Chapter Fourteen: The Open Strategy

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Could Wang Yaotang refuse?

If the triad stepped forward on your behalf and you turned them down, how would you ask them to settle things the next time trouble came up in your business?

Besides, rejecting the triad’s goodwill—were you planning to go legitimate?

Or were you preparing to switch to another triad?

“Thank you, Boss.” Wang Yaotang sprang to his feet, his face alight with excitement. “Don’t worry, Boss. I’ll never bring shame on the triad. I’ll hack Big Head Sing to death, that bastard!”

“Good.” Guanzai Sen gave Wang Yaotang’s shoulder a heavy slap. “A-Yiu, I have very high hopes for you. Wo Sing Yee hasn’t had a young man this outstanding in a long time.”

“You can fight, you can use your head, and you know how to make money.”

“A-Tung, how many chances have I given him over the years? If a man can’t make it, he can’t make it. In your generation of Wo Sing Yee, nobody can compare with you.”

Pig-Nose Tong: ???

No, wait. I haven’t even said a word!

“I think Brother Tong just wants to stay by your side, Boss,” Wang Yaotang said with a smile.

Guanzai Sen let out a contemptuous snort. “I’d rather he made a name for himself.”

“As the boss who brought you into the brotherhood, I’m getting old. I don’t have much ability left, and I can’t pave a better road for you. The most I can do is help you carve out a territory.”

“If you can make it even bigger in a couple of years, I’ll go to the chairman and propose opening the incense hall to give you a formal position. If the chairman refuses, I’ll retire and give you my seat!”

“Boss, please don’t say that. You’re flattering me far too much.” Wang Yaotang hurriedly tried to stop him.

“I’m not joking with you. I’m old. What future do the men under me have, following an old relic like me? If I stubbornly refuse to leave, I’m afraid I won’t even get the chance to retire.” Guanzai Sen gave a bitter smile and shook his head. “Enough. Let’s not talk about that.”

“Tomorrow I’ll call Big Head Sing and tell him to stop selling. He’ll certainly refuse. You move tonight.”

“Understood. Thank you, Boss.” Wang Yaotang nodded. “If there’s nothing else, I’ll leave now and make preparations.”

“Go on. Tomorrow night, I’ll throw you a victory banquet!” Guanzai Sen laughed heartily.

The moment Wang Yaotang left, Pig-Nose Tong could not hold back any longer.

“Boss, why?”

He had served with absolute loyalty for all these years, and the bastard was supporting someone else!

He couldn’t understand it.

Guanzai Sen shot Pig-Nose Tong a sidelong glance, then walked back with measured steps and sat down again. He picked up the teapot and leisurely poured himself a cup of tea. After closing his eyes to savor the aroma, he drained it in one gulp. Only then did he set down the cup and look at Pig-Nose Tong again.

“You useless idiot!”

“You don’t have a brain in your head. If I pushed you into the top position, would it only be so I could collect your corpse?”

“Believe it or not, that bastard has already figured it out.”

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Pig-Nose Tong stared wide-eyed, utterly baffled.

…

Every night after closing their stalls, the brothers would go to Hung Kee Dai Pai Dong for a late-night meal.

“What did Guanzai Sen want with you?” A-Wai opened several bottles of beer and set them in front of the men.

Wang Yaotang gave a cold laugh. “Quite a few triads outside have been secretly taking stock from Old Lai and selling it. You all know that. The old relic wants me to make a move. The triad will back me up, and I can mobilize anyone from the branch. If we win, the territory will be handed over to me. But every month, I’ll have to hand twenty percent to the triad.”

“What?” The brothers held their beer bottles, staring at Wang Yaotang in shock.

“That’s good news!” A-Jie gulped down a mouthful. “Boss is finally doing something decent. Is he planning to help you secure a formal position?”

“Which territory? What kind of business?” A-Wai asked, his face bright with delight.

“The two brothels in Lifa Building and Youlian Building.”

“Those are prime locations!” A-Wai was visibly delighted.

“I’ll arrange the men tonight.” A-Ji was the most decisive of them all. He rubbed his hand over the beer bottle, his face filled with anticipation.

“He’s really being that generous?” Four-Eyes frowned, unable to understand.

Wang Yaotang’s gaze swept over their faces. He shook his head. “I don’t know exactly what the old relic has in mind. But if we win, the uncles in the triad will have money to divide every month. Isn’t it only natural for them to step forward and negotiate with Sun Wo? As for the branch that actually puts in the work, shouldn’t I show some appreciation?”

“Of course you should. Everyone in the branch knows Brother Yiu is the best at making money, and that you’re generous with your payouts.” A-Jie was quick to answer.

“But doesn’t chopping people up cost money?” Wang Yaotang sneered. “This is a real gang fight, not a show of strength. We’ll have to pay compensation to keep the men’s families settled. The triad normally gives five hundred. If we want the younger brothers to put in real effort, we’ll have to give them at least a thousand.”

“If anyone gets hurt, we’ll have to send them to the hospital. Those underground clinics charge five times the usual rate.”

“If the police haul people in, do we need bail? Do we have to pay lawyers?”

“I estimate fifty thousand won’t be enough, and that’s assuming nobody causes serious trouble.”

“And there’s more.” Wang Yaotang shook his head. “Even if we win, the other side can come back for revenge. We’re not New Ji or the Numbers. If the triad wants to suppress them and make them abandon the two brothels, it’ll have to pay a price in blood, won’t it? Who’s footing the bill? If the triad pays, then those brothels become triad property. At best, they’ll let us watch the doors. If we’re paying such a heavy price, what’s the point?”

“Brother Yiu, we can’t delay Ma Fu-rong’s money.” Four-Eyes immediately grew tense and grabbed Wang Yaotang’s hand.

A loan from a loan shark—even when the lender was one of their own—was no laughing matter.

One wrong move, and the business would belong to someone else.

“Exactly. What if the branch says it’ll forgive the money I owe the triad, but wants a stake in our clothing business instead? How do I refuse?” Wang Yaotang sneered.

“Then forget about it for now. We can wait a few days and talk once we’ve made some money.” A-Jie clicked his tongue, sounding regretful.

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“Impossible.” A-Wai shook his head. “The triad gives you an opportunity, and you refuse?”

A-Jie blinked.

There was a saying in the underworld: You’re just a small-time underling. You’re not worthy of doing business for the triad!

“And that’s assuming we win. What if we lose?” Wang Yaotang gave a cold snort.

When the gangster Handsome Nam went to Hao Kong on a job and failed, he had been one of the triad’s favorites. Even with the chairman’s name attached to him and Big B vouching for him, he was still driven out of the triad.

“Don’t worry, Brother Yiu. There will be no failure.” A-Ji clenched his fist. He was already prepared to risk his life.

“Haha, of course we won’t lose. Failure isn’t in Wang Yaotang’s dictionary.” Wang Yaotang laughed and patted A-Ji on the shoulder. “What I’m really worried about is that old bastard. He’s lost everything he had on his back, so naturally he’s set his sights on the business in our hands.”

“We just don’t know what his next move will be.” Wang Yaotang narrowed his eyes. He had spent several hours thinking about it, but still had no clue.

The four men fell silent.

After a long while, A-Jie irritably smashed his beer bottle onto the ground with a sharp crack, drawing the attention of everyone nearby.

“What are you looking at? May your whole family prosper in the afterlife!”

After cursing them out, he turned back to Wang Yaotang.

“I’ll find a chance tonight to hack that old bastard to death!”

“Fratricide and defying your superiors—either one is enough to get you hacked to pieces.” Wang Yaotang glared at A-Jie in exasperation.

“Then what are we supposed to do?” A-Jie panted heavily. “We can’t just let that old bastard scheme against us.”

“Brother Yiu, could we borrow some money from Yellow-Hair and Fine Gong to tide us over?” Four-Eyes asked with a frown.

Wang Yaotang shook his head. “We can’t touch the money from the downstream distributors. That’s basic business logic.”

Four-Eyes did not understand, but he did not ask again.

“All right. This isn’t something you need to worry about yet. Otherwise, how could I be your boss?” Wang Yaotang said with a smile. “I’m telling you this just to broaden your horizons. Don’t let the triad sell you off one day while you’re still helping them count the money. Those old relics fought their way out of hundreds of thousands of lowlifes across Hong Kong Island. Every one of them is vicious and treacherous.”

“If you become a gangster without learning to use your brain, you’ll be a gangster for the rest of your life.”

“You should have said that earlier!” A-Jie let out a huge sigh of relief. “I can’t use my brain, but drinking is no problem.”

As he spoke, he picked up his beer and downed it in one go.

“By the way, Brother Yiu, which triad is on the other side?” Four-Eyes suddenly asked.

“You know the Four Great Triads?”

At those words, all four men froze where they stood.

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