My senior brother gave me a deep look, and to my surprise, he patted me on the shoulder: "I was young once too. I'm not ignorant of these things. But I'm always a little worried about this Miss Yang... She's too smart, so smart that it's hard to control her. A woman like that is not a good match for you. I still prefer Yan Di. Besides, Yan Di is devoted to you, you can't let her down."
After saying all that, my senior brother didn't force me to say anything more. He just patted my shoulder and then asked me to take off my outer clothes so he could change my dressing.
The next day, Yang Wei received a series of messages. Ye Huan had already left Vancouver and flown to Hong Kong. Jin He, on the other hand, was in a hospital in the city.
Yang Wei once suggested, "Why don't we take this opportunity to simply take over Jinhe..." The cold glint in her eyes was undisguised.
I thought about it and declined.
Jin He spared my life back then, and today, I don't want to kill him. Besides, there's no direct hatred between us; the root of the problem lies with Ye Huan, not him.
Old Sorin finally came to visit me. He didn't mention Ye Huan at all, and I had no idea what methods Yang Wei had used. It seemed that Old Sorin thought Yang Wei's trouble with Ye Huan was just a retaliatory measure against an outsider who threatened his family's business.
That's a good idea of his.
I spoke with old Sorin for a while, and then reaffirmed our intention to cooperate. He said he would send someone to Vancouver to sign the contract with me, and I said goodbye.
Without lingering long, I took a plane back to Vancouver with my entourage… naturally. This time, Yang Wei didn't come back with me; she stayed in Toronto and will be heading straight back to Las Vegas from there.
By the way, her brother Yang Yi, that playboy, also left in a hurry the day after we went to Toronto. I heard that the way he left made me think that he would say a lot of bad things about him to Mr. Yang Er when he got back.
I'm not worried about that. Mr. Yang is a smart man. Even if he spoils his son, he will at least know his limits.
When my senior brother arrived, he didn't tell Yan Di about my injury. So when Yan Di, who was waiting to pick me up at the airport, saw me being pushed out in a wheelchair, she burst into tears and then rushed into my arms.
I sighed and said, "I'm fine, I'm fine."
Yan Di wiped away her tears and said resentfully, "But... why do you always get hurt every time you go out... every time, it terrifies me!"
I smiled and said, "Don't worry, it won't happen again. It really won't."
I spoke with great confidence.
Indeed, the situation is almost entirely settled now. Sorin, Canada's largest financial center, is my ally, and in the United States, I have the Yang family's cooperative relationship. Vancouver is practically under my control. In the short term, at least in my field of vision, there are no enemies who pose a threat to me.
And I don't need much more. Give me another six months, and I'll be confident I can solidify my sphere of influence in Vancouver into an impenetrable fortress!
Then, if I have another six months, I will be able to face anyone!
Everything is on track! Isn't it?
Perhaps... in the not-too-distant future, I will truly be able to swagger back to China openly and legitimately! Once I possess formidable strength, even the Qing and Hong regimes will not easily wage war against me!
Indeed, I do have a grudge against a big boss of the Green Gang. But the Green Gang has more than one big boss! As long as I have sufficient strength, they won't risk significant losses and go to war with another powerful figure for the sake of one person's personal grudge!
Yang Wei is absolutely right: in this world, interests come first.
All I need is time... just time!
As I walked out of the airport, Yan Di pushed my wheelchair behind me, and I saw Xiao Zhu coming towards me. The young man walked over with a serious expression. I was a little surprised because I hadn't asked Xiao Zhu to come among the people I had arranged to pick me up!
Xiao Zhu's face was somewhat heavy, even a little... I seemed to smell some bad news!
Sure enough, he walked over quickly, looked around, and lowered his voice: "Fifth Brother... something happened, Seventh Uncle... I'm afraid he's not going to make it! He suddenly fainted this morning, and I took him to the hospital for a check-up. He just came out of the hospital... Seventh Uncle has a terminal illness. The doctor said he only has six months to live at most."
Part Two: The Road to Success, Chapter 115: Half a Year
In the spacious and bright conference room, Sun Wendi, the current manager of the Commercial and Trade Department of Huaxing Company, dressed in a suit and tie, stood in front of a large round conference table. Behind him was a slide projector screen displaying the company's sales performance statistics for the past six months.
"...Overall, our future prospects are bright." Sun Wendi spoke with great confidence, his eyes shining, his every gesture brimming with energy, his voice loud and infectious: "Because our department has only been established for seven months, it seems that everyone in the company has put in tremendous effort during these seven months. Since August, our performance has been increasing at a rate of almost 50% per month. Although rapid growth in the early stages is a common occurrence for a new company, maintaining this pace of growth is an achievement worth celebrating."
I sat at the head of the round conference table, holding a pen, quietly listening to the introduction of my company's top executive.
It must be said that Westerners' habits are completely different from those of domestic companies. In China, even with excellent performance reports, employees must adopt a humble attitude, talking about their shortcomings and areas for improvement, and then mentioning the support they received from their superiors in contributing to the success… But in Western companies, achievements are achievements. If you've achieved something, you have every right to be proud! This isn't a time for humility; it's a time to be smug!
Wendi Sun looked to be in excellent spirits. He was clearly riding high, and his team—the black man I personally selected, Iglall, and the white man Luhmann—were sitting at the table, both appearing quite excited.
A slight noise beside me interrupted my thoughts. Xu Xin, the company's administrative secretary, the girl who had maliciously dealt with Yang Yi, the playboy from the Yang family, quietly walked up behind me and poured a cup of coffee into my cup.
"Thank you," I said calmly.
By this time, Sun Wendi had finished his report. He gave a final wave and smiled at the entire room. Of course, he was mainly looking at me: "Given that the performance results of the past six months have far exceeded our expectations, I am very optimistic about the development potential for the next six months... I think that if the performance continues to develop like this, the boss will probably have to consider giving everyone a raise."
Although the last sentence was clearly a joke, I saw a hint of seriousness in his eyes.
This is the West; capable people deserve higher pay. I naturally wouldn't play dumb, and applauded Sun Wendi's report.
After he returned to his seat, I gently closed the document in front of me and then looked at everyone present.
"Ladies and gentlemen," I thought for a moment and began, "Mr. Sun's speech was excellent. And you should indeed be proud, for you have achieved remarkable results. Here, I announce that the managers of the Department of Commerce and Trade will receive a 5% raise starting this month, while other employees may also consider a raise of some degree. The specific details and the list of those receiving raises will be drafted by Mr. Sun Wendi, Mr. Iglar, and Mr. Luman. I can grant you a maximum raise of 3%. As for who specifically receives the raise within your departments, I will not interfere; you will decide for yourselves and then submit a report to me."
Sun Wendi smiled at me. He was very satisfied with my decision, and I could see a hint of excitement in his eyes.
A 5% raise isn't much money, but what pleased him was that I readily accepted his suggestion. This trust was what truly excited this young man.
When I first met this 29-year-old, I sensed that he was a very ambitious person. In the past six months, I have given him almost complete authority to develop legitimate businesses in my company, and the results have been quite satisfactory.
Before me are Huaxing Company's performance results for the past six months:
Sales reached $9.15 million, with a gross profit of $1.6 million. After deducting taxes, personnel costs, and other office expenses, the team led by Wendi Sun earned me $1 million within six months.
This achievement might not seem like much compared to other companies. However, it's important to understand that Huaxing Company was built from scratch, without any prior experience!
From what I understand, Wendi Sun is an incredibly hardworking guy. When the company was first established, he even took his colleague, Igla, on a whirlwind tour of the entire west coast of Canada to develop the market and find clients. Sun excels at strategic planning, while Igla is a master of detail; the two are undoubtedly a fantastic team.
As for that white man, Luhmann, he was already middle-aged. I've said it before, in my mind he's a veteran, lacking ambition but rich in experience. He's the brake I put on that golden duo. He can use his experience to help those daring young people avoid many mistakes due to inexperience.
It seems the results are quite good.
“I have another suggestion,” Sun Wendi said after a moment’s thought. “Given the company’s current development trend, our planned expansion into Asia should be brought forward.” He was clearly a little too excited. “Currently, the Canadian market seems saturated. We’re a new company with no roots, trying to compete with established local companies… We’ve almost reached our limit. If we want to continue developing, we’d have to grow steadily at our current scale, gradually eroding the market. In ten or eight years, we might become a medium-sized company… but that doesn’t fit our strategy. We need new growth points. From a trade perspective, Asia is our best development direction… I suggest we start developing agents in Asia, especially in China, or even just find a port city in China to set up a branch office…”
I sighed inwardly.
Opening a branch office in China?
To be honest, I really want to! I want to go back to China as soon as possible... But with my current strength, if I go back to China to open a branch, I'm afraid my enemies will drive me back home in less than a month.
Don't forget, the Green Gang in China is not just a gang that only knows how to fight and kill! A criminal organization with a history of hundreds of years has long since evolved into a force that combines elements of both law and order!
Putting everything else aside, just think about that "club" in Nanjing controlled by Ye Huan, the wealthy members there, the network of connections... If I dared to return to China, even if I were just doing legitimate business, Ye Huan, with his geographical advantage, would have at least a hundred ways to deal with me.
I did not reject Sun Wendi's suggestion on the spot. In my opinion, now was not the time to undermine his confidence. I simply gave him a perfunctory answer and told him that the company would consider it.
After the meeting ended, I rushed to the port.
Basically, I split Huaxing Company in two, with all legitimate business located at Huaxing Company's headquarters in the city center.
All the smuggling operations were set up in a base near the port. This base included a warehouse I had bought and an old office building.
Buying the warehouse and this building might increase my costs. But don't forget, I'm involved in illegal smuggling. Although I have protection now, who knows what might happen? Buying this place means it's my private property!
In the West, in the capitalist world, the constitution stipulates that private property is sacred and inviolable! Even if the police want to cause me trouble, without a search warrant, I can openly refuse them entry to inspect me... If anyone dares to force their way in, then even if I shoot and kill someone, it's all legal!
At Huaxing's branch in the port, a meeting was also being held, but compared to the formal company performance reports... this was more like a spoils-sharing meeting.
I arrived ten minutes late. Before me, almost all the top figures in various Vancouver underworld organizations had arrived, and even those who couldn't show up sent their second-in-command or most trusted representatives.
This is my rule!
A month ago, I called a meeting, and a gang leader from the West District, who seemed to have become too powerful recently, started to show me some disrespect. He had previously asked for a clear division of shares, which I refused. At that meeting, he deliberately arrived twenty minutes late.
When he came in, he had an arrogant look on his face.
I didn't give him a chance to speak. That day, in front of fifteen gang leaders, I stood up, walked to his side, and then, amidst his gasps of surprise, personally pressed him onto the table, took out a gun, and shot him in the head!
What I did that day shocked all the gang leaders once again!
"I'll say it again, rules are rules. Those who follow the rules are my friends. Those who don't... are dead." I coldly looked at the dozen or so gang leaders: "Among you, some are stronger than I was before... Here, I call the shots."
When I returned to my seat with my hands stained with blood and white brain matter, and casually wiped the blood from my hands with a handkerchief, not a single one of the dozen or so people in the room dared to utter a single word!
They didn't even dare to breathe loudly!
Then, within three days, that gang's influence was completely eradicated from Vancouver. Although Doug was extremely angry afterward—because the process of eliminating that gang resulted in two deaths and six injuries (and that's just the surface number)—he still cleaned up the mess for me afterwards.
Because of what happened before, when I walked into the conference room today, the entire room was completely silent. All those gang leaders looked very serious, and the atmosphere was even more serious and disciplined than my company's performance review meeting...
I walked to my seat and sat down; without a doubt, I was sitting in the very center of the head seat.
Hammer, who came with me, stood behind me, carrying two of the largest boxes. At my signal, he forcefully threw the two large boxes onto the table.
Bang!
I looked at everyone, casually took out a cigarette, and immediately, the Italian man sitting next to me, Albertoni, took out a gold lighter and lit the cigarette for me.
"Gentlemen," I smiled, "well, we've waited six months, and now it's harvest season." I took out a document and casually tossed it on the table. "I think you've all grown impatient over these past six months. We've taken over this place, richer than heaven! And God has given us the most generous reward. This document is the final calculated profit for the past six months... plus the protection money paid to us by the smugglers at sea. After deducting all expenses and costs, we've made a total profit of seventy million US dollars in these six months! Gentlemen, I think this figure will make everyone's heart flutter."
Whoosh...
Just as I predicted, the entire audience erupted in uproar!
I smiled as I looked at these people. I saw surprise, astonishment, and disbelief on their faces…
Indeed, this money came far too easily to them!
These gangs deal drugs, fight for territory, engage in shootouts, buy and sell guns, run brothels, and so on, risking being chased by the police and double-crossed by their rivals. They fight and lose manpower, money, and resources... living on the edge like this... yet even so, a medium-sized gang in the city can only earn a few million dollars in net profit at most in a year. And that's considered a pretty good profit!
If you get caught in a large-scale gang shootout, with people fighting and killing, resulting in deaths, manpower losses, and the depletion of firearms and ammunition, and then there's the trouble you get into, requiring you to spend money to bribe officials and settle lawsuits... if you're unlucky, you could lose a fortune!
But now? With this Huaxing Company, they hardly have to do anything; the only thing they need to do is "unite"!
Of course, it's about uniting around me!
My only requirement is that they are not allowed to allow any smuggled goods to enter or leave Canada through Vancouver without my permission!! And that none of them contact smuggling rings privately!!
To put it simply: they can get a huge sum of dollars just by promising to do nothing! Is there anything cheaper than that?
"Gentlemen, according to our shareholding ratio, the fifteen gentlemen present here will each receive thirty percent of this money. That is... twenty-one million US dollars."
I stood up and opened the two large leather suitcases on the table… Inside the suitcases were stacks and stacks of hundred-dollar US dollars!! Two whole suitcases, completely full of banknotes!!
“It’s all here, twenty-one million dollars.” I raised an eyebrow and saw the greed and joy in everyone’s eyes.
This is exactly what I needed. I could have just wired the money to them... but what's more tangible and moving than having a huge pile of cash right in front of you?
What I want is to ignite their greed, to fuel their desires! To make them deeply understand, driven by profit, that only by following me, by following "Fifth Master," can they earn so much money!
The fifteen gangs present will share the $21 million proportionally; naturally, some will get more, and some less. This isn't a problem for me, because when the company was founded, I already allocated shares according to the size and influence of each gang. Now, all I have to do is give them the money.
Undoubtedly, most people were quite satisfied with this spoils-dividing meeting. Of course, some people started to have their own ideas, fantasizing about how to get more shares for themselves... Of course, they would only scheme against each other; absolutely no one would dare to set their sights on me!
Moreover, everyone knows very well that I have brought Mr. Sorin, the big boss of Canada, into our ranks. I am now regarded as Sorin's ally, and I also represent five percent of Sorin's shares!
Under such circumstances, none of these people dared to oppose me.