Chapter 47 Dead?

Holding 1,064 silver dollars in cash, Chen Guangliang came to the Transportation Department in the Public Concession and walked into Smith's office.

"Mr. Smith, 851 yuan of this belongs to the Transportation Department, and 213 yuan belongs to you. From now on, around the beginning of every month, we will distribute dividends right on schedule. It is expected that your share and the Transportation Department's combined fifty percent will steadily remain around 1,200 yuan."

Seeing Chen Guangliang keep his promise and bring the money, Smith's attitude was much better than before, and he no longer sat with his legs crossed.

"Mr. Chen is indeed a man of his word. Li Chao certainly didn't recommend the wrong person!"

Smith was quite pleased. Although his salary was quite high—around 500 silver dollars (converted) or more, nearly ten times that of an ordinary staff member (mostly foreigners)—he also had various extra perks.

However, being able to get an extra four or five hundred yuan every month (he also pocketed a large share of the Transportation Department's portion) made him exceptionally happy. It was practically equivalent to drawing a second salary.

Not to mention that as long as he remained in this position, he could continue cooperating with Chen Guangliang to further increase his income.

He even found himself regretting why Chen Guangliang hadn't appeared sooner; otherwise, he might already be earning an extra 1,000 silver dollars every month by now.

At this moment, Chen Guangliang also consulted him: "Mr. Smith, I wonder when the Transportation Department might issue new licenses. Given how sharply the population in the Concession has increased lately, it is actually feasible to appropriately issue a few more new licenses."

While the official number of rickshaw licenses in the Concession was 10,000, there were actually only about 9,600 in circulation, which meant there was room for some "tricks" here.

Hearing this, Smith paused to think for a moment before saying, "It is possible, but we'll have to wait a little bit. Rest assured, I will strive to prepare some more this year. When the time comes, there will be at least 50 licenses. You just need to ready the capital."

As for the capital for rickshaws, what need was there to prepare it?

Chen Guangliang had already earned the bank's trust and could directly use the licenses as collateral for loans to purchase more rickshaws.

Since all the licenses were actually registered under the names of Chen Guangliang and the Yangtze Rickshaw Company, there were no difficulties involved.

"Good, then I shall wait for your good news!"

At that moment, Smith suddenly asked a question: "Mr. Chen, I would like to ask you, if I were to resign one day, what would happen to my share of the equity?"

Chen Guangliang replied without the slightest hesitation: "Naturally, it would be compensated to you in cash based on market prices. For instance, if the current market price of a license is 200 silver dollars, and a rickshaw is between 50 and 100 silver dollars, it would be calculated according to those prevailing rates."

Smith said happily, "Very well, I will continue to choose to cooperate with you, and there is no way I will be resigning anytime soon."

He had been worried that he only held the right to dividends and that Chen Guangliang might refuse to recognize his equity in the future, which would have been rather troublesome.

"Great, happy cooperation."

Upon leaving, Li Chao walked Chen Guangliang to the door with a radiant smile on his face.

In the past, his monthly income was meager, but now a single dividend payout rivaled nearly half a year of his former salary.

.........

"What? Wang Chengyun is dead?"

Chen Guangliang could hardly believe the news Zhou Xing-gao had brought back, and he felt a surge of astonishment.

How could he just drop dead like that, perfectly fine one moment and gone the next?

He hadn't even had his fill of fun yet! He had been planning to wait until Wang Chengyun got out so he could ruthlessly kick a man while he was down!

As far as their feud was concerned, Chen Guangliang felt he hadn't exacted full vengeance yet; his anger was still far from appeased.

Zhou Xing-gao said mysteriously, "I heard he died when Wang Chengyun's concubine went to visit him in prison. Word is already out that he died from shock. Either the two of them were up to some illicit business behind bars, or Wang Chengyun was angered to death upon hearing bad news from home. The latter is highly likely!"

This Zhou Xing-gao truly had a certain "talent" for such matters; he could analyze these kinds of events with every detail making perfect sense.

After listening, Chen Guangliang remarked, "He must have been angered to death by the shock... Serves him right. Brother Zhou, you've practically done a good deed!"

Zhou Xing-gao looked stunned, then retorted, "Wasn't it Boss, your clever trick of making his family voluntarily hand over twenty rickshaws, that was even more infuriating?"

Chen Guangliang smiled without a word and naturally offered no reply, though his mood was clearly quite good.

It was even better if he had been angered to death; that could also be considered settling the score!

Mind you, if he hadn't known how to make friends all along his journey, the one whose reputation was ruined and name dragged through the mud today might very well have been himself.

Shortly after.

Chen Guangliang instructed: "Brother Zhou, do me a favor and quietly gather some information about the Wang family's household affairs, as well as the Wang Rickshaw Company. But don't act impulsively again, or I won't bail you out next time!"

He was afraid that Zhou Xing-gao would act rashly and try to shake them down again. If any lives were lost, Chen Guangliang would essentially be buried under an avalanche of trouble.

Because many people knew that Chen Guangliang and Wang Chengyun were at loggerheads, at least all the surrounding rickshaw company bosses were well aware of it.

If he were to defy universal condemnation and bully a household of orphans and widows at a time like this, the other rickshaw bosses would likely unite to deal with him.

They wouldn't be doing it to avenge Wang Chengyun, but rather to unite for their own self-interest, since everyone would start feeling deeply threatened.

As for what had happened to the Wang family earlier, it was entirely Wang Chengyun reaping what he had sowed—beating two pullers to death had nothing to do with Chen Guangliang no matter how you looked at it!

As for everything else, those were purely commercial tactics carried out within the rules, and no one could pick a bone with them.

"Understood, I'll use my brain!"

Having learned his lesson, Zhou Xing-gao tapped his own head and answered earnestly.

"Mm."

After that, Chen Guangliang paid no further heed to the Wang family's affairs.

He was not petty enough to go and gloat at the Wang family's mourning hall.

Although a stereotypical villain would certainly never miss such an opportunity—going to offer hypocritical condolences while actually feeling triumphant inside.

Clearly, however, Chen Guangliang would do no such thing. Matters having reached this point, the man was dead, and the grudge was settled.

.........

At this moment, the Wang Rickshaw Company presented a scene of desolate mourning, and its rickshaw operations had ground to a complete halt because many pullers had recently simply refused to pay rent or even return their rickshaws.

Fortunately, Wang Chengyun's wife, Li Yan, had joined forces with Lawyer Lin and a group of hired toughs to secure all the rickshaws and temporarily suspend business operations.

Amidst the desolation, the Wang residence was also filled with uproar and quarrels. Specifically, the second concubine, Zhang Chunlan, was screaming at Li Yan, accusing her of wanting to swallow the entire estate alone, while using her children as leverage to win the sympathy of Wang Chengyun's friends and relatives.

As it turned out, ever since Zhang Chunlan went to visit the prison and stirred up catastrophic trouble, Li Yan had directly had her and her child locked up at home, holding Zhang Chunlan responsible for her husband's death.

Consequently, the two households had no choice but to continue fighting.

Zhang Chunlan believed that Li Yan had acted foolishly and made a huge mistake, and moreover wanted to monopolize the property. Li Yan, on the other hand, considered Zhang Chunlan to be the primary culprit, pointing out that she had repeatedly warned her not to talk nonsense at the prison.

For a time, the Wang residence was in complete chaos.

What was more.

Some rickshaw company bosses had even started inquiring whether the Wang Rickshaw Company's one hundred rickshaws were up for sale.

Clearly, no one believed that Li Yan, a mere housewife, was capable of running a rickshaw company.

One must remember that the rickshaw business itself was a "mixed bag of fish and dragons," and the way those pullers had recently bullied Li Yan was the best proof of that.

"Lawyer Lin, after the late husband is buried, please do me the favor of coming by the house. I'd like to discuss a few matters with you."

"Very well, Madam Wang can rest assured. The Concession still has laws, and I will bring anyone who casts a covetous eye on the Wang family's property to justice."

"Many thanks, Lawyer Lin. You are the late husband's most trusted friend; if it weren't for you..."

"Madam flatters me. I am merely doing my job."

Attorney Lin was indeed very conscientious. Recently, when those pullers refused to pay rent or return the vehicles, it was he who had led men to recover every single one of them.

Things having reached this juncture, he was probably the only person genuinely helping the Wang family. Although he also charged fees, he at least possessed a very high degree of professional ethics.

Unlike Detective Gao, who was absolute scum. That man had even come hypocritically to offer condolences, likely terrified that ghosts would come looking to settle accounts with him at night!