I sent Bucktooth to see Chachai to see if there was any chance to stab Big Circle in the back again!
Recent anti-drug operations in Canada have practically taken over the jobs of the Canadian police's narcotics division. These officers hardly have to lift a finger; all they have to do is wait for news of gunfights breaking out, then they go to collect the bodies and incidentally "seize" a large quantity of drugs. They're living a rather leisurely life.
However, the Daquan (a major drug trafficking network) suffered a devastating loss. According to my sources, in the past twenty-odd days, a large quantity of drugs shipped from Daquan to Canada were lost, resulting in heavy losses.
The sea routes were almost completely cut off.
I'm a local bigwig, well-informed, and Captain Wick, that old maritime smuggler, gave me tips, so I know the sea routes like the back of my hand! The goods that the Big Circle was transporting were destroyed, so naturally they weren't going to let it go. In the following days, they even sent elite "paratroopers" to escort the goods.
As a result, the paratroopers they sent and the "mercenaries" I brought from Africa fought several fierce battles.
To be honest, judging from the results, the "airborne troops" are indeed formidable, which explains why the Big Circle has been able to dominate for so many years! Although I won the battle, the Big Circle actually had the upper hand in terms of casualties.
The "paratroopers" they sent were basically more effective than the soldiers I bought from Kunta! The casualty ratio was almost two to one!
But these elite warriors, every one who dies in the Great Circle is one less! They can't afford to lose them! But I'm not afraid!
The old rogue warlord's men in Kunta have nothing to offer but cheap human lives! Besides, Black people are naturally physically strong; many are warriors recruited from local clans and tribes. While they might not be the strongest professional soldiers, these savages are hunters who dare to hunt leopards and lions—their skills are undeniable. Give each of them a gun and a little training, and they'll be quite formidable soldiers.
Such people would be far from adequate in a conventional war. However, they excel at small-scale conflicts involving a dozen or so people.
Back and forth they fought, and surprisingly, they were evenly matched with the formidable paratroopers from the Great Circle! In the past few days, eighty percent of the first batch of one hundred soldiers sent by the Trapped Tower have died, but the Great Circle has also lost nearly fifty experts.
As for me, all I paid was a few hundred thousand dollars!
A few hundred thousand US dollars, in exchange for your loss of tens of millions... there's no need to ask who wins and who loses.
As for human lives...
I sneered. Human life?
After the fat man died, I suddenly realized something!
Human life is cheap! As long as my friends, my family, my comrades, my brothers are no longer harmed...
What do I care if many others die?
Once General Kunta's private account shows a new string of numbers in a couple of days, a new batch of African mercenaries will surely arrive soon.
Now, I've sent Bucktooth to Thailand to find General Chatchai, the biggest drug lord in the Golden Triangle, so that not only will Big Circle's goods be unable to get out, but we'll also stab them in the back at their supply chain!
What is the most important thing in this world?
It's not a favor! It's not loyalty! It's not any kind of devotion!
It's about strength!
Strength is the most important thing!
If I were strong enough, that fat guy wouldn't have died in front of me that day!
If human relationships could change everything, my master, Old Cat, who personally taught me the art of killing, wouldn't be chasing me!
If loyalty were useful, I wouldn't have been forced to flee for my life by Ye Huan!
Strength! Only overwhelming strength can truly tip the scales of victory!
Yang Wei's strategy for me was to sow discord within the larger circle. Internal strife within the larger circle would inevitably lead to both opposition and support for my plan. I needed to seize this opportunity to win over non-hostile forces within the larger circle as much as possible.
But how do I win them over? Go to their homes to negotiate? Those old-timers from the military won't listen to you! Only when you demonstrate sufficient strength, making your enemies bow down, will they willingly cooperate with you!
Winning people over with virtue?
Screw it! Winning people over with virtue sounds nice, but it has to be based on having enough power to deter them!
After Zhou with buck teeth contacted me by phone, I waited a whole day before I received any news from him.
This time, the call was from Bucktooth Zhou. His voice on the phone was still sarcastic, but it had become even more eerie.
"Boss... I met with General Chatchai as you instructed... but it seems he doesn't quite trust you. Sigh, this business trip has been really unlucky. I was just staying at home, lying in bed with beautiful women, but I had to listen to you and come to Thailand. Now look what's happened, I have several guns pointed at my head, and I could be going to meet Fang Bazhi at any moment."
I frowned: "What's wrong? Didn't you say that Chatchai is an old friend of yours?"
“An old friend is an old friend… Damn, I was the one who taught him how to play mahjong back then.” There was some static on the phone, then the buck-toothed Zhou sighed: “Enough with the nonsense… Chachai, he wants to see you and talk to you face-to-face.”
My brow furrowed even deeper: "A face-to-face meeting... How can I go to Thailand looking like this?"
"My God..." Buck-toothed Zhou laughed exaggeratedly, "Boss, I think you're a complete pig... and a pig that just came from the womb! Don't you even know that electronic communication technology exists in this world...?"
*********
Although Zhou with buck teeth's words were quite irreverent, they at least showed that he was still safe and that there was still a chance and hope for things to turn out.
As for the meeting he mentioned...
A large LCD screen, microphone, and communication equipment were quickly set up in my room.
Then, just an hour later, I "met" with General Chatchai, the legendary drug lord of the Golden Triangle who had reigned supreme for decades, in this very way.
Sitting in front of the screen, I naturally held onto the armrests of my wheelchair and looked at the screen in front of me.
Because of a slight signal delay, there was a two-second difference between the sound and the image, and the picture also had some trailing effect, but that didn't matter.
On the screen, Bucktooth Zhou is wearing a typical Thai floral shirt, holding a cigar in his hand, and his hair is slicked back and shiny, looking quite relaxed.
However, he was right; there were three guns pointed at his head from behind.
Then, the screen flickered, as if someone had turned the camera around, and a dark-skinned, thin man appeared in front of the camera. He was wearing a Thai military uniform that looked like it was from more than ten years ago, except that the epaulets on his shoulders were gone.
"Hello, Fifth Master of the Vancouver Big Circle... oh, now I should call you Mr. Chen of the Huaxing Gang." The old man's appearance was very ordinary, but his eyes gleamed with a wolf-like coldness: "I am Chachai. I think you have something to discuss with me, right?"
Unlike the drug lord I had imagined, this General Chatchai not only didn't look rude, but also spoke fluent English, although his accent and pronunciation were a bit strange.
“Yes, General Chatchai.” My expression remained unchanged as I slowly said in an almost wooden tone, “I hope to get your help… I hope you can use your influence to temporarily cut off the Big Circle Gang’s drug supply.”
After hearing my words, the old man in front of the camera snorted, as if mocking my overestimation of my abilities: "Do you know how much drugs I supply to the Big Circle Gang every month? Even if it's just temporarily cut off for a month, how much will I lose?" He paused, then sneered, "And what makes you think you can make this demand of me?"
I seemed oblivious to his hostility, and smiled slightly before whispering, "I think you've seen what's been happening in Canada over the past month."
"..." The other person didn't speak, but just looked at the screen.
I said casually, "In fact, the North American drug market has always been dominated by South American drug lords. South America has a large number of drug plantations. Previously, the drugs from the Golden Triangle were only supplied to the Asian and Middle Eastern markets, and a very small part of the European market! But this situation changed three years ago! God bless, several months of hurricanes caused great damage to the South American plantations, and the harvest that year was almost completely wiped out. Then, taking advantage of the shortage in North America, the drugs from the Golden Triangle flowed into the North American market through the Asian continent! I believe that General Chatchai must have made a lot of money in the past three years, right?"
"Hmph..." The little old man on the screen didn't speak, but only replied with a nasal sound.
"Afterwards, the plantations in South America resumed production and cultivation, but because they missed a whole year, the market had been largely taken over by drugs from the Golden Triangle in Asia. Moreover, your goods were cheaper, so even though the plantations in South America recovered, they couldn't completely reclaim the market. According to the information I have, in recent years, the market share of South American drug organizations in the United States has decreased by 20%! And in Canada... it has decreased by 60%! And the lost market share, to put it bluntly, has all fallen into the pockets of the leaders of the Golden Triangle, led by General Chatchai."
Part Three: The Pinnacle, Chapter Ninety-Four: A Desperate Struggle
What's the point of saying all this?
“Of course it’s interesting.” I sneered without any politeness. “Perhaps you’ve made so much money that you’ve forgotten who helped you conquer the North American market! Not the Asian Big Circle! But me! It was our Canadian Big Circle, which is now the Hua Xing Gang!!” I stared at the wolf-like eyes on the screen, not backing down at all, and said coldly, “Back then, our Canadian Big Circle, through our cooperative relationship, obtained the support of Mr. Sorin of Canada, which allowed your drugs to flow into North America in large quantities! It was we who helped the Golden Triangle achieve its glory of the past three years! General Chatchai, I believe you won’t deny that, will you?”
What I'm saying, though somewhat nonsensical, does have some merit.
Back then, it was indeed my concession; I simply gave up the drug business and handed it over to the Asian Big Circle and Sorin for direct transactions, without my involvement. This was crucial... because my non-involvement meant that there was one less middleman in the drug trafficking process!
Everyone knows that in any monopolistic distribution channel, the price increases with each subsequent resale! By not participating in the resale process and thus avoiding the transfer of drugs through my hands, I'm essentially lowering the price of drugs flowing into North America!
It may be just a small amount, but it's enough to gain an advantage in price competition.
Many people mistakenly believe that drug cartels rely on violence to seize market share. Drugs are also a commodity, albeit illegal, and in the competition for market share, the principle of "cheap and good" still applies. Given the same goods, whoever offers the lowest price will win the bid! Otherwise, even the most powerful drug lord can't force buyers worldwide to buy their drugs, can they?
Moreover... I was involved in the entire drug deal I discussed with Sorin back then. It can be said that the Golden Triangle's drugs have taken over a large share of the North American market, and Canada's Big Circle has made a significant contribution to this.
“What I mean is… the wealth that General Chachai has accumulated in his account over the years is partly due to the efforts of our Canadian Chinese Gang. In fact, we can say without any hesitation that the entire Golden Triangle owes us a favor!” I said this so bluntly, as if I had no reservations whatsoever.
"Personal connections?" The old man on the screen gave a strange smile. "Young man, have I overestimated you? Do you think you can gain support in such a power struggle simply by relying on personal connections? Or are you just that naive?"
“Of course not.” I laughed quickly. Instead, I looked at the guy with a mocking gaze: “If ‘favors’ were useful, then your old friend, Attorney Zhou, wouldn’t be having a gun pointed at him by your men right now. I know very well that repaying ‘favors’ requires strength. Without strength, then forget about favors. Even if someone owes you a lot of money, you won’t be able to get it back.”
Chatchai's face showed a deep expression of thought: "So, you believe you possess such strength?"
I didn't answer the question directly. I just smiled faintly and said, "You've probably seen what's been happening in Canada these days."
"So what if you saw it? The Big Circle is the one who suffers the loss. If you're so capable, go deal with the Big Circle and fight them to the death. What does this have to do with me?"
“Yes, of course we’re connected.” I smiled slightly as I watched this guy take the bait step by step, then leaned back in my wheelchair. “General Chatchai, it’s been a month since the incident started off the coast of Canada. In this month, while I wouldn’t dare say that all the drugs that Big Circle was shipping to Canada have been wiped out, I’ve at least swept away eighty or ninety percent! Even if some slipped through the net, it was just a negligible amount. Of course, I also know that these goods belong to Big Circle. Even if the goods were lost overseas, Big Circle would be the one who suffers the direct loss. Because although these goods were also sourced by Big Circle from the Golden Triangle, according to the rules, once the goods are handed over, the money and goods are settled. Anyway, you’ve already received the money. As for whether Big Circle uses the drugs themselves or throws them into the sea, it’s none of your business… That seems to be the logic.”
“Hmm, isn’t that right?” Chatchai said coldly, “The Big Circle pays for the drugs they buy from us in the Golden Triangle, and then resells them to North America… Anyway, we’re about to pay for the goods, what does the rest have to do with me?”
“If that’s really what you think, you wouldn’t be General Chachai, who has dominated the Golden Triangle for decades.” I flattered him casually, then said calmly, “One month! It’s already been a month! I can tell you without exaggeration that with the current level of blockade, I can easily keep things going for another two or three months! So let me ask you this: if drugs from the Golden Triangle can’t enter the Canadian market for three or four months… what will be the consequences?”
"..."
I adjusted my tone, deliberately adopting a detached manner as I slowly said, "Those drug addicts, those drug addicts, they need drugs every day, they can't live without them! What will they do without drugs? They'll find a way to get them! Your goods from the Golden Triangle can't get into Canada... fine, then drugs from the South American market will come in and immediately replace you! If it's just a one-month supply disruption, then the remaining stock on the market can hold out for a while... but after three or four months... those guys without drugs, those small-time drug dealers, I'm afraid they'll all be..." "I'm driven mad! At this point, do they care whether your drugs come from the Golden Triangle or South America? Four months isn't a long time, but the vacuum in the market is enough for South American goods to flood in and take over! You know, North America has always been the traditional market for South American drugs. Thanks to us these past few years, you've made so much money! Now, I've set up checkpoints at sea! I even had an economics expert estimate that, according to market principles, it won't even take four months; just three months is enough for South American goods to regain over 60% of the Canadian market!"
Chachai's expression truly changed.
I said casually, "I'm not stupid... I've done my research. In the past three years, the bigwigs in the Golden Triangle have been making money from the North American market. They've probably been quite happy with it. And this suddenly large new market has only spurred them to increase production even more, because the demand in the North American market is huge every year. So I'd like to ask, when the North American market is taken back by the South Americans four months later... who will ultimately suffer the loss?"
Chachai stared at me with a gloomy face and didn't say a word.
"General Chatchai! Perhaps the Big Circle Gang will suffer the direct loss. But you know very well that although the Big Circle Gang is also a drug organization, they are not the producers! They are just drug trafficking organizations! The major forces in your Golden Triangle are the real suppliers of drugs! The Big Circle Gang doesn't have a single plantation in the Golden Triangle! If a drug deal fails, they will at most lose one transaction. To put it bluntly, at most they will just miss out on one deal! But what about you? You've lost the North American market. Who will you sell the poppies from your plantations to? Are you just going to let them pile up in warehouses? Or let them rot in the fields? In the end, it's you who will suffer the loss!!"
"You're threatening me, Mr. Chen!" Chachai's eyes blazed with anger. "Yes, you're quite right! Then I won't play dumb with you anymore. Indeed, your recent actions are seriously damaging the interests of our Golden Triangle! Although you seem to be targeting only the Greater Circle, the result is that goods from the Golden Triangle are losing a huge market! Such actions are intolerable to us! If..."
"If what?"
Chachai's eye twitched: "Haven't you thought about this...? If you provoke us like this, what if we send people to support the Big Circle directly? How long can your 'volunteer' anti-drug personnel at sea hold out? How many of your men are willing to risk their lives for us!"
When he said those words, a genuine threat flashed in his eyes! That sharp killing intent was definitely not just empty talk.
"I know, I know, of course I know." Facing this drug lord who had been running rampant for many years, I seemed to ignore the destructive power that such a person could unleash when enraged. On the contrary, I smiled and said, "I understand perfectly well that you are threatening me."
As I spoke, I slowly pressed a button on my wheelchair. Then my wheelchair moved back about half a meter.
That way, the other person can see my entire sitting position on their screen.
“General Chatchai, can you see this?” I sighed, then calmly looked at the camera. “Look, I’m in a wheelchair now. Just a month ago, I was ambushed by the Big Circle. I lost several of my best old subordinates, and an old brother who had saved my life many times! In addition… I was seriously injured in the ambush, and now… I’m paralyzed! I have no feeling below my waist. The only things I can move are my hands. I spent a lot of money to hire the best doctors! But they told me that unless a miracle happens, this is how I will be for the rest of my life.”
At this point, ignoring Chachai's reaction, I chuckled to myself, "Hmm, you were threatening me just now. What were you threatening me with? Sending people to kill me? Or sending a large force to fight my people? To wipe out my forces? Oh... I don't deny it, my Huaxing Gang can't possibly stand against all the big shots in the Golden Triangle. If you all unite to support the Big Circle, I'll most likely be the one to fail and perish... But do you think I, in my current state, would be afraid of death or destruction?"
Chachai was speechless.
“General Chatchai, as a man, the greatest pursuits in life are three things: money, beautiful women, and power! But we are an underground force; we can't pursue power like those politicians and parties who seize power. So, what we pursue is nothing more than money and beautiful women. That makes sense, doesn't it?” I smiled calmly, my tone even calmer, as if I were talking about someone else's situation: “Look, I'm paralyzed now! Paralysis, for a man, means losing so much. I think you and I both understand that! I'm paralyzed; there's not much to enjoy in life anymore, not much to make me happy… not even women. I can forget about ever experiencing the pleasures of love again… because paralysis has left me with no feeling below the waist! As for money… I can't even enjoy life anymore; I'll be confined to a wheelchair for the rest of my life. What use is so much money to me? So… do you think I'm afraid of the threat of death? Do you think I'm afraid of these things?”
Chachai still couldn't speak; I could tell he was hesitant.
"Look, I'm not afraid of death." I smiled, then slowly raised a finger, pointing it at my head, and laughed, "Sometimes, I even wonder if I'm going crazy... Really, maybe I really am. I feel like I have no purpose in life anymore... But what brought me to this state! What robbed me of the happiness of the rest of my life, what left me confined to a wheelchair for the rest of my days, is Daquan! So, I don't want anything now. The only belief that sustains me is to destroy Daquan! As for anything else, death or destruction, I don't care."
Indeed, with the combined power of the various heroes in the Golden Triangle, especially General Chatchai's thousands of soldiers, if they really sent men to use bloodshed to open up the sea transport routes, I definitely wouldn't be able to stop them in the end… But as I said, even if it meant risking the entire Hua Xing Gang's wealth, I could hold them off for three or four months! As for assassinating me… I'm sorry, you probably can't kill me from where I am now. In other words, if we really fight to the death, you might eventually defeat me! But by then, you'll have lost the North American market… You'll end up with nothing. The result will be the same.”
“Very good…very good…” Chatchai’s face grew even colder: “You actually think you can threaten the entire Golden Triangle all by yourself…”