Nairen was unaware of the deal between Sai Zhalunwang and Kondo Kohei regarding the extraction of Yellow Arsenic. He didn't even know what Yellow Arsenic was. However, Nairen had personally witnessed the heartbreaking suffering of opium addicts in Thailand. He found it hard to believe that something that could drain a person dry just by getting them addicted would become a relic of the times.
"You'll find out soon enough." Sai Zhalunwang looked at Nairen with kind eyes, closed the book in his hand, and handed it to him. "This is something written by a United States. It analyzes the Japan character very clearly. Now that we're doing business with the Japan, the more we understand about them, the better. Ren, you should also take some time to read this book."
Nairen solemnly accepted the book handed to him by Sai Zhalunwang with both hands. On the white oiled leather cover, the bold English words "The Chrysanthemum and the Sword" stood out.
"Don't worry, Sai Ba, I'll study this book diligently when I get back." Nairen carefully put away the English version of the Chrysanthemum and the Sword, making a promise to Sai Zhalunwang. He secretly resolved that when he got back, he would have Wenren, who was best at English, explain the meaning of the book to him sentence by sentence, and he would definitely not let his Sai Ba's efforts go to waste.
Just as Nairen put the book away, the hospital's glass doors opened from the inside, and Kondo Kohei and Paitoon walked in side by side, heading towards the Toyota sedan parked at the entrance.
The expressionless face of Sai Zhalunwang, who was sitting in the car, suddenly blossomed into a warm smile. He stepped out of the car and bowed to Kondo Kohei with his hands clasped together.
As Sai Zhalunwang walked step by step into the hospital gate accompanied by Kondo Kohei, Paitoon and Nairen also walked side by side, following the two.
Ahead, Sai Zhalunwang and Kondo Kohei were chatting happily, while behind them, Paitoon and Nairen were also talking in hushed tones.
"Tun, your Sai Ba let you stay with the Japan, I'm afraid it's not just about the counterfeit money, is it?" Nairen asked in a low voice. "From what your Sai Ba said just now, it seems like he doesn't want to continue doing opium business?"
Paitoon smiled mysteriously, "Of course, what's opium? We have something much more profitable now."
Under Nairen's curious gaze, Paitoon pulled an oilcloth bag from his pocket, opened it to reveal a white powder inside. "This Yellow Arsenic. Only the Japan have the technology to refine it. Seventy percent of Yellow Arsenic can be extracted from one kilogram of opium, and it's ten times more addictive than opium."
Ten times? Nairen looked at the inconspicuous white powder in Paitoon's hand and couldn't help but shudder.
He had witnessed firsthand the suffering and torment of those experiencing nicotine withdrawal, but while opium addiction could at least be broken, if this substance was ten times more addictive than opium, it would likely become a nightmare that many people could never escape for the rest of their lives.
But soon Nairen's face lit up with an excited smile. This morning, he had accompanied Sai Zhalunwang to meet with Mr. Tam at the Central Hotel. Soon, a steady stream of opium from the Golden Triangle would be sent to Hong Kong, where it would be extracted to produce Yellow Arsenic. All the drug addicts in Hong Kong would then become their ATMs.
"Thank you, Talba. Luckily, I've never been interested in this kind of thing, and my Sai Ba forbids us from touching it." Nairen clasped his hands together, expressing his relief.
Chapter 546 The Negative Side
Inside the conference room upstairs at the Golden Source Club, after several rounds of drinks, Lui Lok slammed his glass heavily on the long table, stood up emboldened by the alcohol, and faced Zhao Wenye directly.
"A-Yip! I know you're unhappy with me because of Chen Tai's matter." Lui Lok hiccuped, pointed at Zhao Wenye, and said, "But one thing is one thing. I, Jiu Liu, was only doing this because someone asked me to. Would you do what your cousin asked you to do?"
Zhao Wenye glanced sideways at Lui Lok. Holding a high position at the Marine Police Headquarters, he now possessed the air of a superior. Even with Lui Lok standing opposite him, Zhao Wenye remained neither servile nor arrogant, his tone laced with mockery. "I work for my cousin out of loyalty, you work for the Taiwan person out of self-interest. However, I'm not arguing with you today for Brother Kong's sake. Hand over your Handkerchief Qing, and we can continue our discussion."
The two were at loggerheads, but neither of them brought up the names of Song Tianyao and Tan Jingwei, tacitly referring to them by nicknames. Tan Jingwei, a Taiwan person, was naturally stirring up trouble in Hong Kong, needless to say. Song Tianyao, on the other hand, was the top figure currently being bid on for a staggering 12 million Hong Kong dollars. The entire Hong Kong was now keeping these two names a closely guarded secret, and even Song Tianyao's cousin Zhao Wenye, did not mention them.
Twelve million is enough to buy the lives of the five people present, and enough to drive them crazy. Even if Zhao Wenye is loyal to Song Tianyao, he cannot be sure whether the other four, including Lam Kong, have other ideas. Therefore, he can only try not to mention those three words to avoid making the situation awkward.
Lui Lok took a deep breath to calm himself, shook his head, and said calmly, "The Handkerchief Qing's brand has disappeared from Hong Kong. The one recovering in the hospital is called Limping Qing. He worked for me and became crippled. Now that I'm handing him over to you, how can I, Lui Lok, have any face left in the underworld?"
Everyone present knew that although Lui Lok was not a member of the underworld, he was a prominent figure in both the He-prefix gangs and the Chiu Chow Gang. Asking him to hand over his trusted subordinate was indeed a slap in the face.
So when they heard Zhao Wenye make such a request, Yan Hung and Hon Sam both frowned in unison, while Lam Kong remained calm. It wasn't that he didn't want to express his opinion, but rather that he couldn't because of his position.
Lam Kong knew very well that Zhao Wenye's request was excessive for Lui Lok. If it were someone else, he might have tried to dissuade them, but everyone knew that he, Lam Kong, was made famous by Song Tianyao. If he tried to persuade Zhao Wenye on Lui Lok's behalf, he would also be labeled a traitor.
Unlike Yan Hung Hon Sam, Hon Sam had no connection with Song Tianyao. Although Yan Hung had risen to power through Song Tianyao, he was now Justice of the Peace Chu Xiaoxin. Not long ago, Chu Xiaoxin had publicly turned against Song Tianyao in front of the Harp Restaurant. Even if he stood on the opposite side of Song Tianyao, outsiders could not say anything.