bestfiction Chapter 556: Recognize the Origin
Chapter 556: Recognize the Origin
At the dock, the sea breeze, carrying a salty smell, rushed in violently, pulling at the corners of He Yuzhu's clothes and disturbing his mood.
He Yuzhu stood on the shore, his posture upright but his inner turmoil could not be concealed. His eyes were fixed on the shimmering surface of the Haojiang River. The water should have been dazzling under the sunlight, but in his eyes it seemed to hide countless elusive whirlpools.
"How could this happen?" he muttered to himself, his voice instantly swallowed up by the sea breeze, his heart full of doubts surging like the tide, one wave after another.
"Is there some shady operation going on here?"
His brows were tightly twisted into a knot, as if he wanted to crush all the confusion in his heart, and then he turned eagerly to Huo Yingdong beside him and asked, his eyes full of desire to find out the truth.
Huo Yingdong looked solemn and deliberately lowered his voice, as if the air around him had become solemn because of his words:
“The crux of the matter is that the Macao authorities have no good feelings towards foreign companies at all.
You have to know that Haojiang is a place where all kinds of people mix together, like a complicated maze of rivers and lakes.
The smoke of war had just dissipated, and some of the remnants of the Kuomintang army, those forces that were like stray dogs after the defeat, and the notorious figures of Da Tianpeng in the underworld, all fled here like a tide.
Carrying a large number of weapons, they rushed to Haojiang to seek refuge.
The Haojiang government is on tenterhooks all day, fearing that these forces of unknown origin and ulterior motives will disrupt the already fragile situation. After all, the situation here is as complicated as a tangled mess, and if they are not careful, they will fall into an abyss from which there is no return. "
At this point, Huo Yingdong straightened his back slightly, a barely perceptible but somewhat proud smile flashed across his face, his eyes full of insight and confidence:
"You may not know that there are only two most lucrative businesses in the land of Haojiang. One is the gold trade. Business giants such as Luo Bao, He Xian, He Tian, Zhong Ziguang, and Liang Chang have been operating for many years and have a deep entanglement in the gold trading market. They firmly control the ways and resources involved, and it is extremely difficult for others to get involved.
The second is the casino business. For a long time, Gao Kening and the Fu Laorong family have dominated the Macau Casino with their profound background and tough measures, with annual revenue steadily at around two to three million.
But to be fair, this little bit of money is just a drop in the ocean for all of us here and is really nothing.
You might as well imagine that if you can acquire a piece of high-quality land with a superior geographical location and complete supporting facilities in Haojiang and engage in real estate development, then high-rise buildings will rise from the ground and a steady stream of houses will be put on the market. The profits earned will be much more lucrative than these casinos and gold trading, and more than several times more! "
He Yuzhu nodded slightly, a thoughtful look on his face, and he agreed deeply with this view.
For a long time, he has devoted himself to industrial building projects, and with his unique vision and unremitting efforts, he has established a firm foothold in this field.
However, the ever-changing market made him turn his attention to the residential sector early on, and he was keenly aware of the huge profits hidden therein.
However, due to the shortage of funds and limited network resources, although he was eager to try, he was always constrained by reality and found it difficult to take the key step into the residential sector.
"Two to three million a year is really not a lot in our industry."
He Yuzhu shook his head slightly, with a hint of emotion on his face. His tone showed both agreement and a hint of helplessness about the complicated situation in the industry, and he echoed.
Huo Yingdong looked solemn and said slowly:
"In the early years, those foreign companies coveted the gambling business and tried to get a piece of it, and even participated in the auction openly. However, they underestimated the depth of the water and were carefully calculated behind the scenes.
The first time they bid, their deposit was frozen for unknown reasons, and they could not get the funds in place at the critical moment, which led to failure. The second time, they finally got the bid price, but on the eve of signing the contract, something unexpected happened to the partner, causing the plan to fail. After suffering several big losses like this, they finally woke up from their dream and completely gave up the idea of getting involved in the gambling business. "
"A foreign company could actually be cheated? This is truly the sun rising from the west!"
He Yuzhu's eyes widened instantly, and his curiosity was like dry firewood poured with a bucket of hot oil, burning fiercely with a "boom", and his whole body leaned forward unconsciously.
"It's more than just being cheated, it's a huge loss!"
Huo Yingdong sighed heavily and then described in detail the causes and consequences of the foreign company being cheated.
That is a period of history that the business community still laments.
Back then, HSBC, Standard Chartered, Swire and other well-known foreign companies in Hong Kong, upon hearing about the bidding for the Macau casino license, rushed to Macau with great interest to participate in the bidding with great ambition and expectation for the new market.
However, the local government of Haojiang has set a high threshold for bidding - a huge deposit of up to 100 million Portuguese patacas is required for each bid.
These foreign companies mostly used British pounds and Hong Kong dollars in their daily business transactions in Hong Kong. Faced with such a huge demand for Portuguese currencies, they were simply unable to provide them at once and had no choice but to go to the market to exchange them.
Under normal circumstances, the exchange rate was stable at 1 Hong Kong dollar to 9 Portuguese patacas, but at that time Tai Fung Bank took advantage of the situation and offered an exchange rate as low as 1 to 7.
Although the foreign companies were unwilling, they were eager to bid and had no choice but to accept this extremely unreasonable exchange condition.
After finally completing the bidding process, the result was like a bucket of cold water poured on them. The Macau government did not allow them to win the bid and returned the 100 million Portuguese pataca deposit in full.
But the matter did not end there. The foreign companies had to face the difficult problem of exchanging Portuguese currencies back into Hong Kong dollars.
At this time, the foreign exchange market suddenly changed, the Portuguese currency depreciated sharply, and the exchange rate plummeted to 1 to 13.
As a result, the foreign companies suffered huge losses in the exchange rate, and they lost all their money.
The news spread quickly in the business circle like a gust of wind. All the businessmen who heard about it were frightened and were reluctant to come to Haojiang to do business.
Since then, for a long time, no one dared to compete with local business groups for territory, and the business landscape of Haojing has quietly changed.
He Yuzhu was so shocked that his eyes widened and his mouth opened wide, unable to close for a long time.
It was really hard for him to imagine that a foreign company that was usually wealthy, calculating, and able to turn the tide in the business world could suffer such a big setback in the casino business and be cheated so miserably.
You have to know that the casino business has always been full of undercurrents and tricks.
Take the bid for the casino license by Ye Han and Wu Hailin. The price they offered at the time was far beyond ordinary people's expectations, but they still failed to win the bid in the end. This is enough to show how complicated the matter is. The current experience of the foreign bank has made He Yuzhu feel more deeply about this complicated situation.
He Yuzhu frowned slightly, his face full of doubts, and couldn't help but ask:
"In the land of Haojiang, the bidding for gambling licenses has always been treacherous, and many powerful consortiums have failed before.
No matter how high the bid is, you may not win the bid in this complex and unpredictable situation.
I really don't understand why you insist on participating in this project? Do you think that as long as you bid high enough and spend a lot of money, you can get this project without any suspense?"
Huo Yingdong looked solemn and slowly explained:
“The smooth progress of this bidding is a result of Mr. Li’s extensive network of contacts and his good communication skills.
Mr. He has ancestry from four countries and grew up in a multicultural environment, which enabled him to integrate into foreign social circles without any obstacles.
As you all know, Fu Laorong is now old and not as energetic as before. Some foreigners who have deep interests in Macau are looking for the right opportunity to replace the casino operator to maximize their own interests. "
Huo Yingdong paused for a moment, looked around, and continued:
"But Fu Laorong has been operating in Macau for many years, and he is also backed by powerful foreign forces. The two sides refused to give in, and finally each nominated an agent, launching this thrilling competition.
The rules for the gambling license this time are simple and almost brutal. The winner is determined purely by the highest bid. Whoever can offer a higher price can get this license that symbolizes huge wealth and supreme power.
With such tempting benefits in front of him, how could Ye Han not be tempted? Naturally, he was eyeing this piece of fat meat and was determined to get it. "
When it comes to the reason why Ho Ying-tung was involved in this dispute, we have to go back to a meaningful charity football match.
Huo Yingdong has had a passionate love for football since he was a child, and his love for the green field has long been deeply imprinted in his life.
Some time ago, the Haojiang District held a meaningful charity football match for the Police Department. Once the news came out, it caused a heated response from all walks of life. Fok Ying-tung was sincerely invited by his long-time friend Ho Yin and decided to participate without hesitation.
At that time, Ho Yu-chu was busy with many things and had never been interested in football. After much deliberation, he generously donated 2 yuan to express his feelings, but did not set foot on the land of Haojiang. Ho Ying-tung was full of expectations and rushed to Haojiang with his wife.
On the day of the game, the sun shone on the green field. The men were running freely on the court, sweating. Every pass and every shot was accompanied by cheers and shouts from the audience.
The ladies gathered in Yu Beihai's magnificent mansion and started a leisurely mahjong game.
Yu Beihai's ancestral home is in the mainland. He left his hometown in his early years and went to Hong Kong to make a living. With his extraordinary courage and wisdom, he was able to gain a foothold in the complex environment.
He is addicted to gambling and has been immersed in the world of gambling for many years. At the same time, with his excellent social skills, he has built up an extremely extensive network of contacts. He is a very influential figure, both in the white business circle and in the undercurrent of the underworld.
He Shen's wife was also involved in the mahjong game. There seemed to be a natural affinity between women. She had a great conversation with Huo Yingdong's wife and they soon became friends. Their laughter echoed in the rooms of the mansion.
After the competition every day, Huo Yingdong would go to Yu Beihai's residence in the evening to pick up his wife. As time went by, he and He Shen often met during these frequent encounters.
At first, the two of them just exchanged a few polite pleasantries. As they met more and more often, the content of their conversations gradually became richer, from the weather and daily life to their respective life experiences. The distance between them quietly narrowed and they gradually became familiar with each other.
One day, He Shen, with a smile on his face, earnestly invited Huo Yingdong to participate in the upcoming auction of gambling licenses, his eyes revealing his importance and expectations for this matter.
In the subsequent exchanges, the two enthusiastically talked about their respective business experiences, sharing their ups and downs and experiences in the business world.
Considering He Yuzhu's needs for business expansion, Huo Yingdong enthusiastically introduced He Yuzhu to He Shen.
With Huo Yingdong's help, He Yuzhu successfully bought the new industrial building he had long admired from He Shen, adding an important piece to his business. As the two were talking, the boat slowly approached the Haojiang Pier.
The sea breeze blew gently, ruffling people's hair. He Shen's face was full of smiles, and that smile seemed to dispel all the haze. He walked quickly towards them with a group of well-dressed and capable people.
They marched in unison, showing their professionalism and well-trainedness. "Warmly welcome everyone to Haojiang! Thank you for your hard work along the way!"
He Shen extended his right hand enthusiastically, his voice was loud and sincere, his tone was as if he was welcoming a close friend he hadn't seen for a long time, and his eyes revealed his joy and anticipation for everyone's arrival.
"Mr. He is too polite,"
Huo Yingdong quickly bowed in response, with just the right amount of humility and sincerity on his face.
"We are deeply grateful for your hospitality and kindness."
After the greetings, He Shen turned slightly and introduced the person next to him to He Yuzhu with a smile on his face, his words full of respect:
"This is Mr. Yu Beihai, a well-known figure in the business community of Haojiang. Many industries have flourished under his planning and planning. He can be called a giant in the business community of Haojiang."
As he spoke, he pointed respectfully at an imposing middle-aged man who was wearing a well-tailored suit and had a shrewd and calm look in his eyes.
Then, He Shen turned his hand to a handsome man, and his voice unconsciously rose a few notes, full of praise:
"This is the famous new gambling king, Mr. Ye Han, who is very skilled in gambling and has made great achievements in the gambling world. His superb gambling skills and legendary experiences are the hottest topics in Macau and even the entire gambling world."
Afterwards, He Shen introduced a number of celebrities who have a profound influence in Haojiang, such as Yip Delin and Gao Hailin.
Everyone nodded to He Yuzhu, and their attitudes were very polite. However, Gao Hailin in the crowd just nodded slightly, and his words were a little cold, and he simply perfunctorily said a few words.
He Yuzhu was keenly aware of this slight abnormality, but he was open-minded by nature and did not take Gao Hailin's attitude to heart. He still smiled and responded to everyone politely.