Chapter Thirteen: The New Shop Opens — Guan Zaisen’s Conspiracy

A dozen flower baskets were lined up at the entrance, stretching far enough to block the doorways of the two shops next door. Neither neighbor dared to complain. After all, the ribbons bore the names of a long list of triads: Sun Yee, 14K, Ying Luen She, Luen Kung Lok, Wo Shing Yee, Fuk Yee Hing, Chung Yee Tong, Tai Fung Tong, and many more.

More importantly, the people themselves had arrived. Guanzai Sam was there, beaming, showing no trace of his previous argument with Wang Yaotang. As fellow distributors, they greeted Wang with red envelopes and pleasantries. The shop was too small for everyone to fit inside, so they stood at the entrance, admiring the racy merchandise and joking with Wang. "Most people are just dirty old men, but you’re different—you’re the King of Dirty!"

"Exactly, we can't call you 'Turkey Yiu' anymore; you’re 'Dirty Yiu' now," Sze Lor laughed.

"Screw you guys! Watch it, or we're going to have a falling out. We’re all just trying to make a buck here, don't go too far!" Wang Yaotang retorted with a grin.

"Dirty Yiu doesn't sound right. How about 'Dirty Tong'?" Huangmao said, draping an arm around Wang’s shoulder. "Yeah, launch a magazine and call it *Dirty Tong*. I’ll be the first subscriber."

"Good idea," Wang Yaotang glanced at him sideways. "I’ll appoint you editor-in-chief. Since the names on those magazines are usually just for show anyway, not the actual owners."

"Deal!" Blind Wah and the others cheered.

Wang Yaotang’s mind raced. It was actually a brilliant idea. In 1984, the launch of *Dragon, Tiger, and Leopard* had set a record of over 250,000 copies sold, crushing the newspaper industry with over a million in net profit. It was a massive hit across Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, and Southeast Asia. Crucially, it had a strong synergy with the adult industry; even just as an advertising platform, it had real value. The only hurdle was the high initial investment, but once he freed up some capital, it was definitely worth pursuing. It could even be used to court other triads—killing two birds with one stone.

Watching Wang Yaotang effortlessly hold court, with members of major triads gravitating toward him while he himself remained on the periphery, Guanzai Sam lowered his head, his eyes darkening with gloom. *Who is the real boss here?*

He whispered a quick instruction to Pig-Nose Tong and turned to leave. He couldn't afford to burn bridges just yet.

After the festivities, Wang Yaotang left two subordinates and Ah Jie’s mother to mind the shop, taking the rest of his crew to the Hung Fook Kee Restaurant, where he had reserved several tables. By the time they finished hosting, it was late afternoon. Wang was flushed and dizzy from the alcohol, but his spirit was soaring. "Today marks the day our journey truly begins."

He pointed at Ah Wai, Ah Jie, Ah Jik, and Four-Eyes. "You are all my brothers. One day, you’ll all be multi-millionaires! I promise you that!"

"Hear, hear!"

"Exactly! We’ll be multi-millionaires, and Boss Yiu will be a billionaire!"

...

Leaving the restaurant, Pig-Nose Tong didn't return to Guanzai Sam immediately as instructed. Instead, he wandered the streets aimlessly. The scene today had left Guanzai Sam bitter, but Pig-Nose Tong had been deeply shaken. He was much older than Wang Yaotang and had been with Wo Shing Yee for eight years, serving under Guanzai Sam the entire time, yet he was still just a low-level foot soldier. As a trusted aide, he wasn't treated poorly, but if his own boss couldn't make it big, what future did he have?

After all these years, he didn't even own a home. Then he looked at Wang Yaotang: in just a few months, he had a dozen loyal men, connections with all the major gangs, his own business, and a future that was clearly bright. For the first time, he felt a genuine resentment toward Guanzai Sam. *I'm just a lackey, so it’s understandable if I’m failing, but you’re a boss—how can you be this pathetic?*

"Why are you just getting back?" Guanzai Sam asked, frowning.

"Had too much to drink, just walked it off," Pig-Nose Tong replied with a grimace.

"I bought you some herbal tea. Drink it."

Pig-Nose Tong chuckled. Guanzai Sam did treat him well. He gulped down the tea and collapsed into a chair. "That punk said a few things while we were drinking."

Pig-Nose Tong scratched his head, trying to recall. "Orders. Several of the gangs took quite a bit of stock."

Guanzai Sam sat up straight. "How much?"

"Let me think... over ten thousand pieces, I think. I don't remember the exact number."

"Why so many?"

"It's not that much, Boss. This kind of clothing isn't durable. Those dirty old men like to rip it, and it tears easily. I sold over 300 pieces of the old crotchless pants last month alone. Now that there are new styles, this amount isn't much."

"Damn him! That punk is making a fortune!" Guanzai Sam ground his teeth, his face twisting. "There's no way it's that little. He's making at least 100,000 on the markup alone!"

"100,000!" He clenched his jaw so hard his gums began to bleed.

*You already made that much the last time you lost a bet,* Pig-Nose Tong thought, remaining silent.

"And..." Guanzai Sam frowned deeply. "If that’s just what he supplied to the other gangs, how much did he reserve for himself? Opening a shop, ordering stock—that’s hundreds of thousands. Does he even have that kind of money?"

"Uh, I actually know that. Ah Yiu mentioned at dinner that he mortgaged his place to Ma-Fu Wing to get a hundred thousand."

Guanzai Sam stood up abruptly, his eyes flickering. The loan shark business in Hong Kong was treacherous; most people never managed to pay them back. Of course, he assumed Wang Yaotang was only looking for a short-term turnaround and that the triad wouldn't be too hard on one of their own. He would surely be able to pay it back.

*Unless something went wrong.*

If Wang Yaotang suddenly faced a major expense he couldn't cover... as his mentor, wouldn't that give him the perfect reason to step in and take over? The thought excited him. He paced the room, then stopped and looked at Pig-Nose Tong. "If he’s the one supplying the others, he’s definitely tacking on a markup. I don't believe everyone is buying from him. Go investigate."

"Oh, uh, alright." Pig-Nose Tong didn't understand Guanzai Sam’s plan, but it was an easy enough task.

"Make it quick. I want a report within the day."

"Understood."

...

"Boss Yiu, the big boss is waiting for you inside."

"Ah Tong, what does the boss want with me?" Wang Yaotang tossed him a cigarette.

Pig-Nose Tong tucked it behind his ear and opened the door. "Good things."

Wang Yaotang smirked to himself and stepped inside. "Boss."

"Ah, Yiu. Come, sit," Guanzai Sam greeted him with a smile. "How’s the new shop?"

"Not bad," Wang Yaotang said truthfully. Having a physical storefront provided more privacy, and having Ah Jie’s mother as a clerk made female customers feel more at ease. Judging by the last two days, the sales were already higher than all four street stalls combined.

"Then you’ve struck gold." Guanzai Sam was pleased, thinking of it as his own property. "What are you standing there for? Get Ah Yiu some tea!"

Pig-Nose Tong felt a pang of indignation. *Damn it, I’m a veteran, and now I’m reduced to serving tea?*

"Thanks," Wang said, taking the cup.

Guanzai Sam leaned in. "Are you planning to expand further?"

Wang Yaotang didn't know why he was asking, but he nodded. "I definitely plan to open more shops."

"I knew you were ambitious." Guanzai Sam slapped his thigh and looked at Wang with a grave expression. "Your business is doing well, and that’s great for our Tsim Sha Tsui branch. As your mentor, I can’t just sit by and do nothing—I don't want people saying I’m not supporting you."

"I had Ah Tong investigate. The other gangs are buying from you, but only within a two-street radius. Further out, there are places like Bone-Dragon’s that are secretly getting stock from garment factories. Not only are they stealing your business, they’re blocking your path to expansion."

"Blocking your path, Yiu, is blocking our Tsim Sha Tsui branch. It’s blocking Wo Shing Yee."

"I won't stand by and watch them bully one of our own!" Guanzai Sam stood up, waving his arms. "I told you before, we can't fight everyone at once, so I’ve picked one: Tung Wo Shing."

"Big-Head Seng is selling your goods in the Bo Le Lane area. He has two brothels in the Fali and Union buildings, and over twenty girls working under the Tung Wo Shing banner."

"Tung Wo Shing is a mid-sized outfit. If you can take them down, the triad will handle the negotiations. We’ll support you in taking over those two brothels as your own business, provided you kick back twenty percent to the syndicate."

"Don't worry about manpower. I’ve already talked to Fatty Bor and Ma-Fu Wing. The men in the Tsim Sha Tsui branch are yours to command."

"How about that? Is your boss backing you enough?"

Wang Yaotang stared at Guanzai Sam in silence. *Since when was the old man so generous?* Just a while ago, he had refused to lend him a cent. *Is he actually broad-minded, and was I just being a cynic?*

"Ah Yiu!" Guanzai Sam waved his hand. "What’s wrong? Are you so happy you’ve lost your voice?"