Whether in the East or the West, if you want to do business, you must find a backer, and the bigger the business, the bigger the backer.
Lin Sanqi is looking for two top international medical experts, the president and vice president of the International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease. From a medical point of view, this is definitely the end of the road.
Of course, he also paid a huge price, that is, he only made money from producing medicines, and he could not get the big piece of fat from sales.
You have to give up something to gain something.
Lin Kucan raised his glass again with a smile, clinked it with the two foreigners, and said:
"Mr. Elliot, Mr. Madison, our Lin family, as well as Professor Anthony and Professor Witte, are all workers. We can make a small fortune, but it's impossible to make a fortune. Most of the money we earn belongs to others.
So, we're willing to give you two personal funds of £1 million each per year. At the same time, we'll also set up a small fund for your two departments. So, how do you both feel about this, with the same £1 million per year for your activities?
The exchange rate in 1963 was 1 pound = 16 Hong Kong dollars.
One million pounds is equivalent to 16 million Hong Kong dollars, which was an astronomical figure in the 1960s.
Just like Director Elliot, his annual salary is only 50,000 pounds. Even so, it is already bullying the colonies because they have no status and the salaries of foreigners are inflated.
Even the Governor of Hong Kong, Robert Black, only earned HK$1.5 million a year, which is less than 100,000 pounds when converted into British pounds.
Commissioner Elliot and Chief Superintendent Madison were both very satisfied with this "big red envelope" and were ecstatic.
This was far beyond their expectations. They originally thought that they came here to help others with something and get a red envelope of tens of thousands of Hong Kong dollars.
An office like the Department of Health, which normally has almost no money, can now get 1 million pounds at once. You can even ask Director Elliot to run around naked right now.
As for Chief Superintendent Madison, tears welled up in his eyes and he really wanted to shout:
Do you know how I spent those three years guarding a reservoir in the New Territories? Three years after three years.
Now, finally, it is his turn to eat the big, fat piece of meat.
The New Territories are poor, no matter from which perspective. The northern border area where Lin Sanqi mainly focuses has a local population of only 50,000 and an area of 150 square kilometers.
There is no industry in the entire area. Fisheries only fish in their own small boats. It is a purely agricultural area and people make a living by farming.
In such a ghost place with no nightclubs, no gambling houses, and no big hotels, even if Madison wanted to be greedy and collect money, there would be no one to help him.
Now, giving private individuals 1 million pounds a year may not be as much as the Hong Kong Island Police District, but it is more than enough compared to several other police districts.
This made Madison feel like he had become rich overnight.
As for the £1 million slush fund given to each department, if the money is handled well, you only need to give your subordinates a little bit of the spoils, and you can also take a big bite yourself.
For middle-level civil servants like them, the conditions proposed by Lingnan Hall are completely acceptable and worth the risk.
The Department of Health and the New Territories North Police Station are not asked to kill or burn people. Their task is just to turn a blind eye to certain smuggling activities.
In the past, smuggling between Hong Kong and the mainland was done by sea, and the water police took away all the profits.
Not allowing land smuggling is also an important reason why the New Territories North Police Station does not make any money.
Regarding the Lin family's proposal, there is a question that Elliot must ask clearly:
"Mr. Lin, if I am given £1 million personally, can I understand that this will be paid to me every year?"
Lin Kucan nodded and said, "Every year."
Elliot asked uncertainly, "What if I leave my position as Surgeon General?"
Lin Kucan also told the truth:
"Mr. Elliot, I don't want to lie to you. You know I'm giving this money to the powerful Director. As for who the Director is, that's not the key point."
Commissioner Elliott understood, meaning that if he was no longer the Commissioner of Health, the money would go to the next Commissioner.
Perhaps fearing that the two officers would be unhappy, Lin Sanqi quickly added:
"Mr. Elliot, Mr. Madison, from our perspective, we certainly hope that you can continue to be in charge of the Department of Health in New Territories North. It would be great if we could all know each other and continue to work together to make fortunes together."
Elliot nodded, his mind already made up.
Anyway, the Department of Health is a low-paying office, and few people compete for the position of director, so he might as well sit there until retirement.
If you go to other positions, you have to work hard to get some money, but here in the Department of Health, you can win without any effort. There is no risk at all. Why not do it?
Chief Superintendent Madison had the same idea and decided to devote the rest of his life to this hellhole of the New Territories.
The New Territories are suffering and poor. Let this "Saint" Madison bear all the suffering. Anyway, he will never give up the position of New Territories North Police Station even if you kill him.
After the terms were agreed upon, both parties were in a good mood.
Madison asked anxiously:
"Lin, when will your pharmaceutical factory start operations?"
Lin Sanqi introduced:
"We'll start work after the Spring Festival. The pharmaceutical factory is now complete, and I've hired the staff. It's located in Sha Tau Kok, near the border. Once we start work, all the raw materials will be shipped overland.
"Chief Superintendent Madison, your main responsibility will be to tell the patrol officers at Sha Tau Kok Police Station to turn a blind eye. Of course, to avoid making things difficult for the police force, we will try to deliver the goods at night."
Lin Sanqi will not tell anyone about the tunnel to prevent the foreigner from betraying him.
At that time, smuggling through underground channels will be the main force, and land transportation at night will be a supplement. In this way, even if the police force secretly counts the amount of smuggling, they will never imagine that the amount will be so large.
"In addition, we will provide an additional monthly allowance of HK$5,000 per person to the Sha Tau Kok Police Station. However, the requirement is that this matter be kept strictly confidential, so the Chief Superintendent must transfer a close-mouthed officer there."
Border control is now implemented in Sha Tau Kok, Hong Kong. Ordinary people are not allowed to enter and must have a pass to enter and exit.
No outsiders come in or out, no reporters appear, and the high-ranking officials of the Hong Kong government cannot possibly come to inspect. Therefore, no matter how much smuggling or chaos is going on in Sha Tau Kok, no one will discover it.
Madison assessed the situation and couldn't think of any danger, so he smiled and raised his glass, clinking it with everyone else.
"Then we'll have a pleasant cooperation. I'll make preparations when I get back and transfer my trusted aides to Sha Tau Kok. I guarantee that I won't cause any trouble for you."
Lin Kushen, Lin Sanqi, Professor Anthony, and Professor Witte all met each other, and the two sides officially formed an alliance.
Lin Sanqi looked at Elliot again at this time:
"Mr. Director, the Department of Health is responsible for pharmaceutical factory license approvals, drug spot checks, and daily supervision. We need your help, but please don't interfere with our production."
Elliot laughed and said:
"I understand, I understand. I just stamp your passport and let you go. I don't care about anything else.
But Lin, you have to know that once your pharmaceutical company becomes big enough, I'm afraid the top leaders of the Hong Kong government will also intervene, so you still have to do what you have to do.
By then, you will have to prepare several drug production lines in Sha Tau Kok. If the Governor or the Chief Secretary ever wants to visit, you can just pretend to start the production lines and fool the laymen. That way, everyone can get away with it."
Lin Sanqi nodded, raised his glass and said with a smile:
"Then Director Elliot, we will have a pleasant cooperation in the future."
Elliot and Madison also raised their glasses, in a good mood:
"Come on, let's raise our glasses together and toast to our shared prosperity! Cheers!!!"
After the dinner, before leaving, Lin Sanqi quietly put a box in the trunk of the two people's car. Inside was a full 1 million Hong Kong dollars, as a way to give them a taste of the sweetness.
When it was Councillor Gu's turn to leave, Lin Sanqi took out two wooden boxes:
"Uncle Gu, thank you so much today. Here's a hundred-year-old wild ginseng from Northeast China and two 50-year-old small-bearded golden croaker maws. Uncle Gu, go back and replenish your body."
With the closure of the mainland, these two items are now in short supply in the Hong Kong market and are very valuable.
Councillor Gu did not refuse. It was an unspoken rule to do things for others and take money from them.
He patted Lin Sanqi's shoulder, his eyes full of admiration:
"Okay, Brother Lin's family has produced a hidden dragon. Uncle Gu has accepted the gift. We should visit each other more often and get closer. Now the sand and gravel business in Hong Kong is monopolized by your Lin family. We can discuss cooperation in due course."
Lin Sanqi nodded repeatedly: "Of course, of course. Uncle Gu can have as much sand and gravel as he wants."
The Lin family is now completely in the dark when it comes to the supply of real estate raw materials. Having Councillor Gu as their guide in Hong Kong is also beneficial to the Lin family's business.
After everyone else left, Lin Sanqi smiled at Professor Anthony and Professor Witte and said:
"Professors, please stay here today. Tomorrow I'll take you to visit our pharmaceutical factory. I'd also like you to help cut the ribbon. As we say in China, this is called getting good luck for the New Year." (End of chapter)
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