Chapter 19: A New Cooperation Plan
Yang Wendong was overjoyed inside, but his face showed little change in expression. He asked, "Mr. Brian, how do you think we should cooperate?"
Brian thought for a moment and said, "Let's keep it the same as before—payment of 20 Hong Kong dollars per week. On your end, I need you to ensure that all rats in our warehouse are completely eliminated within three months."
Yang Wendong immediately shook his head and rejected the idea. "Mr. Brian, it's impossible to completely exterminate all the rats. If it were that easy, rats wouldn't be one of the greatest scourges of human civilization.
Even in large food warehouses in Europe and America, it's difficult to guarantee a complete absence of rats. A few years ago, Polar Bear conducted a nationwide rat extermination campaign precisely because their grain depots were suffering from a severe rodent infestation."
Let alone now—even decades later in the 21st century, large domestic grain warehouses in China still couldn't guarantee a rat-free environment, and that's with the benefit of highly advanced infrared cameras and sensors.
Of course, by then the number of rats had become extremely low, largely thanks to the physical isolation offered by concrete infrastructure. But current warehouses in Hong Kong, although made with some concrete, simply couldn't offer absolute protection.
Brian considered this and asked, "But how do I know you won't slack off on purpose—leave a few rats behind so that our cooperation continues?
Hmm… I don't mean you specifically, but anyone could do that. Strictly speaking, this is just business, and even if you were my best friend, I'd still raise the question."
Yang Wendong smiled. "Mr. Brian, that's a very thorough consideration. We have a saying in Chinese, 'raising bandits to make oneself important', which is similar to what you're describing. It's a situation that could arise not just in this collaboration, but in many others as well.
But my goal isn't just Jordan warehouse. I'm aiming for other nearby warehouses and even those in other towns. If I cling to this one job, I'd actually be losing out. After all, 20 dollars a week isn't a lot—I could earn that from street vending."
Brian gave him a serious look, then nodded. "You're right. I suppose I was overthinking. Very well, if within two weeks I see a noticeable decrease in rat-related damage to goods in the warehouse, I'll recommend you to other warehouses."
"Thank you, Mr. Brian. I'll do my utmost," Yang Wendong said with a smile.
Having arrived in 1950s Hong Kong from a poor background, he had no choice but to start from the bottom like many self-made tycoons.
He needed to rely on his own efforts to earn the recognition of anyone who might help expand his business. Leveraging other people's networks was the only way to grow.
Brian looked once more at the rats in the snakeskin bag and said, "Then here's to a pleasant cooperation."
"Thank you, Mr. Brian," Yang Wendong replied with a smile.
He didn't even try to negotiate the price, because what he needed most right now was a foothold in the industry.
Especially since professional pest control companies didn't yet exist in Hong Kong, this was a golden opportunity.
If he could prove himself, it would serve as excellent advertising—especially with Brian and Elena's connections, which could help his business gain traction even faster.
On the way back, the four of them talked:
"Only 20 dollars a week for a long-term job? Doesn't seem worth it for the four of us," said Lin Haoyu, who had been quiet until now.
Zhao Liming chimed in, "Yeah, Dong-ge, we made more when we were selling on the street."
Yang Wendong smiled. "If it were just one warehouse, then of course it wouldn't be worth it. We'd spend more time commuting than working.
But what if we take on a few more warehouses near Jordan? Each one pays 20 a week—how would that change things?"
"Well, that would be fine," Zhao Liming said. "But I'm just worried we might not be able to handle it all."
"It won't actually be that bad," Yang Wendong explained. "We've been so busy these past few days because it's the beginning stage—there are lots of rats and we're doing a major cleanup.
Once the numbers go down and we get used to the work, it'll be much easier. We might just need one person to stop by each warehouse daily to collect dead rats and set bait."
Su Yiyi asked, "But there must be a limit, right?"
Yang Wendong laughed. "If the four of us can't keep up with the work, that means our business has grown big enough—and that's great news.
At that point, we'd just hire people to do the job. We'd be the bosses."
Zhao Liming grinned. "Dong-ge, you're the real boss. We're just following your lead."
Yang Wendong thought for a moment and said, "We've all gone through hard times together. In the future, I'll definitely share the rewards.
But for now, I need to keep most of the profits myself so we can reinvest and grow.
Later on, when we're making more money, I'll make sure you all get your fair share. I won't let you down."
It wasn't that Yang Wendong was stingy—he had no intention of shortchanging those who had started with him.
In fact, their bond was strong even before they began this venture.
But from a business standpoint, in these early stages, the profits had to stay close to him so he could reinvest and expand.
"What's 'tonggan'?" Lin Haoyu suddenly asked.
"Ah—" Yang Wendong paused, then explained, "Tonggan gongku is a Chinese idiom. It means 'sharing hardships and prosperity'—going through hard times together and enjoying the good times together."
"Ohhh," Lin Haoyu nodded in understanding.
Zhao Liming laughed and asked, "Dong-ge, when will we be able to live in a house like that?"
He pointed to a nearby residential building. In the past, they never would've dared to even dream of such a thing.
But after spending a month working with Yang Wendong, their lives had undergone a dramatic transformation.
Yang Wendong looked and replied, "To buy one will take a long time, but renting one—if we keep working hard and business goes well—it won't take too long."
At this time, property prices in Hong Kong weren't too high, but still out of reach for people who had just started small businesses.
But if they could land a few more warehouse contracts, renting would definitely be possible.
"Really?" Su Yiyi's eyes lit up.
"Really," Yang Wendong nodded.
"That's great!" Zhao Liming and Lin Haoyu were visibly excited.
In the past, they'd never dreamed of leaving the slums and living in a house built of real bricks and stone.
"You guys will have to study and work even harder," Yang Wendong added. "I can't do it all on my own."
"Don't worry, Dong-ge," Zhao Liming said, nearly swearing an oath. "I'll work and study until I drop if I have to!"
"Alright, let's get moving before it starts raining again," Yang Wendong said with a laugh.
In this era, most people in Hong Kong—including himself—were just chasing the most basic standard of living.
He was already getting fed up with his current living conditions.
Even the "cage homes" later ridiculed in modern Hong Kong were hundreds of times better than the shacks they lived in now.
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