Zhang Yuliang, cigarette dangling from his lips, pointed at Song Tianyao: "Of course not. My initial mistake was letting Dai Feng kill someone. In business, initiating a murder puts you at a disadvantage from the start, and the worst part is not even killing the person. That was a fatal mistake for me; one wrong move and the whole game was lost, while you were able to stir up trouble. Everything I did to salvage the situation was simply self-preservation. However, I don't regret it. If I had killed you then, the Zhang Family wouldn't have been in chaos, and I would have had a chance to slowly plot, unlike now, where things are rather messy." "You can't blame Dai Feng for being a good-for-nothing. What did you just say? Do I have a backup plan? Of course I do. My eldest brother can't turn things around this time, but the Zhang Family is still around. I haven't gotten everything I want yet, so of course I have to continue fighting with my second brother. He's even tougher to beat than my eldest brother, but I'm confident. I've already lost once, and I won't make the same mistake again. I lost this round because I didn't consider you a worthy opponent. After I get the Zhang Family's business, if we happen to meet again in the business world, we'll play another round. I guarantee you won't feel like I started strong but finished weak, or that you didn't get enough fun."
"If you lose again next time, I might show you how to kill in the business world. Goodbye, Zhang Yuliang." Song Tianyao nodded slightly to Zhang Yuliang, then got up and walked towards the door.
Zhang Yuliang leaned back in his chair, looked at Song Tianyao who had turned away, and said, "See you outside, Song Tianyao."
Then he smiled, closed his eyes, and hummed a passage from the Cantonese opera "Dream Broken, Fragrance Faded for Forty Years": "My body may become soil of Kuaiji Mountain, but my ambition remains in the northern towers. Though shackled, my heroic spirit remains unchanged. I wish that tomorrow I will recover the Central Plains and pacify the four seas! I fear not the swords ahead, for I will return!"
He was trapped inside the iron bars, yet he seemed as confident as God, looking down upon the entire world outside.
Ambition and desire are laid bare in these hummed lyrics!
Likang is in the warehouse at the Central Pier.
"Here's three hundred thousand Hong Kong dollars. Young Master Shun asked me to deliver it to the brothers who have worked hard these past few days, so they can have some tea." Song Tianyao chuckled as he poured the three hundred thousand Hong Kong dollars, contained in a plastic bag, onto the table in front of Golden-Tooth Lei.
Golden-Tooth Lei looked at the Hong Kong Hong Kong dollars in front of him with a wide smile.
Why would a Fuyixing Hing try so hard to curry favor with these businessmen? The money in front of them is the most direct evidence of that.
Likang used a thousand men from Fuyixing to keep an eye on the Customs warehouse in shifts. This was an easy job, requiring no gang fights or life-or-death struggles. Likang could easily give Hong Kong dollars 300,000 to his hardworking gang members. Apart from the few Big-Time Tycoon uncles, Fuyixing might not be able to accumulate Hong Kong dollars in net profit in a month from protection fees collected in Kowloon, plus the cuts from all gambling, prostitution, and drug businesses.
However, just guarding a warehouse for a rich man could earn him Hong Kong dollars 300,000. Based on a thousand people, Likang paid each person HK$300 for their hard work, which was higher than the monthly salary of many secretaries in large companies and trading companies. Of course, this money could not be distributed all at once. Leaders of the Fuyixing Hing, such as Golden-Tooth Lei and Gao Lao Cheng, would take a share, and a sum would be set aside within the triad. In the end, it would be a great blessing if each of the thousand people received Hong Kong dollars 100.
"Thank you, thank you Secretary Song, and please Young Master Shun for me as well." Golden-Tooth Lei had his men put away the Hong Kong dollars, and then asked Song Tianyao, "Secretary Song, is there anything else you need during this time?"
"No, arrange for someone to take good care of Young Master Shun and my family. The court hearing is today, so be careful," Song Tianyao said to Golden-Tooth Lei.
Golden-Tooth Lei hurriedly said, "Don't worry, we've got people all lined up at Likang's warehouse, Tai Wo Street where Secretary Song's family lives, around Young Master Shun, and at Likang Company. I've even specially assigned some quick-witted brothers to keep an eye on those people in Five Counties."
After listening, Song Tianyao smiled at Golden-Tooth Lei and said, "You're very thoughtful."
After saying that, Song Tianyao turned and left the warehouse. Golden-Tooth Lei, who was behind him, hesitated for a moment, then pursed his lips. He knew that once he finished his business these past two days, he had to talk to Song Tianyao about his relationship with his uncles, Fuyixing, and others. He couldn't delay any longer.
Song Tianyao left the pier and drove with his Rotten-Life Ju to the Hong Kong Supreme Court on Queensway.
The Zhang Family has been very peaceful for the past two weeks. Song Tianyao and Likang have not made any further moves against the Zhang Family. In the two weeks leading up to Zhang Yujie's trial, it was as if the two sides had reached a ceasefire agreement and became like strangers.
The day after Britain newspapers broke the scandal involving European Coast Company, major Hong Kong newspapers immediately published news of Hong Kong Customs and Police seizing smuggled military supplies and pharmaceuticals, as well as the malicious arson attack on Customs warehouse, echoing the reports from London.
Some newspapers, even lured by the profits from Likang, proactively interviewed Shen Wenkang, the Customs Department, whose photo was published in London newspapers, and some of the British Army involved in the seizure operation, thus amplifying the impact. On the third day, the Government House even issued a commendation order, rewarding the personnel who cracked down on illegal activities of smuggling prohibited goods in violation of the Embargo Order during this period.
For many interested people, this already demonstrates the Government House's attitude.
As Song Tianyao got off the Queensway, he saw Chu Xiaoxin holding some loose change and talking to a Shaman Woman on the side of the road outside the courthouse. Chu Xiaozhong, Kong Wing-yan, Chan Ah-sap and others stood beside him, their faces showing a mixture of amusement and exasperation.
"Boss, are you worshipping the gods?" Song Tianyao walked over and asked Chu Xiaoxin with a smile.
Chu Xiaoxin ignored Song Tianyao and instead handed the loose change in his hand to the Shaman Woman sitting on the ground, saying, "Zhang Yujie and Zhang Yuliang, just these two."
The disheveled Shaman Woman on the ground took the change from Chu Xiaoxin and deftly cut out two small figures from yellow paper with scissors. She wrote the names Zhang Yujie and Zhang Yuliang on the figures, then placed them on the ground. Grabbing a tattered shoe, she began her ritual, whipping the two figures hard with the sole while chanting incantations:
"Beat you, beat you, beat your little head! Beat you, beat you, beat your little head! This old shoe will beat your hands, leaving you with nothing; this old shoe will beat your feet, leaving you with nowhere to run..."
Song Tianyao finally understood why Chu Xiaozhong and the others next to him were both amused and exasperated. It was already disgusting enough that a wealthy young master would come to the court to watch his business rival's trial, but to actually have Shaman Woman perform a curse on the other party outside the gate was even worse.