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

Wei Tao took out a stack of documents and handed them over. "Boss, this is the information on gold mine reserves in Southeast Asian countries. This data was purchased from the resource ministries of each country, so it is relatively accurate."

Gold resources in Southeast Asia are mainly concentrated in Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, and the Philippines.

Other countries like Myanmar, Laos, Vietnam, and Cambodia also have branches, but these are relatively few.

After glancing at it, Wang Yaotang couldn't help but complain, "Why the hell is there nothing here in Siam and Malaysia?"

"Especially Siam, it has no coal, no iron ore, no oil, it's practically nothing except for growing food, while Malaysia has some oil!"

"How come Indonesia is so rich? It has coal, iron ore, copper ore, oil, and everything else. It has high food production and a large population. Tsk tsk, it's such a waste that these people have taken over all of it."

Indonesia has the largest gold reserves in Asia, mainly located in Papua province.

Papua Island is divided in two, with the eastern part, Papua New Guinea, having the second largest gold reserves in Asia.

The Philippines' gold mines are concentrated on the island of Mindanao.

Myanmar's gold mines are concentrated in Mandalay Province and Shan State, while Laos' gold mines are located in Luang Prabang, near the border with Siam Province.

The following section details the specific conditions of each proven mining area, including information on altitude, transportation, population, education, power supply, and other aspects, which are taken into account to determine the mining difficulty of the area.

Among them, the mines discovered in Myanmar, Laos, and Cambodia are not being mined normally. The problems of transportation, population, and education are secondary. These mines have actually been mined for a long time. The main reason why they cannot be mined on a large scale is the frequent wars and illegal mining by local armed groups.

“Myanmar, I know how to do this!” Wang Yaotang muttered to himself. “As for the illegal armed groups? The three largest groups, Luo, Peng, and Zhang, can be easily handled by themselves. Those smaller groups can be left to them to deal with. Isn’t clearing out illegal armed groups the government’s job?”

"Where is the gold mine?" Ajay took the report and looked at it. His eyes immediately fell on the estimated output. The Baudwin mining area has the largest output, about 8 ounces a year. The mining areas in Shan State are only sporadically mined by illegal armed groups, and the output cannot be estimated. However, according to the data at hand, if industrial mining can be carried out, it can also produce 5 ounces.

"There are 13 ounces of this? How much is that?!" Ajay's eyes turned red as he did the math, and he asked loudly, panting heavily.

"How much money do you think it is?" Wang Yaotang asked, somewhat amused, as he came to his senses.

"It must be at least two or three hundred million US dollars!" A-Jie blurted out.

"Ha, you're overthinking it. Even 5000 million US dollars would be a lot!" Wang Yaotang sneered.

"What?!" A-Jie jumped to his feet, staring at Wang Yaotang in disbelief. "You're gold!"

“Yes, gold.” Wang Yaotang said with a smile, “Why did you say before that gold mines are easier to acquire? It’s because this stuff isn’t as valuable as you think. A large coal mine like KPC can produce more than $3 million worth of coal a year, while Myanmar’s total gold production is less than one-fifth of that. Our Rio Tinto fleet alone is worth more than $1500 million, and we only managed to get a small share.”

"The value of the gold mine is not as high as that of the tin mine that is about to be mined, which is the world's largest tin belt."

"Then why are you still clamoring to find a gold mine!" A-Jie's expression changed; he found it hard to believe that glittering gold wasn't actually as valuable as he imagined...

"Because there are many people like you," Wang Yaotang laughed.

"What do you mean by 'pick'?!"

"Ah Xiang, how's the acquisition of the mining company going?" Wang Yaotang asked the bespectacled man.

“That’s about it. Hong Kong Mining Company Limited, established in 1938, mainly operated the Ma On Shan Iron Mine. In 76, the iron mine officially closed and became a shell company. The only remaining asset was the land near the mine, but it had no development value. If the shell company can’t be sold, it will be suspended from trading and delisted. Unfortunately, we haven’t been able to find a sucker.” The four-eyed guy said with a smile, “700 million, take it, but you’ll have to take on a debt of 1400 million.”

"Take it!" Wang Yaotang raised his middle finger. "How many shares do you hold now? How many are in circulation?"

"Holding more than 85% of the shares, of which 25% are circulating shares."

"Let Li Menghui and his gang cause some trouble and make a splash. At the same time, let the newspapers follow up and hype it up. Surely my name, Wang Yaotang, the Little God of Wealth, can't be completely without appeal."

"What's wrong?" A-Jie was confused. Wasn't it supposed to be a gold mine? Why did he jump so far away?

“Increase the turnover rate, hype up the stock, then issue new shares to raise funds to acquire the Lam Tei stone mine. The newspapers will follow up by saying that I also have mines on Lamma Island and Shek O Island. Since we've chosen to inject them, we will inevitably inject them all. If shareholders have expectations and we take action, the stock value will surge, and that way, shareholders' money will become our money.” Wang Yaotang explained with a smile, “After acquiring the three major stone mines, we can continue to hype up the idea of ​​taking over Myanmar's largest gold mine.”

"The newspapers will analyze it later, explaining why others couldn't take over the gold mine there, and why we could. It's because we have a well-known 'protective umbrella' security company that can handle the local armed forces and ensure the safe operation of the mine."

"A gold mine? In the eyes of ordinary people, it's a mountain of gold and silver, worth billions. Wouldn't the stock price skyrocket?"

"In fact, how much money you make from stone or gold mines is not important. What matters most is how much money you can make, especially since gold is a powerful tool for preserving value. During economic crises, other things may fall, but the price of gold will only rise!"

Ah Jie suddenly realized, then spat and pointed at the group, "I lost over 200 million yuan in the stock exchange the year before last, and then forgot to buy stocks. But I remembered to check it out recently, and wow, my returns beat 98% of people!"

"All the money has been made by you bloodsuckers. What have ordinary investors made? They're just韭菜 (a metaphor for being exploited)."

Wang Yaotang, Four-Eyes, and Ah Wei burst into laughter.

"Let me tell you, it's not just about inflating the price. After acquiring the three major stone mines, the stock price will inevitably fall from its peak. Then, we'll have the financial company short the stock, and then announce that we're going to acquire the gold mines. We can do this twice, repeatedly draining the money from the shareholders' hands." Wang Yaotang laughed and said, "Where in the real industry can you make money as fast as in finance? Otherwise, everyone in the oil industry would be rich."

"It's just that they're easy to be slaughtered in batches, hahaha."

The next morning, financial newspapers began reporting on the news that Little God of Wealth had acquired Hong Kong's worst-performing stock. At the stock exchange, Li Menghui's team also began to manipulate the market, buying and selling their own shares to increase trading volume and slowly drive up the stock price.

The novice investors rely entirely on newspapers to speculate on stocks, and many people's attention was drawn to this worst-performing stock. Its market capitalization was too small, and Li Menghui only needed to manipulate the stock price slightly to double it.

The next day, as soon as the newspaper came out, it immediately became the top gainer of the day. The total market capitalization was HK$1000 million, but most of it was still in the hands of the big players. Many retail investors were envious but couldn't get a share.

The more unavailable something is, the more people crave it, and the higher the price goes.

Li Menghui releases only a small amount of shares each day, and the stock price has quadrupled in three consecutive days. The total market capitalization is only 40 million, which is too small for institutional investors to enter. However, market sentiment has already been heated up.

Subsequently, an "expert" revealed in a newspaper column that the "Little God of Wealth" was preparing to integrate his three major mines and that the purchase of Hong Kong Minerals was for a backdoor listing. The three major mines were valued at over US$10 billion, and this stock would become the first "monster stock" of the year!

Believable!

That's so believable!

Otherwise, why would the Little God of Wealth acquire this worst-performing stock?
During the two-day market closure, more and more experts revealed and analyzed the situation, and the news spread like wildfire. Major institutions also received the news and understood what Wang Yaotang was up to.

That guy surnamed Wang is a heartless scoundrel, hoarding all the food!

Of course, they would definitely curse him, but they wouldn't dare to trip him up. The man surnamed Wang was a barbarian with a terrible reputation!
Despite the criticism, they still privately contacted the mining company, hoping to get more of the released chips. After all, they said, "Many hands make light work!"

When it comes to speculation in the financial markets, these people are the real professionals.

“Tell them that I’m refusing because they’re professionals. Anyone who messes with me, I’ll turn them into fish feed!” Wang Yaotang sneered.

They're too professional. Li Menghui can't outmaneuver them. What if these guys run away first?
The acquisition of Hong Kong Electric and the investment in Sha Kok B Power Plant are all heavy assets. It's uncertain whether he can even raise 20 billion HKD after all this. In order to maintain control of the company, he also needs to inject funds himself.

When the news got out, countless people secretly cursed Wang Yaotang, but they only said a few words; they didn't even dare to make sarcastic remarks in the newspapers.

Within days, news broke that 5 million new shares would be issued to acquire the Landi Stone Mine. The market response was very strong, and the shares were quickly snapped up. Further acquisitions of two more mines followed, and the stock price soared dramatically.

With everything going smoothly here, Wang Yaotang felt relieved and took a plane to Myanmar.

Myanmar's largest gold mine is in Mandalay Region, controlled by the puppet Myanmar military. Now that the Myanmar military knows Wang Yaotang is supplying weapons to Peng Jiasheng and Luo Xinghan, how could they possibly sell the gold mine to him? And to inject the gold mine into a mining company, the first issue is that it must be legal. He keeps referring to the puppet Myanmar military, but it has UN recognition.

If I were to go and talk to the Burmese army now, they would probably be ready to kill me!

……

"Wang Sheng, welcome, welcome!" Luo Xinghan quickly went to greet him.

"Brother Luo, it's nice to see you again. How have you been lately?" Wang Yaotang asked with a smile.

"Great, excellent!" Luo Xinghan laughed heartily. "Let's take a stroll around Jingdong City in a bit. Let me tell you, Jingdong has changed a lot in just a few months! Electricity has been installed, and many shops have opened in just one month. It's thriving!"

"With cars and tractors, the roads in the city have all been repaired. Of course, they are still dirt roads, but they have been compacted and are no longer bumpy. Before, you wouldn't see a single vehicle pass by all day, but now there is a constant stream of vehicles transporting grain, daily necessities, timber, and home appliances!"

Wang Yaotang smiled and asked, "Is this how you use 'continuous flow'?"

"Many families are starting to buy appliances. I didn't know there were so many wealthy people in Kengtung. Many village leaders have already started buying properties in Kengtung. There's been a lot of cement imports lately!"

Even if a place is poor, it is still poor people; otherwise, why would they be called poor?

Now Jingdong has a regular middle school, telephone service in the city, its own radio station, and shopping malls. City life is definitely more convenient than rural life.

Seeing that his efforts had yielded positive feedback and that Jingdong was getting better and better under his governance, Luo Xinghan was genuinely excited.

After taking a stroll around the city and visiting the newly built Chinese community, we finally went to the Luo residence.

After going through the formalities of hospitality, Luo Xinghan finally asked Wang Yaotang the purpose of his visit, since he wouldn't have come here without a reason.

"Brother Luo has made it big, but Brother Peng is still struggling. I can't be biased towards one over the other."

“That’s true.” Luo Xinghan frowned slightly. “Lasho is not easy to attack.”

He's doing very well, and now he doesn't want to start a war...

"That depends on how determined Brother Peng is. I've prepared a trump card for him anyway," Wang Yaotang said with a mysterious smile.

"Oh, what's your special move?"

"It's pointless to talk about it now!" Wang Yaotang laughed, and Luo Xinghan laughed along with him.

After spending a day there, Wang Yaotang took the Y5 bus to Kokang.

There is no road or railway between Kengtung and Kokang. The mountains are high and the forests are dense, and only pack animals can travel there. The straight-line distance is 250 kilometers, but the actual route is more than 600 kilometers with twists and turns. It takes a pack animal team more than half a month to reach the destination.

The cars and tractors that Wang Yaotang was selling couldn't be delivered, but Peng Jiasheng didn't complain. He didn't lack those things; he could buy them directly from Laos and China in US dollars—it wasn't like he was selling weapons…

If he couldn't get anything in, he would have been trapped to death long ago.

Kogan.

"The scenery is quite nice, with a wild and untamed feel," Wang Yaotang commented with a smile.

Peng Jiasheng was at a loss for words, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.

After experiencing the local customs and having eaten and drunk their fill, Wang Yaotang brought up the real business: "To conquer Lashio."

“Since Wang Sheng dares to say it, he must be confident!” Peng Jiasheng’s eyes lit up.

"I can't provide you with tanks or armored vehicles because I can't transport them in, but I can provide artillery: the Type 56 75mm recoilless rifle, the Type 78 82mm, and the Type 75 105mm self-propelled howitzer, including a complete set of observation and aiming equipment."

"It also includes... the Type 63 107mm rocket launcher, six-tube launcher, 10 launchers!"

Peng Jiasheng's hand trembled with excitement, and he used drinking as a tactic to keep himself from losing control.

Other artillery pieces are one thing, but the 107mm gun—its combat record is documented.

During the Vietnam War, North Vietnam used four single-barreled and two 12-barreled 107mm rocket launchers to launch a surprise attack on a US air force base and airfield. In a short period of time, 250 rockets were fired, turning the entire airfield into an inferno. A total of 74 US aircraft, including B-52 heavy bombers, were destroyed, thousands of US soldiers were killed or wounded, dozens of oil storage tanks exploded and caught fire, and an artillery position and a communications center were also destroyed.

What made Peng Jiasheng most helpless against the Burmese army was not tanks or armored vehicles, but airplanes!

Without airplanes, those old tanks are just iron coffins. Infantry-tank coordination is something the Burmese army can only do. If you dare to send them out, they will just overwhelm them with manpower!
"Brother Peng, don't get excited yet." Wang Yaotang laughed. "I have another trump card for you. It just depends on whether you can find someone to carry it out."

"Oh, what's your trump card?"

Wang Yaotang leaned forward, staring at Peng Jiasheng, and said, word by word, "If a Y-5 transport aircraft loaded with explosives and fuel were to dive at top speed and crash into the Burmese army's airfield and barracks, what do you think would happen?"

"Hiss!" Peng Jiasheng gasped.

Even if the Y-5 is outdated, it still has a payload of 2 tons and a speed of 500 kilometers per hour. If it suddenly crashes into you at high speed, what good is radar to the Burmese army in Lashio? Given their training, they wouldn't even have time to react if they spotted you.

He had witnessed the power of the little boy firsthand, but the targets of the bombing were only places like airports and barracks!

Two tons of explosives! Even if they survive, what good will it do? The subsequent advance of troops can easily wipe them out!

"Good, good, good!" Peng Jiasheng suddenly stood up, strode in front of Wang Yaotang, and grabbed his hands. "Wang Sheng, Wang Sheng, I won't say too much thanks, thank you, thank you!"

Wang Yaotang: Actually, you can say it!

Peng Jiasheng said solemnly, "This Lashio belongs to you!"

Wang Yaotang laughed and said, "There's no need for that. I'm just a businessman who wants to make some money."

“I understand, I understand!” Peng Jiasheng nodded emphatically.

Once the decision was made, Wang Yaotang acted swiftly. Four Y-5 transport aircraft took turns delivering artillery and shells to Kokang. At the same time, Peng Jiasheng selected eight suicide soldiers and sent them to Jingdong to learn how to operate the aircraft from the pilots.

With so many planes already flying around, it's not unusual for them to take off an extra ten or eight times a day.

They learn very quickly. They don't need to learn any advanced maneuvers or how to handle emergency malfunctions in the air; they only need to learn basic takeoff and landing techniques...

You don't actually have to learn how to land...

Given the ease of operation of propeller aircraft, a week or so of assault should be enough.

During this period, Peng Jiasheng completely blocked Kokang's access to the outside world. Unless the Burmese army had spies setting up radios here, the news would never leak out.

Half a month later, just as the Hong Kong mining company was preparing to issue new shares again to raise funds to acquire the Shek O mine, Peng Jiasheng, who had been preparing for half a month, suddenly led 3000 troops to attack Gunlong!
To attack Lashio, we need to capture six counties along the way: Gunlong, Huli, Nati, Nanzhala, Mubang, and Mengba!
(As shown in the image:) (End of this chapter)