Chapter 153: 149 Tycoon Li Cashes Out!

"Of course I do!"

Tycoon Li watched Director Guan Zu's figure from upstairs.

A tiny ant, yet he had actually forced him to retreat.

This made Tycoon Li very uncomfortable.

"Send word to the Industry Department, the ICAC, the Police Force, the Fire Services Department, the Inland Revenue Department... and have them investigate this Director Guan Zu's premises."

"I don't believe that a mere street thug can be squeaky clean."

The secretary nodded: "Yes, I'll get right on it."

"Wait a moment..."

Tycoon Li thought for a moment and added a warning: "Don't go too hard. These people are all desperate gamblers. Either you crush them in one blow, or if you can't, don't make things too tense with them. Just give them a lesson."

Although this Director Guan Zu was detestable, he was right about one thing: when holding a weapon, all men are equal!

He, Li Huanggua, did not want to die.

The secretary thought about it and nodded: "Understood, I will negotiate with them properly."

Having said that, he left.

……

……

A blue Bentley.

Inside the car, Gao Jin and Ah Wah were both present.

Ah Wah said with some concern: "Brother Zu, will this Tycoon Li retaliate?"

Director Guan Zu: "He definitely will. None of these businessmen are ordinary people. If he doesn't teach me a lesson, where will he put his face?"

Gao Jin's cold voice said: "I actually don't think we need to worry. These rich people are terrified of death; they certainly wouldn't dare use extreme measures. As for standard procedures, they're nothing more than tax, industry, fire safety, and licensing checks—we have nothing to fear from those."

When Ah Wah heard this,

That's right.

Their company was currently squeaky clean, even cleaner and more positive than legitimate corporations; they had no fear of investigations.

Even if they checked for collusion between officials and businessmen, they used clean methods that didn't involve bribery. As for things like the Jockey Club prize tickets or other cases, it would be a miracle if they could find anything.

Ah Xing: "But being messed with like this is still annoying. We don't even have a way to fight back."

"A way to fight back? We do..." Director Guan Zu said.

Ah Wah, Gao Jin, and Ah Xing were curious: "What way?"

However, Director Guan Zu didn't say, because it involved the issue of his 70% approval rating in Causeway Bay.

"System Notification: Even if you propose an unreasonable suggestion, you can still gain their strong support."

In Causeway Bay, there was an important asset of Tycoon Li—the largest of the Li family's chain supermarkets. According to the financial reports disclosed for their listed stock, this supermarket's quarterly revenue exceeded 3 billion HKD, with an operating profit of 100 million.

As long as Director Guan Zu said the word, and the citizens of Causeway Bay boycotted the Li family supermarket, that largest store would face the awkward situation of having no customers entering.

This was the power to decide with a single word, the power to make one's word the law of the land.

From this perspective, the approval rating attribute was essentially a conceptual weapon.

……

That evening,

TVB and ATV news both reported the latest developments in the protest at the entrance of the Electric Company building.

Naturally, this included extensive coverage of the key figure—Director Guan Zu.

Director Guan Zu appeared in the public eye once again, and this time, he was seen by all the citizens of Hong Kong as Councilor Director Guan, supported by thousands of people at the scene.

……

……

He Lian Sheng.

At this moment, Uncle Deng had invited many uncles and was holding a meeting.

A group of people were discussing the candidates for the next term's leader.

"I think Ah Le has the qualifications to run for the position of Speaker!"

"That's right. A few years ago, when the ghost guy in Cambodia died, it was Ah Le who brought him back for a grand funeral!"

"I think Big D is good. He controls all of Tsuen Wan; that's not something an ordinary person can achieve."

"Yes, Big D is currently strong and well-equipped, boosting the momentum of our He Lian Sheng. He is qualified to run for leader."

With everyone speaking their piece,

The group of uncles basically settled on two candidates for leader.

Some supported Big D, some supported Ah Le, but it was clear that the majority supported Big D, obviously very satisfied with Big D's wealth.

Uncle Deng watched all of this.

As the retired leader, he had always held most of the power in He Lian Sheng. Even Chui Gai, the current leader, had been forced by him to become a "fake leader," a "dragon head staff cleaner and waxer," and a "dragon head staff custodian"...

This time, according to the rules, the leader election was held every two years. Naturally, he didn't want someone like Big D—who had the support of the uncles, was wealthy, powerful, and arrogant—to be the leader.

He wanted to continue supporting a puppet.

At this moment,

The television began broadcasting TVB news.

Not long after, it played the segment about Director Guan Zu being pushed forward to negotiate with the Electric Company.

In the entire meeting hall,

Uncle Deng, Chuan Bao, Old Ghost En, Uncle Biao, Leng Lao, Shuang Fan Dong... everyone was silent.

Then, they were all shocked.

"This Director Guan Zu, he's actually being called upon by thousands of people to uphold justice..."

"How did he manage to become so popular?"

"This..."

Everyone looked at each other, finding it hard to understand.

Why could Director Guan Zu receive the support of so many people?

And what about themselves?

It would be good enough if they weren't despised by the neighbors when they went out on the street, let alone gaining their support.

For a moment, everyone felt that they had lived their lives in vain.

……

……

Over at Hong Xing, Tai Lo B was drinking with Chen Haonan and the others.

At this time, Jiao Pi had also joined Chen Haonan's faction. A few days ago, one of Chen Haonan's lackeys suddenly ran over calling "Brother Nam." Chen Haonan and Da Tian Er turned around and saw Jiao Pi, and were shocked, because this Jiao Pi looked too much like the late Chao Pi.

Chen Haonan and Da Tian Er missed their late brothers Chao Pi and Bao Pi, so they brought Jiao Pi along to cultivate him.

Today, Tai Lo B called Chen Haonan and the others over to drink, and Jiao Pi came along.

The group had already received the news that afternoon: Director Guan Zu had been pushed out by the citizens to arm-wrestle with Tycoon Li. Tai Lo B had even specifically called Director Guan Zu to ask about the situation, and only breathed a sigh of relief after learning there were no problems.

At this moment, the wall-mounted TV in the restaurant was playing ATV news, and they happened to see the news about Director Guan Zu.

"Brother Zu is amazing now; he's already risen to this level."

Da Tian Er looked at the citizens on TV shouting "Councilor Director Guan" and felt sincere admiration.

Seven or eight months ago, everyone was just a small-time thug.

Now, seven or eight months later, Director Guan Zu was already a big shot in Wan Chai.

Just thinking about it made one sigh.

Chen Haonan also had a complex expression.

Everyone was a street thug, so why was the path Director Guan Zu took different from theirs?

"Brother B, Brother Nam, you guys still know that Director Guan Zu?"

Jiao Pi was on the side, full of curiosity and shock.

Da Tian Er laughed: "Of course. We used to drink together often. Back then, we were all small-time thugs, all working under Brother B..."

Da Tian Er started bragging to Jiao Pi about the old days.

After hearing this, Jiao Pi was a bit surprised. He didn't expect that the big shot Director Guan Zu was just a small-time thug a few months ago, and now he was so prestigious on TV. Wasn't this rise to power a bit too fast?

……

All the major triads in Hong Kong,

Such as Dong Xing, Piao Ge, Old Pan, Hong Sheng's Brother Sheng, Hong Xing's Brother Tian, Quan Xing's Uncle Dong... those who had dealt with Director Guan Zu, or rather, those who had suffered losses at his hands,

Seeing Director Guan Zu on TV again,

They couldn't help but feel a bit sour.

Damn, he's on TV again.

So prestigious!

So envious!

Unlike themselves, when they go on TV, it's always with handcuffs and a hood.

Is being a councilor really that great?

Then why the hell am I still a thug!

The mood was incredibly complex.

More and more people were thinking about whether they could wash their hands of the life.

They knew that if they couldn't wash clean, they had to emigrate quickly. But there was a problem with emigration: many countries were off-limits due to their backgrounds. Places like Canada, the United States, and the UK were definitely out of the question.

Thinking about it, they felt an increasing sense of urgency.

With Director Guan Zu as a good example, washing clean seemed like the best choice.

……

……

Xiamen Street.

On the roof of a building.

At this moment, dozens of representatives of the disaster-stricken neighbors from Shantou Street had arrived.

Because they couldn't find a suitable, larger place on short notice, the meeting had to be held here.

Then they set up light stands, illuminating the roof brightly.

Director Guan Zu had originally said to choose 40 representatives from the 1,400 households, but in the end, over 80 were chosen.

"Councilor Director Guan hasn't arrived yet?" "This time, we owe it all to Councilor Director Guan. If it weren't for him, we wouldn't even be able to speak clearly in front of that Tycoon Li, let alone negotiate with him."

"Councilor Director Guan's reputation in Causeway Bay is top-notch; naturally, it's well-deserved."

It could be said that,

After the events of the day, with Director Guan Zu standing up for them, the citizens of Shantou Street had their favorability toward Director Guan Zu explode.

At this moment,

Director Guan Zu arrived.

"Councilor Director Guan is here!"

"Councilor Director Guan!"

The calls grew louder.

Director Guan Zu arrived on the roof, and all 80+ representatives stood up at once to welcome him.

"Good evening, everyone!"

After arriving on the roof, Director Guan Zu got to know the group and chatted for a bit, quickly moving on to the business of the night.

Director Guan Zu stood on the stage, and the representatives looked at him.

!.

"First, regarding the innocence of the elderly person everyone is concerned about..."

"Tycoon Li said it was indeed a misunderstanding. According to their latest investigation, it was because someone deliberately set fire to the cable bridge, which ultimately led to the fire..."

As soon as Director Guan Zu said this, the whole place exploded.

"What? They still won't admit it?"

"Despicable!"

"Quiet, everyone quiet, listen to me finish first!"

As Director Guan Zu's voice fell, the angry mood of the crowd gradually subsided.

"Now, you face two choices. One is to insist that Tycoon Li admit the cable bridge aged and caught fire, but Tycoon Li does not agree. This might lead to a lawsuit, and in the end, you might get less money, and it might take longer."

This point was Tycoon Li's bottom line; he would rather pay more money than bear this bad reputation.

"The other choice is that you don't insist on this truth, and Tycoon Li will give you more money. At the same time, he will restore the innocence of that elderly person."

"Two options, you choose for yourselves."

Director Guan Zu didn't need to think to know what these citizens would think.

Naturally, they would choose the money!

"I choose the second one."

After the first representative gave the answer, others followed suit.

"The second one!"

"The second one!"

Almost everyone chose the money.

Only a few representatives were more serious and chose the first one.

Director Guan Zu: "Alright, the voting result is clear now. The minority obeys the majority."

"In the next few days, we need to find a legal team, negotiate the terms with them, and then negotiate with the Electric Company."

"Now, let's start collecting everyone's expectations for the compensation amount: property rights, renovation costs, lost wages, property damage... and so on..."

"There is also the issue of protests. We also need to organize manpower to go to the Electric Company to put pressure on them to complete the negotiations as soon as possible, the sooner the better."

……

……

Over the next week,

Director Guan Zu was busy with the Shantou Street matter, leading the hired legal team to argue and debate fiercely with the Electric Company...

And downstairs, the protests by the Shantou Street citizens never ceased for a single day. They even went to protest at his other company buildings, causing constant news reports that made Tycoon Li grind his teeth in hatred.

Originally, he wanted to drag it out, but now he didn't have the patience.

Finally,

He compromised and gave his legal team the order to "spend money to eliminate disaster and resolve it as soon as possible."

At the same time, he was very unhappy with Director Guan Zu, the person who came up with the bad ideas, but he couldn't do anything about him for the time being.

On the seventh day, with Tycoon Li's concession, the compensation details were finally released.

The total compensation amount... no, it should be called the donation amount, exceeded 500 million.

Property damage fees, lost wages, hotel living expenses, renovation costs, medical expenses, death benefits... everything was calculated clearly.

"500 million..."

Tycoon Li looked at this number in the donation contract. Although he was prepared, he still felt a bit of heartache.

It was a full 400 million more!

It was all Director Guan Zu's fault!

As for the destination of the donation, it was Director Guan Zu's "Five-Star Charity Foundation."

This made Tycoon Li vomit blood even more.

Fine, fine, fine~~~ so that's how you want to play!

He could only swallow this bitter pill.

Sign.

Exchanging signatures with the entrusted party, Director Guan Zu.

The contract was reached.

At noon, the funds were transferred to the "Five-Star Charity Foundation" account.

In the afternoon, the "Five-Star Charity Foundation" efficiently completed the transfers to every household.

That evening, Shantou Street held a grand banquet to celebrate the complete success of the protest.

As the leader and key figure of the protest, Director Guan Zu naturally became the target of toasts from every citizen. Although Director Guan Zu substituted tea for wine, he still couldn't handle it all.

At this moment,

The system notification finally sounded.

The moment of harvest had arrived.

"In the Shantou Street fire incident, you successfully secured sufficient benefits for the citizens of Shantou Street."

"Rewards are being calculated..."

This time, the system had an unprecedented waiting time and didn't give the rewards immediately.

However, this meant the rewards would be very significant.

After about a minute,

"Reward calculation complete. You have received the following rewards:"

"Reward 1: Your persistence restored the elderly person's innocence. Approval rating among elderly in Hong Kong +1%!"

"Reward 2: Your actions made the citizens of Shantou Street feel what it means to plead for the people. You have gained a 70% approval rating from the citizens of Shantou Street!"

"Reward 3: Your behavior has spread widely in the Wan Chai district. Your approval rating in Wan Chai +10% (Total 34%). Please keep up the good work."

"Reward 4:..., your approval rating in the Hong Kong Island district +2% (12%)!"

"Reward 5: Special reward. Your deeds have gained recognition in Wan Chai. You will receive one 'Wan Chai Citizen Support Card.' Even for less reasonable suggestions, you are likely to gain the support of the entire Wan Chai neighborhood!"

Director Guan Zu read for a long time before finishing the rewards.

It was the first time he had received so many rewards at once.

It was worth offending Tycoon Li this time.

Moreover, this practice proved that the effect of his approval rating was still very top-tier.

……

……

……

Over at Tycoon Li's side.

"What? This Director Guan Zu didn't take a single cent?"

Hearing the secretary's report, Tycoon Li was a bit dumbfounded.

In his view, for Director Guan Zu to make such a big scene and offend him, he must have been plotting some benefit.

The most likely possibility was to skim a bit off that 500 million.

As a result,

After investigation, the secretary told him: Director Guan Zu didn't take any!

No!

What was Director Guan Zu after?

Could it really be for fame?

Are you crazy!

Tycoon Li couldn't understand if Director Guan Zu was stupid, but it didn't affect Tycoon Li's desire to teach Director Guan Zu a lesson.

"Have the Inland Revenue Department, the ICAC, and the Commercial Crime Bureau of the Police Force all been contacted?"

"They have all been contacted."

"Then let's move."

The reason he hadn't moved earlier was that the negotiations weren't over, and Tycoon Li was afraid of complications.

Now that the negotiations were over, Tycoon Li felt relieved.

Next, watch my counterattack!

The secretary nodded! "Yes, Boss!"

Thinking for a moment, Tycoon Li warned: "Remember, watch the scale. Don't provoke him too much."

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 154 =====