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

In Hong Kong, you call me "Big Boss," but what should you call me overseas?
What is a warlord?
Six armored vehicles were lined up and ready to go: two armored support vehicles, two armored personnel carriers, and the last two were an armored command vehicle and an armored medical vehicle.

Inside the armored command vehicle, the radio operator shouted at the top of his lungs, "Company-level command channel test! Please respond if you receive this!"

"Received them one after another!"

"Second Company received!"

"Triple retrieval received!"

"Fourth Artillery Company received!"

There was a moment of silence in the channel—the communications soldiers of the first, second, and third companies thought to themselves: Your artillery company is special, even your unit number has to have two extra words!
The communications officer ignored the silent complaint and immediately switched channels: "Test the sound on the internal command channel of the first company!"

"This is the company commander! Platoons, please respond!"

"11th row received!"

"12th row received!"

"13th row received!"

"14th Fire Support Platoon received!"

Another subtle silence ensued—the men in platoons 1, 2, and 3 were thinking to themselves: "You, the fire support platoon, talk too much!"
After all the companies finished their sound checks, Chen Yuanchao grabbed the microphone and his voice was as cold and hard as iron: "This is Chen Yuanchao! Orders: Company 1, cut off the Phuket Highway, occupy the area north of Phuket Pier, and focus on monitoring the designated streets! If any criminal activity is encountered, the first offense will result in a warning, the second offense—shoot to death on the spot!"

"Report received! Our company is not equipped with any vehicles!"

"Aren't those cars parked outside the port?" Chen Yuanchao shouted angrily. "Don't you know what flexibility means? We're here to maintain peace and stability in Phuket, and everyone has to contribute! Afterwards, let the car owners go to the city government to collect compensation!"

"Received them one after another!"

"Second Company, listen up! Seal off the area from Phuket Pier to the Government Building! In case of criminal activity, first offense: warning; second offense: kill!"

"Second Company received!"

"Three orders in one go! Seal off the area from Chalonggang to the government building! In case of criminal activity, first offense: warning; second offense: kill!"

"Triple retrieval received!"

"Artillery Company, listen up! Occupy Chalong Port! For any criminal activity, first offense: warning; second offense: kill!"

"Artillery company received!"

"Everyone, listen up—execute immediately!"

"Yes!" The three responses made the channel vibrate slightly.

The crew members of the first, second, and third companies, with their buzz cuts, jogged straight to the dock parking lot. When the onlookers at the exit saw the large group rushing over, they panicked and pushed and shoved each other to retreat, turning the already crowded scene into chaos.

In the world of gangsters, the most important thing is to be ruthless. Normally, they would fight even if they were just bumped into, let alone if they saw each other. But now, everyone has become a "gentleman." No one dares to shout or curse. They just silently move to the sides and make way for each other.

On the top deck of the yacht, Wang Yaotang watched this scene through binoculars, a slow smile playing on his lips: "Who said there aren't any well-behaved people in Phuket? Isn't this quite polite?"

Gao Lishi, who was standing to the side, immediately stepped forward, raised his voice a few decibels, and said with a fawning face: "Lord Yao, this is all thanks to your power! These people were originally uncivilized southern barbarians who only knew how to fight and were brave. They didn't know anything about propriety, righteousness, or shame. But when you arrived, it was like sunshine shining into this place and bringing you saintly virtue. They were bathed in your grace and washed away their violent temper. They learned the rules and understood reason! This is all thanks to your boundless imperial grace!"

He spoke while waving his arms, his face flushed with excitement.

Sha Ze turned his head away in disgust, spitting inwardly: "He looks like a eunuch, so fucking disgusting."

Wei Tao's face stiffened, and his narrowed eyes gleamed with cold light—such a high-profile sycophant must not be allowed to live!
Wang Yaotang trembled from the praise, unable to suppress the smile on his face. The words were ridiculously fake and so cheesy they gave him goosebumps, but they still sounded comforting.

Sure enough, when he came to the Indian Ocean to expand his territory, the first person he thought of was this sycophant, so he gave him a special opportunity.

Gao Lishi was overjoyed when he received the order.

Hong Kong is certainly great; it's an international financial hub and Asia's foreign trade center, a place of extravagance and endless prosperity. But there are too many powerful figures above it—Wang Yaotang's four brothers, each of whom he has to bow and scrape before; and the founding members of the family are a whole bunch of people, none of whom are easy to mess with.

"Sheng Yi" is different from other underworld forces. It doesn't compete on numbers, wealth, or fighting prowess; instead, it operates on a commercial model, prioritizing "rules" over "personal relationships"—more organized than a legitimate company. In Hong Kong, it's difficult for them to dominate anyone, not even their small branch in Clearwater Bay; not to mention the other three major forces outside, and seasoned veterans like Prince Rong and Mo Shijiu…

There's a saying: "Better to be the head of a chicken than the tail of a phoenix."

No matter how bad Phuket is, with Wang Yaotang as his backer, he can act freely, not to mention that Myanmar is nearby.

That's a whole country; he could easily make a living off it.

As for enjoyment?

Having followed Wang Yaotang for so many years, Gao Lishi has come to understand that what matters is not location, but power.

Even if a poor person lives in New York or Los Angeles, they will still be a poor person.

Even the rich and powerful, including warlords in the mountains, can enjoy top-tier treatment.

Moreover, Phuket is not a remote mountain village, but a good port on the Indian Ocean coast of Southeast Asia. It has beautiful scenery, a large population, and great potential.

Over here, three companies, totaling 360 men, had already rushed to the parking lot. Some of them sensed something was wrong and were about to drive away when they were met with dozens of submachine guns pointed at them. They immediately slammed on the brakes and froze in their cars, too afraid to move.

"Get out of the car!" A squad leader with a buzz cut stepped forward and pounded on the car door, but the people inside just stood there with their hands raised, motionless.

The man with the buzz cut leaned over and whispered, "Squad leader, they might not understand Chinese."

"What should we do then?" The class monitor was also at a loss.

"Just pull it down!"

The squad leader nodded and waved his hand: "Go!"

The crew-cut men rushed forward, opened the car doors, and began dragging people out. The people inside were terrified, their bodies going limp, thinking they were about to be shot—some wept bitterly, some screamed loudly, some knelt down begging for mercy, and some shouted "I have money!" to buy their freedom... but not a single one dared to resist.

Nonsense! With over three hundred people surrounding you and guns pointed at your head, resisting is just asking for death. If you behave yourself, you might suffer less.

To their surprise, after being pulled down and kicked aside, the crew-cut guys ignored them—the group simply stole the car, started the engine, and drove off.

The onlookers in the harbor also witnessed this scene. Many people had their cars parked in the parking lot, but no one dared to go up and question "Why are you driving my car?" - at most, they would curse in their hearts with an ugly expression. Those who dared to curse out loud were considered very bold.

The armored vehicles had already driven out in a semi-circle, with their coaxial heavy machine guns pointed directly at the crowd. Not to mention, various caliber cannons were being unloaded from the ship, and a group of crew-cut men were busy finding positions to set them up... If they opened fire, the hundreds of people on the dock would be turned into mincemeat.

So, it's just about using a car, right? We're all "one of us," what's mine is yours, and what's yours is still yours—we're lucky to be alive, why would we care about a car?

After seventy or eighty cars were driven away, the parking lot was more than half empty, but the crowd still waited quietly—those with buzz cuts didn't say a word, and no one dared to leave.

This is neither Hong Kong nor Singapore. In the early 80s, Phuket was a legal vacuum. The police were terrified and no one could stand up to Wang Yaotang and his gang of "protectors."

In the Phuket City Hall, Mayor Wan Azman was pacing anxiously, his hand gripping the phone so tightly it turned white. He had been promoted by the Qiu and Chen families and had local influence behind him; politically, he belonged to the Social Action Party, currently the largest political party in Siam. Since their last meeting, Wang Yaotang hadn't contacted him for almost six months. Wan Azman couldn't figure out what the other was thinking. Without Wang Yaotang's support, he couldn't get anything done, and Phuket had returned to its previous chaotic state.

Now that Wang Yaotang has suddenly arrived, he is panicked and can only ask his superiors for support.

Of course, he didn't want to go against Wang Yaotang. He also hoped that Phuket would develop well, but wouldn't it be better if he could take more initiative during this period?
“A whole battalion of troops! Armored vehicles, all kinds of artillery, even helicopters! This is too dangerous, it’s an invasion!” Wan Azman’s tone was full of grievance and resentment.

In the Social Action Party office in Bangkok, a man with a thick beard listened to the conversation and then slowly asked, "Do you think the local Chinese community wants to create division?"

"I didn't! That's not what I meant! Don't... don't misunderstand, absolutely not!" Wan Azman was so frightened that he stammered.

"So you think Wang Yaotang wants to invade Siam?"

“This…this is impossible! I mean, he has no reason to do this!” Wan Azman laughed awkwardly.

"It's neither this nor that, why are you panicking?"

"I……"

“The most dangerous groups in southern Siam are those Malay separatist groups. The military must use its power to suppress them, you know that very well.” The bearded man interrupted him, his tone flat. “Wang Yaotang is a Hong Konger. All he cares about is money, we all understand that.”

“But I’m afraid he has connections with those Malays! You know, he sells weapons!” Wan Azman tried to argue.

"Alright, Azman," the bearded man said impatiently. "The entry of a third party into the south isn't necessarily a bad thing—it can better balance the local situation. As for the arms issue, that's none of your business. How much money do those poor Malays have to buy weapons?"

"Okay... alright, sir, I understand."

After hanging up the phone, Wan Azman's face turned ashen, and he muttered curses under his breath: "They don't want to give me support, but they want to win me over. These damned lizards!"

A knock sounded at the door, and the secretary pushed it open, saying, "Mr. Mayor, Police Chief Mohd Farouk has arrived." Wan Azman quickly straightened his clothes—he was the one who had called him, and they were going to greet Wang Yaotang together later.

The two drove to the pier, only to be stopped by the crew-cut men who were acting as their protectors. Although he was the mayor of Phuket and Wang Yaotang was an outsider, the other side had more men and guns, so he could only obediently stand by the roadside and wait. Fortunately, it didn't take long before the Qiu and Chen families arrived, and the crew-cut men then made way for them.

Someone led them to the top-floor ocean-view salon on the yacht. Wang Yaotang was sitting on the sofa listening to his subordinates report on business, while Wei Tao, Sha Ze, Gao Lishi, and others sat quietly on the other side. When they came in, Wang Yaotang only glanced at them briefly and continued listening to the report—not that he was deliberately ignoring them, but rather that transportation and communication in Yangon were poor, and it would be easier to connect with company teams from all over Southeast Asia once they arrived in Phuket, resulting in a mountain of work.

Phuket's geographical location is indeed excellent: 370 kilometers to the south, across the Strait of Malacca, lies the Aceh resistance group in Indonesia; 400 kilometers to the north is the Kachin Independence Army in Myanmar; and 300 kilometers to the southeast is the Malay resistance group in Pattani, Thailand... It would be hard to find another place in the world where so many "hidden talents" can gather together.

After the Pattaya tour group finished their report, Wang Yaotang looked at Qiu Haishan and Chen Jingchuan, his tone slightly teasing: "Is this how you treat your guests? Making these two old gentlemen stand and listen to the report?"

"It's alright, it's alright!" Qiu Haishan quickly smiled apologetically. "Sitting all day has made my arms and legs stiff. Standing for a while is a good way to stretch my muscles and bones."

"Oh? Is that so?" Wang Yaotang nodded in sudden realization, but then abruptly changed the subject, "Then he really should get more exercise. As the saying goes, 'Life lies in movement.' Mr. Qiu is not young anymore, and if he always sticks to the old ways, he will easily fall behind the pace of young people."

Qiu Haishan broke out in a cold sweat, even the age spots on his face looked pale. He quickly nodded: "Wang Sheng is right! It's time to take action and start changing from today!"

"Me too!" Chen Jingchuan hurriedly echoed.

Wang Yaotang's gaze swept over the four men's faces, and all of them lowered their heads, not daring to utter a sound. After a long while, he suddenly laughed out loud: "Old Qiu is still so good at listening to advice. No wonder he can support the foundation of a century-old family."

"Mr. Wang, you flatter me, you flatter me." Qiu Haishan's old face was squeezed into a chrysanthemum shape.

"You flatter me." Wang Yaotang's face instantly turned cold, and his voice deepened. "It's been over four months! The Pattaya tourism city project has overcome numerous obstacles and is almost half completed, but what about Phuket? There's not a single change! Tell me! Are you deliberately trying to spite me, or are you simply incapable of controlling Phuket?"

The four men's heads were instantly covered in fine beads of sweat, and they didn't even dare to lift their heads.

“I gave you a chance, but you were useless!” Wang Yaotang sneered.

The Qiu and Chen families have been able to establish themselves in Phuket for a century, with a large and prosperous population, and their influence is indeed significant. However, over the past century, too many deep-seated problems and abuses have accumulated within the families, and even the two family heads, Qiu Haishan and Chen Jingchuan, cannot have complete control. In Phuket's prostitution, gambling, drug, and smuggling businesses, members of both families have been secretly involved in making money—these are "side incomes" outside of the family business, and neither family is willing to give them up.

Moreover, the island is home to three major groups: Aceh, Kachin, and Malay, totaling seven or eight resistance groups. They rely on the island's smuggling channels to raise funds and purchase weapons, forming a long-established chain of interests. Wang Yaotang's attempt to regulate the market and establish new rules is tantamount to robbing everyone of their money; how could they possibly agree to that?

The waters here are too deep for the Qiu and Chen families to handle, and the municipal government can't manage it either. Actually, it's no different from the Hong Kong underworld—in every gang, from the top brass to the lowest thugs, who wouldn't slip money into their own pockets given the chance? Don't those forces want to regulate things? Not that they don't want to, they can't! If they really didn't tolerate any wrongdoing, the first one to be taken down would be the boss!

Ultimately, the problem is the lack of a strong figure to maintain order. Wasn't Pattaya chaotic back then? It was Wang Yaotang who quelled it with an iron fist.

Qiu Haishan quickened his pace, looking as if he wanted to say something but hesitated.

“Mr. Qiu, please speak your mind. I’m not someone who can’t listen to advice.” Wang Yaotang said without turning his head.

“Wang Sheng, there’s a saying that ‘if the water is too clear, there will be no fish.’” Qiu Haishan lowered his voice. “Phuket is not without alternatives—Langkawi Island in Malaysia is located on the border between the two countries and has a very good geographical location.”

“I know Langkawi Island well.” Wang Yaotang shook his head dismissively. “It doesn’t even have a port that can accommodate 5,000-ton cargo ships. At most, it’s a place where pirates land. It’s not qualified to be a trading port at all. Besides, even if someone were willing to build a port there, so what? I can provide unlimited light weapons. What right do a bunch of pirates have to compete with me?”

Qiu Haishan breathed a sigh of relief – the local families and Phuket Island were inextricably linked, and he was genuinely afraid that Wang Yaotang's reckless actions would ruin Phuket Island.

Upon reaching the first deck of the yacht, the garage slowly rose, and a Rolls-Royce Phantom drove out. Gao Lishi jogged forward, opened the car door, and Wang Yaotang bent down and got in. Qiu, Chen, and the other three, seeing that they hadn't been invited into a car, wisely went down the gangway and called for another car to come and pick them up.

The mayor's car led the way, followed by the cars of the Qiu and Chen families, with six armored vehicles escorting them in the middle. The Rolls-Royce convoy drove away from the dock in a grand procession.

The people at the dock were in an uproar, rushing chaotically into the parking lot—those whose cars were still there quickly got in and sped away; those whose cars had been driven away could only stand there, hands on hips, jumping up and down in frustration. As for stealing a car? Maybe it would have been possible on other days, but today, absolutely not.

Phuket is home to a diverse group of vibrant communities from across Southeast Asia’s Indian Ocean coast—from occasional intimate physical contact to the “passionate bursts of explosives”—truly a place where “everything thrives and life flourishes.”

In broad daylight, the door of a bar was suddenly kicked open, and a drunk stumbled and fell onto the street. As soon as he got up, another person rushed out of the bar and kicked him. Immediately afterwards, bottles and fists flew everywhere, and a group of drunks fought their way from the bar into the street, creating a huge disturbance.

*Screech!* Two military vehicles screeched to a halt at the roadside, and a group of men in camouflage with buzz cuts jumped out. The squad leader, leading the group, roared, "Stop the fucking! First warning!"

The two groups of drunkards seemed not to hear and continued to fight.

"Damn it!" the squad leader cursed, raising his hand to aim at the two men and pulling the trigger—"Rat-a-tat-tat! Rat-a-tat!"

The gunshot sent a chill down everyone's spine, and they all turned to look. The two drunkards who had been targeted felt as if something had bitten their calves; looking down, they saw their trouser legs instantly soaked with blood…

"Ah—!" A scream pierced the noise of the street.

The people in the bar heard the gunshots and instinctively drew their guns, aiming at each other. A few people near the door cautiously moved forward, just peeking out—

"Ta-ta! Ta-ta!"

A row of bullet holes appeared on the wooden door in an instant, and two people who didn't have time to dodge fell to the ground clutching their chests, their bodies convulsing.

Bullets are always the best hangover cure.

A few minutes later, the two groups of people who had been refusing to listen to any persuasion were now squatting by the roadside with their heads in their hands. The daggers, pistols, and other weapons on their bodies were all confiscated by the crew-cut men and thrown into their car. The crew-cut men in camouflage drove off.

Only after the military vehicle disappeared from sight did the two groups dare to stand up, staring blankly at the corpses on the ground—what were these people doing? They were too brutal!

Phuket is the largest island in Siam, covering over 500 square kilometers, with a considerable urban area. Without cell phones, most people on the island were unaware of what was happening at the pier. The three companies, dispersed in squads, were scattered like sesame seeds, their coverage actually limited. But under the threat of gunfire, the entire island of Phuket fell into a deathly silence in just over an hour…

It was even quieter than late at night; there wasn't a soul to be seen on the streets. (End of Chapter)