Chapter 1218: Building a Great Enterprise

On the sofa in the hotel lobby, Wang Yan sat with one leg crossed over the other, smiling as he spoke on the phone.

"Very well, then I must trouble President Chen; handle this quickly, for delay breeds change."

"Within an hour at the latest, the hotel's ownership transfer will be complete, and Mr. Wang will then have a foothold here in Sanbianpo."

"No matter how vast the enterprise, I remain a lone man; President Chen would do well to stay vigilant."

"My blessings are utterly sincere; Mr. Wang and I have misunderstood each other far too deeply."

Wang Yan smiled and said, "Stop hiding out there; Sanbianpo is your comfort zone, and only in Daqulin can you play the local emperor. The outside world holds no interest."

"Since you are already out, wandering about and seeing the sights is no bad thing."

Chen Hao's emotions had stabilized, yet he had no intention of returning anytime soon; he felt no sense of security.

"Enough of that; get to work, and perhaps we can share tea another time."

"I would welcome nothing more."

Wang Yan chuckled as he ended the call.

That Chen Hao still lived was entirely due to his swift flight, undertaken before launching any attack against Wang Yan. After comprehensive consideration, Wang Yan concluded that Chen Hao alive served a greater purpose than Chen Hao dead; moreover, pursuing and killing him would be troublesome, and since the old rogue was already terrified out of his wits, sparing him was the choice that maximized benefit.

After all, Chen Hao was the largest investor in Wang Mou's entrepreneurial venture, and seizing the Xinhao Hotel this time also required Chen Hao's efforts.

Chen Hao possessed connections within the Federal Government; while the Federal Government indeed could not control Sanbianpo, it could still collect taxes. Doing business was not simply a matter of wanting to do it. Wang Yan lacked such connections; seizing the hotel would be difficult to wrap up cleanly, whereas for Chen Hao to smooth these matters over was a trivial task.

In the future, that old rogue Chen Hao might still secretly cause trouble, but that would be a minor issue. In any case, that old rogue Chen Hao had no reason to live; it was merely a matter of time...

Watching Wang Yan hang up the phone, Zhang Yuquan, who had earlier shot Angqi to death, cautiously approached.

"Boss, the hotel guests have all been politely warned; their photographed images have been deleted, and their passport information registered, so there should be no problem."

Wang Yan smiled and said, "You still do not understand, Yuquan; you shot Angqi dead before everyone's eyes. If there is a problem, it is your problem."

He spoke very clearly; this had indeed been his original intention. Although he feared nothing, killing someone with a gun before the eyes of the crowd, if this spread, would truly make him a terrorist, which would inevitably bring trouble.

Only then did Zhang Yuquan understand, yet he harbored no other thoughts.

He merely said respectfully, "Boss, it is all my fault."

For he had no choice; even if he had already figured all this out beforehand, he would have gritted his teeth and fired. Because he wanted to rise, he wanted money, and this was the only way he could achieve it.

Moreover, now that he had already done it, he originally had no other thoughts, and furthermore dared not show any such thoughts, for he knew that once he did, he would die immediately...

Wang Yan nodded in satisfaction: "Within the hotel, who among them are Angqi's people?"

"The casino manager... and the hotel manager, plus those two whose wrists the boss shot through; additionally, over a dozen security personnel are his, and I once was as well."

"Go, summon them all here."

Zhang Yuquan obediently ran to fetch the people; shortly after, a crowd stood orderly before Wang Yan. Even though more than twenty among them, comprising casino staff and security personnel, had guns holstered at their waists, not a single person possessed the courage to draw a weapon and shoot Wang Yan.

"Who is the accountant?"

A man raised his hand, smiling ingratiatingly: "Boss, we are all on the same side; I am also from Huaxia."

"Scram aside with your attempts to curry favor." Wang Yan waved his hand. "Compile the accounts for me; by tomorrow, I must know all the hotel's financial records. If even one cent is missing, just you wait. And if you dare flee, remember we hold all your information; let us see where you could possibly run."

The accountant smiled ingratiatingly once more and obediently retreated.

"Which of you participated in the dealings between Angqi and that so-called Fourth Master?"

Silence; no one answered.

Wang Yan raised an eyebrow: "No one speaks, is that it? Are you waiting for Fourth Master to deal with me, or for Sang Kang, who was beaten into flight? Do you not all have guns? Come, come, draw your weapons; kill me and everything will be fine."

Still no one spoke; this time Wang Yan drew his gun, clicked it to chamber a round with a crisp sound, and handed it to Zhang Yu'an.

"You, come here."

Wang Yan casually pointed at someone; that person walked over anxiously, saying in panic, "Boss, I truly know nothing."

"Then do you know who does?"

"I do not know; I know nothing at all."

Wang Yan waved his hand.

Thus Zhang Yu'an fired without hesitation, shooting the man dead on the spot.

Wang Yan extended his hand again, pointing at the beautiful female manager who had previously been practically running the hotel: "You speak."

Just then, as the woman stepped forward, someone in the crowd secretly attempted to draw a gun.

So Wang Yan drew his weapon and, through a gap in the crowd, shot that person in the thigh.

Turning his head, he gave Zhang Yu'an a look; the latter walked over and dragged the man out.

Wang Yan asked the female manager: "Did he know?"

"He knew."

"Who else knows?"

The female manager turned around and raised her hand to point at someone in the crowd, causing the group to become even more agitated.

Wang Yan fired three more shots; Zhang Yu'an signaled the two security personnel who had already defected to him, and they went forward to drag everyone out.

"Anyone else?" Wang Yan asked.

The female manager shook her head: "Boss, I truly do not know that much; I am only responsible for operating the hotel and accompanying Angqi to sleep; I know nothing of other businesses. I only know these few individuals were closest to Angqi. Sometimes, they would even disappear for several days."

"That is all?"

"Boss, I truly do not know," the female manager pleaded desperately, her face reflecting a wish to die.

Wang Yan looked at the others again: "And you?"

This time there was no silence; some shook their heads, while others anxiously recounted things they had inadvertently learned. Their main focus centered on the four individuals Wang Yan had already shot in the thighs, and additionally, two more people were implicated, both security personnel.

Wang Yan then summoned two people from the casino, inquired about the casino's situation, and after gaining some understanding, dismissed the group, ordering the scene to be cleaned up and directing that the six individuals involved in smuggling goods to Huaxia be taken away for detailed interrogation.

This heavy responsibility naturally fell to Zhang Yuquan; this fellow now belonged to Wang Yan's foremost lackey. Truthfully speaking, he was certainly not as loyal as Guo Li Min, but he possessed one advantage: he feared no death and was truly willing to act ruthlessly.

Or rather, this was the true nature of Sanbianpo's natives; everyone here was like this...

Regarding the cooperation between Sang Kang and that Fourth Master, Wang Yan had no other intention; he merely wished to understand how they transported goods, so that later he could provide some clues to the domestic authorities.

Xiaomonong is a border port area; for Wang Yan to establish himself here and carry out some development, he would inevitably need to purchase supplies in bulk from within the country. Furthermore, he also intended to open a casino and engage in loan sharking, attracting gamblers from within the country as well. These two aspects could relatively offset each other; as the saying goes, one may redeem one's faults through merit.

At this moment, Chen Hao played his role; people from the Federal Government arrived and, with extreme speed, helped Wang Yan complete the transfer procedures for the Xinhao Hotel, while simultaneously carrying out the name change operation.

Wang Yan instructed the beautiful female manager from earlier to commission a new signboard; from now on, there would no longer be a Xinhao Hotel, replaced instead by the Fengdan Fengdan Sihai Hotel...

He did not rush to screen the personnel; apart from those who had been thoroughly eliminated, everyone else was retained, as he had plenty of time to make adjustments slowly.

The most urgent matter was still to resolve the issue of Fourth Master.

Therefore, after the people from the Federal Government departed, Wang Yan drove straight to Mengzhu, located five kilometers away from Xiaomonong.

Mengzhu was a small village, consisting of only a few dozen households. They were certainly not wealthy, yet each family possessed a fairly large wooden house, complete with a courtyard and water features.

Like the Daban depicted in the drama, it gave people the feeling of a secluded paradise.

Fourth Master's residence was not difficult to find, as his house occupied the largest area; although it was also a wooden structure, it was the most exquisite.

Wang Yan parked his car at the main gate, whereupon someone emerged holding an AK to inquire.

"What business do you have?"

Wang Yan smiled politely and replied in Chinese: "My name is Wang Yan; I have come to speak with Fourth Master about certain matters."

Generally, those who announce their names immediately upon arrival usually possess some reputation. This principle holds true everywhere. The difference lies in the fact that some people truly have a reputation, while others merely believe they do.

This subordinate was uncertain, so he took out his mobile phone and called the master himself.

After speaking only a few words, he hung up; the guard nodded politely to Wang Yan, saying, "Mr. Wang, please come inside."

Following the guard into the courtyard, Wang Yan leisurely scanned the surrounding environment, committing it all to memory.

After walking for a few minutes, Wang Yan saw the legendary Fourth Master sitting in a pavilion.

This was a chubby man around fifty years of age, completely bald on top, shining brightly. His skin, however, was quite fair, making him a proper big, white, fat man. He wore a Buddha amulet around his neck, held a pair of walnuts that had been rubbed until red in his hands, and was busy arranging tea sets to drink tea.

This Fourth Master did not appear in the drama; he was merely a name, the boss of that Ba-zi brother who was chasing Shen Xing to collect a debt. Later, he also cooperated with Uncle Cai, selling foreign liquor to Uncle Cai at a high price.

"Mr. Wang, I have long heard of your great name; sit, sit, sit." Fourth Master was very enthusiastic, yet he did not rise to welcome him, still maintaining his status as an elder and putting on the airs of a powerful big shot.

Of course, this was Wang Yan picking faults. If others came to find him and he did not rise to welcome them, that was acceptable. But if he went to find others and they did not rise to welcome him, that was unacceptable. It was that simple.

However, Wang Yan made no special display; he politely nodded, glanced at the more than ten people surrounding them whose eyes held ill intent, and calmly sat down opposite Fourth Master.

"So Fourth Master has also heard my name?"

"Basically, everyone in Sanbianpo knows; you have done something truly monumental. Chairman Chen was killed by you and fled abroad, daring not to return. I wonder what business Mr. Wang has with me? Surely you do not intend to kill me as well?"

Fourth Master seemed to be joking; he laughed heartily and even reached out to pour tea for Wang Yan.

Wang Yan expressed his thanks and said, "It was Chairman Chen who wanted to kill me, which is why I wanted to kill him. Fourth Master, I have heard that your influence is vast and your energy considerable."

"I dare not claim such; I merely conduct some border trade business."

"People like you all share one flaw."

Fourth Master smiled and said, "I am eager to hear the details."

"That is, you allow yourselves to kill others but forbid others from killing you; having commanded others arrogantly for so long, you have forgotten that you too possess only one life, forgotten that when bullets strike your bodies, they create holes just the same."

Wang Yan took a sip of tea. "I have come to tell you something: whether or not I kill you depends on whether or not you wish to kill me."

Fourth Master stopped smiling, as Wang Yan had shown him absolutely no face.

"Go on and speak."

"The Xinhao Hotel belongs to me from now on; Angqi is already dead. He claimed that he was smuggling goods to Huaxia together with you and used you to threaten me in an attempt to save his life. Therefore, I have come to ask you: what is your stance?"

Fourth Master furrowed his brows, rubbing the walnuts with his fat hands as he pondered.

After turning the walnuts a few circles, he said, "Sangkang and Banlong are at war; Sangkang has been beaten by Banlong and is running everywhere in the mountains. From the start of the war until now, more than two months have passed. Due to the blockade by the government army, we have not shipped any goods during these two months. Moreover, the channels are in my hands; I am not forced to cooperate solely with Sangkang."

Wang Yan nodded. "Then I shall take my leave, Fourth Master."

"Wait."

Just as Wang Yan was about to rise, Fourth Master shouted a command, whereupon the more than ten people surrounding them immediately raised their guns.

Without uttering a single superfluous word, Wang Yan said nothing more, drew his gun, and acted.

After a burst of bang-bang-bang-bang gunshots, he pressed the gun against Fourth Master's head: "Yan Xu Degui, calling you Fourth Master, have you truly started thinking of yourself as a master?"

"Misunderstanding, it's a misunderstanding, Mr. Wang."

"Save the useless talk." Wang Yan tapped the gun against his head. "At this point, what misunderstanding is there to speak of? Come now, let us handle the handover; transfer all your money to me and clarify all your assets clearly. I will let you die a bit more quickly."

"Mr. Wang, I merely wanted to... ah..."

Unwilling to waste words with him, Wang Yan immediately began applying torture.

Thus, after a round of friendly exchange, Wang Yan's wealth increased once again; in the period that followed, people kept rushing to Mengzhu, all of them subordinates handling Fourth Master's various businesses.

Fourth Master was not called so for nothing, as the industries he was involved in were indeed numerous.

Not only did he cover prostitution, gambling, and drugs, but he also engaged in legitimate border trade business, illegitimate smuggling operations, and financial lending services of a certain scale.

Regarding the import of various legitimate supplies, it was not exclusively business with Huaxia; other countries were involved as well. These were all daily necessities; such items are large in volume and cheap, making importation suitable, after which they could be distributed and sold at inflated prices, allowing him to earn a great deal.

As for other items like cigarettes, alcohol, sugar, tea, and so forth, these were entirely smuggling ventures, entering cheaper and selling dearer. In addition, there were electronic products, luxury goods, automobiles, wild animals, and even some military hardware. He was truly a ruthless man.

Fourth Master also possessed a jade mine, though it had been mostly excavated; he claimed to be seeking a new mine.

As for the financial lending services, these were usurious loans, from which extended illegal transactions involving human trafficking. Those unable to repay their debts saw women sent off to provide services, men sold to perform hard labor, and it even involved some blood-selling operations.

In short, it was quite filthy.

Wang Yan naturally could not take over all of Fourth Master's businesses; aside from whether he deemed them worthy, these people themselves were uncooperative. Of course, even when Fourth Master was previously in his glory, these people were uncooperative; everyone harbored their own schemes, and Fourth Master's control over his subordinates was not absolute.

However, he did take over the legitimate import-export trade, as well as the operations involving smuggled electronic products, cigarettes, alcohol, sugar, tea, luxury goods, automobiles, and so on.

The takeover process was not smooth; Wang Yan had arrived at Mengzhu Village at noon, and the sound of gunfire continued intermittently until evening, only then preliminarily establishing authority and gaining control over these small leaders who each managed their own affairs.

Looking at the documents organized into text, Wang Yan then glanced at the more than ten people kneeling, including Fourth Master, all bruised and swollen; Wang Yan waved his hand, whereupon those who had pledged allegiance to him drew their guns and unleashed a hail of bullets upon these people.

"Ba-zi, is it?"

"Yes, yes, yes, Boss."

Wang Yan instructed: "Dispose of these corpses cleanly and tidy up this courtyard for me. Then, take this confession regarding the shipment of goods and deliver it to the port opposite. Can you handle this clearly?"

"Yes, yes, Boss, rest assured, everything will be arranged properly; absolutely no problems will arise."

"Serve well, and you won't be treated poorly." Wang Yan scanned the room. "Good, that's all for today. Tomorrow morning, everyone go to Xinhao Hotel and report your situations to me one by one. You'd best prepare today; don't wait until tomorrow to open your mouths and say you know nothing."

"As for those planning to flee, those wanting to go it alone, or even those wanting to kill me—consider it yourselves. Anyway, none of us can escape each other; we'll be in contact for a long time yet. How you plan to proceed is up to you. If I don't die, your entire families will be fed to pigs. It's that simple."

Wang Yan waved the ledger registering detailed information on everyone present, strolled out of Dead Ghost Fourth Master's estate, drove back to Xiaomonong.

The car moved slowly; Wang Yan lit a cigarette, turned on some music, and bumped along.

Just then, his phone rang. He pulled it out, glanced at it, then answered with a smile.

"What's up, missing me again?"

"Brother Yan, look at what you're saying! When have I not missed you? I just feared you were busy and had no time to come over. I simply couldn't hold back any longer, so I called to check in."

"Didn't know I returned to Xiaomonong?"

"I didn't know. Brother Yan, are you really so heartless as to abandon me like this?"

"Stop acting flirtatious. We'll play another time when I'm free; I've no time recently." Wang Yan hung up and continued driving back leisurely.

He believed Liu Jincui hadn't known at first, but he didn't believe she still didn't know by now.

The gunfire had been extremely loud, occurring not far from the outskirts of Daqulin; the news couldn't be concealed. Though specific details remained unknown to outsiders, body recovery certainly wasn't the immediate priority; the horrific scene of over a hundred corpses must have been witnessed by someone, and rumors were already spreading wildly over in Daqulin.

Liu Jincui calling him wasn't necessarily driven by strong intent; it was purely flirtation to maintain their connection. After all, Wang Yan was overwhelmingly powerful, Chen Hao was too terrified to return, and at critical moments, Wang Yan could save lives.

Anyone who manages to rise to the top is no fool. Moreover, the situation here is even simpler and more direct; surviving while rising to power isn't easy. Naturally, Liu Jincui has her own ways of survival...