1982 Started from Hong Kong

Chapter 503 No one dares to challenge me, Liu Huangfa
We still don't know who's in charge.

Was the gunshot he received after losing the election a staged performance?

But Councilor Zhai did actually take a punch.

The big shots play with guns and cannons, while Councilor Zhai values ​​his life and prefers to play with his fists.

After punching his boss in the cheek, Xing felt a throbbing pain in his hand and thought to himself, "Sure enough, you can't hit a Heavenly Star like Ziwei. Now even the Bodhisattva is taking notice."

Meanwhile, Councilor Zhai was lying in bed with a swollen and red face, wearing a hospital gown.

With an IV drip in his wrist and a urinal by his bedside, he's practically a mini-Xue Zhiqian of the posed photography world.

He was met with a barrage of questions from reporters.

With an ice pack on his face, Councilor Zhai said slowly and wearily, “I just went over to find out what was going on. I never expected to become a victim of violence. Neither I nor the villagers of Xiawan Village are afraid of bloodshed, but the rule of law in Hong Kong should not be trampled on.”

The media always loves a good spectacle and never wants things to get too out of hand.

That evening, major television stations first interrupted their broadcasts with news.
The following morning, major newspapers dedicated special columns to reporting on the incident.

A brawl involving over a thousand villagers in Ha Wan Tsuen resulted in an attack on a newly elected legislator, suspected to be related to previous efforts to amend the New Territories Ordinance.

Police chief Lee Kwan-ha responded that an investigation has been launched, but the police intervention was slow on the day of the incident, causing public dissatisfaction.

According to sources, the fighting in Xiawan Village resulted in damage to Kuaibo Technology's equipment, potentially disrupting the supply of DVDs to the Hong Kong market.

……

More photos from various so-called exclusive reports have surfaced.

The accompanying photos either show Zhai Yuan with half his face swollen or are candid shots of the scene from yesterday's brawl involving thousands of people in Xiawan Village.

TVB and ATV connected live, with reporters wading through the ruins to conduct on-site interviews near Xiawan Village. The villagers looked tense, police cars patrolled slowly, and the host spoke in a solemn tone.

Zhai Yuan kept getting calls, asking about his injuries.

Xu Jiaqiang & Xiao Hanqiang: "Damn! Mr. Zhai, we'll send men over to fight them!"

Zhai Yuan didn't want to pay attention to such foolish words, regardless of whether they were expressions of loyalty or not, and directly handed the phone to Ren Darong, who had come to visit him in the hospital.

Ren Darong said with a stern face, "Mr. Zhai means that if he has recently been involved in any underworld affairs, you two will have to drive through Luohu and be shot."

hang up the phone,

A moment of silence fell over the ward.

He Zilang chuckled and said, "Choose that mother! Liao Shuren and his gang of gentry really keep their word. Even though things got so big last night, they didn't send anyone to help us at all."

"They're already quite the friend for coming out to support us at the Legislative Council," Zhai Yuan said with a smile, rubbing his cheek. "Even if all six of those gentry were together, they might not be able to beat Liu Huangfa, let alone have Deng Zhaotang and his gang supporting them... How much did Xiawan Village suffer this time?"

Ren Darong hesitated for a moment before speaking: "Three villagers from Xiawan Village died and more than a dozen were seriously injured. The casualties among the other troublemakers are still being tallied."

He Zilang added, "The damage to Kuaibo was not serious. The petrol bombs thrown in only burned the outer casing of the equipment and did not affect normal production."

Zhai Yuan nodded upon hearing this and said to He Zilang, "The families of the dead and injured should help me with compensation. In addition, Kuaibo will announce that the factory will be completely shut down due to severe equipment damage."

He Zilang was slightly taken aback, then nodded to indicate that he understood.

Ren Darong frowned and reminded him, "Mr. Zhai, if Kuaibo stops operating, the impact will be huge."

The livelihoods of the workers in Xiawan Village are secondary; they depend on the laborers who make a living from their jobs.

If Kuaibo were to cease production, the shops and stalls that depend on the VCD and optical disc market would be truly doomed.

Zhai Yuan glanced at Ren Darong, puzzled, and asked, "Otherwise what?"

Ren Darong glanced at Zhai Yuan, then at He Zilang beside him, and belatedly scratched his head: "Oh..."

It's better to stay still than to move.
Given the current situation, a direct confrontation would certainly be no match for the New Territories gentry led by Lau Wong-fat; these local tyrants are not to be trifled with.

Even though the armed conflict in Xiawan Village escalated yesterday, it was still an internal conflict among the indigenous people, so only a few people died.

Otherwise, if they gather the so-called "New Triad Five Tigers" and "Sing Wo Thirteen Friends," and dare to storm into the New Territories, they'd be a force to be reckoned with.

They'll chop you into dumpling filling and send you back in a heartbeat, and they'll even tell you it was self-defense. What can you do about it?
Therefore, the main battlefield this time was never the New Territories from the very beginning.

Zhai Yuan rubbed his face, thinking to himself: 'If I had another three to five years to establish a presence in both Hong Kong and mainland China, and monopolize the telecommunications business in Hong Kong, perhaps I could compete with Lau Wong-fat and his ilk in the New Territories.'

Unfortunately, there wasn't enough time.

Now is the best time to enter the New Territories; otherwise, the longer we delay, the fewer opportunities we will have to enter the New Territories in the future.

Because the current Governor of Hong Kong is William H. Smith, a centrist, there is still room for negotiation...

"Should we call Inspector Wai and ask him to come back and take charge?"

Seeing that Zhai Yuan hadn't spoken yet, He Zilang took the initiative to ask, and whispered, "After all, the New Territories are also related to his airport plan..."

"Brother Lang, when you were in school, if someone bullied you, did you report it to the teacher every time?"

Zhai Yuan chuckled and joked, "Even teachers tend to favor high-achieving students. You've already given me a lot of resources, but you've been like a good-for-nothing who hasn't achieved anything. Now you're asking me to stand up for you against a powerful figure with a strong family background who could end his career with the slightest move. What do you think the teacher would choose?"

He Zilang and Ren Darong naturally understood the meaning behind it.

The waters of the New Territories run too deep, so deep that even Wei Yixin is watching from the sidelines.
But if Wei Yixin, this 'school teacher,' hadn't stepped in, how would the current situation have been resolved?
Just at this time,

There was a knock on the ward door, and the three of them looked towards the door.

Huangpu native Guo Yonghong, carrying a fruit basket, walked in with a bow and scrape. Upon entering and seeing Ren Darong sitting upright, Guo Yonghong's expression froze for a moment, then he quickly recovered and put on a smile again.

“Mr. Zhai, Officer Ren.”

Guo Yonghong greeted them and then nodded to He Zilang, who was standing to the side.

Before Zhai Yuan could speak, Guo Yonghong said first: "Mr. Zhai, we met on the gambling ship before. This time, Uncle Fa asked me to come and visit you. He is very sorry for what happened yesterday. If needed, Uncle Fa is willing to bear all the losses of Xiawan Village."

Zhai Yuan's limited understanding of Huang Puzi comes from the character Lu Yongfu, played by Alex Fong in the later film "Overheard 3," which is based on Huang Puzi in part.

They colluded with local gentry to resell the right to have one's son.

Unexpectedly, the other party had already made a name for himself at Hutchison Whampoa during this period, and had gotten involved with Lau Wong Fat and others.

Zhai Yuan listened with great interest until the other person finished speaking, then gestured for Ren Darong to remain silent, and gave He Zilang a look. He Zilang silently got up and walked out.

Then, Zhai Yuan took an orange and handed it to Guo Yonghong, saying in a kind tone, "No rush, have an orange first."

Guo Yonghong, flattered, accepted the orange and then said, "Mr. Zhai, actually Uncle Fa sent me here this time..."

Zhai Yuan waved his hand to interrupt, saying, "No rush, let's talk after we finish eating."

Guo Yonghong hesitated for a moment, then, seeing Ren Darong staring at him, said "Oh," and began peeling the orange.

I haven't even finished eating the orange yet.
He Zilang came back from outside, sat back down in his original seat, and winked at Zhai Yuan.

Zhai Yuan then asked, "Uncle Fa, how do you plan to cover the losses?"

Guo Yonghong hurriedly threw away the remaining half of the orange, wiped his mouth with his sleeve, and replied, "Mr. Zhai, what Uncle Fa means is that the conflict among the villagers of Xiawan Village yesterday was a misunderstanding, and everyone should just erase it like chalk writing. Uncle Fa will fully support your China-Hong Kong communications business, including future airport construction and new town development, Uncle Fa will give you a share... However, it's not good to bring up the 'New Territories Ordinance' again."

After Guo Yonghong finished speaking, he immediately added with a forced smile, "I'm just acting as a mouthpiece."

"Oh~" Zhai Yuan nodded, drawing out the sound, and pointed to He Zilang beside him, gesturing for Guo Yonghong to look at him: "Guess what he's holding in his hand?"

With Guo Yonghong looking completely bewildered,

He Zilang silently pulled out a portable cassette recorder from his pocket and waved it at Guo Yonghong.

Ho Chi-long said with a serious expression, "Mr. Kwok, is that right? You just mentioned asking Councilor Zhai to stop pushing for the amendment of the New Territories Ordinance in exchange for Lau Wong-fat's support for cross-border telecommunications business and the reservation of airport development quotas. This clearly involves using the exchange of benefits to seriously affect the position of Legislative Council members. According to Hong Kong's current laws, any act of inducing or interfering with Legislative Council members in the performance of their duties with benefits is illegal. As for the specific ruling, I think we need to wait until it is filed with the High Court for the judiciary to handle it according to law."

Guo Yonghong's expression gradually became interesting, and he felt his legs go weak.

Then, Ren Darong, who was standing next to him, added insult to injury: "The content is true, and I can testify to it."

…………

"Uncle Fa, the phone."

Tuen Mun, New Territories

A tea table was set up outside the ancestral hall, where Liu Huangfa was playing mahjong with several local gentry.

A young man held up a telephone receiver and handed it to Liu Huangfa.

"Hey?"

Liu Huangfa, with a cigarette butt in his mouth, crossed his legs and his slippers dangling from his feet.

Upon hearing the familiar voice on the other end of the phone, Liu Huangfa's smile widened, and he casually tossed out a two of bamboo: "Brother Cheng, what brings you here to call me?"

On the other end of the phone came Li Jiacheng's warm and cheerful voice: "Fa-zai, I've said before that we should value harmony, so why has the matter of Xiawan Village turned into such a big mess?"

Lau Wong-fat said dismissively, "Even our decades-old traditions in the New Territories have been challenged by someone. Things have to be done, Brother Cheng~"

Li Ka-shing's laughter continued through the receiver: "The Department of Justice received a recording saying you sent people to bribe members of the Legislative Council. I'm a businessman, I just want to do business according to the rules, and I don't want to get involved in any other trouble."

Lau Wong-fat exhaled a puff of smoke and laughed, "Don't worry, Brother Cheng. That recording didn't mention my name at all, and it won't involve anyone else. I'll handle it properly."

Li Jiacheng hummed in agreement, then asked with a smile, "I'd like to know what your plans are next?"

"Tch!" Liu Huangfa rolled his eyes and said smugly, "I also want to do business according to the rules, but now someone is breaking the rules. I sent people to negotiate, but they wouldn't even give me face. And they dare to take me to court? Damn it! Brother Cheng, don't worry, I will clean this up. If you need anything, just let me know!"

On the other end of the phone, Li Jiacheng's faint laughter came through: "Okay, Fat, I'll contact you again."

The call ended.

Liu Huangfa squinted and pondered for a moment.

Deng Zhaotang drew a card, looked up and asked, "What did Brother Cheng say?"

Liu Huangfa casually tossed the phone to his underling and said with a smile, "Come over and ask about the recording. The old man is getting on in years and becoming more and more timid. I'm afraid he'll get involved."

Deng Zhaotang smiled and said, "Even a tycoon has to consider the company's stock price!"

"What's it to me! It's not like I only do business with him!" Liu Huangfa sneered. "As long as we give them land, that's fine~ All you do is spout nonsense all day long, 'harmony is paramount'? I'll take it!"

Deng Zhaotang laughed and said, "It seems that young man named Zhai Yuan has no intention of making peace. What do you plan to do?"

"All the boys from Huangpu are good-for-nothings."

Liu Huangfa said irritably, then rubbed his chin and cursed, "Once the storm has passed these past two days, I'll give him a chance to make amends... This young man lives at No. 16 Deep Water Bay, right? I know his background from the start. He won't listen to reason, so I'll take him down this time. I'll also show those old fogies like Liao Shuren that no one dares to mess with me, Liu Huangfa!"

…………

2 Queen's Road Central
Cheung Kong Holdings Building.

Li Jiacheng was holding a telephone with a '7' sticker on the receiver.

He opened the drawer and put the phone inside. The drawer was filled with all sorts of identical mobile phones, each marked with a different number.

"With such uncouth people around, the development of the new town may not be easy."

Li Jiacheng closed the drawer, shook his head, and sighed softly.

"Actually, if land prices in the New Territories come down, it might not be a bad thing."

At his desk, the eldest son of the Li family said, "Now a 'Ding Quan' (a type of land use right) is being sold for hundreds of thousands of dollars. The gentry in the New Territories are selling 'Ding Di' (land use right) and 'Ding Wu' (house use right) separately. That is, if you buy the land, you have to buy the building rights as well. They are treating us developers like fish to be slaughtered."

Li Jiacheng smiled upon hearing this: "Is that what you think?"

Seeing the eldest son hesitate for a moment, he continued with a smile, "To play the real estate game skillfully, you can't just look at the current price; you have to consider the overall trend and future development potential. It may seem that you can acquire more land in the New Territories in the short term when land prices drop, but once these lands are developed, will the prices of properties owned by major developers in the city drop? Once you understand that Ding Quan is our leverage to control the market, not a stumbling block, you'll understand why, for so many years, no developer has dared to balance land prices in the New Territories."

The eldest son nodded knowingly, then laughed and said, "This Zhai Yuan is really bold. He not only offended the Emperor of the New Territories, but also offended all the real estate developers in Hong Kong."

“You’re wrong again.” Li Jiacheng smiled at the eldest son and said, “If things continue like this, Liu Huangfa and Zhai Yuan will definitely go to war. No matter what the outcome, the public outcry will only grow louder. If Changshi gets involved, it will immediately become the target of public criticism. So he hasn’t offended us.”

The eldest son asked in surprise, "Does Cheung Kong really have to abandon its New Territories development project just because of public opinion?"

"Your words today are enough to prove that you are not mature enough."

Li Jiacheng stood up, smiled, and patted his eldest son on the shoulder, saying, "Ah Ju, spend two more days with your mother in Hong Kong, then go back to Vancouver to continue your training. Do more projects like Yatao Garden, communicate more with local government officials, and you'll understand why I gave up this New Territories business today..."

(End of this chapter)