Nanyang 1931: From piglets to giants

Chapter 280 The most suitable business for the Hongmen in the United States: selling Japanese piglets

Almost in the middle of Chinatown, there is an "Anliang Tea House" which was originally the headquarters of the Anliang Hall. Now, due to the arrival of Mr. Zheng, it has been temporarily converted into a large restaurant.

Countless fine wines and delicious dishes were arranged, and a buffet was held. Only small leaders could get a seat in the teahouse, and the seats outside the teahouse completely blocked the entire street.

In order to entertain Zheng Yi, the American Hongmen really spent a lot of money today.

In fact, even if Zheng Yi had not spoken openly with Situ Meitang before, judging from the fact that Situ Meitang chose Anliang Tea House as the venue for the reception, Situ Meitang should have intended to divide the Hongmen and entrust the Hongmen.

After all, the Zhigongtang was originally a product born along with the Chinese revolution. It was originally based on the Anliangtang, and it was united with other halls by relying on the interests of family and country to become a united force.

Situ Meitang was actually the leader of Anliangtang first, then the leader of Zhigongtang, and then the chairman of Zhigong Party, in a step-by-step progression.

His On Liang Tang was originally based on the Boston On Liang Tang, not the traditional New York On Liang Tang. The New York On Liang Tang and the San Francisco On Liang Tang were later incorporated by him because they came from the same family.

If Mr. Sun had not joined the Hongmen, Situ Meitang's base might still be in Boston.

Now that the Hongmen has decided to split up, and Situ Meitang has also decided to support our party, which is at least superficially still at a military disadvantage, it actually has a difficult road to take. To put it bluntly, it is to continue returning to the country for the revolution.

In 1947, supporting our party did not mean returning to the country to enjoy life, but returning to the country to fight for your life.

After this departure, no matter whether I succeed or fail, I will no longer have any connection with the New York Anliang Hall, and it is unlikely that I will be able to come back. Naturally, I have to give an explanation to those Hongmen who remain in the United States.

It is impossible for everyone to return to China with him, not to mention that returning to China means continuing the revolution and the uncertainty of life and death. Many people have already started families and careers in the United States and are essentially Americans. How can it be so easy to go back?

Over the past 100 years from the late Qing Dynasty to the present, generations of Chinese have suffered so much to gain a foothold and lay a foundation in the United States. How could they possibly give it up?
Leaving these foundations and talents to Zheng Yi is good for everyone.

After sitting down and drinking a few glasses, Situ Meitang asked, "We know that you are rich, Mr. Zheng. We want to return home, but so far, even the plane tickets back home have become a problem.
If Mr. Zheng doesn't mind, I can make the decision and sell all of On Leong Tong's properties in the United States, especially this Chinatown in New York, to you. What do you think?"

"What's going on? Mr. Situ has decided to burn his boats and never come back? Is he selling off his property to ruin his family and help himself out of this difficult situation?"

Situ Meitang: "Indeed, I don't plan to come back. I'm coming back to China to help our Party. I believe that only our Party can save China, even if it means sacrificing everything."

"Yeah." Zheng Yi nodded.

I still can't help but feel a little emotional.

He who wins the hearts of the people wins the world. As a red party, our party was clearly at a disadvantage during the civil war. However, not only overseas tycoons like Tan Kah Kee, but even gang leaders like Situ Meitang were willing to do their best for it. Thinking about it this way, it is no wonder that they were able to achieve the ultimate victory.

"If Mr. Situ wants to donate the property he sold in the United States... well, I'll offer a figure of fifty million dollars to purchase the public properties of the On Leong Hall in New York, Boston, San Francisco, and other places."

"I will deposit this money in an account in Penang. When you return, you can go to Penang first and use the money to buy whatever you need. Weapons and ammunition, aircraft and artillery, food and machine tools. Penang has everything these days. Even the Malay Regiment in Alor Setar can provide mercenary services."

"Also, anyone who is willing to go with you and has any real estate or private property in the United States can sell it to me. You can compile an account book and give it to me. I will buy it at the market price without any discount."

"And to all the Hongmen brothers in Cuba, Canada, and Australia who are willing to join you in establishing a modern political party, I am willing to pay to take over their public and private property. Those who do not want to return to their homeland and would like to stay may also come and meet me so we can get to know each other."

Zheng Yi has no shortage of upper-class connections and power in the United States, and he is rich, but he has too few suitable talents and lacks grassroots power in the United States. The American society is very special. Even the top chaebol families cannot do without the support of grassroots gangs.

Because the government's ability to manage grassroots society is very weak, in fact, when conducting grassroots governance, it often needs to rely on the power of gangs.

The reason why the Democratic Party's grassroots governance capabilities are stronger than the Republican Party is largely because the Democratic Party controls more gangs than the Republican Party. The gangs here do not just refer to gangs, but all grassroots organizations including guilds, trade unions, churches, and hometown associations.

The Hongmen is just one of these grassroots organizations. Of course, it is considered the most powerful grassroots organization in the United States.

Of course, Zheng Yi is actually donating 50 million US dollars to the country in disguise.

The so-called public property of the Hongmen, after all, is nothing more than Chinatown, and most of it may not be considered the public property of the Anliangtang. It is even uncertain whether these properties have formal and legal procedures.

The On Leong Tong in New York was conquered by the godfather of the previous generation of Chinese, Li Xiling. Otherwise, it would be impossible for an entire block in such a huge city like New York to be filled with Chinese. The Chinese of this era were very martial and were not easy to mess with. Li Xiling even served as a deputy sheriff in New York.

In the United States, those who can hold this position are usually the biggest bosses in the underworld.

Unlike later generations, the city government deliberately placed relief stations, drug rehabilitation centers, refugee shelters and other places near Chinatown, and the Chinese almost became the most easily bullied group in American society.

However, precisely because of this, it was difficult to say exactly how much public property the Hongmen had. Especially as far as he knew, Situ Meitang had actually mortgaged all of the Hongmen's real estate to the bank in order to support the domestic revolution and the War of Resistance. In reality, no one knew how much assets were left in the Hongmen's public accounts, but it was definitely a mountain of debt.

Never mind fifty million dollars, even five million might be too much.

Upon hearing this, Situ Meitang said meaningfully, "It seems that Mr. Zheng is not completely without political inclinations in China."

Zheng Yi smiled when he heard this, but did not comment.

But he turned to business and said, "Mr. Situ, after you return to China, who will be responsible for the affairs of the American Anliang Hall?"

"It's me, Mr. Zheng." said an old man on the side.

"I am Huang Sande."

Zheng Yi: "Ah~, it's Mr. Huang. I've heard a lot about you. Isn't Mr. Huang going back with Mr. Situ?"

Huang Sande: "I'm old now and don't want to bother with the mess anymore. I'm not interested in domestic politics anymore. I just want to stay in the United States and enjoy my retirement."

Huang Sande is also a veteran of the Zhi Gong Party. It was he who introduced Mr. Sun to the Hongmen sect. In terms of prestige, he was on par with Situ Meitang, and he was also Mr. Sun's sworn brother.

However, after the Xinhai Revolution, when Huang Sande returned to China to ask Mr. Sun to fulfill his promise and hoped that the Zhi Gong Party would return to China to participate in politics, to be honest, Mr. Sun had demolished the bridge after crossing it. He believed that there was no distinction between the Zhi Gong Tang and the Zhi Gong Party, and that the Zhi Gong Tang was too influenced by gangsterism and was not suitable for participating in modern politics.

Objectively speaking, what Mr. Sun said is actually correct. The Hongmen is indeed a group of people who do not distinguish between the halls and the parties. After the success of the revolution, many people arbitrarily regarded themselves as revolutionary heroes and even began to bully others and dominate the market.

However, this move was really hard to accept and infuriating for the Hongmen brothers. Even Huang Sande, the introducer, could not hold his head up because of it. After opposing the United States, he no longer had any contact with Mr. Sun and became his enemy. He no longer had any interest in domestic politics.

This was also the result of his discussion with his brother Situ Meitang. Situ Meitang would take people back, and those he would bring back must be the backbones of branches from all over the country. As for the remaining Hongmen in the United States, although they had Mr. Zheng Yi as the leader, Zheng Yi was not familiar with the United States after all and lacked the ability to command the Hongmen.

Huang Sande stayed to assist Zheng Yi to ensure that Zheng Yi could smoothly take over and use the American Hongmen. With his reputation, he could smoothly integrate the entire American Hongmen, and even cross the differences between the Anliang Hall and the Xiesheng Hall. At the same time, this man was old enough and would not live for many years.

It is a transition, and it also makes it easier for Zheng Yi to place his own people within the Hongmen to manage the Hongmen in the United States.

Zheng Yi nodded and said, "Those Chinese who stay here, follow me. I can guarantee you a good life. Although I've only been in the United States for a short time, there are some things I can only arrange for you to do."

"Are restaurants and laundries still the most popular businesses for Chinese people?"

Huang Sande: "Yes, there are also martial arts schools, medical clinics, and grocery stores. A large number of female workers work in garment factories. In addition, there are also some Chinese working in the retail industry outside of New York. Of course, we must admit that there are also some opium dens, brothels, gambling dens, etc., which are indeed run by Chinese people."

After a moment of thought, he added, "Among the younger generation, some are already engaged in elite professions such as teachers, accountants, lawyers, professional doctors, and engineers. Although there are not many people yet, there will definitely be more and more in the future."

Zheng Yi nodded and said, "You can call these young people who work in elite industries to introduce themselves to me later."

Huang Sande: "Of course. I'm not bragging to you. We Chinese are different from other races who came to the United States. We all started out as laborers. The first generation worked as pig farmers, the second generation worked as workers, the third generation opened restaurants, and by the third and fourth generations, some of us were already lawyers and doctors."

Zheng Yi: "That's true. In fact, it can be clearly felt in Southeast Asia. The Chinese value heritage. As long as they can survive, they will always be able to make their lives better and better."

"But I took a quick look when I came in just now. The whole Chinatown looks a bit shabby, and the surrounding environment isn't very good either. Can the residents there be guaranteed water and electricity supply?"

Huang Sande: "Indeed, it still can't be done. Less than 70% of the electricity supply is available, and power outages are frequent. Even 50% of the tap water supply is unavailable."

Zheng Yi: "When I came here just now, I saw a garbage disposal station not far to the east. Is that right? When the wind blows, some foul smell should drift over here."

Huang Sande: "It does happen, but we've gotten used to it. Usually, some children from poor families or orphans without parents can supplement their family income by picking up trash."

Zheng Yi picked up the wine glass on the table and took a sip. He smiled and said, "Tomorrow I will go find Dewey and ask him to move that garbage station. Our Chinese children will no longer have to pick up trash."

"Build a few more schools in Chinatown. All children from poor families who cannot go to school can go to school for free. The school will provide meals. If they study well and pass the exams, they can ask me for loans to go to university in the future. If they are willing to go to Singapore or Penang, their tuition will be waived."

"Next to the school, I'll fund an orphanage. Orphans without parents can live there. I guarantee they'll have a worry-free life, and the same goes for schooling. If they can get into university, they can study in Penang or Singapore for free."

"I plan to open a Chinese cultural museum on the site of the former garbage station. It will be larger in scale. Firstly, it will be used to exhibit some of our ancient Chinese artifacts. I will also be responsible for acquiring some Chinese artifacts in the United States. Secondly, it will be used to exhibit some of our modern Chinese art works."

"It's better for us Chinese to keep our own publicity in our own hands."

On the side, Situ Meitang couldn't help but frown and said, "I heard that you, Mr. Zheng, brought back many treasures of our Chinese civilization from Japan. Since you, Mr. Zheng, are also interested in promoting Chinese culture in the United States, why don't you cooperate with domestic partners?

As far as I know, the government in New York also has official institutions such as the Sino-US Exchange Association. You are like this..."

To put it bluntly, Zheng Yi's actions seem to be a bit like a struggle for orthodoxy.

We don't ask you to send the national treasures back to the country, but at least you have to cooperate with the authorities if you want to exhibit them.

Zheng Yi smiled and said, "I'm sorry, Mr. Situ. Just consider this as my own petulance. We overseas Chinese will inevitably face the question of who will represent China in the future. When we go abroad, we earn our reputation. At least for now, I don't really want the National Government to represent us Chinese. It would be embarrassing, wouldn't it?"

Situ Meitang: “…………”

It does seem to make some sense. Of course, Zheng Yi wasn't actually trying to compete with the government for legitimacy, but it must be said that the image he was trying to capture wasn't the government.

He was not sure whether McCarthyism would still exist in this time and space. If it did, he believed that McCarthy would not dare to target him, but even if it targeted his subordinates, it would be a trouble.

But he did not forget that the CIA had now traced the case back to Tan Kah Kee, and it was hard to say whether he would not be implicated.

Moreover, under McCarthyism, Chinese people in the United States will inevitably suffer as a result. Zheng Yi did this just to increase his presence as much as possible, hoping that in the future when the American people think of China, the first person they think of is him.

In the United States, museums are originally private. For example, the most famous Museum of Modern Art was built by John D. Rockefeller Jr. to make his wife happy. So what's wrong with him building a museum for himself to store his family's antiques?

As for the orphanage and primary school student subsidies, they were old tricks he had used in Nanyang, and they were all done in his personal name. Anyway, he had plenty of money, so he just regarded it as a way to win people's hearts.

The children who grew up in the orphanage were raised by him to become his confidants, and now the results have begun to show. Some of the older ones have been added to his guards. His guards follow the style of Tang Suwei and Han Baiyu. After a few years of training, they will be sent out.

Based on my management experience in Nanyang: the younger the person, the more useful they tend to be.

They do not have the same stubborn regional differences as the older generation, and their character and morals are often stronger. Even after further study, they are indeed more knowledgeable and culturally advanced, and are obviously more loyal to the SAARC and have a stronger sense of belonging.

Although his experience may be a little less than that of an old fox, it is enough to play a role in a backbone position.

In another ten years or so, when the new generation trained by him in Nanyang grows up, Zheng Yi's predicament of having no one available will definitely be greatly alleviated.

Seeing that Situ Meitang had no objections, Zheng Yi continued, "Just last night, I took over Morgan Stanley, and Citibank will soon follow. I have already decided that my first proposal after taking over Morgan Stanley will be to deeply develop Chinatown."

"I'll talk to Dewey and ask the city government to redesign this area and build a park or something. I'll be responsible for getting you the appropriate water and electricity plants. In six months at most, I'll ensure that all of Chinatown has free access to water and electricity."

"I will pay for the reconstruction of the entire community, from the exterior walls to the interior, all the streets and shops. I will also purchase the surrounding land for expansion. We will have playgrounds, zoos, shopping malls, public gardens, community schools, community hospitals, and everything else."

"I will build some apartment buildings specifically for living. They can be rented or sold at low prices. All the old Hongmen in New York can use them. The rules are similar to the welfare housing systems in Penang and Singapore. But they are only for old brothers who settled in the United States before this year, have been registered in the Hongmen roster, and have made contributions to the Chinese Revolution and the War of Resistance Against Japan."

"Of course, there will be some large-scale demolition and reconstruction inside. I promise that those whose houses are demolished will have apartments to live in. But if there are any obstacles during the demolition process, I would like you to help me solve them."

Zheng Yi's voice was not very loud when he said this, but after he finished speaking, even the people at the next table put down their chopsticks. Some of them were smart and immediately ran onto the stage of the teahouse and loudly repeated what Zheng Yi had just said.

As if afraid that Zheng Yi would go back on his word, the entire Chinatown was shaken by huge cheers.

Huang Sande, who was standing by, couldn't help but say, "This... this is welfare, right? Using the bank's money for this, is this... okay?"

After all, Morgan Stanley and Citigroup are both investment banks, and they pursue excess profits.

Zheng Yi smiled nonchalantly. "Isn't this also a real estate project? New York is already experiencing a real estate boom. With me here, why worry about rising land prices? Ultimately, the price of real estate depends on the location, and what truly determines the quality of a location is the people."

"I did bring a lot of business to the US this time. As long as the people in Chinatown become more prosperous and the supporting industries are upgraded, the land prices here will naturally double. Those in the financial sector will understand this principle."

Zheng Yi then said with a relaxed smile, "Besides, it's not a lot of money after all. This place isn't a good location right now. Although I haven't done any research, the entire project will cost only tens of millions of dollars at most. The initial investment is only a few million, not even a hundred million. It's impossible for a real estate project to lose more than that. How much can the loss be? Even if the Morgans are just giving me face, no one will oppose this project."

In Zheng Yi's eyes now, a project worth less than 100 million US dollars is not even considered a big project, and what he said is indeed the truth.

Even though he knew it was the truth, it was still too scary for everyone present. For a moment, they were all shocked into silence. Then, many people couldn't help but reveal extremely bitter smiles.

The economy in the United States has been good in recent years, and land prices, housing prices, and stocks have all been rising like crazy. As long as these people were not too generous and donated all their family fortunes during the War of Resistance Against Japan, and as long as they were previously members of the bourgeoisie, almost all of them have become rich and their wealth has increased a lot.

However, the so-called business and wealth in their eyes seemed too ridiculous compared to Zheng Yi.

After seeing how Mr. Zheng spends money, everyone knows what a wealthy person is.

"Mr. Zheng, what industries do we Chinese people engage in?"

Zheng Yi: "Simple, labor agency. This will be our biggest business in the United States."

"You know, I have some influence in Japan. America's industrial demand is so strong right now that it's difficult to recruit workers everywhere. As for Americans, firstly, as far as I know, many people don't really want to work in factories. Secondly, the overall quality of Americans is just so-so, not that high."

"This has led to the current high cost of labor in the United States, especially for workers with certain skills who can work in factories. I heard that it has developed to the point where just one man working in a factory can provide for his entire family and even save enough money to buy home appliances."

"Even so, the labor market is still in short supply and capital is already in serious excess, but the rate of factory expansion is far slower than the rate of capital appreciation. The main reason is a shortage of labor, especially a shortage of qualified labor."

"And that's just the beginning. With the Marshall Plan about to be implemented, Europe's economy will undoubtedly boom after receiving loans from the United States. At the same time, Europe will become a huge consumer market, consuming American production capacity. And not just Europe, but also the cities controlled by the Southern Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) will enter an explosive mass production mode. The demand for American machine tools, power equipment, and various types of construction machinery will surely increase further, and the American labor market will become increasingly tense."

"As early as the day before yesterday, I had already agreed with Dewey that New York State would serve as the first pilot state in the United States to experimentally introduce labor imports and use foreign workers on a large scale. The first country we need to introduce foreign workers to is Japan."

"I specifically opened up Japan's foreign trade for this very reason. Objectively speaking, Japan has done a much better job than the United States in terms of national education. As a defeated nation, their national economy is facing great difficulties. Even if the trade ban is lifted now, they lack sufficient foreign exchange and are living in dire straits."

"Although we've been sending Japanese to Southeast Asia and the Middle East over the years, compared to Japan's population of 60 million, it's not a drop in the bucket, but it's far from Japan's labor import limit. Therefore, Dewey and I have discussed that New York should open up a labor quota for Japan, starting with 200,000 people. If the results are good, we can relax the conditions appropriately."

"These Japanese have no nationality in the United States, not even green cards. They only have a special work permit designed for them. They are all employed in factories and do not enjoy any citizenship benefits. As employers, we Chinese are responsible for providing them with food, clothing, housing and transportation. The contract is limited to eight years, and we renew it every eight years."

"As workers, these people only earn half the salary of American workers in the United States at most, and they are much easier to use than American workers and don't have as many troubles. As for the Japanese, whether Americans or Chinese, there is no psychological burden in using them. They should also be very clear that they are a defeated country. Unless they are bullied too much, they probably won't dare to resist."

"In addition to the coolie laborers, it wouldn't hurt to get some women here. Japanese women are professionals in providing special services. As for what kind of wages you can agree with the Japanese, you can figure it out on your own. In this regard, I believe you should be more professional than me."

"We Chinese people only need to be responsible for good management. My core principle is not to go too far and try to make money with soft tactics."

After saying that, everyone couldn't help but look at each other. In an instant, they all understood what Zheng Yi meant and where the profit point of this matter was.

Dealing with piglets? Everyone is familiar with this. It is simply their old business. The ancestors of these Chinese people were all sold as piglets.

Of course, there are different ways to use piglets. The more traditional ones usually use whips. The earliest batch of piglets in the early years were basically treated this way, and their lives were no different from those of slaves.

However, this type of piglet is only suitable for plantations, not factories, because the work is too noisy. In America, only the Spaniards and a small number of southern plantation owners do this.

Those who work in factories often have their wages deducted and are provided with the necessary food, clothing, housing and transportation. After deducting various miscellaneous expenses, there is always a way to deduct most of their wages.

A more progressive approach is to only charge a small service fee, which is charged in the first year and not charged from the second year onwards, and actually pay the wages to the workers. This is what most of the piggeries in New York are currently doing.

However, as long as the job is introduced by them, there are plenty of ways to make money back from them.

Some simple and plain ones include contracting canteens, transportation, rental services, and even daily necessities consumption, English training schools, and Chinese training schools. There are plenty of ways to make you spend money, especially in some slightly remote areas.

The more ruthless ones will naturally become addicted to pornography, gambling and drugs. It is hard and difficult to work outside, and it is easy for them to get into bad habits. It only takes proper inducement and guidance, and only a small number of people can completely avoid them, and can save some money and send the rest back home.

If you can really endure it, you are very capable. Whether you save money to change your own destiny or rely on the exchange rate difference to let your family live a good life, this is what you deserve.

Of course, considering the extremely high legal fees and medical expenses in the United States, if you get into trouble or get sick, they will still find a way to squeeze your money, so you're just out of luck.

Most of them will eventually become slaves to desire under intentional guidance and design. As long as they are involved in any of the three things, pornography, gambling and drugs, there is no need to whip them. They will work hard and work overtime, and then hand over the money they have earned with great difficulty.

By adopting the third method, not only can you earn a considerable amount of agency fees, but you can also develop a series of corresponding industries. As long as New York State does not adopt relevant laws to grant citizenship to Japanese people, you can continue to make money.

And the same thing goes, as for the Japanese, even if they make money in a slightly unethical way, people generally don't feel any guilt, and may even think that this is too cheap for these Japanese devils.

This is indeed a perfect business that best suits the Hongmen Chinese.

"But if that's the case, Mr. Zheng, wouldn't so many Japanese coming to New York take away jobs from the locals? And wouldn't that also cause dissatisfaction among the locals?"

Zheng Yi smiled and said, "This can be considered as my promise to Dewey. We will manage the Japanese well and will not let them cause trouble. If they smash machines or cause damage in the factory, we will have to pay for it."

"As for the issue of local employment, one is that with such a small population, it's not really noticeable in a city as big as New York."

"Secondly, these Japanese are factory workers, and most of them probably can't even speak English well, and can hardly do any decent jobs. The factories they work in are already on the fringes of society, so they don't have a strong presence in American society."

"Third, I promised Dewey that I would create some jobs in New York that would benefit local people as a hedge."

"Fourth, and most importantly, New York State has decided that factories that employ large numbers of foreign workers must pay a compensatory state tax. The state government will use this money to invest in infrastructure and public services."

"These four points are enough to offset the impact of foreign workers in New York. It can be said that there are only benefits, no disadvantages. This is actually the political point I came to the United States to promote: globalization is beneficial to the United States, not just for capitalists and the government, but for every American citizen. As long as we can control the issuance of green cards and citizenship, all problems will be solved."

Of course, what Zheng Yi didn’t say is that if the factories using foreign workers are limited to New York, then it can be said that this policy really has only advantages and no disadvantages. At least in the short term, there will definitely be no problems and it will only bring benefits.

At the very least, with more immigrants, real estate prices will definitely soar further, and New York's state fiscal revenue will also soar.

This is the confidence behind Zheng Yi's proposal to pursue globalization, because he is very clear that this kind of globalization, at least in the early stages and in the short term, will only bring benefits to all classes and sectors of the United States.

But if time goes on and the globalized economic model expands to the entire United States, that may not be the case.

It will definitely still be beneficial to the upper class, but it is still not a good thing for the middle class, or even the grassroots people below the middle class. It depends on whether the upper class is willing to share some of the benefits of globalization with the lower class.

But by then, what would all this have to do with Zheng Yi, an outsider? When that day came and the conflict between the upper and lower levels became irreconcilable, the worst that could happen to Zheng Yi was that he would no longer be an American.

(End of this chapter)