Underworld: Starting with conquering countless lustful beauties

"What does Sister Hong mean?"

"Do you remember the sand and gravel business I told you about before?" A glint of shrewdness flashed in Jiang Hong's eyes. "There's construction everywhere in Donghai right now, tons of construction sites, and the demand for sand and gravel is enormous. This business is highly profitable and makes money quickly."

"Do you already have a plan?"

Jiang Hong stood up, walked to the window, and gazed at the brightly lit city lights outside. Her voice held a hint of感慨 (a sense of感慨, a complex emotion encompassing both admiration and regret): "Do you know how profitable the sand and gravel business in Donghai is right now? A truckload of sand costs less than fifty yuan to produce, but it can sell for over two hundred yuan at a construction site. A medium-sized construction site needs dozens of truckloads of sand and gravel every day. Just do the math, how much profit is that?"

A glint of shrewdness flashed in Chen Feng's eyes. Although he didn't know much about the building materials industry, anyone could do the math.

"But Sister Hong," he frowned, "the sand and gravel business isn't something just anyone can do, is it? You need mines, a fleet of vehicles, and the ability to control the market. It's not as simple as opening a few arcades or video arcades."

"That's right." Jiang Hong turned around, her eyes sharp. "So now, the sand and gravel business in the south of the city is almost monopolized by one person."

"who?"

"Mad Dog Qiang."

The moment those three words were uttered, Chen Feng's eyes sharpened instantly.

Mad Dog Qiang.

He knew that name all too well. That bastard who had caused trouble at the Golden Splendor before—if Sister Hong hadn't stepped in to pull strings and mediate, Mad Dog Qiang wouldn't be so well-behaved now.

"It's him?" Chen Feng scoffed. "That mad dog's gotten so fast?"

"It's more than just fast." Jiang Hong sat down again, poured herself a cup of tea, and said, "In the past few months, Mad Dog Qiang's influence has expanded like an inflating balloon. First, he took over two quarries, then he built his own transport fleet. Now, more than 70% of the construction sites in the entire southern city are using his sand and gravel."

"Where did he get the capital?" Chen Feng astutely grasped the key point. "I know Mad Dog Qiang; he's just a reckless brute with a dim head. Taking over a quarry and buying transport trucks—that's no small sum."

"Good question." Jiang Hong's lips curled into a meaningful smile. "He has Ninth Master backing him."

Chen Feng fell silent.

Ninth Master.

The big boss of Nancheng—I'm nominally making a living on his turf now. I also have to pay Ninth Master a considerable sum every month.

"Why does Ninth Master support Mad Dog Qiang?" Chen Feng asked.

"Because the sand and gravel business is too profitable." Jiang Hong's eyes deepened. "Ninth Master is getting old, and he's been considering laundering money in recent years. Real estate and building materials are legitimate businesses that can both make money and launder it, so of course he wants to plan ahead. Mad Dog Qiang may be stupid, but he's obedient and willing to work hard; he's a useful front man."

Chen Feng understood.

Mad Dog Qiang was merely a pawn pushed to the forefront by Ninth Master. The one who truly reaped the benefits was Ninth Master himself, operating behind the scenes.

"So what does Sister Hong mean...?" Chen Feng asked tentatively.

"Wang Defa." Jiang Hong sat back down opposite her, a playful smile playing on her lips. "Do you remember him?"

Chen Feng nodded.

"Wang Defa has been in the Donghai business world for over a decade. He has money and runs a wide variety of businesses, but he has one fatal weakness—he has no connections and knows nothing about the ways of the underworld."

Chen Feng became interested and gestured for Jiang Hong to continue.

Why did Zhao Biao follow Wang Defa? Because he was after his money. And why did Wang Defa keep Zhao Biao, this vicious dog? Because Zhao Biao could handle his shady dealings. Collecting debts, maintaining order, settling trouble… Zhao Biao did all the dirty work. It was a mutually beneficial arrangement.

"You mean you want me to cooperate with Wang Defa?"

"Yes," Jiang Hong nodded approvingly. "Wang Defa has money, connections, and channels, but he lacks someone to back him up in the underworld. You, on the other hand, have people, guts, and methods, but you lack funds and legitimate business avenues. The two of you complement each other perfectly."

"Will Ninth Master have any objections?" Chen Feng asked the most crucial question.

"Not for now," Jiang Hong said confidently. "The sand and gravel market is so big, Mad Dog Qiang can't handle it all by himself. As long as you don't touch his core interests and maintain a superficial harmony, Ninth Master won't bother with these trivial matters. Besides, you give Ninth Master a considerable share every month, so he has no reason to mess with you."

Chen Feng nodded, but there was still some hesitation in his eyes.

"There's one more thing," Jiang Hong said, as if she could read his mind, "the grudge with Mad Dog Qiang will have to be settled sooner or later. Although I helped you reconcile after what happened at the Golden Splendor entrance, it was only superficial. Mad Dog Qiang holds grudges very much. He didn't bother you then because you weren't worth his time. But things are different now. Your power is growing, and sooner or later it will threaten his interests. Rather than waiting for him to come after you, it's better to strike first."

These words completely dispelled Chen Feng's last concerns.

Taking the initiative is always better than being passively attacked.

"Wang Defa has a legitimate sand mining permit and a large fleet of transport vehicles," Jiang Hong analyzed. "He had cooperated with Mad Dog Qiang for a period of time before. Wang Defa provided the money and vehicles, while Mad Dog Qiang provided the manpower to settle things. But Mad Dog Qiang's appetite grew too big. After his power expanded, he simply kicked Wang Defa aside and even forcibly bought Wang Defa's sand and gravel at low prices, then resold it to construction sites at high prices. Wang Defa is now suffering in silence, unable to express his grievances."

Chen Feng's eyes lit up: "So, Wang De is in dire need of a new backer, someone who can help him fend off Mad Dog Qiang."

"That's right." Jiang Hong nodded approvingly. "After you crippled Zhao Biao, Wang Defa asked me to contact you and invite you to dinner, but you were busy dealing with the casino business at the time and didn't have time to."

Jiang Hong glanced at Chen Feng's expression and said, "He came to the venue today and asked me to treat you to dinner."

Chen Feng took a deep drag on his cigarette and stubbed it out hard in the ashtray.

"The enemy of my enemy is my friend. I want to see this Wang Defa."

Jiang Hong smiled, a smile full of charm: "Okay, tomorrow at noon, at the Harbor Grand Restaurant. Let's go together tomorrow."

"Okay, Sister Hong!" They chatted about the opulent casino and other things, and before they knew it, it was already eleven o'clock. "Sister Hong, it's getting late, so I won't disturb your rest any longer. I'll head back now!"

Just before he left, Jiang Hong suddenly called out to him.

"Xiao Feng".

Chen Feng turned around.

Jiang Hong walked up to him, reached out and straightened his collar, a rare tenderness in her eyes: "You've had a tough time these past few days. Now that you're in a different position, you need to learn to kill with your brain."

Chen Feng looked at the stunningly beautiful face so close to his own and felt a slight flutter in his heart, but he quickly restrained himself and nodded: "I understand."

After leaving the villa, he didn't go back. Instead, he hailed a taxi on the roadside and headed straight for the casino.

As soon as he arrived at the casino, Er Gou greeted him with a grin and asked, "Fengzi, what brings you here?"

Chen Feng patted Er Gou on the shoulder, his steady demeanor making Er Gou feel particularly at ease: "I just went to Sister Hong's to discuss some things, and stopped by to check on things. How's the place lately? Has anyone been causing trouble?"