That is, Song Tianyao promised Qi Weiwen, 14K, that 14K could use the name already recognized by the Hung Mun East Liang Mountain to find an opportunity to take action against the Green Gang.
Based on what Rotten-Life Ju knew before, Song Tianyao was a ruthless swindler, yet he didn't even ask for any benefits just because Qi Weiwen was pretty? If it were Chu Xiaoxin, Rotten-Life Ju might believe it. Apart from Chu Xiaoxin, none of the three— Song Tianyao, Chu Yaozong, or Chu Xiaozhong —were the type to lose their senses and become weak-kneed at the sight of a woman.
"Secretary Song, I don't understand," said Rotten-Life Ju to Song Tianyao. "Why would you do 14K a favor if there's no benefit to it? If you and Mountain Lord Song don't agree, 14K's actions against the Green Gang will be illegitimate, and they'll just have to stand by and do nothing."
"It's not a favor, didn't I? I asked that woman to smell the flowers for me, didn't I?" Song Tianyao said with a smile, gripping the steering wheel. "Who knows, since I'm so generous, that woman might throw herself at me."
Would Qi Weiwen be the kind of woman who would throw herself into someone's arms so easily? Rotten-Life Ju could tell that Song Tianyao was just joking, so he didn't say anything more. He was a member of the Chiu Chow Gang, so of course he couldn't have a good impression of 14K, who had been fighting with the Chiu Chow Gang for two years. Song Tianyao was from Chiu Chow people and worked for the Chu Family in Chiu Chow, so there was no reason for him to help 14K like this.
"14K insisted on fighting the Green Gang for two reasons. First, he wanted to maintain good relations with the local He-prefix gangs, with whom he had never had any conflicts. This time, the He -He-prefix gangs' attack on the Green Gang was an opportunity. Second, naturally, he wanted to eliminate the Green Gang and drive away Li Caifa. This way, 14K could find ways to get in touch with wealthy Shanghai businessmen and avoid being left without support. While doing this, 14K also had to prevent the Chiu Chow people gangs such as Chao Yong Yi, Chao Hing On, and Fuyixing, and even the Eastern Guangdong Gangs such as Guangsheng and Guangxing, from intervening halfway while they were fighting fiercely with Li Caifa's gangs and reaping the benefits." "My grandfather is the leader of the East Liang Mountain branch of the Hung Mun. I work for the Chiu Chow people. If I say I don't want any benefits, do you think 14K would believe me?" Song Tianyao said, beckoning to Rotten-Life Ju his finger. "Do you really think that woman would stupidly go and smell orchids if I told her to? That kind of woman is a snake. If she wasn't smart, how could she have become the head of the inner Hall Master of 14K at only thirty-something years old? Do you think I sent them to the Central Pier at night to enjoy the night view? 14K is willing to offer themselves up, so of course I'm embarrassed to ask for any benefits."
Rotten-Life Ju handed over a cigarette and lit it for Song Tianyao, who was driving.
"So where do we go next?" Rotten-Life Ju was almost unable to sit still after hearing Song Tianyao's rambling questions. He wished he could get out of the car immediately and get the Chiu Chow Gang Big Brother to form an alliance with the He-prefix gangs. Otherwise, if Song Tianyao really followed the analysis of 14K's actions, after defeating the Green Gang, they would join forces with the He-prefix gangs and get on board with the wealthy Shanghai businessmen who no longer needed Li Caifa from the Green Gang to run errands. Then 14K would have truly gained a foothold in Hong Kong.
Song Tianyao shook his head in annoyance. "Go see Huang Xiaoqiu, the owner of Xiangbaoxing Pharmaceutical Trading Company, which is the largest pharmaceutical company among our Chiu Chow people besides the Zhang Family and those Five Counties merchants. This Mr. Huang is quite unlucky. He was shot dead by Zhang Yujie, who suddenly returned to Hong Kong. He can't get goods from the Zhang Family, which means that he can only watch others take away his share of the most profitable and popular pharmaceutical business."
As he spoke, Song Tianyao glanced at Rotten-Life Ju with a smile, "Are you wondering again, what's the point of seeing someone like that?"
"Secretary Song, I really didn't expect this. I'm the one who works hard for the Chiu Chow merchants. I understand when my superiors tell me to kill people, but what you're saying is hard to understand." Rotten-Life Ju lit a cigarette and smiled awkwardly.
He was very famous in the martial arts world, Double Red Pole, and was always surrounded by followers at the docks. He had hundreds of disciples and grand-disciples, but compared to Song Tianyao, who made a living by his brains, he was still worlds apart. The other party was just a small secretary, but Uncle Yan could make a phone call and have the Big Brother Chan Ah-sap hurriedly send him to follow him.
"I was thinking about Zhang Yuliang." Song Tianyao flicked some cigarette ash out the window and said, "If he has a backup plan, I'll help him out; if not, I'll just consider it helping the Zhang Family."
Rotten-Life Ju was stunned for a moment. "Wasn't Zhang Yuliang taken back by his family to be a scapegoat?"
Song Tianyao shook his head slightly. "If you knew that coming to Likang would mean being taken away as a scapegoat for the Zhang Family, would you just give up and surrender? Zhang Yuliang is clearly blinded by rage. Setting fire to the house means he's truly broken ties with the Zhang Family. Is he really going to be taken back so easily? Does he have no backup plan? A person blinded by rage will fight to the death for even the slightest chance. He won't admit defeat. Zhang Yuliang is that kind of person. That guy must still have some trump cards up his sleeve. He won't leave so quickly."
"Chan Ah-sap of Chao Yong Yi is leading his men to move the seized medicines from the Customs dock to Likang Company's own warehouse." Cai Jianxiong stood in front of Zhang Yujie and said, "Should we send the brothers out to seize the medicines back?"
Zhang Yujie was sitting with his eyes closed in his office chair, listening to his assistant A-Yin, read out some documents and accounts the company had handled during his trip to Australia. A-Yin stopped talking when Cai Jianxiong entered, and after Cai Jianxiong finished speaking, Zhang Yujie didn't even open his eyes. "Chu Family know that the Governor of Hong Kong has already accepted bribes from the Zhang Family? Would they still do something so stupid? Let him be. In two days, just take the list to the Customs Department to pick up the goods."
"What if the Customs Foreign Devil deny it?" Cai Jianxiong said, "Mr. Zhang, those scoundrels from Chao Yong Yi aren't just smuggling goods out of the country, they're also filling the warehouse with counterfeit medicine. It's clearly a case of passing off inferior goods as superior ones. What if Customs insists that the counterfeit medicines they're filling in are the goods seized by the Pharmaceutical Association? What if the Chu Family plans to split those medicines with Customs..."
"Split it up? It's normal for Foreign Devil like the Customs Department to take bribes, but knowing the Governor had already taken my money and even after the British Army withdrew, he still dared to touch my goods. That means he's too comfortable in his position and wants to be transferred. I can spend two million to bribe the Governor, so I'm not afraid to spend another million to replace him with another Customs Department." Zhang Yujie opened his eyes and said to Cai Jianxiong, "Have your men check where those goods were taken. Chu Yaozong and Chu Xiaozhong wouldn't do something so stupid, but it's hard to say about Chu Xiaoxin."