Song Chunzhong hurriedly led several members of the Wo On Lok to a suite at the Hong Kong Hotel. Inside the suite, Su Wenting's widow Chang Yue'e, was waiting for news from them.
"Sister-in-law..." Su Wenting opened his mouth to the woman with a sense of loss, but finally said dejectedly, "Let Ah Zhen tell you."
The burly young man behind him was Ah Zhen, who had threatened to chop him up with an axe the night before. Seeing Chang Yue'e's gaze fall on him, Ah Zhen lowered his head nervously. "I asked the police," he said, "And all nine branches of the Shui Fong have been raided by the cops. I heard even the brothers working peacefully at the Soda Factory have been arrested. Not to mention the Opium dens and Brothels. Rumors are circulating that the Shui Fong is determined to side with the mainland and become righteous, so the Foreign Devil are making an example of them, trying to wipe out the Shui Fong in Hong Kong. Not only are they arresting people, but many of the branch Big Brother' rented shops have been seized, and even their bank deposits are said to be frozen."
Chang Yue'e was certainly not foolish enough to only listen to the one-sided story brought back by Song Chunzhong and his group. She had also arranged for other people to inquire about the information beforehand. Now, after comparing the information from various sources, she found that there was no major error in what was said.
It seems the Foreign Devil are serious about cracking down on organized crime in the Shui Fong this time.
"Sister-in-law, this room is registered in my name. I'm Malaysia, so the police won't check here for now. I can afford the room rate, and I don't mind staying for three or five years. But this isn't a long-term solution. Ah Zhen also mentioned that even bank deposits are about to be frozen. Who knows if it will implicate our families? I'm straightforward, so I might as well speak frankly. Which of your families hasn't done something shady? So it's better to make plans sooner rather than later and leave Hong Kong. My foreign status is still somewhat useful for now, so I can help book cruise tickets and such. At most, I can reserve a few private cabins and bribe the sailors to sneak everyone onto the ship. Once everyone is on board and the ship leaves the dock, even if problems arise, a large tip will be enough to cover it. Sister-in-law, just give the word, and I'll arrange it right away." Song Chunzhong spoke up after Chang Yue'e had thought for a while.
He still maintained an air of righteousness and awe-inspiring integrity.
Chang Yue'e no longer harbored any suspicions about Song Chunzhong. The current situation in Hong Kong was not something that a Malay like Song Chunzhong could have caused. Now it seemed that Shui Fong was merely influenced by the Lin Family and was being used by the Britain a warning to others. The death of Lord Ting could not possibly be attributed to Song Chunzhong.
"What's the rush to run away? The most important thing is the money in the bank!" a round-faced, plump middle-aged woman said in a high-pitched voice from the side.
She was Lord Ting's eldest daughter. Previously, she and her stepmother, who was about the same age, kept to themselves and rarely interacted. However, after Su Wenting's death, this daughter rushed out and hovered around Chang Yue'e. Chang Yue'e knew very well what she was after; it was nothing more than money left by Su Wenting.
"Deposits..." Song Chunzhong clicked his tongue, his face bitter as he said to Chang Yue'e, "Sister-in-law, I can barely help with gathering information and running errands, but I don't have any connections in the banking sector in Hong Kong. Perhaps you should leave first; money is just an external thing..."
"Where can we go without money! It's all material possessions. Without these things, we would have starved to death long ago! We can't let Foreign Devil and cops benefit from our money!" Su Wenting's eldest daughter said impatiently from the side.
Using Su Wenting's name, she opened several Brothels in Kowloon, but they were raided by the police last night. Even her husband, who was present, was taken to the police station. She was lucky to escape unscathed.
Chang Yue'e was actually reluctant to part with the money she had in the bank, which totaled about two or three million. It would be a waste to leave it all in Hong Kong. She could only rely on the gold jewelry and cash she had on her to flee overseas to avoid trouble. In the end, it wouldn't feel as secure as having a large sum of money with her. Besides, she couldn't take many properties with her. If she couldn't even take her savings with her, she wouldn't be able to establish herself in Malaysia...
Chang Yue'e spoke calmly, "Mr. Sun, you've always done business around the world, you must have encountered this kind of thing before. Can you help me think of a solution? Once the Shui Fong gets through this crisis, we'll surely repay you in the future."
Song Chunzhong scratched his head, and after a long while, he finally raised his head as if he had made up his mind. "I have a method, but don't think I have ulterior motives when I tell you, sister-in-law. It's just an emergency."
Tell me about it.
"Withdrawing large sums of money requires applying well in advance, and it's too late now. So, before the police freeze it, let's transfer all the deposits to my account at the same bank. This way, it doesn't involve cash, it's just a matter of going through the accounting process, which is very quick. Besides, I'm a foreigner, so even if the Hong Kong Police Force wanted to freeze my account, it wouldn't be so easy. They would have to investigate my information in Malaysia first. The paperwork going back and forth between the two places takes time. We can use this time to go to Malaysia and withdraw the deposits from Malaysia branch there." Song Chunzhong looked directly at Chang Yue'e with a calm expression. "However, I'm worried that you, sister-in-law, might doubt my motives for saying this."
"I'll deposit the money in your name, and you can withdraw it and give it to me when we get to Malaysia?" Chang Yue'e pondered Song Chunzhong's suggestion.
Su Wenting's daughter spoke up, "What if you don't want to take it out later?"
"So, when my sister-in-law asked me for a solution, this was the only one I could come up with. It's all about keeping your word. I said I would definitely come up with it, but none of you believe me, so I have no choice. Therefore, I might as well just give up my savings and..."
"Of course I trust Mr. Sun. Transferring the money to your name is fine, but you'll be under our watchful eyes for the time being," Chang Yue'e said. "If Mr. Sun truly keeps his word in Malaysia, I'm willing to offer ten percent as a reward. But if Mr. Sun has ulterior motives, even though the Shui Fong was raided by the police..."
"Sister-in-law, I understand what you mean. You'll see when the time comes that I truly value honor above all else. Money is just an external thing to me. What I'm thinking about right now is..." Song Chunzhong sighed and said, "The most important thing is to ensure that Lord Ting's family travels safely and in good condition."
Chapter 428 A person's word must be kept.
Lou Fengyun held Song Tianyao's head against her chest and gently massaged his forehead with both hands. Fu Xinniang, standing beside her, fed Song Tianyao peeled grapes one by one to his lips, while the twin sisters Shuyan Shi Yin gently massaged Song Tianyao's legs.