Siheyuan, Shazhu: I have both parents in this life

Chapter 281 The Trap of the Oil Palm Country
He said cautiously, "Boss, this will require a lot of money, and manpower is also a problem."

"You don't need to worry about resources. You can choose the people yourself. I'll give you three months to build the core framework and secure at least one top-tier law firm for deep cooperation in both North America and Europe. Can you do it?"

Wilson took a deep breath, stood up, and bowed slightly to He Yuzhu: "Boss, thank you for your trust! Wilson Thompson will do his utmost to live up to your expectations!"

"Alright, do you want to spend a couple of days in Hong Kong with your family?"

"No need, boss. Work is more important. They still need you to arrange a tour guide for them."

"No problem, I'll make sure they have a good time."

"Then I'll go tell them and start working."

"can."

Wilson left He Yuzhu's office with a sense of excitement, ready to immediately dive into his new job.

He had just stepped out when there was a knock on his office door.

"Enter."

"Boss!" It was Bai Yifeng who came in.

"Something wrong?" He Yuzhu frowned. He didn't think it was a good thing that Lao Bai had come over.

"Boss, is this Wilson reliable?"

"What? Did you find something wrong?"

“He brought a lot of followers with him,” Bai Yifeng said.

"Tell me more specifically."

"The family was followed as soon as they came out of the airport; they got off the same plane. It seems they weren't from the same group. One group looked like they were operating under the Fifth Division, while the other group was rougher, like a gang."

"Fifth Division? Impossible. They don't have jurisdiction over North America. It must be CA. The other group might be from the Gambino family. It seems we need to strengthen our security in New York. No one even sent a letter in advance."

"This was my mistake."

"It's not your fault, I was careless too."

"What are the boss and his team here to investigate?"

"Hmph, what else could it be? Gambino is investigating the owner behind Grand Hyatt, while CA is probably investigating the technology purchase by Dongda University. They're also after us."

"How to deal with it?"

"Keep a close eye on them. Have someone cut off their international calls to the hotels they're staying at. It's best to bribe them with money, but don't attract attention."

"No need to do anything?"

"Even if we did take action in Hong Kong, you wouldn't need to lift a finger. What are the Hong Kong police for? Do you think they'd rather the CA come or the Mafia?"

"clear."

"Also, send out a notice that all business discussions should be in person recently. When you send out notices, go and notify each person individually, don't use the phone."

"Okay, so the boss is worried that there are still people here?"

"Gambino is definitely out of the question, but CA is another story. Maybe we can catch a few fish this time."

"Understood, shall I go and inform them now?"

"Hmm, you know how to say it, right?"

"I know, we have so many rivals in Hong Kong, we can just make one up."

"Okay, let's go."

The office door closed gently, cutting off the sound of Bai Yifeng's departing footsteps.

He Yuzhu leaned back in the large leather chair, his eyes deep and thoughtful.

CA and Gambino, these guys are really persistent. Why do they guess it's because of the technology acquisition? If it were about California, it would have exploded long ago, why wait until now?

But it doesn't matter. So what if they find out? The technology was purchased legally and compliantly. Does that mean we can't use it?

That evening, at the He family villa.

Xiaoman still voiced her concerns, "Brother Zhu, what Lao Bai said during the day probably isn't a match for those in Hong Kong, right? Is it serious?"

"It's alright, we've been through all sorts of situations before. This is Hong Kong, don't scare yourself."

"That's true, but what if those people don't follow the rules?"

“Then they will regret setting foot on this land,” He Yuzhu said confidently.

"Well, I see."

Seeing Xiaoman's still worried expression, He Yuzhu softened his voice: "Relax, just do what you need to do. There are so many things waiting for you in the group. This little storm won't capsize our Yellow River ship. Trust me, and trust Lao Bai and the others too."

Xiaoman took a deep breath and tightly grasped He Yuzhu's hand in return, as if trying to draw strength from him.

She nodded vigorously: "Yes, I understand. I just panicked for a moment!"

He Yuzhu gave a gentle smile: "That's right. Go and rest. Tomorrow we need to go to the foundation to check on the progress of the school reconstruction in Henan."

Watching Xiaoman get up and go back to her bedroom, He Yuzhu picked up the phone on the table and dialed a number.

"Orion, it's me."

"What? So late?" Orian's voice was tinged with sleepiness.

“You’re becoming less and less diligent, Orion.”

"Ah, haha, the commander-in-chief doesn't have that much to do, the subordinates can handle it," Orion said.

"Being your subordinate is really something."

"You're not calling so late just to mock me, are you?"

“Of course, mocking you was just a side thing. A ‘merit’ has been offered to me, and I’m just seeing if you’re interested in taking it,” He Yuzhu said.

"Honors? Tell me about them!" Orian perked up instantly.

"Today, two unwelcome 'guests' came to Hong Kong with one of my important employees from North America. One group looked like they were from the Fifth Division; the other seemed to be from the Mafia."

There was a few seconds of silence on the other end of the phone; Orion was clearly processing the news.

"Hey, are you sure you didn't mistake your person?"

You should be quite familiar with their abilities.

"FK, why is CA targeting your people?"

"I acquired some slightly more advanced technology in North America, you've heard, right? I also set up a semiconductor lab in Singapore."

"Shit, they're really meddling. What about the Mafia?"

"This is related to a real estate project I have in New York."

"You really are something else. Wherever you go, trouble seems to find you. I seriously suspect you're a zodiac sign that brings bad luck."

"Get lost, stop talking nonsense and get down to business."

“Well, CA, this is tricky.” Orion’s voice became serious.

“I didn’t intend for you to deal with them, and you can’t handle it anyway.”

"That's true. They're an intelligence agency, not ordinary criminals. If handled poorly, it could cause a huge uproar. Arresting the Mafia is no problem; even if there's no reason, we can find one."

"Is it possible that these guys crossed the line? Do you think the people in the Fifth and Sixth Divisions might have some objections?"

"You're so cunning!"

“I’m being wise.”

"That's possible, but how to tell them is a problem."

"This problem is now in your hands."

"No way, He, you'll have no friends if you keep going like this."

"I have many friends, don't you plan to continue being friends with me?"

"You win. I'll think of something."

"Take your time thinking about it. I'm going to hang up and rest."

"Shit, you woke me up and then dumped this huge problem on me, while you went back to sleep?"

"Otherwise what? I can't help you!"

"Have your people send me the relevant information."

"Okay, the photos and whereabouts will be sent."

“Go to sleep, I’m busy,” Orion complained.

"Haha, then I won't bother you any longer."

"roll!"

"toot toot"

Orion moved quickly.

Three days later, two inconspicuous news items appeared in the corners of major Hong Kong newspapers:

1. Interpol conducted a raid in Hong Kong's South District, arresting several foreign men suspected of transnational money laundering and illegal entry.

2. Several foreign nationals suspected of illegally collecting business intelligence were "politely deported" by relevant authorities.

The news caused no stir, like a pebble thrown into the ocean.

Wilson was completely unaware of this and threw himself into his new job, while his family, accompanied by people arranged by Shi Bin, enjoyed sightseeing in Hong Kong.

He Yuzhu's gaze then turned to the CA agents who were being "politely escorted out of the country."

He received information that the destination of those guys who were escorted out of the country was not North America, but TK. So he took a group of 'Wolf Fang' and bought tickets to TK as well, using a fake identity from a certain day.

On a flight bound for TK, several expelled CA agents looked grim.

The mission not only failed, but they were also driven away by Hong Kong authorities in a manner that was almost humiliating, leaving them furious.

The plane landed at Haneda Airport (TK).

The agents, carrying only simple luggage, passed through customs.

Two colleagues from CA-TK station came to meet him, driving an inconspicuous Toyota Crown.

The car drove away from the airport and merged into the traffic. The atmosphere inside the car was oppressive, and no one spoke.

The car entered a relatively quiet side road, heading towards the safe house. Just around a bend, a truck that appeared to have broken down was blocking the way, and the driver instinctively slowed down.

Almost simultaneously, a van behind accelerated suddenly and crashed hard into the rear of the Toyota Crown!
The immense impact caused the crown to instantly lose control, spinning and crashing into the roadside guardrail.

Just after the crash, two motorcycles rushed out from the side alley, the riders wearing full-face helmets moving swiftly.

They approached the deformed crown, the front rider raised his hand, and the silenced pistol made a soft "plop" sound, accurately piercing the windshield and rear window.

The agents and their accomplices, still dazed from the impact, had no time to react before collapsing into pools of blood.

The whole process took less than a minute. The motorcyclist quickly put away his weapon, stepped on the gas, and disappeared into the complex streets of Tokyo.

The truck blocking the road quickly started and left, leaving only the Crown with smoke coming from its hood.

When the TK Metropolitan Police Department's police cars arrived with sirens blaring, all that remained was a horrific scene of the attack.

There were no witnesses, no survivors, and very few clues.

The only "clue" was a few shell casings found in an inconspicuous corner not far from the scene.

When the head of the Tokyo Station CA arrived at the scene and saw the shell casing, his face turned ashen.

Meanwhile, He Yuzhu and the members of 'Wolf Fang' had already boarded the cruise ship back to Hong Kong.

A few days later, Wilson sat across from He Yuzhu’s large desk, fine beads of sweat beading on his forehead.

He had just heard He Yuzhu recount how he and his family had been tracked to Hong Kong by CA and the Gambino family, and he was now filled with lingering fear.

“Boss, sir,” Wilson’s voice trembled, and he swallowed hard, “you mean, CA’s target might be the technology acquisition I handled? And Gambino, because of the Grand Hyatt?”

"It's very likely. What you did for Dongda in North America, while legal and compliant, threatened some people's interests. As for Gambino, they just wanted to get revenge, but unfortunately, they came to the wrong place. This isn't North America."

He Yuzhu looked at Wilson apologetically, "You probably can't go back to New York now."

Wilson breathed a sigh of relief; he was still really afraid that He Yuzhu would make him go back.

"What about me and my family?"

"If you stay in Hong Kong, I'll make arrangements for you. At most, you can go to Europe."

“Alright, I’m really afraid I’ll have to stay in Hong Kong, and then I’m afraid I won’t be able to complete the task you asked me to do.”

"Your safety is our top priority. We'll see how things go later."

"clear."

"Since you're staying in Hong Kong, your family can do whatever they want—work, study, or whatever they want to do. The group will make all the arrangements."

"I'll go back and discuss it with them, but I expect there will be some resistance."

"Life is at stake!"

"I know, I'll explain, but I need to come up with a reason, so let's say Gambino."

"You have to figure it out yourself."

"Ah."

"And one more thing."

"Boss, you say!"

"Wilson, you've been in North America for so many years and have met all sorts of people. Do you have any suitable candidates to recommend? Or, do you have anyone you can trust? This person needs to be capable, loyal, and adaptable—all three are indispensable."

"What does the boss want?"

"Someone has to fill your position; we can't abandon that side."

Wilson fell into deep thought, realizing how high He Yuzhu's demands were.

Several faces flashed through his mind: a once-powerful but now low-profile financial broker, a lawyer with a deep background and shrewd connections, and a hidden tycoon with great influence in a specific field.

However, he rejected them all one by one, and then he spoke.

"Boss, the candidates need time to be screened and evaluated. Give me some time, and I will prepare a detailed evaluation report for you as soon as possible."

"Alright, this can't be rushed. Without specific conditions, it's really hard to find someone like this."

Wilson nodded heavily, though only he knew what this 'specific condition' was.

After the conversation, Wilson stood up and left He Yuzhu's office, feeling both relieved to have survived and burdened with a new and weighty mission.

The following days were peaceful, and everything proceeded in an orderly manner until August.

On the morning of September 3rd, there was a knock on He Yuzhu's office door, interrupting his thoughts as he reviewed the latest progress report on the Singapore semiconductor base.

"Enter."

Gu Yuanheng, He Yuxin, and Shi Bin filed in.

"Boss (brother)." The three greeted each other.

He Yuzhu put down the documents and glanced at the three of them: "Why did the three of you come together? Is there something you can't handle that you need me to solve?"

Gu Yuanheng spoke first: "Boss, it is indeed a big deal, but it's also a hot potato. It's the oil business in the oil palm country."

"An oil palm country?" He Yuzhu raised an eyebrow. At this time, oil palm countries were rich in oil resources, but their political situation was unstable and local armed forces were rampant. It was a big cake, but also a big quagmire.

"Tell me the details."

He Yuxin added, "We used to trade minerals and diamonds with other countries, and occasionally we would also trade some oil with them."

"Then, just keep changing them."

“It seems they’ve changed owners this time. They’ve explicitly told us that they hold the exploitation rights to five onshore oil wells with proven reserves. They have preliminary exploitation capabilities, but lack the funds to upgrade their equipment, and more importantly…” He paused, looking at Shi Bin.

Shi Bin understood and said in a deep voice, "What's even more of a headache is security. That area is on the edge of the Niger Delta, not far from several major tribal armed groups and 'river pirate' activity zones. The existing oilfield security is practically non-existent, and it's frequently harassed, its oil stolen, and even its equipment damaged. They urgently need a professional and combat-ready security force to be stationed there permanently to ensure the normal operation of the oilfield and the safety of their personnel. The price they're offering is very high: a five-year contract, with security costs accounting for 15% of their expected output, and 30% paid in advance."

"What, are you tempted?" He Yuzhu asked Shi Bin.

“Yes, they gave too much,” Shi Bin said.

"Do you know the specific situation over there? Do you know what will happen if your people go there?" He Yuzhu's face fell.

"I know a little about this," Shi Bin said, lowering his head.

"Know some? How much do your subordinates know? How much do you know?" He Yuzhu glanced at Gu Yuanheng and He Yuxin.

The two of them lowered their heads in disapproval.

"Also, they're offering 15% right off the bat? How credible is the other party? Have they done a background check?" He Yuzhu wasn't going to let these guys off the hook and pressed on.

“I asked Lao Bai to help me inquire, and he is indeed a person of real power. The ownership documents for those five oil wells have also been verified through special channels and are basically authentic. Their predicament is consistent with the situation there. Harassment of oil fields and low production are common phenomena. They have approached several European PMCs (private military contractors), but either their quotes are too high or they have concerns about the complex local environment, so they have not been able to reach an agreement. Somehow they found out that we have international security business and came to us.”

“Even European PMCs are worried about the environment, and you dare to go? Do you know what kind of people are in PMCs? They’re all desperate people, people who would rather die than live for money,” He Yuzhu said irritably.

"Boss, shall we go and refuse them now?"

"Don't rush to refuse. Buy them time and figure things out first. Did they come to us on their own initiative, or is someone pushing them?"

“Okay, I’ll go find Lao Bai right away,” Shi Bin replied.

"Alright, get out of here. Old Gu and Shi Bin, you're both seniors. You should have made your own judgments about this from the beginning. And Yu Xin, how have I been teaching you? Did you instigate them?"

"No, no, boss, Yuxin was coerced into coming here by us."

"Hmph, this is a one-time thing, there won't be a next time."

"Understood," the three replied in unison.

"Alright, all of you, get out. Just looking at you makes me angry."

"Yes."

After the three of them left, He Yuzhu's thoughts wandered. He had said that to teach these people a lesson.

Was he interested in the oil field business? He was somewhat interested. Another thing that interested him was that it was the best training ground, but Shi Bin's men were definitely not up to the task; they would probably just be sent there to their deaths.

'Wolf Fang' is a good option, but there are too few of them. We need to confirm this with someone first.

On August 10th, Bai Yifeng came to report the situation.

"boss."

"What was found?"

Bai Yifeng's voice carried a hint of gravity: "Boss, the situation is more complicated and dangerous than they said. I used all our connections over there to cross-verify the information. That so-called 'powerful figure' is more like a middleman eager to cash out or a front man for some force. The ownership documents for those five oil wells are genuine, but that's where the trouble lies—they are right at the intersection of the 'traditional territories' claimed by three different tribal armed groups, making them a veritable powder keg."

He paused, his tone becoming even more serious: "Most importantly, those European PMCs didn't just suffer a little loss; they suffered a major setback. They were involved in the struggle for rights."

He Yuzhu's eyes instantly sharpened like knives: "Just as I thought, I know who's behind this, 'CA'."

"It's them. I highly suspect this is a setup. They're using this chaotic place as cover to lure our people there, either to devour them, infiltrate them, or... drag Huanghe into that quagmire, draining our energy and resources. That ridiculously high security fee is the bait."

"Hehe, Lao Bai, all these years of hard work have paid off; your analysis is pretty accurate."

"That's not enough, otherwise I wouldn't have bothered you."

"Alright, you're being modest now. Go and relay the message to Shi Bin and the others: First, immediately reject any cooperation intentions from the oil palm country; second, launch an internal investigation, with Shi Bin in charge and you assisting, to investigate all of the group's overseas businesses, especially security, resource, and transportation projects, to see if there are any similar 'high-profit traps' or partners with unclear backgrounds; third, shrink the existing international security business back to escorting routes in Singapore, the Middle East (limited to stable areas cooperating with the Huo family), and some routes in Southeast Asia, and suspend all expansion plans to high-risk areas in Africa."

"Yes, boss! I'll take care of it right away." Bai Yifeng accepted the order.

"Also, remind Shi Bin that he, Gu Yuanheng, and He Yuxin all acted without thinking this time. No matter how high the profits are, you have to be alive to earn them and spend them. Taishan Security's core mission is to be a 'shield,' protecting the security of the Yellow River system, not to be someone else's 'spear,' much less to fill a bottomless pit. Tell him to thoroughly reorganize the internal structure and improve his risk assessment capabilities. If there's a next time, it won't be as simple as you relaying this message."

"Understood, I will convey your meaning to Shi Bin exactly as it is." Bai Yifeng was truly worried for his old friend.

"Go."

"it is good."

After Bai Yifeng left, He Yuzhu leaned back in his chair and rubbed his temples.

CA is truly a persistent nuisance; once you get involved, you can't shake them off. They're like a leech, clinging to your bones. This time, they're using Africa as a pretext to strike, employing even more covert and ruthless methods.

The oil palm country has avoided the trap, but similar ones will happen again in the future. We'll see if the people there can learn from this experience; preaching won't work.

If you don't suffer a loss, I doubt anyone will learn their lesson.

No one dared to deviate from the instructions given by He Yuzhu.

After Bai Yifeng had a deep talk with Shi Bin, he realized that his boss was truly angry this time, and he was completely awakened, beginning to reflect on whether he had become arrogant.

After reflecting on the situation, Taishan Security Company began a top-down overhaul, followed by training, drills, and assessments.

Gu Yuanheng, He Yuxin, and the others were also terrified. They found Bai Yifeng to help them do something similar to what the security company did, but not openly.

He Yuzhu saw all of this. He neither expressed support nor opposition. He wanted to see what his subordinates could actually do. He couldn't keep worrying about them forever.

Of course, while doing these things, other matters cannot be neglected. He Yuzhu has been keeping a close eye on the progress of the "building a nest to attract phoenixes" project.

(End of this chapter)