The Chief Detective Inspector is dead. I'm now the top police officer in Hong Kong!

Chapter 127 Starting a Business in Wan Chai (44 votes, please vote)
"Young Master Sheng, when are you free to invite me to Wan Chai for dumplings?" Pi Zhibang, dressed in a suit and tie, sat in the passenger seat of the Chevrolet, knowing that Lin Tiansheng wouldn't make such a request without reason.

Lin Tiansheng, focused on driving, chuckled, "If I want to discuss some business with Miss Zang, I'll need you, the big boss of the Shandong gang, to be here."

"Let's talk business?"

Pi Zhibang looked surprised and greatly surprised: "A week ago, a big shot who had just received tens of millions of Hong Kong dollars and would be making hundreds of thousands every month would be interested in setting up a stall to sell dumplings, a fly business that only earns a few thousand dollars?"

"I heard you just bought a Lamborghini, and the gas money must be over a thousand a month!"

After receiving ten million Hong Kong dollars, Lam Tin-shing didn't sit idle. He bought two luxury cars in one go: a Mercedes-Benz and a Lamborghini.

He drives a Chevrolet to work, and for daily outings, he alternates between a luxurious and comfortable Mercedes-Benz and a supercar. He has spent more than two million yuan just on buying cars.

He spent another five million and asked Li Zhongying to help him find a good apartment so he could move into his new home in a few months.

Spend it all on yourself first, and then invest the rest.

Investing all your money in a business at once, that ascetic lifestyle, is suitable for self-made big bosses, not for politicians who make money through power.

Because big bosses have no other way to make money besides their businesses, they have to work incredibly hard. But the primary asset of those in power is "power," while commercial investment is secondary. Why wouldn't someone with power dare to spend money?
"What Lamborghini? I don't know. I only have a Chevrolet." Lin Tiansheng said shamelessly.

Pi Zhibang smirked and said speechlessly, "Fine, those cars are all Ah Feng's dowry, right? When Lian Ji comes to investigate, we'll just push Ah Feng's father out."

"Good for you."

Lin Tiansheng said, "Don't talk nonsense. They make millions a year easily in the building materials business. Even when Lao Lian came to check the accounts, he couldn't find any problems."

After the anti-corruption campaign ended, the powers of the ICAC (Integrity Commission for Discipline Inspection) have been restricted.

Because the Westerners don't want to see a department with more power than the police force emerge.

Amidst the teasing, the car passed through the Cross-Harbour Tunnel and arrived in Wan Chai, stopping outside the pier. Lam Tin-shing and Pi Chi-pong got out of the car together and squeezed into the crowd.

Among a group of vendors, Zang Jianhe's dumpling stall stands out with a large number of customers.

Pi Zhibang sniffed the aroma of the noodles, his face showing a greedy look. He came to the stall and said loudly, "Miss Zang, a bowl of pork and pickled cabbage, and a bowl of corn dumplings."

"Brother Bang, Inspector Lin?"

Zang Jianhe looked up, a look of delight on his face. His busy hands didn't stop, and he said, "Coming right away."

“Police officer Pi, Commander Lin.”

Four or five Shandong police officers, who had just finished work and were still in their uniforms, were eating dumplings. With food in their mouths, they hurriedly greeted him.

"We're off work now. We're all brothers, no need to salute. Eat slowly, it's on my tab." Pi Zhibang was quite approachable.

In less than eight minutes, Zang Jianhe brought out a bowl of dumplings in each hand and presented them to Lin Tiansheng and his companion, saying with a smile, "I'm sorry, Lin sir, I've been a bit busy today and haven't been able to take good care of you. Please forgive me."

"Don't worry about us, you go ahead with your work."

Pi Zhibang took the bowl, chopsticks already prepared in his hand.

Although Zang Jianhe was very busy, he kept an eye on the two officers out of the corner of his eye. He noticed that the two officers did not leave after finishing their dumplings. Taking note of this, he put away the dumpling wrappers, took down the signboard, apologized to the customers, and stopped taking orders.

The peak tourist season is over; instead of trying to make money off the rest, it's better to cultivate a good relationship with the police. When it comes to interpersonal relationships, an old Shandong native is a master!
Zang Jianhe wiped his hands clean, walked up to Lin Tiansheng, and asked cheerfully, "Lin sir, how does it taste?"

"Perfectly cooked, incredibly fresh!" Lin Tiansheng gave a thumbs-up, showering the food with praise. Pi Zhibang asked, "Closing up so early today, Miss Zang?"

Zang Jianhe said, "We didn't prepare enough dumpling wrappers. We'll prepare more tomorrow."

Pi Zhibang saw her actions clearly but didn't point it out. He smiled and said, "That's perfect. Inspector Lin needs to talk to you about something."

Zang Jianhe was very generous and immediately said, "Inspector Lin, just say what you need from me, Zang Jianhe."

She didn't think a police officer would come knocking on her door with anything serious; at most, he'd ask her to host a banquet and help make more dumplings.

You have to do this kind of thing even if it's for free, just to save face.

"Inspector Lin has taken a liking to your dumpling business and wants you to open a shop." Pi Zhibang completely exposed Lin Tiansheng, leaving Zang Jianhe stunned: "Open a shop?"

"Rentals on Hong Kong Island are not cheap. Dumplings are cheap, so you can't make money opening a shop, Mr. Lam."

Running a restaurant requires choosing a location, attracting customers, and considering taste and product quality, but these are only one aspect. Zang Jianhe knew he was making money by using a cheap stall and taking advantage of the ferry terminal's foot traffic. He knew he couldn't make money selling dumplings in a shop with similar foot traffic.

“You can’t make money running a restaurant. I wonder if Miss Zang knows anything about factory outlets?” Lin Tiansheng laughed. “Rent a factory, hire some employees, make dumplings by hand, and open a delivery window.”

"Currently, I manage West Kowloon, and I have a good relationship with my staff and the owners of local convenience stores and supermarkets. Freezing dumplings and delivering them to the stores on the same day might earn me more money."

Having struggled for years, Zang Jianhe had finally figured things out, and his eyes revealed hope: "Factory shop, Lin sir, is ten thousand dollars enough to open a factory?"

Whether it's phone delivery or street vending, if you do even one of these two things well, your income will be ten or even a hundred times higher than setting up a stall.

Pi Zhibang was taken aback by Lin Tiansheng's unexpected move and exclaimed in surprise, "Young Master Sheng, who gave you the idea to open a factory? That's quite something!"

If the factory is run well and dumplings are sold to thousands of households, it's no small business. Even if it can't be used to expand one's power, it can still provide a livelihood for the family should the remnants of the regime fall into trouble someday.

Pi Chi-pong decisively said, "I'm in charge of the East Kowloon Operations Division. I can also distribute the goods and guarantee that your goods will fill all the shops with refrigerated display cases in Kowloon."

"As for the money for hiring people and renting the factory, don't worry about it. Lin Sir and I will split it in half."

The investment in the dumpling factory wasn't a large sum to begin with, and the monthly profit-sharing arrangement among the remaining members had already been agreed upon. As the Chief Inspector, Pi Zhibang wielded considerable power, taking five percent of the net income—enough to earn over six hundred thousand without lifting a finger.

Lin Tiansheng wasn't surprised that Pi Zhibang had gotten involved. They shared the same mindset: whether there was a chance or not, they might as well take a shot.

Although the Wanchai Ferry Pier was historically very successful, it was inseparable from the injection of American capital, in addition to the hard work of Zang Jianhe.

Starting a business purely with Chinese capital is much more difficult, and whether it can be replicated depends on whether the times are favorable.

Zang Jianhe was a little flustered and stammered, "No need to pay, then, who is the boss?"

Lin Tiansheng laughed loudly: "You contributed your efforts, so you get 52% of the shares. The rest will be split 50/50 between me and Pi Sir. How about that?"

Even for wholly owned investors, it is advisable to hold more than half of the shares in the early stages of a startup, as this can greatly affect the founder's motivation.

Once the business is established and on the right track, you can increase your shareholding through financing, acquisitions, and other means.

(End of this chapter)