Li Caifa, beaming, shook Chen Zhongying's hand. "Brother Zhongying, this is my factory. You must have heard about what's been happening in the underworld these past two days. The Green Gang is an outsider, and so is 14K. Will the local gangs be on our side? Perhaps we could join forces. If you're interested, Brother Zhongying, we can also discuss the business of the goods in the factory."
Chapter 151 Searching for East Liang Mountain
Compared with Li Caifa, who was born as a local ruffian and looked like a wealthy gentleman in suits and ties, he still gave people a strong charlatanism. Chen Zhongying, a former Kuomintang soldier who had received systematic military training, although he no longer wore military uniforms, he still retained He has a somewhat completely different temperament from Li Caifa, and in the past two years, he has been fighting in the east and west of Hong Kong, carving out a territory with 14K men, and he has the cold and hard arrogance he brought back from the battlefield. Even if he has a smile on his face, he still can't hide it.
"Mr. Choi Fat, if you consider Lichi Nightclub beneath your notice, then there's no other nightclub in all of Hong Kong that's worthy of your attention," Chen Zhongying said, shaking hands with Li Caifa and offering a slight smile.
The two walked side by side up the stairs into Li Caifa's office at the factory. After exchanging a few polite words, Li Caifa got straight to the point:
"Brother Zhongying, the Hung Mun Triad Society and the Green Gang Three Vassal Society both initially rallied under the banner of overthrowing the Qing and restoring the Ming, supporting each other. Currently, the only legitimate Hongmen organization in Hong Kong is the pier at Hung Mun Hongfa Mountain 14K. As for the Green Gang, Mr. Du is seriously ill, and I am temporarily in charge of the situation. The Green Gang is currently at odds with the He-prefix gangs, and 14K has a grudge against the Chiu Chow Gang. Why don't our two gangs follow the example of our predecessors, join forces, and carve out a place for ourselves in Hong Kong?"
These words, neither refined nor colloquial, made Chen Zhongying frown. He was a soldier, but also a man of both literary and martial talents. To other martial arts practitioners, Li Caifa's Li Caifa might have sounded like those of a cultured and eloquent man who could utter elegant and refined phrases. But to Chen Zhongying, these words only felt nauseating.
However, Chen Zhongying wore a faint smile on his face, appearing to be listening attentively.
As for the Hung Mun Triad Society and the Green Gang Three Vassal Society, he simply took it as a joke by Li Caifa.
The name "Green Gang" in Hung Mun Triad Society) signifies the right timing, location, and people. In the early Qing Dynasty, Qingbang (Qing Gang) did indeed call itself Three Vassal Society (Three Feudatories Society), with "Fan" meaning vassal, commemorating the three vassal kings of the late Ming Dynasty: the Prince of Fu, the Prince of Tang, and the Prince of Gui. Although both names contain the character "San," the Qing and Hong gangs never had any interaction. Although Hung Mun has now degenerated into a gang of thugs and ruffians, it never backed down in the face of the Qing Dynasty, constantly organizing various armed rebellions and unwaveringly adhering to the four principles of "opposing the Qing and restoring the Ming."
The Green Gang's Three Vassal Society, on the other hand, never openly clashed with the Qing government even once. They were submissive and submissive. When other organizations that openly opposed the Qing, such as the Hung Mun Triad Society and the White Lotus Sect, claimed that the Green Gang's semi-submission to the Qing government was out of necessity, and that they were willing to act as inside agents to obtain intelligence and cooperate with the White Lotus Sect and the Triad Society from within.
However, during the more than two hundred years of the Qing Dynasty, the White Lotus Sect and the Triad Society launched dozens or even Three Vassal Society armed rebellions against the Qing, but the Green Gang never acted as an inside agent even once. By the mid-to-late Qing Dynasty, the Green Gang Sanfan Society, which had already started calling itself the An Green Gang, had completely degenerated into a local bully organization in South and East China that relied on water for its descendants. Apart from the Daoist names and a few poems passed down by the forty-eight founders of the Green Gang, Jin Bifeng, who were known for their pure morality, literary Buddhist teachings, human ethics and wisdom, original self-confidence, perfect enlightenment and ritual, great understanding and enlightenment, all things returning to the right path, passing on the precious precepts, transforming and converting the heart, opening up the universal gate, upholding the vastness and prosperity, and shining upon the universe, the Green Gang had completely degenerated into a local bully organization that relied on water for its own benefit in South and East China.
This is also why many members of the Hung Mun look down on the Green Gang.
Although Chen Zhongying joined the 14K later and wasn't a true member of the Hung Mun, he had been in the gang for a long time and was used to hearing such talk. He agreed with it in his heart, especially since both the Green Gang and the 14K came to Hong Kong in 1949. Now, the 14K had established a considerable territory in Kowloon, while the Green Gang had never officially opened its doors. Many of the Green Gang's followers were just scraping by following Li Caifa, Du Yuesheng, or other big names in the Green Gang.
"I wonder what you mean by 'joint cooperation' that you mentioned, Mr. Choi Fat?" Chen Zhongying turned to look at Li Caifa and asked slowly.
Li Caifa chuckled and said, "I've long heard of the skills and abilities of the brothers of 14K. They've fought over thirty battles, big and small, with the Eastern Guangdong Gang and Chiu Chow Gangs in the past two years without a single defeat. I admire their courage. But, Brother Zhongying, it's probably unrealistic for 14K to think they can establish a foothold in Hong Kong with just a few opium dens, some loan sharking, and a few Gambling dens."
Chen Zhongying remained silent, his expression unchanged. Li Caifa continued, "Which of the Eastern Guangdong Gangs, Chiu Chow Gangs, Sze Yap Gangs, and Dongguan gangs truly grew so large by running gambling, prostitution, and drug businesses? Without a major merchant providing a path to wealth, how can they possibly expand their influence? Even with thousands of people eating and drinking, they'd eventually be crushed. What I mean is, I have good relationships with some wealthy people from Shanghai who have come to Hong Kong. I've been in Hong Kong longer than you, Zhongying, and I have some businesses. If 14K sends men to join forces with the Green Gang to take down the He-prefix gangs, once the Green Gang establishes a foothold and the wealthy Shanghai people expand their influence in Hong Kong, Zhongying, why would you be afraid that those Shanghai tycoons won't come knocking on your door asking for your help? If you agree, even my morphine factory will prioritize supplying 14K with half of its future products. These are all high-quality goods."
As he spoke, Li Caifa's eagerness became evident on his face, his eyes burning as he looked at Chen Zhongying face was as hard as iron.
In Li Caifa's view, although 14K seemed to have a territory in Hong Kong, it was still far inferior to other local gangs in terms of foundation and hidden strength. If it weren't for the fact that 14K's Hall Master and Incense Masters were indeed exceptionally intelligent and good at scheming, local gangs would have sent the police to deliberately cause trouble for 14K, dragging people into the police station every day until 14K had to close down.
Green Gang was the best option for 14K. Once Du Yuesheng breathed his last, the wealthy businessmen in Shanghai who needed the protection of gangsters would have no choice but to rely on him. Although 14K had always claimed to be backed by the Kuomintang, the local gangs had long seen through it. If the Kuomintang really supported 14K, they would not have allowed a group of Kuomintang remnants to be reduced to competing with gangsters for the gambling, prostitution, and drug businesses.