Chapter 29 Chapter Twenty-Eight
It is said that after Ye Han’s horse racing business has been booming for a while, ordinary gamblers who come to Macau gradually lose interest because the venue is far away from the downtown area. Due to the impact of this horse race, many Hong Kong gamblers felt that they lost sight of the other, so they gave up betting on Macau horse racing.Seeing this situation, Ye Han's opponent He Minggao finally breathed a sigh of relief, which is exactly what he hoped for.
Carriages will lose a lot of money and cost a lot.For the sake of face, Ye Han had to persevere.Ye Han decided to quit the entertainment company and completely break away from He Minggao.
In order to concentrate financial resources to save the crisis-ridden horse racing cars, in 1982, Ye Han cashed out all his shares in the entertainment company at a price of 300 million Hong Kong dollars and transferred them to Hong Kong businessman Zheng Yutong.
Zheng Yutong joined the entertainment company, and Macau's gaming industry has entered a new historical period.Although Huo Yingdong is the largest shareholder, he, like Zheng Yutong and Yan Zhili, the two small shareholders, only cares about the money, regardless of the specific business of the casino. The management of Macau's gambling industry is completely in the hands of He Minggao.
Ye Han withdrew, and no one in the entertainment company competed with He Minggao for power anymore. He used the attitude of the head of the family to win the hearts of the people and the favor of the Macau government more widely. In 1982, he personally donated 20 million yuan to build the Macau New Port Stadium; on December 30 of the same year, He Minggao revised the contract with the Macau government for the fourth time.
Some people are happy and some are sad.While He Minggao was enjoying himself, Ye Han's horse racing business went from bad to worse.Despite his great investment and efforts, the amount of betting has not been satisfactory.By 1983, it had fallen to 60 million yuan; in 1984, it was even worse, only 44 million yuan, which caused the horse racing company to suffer serious losses year after year.
Ye Han is not reconciled, he can't let He Minggao laugh at him, just like a gambler who has lost his eyes, keeps increasing his investment and trying his best.
In August 1986, on the occasion of the fourth anniversary of the establishment of the Macau Jockey Club, Ye Han specially invited a bronze statue of the Erawan Buddha from Thailand to enshrine at the racecourse, hoping that the Bodhisattva would appear and bless his business prosperity.
However, in the face of the current situation of the horse racing meeting, the Buddha is helpless. The huge Taipa Island Race Track is still deserted and sparsely populated every day...
At this time, Luo Zhiguo, who had followed him for many years, complained: "Brother Han, in fact, you should never quit the entertainment company at the beginning. Now Huo Yingdong, Zheng Yutong, and Yan Zhili are well-off, and the money will never be spent in a few lifetimes."
Ye Han scolded: "Things that don't understand, do people live for money?"
Luo Zhiguo said: "I heard people say that he spread rumors everywhere, saying that you are not capable. If the entertainment company continues to let you take care of it, it will also be the end of today's Jockey Club."
These are like rubbing salt on Ye Han's wounds, he frowned and asked, "Is that what he said?"
"Is that false?" the paparazzi said, "He also said that you are not only incompetent, but you also want to show off your power, occupying the position and unwilling to retreat. He can't see it, and he has to take care of the casino because he is afraid that the company will collapse. He also said There is no place to appeal his grievances. Fortunately, you organized a horse racing meeting. Whether it is a donkey or a horse, we will see the outcome now..."
Ye Han stared wide-eyed, spit on the ground, and cursed, "Throw away his mother!"
On September 29, 1986, He Minggao and the Australian government revised the contract for the fifth time.
After the contract was revised, the proud He Minggao accepted a TV interview with the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC).
After the broadcast of this interview program, there was a strong reaction among people in the gambling industry. Ye Han's friend Anna Ni saw this program, and called across the ocean to ask Ye Han if he had seen it, and sent a copy to Ye Han.
In this program, He Minggao talked a lot about his business experience. When the reporter asked Ye Han why he quit the entertainment company, He Minggao said that Ye Han is an outdated old gambler, and his thoughts and vision are still in the second world. In the 1930s, there was a lot of opposition to the modernization of the company and the introduction of new technologies, and so on.
After Ye Han saw it, he became furious and invited people from the Macau news circle to refute He Minggao's remarks.
Soon, another friend sent a biography of He Minggao written by a BBC reporter. The book said that there are 6 people with the highest income in the world, and He Minggao is one of them.The character of Ye Han is naturally indispensable in it. It is said that when Ye Han was in the entertainment company, he messed up the casino and refused to introduce new technology and modern management methods. ...
Ye Han couldn't bear it any longer, and called the lawyer Deng Chenggao to sue He Minggao for fabricating out of nothing and slandering his reputation.He Minggao immediately pleaded with Ye Han to the top man, and besides expressing an apology, he paid 500,000 yuan in legal fees, willing to settle this matter.Ye Han didn't pursue it anymore.
Seeing Ye Han's self-satisfied look, the paparazzi said dissatisfiedly: "Brother Han, your biggest shortcoming in this life is that you are too soft-hearted, which is why you suffer. If you rejected Yan Zhili's request at the beginning, how could you leave today's troubles behind?" ?”
Ye Han sighed: "I also admit that my heart is not vicious enough, but this is the nature brought from my mother's womb, and it cannot be changed."
"If you can't change it, you will suffer to the end." The paparazzi said, "The company can't survive, how will the brothers live? If you didn't withdraw your shares in a moment of enthusiasm, at least you can—"
Ye Han stared and said, "What's 'in the first place'? Did you not want to take out all the money that was in your pocket at the beginning? You are still a gambler, and you don't even understand the truth! Gambling itself is a kind of life experience. The essence is never to regret! You tell the brothers, you don’t have to worry about living with Brother Han, you can still win if you lose, and I won’t starve them to death. I even survived that kind of life in Shanghai, let alone now!”
Although Ye Han is quite personable, the horse racing company eventually collapsed.The business situation developed with an annual loss of 100 million yuan. By the time the last horse race was held on January 30, 1988, Ye Han had lost a total of 1 billion yuan.
According to the exclusive contract signed by Ye Han and the Australian government, if the total betting amount recorded by the computer is less than 150 million patacas per year, the gaming tax will be exempted.Since the Horse Carriage Club opened, the total annual betting volume has never exceeded 150 million yuan, that is to say, Ye Han has never paid taxes to the government.Ye Han decided to sell the carriage club.
Ye Han did not shy away from this fiasco, and openly told some tabloid reporters who caught news of celebrities: "I saw that no one came to the Nordic racecourse for free drinks. I only found out later that it was snowing all day long in Northern Europe. If the sky stumbles, there will be no horse racing. Horse racing cars will not stumble, so they are very popular in Northern Europe. However, Macao and Northern Europe have a different environment, and horse racing cars do not attract people’s interest, so this has failed.”
The reporter asked again: "The horse racing meeting failed, and you have already quit the entertainment company. May I ask what Mr. Ye plans to do in the future?"
Ye Han looked around at his subordinates, thought for a while and said: "I don't have time to think about this issue yet, but I am very confident in one thing - Ye will definitely come up with something new. I like innovation. In fact, the entertainment company The existing projects were all introduced by me first. He Minggao said that I was conservative. A few 'spread' fresh."
At this time, the servants brought the newspaper, and after reading it, someone exclaimed: "Brother Han, some people here say that you are at the end of your rope!"
Ye Han took a look, and a headline caught his eye: "Ghost King Ye Han's mountain is exhausted?"
According to the article, the gambler Ye Han, who once led the coquettishness of Haojiang several times, is now in a desperate situation.The horse racing club is sold out, and the entertainment company has long since withdrawn.Old and weak, with no more glory, in this life, he was invincible, and finally completely defeated by He Minggao...
The most irritating thing is that at the end of the article, he was said to be a stone in a cesspit, "stinky and hard". He was clearly defeated, but he still refused to admit defeat in his heart.Undoubtedly, this is a very ridiculous big statement. Macau's gambling industry is the monopoly of entertainment companies. Ye Han can only justify his statement unless he runs out of Macau to open casinos abroad.If so, he is equivalent to surrendering to Mr. He...
Obviously, this kind of article was planned by He Minggao, but it really hit Ye Han's sore spot and made him unbearable.He angrily tore off the newspaper, stood up, walked across the room, walked to the terrace, and sighed.
Then the paparazzi who came up hugged Ye Han: "Brother Han, don't leave us alone!"
Ye Han broke free, turned around and spat: "Fuck you! I, Ye Han, have survived so many desperate situations. How could I commit suicide for such a trivial matter now!"
The paparazzi rubbed his hands together and said, "I thought you'd be overwhelmed when you're old, so... hehe, there's nothing wrong with being old. There are many people who can't live to our age. The energy is low, and the desire is low." It’s not as big as it used to be, and the requirements are also low, let’s just talk about me, when I’m with a woman, I just want to touch her..."
Ye Han knew that the paparazzi was trying to tease him, but at this moment his mood, even if Chaplin was alive, could not make him happy.
"Paparazzi, don't tease me with these useless words, men don't have to live just for women—now you finally understand, don't you?"
The paparazzi nodded: "Yes, I just want to have a stable old age now. It was okay to think about women a few years ago, but after 70 years old, I think it's just that. Brother Han, now He Minggao, there are many Macau people They're all watching your jokes."
"Didn't you see that I was thinking about this?!" Ye Han roared, "You have the ability to help me find a way to not make people laugh!"
The paparazzi scratched his head: "If I can figure it out, I must have said it."
"Shut up if you can't say it," Ye Han scolded, "You nasty old thing!"
The paparazzi said: "But brother Han, you are not very young."
Ye Han gritted his teeth, gave him a white look, turned back, and leaned on the railing to look into the distance.
Blue sky, white clouds, blue sea, the wind is blowing slightly, and the air is filled with the breath of the sea. Flocks of seagulls are chasing the distant ships. The ships are from big to small. Point...Ye Han suddenly realized, and a new clever plan came into being at this moment.He said to Luo Zhiguo: "Paparazzi, go down and find out if there is anyone selling old boats in Macau or Hong Kong."
"What are you doing?" The paparazzi looked at Ye Han puzzled.
"I want you to do it, just do as I want, why ask so much nonsense!"
After the paparazzi went out, they didn't come back to see Ye Han until the next day.
Ye Han was very displeased, and blamed: "Where did you go last night? If you have any news, you should come back early, so I can prepare for the next step!"
The paparazzi scratched his scalp and said, "Last night, we had a conversation with a woman in Sanzhai. It costs 50 yuan a night. Time is precious, so I can't bear it... But, I've done what you entrusted to me. Brother Han, do you still want to give up?" Remember Mr. Jack Ralley?"
Ye Han rolled his eyes and thought for a long time before he remembered: "Is it the one who created the slot machine in Shanghai? What happened to him?"
The paparazzi gave a thumbs up: "Brother Han really has a good memory, it's him! In 1949, after the liberation of the mainland, because he was reluctant to leave China, he bought a large passenger ship in Hong Kong, specially traveling in Singapore, Malaysia, Hainan Island and other places, Unexpectedly, troubles have arisen recently, and I plan to sell the boat and return home. I found him last night, he still remembers you, and kept asking why he bought the boat. Brother Han, I’m the best friend, can’t even I say ?"
Ye Han nodded and said, "I want to buy an old boat and convert it into a gambling boat, and go to the high seas to gamble!"
The paparazzi yelled: "Wow! You are so great! This trick will make He Minggao sleepless again! Gambling on the high seas, no one can control it, it's fresh, it's great! It's great!"
Ye Han said seriously: "What's so good! Do you agree to sell Mr. Jack Ralley's boat to me?"
Now the paparazzi started scratching their heads again, dandruff flew down, and said with a bitter face: "Jack said, I was a step late, he has already contacted He Minggao, and He Minggao has agreed to buy it for traveling in Macau." Passenger ship to Taiwan."
Ye Han was discouraged all of a sudden, and asked after a long time, "Is the deal done?"
"I don't know, the boat is still at Macau Pier, and Jack is also on board."
Ye Han pulled up the paparazzi: "Let's go, you lead me there!"
The two drove to the Macau pier, and the paparazzi pointed to a boat and said to Ye Han, "That's it!"
Ye Han put up the awning, and saw an old boat with a large tonnage moored on the shore, and thought to himself: It would be the best thing to use this boat to convert it into a gambling boat. As long as He Minggao didn't pay the money, I must buy it!
The paparazzi greeted the sailors on board, jumped up first, and turned to pull Yehan.At this time, it happened that Jack Lale had just stepped out of the cabin. When he saw Ye Han, the two embraced happily.
Jack invited Ye Han into the captain's cabin, greeting each other and telling each other about their experiences.Instead, Jack asked, "Mr. Ye, why are you buying a boat?"
Ye Han looked directly at him: "You must ask clearly before you are willing to sell? Is this very important?"
Jack shrugged and shook his head: "I shouldn't ask what the purpose of buying a boat is. It's just for others. But you are my old friend for many years, so I have to ask."
"why?"
"You answer me first." Jack didn't budge.
"No, you have to answer first whether I have made a deal with He Minggao."
Jack shrugged and shook his head, spreading his hands.
Ye Han breathed a sigh of relief, and said, "I'm going to turn it into a gambling boat, and use it exclusively for gambling on the high seas."
Jack waved his hand in surprise: "NO! NO! I can't sell it to you. You are my friend. I owed you a favor decades ago and did something wrong to you. Now I must never hurt you again! "
"Is this boat bad?"
Jack shook his head, held back for a long time before saying: "Mr. Ye, you have to keep it a secret for me if I tell you. If He Minggao finds out, he will kill me."
Ye Han stretched out his right little finger to pull the hook with Jack.
Jack then said: "To be honest, I am reluctant to sell this boat. Over the years, the business has been good in Singapore, Malaysia and other places. But recently, a group of pirates have been active on the high seas. They have submachine guns, grenades, and even rocket launchers. Very fierce, I was robbed a few times, and my old life was almost lost...Mr. Ye, go to the high seas to gamble, this is absolutely unacceptable!"
Ye Han spat out of the window and said, "Thank you for your kindness! However, I have to buy the boat. You should hear about the grievances between me and He Minggao - just come here, I must buy the boat!" "
"So that's the case, then I'll sell it to you, and I'll go through the legal procedures tomorrow."
"No," Ye Han said, "I'll do it today!"
Jack nodded obediently.
In October 1988, Ye Han spent 5.5 million Hong Kong dollars to buy a giant passenger ship owned by American Jack Lalley, and spent 2 million Hong Kong dollars to renovate it and named it "Oriental Princess".
Seeing that Ye Han was really going to open a casino on the high seas, the paparazzi couldn't help worrying: "Brother Han, I heard from Jack's sailors that pirates are very rampant, this..."
"What is this? Afraid of losing your 'this' old life?"
The paparazzi nodded.
Ye Han said contemptuously: "I look down on the timid and fearful people the most! What are pirates afraid of? He Minggao is scary? Pirates are only for money, at worst, give him some, and if not, get a few submachine guns on board to fight fiercely!"
After the decoration of "Oriental Princess", both the exterior and interior decoration are very rich and luxurious.Since the customers in the future will mainly come from Hong Kong, Ye Han began to place advertisements in various newspapers in Hong Kong.Ye Han promised to the gamblers that after the opening of the "Oriental Princess", it will provide tourists with various entertainment services, including swimming pools, fitness centers, saunas, and laser video disc projections.
The theme of the advertisement was created by Ye Han himself, saying: "As long as you come prepared, you may return with a rewarding experience."
Since the Hong Kong government does not promote gambling, Ye Han added a sentence "a day trip at sea" in front of the advertisement.But the gamblers all know that Ye Han is the "King of Gamblers", so this main item is naturally indispensable to get on his boat.
The "Oriental Princess" is berthed at the Queen's Wharf in Hong Kong, and many people have made a special trip to see it first.Therefore, Ye Han decided to officially open on October 23, 1988.
On October 22, He Xian, a representative of the Chinese community in Macau, boarded the "Oriental Princess" in a hurry and asked to see Ye Han.Ye Han invited him into the living room, and said proudly: "Mr. He gambled on land, and I gambled on the sea. This time, the river should not interfere with the well, right?"
He Xian used a handkerchief to stamp his forehead habitually, and said, "Mr. Ye, Mr. He asked me to bring you a message. I hope you don't steal his business. At least the terms can be negotiated."
Ye Han realized that He Minggao had finally jumped the wall in a hurry, so he had to make a bad move, and asked He Xian to speak out.Ye Han pretended to be confused and said: "Sir, am I stealing He Minggao's business? Don't get me wrong, this is a 'day trip at sea', what has it to do with him? You should pity me instead , In the entertainment company, I have already been squeezed out by He Minggao, and the horse racing club has also lost money. It took so long to make such a trivial matter, and he came to stop me again, does he mean to prevent me from surviving?"
"Mr. Ye, don't lie to me. Minggao is really restless this time. He said, 'Traveling on the high seas is purely a cover. Is it necessary to go to the high seas to enjoy the scenery of the sea? It is boring and boring, and there is nothing to do except gambling. Made it'."
Ye Han thought to himself: He Minggao is pretty smart.Then he asked, "Does your old man believe what he said?"
"I know you have a feud with Mr. He, and you are already old, can you let go? This time he promised to buy your Oriental Princess at several times the price. Do you agree..."
"I don't agree!" Ye Han said decisively, "Even if he traded the Lisboa Hotel, I would not agree. You should know that the gambling between me and He Minggao has always been at a disadvantage from the very beginning. This time I've finally settled on the banker. No matter whether I win or lose in this 'shop', I will bet with him to the end!"
He Xian knew that Ye Han would not give him face this time, so he had to leave the "Oriental Princess" angrily, and return to Macau to tell He Minggao.
At 2 o'clock in the afternoon on October 23, the "Oriental Princess" sailed on time amidst the sound of firecrackers, left the Queen's Wharf, and entered the open sea westward from Victoria Bay.
About 300 Hong Kong gamblers boarded the ship for the first time.Gambling by boat on the high seas is already new enough, and the luxurious decoration on the ship, rich and colorful gambling methods and comprehensive services have greatly increased the interest of gamblers.
According to Ye Han's plan, the gamblers set off at 2:00 p.m., spend a colorful night on the high seas, then return, and return to Queen's Wharf at 1:00 p.m. the next day to pick up the second batch of gamblers.
The "Oriental Princess" sailed at full speed for more than an hour and entered the high seas.Here, water and sky are connected, boundless, if it is not for the sun hanging in the western sky, it is difficult for people to tell the direction, as if the gambling boat is the only master of the world.Of course, there are one or two ships passing here from time to time, but the distance is quite long.
On the first day of opening, Ye Han was unavoidably uneasy. The closer the night was, the more he worried about the sudden attack of pirates.
Ye Han placed more than 20 bodyguards in the gambling boat, and secretly hid a dozen powerful AK47 automatic rifles purchased from the underworld.Even so, he still didn't want pirates to appear. If this happened for the first time, who would dare to board the ship in the future?
When the sun falls to the west, the water and the sky are orange-red, and the big clouds remind people of the Jade Palace and Qionglou in the Heavenly Palace.Ye Han didn't care to appreciate the beautiful scenery.Before setting off, he had ordered the bodyguards to gather on the deck in the evening and pay full attention to the movements around them.In order not to surprise the gamblers, they are not allowed to come out at this time.In fact, gamblers forget everything around them when they are in the middle of a game.
According to Jack Ralley, the pirates would only act when it was dark, and their methods were very cruel. If they resisted a little, they would be shot to death and thrown into the sea to feed the sharks.
Two fast boats appeared far behind, and his subordinates reported to Ye Han. Ye Han took out his binoculars to look, but it was very late and he couldn't see clearly.
At this moment, the bodyguards on the left and right also found that the Clippers were following them...
Ye Han was taken aback, and ordered the paparazzi: "Get out of the cabin and close all the windows, and be careful not to surprise the guests!"
After the paparazzi went down, a fast boat on the back plowed through the water to catch up, only 100 meters away from the Princess.A gangster wearing sunglasses shouted into the microphone: "Boss on board, please listen. We have been following you for a long time, and now you are surrounded by us. We are equipped with submachine guns, grenades, and rocket launchers. Resistance is useless." Yes, those who are sensible will immediately send representatives over to negotiate."
Ye Han was very calm at this time, took the microphone handed over by a bodyguard and replied: "We rely on our parents at home and friends when we go out. We are running a small business. Brothers opposite, how much do you want for tea? Send someone over here immediately!"
After whispering to each other, they shouted: "Since we are friends, we don't divide each other's fortunes. Your ship is so big, so you must make a lot of money. Let me give you 10 million yuan first. If we don't have this amount, we have to talk hard!" said the gangster. With that, he raised the submachine gun in his hand.
Ye Han was taken aback. He didn't expect the other party to open his mouth so loudly. He gave his subordinates a wink. The bodyguards skillfully took out their automatic rifles from the dark. A rocket launch was fired, knocking down a colorful flag from the top of the Oriental Princess, and the dark glasses bandit then shouted: "Drop your weapons!"
The hero does not suffer from the immediate disadvantages, so Ye Han had no choice but to order the automatic rifle to be put down.
"I'm warning you, it won't work if you play this way, even though we want money, we will kill people if we are in a hurry!"
Ye Han shuddered. At this moment, the sound of rockets startled the gamblers in the ship. They opened the cabin in a daze, and found that there were pirates fighting with open flames all around them.
Five or six speedboats approached under the cover of armed forces, and several hooks were quickly hung on the portholes of the "Oriental Princess" from all sides. Dozens of pirates jumped onto the big ship deftly and ordered Ye Han and others to raise their hands... …