1982 Started from Hong Kong

Chapter 519 Gunshots at the Township Council

"I haven't seen Uncle Fa for over a week."

The meeting room of the village council was filled with smoke, and the gentry sitting at the conference table looked at each other in bewilderment.

Someone spoke up at one point: "The bill drafting committee is sending people over. If they can't see the chairman of the Heung Yee Kuk again, the Heung Yee Kuk will be disqualified from participating in the ordinance amendment."

"It doesn't matter whether I cancel or not~"

The speaker was a middle-aged man nearing fifty.

Hou Yanzhai, representative of the Hou clan of Sheung Shui, one of the five major clans in the New Territories.

Lau Wong-fat rose to prominence by selling land in Lung Kwu Tan at a low price, which was then used by foreigners for military exercises, thus gaining their favor. Meanwhile, the Hou family sold a piece of ancestral burial land to foreigners at the beginning of the century, which was then used to build what is now the Royal Golf Course in Hong Kong. They are a century-old prominent family in the New Territories.

"As of today's public consultation, the public support rate for the New Territories reform has risen to 79.2%. Even the women in the villages couldn't hold back and secretly accepted the Hong Kong government's questionnaire survey. Once this fire starts burning, it's out of control."

Hou Yanzhai, dressed in an old-fashioned long gown, held a purple clay teapot in one hand and played with a beaded necklace in the other. He laughed and said, "I went to see the movie 'Deng Amei'. It was well-made. It's not surprising that the women in the village were swayed... Brother Ren, I remember the director of that movie was the new councilor you promoted?"

"Me, praise him? You're really giving me too much credit, Yanzhai!"

Liao Shuren, the representative of the Liao family in Sheung Shui, exclaimed exaggeratedly and smiled with narrowed eyes, "Ah Yuan is capable and willing to consider the interests of our New Territories. He even said he would help everyone establish logistics business to Shenzhen. I support the young man's rise to power!"

The Liao and Hou families jointly led the Shangshui Village clan as early as the Qing Dynasty and built Shihu Market in the south of Shangshui Township.

The character 墟 is used in the south, while it is called 集 in the north.

Shihu Market was located in Pengcheng Market, which connected with Xin'an County at the time. Villagers from both places traveled to and from each other by going to the market, making it an important distribution center for goods.

However, when Lau Wong Fat created a "brownfield" project, the agricultural market in Sheung Shui suffered heavy losses as a result. Furthermore, due to various reasons, the exchange of goods between Hong Kong and Shenzhen decreased. It was only then that Liao Shuren stepped forward to support Zhai Yuan, hoping to reconnect trade and commerce at the Lo Wu border crossing.

"Open up logistics in Shenzhen? You'd have to open up logistics first, or I'd say open up logistics to the moon!"

The one who spoke was Peng Xiuhua, the representative of the Peng clan of Fanling.
He glanced at Liao Shuren and Hou Yanzhai, who were singing in unison, and sneered, "Even Liu Huangfa can't handle customs procedures, and you believe a young man like him?"

The five major clans were not a monolithic entity.
It is similar to the relationship between the Peng clan and the Liao and Hou clans.

Since the 1940s, the Peng family had been dissatisfied with the unfair pricing of the other two Shek Wu Markets, so they joined forces with villages in Sha Tau Kok, Ta Kwu Ling and Tai Po to establish a new market in Fanling, called Luen Wo Market.

Today, the logistics business of New Interface in Pengcheng has long been in decline, but the conflict between the three companies has accumulated as a result.

"Brother Hua, we were just chatting, why get so angry?"

Hou Yanzhai smiled and said, "Since you're so siding with Liu Huangfa, did you send someone to rape that girl named Deng Amei?"

"What are you talking about, picking on your own mother!" Peng Xiuhua slammed her hand on the table and stood up to scold him.

"What are you telling? Just a joke!" Hou Yanzhai leaned back nonchalantly and said with a smile.

Knock knock knock!
Just as the conflict was about to break out,

The table was knocked on.

Sitting at the head of the table, an elderly man coughed twice, a kind smile on his face, and advised, "Everyone, please say less, just to give me face, okay?"

Peng Xiuhua suppressed her anger and pointed at Hou Yanzhai, mouthing a silent curse.

Hou Yanzhai didn't care at all, playing with the beaded chain on his hand, his smile unchanged: "Of course we have to give face to Third Uncle."

Third Uncle, Wen Zhengbing.

The most senior representative of the Xintian Wen clan is said to be the 27th generation descendant of Wen Tianrui, a cousin of Wen Tianxiang.

At its peak, the Sun Tin Bun clan owned 40 million square feet of land. Excluding undevelopable areas in Mai Po, they still owned more than 20 million square feet of commercial land, making them the most valued clan by real estate developers.

"Now we don't know where Fat Tsai is. Without him as the chairman of the Heung Yee Kuk, let's not even talk about how land prices will change. In the future, it will be very difficult for us to contact real estate developers."

In the past, whether it was the five major clans or representatives from other villages, if they wanted to negotiate with the conglomerates in the city, they couldn't do without Liu Huangfa, this local tyrant.

Because if each family wants to sell their ancestral land, they first need to contact a real estate developer, then communicate with officials from the Lands Department, and finally post the details of the transaction in relevant newspapers for a 30-day public notice period. If anyone objects during this period, the transaction will fall through.

Only Lau Wong-fat, the King of the New Territories, could handle all the problems from the government, business, and underworld on his own.

In 1985, Lau Wong-fat believed that the zebra crossing on the Tuen Mun Rural Committee Road was affecting the business of his restaurant, so he demanded that the zebra crossing be rerouted to the other side.

All the major legislators in Hong Kong voted in favor, with only one vote against, from Wu Minqin, who is known as a "triple-role legislator".

So Lau Wong-fat spent HK$50 to buy Wu Min-chin's vote to pass the bill, which at the time was equivalent to a three-story Western-style house in Tuen Mun.

As a result, Councilor Wu directly rebuked him: "You couldn't buy me even with 500 million!"

A few days later, Wu Minqin was attacked by a group of people with water pipes and iron bars on his way home, becoming the first Hong Kong legislator to be attacked.

By the time Wu Minqin was discharged from the hospital after sustaining serious injuries, the zebra crossing had already been moved to the other side of Uncle Fa's restaurant...

After finishing his sentence, Uncle Wen Zhengbing looked at Deng Zhaotang, who had remained silent for a long time, and chuckled, "Ah Tang, you are closest to Fat, don't you know his whereabouts either?"

Deng Zhaotang looked up at him and hesitated before saying, "I only know that Brother Fa sent his two sons to Taiwan a couple of days ago. I really don't know where he went."

Wen Zhengbing was taken aback: "Ye Qiang and Ye Guang went to Taiwan?"

After these words were spoken, the local gentry in the meeting room immediately erupted in commotion.

"Wow! He's running away like a madman!" Liao Shuren added fuel to the fire, then said sarcastically, "Originally, everyone was trying to make money peacefully, but he insisted on sending a delegation north to negotiate with the old man. Now he's scared?"

Peng Xiuhua glanced at Liao Shuren: "Nonsense! He has a huge family business in the New Territories, where would he go?"

"Then tell me, where is he? And where are his two sons?"

"I……"

Peng Xiuhua was speechless for a moment.

More than a week has passed since Liu Huangfa disappeared. His wife and three daughters have reported him missing, but there has been no news of him since.

“The Heung Yee Kuk has always been a bridge between the New Territories and the Hong Kong government. Now that the mainland has joined in, if Chairman Fat Tsai doesn’t show up soon, I’m afraid things will get chaotic.” Wen Zhengbing pondered for a moment, glanced at the gentry present, and slowly said, “I think we should first elect a proxy to give an explanation to the outside world. We can discuss the rest when Fat Tsai returns.”

“Here he is!” Peng Xiuhua gestured with her chin toward a middle-aged man next to her and said, “He’s the vice chairman now!”

Chen Tiansong, Vice Chairman of the Heung Yee Kuk.

In the New Territories, led by Lau Wong-fat and the five major clans, Chan Tin-sung, the vice-chairman, had no background or connections and was essentially a figurehead.

"I?"

Chen Tiansong, who had gained weight and looked chubby, was already dozing off when he heard his name called.

"If it's not you, then it's me?"

Peng Xiuhua glared at him irritably: "Come out and hold the line first. If Afa doesn't come back, we can just re-elect."

After Peng Xiuhua finished speaking, she looked at the other local gentry and asked, "Well, is there anyone who objects?"

The group of local gentry and councilors whispered among themselves for a moment, then shook their heads to indicate that they had no objections.

Seeing this, Peng Xiuhua pointed at Chen Tiansong: "Alright, then..." "I object!"

Before he could finish speaking, Liao Shuren's voice rang out leisurely.

In an instant, everyone's eyes were on him. Liao Shuren simply picked up his teacup and took a slow sip.

Peng Xiuhua frowned: "Liao Shuren, are you kidding me? Besides Ah Song, who else can step forward now?"

As soon as Peng Xiuhua finished speaking, an arrogant voice rang out from outside the door.

"Of course it's me! What's going on with your village council? Holding a meeting behind closed doors without even notifying me, the village chief of Xiawan Village?"

…………

The high seas, near the waters of Wai Lingding Island.

A speedboat moved forward at a steady pace, and the edge of Wai Lingding Island was already clearly visible.

"Uncle Fa!"

Xi Mi Tian sat smugly on the deck and handed a document to Liu Huangfa: "Sign this donation agreement and you can see your two good boys. Otherwise, I don't mind taking the ship back."

Under the bright blue sky, the air was stiflingly stuffy, and the roar of the diesel engine sounded like a muffled drum pressing on eardrums.

Liu Huangfa stared at the documents in front of him, his white hair at his temples disheveled by the sea breeze, and the veins on the back of his hands bulging.

Donation agreement.

The words clearly state that I, Liu Huangfa, voluntarily donate all the land under my name to Taiwan, to be received by Taiwan and used for public purposes.

This includes 682 plots of land with serf titles in various districts of the New Territories, valued at approximately HK$35 billion.
A 13-square-foot brownfield site in the New Territories North, valued at approximately HK$6 million.
A 7-square-foot commercial site in the Tuen Mun landfill is valued at approximately HK$8 million.
Four plots of farmland in the New Territories East, valued at approximately HK$300 million.
Five fishponds in Pak Nai, Yuen Long, totaling 22,000 square feet, are valued at approximately HK$500 million.
In addition, a total of 47 rental properties in Hong Kong, Kowloon, and New Zealand...

"Young man, do you really have to go to such lengths?"

Lau Wong-fat suddenly grinned and said to Chau Mi-tim, "I'll take out 300 million, 100 million each, to buy my life and the lives of my two sons!"

Xi Mitian licked his lips and scratched his hair hard: "So kidnapping is a good business after all."

He finished speaking with regret, then shook his head helplessly at Liu Huangfa: "What a pity, Uncle Fa, I'm afraid I might have the life to take your money, but not the life to use it!"

As he spoke, he pointed to the helmsman steering the boat and a speedboat accompanying them on the flank: "Look, there are Vietnamese guys ahead, and Soviet devils on the left. The Soviet devils even have experts from the mainland on their boat! And also, there's a group of friends from Taiwan on Wai Lingding Island who are specifically looking after you two good boys. Which star do you choose? Do you know what mutual supervision means?"

Finally, Xi Mi-tian pointed to the donation document with his finger: "So be generous, sign this agreement, and I'll take you to the island, then give you a boat to take you out to sea, so you can live in anonymity~"

Liu Huangfa's eyes twitched, and he stared at Xi Mitian, laughing, "Handsome boy, are you kidding me? Zhai Yuan is willing to send me out to sea?"

Xi Mitian looked as if he'd never heard of this before: "Zhai Yuan? Who's this Zhai Yuan?"

Liu Huangfa took a breath to compose himself and said, "I want to talk to your boss in person."

Xi Mitian smiled and said, "I'll call you after you sign."

Liu Huangfa stared at him and said, "These assets in the agreement are not all of my wealth. Give me your phone number so I can contact your boss."

Xi Mitian: "I'll call you after you sign."

Liu Huang roared, "Go to hell! Do you know that the donation agreement you forced me to sign has no legal effect?!"

Xi Mi-tian stretched and said nonchalantly, "That's why it says on it that it's a voluntary donation to Taiwan! Your Uncle Fa has deep roots in the New Territories, lots of people, lots of money, and lots of bosses, but if he's labeled as a traitor to Hong Kong and a defector to Taiwan, do you think anyone will dare to stand up for you?"

A metallic, metallic taste rose in Liu Huangfa's throat, and he felt as if he were about to vomit blood.

He said in a deep voice, "Do I really have to die?"

Xi Mitian: "I'll tell you once I've signed."

"Can you please leave my two boys alone?"

"I'll let you know once you sign it."

…………

As the conference room door opened, Zhai Yuan, wearing a trench coat and smoking a cigar, strode in with his head held high and an arrogant air.

After a brief silence,

The local gentry were in an uproar.

"Zhai Yuan? You bastard!" Yuen Long Special Councillor Cao Shaowei slammed his fist on the table and pointed at Zhai Yuan, cursing, "The rules of the New Territories have been messed up by outsiders like you!"

As soon as Cao Shaowei finished speaking, the local gentry became excited and all turned their cannons towards Zhai Yuan.

"That's right!"

"You've dragged the entire New Territories down with you!"

"Our ancestral property, which we've worked so hard to protect for generations, has been sold off cheaply by an outsider like you!"

Zhai Yuan leisurely exhaled a puff of smoke, his gaze sweeping over the group of local gentry.

He chuckled dismissively: "Foolish! Do you think I'm an outsider? Do you think my Xiawan Village ancestral hall is fake? If I were an outsider, how could I be qualified to stand here today and sit in the position of chairman of the village council?"

The barrage of questions left the local gentry momentarily bewildered, before they finally understood.

"You want to sit on Uncle Fa's stool? What makes you think you can?"

Real estate agent Wong Hung-fat sneered, his eyes flashing with malice: "You've turned our New Territories into chaos, and you still dare to come to the Heung Yee Kuk? I'll make sure you leave the New Territories in a daze!"

As he spoke, Huang Hongfa kicked the chair away, picked up the ashtray, and pretended to rush towards Zhai Yuan.

Seeing that someone was taking the lead, the remaining gentry also stood up, like troublemakers, wanting to settle scores with Zhai Yuan.

Seeing this, Zhai Yuan silently took two steps back.

boom!
Gunshot!

A cloud of blood mist burst open on Huang Hongfa's chest as he approached Zhai Yuan, and the crowd fell silent instantly.

The next second, footsteps sounded at the bottom of the stairs.

Suddenly, rows of heavily armed young men, all dressed in security uniforms with the 'Ya An Company' sign printed on them, poured into the village council chamber.

"Excuse me, everyone."

Zhai Yuan picked at his ear and walked to the seat reserved for Liu Huangfa.

He casually put his arm around one of the gentrymen whose face had turned pale, and with his other hand he pulled out a file folder from his pocket and waved it at the trembling gentrymen.

Zhai Yuan immediately looked up and laughed, "This time I brought confidential documents from Shenshan Semiconductor, along with a US dollar bond worth 1 million US dollars. I was worried about something going wrong, so I asked Ya'an people to protect me. Everyone saw it, it was this guy who insisted on rushing up and trying to snatch the confidential documents from my hands! If something serious happens, how will the Hong Kong government explain it to Taiwan and the mainland?"

(End of this chapter)