Compared to the goods smuggled from Hong Kong to the mainland every year, Zeng Chunsheng's fortune was indeed insignificant. However, for an individual, the rank of major general was clearly less tangible than a net worth of tens of millions. Tan Jingwei's willingness to forgo his own opportunity to make a fortune in order to block the mainland suggests he was indeed a staunch supporter of the Nationalist Government. If such a person knew he was involved in the transportation of airplane engines, he probably wouldn't have considered his own status and would have killed him outright.
Xu Enbo's heart skipped a beat, but he forced a nonchalant expression and asked, "Then what about doing charity? Chu Yaozong and his men aren't in the shipping business. What does it have to do with them distributing relief funds to the families of the shipwrecked sailors?"
"So you're confused. He wasn't talking about charity at all, but how to divide this money!" Xu Pingsheng pointed to the checks and contracts in the gift box in front of him. "No one dares to accept such a large sum of money. Forcing them to take it would only make them burst. Even if it's set up as a foundation, it can't be run by one person, so we need to bring others in. These people may not be interested in doing charity, but when it comes to making money, no one will shake their head."
"Can donations be divided?"
"Why not? Your Dad has taken in millions of dollars in donations, and the others haven't fared much better. You get a good reputation and money at the same time—who wouldn't like that?"
Xu Enbo then realized, "That Tan Jingwei married his daughter off to three families, using Zeng Chunsheng's family fortune as a dowry to drag us all down with him. He's clearly an empty shell, not contributing a single penny himself, yet he pretends to be generous!"
"That's not all. He's not only using this fortune to lure everyone into the game, but also to use it to gain power and wealth for himself. He keeps talking about a grand alliance, isn't it all for the sake of becoming the leader?"
"What qualifications does a Taiwan person have to be the leader of the alliance?"
"We're only putting him in power because he's Taiwan person. This alliance either fails or it succeeds, and he'll definitely be in charge. That way, no matter how things turn out, we won't have to take responsibility. Whether it's me or the other old foxes, we all think the same way about this. Tan Jingwei himself knows this, which is why he's so enthusiastic about forming an alliance."
"What good does this do him? Does he really think that just because he's in charge, he can boss us around?"
"Of course he doesn't think that way, but it's hard to say whether his superiors do. Tan Jingwei is a talented person, but his superiors might not be. I know those people somewhat; there are many fools and villains among them, and of course, many who are both evil and stupid. As long as these people believe he can command us, Tan Jingwei can raise his own status. We want him to take responsibility, and he wants to use us to take credit and shirk responsibility. Besides gaining merit, we can also make money."
"Could someone as loyal as Tan Jingwei be greedy for money?"
"You believe he's loyal? Zeng Chunsheng's wealth is out in the open, watched by countless eyes; of course he wouldn't take it. It's not because of loyalty, but because he's clever enough. As the person in charge, he could mobilize tens of millions of dollars to fight the Shanghai people. With a little thought, he could amass a large sum for his retirement. Never underestimate his cunning, nor overestimate his character."
Xu Enbo seemed to awaken from a dream, nodding and saying, "I see, now I understand."
"You don't understand a thing!" Xu Pingsheng's expression suddenly changed. "What exactly did you do last night? Did you get into some big trouble?"
Xu Enbo quickly shook his head and protested, "I've already said everything I did, don't believe what others say and wrong me!"
"You're being wronged? If you really went to discuss smuggling, would you be this afraid? You think you're clever, but you're actually stupid! If you had a clear conscience, you wouldn't have spoken so loudly in front of Tan Jingwei, and you wouldn't have said so much. The more you acted like that, the more it proves you're guilty! A passionate encounter with a beautiful woman! That excuse is utterly lame! From that moment on, I knew you were in deep trouble. You're my only son, and no matter how much trouble you cause, I'll smooth things over for you. But you have to tell me. Are you going to wait until your whole family is executed before you tell me? What exactly happened? Tell me now!"
As soon as Tan Jingwei got into the car, he instructed Sheng Zhaozhong as he started the engine, "Arrange for a few brothers to keep an eye on the Xu Family's ships 24 hours a day. Whether they're sailing openly or smuggling, stop every single one. The engines should be in their hands."
Sheng Zhaozhong asked, puzzled, "How do you know?"
"Xu Enbo is all bark and no bite, he looks like he's done something wrong, even a blind man could see that. There aren't many things that could make him so flustered, and given that he didn't come home last night, he must be involved in the engine issue."
"Should we send a few brothers to Xu Family Wharf to search?"
Tan Jingwei snorted coldly, "Do you think the Xu Family is Zeng Chunsheng? This is Hong Kong, not Taiwan. We can't do this. Besides, I need the Xu Family to help me deal with the Shanghai people and Song Tianyao. As long as I can find something on them at sea and make them work for me, that's enough."
"Are they really willing to obey orders and deal with the Shanghai people?"
"My move is like Immortals Toasting; they can't refuse. It's a fact that Song Tianyao has colluded with the Shanghai people. If it weren't for Yu Shiting protecting him, would he dare to go out now? The Hong Kong won't let Song Tianyao and the Shanghai people join forces. Although businessmen are timid and afraid of trouble, they are even more afraid of chaos. To restore order, we must fight a major battle. They won't stop until they've been badly hurt. Xu Pingsheng agrees with this as well. Everyone was going to start fighting anyway; I'm just adding fuel to the fire. Who would refuse?"
"What did the officer promise them?"
"It's nothing much. It's just telling them that the Britain will cooperate with us and help the Hong Kong Shanghai people. As long as they're willing to put in the effort, they'll get benefits. The Free China Relief Association will buy their goods, and as long as smugglers don't go to the mainland, they won't run into Big Tin Yi. With the example of the Lei Danzi, who in the shipping business isn't afraid of Naval mines? A bunch of frogs in a well, they really think they're Big Brother. To put it bluntly, they're just a bunch of profit-driven businessmen. I've put the money out there; I'm not afraid they won't agree!"
"What about Chu Yaozong? He's Song Tianyao's backer. Song Tianyao even brought him some tonics when he came back this time."