area51novel Chapter 58 Negotiation and Negotiation!
Chapter 58 Negotiation and Negotiation!
Over the years, Xiang Qian has been trying to distance himself from Boom Beach.
Xiang Qian's connections within the Military Intelligence Bureau were practically nonexistent, and the meager funding he received was less than what he'd get for his triad business. Continuing to work for them would be like having a powerful figure controlling him.
Over the years, Xiang Qian has sent a lot of money to that side, but he didn't do it to gain any benefits; his main purpose was to make the other side forget about him.
He was calculating how he would gradually lose contact with that side and eventually be forgotten, while he was doing well in a gang on Hong Kong Island.
Their Xinji is a legitimate triad with a lineage in Hong Kong Island, a genuine Hung Society lineage, unlike the Number Gang which buys its lineage with money.
Who knew that the number gang was such a waste of money, getting nothing done in all their fuss, and in the end, they even dragged their new branch down with them.
What do you think?
Xiang Qian looked at his three trusted brothers and said.
Standing in front of Xiang Qian were three men, all strong and vigorous men in their prime, all surnamed Lin.
The three men, named Lin Jiang, Lin Jing, and Lin Sheng, were cousins from the same family and were also Xiang Qian's most capable fighters.
Later, there was a saying in the martial arts world that described the way Xin Ji started his family business: "The Xiang family rules the world, the Lin family fights."
These are the three brothers who seized most of Xinji's territory and business.
"Boss, I think we should just ignore this telegram. They've all retreated to the islands. Even if we don't give them any face, they can't cross the sea to cause us trouble!"
Lin Jiang said that he had long since stopped contacting them. Not only did they not pay him, but he also had to pay them back, which was delaying his business.
"This won't do. The fighting is fierce in the north right now, and those are the UN forces. Who knows if the mainland can hold out? What if they really launch a counterattack?"
Lin Jing said that this was also what they were most worried about. If this matter was not handled well and the island raiders landed, their actions might be investigated and punished.
"What's there to worry about with the island raiders? They've lost their chance. The mainland has a better chance of taking Hong Kong than they do. But it's not a good idea to turn against them directly. How about we just make a few moves to put on a show?"
Lin Sheng said.
"Just putting on a show? If we really attack, that guy surnamed Huo won't know we're just faking it. He might just go for the kill, and then our brothers will definitely suffer losses!"
"Then let's do it twice, just to give them face."
"I think we should learn from those bastards in the Number Gang, find a couple of rivals to fight, and then pretend we don't have time."
"Since we're going to pretend anyway, why don't we just talk to that guy surnamed Huo and ask him to put on a few scenes?"
"Isn't this a bit too risky?"
"What are you afraid of! Either refuse outright, or just put on an act!"
The three men talked amongst themselves, and what they meant was that they still didn't want to risk their lives for Boom Beach.
After all, these thugs only worked for the Military Intelligence Bureau because it was profitable. Now that the benefits are gone, nobody wants them to work anymore.
"Okay, then let's act!"
Xiang Qian slammed his fist on the table and made a decision.
"Who will you act with?"
Lin Jiang asked.
"Boss Huo, let's get straight to the point and meet this hero of the sea."
Xiang Qian smiled and said, his eyes gleaming with wisdom.
"Should I make an appointment with Boss Huo?"
Lin Jiang said.
"Yes, keep it a secret, don't let anyone know."
He nodded towards the money.
……
Two days later, as soon as Boss Huo got ashore, someone delivered a letter to him.
"Ah Hao, come out with me for a bit."
After reading the letter, Boss Huo summoned Zhang Guohao.
"Boss, what's up?"
Zhang Guohao came over and asked Boss Huo.
"Someone's about to make a move again. Let's go see if it's a minor problem or a major one."
Boss Huo handed the letter in his hand to Zhang Guohao.
"Xinji, the Xiang family?"
Zhang Guohao glanced at the letter, then put it back in the envelope.
"That's right. They used to use the name of the Military Intelligence Bureau to make a lot of money, but I heard they weren't very obedient afterward. I wonder what's going on with this."
"However, I don't think they'll actually take action for orders from over there. They're different from the Number Gang. The New Detective Agency is a local power, and even the Military Intelligence Bureau used to rely on them for intelligence gathering."
"This matter can be discussed."
"That's what Boss Huo said."
"Don't worry, boss. Whether it's a trap or any other kind of banquet, with me here, I guarantee everything will go smoothly and safely."
Zhang Guohao patted his chest and assured him.
"I'm sure you don't mind. Let's go, we'll go right now."
Boss Huo led Zhang Guohao out of the dock, hailed two rickshaws, and headed straight for the meeting place.
Lao Wu Teahouse is an unassuming teahouse with only one floor, but it's all private rooms. It's a secret meeting place for a certain group of people in the underworld, where they negotiate anything that can't be discussed openly.
Boss Huo and Zhang Guohao got off the rickshaw a long way away and quietly walked over through a side road.
At the entrance of the teahouse, a fat man was frying tea. I don't know where he got the tea to fry at this time of year. Maybe it was some tropical tea.
"Fifth brother, book the room with the boss."
"Boss Huo said to the fat man at the door."
The fat man didn't say anything, but held up his hand to Boss Huo and made a six.
"He's the owner of this teahouse? No, he isn't."
Boss Huo nodded and led Zhang Guohao inside, then lowered his voice and pointed to his tongue at Zhang Guohao.
It turns out that the fat man at the door is Lao Wu from Lao Wu Teahouse, who has no tongue.
"This teahouse doesn't even have a building."
Zhang Guohao cautiously observed his surroundings, then whispered to Boss Huo.
"Old Wu's dream is to have a teahouse. Don't be fooled by its small size; it's cleverly decorated with eight private rooms and eight exits. Each guest can choose a different exit to leave, making it very private. That's why many people are willing to come here to discuss business."
Boss Huo had obviously been here many times before, and he arrived at private room number six with familiarity.
"Clang! Clang!"
Boss Huo knocked on the door.
"They're here."
A middle-aged man's voice came from inside the door.
"Mr. Huo, please come in."
The man who opened the door carefully observed the two people at the door. After confirming that they were Boss Huo, he smiled slightly at Boss Huo and Zhang Guohao, then looked behind them. Seeing that there was no one behind them, he stepped aside and let the two people into the private room.
There were two other men in the private room.
"Boss Huo, long time no see. How's business lately?"
A middle-aged man who looked rather refined extended his hand to shake hands with Boss Huo.
"Xiang Longtou, it's been a long time."
Boss Huo smiled slightly, reached out and shook hands with the other party, somewhat politely, yet somewhat distantly.
"This must be the famous Cheung Kwok-ho, Brother Ho!"
Xiang Qian then looked at Zhang Guohao and reached out to shake hands with him.
"Towards the leader."
Zhang Guohao felt that this kid had some good intentions, so he shook hands with him. Then, standing behind Boss Huo, he observed Xiang Qian and the two people beside him, figuring out how he could quickly defeat the other party in this private room.
"Please sit down, both of you."
Xiang Qian gestured to Boss Huo and Zhang Guohao, inviting them to sit down.
Boss Huo nodded, but Zhang Guohao didn't move and remained standing.
"I didn't expect that Boss Xiang would make such a big fuss today, bringing both Lin Jiang and Lin Jing, two Red Pole members."
Boss Huo sat opposite Xiang Qian, looking very relaxed.
However, Boss Huo also subtly revealed the identities of the two people next to Xiang Qian in his words.
Boss Huo knew most of the leaders and well-known gangsters in these large organizations. These people were quite arrogant when they fought for territory, as if they were afraid that others wouldn't recognize them.
"Boss Huo, we're all from the same old world. Since you've asked, I won't hide anything from you. You must have heard about my background, right?"
"What that damn number gang couldn't do, has now been assigned to our Xinji."
"Don't worry, Boss Huo, I definitely won't lay a hand on you. We're all in this business to make money, so I'm thinking of putting on a few acts with you, fooling you, and that'll be the end of it."
Xiang Qian spoke directly to Boss Huo, explaining his plan.
"Hey, what do you mean? I don't need to put on an act with you. The Citadel Squad has no jurisdiction over me."
Boss Huo leaned back in his chair and glanced at Zhang Guohao before speaking.
Boss Huo gave Zhang Guohao a wink, clearly indicating that his guess was correct.
This new record shows that the composition of the Hongmen Society is comparable to that of the Number Gang.
"Boss Huo, of course we know you're not afraid of the island raiders. Consider it a favor to Xinji, and we'll treat it as a favor we owe you."
"This is also good for you. With our New Reporter standing up for you, the Boom Beach team won't let anyone else get involved. It's a win-win situation!"
Seeing this, Xiang Qian realized that by going to Qian's door to ask for an alliance, he had put himself at a disadvantage and was likely to suffer a loss.
However, with the Boom Beach forces pressing hard, Xiang Qian had no choice but to bleed money.
However, before making any decisions, Xiang Qian still wanted to talk things over, just in case they could reach an agreement!
"It's alright. If your new secretary doesn't make it, we'll still be friends. Whoever else wants to come, I'll beat them up. I, Huo, have long expected this day since I started out in this business."
Boss Huo then crossed his legs, becoming more relaxed. He was already thinking about how to take advantage of the other party. He had been living in fear and anxiety, so he needed to find an opportunity to get some benefits.
"Okay, Mr. Huo, as long as this deal goes through, I'll find a way to separate the people from the Number Gang from the dock where you unload your cargo."
After thinking about it for a while, Xiang Qian realized that paying money was out of the question, so he could only try to take advantage of the territory.
Boss Huo nodded and began negotiating with Xiang Qian, going back and forth about how to offer benefits and how to put on a show.
However, when the two sides sat down together, they already had a tacit understanding that this matter could be discussed!
……
Opposite to room number six was room number five, where two groups of people were negotiating.
On one side was Ge Dalongtou, and on the other side was Fu Yixing's Wanglaoji.
Wang Laoji is quite the seasoned veteran. He received an invitation to meet with Ge Dalongtou, but didn't accept it until two days later.
Wang Laoji knew that Ge Da Longtou was in a lot of trouble lately, with the Number Gang constantly fighting with other gangs, putting him under a lot of pressure.
I reckon it's time for Ge Dalong to ask for help.
Fu Yixing and Dong Fuhe have a grudge against each other and they often fight. But if you ask Wang Laoji to help them directly, Wang Laoji will not help.
Not only did Wanglaoji not help, he also restrained his subordinates from fighting with Dongfuhe's people, telling them that the number was about to collapse and they should wait for Ge Dalong to come to them for help.
"Eat slowly, there's enough for you."
Wang Laoji looked at the two young men on his left and right sides with a compassionate expression. He had been sitting there for a long time without saying anything serious to Ge Dalongtou opposite him.
These two young men are Wang Laoji's recently adopted godsons. They both have the surname Ma; the older one is named Ma Shihai, and the younger one is named Ma Shihao.
These two brothers had no relatives left and ended up in Hong Kong. At such a young age, they couldn't make a living there and had to rely on their street smarts to survive.
A while ago, these two brothers somehow got hold of a beat-up cart and started unloading cargo at a dock to earn a living.
Who knew that the thugs watching over the docks would take advantage of the two young brothers because of their age. Even though the two brothers had twenty-four sticks, the thugs would only count them as having six.
They deducted three-quarters of the money right away. A single stick can be exchanged for two cents!
Thanks to this shameless scoundrel, the price of 4.8 yuan has been reduced to 1.2 yuan!
Ma Shih-hai and Ma Shih-hao were not pushovers; they immediately got into a fight with the thugs at the dock.
But a boy is still a boy, and in the end, he was forced to jump into the sea by seven or eight thugs!
Ma Shih-hai and Ma Shih-hao swam ashore, furious. They made preparations, stormed back to the dock, used slingshots as weapons to wreak havoc, and then stole a bag of rice, taking it back to their slum home.
Who would have thought that the people in their neighborhood were a mix of gratitude and ungratefulness, and they simply gave the two brothers a free meal.
The dock where Ma Shih-hai and Ma Shih-hao worked was a small dock with few people. It was run by a small gang, but it was not a place that people living in the slums could afford to mess with.
Those thugs who guarded the docks came directly to their door. The two brothers, Ma Shih-hai and Ma Shih-hao, thought that since they had brought back rice, the neighbors would surely help them.
Hey, nobody's helping!
It looked like those gang thugs were about to give Ma Shih-hai and Ma Shih-hao a good beating, and then find a place to feed them to sharks.
In the end, an old man in his seventies or eighties couldn't stand it anymore. He stepped forward, brought up the name of Wanglaoji (a popular herbal tea brand), and scared away the thugs from that small gang.
This small gang wouldn't dare to mess with a big gang like Fu Yixing, even if they felt deep down that these two guys couldn't be Wang Laoji's people. After all, if they were really Wang Laoji's people, they wouldn't be without a place to make a living.
But fearing it might be true, they could only make a harsh statement, giving the two brothers a deadline to confront Wang Laoji.
These thugs from the small gang were pretty arrogant, even saying they'd stand up to Wang Laoji. But those two brothers actually managed to get Wang Laoji to help them, and all the thugs in the gang were crying!