Qing Ge's flight was an early one. Brother Bao and Da Kui went directly to the airport. Qing Ge wanted to check the site first before heading to the hotel to arrange accommodation.
Jing Lei and Lan Ya cross-checked the guests' flight and accommodation arrangements again, then arranged cars for airport pick-ups.
We borrowed two minibuses from the travel agency and had them run airport pick-ups for guests today.
It was the first time for both of them to do this job, and they were inevitably a bit flustered. Fortunately, both had experience with large events. Although busy, they remained calm, double-checking everything to minimize errors.
We arrived at Sino-Myanmar Street at half-past five in the afternoon.
I asked Wen Siqiang to wait in the car, as I would call him if there were any special circumstances.
It would be much more convenient to buy Wen Siqiang a mobile phone.
When I entered the room, Bo Gang was still sitting in his usual spot, wearing traditional Burmese attire and a headscarf. His bulky frame filled the rattan chair.
Looking at him like this, he didn't resemble a killer at all, but rather an elderly foreigner.
It was a shame he wasn't an ordinary foreigner; his mind was filled with thoughts of murder, robbery, money, and profit.
He looked up at me and said, "That scoundrel Kang Gong is too well-connected. We've all been played. He donated so much and has now become a hero in Myanmar, while we've been left with nothing, labeled as incompetent. They've even stripped me of my military command, leaving me as just a government advisor. Damn it, if I start a guerrilla war and blow a hole in the sky, they'll have to take me seriously then!"
Bo Gang was truly a rough character who resorted to impulsive solutions without thinking. Although we were using him this time, if he had handled it well, he could have benefited for a lifetime. How did it all go so wrong?
I looked at him and asked, "What are your plans?"
Bo Gang replied, "What plans do I have? We need to get our business started quickly. I need a large sum of money to build an army here, and you have to provide it!"
What kind of logic was this? He was building an army, and I had to provide the funds. This was pure banditry.
I said, "Now that Kang Gong is back, will he let me off? He's watching my every move. If we go ahead with this now, it's a death sentence!"
Bo Gang retorted, "This is the only thing I have in my hands. Should I just let it rot? I don't care. You have to figure out a way to get it done. Otherwise, you won't want to live, nor will your wives and concubines."
This was blackmail, constantly bringing them up. They were my weakness, my Achilles' heel, and he hit the mark every time.
I said, "It's going to be difficult anyway. I'll give you a suggestion. The raw stone business here is doing very well, and the demand for finished products in China is huge. As long as you can get the raw stones, I'll help you sell as many as you have, even for free, without taking a single cent from you."
Bo Gang scoffed, "Raw stones? Where would I find raw stones? Unless I rob for them!"
Raw stones were a business, a trade that required investment, but he was talking about outright robbery.
I gave a wry smile. Dealing with someone like him made it impossible to reason.
Bo Gang said, "I have to go back. Get the things I mentioned done quickly. Someone will contact you in the next couple of days!"
I replied, "You also need to consider what I said. You're over there and surely have channels to get stones. As long as the quality is good, this amount of money is not a problem. Why take the risk of a beheading on a treacherous path when you have a clear highway?"
He said, "I'll think about it. In any case, help me make money as soon as possible!"
With that, he got up. I quickly took my leave. Dealing with people like him was like walking on the edge of a knife; the sooner I left, the better.
I got out and got into the car, telling Wen Siqiang, "Let's head back to the Grand World."
Wen Siqiang said nothing and drove off.
Sitting in the car, I felt troubled. The situation with the Crown Prince wasn't resolved. His father's return should have eased some of Bo Gang's pressure, but instead, it had escalated things, leaving me breathless.
I needed to find a breakthrough to untangle this complex web. Otherwise, the three of them would be like a winch, grinding me to death.
When I returned to the office, Lan Ya asked, "Not going well? You look so worried."
I replied, "Yes, Bo Gang has the drugs, and he needs us to launder them. Otherwise, he'll target my family! I suggested he supply us with raw stones, which would be a win-win and not illegal. Guess what? He said he has no raw stones unless he robs for them! Raw stones are a business, bought and sold. He wants to acquire them through force!"
Lan Ya said, "Bo Gang is ultimately a menace. We should discuss this with Brother Bao and get rid of him, otherwise, he'll push us to a dead end."
I agreed, "Yes, I was thinking the same thing on the way. We must find a way to eliminate him!"
Lan Ya picked up the phone and called Brother Bao, asking him to come over to discuss how to get rid of Bo Gang.
At that moment, Wen Siqiang came in and said that all the people we had summoned for training had arrived and asked if we should begin.
I told Lan Ya that I would go to the training class first and that she should inform Brother Bao when he arrived.
We had selected thirty people in total, mainly for security and service, divided into two teams, with two private rooms set aside for training.
They were gathered in one room waiting for me, and we would have separate classes later.
I went over and briefed them on the precautions for the new company opening and the rules for receiving guests. I saw Xiao Hong among the service staff, and she was in charge of this group.
The security team also had a leader, an old employee from the Grand World named San Zi. He was big and burly, dark-skinned, and knew some martial arts.
I had them split into two groups, with one group moving to another room.
The remaining security team members had a simpler training regimen. A mat was placed in the middle of the room, and they paired up for sparring. Those eliminated would wait, and the winners would proceed to the next round.
Those eliminated in the first round would be responsible for intensive training by the team leader for ten days. After ten days, there would be a second competition, and the bottom five would be eliminated.
Being eliminated didn't mean being fired; they would be reassigned to ordinary positions, while the important roles would be filled by the winners.
The female trainees primarily focused on etiquette and Mandarin training. I specifically hired an etiquette teacher from the training company to instruct them.
Just then, my phone rang. Lan Ya informed me that Brother Bao had arrived at the office.
I quickly went to meet Brother Bao.
Brother Bao had likely been briefed by Lan Ya, and his expression was as serious as mine. He must have also realized the gravity of the situation. Bo Gang was putting immense pressure on us.
Brother Bao said, "We'll meet with Qing Ge tomorrow and discuss Bo Gang in detail. If we're going to deal with him, we need to find his stronghold first. I heard from Qing Ge that after the last incident, he hasn't been back to that waterfront villa in Yangon. He might have a base along the border. Qing Ge has already arranged for informants to investigate his activities there. Once we find out, we should eradicate him completely! We can't be like Kang Gong, who can't be killed and has become an enemy. If we can't kill Bo Gang in one go, we'll be the ones to die."
I nodded. Yes, if we couldn't kill him in one attempt, our lives would be on a countdown.
Bo Gang came from a guerrilla background and had experience in jungle warfare. The terrain in the old Burmese mountains was crisscrossed, rugged, and difficult to access. He could defend or attack, which was very disadvantageous for us. To fight him, we had to put in a hundred times the effort; we could only win, never lose!