Nanshan, Shenzhen, a high-end villa estate.
Two black Mercedes cars arrived. The butler quickly opened the door to welcome them.
Cao Yang followed Jie Ge out of the car, looking around.
It was his first time seeing such a grand and luxurious house. Compared to his newly bought apartment, his place was nothing more than a doghouse.
"Ah Jie, come in and have a seat," a man in his fifties came out, followed by a young woman in her early twenties.
"Kun Ge, happy birthday," Jie Ge greeted him warmly, then looked at the girl. "Xiao Lu, you're getting more beautiful every year. Have you graduated from university yet?"
"Hehe… still a year to go," the girl replied, calling out "Uncle Tang" with a smile.
Even Jie Ge called this man Kun Ge. Clearly, he was Li Kun, the leader of Yihehui in mainland China.
Cao Yang had expected Li Kun to be formidable. After all, Jie Ge himself was powerful, and he controlled thirteen men as capable as Jie Ge, so Li Kun must be the top dog.
However, Ale was unimpressed and shared insider information unknown to outsiders.
Li Kun was originally from Hong Kong. In his early years, he was a minor leader in the Hong Kong Yihehui but didn't do very well and was sidelined.
At that time, mainland China was opening up, and other triad groups started moving in. His elder brother tasked him with establishing a foothold on the mainland—a responsibility that was more like exile than promotion.
The mainland was extremely poor; the Hong Kong groups didn't pay much attention, thinking of it as a small investment with uncertain returns.
When Li Kun arrived, he began recruiting members. Initially, he only took Cantonese speakers, as the Hong Kong and Guangdong cultures were similar, so language and culture posed no barriers.
Soon, he discovered that men from Sichuan, Hunan, and other provinces were ferocious fighters. He gradually relaxed restrictions, taking anyone brave enough to fight.
At that time, influenced by Hong Kong cinema, mainlanders idolized Hong Kong's wealth and power. Hearing that the Hong Kong Yihehui was recruiting, many outsiders enthusiastically joined, quickly surpassing the numbers of all other triads combined.
But having many men wasn't enough. Other groups mocked him, as the mainland operations weren't profitable initially. Li Kun had to request funds from Hong Kong each month to support his men.
His elder brother, the triad head, felt some guilt for sending him to the mainland, so he generously provided funds but required Li Kun to turn a profit within three years, or else he couldn't justify it to others.
Three years was a long time, but Li Kun's Yihehui started making money in the second year. Seeing the success, Hong Kong invested even more.
Li Kun rapidly invested in bars, nightclubs, dance halls, and brothels, quickly establishing a market presence. By the time other triads reacted, it was too late.
Countless clashes erupted in Shenzhen as rival groups tried to compete, but Li Kun's men were too numerous and fierce—they were defeated again and again.
While expanding in Shenzhen, Li Kun also spread Yihehui influence to Dongguan, Foshan, Zhuhai, and provincial capitals.
Though the mainland was poor, the market was huge. Hong Kong was wealthy but limited in population and had many competitors. By the early 1990s, the mainland Yihehui's annual income exceeded that of Hong Kong, making Li Kun a major contributor.
Whenever he returned to Hong Kong, the triad head personally hosted him and toasted him. For a time, he was at the peak of his career.
Within a few years, Li Kun became dissatisfied with Hong Kong headquarters. Eighty percent of mainland profits had to be sent back. Initially, it was manageable, but as profits grew, he resisted.
Moreover, his elder brother had retired, replaced by someone who had previously been at odds with him. Li Kun directly negotiated with Hong Kong to retain 80% of profits, offering only 20% to headquarters.
Hong Kong was furious and attempted to replace him or eliminate him. But they realized he was irreplaceable: he had built mainland Yihehui from scratch, and all core members were loyal to him. Any replacement would fail and possibly be killed.
Ultimately, Hong Kong had no choice but to accept 20%.
Li Kun enjoyed his success for only a few years before realizing his subordinates were beginning to withhold money and challenge his authority.
Though capable, his earlier success was due to timely decisions and the "windfall effect." As the market matured, his lieutenants grew independent and gradually stopped venerating Hong Kong. They negotiated for larger shares, until now only a token amount was submitted each year.
Currently, the attitude of the lieutenants was: take what you can, or don't ask. They showed Li Kun respect verbally but didn't feel bound by loyalty.
These lieutenants dared to behave this way because they had grown strong on their own. The mainland's environment differed from Hong Kong—no matter how powerful, without higher protection, any organization could be shut down instantly.
The groups remained intact only because rival triads still threatened them. Disbanding would leave them vulnerable.
Jie Ge and Li Kun went up to the third floor, with Cao Yang and Li Lu following.
The two men sat on the balcony drinking tea and chatting in Cantonese. Cao Yang could barely understand.
"Want some fruit?" Li Lu handed him two lychees.
"Thanks, no." Cao Yang waved her off.
"How long have you been with Uncle Tang?" Li Lu asked curiously.
"A few days," Cao Yang replied truthfully.
Li Lu rolled her eyes, clearly skeptical. If Tang Shaojie could bring him here and he stayed by his side, he had to be a trusted subordinate—there was no way it had been just a few days.