1982 Started from Hong Kong

Chapter 497 Clean and free of STDs
"Brother Yuan, Sister-in-law."

After a year apart, Chen Jiale has acquired a more rugged, hardworking quality reminiscent of socialist laborers.

His skin had become much darker, and he had grown a beard. His once flowing medium-short hair had been completely shaved into a buzz cut. He was lean and had a straight back.

It gives people a feeling of being both dirty and energetic, like a piece of pig iron forged in an industrial furnace.

"So, Jiale, how was the Soviet Union? Was it fun?"

Zhai Yuan walked over with Ye Yuqing in his arms, greeted Chen Jiale, punched him in the chest, and said with a smile, "So skinny, Ming-ge won't feed you? Dump that big shot and come back to help me!"

A gentle night breeze blew, and only a few sailors moved about on the deck, with two large flying boats escorting them on the distant sea.

Chen Jiale grinned, revealing a set of clean white teeth: "No way, Brother Yuan, Brother Ming still owes me two months' salary. Let's talk about it after I get my pay."

Ye Yuqing, who was standing to the side, couldn't wait to ask, "How is my boss doing over there?"

"Don't worry, sister-in-law." Chan Ka-lok glanced at her and said with a smile, "Ming-ge is doing very well over there. He has royal chefs for meals, guards when he goes out, and he lives in the official residence left by the old Buryat general. He even sleeps under a mink fur blanket. These soldiers take turns delivering vodka and caviar to his door every day. He's living the life of a tsar!"

"Really? He hasn't called back even once. My parents are so worried."

"International calls are hard to get through, so they sent me back to let you know I'm safe?"

Chen Jiale and Ye Yuqing had a brief chat about Ye Zhiming's impressive exploits in the Soviet Union, and at the end, Chen Jiale took out a few photos as evidence.

In the photo, Ye Zhiming is wearing a dark blue woolen overcoat, his sparse hair is neatly combed, and he is wearing shiny black military boots. He is surrounded by two or three generals in military uniforms, exuding the air of a diplomat.

In the photo, Ye Zhiming sits at a long dining table, holding a glass of vodka. In front of him is a large plate of caviar, smoked bear meat, and a whole roasted deer leg. On either side of him sits a blonde beauty, smiling like a Maitreya Buddha.

In the photo, Ye Zhiming, wearing a thick mink coat, stands in the center of a snow-covered training ground, holding an AK-47, while a group of Soviet soldiers stand in formation behind him, saluting him...

"Wow!" Ye Yuqing looked at the photo, speechless with amazement, clicking her tongue in wonder: "He looks like a head of state, I almost didn't recognize him."

"Alright, Head of State's sister, your brother's made it big."

Zhai Yuan leaned over to look at the photos, then looked up at Chen Jiale, and then slapped Ye Yuqing's pert buttocks with a smile, saying, "It's windy on the deck, let's go inside and wait. Jiale and I will have a smoke."

Ye Yuqing made a biting gesture at Zhai Yuan and smugly snorted, "Be nice to me from now on, or I'll have my boss send troops to invade Hong Kong and deal with you!"

Zhai Yuan wrapped his arms around her waist and teased, "Am I not good enough to you?"

Ye Yuqing's eyes crinkled into a smile: "So-so, I'll keep trying in the future~"

Knowing that Zhai Yuan and Chen Jiale had other things to discuss, Ye Yuqing didn't linger after finishing her sentence and went straight into the cabin.

Only Zhai Yuan and Chen Jiale remained on the deck.

Two Double Happiness cigarettes were lit one after another, their scarlet tips flickering in the night wind.

No one spoke for a long time.

Chen Jiale squinted at the horizon, a cigarette dangling from his lips, while a copper-colored ruble coin twirled between his fingers.

"Go ahead and tell me!"

After finishing his cigarette, Zhai Yuan flicked the butt into the sea before turning to Chen Jiale and asking, "Do you think I'm as easy to fool as Aqing? Why did you suddenly come back all by yourself? Did something happen to Ye Zhiming?"

Chen Jiale paused, the ruble coin he was spinning in his hand, and a smirk appeared on his face: "Brother Yuan is truly the reincarnation of Zhuge Liang on the stage; nothing can be hidden from you."

Zhai Yuan rolled his eyelids down and breathed a sigh of relief.

The fact that Ye Zhiming can still crack a joke means that he is still alive.

The photos that Chen Jiale just showed were indeed impressive enough. At least Ye Yuqing was now absolutely convinced that her boss was doing very well in the Soviet Union and could get whatever he wanted.

But one thing is obvious: if Ye Zhiming really had luxury cars, beautiful women, and military escorts, it would be too easy for the Soviet Union to make money.

It is indeed a degenerate age of political instability and rampant corruption.

Why should it be his turn to rise to prominence, a yellow-skinned man who has only been there for a year and has no foothold?
Moreover, given Ye Zhiming's personality, if he were a nobody in the Soviet Union, he would have returned to Hong Kong to show off long ago. Why wouldn't he even make a phone call?

Where did those photos come from?

“Ming spent a few hundred US dollars to have someone stage a photo shoot so that his wife and family wouldn’t worry about it.”

Chen Jiale scratched his head and smiled, then paused and slowly said, "Business is tough. We hear gunfire every day in the Black Sea region, and there are long lines of oil tankers in Kazakhstan. When jeeps run out of gas, they have to be towed by tractors. When it's cold, we have to boil snow water to cool off, and when it's hot, we have to be careful of warehouse explosions. In the end, we don't make much money, and we even get tricked."

Zhai Yuan didn't press for details, but instead asked, "What's Ye Zhiming's current situation?"

Chan Ka-lok said, "I was detained by the military in Moscow and temporarily placed in an old military barracks in the Ural Mountains. People brought me food and water every day, but I was not allowed to leave the barracks. They said it was to assist in the investigation, but it was actually the same as being imprisoned."

Zhai Yuan nodded upon hearing this: "What about those so-called high-ranking military officers he met on the gambling ship?"

Chen Jiale sniffed and said, "This is all Ming's fault for being too impatient. When he first arrived in the Soviet Union, his officer friends did introduce him to a few business deals, and things went smoothly for him. Later, he felt that the shipment volume was too small, so he met a Yugoslavian broker named Sergei, who claimed to have deep connections in Moscow."

“You know he’s always been bold, and he didn’t want others to take advantage of him, so he secretly met with Sergei behind the backs of his officer friends. He even prepaid $100,000, saying he wanted to intercept a batch of decommissioned arms warehouses and seal them up before anyone else.”

“I suggested to him at the time that he should hold on and wait until his original business was doing well before gradually expanding. But Ming was only thinking about taking over the whole business at that time. He would always say things like, ‘The opportunity is right in front of us. If we are a step late, we will be eaten up by others.’ And guess what happened? Sergei gave us an address in the Ural Mountains and told us to fly there. Sure enough, there was a large number of decommissioned weapons there, including RPGs, AKs, Dragunovs, heavy machine guns, and even dozens of armored vehicles parked neatly.”

"To be honest, I believed it myself that time. Real guns and cannons, ammunition boxes piled up as high as a person, even the military insignia and equipment registration forms were original Soviet-made. In particular, Sergei said one thing and the guards at the warehouse door nodded and bowed to open the warehouse for us to inspect the goods."

Upon hearing this, Zhai Yuan breathed a sigh of relief: "If there's a warehouse and goods, then the problem must lie with that guy named Sergei, right?"

"Looking back now, I realize that the idiot was definitely problematic in many ways."

Chen Jiale nodded and cursed, then said helplessly, "But at the time we were all stunned by the weapons in the warehouse. Sergei offered low prices: $300 for a PK machine gun, $400 for an RPG with ammunition, and $35 for each AK at a wholesale price of 50. There were even armored vehicles to choose from, with tracked infantry fighting vehicles costing only $8,000 each, and a discount for buying ten."

“Ming and I did the math. If we emptied the entire warehouse, plus bribing officers, local transportation, and forging permits, it would come to about eight million US dollars. At the time, everyone was thinking that even if the cost of sea freight doubled, once this batch of goods was transported to the Syrian border, transshipped to Lebanon, and finally delivered to the front lines in third-world countries, we could make three times the profit just by selling one AK. The net profit from the entire warehouse would be several times the initial investment. Of course, we had to take the gamble!”

"That night, Sergei, along with several garrison commanders, got Ming Ge drunk. He mentioned that the shipment was in high demand, and Ming Ge, worried that someone else might snatch it away, immediately prepaid $200 million and asked Sergei to handle the transportation paperwork. But things went wrong. As soon as he got the money, Sergei vanished. Ming Ge and I didn't wait for him to return. Instead, we were met by people from the neighboring military region. They immediately said they had received intelligence that foreign spies had illegally accessed the arms warehouse, and the warehouse was sealed off on the spot. Everyone was detained."

Chen Jiale gritted his teeth and cursed, "Damn it! We later found out that Sergei wasn't qualified to sell that batch of goods at all. He was indeed from a high-ranking family in Moscow, but he had no influence in the defense industry. He lured us in with genuine goods first, then used military discipline to drag us down. We didn't have to sell the goods, the money was in our pockets, and someone else took the blame. We didn't even need to cover up the evidence!"

Zhai Yuan listened quietly to the whole process and then shook his head.

Ye Zhiming suffered a crushing defeat in this round.

The Soviet Union was clearly not like Hong Kong, where there was no bloodshed at first sight. They played the game of systems, connections, and circumstances.

One hand controls people, the other controls goods; it may seem chaotic, but it's actually incredibly stable.

Ye Zhiming didn't understand that doing arms business in such a turbulent major country wasn't about immediate prices, nor was it about a military leader's verbal promise, nor was it enough to be willing to fight and risk everything.

Rather, it's about which side you're on. Do you have any bigger allies behind you?
He abandoned the military connections he had made in Hong Kong and tried to go it alone, only to be sold off with interest to the snowy Ural Mountains.

Not unjust.

Zhai Yuan was silent for a moment, then asked, "When did this happen?"

“About two months ago,” Chen Jiale rubbed his face and said, “I was also detained for a while. For the first few days, there was interrogation day and night. Later, things gradually relaxed and I could rest. Around twenty days later, a few new faces came to the barracks. They claimed to be from the Affairs Section under the Ministry of National Defense. They carried a suitcase and placed it in front of Ming Ge. They said a lot of threatening words, and in the end, they only said two words: money.”

Zhai Yuan smiled upon hearing this: "It seems his business in Hong Kong has been thoroughly investigated." Dealing in arms is a serious crime; given the current situation in the Soviet Union, being caught would mean certain execution.

The fact that he wasn't convicted means the other party still believed he could profit from the crime, since killing a gambling ship owner is far less lucrative than the US dollars he could get.

Carlos Chan sighed heavily: "So they let me come back, and this time I'm bringing money to ransom me."

Zhai Yuan hummed in agreement and asked, "How much?"

“Five million US dollars.” Chen Jiale said helplessly, “Once the money is in hand, the person leaves immediately, and all evidence, records, and witnesses are archived and sealed. So Ming asked me to come back and contact you, Yuan, to open a shell company in Hong Kong, use a Swiss financial shell, and transfer five million US dollars into a Moscow account.”

Zhai Yuan hummed in agreement again, then chuckled and exhaled a breath of stale air: "Not much."

Although Ye Zhiming was far away in the Soviet Union, the Natural Selection was still making money steadily. Five million US dollars is equivalent to more than 30 million Hong Kong dollars. In addition, there were his various expenses in the Soviet Union and the money that Sergei had swindled from him.

This time, Yip Chi-ming's business is still intact, but he has suffered a huge loss.

Zhai Yuan paused, then added, "But we can't give them this money."

Chen Jiale's expression froze, and he looked at Zhai Yuan in surprise. Then, as if remembering something, he quickly explained, "Brother Yuan, everything I said is true, you..."

"Alright, alright, I believe you." Zhai Yuan patted Chen Jiale on the shoulder with a smile, and then said, "But can't you trust the Soviets? The current situation isn't about ransom, it's about sucking their marrow dry. There's no evidence left. Once the money is in the account, it means the matter is over. At that point, what does it matter whether Ye Zhiming lives or dies?"

Chen Jiale's expression tightened: "You mean...the other party took the money and then killed us?"

Zhai Yuan didn't answer, but instead asked, "Is it possible to contact Ye Zhiming by phone?"

Carlos Chan immediately nodded and said, "Sure! We've tried using satellite phones to contact Hong Kong before."

Zhai Yuan hummed in agreement, put his arm around Chen Jiale's shoulder, and said, "You still have to go over there and tell them that I need Ye Zhiming to call me every week. I'll still pay them. Who do you think you are with five million US dollars? I'd give them an extra five million if I could! But it's impossible to pay them all at once."

"In short, as long as Ye Zhiming can still talk to me on the phone, he will pay me tens or hundreds of thousands of US dollars every week. In other words, as long as Ye Zhiming is alive, they will always have money to get."

"While I'm at it, you contacted some Soviet officers in the Soviet Union who used to frequent the gambling ships. Ye Zhiming was caught smuggling behind their backs, and it doesn't matter that they turned against him; I can still be friends with them, right?"

After a long silence, Chan Ka-lok scratched his head and chuckled, "In that case, won't Ming-ge have to suffer for a while longer?"

"Let him get some fresh air, let his feet get cold, and let him have a few meals of salted vegetables and congee to clear his head."

Zhai Yuan took the ruble coin from Chen Jiale's hand, flicked it with his thumb and caught it steadily in his palm, saying in an annoyed tone, "Let him think about it himself, has he been having too much luck these past few years and forgotten the rules of the casino!"

…………

"Casino rule: Once you've placed your bet, you can't leave!"

The casino was brightly lit, and people were bustling around the red velvet gambling tables.

The dealer gave a soft shout, spread his hands flat to the sides, flipped his fingers, and symbolically removed himself from the dice cup with a clean and swift motion.

Once you're at the gambling table, you're free to place your bets whenever you want, and you're free to arrange your chips however you like and however many you have.

But you must think carefully before placing your bet, otherwise you won't have a say once the game starts.

Zhai Yuan and Chen Jiale walked past several gambling tables and went up to the second floor.
In front of a private room around the corner, I saw Ren Darong, the supervisor of the Organized Crime and Triad Bureau, waiting.

"Officer Ren, why don't you go down and play a few rounds? If you win, you can take it with you; if you lose, I'll cover the rest."

Zhai Yuan rubbed his face, put on a smile, and went over to say hello.

Ren Darong greeted him with a smile and said, "Forget it, Mr. Zhai. Old Lian has been keeping a close eye on things lately. I have to report to him before I board the ship."

"That's why I didn't apply to a police department back then!"

Zhai Yuan chuckled and offered Ren Darong a cigarette, saying with a smile, "Sharing a Double Happiness cigarette, that doesn't count as bribery, does it?"

The two leaned against the railing, puffing on their cigarettes.

Zhai Yuan pointed to the closed door of a private room not far away and asked, "How did the talk with the two big shots go?"

Ren Darong took a drag of his cigarette and said in a nonchalant tone, "I'm a soldier and they're thieves, there's nothing to say~ Mr. Zhai wants to do logistics business in Pengcheng, it's like giving them a free meal. In short, both sides have reached an agreement. When your logistics business takes off in the future, feel free to transfer people from Xinji and Heji."

Zhai Yuan nodded and said thank you with a smile.

The reason for having Ren Darong speak out tonight is simply because I'm too lazy to argue with these so-called big shots.

Moreover, Xu Jiaqiang was also involved. Considering that he had once had a one-night stand with Chen Lan, he should give Brother Qiang some face. But this would cause the Wo Kee boss to object.

So he simply asked Ren Darong, the manager of the Organized Crime and Triad Bureau, to help him negotiate and negotiate.

"I'll go in and find out more later."

Zhai Yuan glanced at the door of the private room, then turned to Ren Darong and asked, "I heard you're getting promoted again, Ren sir?"

Ren Darong smiled upon hearing this: "I have to thank Mr. Zhai for introducing me to those councilor friends."

Zhai Yuan smiled and waved his hand.

Under Ho Chi-long's management, in less than two years, Yam Tat-yung had been promoted from deputy supervisor of the Organized Crime and Triad Bureau (OCTB) to supervisor.

The method is simple and direct. In addition to media operations, the most important thing is to provide a political platform. Members of parliament speak out, occasionally attend a hearing on police reform, and express a neutral and clear-headed attitude on various research issues in the legislature, thus winning the praise and recognition of a group of members of parliament.

Although not explicitly stated within the police force, it plays a significant role.

Ren Darong added, "Also, I'd like to take this opportunity to tell Mr. Zhai that I'm being promoted to Senior Superintendent, but according to regulations, I need to be seconded to the UK for a period of time to participate in training. After that, a colleague will take over my position at the Organized Crime and Triad Bureau, and I'll introduce him to you, Mr. Zhai."

The so-called secondment to the UK was nothing more than going there for training at the military intelligence department.

It has become an unwritten rule that Chinese employees in police departments must go to the UK for study and exchange once they are promoted to a certain level.

The sharp point is that many police officers were originally normal people, but after returning from training in the military intelligence department, they immediately turned into traitors who supported foreigners at every turn. There are so many examples that it's hard to know where to begin.

"Understood." Zhai Yuan grinned, paused, and said, "I met a police chief named Shi in Pengcheng. He's also a big shot in the police department. It seems that the tactics of 'pulling one group and striking another' used by companies like Xinji and Heji to maintain balance of power were all learned from him. There are many temptations in Britain. I'd like to arrange a time for you, Ren, and Police Chief Shi to meet. After all, the foreigners will be leaving in a few years, but you, Ren, have a bright future ahead of you. What do you think about promoting police exchanges between the two sides in advance? Please consider it. I'll go meet those two big shots first."

After three minutes,

Zhai Yuan pushed open the door to the VIP room and walked in with a beaming smile.

Xiao Hanqiang and Xu Jiaqiang stood up one after the other to greet each other.

"Sorry, I was just busy with something small."

Zhai Yuan waved for the two big shots to sit down, ignoring the different expressions on their faces. Standing in front of the gambling table, Zhai Yuan spread his arms wide, adopting an arrogant posture, and said, "I think Inspector Ren has already explained the details to you very clearly. I'm going to start a logistics business in Pengcheng, and I'm currently short of manpower. But I don't want people with criminal records or those who are afraid of death. They need to be brave and willing to fight, and they need to have a clean record. In short, they need to be clean, including no STDs. That's all I have to say!"

After saying that, Zhai Yuan turned and walked out.

Just before reaching the door, he paused, turned back, and said to the two still-unresponsive "Brother Qiang," "Oh, right, you're the Brother Qiang from Heji, right? Tomorrow your people can do business with my company, but don't overstep your bounds. Brother Qiang from Xinji, that's all for now. Please give my regards to Sister Lan. I hope everyone can maintain harmony and make money together!"

(End of this chapter)