Xu Enbo feigned disdain. "You're making it sound like a world war. Hong Kong has the Royal Hong Kong Police and the British Forces in Hong Kong. You think a few people can turn the world upside down?"
"The triads are naturally out of the question, but it's hard to say about the others. Mr. Xu should have heard about Song Tianyao's affair; he has already admitted to helping the Shanghai people deal with the Hong Kong. Compared to those triads, he is the real threat. He started out empty-handed, but managed to take down local business tycoons like the Zhang Family and Lin Families with his small investment. Now he has Shanghai businessmen behind him, as well as He Jian from Macau. He has both manpower and money; wouldn't it be a piece of cake for him to turn Hong Kong upside down?"
Xu Enbo remained noncommittal, while Xu Pingsheng laughed and said, "Mr. Tam, our Xu Family is in the shipping business. We've seen plenty of storms; a little bit of trouble won't scare us. The Hong Kong market is big enough; even if Song Tianyao has a big appetite, he can't eat it all. Anyone can do business; what's the difference between Shanghai people and Hong Kong?"
Tan Jingwei clapped his hands lightly. "Magnificent! No wonder you're the shipping magnate, your words and actions are indeed extraordinary. But I must remind Boss Xu that Song Tianyao's biggest backer is his father-in-law, Yu Shiting. You know very well what kind of business Boss Yu the saying goes, two tigers cannot share one mountain. Who do you think he will sacrifice first?"
"Boss Yu is a celebrity in our industry, and I've always respected him. If he wants to compete with me for business, I'd be more than happy to oblige. As far as I know, Boss Yu is a very traditional person, and he'd definitely make a big deal out of choosing a son-in-law. I haven't even received an invitation from him to marry off his daughter yet, so it's a bit premature for you, Song Tianyao, to think you're Boss Yu's ideal son-in-law."
Tan Jingwei's expression was serious. "According to the information I have, Yu Shiting's adopted daughter has already become He Jian's godfather. This is in preparation for their future alliance. Boss Xu is also a veteran in the business world. He should know that the business world is like a battlefield, and the first move is always the best. If we wait until our opponents come knocking, it won't be so easy to respond. Song Tianyao admitted to joining forces with the Shanghai people in front of the second young master of the Chu Family, which was to show his loyalty to Yu Shiting. At this point, it's either you or me. Boss Xu still wants to play the role of a hermit. Aren't you afraid of courting your own destruction?"
Xu Enbo sneered, "Tan, what do you mean by coming here to say all this? Everyone knows you're in cahoots with the Shanghai people. Last night, Song Tianyao left in your car. Are you pretending to be a good guy or issuing a challenge? Do you want to switch sides and join our group?"
Tan Jingwei did not react; instead, he nodded and said, "Mr. Xu is right. That's exactly what I think."
His words even made Xu Pingsheng lose his composure. From the beginning, he had regarded Tan Jingwei as an enemy, and his manner of receiving him had been rather casual. Although the local faction and the Shanghai faction had not officially gone to war, they were on the verge of conflict. His politeness towards Tan Jingwei was a sign of great generalship, and his lack of politeness was not necessarily wrong. However, Tan Jingwei's statement that he wanted to surrender to the Hong Kong was quite unexpected and required him to treat it with caution.
He looked directly at Tan Jingwei: "Mr. Tam, you should know that you can eat anything, but you can't say anything. You've always cooperated with Shanghai people, and now you suddenly say you want to help us, which makes me a little confused."
"I understand Boss Xu's suspicions, but you've all misunderstood. I'm not from Shanghai people, nor am I a businessman. I always represent the Party-State. To me, there's no difference between Hong Kong and Shanghai people. In Hong Kong, I'm the guest and you're the host; to Shanghai people, they're one of our own, and I'm an outsider. Those Shanghai businessmen are xenophobic and selfish, only interested in petty profits, and would never serve the Party-State. Since that's the case, why should I associate with them? If one partner doesn't work out, another will. I plan to find someone else to cooperate with."
Xu Enbo said, "Do you think doing business is like playing mahjong? You can't just switch places whenever you want."
"Mr. Xu is right. Words alone are not enough; you won't believe me no matter what I say. That's why I've come with my sincerity. Please take a look!"
He pointed to the gift he had brought; aside from the usual fruit and liquor, it was just a Western-style gift box. Xu Enbo glanced at Tan Jingwei, a sense of unease creeping into his heart. This man, though seemingly all smiles, was a ruthless character who would devour anyone without a second thought. He was capable of anything, from murdering a wealthy merchant's entire family to seizing their assets. The Kuomintang rose to power through bomb assassinations; during the War of Resistance, the Military Juntong MIB) wasn't particularly successful in intelligence gathering, but it was renowned for its assassinations. The four kings of the Juntong were all master assassins. What if there was a bomb hidden in the gift box, blowing his entire family to smithereens?
Just as he hesitated, Xu Pingsheng gave the order, "Ah Quan! Bring Mr. Tam's gift over."
Suddenly, a figure appeared from somewhere in the room, moving with light steps and swift movements, like a ghost arriving before the gift. First, the figure picked up the gift box with both hands, then quickly moved to Tan Jingwei's vicinity. Next, the right hand held the bottom of the box, while the left hand swiftly removed the colorful ribbon binding it, and then the lid was lifted open. The whole set of movements was as smooth as flowing water, dazzling the eye.
This is one of the reasons why big businessmen are so confident. If the gift box really contained a time bomb or something similar, given the servant's skills, he would probably have thrown it at Tan Jingwei's feet immediately and fought him to the death. His skill and strategy are extraordinary. What's even more remarkable is that he has this ability yet is willing to be a servant. Loyalty is even more precious than ability.
Tan Jingwei felt a pang of regret that such a loyal and capable person could not be used by his organization. He was quite disappointed. However, he paid no attention to the servant's actions, remaining calm and composed throughout, appearing to have a clear conscience.
The servant glanced into the box, then carried it to Xu Pingsheng and slowly placed it down. Xu Pingsheng and the servant made eye contact, and the servant turned and left without a word, disappearing without a trace just as he had appeared. Even with Tan Jingwei's keen eyesight, he couldn't tell where the servant had gone.
Inside the gift box were several pieces of paper; the top one was a check, the bottom one a stock warrant, and the rest were contracts, licenses, and the like.
As Xu Pingsheng was wondering what was going on, Tan Jingwei said, "This is all of Zeng Chunsheng's assets, including savings, stocks, property deeds, and all the shipping licenses under his name. From now on, they belong to Boss Xu."