Siheyuan, Shazhu: I have both parents in this life

Chapter 235 Anti-Corruption Storm, Human Transport

"Damn it! Let's go for it!" Ah Lang gritted his teeth and roared into the communicator, "SPMT operators, listen up! Wait for my countdown! The traction team is ready to release the cable at any time! Everyone else, retreat to the safe zone!"

He stared intently at the undulating sea, sensing the changes in wind force, like a hunter waiting for the perfect moment.

"3...2...1...Now! SPMT! Move forward at a minute speed! Disengage!"

"Tethering unit! C3 cable! Release!"

As the waves receded and the ship stabilized, the engine of the "Yellow River Iron Ox" roared, and the massive body lurched forward with a very slight but firm thrust!
"Bang!" The C3 steel cable, which had long been overburdened, finally broke, but at this moment the caisson was completely freed from the barge's restraints!
The "Yellow River Iron Ox" steadily carried the hundreds of tons of cargo, like a moving mountain, and slowly drove away from the swaying barge, stepping onto solid land!

"Success!" A deafening cheer erupted from the shore!
Ah Lang wiped away a cold sweat, gave Chen Sheng a heavy high five, and both of them were filled with excitement and pride after their success.

"Boss, we did it!"

"Well done, you deserve credit!" He Yuzhu, who was present at the scene, cheered for them.

"It's mainly thanks to the engineers and workers!"

"There will be a bonus for everyone!"

"Thank you, boss!" everyone cheered.

This extremely dangerous first transfer was not only a test of skills, but also a test of will and decisiveness!

"Quickly! Get it to the installation site as soon as possible!" Ah Lang suppressed his excitement and immediately gave the order, "Get the 'Yellow River Giant Arm' (crane) ready! Has the foundation been inspected?"

"Inspection passed! The foundation piles fully meet the standards!" the on-site engineer announced loudly.

"Good!" Ah Lang looked towards the Kuiyong construction site in the distance, where the steel body of the "Yellow River Giant Arm" had already stood in the morning light.

The real challenge—precisely placing this hundreds-of-tons "building block" onto the foundation in the deep sea—has only just begun; we've only taken the first step.

The departure of a special barge carrying a giant concrete caisson from the Tseung Kwan O temporary pier, escorted by the "Yellow River Iron Bull" SPMT (the prototype has been put into actual use after rigorous testing) and rented auxiliary tugboats, and its slow journey toward Kwai Chung marked the official completion of the Yellow River Group's independent "prefabrication-transportation-installation" chain!
Afterwards, everyone rushed to Kuiyong and watched as the "Yellow River Giant Arm" (the prototype crane, after enhanced testing, was put into use) steadily hoisted hundreds of tons of steel box girder into place on the Kuiyong construction site and precisely connected it with the pre-drilled pile foundation. Everyone felt a sense of pride.

This means that Hong Kong's port construction has reached the world's advanced level, even surpassing other countries, and they have almost a complete industrial chain.

And they only used a little over six months in total.

Let's rewind to the emergency hearing held by Judge Angus Fitzgerald in Courtroom 3 of the High Court.

The hearing lasted a full day. Apart from the clerk, the jury, and the bailiffs, all the other jurors were sent by Orion. Their mission was to protect the safety of the judge and the prisoner.

As a result of the hearing, Judge Angus Fitzgerald signed several orders in court:
1. Search warrants for the residences and offices (including those of relevant managers at Jardine Matheson Land) of Chen Nian, Liu Chang, Luo Hui, and their associates were swiftly executed, further solidifying the chain of evidence. Numerous confidential ledgers, communication records, and fund transfer documents were seized. Asset freeze orders covered all of the suspects' local and offshore accounts, preventing any potential capital flight or operations.

2. Key witnesses, including "Abacus Boy" Li Guodong, were secretly transferred to a high-security temporary safe haven outside the prison (guarded by the Organized Crime and Triad Bureau with the assistance of Shi Bin's security company), receiving the highest level of protection. Chen Nian, Liu Chang, and Luo Hui, without notifying anyone, were directly escorted overnight by the elite team of the Organized Crime and Triad Bureau and the Major Crimes Unit, personally commanded by Orion, to a high-security special isolation ward of Stanley Prison, cutting off all internal and external communication channels.

3. Judge Angus personally contacted the top prosecutors from the Department of Justice to intervene early and begin compiling a mountain of irrefutable evidence, preparing to prosecute multiple serious crimes including conspiracy to extort, bribery, misconduct in public office, involvement in triad activities, and money laundering.

This news could no longer be kept secret, because this was not a secret arrest and interrogation.

When the Department of Justice selectively released the news to the media that Legislative Council member Chen Nian, senior police superintendent Liu Chang, and Luo Hui, the "advisor" of Hong Kong's largest triad, along with several middle-level managers from Jardine Matheson Land Development (accused by Luo Hui), had been arrested and formally charged, the entire Hong Kong legal and political system was as if it had been struck by a magnitude 12 earthquake!

It even affected the Governor of Hong Kong. As the investigation and interrogation deepened, the case implicated core members of British giants such as Jardine Matheson and directly exposed their "protective umbrella" in the judicial and police systems. This was undoubtedly a bucket of black paint thrown on Hong Kong, the "jewel in the Queen's crown".

Telegrams from 10 Downing Street in London flew to the Hong Kong Governor's House, demanding in harsh terms that "the situation be salvaged at all costs and the reputation of the Queen's Government be ensured" and that "a thorough purge of Hong Kong's governing structure and key officials be carried out."

This storm, ignited by Orion (with the deadly explosives provided by He Yuzhu behind it) and propelled by Judge Angus's strong protection, became the final straw that broke the back of the incumbent governor.

Faced with London's outrage and accusations from British financial groups (especially Jardine Matheson), the governor's political life was beyond saving.

A month later, the London government, citing its "ineffective handling of the crisis and its need to take management responsibility for systemic corruption," swiftly recalled the incumbent governor and appointed a new governor, Michael McLachner, with almost no transition period.

Myligong arrived in Hong Kong with the arduous mission of "winning back public support and restoring order".

His arrival marked the beginning of a new phase of governance in Hong Kong—a phase in which strong demands for anti-corruption measures must be addressed.

Mylik's primary task is to deliver on its promise to "rebuild public confidence in the government and the civil service."

With his strong push and authorization, the Governor-General’s Commissioner Against Corruption Ordinance was passed in October 1970.

The Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC), a powerful and independent anti-corruption agency directly responsible to the Governor of Hong Kong, was officially established!

The Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) possesses unparalleled investigative powers and confidentiality. Once established, it immediately became a Damocles' sword hanging over the heads of all public officials suspected of corruption (especially mid- to high-ranking officials in the police and government departments).

Orian Trench's actions, which risked his career and even his life, yielded enormous rewards:
As a pioneer in the fight against corruption, he was promoted to the position of West Kowloon Regional Commander (West Kowloon Chief Superintendent) after a number of senior police officers, including William, who were involved in the case or had earlier bribery cases with conclusive evidence, were taken away by the ICAC for investigation and fell from grace. He then gained real power over the regional police force.

As the de facto commander of the West Kowloon Organized Crime and Triad Bureau (OCTB), Wang Cuiping became the first female superintendent in Hong Kong police history to obtain substantial command authority (such as the OCTB or a divisional police unit), breaking the highest ceiling for women in the police force.

As for Jardine Matheson, after the hearings of the three people sent by Orion, construction at the Kwai Chung construction site under Wong Ho Holdings was halted. As for Tseung Kwan O, since Jardine Matheson had no idea that it was acquired by Wong Ho Holdings, it did not pay much attention.

It wasn't until the people at Jardine Matheson noticed that heavy trucks constantly leaving the Yellow River Steel Plant and modified special vehicles coming off the car factory were all heading east along Sai Kung Road, eventually disappearing behind the hills of Tseung Kwan O.

At Jardine Matheson headquarters, in Henry's office, the intelligence chief handed over photos: "Boss, there's movement on the Yellow River. These are all vehicles from Yellow River Industries' transportation companies. The models include their newly built heavy trucks and several strange multi-axle vehicles that we've never seen before. The tire tracks on those vehicles are unusually deep, clearly indicating that they are carrying far more heavy loads than usual, and their destination is Tseung Kwan O."

"What's on the truck?" Henry, the head of intelligence at Jardine Matheson, asked.

"Big Boss, we can't get close because of the Taishan security guards."

"Is this all you're capable of? Didn't you used to boast that there was no intelligence in Hong Kong that you couldn't get?"

"If you get too close, they'll attack."

"Are all the men you're raising pigs? Go and investigate them, find out what they're up to!"

"Yes, senior class!"

After the intelligence chief left, Henry walked to the map and circled a heavy question mark in red in Tseung Kwan O.

The Kwai Chung construction site was clearly shut down—on the surface, Jardine Matheson, through the Public Works Department, used "safety non-compliance" as a pretext to stop the work, but in reality, Ho Yu-chu used this as an excuse to stop it anyway. He was going to stop for a while anyway, so why not take advantage of the opportunity that his opponent had given him, and even better confuse his opponent.

"Why has He Fei shifted his focus to this desolate bay? Does he intend to develop this place?" Henry wondered.

Then he made a phone call, “Contact the Public Works Department, the Lands Department, and even the Water Supplies Department—any department related to factories and docks—tell them to go to Tseung Kwan O! I need to know what He Fei’s Yellow River Group is doing in Tseung Kwan O!”

"Tseung Kwan O, Taipan, what news have you received?"

Eric found that the Yellow River Automobile Factory was transporting large machinery to Tseung Kwan O.

"Okay, I'll take care of it right away."

Then, Tseung Kwan O became lively. The Public Works Department was the first to arrive in Tseung Kwan O. After inspecting the site, they requested that the Tseung Kwan O Temporary Pier submit ten additional hydrogeological reports, arguing that "deep-water shoreline development requires extra caution" or the construction permit would be suspended.

Then, the Fire Services Department came five times in three days, measuring everything from the pressure of fire extinguishers to the electrical circuits in the temporary dormitories, and even measuring the distance to the workers' smoking area three times with a ruler; the Labour Department went even further, nitpicking with a magnifying glass, sometimes saying that the crane operator's certificate was "questionable in format," and sometimes questioning that the overtime records were "not archived in accordance with the latest regulations."

However, they eventually figured out what Tseung Kwan O was doing, and then they started to escalate their actions even further.

Chen Sheng frowned at the pile of fines in his office at the prefabrication yard. A sarcastic voice came from the Public Works Department clerk on the other end of the phone: "Consultant Chen, it's not that we're making things difficult, but procedures have to be followed. Jardine Matheson is compliant; shouldn't your large project set an example?"

"Procedure? The report was just submitted last week, and now we need to supplement it again?" Chen Sheng suppressed his anger. "The third supplementary explanation you requested involves ocean current data that needs to be provided by the Hong Kong Institute of Oceanography, which will take at least a week."

"Well, there's nothing I can do, we'll follow the rules." The other party hung up the phone. Shi Bin pushed open the door and came in, clutching a miniature recorder in his hand: "Consultant Chen, that clerk surnamed Li from the Public Works Department received an envelope from the manager of Jardine Matheson Properties yesterday, at a coffee shop in Tsim Sha Tsui."

The sound of an envelope rustling and whispers could be clearly heard in the recording: "Mr. Henry said to postpone the Yellow River paperwork until next month..."

Chen Sheng smiled wryly: "You should hand the recording over to the boss. This is beyond my capabilities."

When the items were delivered to He Yuzhu, he simply said, "Don't worry about it, someone will take care of people like him."

Then it just fizzled out. In fact, He Yuzhu had already received some information from Orian and was waiting for the storm to come.

Meanwhile, at Jardine Matheson's headquarters, the CFO was reporting on the financial situation: "Taipan, HSBC has softened its stance and agreed to extend the term of the mortgage loan for Wharf Holdings by six months, on the condition that we pledge the revenue rights of the Southeast Asian shipping routes. In addition, the sale of the Australian iron ore shares brought in 30 million, and with the three New Territories land plots pledged by the real estate department, we have about 100 million in available working capital."

Henry looked at the numbers on the report, a ruthless glint in his eyes: "One hundred million, is that enough to break the cash flow of Yellow River Steel and the automobile factory?"

“Boss, you should know this, there’s no way to assess it. Our investigation report shows that Huanghe Automobile and Huanghe Steel have never lacked raw materials since the factory was built, and we couldn’t find their procurement channels at all,” the operations director said.

"Could it be from the mainland?"

"We've had our ships inspected by the Huo, Li, and Bao companies. Steel is only a small part of the cargo; the majority is cement, timber, and other building materials," the purchasing director said.

"Have you found their raw material warehouse?"

"No, they always change locations. By the time we find a place, all that's left is an empty warehouse." - Intelligence chief.

“This He Fei is too cunning. Have your men continue the investigation. Also, tell other companies not to supply Huanghe with steel, not even an ounce.”

"Yes, kindergarten."

"Big Boss, should we continue the operation targeting Tseung Kwan O?"

"Of course we'll continue. He Fei wants to work on new technologies, right? I'll make sure he fails. Once our port in Kuiyong is built, he'll be crying."

Jardine Matheson's tactics didn't last long. A bombshell announcement struck: the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) was officially established, and three names appeared on the first list of those to be investigated: a staff member surnamed Li from the Public Works Department, a district supervisor from the Fire Services Department, and the head of the Archives Section of the Labour Department.

When the news reached the Public Works Department, a clerk surnamed Li was preparing to issue the sixth rectification notice to Huang He. The moment he saw the announcement, the pen in his hand fell to the table with a "thud".

He took the unopened envelope out of the drawer and put it back in, repeating this several times. Finally, he took the envelope and left. Half an hour later, he voluntarily surrendered to the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) and confessed to accepting bribes from Jardine Matheson and deliberately making things difficult for Huang He.

The fire department was even more ruthless; they returned all the inspection records that same day and spoke to Chen Shengke politely over the phone: "It was a routine inspection before, all the paperwork is in order, you can proceed with your construction as normal."

The Labour Department filed all the "problem records" that had been selected overnight, and no one came to their door again.

In fact, these three are just a microcosm. Whether it is Jardine Matheson or other people who have bribed the government's secret agents, it is only a matter of time before they are exposed.

"ICAC! ICAC! A mere ICAC has scared them half to death? The construction site in Tseung Kwan O is even more bustling than before! He Fei's 'building blocks' have all been thrown into the sea!"

“Big Boss, ICAC’s knife is too sharp…” the financial director said.

"Then what other methods do we have left? Where is our quick-fire weapon? He Fei has secretly built that damn prefabrication yard! Tell me, where is the weapon?"

Operations Director Burns said, "Henry, calm down. He Fei's advantage lies in his integrated industrial chain: steel, automobiles, prefabrication, transportation, and construction, all interconnected to form an internal closed loop. To break this loop, we must exert a strong external impact. What we can use is, firstly, our financial advantage to wage a price war and squeeze his cash flow; secondly, to utilize our absolute control over shipping and warehousing to completely block all his bulk commodity import and export channels before the docks are built! Let his factories run out of supplies!"

Henry tugged at his tie in frustration: "Price war? He produces and sells his own goods, so his costs are lower than ours! As for the shipping blockade... send word to Swire, Wheelock, and all the shipowners and dock management companies that depend on us! From this day forward, all ships registered under Yellow River Industries' name, or suspected of transporting raw materials (especially coal and iron ore) and finished products (steel and automobiles) for Yellow River Industries, will have their priority level reduced to the lowest! Loading and unloading times will be extended to the maximum! Dock berths? They'll have to wait in line! I'm going to starve He Fei's steel mill! I'll make his cars rust in the warehouse!"

“Yes, Mr. Burns!” Burns replied immediately.

This is the ultimate manifestation of Jardine Matheson's shipping hegemony. Although brutal, it is enough to stifle any challenger in Hong Kong, a city that depends on its port.

“And another thing!” Henry added, “Tell those small building material suppliers who depend on us that anyone who dares to supply Yellow River privately is making an enemy of Jardine Matheson! Let them weigh the consequences themselves!”

Jardine Matheson's noose tightened again, this time with barbs.

The effects of the Jardine Matheson blockade soon became apparent.

In Victoria Harbour, the "Taihang," a 10,000-ton ship flying the Panamanian flag and fully loaded with high-quality Shanxi anthracite coal, has been waiting anxiously at anchor for three days. The captain has been contacting the shipping agency in a frantic manner, but the reply he always receives is: "Boards at Jardine Matheson and Swire Ports are fully booked. Please wait patiently for further notice."

"When the hell will this take? If the delivery is delayed, who will pay the penalty?" the captain roared into the microphone.

"Captain, we're in a tough spot too... All the docks are prioritizing ships from Jardine Matheson, Swire, and Japanese companies... Ships like yours that transport goods on the Yellow River are just going to be put on the back burner..." The agent's voice was full of helplessness.

The same situation occurred at various ports in Hong Kong, where ships transporting iron ore for the Yellow River Steel Plant were delayed in entering the port and unloading for various reasons.

The shipping companies of Jardine Matheson and its allies tacitly raised red flags for Yellow River Industries' cargoes.

Although the blast furnaces at Huanghe Steel Plant are still operating thanks to existing inventory, the raw material inventory is being depleted rapidly.

The situation is somewhat better for car factories, because He Yuzhu had already ordered that all vehicles except those already ordered be shut down, and all efforts be focused on heavy vehicles and dock equipment.

The supply of cement and aggregates to the Tseung Kwan O prefabrication plant has also been affected by delays in transportation.

"Boss, Jardine Matheson has really cut off our supply lines this time! The ship that was supposed to deliver our goods is stuck outside the port and can't get in, and our goods are piling up at the dock and can't be shipped out! People from several shipping companies have asked us if we should sell the goods elsewhere first." Ah Lang reported to He Yuzhu with a serious expression.

How long can the two factories hold out?

"The coal and ore stocks at steel mills can last for at most ten more days, while the situation at car factories is a bit better, maybe a month."

"Go and notify all the ships to send the cargo to Huangpu Port for unloading."

"Boss, that means the goods still can't be shipped back. A lot of our goods are shipped out from Huangpu Port."

"You don't need to worry about that, just let them unload it."

"This"

"Just do as I say and notify them. As for those who are unwilling, let them be. We can cancel the goods; they can take them to sell elsewhere, and we'll still pay for the shipping."

"it is good."

He Yuzhu had no better options now, so he had to act as a porter himself. He sold off the items he had previously acquired from Kowloon Wharf in his space, traveling to several countries to do so. They were all smuggled goods, so no one could investigate them.

The "Taihang" ship, anchored in Victoria Harbour, had no choice but to turn around and head towards Huangpu Port as instructed.

Other cargo ships transporting coal and iron ore for Yellow River Industries followed suit, forced to temporarily leave under the cold and deliberate "queueing" rules of the Jardine Matheson Group's docks.

When the news reached Jardine Matheson headquarters, Henry Keswick finally showed a long-lost smug smile.

For the next period of time, He Yuzhu used speedboats to travel back and forth between Hong Kong and Huangpu Port in Guangzhou. The blast furnaces of the Yellow River Steel Plant continued to emit smoke, and the equipment of the Yellow River Automobile Plant continued to be shipped out, but the people of Jardine Matheson could no longer smile.

This was their most effective trump card besides government intervention, and now that it's failed, they're at a loss.

The Yellow River Group has never been listed on the stock exchange, nor has it received any bank loans. They don't even know where the money comes from. No matter how hard they investigate, they can't find the source of the funds. There are just too many shell companies, plus the unregistered shares, making it even more impossible to trace.

This delay dragged on until 1971, when Jardine Matheson watched helplessly as Yellow River Industries launched its first caisson in Kwai Chung, unable to do anything about it.

During this time, they tried to continue acting as a water pipe for the triads and let them cause trouble. However, the West Kowloon Regional Organisation (O-Division) was not to be trifled with. Later, they even directly arranged for people to be stationed in Tseung Kwan O and Kwai Chung, which made Henry curse Ho Fei and Orion for being in cahoots.

But what good is knowing? He had tried to get someone to report it to the ICAC, but after a long investigation, it was found that there was no money or power exchange between He Yuzhu and Orian, and they had hardly been in contact recently. Wang Cuiping was also investigated, but the result was the same. Wang Cuiping had already moved in with Yu Zecheng, just to guard against this.

(End of this chapter)