Reborn Action Star: Starting in Hollywood

Chapter 529 I Don’t Believe in Loyalty Without Interests
Lin Yuan felt a little hesitant. He was not sure whether he should meet these people.

These so-called representatives of Bakawi people are naturally not representatives who can truly represent "public opinion" and are therefore not elected by the public.

If you think so, you are really naive.

These representatives of public opinion who dare to claim to represent the Bakawi people are definitely people who have the power to control the Bakawi region. They can also be said to be slum tycoons.

To be more specific, they are most likely gang leaders in the Barkawi slum.

When a region cannot be effectively regulated by the government, resulting in a power vacuum, someone will naturally fill it.

Gang members who have mastered violence are often the best candidates.

Lin Yuan's usual style of doing things is that he doesn't like to have anything to do with gang members.

And after all, Bakawi is in Kisangani, which is Kano's territory.

It was quite tolerant of Kano to tolerate him coming to the grassroots to screen movies and directly release his influence.

If Lin Yuan still doesn't know the limits and continues to make friends with gang members in the Bakawi slum, then Kano is likely to turn against him.

So Lin Yuan said to Buta, "Tell them I'm tired today. Let's meet and talk another day if there's a chance."

Lin Yuan’s refusal can be said to be quite clear. Although he did not directly say the refusal, adults should understand that some other day will be the day.

Buta nodded and went out to communicate with the representatives.

GAKKI stood behind him and gently pressed his temple: "Guess what they are here for?"

Lin Yuan shook his head. "If it were somewhere else, I might be able to guess it. But this is the fantastical Congo in Africa. How many unexpected events have we experienced since we came here?"

Normally, when gang leaders come to my house at this time, they would be asking for protection money, but I don't think so."

"Why not? I think your guess makes sense." GAKKI-chan said, "If they are here to collect protection money, I guess we can't avoid it. We will have to confront them face to face."

"No, that's unlikely. They wouldn't be that stupid. We didn't come to Barkawi to make money, but to give money to the locals.

If they dare to force us, we will simply stop showing movies, cut off all the benefits, and put the blame on them. I guess the local residents will hate them to death.

You know, the most important thing for a gang is not force, but the people's hearts," Lin Yuan said.

The last sentence was not from Lin Yuan, but from the father of the Japanese gang.

It sounds a bit ironic, because in most people's minds, gangs are the root of crime and should have nothing to do with such a great and glorious cause as winning the hearts of the people.

But the reality is not like this, because the foundation for gang organizations to exist and grow is actually to provide order.

The survival of gangs lies in establishing an alternative order in the most remote and grassroots areas where the government is unwilling to manage because it despises the high cost of governance.

Therefore, gangs also need the support of the people. If they dare to rely solely on violence, they will be close to destruction.

Hearing Lin Yuan's answer, GAKKI nodded. She grew up in Japan where gang culture is prevalent, and she quickly understood the twists and turns involved.

So GAKKI-chan also began to wonder: "Then what are they doing here? If they are not here to collect protection money, are they here to give gifts?"

Soon, Buta returned. He walked quickly to Lin Yuan and said, "They said they have a gift for you."

"Gift?" Lin Yuan asked doubtfully.

GAKKI-chan actually guessed it right? She actually came to give a gift?
Lin Yuan shook his head and was about to refuse, but Buta said first: "They guessed that you would refuse and they also know your concerns.

They asked me to tell you that this gift is absolutely what you need, and it is also what Mr. Kano needs, and they will not embarrass you."

Hearing Buta say this, Lin Yuan became curious.

"In that case, let's meet." Lin Yuan said.

Since they had already guessed Lin Yuan's concerns and repeatedly told him not to worry, Lin Yuan no longer hesitated to see what they were up to.

At worst, he could have a face-to-face discussion with Kano after they met. As long as he didn't make any advances, his relationship with Kano wouldn't break down easily.

Soon, Buta came in with four black men.

These four black men were around 40 years old, which is the prime age for men.

At first glance, you can tell that he is not someone to be trifled with. His face is full of toughness and he perfectly fits everyone's stereotype of a gang boss.

In a place like the Barkawi slum, there is no way a "godfather" like those in Japan or Italy will be born.

That's the kind of style one can only achieve after being whitewashed and having a fairly respectable industry.

In particular, the most famous gang organization in Japan is called "Morgan Stanley with guns", which shows that their business has long since become the financial investment industry. It is said that their due diligence level is quite high, and they are well-known gold medal investors in the industry.

Even many big capitals on Wall Street will follow them to invest. This scene is really magical.

Back to the Barkawi area, this is a slum. In this lowest level of the city, if you want to keep people under control, you must make them afraid.

Having a fierce and intimidating face is definitely a big advantage.

"Welcome, everyone. Don't mind the simple conditions. Please take a seat." Lin Yuan opened a few folding stools in the backstage and invited several gang leaders to sit down.

After the four black men settled down, the leader, a man with a scar over ten centimeters long on his face, said, "I apologize for the inconvenience of visiting you and for causing trouble for Mr. Lin Yuan."

"Whether it's difficult or not depends on your purpose. I like to be direct," said Lin Yuan.

The scarred man said, "I know you came to Barkawi tonight not just to play a movie, but also to find someone."

Lin Yuan was a little surprised when he heard what the scarred man said. He didn't expect that the tentacles of these local tyrants were so sharp?

They can't hide any slight movement from them?
The film screening team arrived with director Eastwood at noon, but instead of staying to rest as usual, they immediately rushed to screen the movie tonight.

One of the main reasons for this is that Kano can't wait any longer.

He hurriedly ordered his men to follow the film projection team into the Barkawi slums to search for the whereabouts of "Lion" Soth.

It seems that such behavior cannot be hidden from these gang leaders.

I just don't know if Soth has discovered it?

If Soth senses something is wrong and escapes at night, it will be difficult to dig him out.

Lin Yuan shook his head and said, "My purpose is very simple, which is to show the movie. As for finding someone, I don't deny it.

But it wasn't me who wanted to find someone, it was Mr. Kano, I was just providing him with some convenience."

At this time, Lin Yuan had already guessed what the "gift" they were talking about was, and it was probably related to Soth's whereabouts.

"Although it's not Mr. Lin Yuan who is looking for someone, you should be able to gain a lot of benefits by helping Mr. Kano find the fugitive, right?" asked the scarred man with a smile.

Hearing what the scarred man said, Lin Yuan suddenly felt like laughing.

Looking at the gang leader in front of him, who was trying his best to pretend to be deep and communicate with him, Lin Yuan dared to bet that he would never speak like this in the gang.

His style is probably to swear and speak directly.

To be honest, Lin Yuan was tired of this roundabout way of communication, which was always testing the other party and trying to hide his intentions.

Communicating like this is really tiring.

So Lin Yuan said directly: "Brother, I think you are usually a straightforward person, so don't hide it.

Please tell me directly, what is your purpose for coming here tonight?
If you continue to beat around the bush like this, then our communication tonight will end here."

"I told you! I just watched the movie and I know that Lin Yuan is definitely a straightforward person. Why does he have to pretend to be so literary? Can't he just say what he wants to say directly?" Another gang leader said immediately.

"Doesn't this make us appear more competent? It will prevent people from looking down on our Barkawi region. But talking like this is really frustrating for me. I have been misled by movies and TV dramas. There is no need to use this method when communicating with Lin Yuan." The scarred man said angrily.

These gang leaders who look ferocious actually have such a funny side?
Africa is indeed a magical place, not inferior to India at all. Even the gang members have African characteristics.

Lin Yuan suppressed his laughter and said, "Let's cut to the chase and tell us why you're here."

"I know you are looking for 'Lion' Soth. I have already caught him. Now I will hand him over to you and you can pass him to Mr. Kano." said the scarred man.

After saying that, the scarred man waved his hand.

Several strong black men came forward carrying a sack.

The scarred man untied the sack, revealing a man wearing a black hood with his hands and feet tied tightly.

Scarface pulled off the black hood, and Lin Yuan recognized the man with his mouth sealed with tape at a glance. It was Soth, whom Kano had been looking for.

Seeing Lin Yuan, Soth struggled violently, making a whimpering sound.

As an intelligence dealer and the person who sold the information about Kano receiving Lin Yuan, he naturally knew Lin Yuan.

At this moment, his frightened eyes revealed the despair in his heart. Falling into Lin Yuan's hands was no different from being caught directly by Kano.

What awaited him was bound to be cruel torture and a miserable death, so he instinctively struggled violently.

Lin Yuan didn't want to communicate with him, but stepped forward and punched Soth hard on the temple.

"Boom!"

With a muffled sound, Soth immediately fell unconscious.

Lin Yuan's punch immediately made the four gang leaders' eyes light up.

Although movies often feature people being struck on the head with a stick, knocking them unconscious, this is actually quite difficult to do in real life. The human brain is the most vulnerable part of the body, and without sufficient practical experience, knowing where to hit the head, and how hard to use, it's impossible to knock someone unconscious with just one blow.

It is normal to suffer a concussion, or even faint with a bleeding head.

But it was obvious that what Lin Yuan wanted was just "coma", not "fainting".

He was able to achieve his goal with just one punch, which clearly showed that he was extremely skilled and experienced. In the eyes of these four gang bosses, he was an expert at this.

"I didn't expect that Mr. Lin is also so good at kung fu in real life." The scarred man complimented.

Lin Yuan smiled but did not respond to him.

It seems that as one of the behind-the-scenes controllers of Barkawi, he still receives so little consultation.

This also made Lin Yuan feel a little disappointed. He originally thought that as a martial arts master, he should be well-known around the world.

Especially after the Kendo Tournament, he should become famous all over the world.

Even in remote areas of Africa, at least people with some status should be aware of his achievements, right?

Now it seems that he is still a little far away from his goal.

But this also gave Lin Yuan greater motivation, as he still had a long way to go before reaching the true end of martial arts.

Lin Yuan picked up the black hood, put it back on Soth's head, and then tied the sack.

"Buta, call Kano's people and ask them to take Sos away." Lin Yuan said to Buta.

Today, more than ten of Kano's men followed Lin Yuan to the Bakawi slums. They all spread out to gather information.

Now that the real culprit has been caught, there is no need to continue gathering information outside. The real thing is to come back as soon as possible and bring Soth back to Kano.

But Lin Yuan did not call Kano immediately. He vaguely felt that the next conversation with these gang leaders should be related to Kano.

Therefore, Lin Yuan planned to wait until he had finished talking with these gang leaders before communicating all the information to Kano.

"What do you want?" Lin Yuan asked directly.

There is no free lunch in the world. They handed Sos over to me and asked me to do this favor, so they must have something in mind.

"We want Mr. Kano to recognize our status." said the scarred man.

Finally speaking directly, isn’t it good to communicate like this?

Lin Yuan nodded, indicating that he understood their demands.

Although Kano has not extended its hand to the Barkawi slum in the past few years, it has been left unregulated.

But the local tyrants represented by the scarred man knew that such days could not last long.

Before, Kano was busy fighting with the Tutsi for territory, so he turned a blind eye to the Barkawi slum, which had little profit but was extremely difficult to manage, and did not put much effort into controlling it.

But as the civil war was drawing to a close, Kano had already begun negotiations with the Tutsi.

At this time, the Barkawi slum, with a population of 80,000, was still out of Kano's control, which was absolutely intolerable.

Even if there is no more money in the Barkawi slum, no ruler can tolerate that there is a community of 80,000 people on his own land, completely out of his control.

Therefore, if the Bakawi region continues to maintain an impassable attitude, the next step will inevitably be for Kano to send its armed forces to enter here and clear out the trouble.

It is simply impossible for a gang of local fishermen to resist such a military force.

If they want to maintain their position, they must obtain Kano's approval, otherwise their position will not be stable at all.

Lin Yuan asked in confusion, "I understand that you want to gain Mr. Kano's approval. But wouldn't it be better for you to just give Soth to him? Why did you go to such great lengths to give Soth to me and then have me pass it on?"

"Two years ago, Mr. Kano sent a tax collection team to the Barkawi region, but they were attacked by the residents. Five people were killed and eight were seriously injured," the scarred man said. "I'm worried he won't accept it and that he'll take revenge on us later."

After hearing the scarred man's explanation, Lin Yuan immediately understood.

It turned out that they had a heavy historical burden of tax resistance. Regardless of whether the attack was organized by the scar-faced man and his men, the final account would be attributed to them.

Now the scarred man and his men want to surrender on behalf of the Bakawi region, but they are afraid that Kano will not accept their surrender. They are even more afraid that Kano will promise not to pursue the matter now, but will come back to settle the score after they lose their resistance after a period of time.

This kind of conflict, which is based on hatred, is not easy to resolve, as both sides are full of distrust towards each other.

Speaking of trust, Lin Yuan immediately understood why the scarred man was looking for him.

But Lin Yuan still asked: "Then what do you want me to do?"

"We need a trustworthy middleman, and Mr. Lin Yuan, you are the perfect middleman," the scarred man said frankly. "If Mr. Kano makes a promise through you, I believe he won't go back on his word. This will establish a foundation of trust between us."

Lin Yuan nodded, what he said was indeed right.

After all, Lin Yuan has such a high status internationally that he can be considered an absolute big shot.

If Kano agreed to the demands of these gang members through Lin Yuan, then when he wanted to turn against them in the future, he would have to consider Lin Yuan's feelings, because this promise was endorsed by Lin Yuan's credit.

But the question is, why should Lin Yuan help them?
Soth was the one Kano wanted, but he wasn't the one he wanted to capture.

The act of these gang members giving Soth to Lin Yuan did not bring him much benefit except gaining a favor from Kano.

Whether it is worth getting involved in this matter just for this favor is another matter.

So Lin Yuan said directly: "Give me a reason to help you. I don't like to get involved in this kind of thing."

"Mr. Lin Yuan, please help us. The reward we can give is the loyalty of all the Bakawi people. Your movie tonight has conquered our hearts. Add to this incident, we will always be loyal to you and follow you forever." said the scarred man.

"Mr. Lin, please don't be so quick to refuse. Let me finish what I have to say." Seeing that Lin Yuan was not very enthusiastic, the scarred man said anxiously, "I know that for someone like you, the world's richest man, it's impossible to stay in Congo for a long time. You may not even have the time to come here for several years. It seems that our loyalty is meaningless."

Lin Yuan nodded, motioning him to continue.

In fact, Lin Yuan had long seen the value of the Bakawi people, but now he had to lower the price and show disinterest in order to get the scarred man to give up more chips.

On the other hand, Lin Yuan also wanted to see the quality of this scarred man and see what valuable suggestions he could come up with.

The scarred man continued, "I don't know what your ultimate purpose is in coming to Congo this time. You're mobilizing so many people to spread your influence, it's definitely not just to make a movie.

But no matter what you want to do, we Barkawi people are the helpers you need most.

In our country, everything we do relies on the Congo River's transportation. And we, the Bakawi, are not only numerous but also skilled boat operators and fishermen. We are children of the Congo River, born and raised in the water. I believe you need people like us."

After saying that, the scarred man looked at Lin Yuan quietly, waiting for him to give the final answer.

For them, Lin Yuan is really the best middleman and the only choice. This determines the safety of their future life, and they can't help but feel a little nervous at this moment.

Hearing the scarred man's words, Lin Yuan couldn't help but sigh that he was indeed a talented person.

He may not have read much, but his perspective on things is quite critical, totally different from the silly look he just showed.

Although he did not guess that Lin Yuan wanted to control Congo's resources, he keenly guessed that Lin Yuan had other intentions.

As he said, no matter what Lin Yuan wants to do, he cannot do without water transportation on the Congo River.

Transportation lines are the lifeline of the economy.

In some countries, roads and railways are the main arteries of transportation, but in Congo, where the infrastructure is extremely poor, the Congo River is the largest transportation lifeline.

In order to make good use of the transportation capacity of the Congo River, a large number of ships and sailors are required.

The problem of ships can be solved by spending money, but it is extremely difficult to require a large number of sailors at once and to ensure that they can adapt to local life.

It might not be difficult to recruit a small number of sailors, but if you want a large number of sailors, where could be better than Barkawi?

It can be said that the scarred man’s idea coincided with Lin Yuan’s.

When Lin Yuan first learned that the Barkawi slum was a fishing village, he had already made up his mind to find a way to make good use of it.

Otherwise, he didn't have to attend the screening tonight. It would be enough for Buta to bring his people.

There will be countless screenings in Kisangani and even all over Congo in the future. Lin Yuan can't attend them all, right?
But if he wanted to win the hearts of the Barkawi people, he had to be there in person.

In Lin Yuan’s vision, after he obtains the resource exploitation rights in Congo in the future, the next thing he needs to solve is the transportation problem.

Then it is necessary to establish a shipping company on the Congo River to transport various resources to the capital Kinshasa, and then load them onto ships and ship them out to sea.

Although Kinshasa is not a seaport, it is located in the lower reaches of the Congo River and can support large ocean-going ships to enter and load and unload cargo.

In a sense, Kinshasa is the Shanghai of Congo and serves as an extremely important transportation hub.

Transporting supplies to Kinshasa via the inland waterway of the Congo River naturally requires a large number of crew members, and Barkawi is the best source of crew members.

Once the Bakawi people become employees of Lin Yuan's shipping company, the interests of both parties can be said to be completely bound together.

Now, the absolute loyalty that the scarred man talked about was just empty talk and meaningless to Lin Yuan.

He never believes in loyalty without interests.

But the future will be completely different. The entire Barkawi slum will be completely tied to Lin Yuan's chariot.

Lin Yuan smiled and extended his hand to the scarred man, saying, "Deal! I hope we can have a pleasant cooperation in the future!"

(End of this chapter)