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

The things Wang Yaotang gave the order to do today are absolutely necessary. It's impossible for the boss to spend so much money supporting them only to watch helplessly when things go wrong. If things really go wrong, then it will be Wang Yaotang's turn to deal with them.

So when Gao Lishi brought Mohammad Farouk over and explained the situation, Wei Tao, Sha Ze, and Chen Yuanchao stared at this fool in silence for a moment before finally lowering their heads to think of a solution.

“The boss’s goal isn’t simply to confiscate the weapons.” Wei Tao frowned and thought for a moment before saying, “The boss wants to make an example of someone, and it has to be a legal and legitimate one. Phuket has absolutely no chance of becoming a tourist island right now. Although it has good geographical conditions and abundant marine resources, all the tourists around Bangkok have been drawn to Pattaya, and the tourists from Kuala Lumpur and Jakarta have been snatched up by Singapore. At least for the next five years, Phuket’s tourism projects simply won’t take off.”

"We have to wait for the economy to recover before we can attract customers from Europe."

"Where is the profit point in Phuket?" Gao Lishi didn't understand these economic intricacies, so he could only ask bluntly. After all, he would be stationed in both Phuket and Myanmar in the future, and he needed to figure out the direction of development.

“We’re dealing with those lawbreakers and European sailors.” Wei Tao glanced at Gao Lishi with a smile, his tone slightly mocking: “These people make money quickly, but they have low social status. The only things that can satisfy their spiritual needs are ‘acting tough’ and ‘spending money.’ The vanity brought by these things can make the dirty money they ‘earn’ ‘valuable’ and can also vent the evil fire that they’ve been suppressing for years while wandering the criminal underworld.”

Gao Lishi's face froze instantly. He gritted his teeth and stared at Wei Tao. What was the difference between this and pointing at a bald donkey and cursing a monk?

Fuck your mother! Master Yao is also a man of the underworld. Why don't you say those things in front of Master Yao?

He didn't like these high-achieving students at all; these people looked down on them from the bottom of their hearts. Even the management team recruited by the Sheng Yi Shau Kei Wan branch—don't be fooled by their constant smiles and flattery in front of him; he knew perfectly well that behind their backs, they probably mocked them as "short mules," saying they only got their current status by luck following Wang Sheng.

"And the same goes for those sailors." Wei Tao ignored Gao Lishi's expression and continued, "They go to sea for a month or even longer at a time. The working environment is dirty and chaotic, and it's very dangerous. They're surrounded by a bunch of men all day long, so it's inevitable that they'll have conflicts. They have a lot of anger to vent, so as soon as they come ashore, they'll try their best to have fun."

“These people are all high-income earners and are willing to spend money. From a business perspective, they are all high-quality customers.”

"Moreover, the boss wants to continue to control the black market trade in Phuket."

Gao Lishi took a deep breath and gave Wei Tao the cold shoulder.

Before Wang Yaotang, this "emperor," Sha Ze was the commander of the imperial guards, Wei Tao was a court minister, and what was he? Just a grand eunuch. This relationship was definitely not going to be good.

I even tried to get along with Wei Tao before, pshaw! I was so naive!

"Secretary Wei is truly farsighted. You've figured out everything about Master Yao. No wonder Secretary Wei can manage the company so well." Gao Lishi's words were full of sarcasm.

Wei Tao smiled reservedly. He had decisively resigned from his police job and followed his boss step by step to build the company into a large enterprise. He was a true "founding hero" and could not be compared to someone like Gao Lishi who had surrendered halfway through his career.
You rely on your own abilities, what do you, Gao Lishi, have?
Sha Ze shifted his buttocks back a few times without saying a word. He was just a driver; he didn't understand and didn't want to listen. But if these two ruined Yao Ge's plans because of their personal grudges, he wouldn't show them any mercy.

Chen Yuanchao's gaze remained fixed on the teacup in front of him. He didn't quite understand their subtle misunderstandings, but he could tell they didn't get along. However, it didn't concern him. He was just an executor; he would report the plan to the boss afterward, and if the boss approved, he would do it. If the boss didn't approve, no matter how much they pleaded, he wouldn't budge.

Wei Tao and Gao Lishi exchanged a knowing glance, but neither of them said anything more.

"Chief Mohamad Farooq, who on the island is currently engaged in illegal business? Could you provide a list? Including key figures, I mean on the island, not counting the major resistance organizations." Wei Tao turned to look at Mohamad, who was huddled to the side.

"Ah..." Mohammad Farouk's eyes darted around quickly, looking left and right, his gaze darting around, clearly not daring to speak.

Wei Tao's brows furrowed almost imperceptibly, and Gao Lishi's eyes narrowed as well.

"Yes, yes! It's just... there's no written documentation." Seeing that no one responded, Mohammad quickly tried to smooth things over with an awkward smile.

"Speak, I'm listening," Gao Lishi said coldly, without the slightest hint of politeness.

“Ah, um… there are about six or seven active right now—Tong, Saleng, Kao-Lad, Red Letter, Three Dots, Lion Head, and Buffalo.” Mohammad Farouk counted on his fingers, his voice growing softer and softer.

There are local Siamese gangs, Chinese gangs, and mixed groups.

What kind of businesses do they all run?

"It's about prostitution, gambling, drugs, and smuggling. They also run nightclubs and occasionally act as intermediaries to sell stolen goods."

"Be more specific!" Gao Lishi shouted.

I come from this line of work; how could I not know what the underground world's main business is? Stop pretending to be ignorant!
Mohammad Farouk shuddered, remembering Gao Lishi's background, and dared not be perfunctory any longer. He could only tell the details of the source of goods and the distribution channels in detail.

Who is backing them up?

"The main leaders are Sugel, Pagon, Natapon, Lolayu, and Yang Yang..."

"I'm asking you who's supporting you behind the scenes, not their leader!" Gao Lishi's face turned somewhat ugly.

This isn't Hong Kong, where everything is governed by law and the Royal Hong Kong Police Force is all-powerful. The official power in Phuket is as rotten as a cesspool, even worse than during the era of the Four Great Detectives. Locally, it's basically the big families who call the shots, and these underground forces must have different powerful backers behind them.

Mohamad Farooq stammered, looked flustered, and hesitated to speak, his face showing obvious concern for what might happen next, clearly fearing retaliation.

If those people dare not retaliate against Wang Yaotang, surely they dare to retaliate against themselves!
There are outsiders everywhere here; you can easily find someone to do something for a little money.

Wei Tao looked at Gao Lishi with a smile but didn't say anything.

A murderous glint flashed in Gao Lishi's eyes. He really hadn't expected that a police chief could be so incompetent, showing no semblance of the demeanor of a local law enforcement leader!

idiot!

Gao Lishi leaned forward slightly, a fierce look on his face: "You think I can't find out? Believe me, I'll send people back right now to arrest them and torture them. In an hour at most, I can get all this information out of them!"

"I investigated everything, so what the hell are you good for, to produce shit?!"

Mohamad Farouk is about to cry again. How can what you investigated be the same as what I told you?

But now, Gao Lishi clearly doesn't want to give up easily, and with others watching him, Mohammad Farouk is under increasing pressure and suddenly begins to miss the old days.

So what if those resistance organizations and overseas forces don't take me seriously? I'll still receive the respect due to them. I can eat delicacies from all over the world, sleep with beauties of all skin colors, live in a big house, drive luxury cars, have seven or eight children, and live a life where I don't have to worry about anything every day. How wonderful is that!
"Tong gang, Saleng gang, Kao-Lad... Behind this are the Qiu, Chen, Attapan, and Chanon families involved..."

No one here understands the underworld better than Gao Lishi. He pressed him for answers, and once Mohammad Farouk's mouth was opened, he couldn't stop, and soon he revealed everything.

No one spoke during this time, letting Gao Lishi do as he pleased, including Wei Tao. Everyone knew not to express opinions recklessly in areas they were not good at, because if things went wrong, Brother Yao would really get angry.

“Wei Tao’s chief secretary said that Phuket’s main income comes from these people. So what I mean is, let’s wipe out all seven of them! Besides disrupting society and lowering Phuket’s attractiveness, they’ve also taken all the money. They’ve done absolutely nothing positive. Their business practices are worse than those in Hong Kong in the 1970s. We can completely replace them by simply transplanting the Hong Kong model here, so…” Gao Lishi’s eyes hardened, and he swung his hand down sharply, “Eliminate them all!”

Mohammad Farouk shuddered, looking at Gao Lishi with a horrified expression. These seven underground forces controlled 80% of the trading market, with core members numbering over a hundred each. This time, they were about to kill over a thousand people…

How many good people are there in the entire city of Phuket?

Killing more than 1% of the population, that's fucking amazing!

Sodium extract!

It's practically sodium scum!
It's basically sodium ore!

Looking at the other people in the room, they all had calm expressions, as if they had no feeling about killing thousands of people, and it was as natural as discussing what to eat for dinner.

"These lunatics!" Wei Tao looked at Chen Yuanchao.

Chen Yuanchao nodded calmly, "There won't be any problems with the execution. It's just that the boss said there will be media coverage and media publicity afterwards. Will that cause unnecessary public panic?"

He didn't care about killing people. He didn't mention his past in Annam, but the two previous conflicts in Myanmar had killed more people than that. There's no such thing as a bloodless war.

He had just heard what Mohammad Farouk had said about what those people had done: kidnapping, drugging, robbery, murder, torture... He felt that killing them directly would be too lenient for them!
In his opinion, these scum of the old society not only deserve to die, but also have all their property confiscated, and their entire families should be dragged out, paraded through the streets, and put on trial... Even so, it would not be enough to atone for the sins they committed.

He doesn't agree with the idea that demand creates a market, nor does he know who Adam Smith is or what "The Wealth of Nations" is. In his view, these are just criminals trying to excuse their crimes, packaging themselves as innocent as if they had no other choice. In reality, a crime is a crime, and nothing can be forgiven.

"The issue of filming is easy to handle," Wei Tao said with a smile. "Let the police conduct a normal inspection. These scumbags know what they've done. Even if they follow the law, they're doomed. So they definitely won't surrender easily and will resist fiercely. The media can just film normally then."

“The more intense the fighting, the more serious their crimes are, as they possess a large number of weapons and resist. It is not incongruous to label them as a super-large criminal group or terrorists. We are doing the right thing, and justice will not be criticized.”

"Then I'm all set." Chen Yuanchao nodded.

The group's gazes then turned to Sha Ze.

"Don't look at me, I'm just a driver, I'll tell the boss the truth." Sha Ze shrugged.

“Alright, I’ll contact the Qiu and Chen families, and then coordinate media resources. Once the operation begins, I’ll have them spread the news truthfully, both to show our determination and to make it clear to them that this isn’t targeting any ‘normal’ business dealings, provided they don’t cause trouble. In addition, I’ll have Mayor Wan Azman give a radio address, and then organize the municipal government to appease the citizens, paving the way for the subsequent confiscation of illegal firearms.” Wei Tao smiled and took on all the cleanup work. “Don’t worry, Phuket will transition smoothly.”

"I'll go assign personnel and make an attack plan," Chen Yuanchao said in a deep voice.

Gao Lishi stared wide-eyed at the scene, realizing that all the credit had gone to them, leaving him with nothing but a suggestion.

He cursed Wei Tao in his heart, but there was nothing he could do. He had only brought three or four men with him this time, and he had no one else to rely on. What could he do?
These politicians are truly filthy-hearted.

At this moment, Gao Lishi desperately wanted to transfer manpower from Hong Kong. Just thinking about the manpower needed to take over a market of 12 people gave him a chill down his spine.

If you were following the Immortal Brocade and doing things the old way, 100 Four Nines and 200 Blue Lanterns would be enough. But the Shengyi model won't work. It requires a lot of talent in management, and I simply don't have the ability to find people!

Obviously not. We need to go to Master Yao. To support the Phuket and Yangon branches, we need Master Yao's support!

“Me? What about me?” Mohammad Farouk stammered.

The group exchanged glances, and Gao Lishi immediately interjected, "I'll have someone follow you. Once we get back, gather our men and immediately confiscate all communication equipment. Don't announce our objective; we'll notify you halfway through the journey."

"Brother Chen, we need to borrow some people to infiltrate those corrupt cops and keep an eye on them. Those guys will definitely try their best to spread the word outside."

"Sure, how many people do you need?"

"How many are available to carry out the mission?" Gao Lishi asked, looking at Mohammad Farouk.

“300 people,” Mohammad Farouk said in a low voice.

If Mayor Wan Azman heard this, he would be so angry that he would want to kill him on the spot.

Insects, they're all fucking insects!

"How many?" Gao Lishi picked at his ear, leaned forward, thinking he had misheard. "A city of 120,000 people, a port that makes a living from illegal trade, and you only have 300 police officers you can mobilize? Are you kidding me!"

Mohammad Farouk lowered his head even further and dared not utter a single word.

The police's previous job was basically "cleaning up the mess," which didn't require many people.
But they couldn't even clean the floor properly...

"Ha!" People really do laugh when they're extremely angry, Gao Lishi now knows that.

But it's no use talking about this now. If the Phuket police had really done a good job, the situation on the island wouldn't have turned out this way.

Yao Ye really thinks far ahead. He directly transferred hundreds of people to Pattaya to become police officers. We must learn from them!
I wouldn't say I'd replace all the police in Phuket, but I'd replace at least half of them!
The mayor, the bureau chief, the police, and the courts are all my people. What can you do against me?
Things have already come to this, and there's no point in saying anything more. Fortunately, I've already accepted the gift, which at least soothes my wounded heart.

He waved his hand, signaling Mohammad Farouk to leave.

After watching the man leave, Gao Lishi suddenly said, "Brother Chen, I want to get rid of him after this matter is settled."

Chen Yuanchao didn't speak, but looked Gao Lishi up and down.

Gao Lishi composed himself and organized his thoughts before saying, "This place is different from Pattaya. The mountains are high and the emperor is far away. The power on the island is controlled by these families. We are outsiders after all. The boss won't keep his eyes on this place forever. I'm afraid I won't be able to hold out. I understand the methods of the underground. This time, it's impossible to clean it up completely. Those involved in the chain of interests are all influential families on the island. I must have a powerful sword in my hand. If anyone dares to make any trouble later, then they are the one who planned the assassination of the police chief, and I will make sure their whole family dies!"

"Besides, this guy is too weak. If we want Phuket to turn around completely, we need a tough police chief. He has to be one of our own. He's no good. He has too many blemishes on his record."

"Go and ask the boss." Chen Yuanchao's lack of objection meant he agreed.

The group discussed the details briefly before going to see Wang Yaotang and explaining the situation.

"I brought you with me when I first came to Phuket about half a year ago." Wang Yaotang leaned against the pool, his hands resting on the teak-covered edge, and looked at Gao Lishi, who was standing bowing beside him, and cursed, "You bastard! What were you doing all this time? I had to remind you of everything. What good are you? You're so useless! You can't even catch up with me when it's hot!"

Gao Lishi didn't offer a word of explanation, but instead raised his hand and slapped himself four times across the face, bending even lower at the waist.

He didn't even finish junior high school. When he was at the soda bar, all he could think about was collecting debts or cheating his friends. It wasn't until he joined Sheng Yi that he gained some experience and started trying to learn, but his starting point was too low and his foundation was too weak...

Wang Yaotang deliberately didn't make his point clear. A hundred words from a person are useless when they teach someone; but an experience can teach someone in one go.

Having learned his lesson, he now prepares in advance for everything he does, even if it's completely unnecessary.

"Call Brother Wei and Brother Ji to send some people over." Wang Yaotang didn't say anything more. "Phuket will remain under lockdown. Get everything done today, and then have the Qiu and Chen families host a banquet to invite local families and various forces that have been active here for many years. I will attend and meet with everyone to put their minds at ease."

"That's fine. Phuket is relatively isolated and the situation isn't complicated. Let you practice here. I can't do everything in the future."

"Understood, Brother Yao (Master)." The group replied in unison and slowly withdrew.

They nodded to each other and began to take action.

Based on the map showing the locations of the seven factions, Chen Yuanchao began mobilizing three companies of men. Blocking the roads wouldn't require too many men, and with some left to patrol the streets, he could mobilize five platoons, totaling over 140 men. Add to that a small force from the armored vehicle and artillery companies carrying recoilless rifles for support, and a platoon for mobility, and everything would be perfectly safe.

Gao Lishi didn't go to see Mohammad Farouk, his face was swollen from being slapped. He instructed three of his trusted subordinates to go and deal with it. If he didn't care about saving face in front of Wang Yaotang, and he didn't care about saving face in front of outsiders either, then he had no future.

Wei Tao first called the Qiu and Chen families and arranged to meet at the government building. Then he set off with ten people. This team was specifically there to help Wang Yaotang handle his daily affairs. Among them were people who understood management, operations, media, and conference affairs. They were all experts in their respective fields.

As for Sha Ze, his job is simply to ensure the security of the manor.

The entire island of Phuket has never been as bustling as it is today in over a hundred years. Everyone, whether involved or not, seems to be wound up like a spring. (End of Chapter)