Kill the Chicken to Warn the Monkeys? Kill the Donkey Once the Grinding Is Done?
The Nie Family had been in the sesame oil pressing business for generations. Nie Weisheng was uneducated and started helping his father press oil in his father's processing plant when he was a teenager. After opening a Western medicine shop, although he was the young master, he handled all the smuggling of medicines himself, while his father continued to process sesame seeds. Nie Weisheng was of average intelligence, lacked foresight, and had no business plan. Fortunately, the smuggling business did not require a high level of intelligence. As long as he had scarce medicines, he didn't even need to transport them himself; other merchants and professional smugglers would buy them from the Nie Family's pharmacy. After doing this for so long, although he didn't make a fortune every day and only earned the price difference, he could still easily earn two or three hundred thousand Hong Kong dollars a year. Nie Weisheng's life was more like sitting in his family's Western medicine shop waiting for money to fall from the sky; he only had to count the money.
"Just say what you need to say," Nie Weisheng said with a carefree laugh after hearing Zhang Yuliang's words.
Zhang Yuliang picked up the teapot and poured tea into Nie Weisheng's teacup, saying, "Brother Sheng, my brother-in-law Junlang and my elder brother's eldest son Wei Lin have started a pharmaceutical company together. As you know, for a pharmaceutical company to gain a reputation, it needs to have enough in-demand drugs in its warehouse. Wow, those two are really shrewd. They managed to get a batch of Britain Penicillin from Japan at a low price. Of course, the Zhang Family's Zhuxing Trading Company wants to take it all. But as you know, my two elder brothers went to Australia to invest in property there, and they took most of their cash with them. The European Coast Company is also buying goods, so they're short on cash. That's why they want you to take this batch of Penicillin. Once the European Coast Company's payment is back in the account within a month at the latest, I'll buy it back from your pharmacy at a price of Hong Kong dollars 100 more per case. They don't trust anyone else they're not familiar with, so they asked me to help them find a reliable person. That's how I thought of you, Brother Sheng. You're always so helpful and loyal."
Everyone in the Hong Kong pharmaceutical industry knows how sought-after Penicillin is right now. Hearing Zhang Yuliang's words, Nie Weisheng's heart began to race, but he calmly asked:
"You trust me with this kind of thing? I'll do my duty without hesitation. I've been cooperating with Zhuxing Trading Company for so long, of course there's no problem. I wonder how much Penicillin there is?"
Zhang Yuliang stared at Nie Weisheng and slowly raised four fingers of his left hand.
"Only forty boxes?" Nie Weisheng said with some disappointment.
"Brother Sheng, even if the Zhang Family is short of cash, they can afford to pay for only forty boxes. It's four hundred boxes," Zhang Yuliang said, pouring himself another cup of tea.
Nie Weisheng's expression immediately changed. Four hundred boxes of Penicillin, one box containing one hundred vials, and each vial containing ten vials, that's four hundred thousand vials of Penicillin. Even the Zhuxing Trading Company, which previously supplied Western medicine shops throughout the Zhang Family Kong with supplies from the Zhang family, only supplied three hundred boxes at a time, with the remaining three hundred boxes being smuggled by the Zhuxing Trading Company itself. Now, the Zhang Family has registered a company, obtained the scarce Penicillin, and is offering an astonishing four hundred boxes right off the bat:
"Four hundred boxes?"
"You buy it at the price Zhuxing Trading Company previously quoted, Hong Kong dollars 8,500 per box, totaling Hong Kong dollars 3.4 million. I'll buy it back a month later at Hong Kong dollars 100 more per box, for a total of Hong Kong dollars $3.44 million. Consider the extra Hong Kong dollars 40,000 as rent for Sheng-ge's warehouse, how about that?"
Nie Weisheng, however, was calculating with his not-so-bright brain. Due to the Korean War, the mainland was experiencing a shortage of Penicillin, a life-saving antibiotic. Smuggling fleets had offered Hong Kong dollars 10,500 per case, but the supply was still insufficient. If he sold one case, he would make a profit of Hong Kong dollars 2,000. Ten cases would be HK$20,000, one hundred cases would be HK$200,000, and four hundred cases would be HK$800,000. On the other hand, four hundred cases of Penicillin were sitting idle in his warehouse for a month, waiting to gather dust, Zhang Yuliang was only willing to pay Hong Kong dollars 60,000.
Zhang Yuliang's overconfidence is his bad luck! 800,000 Hong Kong dollars —don't even mention friends, even brothers could turn against you! Even if he couldn't come up with 3.4 million Hong Kong dollars on hand right away, he wouldn't miss this opportunity, even if it meant mortgaging his bank account!
Nie Weisheng's mind raced with several thoughts before he finally gave Zhang Yuliang a bright smile, "A-Liang me, Liang, I have nothing to say. Okay, I'll store the four hundred boxes for you for a month. Once the goods arrive at the warehouse, the money will be transferred to your bank account immediately."
"It's not my account; it was set up by Junlang and Wei Lin. They haven't opened an account yet. If it's convenient, Brother Sheng, it'd be best to pay in cash. They also settle with the Japan in cash. You know, cheap medicine can't be sold openly." Zhang Yuliang looked relieved. "Thank you for your help, Brother Sheng. I'm really worried that the others might try to steal the goods. Uh, Brother Sheng, shouldn't we have a written agreement to be on the safe side?"
Nie Weisheng waved his hand dismissively. "You've already agreed to cash payment, cash on delivery, why bother with a written agreement? We've known each other for so long, we rely on trust! I'll go back now and start raising the money."
After saying that, Nie Weisheng didn't even look at the exquisite dishes on the table. He hurriedly said goodbye to Zhang Yuliang and left the private room, walking quickly out of the restaurant.
Only Zhang Yuliang remained, slowly and deliberately picking up his chopsticks and gracefully enjoying the dishes. He could faintly hear someone singing opera lyrics from the stage in the lobby. "Men die for wealth, birds die for food..."
"It's none of my business. You were the one who said you didn't want a written agreement." After hearing this line from the opera, Zhang Yuliang said to the empty seat next to him.
Chapter 120 Killing the Chicken to Warn the Monkey? Discarding the Donkey After It Has Gone Its Millstone?
On May 21, 1951, the founding ceremony of Oxfam, Hong Kong charitable organization, and the inauguration ceremony of its first executive committee were held at Hong Kong Anglican Church Cathedral of St John, Central, Hong Kong.
With a smile on his face, Song Tianyao stood outside Cathedral of St John to greet his boss's cronies and their female companions as they got out of their cars. With each new woman arriving, Song Tianyao's smile widened, and he eagerly led them into the church.
Scribe Hui and Xianyu Shuan looked refreshed today, their appearance neat and tidy. Their usual dirty undershirts and trousers were now replaced by white shirts and black vests. Xianyu Shuan even wore a felt hat on his bald head. They were currently on the road in the distance, directing the drivers or entourage of the arriving guests to park their cars further away to avoid traffic jams. The two of them were also responsible for secretly handing out red envelopes to the reporters from various newspapers who came to report on the event, and then politely saying thank you for your hard work, making these eloquent reporters beam with joy.