Seven Days-Could He Really Poke a Hole in the Sky? (Continued)

The Zhang Family is now considered a well-known family in Hong Kong's business world, where many wealthy people live. However, the entire family of more than 20 people still live together in a two-story house with seven rooms on MacDonnell Road, which is not much different from the lives of ordinary people who rent in tenement buildings.

In fact, the Zhang Family owns half a street of property in Causeway Bay Hong Kong. It wouldn't be a problem for the whole family to live in one building, or even for each person to live in one building. However, the old lady of the Zhang Family, Guo Geng, Zhang Yuliang's mother, had a saying, "It's better to rent out than to use it yourself. If you save one penny at home, you can make ten more outside."

So the Zhang Family members squeezed into a tiny room, renting out all the other properties. Most ridiculously, the Zhang Family operated on a communal system. The old lady had a rule: except for business entertainment, no one was allowed to eat out. None of the four branches of the Zhang Family —sons, daughters-in-law, grandchildren, or even the sons and daughters-in-law—were allowed to eat out privately. Of course, even if they wanted to, they had no money. The Zhang Family's rule was shared finances. Except for the eldest son, Zhang Yujie, and the old lady, Guo Geng, no one else in the Zhang Family had any access to money. From company purchases to household items like towels and toothbrushes, everything had to be approved by Guo Geng before any money could be used for collective purchases, without favoritism.

So Zhang Yuliang deliberately smacked his lips and sat down opposite his third brother, Zhang Yulin, teasing him for not having eaten any good food. Zhang Yulin was three years older than Zhang Yuliang, twenty-eight years old this year. He wasn't as lucky as his fourth brother, Zhang Yuliang; he only attended a Chinese private school and didn't have the opportunity to attend the top-tier Queen's College in Hong Kong like Zhang Yuliang, or study abroad. Zhang Yulin was easygoing and laid-back. His eldest brother Zhang Yujie, managed the family business and was responsible for the brains, while Zhang Yulin was responsible for running errands for Zhang Yujie asked him to. More often, he was responsible for maintaining good relationships with companies or families that had business dealings with the Zhang Family, meeting clients for tea and playing mahjong every day. With so many social engagements, he had naturally eaten out a lot. So when he heard Zhang Yuliang teasing him, Zhang Yulin smiled and said, "Today, tomorrow, the day after tomorrow, all the way to next Friday, I've made plans for lunch, afternoon tea, and dinner. I've booked tables at several major restaurants. I can't have dinner with Mother at home, so please take good care of her."

"Stop talking, or I'll start drooling. You're the luckiest person in the whole family when it comes to food." Zhang Yuliang picked up the teapot and filled Zhang Yulin's teacup. "Third Brother, do you remember that batch of Santonin deworming medicine that the family sold to Gaili Subsidiary Company?"

"Low toxicity, strong drug reactions. Even strong Foreign Devil get dizzy after taking it, let alone Asians, so there's simply no market for it. I heard it's just sitting in the warehouse of the Britain Gaili Subsidiary Company, waiting to mold." Zhang Yulin thought for a moment and said to Zhang Yuliang, "What? Do you have some ideas?"

Zhang Yuliang stood up, politely offered one cigarette to his third brother, lit it for him, and then lit his own before shaking off the match and sitting down. "Do you believe that Chu Xiaoxin's Likang made 700,000 yuan a month?"

"What nonsense! He can earn 700,000? I'd rather believe gold falls from the sky." Zhang Yulin smiled, his expression gentle, but the slight twitch at the corner of his mouth revealed his disdain for Chu Xiaoxin.

Aside from entertainment venues, the name Chu Xiaoxin, the second young master of the Chu Family, is practically synonymous with good-for-nothing when heard in other settings.

"But tonight, he spent forty or fifty thousand Hong Kong dollars celebrating at the Lichi Nightclub in North Point. If he hadn't made any money, wouldn't Chu Yaozong have given his Second Son tens of thousands of dollars to indulge in a life of debauchery? A single plate of crab roe costs three or four thousand female crabs! And tonight he threw a cup of tea at me, saying that European Coast Company and Fu Zhong Trading Company colluded to swindle money from Likang. Why didn't he tell me this before? I think it's because he wanted to show off in front of me after making money, which is why he deliberately held back until today." Zhang Yuliang said to Zhang Yulin, "But he just let it slip after drinking, saying that the batch of low-toxicity..." The Santonin * deworming medicine has been made into some kind of weird candy. In Hong Kong, only our Zhang Family had stockpiled two batches of this high-dose Santonin * deworming medicine before. As soon as the low-toxicity reaction occurred, I disposed of it. One batch was transferred to Likang with the cooperation of Uncle Chu Xiaozhong. Chu Xiaoxin, that idiot, doesn't deserve to make money. Since his candy is profitable, and the raw material is this deworming medicine, simple: grab him by the neck, transfer Hong Kong dollars 100,000 to Gaili Subsidiary Company's account as a deposit, and tell them that European Coast Company wants all the deworming medicine left in the warehouse.

Zhang Yulin took a sip of tea and said uninterestedly, "Penicillin and PAS Lung Tablets are currently the most profitable drugs, and demand exceeds supply. Why would we needlessly spend at least several million Hong Kong dollars to help Gaili Subsidiary Company clear out its low-toxicity inventory?"

"I think it's true that Chu Xiaoxin made the money. If that guy wants to make money with some kind of weird drug, he needs raw materials. But Gaili Subsidiary Company ordered this batch of goods from me, so he has no choice but to beg me. Foreign Devil Britain are very trustworthy in business; once they receive a deposit, they won't look for a second buyer." Zhang Yuliang flicked his cigarette ash with a smile, "I need to settle the score for that bowl of leftover tea first."

"What if Chu Xiaoxin doesn't ask you for help? Would you buy millions of Hong Kong dollars worth of deworming tablets?" Zhang Yulin frowned. "Using millions of Hong Kong dollars to spite someone?"

"I never hold grudges. If he doesn't beg me, I can just breach the contract and say I'm suddenly having cash flow problems. I'll just give away the 100,000 yuan deposit to Gaili Subsidiary Company for free. Or by then, I'll have already figured out Chu Xiaoxin's money-making scheme and directly intercept what he thinks is his winning hand." After Zhang Yuliang finished speaking, he looked at Zhang Yulin.

Zhang Yulin remained silent, while Zhang Yuliang, unhurried, waited patiently with a cigarette dangling from his lips.

After several seconds, Zhang Yulin finally spoke, "If my elder brother were here, he would definitely disagree with doing this. My elder brother always values harmony. If Chu Xiaoxin were making deworming tablets, perhaps my elder brother would even..."

"My eldest and second eldest brothers went to Australia, and before they left, they told you to run the family business. Now that someone has spilled tea on me, I can make a quick buck. Are you going to agree or not? Am I not your brother? If you don't agree, I'll go and beg Mother." Zhang Yuliang scratched the back of his head and said in a deliberately flippant tone.

Zhang Yulin looked at his brother. "If things go as you planned, and Chu Xiaoxin begs you for money, don't make things too ugly. Just make him apologize, host a few banquets, and that's it. Don't take too much from him. If Chu Xiaoxin doesn't beg you for money and you haven't found a way to make money, deduct 100,000 yuan from your year-end account."