novelaction Chapter 136: 36 Stratagems
Chapter 136: 36 Stratagems
In the conference room, dimly lit and thick with smoke, a tense atmosphere hung in the air. The attendees gathered around a long table, engaged in a heated debate over their respective candidates: Ah Le and Da D.
"Ah Le is a steady person who knows how to act in moderation. He is the hope for the future of Heliansheng!" A burly middle-aged man stood up and spoke in a voice like a bell. He is one of Ah Le's supporters.
"Hmph, steady? That's nothing but a sign of weakness and incompetence! Big D is the backbone of us and Liansheng. He led us in battles all over the country and made great achievements!" Big D's supporters retorted, not to be outdone.
Both sides insisted on their own opinions and refused to give in. The meeting room suddenly became chaotic, with quarrels and insults raging one after another.
At this moment, a steady voice suddenly interrupted: "Okay, okay, everyone, stop arguing!"
Everyone present fell silent upon hearing the voice, their gaze fixed on the elderly man who had made the sound. The elderly man, dressed in a Tang suit, walked with a steady gait and a kind face, was none other than Uncle Deng, one of He Liansheng's most senior veterans.
Uncle Deng cleared his throat, looked around at everyone, and slowly spoke, "I've listened to your arguments for a long time, and I understand your perspective. But right now, Heliansheng is at a critical juncture in its transformation, and what we need is stable and strong leadership. I personally think...Ale is more qualified for this role."
As soon as Uncle Deng finished speaking, the conference room erupted in discussion. No one had expected that Uncle Deng, who was usually low-key, would actually express his support for Ah Le at this critical moment.
"Uncle Deng is right, I support A Le too!" An uncle who was about fifty years old stood up and expressed his support for Uncle Deng's opinion.
"Since Uncle Deng has said so, I will support Ale for now." Another neutral figure also expressed support for Ale.
"Ah Le is indeed more reliable than Big D! I will support Ah Le now!" Several other uncles who remained neutral also expressed their support for Ah Le.
The originally evenly matched situation was suddenly broken, and the situation suddenly tilted in Ah Le's favor. Big D's face turned grim. He clenched his fists, his nails almost digging into his palms, but he didn't dare to lose his temper in front of Uncle Deng.
"Ale has the support of Uncle Deng, so I can only give in temporarily." Big D said with a gloomy face and unwillingly.
"Okay, since everyone has reached a consensus, let's appoint Ah Le as the new leader!" Uncle Quan stood up and announced.
Applause rang out in the conference room. Ah Le stood up and shook hands with everyone with a smile. "Thank you all for your support, brothers. I will definitely live up to your trust and follow your arrangements from now on."
Big D's face turned even uglier, but he forced a smile as he walked over to shake Ah Le's hand and congratulate him. He vowed to himself that he would find a way to regain his lost power.
After the meeting, Ale specifically sought out Da D for a talk, hoping to dispel his grudge.
"Brother Big D, it was purely an accident that I became the boss. We should still fight side by side like before." A Le said humbly.
"Hmph, stop pretending in front of me." Big D snorted coldly. "I'm already making the biggest concession by letting you be the boss, but don't get too complacent. You'll definitely have the last laugh!"
After saying that, Big D walked away, leaving Ah Le with an awkward look on his face. Seeing this, Mao Dun, who was standing by, reminded him, "Big D isn't willing to give up yet. You need to observe his movements more closely."
"I understand." Ale nodded, "I will handle it carefully."
At this time, Uncle Quan also came over to congratulate Ah Le: "Brother Ah Le, congratulations on becoming the new leader."
"It's all thanks to the support of my seniors. I will definitely live up to everyone's expectations." A Le said modestly.
Uncle Quan patted Ah Le's shoulder and warned him, "Although you are on solid ground now, once you take the throne you will inevitably offend those with vested interests, so you must be vigilant."
"Uncle Quan taught me that I will remain cautious." Ah Le nodded. "With the help of the seniors, I will definitely be able to weather the coming storm."
Although Ah Lok has successfully ascended to power, he knows that consolidating his power will be a difficult journey. However, with the help of senior colleagues such as Uncle Quan and Mao Dun, Ah Lok is confident that he will ultimately succeed.
For Big D, Ah Lok's election was undoubtedly a crushing blow. He returned to his turf, slammed his fist on the table, and said bitterly, "I've fought Ah Lok for so many years! And I lost to a young boy!"
Seeing this, Long Gen quickly stepped forward and said, "Brother Da D, things have come to this point. We can only endure for the time being and wait for the opportunity to counterattack."
"That's right!" Chuanbao echoed. "A-Le has just taken over, and he's bound to provoke a backlash from those with vested interests. This is a great opportunity for us to strike back!"
Leng Lao and Shuang Fandong also rushed over after hearing the news and expressed their support for Da D's decision.
"Right! We can't just give up like that!" Leng Lao said excitedly, "We have to fully support Big Brother D and make sure Ah Le is kicked out of office within a few months!"
"I can't wait to see that kid's miserable look when he's trampled under our feet!" Shuang Fandong said viciously.
A ruthless glint flashed in Big D's eyes. He stood up and said firmly, "Okay! It's settled. I want Ah Le to know who is the real ruler in He Liansheng!"
At the same time, A Le was discussing something with Uncle Quan.
"Uncle Quan, Big D has become more and more arrogant recently. We must take action." Ah Le spoke first, his voice low and firm.
Uncle Quan nodded, his brow furrowed. "Yes, Big D is very ambitious and has always coveted the position of leader. If we don't take action, he will take action against us sooner or later."
Ale thought for a moment, a fierce look flashing in his eyes: "I have an idea, we can raid his casino, arrest a few thugs and interrogate them to see what he is planning recently."
Uncle Quan's eyes flashed with approval when he heard this: "Good idea, let's do it. But you have to remember to act with caution and never alert the enemy."
Ah Le nodded, indicating that he understood. He immediately arranged for his men to prepare for the raid. After everything was ready, they took advantage of the night to head towards Da D's casino.
The casino was brightly lit and bustling with activity, with gamblers enjoying themselves. Ah Lok's men quickly entered the room and subdued the casino's thugs one by one. They were taken to a secret room, where Ah Lok personally interrogated them.
"Confess quickly, what has Big D been plotting recently?" the subordinate demanded rudely.
The thugs looked at each other and shook their heads: "I don't know anything! Let me go!"
Seeing this, Ah Le sneered, "Hmph, you're so stubborn! Search me!"
Upon hearing this, the men immediately launched a search through the casino. After searching through all the drawers and cabinets, they finally found Big D's plan in a small back room. The plan detailed Big D's scheme against Ah Lok and how he planned to infiltrate Ah Lok's business.
After carefully reading the plan, Ah Le sneered, "This Big D is really overestimating himself. He thinks he can deal with me with just this little scheme?"
Uncle Quan nodded and said, "Yes, he underestimated your ability. However, we can use this plan to turn the tables on him."
Hearing this, Ah Le's eyes flashed with cunning: "That's right, let's use his tricks against him, make him think his plan has succeeded, and then we will catch him off guard."
With the plan in place, Ah Lok immediately arranges for his men to secretly monitor Da D's actions, while feigning ignorance of his infiltration plan. Meanwhile, Da D is also working diligently to implement his own plan, sending his men to secretly infiltrate Ah Lok's business, attempting to dismantle his power from within.
After a few days, Ah Le's business indeed suffered a significant loss. Business at the docks was down 20%, and business at the entertainment venues also declined. Lao Chen hurried over to report to Ah Le: "Boss, business at the docks has dropped 20%! Business at the entertainment venues has also declined!"
Ah Le's face remained calm upon hearing this: "Just as I expected, Big D has already started to act. However, everything is under my control."
Old Chen felt relieved after hearing this, but he was still a little worried: "Boss, what should we do?"
Ah Le sneered, "Don't worry, I have my own arrangements. Just do as I say, and be sure to stay calm and don't reveal any flaws."
Lao Chen nodded, indicating understanding. Ah Le's men then began to pretend their actions were blocked, and for a moment, Big D's plot seemed to succeed. Chuan Bao excitedly reported to Big D, "Boss, Ah Le's business has dropped by 30%!"
Hearing this, Big D laughed heartily. "Great! Looks like that kid's kingdom is doomed! I'll be able to defeat him soon!"
His subordinates also complimented him, "Big D, you are indeed wise! You will be able to defeat Ah Le in no time!"
Big D smiled triumphantly, completely immersed in the joy of success. However, he didn't know that all this was done deliberately by Ah Le, and he was about to face a fatal counterattack.
Just as Big D was basking in the joy of success, Ah Le's arrest operation suddenly struck. Ah Le personally led a raid on Big D's place, annihilating all his men. Upon hearing the news, Big D rushed to see that his place had been taken over by Ah Le's men. He was shocked and speechless.
"What?! Ah Le raided my place?!" Big D shouted in disbelief.
The subordinate reported in a panic: "Sorry, Boss, we can't hold on any longer! Ah Le and his men have seized two-thirds of the place!"
Hearing this, Big D was so angry that he trembled all over. "This is impossible! My plan was so successful!"
Ah Le slowly walked out from the darkness and looked at Big D coldly: "Big D, you've fallen into the trap. You thought your plan could destroy me? Little did you know, everything about you is under my control."
Big D glared at Ah Le: "Ah Le, you!"
Ah Le sneered, "Don't worry, I won't kill you. I'll just make you understand who is the boss of He Liansheng now."
Under Ah Lok's siege, Big D suffered a crushing defeat, his power plummeting. He gritted his teeth and swore, "Damn Ah Lok! I will come back and turn the tables!"
However, Ah Lok has already consolidated his position as the boss, and his position in He Lian Sheng is even more unshakable. This contest completely changed the power structure of He Lian Sheng, and Big D's failure made everyone see Ah Lok's strength and means.
A few days later, Ah Le arrived at the Heliansheng headquarters, ready to meet with Uncle Deng in person. When he entered the reception room, Uncle Deng was already sitting there, waiting. He was dressed in a white robe, looking kind, with a benevolent smile on his face.
"Brother Ale, please take a seat." Uncle Deng greeted him with a smile.
Ah Le sat down respectfully: "Thank you, Uncle Deng."
Uncle Deng asked with concern, "How are you doing lately? Becoming the boss means you have a lot of work, right?"
Ah Le said modestly, "Thank you, Uncle Deng, for your concern. I've just taken on this position and am working hard to familiarize myself with all aspects of the work."
Uncle Deng nodded. "It's not easy for young people to be in charge. They need to be down-to-earth and hardworking to secure their position. But I've heard that you've shown excellent leadership skills recently and have managed the Heliansheng business in an orderly manner."
Ah Le quickly expressed his gratitude: "This is all thanks to the guidance and support of Uncle Deng and all the elders."
Uncle Deng said with a smile, "You've been able to boost business in such a short period of time, which shows you're quite capable! Just like what happened at the dock recently. Thanks to your arrangements, the efficiency has more than doubled compared to before you took office!"
Ah Le touched his head embarrassedly: "Uncle Deng, you are too kind."
Deng Bo nodded affirmatively. "This demonstrates your leadership and foresight. You've achieved such great results in just one month. I'm sincerely happy for you!"
Ah Le expressed his gratitude again: "It is all thanks to your promotion and training."
Deng Bo smiled and waved his hand, then his expression straightened and he slowly said, "But then again, you are the one who is in charge now. If you want to truly take power, there is still one last step to complete."
Ah Le was startled and quickly sat up straighter, looking at Uncle Deng with respect.
Uncle Deng cleared his throat and lowered his voice mysteriously, saying, "You know there's an unwritten rule between us and Liansheng. To truly take power, you must obtain the dragon head stick from the previous leader. It's not only a symbol of power, it also shows that you have their approval."
Ah Le suddenly understood and nodded quickly, "Uncle Deng is right. I will definitely contact the former leader as soon as possible and obtain his dragon head stick!"
Deng Bo nodded with satisfaction: "Very good. With the dragon head stick, your position in He Liansheng will be secure."
Ah Le nodded seriously: "Yes, I will definitely get the dragon head stick as soon as possible!"
Uncle Deng patted Ah Le on the shoulder and said with a smile, "Haha, with the Dragon Head Stick, you can dominate He Liansheng and become the king of Hong Kong!"
Ah Le also smiled with satisfaction. He knew that this step was crucial for him. Only by obtaining the Dragon Head Stick could he truly consolidate his position and become the true ruler of He Liansheng.
After leaving Heliansheng's headquarters, Ah Le got into the black sedan parked at the entrance. As the car smoothly drove through the streets of Hong Kong, Ah Le silently gazed out the window at the familiar cityscape, mentally pondering his next move.
He took Deng Bo's advice to heart. If he wanted to truly seize control of He Liansheng, he had to seize the dragon-headed stick held by the previous leader, Chui Ji. Ah Le pulled out his phone and found Chui Ji's contact information. He took a deep breath and dialed.
"Hello, Brother Chuiji, this is Ah Le." After the call was connected, Ah Le said politely, "I want to meet with you. Are you free today?"
On the other end of the phone, Chui Ji was obviously a little surprised, but he still spoke slowly: "Ah Le, I heard that you recently became the boss. Congratulations. But I have something to do today, so let's make an appointment another day."
Ah Le smiled. Although he was a little disappointed, he still remained polite: "Okay, let's make an appointment another day."
After hanging up the phone, Ah Le leaned back in the car seat, pondering his next move. Chui Ji was clearly wary, presumably knowing why he was looking for him, so he was deliberately evading him. But regardless, Ah Le was determined to secure the dragon-headed stick; it held the key to his control.
Over the next few days, Ah Le was busy consolidating his position while looking for an opportunity to meet with Chui Ji. He sent his men to secretly inquire about Chui Ji's whereabouts, and at the same time, he was thinking about how to persuade Chui Ji to hand over the dragon head stick to him.