69novels Chapter 6, item 1: It is both a sign of importance and a test!
Chapter 6, item 1: It is both a sign of importance and a test!
"Manager Zhao, it's alright. We've gotten used to some of the ups and downs."
Boss Huo shook hands with the person opposite him, but didn't mention running into the number gang of thugs.
Once you've made a choice, there's no need to keep talking about what you've done. Everyone sees it, and what's due will come to you.
"That's good, that's good."
Manager Zhao carefully examined Boss Huo to make sure he was alright before nodding and speaking.
"The most important thing this time was a ship full of penicillin. Fortunately, it was all delivered safely."
Boss Huo pointed to the boat he was on and said to Manager Zhao.
"Really? Thank you so much."
When Manager Zhao heard Boss Huo mention penicillin, his eyes lit up.
"Hey you, hurry up and bring the late-night snack up here, so Boss Huo and the others can eat their fill before they go back."
Manager Zhao thanked Boss Huo again while urging his staff to bring the food up.
Currently, there are over 300 items on the international embargo list against mainland China, leaving various industries in the mainland practically impoverished.
It is important that any kind of supplies can be brought in, and medicines are of paramount importance.
A ship full of medicine—who knows how many lives it could save!
Besides, this is hard-earned money. When the embargo first started, shipping costs increased by 30%, and the prices of various supplies were set arbitrarily by different merchants.
As a result, no one else took the job, but Boss Huo did. The price wasn't high; it was basically a low-profit, high-volume business.
Compared to other smugglers, Boss Huo's actions are essentially philanthropy.
Later, under the instructions of No. 5, an overall plan was made, stipulating that anyone who transported supplies to the mainland would receive a reward equivalent to 20% of the value of the supplies.
Besides Boss Huo, it has also attracted many other people to participate.
Does it make money? Definitely, but it's not a huge profit, especially considering the constant fighting.
After Mr. Huo and Manager Zhao finished checking the supplies, Mr. Huo took a bowl of noodles from Manager Zhao and ate while observing his surroundings.
Those who came with Boss Huo, the old and the new, all worked together to unload the goods. After they finished unloading, they took a break, each of them taking a bowl of noodles and slurping them down.
Zhang Guohao was the same; he unloaded the goods and ate noodles with everyone. He didn't think he was superior just because he could get a share of the profits from Boss Huo.
Henry Fok quickly ate a bowl of noodles and became increasingly satisfied with Cheung Kwok-ho. He was hardworking, dedicated, content, and handsome. No one would dislike someone like that.
Being good-looking is especially important in life. Good-looking people tend to receive more kindness... Of course, this is only true if you don't encounter someone of a much higher status. If you encounter a powerful figure, being good-looking might become a disaster.
After finishing their late-night snack, Boss Huo and the others didn't rest; they started loading the goods.
We can't go back empty-handed after making this trip; we need to bring back some fresh produce, such as beef, mutton, pork, river fish, and other delicacies from the mountains and seas.
Hong Kong Island has a diverse population with people from all over the world. Everyone wants to eat their hometown food, and there are quite a few wealthy people among them.
Even if a ship full of ingredients worth a fortune were to be shipped back, someone would still pay for it.
Even excluding the cost of transporting supplies, Mr. Huo made a considerable profit just from transporting these fresh goods.
This time, Manager Zhao prepared dozens of live pigs, hundreds of Yellow River carp, and some mountain delicacies for Boss Huo, and Boss Huo returned home with a full load.
The journey back was peaceful; we didn't encounter any fools causing trouble along the way.
Just as he returned to Hong Kong Island, it was almost dawn. At the pier where Boss Huo was docked, there were already dozens of purchasing agents from restaurants waiting for him to return.
As soon as the boat docked, dozens of live pigs were divided up completely, and the Yellow River carp were also divided up by several high-end restaurants.
Mountain delicacies are especially sought after. People on Hong Kong Island love to drink soup and add things to it. These mountain delicacies can greatly enhance the flavor of the soup.
"Xiao Wu, go and distribute their money. If anyone is willing to stay and work for me, write down their names and we'll make arrangements accordingly."
Boss Huo instructed his men to pay the temporary workers and, at the same time, recruit a group of good-performing, daring men.
Then, Boss Huo looked at Zhang Guohao.
"Ah-Hao, what are your plans for the future? Do you have anywhere to go?"
"Boss Huo looked at Zhang Guohao and said."
"Find a place to live first."
Looking at the final payment Xiao Wu had just given him, Zhang Guohao was also thinking: with only twenty yuan in his pocket, where was he going to stay?
Twenty yuan might be enough to find a place to stay anywhere, but it might not be very nice.
A bowl of wonton noodles costs three mao (0.3 yuan), but Zhang Guohao has a big appetite and can eat at least five bowls. A meal consisting solely of wonton noodles would cost one yuan and fifty cents, and a whole day of eating only wonton noodles would cost four yuan and fifty cents.
Northerners who come to Hong Kong Island often have to spend two or three times more on food than the locals.
The average wage on Hong Kong Island is only eighty to one hundred dollars now. If Fu Guang lived today, he definitely wouldn't say that famous line: "A few hundred dollars a month, what are you risking your life for!"
In Hong Kong today, if you could earn a few hundred dollars a month, plenty of people would work themselves to the bone.
Twenty yuan, if you really spend it freely, it will be gone in two or three days.
"Here, take this. Let's find a place to live first. Don't rush to work. Eat and drink your fill, and get your energy back before you start."
Seeing this, Boss Huo took out a thousand yuan that he had prepared beforehand and slapped it into Zhang Guohao's hand. Just for this, Boss Huo really wanted to treat Zhang Guohao as one of his own.
This thousand yuan was all in ten-yuan and five-yuan notes, a thick stack that looked quite impressive.
Fortunately, this was inside the cabin, and it was given to Zhang Guohao by Boss Huo alone. If the money had been leaked outside, Zhang Guohao's trip would not have been peaceful.
Boss Huo is very generous and willing to pay, but he is also somewhat wary of Zhang Guohao. If he truly trusted Zhang Guohao, he would have arranged accommodation for him directly, something Boss Huo could easily do.
Giving Zhang Guohao money now, letting him go out and spend it, is also a test to see Zhang Guohao's character. This money is a huge sum of money now.
In the three years after the war, Boss Huo made only 22,000 dollars by buying and selling, which translates to just over 7,000 dollars a year.
Of course, Mr. Huo's wealth has increased a bit in recent years, but a thousand yuan is still a huge sum for most ordinary people.
Many people earn only a thousand yuan a year.
If Zhang Guohao uses this money for drinking, gambling, and whoring, that's one attitude towards him; if he rents a house and changes his clothes, that's another attitude.
While we have this time, we can also check Zhang Guohao's background in the underworld.