money player

When Sin Yiu-man arrived at Valerie's office on the third floor, he found that the layout had changed. The door to the original office had been sealed off, and the door to the assistant's office had been modified and was now more conspicuous.

He walked into the assistant's office, and behind a desk resembling a reception desk, a woman stood up. "Mr. Xian."

"Zhao Junbai?"

"Mr. Xian, I am Zhao Junbai."

"Hello."

Xian Yaowen nodded slightly, his gaze politely appraising Zhao Junbai's face. It was the face of a typical cultured woman of the time. Her eyes narrowed slightly as she looked at him, with the subconscious adjustment of nearsighted people when looking at close objects, and her eyes were slightly unfocused.

"Miss Zhao, you have a face that suits glasses. A good pair of glasses will enhance your temperament. Go get a pair made, and we'll reimburse you according to your clothing allowance."

Xian Yaowen's words startled Zhao Junbai. She paused for a moment and then said, "Yes."

"Don't be shy. I don't need to call you next time I come." Xian Yaowen raised his hand and gestured downwards. "Is Valerie available to receive guests now?"

"Manager Hobson knew Mr. Xian was coming and had been waiting for him." Zhao Junbai saw Xian Yaowen's gesture but didn't dare to sit down.

"Okay, please sit down."

Sin Yiu-man knocked on Valerie's office door and entered after receiving permission.

Upon entering, one's gaze is immediately drawn to Valerie's cheongsam. It's a pure blue, hand-dyed from homespun cloth, without any other embellishments. When elderly women in the southern countryside have extra money, they would buy this kind of cloth to make themselves a dress.

"Nice clothes."

Valerie stood up to show the full view of the cheongsam, saying, "I bought the fabric in the suburbs of Tainan and had a tailor make it when I got back."

"Hmm, I hope you didn't buy black fabric."

Valerie glanced at Sin Yiu-man. "Black is for the deceased."

"Ha." Xian Yaowen said with a faint smile, "Then you should know that only old women in the countryside would use this kind of cloth to make clothes, young people wouldn't."

"I like."

“Okay.” Sin Yiu-man shrugged. “I don’t need coffee. Let’s get started.”

Valerie sat back in her executive chair. "Where to begin?"

"Built by the Crown Prince."

“I found a traditional Fujian-style mansion on the banks of the Tamsui River. The Women’s Association, the New Life Association, and the Sports Association are all located there. There are already 7 staff members. Before the typhoon, 4 staff members worked for two days. The first day was to enjoy the flowers, and the second day was to play mahjong. After the typhoon, they were given subsidies and allowed to work from home.”

What kind of subsidies were given?

"The budget for ingredients is NT$200 per person."

"A good arrangement. Within the limited budget, let them have as much fun as possible, playing cards, watching operas, dancing, anything is fine, only one thing, they can't be happy because of men."

"Adultery?"

"Hmm, if that happens, all our efforts will be in vain."

"The matter has been handed over to Lu Jingshi, and I will pass on the message to him."

“No need, I’m going to see him later.” Xian Yaowen said slowly, “The Women’s Association, the New Life Association, and the Sports Association are places for the Prince’s partners to settle their families or lovers. They are all women. We also need a more private place for our partners and public relations targets to relax.”

Valerie frowned and said, "A woman?"

Sin Yiu-man nodded slightly. "This is an indispensable element."

"Public prostitution is legal in Taiwan..."

Sin Yiu-man waved his hand, interrupting Valerie, "Civil servants should be honest, incorruptible, cautious, and diligent, and must not be arrogant, greedy, lazy, extravagant, or dissolute... in any way that would damage their reputation."

This is the core spirit of the Civil Service Act promulgated by the Nationalist government. We will not comment on how well it is implemented, but it does stipulate right and wrong.

In Taiwan, prostitution is legal for government employees, but the consequences of a civil servant soliciting prostitutes are severe.

Since we've become partners, we should put ourselves in each other's shoes and consider each other's interests. You know how costly it is to develop a new partner, which is why I emphasize privacy.

Sin Yiu-man pointed to the glass bowl on his desk. "When did you start liking peanuts?"

Valerie glanced at the peanuts in the glass bowl. "When I'm feeling irritable, I peel a couple to calm myself down."

"The deliciousness of peanuts lies in peeling one and eating two or three peanuts. Sometimes one peanut might be bad or all of them might be bad. The act of peeling and the anticipation of a plump peanut are both indispensable."

The same applies to men and women. Mental communication before undressing and physical intimacy after undressing are both indispensable. The latter is essential, but to obtain the greatest pleasure, the former is often more important.

Clothes carry feelings of guilt, accomplishment, and spiritual resonance; like an onion, they need to be peeled away layer by layer.

"How can you make men have fun and feel a sense of accomplishment?"

“Your understanding isn’t wrong, it’s just a little superficial. There are some things you haven’t experienced, so I can’t explain them to you. You only need to be responsible for finding a house; I’ll leave the rest to Lu Jingshi.”

Valerie asked, "Are you unhappy with me?"

“No, I’m just thinking of you. There are some things you can’t do right now.” As he spoke, Xian Yaowen took an envelope out of his pocket and handed it to Valerie. “The returns from sugar futures were pretty good. This is your dividend from Dean Group.”

Valerie opened the envelope, pulled out a check, glanced at the number, and smiled broadly. "Boss, may I kiss you?"

"Checks are more palatable."

Valerie kissed the check and chuckled, "I need to think carefully about how to spend this money."

“You can think about it slowly, a month, a quarter, or maybe a year. In the coming year, you will only have a holiday at Christmas, so you probably won’t have time to spend this money.”

Valerie's face fell. "What a spoilsport. You've robbed me of my pleasure."

Sin Yiu-man shrugged. "Please put your pleasure in your hands, let's continue."

Upon hearing this, Valerie glanced at the check again, casually tossed it into the drawer, and continued giving instructions...

After sitting in Valerie's office for half an hour, Sin Yiu-man went to Luk King-shih's office in the next building. They had just started talking when they came out onto the street and began to chat as they strolled.

"Taipower's Engineering Department is preparing to rebuild the Wulai, Tianleng, and Wushe power plants, which were not completed by the Japanese, as well as to lay the Taipei power grid. There are many projects to be done in the next few years."

What stage are you at?

"We smoothed things over with several major departments in the engineering office, including power, civil engineering, northern engineering, and power lines. We didn't contact the chief engineer, Zhong Jiaoguang, because he was a scholar and a pragmatic technocrat, and he was difficult to communicate with."

Sin Yiu-man chuckled, "Even if you manage to get rid of him, it won't make a difference, will it?"

"It's no use. Taipower's engineering plans are coordinated by the Production Management Committee, with Chairman Chu Chiang-huai in charge of planning and the Engineering Department responsible for implementation. Once the budget is allocated to the Engineering Department, how the money is spent is up to them."

"I'm open to doing it myself or outsourcing, as long as the project is completed on time and to a high standard?"

"Correct."

"In that case, we can just go to the engineering department. There's no need to go through any more lobbying."

Lu Jingshi nodded. “There is a problem now. The Executive Yuan is discussing the establishment of an agency responsible for resettling veterans. It has already issued a document to the Production Management Committee, giving priority to veterans in production and construction. The Engineering Department has a quota for resettling veterans. If they want to do construction projects, they need to help resettle a group of them.”

"The soldiers who came to Taiwan mainly came from Shandong, Fujian, Zhejiang, Jiangsu, and Hunan. They are all capable and hardworking, and settling a group of them will not be a problem. As for the individuals..."

"I want a hidden share."

Sin Yiu-man paused for a moment, “Prince Construction is not interested in making profits from projects. Taipower’s projects are mainly in remote areas and will not be of much use to us in the future. We cannot give them a stake in the project, but we can share the profits. My bottom line is a 30/70 split.”

"We don't need to split it 30/70; 50/50 is about right."

"Brother Lu, you may make your own decision. I await your good news."

"I will certainly live up to your expectations."

Xian Yaowen took two steps forward and said, "Brother Lu, did you find two people in charge of public relations?"

"Xu Jiayin, Bai Hong."

"I know Bai Hong, but tell me about Xu Jiayin."

"Xu Jiayin used to work in the General Affairs Group of the Shenyang Station of the Bureau of Investigation and Statistics. She is quite resourceful and has a wide network of connections. She can talk to many important military and political figures in Northeast China and has good connections in the current military."

Sin Yiu-man chuckled and said, "Selling medicine, huh?"

"Sell anything that can make money."

"You should have made a lot of money by now, so why are you still willing to be subordinate to others?"

“Xu Jiayin was on the list of infiltrators. She left Shenyang in the summer of 49. It would have been impossible for her to leave and arrive safely in Taipei without spending a lot of money to smooth things over.”

Xian Yaowen nodded slightly, understanding Lu Jingshi's subtext: "He has a wide network of connections, so he knows a lot of people, including Xu Jiayin. He was able to lie low in Shenyang for half a year, so he probably did a lot of things to harm his own people."

"I didn't inquire about his situation in Shenyang in detail. I only wanted to use his connections, not to give him any important responsibilities."

"To make it easier for you to carry out your work, I think you'll need a place to entertain guests. I've already asked Valerie to find a house. As for how to furnish the house, you can decide. Cigars, liquor, delicacies—whatever you need, I can find it."

Lu Jingshi understood the implied meaning from the music: "If we're talking about the most alluring and rare thing, it has to be the foreign woman."

Xian Yaowen chuckled, "That's not difficult. We can find whatever kind of person you need, including a few noble ladies from fallen families."

"It would be wonderful to have a noblewoman as a wife."

"Brother Lu, one should act with elegance, not vulgarity."

Lu Jingshi laughed heartily, “I am not ignorant. I have witnessed the grand occasion of the presidential election in the Flower Kingdom back then, and I have also frequented the brothels in Shanghai. I have some experience in turning mundane matters into elegant ones.”

"That's wonderful."

Lu Jingshi suddenly stopped smiling and stopped walking. "Mr. Xian, I need to go to Hong Kong in two or three days and stay for a while."

Sin Yiu-man nodded. “I know why Brother Lu is going to Hong Kong. Some things can wait, but some things can’t. Brother Lu, let’s not wait another two or three days. Let’s set off as soon as possible.”

Lu Jingshi gave a wry smile, "I can only buy tickets for three days from now; I can't go earlier."

“If Brother Lu is not afraid of hardship, take a boat out to sea early tomorrow morning. I have a seaplane in Hong Kong that can pick you up at sea. Applying for a route is not easy, so we can only stop at sea.”

"Then I'll have to trouble you, Mr. Xian."

"a piece of cake."

After talking with Lu Jingshi, Xian Yaowen passed by White Company and Sunlight Tea and arrived at Jin Hai's office building.

There are no offices on the first floor of Jinhai. Only a small area connecting the stairs has been set up as a reception desk. The rest of the area has been divided into a workshop where several female workers are busy.

A female worker held a bamboo sieve with two hands and shook it. The larger tea leaves stayed on the sieve, while the smaller leaves fell through the holes onto the mat. Another female worker scooped the sieved tea leaves into a bamboo sieve with a small hole, moved it to another mat, and sifted the tea leaves again.

Two female workers sat next to each other. One of them was weighing tea leaves with a steelyard balance. The weighed tea leaves were poured onto a piece of oiled paper, and the other folded the oiled paper to wrap it up. Then she put it into a tin tea box.

The tea box has the Jin Hai trademark. The two characters "Jin Hai" are stretched and deformed, and the upper and lower structures are combined into a circle. When viewed alone, the upper character "Jin" looks like a golden cloud, and the lower character "Hai" represents the sea level.

Sin Yiu-man walked over, picked up a tea box, turned it over to look at the back, and saw that the box was labeled "Zhenmei Tea", the next line read "Special Grade Tea, produced in Alishan", and below that were some mandatory labeling information.

After examining it for a moment, he put it back in the tea box and turned to Jack Perry, who had come after hearing the news. "Jack, how are the sales of Zhenmei tea?"

"Five dan (a unit of weight) of large bags were sold, and tea merchants placed orders for 12 dan. Six dozen boxed teas were sold, and tea merchants placed orders for 20 dozen."

"Not bad," Sin Yiu-man chuckled. "How much was delivered to North Africa?"

"2700 tons, and another 2300 tons need to be delivered by the end of this month."

"Hmm, our profit statistics are in. How much can we earn per ton?"

"There are no exact figures yet, but it's estimated to be between $62 and $65."

"Well done," Xian Yaowen praised. "This profit margin is already excellent for the bulk trade of ordinary green tea."

Perry was clearly not satisfied with the profits. "But even if we complete the trade in North Africa, Jin Hai's profits are unlikely to exceed $70, which is a trade of tens of thousands of tons."

Xian Yaowen patted Perry's arm. "Don't worry. Once we control the trade volume, we will have pricing power. Jinhai's main task this year is to give suppliers confidence in us, and we have done a great job in that."

Perry shrugged. "Trouble may be coming soon."

“It’s alright, we’ll deal with the trouble when it comes.” Xian Yaowen looked at the bamboo sieve. “I didn’t see any Longjing tea.”

“The Longjing tea is already packaged,” Perry said, walking to the side and taking a tin tea box from a wooden crate.

Sin Yiu-man took a look and found that the outer packaging was basically the same as that of Zhenmei tea, except that the words on the box were changed to "Longjing tea" and "Special grade tea, produced in Yangmingshan".

In fact, both Zhenmei tea and Longjing tea arrived in Taiwan on US military planes in small quantities as a preliminary test of the market. Because they were to be sold publicly, they could not admit that they were teas from the mainland; they could only say that they were blended with Taiwanese green tea.

Is Longjing tea selling well?

"The tea merchant has already ordered 5 tons, but only in large bags, not in tea boxes."

"The quantity is a bit large; it can't be directly released from Jin Hai's hands."

“I found a smuggler and will sell the tea to him at a certain discount.”

“That’s a good idea.” Xian Yaowen pointed to the tea box in his hand. “But this information must be presented when the goods are delivered, so that even if we get caught out, we can still make a deal.”

"OK."

Xian Yaowen handed the tea box back to Perry. "How much black tea did you order?"

"40 tons of ordinary black tea and 60 tons of high-grade black tea."

"How much will we lose if we leave with unsold stock?"

"$2.7 million."

"British tea merchants will be here soon; be prepared for failure."

Perry looked in the direction of the Sunflower Tea Plantations. "How big is the order?"

"700 tons."

"Taiwan's black tea production this year is expected to be only 1500 tons."

Xian Yaowen chuckled lightly, "High demand is what makes people believe the black tea market is recovering. Is Jiang Shanmei in the office?"

"exist."

Sin Yiu-man glanced at his watch. "I've invited her to lunch. Wait for her at the door at 11:30. Please pass on the message."

"OK."

At noon, at Zhuangyuanlou.

Jiang Shanmei sat upright, holding a teacup in her hands, listening intently as Xian Yaowen ordered the dishes.

"For cold dishes, please order Zhenjiang braised pork, Shaoxing drunken chicken, roasted gluten, and a braised pork belly. Also, please order a scallion-baked crucian carp."

"Okay, sir."

"For the wealthy, take half a pork hock and pack the other half into a food box."

"Okay, sir."

"Dongpo pork four dishes, is the shad just arrived?"

“They just arrived; it’s been no more than 10 days since they came from the Fuchun River.”

"Have some."

"Okay, sir."

"Longjing shrimp, pickled bamboo shoots and pork soup, and a big fish head in a clay pot. The fish meat is cut clean, only the fish head is used."

"Okay, sir."

"Pair some seasonal vegetables as you like, serve the xiaolongbao in the middle, and the jujube paste pancakes last. Blanch the Nu'erhong wine, add three shredded ginger pieces and a pinch of sugar, but don't add any chicken eggs."

"Okay, sir."

Xian Yaowen handed the menu to Jiang Shanmei, "Shanmei, take a look and order a few of your favorites."

Jiang Shanmei hurriedly waved her hand, "That's enough, that's enough, we can't finish it all."

Without much formality, Sin Yiu-man handed the menu to the waiter, saying, "This is all for now. We can add more if it's not enough."

After the waiter left, Sin Yiu-man didn't rush to talk to Kong Shan-mei.

Jin Hai's involvement in bulk tea trade was merely a transitional phase. The profit from 10,000 tons of tea was less than a million US dollars, yet it carried enormous risks. If an accident occurred during transportation or if there were any problems at customs, ten years' worth of profits might not be enough to cover a single loss. Including breach of contract compensation, even twenty years would be difficult.

While large-scale commodity trading may not be abandoned in the future, low-profit tea trading will definitely be gradually phased out.

Jinhai's future path is the path of brand building, trying out high, medium and low-end markets. If it can succeed in all channels, it will decisively abandon any path that doesn't work. For example, in the low-end market, with Lipton as a major obstacle, it may suffer a crushing defeat.

Regardless of whether it's high-end, mid-range, or low-end, there are three important points for tea branding: stable quality, optimized style, and cost control and standardized production. This requires blending, which combines teas with different characteristics and qualities to complement each other and create a flavor that is greater than the sum of its parts.

Jiang Shanmei is an expert in all aspects of tea making and a master of blending; she is very important to the future of Jinhai.

Sin Yiu-man invited Kong Shan-mei to dinner to express his high regard for her. Because of this, he did not intend to be too efficient and finish all the work in one meal. This meal was just to broaden Kong Shan-mei's horizons and let her see another way of life.

After all, Jiang Shanmei's surname is Jiang, and she is from the same clan as Jiang Axin. She probably feels a little guilty about leaving Sunlight Tea, so she needs to be properly guided and comforted.

Xian Yaowen held his teacup and looked around. Just like last time, Zhuangyuanlou was still full of guests. The dialects of Jiangsu and Zhejiang intertwined in the air, but their origins were clearly distinct. High-ranking officials, military and political personnel, and wealthy businessmen each had their own circles.

Of course, there were also tables where people in suits were mixed together, with men in sharp suits holding wine glasses, offering toasts to men in Zhongshan suits with trepidation or caution. Their top buttons were fastened, and their mouths were refined. They ate braised pork with yellow wine and uttered words of dedication to the people. All of this was a scene of perfect harmony.

The discordant element is that the incident occurred in the main hall, rather than in a private room with a degree of privacy. This probably indicates that mingling with the masses no longer requires hiding in the shadows; everyone is doing it, and it's perfectly acceptable to openly and boldly embrace one's newfound freedom.

As the saying goes, ducks are the first to know when the river warms in spring. So openly and without any shirking of seeking to monetize power, it seems that a typhoon is about to hit the Nationalist government, affecting everyone from top to bottom, or is it just raging at one level?
Sin Yiu-man seemed to be deep in thought, pondering the impact of a potential power reshuffle on Taiwan's strategy.

He took a sip of tea, his gaze drifting to the gate. There were guests, three people, one of whom was Wang Youjia, but Tang Jishan was nowhere to be seen.

My gaze lingered, and then Fei Baoqi, Fei Baoshu, and Zhang Qiao appeared behind them.

He stared at Zhang Qiao, who, sensing his gaze, whispered to Fei Baoshu. A moment later, Fei Baoshu's eyes met his. He asked with his eyes what game it was, and Fei Baoshu smiled and slightly raised his right hand, making a card-rubbing motion with his thumb.

He nodded slightly and looked away.

At this moment, the cold dishes were being served. He picked up the teapot that the waiter had brought, took a new cup and poured a cup of Anxi Tieguanyin tea for Jiang Shanmei. He then used serving chopsticks to pick up a piece of braised pork and put it on her plate.

"The braised pork is a bit greasy. Take a bite of braised pork, drink a sip of tea to cleanse your palate and refresh your taste buds. Then take another bite and it's a fresh start."

Jiang Shanmei nodded timidly, picked up her chopsticks, took a piece of braised pork, and took a small bite.

Sin Yiu-man then picked up another dish from Van Fleet's plate and told her the story behind the braised pork.

And so, with everyone taking care of each other, the meal began.

The cold dishes were served in small portions, about two bites per person. Before the cold dishes were finished, the hot dishes and hot wine began to be served. Before Xian Yaowen could pour the wine, Wang Youjia came to his side.

"Mr. Xian."

Sin Yiu-man stood up. "Mrs. Tong."

Wang Youjia turned to look at his table, then immediately turned back. "Mr. Xian, I'm entertaining your wife and the renowned painter Mr. Chen Qingfen. Would you like to join us?"

Upon hearing the name Chen Qingfen, Xian Yaowen was slightly surprised. It wasn't that he was surprised that the Wang family was entertaining a painter, because being a painter was Chen Qingfen's most prestigious identity. However, the reason outsiders respected him was because he was the fourth son of Chen Tianlai of Jinji Tea House.

To understand the strength of Jinji Tea Company, one can look at Chen Qingfen, the fourth son who did not take over the Chen family business. Chen Qingfen was the chairman of the Tea Merchants Association, which was established in 1898 and underwent several name changes and reorganizations. He was also the first chairman of the newly established Export Association (Taiwan Tea Exporters Association) this year.

The Export Association is quite something. It is government-led, and its members are mainly members of the Tea Merchants Association. Its basic function is to fully promote the production and export of Taiwanese tea. It sounds a bit abstract, but its power is very clear.

In the future, Taiwanese tea merchants who want to export tea can only sell or entrust the tea to the export association. The export association will set unified prices and negotiate with foreign investors. Once a deal is made, the foreign exchange will be deposited into the Bank of Taiwan, and the tea merchants will receive New Taiwan Dollars from the Bank of Taiwan at the official exchange rate.

It can be said that the Export Association has the neck of all tea merchants in Taiwan. If any tea merchant disobeys, the Export Association can sabotage the tea merchant in three dimensions: the tea received, the letter of credit, and the foreign exchange settlement, making the tea merchant wish for death.

Chen Qingfen can be described as the "Mountain Eagle" of the Taiwanese tea industry, and all tea merchants have to rely on him.

It's normal for Wang Youjia to be on good terms with Chen Qingfen since Tang Jishan is in the tea business. However, Chen Qingfen is a major shareholder of Penglai Pavilion Restaurant, which is a competitor of Zhuangyuanlou. The Tea Merchants Guild holds its meetings at Penglai Pavilion. Why would Wang Youjia invite Chen Qingfen to dine at Zhuangyuanlou? What's the story behind this?
What are Chen Qingfen's intentions in asking him to bring Fei Baoqi and Fei Baoshu along? (End of Chapter)