Taking Charge of Tuen Mun

Tuen Mun's police chief was a Chinese man surnamed Ho, probably not yet fifty. His stern face commanded respect even when he wasn't angry, and he looked to be in good health.

"Haha, Mr. Wang, what an honor to have you here. I'm sorry I didn't come out to welcome you. Please, sit down. Let's talk."

Seeing Wang Yan come through the door, he rose with a smile and gestured toward the guest sofa, inviting him to sit. With all the commotion downstairs, how could he, the district's highest-ranking official, not know? Someone had already reported it to him.

Wang Yan made himself at home, plopping down on the sofa. He set the food and cold drinks he'd brought on the coffee table. "I'm here on Longteng's behalf to pay a visit to the guardian angels who protect our lives and property. Chief Ho, you haven't eaten yet, have you? Go ahead and eat while it's hot. This chef's pretty good—you're in for a treat."

"Then I'll have to enjoy Mr. Wang's kind gesture." Chief Ho laughed heartily and sat down on the armchair beside him. "But unless Mr. Wang tells me why he's here, I'm afraid I won't be able to enjoy this meal."

Wang Yan understood what he meant. After all, he'd brought a bunch of gangsters rampaging through the police station. It was an obvious provocation. Chief Ho seemed amiable enough, and he hadn't lost his temper or resorted to foul language, but there were barbs hidden in his words. Anyone who'd made it to his position was no fool. He knew how to keep his cards close to his chest.

"Chief Ho, we're both sensible men, so I'll get straight to the point."

"By all means."

Wang Yan nodded. "Longteng calls the shots in Tuen Mun now. I'm sure you know us well, Chief Ho. You can judge for yourself how we compare to Tung Sing. I won't make empty promises. With Longteng's strength as it stands, Tung Sing is no match for us."

"Tung Sing has been running wild in Tuen Mun, making a mess of the place and leaving people terrified and unable to live in peace. As a Hong Kong Island resident and a businessman with interests in Tuen Mun, I need a stable, harmonious environment in which to do business and grow."

"That's right." Chief Ho nodded in agreement without hesitation.

"Since we agree, this should be easy." Wang Yan nodded. "To create a stable, harmonious environment, we'll have to eliminate Tung Sing, that cancer. That will inevitably cause some turmoil. What do you think, Chief Ho?"

Chief Ho listened in silence, then narrowed his eyes and fixed his gaze on Wang Yan. After a long pause, he finally spoke. "As Tuen Mun's police chief, maintaining peace and stability in the district is naturally my duty."

"Stop beating around the bush." Wang Yan waved impatiently. "Give me a number."

Chief Ho raised his hand and held up five fingers.

"That's not much." Wang Yan smiled and said meaningfully, "I just don't know if it'll be enough to cover your family's expenses in Canada..."

Chief Ho's narrowed eyes flew open. He glared at Wang Yan, who was smiling calmly, then let out a resigned sigh. "What are your terms?"

"Two hundred and fifty thousand. It'll be transferred to your wife's account in Canada. Keep an eye out for it." As he spoke, Wang Yan stood and shook Chief Ho's hand. "Pleasure doing business with you, Chief Ho. If you have any trouble in Tuen Mun from now on, you can come to Longteng."

Chief Ho put on a fake smile. "Of course. Take care, Mr. Wang."

Wang Yan smiled, left him with a "No need to see me out," and walked through the door.

Chief Ho clearly wasn't on his side. Otherwise, he wouldn't have asked for five million. If he wasn't a lapdog for the foreigners, then he was someone who put his own interests first.

But honestly, Wang Yan could have ignored Chief Ho altogether. He had the strength, and he'd made all the arrangements. Once he acted, he wouldn't leave them anything they could use against him.

Still, the police were the authorities, and he was operating under their jurisdiction. He might as well give them something. If they decided to make things difficult for him, it'd be a pain to deal with. When money could solve a problem, there was no point making trouble for himself.

On his way back, Wang Yan got a call from Tung Sing. They said they wanted to sit down and talk.

He scoffed at the call. They'd taken this long to reach out, which meant they'd been busy fighting over power and passing the buck internally. And the idea of sitting down to talk was laughable. What kind of idiot would walk into a trap? They'd just lost their territory, and now they wanted to talk? What was there to discuss? It was obviously a Hongmen Banquet.

Wang Yan rejected them without a second thought. He didn't care about the Five Tigers or the sick cats. They were all small fry. He made his stance clear: he was going to fight them to the bitter end.

After hanging up, Wang Yan left Tung Sing to stew and waited for them to retaliate. He'd deal with them when they came. Meanwhile, he went back to continue organizing things after the battle and make further plans for growth.

Before long, night fell. Tung Sing gathered a large force and headed for Tuen Mun in a mighty procession.

After the previous battle, Wang Yan had only a little over eight hundred men left. The rest were lying in hospital beds. Eight hundred couldn't compare to at least three thousand. That meant the other side outnumbered them by more than three to one.

The police arrived to keep the peace, but with around four thousand people between the two sides, their manpower was limited. They couldn't control the situation or stop the two groups from closing in on each other. With no other choice, they formed a perimeter and tried to keep order, doing their best to protect ordinary people from harm.

But there weren't any ordinary people around anymore. At the sight of such a huge crowd, they'd long since fled to a safe distance to find good vantage points. They just didn't dare join in. They were all working stiffs, and getting dragged into the fight and beaten to a pulp wasn't worth it.

From the roof of a nearby high-rise, Wang Yan watched the scene below through binoculars. Since a fight was inevitable, there was no need for all the pointless yelling and posturing. He didn't want to waste any more time. He called Li Yun, the man leading the group in the field, and told him to start.

This was no time to back down. Besides, most of the men across from them were just there to make up the numbers. One-on-one, they couldn't match Longteng's eight hundred. The other side looked imposing as a sea of people, but they weren't much use in a fight. If his men could withstand the first wave, the battle would basically be over.

After hanging up, Li Yun followed his boss's orders to the letter. Without a word, he raised his blade and led his men forward. The other side wasn't prepared for this. They were still working up their insults, waiting to come up with something clever, when the attack came. They hadn't even reacted before a whole row of them had been knocked down.

Just as Wang Yan had expected, the men at the front were the fighters, including Red Poles and the like. Once they were taken down, the rabble behind them would crumble on its own. Before long, the two sides had stopped fighting as equals, and Longteng was chasing Tung Sing's men down one-sidedly.

The police couldn't do much either. Their numbers were limited, so they might as well wait until it was over and clean up afterward. They wouldn't dare shoot to kill, either. Longteng's men had gone berserk, and if the police provoked them, what if they turned on them?

So they watched from the sidelines. Some of the more carefree ones even pointed and offered commentary, thoroughly enjoying the show. It wasn't every day you saw a brawl on this scale. It was a lot more exciting than watching a movie.

After some time, the fighting spirit that had seized Longteng's men finally faded. They stopped chasing everyone down, and the situation settled. Only then did the police, who'd been watching for a long while, step in to wrap things up.

Then the ambulances started arriving one after another, carrying away the injured men lying on the ground. Police cars also arrived gradually to arrest people.

The only men still standing were from Longteng. Tung Sing's men had either been beaten down or run off. Longteng's men cooperated and let themselves be handcuffed and taken away. The boss had told them not to worry if they got arrested—they'd be out again before long. And no matter what the reason, those who'd stood their ground until the end had earned plenty of credit. Promotions and rewards wouldn't be in short supply.

Wang Yan was a man who knew how to show his appreciation. A whole group of people had worked overtime for half the day; he couldn't let their efforts go unrewarded. He'd arranged for truckloads of food and drinks, and sent them to both the scene and Tuen Mun Police Station.

After everything had been dealt with and it seemed the trouble was over, Wang Yan went home to sleep. Anything else could wait until tomorrow...

Early the next morning, the lawyers at his firm went to the police station to arrange bail and get the men released. As for the unlucky ones who'd been hurt in the brawl, the money hadn't been wasted—Chief Ho had their backs. A few underlings might have to go inside for a couple of years, but it wasn't a big deal.

Besides, those unlucky men were all ruffians. Their families might worry, but who else would care?

After this fight, most of Wang Yan's men had ended up in the hospital, leaving his forces stretched thin. But Tung Sing had also taken a serious hit. Its members were already busy fighting among themselves for power, and this time it had suffered more casualties than Longteng. Recruiting people for a street fight cost money. Tung Sing had spent a million just to get the men together, and then there were the costs of treating the wounded and supporting their families. All of that added up.

Wang Yan didn't mean to look down on them, but he figured they hadn't even decided how to pay for the fight or how much to spend, let alone figured out how to come after him again.

The other gangs would just watch from the sidelines and gloat. As long as their own interests weren't at stake, no one would get involved.

That wasn't to say no one was tempted. But after seeing how powerful Wang Yan had been lately, they couldn't tell what he was capable of, so they didn't dare make a move. The key thing was that Wang Yan had made his name through his own fighting skills. If they took down Longteng but failed to kill him, who knew how he'd retaliate? Could they ever live in peace after that? Without confidence they could finish him off, they wouldn't risk it. There was no point gambling their lives. Most of the men who'd risen to the top had already died in the arms of beautiful women.

For a while, every faction worth mentioning in Hong Kong and Kowloon watched from the sidelines. Not one wanted to get involved.

Tung Sing couldn't organize another counterattack, and none of the other factions came to take advantage of the situation. The opportunity to develop in peace was right in front of him. Wang Yan wouldn't expand again until he'd fully secured Tuen Mun.

For the next while, Wang Yan focused on building up his strength. He didn't go wandering around when he didn't have to, because he was afraid someone might shoot him from the shadows. He wasn't afraid of a close-range attack, or even a face-to-face confrontation. What worried him was someone taking a shot at him from a distance. Who could guarantee that Tung Sing wouldn't hire an assassin to kill him? So he stayed safely within Longteng's territory in Tuen Mun.

With his territory expanding, he needed more men to match. Longteng began another massive round of recruitment. After seeing Longteng sweep through Tuen Mun, the gangsters saw a future for themselves. Before, they'd joined for the good pay; now they were after real prospects. A newly established organization looking to expand quickly would naturally promote talented people within its ranks at lightning speed.

Take the recent battle with Tung Sing, for example. Even the lowest-ranking men who took part were promoted by at least one level, and many jumped up two or three. The difference in status was enormous. Level one was the lowest rank, while level two meant having four or five men under you, and level three meant more than ten. Above that, you might be put in charge of a street or of a district containing several streets.

Once you passed level ten, you became a true manager. The highest level, level thirteen, was the rank of a real boss, in charge of various businesses. There was no limit to the income; everyone got a share of the profits. At present, Longteng had only one level-thirteen member: Li Yun, who'd been with Wang Yan from the beginning.

There were plenty of other rising stars, including undercover cops, of course. Wang Yan could spot quite a few. They were all talented, and he was a boss who gave people opportunities, so it was only natural they wanted to work their way up. He didn't interfere. The higher their positions got, the more likely they were to have second thoughts about going back.

Still, Wang Yan respected those who stood by their convictions and ideals.

Undercover cops all had fake identities, and their families were kept hidden and well protected. Some of the people Wang Yan had confirmed were undercover even had family members working for companies under his umbrella. It was easy enough to guess how those men felt about that.

As he recruited more and more men, his logistics company, shoe factory, clothing factories, and other businesses all grew rapidly. With more people, Wang Yan also had to pay more for their insurance, which was a major expense.

Wang Yan didn't want anyone else making money off those premiums, so he started Longteng Insurance. Its main business was handling insurance for the various companies under his umbrella, though it also took on other clients. Most were companies based in Tuen Mun. They'd seen the obvious changes in the district firsthand and had faith in Longteng's strength. Besides, they were making a living on Longteng's turf. Once they knew Longteng offered insurance, it would seem strange not to use them.

This was where Wang Yan's status came in handy. His insurance company had landed so many clients that other companies were bound to lose business. They'd tried all kinds of ways to deal with Wang Yan, but nothing worked. Wang Yan didn't interfere in normal business competition, leaving everything to the company managers. If his rivals resorted to underhanded tactics, they were asking for trouble.

Insurance magnates were influential men with connections everywhere, and they had all kinds of tricks up their sleeves. They'd send people to conduct inspections at the drop of a hat and find fault with all kinds of products.

Wang Yan didn't hesitate to deal with these people. Li Yun took care of them thoroughly.

When the inspectors came around, Longteng would track down their families and have a friendly chat. That revealed who their superiors were. They'd investigate the superiors next, find something they could use against them, and offer to work with them. If that didn't work, they'd follow the proper procedures and report them until they were stripped of their positions. As for the people behind it all, most paid to make the problem go away. Those who refused had already gone to commune with nature in the ocean.

The string of incidents made their stance clear: Longteng wasn't to be trifled with. Fair business competition was fine; just don't resort to underhanded tricks.

Longteng didn't run casinos, charge loan-shark interest, or sell drugs. If there were drug dealers operating in Tuen Mun, they'd track them down and wipe out the whole supply chain. They were genuinely good people. The police quite liked them, since there was so much less trouble to deal with.

The other gangs would have made a move if they could. They hadn't done anything during the period when Longteng was vulnerable after fighting Tung Sing, and now they probably weren't a match for it.

Neither side could get the better of Longteng. Given enough time, all those big shots eventually figured out what was going on and stopped wasting their efforts.

Not only that, Wang Yan also set about reforming Tuen Mun. Longteng's men gave troublemakers who shoplifted or started fights a thorough beating. No one dared keep causing trouble, and crime was all but wiped out.

Wang Yan also set up offices on streets throughout the district, each watched over by a few of his men. Anyone who was bullied or treated unfairly in Tuen Mun could come to Longteng for help, and they'd get it sorted out. Some people complained that Longteng was meddling, but none of them dared come looking for trouble. They just grumbled when no one else was around.

The police in Tuen Mun were almost bored out of their minds. They used to be kept on their toes by all kinds of trouble. Now there wasn't a single incident.

Uniformed officers had become the envy of everyone. They didn't even have to patrol the streets anymore. They just sat in Longteng's offices while on duty. No wind, no sun, food and drink provided—it was ridiculously comfortable.

The residents' happiness had shot up, and that even caused housing prices in Tuen Mun, a relatively remote part of Hong Kong Island, to soar.

Of course, with Wang Yan's rapid growth, corruption was inevitable. His solution was to set up his own accounting firm to audit the finances of all his businesses, including those in mainland China. He also encouraged people to report corruption, promising an immediate promotion for anyone who caught a culprit, and severe punishment for the corrupt.

Every company also had a thirteen-level system, and the benefits were excellent at every level. If people still took bribes under those conditions, they were truly insatiable.

After a few people were dealt with, corruption more or less stopped. When people thought about those who'd held the position before them, and how hard they'd worked to reach their current level, they usually decided against it.

Things were going well on the mainland, too. Sharing the Hong Kong cases with the staff there was enough to make many of them think twice. For those who still acted, handling a few cases was enough to put a stop to it.

At the same time, Tung Sing's retaliation was inevitable. Its men kept disrupting Wang Yan's businesses. They weren't dangerous, just irritating, but they still caused some losses. Wang Yan didn't make much of it and simply took precautions. To put an end to it, he'd have to wipe out Tung Sing. But that day was close. They wouldn't be able to keep causing trouble for much longer.

My little brother signed a contract and got promoted. There's a check mark next to the author's name now.

Big brothers, toss me a vote if you have a moment.

That one check mark was something I added myself, which is a little embarrassing.

Thanks, everyone!

That's all.