When Immortals Fight, Little Demons Suffer (continued)
He rented four boats to transport medicine: three speedboats and one small cargo boat converted from a fishing boat. But today, the shipowner suddenly sent people to the dock to unload the engines from all four boats, saying that the boats were to be sent back to the shipyard for major repairs.
Major ship repairs are no problem, but according to the previously signed charter agreement, if the shipowner sends the ship to the shipyard for repairs halfway through the journey, they need to temporarily arrange another ship for Feng Yichang. However, the shipowner's workers disappeared after unloading the engine. When Feng Yichang called the shipowner, the shipowner said that there were no spare ships available to spare. Moreover, the tone of their words implied that they would have to pay a penalty of 50,000 to 100,000 yuan per ship according to the contract.
Feng Yichang was a seasoned businessman. Although he hadn't become one of those wealthy tycoons who were prominent figures in Tung Wah Group of Hospitals and Po Leung Kuk, he still had some savings. Sensing the shipowner's tone was off, he suppressed his anger and didn't immediately lash out. Instead, he chuckled dryly and suggested they talk again in a couple of days.
After hanging up the shipowner's call, I contacted other people in the pharmaceutical business. Sure enough, most of the Five Counties pharmaceutical merchants who were engaged in the business of transporting pharmaceuticals by sea had their chartered ships had their engines removed by workers arranged by their respective shipowners. Moreover, when I called to inquire, they all had the same experience as Feng Yichang. The other party said that there were no spare ships and they could only use others. If I broke the contract, they would just pay the penalty for breach of contract.
This was clearly someone targeting the Pharmaceutical Association. Hong Kong isn't a very big place, and in just over an hour, Feng Yichang knew that it was Chu Xiaozhong, the eldest son of the Chu Family who was in charge, who had done all of this.
These Five Counties pharmaceutical merchants had neither the courage nor the qualifications to question Chu Yaozong, but they dared to confront Chu Xiaozhong, who was only thirty years old. A dozen or so pharmaceutical merchants stormed Chu Xiaozhong's Li Heng Company.
Chu Xiaozhong did not refuse to see guests. Instead, he came out of his office and invited Feng Yichang and the other Five Counties medicine merchants into the conference room. He then had his secretary pour a cup of coffee for each of them and asked Feng Yichang with a smile what their purpose was.
Feng Yichang remembered that one of the more impatient fellows beside him spoke in a rather harsh tone, "A-Zhong! We're not in the same boat. Now you're suddenly causing trouble, getting those ship owners to suddenly take back all their ships. Are you trying to make things difficult for all of us?"
"Smash!" Chu Xiaozhong was holding his coffee cup, about to take a sip, when he heard this, he slammed the coffee cup to the ground!
In a flash, his face transformed from warm to furious. "I heard that the Zhang Family is going against my younger brother, Ah Sin. My brother had the newspapers publish news about the Zhang Family's company cutting off his raw materials. Were you all running errands and pulling strings for the Zhang Family at various newspapers? 100,000 yuan per newspaper? You all have a lot of money! I have a lot of money too. You can use money to shut up the newspapers, and I can use money to make the shipowners talk!"
These words left all the Five Counties present, panting heavily and their eyes red. Chu Xiaozhong's attitude clearly indicated he wanted to wage war against them, a war to the death.
If this fight continues, it will only result in each side sabotaging the other's business. If you sabotage my ships, I'll sabotage your cargo. It will lead to a lose-lose situation. Chu Xiaozhong really going to take such a step for the sake of the incompetent Chu Xiaoxin?
"A-Zhong, as you know, the Zhang Family has always been in charge of the pharmaceutical industry. The agency rights for several major pharmaceutical companies in Hong Kong and even Southeast Asia are all in the hands of the Zhang Family. Only the Zhang Family has those sought-after drugs. It's because the Zhang Yuliang, has a grudge against Ah Sin. Do you really have to turn against us, the people who do small business behind the Zhang Family?" Feng Yichang was the oldest among them. When Chu Xiaozhong turned against them, the others on his side didn't know what to say. Only he awkwardly smiled and tried to smooth over the awkward atmosphere in the meeting room.
With someone offering a way out, Chu Xiaozhong stopped his sullen face and softened his tone, saying, "Uncle Feng, it is indeed a small problem between Ah Sin and the Zhang Family, but you can stand up for the Zhang Family, and I can stand up for my dear brother. We're all doing the same thing, so what's the difference?"
"Of course it's different, of course it's different. We all helped the Zhang Family out of necessity, since we rely on the Zhang Family to receive goods and do business. None of us have any grudges against Ah Sin or you, so why did you have to hurt the harmony of so many people all at once?" Feng Yichang tried to make his smile look more friendly as he spoke.
Chu Xiaozhong looked at everyone in the conference room. "I can't just stand by and watch you all side with the Zhang Family and bully my younger brother just because you need to do business with them. If the Zhang Family doesn't admit defeat, then let's keep fighting. I don't care."
His words made everyone, including Feng Yichang, want to curse him inwardly. Of course, the Chu Family didn't care. They were a large and powerful family, and they could wear down small business owners like them. But if Chu Xiaozhong really wanted to act like a rogue, there was nothing anyone could do.
"The Pharmaceutical Association is now run by the Zhang Family..." Feng Yichang said bitterly, unable to finish the sentence.
Some who considered themselves clever immediately said, "Zhang Yujie is the president of the Pharmaceutical Association, but we can't let the Zhang Family and the Chu Family become enemies and drag everyone down with them. Let's go to the Zhang Family 'Zhang Family company and demand an explanation. Right now, all our goods have been seized by Customs, and our ships have been taken back. Zhang Yujie, who should be in charge, isn't in Hong Kong. If the Zhang Family doesn't give us an explanation, let's just vote to elect someone else to lead the way!"
The pharmaceutical merchants following behind the Zhang Family ranged in wealth from a few million Hong Kong dollars to a few million Hong Kong dollars. Their vision and shrewdness were far inferior. When someone spoke up, they all nodded in agreement. That's right, the Pharmaceutical Association is facing a major crisis, and Zhang Yujie, who should be stepping forward, is unable to take charge. So why don't we just vote to elect someone else to temporarily take charge?
Only Chu Xiaozhong glanced at Feng Yichang without making a sound. Just then, Feng Yichang also stole a glance at Chu Xiaozhong. When he saw Chu Xiaozhong looking at him, the old man hurriedly made a fawning smile. When he looked back, it was that same face full of sorrow.
The cunning old fox Feng Yichang deliberately only said half a sentence, waiting for someone else to foolishly step forward and speak first.
"What if..." After Feng Yichang and the others finished speaking, they hesitated and looked at Chu Xiaozhong.
Chu Xiaozhong smiled at Feng Yichang, "As long as you, Uncle Feng, don't get involved in the Zhang Family and Ah Sin's matter this time, everything is negotiable. If you continue to side with the Zhang Family, as you know, ships are in high demand. Don't wait until it's too late and the business has gone to someone else."