manynovel Chapter 24 The Walled City
Chapter 24 The Walled City
"Skinny Dong, are you sure you have nothing to do with the Fok family now that you're in the restaurant business? I've heard that half of the expensive ingredients in high-end restaurants on Hong Kong Island are obtained from the Fok family."
"You know better than I do how huge that number is, don't you?"
"You know, the relationship between foreigners and the West is not good now. Many long-established restaurants have to introduce traditional and expensive dishes if they want to survive and maintain their business scale."
"If the Huo family continues to control the supply of these expensive ingredients, the restaurant owners will have an even better relationship with him in the future."
"If the boss gives all the money to that Huo guy from now on, what will you and Anle eat?"
Ge Dalongtou has been out in the game for so long, what doesn't he know?
He and Anle are even worse than me. At least Ge Dalongtou was once a legitimate member of the Bureau of Investigation and Statistics. He and Anle's gang are just thugs!
The so-called orders from above cannot completely control these thugs, but when it comes to benefits, these thugs' eyes widen in surprise.
When Shou Dong heard Ge Da Longtou mention the ingredients, his mind started to wander.
Those in the food service industry, especially the "Wo On Lok" syndicate composed of service personnel, have their own unique insights into stealing ingredients from restaurants and eateries.
It's said that if the cook doesn't steal, the grain won't be taken, but if the cook and the waiters team up, the restaurant won't make any money.
There's a delicate balance to be struck here, which is something that Shou Dong, the leader of the triad, needs to consider.
These large restaurants on Hong Kong Island are doing quite well and making a lot of money. Sometimes, no one cares if there's a little too much or too little food.
Stealing ingredients was a crucial part of Shou Dong's money-making scheme. He would get good ingredients from big restaurants and then send them directly to the bosses who settled in Hong Kong Island.
These business owners don't care where the ingredients come from or how much they cost; what matters most is that the food tastes good.
Just like the Yellow River carp that Boss Huo brought back, each time he could sell them for hundreds of times the price at the place of origin.
During this period, the Yellow River carp generated more foreign exchange value than many other things.
These people, one by one, couldn't go back to their hometowns for various reasons, so they hid in their mansions, eating local specialties, and dreaming that they were going home.
If we could get hold of Boss Huo's business, what would we need to steal? We'd have complete control over pricing! We could sell it for whatever price we wanted and make a fortune!
"Boss Ge, business is good, but it's not that easy. Our brothers don't even have a boat. If we mess with that Huo guy, we won't be able to transport anything!"
Shou Dong thought for a moment, then suddenly laughed and said, "This bait is quite tempting, but it's too impractical."
"You don't have a boat, but I do! See? You've got the wrong idea. You think my brother's trying to scam you? Do you think I'm that kind of unrighteous person?!"
"Would your brother let you charge ahead alone? Of course he'll help you! Let's join forces to take over this money-making opportunity, and then we'll split it fifty-fifty!"
"We've secured this revenue stream, made money, and improved our relationships with the bosses. Won't that mean we'll have even more ways to make a living in the future?"
Ge Dalong continued to persuade Shou Dongdao.
Hearing the detailed plan, Shou Dong was even more tempted. He could make a good profit without having to work alone. This was a job he could do!
As for the fact that Boss Huo is not someone to mess with, and that even this Boss Ge on the other side suffered a loss, it must be because the Number Gang is too weak!
We all have two shoulders and one head, so who's afraid of who!
As long as there's a 10% chance of success, this job is worth doing! Even if it fails, it'll just mean a few underlings will die.
"Brother, big brother, I knew it! We brothers will definitely help each other out. Even if there's no benefit to this job, just for the sake of our brotherhood, I have to lend a hand!"
Shou Dong's expression changed immediately, and he started calling him "Big Brother" very affectionately.
Ge Dalong was the same, calling him "brother" at every turn, as if the two were very familiar with each other. When the two got together, they discussed how to take down Boss Huo and steal his fleet and business.
……
Cheung Kwok-ho walked through the Kowloon Walled City, experiencing a scene completely different from the outside world.
Kowloon Walled City is a lawless area created by historical reasons.
Because of this, a large number of people who came to Hong Kong Island went to the Walled City to make a living, at least they didn't have to pay taxes.
Some businesses that were banned by foreigners, such as dentists, traditional Chinese medicine practitioners, and dog meat restaurants, also managed to infiltrate the walled city.
All sorts of gangs and illicit businesses have also infiltrated this area.
This resulted in the walled city having a large population, but also being chaotic, dirty, and in poor condition!
Now, the eastern part of Kowloon Walled City is occupied by triads, and is full of opium dens, gambling dens, and horse stables, while the western part is where ordinary people live.
Zhang Guohao definitely couldn't go to the east to find someone or ask the gang for help; that would be like putting a rat in a flour jar—who knows what outrageous things the people he found might do.
If you're going to look for someone, you should look for someone who's easy to fool... no, someone with kind character and upright values.
Without good character, you wouldn't feel comfortable letting someone work for you; what if they betray the fleet for money?
The area inside the walled city was not large to begin with, and now it was even more haphazardly built up with illegal structures. There were wooden houses everywhere, with at least three people living in each one, and quite a few even with seven or eight people.
"Duan-style Bajiquan".
As Zhang Guohao walked, he saw a signboard for a martial arts school, which was standing upright there.
"Friend, would you be interested in learning martial arts?"
Behind the plaque was a courtyard much smaller than Zhang Guohao's, but it was still a pretty good place in the walled city.
It has at least a courtyard wall, and it's a brick-and-mortar building.
The buildings inside the walled city were divided into three categories: the first category was built with bricks and stones, the second category was built with wooden planks, and the third category was built with sheet metal and wooden planks.
The person who runs this martial arts school is quite skilled.
Zhang Guohao looked in the direction of the sound and saw a man in his thirties, wearing a black robe, smiling broadly and clasping his hands in greeting.
"No need for that, I'm too old for that. Are you new to the stronghold, brother?"
Zhang Guohao said to the other party.
The signboard hasn't been hung up yet; it's obvious they just arrived.
"Indeed, I am Duan Tongtian. I was hoping to make a living in Hong Kong, but I didn't expect that houses in crowded places on Hong Kong are too expensive, and in less populated places, I was worried about not being able to find apprentices. So I had no choice but to try my luck in the Walled City."
Seeing that Zhang Guohao was amiable and dressed neatly and cleanly, better than most people in the walled city, the man thought it best to chat for a bit to relieve his frustration.