Chapter 1230: Acquiring the Century Hotel

Wang Yan knew that Shen Xing had not left; this was not because Shen Xing said so, nor did Guo Li Min tell him, but rather because on that very day, Jue Xintun had already contacted Wang Yan first, directly stating his intentions.

Jue Xintun did not know so many details; he only knew that Wang Yan was not involved in drugs, that Wang Yan was truly driving the economic development of Xiao Monong, and that Wang Yan, in order to avenge Shen Jiandong, had gone all the way to Daqulin and caused Mao Pan's death.

Therefore, under such circumstances, if he wanted to utilize Shen Xing, he naturally had to clarify things with Wang Yan first; otherwise, if Shen Xing called Wang Yan to pull strings, and Wang Yan then investigated who was pulling the strings behind the scenes, would not Jue Xintun be in a miserable situation?

It was precisely due to such concerns that Jue Xintun contacted Wang Yan in advance.

Wang Yan naturally made no reaction; Shen Xing had his own fate, and Wang Yan could not manage affairs on his behalf. He was acting as a nanny for Guo Li Min, not for Shen Xing. Regarding Mao Pan's death, Shen Xing's role was secondary; the primary cause was still the conflict between Wang Yan himself and Chen Hao.

Thus, let Shen Xing do whatever he wished; Wang Yan continued to attend to his own affairs.

To summarize what he was doing in one sentence: he was constantly expanding the boundaries of his power.

On one hand, the scale of his business expanded every day, recruiting new people daily; whether it was legitimate operations like construction sites and tourism, or illegitimate businesses like smuggling and hunting, everything was growing larger, developing from Xiao Monong and its surrounding areas toward more distant regions.

On the other hand, his infiltration of the Xiao Monong government proceeded every day; he did not merely give people money without requiring them to act.

After beginning his infiltration, he started subtly carrying out certain personnel adjustments within the government; those who obeyed were promoted, while those who disobeyed were brought down, and he utilized the obedient ones to push forward the development of certain matters, such as the order on a particular street or certain minor approval processes; in other words, to a certain extent, he was already influencing decision-making in Xiao Monong's administration.

If one were to speak of the most critical point of influence, it was none other than his lobbying of senior officials like Liu Wenmin to establish a bank.

Xiao Monong had no banks; the currency in circulation here was the Red Note, and even US dollars did not circulate as widely as Red Notes, while as for the Bomo currency, it actually did not circulate all that much either.

The main reason lay in the fact that the Bomo Federation was a complete mess; today 200 units might exchange for one Red Note, but tomorrow it would be 220, as the Bomo currency could not remain stable. Another reason was that Xiao Monong was a port city, with China just across the border, meaning it was heavily influenced by China, and everyone accepted Red Notes.

Financial services here relied primarily on numerous intermediaries; it was no exaggeration to say that walking down the street, excluding tourists, one could randomly pull anyone to introduce services like transfers and remittances, and many shops even hung large signs outside stating they could handle such business, though the service fees were very high, generally around four or five percent, depending on the specific amount.

Wang Yan naturally also had this business, since he held traditional financial operations, namely the loan-sharking projects, which of course involved basic transfers and remittances as well.

However, that was work for the underlings of the underlings of the underlings under Ba Zi Ge.

Yes, Ba Zi Ge was not dead yet; he still followed Wang Yan and continued to issue usurious loans, with his current main task being similar to signing tabs at a casino: those who borrowed usurious loans and could not repay them were all dragged to the construction sites to work off their debts.

Actually, there was a Special Zone Bank, but no one recognized it.

As far as Xiao Monong was concerned, Wang Yan could be described as immensely famous, a household name; it was no exaggeration to say that even five-year-old children knew his title, because he was too legendary and too ferocious, truly capable of stopping children from crying at night.

But it was useless; even if he opened a bank, the people of Xiao Monong would not trust it.

Changes here happened too quickly; people were more inclined to keep cash rather than turn their money into a string of digits, as they felt absolutely no sense of security; once any change occurred, their hard-earned money would become nothing, which was something they absolutely could not accept.

Even Wang Yan could not rely on his personal credit to make the people of Xiao Monong believe in his bank; if the government itself could collapse, then no matter how awesome an individual might be, did he not also have a day when he would die, especially here in Xiao Monong?

However, Wang Yan was not anxious; credit was accumulated over the long term, and business was developed step by step.

His bank was called Fengdan Fengdan Sihai; through formal channels, he submitted an application for bank cooperation to the domestic authorities, hoping his bank could freely conduct transfers and remittances with domestic banks.

At the same time, to ensure the normal operation of the bank, he changed the method of paying wages to his subordinates entirely to bank transfers, and also had Liu Wenmin cooperate so that wage disbursements for government units also went through Fengdan Fengdan Sihai Bank.

He also opened up certain lending services, offering loans at proper interest rates, which at least served as a means of turnover.

If one truly wanted development, one still had to establish connections with the domestic side; all of this was done personally by Wang Yan, who wrote proposals, submitted applications, and even actively visited the domestic office located in Xiao Monong.

There was no embassy here, only an office; the staff was not numerous, merely a few individuals, mainly coordinating certain affairs between the two regions, after all, this place was chaotic, many incidents occurred, and every now and then one or two people would go missing.

However, the response received was that further discussion was needed, and exactly how long such discussions would take remained unknown.

Wang Yan was not urgent about this matter, as it could not be accomplished overnight; his bank certainly could not join any organization or obtain any qualifications immediately, since this was not a matter of his connections but rather a matter concerning the Bomo Federation and Xiao Monong itself, so he could only negotiate slowly, expanding region by region.

Before receiving any news about the bank, Wang Yan instead received a visit from someone else, who adopted a very humble posture.

It was a rainy day when a Mercedes-Benz, ill-suited for the three-sided sloped road conditions, stopped at the entrance of the Fengdan Fengdan Sihai Hotel.

A long-faced man with slicked-back hair, dressed in a suit and leather shoes, followed by a beautiful secretary with long legs and a hip-hugging skirt, met up with Yan Baimei, who had arrived driving an off-road vehicle, and the three of them entered the Fengdan Fengdan Sihai Hotel together.

Led by a guide, they took the elevator to the top floor, arriving at the Zhang Zhang Taofang where Wang Yan permanently resided.

Zhao Ziying came over to open the door, glanced at Yan Baimei and the man in the suit and leather shoes, finally letting her gaze linger for a few moments longer on that beautiful secretary, while she did not even look at the hotel security behind them before turning and walking away.

Yan Baimei led the way inside, the security guards closed the door behind them, and then stood stationed at the entrance.

"Mr. Wang," Yan Baimei greeted respectfully as Wang Yan sat on the sofa, carving jade.

Wang Yan hummed in response, blew away some stone dust, and looked up.

Sensing the cue, Yan Baimei said, "This is Mr. Jin Jin Yichuan, who came from Kamong, along with his assistant; they have come this time to discuss certain matters with Mr. Wang, and I am merely an introducer."

Wang Yan nodded noncommittally: "Sit down and speak."

"Thank you, Mr. Wang," Jin Jin Yichuan said as he sat down, opening with, "Please forgive us for this unannounced visit, Mr. Wang."

"It is not presumptuous; did not Boss Bai call ahead?" Wang Yan said with a smile, waving his hand. "Get to the point."

"Mr. Wang is straightforward."

Jin Jin Yichuan first flattered him slightly, then smiled and said, "I wonder if Mr. Wang knows of Jin Zhanba and Luan Basong?"

"Get to the point," Wang Yan said, glancing at him.

Jin Jin Yichuan's smile faltered for a moment, but he quickly recovered his composure.

He smiled again and said, "Very well, Mr. Wang is a man of quick words, so I will speak directly: I have acquired all the shares of the Century Hotel, including the casino within the hotel; I have heard that the rules here in Xiao Monong differ from elsewhere, in that those who sign tabs are all sent to Mr. Wang's construction sites, which I believe is a tremendous waste; if Mr. Wang is willing to accept money, the profits would absolutely be a hundred times greater than those from construction projects."

Seeing Wang Yan continuing to carve jade without speaking, he continued, "Therefore, I believe Mr. Wang should loosen his grip somewhat; otherwise, it will not be long before all the casinos in Xiao Monong close down; the Luan Basong I mentioned earlier has great ambitions..."

Wang Yan shook his head with amusement: "Just tell me directly who your backer is and how much money you have; let me see if you are qualified enough, and then you can continue speaking."

"Mr. Wang, I come from Kamong, and previously at..."

Wang Yan waved his hand to interrupt him, turned to look at Yan Baimei, and asked with a smile, "Boss Bai, are you tired of living? Bringing him here to disgust me?"

"Mr. Wang, you..." Jin Jin Yichuan exploded in anger first, but before he could say more, several security guards stepped forward, immediately slapping a big slap across his face, followed instantly by the cold muzzle of a gun pressed against his head.

Yan Baimei was already trembling.

He trembled and spoke haltingly: "M... Mr. Wang, I do not understand..."

"Do you know what I have been doing recently?"

"O... Opening a bank?"

"Do you know with whom I wish to cooperate?"

"China!"

"Where are the most gamblers from?"

"China..."

"It's not just the bank; within a hundred kilometers surrounding this area, I dominate smuggling. I also handle the largest volume of daily necessities imported from China, such as grain and oil. Throughout Sanbianpo, I run the largest tourism business, and all my tourists are Chinese. The money I make comes from China, do you understand?

Although a large portion of the casino credit slips were induced by us, the gamblers themselves are resources, and their debts are recorded in black and white. Why do I make them work to pay off their debts instead of forcing immediate payment? Because I still intend to do business with China.

Once I go too far, tomorrow they will shut down my travel agencies in China, the police will crack down on my smuggling routes, and no daily trade orders will be given to me. I currently support several thousand men under my command; are you going to pay them? What does the meager profit from forcing immediate repayment amount to?"

Yan Baimei was straightforward; with a sharp crack, he dropped to his knees on the ground.

"Mr. Wang, I was wrong; he forced me to do it! He took all the shares of the casino. If I didn't cooperate, he would have seized my gambling hall; I had no choice..."

"Pathetic." Wang Yan's face was full of disgust. "You run with Uncle Cai, and Uncle Cai runs with drug lords; are you afraid of him? A mere swindler?"

Yan Baimei was confused: "A swindler? Mr. Wang, he paid in real gold and silver..."

"I said he has no background. You mention Uncle Cai, and then talk about what you used to do? Should I directly announce Uncle Cai's name from Daban, or should those who don't know need an explanation?" Wang Yan shook his head and said, "In Sanbianpo, having money alone is not enough. Mr. Jason Li, you must first be able to protect your money before you speak to me."

"Take him away. Find Li Min and have him sign the contract to transfer all shares of the Century Hotel over, then transfer all his money into our accounts, and finally send him to the construction site."

Wang Yan instructed the security guards; they gave Jason Li no chance to speak, shoving the muzzle of a gun directly into his mouth. Coordinating with another guard, the two dragged Jason Li out while beating and cursing him.

Yan Baimei, still kneeling on the ground, came to his senses and hurriedly said, "Mr. Wang, I..."

"With your life hanging in the balance, you're still worrying about the casino?"

"Mr. Wang, please give me another chance; I will definitely work hard in the future and bring more people to the construction site."

"This time, you have betrayed Uncle Cai."

"I want to follow Mr. Wang; I have dreamed of nothing else."

"It will be the same model as before: you contract the casino, and I take a cut. The rules will follow those of the Fengdan Fengdan Sihai Hotel's casino; we will always make money, so there is no need to rush. This is the last time, Boss Bai; if there is a next time, dig a pit and lie in it yourself."

"Yes, yes, yes; thank you, Mr. Wang, thank you, Mr. Wang."

Having survived a disaster and gained new hope, Yan Baimei kowtowed so vigorously his head sounded like garlic being crushed.

He had previously wanted to take over all the gambling halls of the Century Casino but had never succeeded; now, however, everything belonged to him.

"Get out."

Wang Yan waved his hand in disgust, and Yan Baimei fled in a wretched state.

Only then did Wang Yan's gaze turn toward Jason Li's beautiful assistant, who stood there nervously, at a loss, unconsciously wringing her hands.

Zhao Ziying, having witnessed the entire scene, realized what was happening; she scampered over, sat on Wang Yan's lap, began nuzzling against him, and glared fiercely at the beautiful assistant.

Wang Yan did not blame Zhao Ziying for her little willfulness; holding her, he looked at the beautiful assistant and said, "Tell me your situation."

"Ah? Oh..." the beautiful assistant stammered. "Mr. Wang, my name is Zhou Ya. I used to be an accountant for a company in Hong Kong, but later I incurred debt from gambling. Jason Li paid off my debt, so I followed him and worked for him. He had me pose as an assistant to put on a show, aiming to take over the Century Casino and make money through credit slips."

"From now on, follow me."

Wang Yan tilted his head in indication: "Take off your clothes."

With this kind of woman, there was no need for useless chatter; get straight to the point, cleanly and decisively.

Zhou Ya did not hesitate even for a moment; without another word, she began to undress.

Zhao Ziying pounded her little fists against Wang Yan's chest, her unhappiness written all over her face: "Go to the next room; don't stay in this one."

Wang Yan didn't care; he patted her small buttocks, stood up, and left with Zhou Ya, who was already half-undressed...

In Daban, to avoid being misunderstood by Uncle Cai, Yan Baimei drove over immediately after leaving the Fengdan Fengdan Sihai Hotel to explain the situation face-to-face.

Uncle Cai was eating lunch with his subordinates, so he did not pull Yan Baimei aside for a private chat; consequently, everyone in Daban heard Yan Baimei's words, including Butuo and Shen Xing...

After listening to Yan Baimei recount the entire sequence of events from start to finish, Uncle Cai frowned, finally let out a long sigh, and nodded: "I understand; your choice was correct, and I cannot blame you."

"Uncle Cai, rest assured; the share owed to you, I will definitely repay down to the last cent. It may just take some time, as I do not have enough money on hand right now. You know, Uncle Cai..."

What he wanted to say was that Wang Yan had robbed him twice, and this time he was taking over the entire Century Casino, so he needed the money and certainly could not distribute dividends or allow Uncle Cai to withdraw his shares.

"No rush; wait until you get through this period before we discuss it."

"I will definitely repay you with principal and interest, Uncle Cai."

Uncle Cai smiled: "We are all insiders; why say these things? Eat."

Although he still felt awkward, Yan Baimei obediently joined Uncle Cai for lunch; the atmosphere was not good, rather gloomy.

Yan Baimei had no choice; on one side was Wang Yan, on the other was Uncle Cai; he dared not offend either, as both could take his life, so he could only tread carefully...

After lunch, once Yan Baimei had left, Uncle Cai held a bottle of beer and fell into silence.

His brother-in-law, Xi Gou, spoke up: "Uncle Cai, even though the Xiaomonong casino is gone, we can open another one elsewhere. Besides, don't we still have the Lanqin Casino? Wang Yan can't control this side. Xia Wenjing must have secretly signed many credit slips behind our backs."

"You even thought of that; truly, you've put your brain to work." Uncle Cai was surprised that his brother-in-law had grown a brain.

"Last time I drank with Xia Wenjing, he couldn't outdrink me and let something slip."

Uncle Cai was somewhat speechless; Shen Xing, who was already silent, became even more silent. Butuo slapped Xi Gou on the back: "You are truly a fool! Which dog's mouth is tighter than Xia Wenjing's? He was pretending to be drunk, don't you know? He was betting that you wouldn't tell Uncle Cai, yet in effect, he told Uncle Cai anyway."

"Is it that complicated?" Xi Gou looked completely bewildered.

Uncle Cai shook his head and sighed helplessly: "Times are hard nowadays. Our toll fees increase day by day, but we cannot raise prices on the other side of the mountain, so our profits are shrinking. Mr. Wang has taken over smuggling; we cannot act too aggressively, so our income barely sustains us. Now, with the loss of income from the Century Casino, we have lost another revenue stream.

Recently, I received news that Luan Basong might attack Luoyang; this is even more unfavorable for us. If fighting truly breaks out, our Daban group might have its income cut off entirely. Truly, these are troubled times..."

"Then what should we do, Uncle Cai?" Xi Gou asked.

Uncle Cai glanced at him, said nothing, and simply continued drinking in silence.

In comparison, Shen Xing was quite considerate; he said, "Uncle Can, don't we still have the profits from Maniu Town? That sector earns quite a bit too; our Daban group will surely survive. As an old Chinese saying goes, 'Heaven never seals off all exits.'"

Uncle Cai remained silent. Xi Gou turned his head to look at Shen Xing: "Aren't you on good terms with that Wang Yan? Go talk to him; let our Daban group handle smuggling and open casinos. When there's money to be made, everyone should share in it."

"Brother Gou, you truly overestimate me." Shen Xing smiled bitterly. "I haven't actually known Brother Yan for that long; he only looks after me because he values old sentiments. But no matter how much he cares for me, for something this big, my face isn't big enough to ask."

"Enough, stop nagging; this is something I need to consider. You all go get busy; do you have nothing to do? Daban has not reached that point yet. Go."

Having said this, he picked up his beer bottle and slowly returned to his room for an afternoon nap...

Wang Yan was unaware of Daban's difficulties, and even if he knew, he wouldn't care; what did it have to do with him?

Jason Li was trivial trash who didn't know his own weight; his utility, perhaps, was merely bringing Zhou Ya along, which turned out quite well. She was arranged to work as an accountant at the construction company. The accounts there were substantial; Zhou Ya fit in perfectly, fully utilizing her professional skills.

Several days passed like this, until unexpectedly, someone else arrived at the hotel to seek him out...