Chapter 22 Chapter 21 Four Heavenly Kings

He Minggao and Yan Zhili were confused by Ye Han's gaffe, and they looked at each other in blank dismay. "Mr. Ye, why are you laughing? Don't do it if you don't agree." Yan Zhili looked at Ye Han sympathetically. Ye Han stopped laughing, and said seriously: "I'm laughing at myself. Ye Han, Ye Han, you've been so smart for a lifetime, why don't you get the hang of it now! Mr. He's suggestion is very correct, we really need to increase our strength to bid for gambling cards. It’s like a bench, what if one foot is missing? I agree with Huo Yingdong to join, please notify him to come to Macau immediately, and jointly study the bidding plan!”

He Minggao was taken aback secretly, he never expected Ye Han to suddenly figure it out.From this we can see how difficult this opponent will be in the future.His astonishment was only shown on his special hooked nose, and then he nodded calmly: "The matter is very important, I will return to Hong Kong immediately and ask Huo Yingdong to come over!" It is said that in the autumn of 1961, He Minggao returned to Hong Kong from Macau, and non-stop came to Hong Kong "Lixin Real Estate Company" to persuade Huo Yingdong to join.Huo Yingdong understood what he heard, and said with embarrassment: "Old He, what kind of business is not easy to do these days, why bother to set up a casino!"

He Minggao laughed and said: "Opening a casino can make a lot of money, at least it is better than seaweed business and sand washing business." The two are usually used to joking, Huo Yingdong also smiled and said: "Don't expose my sore spots, there is no way to make a profit in business. I admit that opening a casino to make money, you say, is gambling considered glorious?" Just a few dollars, if it’s in your pocket today, it’s in my pocket tomorrow, not only can’t increase wealth and contribute to society, but it can also damage people’s physical and mental health. You know, I’m a person who pays more attention to In terms of public image, in Hong Kong, I am still a big person. If I go to Macau to open a casino, I am afraid that someone will poke my back and scold me for making black money. Lao He, please forgive me."

He Minggao shook his head and said: "Mr. Huo, you are serious. I admit that gambling is not a good thing. Hong Kong prohibits gambling, and I also support it, but the situation in Macau and Hong Kong is different. You are a smart person. You should know the specific situation and the specific situation." To deal with this truth, we cannot beat everyone to death with one stick. First of all, the opening of casinos in Macau is approved by the government department and is within the scope of legal operation. Moreover, the opening of casinos in Macau also makes immeasurable contributions to society. The annual gambling tax paid is A considerable amount of wealth, investing this money in social welfare undertakings, can you say that this is a bad thing?"

Huo Yingdong smiled bitterly: "Your mouth can say, but I can't tell you how are you?" He Minggao said solemnly: "It's not a question of whether you can say it or not, but the fact before you. We are businessmen, and we are talking about business. As long as the government allows it, we can do anything that is legally protected and profitable. You know that opening casinos in Macau can make money, and if we don’t do it, others will still do it. Why should we give up this good opportunity to others?” Huo Yingdong couldn't help He Minggao's words, and gradually became tempted, and then became worried, frowned and said: "Opening a casino in Macau is a good piece of meat, and there are many people who want to compete. If you really want to bid, the first The strong opponent is Taixing Company. I also know a little about Fu and Gao. They are famous families with a history of more than 20 years in Macau. They have deep roots and strong influence..."

"Taixing Company is nothing to be afraid of." He Minggao cut off his words, "Our partner Ye Han has been preparing for this work for most of his life. In 1956, he almost brought down 'Taixing' by himself, not to mention We are now four companies working together.” Huo Yingdong shook his head and said: "This kind of concern is only superficial. I mean that once Gao Kening is offended, it will lead to deeper problems. 'Taixing' has been in Macau for decades, and there are white and black ways. You I have suffered in this regard, and I am afraid of causing endless troubles. Lao He, I say this not only for myself, but also for you!"

He Minggao was very moved, nodded and said: "I know you are doing it for my own good. I have considered this kind of thing a long time ago. You know my temper. Because of this, I am more determined to open a casino in Macau. Determination. As the saying goes, "People fight for breath, Buddha fights for incense", when I was forced to leave Macau by the gangsters, now I will fight back in a dignified and graceful manner, and show them some color! Mr. Huo, you He is my best friend, you must help me this time!" He Minggao said, grabbed Huo Yingdong, tears rolled down his eyes...

Do something for a friend.Huo Yingdong, who was still worried in one way or another, made up his mind immediately when he saw He Minggao like this, nodded and said, "Don't talk about it, let's do it together!" He Minggao smiled through his tears, took out a handkerchief from his trouser pocket to wipe away his tears, and said, "Thank you, we will do something in Macau!" After Huo Yingdong agreed, he asked, "Lao He, when will we go to Macau?" "Of course, the sooner the better." He Minggao put away the handkerchief, "Ye Han and Yan Zhili are waiting for us."

A few days later, Huo Yingdong set off with He Minggao after finishing handling the affairs in Hong Kong.Before departure, He Minggao called Ye Han and asked him to go to the pier with Yan Zhili to meet him. The autumn is high and the air is crisp, the sky is high and the clouds are light.He Minggao and Huo Yingdong stood on the deck of the passenger ship, letting the cool wind blow.It took more than two hours to fly from Hong Kong to Macau. Along the way, the two talked most about their internal interpersonal relationship in the future. Huo Yingdong and Ye Han have not dealt with each other directly. He only knows a little about his personality from newspapers and social legends, and knows that he is a person who likes to show off.He was worried that Ye Han and He Minggao would have friction during their long-term partnership.

He Minggao said with a smile: "You are the person who is most good at making peace, so what are you afraid of?" Huo Yingdong shook his head: "It may be okay for a while, but after a long time, I'm afraid this muddy mud will not be easy to reconcile." He Minggao sighed: "Let's take one step at a time. To be honest, I originally planned to bid alone without him." Huo Yingdong shook his head again and again: "It's absolutely impossible. On the one hand, he is the leader, and it is morally unreasonable to get rid of him; on the other hand, it is better to have Ye Han. Among the four, he is the only professional gambler, and such talents are indispensable for opening a casino. "

He Minggao said disdainfully: "Opening a casino is nothing if you just know how to gamble. The most important thing is to be good at management and operation. As long as you have money, who can't hire them? I kept him purely out of moral considerations. I am a legal bidder. After that, my position cannot be shaken, if Ye Han is sensible, it will be easy to handle, if he insists on getting ahead—" He Minggao said this, knowing that he had slipped his mouth, and quickly stopped. Huo Yingdong glanced at He Minggao, his "boss" style was fully exposed at this time, and thought to himself: Ye Han has worked hard for decades to ascend to the dominance of Macau's gambling scene, and now He Minggao is on the table again. A partner with a strong desire to be a "king", future battles are inevitable.As me, it's best to get as little involved as possible.So he said: "Lao He, I have been holding back a sentence for a long time. After much deliberation, it is better to say it. Let me say hello first. You must fulfill me." He Minggao looked directly at Huo Yingdong. "My affairs in Hong Kong are very busy, and I have a lot of people to manage." Huo Yingdong said while thinking, "So, it is impossible to completely withdraw, and Macau can only devote a small amount of energy. As for investment, how much?" It's not a problem, anyway, I can rest assured that you are here. To be clear, I can't intervene in the specific affairs of the casino." He Minggao moved his eyes and said: "How can this be done? You don't care about anything, what is it called cooperation? You don't care, Yan Zhili doesn't care, leaving me and Ye Han, wouldn't it become the Double Dragon Club? You should understand that Ye Han is very Domineering, he wished you were like that, I can't deal with him alone, that's why I pulled you in." Huo Yingdong frowned and said: "Since it is cooperation, mutual trust is the premise. As long as the casino can be done well, Ye Han can let him get the limelight. According to your introduction, Ye Han is a character who is soft but not hard. If everyone lets go It will be of great benefit for him to play his role." Two and a half hours later, the passenger ship arrived at the Macau pier.Someone from afar called them both: "Mr. Huo, Minggao, I've been waiting for you for a long time!" It was Yan Zhili who welcomed the two of them. Before getting into the car, He Minggao intentionally looked around. Yan Zhili understood, and said, "Don't look for it anymore, Mr. Ye is waiting for you at the hotel, get in the car quickly." The muscles on He Minggao's face twitched. Seeing this, Huo Yingdong quickly said: "Mr. Ye is very busy, he must not be able to spare time. By the way, is Mr. Ye busy drafting bidding documents recently?" Yan Zhili winked. "Ah, yes, Mr. Ye is really busy. He told me to pick you up and meet him at the International Hotel immediately." After Yan Zhili finished speaking, he turned around and asked, "Are you two seated? I'll drive." He Minggao snorted: "Don't go to the International Hotel, let's find another place and tell him to come find us!" Yan Zhili looked at Huo Yingdong in embarrassment. "Lao Ye, let's go to the International Hotel," Huo Yingdong smiled and turned to He Minggao, "Old He, what did I tell you on the boat? Sincerely unite and make a concerted effort to communicate with others, how about your 'nervous'? Can you temporarily restrain yourself?" Yan Zhili stepped on the accelerator, and He Minggao said angrily: "What is he busy with, maybe he is sleeping. He is killing our vigor and boosting himself." The car arrived at the International Hotel, parked in the parking lot, and the three of them took the elevator up to the sixth floor.When the elevator door opened, Ye Han came up to him with a smile, rubbed his hands and said, "Finally, I waited until you came. I was going to pick you up at the pier, but it was too sudden. I had to book a room for Mr. Huo—— I'm next door, now I'm done, Mr. Huo, Mr. He, you've worked hard all the way." Huo Yingdong blinked at He Minggao, and He Minggao walked into Ye Han's room with a blushing face. In the small meeting room, Ye Han had already brewed four cups of steaming fragrant tea. He made a gesture of "Please sit down" and said with a smile, "The omen is very good. The tea has just been brewed, and you just arrived. Our cooperation It will definitely succeed, this time Taixing Company is doomed!" Huo Yingdong originally thought that Ye Han was not easy to get along with, but seeing this, he finally breathed a sigh of relief and sat down opposite Ye Han. After each drank tea for a while, Ye Han tore off a piece of toilet paper, wrapped up the phlegm, put it gently in the trash basket, rubbed his hands together and said: "Today, our 'Four Heavenly Kings' are all here. For the first meeting, Ye has a small suggestion: From now on, the 'Four Heavenly Kings' are all on an equal footing, each should perform their own responsibilities, try their best to get the gambling cards, and put away any other distracting thoughts for the time being!" "Well said!" Huo Yingdong took the lead in clapping his hands.He knew that Ye Han's words were aimed at He Minggao, but in this situation, He Minggao really needed to be stabbed. As soon as Huo Yingdong's applause fell, Ye Han then asked everyone if they had any other opinions, and they all said no, and said: "Since everyone agrees with my suggestion, this problem will no longer exist. The following is the specific preparations for the deployment of the bidding , I hope everyone can express their opinions. My words will end for the time being.” After Ye Han stopped talking, Yan Zhili, He Minggao, and Huo Yingdong looked at each other, not knowing where to start.In the end, Huo Yingdong said: "Minggao, Zhili and I have always been laymen in gambling. We just decided to participate in the bidding now, so we are not very familiar with it. Mr. Ye is different. He has been staring at Macau gambling cards for decades. The preparation is quite adequate, the experience is very rich, and I have several bidding experiences. This meeting should be hosted by Mr. Ye!" After finishing speaking, he took the lead in clapping his hands again. Yan Zhili and He Minggao also had to take a few shots. Ye Han smiled at Huo Yingdong, and then said: "Since everyone praises me, I will not be polite. When it comes to preparations, you must first understand the current situation in Macau in order to be targeted. I hope everyone will not be bored with my long words. "Fu Laorong and Gao Kening have controlled the casinos in Macau for 24 years. It can be said that they have made enough money, but they have no intention of investing in Macau. After the Second World War, Fu Laorong and Gao Kening competed to develop in Hong Kong and abroad. For example, in 1952, Fu Laorong's His son, Fu Jiye, bid for two pieces of land from Taikoo and the Hong Kong government respectively, and tried to connect them into one piece, and then build buildings on them. Take the money earned from Macau to the outside, as long as there is a brainy Macau governor It will not be allowed. Therefore, when we formulate the plan, we must have a commitment in this regard, and directly hit the vital point of Taixing Company!" Ye Han glanced at He Minggao contemptuously, and then told one by one how his 21-year-old uncle Ye Zuopeng introduced him, set foot in Macau to work as a dealer under Lu Jiu, was poached by Fu Laorong, and helped him win the gambling cards, until he was forced to leave Bids in Vietnam and in recent years have failed. When it comes to emotions, he is full of sadness, his fascination with gambling and his diligent pursuit of spirit, all of them are moved... Ye Han was eloquent, and he said everything he wanted to say in one breath. Every question was unique and incisive. Although it took a full hour, no one present felt that it was long or boring. After the conversation stopped, Huo Yingdong was the first to get out of Ye Han's emotions. He said seriously: "Mr. Ye's speech was very exciting. Even I, who has just been in Macau for a few hours, have a lot of interest in this bidding." In addition, I think there are a few points worthy of special attention. First, before bidding, in order to please the government, we can of course promise a lot, even talk about it. However, we must not Neglected, the suggestion—specifically, the promise, once it is written in the bidding document, it will be legally responsible. When you win the gambling card, you have to honor it. Therefore, you must pay attention to propriety, and mention those who can It has attracted the attention of the government, increased the number of wins, and at the same time we can fulfill the proposal. Second, Ma Jishi canceled the management priority of the original gambling license holder, which shows that he is not satisfied with the previous tax payment and business conditions of Taixing Company Yes. Gao Kening and Fu Jiye pay too little tax each year, and they have not been able to increase year by year. The most important thing is that they have made a lot of money, but the Macau government has not benefited at all. Like Mr. Ye mentioned Fu Laorong has earned more than one billion yuan from Macau casinos in the past 24 years, but he invested all the money in Hong Kong, the United States, and Canada, but did not invest a penny in Macau. How could the government hand over the gambling cards to What about them? Unless Ma Jishi is still in the same category as Bai Li. Third, paper cannot cover fire. Gao Kening must also be paying attention to our actions in secret. In order to compete with us for gambling cards, he will also take measures The method of promise, therefore, we can’t be too conservative. The last point is about the reserve price at the time of bidding. I think Mr. Ye Han is more authoritative on this point. Of course, Mr. Yan and Mr. He can also express their opinions.” After Huo Yingdong finished speaking, Ye Han also clapped his hands happily, sincerely admiring him not only for being good at listening to other people's opinions, but also for being able to grasp the key points and say such important words at critical moments. He Minggao saw that Ye Han and Huo Yingdong had performed well, and he was not to be outdone. He said: "I think how much contribution to the prosperity of Macau is the main criterion for the new government to evaluate bidders. From the price level and the licensee's I think the government is more concerned about the latter. I suggest that if you win the gambling card, in addition to ensuring that you pay the patent tax in time, you will also take 10% of the profits of the gambling industry as donations. For charity, and the remaining 90% are all invested in Macau, guaranteeing not to invest a penny in areas outside Macau. The investment projects can be dredging waterways, building hotels and residential houses, etc. In short, the money earned from casinos, It is completely used to build Macau and prosper Macau!" Huo Yingdong also proposed: "One more thing: if we get the license, we will build public facilities such as docks and roads as soon as possible to improve the traffic in Macau, especially to shorten the time to and from Hong Kong and Macau, so as to attract more Hong Kong people to visit Macau. .” Ye Han said: "The proposals of both of you are very good. However, for the 90% proposed by Mr. He, everyone should think carefully and put it in black and white. If you want to rely on it, you will not be able to rely on it." Yan Zhili has some ideas about this 90%, that is to say, the bonus can not be decided by himself, and he can use it as he wants. If this is the case, won’t his feet be tied to Macau?But when he saw that the three of them agreed, he didn't want to get in the way, so he just sighed: "This is a high threshold, I'm afraid no one will be able to cross it. It just blocked us in it!" Ye Han smiled: "Then you disagree?" Yan Zhili immediately said: "Who said I disagree? Agree!" "That's good!" Ye Han said again, "I have another item in the previous report: After winning the gambling card, the gambling tax is guaranteed to increase every year. See if you want to write it?" Everyone thought about it for a while, and they all spoke up and said that it is best not to write this article, after all, it is their own business, and it is an uncertain number.Increasing the gambling tax year by year is a hard indicator, because the current base bid is 3 million, and how much he can earn every year in the future is still unknown, at least for now. Ye Han also agreed not to add this clause. The opinions of the four people gradually unified, and finally discussed the issue of bidding. The price tag is an extremely important part of the tender. If the price is too high, it is not good for oneself; but if the price is too low, it is easy to be defeated by the opponent. Therefore, the price itself is a gamble.When discussing this issue, everyone felt helpless and turned their attention to Ye Han. Ye Han secretly glanced at the three collaborators proudly, spit a mouthful of phlegm directly into the trash basket, and said: "The reserve price announced by the Macau government this time is 3 million yuan, and it is stipulated that 'the one with the highest bid wins'. Our opponent is Taixing Company. To deal with such an opponent who is accustomed to using despicable methods, we can only "respect inferiority with inferiority". I have a friend who has a close relationship with Mr. Bodo, the Minister of Finance. It will be kept by him, he has helped me a lot in the past, this is the last time, no matter what, we must win his support!" Only then did everyone breathe a sigh of relief. Since the bidding had already started, they unanimously urged Ye Han to handle the matter immediately. Ye Han nodded and said: "I will definitely take care of this matter. It's getting late today, everyone, go back and rest, and listen to my news tomorrow." It was night, Ye Han asked the paparazzi out, in order to avoid the eyes and ears arranged by Gao Kening, he deliberately chose a very remote shop to meet.When we met, the paparazzi said very embarrassedly: "Brother Han, I'm afraid I can't help you this time. Mr. Boduo said that Ma Jishi is different from other Australian governors. Once the matter is revealed, he is not willing to take the risk." Ye Han had already estimated that the paparazzi would say this, and he emphasized: "Please tell Mr. Boduo that this matter is known by God, Earth, him, you and me, and will never be leaked. This point can be used by me. Personal guarantee, you should trust me." The paparazzi scratched his head and said: "It's not that Mr. Boduo and I don't believe you. Even if no one knows, once you win, Ma Jishi will doubt him. In addition, Gao Kening makes trouble every day, so it's hard for him to be a man. Bod Let’s talk more, for example, Gao Kening’s price is 3.01 million yuan, and you price it at 3.02 million yuan, people will definitely be suspicious.” Ye Han grabbed the paparazzi: "Rule the country, you must help me! I have also considered Boduo's worries for him. If Gao Kening's price is 3.01 million yuan, I will price it at 3.028 million yuan. In this way, who would doubt it? Really Yes, this is the last time I beg him, and I will never do this in the future!" The paparazzi thought for a while, and finally gritted his teeth and said: "Okay, give up your life, I will help you this last time!" Ye Han breathed a sigh of relief, his whole body seemed to collapse.He knew that if he did such a thing, it would hurt not only himself, but also Luo Zhiguo and Bo Duo, but he had to do it this way. Back at the International Hotel, He Minggao, Huo Yingdong, and Yan Zhili were all waiting for his news. Seeing his listless look, they thought the matter had failed, and they were all depressed. Entering the room, each drank tea for a while, and suddenly the phone rang, and everyone stared at Ye Han without blinking.Putting down the phone, he turned to his three partners and said flatly, "My friend has already obtained the exact information from the Minister of Finance. Gao Kening's reserve price is 3.15 million yuan." He Minggao, Huo Yingdong, and Yan Zhili immediately showed joy on their faces, and beat each other happily... "Everyone, don't get excited." Ye Han said, "Mr. Boduo took the biggest risk to help us this time. He didn't ask for anything. He just hoped that we would keep it absolutely secret. In order not to make people suspect him, our bidding price must not Let people see the flaws." Everyone suppressed their excitement, began to ponder, and then each quoted a price. Ye Han finally said: "I think integers are suspected of being suspected by others. It is best to add a mantissa at the end. How about 3.167 million yuan?" Everyone agreed again. The content of the bidding document mainly includes the commitment to the Macau government and the price tag. After these are confirmed, this step is considered a success. The next step is to entrust a lawyer to formally draft and go through the bidding procedures. According to the special regulations of the Macau government, all lawyers entrusted to handle the bidding must be Macau-listed lawyers recognized by Portugal.Fortunately, Ye Han's lawyer, Deng Chenggao, belonged to the former. At this time, in front of his partners, he couldn't help but feel complacent, and thought to himself: You still want to run on me, without me, let's see how the next play will be sung! Maybe he was too happy, this time he hung up the phone to Deng Chenggao, but the other party never answered.Ye Han said awkwardly: "This Deng Chenggao, where is he going at this time! Really, he is not here at the most critical time!" Ye Han waited patiently for a long time, but there was still no answer from the other party. He realized that the problem was serious and decided to look for it himself. Before leaving the house, Ye Han said to Huo Yingdong and He Minggao: "You two are waiting for me here, don't run too far away. You should drive me to find Deng Chenggao on October 5th Street." Ye Han and Yan Zhili came to Deng Chenggao's residence on the Fifth Street in early October. The door was half-closed. When they opened it, they saw a mess inside, with furniture lying here and there, documents scattered all over the floor, and a Persian cat with a metal chain on its head. He was dying of hunger, and when he saw someone coming, he opened his mouth to receive food... Ye Han was startled, and realized that the situation was not good, he took out cat food from the pantry and asked Yan Zhili to feed the cat, while he ran out to ask the neighbors about Deng Chenggao's whereabouts. As soon as those people heard that they were inquiring about Deng Chenggao's whereabouts, they ran away one after another, and those who caught him pretended to be deaf and dumb... Soon, he found people wearing sunglasses wandering around here, and they looked here from time to time. Very suspicious. "Zhili, get out of here quickly, let's find another lawyer!" Ye Han shouted into the room. Yan Zhili came out and took Ye Han to look for lawyers listed in Macau. He found three lawyers in a row. When they heard that they were bidding for gambling licenses, they all politely declined. Ye Hanwan didn't expect this to happen. When he returned to his room at the International Hotel, he found someone talking to He Minggao and Huo Yingdong.He recognized it at a glance, and shouted: "Xie Dian, what are you doing here?" Xie Dian got up to greet him, and said to Ye Han in a panic: "Mr. Ye, I took the risk to inform you. Gao Kening failed to bribe the relevant people in the government to disclose information to him this time, and has decided to put all his eggs in one basket..." "Xie Dian, sit down." Ye Han pressed Xie Dian on the sofa, "Speak slowly." Xie Dian sat down with half of his buttocks, and said: "Gao Kening has paid a lot of money to buy the underworld to deal with you. In addition, he also bribed all the lawyers in Macau not to cooperate with you...Mr. Ye, I, I should go. You are suspicious. You...you take care, Gao Kening has put all his eggs in one basket..." What should I do if I cannot participate in the bidding without a lawyer?what to do?Ye Han was as anxious as an ant on a hot pan.