We arrived at Sino-Myanmar Street at five-thirty in the afternoon.
I asked Wen Siqiang to wait for me in the car, and I would call him if there were any special circumstances.
I should buy Wen Siqiang a mobile phone; it would be much more convenient.
When I entered the house, Bo Gang was still sitting in his original spot. He was wearing traditional Burmese attire and a headscarf. His bulky frame completely filled the rattan chair.
Looking at him like this, he didn't seem like a murderous demon at all, but rather an elderly man from a foreign land.
It's a shame he wasn't just an ordinary foreigner; his mind was filled with robbery and murder, driven solely by money and profit.
He looked up at me and said, "That bastard Kong Gong is too well-connected. We were all set up. After all his donations, he's now hailed as a hero in Myanmar, while we're left looking like fools, on top of being branded as incompetent. They've even stripped me of my military command, leaving me only as a government consultant. Damn it, if they don't treat me with respect, I'll go back to guerilla warfare and blow this place up!"
Bo Gang was indeed a rough character, prone to solving problems with impulse rather than thought. Although we had used him this time, if he had played his cards right, he could have reaped benefits for a lifetime. How did it all go wrong?
I looked at him and asked, "What are your plans?"
Bo Gang replied, "What plans can I have? We need to get our business started immediately. I need a large sum of money to build an army, and you have to sort that out for me!"
What kind of logic was that? He builds an army, and I have to sort it out? It was sheer bandit logic.
I said, "Now that Kong 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 all I have left. Am I supposed to wait for it to go moldy? I don't care; you need to find a way to get rid of it, or you won't get to keep your life, nor the lives of your wives and concubines."
He had me trapped, and he kept bringing up my family, my weakness, my Achilles' heel, hitting the mark every time.
I said, "It's difficult no matter what. I have an idea. The raw stone business is doing very well here, and there's a huge demand for finished products back home. If you can get your hands on the raw stones, I'll help you sell as many as you can, even for free. I won't take a single cent from you."
Bo Gang scoffed, "Raw stones? Where am I supposed to find raw stones? Unless I steal them!"
Raw stones were a business, a trade that required investment. But he, unashamedly, spoke of stealing them.
I gave a wry smile. There was no reasoning with such a person.
Bo Gang stood up, saying, "I have to go back. Get moving on what I told you. Someone will contact you in the next few days!"
I said, "You also need to consider what I said. Since you're there, you must 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 being beheaded on a narrow path when you have a sunlit avenue?"
He replied, "I'll think about it. But in any case, help me make money as soon as possible!"
With that, he stood up, and I quickly took my leave. Dealing with someone like him was like dancing on the edge of a blade; the sooner I left, the better.
I walked out and got into the car. I told Wen Siqiang, "Let's go back to the Grand World."
Wen Siqiang didn't say a word and started driving.
Sitting in the car, I felt troubled. I still hadn't settled things with the Crown Prince. His father had been released, which should have eased some of the pressure from Bo Gang. But now, it was as if the stakes had been raised exponentially, making it suffocating.
I needed to find a breakthrough to unravel this complex situation. Otherwise, the three of them would be like a winch, slowly grinding me to death.
When I returned to my office, Lan Ya asked, "Is something wrong? You look so solemn."
I replied, "Yes. Bo Gang has illegal goods, and he needs us to help him sell them, or he'll threaten my family! I suggested he supply us with raw stones, which would be a win-win situation and wouldn't involve any illegal activity. Guess what he said? He claims he doesn't have any raw stones and that he'd have to steal them! Raw stones are a business, bought and sold. He wants to acquire them through force!"
Lan Ya commented, "This Bo Gang is ultimately a menace. We should discuss it with Brother Leopard. It would be best to eliminate him, otherwise, he'll drive us into a corner."
I agreed, "Yes, I was thinking the same thing on the way. We must find a way to get rid of him!"
Lan Ya picked up the phone and called Brother Leopard, asking him to come over so we could discuss how to deal with Bo Gang.
Just then, Wen Siqiang entered and said that all the people we had summoned for training had arrived and asked if I wanted to begin.
I told Lan Ya that I would go to the training class first and asked her to inform me when Brother Leopard arrived.
We had selected thirty people in total, primarily for security and service. They were divided into two teams, and two private rooms were set aside for their training.
They were gathered in one room waiting for me, and they would be separated for classes later.
I went over and gave them some instructions regarding the opening of the new company and etiquette. I noticed Xiao Hong was also in the service staff team, and she was responsible for this group.
The security team also had a team leader selected. He was an old employee from the Grand World named Sanzi. He was tall and burly, dark-skinned, and knew some martial arts.
I had them divide into two groups, with one group moving to another room.
The remaining security team 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, while the winners would proceed to the next round.
Those eliminated in the first round would be put under intensive training by the team leader for ten days. After ten days, a second competition would be held, and the bottom five would be dismissed.
Dismissal didn't mean firing; they would only be assigned to ordinary positions. The important roles would be filled by the winners.
For the female staff, the training focused on etiquette and Mandarin. I specifically found an etiquette teacher from the training company to instruct them.
At that moment, my phone rang. Lan Ya informed me that Brother Leopard had arrived at the office.
I quickly went to meet him.
Brother Leopard must have been briefed by Lan Ya about the situation. His expression was as grim as mine, and he surely understood the seriousness of the matter. Bo Gang was putting immense pressure on us.
Brother Leopard stated, "We will meet with Qing Ge tomorrow to discuss Bo Gang in detail. If we want to deal with him, we must first find his stronghold. I heard from Qing Ge that after the last incident, he hasn't been back to that villa on the water in Yangon. He likely has a base of operations along the border. Qing Ge has already arranged for informants to investigate his activities there. Once we locate him, we should eradicate him completely! We can't afford to make the same mistake as with Kong Gong – if he's not killed, he becomes 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 mountains of Myanmar were rugged, the terrain treacherous, and the transportation inconvenient. He could defend or attack at will, which put us at a significant disadvantage. Fighting him would require a hundredfold effort; we could only win, never afford to lose!