course."

"Yaotang, you can't pretend to be drunk later."

A group of people stood up and started chatting and laughing.

"With such high pressure, aren't you afraid that Xiao Sun and the others will quit?" Chen Bichen casually brought up a topic as they walked out.

"Resign." Wang Yaotang scoffed. "So that's trying to sabotage me, trying to trip me up. That makes him my enemy. If he doesn't want to work here, then he can never work here again. I'll throw him into the sea to feed the fish!"

Chen Bichen paused, looking at Wang Yaotang in astonishment. Wait, what kind of 'thanatology' management method is this?
“If word gets out that you’re like this in the professional manager circle, who would dare to work for you? Aren’t you afraid they’ll all quit? You can’t possibly…” Chen Bichen’s expression was strange.

"Old Chen, who do you take them for? Are they proletarian fighters with unwavering convictions, who would never yield to imperialism and would die a martyr's death?" Wang Yaotang curled his lip. "Aren't you giving them too much credit?"

“A group of people who like luxury homes and clothes, fancy cars and beautiful women, and the life of the elite. I gave them everything they wanted, so they have to work hard for me. That’s fair.”

"As for the rumors spreading..." Wang Yaotang laughed, "Old Chen, there's no shortage of talent in the world. Every year, hundreds of thousands of people graduate from management departments of world-renowned universities, and tens of thousands of people work for companies with a little reputation. There are just too many people who want to climb the ladder. As for the idea that someone lacks ability, that's nonsense. They just haven't had the opportunity."

"Xiao He was a clerk in Pei County, Cao Can was a prison clerk in Pei County, Zhou Bo was a street performer in Pei County, Fan Kuai was a dog butcher in Pei County, and Xiahou Ying was a horse breeder in Pei County. Is Pei County really such a place with outstanding people?"

"Xu Da, Tang He, Zhou Dexing, Guo Ying, Guo Xing, Geng Bingwen, is Fengyang also a place of outstanding people and abundant resources?"

“We five brothers all live in the same housing estate, and none of us even graduated from junior high school. Is the housing estate really such a place with outstanding people?”

"Don't joke around!" Wang Yaotang scoffed and waved his hand. "Anyone who doesn't want to work should just die. The order of seniority increases, and they might not necessarily do worse than the others. More likely, they'll work harder and do better to satisfy me. It's often the veterans who have made contributions who are the most lax. So, you can't really blame those founding emperors for killing their meritorious officials."

Chen Bichen and those around him twitched their lips as they listened to this series of outrageous remarks. It was so damn vicious!
"Aren't you afraid that if these words get out, people will feel disheartened?"

"What am I afraid of? Those who have lost their motivation should retire gracefully so that everyone can maintain their dignity. I'm very happy about that. Those who want to climb the ladder will only be happy that there are positions available."

"Those who force me to use a knife and ruin my reputation deserve to die!"

Most of the people present were second or third-generation family heads, lacking pioneering spirit and more inclined to maintain the status quo. They all frowned and cursed Wang Yaotang for being ruthless.

Chen Bichen, being a self-made first-generation entrepreneur, knew there was nothing wrong with what he said, but now that he was older, he became more nostalgic and couldn't stand it anymore. "What if you were a meritorious official?"

"I can never be a meritorious official, only a traitor!" Wang Yaotang laughed. "I will not give the emperor the chance to kill me. I will lead troops in the field and prepare for rebellion long, long in advance. As soon as the slightest sign appears, I will immediately raise the banner of rebellion!"

"You..." Chen Bichen was truly speechless.

Wang Yaotang: This is how we young people are!
This topic was getting out of hand, so Chen Bichen changed the subject. "What have you been busy with lately?" "Just got back from Shan State. I was making some investments there. Luo, Peng, and Zhang have a lot of US dollars. It would be a shame not to make money from it. Others might worry about causing them trouble, but I'm not afraid. If anyone dares to renege on their debt to me, I'll hang up their entire family's corpses." Wang Yaotang said directly.

There's no need to hide it, and it's impossible to hide it anyway; Luo, Peng, and Zhang will definitely help him spread the word.

"Huh?" Chen Bichen stood there dumbfounded, never expecting that his words would lead to this.

They're drug dealers!

"What does that have to do with me?" Wang Yaotang said dismissively. "The other three major 'groups' in Hong Kong are all involved in drugs. Aren't there many people doing business with them? That's their personal behavior. What's wrong with the Tai, Wa, and Jingpo people in Shan State? I invest in industry, agriculture, and communications to help my Shan State compatriots solve their food and clothing problems, so that they don't have to engage in illegal work because of poverty. This is contributing to the global fight against drugs!"

"Oh, right." Wang Yaotang looked around, "We'll have to trouble our media to help publicize this later. As the saying goes, 'Zigong received the ox; good deeds should be remembered.'"

Everyone looked puzzled. What they said didn't seem wrong at first glance, and it made sense theoretically, but putting aside the facts...

The problem with the three of them isn't drug trafficking, since they all know perfectly well that their neighbors are legally growing and selling drugs; they're rebelling!
The thought of 'rebellion' made everyone's gaze towards Wang Yaotang instantly clear.

Case solved!
What utter bullshit about making money!
If that place were truly so profitable, they would have invested long ago. When have capitalists ever cared about the law...?

Ultimately, it's because the investment is too large and the profit is too small. There are other ways to make money, so there's no need to take such a big risk.

So, you, surnamed Wang, are just trying to satisfy your own evil desires as a 'traitor'.

Chen Bichen and the others looked at Wang Yaotang differently.

"Hey, what kind of looks are those!" Wang Yaotang felt he had been greatly misunderstood and loudly protested, "I really am doing this to make money!"

Chen Bichen and others: Oh, you know it yourself!

"Why don't you believe it? There are over 300 million people, the market is huge. You can easily make hundreds of millions by doing some business!" Wang Yaotang then used incomprehensible terms like 'market gap', 'people's livelihood monopoly', and 'market development', filling the room with a cheerful atmosphere.

Communication in Shan State is extremely backward, and news of the Kengtung battle has not yet spread. Once Wang Yaotang's sale of "arms" is discovered, everyone will be even more convinced of their beliefs.

You traitor!

Of course, jokes aside, everyone remembered Wang Yaotang's talk about developing tin mines, silver mines, and timber. Several companies with related businesses took it seriously and planned to talk to Wang Yaotang about it later.

Several other companies in the fields of 'fuel,' 'clothing,' 'machinery,' and 'agriculture' also took note of the 300 million-person market figure.

They didn't have the guts to do business with Luo, Peng, and Zhang, but they did have the guts to act as middlemen with Wang Yaotang, and very much so!

Three million people! Any one of those industries could be a market worth hundreds of millions.

During the banquet, many people approached him about this matter, and Wang Yaotang readily agreed to most of them. To pass through Siam, it was essential to win over local forces; there was no good end to trying to take everything for oneself!
However, Wang Yaotang would not give up the 'fuel' business; he was determined to seize such a good opportunity to enter the oil industry.

Wang Yaotang controls the oil depots and wharves on Tsing Yi Island in Hong Kong, but he has no way to intervene in the refined oil market for the time being.

Hong Kong has no oil refineries, and the refined oil market is controlled by Shell, Caltex, Esso, and BP. Their gas stations are everywhere on Hong Kong Island, while China Resources only serves as a supplement and backup in the market.

The Tsing Yi Island oil depot is primarily used for crude oil storage and transshipment.

There's no other way. These companies have been developing the oil market for over a hundred years, and it's already saturated. The only way to enter now is to develop new markets.

Given that these companies are collectively excluding new players, it's time for the 'pirate' gang to set sail again!

How much refined oil could Luo Xinghan and Zhang Qifu possibly use in a year? Seizing a few thousand tons would be enough for them.

As for how to make it appear as a legitimate source... I'll talk to China Resources when I get back.

Adding a zero to a purchase order for 100 tons is no big deal; it's a reverse rebate, and foreign banks can't possibly verify it in China!

Who says financial conservatism has no benefits? It's great this way!

This was essentially his entry ticket, allowing Wang Yaotang to penetrate the Southeast Asian oil market, and in the future…

Once the fleet is up and running, let's see who the hell dares to disrespect us!
This is the oil I extracted myself. Bring it on if you dare!

After a burst of energy in Pattaya, the entire project suddenly sprang into action, with everyone on high alert, resulting in a significant increase in construction speed.

Wang Yaotang's assessment of this was: Despicable!

In the following days, I met and talked with the new mayor and police chief of Pattaya.

Real estate projects truly live up to their reputation as a GDP engine. Once large-scale construction projects started, Pattaya instantly swept away the panic and depression brought about by the previous "great chaos". All the locals found jobs, and their wages were even higher than before. Some local small families also got a share of the profits from the projects and ate their fill. The mayor, who was previously struggling to govern, suddenly became popular.

The work at the police station has become much easier. With the economy improving and everyone having jobs, there are naturally fewer security incidents. In addition, the original "bad elements" were all killed by Wang Yaotang, and the rest have become obedient. Even the old hands in the police station who wanted to trip them up no longer dared to cooperate!

That guy surnamed Wang is a real killer!

Especially that guy from Ba Dong who spoke Thai with a Hong Kong accent; he didn't hesitate to fire his gun!
With the economy, politics, and public security all thriving, Wang Yaotang stood at the window of the mayor's office and said, "Pattaya's current prosperity is all thanks to me. A statue of me should be erected!"

"I'm sorry, Mr. Wang, it was my oversight," the mayor hurriedly began to apologize.

"I was just kidding you. Who erects statues for foreigners?" Wang Yaotang said sternly, waving his hand. "Don't be ridiculous. People will laugh at you."

"Siam University and hospitals have erected too many statues for foreigners, all to contribute to the locals. Why can they have statues but Wang Sheng can't? That's unfair!" the mayor retorted loudly.

“What will the locals think of this? No way, no way,” Wang Yaotang said with a smile.

The mayor understood immediately from that expression.

"Starting tomorrow, newspapers and radio will discuss the tourism development in depth. Everyone will know who Pattaya should thank for its current success. Then I will launch a vote, and we will listen carefully to the voices of the people!" the mayor said solemnly.

"You've really put me in a difficult position!" Wang Yaotang laughed heartily.

Wang Yaotang had a sense of shame, so he couldn't stay in the municipal government any longer. That night, he went to Bangkok and summoned Hai Dazhao and his team to discuss the matter of smuggling about 10,000 tons of fuel oil at sea.

"Sure, but we'll need to convert it into a small cruise ship, something that can carry about a thousand tons. There are cruise ships in the South China Sea that weigh tens of thousands of tons these days. We can't take them all, and we certainly can't sink them. So we can only take a few. That's why the 0 can't be deployed. The large aircraft is too small and can't operate well in the deep sea. We'll need to modify it further." Hai Dazhao explained the problems they encountered at sea.

“You can decide these things yourself. We just acquired two shipyards in Kwun Tong, and we can do the renovations ourselves right now. Just tell them what you need and get it done as soon as possible. We can’t do without fuel once the vehicles imported from our hometown arrive,” Wang Yaotang said with a smile.

Hai Dazhao thought for a moment and said, "Bangkok has no shortage of fuel. Last time we took down that local group, what was it called? They were smuggling fuel, right? Their fuel depots are pretty good. We can fix them up and let the people in the Bangkok branch run them for a while."

“Okay, that’s one way.” Wang Yaotang nodded. It’s not sustainable to keep robbing at sea. In the end, we have to go through the proper channels.

Since 0⑶⒎ couldn't be used, he couldn't just drift around in Hong Kong without doing anything. Hai Dazhao's reminder reminded him of the 'coal' supply order he had previously obtained from a local family in Bangkok.

It's time to get moving!
"Wei Tao, Wei Tao..." Wang Yaotang called out a few times, "Check where Siam and Hong Kong are getting their coal from?"

"Hong Kong's are mostly Australian and Indonesian, while Siam's are mostly Indonesian."

"Alright, then our target is Indonesia!"

(End of this chapter)