Nai Khun smiled noncommittally, glancing sideways at the dean's office at the end of the corridor. The office door remained firmly shut.
Nai Khun glanced at the gold watch on his wrist. His father and Kondo Kohei had been inside for a full two hours. It seemed unlikely that discussing counterfeit money and opium would take that long.
Chapter 532 Five Elements Tea Brewing
In the dean's office, which was less than ten square meters, Kondo Kohei sat calmly at his desk. Sai Zhalunwang, who had been sitting opposite him, could no longer maintain his kind and gentle demeanor. He suddenly stood up and looked at Kondo Kohei with surprise and doubt. If you looked closely at his face, you could also see a hint of joy and excitement hidden in his surprised eyes.
Just as Nai Khun outside the door had thought, if they were only talking to the Japan in front of them about counterfeit money and opium, the two of them wouldn't have stayed inside for so long.
Sai Zhalunwang had seen the counterfeit banknotes made by Kondo Kohei. With current technology, the Japan's counterfeit banknotes were indeed indistinguishable from the real thing. Once he reached an agreement with Tan Jingwei from Taiwan, the opium would be transported to Hong Kong by the defeated Kuomintang soldiers in the Golden Triangle. The terrifying money-making power brought about by the connection between opium and counterfeit banknotes was unmatched by any factory in Hong Kong.
Even so, Sai Zhalunwang remained calm and composed, his expression unchanged, because he already knew all of this before he came to see Kondo Kohei.
But there was one thing, the simplest thing, that Sai Zhalunwang overlooked: the guy sitting across from him was a complete Japan militarist who had no bottom line whatsoever in order to achieve his goals and gain benefits.
Both Sai Charonwang and Kondo Kohei were elderly men, but due to the natural advantage of Thailand, Sai Charonwang appeared to be more robust than Kondo Kohei. Although Sai Charonwang did not reveal his true thoughts, he had always regarded Kondo Kohei as a chick, someone he could easily strangle with one hand.
However, this little chick in his eyes was sitting calmly in his seat, while he himself was shocked by the other party's casual remark.
Kondo Kohei was clearly pleased with Sai Zhalunwang's reaction. He grinned confidently at the other man, then looked away from Sai Zhalunwang and reached for the tea set on the table.
The tea set is a silver-gilt product from the Tang and Song dynasties of China. However, it looks very new and does not have any tea stains caused by its age. It is obviously not an antique, but a modern imitation.
Kondo Kohei picked up the gilded tea tray on the table and slowly poured hot water into the teapot. His skillful movements in brewing the tea were enough to put even the most seasoned tea connoisseurs to shame.
"My father loved tea. He once collected a complete set of tea utensils from the Qionglai Kiln in the late Tang and Five Dynasties period of China. Unfortunately, due to the war, the set did not last long in his possession. He still missed it dearly before his death, so I asked a craftsman to replicate this set so that he would have something to remember him by on his deathbed." Kondo Kohei's hands moved nimbly as he poured hot water into the teapot and then into the teacups through the spout. His movements were practiced and skillful, indicating that he had handled the teapot countless times.
Sai Zhalunwang gave Kondo Kohei a deep look, his gaze gradually calming as the tea flowed, returning to his usual benevolent and harmless old man demeanor. He slowly sat down, appreciating Kondo Kohei's tea ceremony.
"The China person believe that a tea set should embody the Five Elements. Five Elements can ward off illness, and tea brewed with the assistance of the Five Elements can regulate the body's internal organs." Kondo Kohei brewed the tea, then, holding the spout, slowly placed the teapot back in its original position. The bottom of the pot perfectly aligned with the ring of water stains left on the table. He then looked up at Sai Zhalunwang and added with some regret, "Unfortunately, of the Five Elements, I lack only a stove. Tea brewed with a stove should be perfect; hot water is merely a substitute I have to use because I'm living under someone else's roof."
After Kondo Kohei finished speaking, he picked up the tea tray and handed a cup of tea to Sai Zhalunwang: "General, please."
Sai Zhalunwang clasped his hands together in a gesture of respect before taking the teacup. He brought it close to the rising steam, took a gentle sniff, and a look of satisfaction appeared on his face.
However, Zhalunwang did not immediately drink the tea. Instead, he set it aside, looked directly into Kondo Kohei's eyes, and said with a half-smile, "The Tang and Song dynasties in China are indeed a page rich in historical detail, but this is the first time I've heard of the concept of the Five Elements aiding cooking. So, Mr. Kondo, do you want me to be the stove?"
"Indeed." Kondo Kohei met Sai Zhalunwang's gaze without hesitation, his eyes and tone unusually sincere. "The charcoal and fire starters are all ready. I believe that as long as the general gets the fire going, he will be able to brew the most perfect tea."
Sai Zhalunwang leaned forward and pressed on, "Before I came to Hong Kong, Mr. Kondo had already lived here for many years. Didn't he find a decent stove all these years?"
"Of course there were, but that guy was insatiable, obsessed with unifying all the triads in Hong Kong. In the end, he was shot dead. His death brought me a lot of trouble, but it also made me realize the wisdom of the old China saying, 'Don't put all your eggs in one basket.' That's why I started focusing on counterfeiting." Kondo Kohei shook his head regretfully, placing his hands on the table, his tone resolute. "Believe me, General, the local Hong Kong triads now control a huge opium market. Of course, they can't pose a threat to you and your men, but if you want to gain a foothold, even with a constant supply of materials from the Golden Triangle, you'll encounter a constant stream of trouble in a place like Hong Kong. Even the Hong Kong police will oppose you, because many of them are originally members of triads."
Sai Zhalunwang remained silent for a long time, because he had considered Kondo Kohei's words countless times. To gain a foothold in Hong Kong's opium market, it was inevitable to antagonize local triads. Before this, Sai Zhalunwang could only think of leading his old subordinates to carve out a new world in Hong Kong with his fists and feet. But now Kondo Kohei had shown him another path.