Today, people refer to both Macau and Hong Kong as the prosperous places in Asia, but in history, the prosperity of Macau was much earlier than that of Hong Kong. In 1553 A.D. (the 32nd year of Jiajing in the Ming Dynasty), when China was in the midst of the "Japanese pirates" at sea, the Portuguese took the opportunity to enter Macau.At first, they set up a simple shack to dry the goods on board, and then a large number of Portuguese rushed ashore to build magnificent Western buildings: churches, monasteries, commercial firms, hospitals, western-style villas... Not long after, in China In the South China Sea, a Mediterranean-style southern European city popped up without anyone noticing.

In the second half of the 16th century, Macau became a prosperous seaport city in the East.In view of the infestation of Japanese pirates, the Ming court banned trade with Japan during the Jiajing period, and the Portuguese took the opportunity to become middlemen in Sino-Japanese trade and reaped great benefits.The Portuguese opened up several trade routes with the highest profits in the Asia-Pacific region based on Macau, which made its maritime trade extremely developed, and its maritime traffic became increasingly busy. After the middle of the 17th century, although Portugal’s position in the international shipping industry showed signs of being replaced by Spain and the Netherlands, Macao, as a trading port of China, was still prosperous.After the twenty-fourth year of Kangxi, because only one port of Guangzhou was allowed to trade, Macau did not decline due to its proximity to Guangzhou.At that time, Macau became the port of Guangzhou, and all foreign merchant ships had to berth and pass through Macau to import trade, and Macau became the base for trade between various countries and Guangzhou.Guangdong Customs sent officers to collect taxes and rates in Macau, and all imported ships had to hire navigators in Macau, and they also set off from here to return home.In winter, foreign businessmen doing business in Guangzhou must spend the winter in Macau, waiting for the coming of the next trading season.Because the Qing government forbade foreign businessmen to bring their wives to Guangzhou, a large group of wives of wealthy businessmen lived in Macau.As the saying goes: "Much ado about nothing." It also said: "Food and clothe and think about lust." So many well-fed and well-dressed men and women are idle and doing nothing, what are they doing?So, they thought of gambling.

Macau has become the hotbed of the gambling industry and the Monte Carlo of the East. Gambling has become the most dynamic and super-profitable characteristic industry in Macau. How many thrilling stories have happened in it. In 1847, the Portuguese and Macao authorities officially announced the legalization of gambling, and there are more than 200 gambling stalls in this small area.Gambling stalls are all set up or controlled by people from all walks of life. People from all walks of life often fight inside and outside the gambling stalls. In 1872, gambling was strictly prohibited in Hong Kong, and some gambling-loving Hong Kong people flocked to Macau seeing the convenient transportation, and the casino business in Macau was booming.

In 1896, the Portuguese government announced a ban on gambling in the country, but it opened the door to Macau. With the rise of Hong Kong, Macao’s normal economic activities and the volume of import and export trade have relatively decreased. The gambling industry has enriched the few people who run casinos, while the Portuguese and Macao authorities have been shy.Therefore, the Governor of Macau decided to implement legislative management on the gambling industry.The method is for the government to issue gambling cards for private bidding, and the winner must start gambling at a designated place according to the contract signed with the government and pay gambling taxes.Private gambling among the people is illegal.

The Macau gambling patent was first obtained by Lu Jiu.When the contract expired in 1930, Lu Jiu still did not give up. Together with Fan Jiepeng, He Shi and others, they participated in the bidding again.In order to win the bidding, Lu Jiu, Fan Jiepeng, He Shi and others pulled out Huo Zhiting, the president of the Bank of Guangdong, and Li Shengju, the founder of Hong Kong Conifer Bank, as backers. Huo Zhiting is a native of Nanhai, Guangdong. He worked as a handyman in a shop in Hong Kong when he was a teenager. He inherited his father and opened a "welfare" iron pot shop in Guangzhou. He met the quartermaster of the Guangdong Navy Admiral and partnered in the speculative business of old ordnance, which earned him a lot of money. assets.When Long Jiguang entered Guangdong, Huo Zhiting got acquainted with him. In 1914, a major flood occurred in Guangdong. In the name of disaster relief, Long Jiguang set up a "Flood Disaster Rehabilitation Awards Council" to openly bid for investment in the province to undertake Shanpu tickets.Mak Chu Huan, a wealthy businessman, won the bid and set up the head office in Guangzhou.Huo Zhiting and another person named Zhi Ziqing jointly established branch factories in Jiangmen and Foshan.Huo Zhiting secretly colluded with Long Jiguang, annexed the Guangzhou main factory, and undertook mountain tickets and ticket shop gambling in the whole province.

From 1918 to 1920, the Guangxi warlords took over Guangdong and advocated gambling.Huo Zhiting paid 30,000 yuan a month to rent the most popular gambling area of ​​Fantan in Guangzhou, and established four Fantan companies, namely "Mingsheng", "Rongsheng", "Guangheng" and "Guangyi".After Chen Jiongming returned to Guangdong, he ordered a ban on smoking and gambling, and Huo Zhiting fled to Hong Kong. In 1923, the Guangxi and Yunnan Army entered and occupied Guangdong, opening up smoking and gambling.The Dian army recruited merchants to undertake the mountain shop tickets in the whole province. The war is not over yet, and the gamblers dare not take the risk to bid.As a result, Huo Zhiting undertook it with a monthly salary of 51,000 yuan.The Dian Army agreed with him to try it out for 3 months, and then make an agreement after the expiration.Huo Zhiting made a net profit of 200,000 yuan during the three months of trial operation.After the expiration of the period, the political situation stabilized, and the Provincial Department of Finance withdrew the right to bid for Shanpu Tickets and openly invited investment.As a result, Huo Zhiting won the bid with a monthly salary of 100,000 yuan.This year, Huo Zhiting made a net profit of nearly one million.Huo Zhiting became more and more interested in the gambling industry. Every year, he tried to win the bid for the right to host Shanpu Tickets. He was ambitious and always wanted to get involved in the gambling industry in Hong Kong and Macau.Huo Zhiting believes that if you want to make a brilliant performance in the gambling industry, the best place is in Macau.

At the beginning of 1930, in order to bid for the right to operate casinos in Macau, Lu Jiu took the initiative to come to his door, hoping to get Huo Zhiting's support.Huo Zhiting was overjoyed, and joined hands with Li Shengju, the founder of Hong Kong Hong Nian Bank, to fully support Lu Jiu, so that "Hao Xing Company" won the right to operate Macau casinos again, and became the company's main shareholder and backer. Huo Zhiting found that although Lu Jiu was keen on the gambling industry, he actually had no experience and no ambition.The reason why Macau's gambling industry has stagnated is precisely because there are no talented people.

In May 1930, Huo Zhiting came to Macau from Guangzhou. He was warmly received by Lu Jiu, Fan Jiepeng, He Shi and others. He accompanied him to watch the casino on the second and fourth floors and asked for advice.Huo Zhiting, who regarded himself as a generation of gambling kings, pointed out on the spot that although Macau's gambling industry has improved compared with the past, the variety is too monotonous, and new games such as "Fan Tan", "Sic Bo" and "Pai Gow" must be added to attract more from Hong Kong and the Mainland. gamblers.Lu Jiu and others readily accepted.In order to please him, he even offered the most beautiful woman in Macau to serve him... Huo Zhiting didn't feel a little flattered.

At a dinner party one day, Lu Jiu made a toast to him and said, "Macau's gambling industry today is all thanks to the support of Boss Huo... Please accept the respect from colleagues in the gambling industry in Macau, and hope that Boss Huo will come to give advice frequently when he has time." Huo Zhiting was a little drunk, so he spoke out his heart without any scruples: "Come here often? Macau is also my territory, of course I will come here often!" Lu Jiu, Fan Jiepeng and the others were taken aback for a moment, feeling unhappy in their hearts, but they didn't show it, and hurriedly clinked glasses to cover it up.Unexpectedly, Huo Zhiting didn't care what people thought at all, and continued: "Although the mainland market is large, it is too easy to be controlled by politics. It will be different today, and it will be different tomorrow. There is no stability at all. Hong Kong's market is bigger than Macau. The British government also prohibits gambling. Compared with Macao, the government has been advocating gambling since the opening of the port. This is the right way, and there is no production in such a small area. How can we develop without gambling? Casinos are opened in Macau and Macau. If gambling is not banned in the mainland, you can make a lot of money; if gambling is banned in the mainland, mainland gamblers will naturally flood into Macau and still make a lot of money, haha!"

Muscles on Lu Jiu's face twitched, and he said with a smirk: "So you can advance or retreat, Boss Huo is always invincible, a brilliant move, really a brilliant move!" Huo Zhiting laughed again, patted Lu Jiu's shoulder, Fan Jiepeng and He Shi's shoulders again: "You, you, and you, work hard and develop Macau's gambling industry, then I will not treat you badly. What? At that time, the mainland changed bosses and didn’t like Huo anymore, so I moved the headquarters from Guangzhou!” Huo Zhiting's confidant sensed that the atmosphere was a bit unpleasant, and hurriedly advised: "Boss, you are drunk, you can't drink any more."

Huo Zhiting was in high spirits, waved his hands and said, "No, nothing, I'm not drunk. Monte Carlo in the East, this is a great idea. I, Huo Zhiting, am the first generation of gambling kings here..." The dancing girls on the stage began to dance under the flickering lights... The sound of music was everywhere, and the scene was very lively in the dimness; Huo Zhiting couldn't remember whether he was drinking or dancing in a trance, but there was one thing I remember it very clearly - I was talking to everyone about the problem of the Macau gambling king. "At present, I, Huo, is the well-deserved king of gambling in mainland China. If I have to move to Macau, who would dare to compete with me for the position of king of gambling?" Huo Zhiting pointed to a guest beside him to prove that he was the king of gambling in Macau: " Tell me, am I right?" The guest turned his head away and left.Huo Zhiting felt frustrated, and only then did he realize that the people around him ignored him.He knew he was a little drunk, so he didn't blame anyone.Everyone was also talking about who is the king of gambling in Macau, and they named a few people, but Huo Zhiting's name was not there, it seemed that everyone ignored him. Suddenly, commotion started at the scene, and someone shouted: "The king of gambling is here!" Huo Zhiting was so puzzled, he opened his eyes and saw a "gambling king" surrounded by a group of people... The "Gambling King" also published a grand theory about the future of Macau, but it was nothing new. It was nothing more than repeating what Huo Zhiting said just now: "Macao is a small place with a total area of ​​less than 20 square kilometers. The development of 'special entertainment' is the The only way out...Macau will definitely become the Monte Carlo of the East in the future..." Huo Zhiting, who received the cold reception, got a little angry, rushed to the stage and grabbed the "gambling king" by the skirt and shouted: "I said this, I am the gambling king! Someone is here, blow this guy away!" But no one listened to him. Because of their emotions, the two pushed and shoved on the stage, not wanting to lose their feet. Huo Zhiting felt as if he had fallen from a high place into an abyss...but he couldn't speak out... Huo Zhiting was startled, and woke up - only to find himself lying in the luxury suite of the Central Hotel, his whole body was covered in cold sweat.The personal attendant hurriedly helped him sit up, wiped his sweat, and said: "Boss, you drank too much, don't get drunk in the future." Huo Zhiting recalled the dream, and asked: "Did you hear me shouting just now? The attendant said, "I was just about to ask you, boss, what nightmare did you have?" Huo Zhiting sighed and recounted the dream, the attendant asked: "Do you remember what that 'Gambling King' looked like?" Huo Zhiting shook his head, nodded again, and said: "By the way, the 'Gambling King' has a big head, especially a pair of protruding ears, which are even bigger than his cheeks!" The attendant said: "How can there be such a strange-looking person in the world? The boss must be drunk and have hallucinations in his sleep. If you believe in dream omens, you can believe them. , if you don’t come to Macau, then forget it, if you come, who would dare to compete with you for hegemony?” Huo Zhiting sighed: "To do gambling is the most superstitious thing. All kinds of omens can come true. Don't talk too much, go find "Zhou Gong Interpretation of Dreams" in the suitcase, I want to count the omens." The attendant fetched "Duke Zhou's Interpretation of Dreams", Huo Zhiting had a lot of calculations, and said in surprise: "This lesson says 'sometimes in fate must be there, and there is no time in fate, don't force it'!"