He grabbed Zhou Shang's wine bottle, ditching the glass, tilted his head back, and gulped down the liquor. He wiped his mouth forcefully and shouted, "That's it! I'm going to gamble! If I win, I'll have a grand, spectacular victory! Even if I lose, it's better than living that timid, lifeless existence!"
I laughed, then took out a slip of paper from my pocket, placed it on the table, and slowly pushed it over.
"What is this?" Luo Kaishan took it and opened it. There was a name and a phone number on it.
"This is my friend in North America. I know that the sea routes have been cut off recently, and Boss Luo and the Big Circle brothers are having a tough time. However, even though the sea routes are blocked, there are other options. Boss Luo still has a lot of stock, right? Just call this number and find this person. He will arrange for your goods to be transported to Canada. Then... Mr. Sorin will buy your goods. Get some money back so the brothers can relax a bit. We need to stock up on guns and ammunition. We can't let everyone fight Thunder Fox empty-handed, can we?"
The phone number I gave him was Captain Wick's contact information. Although I've cut off the North American market, Luo Kaishan can still sell a little bit of drugs through this route.
After all, even if you hire mercenaries to fight, you still have to pay military expenses! Now that I've used someone else to do my dirty work, I have to pay some price.
After saying that, I stood up, looked at the sky, and laughed, "Alright, that's enough drinking for today. When this big event is over and Boss Luo successfully takes over, I'll host a celebration at the biggest hotel in Shanghai with a hundred tables!"
After saying that, I cupped my hands in a respectful gesture, turned around, and left.
"etc!"
A shout came from behind me. I turned around and saw Luo Kaishan holding the note in his hand, staring at me. He hesitated for a moment, then suddenly whispered, "Chen Yang... are you really that confident? Aren't you afraid I'll kill you today? To be honest, you give me a feeling that you're much more dangerous than Lei Hu."
"Oh... Is it dangerous?" I shrugged. "So what?"
Then I sighed and slowly said, "Brother, our paths are different. Sharks in the sea are dangerous, aren't they? Tigers in the mountains are dangerous, aren't they? But, do tigers in the mountains and sharks in the sea have a conflict of interest? Hahahaha..."
Luo Kaishan shut his mouth, seemingly pondering my two sentences.
“As for worrying that you might kill me here…” I looked into his eyes: “To be honest, I am worried! Really worried. But I know you probably won’t… and even if you did have that thought… hey! I, Chen Yang, was tricked by Lei Hu in Kunshan, do you think I don’t know how to be more shrewd?”
After I finished speaking, I waved my hand, and Tu immediately nodded. He pressed the signal device with his hand tucked into his sleeve, and then there was a splash of water!
A line of figures emerged rapidly from the sea on either side of the ship! Seven or eight fully armed black men, dressed in full diving gear, held guns with their black muzzles pointed at the people on the ship.
This sudden turn of events immediately changed the expressions of everyone on Luo Kaishan's ship. They all turned their guns on him. Just then, Luo Kaishan suddenly shouted, "Don't move! Don't fire without my order!"
His expression wasn't good either. He stared at me and suddenly sighed, "Chen Yang, I knew you had a backup plan."
"Likewise." I smiled.
"Haha! If I had wanted to keep you here, I'm afraid your men would have scuttled through my ship! Then we'd have a bloody fight, hehe..." Luo Kaishan raised an eyebrow.
"Look, Boss Luo, a lose-lose situation isn't a good idea. Otherwise, if you sink a ship in the ocean, you can't just swim back to the mainland, right? Hehe... I still maintain that tigers and sharks don't have any conflict of interest, so between you and me... let's prioritize peace, prioritize peace, haha..."
Having said that, I stopped talking, raised my hand, and strode back. Luo Kaishan's men, who had been blocking my way, were also intimidated by my laughter. Before Luo Kaishan could even speak, they had already involuntarily taken two steps back.
I crossed the sampan without incident, and then Luo Kaishan, who had been sitting quietly in a chair, suddenly stood up and shouted, "Fine! Chen Yang, I'll take the bet! But don't forget what I said today! You know, if we deceive the people of Daquan, then there will be no peace no matter where we are!"
After saying that, he waved his hand: "Set sail! Let's go!"
Luo Kaishan's ship sailed away, and only then did the numerous divers reboard. Tu stood beside me, and I quietly watched the direction Luo Kaishan's ship had gone...
"Boss, can I say something?"
"Um?"
"Your conversation just now was... truly hypocritical," Tu said indifferently.
I laughed and patted him on the shoulder: "Tu, you've improved."
Hypocritical? Well, so be it. If it saves lives, a little hypocrisy is no big deal.
Part Three: The Pinnacle, Chapter 130: Pressing Closer
Many thanks to that old fox, Joe, for transferring this club to me. In just over a week, I've basically broken into Shanghai's high society. For a week, I've been attending all sorts of banquets, private parties, and private gatherings non-stop. I'm smoking a cigar, wearing a sharp tuxedo and shiny leather shoes, moving among those billionaires or powerful figures.
Because of the information that the old fox had collected over the years, I could easily know the other party's preferences, weaknesses, and all other detailed information before even making contact with them.
When you intentionally want to befriend someone, and you know all their likes and dislikes, it becomes very easy.
So, within a week, Chen Yang, a young and talented man, had become a socialite in Shanghai's high society and a rising star in the city's social circles.
I had no connections in the country, but the convenience these important figures brought me was enormous!
Shanghai Huaxing Company's import and export business required several approvals from the relevant foreign trade authorities. I simply made a phone call to a minister I'd met at a banquet the previous evening, and the approvals were delivered to my office that afternoon. A wealthy man had his eye on a plot of land in Puxi. Having insider information, I immediately bought shares in his listed company that same day. Two days later, news broke that the company had won the bid for the land, causing the stock to surge, and I made a small profit. Another example: a wealthy man from Zhejiang planned to dump his products into North America. I talked with him all night. We drank a bottle of fine wine at a banquet, and the next day his goods could enter Canada under my company's name, protected by my customs network in Canada. In return… I obtained the distribution rights for his products at a price 10% lower than the market price.
It has to be said that doing business in this industry is actually that simple.
"Spending your days mingling in these circles of the wealthy, picking up a few pieces of information, or even just a little bit they slip through their fingers, is enough to make you a small fortune." These are the old fox's exact words, and this week I've certainly experienced it firsthand.
In any country, connections are crucial for doing business. This is a universally acknowledged fact.
"Don't you think it's a pity?" Yang Wei looked at me as I moved the North American headquarters of Huaxing Company to Shanghai, leaving only Xiluo behind in North America... That kid is still having a hot romance with Zhou's niece, Xu Xin. It seems he's too happy to leave.
"What's a pity?"
Yang Wei sighed: "You worked so hard to build your career in Canada."
“I am Chinese,” I said calmly. “I have yellow skin, black hair, and black eyes. And Canada is ultimately not our territory. You’re right, I gained the upper hand for a while through hard work and luck, but in the long run, will they tolerate a Chinese person standing above them forever? It’s laughable that I was so naive back then to think that I could control the smuggling business there forever.”
Yang Wei was relieved: "I've wanted to advise you for a long time. It's fine for you to make some capital in the smuggling business there in the first few years, but in the long run, it will be difficult for you to control it. After all, in Canada, you're just using the existing power to your advantage. Your real strength isn't enough to control the situation there. Think about it, your real power doesn't actually hold an absolute advantage. Even in Vancouver, the combined power of those gangs is enough to swallow you up. For a small local gang to control the entire West Coast smuggling business is like walking a tightrope. It will inevitably run into problems one day. I'm relieved that you've figured this out so early and can make a clean break."
At this point, Yang Wei frowned and said, "Actually, I've also received information. Do you really think those maritime smuggling groups are willing to pay you large sums of protection money every year? In fact, they have never given up on doing things secretly. Several gangs in Vancouver are in contact with them. It's just that you've been very successful, so no one dares to oppose you. But over time, people's greed can't be controlled."
“I will choose to gradually fade out of the underworld.” I smiled. “My years in the underworld in North America have accumulated a lot of capital for me. With money in hand, I would be happy to be a legitimate businessman in China… Of course, I won’t completely give up my influence in Canada… Even if the company headquarters moves to Shanghai, at least there’s still the Huaxing Gang there! Haha… As for the smuggling business, I will gradually let go in a few years, slowly abolish the protection fees, and let the local gangs fight over them. Xiluo will stay there, and we’ll slowly run the smuggling business ourselves. Slow and steady wins the race.”
Yang Wei hesitated for a moment: "Actually... have you considered that if you want to achieve the greatest development, your best choice is not to go back to China... but to go to the United States!"
USA……
I frowned.
Yang Wei said seriously, “Your influence in Canada has reached a critical point. Further development would only be possible if you started directly confronting the Hells Angels. But that seems unrealistic; it's better to treat the Hells Angels as allies. So your foundation is already quite formidable. You have the friendship of Canada's largest mafia, and… my uncle also considers you a friend. You have enormous connections in the American entertainment industry. And… Martin of the Rothschild family is also your business partner. Such a foundation is enough to make almost anyone envious. If you can leverage these conditions, with ample funds and manpower, to enter the American market, you might be able to build a family business within five years! And domestically…” Yang Wei smiled bitterly and shook his head.
Indeed, it must be said that, from an external perspective, the domestic market is far less free and open than that of the United States. After all, the United States is widely recognized as a paradise for adventurers.
“Establishing a family business…” I closed my eyes and thought for a moment, then smiled wryly. “It sounds tempting… but there would definitely be a lot of work to do… Going into the film business? I’m not really interested, and Billy Hill Films is a partnership with the Rothschild family. I’m not particularly interested in making movies, even though the industry is very lucrative. As for going into the underworld… the American Mafia is right in my way, and I’ll definitely have to deal with the Gambino family… Sigh, Weiwei, I’m actually a bit tired of it. The underworld, I’m fed up with it. Maybe I’ll do something like that in the future, but for now, I need to settle things back home first before I can feel at ease.”
"The domestic situation..." Yang smiled slightly, "You handled the Big Circle matter very well. I feel there's nothing more I can do to help you. Even if I were to intervene, I couldn't have done it any better. Thunder Fox is definitely finished now; it's just a matter of time. As for Green Gang... neither the Heavenly nor Earthly factions seem inclined to cause you trouble. As for the Human faction, everyone knows it won't last long... The only thing left is..."
"It's Ye Huan."
What is Ye Huan doing?
Ye Huan must be very troubled lately.
Because, taking advantage of the jewelry and diamond business, I blatantly brought Huaxing Company's signboard back to Nanjing!
My collaboration with the "Baoqing Jinlou" jeweler in Nanjing isn't something I'll simply do by selling them diamonds. Our final terms of negotiation are: cooperation.
The collaboration also includes my investment of funds to formally acquire a stake in this century-old jeweler.
Just two days later, after intensive renovations, the Baoqing flagship store officially launched new activities and announced a formal partnership with Huaxing Company. The "Baoqing·Huaxing, Brilliant Light, Diamond Week" event was also launched.
The official announcement stated that Baoqing Company's partner, the currently booming Huaxing Company, is leveraging its connections in Canada to formally invest in the domestic jewelry industry. From now on, Baoqing Company will receive a supply of diamond products from Canada!
And everything is legal (at least in terms of documents and name).
Huaxing Company's branch in Canada has already obtained the rights to distribute diamonds. Canada is the world's third largest diamond producer. Under the name of Huaxing Company, a large portion of all the diamonds I sell to Baoqing Gold Shop in the future will be labeled as originating from Canada.
Taking this opportunity, I officially and openly erected Huaxing Company's signboard right under Ye Huan's nose!
Ye Huan wasn't without intentions to cause me trouble, nor was he entirely without plans to sabotage things behind my back. However, since my last assassination attempt, my protests against Wu Gang have also played a significant role.
After all, my return to China was permitted by the relevant authorities, and my trip to Africa also contributed to the country. Their promise to me was that legitimate business would definitely be protected.
My previous incident had already made Wu Gang's side lose face, so this time when I openly entered the jewelry industry, I received extra care from the relevant authorities. Even if someone wanted to sabotage me in secret... they couldn't get involved!
The "Baoqing Huaxing, Brilliant Radiance, Diamond Week" event was a huge success. To boost the event's prestige, I used my established connections to invite many wealthy individuals to attend. On the spot, many of these tycoons were attracted by the high-quality diamonds on display and promptly wrote checks to purchase them.
I was reminded of the hostage situation at the Torch Tower in the United States. Inspired by that event, I decided to spend money to invite some domestic celebrities to participate. I had those handsome men and beautiful women wear our diamond jewelry as guests, which was more effective than any advertisement.
The media's cooperation in publicizing the story brought it into the spotlight, making it difficult for Ye Huan to intervene.
Hmph, pressing me relentlessly! This must be making Ye Huan very uncomfortable...
Part Three: The Pinnacle, Chapter 131: Old ginger is still the spiciest!
Wow!
I put down the newspaper, then stood up, walked to the window, pushed it open forcefully, and took a deep breath.
Behind her, Yang Wei picked up the newspaper, glanced at it, and sighed, "They've made their move."
On the front page of the newspaper's social news section, a photograph took up half the page. The headline beside it read: "Explosion in the Middle of the Night!"
"A massive explosion occurred late last night at the XX Entertainment City in Wuxi City. Flames shot into the sky, and thick smoke could be clearly seen from several streets away. After a night of continuous firefighting, the fire was finally extinguished by dawn. According to the on-site investigation, the cause of the fire is likely a gas leak caused by aging liquefied petroleum gas pipelines, which triggered the explosion..."
I didn't say anything, I just stood by the window smoking.
The entertainment complex in Wuxi mentioned in the newspaper, according to our information, was originally owned by the Qinghong gang, but now belongs to Ye Huan. The explosion there late at night clearly indicates that the Qinghong gang has begun targeting Ye Huan. The claim of a liquefied gas leak is simply a fabrication to cover up the truth.
“It seems that Qinghong’s approach is to first eliminate the outer perimeter…” Yang smiled and picked up a pen from the table. She quickly drew a large circle on the paper, followed by several smaller circles.
"Chen Yang, look... this large circle is Ye Huan's stronghold, Nanjing. And the surrounding smaller circles are cities around Nanjing in Jiangsu Province: Wuxi, Suzhou, Yangzhou, Zhenjiang... and Xuzhou in northern Jiangsu. These are all major cities in Jiangsu Province. According to the intelligence we have so far, the Qinghong gang used to have influence in these cities, but now they all belong to Ye Huan. Clearly, the Qinghong's counterattack has begun. They started by sweeping through the cities surrounding Nanjing, taking back their territory one by one. This method is very stable; it's an open strategy, using their power to bully others. They rely on their greater strength than Ye Huan to steadily and surely advance step by step. Even if Ye Huan tries his best to defend, he will not be able to withstand the attack."
I wasn't surprised: "This is pretty much what we expected. We only need to use tricks when we're outnumbered. Now that the Qinghong gangs have united, they are far stronger than Ye Huan in terms of economic strength, manpower, and backing. They don't need to use any more tricks; they can just use direct attacks to take them down step by step. That's the normal approach."
Yang Wei nodded: "Let's see how Ye Huan retaliates. Ye Huan is so smart. He dared to openly rebel against Qing Hong and do such a big thing. He must have expected this day to come. Since we can all foresee that Qing Hong will attack in this way, Ye Huan will naturally have a way to deal with it. Let's see what he does."
I smiled slightly: "It's laughable that Sun He from the Tianzi class wants me to be the first to act. He's trying to persuade me to make the first move. Heh heh... I know Ye Huan better than anyone. He must have a backup plan. In a situation like this, whoever strikes first will suffer the most."
Yang Wei stood up, walked behind me, gently hugged my waist, and rested her head on my back. After a moment's hesitation, she whispered, "Chen Yang, there's something I don't know if I should say. You... sigh. Actually, I think Sun He's suggestion is quite good. You acted first and gained the upper hand. After this incident, only the Heavenly and Earthly leaders of Qinghong will remain. With territory in your hands, both sides will try their best to win you over. We can negotiate a deal, set our own price, and they won't turn against us. You're different from Ye Huan; you have too many connections behind you. They won't dare to easily break ties with you. While there might be some trouble, overall, the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. But... are you..."
I gave a soft "hmm": "You mean to say that I'm unwilling to consider Sun He's suggestion because I dislike him? You think I'm acting out of loyalty, right?"
After saying that, I turned around and hugged Yang Wei. Yang Wei frowned, pursed her lips, looked at me, and then smiled: "Ah, you're so stubborn. Isn't that what you really think?"
"Yes...no." I shook my head. "I'm thinking about it much more complicatedly. I'll definitely take action. I've said I won't let Ye Huan die at someone else's hands. But now's not the time to get involved. Look, since Qing Hong likes to take the lead, let them fight. But I think the Tian and Di groups are both very cunning. This Wuxi bombing was most likely done by the old guys from the Ren group. Did you see the newspapers...explosion! And it was blown to rubble! What does that mean? It means it's a lose-lose situation! Even if Ye Huan loses, he didn't leave his territory to them, but instead had it blown to rubble! Heh heh, a nightclub, openly and secretly, can make tens of millions every year. Just burned it down like that! You see, even if Ye Huan leaves this territory, what has Qing Hong gained? Hmph..."
In the following days, the newspapers became quite abuzz!
"Yesterday, Suzhou police, acting on a tip, conducted a raid and seized a large quantity of contraband in an abandoned warehouse of an XX factory. The seizure included ecstasy, hallucinogenic drugs, and other soft drugs, as well as XX grams of heroin… Six armed men were arrested, and two imitation Type 54 pistols, one hunting rifle, and six sets of controlled weapons were seized… This is the largest drug trafficking case cracked in Suzhou in the past five years…"
"The Suzhou Taihu XX Yacht Club was ordered to cease operations for rectification yesterday by relevant authorities. An investigation revealed that the yacht club is suspected of smuggling illegal yachts and conducting illegal activities on Taihu Lake..."
Upon seeing these messages, I couldn't help but burst into laughter: "Haha, Weiwei, look, they've taken Suzhou! Suzhou is an important territory under Ye Huan's control. Hmph, drug trafficking? The business left behind by Qing Hong is quite substantial. Aha, that yacht club, I know about it. Sigh, a very profitable business. I heard that yacht club made a full 30 million last year. Two of the club's yachts were smuggled from North America. As for conducting illegal activities on Taihu Lake... Sigh, isn't it just letting those rich people hold orgies together... Hmph. Not surprising at all."
Yang Wei fell into deep thought: "What I find strange is... this kind of action, while it dealt a blow to Ye Huan, also resulted in losses for Qing Hong. Look, the drug trafficking network in Suzhou has been dismantled. That profitable yacht club has also been brought down... Qing Hong shouldn't have done this. Even if they did take action, they would have done it covertly, through gang warfare, eliminating Ye Huan's men and taking over the business themselves. Why would they have gotten the authorities involved in a crackdown? By driving away Ye Huan, they haven't gained anything themselves..."
At this point, Yang Wei's expression changed, then her eyes lit up, and she sighed deeply: "Ye Huan... what a skill!"
I frowned as well: "What do you mean?"