Hong Kong variety show: I Am a Tycoon

Chapter 265 The power of the whole country
Just as Chen Jiajun was pondering, Lao Yu suddenly said to him, "By the way, boss, Doum in Brunei told me that the construction companies there are not enough, and their military camps are still unsettled."

Hearing this, Chen Jiajun felt a headache coming on.

Brunei was, in essence, a small country with a population of only 50,000.

Even if you want to undertake a larger project, you have to mobilize the "whole nation's resources".

You know, sometimes population issues are a serious problem.

Now is a crucial period for Chen Jiajun's development of Brunei, and he certainly doesn't have enough manpower.

After thinking for a moment, Chen Jiajun said, "Okay, I'll have Wei Li recruit people later to see if there are any willing to work in Brunei. If all else fails, I'll send a batch of young demon slaves to fill in."

"That...is also a solution." Old Yu nodded.

After all, Brunei will be their base in the future, so sending some laborers there wouldn't be a waste of resources.

Three days later, at the Hilton Hotel restaurant.

Chen Jiajun brought A-Jie along to meet Guan Shanhai.

Having secured Johnny Wang's support, he now had someone to entrust his business to.

Guan Shanhai felt much more relaxed.

After the two sat down and chatted for a while, A-Jie decided to ask Guan Shan-Hai to be his godfather.

There's nothing else to it, but Guan Shanhai's personality alone is quite to A-Jie's liking.

Guan Shanhai has many adopted sons, so adding one more, A-Jie, wouldn't make a difference. Besides, he was introduced by Chen Jiajun, so at least he trusts Chen Jiajun's judgment.

Guan Shanhai has many businesses on his hands, and it's clear he can't handle them all at once.

So for the next period of time, A-Jie stayed by Guan Shan-Hai's side.

After observing for a while, Guan Shanhai was quite satisfied with A-Jie, especially after hearing about what he had done before.

So they called to confirm A-Jie's identity as his successor.

For arms dealers, connections are paramount.

With enough connections, you can start a business even if you don't have a single penny.

Anyway, according to what A-Jie said, Guan Shan-Hai has a lot of connections.

He has customers and suppliers from Asia to South America.

Chen Jiajun had no intention of getting involved in these deals. He had already swindled a batch of weapons from the CIA, which was enough for his men, so he didn't plan to get involved in this kind of business.

However, there is one important matter that requires Chen Jiajun to step in.

It concerns matters related to the Brunei Kingdom.

Since the change of regime in Brunei, many forces have been observing the situation.

Brunei had nothing to covet; its population was small and its industrial structure was simple. Generally, any major power would abandon this place as if it were nothing.

However, with the recent development of finance in Asia, the situation has changed.

Brunei is close to Singapore, Cambodia, Vietnam, the Philippines, and has a port, making it a popular destination for many who want to use it as a springboard to extend their influence into Asia.

In particular, some international criminal organizations, laundry detergent sellers, arms dealers, and gambling operators all want to cooperate with Brunei.

Some even want to develop Brunei into a gambling city like Macau.

This kind of thing has already made Li Yaohua extremely annoyed.

Furthermore, Li Yaohua hadn't even sorted out his own domestic affairs, so he simply pushed this difficult problem onto Chen Jiajun.

"You're just trying to push things you can't handle onto me, aren't you?"

In the President's office of Brunei, Chen Jiajun looked at Li Yaohua speechlessly.

Li Yaohua said with a wry smile, "I haven't even set up my own team properly. There are too few people in Brunei who can be used. Let alone you, I don't even trust myself to use outsiders, for fear of recruiting a spy."

Hearing Li Yaohua's concerns, Chen Jiajun also felt a bit of a headache.

Governing a country is far more difficult than managing a company.

Li Yaohua is only in his twenties, but he already has premature gray hair, which shows that this position is indeed not one that just anyone can hold.

It's really not right for me to continue being a hands-off manager like this.

So he sighed and said to Li Yaohua, "Alright, what can I do for you?"

“Other things are easy to talk about; I’ve refused what I could. It’s just that some people in Las Vegas have made offers that I really can’t refuse,” Li Yaohua said, troubled.

A few days ago, representatives from Las Vegas approached Li Yaohua.

They plan to open casinos in several cities in Brunei.

They also promised to bring in some large American companies to invest.

This was not just empty talk; the other party even brought representatives from several large American conglomerates to help Brunei develop some projects.

Such conditions were incredibly tempting for Brunei, a country in dire need of rebuilding.

Not to mention Li Yaohua, even Chen Jiajun was tempted by these conditions.

Brunei is already in our hands, and no one else can easily take it away.

These benefits are real and tangible gifts, as long as it's allowed to open casinos in Brunei.

However, the drawbacks are also obvious. Once Brunei allows gambling, it will immediately attract the attention of many powerful forces.

Those gangs and international criminal organizations will absolutely not give up this lucrative prize, especially after learning about Brunei's weakness.

So after thinking for a moment, Chen Jiajun shook his head and said, "Although it is tempting, if we do this before we are fully capable, we will easily be swallowed up by others."

Li Yaohua nodded and said, "I also have this concern. Besides, Americans like to keep dogs, and I don't want to be a dog wagging its tail and begging for mercy at someone else's feet."

"That's ambitious." Chen Jiajun gave a thumbs up.

It truly takes great willpower to refuse such generous offers.

The fact that Li Yaohua could think of so much proves Chen Jiajun's foresight.

“However, this matter still needs to be resolved. Even if they don’t agree, we can’t let the relationship become strained for now, can we?” Chen Jiajun said to Li Yaohua.

Li Yaohua said with a wry smile, "That's why I invited you here. I... don't have anyone suitable."

The problem had come back to haunt him, which gave Chen Jiajun a headache.

Just as Li Yaohua said, he wouldn't trust anyone else to handle this kind of thing.

Chen Jiajun is the same.

But you can't personally handle negotiations, can you?
It's important to know that Chen Jiajun is currently on the CIA's blacklist, and contacting him could cause some unforeseen consequences.

This reaction can be good or bad.

On the positive side, Chen Jiajun has partnered with several major conglomerates. With these conglomerates backing him, even if the CIA is very powerful, they won't dare to do anything to him.

On the downside, it could be troublesome, as the CIA would swarm Brunei.

Even spies from other countries wouldn't pass up such a good opportunity.

Moreover, there's something even Chen Jiajun is embarrassed to admit: it seems he doesn't have any such talent among his subordinates.

Either they haven't grown up, or they're not very familiar with this area.

Just as Chen Jiajun was hesitating, he suddenly heard Li Yaohua say, "No one can figure out what these guys are thinking. If only someone could see through their thoughts. Sigh."

Upon hearing Li Yaohua's words, Chen Jiajun felt as if he had been enlightened.

No one is more suitable than Old Evil to see through people's thoughts.

It's a waste of his talents to keep him in the casino; he should be using his abilities in situations like this.

So Chen Jiajun said to Li Yaohua, "I've thought of a perfect candidate."

Li Yaohua was taken aback at first, then asked, "Is this person reliable?"

Chen Jiajun waved his hand and said, "You don't need to worry about that. This guy is absolutely reliable and can even help you solve your most troublesome problems."

The old evil is so powerful, it's like he's been given a cheat code.

Not to mention negotiations, they are also top-notch at catching spies.

As for the casino, Chen Jiajun already has a target, and if it's him, he should be able to handle it.

So Chen Jiajun immediately notified Lao E to come to Brunei.

A few days later, the old evil man arrived in Brunei, where Li Yaohua personally led a group of people to welcome him.

But when he saw the old man's massive muscles, he was completely dumbfounded.

The big, burly guy in front of him, whose arms were probably thicker than his thighs, was really the strategist his boss had found.
Just as Li Yaohua was muttering to himself, the old evil man suddenly spoke up: "You guys who only judge by appearances are really shallow. Does having big muscles mean you can't be a strategist?"

Upon hearing the old man's words, Li Yaohua's eyes widened immediately.

The old man chuckled and said, "Are you curious why I could guess what you're thinking?"

Li Yaohua nodded; he really wanted to know.

After all, Li Yaohua had become the President of Brunei, so he was capable of keeping his emotions in check.

If a country's president could easily have his emotions read, he would be dead long ago.

But the old man suddenly grinned and said, "I don't want to tell you."

Li Yaohua almost swore; he hadn't expected the old scoundrel to trick him like this.

However, since the old man refused to say anything, Li Yaohua didn't say much more.

After all, Lao E was Chen Jiajun's subordinate, not his.

Upon arriving at the presidential residence, Lao E went straight up to Chen Jiajun, hugged him, and grinned, saying, "Boss, you've finally decided to transfer me out of that boring place."

The old man was so excited; if Chen Jiajun hadn't rolled his eyes, he probably would have strangled him.

"Is it really necessary to make such a fuss about watching the casino for a while?" Chen Jiajun said irritably, pushing the old man away. "I have something important for you to do now."

As they sat down, Chen Jiajun began to explain the purpose of those Las Vegas guys.

As a seasoned veteran of the casino scene, he naturally knew what these guys were up to.

Before Chen Jiajun could finish speaking, Lao E already understood: "So, those guys from Las Vegas offered very generous terms to open a casino in Brunei?"

“That’s right.” Chen Jiajun breathed a sigh of relief: “I really can’t be bothered to explain. Our current thinking is that Brunei is still in its infancy, so we don’t plan to have much contact with them, nor do we want to offend them too much.”

The old man looked at the two of them with a strange expression and said, "What does running a gambling den have to do with being inexperienced?"

Chen Jiajun explained the pros and cons to Lao E, but Lao E grinned and said, "Boss, you're obviously overthinking it. And you're too kind. We can just take the benefits and not do anything."

"Huh?" Old E's words stunned Chen Jiajun and Li Yaohua.

Old Evil said calmly, "This kind of thing is easy to solve. Let them do a trial operation first, then we'll get all the benefits, and then we can restrict certain people from entering the country, right?" Chen Jiajun immediately slammed his hand on the table and exclaimed, "Damn, you've got a good idea, kid. You're trying to get something for nothing!"

Li Yaohua's mouth dropped open in shock as he exclaimed, "You can play like this?"

The old man spread his hands and said, "They came to us of their own accord."

Li Yaohua had come to realize the shamelessness of the old villain.

However, he was also glad that such a capable guy was on his side.

After discussing it with Chen Jiajun, we felt that there was nothing wrong with the plan.

It can at least delay things for several years.

After a few years, when Brunei has become more powerful...

Even if the casino is established, it will still be under their control.

That way, we can develop the tourism industry.

Thinking of this, the two were full of praise for Old Evil's idea, and then let Old Evil deal with those damned Americans.

The old villain, who was already known for his intelligence, had long been impatient to stay at the casino.

What's the point of fighting wits with those con artists every day? He prefers the unpredictable world of politics.

So when Lao E heard Chen Jiajun's idea, he happily accepted it.

The following day, Lao E, accompanied by some officials from Brunei, met with a delegation from Las Vegas.

These guys are all incredibly shrewd and cunning.

Upon seeing the old evil spirit enter, a sense of oppression immediately washed over them.

After all, the old man's physique and appearance were intimidating enough.

However, smiles soon appeared on their faces, and they whispered among themselves, "The big bosses were right after all. There really isn't much left in Brunei. They actually sent a brute to negotiate with us."

"Isn't this perfect? ​​We can easily achieve our goal by just spouting a few lies," another foreigner said with a smile.

These guys don't even hold back when they speak of the old evil, which shows how much they despise Brunei.

The officials of Brunei immediately revealed a strange smile.

I looked at these foreigners with pity.

Previously, there were officials from Brunei who questioned Lao E's abilities, but they were quickly disarmed by Lao E's few words.

In the end, he couldn't even keep his own position, which shows how capable the old villain was.

If these foreigners treat Old Evil with this attitude, they'll definitely get screwed over so badly they won't even recognize their own mothers.

After exchanging pleasantries, the two sides sat down.

The representative from Las Vegas spoke directly: "Gentlemen, has His Excellency the President considered our proposal carefully?"

The officials remained silent, instead staring at the old man who had closed his eyes to rest.

The old evil man spoke softly, “Our President finds your proposal very sincere.”

Upon hearing Old E's words, the foreigners immediately smiled.

He couldn't help but think to himself: "A fool is a fool. He'll fall for it with just a few words."

However, the old evil man's next words froze their smiles on their faces.

"However, we haven't seen any indication of your sincerity in the contract," the old man said calmly.

This statement took the Las Vegas representative by surprise.

Immediately afterwards, someone feigned anger and said, "So that means the Brunei Kingdom doesn't trust us?"

"It's our first collaboration, there's no need for trust or distrust. It's better to clarify things first," the old man said, looking at the foreigners with a half-smile. "Or is it that your side has no sincerity at all?"

In just a few words, the old man seized control of the conversation.

This left a group of Brunei officials in awe.

The representatives from Las Vegas also became serious, and they put away their previous disdain.

The burly man in front of them was not as easy to deal with as they had imagined.

It even made several negotiators feel like they were facing a cunning fox from Wall Street.

After taking a deep breath, the foreign negotiator suddenly laughed: "Of course we've come with sincerity, but as you know, some things are subject to change. What if the President changes his mind after we invest? Or what if there's a change of regime?"

The old man said with a strange look, "Why do you all think that way? The reason you come to invest in Brunei is because you trust the president's ability to govern, which is a prerequisite for cooperation."

"Uh, this..." Having failed to seize the right to speak, the group looked somewhat embarrassed.

The old villain pressed his advantage, his face contorted with rage, and said, "Or perhaps, you gentlemen lack confidence in our President?"

They dared not speak carelessly about what the old evil man had said.

A single wrong word could very well cause this collaboration to fall through.

Thinking of this, the way the men looked at the old evil man changed.

After a brief standoff, neither side was able to wrest control of the negotiations from the old man.

Several Las Vegas businessmen were in despair and had no choice but to temporarily suspend negotiations.

However, what they didn't know was that even greater torment was yet to come.

As the second round of negotiations began, Lao E started nitpicking at each of the conditions they offered.

However, he also managed the pace very well, avoiding a breakdown in negotiations while still managing to thoroughly annoy these foreigners.

In the end, this American's CPU was almost smoking from the old man's verbal barrage.

Three consecutive days of negotiations made these foreigners from Las Vegas realize one thing.

That's the burly man in front of me, a guy who's even more difficult to deal with than the chief negotiators of those financial firms on Wall Street.

Not only did the conditions they proposed always hit their bottom line perfectly, but even the contract traps they created were immediately seen through by the other party.

This left these self-proclaimed elite foreigners quite embarrassed.

If it weren't for the company's strict orders, they would have quit long ago.

After several rounds of negotiations, the two sides reached a temporary consensus.

Las Vegas and several major conglomerates will collaborate on Brunei's high-tech, financial, and tourism industries.

This is what Chen Jiajun needs most right now.

However, the specifics of these matters still require Old Evil to travel to Las Vegas for consultation.

This is just a basic collaboration.

Li Yaohua allocated several relatively remote coastal plots in the eastern district to Las Vegas as the site for a casino.

Moreover, the fact that it's only for rent and not for sale serves as a starting point for trial operation between the two parties.

However, Li Yaohua had already planned ahead. Once the economy of the Eastern District developed, he would have them relocate the casino.

"I have fulfilled my mission." The old evil man returned to the presidential palace and said to his boss with a calm expression.

Chen Jiajun nodded with satisfaction: "Since you don't like working at the casino, then stay in Brunei and help Li Yaohua. I'll find someone else to handle things at the casino."

Upon hearing this, Old Evil's eyes lit up immediately: "Boss, are you serious?"

Chen Jiajun said with a smile, "Since you have this ability, keeping you in the casino would be a waste of your talent."

"Thank you, boss." Old Evil seemed very happy.

Li Yaohua also seemed extremely happy. His subordinates had already told him about Lao E's conversation with those foreigners in Las Vegas.

He also knew that Lao E was a rare talent, and if Lao E stayed in Brunei, it would greatly reduce the pressure on him.

Moreover, Chen Jiajun secretly told him that Lao E had the ability to discern people's hearts, and that his accuracy was unparalleled.

With such a human lie detector in existence, Li Yaohua can focus on building his own team.

Before that, Old Evil still needs to go to Las Vegas to put those conglomerates' promises into practice.

After all, this is not just a business worth hundreds of millions or billions; if done well, it could be a lucrative business that can attract substantial investment every year.

“Perfect timing, I also need to go to Las Vegas to meet someone, let’s go together.”

Chen Jiajun suddenly spoke up.

"Oh? There's also a guy you personally went to find, boss?" Old Evil asked with some surprise.

Chen Jiajun said helplessly, "Since you don't like the casino business, I need to find someone to keep things in order. I can't just go there myself."

"Hehe." The old evil man scratched the back of his head and didn't dare to reply.

A few days later, Chen Jiajun joined an inspection team organized by Brunei and traveled to the United States.

However, on the plane, Lao E suddenly remembered that his boss seemed to have had quite a few conflicts with the CIA.

"Boss, you're not going to get detained after you get off the plane, are you?" Old E asked tentatively.

Chen Jiajun asked with a puzzled look, "Why would you think that?"

Old Evil said with some concern, "Didn't we say we were having a very unpleasant falling out with the CIA?"

Chen Jiajun immediately laughed: "You don't understand America. Even if I killed the CIA's Asia director right now, let alone had a falling out with the CIA, the Americans wouldn't do anything to me."

"After all, there are many factions in the United States, and CIA agents aren't allowed to operate on American soil. Otherwise, the FBI would be cursing them out first."

The old man nodded, seemingly understanding but not quite: "Is it really that complicated?"

"The internal struggles within a major power are already complex enough," Chen Jiajun said with a smile.

After getting off the plane, Lao E and his group were picked up by representatives from Las Vegas.

Meanwhile, Chen Jiajun and his men strolled around Las Vegas.

As a gambling city, Las Vegas is naturally incredibly glamorous.

Since the Tobin Act of 1931 allowed gambling in Las Vegas, the city has experienced tremendous growth.

After reaping the benefits of a population boom following World War II, the city has vigorously developed its tourism industry.

Therefore, Las Vegas is not just a gambling city, but also a highly developed tourist city.

These are all things that Brunei can learn from.

Of course, the reason why Las Vegas is where it is today is also largely due to the support of the major financial groups behind it.

Therefore, very few people could refuse the benefits offered by the Las Vegas representatives.

(End of this chapter)