Chapter 442 First Contact
Cucumber Li, Li Ji, Zheng Tong, and Guo Sheng, these four people have been together since the 1990s and are known as the new four major families in Xiangjiang.
There are new ones, and naturally there are old ones.
The old four major families were He Li Luoli, or He Li Lizhou.
Anyway, those are the families. Most of them were families that emerged at the end of the 19th century and were very prosperous in the early and middle of the last century.
At that time, the four old families, each relying on their own abilities, occupied the top spot in Hong Kong Island for decades.
As for the new four major families, they almost all relied on the crazy rise of real estate in Hong Kong Island since the 1970s, through various monopoly companies, and only took the opportunity to reach the top after the British people retreated on a large scale.
Even so, the old four have not been completely eliminated. They were in Xiangjiang, a bit like the Mellon family in the United States today.
After hundreds of years of reproduction, the family has many children, and its branches are scattered in various industries on Hong Kong Island, holding important positions.
On weekdays, they don't look as dazzling as the current four. But if we really want to be honest, the New Four may not be able to match their influence in all aspects.
Of course, the most prominent ones in Xiangjiang are still the New Four.
These four major families monopolize most of Hong Kong's industries.
They use HK as their base and run various businesses around the world.
However, facts have proven that in Hong Kong they are either dragon or tiger. But once they leave Hong Kong, most of them become insects outside...
It can only be said that the special environment in Xiangjiang created them and that large number of rich people.
If we put them in a broader environment, such as the international community, to compete.
There is absolutely no way they can gain their status in Hong Kong.
In addition to these four, there are naturally many other wealthy people in Xiangjiang.
Second-level Chinese tycoons like Fan Liu, as well as the remaining forces of ghosts such as Swire, Kadoorie, Jardine, and HSBC.
At the next level, the number is even greater.
The small city of Xiangjiang once had a great era of great turbulence and treacherous clouds.
In addition to these glamorous rich people and consortiums born in the great era.
The gray areas of this city once made outsiders curious.
He also made many movies, which fascinated many children with incomplete views.
After entering the new century, the sun shone brightly, and these grays returned to where they were supposed to be.
Instead of being as arrogant and domineering as before...
Ge Lianghui from the number group is such a character.
In the 1980s and 1990s, it was a somewhat chaotic era.
Ge Lianghui's power was far more than ten times stronger than it is now.
But, just like other big shots in the gray area back then.
After the sun fell, the mice ran to death, and most of them hid like Ge Lianghui and lived a well-behaved life.
So now Ge Lianghui doesn't have the momentum he had back then.
Of course, even if there is no longer the one hand covering the sky before.
These people are also more arrogant than ordinary people.
There are many of them, and they are richer than ordinary people.
Even though he is not as lawless and arrogant as before, no ordinary person would dare to provoke him.
On this morning, Ge Lianghui, who was already in his sixties, went to Lu Yu Teahouse on Stanley Street in Central to have afternoon tea as usual.
Lu Yu Teahouse has a history of more than 60 years.
After so many years, it has still maintained the style of the old Xiangjiang teahouse.
Its interior decoration can be described as antique. The old waiters in traditional Tang suits and the nostalgic dishes make it easy for people to feel that they are [drinking tea] here.
Being in it will make people feel as if they have returned to Hong Kong Island in the 1950s and 1960s.
That era happened to be the most glorious years for people like Ge Lianghui.
What's more, back then, Lu Yu's teahouse was still one of the favorite places for people like them to go when they were talking about numbers.
When people get old, they like to be nostalgic.
Ge Lianghui comes every day, saying he wants to taste the delicious snacks in the teahouse.
It might as well be said to be a memory of his lost youth and past glory.
On this day, I was sitting in a Mercedes-Benz sedan that most ordinary people in Hong Kong cannot afford.
Ge Lianghui got off the bus near Lu Yu's teahouse.
After getting off the car, many of Ge Lianghui's younger brothers and horsemen immediately dispersed around him to guard him, forming a vacuum zone.
In fact, Hong Kong Island today is no longer what it was back then.
Seeking revenge on the street is very rare after entering the new century.
Mr. Rabbit is kind-hearted and cannot bear to see such a scene.
Hong Kong Island no longer has the soil for those big scenes of killing each other on the street in those movies.
It's just that Ge Lianghui started to set up this kind of spectrum more than 20 years ago.
Even though there is no need to show off now, one of the top bosses of the number group still feels that this kind of battle is indispensable.
And when some citizens passing by, or foreign tourists, see this kind of scene, they will certainly not join in stupidly.
They just watched and waited from a distance, their eyes curious and somewhat awe-inspiring.
This gave Ge Lianghui a sense of pride that he was a big shot and was avoided by other people.
Although he is not as prosperous as before, Ge Lianghui feels that he is now one of the big shots in the city.
Even if you are at the bottom, you are still higher than ordinary people.
Just like that, the two horse boys in front cleared the way, and Ge Lianghui took the lead and walked forward.
However, Ge Lianghui and his group were blocked at the door of Lu Yu's teahouse by two tall black and white men in black suits with stern faces.
Seeing two black and white ghosts blocking the way, Ge Lianghui couldn't help but frown slightly.
If in the past, even these guys faced the ghost guy on Hong Kong Island.
Many times I would be afraid to shrink back. After all, in that era, everyone understood.
But now, it’s the new century.
Ge Lianghui is not as afraid of ghosts as before.
Hey, what are you doing? We're going up for tea. You go away.
The younger brother who led the way could even speak a few words of simple English.
STOP! Go back and shine!
The giant white man had no expression on his face and shouted loudly at Ge Lianghui, who was once one of the two-flowered red sticks.
One of the former two-flowered red sticks, where has he ever been yelled at like this?
Even his boss, Ge Lianghui, had never yelled at him like this.
At that moment, his face turned red with excitement, and he was about to yell back, waving his hands subconsciously, as if he was about to take action.
I just didn’t bring a watermelon knife, and I don’t want to bring that thing now.
Before the boy from Double Flower Big Red Stick made a move, Ge Lianghui's pupils suddenly shrank, and his face suddenly changed dramatically.
The former gangster has full experience. These experiences made Ge Lianghui keenly aware that the two foreigners had begun to put their hands on their waists and stared at him with eyes full of cold scrutiny.
[Duna Star, it’s the 21st century, no one would dare to open a wooden warehouse on the street openly, right? 】
In the midst of panic, several police officers in police uniforms suddenly walked over.
As if he had been granted amnesty, the former gangster hurriedly jumped to the note and said, SIR, I want to report it. There is something wrong with those two ghost guys. Look at their waists. If they aren't Mucang, what are they?
As soon as the words came out of his mouth, Ge Lianghui noticed that among the three notes in front of him, the one in front of him was his acquaintance and his name was Chen Jiajun.
When Ge Lianghui began to dominate the world in the 1980s, the Chen family was not as big as it is now, and the two often dealt with each other at that time.
Thanks to Gui Lao's luck, Ge Lianghui has never been brought to justice.
Lan Zaihui! What are you doing here?! Chen Jiajun frowned.
If it were before, Ge Lianghui would even dare to choke back.
But now, Chief Superintendent Chen has dozens of ways to make Ge Lianghui's life unhappy.
People were under the eaves, and the big boss of the world could only smile and say:
SIR, I just want to go in and have tea. But look...
At this moment, Ge Lianghui already felt that the situation was not simple.
Because Chen Jiajun and his two police officers felt indifferent to the two ghost guys who were obviously holding wooden warehouses at the door of Lu Yu's teahouse.
Go away, Lu Yu Tea Room is not open today. Go as far as you can, do you understand? Otherwise, your mahjong room and KTV bar will be in trouble, do you understand?
Chen Jiajun rebuked directly.
In the past, as the top boss of the number group, Ge Lianghui had to push back no matter what for the sake of face.
Now, after being scolded by Chen Jiajun like this, Ge Lianghui could only turn around and leave with a dark face, yelling Go.
Pooh--
Looking at Ge Lianghui who had not gone far, Chief Superintendent Chen sighed, What age are you now, and you are still fooling around?
Ge Lianghui did not go far, but hid in the distance and observed the area near Lu Yu's teahouse.
At this time, Ge Lianghui discovered that Stan Street in Central today was very unusual.
Although there are still passers-by or tourists passing by from time to time.
The vehicles on the road didn’t stop much.
But near Lu Yu Tea House, many vehicles were parked, and some were even parked illegally. Many of Ge Lianghui's younger brothers know the license plates of these vehicles.
One of Ge Lianghui's younger brothers said that they were all cars owned by senior officials from the Central Police Station and other nearby police stations...
Ordinary people can't recognize it, but Ge Lianghui has professionals who specialize in remembering these numbers.
It's a big gathering of ghosts? Is the chief having tea up there? But I haven't heard of the reason why the chief uses ghost bodyguards...
Hiding in his car, Ge Lianghui, a former gangster, was very curious about who was drinking tea in Lu Yu's tea room at the moment.
And Ge Lianghui was extremely curious in Lu Yu's tea room.
At this moment, it was indeed as Chen Jiajun said, he was temporarily taken over.
But the person drinking tea inside was not the chief executive of Hong Kong Island as Ge Lianghui imagined.
But a foreigner.
Lu Yu Teahouse has three floors. The first floor is the pick-up area for individual guests, while the second and third floors are the group reservation areas. Under normal circumstances, guests who do not want to be disturbed are in the private rooms downstairs.
But today, none of the private rooms upstairs were open.
The individual guest reception area downstairs can accommodate up to a hundred guests, although there are also more than twenty people.
But there were only two people, sitting opposite each other on the middle seat.
Everyone else was standing.
One of them is naturally the big capitalist from the United States and the world's richest man, Abel Smith.
Another very old gentleman is Chinese. This old man does not have a very good reputation internationally.
Outside of Hong Kong Island and the Chinese community, more than 99% of people have never heard of it.
But in this city, his words are often more effective than those of the so-called old four and new four.
In an antique and charming teahouse.
The old man spoke proficient English, smiled and introduced the signature dishes of Luyu Teahouse to Abel very enthusiastically:
Mr. Smith, look at this fried chicken ball bun. It is made with shrimps, mushrooms, barbecued pork, chicken thighs, meatballs, salted egg yolks, scallops and other ingredients. It should be more in line with your American tastes. You want to taste Chinese For food, it’s definitely a choice not to be missed.”
It's quite complicated to make, and many restaurants don't have it or don't want to make it, or they don't make it well. Just here at Lu Yu Teahouse, it's made very well, and the taste has been consistent for decades.
Looking at the small cage in front of me, only one big bag of chicken balls can be placed.
Abel smiled, but instead of picking up the knife and fork specially prepared for him, a foreigner, he picked up the chopsticks next to him.
Abel skillfully held his chopsticks and picked up a chopstick on this traditional famous dish in Guangdong Province. Huo Yiguan, who was opposite him, put it in his mouth and tasted it with a slightly surprised look.
The taste is really good, one bite is full of fresh flavor.
But Abel didn't find it strange or have any aftertaste.
Because beside Abel, there is a personal chef team composed of outstanding chefs from around the world.
There are even Chinese food masters at the level of inland national chefs in the team.
Huo Yiguan thought that Abel, like other foreigners, had milk and steak sandwiches every day, but he was totally wrong.
While ensuring heat and portion, Abel's food is often prepared for him by a group of the world's best chefs with different flavors.
I didn’t have the conditions to go out, so I only brought a Chinese chef, a barbecue master and a French chef with me.
It tastes good. But there seems to be no red shallots in it? It's not authentic enough. It should be a flavor specially prepared for foreigners.
Abel commented with a smile.
Huo Yiguan was really surprised. The old man didn't expect the world's richest man and an American conglomerate boss in front of him.
Not only can I use chopsticks so well, I can actually taste the characteristics of this fried chicken ball bun.
Because normal fried chicken balls do need to be added with red onions.
But many foreigners don’t really like the taste of red onions.
Therefore, when preparing this snack for foreigners, chefs often do not include the red onions that Chinese people like.
Huo Yiguan knew this, but he didn't expect Abel to eat it.
The old man could only give a thumbs up and praised loudly: Mr. Smith, you are really amazing. You can actually eat this. Many of us can't eat it.
Abel put down his chopsticks, looked directly at Huo Yiguan, and suddenly said seriously:
Henry Huo, let me call you Mr. Huo. I know you came to me because of your intention. But I want to tell you that I won't do anything here. I'm just passing by and want to experience it. The flavor of the ancient oriental country with a long history of civilization. I don’t have any other bad thoughts. I will go to Southeast Asia in two days. You can give my feedback to the other side. To be honest, I just came here to travel.
Huo Yiguan, who was smiling all over his face, was stunned by Abel's straightforward words.
The old gentleman didn't expect that this ghost guy would be so direct.
Abel was right. The old man came here specially today to disturb Abel's emotional experience in Lu Yu Teahouse.
He really took over the mission.
Who knows that the identity of the old gentleman is the most suitable for completing this kind of task.
Now that Abel said this, Huo Yiguan felt as if his task had been completed, but at the same time it seemed as if nothing had been completed.
After all, he is a tycoon who dares to drive a speedboat to fight pirates and bandits at sea when he is only ten years old.
Huo Yiguan reacted quickly and continued to say with a smile:
If this is the case, we are infinitely welcome. Not only Hong Kong Island, we have a broader beauty, which can allow you, Mr. Smith, to experience the mystery and elegance of the East.
Abel shrugged in a very American way. He knew that this action was the one most familiar to Chinese people when it comes to ghosts.
Of course, if I have the chance, I will definitely go. Like Bill Gates, David Rockefeller and the rest.
Bill Gates went there in the name of leisure travel in 1994.
That old guy David has been here many times.
Oh, maybe we can find a time now? Mr. Smith, you are very welcome. Huo Yiguan said with a smile.
Now is the time when investment promotion is hottest, when there is sudden and rapid development, and foreign investment is extremely welcome.
If the world's richest man can be allowed to invest, even if the scale is small, Huo Yiguan feels that it is a great achievement.
During this period, even the world’s richest man invested.
That is telling the world that it is a super hot spot for investment. Didn’t you see that even the world’s richest man came here?
There are good advertising benefits here.
What's more, the American media has long made almost everyone in foreign countries who care about American news aware of the super strength of the world's richest man.
If he really wants to invest, Huo Yiguan feels that his investment will not be small.
That means having both face and lizi.
For a patriotic old man, this is a dream come true.
As for other aspects, naturally someone taller will have to worry about it...
But Abel did not respond directly, he just smiled and said: I think... there should be such a day.
There was no discussion at all about the specific time.
And at this time, David Jones, who had been smiling and standing still next to him, also leaned down and said softly in English:
Boss, Miss Beneteau has arrived.
Huo Yiguan also heard it.
The old gentleman actually came in halfway. Abel was here today. He was not specially invited, nor was he entertaining Abel.
He was sent here to explore the American's personality first.
Now that I heard about Abel, I wanted to see other people.
Huo Yiguan had achieved his goal. He stood up quickly and said with a sensible smile:
Ah, since Mr. Smith wants to meet other guests, I'll leave first. I'm sorry for disturbing you by showing up unannounced.
Abel smiled and said nothing more.
Huo Yiguan wanted to say a few more words, but he also knew that it would be useless to say a few more words.
The old gentleman could only smile, and under the gaze of a bunch of ghost guys, he stood up gracefully and walked outside.
As he approached the door, Huo Yiguan did see a young and beautiful foreign girl being ushered in.
Maybe it's Miss Beneteau.
he thought.
The old gentleman nodded politely to the other party as a greeting.
The other party responded with a ladylike smile.
A few seconds later, Huo Yiguan walked out of Lu Yu's tea room.
The two black and white giants guarding the door ignored him. Huo Yiguan stood at the door of the teahouse and waved his hand towards the north side of Stanley Street in Central.
His bodyguard and driver were over there, and he asked them to come pick him up.
However, Huo Yiguan didn't know that his appearance at the door of Lu Yu's teahouse shocked Ge Lianghui, who was secretly observing from a distance.
Throw that star! Tsar Huo is in there! Are Cucumber and the others also in there? Maybe the sir is in a good mood today and is really drinking tea in there?
Ge Lianghui didn't know that if possible, Cucumber and the others really wanted to go inside and have tea with Abel.
But this group of Hong Kong rich people, except for Hao with a special status.
There are also the Gui Lao consortium such as Jiali, which are outside the same category.
Abel had no intention of meeting or drinking tea with other wealthy Chinese people.
In his eyes, these are just a bunch of old haters who huddle in Hong Kong Island to enjoy themselves and dominate the land.
If they go to the international market, Abel will have at least 100 ways to make them cry for father and mother...
Didn’t you see that in London last year, he laid a trap for some of these people in advance?
With Abel's current position, if he attacks these people, he will really show no mercy at all.