sinovels Chapter 11 The Luohu Situation: Finding the Snakehead
Chapter 11 The Luohu Situation: Finding the Snakehead
"Hong Kong Island? You two kids seem pretty down-to-earth, what were you thinking?"
Wang Feng paused for a moment before slowly speaking.
Wang Yang and Liu Hui were dressed plainly and unremarkable, leading Wang Feng to mistake them for two young people trying to make a living.
"When you're young, you have to take risks."
"Being a smuggler doesn't earn as much as working in a factory."
Wang Feng sprinkled some chopped green onions, stir-fried and reduced the sauce, and dismissed the two men's words.
Pure, natural bok choy, paired with a dish of stir-fried soybeans, makes a perfect dinner.
"Why? A smuggler can easily make several hundred yuan by making a single trip and pocketing just two cartons of cigarettes, right?"
Liu Hui asked blankly, as Wang Yang had explained some basic knowledge about reselling goods to him.
"Reselling" refers to buying goods cheaply in Hong Kong Island and then reselling them in mainland China for ten or more times the price.
The profit margins are huge, making it the first pot of gold for many business owners.
"Heh heh, you two don't even understand the situation of parallel traders, yet you want to go to Hong Kong Island to become parallel traders?"
Wang Feng grinned as he looked at the stunned Liu Hui.
There are many tricks to smuggling, it all depends on whether these two kids are sensible enough.
"We didn't say we wanted to be the water..."
Liu Hui was about to say that they weren't there to be smugglers, but to buy goods, when Wang Yang grabbed him.
"We heard that smugglers can make a lot of money, so we came to this place. We don't know the ins and outs of it, so please explain, Uncle."
Wang Yang took out a hundred yuan from his pocket and threw it directly in front of Wang Feng.
This is money for asking for directions.
Wang Yang needed to learn about the specific situation of local human traffickers and smugglers from Wang Feng.
Wang Feng is raising his child alone and is short of money; it seems that only money can get him to talk.
"Hey, I knew you were on the right track."
Upon seeing the dark blue relief of the leader, Wang Feng immediately beamed with joy.
Wang Feng was originally thinking about how to fool them and prevent the two young men from going astray.
Unexpectedly, Wang Yang was so accommodating that he immediately slipped him a hundred yuan.
Wang Yang's easygoing personality allowed him to get along well in the smuggling circle, and it was fine for him to talk about smuggling.
It's definitely not because of money.
"In every industry, seniority and status matter, and reselling is no exception."
"When the special economic zone was first established, the Huang family from Chaoshan came to Luohu as a group."
"That was the craziest time. They weren't trying to resell goods; they wanted to do business in Hong Kong Island."
"It's amazing, really. Mazu gave us a holy grail, and the Chaoshan people dared to risk being shot and jump into the Shenzhen River with an oil drum in their arms."
Wang Feng paused here, picked up a piece of cabbage, as if recalling something.
"And then? Uncle, didn't Kai just say you went too?"
Liu Hui had no appetite; he only wanted to know the fate of these Chaoshan people.
The famous exodus to Hong Kong included many capable individuals who stirred up trouble on Hong Kong Island, made a name for themselves, and became local bigwigs.
"Hehe, that's where my nickname for crossing the mountain came from."
Wang Feng, with two plates of pickled vegetables on his plate, began to tell the two of them his story.
During the brigade's era, Wang Feng had more than a dozen people under his command, responsible for taking care of the team's fishponds.
The Chaoshan people found Wang Feng and asked to board his boat as cover to cross the river.
Wang Feng agreed because his son had just gotten married and needed money.
Later, as the situation became more tense and policies tightened, with a crackdown on illegal immigration, Wang Feng lost his job.
Those Chaoshan people who didn't manage to smuggle themselves across the border stayed in Luohu, renting land to do business, making things like beef balls.
Until two or three years ago, the market was relaxed and a wave of reselling arose. These Chaoshan people rose rapidly and became smugglers, monopolizing the smuggling circle.
"So, to become a parallel trader, you have to pay homage to the authorities?"
After hearing Wang Feng's story, Wang Yang asked a question.
Wang Yang originally only knew that this was what they did, but he didn't know the ins and outs of it.
That hundred yuan was well spent.
"Of course, you can try making it yourself."
"The Shenzhen River, and reports from fellow industry professionals, can be fatal."
Even if you're incredibly lucky and manage to make two safe trips back with the goods, you still won't be able to sell them.
As the reselling industry matures, resellers are also working to bring goods into the legitimate market.
In Luohu Village, many factories have quotas for "processing with supplied materials, processing with supplied samples, processing with supplied parts, and compensation trade," which is what they do.
This is why the Chaoshan people who control the quotas can monopolize the entire smuggling circle and define the status of the circle.
Locals acquire land, lease it to Chaoshan people, and then give them factory permits to build factories, making a profit in the process.
The Chaoshan people have sales channels, and their families have established themselves in Hong Kong Island a few years ago, so they naturally become the rule-makers in the entire circle.
Being a snakehead (human smuggler) naturally makes money.
Other young people from other places who come to Luohu can only rely on the docks of the Chaoshan people and become low-level smugglers.
Low-level smugglers bear the most dangerous part of transporting goods, and how much they earn depends entirely on the whims of the smugglers.
Rather than working as a smuggler and risking one's life to gain experience, it's better to work in a factory.
"So don't believe in those get-rich-quick dreams. Even if you could really make a fortune, it wouldn't be for you outsiders. Come with me to the factory."
Wang Feng didn't hide anything and helped the two analyze the key points.
"Thank you, sir, but I'm determined to become a smuggler. I hope you can introduce me to a few smugglers."
Wang Yang refused Wang Feng's offer, then took out another hundred yuan and asked Wang Feng to introduce him to a snakehead.
This trip to Luohu was to find a human trafficker.
"Huh? I thought you were on the right track, but I never imagined you were such a clueless idiot?"
Wang Feng stood up and looked Wang Yang up and down, trying to figure out what was going on.
Wang Feng didn't understand. He had made himself perfectly clear, so why did Wang Yang still want to go and pay homage to the snakehead?
What exactly is this guy trying to do?
"To be honest, I'm here to pick up goods, not to be a smuggler."
Wang Yang looked at the puzzled Wang Feng and explained his purpose.
"Huh? You're the boss? What kind of boss are you? Stop making me laugh."
Wang Feng stopped in his tracks, as if he had heard a joke.
Young, plainly dressed, with calloused hands—what kind of boss is this?
However, judging from Wang Yang's calm demeanor, he probably isn't really some young master from a wealthy family.
"I'm not the boss, I'm here to pick up goods, it's that simple."
Wang Yang isn't really a boss right now; he's just leading his team on projects.
"Hey, you should have said so earlier."
Wang Feng slapped his thigh; he really thought he had neglected some big boss.
He's just a buyer, why is he acting all high and mighty?
"Okay, there's a smuggling operation tomorrow night. I'll take you there."
You take someone's money and do their bidding.
Wang Feng earned 230 yuan and a pack of Zhonghua cigarettes, so he was naturally willing to help introduce the business.
In the eyes of Chaoshan people, seniority is the most important thing.
Wang Feng's past experiences earned him the respect of several local human traffickers.
Of course, only a few points.
For Wang Feng, introducing customers to smugglers to pick up goods was not a difficult task.
……
Wang Feng, carrying a flashlight, led Wang Yang and Liu Hui towards the low hill by the river.
The group only stopped when they could no longer hear the noise from Luohu Village.
Two tall figures appeared ahead, wielding gleaming machetes.
"Who's there? If you come any closer, you won't be so polite!"