1982 Started from Hong Kong

Chapter 510 Borrowing a Knife
When discussing the most famous patriotic Chinese merchants in the Cantonese region during modern times,
The first recommendation must be Mr. Yi Guangyan, a renowned overseas Chinese leader and president of the Thai-Chinese Chamber of Commerce.

"When the Japanese army was pressing in, Mr. Ant called on his companies to boycott Japanese goods and donate money and supplies to the war zone. In 38, he transported hundreds of ships of grain in Chaozhou alone. Later, he built dozens of schools. Even we Panyu folks received a lot of help. Later, Mr. Ant led the overseas Chinese in Thailand to carry out a national salvation movement... Unfortunately, in 39, the old man was assassinated by someone sent by the Wang Jingwei regime in Bangkok."

If you want to talk about history in Hong Kong, you can't connect with a group of people born in the 60s.

Represented by Zhai Yuan, the oldest of the post-60s generation have just turned thirty. What do they know?
Therefore, you should listen to people born between 10 and 30 years ago.

For example, the elderly man who is nearly seventy years old standing next to Zhai Yuan now.
Lei Zhendong, a gambling tycoon from Macau.

Zhai Yuan's brief vacation in Japan lasted until 1990 (Gregorian calendar).
Upon returning to Hong Kong on January 3, he immediately canceled all interviews and work, focusing all his efforts on the New Territories to officially begin his battle with a group of local gentry and landowners.

Having withstood the pressure head-on with the shield of feminist public opinion, they now need to borrow a knife from Lei Zhendong.

Lei Zhendong was a man who was rarely seen, and Zhai Yuan's few contacts with him were limited to a brief encounter at the National Day Gala in 1984.

Since the other party is one of the owners of SJM Holdings, wouldn't it be better to just go to the FCJM Holdings to pay them a visit?
It turned out that when they inquired with Xu Jiaqiang, they learned that Mr. Lei had not set foot in Malaysia for nearly ten years, and even Dr. He had to make an appointment in advance to see him.

During this period, telephone services were not well-developed, and if you couldn't find someone, you really couldn't find them.

Fortunately, Boss Zhai is very resourceful and has a wide network of connections.

As soon as the news of Zhai Yuan's desire to meet Lei Zhendong spread, various intermediaries immediately offered their assistance.

The news quickly spread to the mainland.

Lei Zhendong, who was inspecting projects in Nansha Bay, Guangzhou, took the initiative to contact Zhai Yuan, and that's how the two got in touch.

At this moment, Zhai Yuan and Lei Zhendong are walking side by side on the track of Chunqiu Performing Arts Academy.

“Mr. Ant should be considered the first patriot among our overseas Chinese to sacrifice his life for the country, and he also influenced the next generation. Not long after the Japanese soldiers were driven out, the North Korean War broke out. At that time, the United States and the British imposed an embargo and blockade. Our younger generation of Chinese businessmen raised and purchased a large amount of supplies, but they could not be transported to the mainland. Under these circumstances, all patriotic businessmen turned their attention to me.”

Lei Zhendong chuckled twice, glancing smugly at Zhai Yuan: "Do you know why? Because back then, on the water, I had the most boats and the most people. In terms of port conditions, who knew us Tanka people better than us? We grew up on the water!"

“In short, whether they were overseas Chinese or compatriots, everyone came to me at that time, asking me to transport those supplies to the mainland by boat. From 1950 to 1953, we Tanka people had to contact the unloading of goods during the day and sail the boats at night to rush the transport. We slept only three hours a day. Except for weapons, I accepted everything, including tinplate, rubber, Western medicine, cotton, and gauze, and sent them to the mainland in an endless stream.”

“But Ah Yuan.”

Lei Zhendong recounted his glorious past, then turned to look at Zhai Yuan and said with a smile, "Don't think I'm so noble. Breaking the embargo, resisting American aid to North Korea... I'm a businessman, I don't have that kind of understanding at all. I don't even have that thought. I'm just helping those patriots transport supplies. Besides the transportation fee, I take a 20% commission from the middle. That's all I do."

(Note: The above content is based entirely on his own account during an interview on his 80th birthday, without any embellishment. Please do not embellish.)
Zhai Yuan listened and nodded with a smile.

These words don't represent anything. In business, Lei Zhendong was simply fulfilling his duty as a businessman.

As for his subsequent invitation to participate in the 50th anniversary commemoration of aid to North Korea, Lei Zhendong's words upon taking the stage:
'Back then, I might not have understood it clearly, but today I know for sure that I did the right thing, and I have no regrets about it.'

It's simply a new set of values ​​that a person develops at another stage of their life.

Even today, Lei Zhendong, standing before Zhai Yuan, remains a businessman who prioritizes business above all else.

If you were to talk to him about the future development of Hong Kong and the old feudal system of the New Territories' local tyrants, trying to persuade him to help you, it would be nothing short of a pipe dream.

"I know, who in Hong Kong hasn't heard of your glorious deeds back in the day, Uncle Tung?"

Zhai Yuan grinned, strolled along the track, and stretched: "Later, you were blacklisted by the Americans and British. When you were in real estate, Hong Kong Telephone, under the Great Eastern Telegraph Company, wouldn't allow your tenants to connect to the phone line. And when you were in business, the foreigners cut off the water and electricity to your building. Eventually, you had no choice but to go to the Malaysian Stock Exchange. Today, Dr. He's SJM Holdings is thriving, and that start-up capital you lent him is indispensable!"

"But things are different now. Back then you were the president of the real estate association, but what about now?"

Zhai Yuan smiled and glanced at Lei Zhendong: "Leaving aside someone like Li Ka-shing, even Liu Luanxiong, a newcomer to the real estate industry who has emerged in recent years, could probably rival you, Uncle Dong!"

Lei Zhendong paused upon hearing this, slowly exhaled a breath of stale air, and said in a deep voice, "If it weren't for the white devils' blacklisting back then, how could Li Jiacheng have risen to the top! The richest man? Take it!"

Zhai Yuan smiled noncommittally: "So aren't I standing up for you, Uncle Dong? As long as my China-Hong Kong Communications can be built, the first thing I'll do is take down the Eastern Telegraph Company and fuck those white devils!"

Lei Zhendong's anger turned to laughter as he forcefully patted Zhai Yuan on the shoulder: "Young man, at my age, it's no longer about fighting and killing for a moment's pride. Everything has to be about profit... In short, if you want me to help stir up trouble in the New Territories, no problem, but you must show enough sincerity. Otherwise, at most I'll give up this business in Hong Kong. Right now, the mainland is undergoing economic reforms, and I'm also planning to invest in Nansha Bay. It'll be '97 then. At most, I'll come back after '97 and crush Li Ka-shing and his gang of younger generation in one fell swoop!"

At this time, Lei Zhendong was in high spirits and had a clear purpose. After all, even if he did nothing, the annual dividends from SJM Holdings alone exceeded HK$100 million, not to mention that his shipping business was spread all over the world, his port business was booming, and he had enough cash that he could easily take out HK$1 billion a few years ago to help the Tung family overcome bankruptcy.

However, he has been away from Hong Kong for a long time, and he obviously underestimates Li Ka-shing and his younger generation... or perhaps he is still playing the big shot in front of Zhai Yuan.

“Chek Lap Kok Airport is a Hong Kong government project, so Uncle Tung, someone you're closely monitoring, definitely won't be able to get involved.”

Zhai Yuan rubbed his face and smiled: "But you specially came back to Hong Kong from Guangzhou today... What are you talking about giving up the Hong Kong business, Uncle Dong? The fact that you came to see me in person shows that you can't let go! Let's be more direct and let's all get this over with. How do you want to divide this New Territories pie?"

Having said all that, Lei Zhendong stopped arguing.

He smiled at Zhai Yuan and said directly, "If land prices in the New Territories come down and your reputation as the King of the New Territories is established, I need you to hold a portion of the land on my behalf, and then I will take control of it in the future."

"where?"

“Tuen Mun, Lantau Island, and the area around Ma Liu Shui in Sha Tin.”

Lei Zhendong said slowly, "If you're willing to hold these land plots for me, I'll have someone send over the blueprints later."

They came prepared, as expected.

Even without Lei Zhendong sending over the blueprints, Zhai Yuan could roughly figure out the locations of the plots of land the other party wanted by doing some mental calculations.

The harbor hinterland west of Tuen Mun, the future airport hotel on Lantau Island, and the transportation hub around Ma Liu Shui.

Zhai Yuan narrowed his eyes and grinned, "After driving out the local tyrants of the New Territories, I'm really worried about being cursed to death by the villagers... Besides, helping you, Uncle Dong, hold the land means I have to be your stand-in and go out to confront those real estate tycoons head-on, which is very dangerous~" "Young man, isn't what you want me to do even more dangerous?"

Lei Zhendong's smile widened, and he said leisurely, "There are tens of thousands of Tanka people in the New Territories. If you want to unite them to fight for the right to have children, it could lead to deaths in no time... To put it simply, the patriots of that time all knew that only I could help them transport supplies. Now I think you also know very well that, apart from me, Lei Zhendong, there is no one else who can unite the Tanka people against a common enemy!"

…………

When the New Territories were leased to the Hong Kong government, the local residents were divided into three factions.

The locals, Hakka people, and Tanka people.

However, the Hong Kong British government followed the laws of the Qing Dynasty, and even though they were both indigenous people of the New Territories, the Tanka people, who made a living by living on the water, were still considered "untouchables" and were not allowed to go ashore, nor did they have any so-called rights to live on land or to build houses.

The Tanka people are similar to the nomadic peoples of the north, except that one lives by following the grass and the other by following the water.

In the eyes of the white foreigners at the time, the Tanka people all lived on boats, making their boats their homes for their entire lives. They were also labeled as "lowly" by the Qing Dynasty, so they were submissive and had no threat or value to be governed.

As a result, the Tanka people, who make a living by boat, have received vastly different treatment from the residents on land over the past century, despite being the same indigenous people of the New Territories.

Even after the Opium War broke out, when foreigners built Hong Kong Island as their Far East base and a large number of northerners moved to Hong Kong, the population ratio changed several times and welfare policies were strengthened layer by layer, but the Tanka people were always excluded.

“In the past, the Tanka people were not allowed to go ashore, were not allowed to marry into the mainland, and were even not allowed to study or enter officialdom.”

In the office, Zhai Yuan fiddled with a lighter and said to He Zilang, "However, since the founding of the People's Republic of China, the mainland abolished these messy feudal customs long ago. Residents on the water and residents on land enjoy the same rights... On the other hand, Hong Kong can only talk about equality and human rights. Are the tens of thousands of Tanka people in Hong Kong indigenous? Of course they are! Do they have child rights? No!"

Zhai Yuan spread his hands and gave He Zilang a meaningful smile.

Ho Chi-long nodded knowingly: "According to statistics, there are currently about 6 Tanka people in the New Territories. If we don't count the men, let's say half of them are men, that's 3..."

"Why only count males?" Zhai Yuan waved his hand unhappily: "As the man in Hong Kong who respects women the most, what I want is gender equality, the rights of 6 men, plus the descendants of the Tanka people... Damn it! If we don't turn the New Territories upside down this time, we'll be letting down the three bullets that Liu Huangfa used to deal with me in Japan!"

Zhai Yuan's face suddenly darkened, and he slammed the copper-cased lighter in his hand onto the newspapers on the table.

The newspaper headline was eye-catching:

A month ago, a shooting occurred at the Shen Tong residence in Deep Water Bay. Police received a tip and dispatched the Special Duties Unit (SDU) to apprehend the ringleader.

Zhai Yuan, the boss of 91 Entertainment, took Girls' Generation to Japan for a performance, but the agency was ambushed by a sniper outside.

"Child prodigy Yuan narrowly escapes death twice, suspected to be due to discrimination against women advocating for the rights of men in the New Territories; Rural Committee issues statement today."

All the news broke out on the same day that Zhai Yuan returned to Hong Kong.

"The Legislative Council will hold a hearing tomorrow and have Li Junxia come over to be criticized!"

Zhai Yuan stood up, pointed at the headline in the newspaper, and shouted: "You bastard! If he, the top cop, fails to personally pour me tea and apologize in front of millions of Hong Kong citizens this time, I will curse him every month until he can't sit still in his position, you motherfucker!"

…………

At the same time, Lei Zhendong had already traveled north to Beijing.

Incidentally, the news of two consecutive shootings of Zhai Yuan greatly angered powerful figures in mainland China.

Nowadays, Zhai Yuan is a figure who is neither too big nor too small.

However, he was involved in another project, namely the Nanjing City '881' project, a collaboration with Taiwan.

$50 million!

The technical talent that Taiwan specifically requested was almost wiped out because of those dilapidated wastelands in your New Territories. It's utterly lawless!
"The New Territories is a rather special area in Hong Kong, so in order to maintain stability before the handover, both we and the foreigners tried our best to appease the gentry and landowners."

In a courtyard in Yanjing City, Lei Zhendong murmured to himself.

He glanced at the several leaders in Zhongshan suits beside him and then added a second layer of sarcasm: "But this time it really went too far, chasing after a well-known figure like Zhai Yuan twice, even going to Japan... We can't damage the friendly relations between China and Japan."

Several leaders in the courtyard all wore displeased expressions.

They exchanged a few words in hushed tones.

Finally, one of the middle-aged men, with a tall and upright posture and a military air, snorted: "Whether to choose short-term stability or long-term stability, I think it's an easy choice! Since we belong to the same country, why can't Hong Kong follow the path of fighting landlords and distributing land back then?"

Another intellectual leader pushed up his gold-rimmed glasses and laughed, "After all, we're still under the Hong Kong government's rule... But this kind of thing should serve as a wake-up call for us. So whether the bill should be passed or whether it needs to be amended separately for the New Territories, I think it really needs to be reconsidered. Aren't we always advocating that women can hold up half the sky? Why can't it be implemented properly in Hong Kong?"

Lei Zhendong coughed lightly and asked tentatively, "So this young man, Zhai Yuan, specifically came to me, wanting to bring our Tanka people into the game... I'm worried that it might have a bad impact and cause a big fuss, so I haven't agreed yet. I'd like to ask for the leaders' opinions."

A moment of silence fell over the courtyard.

"I think we can give it a try first."

The intellectual leader smiled again, gave Lei Zhendong a meaningful look, and repeated, "After all, it's still under the Hong Kong government's jurisdiction..."

Lei Zhendong nodded knowingly.

I understand. The landlord can be attacked, but only as Zhai Yuan, a Hong Konger.

Then the knife can be lent out legitimately...

(End of this chapter)