There are many people smuggling prohibited goods in Hong Kong now, simply because the profits are high. Goods worth one million Hong Kong dollars can earn at least two hundred thousand Hong Kong dollars if shipped to the mainland, depending on the goods. If it is gasoline, rubber, or Western medicine, the profit will be even higher.
Smuggling in Hong Kong today is divided into two types. One type involves assembling one's own fleet. For example, Lei Yingdong, who later became the first Chinese in Hong Kong, was now dealing in embargoed goods. As long as Macau or Shenzhen provided a list of required goods, he would handle everything else, from finding sources to assembling a fleet. He was always reliable and of high quality. Compared to many Hong Kong Chinese merchants who profited from the national crisis by selling inferior goods, he was more trusted by Macau and Shenzhen and was regarded as a patriotic businessman by the mainland.
However, Song Tianyao was not optimistic about this approach. It wasn't that he lacked Lei Yingdong's courage and boldness, but rather that he couldn't wait as long as Lei Yingdong. Because of his role in helping to transport embargoed goods during the Korean War, Lei Yingdong had been suppressed by the British Hong Kong Government and British-funded conglomerates for nearly twenty years, starting in the 1960s. It wasn't until the mid-1980s, with the signing of the Sino-British Treaty and the stipulation of Hong Kong in 1997, that Lei Yingdong truly turned the tables and became the first Chinese person in Hong Kong, gaining power and influence throughout the Hong Kong.
The prestige of being allowed by the mainland to hand-pick the Chief Executive candidate is certainly envied by countless godfather-level figures among the Southeast Asia Chinese. However, only he knows the hardships and joys he endured during his twenty years of quiet forbearance.
Another option is to find a Britain company, share some of the smuggling profits, and operate under the guise of a British company. This is much more convenient. First, the local Marine Police will not inspect ships belonging to British companies. Second, even if smuggling prohibited goods is exposed, the British company will be there to protect them. The British Hong Kong Government has always turned a blind eye to British companies smuggling prohibited goods. When things get tense, they will proactively inform the Britain companies in advance, so there won't be any frightening scenes like Lei Yingdong's fleet being chased by the Hong Kong Marine Police and British Forces in Hong Kong stationed in Hong Kong with machine guns.
Both of these smuggling methods involve a large number of people. Large merchants sometimes join forces to form a fleet to smuggle goods through customs, while small and medium-sized chambers of commerce may only have one or two ships. To avoid trouble, they may share some profits with Britain companies.
Song Tianyao is prepared to choose the second option. What he needs now is to make money safely, and he doesn't plan to curry favor with Macau and Shenzhen right now. Most importantly, he can't let Chu Xiaoxin and himself down right now, because if he uses Lei Yingdong's method, he doesn't need to wait for the British Hong Kong Government to intervene. He estimates that Chu Xiaoxin's Dad, Chu Yaozong, can easily deal with him.
There are many ways to curry favor with Macau and Shenzhen, but Lei Yingdong's approach was obviously the most unconventional. By taking care of everything, he naturally made Macau and Shenzhen remember his name. In fact, there is another way: to ensure the quality of goods and not to raise prices exorbitantly.
Why was it that during the Korean War, dozens or even hundreds of Hong Kong merchants participated in smuggling embargoed goods, yet only Lei Yingdong's name was remembered by the mainland and he was later promoted to power? And why was he the only one suppressed by the British Hong Kong Government and British-funded conglomerates? The first reason is that he wanted to gain attention. The second reason is that the British Hong Kong Government was very willing to see Hong Kong make money from the mainland, but it did not really want to see Hong Kong provide embargoed goods to the mainland.
So at that time, both British companies and most Chinese merchants were selling inferior goods as superior ones and charging exorbitant prices. A whole ship of gasoline could be mixed with one-third water, all the medicines were expired or fake, the rubber was defective, and all the steel was scrap metal.
The Hong Kong Colonial Government was happy to see people using junk to cheat mainlanders out of their money. From the mainland's perspective, these businessmen were all profiting from the national crisis, and the fact that they were not punished later was already considered a lenient gesture.
The happiest people in the smuggling business of embargoed goods were actually these British-owned companies. These companies existed on paper, and the legal representatives were often the wives or other family members of high-ranking Foreign Devil in the Hong Kong colony. They did not own any ships that could provide cargo transportation; they were merely providing a title. However, they would take 5%-7% of the profits from each ship.
"Most importantly, besides the employees and laborers, the trading company needs a leader to go out to sea with the ship to overcome obstacles." Song Tianyao looked at Song Tianyao: "Who from Likang Trading Company is in charge of going out to sea? Only me."
Chu Xiaoxin was taken aback for a moment. "Won't there be any danger? If there is, just send Fuyixing's men out to sea."
"With so many trading companies in Hong Kong, big and small, every single one needs someone in charge of everything, besides the company head and the ship, to handle the delivery of goods and the counting of payments. Smuggling doesn't involve bank transactions; it's all cash. The person in charge has to confirm the amount and bring the money back for the boss. If I didn't do that, do you think any trading company would be willing to go to sea? If you could earn more than 20% profit without any problems, then everyone in Hong Kong would be involved in smuggling. Wealth is earned through hard work."
Whether they are affiliated with British companies or follow in the footsteps of Lei Yingdong in forming a fleet, the risks are the same once they leave Hong Kong waters. These piracy-focused Big Tin Yi at sea don't care whether the ship's markings belong to a British company or a Chinese merchant.
Moreover, these "Big Tin Yi" thieves don't rob cargo ships that are delivering goods from Hong Kong. Instead, they lurk in the waters near Macau or Shenzhen, robbing cargo ships that have delivered goods and are returning with cash. They only steal cash, not the cargo. If the ship resists, the entire crew is killed. If the ship submits, the crew is spared.
These Big Tin Yi are only slightly inferior in weaponry to the Britain Navy stationed in Hong Kong. If the Hong Kong Marine Police's cargo ships converted into anti-smuggling vessels were to encounter these fast and powerful Tai Tin Big Tin Yi, they would be sunk in no time.
Almost all the fleets involved in smuggling embargoed goods, including those belonging to Lei Yingdong, the Chu Family, and the Cai Family, had been robbed by Big Tin Yi. Cargo ships under the British flag were also robbed many times, to the point that the British Hong Kong Government was even prepared to offer bonuses to these Kuomintang defeated soldiers.
In this situation, the people in charge of escorting ships at sea for various trading companies were all the boss's confidants. Most of them held the titles of secretary or steward. When they encountered Big Tin Yi at sea, these people became the backbone of everyone on the ship, and their words determined the fate of the entire ship.
The word "break" does not only mean breaking through the embargo, but also includes breaking through Datian Er.