money player

Xian Yaowen didn't take Fei Baoqi's matter to heart. He had originally planned to spend the afternoon with Fei Baoshu, but since he couldn't, he had to find something else to do.

Once outside Lantang Road, he found a phone and called Zhuang Jiacheng.

Zhuang Jiacheng is in love with a girl from his village, the daughter of his mother's distant brother. This has nothing to do with Xian Yaowen. The main issue is that his girlfriend's father, Zhuang Jiacheng's uncle Li Jing'an, owns a Southeast Company on Des Voeux Road. He started by producing watch straps and chains and later expanded into small hardware wholesale and watch shops.

Simply put, Li Jing'an was a pioneer in watch strap production.

Please ask Zhuang Jiacheng to convey to Li Jing'an that he will be passing by in the southeast later, and if we happen to meet, we can chat for a few minutes.

After hanging up the phone, he went to the left side of the Southeast Bank's main gate, and coincidentally, Li Jing'an was standing there looking at the street scene.

"Uncle Li."

"Mr. Xian."

"Uncle Li, please still call me Yaowen. Aunt Zhuang is my elder."

"Alright, Yaowen, what brings you here?"

“Someone offered me 50 yuan to do business together. I didn’t have to put up any capital, but I would get half the shares.”

"Is Yaowen contributing technology as equity?"

Li Jing'an had a bad feeling. What business Xian Yaowen was doing had nothing to do with him, but the other party came to tell him that the business was most likely related to him.

"More precisely, it's the management philosophy and sales channels that are contributed as equity."

“The investor and Yaowen must have a very good relationship, otherwise why would Yaowen partner with someone for a mere 50? The sky-high valuation of China Garment at the time caused quite a stir, and everyone was waiting to see it fail. But today, the export volume of China Garment alone is more than the total of all other garment factories in Hong Kong. No one dares to question whether China Garment is worth 4000 million anymore. Yaowen’s talent is evident to all Hong Kong businessmen.”

“Uncle Li, you flatter me.” Xian Yaowen smiled faintly. “The business I’m going to do this time is watch strap manufacturing, which is to produce watch straps for Western watch brands. I can find lucrative orders, but I lack experience in watch strap production. I came to see you today, Uncle Li, to invite you to join us.”

"Yaowen wants me to invest?"

“As long as Uncle Li is willing to join, I can offer him 5% of the shares with both hands, and sell him an additional 20% of the shares for 10 yuan.”

After a moment's thought, Li Jing'an said, "Yaowen, I appreciate your kindness, but watch strap processing doesn't involve advanced technology, and I feel unworthy of the shares. I can lend you two senior technicians..."

“Uncle Li, watch strap manufacturing is just the starting point for entering the watch industry. My ultimate goal is to build a watch brand and compete with several world-renowned brands.”

Li Jing'an asked in shock, "You want to start a watch brand?"

"Premium brands do not compete on low prices."

Do you know how difficult it is to make a watch movement?

"Starting with the simplest watch strap, we tackled the processing technology of all watch parts step by step, including the case, dial, and crown, and finally pieced them together into a complete watch."

Xian Yaowen smiled faintly at Li Jing'an, "Uncle Li, I am a poor boy from the countryside, not a rich young master from Xiguan. I know how hard it is to earn money, and I would never joke about money."

Now that I've laid a solid foundation, I don't need to worry about anything. Without absolute certainty, I have no reason to gamble.

After a moment of silence, Li Jing'an said, "I would like to meet with the investors."

"I'll make arrangements."

After leaving Des Voeux Road Central, Sin Yiu-man went fishing for red snapper outside the Shau Kei Wan boat shed.

Using live mud shrimp as bait, the fish is bottom-fished with a hand line, without a rod, reel, or float. The bait is pressed to the fish's mouth by the weight of the sinker, which is a great test of the fish's feel for the fish.

However, when it comes to resources, everything else is insignificant.

Red grouper is the most popular grouper variety among Hong Kong people. It sells for a good price, with wholesale prices reaching one Hong Kong dollar, which is more expensive than the large yellow croaker from Zhoushan that comes from afar. Red grouper resources are also quite abundant. Fishermen often make up 40-50% of their catch when using fishing nets.

There are many fishermen who use handline fishing in Shau Kei Wan. Buying them some popsicles to sweeten their mouths reveals their tendency to teach others. Five popsicles in exchange for the secrets of handline fishing, and Sin Yiu Man did not end up empty-handed, but had a good catch.

In just two and a half hours, he caught a red snapper weighing 1.89 jin (approximately 0.5 kg). At 4:32:19, another red snapper, estimated to weigh at least one or two tons, possibly seven or eight tons, was lost from the hook. He didn't care at all.

Returning to the villa on Blue Pond Road with their spoils, Fei Baoshu was in the living room this time, but Fei Baoqi was not.

"Where is my older sister?"

“I don’t know what happened, but my sister suddenly said she was going to eat vegetarian food in Tuen Mun and wouldn’t be coming back tonight. She’ll stay in Tuen Mun.”

"one person?"

“I sent Aunt Sun with me.”

"Oh."

Fei Baoshu took Xian Yaowen's arm. "Master, my sister seems to have something on her mind."

"What could be troubling my sister?"

"My brother-in-law might be having an affair."

Don't make wild guesses.

"I'm not just guessing. My sister has something on her mind but won't tell me. It can only be something like this."

"Fine, even if you guessed right, what can you do about it?"

Fei Baoshu shook his head. "There's nothing I can do. My sister said that her husband has always been very good to her. Even though his health is not as good as before and they can only have sex a few times a year, she said that she has to be loyal and can't go out and seduce other men."

"You need to sort out what you're saying. Your brother-in-law is no longer capable, and he's having an affair. Isn't that contradictory?"

"You're a man, don't you understand men? Just because a man is no good doesn't mean he's no good with all women. When you meet some women, don't be too good."

Sin Yiu-man chuckled, “Then it’s not that it can’t be done, but that it’s just that it’s tired of it and its body is instinctively resisting.”

"It's the same idea." Fei Baoshu leaned against Xian Yaowen and murmured, "Master, you have many ideas, can you think of a way?"

"What can I do about this? My sister only has two choices: either get a divorce or accept it."

"It's hard to get my sister to accept this. She divorced her ex-brother-in-law because of this kind of thing."

“The situation is different now. Back then, my sister was young and energetic, and she couldn’t tolerate any wrongdoing. Now she’s older and divorced. How will she make a living?”

"I'm here for you."

Do you think your older sister can accept being supported by you?

"Hmm... Sister can find another one."

"It's not easy for someone in their forties to find a suitable partner."

“Master, how about letting my sister live with you, then you’ll have another concubine,” Fei Baoshu said with a grin.

Xian Yaowen pinched Fei Baoshu's nose and tugged at it, "You're getting younger and younger as you get older, and you're getting more and more mischievous, daring to make jokes like this."

"The master may say that, but he must be very pleased with it."

"Nonsense! I think you're living too comfortably and getting itchy for a beating. Let me teach you a lesson."

Xian Yaowen picked up Fei Baoshu and carried him on his shoulder, slapping his bottom as he walked towards the bedroom. Fei Baoshu giggled, feeling incredibly happy.

Despite being an older wife and a younger husband, she lives like a young girl.

When they entered the bedroom, the streetlights were just coming on, but when they came out, the stars were already twinkling. Grandma Sun wasn't there, and no one was cooking, so the two of them lit a charcoal stove in the garden and roasted the red-spotted fish they had brought back.

Fei Baoshu, wearing a silk nightgown, nestled in Xian Yaowen's arms, watching him flip the fish over. "The workers are working quite fast. The frame is almost finished. In another ten days, we can start working on the walls."

"Once the mahjong parlor is renovated, you won't have to worry about anything else. Just stay there, play mahjong, socialize, and use your spare money to buy property. Don't worry about whether property prices rise or fall; just hold onto it and live off the rent."

"Sir, it seems you're making arrangements for my retirement."

"That's what I mean."

"I'm not old yet."

"You've already lived almost half your life. The hustle and bustle are over, and the second half is for enjoying peace and quiet. Slow down everything and savor the world."

"Thank God I met you, Master." Fei Baoshu stroked Xian Yaowen's cheek. "If I had met you sooner, I could have had a bunch of kids with you."

"Here you go again, haven't you had enough babies yet?"

"It's not for the master. Actually, I'm in very good health now, and I could have two more children without any problem."

"It's too risky, for you and for the child. Honey, don't bring this up again. In a few years, you'll be a grandmother."

"Shuying?"

"Shuying isn't in a hurry. She's growing rapidly in all aspects, including her perspective on men. What she thinks is good now might change in two or three years. Let her focus on her career now and see how far she can grow."

"But she is a woman."

"Women don't necessarily have to live to be good wives and mothers. Besides, I won't let her become an old maid. Didn't I tell you long ago that Shuying is a tool for the Xian family's marriage alliance?"

I was afraid you'd forget.

Fei Baoshu was already desensitized to the idea that Xian Yaowen was a tool for marriage alliance. With such care in nurturing Shuying, how could his master possibly regard Shuying as such a despicable tool for marriage alliance? This tool is not that kind of tool.

"How could I forget? Even with you, I didn't forget to squeeze every last drop of profit out of you before letting you retire."

Fei Baoshu chuckled, "What profit could I possibly have?"

"Without your connections, it would have been impossible to make such a smooth start in Taiwan."

"Sister."

"Ah."

"Master, do you think my brother-in-law turned bad because of you?"

"Yes, yes, yes, I gave the woman to her."

“That’s not what I meant. I meant that when my brother-in-law saw the old man like that, the tension in his heart eased.”

“What you’re saying makes some sense. I’m embracing a young woman, but she’s just one of many. He’s embracing an older, faded woman, and she’s the only one. Why can’t he find another one? And why can he find the youngest one?”

"That's it."

"That's not my fault. Even without Xian Yaowen, there would be Zhang Yaowen or Wang Yaowen. We still need to loosen our guard." Xian Yaowen tore off a piece of fish and put it to Fei Baoshu's mouth. "Try it."

Fei Baoshu chewed it a couple of times, "It's a bit bland."

"It was intentional. I'll prepare a dipping sauce later." Xian Yaowen flipped the fish over again and brushed on his own sauce.

Fei Baoshu finished the fish in his mouth and said, "The people around you are different from outsiders. The old man has the greatest influence on my brother-in-law."

"So you're saying I have to take the blame for this?"

"We were originally responsible."

Sin Yiu-man put the fish into a tray, took the tray in one hand and picked up Fei Po-shu with the other, and went to the outdoor table. He placed the tray on the table and put himself on a chair.

Cut a lemon, hold half of it in your hand, squeeze the juice over the fish, go to the kitchen to prepare a dipping sauce, cut the fish in half with a knife and fork, and hand a pair of chopsticks to Fei Baoshu.

After finishing his work, he replied to Fei Baoshu, "Alright, if you say you have it, then you have it. We can start eating now."

"Sir, has my life slowed down already?"

"Eat your food and don't find fault with me."

Fei Baoshu chuckled, picked up a piece of fish, dipped it in the sauce, and as soon as she brought it to her mouth, her brows furrowed. "It smells so fishy, ​​did you put in Siamese fish sauce?"

"I just added a little to enhance the flavor. It smells bad, but it doesn't taste bad." Xian Yaowen picked up a large piece of fish, dipped it in the sauce, and put it directly into his mouth.

Fei Baoshu tentatively put a small piece into his mouth and took a bite. Just as Xian Yaowen had said, he then felt relieved enough to put the whole fish into his mouth.

"On my way back, I passed by Gantian Fruit Shop and went in to buy two pounds of apples. They were clearly Japanese Early Fruit, but the shop's sign said Japanese Fuji. Did they change the name of this apple?"

"It hasn't changed. 'Toyo Wase' is not the name of the apple. 'Wase' means early-ripening, and Japanese people call any early-ripening apple 'Wase.' 'Fuji' is a trademark, and the ownership belongs to Sweet Fruit Company."

"Is Apple going to use trademarks again?"

"Think about it yourself and you'll understand."

"Is it the same as a cosmetics brand trademark?"

"Yes, the apples you can buy outside are either Guoguang or Hongyu, both of which are from the United States. The varieties in Japan have been improved, and they taste better than apples from the mainland. Sweet Fruit Shop will be selling Japanese apples for a long time."

"So, it means we might not sell Japanese apples in the future?"

"In order to avoid being held hostage by others and to reduce procurement costs, in a few years, the Sweet Fruit Company will export Japanese apple varieties to other countries and purchase apples from wherever they are cheapest."

"Oh, so you're not doing the work for someone else."

"clever."

"You put in so much effort, is selling fruit really that profitable?"

"Once the problems of high transportation losses and preservation are solved, the profits will be very high, even higher than selling opium."

"How is that possible?" Fei Baoshu asked in surprise.

"It's not just about comparing profit margins. The fruit business can be expanded indefinitely, but the opium business can't. If you want to expand your opium business, not to mention the legal risks, your competitors will also try to kill your whole family."

"Oh, I see." Fei Baoshu nodded. "What's this about the 'So Sweet Membership'? When I was paying, the clerk asked me if I wanted to become a member, but I was thinking about something and didn't listen carefully."

"They're just salespeople." Xian Yaowen picked up a piece of fish and put it into Fei Baoshu's mouth. "Becoming a member allows you to enjoy home delivery service, buy fruits that others can't buy, and beautifully packaged gifts. There are quite a few services. You can sign up."

"Do I have to do it myself?"

"Otherwise what?" Xian Yaowen chuckled. "We don't even buy fruit from Gan Tian Fruit Store at home. It's ridiculously expensive."

Fei Baoshu chuckled and said, "If we don't go to the store, where else can we buy it?"

"Go downstairs to find Guolan Chang. He has connections at Gantian Fruit Shop and can get you a lower price."

"Hahaha~" Fei Baoshu laughed loudly: "Do you have to go through a roundabout way to buy your own fruit from someone else?"

Xian Yaowen said seriously, "Even if we were the only shareholder, let alone the fact that Gan Tian Fruit Company has four shareholders, we shouldn't treat the fruit as our own and take it whenever we want. Fruit is a tool for making profits. Profits should be distributed first, and only what's left can we say is our own."

"If there's only one shareholder, who should receive the funds?"

“Employees, in a sense, are also shareholders, and shareholders with priority in distribution.”

Are employees considered shareholders?

“If it’s not counted in my business, then the business simply can’t grow.”

Fei Baoshu shook his head. "I don't understand."

“You’re retired now, you don’t need to know anymore.” With that, Sin Yiu-man raised his glass. “Congratulations to Ms. Sin Fei Po-shu on her glorious retirement. Starting this month, you will receive a monthly pension of HK$5000, as well as fully reimbursed medical insurance.”

Fei Baoshu chuckled, "What medical insurance? Haven't you always been the one paying for my medical treatment?"

“It’s different. Before, it was paid from your monthly allowance, but from now on it will be a separate expense. After all, you are an elderly person with many health problems, so your expenses will be higher than others.”

Fei Baoshu rolled his eyes at Xian Yaowen, "You've got a lot of tricks up your sleeve."

After they had eaten, the two went out for a walk.

The streetlights were sparse, the starry sky was clear, and occasionally a person in a short-sleeved white shirt and a floral cheongsam would brush past, speaking in Shanghainese or English.

Happy Valley is the area with the highest density of Shanghainese residents outside of North Point. Several banks that moved from Shanghai have set up staff dormitories here to facilitate their commute to Central. There are also many textile industry workers and their families living here.

The Shanghainese in Happy Valley are not as pure as those in North Point. There are not many Shanghainese, including those who have lived in Shanghai for many years. Most of them are from the surrounding areas of Jiangsu and Zhejiang.

The Shanghai community here isn't as mixed as in North Point; it's mainly composed of middle-class families, and they're more down-to-earth. The legendary stories of Shanghainese people spending money like water and then watching their fortunes crumble are largely irrelevant here.

It is foreseeable that many wealthy Shanghainese will emerge in Happy Valley, while many celebrities will likely emerge in North Point, such as writers who have experienced or witnessed great ups and downs and have a deeper understanding of life, or actresses who, even if they lose all their family fortune, will not lose their genes quickly. Most of the first generation of women who have fallen on hard times have a beautiful face as capital to turn their lives around.

Sin Yiu-man and Fei Po-shu headed towards the racecourse. As they passed the Wong Nai Chung Road Happy Valley Tram Terminus, the number of pedestrians on the street increased, and their accents became more diverse.

As they passed a billboard, the two stopped to examine it.

"The Pig Cage in Water Band is having a concert, and Amin will be attending. Did you arrange this, sir?"

"Lang Lang Records' arrangement is a bit too ambitious; the tickets may not sell out."

"Tickets are only two dollars, which is alright. The radio plays their songs every day, so they're quite famous. I bet a lot of people will go to see them."

"It's hard to say... Well, the date is already set, so we can only leave it to fate."

Just as Xian Yaowen was about to pull Fei Baoshu away, he suddenly saw a middle-aged couple in their thirties walking towards them. The man smiled at him, clearly indicating that they were coming for them.

He glanced at the two faces. He definitely hadn't seen the woman before, and the man looked somewhat familiar, but he probably hadn't met him either.

Just as they finished identifying each other, the two men came up to him. The man smiled and said, "Mr. Xian, hello. I am Bao Yugang from Xinlian Trading, and this is my wife, Huang Xiuying."

"So it's Mr. Bao. Hello, hello. This is my wife, Fei Baoshu."

After exchanging pleasantries, Sin Yiu-man took the initiative to ask, "Mr. Bao, what kind of trade does Xinlian Trading do?"

"We bring local specialties from the mainland to Hong Kong to sell, and we also sell some things back to the mainland."

“Mr. Bao must have made a fortune. Businesses have been tough this year, except for trade, which is booming, especially trade with the mainland.”

"It's a small business with little profit. Mr. Xian, are you free now? I'd like to invite you to have a cup of tea at the teahouse up ahead."

Xian Yaowen gestured to Fei Baoshu, "Mr. Bao, it's rare for me to have some free time in the evening to accompany Baoshu for a walk. Let's reschedule for tea another day, tomorrow morning or afternoon tea is fine."

"Would Lu Yu Tea House be alright tomorrow morning?"

"Seven o'clock." Sin Yiu-man nodded to Wong Sau-ying. "Mrs. Bao, goodbye for now, see you next time."

The two couples passed each other, and after they had separated by some distance, Huang Xiuying said to Bao Yugang, "Master, that Fei Baoshu looks a bit familiar."

“She attended our wedding when she was still Sun Bosheng’s wife. The year before last, she married off her daughter. I went, but you happened to be visiting your parents’ home that day, so you didn’t come with me.”

"I remember now, she's about forty years old?"

"Just a little more."

"They look quite young, but Sin Yiu-man is only in his early twenties. How did they end up together?"

"It's best not to criticize other people's family matters."

Upon hearing this, Huang Xiuying put aside her gossipy nature and asked, "Sir, do you want to borrow money from Xian Yaowen?"

"We're not related by blood or acquaintances, so how can I bring it up? I can only talk about investment and hope that Sin Yiu-man is interested in shipping."

On the other hand, Fei Baoshu did not mention that she and Bao Yugang were old acquaintances. It was not that she intentionally concealed it, but rather that it was a coincidence. That day, she had been beaten by Sun Bosheng and was full of grievances and injured. Sun Bosheng dragged her to attend the wedding, and she could not concentrate on the newlyweds at all.

“Sir, you are very famous in Hong Kong. Everyone knows you,” Fei Baoshu said with pride.

"There's no need to be so smug. My fame didn't come naturally; it's the result of paying people to spread the word. With fame, many things become easier. However, fame has gradually become a burden for me, and I need time to settle down and cool off."

How to lower it?

"The Yangtze River's back waves push the front waves, and a new generation replaces the old. If I disappear for a period of time, while new people emerge, people will naturally gradually forget about me."

"I think it will be difficult for any newcomer to surpass the old master."

"Talented people emerge in every generation, each leading the way for two or three years; there will be such people."

"Is the master's next step to enter the realm of returning to simplicity and authenticity?"

“You think too highly of me. Returning to simplicity is still a long way off. My next step is to live a secluded life in the wild.” Xian Yaowen whispered in Fei Baoshu’s ear, “Have you ever heard the phrase ‘dragons fight in the wild’?”

"Is it from the Book of Changes?"

"Don't think about it that deeply, just pay attention to the literal meaning."

"Dragons battling in the wilderness?"

Fei Baoshu thought for a while but couldn't figure out what it meant. However, she was inspired by a hand that suddenly appeared on her buttocks. She blushed and said, "Master, isn't it bad to be in the wild? There are insects this season."

"Insects can be a source of enjoyment too."

"Hate."

Fei Baoshu said she hated it, but her heart was full of anticipation. As she walked, her gaze would occasionally pierce through the streetlights and look into the darkness on both sides.

After missing a few places she thought were decent, Sin Yiu-man made no move. The temperature of her cheeks gradually decreased, and just as she was about to reach a state of perfect tranquility, her mouth was suddenly covered, and two fingers pressed against her lower back.

"Robbery."

"Woo woo woo~" Fei Baoshu made a few cooperating noises.

"Don't move. I'm only after your body, not your money." Xian Yaowen's fingers tightened, sinking into Fei Baoshu's waist. "Come with me obediently, and I'll let you go after I'm done. If you don't listen, hmph!"

"Woooooo~"

Xian Yaowen, holding Fei Baoshu hostage, walked towards a dark corner to the side. (End of Chapter)