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

Hong Kong, Government House, press conference hall.

When Wang Yaotang walked in again, his brows furrowed almost imperceptibly. This was where he was injured last time!
Someone actually tried to assassinate the respected Mr. Kadoorie, and even got injured in the process. It's utterly depraved!
Prince Banda, dressed in a suit and wearing a press pass, quietly sat in the press section, watching Wang Yaotang on the stage with great interest. Omar, holding a tape recorder and notebook, pretended to accompany him.

They arrived in Hong Kong secretly yesterday afternoon. They booked the Peninsula Hotel, but for the sake of secrecy, they didn't book the presidential suite. They made a big sacrifice!

Standing by the hotel's floor-to-ceiling windows, you can see the warships moored at the Wan Chai Yacht Marina with just a glance down. If you bring binoculars, you can see the entire deck clearly.

Behind a long, dark brown wooden table, Governor Wesley, dressed in a crisp white colonial uniform with a silver badge pinned to his chest, glanced at the dozens of reporters below, each holding a pen and a tape recorder.

"Please be quiet, everyone." Wei Dewei cleared his throat and tapped the table lightly with his fingertips, instantly silencing the conference room. The projection screen behind him lit up, displaying a map of shipping routes in the South China Sea, with dense red markings indicating areas where pirate attacks had occurred in the past two years.

"As an important part of global shipping, the South China Sea has seen 38 merchant ships attacked by pirates in the past two years, with 16 of them going missing, more than 540 people killed, and various losses exceeding HK$8 million..." Wei Dewei began with a slightly sorrowful voice.

"In order to curb the rampant piracy and to ensure the safety of shipping routes, I hereby announce today that, after consultation between the Governor's Office and the security department, the request of the Umbrella Security Company to form a fleet to expand its escort services has been approved..."

He paused, then pointed to an aerial view of Hong Kong's docks on the screen: "Piracy not only threatens the lives of sailors but also seriously hinders Hong Kong's commercial development. Last year, Hong Kong's maritime trade accounted for 62% of the region's GDP. The establishment of the escort fleet will significantly improve the safety of shipping routes, and it is expected to reduce the rate of pirate attacks by more than 80%. This is not only about protecting merchant ships but also about consolidating Hong Kong's status as the 'Pearl of the Orient' in commerce—when shipping routes are safe, merchants from Southeast Asia, Japan, South Korea, and even Europe and America will be more willing to choose Hong Kong as a transit port, bringing more investment and employment opportunities to Hong Kong."

A reporter from RTHK raised his hand and asked, "Governor, how can we ensure that the Umbrella Corporation's security operations comply with international law?"

Wei Dewei nodded slightly and replied, "The fleet has received coordination and support from the Hong Kong garrison of the British Navy's Far East Command and has established an emergency response mechanism with the garrison. All operations will strictly follow the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and will only carry out escort missions in the waters under Hong Kong's jurisdiction and international waterways. We will never cross the line to carry out missions."

After dealing with the pre-arranged questions from reporters, Wei Dewei looked around with a firm gaze and said, "The prosperity of the world economy cannot be separated from a safe business environment. The escort fleet is an important measure to protect people's livelihoods and trade. I believe that under the protection of the fleet, sea routes will once again become safe passages."

As soon as he finished speaking, enthusiastic applause erupted in the conference hall.

Throughout the press conference, Wang Yaotang simply stood to the side as a backdrop, letting Wei Dewei steal the spotlight.

After the press conference, the group left through the back door. Wang Yaotang exchanged a few pleasantries with Wei Dewei before heading towards the parking lot.

The news that Umbrella Corporation had legally registered a fleet in Hong Kong spread like wildfire through Southeast Asia, causing considerable unease among neighboring countries.

Malaysia, the Philippines, and Kofi Annan all immediately protested to Government House, and at the same time also protested to Downing Street.

Protests against the Hong Kong government for disrupting the regional balance of power and triggering an arms race crisis, among other things.

The Governor's Office had already anticipated this and simply couldn't be bothered to pay attention.

Who the hell takes protests seriously? If you have the capability, you'll just impose sanctions. This is just empty talk.

As for Downing Street, they did indeed call the Governor's Office. In addition to replying in official language, Wei Dewei also said that it was a loophole in the law and that Wang Yaotang had a lot of power, representing the entire Chinese community and the northern neighbors, so there was nothing he could do.

Old Chinese: I can't get there!
However, the concept of proxies is extremely prevalent in the West, and whether or not they deny it doesn't affect their view at all.

Of course, this is the official view; what the general public thinks is quite different.

Wang Yaotang had previously mentioned at a banquet that he wanted to launch this kind of service, but it had been shelved because he had not yet obtained official permission. Now that the Governor's Office has come forward to endorse it, whether it is to support him or because they really need it, the next day the four shipping magnates and several of the top shipping companies in Hong Kong came to him.

Since they were giving him face, Wang Yaotang had to reciprocate by personally going out to receive them and providing basic services, including sending an infantry squad to escort them on board.

It's not that the shipping magnates are stingy and unwilling to spend money; it's just that the highest-level service is warship escort... This service really can't be handled casually, as it can easily cause misunderstandings.

After a busy morning, Wei Tao had just returned to the company in the afternoon when he was told that an Arab man had approached him, saying he wanted to discuss a business deal worth hundreds of millions of dollars and that he wanted to meet with the boss in person.

"Hundreds of millions of dollars?" Wang Yaotang became interested. "What kind of business?"

"Petroleum and petrochemicals".

When the words Arabic and oil are combined, Wang Yaotang immediately pictured a cloth covering his head.

"Chief Secretary Wei, do I have time tomorrow?"

"Yes, that's possible," Wei Tao said with a smile.

"Then let's arrange it for tomorrow."

……

The next morning, in the reception room.

Out of politeness, Wang Yaotang personally greeted the visitor at the door. To his surprise, the visitor was not wearing a robe or a cloth on his head; he was dressed in a normal suit and tie. After the handshake, introductions, and pleasantries were completed, the visitor entered the reception room.

Omar laughed and recounted his experiences in Hong Kong over the past few days. He said that he was staying at the Peninsula Hotel and was deeply impressed by the Umbrella Corporation's fleet. He never imagined that there were companies in the world that owned private fleets, let alone such powerful and modern ones.

Wang Yaotang explained with a smile that as the world's largest duty-free port, Hong Kong has an enormous daily cargo throughput, and shipping is Hong Kong's lifeline, making the fight against piracy inevitable.

Omar was very curious about the origin of these fleets, and his expression was quite interesting when he heard that they came from Somalia.

Somalia is right next to Camel. Others may not know what it's like there, but he certainly does. This fleet alone is enough to buy the entire Somali army.

Unable to get any information from him, Omar started talking about business. He said that he represented Camel Aramco and could provide all kinds of fuel, including heavy fuel oil for power plants and cargo ships, which was 30% cheaper than the market price.

Wang Yaotang's smile was rather indifferent. This was all that Camel could offer. However, considering the needs of CLP Power and HK Electric, having another long-term procurement channel was not bad. But compared to purchasing these things, he was more interested in selling some things to Camel.

As everyone knows, camels... are rich!
Yesterday, I urgently asked someone to find some information about imported camels. The information was not very complete. Some came from Hong Kong Customs, some from Marseille, France, and the last part came from Singapore. But Wang Yaotang noticed something that made him feel a bit overwhelmed.

Camels are actually wheat exporters, and among the top ten wheat exporters in the world.

Starting in the 70s, relying on its oil wealth and to avoid being held hostage by others in terms of food, Camel vigorously supported agriculture. It not only provided farmers with wasteland, subsidized agricultural machinery and fertilizer costs, and issued long-term interest-free loans, but also incentivized planting through policies such as preferential grain purchase prices. At the same time, it solved irrigation problems by extracting large amounts of groundwater and building seawater desalination plants, resulting in a rapid increase in wheat production.

In 84, it became a net exporter of wheat, and in 87 it ranked among the world's top ten wheat exporters. Its export volume can meet the needs of many neighboring countries. In addition to grain, the output of agricultural by-products such as dates and meat has also increased significantly.

When Wang Yaotang saw this data, he was completely dumbfounded. Wouldn't the cost of producing one ton of wheat be far higher than importing it? And they still want to export it? Are they just trying to make a name for themselves?
I don't understand the thinking of rich people.

Of course, this is none of his business, but in order to vigorously develop agriculture, the imports of related agricultural machinery, equipment, fertilizers and so on have surged, and at present, they are mainly imported from France and Germany.

Besides agricultural machinery and fertilizers, camels also import large quantities of pearls, gems, and non-ferrous metals every year, and Myanmar happens to be a major producer of these, with a large import volume of tin among the non-ferrous metals.

"Agricultural machinery? Mechanical products?" Omar glanced at the young man beside him, then looked interested. "Mr. Wang, which country's products are you representing?" He was prepared to agree regardless of the outcome, otherwise things would be harder to discuss later.

"It seems I must give you a grand introduction to the world's oldest country, a nation whose civilization has never been interrupted—China!" Wang Yaotang rubbed his hands together, his face full of excitement. "China has been the world's most populous country for thousands of years, feeding 11 billion people. Agricultural planting techniques are ingrained in our very bones. When it comes to farming, we are professionals!"

Ah... Omar's expression was momentarily confused.

"I'm saying all this just to tell you how much importance our country attaches to planting. As for the specifics," Wang Yaotang said, handing over photos he had prepared beforehand.

Don't bother with any professional materials, they're useless!

In every industry, the people who truly decide whether to make a purchase never understand the documents; a picture is enough.

"Let me mention a key point: for agricultural machinery with the same horsepower, Chinese-made machines cost only one-third of the price, and the maintenance costs are even lower. We can set up specialized agricultural machinery repair departments in several agricultural cities in Luotuo, and the after-sales costs are only one-fifth of those of European and American products!"

"Really?!" Omar suddenly felt a surge of unexpected joy. "How's the quality?"

Wang Yaotang shrugged, his face showing a mixture of sarcasm, resentment, and arrogance. "Those claims that China's technology is backward are nothing but lies from Fang World Media."

"Look at the warships outside, and think about how China can produce nuclear bombs, ballistic missiles, and satellites. How many countries in the world have this capability?"

"The only reason they slander the Chinese is because they are afraid."

"Why don't they slander India, Egypt, or Libya? Because they are too weak and pose no threat to Europe and America. Why waste time and effort to slander them?"

Omar raised an eyebrow and exchanged a glance with the young man beside him. Yes, they came here to buy logs from the Chinese.

If we can produce logs from Lao Zhong, then agricultural machinery is just a piece of cake!

A very 'simple' idea.

Omar's eyes lit up, and suddenly he had a good idea.

The two countries have not established diplomatic relations, so going straight to each other would attract too much attention. However, if it is a large-scale purchase of agricultural machinery for domestic agricultural development and agricultural technology exchange as a pretext, then there is no problem at all!
This is a nation that has maintained the world's largest population for thousands of years, feeding 11 billion people, and whose agricultural planting techniques are ingrained in their very being!

Aboveboard!

Impeccable!

“I’m interested in what you’re saying. When can we see the actual product? You said that Chinese people are professionals at farming, so I think we can exchange agricultural techniques,” Omar said with a smile.

Prince Banda's eyes lit up; this was a perfect reason!
These words surprised Wang Yaotang slightly. He did want to act as a middleman to sell agricultural machinery, but he didn't expect the other party to take the bait so readily. For a moment, he even suspected that these people were scammers.

When did doing business become so easy?
Camels won't work either!

“Sure, I’ll contact them and get them ready. About a month,” Wang Yaotang said with a smile.

"So long?" Omar frowned. "Can't we speed things up? Time is money, and land waits for no one."

So rushed? Wang Yaotang became even more suspicious that they were scammers, and the smile on his face faded a bit. "You came too suddenly."

“I’m sorry for being so forward. I wonder if Mr. Wang has anything else to attend to? Could you…” Omar asked in a deep voice.

Wang Yaotang stared at the other party and said in a deep voice, "I have a lot of business in Myanmar. Two of my large tin mines have been affected by the recent internal turmoil in Myanmar. I plan to take the Umbrella Corporation's fleet to visit Myanmar."

Ah... Omar's expression froze, and he subconsciously licked his lips. What East India Company!

Internal strife in a country cannot be quelled in a month or two; they cannot afford to waste time.

The young man next to Omar gently nudged Omar's leg. Omar took a deep breath and said, "I have something I want to say to Mr. Wang alone."

"Hmm?" Wang Yaotang sat up straight and looked him up and down.

Wei Tao pressed the alarm button in his pocket, and the door to the reception room was suddenly pushed open. Sha Ze led four men in, guns raised.

This scene startled Prince Banda. What was going on?!
Omar finally realized what was happening and immediately stood up to protect Prince Banda.

"What are you going to do!"

"Who sent you to assassinate me?"

After he finished speaking, Wang Yaotang and Omar were both stunned.

This statement (this reaction) is not right.

Wang Yaotang raised his hand to signal Sha Ze and the others to put down their guns. Seeing that Omar was still standing in front of the man who hadn't said a word from beginning to end, Wang Yaotang could tell that this man was the one in charge.

Turning his head, Wang Yaotang's gaze met that of Prince Banda, and he immediately became interested. This sneaky behavior was suspicious!
"Everyone out," Wang Yaotang waved his hand.

With only three people remaining in the waiting room, Wang Yaotang looked over with interest. "Sir, please introduce yourself."

Prince Banda stood up with a smile. "Let me introduce myself. I am Banda bin Sultan bin Abdul... the current ambassador for the camel 'Pig Girl' program."

Omar continued, "Prince Banda's father is the King's younger brother and the current First Deputy Prime Minister of the Kingdom."

Wang Yaotang exclaimed "Wow!" with a look of surprise on his face. As he stood up and shook hands with the other party again, he couldn't help but look him up and down. He really was a prince with a cloth on his head.

This time, he didn't think the other party was a scammer. He was sure that Ambassador Pig Sister could get the photos and couldn't fool anyone.

But what could possibly warrant a prince like Bai Longyu secretly traveling to Hong Kong to see him?
Thinking about it, Wang Yaotang's body suddenly stiffened. If you had to say what the biggest impression the camel left on the old man was... it must be the finger that stretched out from the rabbit.

Wang Yaotang blurted out instinctively, "Holy crap, you guys didn't come here to buy logs, did you?"

Upon hearing this, Omar and Prince Banda's expressions changed drastically. "How did you know?!"

When was the news leaked?! (End of Chapter)