money player

"Something happened?" Kelly noticed the commotion and turned to ask.

“It’s nothing, I just forgot something somewhere and just remembered it,” Sin Yiu-man replied, glancing down at his watch. “We’ve been here for almost fifteen minutes, and it seems the party host hasn’t shown up yet.”

"Are you anxious?"

"No, I'm bored."

"Continue the story?" Kelly said, glancing to her left. "Frank Sinatra and Ava Garner are here."

“Not surprising.” Xian Yaowen glanced at Jia Na. “Frank should be a staunch supporter of Kennedy.”

"What does a singer who is passionate about politics hope to gain?"

“That’s his own business, I don’t care.” Xian Yaowen’s gaze passed over Jia Na and landed on Bill Bufalino, who had just entered the lounge.

He was curious as to why the other person was there, and whether they represented the Bufalino family or Jimmy Hoffa.

He waved to the other person.

Bill saw him and walked over. "Adam, what are you doing here?"

"What about you?"

Bill shrugged. "Time flies. Four years have passed, and next year will be the fifth."

Sin Yiu-man quickly grasped the key point: the International Truck Drivers Union holds a regular congress every five years to discuss some matters and make some personnel adjustments, but does not include the election of the president. In fact, the International Truck Drivers Union has had three presidents. The first two were relatively short-lived, while the third, Daniel Tobin, has been the president since 1907 and has controlled the union to this day.

"So, next year's conference will be held in Los Angeles?"

“Yes.” Bill sat down next to Sin Yiu-man. “I’m here to handle some legal matters.”

"Just handling legal matters?"

“There’s something else,” Bill said in a low voice. “In fact, Dave Baker has held most of the power in the union for the past three years, and this time he will rightfully become the chairman.”

"Jimmy Hoffa wants the vice-chairman's position?"

"Hmm, it's time. Jimmy's interested in having a chat with you."

"No time was mentioned?"

"No."

"It seems like they're not very sincere."

"Adam, shouldn't you be the one to take the initiative?"

“Alright.” Sin Yiu-man shrugged. “I’ll pay him a visit. Why don’t you come over for a drink?”

Bill chuckled, “I’m here for the same reason you are, but I didn’t bring any checks.”

“Your face is more effective than a check.” Sin Yiu-man pointed at Kelly. “Grace, my partner, we’re going to set up a security company here.”

Bill nodded to Kelly. "For whom do you provide services?"

"This is Hollywood."

"Looks good, do you need to invest?"

"Can you get up early tomorrow?"

"no problem."

"Breakfast is at the hotel at 7:30."

"OK."

Shanghai.

This was Su Lizhen's second visit in a short period of time. This time, she came to handle some import and export business and to help the Hong Kong manufacturing group with OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) matters.

Unlike last time, this time she was received and stayed at the Jinjiang Hotel. The Municipal Finance Committee also arranged two bodyguards for her: one male in military uniform with a gun gleaming on his belt, and the other female in civilian clothes, plain clothes.

After lunch, she didn't go out, but sat on the sofa reading Zhou Libo's "The Storm".

The topic wasn't romance, so she didn't really enjoy reading it; it was just something to pass the time. Luckily, she only read two pages before the guest she was waiting for arrived.

A middle-aged man was wearing a white shirt that looked old and worn, but not tattered.

Upon entering the room, the middle-aged man approached Su Lizhen and warmly shook her hand, saying, "Comrade Su, welcome to Shanghai."

Su Lizhen smiled and said, "Manager Lu, I lived in Shanghai for several years and this is my home. I'm just coming home for a short stay, so there's no need for a grand welcome."

The middle-aged man was Lu Zhi, the manager of the Shanghai branch of the import and export company. His name sounded impressive, and he seemed to have a generous spirit as well. He chuckled and said, "Comrade Su, please don't mind. I misspoke. You are welcome to come back and visit more often."

"Thank you." Su Lizhen withdrew her hand and gestured for Lu to sit here. "Manager Lu, please have a seat here."

The two sat diagonally opposite each other, and Su Lizhen got straight to the point, "Manager Lu, I saw in the newspaper that Shanghai is carrying out industrial reforms. I imagine you must be very busy. Please forgive me for skipping the formalities and let's get straight to business?"

"I couldn't be happier," Lu Zhi said with a smile. "Comrade Su, please speak."

"Our group wants 100 tons of frozen eggs, 50 tons of whole egg liquid, and 50 tons of egg yolk liquid and egg white liquid separately, to be shipped to West Germany. We may try to sell them to East Germany. This time it is to open up sales channels. We dare not order too much. The real order will be next time."

Lu Zhi nodded. "I understand. The warehouse in Shanghai happens to have stock, and the freezing time is no more than one month. Comrade Su can pick up the goods at any time."

How much per ton?

"Shekou price?"

"Yes."

"At $650 per ton, Comrade Su always orders frozen eggs for no more than a month."

“Manager Lu, I have never handled frozen eggs before, so I don’t know the loss rate during transportation, for example, when transporting them to Berlin.”

"The normal rate is 3% to 8%, but now that it's summer, the loss rate may be higher, close to or even exceeding 8%."

"If there is a large demand, how many tons can you supply each month?"

After a moment's thought, Lu Zhi said, "This year's limit is about 3000 tons. We need to complete the orders that have already been signed by August. We can supply Comrade Su with a maximum of 500 tons."

While jotting down key points in her notebook, Su Lizhen said, "Only the first batch of frozen eggs can meet the peak summer demand for eggs this year. The peak season will be around Christmas, which should be the batch in mid-to-late October. My demand will be quite large then."

"Will the next peak be next Easter?"

Su Lizhen nodded. "That should be true."

"Comrade Su, next year's quantity can only be renegotiated at the end of this year."

"December or January next year?"

June.

"Okay." Su Lizhen nodded and said, "Manager Lu, I also need sausage casings. What's the price?"

“If Comrade Su has a stable and long-term need for supplies, the price can be set at $1100 per ton. Each order needs to be placed at least two months in advance.” Lu Zhi paused slightly. “This year, we can probably only supply about 500 tons.”

"The peak season for sausage casings is around Christmas. The markets I can work for are the UK, Italy, West Germany, and Bulgaria... Manager Lu, is there any conflict in Bulgaria?"

"No, we have no trade in sausage casings with Bulgaria."

"How many tons can I take this time?"

"No problem within 5 tons."

"I expect to need 400 tons in October, of which 200 tons can be ordered and deposits paid now, and the rest will be confirmed gradually in early August."

"I have formulated a processing plan for Comrade Su based on 400 tons. The domestic demand for sausage casings is strong, and 200 tons can be allocated."

"Thank you very much." Su Lizhen took a newspaper out of her bag and handed it to Lu Zhi. "Manager Lu, please take a look at this."

Lu Zhi took it and saw it was an American newspaper. One article was circled. After skimming through the entire article, he said, "General Electric is developing a substitute for tungsten ore?"

"Yes, several related academic articles are being sent from the United States to Hong Kong. I have shown them to experts in the United States. The possibility of successful development is extremely high, and it will not be long before it is achieved, expected to be in the next year or the year after."

"Comrade Su, could you please make a copy of my academic article?"

“I was prepared specifically for Manager Lu.”

"Thank you. Comrade Su, would you like tungsten ore?"

"It's not that I want it, I'm asking on behalf of a friend. From what I understand, tungsten ore is transshipped from mainland China to Hong Kong, and a lot of it ends up in Taiwan, where it's then resold to the United States. I just want to ask if this situation is tacitly approved?"

Lu Zhi chuckled lightly, "Comrade Su, to give you an example, if I catch fish and sell it to you, whether you braise it, make soup, or give it away, I have no right to interfere."

"I see." Su Lizhen smiled gently. "I'd like to ask, what's the price of tungsten ore with a tungsten trioxide content of 70%?"

"The tungsten trioxide content in the exported tungsten ore is usually 65% ​​to 70%, and the content cannot be standardized. Comrade Su's friend wants the goods, and the price can be reduced to $95 per ton."

“I have another friend, a native of Ganzhou, who used to be a famous tungsten mining tycoon. He is quite familiar with some aspects of tungsten ore, such as transportation. On the Dayu-Meiguan section of the Gan-Yue Highway, the slope is more than 15%, making it easy for vehicles to lose control. On the Gan-Xiang Highway branch near Jinggangshan, the section along the Suichuan River is easily washed away by floods during the rainy season. On the Pingxiang-Yichun section of the Gan-Xiang Highway, the wooden bridges are old and in disrepair and have insufficient load-bearing capacity.”

"Does Manager Lu know about the London Metal Exchange?"

"Have heard a little bit."

"The London Metal Exchange is where metal futures are traded, but it does not include tungsten ore. However, there is over-the-counter trading, which is private betting."

For example, eggs in Shanghai are currently 5000 yuan per jin (500 grams). I predict that in three months, the price will rise to 7000 yuan per jin, while Manager Lu, you predict it will drop to 3000 yuan per jin. We can make a bet, and whoever wins will profit from the price difference.

Lu Zhi nodded. "I can understand the general idea."

"Manager Lu, can the road sections I just mentioned be completely protected from damage by natural disasters and man-made calamities? Especially man-made calamities."

"To be honest, neither can be guaranteed."

"The Battle of Hengcheng, the Battle of Chipyong-ni, and the Mobile Defense War at the beginning of this year drove the price of London tungsten futures to $225 per ton. A few days ago, the US released strategic reserves, and the price fell to $185 per ton. If there is news of a significant reduction in supply, the price of tungsten has a high chance of rising to above $225."

Su Lizhen looked intently at Lu Zhi, "Manager Lu, my friend wants to change the way tungsten ore is traded."

"How to change?"

"The price will be $95 as you said, with a two-month payment period, and the profits will be split 70/30."

"Comrade Su, what does your friend need?"

“When he needs it, there is a transportation disruption caused by human error, and after a period of time, there is another major production reduction caused by human error.”

"Spy sabotage?"

Su Lizhen nodded. "The information needs to be verified."

Lu Zhi paused for a moment, then said, "This is not something I can decide on my own. I need to consult with the higher-level organization."

"I await your good news." Su Lizhen changed the subject, "Manager Lu, how many hairy crabs do you plan to catch in Yangcheng Lake this year?"

"I'm not entirely sure, but the policy has been adjusted this year, and the catch will be lower than in previous years, probably not exceeding 300 tons."

“My husband does business in Taipei and needs live crabs as gifts for the Mid-Autumn Festival. We need about five or six tons, and ten tons would be even better. Based on the safest survival rate during transportation, we need 70 tons. Please help me, Manager Lu.”

"70 tons isn't a lot, I'll try to find a way to adjust it."

"Thank you very much."

After finishing their business and exchanging pleasantries once more, Lu Zhi took his leave.

After a short rest, Su Lizhen took a Chevrolet provided by the Municipal Finance Commission to attend a business negotiation meeting attended by multiple departments.

The promotion of state capitalism has entered a new stage. Multiple departments, including the Bureau of Industry and Commerce, the Municipal Finance Committee, the Federation of Industry and Commerce, the Light Industry Bureau, the Trade Union and Labor Bureau, as well as the Public Security and Judicial Departments, coordinate the management of private enterprises, promote pilot processing orders and unified purchase and sales, and guide private enterprises to accept the form of state capitalism in order to gradually realize the joint public-private ownership.

If a Hong Kong manufacturing group wants to carry out OEM business in mainland China, it would be best to follow the proper procedures rather than directly approaching private fan factories to negotiate business. While this may seem simpler and more convenient at first glance, it will require more effort to streamline and adjust the business process later.

Saigon.

No. 102, Gudu Street.

Nguyen Thi Tam Ho sat at her workstation, typing on her typewriter, lines of Vietnamese text appearing on the paper.

After arriving in Cholon, Long Xuemei took over Xian Yaowen's extremely poor social circle, including Desais Victor's lawyer Xu Benhua, coffee shop owner Fan Yumeiqi, Nguyen Thi Mai Anh whom she met through Xu Benhua, and Nguyen Van Thieu whom she didn't have time to get to know.

The development of friendship between women can be very fast, especially when one party is trying to please the other. Long Xuemei went to the coffee shop more often and quickly became friends with Fan Yumeiqi and Nguyen Thi Mai Anh. She also met Nguyen Van Thieu and Nguyen Thi Mai Anh's sister, Nguyen Thi Tam Hoo, and attended Nguyen Van Thieu and Nguyen Thi Mai Anh's wedding.

At this time, Vietnamese middle and upper-class women were influenced by the Confucian ethics of "women staying at home" and taking care of their husbands and children after marriage, reducing their public appearances. They were also influenced by the Catholic Church's encouragement of women to participate in charity and education, and many noblewomen would become female teachers in church schools.

After getting married, Nguyen Thi Mai Anh went to work as a teacher at a church school, leaving Nguyen Thi Tam Hoo alone to work at Russell Pharmacy. Long Xue Mei took the opportunity to extend an olive branch, inviting Nguyen Thi Tam Hoo to work as a clerk at Kim Fu Gui Holdings.

Nguyen Thi Tam Ho typed out a document, tore it off the typewriter, checked it and found no errors, signed his name, folded it, and put it into an envelope.

Take out the sealing wax box from the drawer, light a candle to heat the wax spoon containing the sealing wax, and let it melt and drip onto the seal of the envelope. Then, stamp the seal of Jin Fugui Holdings with the sealing wax stamp.

She blew a few breaths of cool air into the sealing wax, then turned and called out, "Wenlu, Wenlu, the letter is here."

Outside the building, Li Wenlu, who was dozing off on a tricycle, heard the call, removed the straw hat covering his face, and immediately flew to the office.

Being a tricycle driver in Saigon is not easy. They work more than ten hours a day, but their income is barely enough to make ends meet. Moreover, they overwork their physical strength and vitality, and by middle age, their bodies are almost ruined, and eight or nine out of ten end up in a miserable old age.

Li Wenlu works as a full-time tricycle driver at Jin Fugui Holdings. Although he earns less than his peers, he doesn't have to pay vehicle rental fees, so he can put more money into his own pocket. Moreover, he doesn't have to work hard to solicit customers. When he's not on duty, he can take a nap in the vehicle. When he is on duty, he can deliver people or letters. He can work outside for a maximum of three or four hours a day. He usually doesn't have to work on rainy days unless there is an urgent delivery.

He couldn't bear to lose such a good job, so he worked incredibly hard to perform well.

"Miss Ruan, what can I do for you?"

"Wenlu, send this letter to Meiyun Film and Television (MVn). It's not urgent. Just send it before you leave work today."

"Okay." (End of Chapter)