Chapter 727
Nouveau riche
Deep inside the club, through a door integrated into the wall, up the stairs, and through another door, you enter a dimly lit room. In one corner, you see a "7"-shaped sofa set with a floor lamp at one end. Carlo Gambino sits under the lamp.
To his left sat Paolo Castellano, and to his right sat three women: two women in their early thirties and a girl of about sixteen or seventeen between them. Behind him stood Thomas.
With a son and a trusted cousin in the picture, the identities of the three women must also be extraordinary.
In less than two seconds, Sin Yiu-man saw the situation inside the house and met Carlo Gambino, who was warmly welcoming him.
"Adam, my friend."
Sin Yiu-man hugged Gambino, who had his arms outstretched. "Carlo, you seem to be in a good mood."
“I haven’t had too many worries lately.” Gambino pulled away from Sin Yiu-man’s embrace and gestured in Thomas’s direction. “Thomas, my son, is in the trucking business.”
Upon hearing this, Thomas stepped forward and greeted Sin Yiu-man, "Mr. Hepburn, I am Thomas Gambino."
"Hello, Thomas."
Sin Yiu-man and Thomas shook hands, sketching out the so-called trucking business in his mind—controlling joint truck drivers to raise prices, forcing businesses that need transportation to use only "his" trucks, and then collecting "commissions" from the truck drivers.
Truck drivers will likely also help transport some smuggled goods, creating a ready-made drug transportation network once the drug trade flourishes.
Gambino had already set his sights on drugs at this point?
"Carmela Lombardo, the family's financial advisor."
Carmela was the woman sitting on the far right. When she came forward, Sin Yiu-man shook her hand gently. "Madam, I would like to invite you to dinner another day. Not at the Mussel House in Lombardo, but at another restaurant."
“I look forward to it,” Carmela said with a faint smile.
"My cousin Anna, and my niece Maria."
Upon hearing this introduction, Sin Yiu-man felt a sense of disgust.
In Mafia culture, women have little status and are merely appendages of men. For example, Carmela Lombardo's ability to become the financial advisor to the Gambino family easily suggests that she comes from a Mafia family and married another Mafia member, Lombardo.
Lombardo is definitely dead, most likely at the hands of a rival family. Carmela took over her husband's criminal activities, became a full member of the family, and then demonstrated a talent for money laundering, gradually becoming a pivotal figure in the family.
Marriage has long been used in European history as an important means of consolidating power, building alliances, and expanding influence; otherwise, it would not be possible for royal families all over Europe to be related by marriage. This fine tradition was inherited by the Mafia and modified to suit their own needs.
If you randomly pick a Mafia member with a certain status, his wife will almost certainly come from another Mafia family. Whether she is a sister or cousin, there will always be one of them who married into another Mafia family or is a subordinate they need to win over.
The next generation is the same; the heir will always marry the daughter or niece of another Mafia family. One of the daughters or nieces will always marry into another Mafia family, unless the person disobeys the arrangement and completely breaks away from the family.
The fact that Anna is sitting here, and that Gambino hasn't mentioned her surname, implies that Anna's surname is Gambino, means she must be a widow, though it's hard to guess how many times she's been widowed.
As for not introducing Maria's surname, it's not to show intimacy. The blood relationship of the younger generation follows the paternal line. Not introducing Maria's surname in front of an outsider like Sin Yiu-man is disrespectful to her father's family.
This suggests that Maria's father may have been a member of the Gambino family, who committed some serious crime and was executed by the family, and was ashamed to mention his surname. It is also possible that Maria's father was surnamed Gambino, and was a distant cousin or even more distant relative of Carlo Gambino.
Since Maria was brought here, it can only mean that the second possibility is more likely: she is indeed a member of the Gambino family, but...
"What does that bastard Carlo mean? Does he want to be my great-uncle? Does he think he can treat me like a member of the Mafia?"
Anna walked toward him with Maria, their faces a stark contrast: Anna's face showed resignation to fate, while Maria's face showed resistance and defiance.
"Hello, Ms. Anna."
"Hello, Mr. Hepburn."
Sin Yiu-man stepped forward and gave Anna a cheek kiss, then turned to Maria and said, "Miss Maria, hello."
Maria, suppressing her anger, replied, "Hello, Mr. Hepburn."
Perhaps because Maria wasn't very welcoming, Gambino said, "Adam, please sit here."
Sin Yiu-man nodded to Maria and then sat down next to Gambino by the lamp.
"Adam, would you like a glass of Passeto?"
"OK."
Gambino gave Thomas a look, then said, "The cosmetics business hasn't even started yet?"
“Yes.” Sin Yiu-man nodded. “Carlo, the previous business model was to make law enforcement selectively blind. This time I want to make a change and cooperate with people who stand on the side of the law. It’s difficult, but we are close to success.”
Of course, this is my personal problem, and I can't let you share the risk. Give me two days to raise the cash, or I'll deposit the money into an Italian account.
"Adam, we are good friends. I'm just concerned and not trying to collect a debt from you. Since you're okay, I can wait."
“Thank you for your trust.” Xian Yaowen took the wine from Thomas, nodded to him, and then placed the glass on the table. “Carlo, I have some stocks with a face value of $159,345 and a net worth of $1,784,664. I would like to ask you to help me sell them. The price can be a little lower.”
"How many?"
"$215 million."
"Too expensive." Gambino shook his head.
“Gold, at $36/ounce, I can provide 2 ounces; at $40/ounce, I can provide 10 ounces.”
"Send it to the United States?"
"The transaction will take place in Singapore."
Gambino thought for a moment, then said, "Send it off the coast of New York."
Sin Yiu-man raised his glass. "Deal."
Where should the money be sent?
"Pay with one hand and deliver with the other hand."
Gambino raised his glass in a toast, "Is there any more gold?"
"Not this year, but probably next year."
"I want them all, the price is negotiable."
Sin Yiu-man raised his glass again in a toast, then took a small sip. "A few days ago, I registered a new company and plan to buy a plot of land in the suburbs of Brooklyn to build a golf course. The land and course construction costs will be about $28."
I want to subcontract all the pre-operation work to you. You'll advance the funds to start construction, and I'll charge you 40% interest, to be settled within three years. If you fail to settle by the due date, I'll give you a portion of the stadium's shares in return.
"What kind of guests will be entertained after the stadium opens?"
"Carol, do you know Ward McAllister?"
"Of course, how could I not know about the social czar of the Gilded Age?"
Sin Yiu-man nodded slightly. "The Gilded Age was a golden age for businessmen. Laissez-faire and social Darwinism dominated American political culture. Neither the Democratic nor the Republican president had much impact on America's economic ideology and economic environment."
In such a golden age, McAllister did not make money during the California Gold Rush, but instead became a nouveau riche by marrying a woman.
This nouveau riche, upon arriving in New York, constantly sought Nick Burke's approval, causing quite a stir and making a fool of himself. In 1892, he published a list of 400 people in the *New York Times*, claiming that New York's high society consisted of only 400 people.
Sin Yiu-man shrugged. “A ridiculous list. More than three hundred nouveau riche are on it. Nick Burke, who’s on the list, would love to kill McAllister.”
Gambino laughed heartily, and the others laughed along, but not as unrestrainedly as he did.
[Knickerbocker: A surname dating back to early settlers in the New Netherland. Initially used to refer to Manhattan aristocrats, it later became a general term for New Yorkers, but its use declined significantly by the 1950s.]
"Now, only half a century later, countless families on the list have disappeared. The old aristocrats recognized by the public have become Rockefeller, Morgan, and Vanderbilt. The nouveau riche who made their fortunes during the Great Depression are transforming into old aristocrats. They are setting up barriers to prevent the nouveau riche who made their fortunes today from integrating into their society."
This is human nature and understandable; no one wants to share profits with too many people, especially latecomers. Only God is selfless; whether you start work at 5 PM or 8 AM, you'll get a dollar.
Sin Yiu-man swirled his wine glass and said quietly, "In October 1865, Leland Stanford, a shareholder of the Central Pacific Railroad and Governor of California, wrote a letter to then-President Johnson:
Your Excellency the President:
To resolve the stalled Sierra Nevada project, we hired a group of Chinese laborers. As far as laborers were concerned, they were calm and quiet. They were very hardworking, peace-loving, and had far greater endurance than other ethnic groups.
These Chinese laborers possessed an astonishing learning ability, quickly mastering the specialized skills required for future railway construction. They could become proficient in any job in the shortest possible time. And in terms of wages, they were the most economical.
Most notably, they maintain very close contact with each other. Although we currently employ over a thousand Chinese laborers, we intend to further increase their numbers with the most favorable conditions and the assistance of introducing employers. This is an employment organization distinct from slavery.
The Central Pacific Railroad Company did not treat Chinese laborers very well, but it was not as bad as the laborers actually received either; some of the profits were taken by others.
The earlier Chinese laborers became overseers by oppressing the later ones. In order to prove themselves, they made the new laborers do more work and receive less pay.
The Chinese laborers were so hardworking and capable that they made the newly rich wary. If a shrewd Chinese laborer organized a group of them to enter the low-profit field of crude processing, the Chinese laborers' hard work and endurance would bankrupt a large group of nouveau riche.
God help it, no such person was born among the Chinese laborers. The Irish are all fools; a little provocation and they'll point the finger at the Chinese laborers for their own poverty.
Sin Yiu-man shrugged. “The Chinese laborers were unlucky. They encountered the economic crisis of 1873 and the presidential election of 1876. Both the labor unions and the Democratic Party candidates used the Chinese laborers as a tool to gain power.”
The Republican Party, which originally supported Chinese laborers, ultimately compromised in order to retain power. It had no choice but to have its minister to China, Angell, form an Angell Committee to negotiate with the Qing Dynasty to revise the Burlingame Treaty and sign a new Angell Treaty.
Two years later, in an effort to win votes in California, Republican President Chester Arthur signed the Chinese Exclusion Act, a war started by the nouveau riche, who ultimately emerged victorious.
The situation of Chinese laborers became difficult, and they had no choice but to flee the extremely unfriendly California and come to the relatively friendly San Francisco and New York. It was precisely because of their difficult situation that some clever people emerged among the Chinese laborers, who established associations under the guise of helping Chinese laborers fight against the Chinese Exclusion Act and providing legal aid, such as On Leong Tong and Hip Sing Tong.
Carlo, you certainly know better than I what they're actually doing.
Gambino nodded slightly without speaking. He had already guessed that Sin Yiu-man would talk to him about Chinatown later, so there was no need to rush to say anything. He would continue to listen to the topic of the football field, which he was more interested in.
Sin Yiu-man took a sip of wine and continued to gently swirl the glass. "In any case, the nouveau riche will not let the nouveau riche easily integrate into their society. The nouveau riche do not need to spend all their social energy trying to win over a particular nouveau riche. A group of nouveau riche can also unleash tremendous energy when they get together."
Therefore, I plan to name the stadium 'New Power'.
“Good business, good name, I’m willing to cooperate, but I don’t know how good your repayment credit is,” Gambino said with a faint smile.
Sin Yiu-man shrugged. "It might not be good. I'll try to delay the repayment time and renegotiate the interest with you. If there's really no other way, I'll only pay you back a little, maybe $100, maybe $50, who knows."
“Ha,” Gambino laughed loudly, “I like working with people who have no integrity.”
"cheers."
"cheers."
After taking a sip of wine, Xian Yaowen said, "Carlo, did you come up with the name of this club?"
"No, this place was originally called the Raven Club. I really like Edgar Allan Poe's 'The Raven,' so I didn't change the name, I just added the word 'person.'"
"It's a very nice name. I like ravens. They are intelligent animals, especially crows. You can learn a lot of philosophical lessons from them."
"The crow drinking water?"
“Hmm.” Sin Yiu-man nodded. “Charlie Chan, Chan Chi-sang’s son, is my subordinate. He’s very capable. He helps me with some trade in Chinatown, well, legal trade.”
Two days ago, I asked Charlie Chen to arrange a meeting between me and Chen Jisheng to discuss a larger, gray-market trade deal. He hadn't finished making the arrangements when Chen Jisheng ran into trouble, severely disrupting my plans. I have to find a way to adjust things, which is really a headache.
"Adam, how do you plan to make the adjustments?" Gambino asked seriously.
“I am a businessman. If I can still do business, I will continue to do it. If I can’t talk to Chen Jisheng, I will try to talk to someone else.”
"Can you tell me what kind of trade you plan to do in Chinatown?"
"Remittances from overseas Chinese."
Gambino was startled. "Adam, you can't possibly reach an agreement on this deal with anyone."
"Not necessarily. I want ownership of the cake, but I will also make the cake bigger so that the previous owner can get a larger share."
Even so, it will be difficult for you to reach an agreement.
Sin Yiu-man said with a faint smile, "I am a nouveau riche and an outsider. Good business opportunities are not available to me, as the old elites have already taken them. Any slightly difficult business opportunities are also not available to me, as the earlier nouveau riche have already taken them. All I can do are the very difficult businesses."
"Why not be more flexible and make things less tiring?"
"Flexibility comes at a price." With that, Sin Yiu-man buttoned up his suit jacket. "I have an international call to make tomorrow morning, so I'd like to get some rest. Goodbye for now."
"I send you."
Ten minutes later, only Gambino and Thomas remained in the room.
“I have made up my mind to marry Mary to Adam.”
"He already has several wives."
"Does it matter?" Gambino looked at Thomas. "Women should make sacrifices for the family. Besides, Adam will definitely treat Mary well, just like Cen did. What do you think Adam will do?"
"what?"
"Remittances from overseas Chinese."
"negotiation."
“On Leung Tong and Hip Sing Tong are unaware of Adam’s strength and will not talk to him.”
"Is Adam going to demonstrate his strength?"
Gambino lit a cigarette, took a deep drag, and said, "It might conflict with our plans."
Luo Yin holstered his M1C sniper rifle, patted the back of the driver's seat, and said, "Let's go."
Upon entering Greenwich Village, Sin Yiu-man got out of the car and strolled home.
As long as he has access to remittance business, his banking plan can easily skip the initial stage, saving at least five years. During its infancy, it can also reduce the probability of conflicts with other banks, keeping his sword sheathed until he is fully grown before unleashing his full power.
Anyone who gets in his way will be dealt with. Even if Gambino's plans conflict with his, he'll still do it anyway. The only hope is that the conflict isn't too serious and can be resolved. His cooperation with Gambino has been relatively pleasant, and he hopes the friendship can be maintained. Besides, he doesn't want to get too deeply involved in the Mafia's struggles.
Lost in thought, Xie Zhanran unknowingly arrived at his doorstep. As he was about to open the door, he noticed that the welds on the top and bottom of the door frame had disappeared. He immediately put his hand under his armpit and then gestured to Xie Tingyun to go around to the back and climb out the window.
Sin Yiu-man waved his hand to interrupt, telling Xie Zhanran to lower his guard and open the door directly.
Wang Xiamin flew in from Vancouver today, and she's most likely the one in the room.
Upon entering the house, it turned out to be a false alarm; Wang Xiamin and her bodyguard were sitting on the sofa watching TV.
Upon seeing Xian Yaowen, Wang Xiamin greeted him with delight, "Sir."
"Amin, was the journey smooth?"
"It didn't go smoothly; we had to wait two extra hours during our layover in Chicago." Wang Xiamin lowered her head to help Xian Yaowen unbutton his suit jacket.
"Why rush like this? It's not safe to take a flight at night."
In 1951, some airlines began to test night flights, while the United States went a step further and launched "red-eye flights".
“It’s not a night flight; we arrived in New York around 6 PM.” Wang Xiamin took off her suit jacket and then helped Xian Yaowen unbutton his shirt cuffs.
"Oh, did you spend a couple of days in New York before going to Vancouver?"
"No, the stock was sent to Vancouver as soon as it was delivered. Mrs. Jieling asked me to go to a law firm to take a look."
"What firm?"
"McGill & McGill is the law firm founded by former Vancouver Mayor Gerald McGill and his wife Charlotte McGill. Gerald McGill has been dead for four years, and his political legacy is almost exhausted. Charlotte McGill is also getting old, so they plan to find someone to take over while McGill & McGill is still valuable."
"Is the price too high?"
"It's very expensive. They're only selling 60% of the shares, asking for 50 Canadian dollars in cash, and also guaranteeing that the other 40% of the shares will never be diluted."
"That old woman is really asking for a high price. Does she have a safe full of dirt on politicians?"
Wang Xiamin was stunned for a moment. "Maybe they saw that I was Chinese and didn't want to talk to me, so they deliberately quoted a high price to scare me away."
Sin Yiu-man nodded slightly. “That’s possible. Jie-ling is a bit naive. Canada isn’t very friendly to Chinese people to begin with, and these are extraordinary times. It’s not appropriate for you to handle things. Besides, it’s wishful thinking to think you can inherit someone else’s political legacy.”
“Sir, that’s not how it is,” Wang Xiamin explained. “Mrs. Jieling didn’t have high hopes. I just happened to be going there anyway, so I thought I’d give it a try. If it works out, great; if not, it’s fine.”
Xian Yaowen pulled his vest out of his pants, took it off, and handed it to Wang Xiamin. "Just call her Jieling, no need to call her Madam. Have you finished your formalities?"
“I hired a lawyer named Colbert who specializes in immigration cases. He used my husband’s Canadian status to buy a 1.2-acre estate in the affluent suburb of Canary Island, and then helped me buy another 1-acre estate next door as my husband’s wife. He used the ‘special contribution to the Canadian economy’ clause to help me get citizenship, and I will get my status soon.”
As she spoke, Wang Xiamin felt a dampness at the hem of her vest. She brought it to her nose and smelled a strong masculine scent, which made her face flush instantly.
How much did it cost to buy the estate?
"It cost a total of 11 Canadian dollars."
"It's not a lot of money, but it's not worth using it to buy a house. Let's sell it after you get citizenship."
Wild land in Canada is very cheap. 11 Canadian dollars is enough to buy an undiscovered gold mine in Hemullo, Ontario. In Canada, it's better to buy wild land than a house. Even if there are no mineral deposits underground, it's still worthwhile to cultivate farmland.
"Ah."
Xian Yaowen gently squeezed Wang Xiamin's arm. "I heard that in more remote areas, an acre of land only costs about 10 Canadian dollars. We can find a scenic spot, buy a large plot of land, build an estate by a small lake, and build a floating holiday home in the middle of the lake. We can fly there to escape the summer heat."
Wang Xiamin nodded gently, her mind wandering.
That night, Sin Yiu-man and Wong Ha-man shared a bed, but only because there wasn't enough room; nothing happened.
He had never lacked delicacies, and he was not a glutton who had never eaten four dishes before. Wang Xiamin should take it slow; her first drop of blood should not have been spilled on his frivolous bed.
……
Cen Peipei picked up a chilled raspberry and put it in her mouth while translating the fax she had just received.
"Tell Qi Longdao to send a martial arts master who is fluent in English and has excellent kung fu skills to Los Angeles to fire the first shot in Hollywood. Once you've chosen someone, send over their name and photo as soon as possible and prepare their 'paper son' in advance."
"Hey, what's the point of sending the son's name to the paperwork office?"
The "paper son" can be considered the original form of sham marriage immigration. Applying for the "son" to come to the United States for family reunification under the identity of a naturalized Chinese person is currently the main way for Chinese people to "legally" enter the United States, but the cost is quite high. Last year, the cheapest option cost $2000, but it has increased by 50% this year due to the Korean War.
If you can't come up with $3000 at once, you'll be in hell the moment you set foot on American soil. On Leong Tong or Hip Sing Tong will show you what "compatriotism" means. Men will be given new cattle and horses, and women will be given new goods. Before the client even sets off, the old patrons will have already received an invitation to bid.
Cen Peipei thought for a moment. The old man was a thoughtful person and might look for a father with the same surname based on the name provided here.
"Help me create an opportunity to meet Soong Ai-ling or Soong Tse-ven."
This is easy to arrange. She and Song Manyi have already established a preliminary friendship, and the master can use the pretext of delivering a letter to visit Song Ziwen's house.
She translated the faxes one by one, gave the necessary instructions, and quickly finished processing the faxes. Then she picked up the documents from the remittance office next door and read them carefully.
While the shady remittance agencies in Singapore can be raided directly, the legitimate ones require a two-pronged approach. Hong Kong, as the gateway for receiving remittances, is even more crucial; if this channel is shut down, business in Singapore will cease.
Her gaze swept over the Honglizhan Bank, and she immediately turned to the next page. This was the business of the Chen Cihong family of Chaoshan. The Chen Cihong family was quite powerful, with its roots in Thailand. Singapore was not the focus of the family's development, so there was no need for them to make enemies.
Turning to the next page, her gaze was fixed on the four characters "Zhi Cheng Xin Ju" (致诚局). This is the largest and oldest officially registered remittance agency in Singapore operating the Chaoshan route. Previously, remittances went directly to Shantou. However, since last year, with strict restrictions on foreign exchange inflows in mainland China, remittances have been transiting through Hong Kong and entering the mainland via underground channels.
After reading through the incomplete information line by line, she felt that the Trustee Bureau was not too difficult to deal with. Its proper registration was its weakness. From Singapore to the mainland, there were places where the law could be followed. All she had to do was act as a volunteer to uphold the law and collect information on its crimes. Once she handed it over to the law enforcement agencies in the three places, she could put it to death.
To be on the safe side, it would be best to seize an opportunity to embezzle a large sum of money. Faced with a large amount of illegal funds that can be confiscated, who would not be tempted, both for public and private reasons?
Having lost a large sum of remittances from overseas Chinese, it remains to be seen whether Zhicheng Trust can continue to uphold the "Zhicheng" brand. If they don't lose money, their reputation will be ruined, and they won't be able to do business anymore. If they do lose money, well, the shareholders probably can't reach a consensus.
At the table, Wang Xiamin placed a kosher dill pickle into Xian Yaowen's bowl, saying, "Sir, this pickle is quite delicious."
"Yes, your cooking skills have improved. The Pian'erchuan noodles taste better than before."
Wang Xiamin said with a smile, "There's no pickled mustard greens, no bamboo shoots, it's not Pian'erchuan noodles, it's beef and pork rib noodles. The pork ribs here aren't much more expensive than in Hong Kong, and they even gave us two pork bones."
“Nobody eats pork bones here. The meat is used to make sausages, and the bone marrow is used to make dog food. If you buy a few pounds of meat, just ask and you can ask for more,” Xian Yaowen said, looking at the newspaper without looking up.
"I'll ask for more tomorrow, so I can bring it back to make stock."
"Are you sure you know how to make stock?" Sin Yiu-man looked up. "Do you remember the first time you made braised radish?"
Wang Xiamin blushed and said, "The broth takes a long time to simmer, and I was so pressed for time that day that I had to take a shortcut."
“You’re clever, but you don’t need to make broth tomorrow. I probably won’t have time to come back for dinner. Tonight I’ll take you out to eat some local specialties. Come back before seven o’clock or call Huixian and tell her where you are.”
"Hmm." (End of Chapter)