1982 Started from Hong Kong

Chapter 494 I Recognize You
At noon during the hottest days of summer, the glaring sunlight is so intense that it's hard to open your eyes.
The Pengcheng Sports Commission training base had already set up a temporary stage, with blue banners with white lettering hanging on both sides.

The left side reads: "Strike hard against corruption and evil."

The inscription on the right reads: "A sharp sword hangs high to deter petty villains."

The image in the middle is: Pengcheng People's Court's public trial and sentencing rally.

The air was scorching hot under the blazing sun, yet it couldn't stop the crowd from gathering below the stage.

Crowded.

The entire sports commission training base can accommodate nearly three thousand people, which is far from enough. The dense crowd, some covering their foreheads with their hands, others holding up sun umbrellas, filled every available space to stand.

The crowd then spread to the streets behind, completely blocking traffic; it stretched as far as the eye could see.
Some spectators even climbed onto the walls and tree trunks, all waiting for the next exciting scene to begin.

And at this very moment, right behind the 'stage',
Zhai Yuan sat with several leaders, and they introduced each other with the help of Hong Huang.

“You already know Officer Lu, so I don’t need to introduce him further.”

After Hong Huang finished speaking with a smile, he pointed to another middle-aged man in uniform: "This is our Pengcheng's crime nemesis, the head of the police department, Inspector Shi!"

We won't go into the pleasantries.

Zhai Yuan kept fanning himself to cool off, and smiled at Inspector Lu, saying, "I forgot to mention to you last time that I have a food processing business in Hong Kong that I'm working with a friend on, and we hope to build a processing plant in Shenzhen."

Inspector Lu raised an eyebrow and teased, "Mr. Zhai, your business scope is quite extensive!"

"It's just a small-scale operation." Zhai Yuan waved his hand with a smile, then took the initiative to say, "This processing plant has an investment of about 600 million Hong Kong dollars. It produces snacks and canned goods, all of which are local Hong Kong products."

The two brands, Tuantuan and Yuanyuan, offer food and drinks.

In Pengcheng, the main business is food processing. In Zhai Yuan's memory, the city's mining spring water source is not outstanding. It seems that only a brand called "Yili" is well-known locally. Therefore, Yuanyuan does not need to be placed here.

Moreover, Peng Jiayan had already secured three water sources—Yuquanshan, Qiandao Lake, and Jiuhuashan—which was sufficient for early development and expansion, so there was no need to rush into expansion.

Mr. Lu had just secured a US$15 million project with Kuaibo, exceeding the investment target for the year ahead of schedule. He was feeling a bit cocky, but when he heard Zhai Yuan say that the food processing plant would only require a HK$6 million investment, his enthusiasm immediately waned.

"Okay, let me think about it..."

Mr. Lu mentally planned the land use and said, "Let's say you need 2,500 square meters for the factory, 500 for the warehouse, 300 for the office area, and leave some drying yard and green belt... Is 5,000 square meters enough?"

Zhai Yuan clasped his hands together and thanked him with a smile: "That's more than enough!"

He had formally visited Peng Jiayan's factory plan in Hong Kong. The factory was located in a traditional industrial building in the New Territories, with each floor being 200 square meters and renting for HK$50 per square meter. The factory had already started operations after renting two independent units.

Five thousand square meters—it's like upgrading from a slingshot to a cannon—it's incredibly luxurious.

"Then we'll allocate you a plot of land on the site of the old brick factory near Yantian Port, which isn't far from your Kuaibo."

After Lu Sir finished speaking, he turned to look at Shi Sir and said with a smile, "If you ever inspect goods over there in the future, please make sure it's convenient for them."

Inspector Shi smiled and waved his hand: "Food items do not involve sensitive categories, so we are not too strict in our inspections. Of course, Mr. Zhai should also remember to have more random checks done, and we can communicate with you anytime if there are any problems in the future."

Zhai Yuan thanked him again, then looked at the uniformed Inspector Shi and said after a moment's thought, "There's something I need to discuss with you, Inspector Shi."

Inspector Shi was taken aback, not expecting that Zhai Yuan could still talk to him. After a moment of hesitation, he nodded and smiled, "Mr. Zhai, please speak freely."

"Hmm." Zhai Yuan paused for a few seconds before carefully speaking, "Inspector Shi should also know that there are certain so-called triads in Hong Kong. Basically, when I was starting out in business, I inevitably had to deal with these people when I encountered trouble..."

Upon hearing this, Inspector Lu's expression shifted, and he stood up, smiling as he greeted Hong Huang.

"Ms. Hong, could you give me some advice on the food processing plant?"

"it is good!"

Hong Huang and Lu Sir left one after the other, leaving only Zhai Yuan and Shi Sir sitting opposite each other.

Inspector Shi glanced at Zhai Yuan and nodded, saying, "Our men have a general understanding of the situation in Hong Kong. This kind of thing is unavoidable."

Zhai Yuan hummed in agreement, smiled at the other party, and continued, "When I do business, I'm used to the entire process from production to sales. Now that I've opened Kuaibo and a food processing plant in Pengcheng, I don't plan to hire a foreign transportation company. Whether it's customs clearance, warehousing, or logistics, I want to use my own people."

Inspector Shi looked at Zhai Yuan thoughtfully and then smiled: "If I remember correctly, Mr. Zhai is the head of the Sun Kee Group in Hong Kong?"

Zhai Yuan shrugged helplessly.

Sure enough, these rotten things in Hong Kong couldn't be kept secret at all.

What do you mean by "world intelligence center"?
Inspector Shih smiled and said, "Mr. Zhai, please don't misunderstand. After all, it's the eve of the handover, and we need to investigate the local environment in Hong Kong to make it easier to take over in the future. In addition, according to what we know, Mr. Zhai, you only use Sun Kee as a security company. You have no gang affiliation or background and have never been involved in underworld affairs. This is already very commendable!"

"It's all thanks to my mother's good upbringing," Zhai Yuan said with a laugh.

I'm feeling a little down and don't want to talk.

Inspector Shi chuckled and patted him on the shoulder, offering him a cigarette: "Now that you mention it, I think I understand what you mean. So you want to use the staff of Xinji to establish a logistics company in Pengcheng to handle your transportation business?"

Now that the matter was out in the open, Zhai Yuan no longer tried to hide anything.

Zhai Yuan lit a cigarette, took a drag, and said, "That's the idea. I'm sure you, Inspector Shi, know that the so-called 50,000 or 100,000 men of the New Bureau are really just construction workers, dockworkers, or taxi drivers... What I mean is, if they can run logistics properly under your nose, Inspector Shi, it's at least better than wandering around Hong Kong. That's a kind of reform, isn't it?"

After saying that, they both laughed.

It is worth mentioning that Zhai Yuan had this idea because the logistics and transportation situation at that time was not yet fully standardized.

They can be broadly divided into two categories of business entities.

One type is border trade transportation teams run by locals in Pengcheng. These are mainly individual operators, mostly from Weitou, who drive hand tractors, small trucks, and motorcycles. Their main business is delivering goods and carrying goods for others. They often appear as temporary fleets, waiting around Luohu Port and Wenjindu to solicit business.

The problem is that they can't enter Hong Kong.

The second type is transportation companies established by foreign investors, which specialize in cross-border transportation. They have a very flexible way of hiring people, with drivers mainly being Hong Kong residents and managers mostly being Hong Kong residents or locals who are married to people from both places.

It appears to be formalized, but for Zhai Yuan, the structure is too loose and fails to achieve the goal of facilitating the flow of people and goods.

If we cannot use our own people to enter this market and control logistics and transportation, it is tantamount to handing over our advantageous position to others.

If future transportation companies we cooperate with raise prices arbitrarily, that's still considered good.
Order snatching, kickback taking, and delayed delivery are the real troubles.

"Your concerns are not unfounded; there are indeed some security issues in Pengcheng..."

Inspector Shi exhaled a puff of smoke, squinted his eyes, and seemed to be weighing something in his mind.

After a long pause, he looked at Zhai Yuan again and asked, "Is Xu Jiaqiang running a casino in Malaysia now?" Zhai Yuan smiled helplessly and said, "I know you're very resourceful, Inspector Shi. You don't need to scare me."

Inspector Shi smiled and waved his hand: "Based on your businesses in Hong Kong, Sun Kee currently has the widest range of financial avenues and is expanding its territory rapidly. It has almost become the largest triad in all of Hong Kong..."

Zhai Yuan hummed in agreement. Although he hadn't paid attention to Xinji for a long time, he still occasionally heard rumors. Xinji was indeed a large organization with many people, a lot of money, and many brothers. Especially after Xu Jiaqiang obtained the license for the Malaysian casino, some high-ranking figures from Heji and the Number Gang even switched sides.

"Actually, there's nothing wrong with your idea. If you use Xinji's people as logistics and transportation workers, as long as they are willing to follow the rules, they will be no different from the workers of those foreign transportation companies."

Shi Sir flicked his cigarette ash, looked at Zhai Yuan and said, "But there are three bottom lines and one piece of advice."

Zhai Yuan raised an eyebrow and sat up a little straighter: "Inspector Shi, please speak freely."

"First, we hope that the workers coming to Shenzhen have a clean record and no criminal record."

"Second, companies must register in our police system, and personnel lists, vehicle dispatch, and frequency of entry and exit must be transparent."

"Third, we must not allow these people to use logistics as a pretext to touch sensitive goods, otherwise there will be no leniency to speak to Mr. Zhai."

Zhai Yuan nodded slightly after listening. It was reasonable and easy to do.

The only troublesome point is the third one: people are not machines after all, and it is difficult to control their every move in private.

“I donate 50 to charity every year to our police force.”

Zhai Yuan pondered for a moment, then stared at Inspector Shi and said earnestly, "If we can start a logistics company, I hope the officers will take good care of these workers. If any violations are found, punish them with the highest penalties. I will also do a good job of internal supervision and oversight."

With a cigarette dangling from his lips, Inspector Shi slowly exhaled a puff of white smoke: "I will go back and hold a special seminar. Your situation is very special, and it's not something I can decide on my own with just a few words."

Zhai Yuan nodded and smiled, "Understood... Now that Inspector Shi has explained his three bottom lines, what is his last piece of advice?"

Shek Sir paused for a moment, then said earnestly, "No single organization can dominate a triad; there needs to be a balance."

at the same time,

A group of officers in military uniforms escorted more than a dozen criminals to Inspector Shi.

"Inspector Shek, all the prisoners have arrived!"

"Ah."

Shi Sir responded, stood up, and patted Zhai Yuan on the shoulder: "I'll go up on stage and say a few words first. You can think about it slowly."

When Inspector Shek walked around the sunshade and appeared on the stage...

The crowd that had been gathering below the stage instantly erupted in cheers.

Amid the noise, Zhai Yuan fell into a brief moment of contemplation.

Inspector Shi's advice was not without merit.
They are used to having a monopoly in Hong Kong, but when it comes to future checks and balances, this path may not be viable.

Zhai Yuan took a deep drag on his cigarette, tilted his head back, and exhaled a cloud of smoke. He had already made up his mind.

Logistics can be handled by Xinji, but not entirely. At least these people in the underworld need to know that I'm willing to give, and that's how they get their food...

He stood up, dusted off his clothes, and then turned around and laughed again.

Among the group of criminals being escorted behind him, "Thumbtack Hua," who had recently robbed him, was prominently featured. The men around him were also familiar faces who had brandished guns as a show of force. This time, they were all apprehended.

"Tsk tsk~"

Zhai Yuan strolled forward, first offering the officer a cigarette, then taking a closer look at Feng Jianhua with great interest.

At this moment, Feng Jianhua no longer showed the arrogant attitude he had displayed when he stopped the car.
He looked as dejected as a stray dog, his hands tied behind his back, his face covered in bruises, and his eyes lifeless.

Zhai Yuan looked down at him, a half-smile playing on his lips.

Feng Jianhua looked up at the stranger in front of him and saw mockery and disdain in the other person's eyes. He tried to force a few words out and shout, but after a moment of hesitation, he couldn't utter a single word.

Do you recognize me?

Zhai Yuan patted Feng Jianhua's cheek, ignoring the other's bewildered look, and said with a smile, "I recognize you. Be careful in your next life."

……

"...We are holding a public trial here for a group of criminals who have seriously disrupted social order and damaged the economic order. They colluded with outsiders, engaging in smuggling, kidnapping and extortion, armed robbery, and even infiltrating key construction units in our city, working with corrupt officials to steal the fruits of reform..."

In uniform, Inspector Shih stood in front of the podium, raised a megaphone, and spoke loudly.

Meanwhile, Director Qian, Feng Jianhua, and others were put into several prison vans and began their formal parade through the streets.

Citizens from all directions chased after the prison van, gathering around to watch and hurl insults.

After the prison van had paraded through the streets and returned to the training base's open space, the judge began listing the criminals' crimes one by one from the podium.

"The defendant, Qian, abused his power and committed malfeasance as the director of a state-owned factory. He participated in and condoned corrupt practices, seriously disrupted the safety and production order of the factory area, and caused significant economic losses. The circumstances were egregious. He is hereby sentenced to death and to be executed immediately."

"The defendant, Feng, is suspected of multiple crimes, including armed robbery, gang fighting, and obstructing official business. He has repeatedly refused to reform and poses a great threat to society. He is hereby sentenced to death and to be executed immediately."

"...Sentenced to death in accordance with the law, to be carried out immediately."

"..."

One verdict after another,
Hong Huang's claim that "a case will be filed within three days, reported to the provincial department, property confiscated, and the person executed" is indeed not an exaggeration.

A temporary execution platform has been set up on the playground.
Surrounded by thousands of citizens, a dozen or so criminals knelt in a row, each with a pale face and expressions that were either numb or terrified.

The sun was still blazing, and a tense and solemn atmosphere filled the air.

Zhai Yuan sat under the sunshade, picked up a glass of herbal tea and gulped down two mouthfuls. He squinted at the row of officers standing behind the criminals, each holding a Type 56 automatic rifle.

The judge on the podium waved his hand and gave the final verdict: "The sentence is in effect, the death penalty shall be carried out immediately!"

The next second, a series of gunshots suddenly rang out, shattering the brief silence.

The distant chirping of cicadas subsided, then rose again in a cacophony, as if announcing the arrival of justice, or perhaps the dawn of a new era…

(End of this chapter)