Hong Kong: Black Gold Tycoons

"Mr. Chen, don't take it to heart with a child," Inspector Lin said with a smile. "Children have never been in charge of a household and don't know the cost of daily necessities."

Chen Fei glanced at him, "Inspector Lin is much better at talking."

"Mr. Chan, your intelligence came with great difficulty, so it's normal to talk about money. However, we didn't bring any funds with us today," Inspector Lin said sincerely. "I don't have that much money myself, but I still hope Mr. Chan can help us so that those police officers who died in the line of duty can rest in peace."

"Then I'm afraid I can't help you." Chen Fei spread his hands. "I'm a businessman, and business is business. The starting price for key clues in major cases is one million Hong Kong dollars. Top financial information, dirt on wealthy families, lists of moles in the police force, and complete plans for major robberies are five million Hong Kong dollars. Cases spanning the centuries are priced at ten million Hong Kong dollars."

Upon hearing this, Inspector Zhao frowned again. "Are you treating the police force like a bank?"

"Buy it or don't, it's up to you." Chen Fei glanced at him sideways.

Seeing that Chen Fei was unwilling to budge, Inspector Lin had no choice but to stand up: "In that case, we'll take our leave first. We'll report back to our superiors and then come back to bother Mr. Chen."

Chen Fei had no obligation to help them.

However, if a magazine reveals too much, it will inevitably attract attention, so I might as well take this opportunity to make things clear to these two officers.

Anyway, it's not exactly a secret that magazines keep informants.

……

Fanling, Hong Kong Golf Course.

This is a social hub for members of parliament, the wealthy, and Justices of the Peace.

So, quite a few people played ball all morning and chatted about things that no one else knew about.

When Leung Siu-ming arrived by car, his boss, Councilor Lee Kwok-kwong, was already dressed in a standard tracksuit, holding a putter and bending over to look at the line.

Standing nearby were three or four men dressed similarly, some holding golf clubs, others smoking cigars, chatting and laughing.

"Councilor Lee, your putting posture is wrong, your back is too straight." The speaker was Director Xiang of the Film, Television and Entertainment Affairs Management Office. He was chubby and had a smile like a Maitreya Buddha, but his eyes were very sharp.

The Television and Entertainment Services Authority (TESA) was a statutory regulatory body of the Hong Kong government under British rule. It was under the Cultural, Leisure and Broadcasting Division of the Chief Secretary's Department and was not a police force, an Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC), or a member of the Legislative Council. It was an administrative body with real power, handling licensing, censorship, and auditing.

"Old Xiang, you don't need to teach me anymore. After you taught me last time, I went from 80 strokes to 100 strokes." Li Guomin replied with a smile, then putted the ball into the hole.

Several people immediately applauded.

"Luck, luck." Li Guomin laughed as he picked up the ball and sat down in the nearby rest area.

The waiter immediately brought over chilled lemonade and a damp towel.

After the waiter left, Liang Zhaoming bent down and whispered in Li Guomin's ear.

Li Guomin nodded and said, "A scoundrel who runs a magazine, doesn't he know that I have a say in the Legislative Council? You go ahead and get busy."

Liang Zhaoming had just stepped down.

Those who played ball with Li Guomin came over and sat down.

The four individuals include Director Xiang of the Film, Television and Entertainment Affairs Administration, Director Zhou of the Urban Council's Trade and Industry Department, Chairman Leung of the Hong Kong GG Chamber of Commerce, and Legislative Council member Mr. Ko.

These are all old relationships that Li Guomin has cultivated over many years.

"Has everyone read today's newspaper?" Li Guomin asked casually, placing a towel on the table.

Director Xiang picked up his water glass, took a sip, and said, "I saw it. It's very bloody, and it's Chen Fei's exclusive photo. This guy is really capable. In Gao Yingpei's case, he actually arrived at the scene before the police."

"That's not all," Chairman Liang continued. "His magazine is even more outrageous. It exposed that the boss of a listed company slept with his accomplice's wife, causing the company's stock to drop by five percent that day. I know that boss; he was furious, but there was nothing he could do."

Minister Zhou leaned back in his chair, legs crossed: "These kinds of people, to put it bluntly, are like people who use a magnifying glass to find fault. If you have lice, they'll say you're riddled with diseases; if you don't have lice, they'll draw one out for you."

Upon hearing this, everyone laughed.

Li Guomin laughed along, then slowly stopped laughing and said, "I'm unlucky enough to be in the same episode he just made his scoop on. But everyone, if he dared to expose me this episode, it might be your turn next. I think you should all be careful."

His tone was casual, as if he were joking.

But the expressions on their faces froze instantly.

Because we're all in the same circle, in a sense, we're all the same.

Not one of them was clean.

Therefore, Li Guomin's words immediately aroused everyone's vigilance.

Chairman Liang frowned: "I've heard about this Chen Fei. He didn't have any background before. He just suddenly appeared, but he seems to have a lot of powerful informants. He dares to expose anything and offend anyone."

"Offending people isn't the problem," Minister Zhou said. "What's the problem is that he offends people and those people can't do anything about it. Look at Gao Yingpei, he's dead, and people are still kicking him while he's down. Besides, what does Gao Yingpei's business have to do with him? He just sells magazines and makes money off dead people."

"Isn't that how the media always is?" Councilor Gao said slowly. "Once this case was reported, the sales of 'Black Gold' are probably number one in Hong Kong now, even 'New Knowledge' has been overshadowed. This Chen Fei, no matter where he comes from, has so many people willing to give him tips, he's quite capable."

Li Guomin said slowly, "He is indeed very capable, but he is also closely related to us."

He glanced at Director Xiang and said, "Old Xiang, your film and television department is in charge of content censorship. These photos in magazines are bloody, violent, and could easily cause social panic. Aren't you going to do anything about it?"

Director Xiang instantly understood what those words meant, and then smiled.

"Of course we have to manage it. This issue of 'Black Gold' does have problems with its content, and there are quite a few bloody photos. It's too scary. Our department was already studying it and preparing to meet with them to ask them to strengthen their content review. If they can't meet the requirements, we can suspend its publication."

That's true, because according to the Newspapers and Periodicals Registration Ordinance, the Film and Television Services Department can issue warnings to publications with inappropriate content. If a publication repeatedly fails to correct its behavior, the Department can recommend that the Chief Secretary for Administration revoke its license. Although the process takes time, there is a way if you want to do it.

Li Guomin turned to look at Minister Zhou.

"Old Zhou, your municipal bureau's industry and commerce department is in charge of market circulation, right? Aren't newsstand licenses issued by you?"

Minister Zhou understood perfectly.

"We do approve newsstand licenses. We are currently investigating illegal operations on the streets. Some newsstands are encroaching on the road, failing to meet fire safety standards, and selling pirated publications. There are many problems. After investigation, those that should be shut down will be shut down. As for those that sell a lot of 'Black Gold,' we will focus on investigating them. It's not about the magazine itself, but the newsstands that have problems. We are acting in accordance with the law."

Act in accordance with the law.

That was a beautifully said phrase, and everyone laughed.

Li Guomin laughed along, then turned to Chairman Liang.

"President Liang, do your words carry any weight with GG?"

Chairman Liang took a puff of his cigar and said:

"What are Google Ads owners in Hong Kong most afraid of? They are most afraid of damage to their brand image. Magazines like Black Gold are constantly exposing scandals and publishing bloody photos. Which positive company would want to advertise on Google Ads? I will talk to the heads of several big brands to see if we can issue guidelines within our chamber of commerce, advising member companies to carefully choose advertising platforms. I will not say no to advertising, but just be cautious. Those Google Ads owners will understand."

"It's better to be more subtle," Councilor Gao interjected from the side. "Being too direct is actually not good."

Chairman Liang nodded: "Yes, be more subtle."

Now that we've finished discussing this matter, it's time to express our gratitude.

So Li Guomin said, "We're all friends. I recently learned about a great project to make money. It's a bit difficult for me to invest alone, so I'm asking you all to make money together."

It's less about getting rich together and more about dividing the spoils.

After discussing that, Lao Zhou asked, "I recently watched TVB's 'The Legendary Twins,' and the actress who plays Su Ying is quite pretty. What's her name?"

"I know her, her name is Michelle," Lao Xiang chimed in. "She used to work at RTV."

Li Guomin laughed and said, "In that case, I think we should organize a dinner party and see if we can invite Wei Qiuhua and Zheng Yuling along."

"Great idea!"

The people present immediately agreed.

……

Around noon.

Le Huizhen stormed into Chen Fei's office, her face grim.

"People from the Film and Television Department came and said they wanted to review our next episode's content, and asked us to provide proof of the source of all the photos."

Chen Fei looked up: "And then?"

"And then? Then they said that during the review process, they suggested we suspend the release."

Lok Wai-ching picked up another document: "Several newsstands that cooperate with us received a notice from the Ministry of Industry and Commerce saying that they were ordered to suspend business for rectification due to issues such as occupying the road and fire safety. Those newsstands are the ones that sell the most of our magazines."

"Furthermore, many distributors have called me to return the goods, and many of them called this morning to ask for reprints. The printing factory also called to say that someone had infiltrated the machine and damaged it. There's definitely something fishy going on here."

"Oh? You just placed an order, and now you're returning it?" Chen Fei reassured her, "Don't worry, I'll go check the reason."

"If someone is targeting us, what do you plan to do?" Lok Wai-ching asked again.

Chen Fei said, "If they are competitors, of course we should eliminate them, then swallow up their businesses and grow bigger and stronger."

The most basic money-making logic of a magazine is high-end GG, subscriptions, and brand collaborations, and its value will increase as the operating time increases.

Currently, the full-page subscription fee for "Black Gold" is already quoted at HK$30,000 per issue, while the subscription fee for a cross-page subscription is already quoted at HK$60,000 per issue.

But the most direct way to grow bigger and stronger is to acquire competitors. You don't have to build your own popularity from scratch. By acquiring a magazine of the same type, you can directly own the other party's tens of thousands of regular readers and the fixed distribution volume at newsstands.

The most important of these is the newsstand location.

This is the lifeblood of the magazine.

If a competitor has been operating for many years and has prime newsstand locations, payment terms, and rebate relationships in Mong Kok, Causeway Bay, Yau Ma Tei, and Central, a merger allows for direct takeover without the need for gradual development and negotiation.

Although many small magazines are backed by gangs and wealthy individuals, forcibly annexing them would be tantamount to encroaching on their territory, which could lead to underworld feuds, the closure of printing plants, and other troubles.

But Chen Fei was never afraid of trouble.

Since the other party is being unreasonable, then we should resort to the truth.

After pondering for a moment, Yue Huizhen said, "Could it be the people who exposed this in our magazine?"

"Without a doubt," Chen Fei reassured her. "I'll handle this matter; you don't need to worry."

"it is good."

After seeing Yue Huizhen off, Chen Fei called Song Zihao again.

"Brother Fei".

Although Chen Fei was younger than him, Song Zihao still called him Brother Fei.

"Brother Hao, you don't need to be so polite." Chen Fei got straight to the point, "I'm here today because I need your help with something."

"Brother Fei, you say it."

Chen Fei told him about the current situation at the magazine, and then said, "I'm worried that the magazine will be vandalized, so I'd like to find a few people to help keep an eye on it. You used to be involved in the underworld, so you must know a lot of people in this field, especially reliable ones."

Song Zihao thought for a moment and said, "I've been in jail for a while, so I don't know if I can find the person, but I'll try my best to look for them."

"Thank you, Brother Hao."

"Brother Fei, you're too kind," Song Zihao said with a smile. "We're all family."

After hanging up the phone, Chen Fei took out the weapons he had prepared to deal with Gao Yingpei.

This time, it will finally come in handy.

Who cares about being a Legislative Council member? Since they dare to cut off my source of income, then don't blame me for cutting off theirs.

He just made this decision.

Ya Zi came to him again with a cold face, "You've offended someone, your business is in trouble, my connections are blocked, I think I'll have to resort to violence to make those bastards cooperate obediently..."

Upon hearing this, Chen Fei threw an MP5 player at him, saying, "Then you go and take them out. If something goes wrong, I'll go to jail."