Who would have thought that this scoundrel, upon arriving in the small town of Hong Kong, would thrive like a dragon entering the sea? For over a decade, he moved between the Kuomintang, the Britain, and the Japan, managing to carve out a name known as the Du Yuesheng of Hong Kong. Mr. Du also flattered him. Since arriving in Hong Kong, every time Li Caifa came to visit Mr. Du, he was allowed to go directly to Mr. Du's sickbed without any hesitation. As a result, many people in Hong Kong now believe that Li Caifa and Mr. Du were of the same generation in the Green Gang, when in reality he was just a scoundrel who had taken Rui Qingrong as his master.
"As for the law, Brother Sheng said ignorance is no excuse. The house in Tsim Sha Tsui is uninhabited and doesn't have a 'Du Mansion' sign. He told me to go have some tea with He-prefix gangs later and talk things out. The Green Gang has already taken a lot of business from local gangs in Hong Kong. Brother Sheng's point is that we can't be like the 14K, fighting and killing in Hong Kong. After all, we're all China person." Wan Molin smiled and lit a cigarette for himself.
Li Caifa let out a heavy sigh, "Since Mr. Du came to Hong Kong, the Green Gang has not held any operations. Many of its members have nowhere to go and most of them are barely making a living off the businesses they own. This is the perfect opportunity for the Green Gang to make a name for itself. If we don't beat these local gangs until they are terrified, how will they know how powerful the Green Gang of Shanghai Bund?"
By the end, Li Caifa's eyes had widened, filled with murderous intent.
He had to seize this opportunity no matter what. Du Yuesheng was suffering from severe asthma and could only gasp for breath after saying a few words. He was unable to take charge of the overall situation. Most of the core members of the Green Gang were making a living through their own businesses. Apart from his disciples such as Wan Molin, Gu Jiatang, and Lu Jingshi, who were right in front of Du Yuesheng, it could be said that all the Green Gang members in Hong Kong followed his lead.
This sickly fellow, even on his deathbed, didn't want to give me a chance?
Although Hong Kong lacks the bustling glamour of Shanghai, Li Caifa aspires to solidify his reputation as the Du Yuesheng of Hong Kong and become the true number one figure in Hong Kong. He plans to wage war Wo Shing Yee He Shengyi, establish his name in a single battle, and then organize the Green Gang's inaugural assembly. Du Yuesheng's health will prevent him from personally leading the assembly. Gu Jiatang, Wan Molin, and others are not even in a position to compete with him in Hong Kong; he is the best candidate to organize the assembly. At that time, all Green Gang members coming to Hong Kong will gather under his command according to the rules. He might be able to replicate the success of Huang Jinrong and Du Yuesheng in Shanghai Bund in Hong Kong.
Wan Molin sneered at Li Caifa's blatant display of malice, no longer holding back. He sneered, "You bastard, you dare glare at me? When I was throwing people into the Huangpu River and robbing opium behind Brother Sheng, I didn't even have time to pamper your old mother! Now that you're in Hong Kong, you think you're some kind of playboy? I'll fucking kill you! I only stopped you here because I knew you were full of shit, afraid you'd stink up Brother Sheng. Get out!"
"Bang!" Li Caifa slammed his hand on the table, seemingly about to turn hostile, but before he could speak, Gu Jiatang, the second steward of the Du family and bodyguard of Du Yuesheng, who was once the leader of the Heng Society Small Eight Stock Party Gang in Shanghai Bund and one of Du Yuesheng's Four Vajras, nicknamed Garden A-gen, stepped in and quickly pressed a pistol against the back of Li Caifa's head.
Wan Molin, a cigarette dangling from his lips, slowly observed Li Caifa, who dared not make a move. He pulled a small dagger from his waist, which he used for peeling fruit and self-defense, and slapped it in front of Li Caifa: "What? If you're really tough, just pick up a knife and slit my throat. I guarantee Ah Gen won't shoot. If you dare to slit my throat, then you're someone who's made it Shanghai Bund. If you don't dare, then get out of here obediently and stop trying to use Brother Sheng's name. You think you can compare to Brother Sheng just because you own a few hotels, a few nightclubs, and a morphine factory? Don't even mention Brother Sheng. When it comes to shrewdness, back when your father monopolized the rice prices in Shanghai Bund, you didn't even know how to count money."
Li Caifa stared at the small dagger on the table with a gloomy face, but after taking several deep breaths, he finally got up and walked quickly outside.
"Get those people out of there. This is the Du Mansion, not a circus," Gu Jiatang Li Caifa slowly, putting away his pistol.
After Li Caifa left the Du Mansion, Gu Jiatang looked at Wan Molin and asked, "What exactly does Brother Sheng mean?"
"Brother Sheng said that the Green Gang brothers have been keeping a low profile and not officially opening their headquarters, which is how they truly gained a foothold in Hong Kong. Now, with the 14K from Guangzhou acting as a fortress, they're competing with local gangs for territory and attracting the attention of those local triads. What the Green Gang brothers should do is cultivate good relationships with the local gangs and secure their financial resources. Oh, right, it's that line Lu Jingshi mentioned on the phone from Taiwan last time, something from a storytelling book: 'Build high walls, store up grain, and delay declaring yourself king.' That scoundrel Li Caifa thinks he's a big boss just because he's had a full meal. If Brother Sheng lends him the banner, then the Green Gang will fall apart." Wan Molin picked up the dagger, then held an apple from the fruit plate on the table, skillfully peeling it as he spoke.
"Is Li Caifa working outside?"
"It has nothing to do with Brother Sheng. Li Caifa doesn't use Brother Sheng's name. If he wants to cause trouble, let him. Anyway, he has gathered many Green Gang brothers. It doesn't matter if those brothers are willing to risk their lives for him, but if there are deaths, injuries, or losses, it can't be blamed on Brother Sheng. You don't need to think too much about it. The old man thinks about these things more thoroughly than we do. He cares about his reputation before and after his death. Even if he's about to die, he won't let the Green Gang brothers die in his name before he dies." Wan Molin exhaled a puff of smoke. "Our families have all been settled in Taiwan. If Li Caifa holds a ceremony in his name after the old man passes away, then we'll send him down to join the old man."
As Li Caifa walked out of the Du Mansion, a group of disciples gathered around him. "Mr. Choi Fat? How is Mr. Du?"
"That house was a gift from me to Mr. Du, so naturally I'll handle it myself. Burning it down would be a disgrace to me. Let the brothers wipe out that gang called Wo Shing Yee and show them the power of our Green Gang!" The gloom on Li Caifa's face had disappeared as he stepped out, and he spoke to the crowd with boundless pride.
The Green Gang members got into their cars or left, and began to arrange their men as instructed by Li Caifa. After a while, the area outside the Du Mansion returned to quiet, with only Li Caifa standing outside the Du Mansion and several bodyguards waiting in front of his car.