"A-Tai, today I'm teaching you how to do it, under the banner of Fuyixing. After tomorrow, it'll be up to you. Secretary Song didn't want you to join Fuyixing before, so I didn't say I'd take you in. But when you're in the business, you need a nameplate. Do you want to join a big gang or a small one?" Gao Lao Cheng asked Chen Tai, his fingers deftly twirling his chopsticks.
Chen Tai shook his head in confusion. "I don't understand what you're talking about Brother Shing? What the hell are you talking about, big characters and small characters?"
"The big gangs, like Fuyixing, have a lot of people and influence, but it's hard to get ahead. I Fuyixing at fifteen and only got to where I am today at twenty-seven. The small gangs, of course, are weak and just barely make a living. But if you're sharp enough, it's easier to make a name for yourself in a small gang. I brought you to Mei Qing Guildhall for dinner today to introduce you to my brother Huang Zhi. He's a small gang leader Harmony Heroes White Paper Fan' of the elites. He's quick-witted and knows how to do business, but his gang is too weak. The whole gang has less than five hundred people. If it weren't for my reputation..." "Here, other gangs are probably coming to collect protection money every day," Gao Lao Cheng said. "If you're interested in joining the gang, my brother here isn't short of money, he just needs enough tough and ruthless men. I told him about today's events, and he said that as long as you don't mind that the name 'Harmony Heroes' is too small and are willing to become his disciple, he's willing to give you a channel for smuggling goods as a gift. After deducting your expenses for patronizing your men and goods, you can earn at least this much each month." Gao Lao Cheng held up two fingers for Chen Tai at the end.
"Two thousand yuan?" Chen Tai asked.
Gao Lao Cheng shook his two raised fingers. "A-Tai, you underestimate yourself and me. I, Gao Lao Cheng, have some reputation. Two thousand yuan is nothing to me. It's twenty thousand yuan, but don't rush. You'd better discuss it with Secretary Song. Maybe Secretary Song can make other arrangements for you."
Chen Tai clenched his fists tightly, his knuckles cracking. "No need to discuss it with Brother Yiu, I'm willing to bow!"
"It would be better to discuss this further," Gao Lao Cheng said calmly. "Perhaps Secretary Song can arrange for you to do some business that will help you find more opportunities."
Seeing Gao Lao Cheng's insistence, Chen Tai first glanced at the two delicate and beautiful women beside him, then lowered his head and let out a heavy sigh, as if talking to himself. "Brother Yiu told me to learn to drive. What kind of car can I earn 20,000 a month driving..."
Chapter 101 Flower Pagoda Candy
"This is Chen Qingwen, the owner of Chenji Candy Shop, and this is Song Tianyao, Secretary Song of Likang. We're all from Chiu Chow." After leading a simply dressed, clean-cut middle-aged man into the private room and introducing them to each other, Wu Jinliang left the room.
Chen Qingwen looked to be in his forties. Although he appeared older and dressed simply, he didn't seem like a shrewd businessman who would grovel for the sake of business. Instead, he seemed more like a law-abiding, old-fashioned shopkeeper. Before even speaking, he put on a smile and, without Song Tianyao asking, took the initiative to say, "Secretary Song, I heard from Brother Leung that you want to make a batch of candy? I'm from Chiu Chow people. I started as an apprentice in a candy shop in Guangzhou when I was fifteen. After arriving in Hong Kong in 1932, I opened a candy shop in Sai Wan. Except when the Japan invaded, I closed the shop and ran back to the Mainland to hide for a few years. Now I've been making candy in Sai Wan for fifteen years. Whether it's fruit candy, milk candy, throat lozenges, or even Western-style chewing gum that foreigners love, I know how to make them all. I came in a hurry, so these are some candies I made in my own shop. Please, Secretary Song, try them."
As he spoke, Chen Qingwen opened a red paper package next to him, inside which was a small packet of round candies of various colors, unwrapped and simply wrapped in paper.
"Boss Chen even knows how to make Western-style candy, so how come he still only has one shop? Western-style candy is very profitable; the young masters and ladies of wealthy families should all love it." Song Tianyao reached out and picked up a milky-white candy, putting it in his mouth to taste. The candy felt like a hard candy in his hand, but it softened in his mouth, becoming soft, chewy, and sweet, with a milky aroma.
"I want to make a batch of milk candy. Is it made with cow's milk or goat's milk?"
Chen Qingwen rubbed his hands together and smiled, pointing to one of the slightly yellowish milk candies. "The one you just tasted is the most expensive milk candy we sell in the store. It's made by boiling fresh milk with high-quality white sugar imported from Java Island at high temperatures. The cheaper milk candies are made with creamer powder produced by a local Dairy Farm, mixed with Thailand coarse sugar, boiled with water, and then cooled and solidified. That's the pale yellow milk candy we have, and it costs half as much."
Spitting out the candy and rinsing his mouth with tea, Song Tianyao put the cheap candy back in. It was cloyingly sweet and lacked the soft, chewy texture of the previous candy. It was hard and gritty on his tongue. He gently bit it with his teeth, and it broke into several small pieces.
"How much would these cheap milk candies cost in a store?" Song Tianyao asked Chen Qingwen after spitting out the candy.
"Four yuan a pound, full weight and accurate weight," Chen Qingwen said.
"Selling ten catties a day, Boss Chen can make a lot of money over a year," Song Tianyao said to Chen Qingwen with a smile.
Chen Qingwen chuckled self-deprecatingly, "Secretary Song, aside from selling more during the Spring Festival, if I'm lucky, I can earn three to five hundred yuan a month, which is already a great reward."
"If I wanted to make 2,500 kilograms of this cheap milk candy, what would be the minimum cost?"
"Eighteen thousand dollars." Chen Qingwen immediately blurted out a figure. "That's already the lowest price. Brother Leung went to more than a dozen stores, he knows that the price I quoted is definitely the lowest. If Secretary Song doesn't believe me, you can go to Hong Kong Island and take a look for yourself, you definitely won't find anyone with a lower price than mine."
"I have 250 kilograms of pills that you need to grind into powder and mix into 2,500 kilograms of sugar, just like you add fruit juice or coloring to candy. Mix them in a 1:10 ratio and shape the candy into pointed or flower tower shapes." Song Tianyao stared at Chen Qingwen: "Later, come with me to the warehouse and take one kilogram of pills to your shop. Make ten kilograms tomorrow. Can you do that?"