A strange glint flashed in the little girl's eyes. She slowly said, "Master, I didn't mean to eavesdrop on your conversation... but you treat me like a child, and you don't hide your conversations from me... Hmm, I overheard the gist of it. Someone is talking to you about a collaboration, asking you to help with something. If it goes well, they can let you return to China to develop your career? And you can even get official support, right? This person must have a very deep official background, right?"
I smiled and nodded, not blaming her at all, but instead offering an encouraging smile and saying gently, "Yes, you listened very carefully, and what you said is correct."
The little girl breathed a sigh of relief and slowly said, "Master, you're involved in the underworld here. Your influence is all in the underworld. So, if someone asks you for help, it should be something you can do. And it must be related to your current sphere of influence, right? In other words, if you were a shoemaker, then if someone asked you to help, they would only ask you to make shoes, not to repair cars... right?"
"That makes sense." I smiled.
"That's right. So, let's think about it from the businesses you control right now, Master. Speaking of underworld matters, I think the other party is from China. The protection money or entertainment venues like restaurants, nightclubs, etc., that you control in Canada, Master, are definitely not what the other party asked for... So, apart from these underworld things, the biggest thing you control, Master, is Huaxing Company, right?"
"You mean, smuggling in Huaxing?" The smile was gone from my face; I looked at the little girl very seriously.
Although the little girl still had a touch of childishness on her face, she was much more confident than before, speaking with increasing ease and confidence, almost as if she were eloquently discussing something: "Smuggling... that doesn't necessarily mean it's 'smuggling.' Because smuggling, if it's detected, then it's called smuggling! If it's not detected, then it's called normal import and export! Right?"
Looking at this little girl, I couldn't help but whisper, "Who... taught you all this?"
"No...no one taught me, I figured it out myself," the little girl said loudly, looking me in the eyes.
I sighed, looking at her, at the way she spoke, at the confidence gleaming on her small face, her eyes sparkling…
This girl is just like someone else! Just like that other incredibly intelligent, calm, rational, and strategic strong woman!
Part Three: The Pinnacle, Chapter Twenty-Three: Genius?
“No one teaches me.” The little girl looked into my eyes and said seriously, “Master, I know you are destined for great things. I’ve said it before, I want to learn everything you do! Your kung fu, your skills, your intelligence, and your business… I want to learn everything. I’m not a stupid girl, I can learn very well… Alas… it’s a pity, Master, you’ve always treated me like a little girl. You made me study at school, made me learn music like other children. You made me learn all those things, but I’m still more interested in your business. So I often read books and think about things when I have free time.”
As she spoke, seeing my serious expression, she couldn't help but stick out her tongue: "Did I... say something wrong?"
Seeing her panicked expression, I immediately smiled and said, "No, you're not wrong. I'm the one who's wrong."
It seems I have indeed made some mistakes in raising her... I have always treated her as an ordinary little girl... But how can her experiences be compared to those of an ordinary little girl?
At such a young age, she had spent her life on the streets, eating with a gang of thieves, being in and out of police stations multiple times, and being deported several times… After such experiences, her mind was far more mature than that of an average little girl!
Thinking of this, I said gently, "You're not wrong, it's my fault. Don't be afraid, keep going. If you speak well, I'll give you a reward!"
Still only a fourteen-year-old girl, she immediately perked up upon hearing this, unable to suppress a hint of joy. Then, forcing herself to composed herself, she lowered her head and thought for a moment before continuing, "I think it's mostly about Huaxing Company. But it's not necessarily smuggling. Because smuggling is very difficult to define. According to customs procedures, the amount of goods smuggled into and out of customs from any country each year, if all could be tallied, would be astronomical! It's the same principle: only what's detected is considered smuggling; what isn't detected is considered normal import and export! Huaxing Company is no longer just a smuggling company under Master's control. More importantly, Master is whitewashing it into a legitimate trading company. And because of Master's influence in Vancouver and Canada, with Master's backing, this company is naturally developing very quickly. It has many unique advantages… In this respect, I actually think that this company's future and prospects are far better than Master's other businesses! You could even say that Master's Hollywood film company might not be as profitable as Huaxing Company in the future."
"Why?" I became even more interested in this little girl. "I can understand everything else you said. But that film company is making a lot of money now, why do you say it's not as good as Huaxing?"
“Because of its foundation.” The little girl boldly looked me straight in the eye: “Huaxing is in Vancouver! In this land, Master has deep roots! But that Hollywood film company is in America! A company isolated abroad, lacking a foundation, can only make quick money, but may not be able to last. That’s my opinion.”
“That makes a lot of sense.” I sighed. Aze and Qiaoqiao beside me were also staring wide-eyed at the little girl, especially Qiaoqiao, whose eyes were practically bulging as she looked her up and down as if she wanted to devour her whole. After a long while, she suddenly sighed, looked at me, and said something that made everyone burst out laughing…
Qiaoqiao stared at me, then suddenly shouted, "Xiao Wu! You better tell us the truth! This girl isn't your secret daughter with that girl Yang Wei, is she? The more I look at this girl, the more she looks like that woman Yang Wei!"
I couldn't help but laugh and get annoyed at the same time. I tapped Qiaoqiao on the head and scolded her with a laugh, "What nonsense are you talking about! She's fourteen years old! Fourteen years ago, how old was I? Where was I? How could that be!"
However, a thought suddenly popped into my head... If this little girl were handed over to Yang Wei to train... she would probably become even more formidable in the future!
The little girl seemed a bit embarrassed by everyone's stares, and her face flushed slightly. Yan Di went over and gently put his arm around her, saying softly, "Alright, stop looking at her like that."
"My master's wife is still the best to me." The little girl said slyly, trying to please her, but it only made Yan Di's face turn bright red with embarrassment.
The little girl thought for a moment and then said, "Master, I have another idea, but I don't know if I should say it."
"Just say it." I was in a great mood and waved my hand: "Speak your mind, and I'll reward you if you do a good job."
"Hmm... I suddenly realized that the person who sought cooperation with you will naturally offer you benefits, Master. However, based on my guess, if they are eyeing Huaxing Company... Hmm, Master, you'd better be careful. Firstly, Huaxing Company is your foundation, and the most promising part of your business. To put it jokingly, your future wealth depends entirely on it! It's the most important part of your empire! You must be extremely cautious when using Huaxing Company in transactions, because with other things, even if there are some losses, Master can disregard them and bear them. But if Huaxing Company suffers even the slightest mishap, the losses won't just be immediate; the potential future losses will be immeasurable."
I smiled and looked at her: "Hmm, you said first... then there must be a second? What's the second?"
A maturity beyond her years appeared on the young girl's face as she said seriously, "Of course there's a second reason... The second reason is that I heard the person they contacted, Master, is from the government... Well, since ancient times, the common people don't fight against the government. Master, you're not only a commoner, but also from the underworld. I can't explain other reasons, but the only thing I understand is that if the underworld cooperates with the government, they'll only be used by the government! Besides, Huaxing Company is in Canada. Currently, Master's background is enough to support this company. But you have to know... the other party is from the Chinese government... and... it seems to be from the military. Master, think about it, if you cooperate with them... a trading company in Vancouver suddenly has the backing of the Chinese government or even the Chinese military." ...Is this good or bad? This kind of news can't be kept secret from those who are interested! For example, the Vancouver government, the Canadian government, and the local police...will their attitude towards you, Master, subtly change? Before, in their eyes, you were just the head of Vancouver's underworld. You were the Fifth Brother, the Fifth Master. You were a gangster boss, a ruthless figure...that's all they could tolerate. But if you added a representative of the Chinese government or military to your identity...that identity is too sensitive. Doing business in one country, if you suddenly have a background connected to another country's government or military...then you have to consider the attitude of the Canadian police and officials!"
The little girl had tried her best to be subtle, but the meaning behind her words still moved me deeply!
yes!
I am Chinese! I'm doing well in Canada! The Canadian police are willing to give me face... but if I get involved with the Chinese military... then...
Hey! Just kidding, what if they think I'm a CCP spy?
And... although that was a joke... it's not a funny joke at all!
Many things require careful consideration.
I was truly moved! I carefully examined the little girl I'd taken in, and the more I looked at her, the more surprised I became. Finally, I took a deep breath. Looking at the little girl, I slowly said, "You spoke very well, very well… Your performance completely exceeded my expectations… Sigh, the reward I originally planned to give you was… I heard you're very interested in driving now, and I was planning to give you a car after you got your license… But now, I really underestimated you. So, I won't give you the car. But I'll give you another reward!"
A hint of joy flashed in the little girl's eyes, but she remained composed: "Um, Master, what will you reward me with?"
“Starting tomorrow, you'll be temporarily assigned to Huaxing Company. It's just a temporary position; you won't need to do any specific work… well, you'll be officially my special assistant. I'll give you the authority to access all the company's documents. You wanted to learn some skills, didn't you? You don't like music, you don't like those childish things, I'll let you have your way. You can learn how to do business at the company later.” I paused, looking into her eyes, “However, you can only observe, not interfere. Understand? You're not allowed to meddle in company affairs yet, but you can observe and learn as much as you can!”
"Hooray!!" The little girl's face lit up with a smile, and she jumped up and cheered. Then she rushed to my side, wrapped her greasy little hands around my neck, gave me a kiss on the cheek, and patted her little chest vigorously: "Master, I won't let you down! I'll earn lots and lots of money for you in the future!"
I wiped my face and laughed, "Alright, you're going to work at the company on a temporary assignment, but I won't let you do it for nothing. I'll pay you a salary. Didn't you want to buy a car? Once you've saved up enough salary, buy one yourself."
The little girl was extremely excited, laughing and jumping around. She thanked me profusely and then happily went out.
I watched her leave, my expression complex, and then I sighed...
"She's only fourteen years old!"
Everyone in the room looked surprised. Aze couldn't help but smile wryly and said, "Hey, Qiaoqiao, what were you doing when you were fourteen?"
"Me?" Qiaoqiao thought for a moment, then smiled wryly, "I'm trying to outsmart my dad and trick him into giving me more pocket money... I'm trying to get him to let me go on a trip to Europe..."
Aze also smiled wryly, "When I was fourteen, all I thought about every day was how to win over the prettiest girl in school... Sigh... The difference is frightening!"
In conclusion, I said to myself: "I picked up a little genius!"
The last interesting tidbit of the day was this: while we were enjoying dinner, surrounded by a table full of seafood and delicious food, someone on the deck was still patiently waiting, squatting there with a fishing rod in hand, muttering to himself in anguish, "Fishing for sea turtles...fishing for sea turtles..."
Part Three: The Pinnacle, Chapter Twenty-Four: Making a Huge Profit
Wu Gang originally said he would come to see me in a few days, but unfortunately, I waited a week and he still didn't come. I don't have his contact information, so I can only wait passively.
During that time, I received a call from old Thorin. I knew that after the princess returned, she must have told the old man everything. However, old Thorin, being a shrewd and capable man, remained remarkably composed. On the phone, he acted as if nothing had happened, casually congratulating me on my marriage. Then, we chatted like close friends about the weather, business, and mutual friends we had met at a banquet… Finally, he warmly invited me to go hunting together in the forests by Lake Ontario in the winter, where old Thorin owned a small private farm.
However, we haven't mentioned a word about this assassination attempt!
Old Thorin is trying to tell me something: everyone is tacitly maintaining an alliance. Despite what happened, given the situation and various circumstances, I still have to stand with Old Thorin... because it's simple, I can't choose Eren.
I need a weakened Hells Angel so that my business in Canada won't be swallowed up by a powerful force. And without a doubt, only under a leader like the Princess will the Hells Angel weaken. And Allen… he's shrewd, and he has a friend like Li Wenjing.
Because Li Wenjing had secretly helped Allen before, and subtly schemed against me, I felt a strange sense of revenge. So, I caused him a little trouble in return. Before hanging up the phone with Old Thorin, I casually mentioned, as if it were an unintentional slip, that Allen had recently become quite close to Li Wenjing…
Old Solin paused for a long time on the phone without saying a word, finally letting out a soft sigh: "Thank you, Chen Yang... We're still friends, aren't we?"
"Of course we're friends." I laughed happily, then hung up the phone.
Both of us tacitly acted as if nothing had happened. After hanging up the phone, I looked out the window and sneered for a long time.
The day after that phone call, Hells Angels and I began a new collaboration. They transferred all of Hells Angels' properties in Vancouver to me at a low price. To my surprise, they also transferred the high-end hotel that Princess "SM" and I owned. Old Thorin had a 15% stake in that hotel, which he also transferred to me.
Since my rise to prominence in Vancouver, the Hells Angels had largely reduced their activities in the Vancouver area, retaining only a small number of properties. Now, old Thorin has simply transferred all of his properties here to me, making a gesture of completely relinquishing Vancouver and the surrounding area.
I understand, this is a form of compensation and a gesture of humility.
Buck-toothed Zhou calculated that after acquiring these properties at low prices, we netted a profit of approximately sixteen million US dollars. I picked up a pen and paper and decisively distributed all sixteen million dollars to all the brothers in the Big Circle. Some of the money was awarded to certain leaders; some bought new cars, while others found new women—all of which require spending money. The ordinary brothers also received substantial bonuses based on their contributions to the organization.
“There’s still a little left.” When Buck-toothed Zhou came to see me with the accounts, he looked frustrated. He couldn’t understand why I had so casually thrown away over ten million US dollars. If it had been used for business… He had a sum of money left over. After finding me, he said, “A warehouse at the dock needs repairs, and Xiluo and his group have their eye on a freight company to the east. We can take it over… This money will be just enough.”
“I’ll cover the cost of the warehouse and the freight company,” I said quickly. “As for what you have left… well, how many brothers are actually under our main circle right now? Not counting the peripheral ones.”
"In the past year or so, we have recruited some more people from outside the company... Now, there are about four hundred people in total."
I laughed: "Then that's settled... Use the rest of the money to buy each of the brothers a decent suit. Tell them that we're no longer street thugs, and we need to dress presentably. If you need more money, I'll give you some more."
Buck-toothed Zhou was a little annoyed: "Why have you been spending money so generously lately?"
I laughed and tapped the table: "My dear Attorney Zhou... we're about to strike it rich!"
*************
I wasn't wrong at all when I said "windfall."
In mid-month, the Hollywood action blockbuster "The Big Heist," co-produced by Billy Hill Pictures and DreamWorks, officially premiered!
This film, featuring a host of heavyweight A-list stars and cameos from many Hollywood celebrities, is executive produced by Steven Spielberg and directed by Oscar-winning director James Cameron. With a total investment of $160 million, it is entirely based on the hostage crisis that shocked the world a few months prior in Hollywood.
All these gimmicks, coupled with the star power to draw in audiences and the high quality guaranteed by the director and production team, immediately attracted the attention of countless media outlets.
As the owner of the film company, of course I had to attend the premiere in person.
I traveled to Hollywood again to attend a star-studded premiere that rivaled the Oscars in scale and lineup. Out of gratitude, countless big names came to show their support, and the red carpet outside was dazzling with stars. On that day, movie fans practically blocked the entire Hollywood Walk of Fame, bringing the surrounding traffic to a standstill.
Now that I have such a high profile in the United States, and having just gotten married with such a huge mess at the wedding, it's natural that I'm the target of the media's relentless pursuit. However, I only made a brief appearance at the premiere, let the media take a few photos, and then disappeared into a luxury box in the lavish theater.
"You've had quite a few troubles lately." Martin Rothschild was already sitting in the private room, dressed like a playboy, but his smile was very friendly and peaceful.
I took off my coat, then sat down next to him and said with a wry smile, "I hate trouble."
Martin flicked his cigar quickly and chuckled, "I heard about what happened at your wedding... Do you need any help?"
"No. I can handle it myself." I shook my head.
Our box was in the upper room directly facing the stage. Below the railing was the theater below, which was almost full. Those sitting in the front were the film crew. I saw Jessica, dressed in a sexy outfit, smiling frequently at the media, flashbulbs clicking incessantly… This girl is incredibly popular lately. This movie has garnered a lot of attention, and her rumored affair with Lei Xiaohu has been the talk of countless entertainment gossip stories. I heard Playboy offered her an exorbitant price for a photoshoot, which she unhesitatingly refused. Now she's taken on three more film offers, all A-list productions.
However, just before the movie's opening, the media broke the news that Jessica and Lei Xiaohu had broken up. At first, I thought this was just a publicity stunt for the movie, but the night before I came to Hollywood, I asked Xiaohu... and learned the truth.
The two were indeed somewhat ambiguous, and it was mostly Jessica who took the initiative. After all, she was a beauty who had been in Hollywood for many years and knew the rules of the game in this industry. Getting involved with Lei Xiaohu at this time could only benefit her, not harm her. As for Lei Xiaohu, he was young, single, and didn't mind having a beautiful woman as a companion. Their relationship remained ambiguous, which also served as publicity for the film.
Not long ago, the two finally had a falling out.
When Lei Xiaohu told me, his face was flushed, and he stammered for a long time before finally saying... it was about sleeping together. For Americans, sleeping together isn't a big deal. Two people getting together, becoming close, dating, and then sleeping together is a very normal process.
However, it's not the same for a well-behaved child like Lei Xiaohu, who has been strictly watched over by his senior brother since childhood!
The incident happened one night when Jessica picked up Lei Xiaohu and took him home. The beauty's intention was probably to let him stay overnight... But this made Lei Xiaohu a little hesitant, and as a result, he ran away from Jessica's house that very night.
This illustrates the difference between Eastern and Western cultures. Lei Xiaohu believed his actions were out of caution and respect for the woman. However, the woman perceived it as an insult. They had a major argument and have been estranged ever since.
It was just a minor incident. Anyway, I know their relationship was only brief and ambiguous; it ended when it was over. It's actually quite admirable that this guy, having entered the entertainment industry, can still maintain such innocence.
There's not much to say about the film itself. Although some film critics had previously questioned whether a film with so many big names would ultimately lead to a lack of focus, becoming disjointed and affecting its quality.
In the end, however, it's clear that James Cameron's directorial skills, those of an Oscar-caliber master, are truly exceptional. A group of big names were skillfully managed under his direction, resulting in a film with clear layers, a tight plot, and plenty of tension. The computer-generated special effects are also top-notch Hollywood quality… This is a very well-made commercial film.
I had already seen a preview of the film once before, and watching it again in the theater now still felt very immersive.
The movie, which lasted one hour and forty minutes, ended. Listening to the thunderous applause in the theater—although I knew there was a lot of politeness involved—I was still full of confidence: this movie was definitely going to be a huge hit!