12dz Chapter 374 The trend is inevitable! It will be too late if we don't latch onto a powerful figu
Chapter 374 The trend is inevitable! It will be too late if we don't latch onto a powerful figu
"See you in Jingzhou? Will you come too?"
"Okay, okay, that's great! I'll definitely be there tomorrow!"
"Thank you, Mr. Zhao. Thank you. Okay, see you tomorrow!"
Qiu Yanfei hung up the phone, overjoyed.
As soon as he put down his phone, He Hongmiao, who was sitting next to him, frowned and asked:
"Are you really going to Jingzhou tomorrow to treat Wei Guanghong to dinner?"
"Of course I want to! Didn't you hear me just now? I already promised Mr. Zhao!"
At this point, Qiu Yanfei stared at her father with great curiosity.
"You don't think I shouldn't treat him to a meal to apologize, do you?"
He Hongmiao shook his head repeatedly.
"No no."
"It is better to dissolve enemies than to make enemies."
"Having been in the underworld for decades, how could I not understand such a simple principle?"
“Even if we didn’t intend to kill him, it was wrong of us to suddenly change the rules and limit betting amounts, and we should apologize.”
Qiu Yanfei raised an eyebrow and said, "Then why are you asking this when you already know the answer?"
He Hongmiao laughed and said, "I think, what qualifications does Wei Guanghong have to make you personally apologize?"
“I’ve seen plenty of nouveau riche like him, who had some connections in the mainland and made their fortunes through bribery and power after leaving the country to start a business.”
"The kind of people who make money quickly also lose it quickly. Forget about being rich for three generations, a single anti-corruption campaign could be enough to bankrupt them and leave them with nothing."
"Even if we want to prioritize peace and apologize, we can let the casino manager do it. Why do you have to go in person? What if he demands exorbitant compensation?"
He Hongmiao patiently and earnestly imparted his experience in the martial arts world.
Over the past few decades, he has been able to become the gambling king and run his business steadily.
The biggest lesson I've learned is that I should never personally get involved in anything unless absolutely necessary.
You only need to control the overall direction; leave the specific tasks to your subordinates.
This kind of delegation not only makes subordinates more flexible in their work, but also makes them more responsible.
Even if things don't go well, there's still room for maneuver if I personally step in again.
but……
Qiu Yanfei is a young person, so of course she has the ideas of a young person.
“Dad, I admit you’re right, but isn’t it too late to say this now? Mr. Zhao has already made the appointment for me.”
"Besides, with a powerful figure like General Manager Zhao around, how could Wei Guanghong dare to ask for such an exorbitant amount? Don't forget, he's from Northeast China!"
“Northeastern men are inherently generous and righteous. They value face more than money. You tell me, I gave them plenty of face, how could they still have the nerve to ask for compensation?”
He Hongmiao smiled slightly and did not refute.
Having run a casino for many years, the casino has seen many customers from Northeast China.
Whether the money was obtained through greed or earned, they were always quite generous with their spending.
The impression they give is that they're not short of money!
But He Hongmiao really couldn't stand that kind of rough and domineering temperament.
In the 1920s, when the mainland was still in a state of poverty and turmoil due to war, He Hongmiao was born into the prominent He family in Hong Kong.
The family dealt with foreigners, not only engaging in comprador business but also extensively intermarrying with foreigners, resulting in He Hongmiao having multiple nationalities in his blood.
Even though the Great Depression severely damaged the family business, and Hong Kong fell to the Japanese, forcing them to flee to the neutral city of Haomen for refuge, He Hongmiao was not allowed to suffer.
Instead, he took advantage of that turbulent period of war to join forces with several other families to start businesses in shipping, trade, banking, and many other areas, and after the war, he obtained the only casino license.
From then on, the casino became his money-printing machine, providing him with a constant stream of huge sums of money to expand his business empire in Hong Kong and Macau, helping him become a gambling king with wealth beyond measure.
and so……
Born into a wealthy family, He Hongmiao has lived for over eighty years without ever experiencing a day of hardship, yet he has witnessed many impoverished people from mainland China risking their lives to smuggle themselves across the border.
Their relatives and friends were mostly wealthy merchants, nobles, and aristocrats. They firmly controlled the economic lifeline of Hong Kong and Macau, and could remain wealthy for generations by collecting rent.
Therefore, He Hongmiao naturally looked down on nouveau riche.
Especially those like Wei Guanghong, whose money is clearly ill-gotten and who are addicted to gambling.
They might go in at any time; there's no point in befriending them.
Even if you just want to maintain a superficial harmony, you can simply send someone to apologize.
Among her dozen or so children, Qiu Yanfei is the smartest.
Of course, she understood her father's thoughts all too well.
He picked up the sandwich, took a bite, and said as he ate:
“I’m not worried that Wei Guanghong will be hot-blooded and crazy, mistakenly thinking that we are going to kill him, and then retaliate against you or even our entire He family.”
"On the contrary, I think that it's already 2002, and more than 20 years have passed since the reform and opening up. Dad, you should also change your mindset, keep up with the times, and stop looking at the mainland with a rigid and outdated mindset."
"In the past, we were poor and chaotic. In terms of the rule of law, economy, people's livelihood, technology and other aspects, we were not as good as Hong Kong and Macau. But let's not forget where our progress and prosperity came from."
"It's not that the people of our two places are smarter or more hardworking; it's due to various historical reasons that we have become a bridge for trade and personnel exchanges between the mainland and the world."
"Have you forgotten how much money you, Master Huo, and Master Zheng made through smuggling when they were under blockade and embargo because of war and politics?"
"When they no longer needed various scarce materials, but instead began to need trade exports, we acted as a trade transit point and reaped the benefits of financial and foreign trade."
"After decades of sustained economic growth, many people have become accustomed to it and feel that it is only natural for us to be more advanced and prosperous than the mainland, while others are always ignorant and poor country bumpkins who cannot compare to us."
"Few people understand that after China joined the WTO, many cities, including Tianhai and Shenzhen, rose rapidly, while Hong Kong and Macau's special historical status continued to decline, and their decline was only a matter of time!"
"Just like many people in the past made money by smuggling home appliances to the mainland, do you see anyone still smuggling mobile phones, color TVs, refrigerators and the like now? On the contrary, the mainland exports top-notch technology products through Hong Kong."
"In the future, Hong Kong can leverage its unique geographical location and political status to participate in global trade, capitalize on its advantages as a free port, and strive to become an economic and trade center. But what about Haomen?"
"We are a small country with a small population, and our service economy is entirely supported by gambling. If we want to continue to grow, it is obviously not enough to just attract people from other countries. The key is to attract tourists from the mainland!"
"Given this historical trend, I think the He family should change its mindset and attitude in a timely manner. We must find ways to strive for better policies to make it easier for mainland tourists to come to Haomen, instead of discriminating against them!"
Qiu Yanfei spoke these words with a very strong tone.
This startled Qiu Qianhua, who was sitting across from her at the dining table.
"Feifei, how dare you speak to your father like that?"
"When has your father ever discriminated against gamblers from mainland China?"
"They're gods who've come to deliver money; we should be welcoming them, you..."
As soon as He Hongmiao raised his hand, his fourth wife, Qiu Qianhua, immediately shut up.
"Don't scold her. I think she makes a lot of sense. She truly deserves to be called the smartest and most obedient daughter among my seventeen children!"
"What you just said has truly broadened my horizons. I haven't heard such novel viewpoints in a long time. It really shocked me."
"Moreover, what she said makes a lot of sense. If the mainland could produce nuclear weapons when it was poor and backward, how could it not rise rapidly in peacetime?"
"For the future of Haomen, and even more so for the prosperity of our casino business, I think we should actively strive for favorable policies to make it more convenient for more people to come to Haomen."
"The more people come, the more money we can make. There are over a billion people in mainland China. Even if we only have 10,000 to 20,000 more people coming to shop and travel every month, we can make a lot of money!"
Qiu Yanfei wiped her hands.
"Dad, I'm glad you understand. But please don't misunderstand, how could my vision be so advanced?"
"The reason I have this understanding is entirely because I talked with Mr. Zhao about Hong Kong Haomen before."
He Hongmiao was taken aback, quite surprised.
"Are you talking about General Manager Zhao, the Zhao Ruilong who helped you make an appointment with Wei Guanghong earlier?"
"Yes, besides him, who else in mainland China do you think has such good judgment?"
Qiu Yanfei asked in return with a half-smile.
After thinking for a moment, He Hongmiao shook his head slightly.
"I can't imagine."
"I really don't have much contact with people from the mainland."
Qiu Yanfei leaned forward, her expression somewhat agitated.
"We didn't have much contact before, so let's have more contact in the future!"
There's a saying that goes, "No investigation, no right to speak!"
"You haven't even been to the mainland or conducted any in-depth investigations, so what right do you have to say they are still poor and backward?"
As she spoke, Qiu Yanfei picked up the Huilong 3G phone from the table.
“I gave you an MP3 music player before, saying it was very advanced and easy to use. You didn’t quite believe me. After using it and finding it good, you still said that Americans invented it first and that mainlanders only optimized and improved it.”
"After you see and use their world's first 3G phone that can take photos and videos and surf the Internet, you will finally believe that the mainland, which can build rockets and satellites, can indeed master first-class communication technology."
"Since facts speak louder than words, and we need to further improve our relations with the mainland, I think after meeting with Zhao Ruilong in Jingzhou tomorrow, I'll talk to him and try to arrange for you to go there for an on-site inspection."
“I don’t know much about the other laboratories and factories because I haven’t been there, but I visited their chip factory before, and I’m still very impressed by the ultra-clean, modern, and automated production environment.”
He Hongmiao was instantly moved by his daughter's words.
The last time he went to the mainland was decades ago, when he was involved in smuggling and shipping.
Therefore, his impression of the mainland was that the houses were low and dilapidated, the people were emaciated, and even cars were a rarity.
Although I knew from television and newspapers that the mainland economy was developing rapidly, changing every day, I was still aware of its rapid development.
But it's still hard to imagine what it has become now...
"Oh right, I just remembered, hasn't the preparation for the Olympics already started?"
"Since we want to improve relations and secure better policies, why not contribute to the Olympics?"
Qiu Yanfei's words left He Hongmiao completely bewildered.
"What...do you mean? Are you asking me to donate money?"
"Even if the mainland's economic level is not high enough, surely it can't be so low that it doesn't have the money to host the Olympics?"
Qiu Yanfei shook her head decisively.
"Of course, it's not about donating money directly!"
"What I mean is, we can donate and build sports facilities."
"This not only contributed to the Olympics, but also earned us a good reputation."
"Besides, others have already done the thing of donating money to help students, so there's not much point in us following suit."
"I see that many people in mainland China feel very distressed because of the large number of cultural relics lost overseas during the war years."
"If we could find a way to acquire some cultural relics and donate them to our motherland, wouldn't that be very meaningful and easily remembered?"