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

In an interview with reporters, Daman said that he was kidnapped at the border by a group of drug traffickers from Cambodia, but was later rescued from the drug traffickers by Umbrella Security Company.

News of Wang Yaotang's protectors destroying a camp of Annamese people on the border spread quickly through newspapers and the media. Within a few days, the news was known to the parliament, the prime minister, and the military.

Unexpectedly, but also logically, An Nanfang did not react at all, as if the annihilated company was not one of their own.

That's how it went.

While the Siamese elite were amazed by the Umbrella Corporation's formidable military strength, many also expressed concern that such a powerful military force could enter their territory at any time, threatening the very foundation of Siam's national identity.

"What kind of national system does Siam have!" Wang Yaotang scoffed upon hearing the news. "Let's deal with the rebels and drug traffickers within its borders first before talking about national system."

"That's as funny as a prostitute yelling to protect her virginity."

"They probably think it's too easy for us to take down this group of Annamese, and they think I could do it too, so they feel like they have a national power." A-Jie laughed heartily.

"Easy?" Wang Yaotang smacked his lips and laughed. "The Annamese have been harmed by Siam."

"How to say?"

"The Annamese are not weak in combat, at least in Southeast Asia they are exceptionally strong, otherwise they would not have been able to easily occupy Cambodia and repeatedly invade Siam without retaliating. But playing chess with a bad player only makes them worse."

"Back when the Annamese were in the north, their defenses were very tight. But the Siamese were so damn cowardly that it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say they weren't defended at all. Over time, how could the Annamese stay vigilant? They gradually became lax."

"Siam reminds me of the Song Dynasty in history. It was a country with both civil and military officials, like a prostitute who used her soft body and venereal diseases to kill the Liao, Jin, and Mongol dynasties, and then fought against the Yuan Dynasty for more than ten years before dying of her own disease."

"Isn't Mongolia the Yuan Dynasty?" Ajie didn't quite understand.

"Mongolia is Mongolia, and Yuan is Yuan. One is a tribal system, and the other is a feudal system. They are completely different," Wang Yaotang explained after a long explanation.

Ah Jie didn't understand, but that didn't stop him from understanding the theory of 'sexually transmitted diseases' and 'contagion,' and he immediately laughed so hard he slapped his thigh.

After laughing for a while, Ah Jie calmed down and asked with a smile, "Aren't you afraid the Annamese will retaliate against you?"

"What are you going to do to get revenge on me? Wind and rain, of course!" Wang Yaotang scoffed. He had no intention of having any business in Annam.

In his eyes, Annam was just like the Japanese, who considered themselves powerful and were prone to betrayal.

The matter was quickly dismissed with a few words; no one took Annan seriously. After inquiring about the situation in Phuket, A-Jie asked, "Didn't you say you wanted to develop the Bangkok SkyTrain area a long time ago? It's been over a year; have you forgotten?"

Wang Yaotang blinked, giving a polite yet slightly awkward smile. "Would you believe me if I said I've always kept it in mind?"

"Guess?" A-Jie pointed at Wang Yaotang, looking displeased.

“I guess you believe me!” Wang Yaotang grabbed A-Jie’s fingers and squeezed them slightly.

"Hiss, then you guessed right, I believe you."

"Then you're not allowed to fight back later."

"keep your word."

Wang Yaotang laughed and let go, and A-Jie kicked him.

After a bit of playful banter, Wang Yaotang finally said, "It's not that we've forgotten, it's just that we can't afford to develop it anymore. We're broke, brother. The speed at which we make money is stagnant. Our main source of profit has always been Hong Kong, which only brings in about a billion a year. The four major industries—nightclubs, audio-visual products, stone mining, hotels, and clothing—have all hit their ceiling. After all, the market is only so big. The money we have now all comes from the stock market."

"If we want to continue to increase our income, we can only develop the Southeast Asian market. We are engaged in real industries. To expand our industry, we need to make a lot of investment. It takes time to see profits, especially in the two major mines in Myanmar. We invested more than a billion dollars and it took three years to see a return on our investment, and the returns were not much."

"The fastest way to make money is in the financial industry, but the financial industry..." Wang Yaotang said, shaking his head.

"So the Kongdi area project will be postponed for now?"

"Let's wait and see. We can't think about it for at least a year. We need to wait until our income in Pattaya and Phuket is stable. Otherwise, the banks won't lend us money. They also need to ensure the safety of the loan."

Ah Jie shrugged indifferently. He didn't understand these things; he just did whatever his boss told him to do.

“After Pattaya opens, we can invest in nightclubs in Bangkok. The market here is not as big as Hong Kong’s, but it’s still quite large. The only problem is that there are too many powerful and influential people here. It’s difficult to occupy 7% of the mid-to-high-end market like in Hong Kong. It’s impossible to do it by fighting and killing.” Wang Yaotang shook his head with some regret.

"The local gangs are so pathetic!"

Ah Jie burst into laughter.

When Pattaya opened, Wang Yaotang's group of women also came to join in the fun. Staying in Hong Kong all the time was boring, and there was a bigger estate here, so it would be nice to stay in something new.

The publicity department fully understood Wang Yaotang's "ingenious plan" and has produced a lot of "gossip news" these days, not only about Hong Kong and Taiwan stars, but also more about stars from Siam, Malaysia, and Singapore. The Asian superstars mentioned by Hong Kong media are really exaggerated. Their actual influence is in the local Chinese community, and the local stars have the greatest influence.

In Wang Yaotang's view, the status of these Hong Kong stars is already not high, but the status of these local Southeast Asian stars can be even lower.

They were hardly better than the 'singing prostitutes' of feudal society. The plan drafted by the propaganda department didn't even need the stars' approval; their respective management companies had already signed contracts.

Upon hearing Song Qingming's report, Wang Yaotang became quite interested. He sat up straight and asked with a smile, "Do you know what a 'son-in-law' is?"

"Bring-in-law?"

"That's right!" Wang Yaotang clapped his hands. "The three-year period has ended. Dragon King, please return to your throne!"

Song Qingming: The face of an elderly person using their phone on the subway.

Wang Yaotang burst into laughter to himself; the short drama was just too addictive!
"Design a scenario where a celebrity who married into a local family gives flowers to his wife. He calls her 'wife' and gets slapped. The woman shouts, 'What are you yelling at!' 'Wife!' 'Slap!' Another slap. 'Madam.'"

Wang Yaotang gestured wildly, his eyes gleaming. "At that moment, the woman's lover came over, stepping on the flowers on the ground and loudly mocking him for being just a live-in son-in-law. The woman, however, nestled in her lover's arms, acting coquettishly, and told him how illustrious his family background was... At this moment, the mother-in-law also jumped out..."

Just when the son-in-law's dignity was being trampled on and rendered worthless, seven or eight luxury cars suddenly stopped, and a group of men in black jumped out. The head butler knelt on one knee and shouted, "The three-year term has come to an end. Please return home and inherit the position of family head!"

"Remember, when the son-in-law smiles at the end, his mouth must be crooked!"

Song Qingming had tried his best to restrain himself, but his expression was still contorted as he clutched his head and grimaced, "Aaaaaah, my brain!"

Wang Yaotang laughed so hard his stomach started to cramp, and he slapped the sofa so hard that tears streamed down his face.

"Let me tell you, this scene will be staged in front of the hotel, and then it will be reported in several installments. The photos and everything will include the hotel's name. Believe me, the newspaper will sell like hotcakes."

It took Song Qingming a long time to come to his senses, and his face was pale. This was too explosive. It was like crushing people's intelligence. People who watched it would probably become mentally disabled!

Since the boss said so, what could he do but comply?

It won't interfere with other promotions, so whether it succeeds or fails, it's just to make the boss happy.

As Song Qingming left the office and sat in his car, he shook his head violently, only to find that the image was already etched into his mind, causing him to gasp in shock.

When they went back to make arrangements, they actually found a few local male celebrities who had "married into" the family. They contacted them and talked about acting out the script and promoting it. When they heard that it was Wang Yaotang who was personally arranging it, they agreed without hesitation, only asking to meet Wang Yaotang once.

They weren't from a small family to begin with; how could a daughter from a large family marry a street singer...?

He Duwang: You've got my heart!

Two days later...

As Teresa Teng read the newspaper, her expression gradually contorted... What a horrible report!

But newspaper sales proved that this thing was really attractive; after three days of serialization, the newspaper was almost sold out.

Three days later, the television station released the video footage taken on site, which caused a sensation in several Southeast Asian countries...

People in the 80s experienced the charm of short dramas for the first time, and were blown away!

The minor celebrity who married into the family had faded into obscurity, but now he's suddenly become popular again, like he's been on a rocket.

The small family in that area also became famous, and these days, the number of interviews from various media outlets has almost worn down their doorstep.

Of course, Pattaya hotels also became a hot topic. With such a long period of continuous hype, especially with this explosive storyline, they quickly gained popularity throughout Southeast Asia, and their rooms were booked out for the past two weeks.

Wang Yaotang: What do you mean by a propaganda genius?!
At the reception following the opening ceremony, members of the Chen and Zhou families jokingly asked, "Aren't you worried that the publicity will go astray and everyone will only focus on the son-in-law?"

“What’s there to be afraid of? The lines repeat Pattaya and the hotel’s name every two lines. The son-in-law is the owner behind the hotel. As long as you pay attention to this, the names Pattaya and the hotel will automatically come to mind,” Wang Yaotang said with a loud laugh.

cult classic!

This advertising is absolutely outrageous!

Sure enough, legitimate advertising is nothing; people hear it too much and their minds automatically filter out such advertising information. Only cult classics can truly resonate with people.

After achieving instant fame, the key was to maintain that momentum step by step. At this point, unconventional tactics were no longer effective; what was needed was a straightforward and honest approach. Wang Yaotang stopped paying much attention to Pattaya and took another flight back to Phuket.

During this period, the nightclub operators supported by Hong Kong have arrived, and all of them have reopened except for the seven large nightclubs that were bombed into ruins. Sheng Yizai has also successfully joined the police force and started learning Thai while on duty.

After the core members of the seven major gangs were eliminated, the security situation in Phuket improved dramatically. It wasn't that everyone had become more polite; they were simply terrified of being killed. More than 700 people had died. Saying that the whole city was in mourning might be an exaggeration, but it's true that the crematorium boilers couldn't keep up with the demand...

But whatever the reason, it doesn't matter, as long as the result is good.

Even if the unruly scoundrels resurface after a few months, it doesn't matter. A few months is enough time for Sheng Yi's young men to establish themselves in the police station and help the chief confiscate all the privately held firearms.

"Based on the data we've gathered, we estimate that out of the island's 45 inhabitants, the number of privately owned firearms may exceed 5!" Mohammad Farouk reported, his voice somewhat hoarse.

"what?"

"How can it be!"

"So many? Are you crazy?!"

Mayor Azman, the Qiu family, and the Chen family were all shocked. They found it hard to imagine that someone under their jurisdiction had so many guns. How could they be safe?
A bunch of people who are so poor they can't even afford to eat are armed with guns. Is there anything scarier than that?

"Do you want to listen to what you're saying? 5 guns, that's enough to arm an entire army!" Gao Lishi jumped up from his chair in shock. He came to Phuket to open a branch of the gang. If the people had so many guns, what use was his machete?
Where is safety?
That's breaking the rules!
Instead, Wang Yaotang, sitting in the main seat, frowned slightly. "5 units? How did you calculate that? Isn't that too few?"

Everyone looked over at the same time: Young man?
How could you say that? That's 5 units!

Mohd Farouk scratched his head. "It was calculated based on the population, shooting incidents, and the proportion of illegal firearms found in a district. It combines data from several districts, so it should be accurate."

“That’s definitely not true. Most people only have guns for peace of mind. Who would actually pull out a gun unless absolutely necessary? The number is at least doubled!” Wang Yaotang shook his head. “Last year, the United States conducted a survey on the number of firearms held by civilians, and it exceeded 2 million.”

The group of people were so shocked that they were speechless, finding it hard to associate the unit of quantity 'hundred million' with 'guns'.

"Alright, there's no point in saying all this." Wang Yaotang waved his hand. "After all, the guns were bought with real money by the citizens. Forcibly confiscating them will inevitably cause resistance and shake public morale. The government should come up with a plan to provide a reasonable buyout price for different types of guns and different years of service."

“Uh…” Upon hearing that he had to pay, Azman immediately snapped back to reality, his expression somewhat conflicted. “This year’s budget has already been spent, there’s no money left.”

The $800 million promised to hire a protector has somehow been misappropriated; it's simply...

“Use your brain. If the government is paying to buy them, it means these guns have value. Just consider 10 guns. How many jobs could be created by classifying, maintaining, and repairing them? Can’t well-maintained guns be sold under the government’s name?” Wang Yaotang pointed at Azman with a look of disdain and said, “If someone can buy guns on the black market, why can’t they buy them from the government?”

"Official channels can also offer kickbacks, and they can also issue fake invoices!"

"Of course, whether someone embezzles money is your business, so be careful. But make sure the money for your protectors is transferred as soon as possible, don't say I didn't warn you!"

"I rescued someone from the Annamese, and a whole company made $800 million in just four days. But in Phuket, it would take a whole battalion of soldiers and the army, navy, and air force to work for a year to make $800 million. I suddenly feel like I'm doing charity!"

This thing is easily compared to others, and Wang Yaotang is already somewhat dissatisfied. "Two years, at most two years, after which the price will rise to 1500 million!"

Azman was embarrassed and didn't know what to say, only managing to say that the Daman family had too much money to burn...

The old man's dead is a good thing, it's time for a young man to take over. There are so many good things to do with $800 million!
After giving the orders, the group left, leaving Gao Lishi behind to explain the recent events.

"What do you mean?" Wang Yaotang glanced at him sideways. "Do you want me to order the killing of Mohammad Farouk? What do you take me for? Someone to shield you from lightning strikes?"

"Ah..." Gao Lishi hurriedly waved his hand, "Master Yao, I really didn't mean that. I just thought that I should ask you for permission before doing anything."

Wang Yaotang glared at him irritably. "What do you mean by 'handles for future threats'? Can't you use your brain? You're not just an underground force anymore, you're my representative here!"

"I went through all this trouble just to use official methods openly and honestly, and you're thinking of other things? You've got nothing to hide!"

"This time, the confiscation of civilian firearms is just the right thing to do, so we should do it."

Gao Lishi nodded quickly, but still somewhat confused, he asked, "Illegal firearms are against the law, so isn't it only right to confiscate them?"

“The law is the law, and it doesn’t conflict with having a legitimate reason for action,” Wang Yaotang waved his hand.

Just like how it's definitely wrong to be black, but only when there's an anti-black campaign can we deliver a heavy blow, it may seem like taking off your pants to fart, but it's actually necessary.

……

Since taking up the position of director, Mohd Farouk has never been as diligent as he has been during this period, getting up at around 7 a.m. every day and leaving for work on time at 8:30 a.m.

As usual, we ate dinner, got into the car, and drove out of the villa.

Just as they drove onto the main road, the people leaning against the walls on both sides of the road, smoking and reading newspapers, exchanged glances and nodded in unison. They reached into their bags, pulled out AKs, aimed them at the oncoming car of Mohammad Farouk, and pulled the triggers.

"Da da da"

"Da da da"

"Da da da"

In just two or three seconds, crossfire from both sides rained down bullets, instantly jamming the front of the vehicle.

Before Mohammad Farouk could even scream, several bursts of blood erupted from his body. The driver's head exploded, and his body fell to the side. His unconscious arm slid along with the steering wheel, and the vehicle went out of control, crashing onto the sidewalk and smashing through a wall.

The two gunmen watched the car speed away, not caring whether they had killed their target or not. They grabbed their guns and rushed to the roadside, got on their motorcycles, twisted the throttle, and sped off with a 'whoosh'.

A dozen seconds later, it completely disappeared from the street.

It took about 10 minutes for the police car to arrive at the scene. Seven or eight officers rushed to the car, smashed the broken glass, and looked inside. They immediately screamed in surprise.

When I received the emergency call, I specifically asked for the license plate number. I never imagined that the dignified police chief would actually be assassinated!
The locals are incredibly daring!
If they dare to assassinate even the police chief, how can Phuket be guaranteed to be safe?
The guns must be eradicated; otherwise, it won't work! (End of Chapter)