by Ian Hamilton
“You have my promise that neither the Ministry of Public Security nor the PLA will interfere, now or in the future, with any of your business dealings in Hong Kong,” Tao said. “And we’ll pay you for any specific services you provide.”
“That’s not enough,” Uncle said quickly. “My colleagues are naturally mistrustful. In fact, when I told one of them of Leji’s assurance that triads would not be persecuted, he asked me for the source of that information. When I told him I couldn’t breach a confidence, he accused me of lying. And that colleague, gentlemen, is someone I consider to be more friend than foe.”
“What more do you want?” asked Tao.
“I need to think about that,” Uncle said. “This has caught me off guard.”
“I am here only for this evening. Can you think quickly?”
“Can I have a few hours?” Uncle asked.
“How about two? That will give me time to have dinner and finish some work with my assistants.”
“Yes, two will be fine.”
“Then off you go.”
“Before I leave, there’s another matter I want to return to,” said Uncle. “I told you earlier that I lead just one gang. I have no right to speak for any of the others.”
“I thought we could talk about that, and the opportunities and challenges it presents, after we reach some form of agreement,” Tao said.
“What value is an agreement if I can’t bind my brothers to it. If it’s simply between you and me?”
“Leji mentioned that the gang structure in Hong Kong could be an issue, and we did discuss it,” Tao said. “We won’t make a commitment to just one gang. You need to persuade all of them, or at the very least a majority of them, to accept the agreement.”
“A majority might be a possibility if the offer is tempting enough,” Uncle said. “Are there any other conditions I need to know about?”
“There is one,” Tao said. “Even if all the gangs agree to work with us, we can’t deal with each of them separately. They will have to appoint a representative with whom we can deal directly, who can speak on their behalf and manage the relationship with us. You are here for a reason, Uncle. We want you to be that representative.”
“While my colleagues may accept that you want to deal with a single voice, they won’t take kindly to your imposing me — or anyone else — on them,” said Uncle.
“Well, frankly, we’re not interested in dealing with anyone else. So factor that into what you think you’ll need from us to persuade your brothers to support you.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
“I wish I had known what to expect,” Uncle said to Leji as they made their way back to Ko Lan and the others.
“I apologize, but the Minister wanted to do it this way. I hope you aren’t disappointed with his basic proposal. It could be good for all the parties involved.”
“Does your uncle support this?”
“Yes, and so does Chairman Deng. My uncle was particularly insistent that you be the triad representative moving forward,” Leji said. “I realize that may put you in an awkward position with your colleagues, but I also think it could strengthen your negotiating position with the Minister.”
“Do you have any idea what he’s prepared to offer?”
“No, but I know there’s more than a handful of people in Hong Kong he is desperate to get back into China.”
Leji opened the door to the private dining room. Ms. Ko looked at them and smiled as they entered. She knew what that meeting was going to be about, Uncle thought.
The table was covered with platters of food and a large ice bucket filled with bottles of Tsingtao. Uncle reached for a beer. “Ladies, you’ll have to excuse me, but I need to speak to Fong in private. We’ll go outside to our car. Save us some food for when we get back,” he said.
Fong looked questioningly at him but didn’t say a word as he got to his feet, picking up the beer he’d been drinking.
“We won’t take two hours,” Uncle said to Leji.
As Uncle and Fong left the room, Fong noticed the armed guards standing outside the other door. “Is that where you were?” he asked.
“Yes, but let’s not talk about it until we’re in the car.”
The BMW was parked at the curb about fifty metres from the restaurant. The driver saw them approaching and leapt out to open the back door.
“We aren’t going anywhere right now. We just need to speak in private. Go grab something to eat,” Uncle said to him.
Uncle slid into the back seat. Fong joined him and said, “What the hell is going on?” before the door closed behind him.
“I just met with Tao Siju, China’s Minister of Public Security.”
“What did he want?” Fong asked, his voice immediately full of concern.
“Don’t panic. He’s not here to cause us grief. It’s actually rather the opposite. He’s offered us what I think could be a fantastic opportunity. The thing is, I can’t decide whether it’s legitimate or a ploy to get us to do some messy work for them, at the end of which they’ll dump us, or worse,” Uncle said. “What makes me want to believe it’s legit is Leji’s involvement, and the fact that Tao is a friend of Liu Huning. Tao told me — and Leji concurred — that Huning and Deng both approve of the offer.”
“What offer?” Fong asked, his concern still evident.
It took Uncle twenty minutes to relate in detail everything he and Tao had discussed. Fong listened intently. When Uncle had finished, Fong placed his hand on his colleague’s forearm and squeezed. “This is incredible, almost unbelievable. No wonder you have questions about whether it’s real or not,” he said.
“Assuming it is, what do you think we should ask for in exchange for helping?”
Fong finished his beer and wiped his mouth with his sleeve. “They want us to do their dirty work in Hong Kong, right?”
“Yes. And taking so-called criminals back to China might just be the start of it. Who knows what else they’ll ask us to do next, so we can’t completely give up the right to say no to them.”
“For what Tao is talking about, we could attach a big price to every head. Make them pay.”
“He mentioned that they’d pay us, but I don’t like that idea. It would make us look like hired goons instead of partners,” Uncle said. “I want something more substantial, something with a longer-term payback, something that ties us closer to them and gives us extra protection in the process.”
“Like what?”
“Xu is doing well in Shanghai, and we’re established in some of the special economic zones, but the rest of China is still off-limits to triads,” said Uncle. “What if we asked them to open up more of the country to us? Allow us to set up shop in specific cities and operate freely without having to worry about police or the PLA.”
“That’s a huge request. Do you think they’d consider it?”
“I don’t know. And I won’t know unless I ask,” said Uncle.
“If you could pull that off, it would give us all kinds of leverage with the other gangs, especially if you were the one deciding who got to set up where.”
“I’m not sure making those decisions by myself would be smart. Which brings us to the issue of the Communists wanting to deal directly with me. How do we make that work without alienating every other gang?”
“You could be overthinking that one,” Fong said. “Let’s face it, you’re already the de facto leader in the Territories.”
“I’m not going to pretend that I don’t think of myself as a leader, but there are a lot of egos out there that need to be massaged, and I’ve always been careful to consult and ask for advice. Making the other Mountain Masters feel that they’re part of the decision-making process is one of the reasons I think we’re close to a real coalition. And truthfully, they have to be part of the process, because at the end of the day we are equals.”
> “Some are more equal than others. They all know that, even if they won’t say it, and they also know you’re the most equal.”
“Still, I have to be careful not to get too far ahead of myself. I need to keep everyone moving with me at the same pace.”
“Then you need a structure that will satisfy both the Mountain Masters and the Communists, because you can’t keep having meetings with sixty people,” Fong said. “I also think you have to accept that, no matter what you do, some of those pricks in Kowloon and on the Island will never be satisfied.”
“You could be right about Man, but if I can cut a deal — providing proof positive that the Chinese government’s attitude towards triads is the exact opposite of everything he’s been saying — I have to believe he’ll lose his allies. We’ll isolate him.”
“If you do, and if you can get some Kowloon and Island gangs to buy into the proposal, you’ll have to make them part of the decision-making process. You won’t be dealing solely with our friends in the Territories.”
Uncle shook his head. “This is getting more complicated by the minute. All I wanted was to surround Fanling with allies and secure the Territories from outside aggression.”
“However this turns out, you’re going to achieve that. This is gravy. This could be win-win-win,” Fong said.
Uncle laughed. “Listen to us, making plans when I haven’t even reached a deal with Tao.”
“Knowing you, Uncle, you will.”
“If I do, then is the time to talk about how we convince the other gangs to join us. For now, I’m going to focus on how to get the best possible deal.”
“Do you want me to leave you alone?” Fong asked.
“No. We should get back to our partners,” Uncle said. “How was your meeting with them?”
Fong smiled. “I knew we hadn’t been invited here to discuss cold-storage warehouses. Ms. Ko barely spent ten minutes on them, and then she told me she’ll agree with whatever you decide.”
“Does she want to build two of them?”
“Yeah.”
“What do you think?”
“They make sense. I think we should spend the money, but she wants to hear that from you.”
“Then let’s go tell her and get something to eat.”
CHAPTER THIRTY
The table had been cleared when Uncle and Fong rejoined the Liu family. Uncle’s disappointment must have been obvious, because Ms. Ko was quick to say, “Uncle, I can’t have you eating cold food. I told the manager to bring you something fresh and hot when he saw you return. It should be here in a few minutes.”
“Thank you, Lan,” said Uncle. “Fong told me you had an excellent discussion about the cold-storage warehouses.”
“He agrees with Meilin and I that we should build them, but what do you think?”
“Let’s do it.”
She smiled. “I won’t ask about your other meeting, but I want to say that my husband is very hopeful some agreement will be reached.”
A knock at the door deflected everyone’s attention. “Come in,” Leji said.
The table was reset for Uncle with plates, bowls, spoons, and chopsticks. A moment later the food arrived, and conversation dwindled as he ate. When he had finished, Uncle looked at his watch. “I’m going outside for a smoke and a walk. I think better when I’m walking. I’ll be back in time to resume our meeting,” he said to Leji.
One cigarette turned into four as Uncle paced back and forth along the sidewalk. His challenge had been clearly identified by Fong. Somehow he had to find a way to give the Chinese government what they wanted while protecting the long-term interests of the triad gangs. What he didn’t know, and what was causing him concern, was how the Chinese would react if they couldn’t reach an agreement. He wished he’d discussed that with Fong or, better yet, with Leji.
He kept thinking about something Xu had said during their last call — that remaining neutral wasn’t an option. Was that really true? Would inability to reach an agreement be interpreted by the Chinese government as a rejection rather than a failed negotiation? And if it was considered to be a rejection, what would be the consequences? Could it put the existing triad footholds in China at risk? What else had Xu said? One thing came immediately to mind: Xu had told him he should take Leji’s advice.
Leji was waiting outside their private room when Uncle returned. “One of the Minister’s assistants came to tell me he’s ready for us,” he said.
“Before we head over there, I have something I want to ask you. I’d like you to be brutally honest with your answer,” Uncle said.
“That sounds ominous.”
“It’s an important question,” Uncle said. “Tell me, am I in a position to say no to the Minister’s offer?”
“Have you decided to say no?” Leji asked, looking uncomfortable.
“No, I haven’t. My mind is still open. What I’m asking is, if I chose to say no, what would be the consequences?”
“You would be throwing away the chance to establish a very beneficial relationship.”
“I understand that, but would there be repercussions?”
Leji hesitated, then looked directly into Uncle’s eyes. “I think it would be sensible to expect some. I don’t know what form they might take but, despite his pleasant demeanour, the Minister can be vengeful. He was sent here to arrange a deal. If he goes back to Beijing without one, it won’t sit well with some people we know, and he’ll be blamed.”
“So I’m going to walk out of here either his friend or his enemy.”
“I think that’s an accurate assessment.”
“What’s your advice?”
“Make a deal,” Leji said quickly. “My uncle wouldn’t have arranged this meeting if we didn’t think it’s the right thing to do. But don’t feel that your hands are tied when it comes to negotiations. Make your demands clear. No offence will be taken; the Minister respects you.”
“Thanks for your honesty, Leji,” Uncle said. “I’m ready to speak with the Minister.”
The officer who had escorted them earlier in the evening opened the door as they approached. Tao Siju was alone in the room.
“Uncle, I hope your time was productive,” Tao said.
“There was a lot to think about,” Uncle said as he sat down.
“Indeed. And what conclusion did you reach?”
“We are prepared to work with you and we are pleased that you think enough of us to have made the initial offer,” said Uncle.
“But not pleased enough to accept it as presented?”
“Obviously your promise that we will be allowed to conduct our business without fear of reprisals is important, and readily accepted,” Uncle said. “But your offer to pay us for our services is something we would rather decline.”
“No money? That’s a surprise. I expected you to be a hard bargainer when we got into the details of payment.”
“If we take your money, we’ll be nothing more than contract employees working from project to project. If you want a long-term relationship — you’re talking about more than fifty years — we would like to view ourselves as your partners, albeit very junior partners. Money is not that important to us if that’s the situation. We’d rather build trust based on performance and earn the right to ask for favours.”
“I see the logic behind that decision. But if you don’t want money, what is it that you do want?”
Uncle leaned towards Tao. “My associate Xu has been permitted to conduct business in Shanghai for the past ten years. Several other associates operate enterprises in the special economic zones. In every case we are making investments, contributing to the local economy, and working in concert with government officials at all levels,” he said. “We want assurance that those businesses will be as equally protected as those in Hong Kong.”
“That’s a given.”
“Thank you. And we would like to expand into other parts of China. To start with, I would like from you a list of five cities with a population of more than one million where we would be allowed to do business. The operations would be conducted in the same manner as in Shanghai and the SEZs, and that includes working with anyone you choose to designate.”
“Five cities?”
“To start with. If after five years you’re satisfied with our working relationship in Hong Kong, we will ask that you designate another five cities.”
“That is an intriguing proposal, but it’s not something I can offer without consulting my colleagues.”
“If this will help with the consultation, you can tell them I’ve requested a list of the ten criminals on your list you most want to have returned to China. If we reach an agreement, we’ll start rounding them up immediately. You’ll find that we’re a very efficient organization.”
“I’ve been told that is true,” Tao said. “But, going back to your request, being allowed to expand in China is your priority?”
“It is.”
“Is that all you want in addition to protection for your current businesses?”
“No, there’s one more thing. And I’ll preface my request by saying that I think it’s necessary if I’m to persuade the majority of my colleagues to accept your proposal.”
“I can’t imagine what that might be,” Tao said.
“I need your direct involvement in convincing them that this is a genuine offer.”
“They won’t take your word for it?”
“Some will, some might, and some most certainly won’t. I believe that if you can persuade those who might, it will give us a majority,” Uncle said. “Another reason for this request is, if they accept a deal based solely on what I tell them and it doesn’t work out, I’ll be the target of more criticism than you can imagine. And truthfully, it might not be limited to verbal criticism. I can’t risk the possibility of being hung out to dry like that.”
“Assuming I am prepared to help, what do you have in mind?” Tao asked.
