Bait

Feilin Manor.

Li Qingye listened to Chen Jianxiong's report, tapping his fingers on the table. "They've arrived? The Chinese Business Annual Meeting? Isn't Harry in Manila? Have him 'accidentally' run into Yang Tiancheng, then find an opportunity to invite him to Philip Farm."

"Understood, I'll arrange it immediately." Chen Jianxiong didn't ask why. As a qualified subordinate, he knew what to do and what not to do.

Watching Chen Jianxiong's retreating back, Li Qingye's expression remained as calm as ever.

I hope you have nothing to do with that matter, otherwise...

At this moment, in a guest room at the Hilton Grand Hotel, Yang Tiancheng, who was showering, involuntarily shivered.

Meanwhile, Garfield, who was busy handling internal affairs of the Fernando family, rushed to Feilin Manor.

He explained his purpose to Li Qingye.

"Boss, the Xu-A Alliance in the Visayas Islands is causing a lot of trouble with our infiltration. Should we...?" Garfield said fiercely.

Li Qingye shook his head. "It's too obvious. The recent alliance between the Fernando family and the Lopez family has already caused quite a stir. Don't deal with the Xu-A Alliance for now."

"But if we don't deal with them, our expansion in the Visayas Islands might be very difficult."

Li Qingye spread out a map of Luzon.

The entire Luzon archipelago could basically be divided into three geographical units: the northern island of Luzon, the central Visayas Islands, and the southern Mindanao Island.

These three geographical units were also natural dividing lines for the various powers in Luzon.

The map at this moment already marked the names of various families and their spheres of influence.

Currently, in the Visayas Islands, there were 7 large islands: Samar Island (13,000 sq km), Negros Island (12,700 sq km), Panay Island (11,500 sq km), Leyte Island (7,213 sq km), Cebu Island (4,694 sq km), Bohol Island (3,975 sq km), and Masbate Island (3,269 sq km).

On these islands, there were large and small family powers.

However, the only forces that could truly contend with the Fernando family and the Lopez family were the Xu family on Negros Island, and the Abetis family and Duterte family on Cebu Island.

On the other islands, Panay Island was the base of the Lopez family, and the remaining islands were home to medium or small families.

Looking at the map before him, Li Qingye smiled and asked, "Garfield, what do you think is the most expensive thing in this world?"

"What's the most expensive thing?" Garfield pondered deeply.

"The answer is free things. The gifts of fate are already marked with a price. You should know that we are building garbage recycling plants, methane plants, and sea fields. Sometimes, energy and food can also become weapons," Li Qingye said calmly.

"You mean?"

"Do you know about the ABCD Four Great Grain Merchants controlled by America? Just copy how they harvested Luzon back then."

Garfield couldn't help but tremble.

"Cooperate with those families and use our cheap gas and food to impact the entire Visayas Islands, and even all of Luzon. As long as we control energy and food, we can cut off their supply if they don't comply."

Li Qingye continued, "At the same time, we need to embed more of our people on these islands. If necessary, we can replace them."

"I understand." Garfield knew that doing so might lead to widespread suffering, but what did that matter?

In Garfield's view, terms like Luzonian, Chinese, Visayan, or Tagalog were meaningless. When everything returned to the company, they would all eventually gain the same identity – an employee of Homo sapiens Company.

Understanding what to do, Garfield halted the expansion of the two major families southward. Instead, they would continue to focus on internal development, increasing infrastructure construction and industrial layout.

January 28th.

Minor New Year on the lunar calendar, at the Winfred Casino Hotel.

Prominent Chinese figures from all over Luzon, as well as some local families with good relations with Chinese businessmen, sent representatives to attend the reception.

At the brightly lit banquet tables, guests mingled and chatted in groups of three or five.

While exchanging toasts, Yang Tiancheng, after clinking glasses with a scion of the Xu family, saw a middle-aged man with a female companion conversing with the surrounding Chinese businessmen.

Unknowingly, the middle-aged man approached Yang Tiancheng's table.

The Xu family scion next to him quietly introduced, "Brother Tiancheng, this is Mr. Harry from the Fernando family."

Seemingly finding Yang Tiancheng unfamiliar, Harry stopped and raised his glass. "Robert, who is this?"

Robert Xu smiled and introduced, "Mr. Harry, this is Mr. Yang Tiancheng from China. His family runs the New Nanyang Company and has considerable business in Luzon."

Harry's eyebrows rose. "New Nanyang Company? I've heard great things. Hello, I'm Harry Fernando."

They clinked glasses. Yang Tiancheng also smiled and replied, "Hello, Mr. Harry. I'm Yang Tiancheng. I hope for your continued support in New Nanyang Company's business in Luzon in the future."

"Hahaha... No problem." Harry agreed magnanimously, as if such pleasantries cost nothing. Whether he would actually help or not would be up to the Fernando family.

They chatted for a while and gradually became more familiar.

Upon hearing that Yang Tiancheng managed a palm plantation in Borneo, cultivating 180,000 hectares of oil palms, Harry's eyes lit up.

"Brother Yang, has your company's palm oil been sold yet?"

Yang Tiancheng spread his hands helplessly. "The 30,000 tons of crude palm oil from last year's inventory haven't been sold, and orders for this year are also scarce. Mr. Harry, are you interested in purchasing?"

Harry was actually already aware of Yang Tiancheng's palm plantation situation.

180,000 hectares of oil palms could produce about 50,000 to 60,000 tons of crude palm oil annually. Last year, palm oil prices had been falling, from nearly $900 USD per ton at the beginning of the year to around $800 USD per ton, and now it had dropped to about $700 USD per ton.

This was the bait Harry dangled before Yang Tiancheng.

"My family has an edible oil factory, and we do need some palm oil, but the price..."

"The price is negotiable. I can give Mr. Harry a cost price, how about 680 US dollars per ton?" Yang Tiancheng quickly said.

He's desperate.

He's desperate.

Harry replied ambiguously, "No rush. It's not convenient to talk business here. Here's my business card. Let's talk when I have time."

After handing out his business card, Harry led his companion to other Chinese businessmen.

Seeing Harry leave, Yang Tiancheng thought the other party might not be satisfied with the price. However, it was rare to encounter a potential customer, and he didn't want to give up.

After all, palm oil requires storage costs and has a shelf life. If it couldn't be sold promptly, it would have to be sold at a low price to a biofuel company.

Moreover, Yang Tiancheng had always been eager to return to the family's inner circle. If he couldn't even manage a palm plantation company, how could he convince his father?

Harry had precisely grasped Yang Tiancheng's mindset.

Around ten in the evening, after the reception ended.

At the hotel entrance.

Harry got into the car.

Outside the car window, Yang Tiancheng and the Xu family's descendants were there to see him off. He waved with a smile, but a hint of deep meaning flashed in his eyes, because he knew the fish had taken the bait.

'Go find connections! Then deliver yourselves to my doorstep! Heh heh...'

The car then started and drove away, leaving Yang Tiancheng and the other man with their own thoughts.

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