I am a master in India

Chapter 101 Everything Collapsed

Ron admitted he didn't know Mumbai well enough. He'd spent the past six months working in the tourism business, visiting train stations, airlines, major markets, hotels, and restaurants. He mostly frequented glamorous places.

The only thing that could be called a gray area was probably the various black markets, but they were still covered in a sophisticated cloak because it was Khad Khan who opened the window to the black market for him.

Khad Khan is a top gangster and to some extent represents the privileged class of Mumbai. He cannot reach or introduce Ron to the darkest parts of Mumbai.

Ron had been to the slums, but he had never lived there for a day, so he didn't know what the people in the slums lived like every day.

He didn't know how people in the slums survived without water or electricity. He had never even had any contact with the so-called middle class in Mumbai; he always used money to solve problems.

He lives in an expensive apartment and doesn't have to deal with annoying problems like Dijang, such as frequent clogged pipes, power outages, and water shortages at home.

His toilet is cleaned by a dedicated person who comes from the slum where Anand lives. People there help him solve various small troubles in life and even provide him with a dedicated driver.

But the Mumbai that Anand showed him today completely changed Ron's perspective. The dirtiest things in the world could probably be found here.

After visiting the shelter, Ron went back. He didn't ask Anand to continue introducing the other "markets" here. There was no need, he understood.

In this hellish city, you don't have to worry about morality. Bystanders and even victims accept it all, and your excessive "kindness" will make you stand out.

Back at the Indian Hotel, Ron talked directly with Luca about the cooperation with Merck.

“How much are they willing to pay?”

"Uh, about two thousand dollars." Luca nodded affirmatively.

"Merck's laboratory will be built in Mumbai, right?" Ron was noncommittal about his answer.

"Yes, I will talk to them in person when the time comes."

"You can't negotiate. Without me, they can't stay in Mumbai for a week." Ron chuckled.

"Why?" Luca asked subconsciously.

"Such fat sheep will be targeted by countless gangs. People from the Dawood gang, the Gowri gang, and the Pathan gang will come to their door every day to extort money. The police are in collusion. In the end, those Western white people can only hide in luxury apartments and tremble in fear. They don't even have the courage to look for Indian call girls."

"Dude, you're not kidding me, are you? I know you can hire bodyguards here." Luca swallowed.

"Bodyguard? Believe it or not, if they refuse to pay, the bodyguard's head will be placed on the doorstep of their apartment the next day."

"Oh! Shit! Are you sure you're kidding? I've been here so many times and never had any problems." Luca was so scared that he trembled.

"Because you're a tourist, you don't plan to stay here long-term. Of course, the most important thing is..." Ron gave him a look, "I'm staying with you. This is the signal."

"Signal? What do you mean, man, are you also a gang member?" Luca asked in surprise.

"I'm not a gang member, but I have gang connections. Now, let's talk about it. How exactly does Merck plan to cooperate?"

"Okay, they're willing to pay $5,000 to each person who takes the medicine, and they don't care about the life or death of the others." Luca confessed honestly. He admitted that Mumbai was different from what he thought.

Especially the Indian-Muslim conflict outside, the hysterical madness made even an old street thug like Luca feel a chill in his heart.

He wanted to do the deal on his own, without Ron, but it wouldn't work, and he couldn't hide it. As long as the Merck people were stationed in Mumbai, they would inevitably have to deal with Ron, and then the matter would leak out.

Between profit and avoiding offending Ron, the local boss, Luca chose the latter. Five thousand dollars per head, even if they split it equally, would still be a considerable profit. Most importantly, he wanted to run this business for the long term.

"Look, if everyone is honest with each other, there will be something to talk about. We'd better meet with the people from Merck. There are a lot of details that need to be determined." Ron was very satisfied with the number.

"Of course I hope to complete this deal soon, but you know the situation outside. If Mumbai doesn't calm down, Merck and our pharmaceutical business will be completely shut down, and the losses will be huge."

Luca planned to transport more drugs from Mumbai this time, and they had nearly $200,000 in cash, which was too much for him to carry.

As long as the distributors were contacted and the drugs were delivered to the dock, his brother Ronaldo would send someone to deliver the money. Their boat was just out in the open sea, and a satellite phone could do the job.

Therefore, the situation in Mumbai is the key, and many businessmen are trying to find out the news.

"I'll make a phone call first." Ron went downstairs to find Xiangtu.

The first people he thought of were of course the officials he knew, who worked in government departments and had a more comprehensive understanding of the situation.

Unfortunately, neither Harry nor Singh knew when this conflict would end.

They told Ron that the Shiv Sena's actions had the support and connivance of many MPs. As the leader, Bal Thackeray had tasted the sweetness of power and wanted to use it as a stepping stone to advance his career and become deeply involved in politics.

Advani, the leader of the BJP, aspires to become India's president. This renowned politician has formed an alliance with the Shiv Sena, and together they visited the tube-shaped building where the Hindu family was murdered.

This is a signal that, if nothing unexpected happens, the future of Mumbai will be controlled by the Shiv Sena. Yes, the Shiv Sena is a nationalist group, not a gang, although what they do is no different from that of a gang.

Ron then called Hela. She knew someone at the embassy and could even get a blank passport from them.

Hela told him that the embassies of the United States, Britain, Germany and almost all other Western countries had informed their countries of the riots in Mumbai and reminded their citizens not to stay in Mumbai for the time being.

Well, it seems that this riot will not end in the short term, as this is the consensus view both at home and abroad.

Ron finally called Hardhan. This sudden turmoil made their situation a little awkward.

It was common knowledge that Ron was a Hindu, while Khadhan was a Mughal, and the two sects were now at loggerheads. They had tacitly reduced their business dealings, not because of their faith, but because they were worried about the dissatisfaction of their subordinates.

Especially Khad Khan, his subordinates must be dissatisfied with what is happening now, so it is always right for Ron to be cautious.

Of course, it’s always okay to make a phone call.

"Hardbai, it's me, Ron."

"I'm glad you're safe."

"Uh thanks, sorry about what happened outside."

"Haha." Hadhan laughed. "I once said the same thing to you. Now it seems that fate has come true. This is a tragedy."

Ron's parents died in a religious conflict, and Had Khan apologized at that time, but now the situation has reversed.

Although the newspapers have been accusing the Mumin of committing serious crimes, everyone knows that the Mumin were the ones who suffered the most persecution, and more people died in this turmoil.

"Don't worry, no matter what happens outside, our business will continue as usual."

"No problem, I'm here anytime." Ron breathed a sigh of relief. He still needed to rely on the big tree of Hadhan, otherwise there would be a lot of trouble.

"I've already discussed the travel agency matter. Once this storm blows over, we'll start sending people out."

"How long will it take? It's quite chaotic outside right now." Ron asked.

"That depends on the Shiv Sena. However," Khadhan paused, "don't go out during this period. Something might happen."

"what?"

"Just remember this. Someone is going to teach the Shiv Sena a hard lesson."

After hanging up the phone, Ron's expression was filled with worry. Hadhan's strange advice was intriguing, and a bigger storm seemed to be brewing.

But he also breathed a sigh of relief, at least one thing was certain.

Both Tharoon and Khad Khan believed in business first: they were merchants first, Bombayans second, and Hindus or Moslems last.

A week later, Luca left Mumbai. He planned to contact Merck first and finalize the laboratory matters as soon as possible.

As for drug smuggling? Mumbai is under martial law, so they don't have any chance.

The entire Arabian coast was under surveillance, fearing a Persian attack. Ron estimated it would take at least two months for those forces to quiet down, so the drug smuggling business would have to wait.

In fact, the riots affected more than just the pharmaceutical business. Ron's travel company also suffered heavy losses.

For two consecutive months, December and January, revenue was dismal, with average profits falling below 20 rupees, not even a fraction of what it was during its peak period.

The overwhelming media coverage had already scared away foreigners from Mumbai. Even Dijan and Hela were considering moving south to Goa to avoid the spotlight.

They had lived through seven or eight monsoons in Mumbai and were considered seasoned foreigners. But this religious conflict was different; they had never seen anything like it.

Some say the riots resulted in hundreds of deaths, others say thousands. Regardless of the number, the bloody facts are always impressive.

More than half a month has passed since the initial chaos, and order is gradually returning to Mumbai. More and more people are coming to the market, and hawkers are once again appearing on the streets.

But the impact of the riots is far-reaching. If Mumbai wants to attract foreign tourists again, it will have to wait until at least the next golden tourist season.

The same is true for the travel agency that Ron and Hardhan work with. The current situation in Mumbai does not allow large numbers of people to enter and exit customs.

Not to mention the business of extras in Bollywood, many crews have not resumed work yet.

A conflict directly destroyed most of Ron's business.

What can he do? The tourism industry can only let it happen.

But surrender is impossible. Ron is always capable of making a difference, whether it is a woman or a career.

He planned to use this window of opportunity to carefully plan the land for the textile factory. Ron also had some vague ideas about what kind of electrical appliances he wanted to produce.

He was going to the textile factory today to find someone to clean it up. He didn't know if the riot had spread to the factory.

Ron brought Anand, Vinod and others with him. Now every time he goes out, he is accompanied by at least four or five people.

Who knows if there will be some crazy behind-the-scenes people who will carry out indiscriminate revenge. It’s always better to be careful.

They were not planning to take the bus either, as Anand's cousin Adi was a taxi driver.

See, everything was arranged in advance.

This time, Ron is no longer fighting alone in the electrical appliance factory.

In this magical land of India, there should be a big market for cheap electrical appliances.

(End of this chapter)