Chapter 495: Scholars, Farmers, Merchants, and Class Promotion

Chapter 495: Scholars, Farmers, Merchants, and Class Promotion

Chapter 495: Scholars, Farmers, Merchants, and Class Promotion

After the applause subsided and the congratulations died down, Liao Lieke returned to the stage and said loudly: "The first round of vice president elections is over, and the second round of vice president elections has begun."

"Candidates: Tang Bingda, Chen Weinan, Liu Siren, Zhang Zhiguang"

Yin Zhaotang had already won the first round and was automatically removed from the list in the second round of vice president election.

Although Chen Weinan, Liu Siren and others only participated in the "by-election", they all submitted election letters for vice president.

Still on the second round of election list.

But Tang Bingda decided to win the championship again, and the hope of the few people was slim.

Liao Lieke announced the start of voting and was the first to put his vote into the ballot box, calling out Tang Xueyuan's name: "One vote for Chairman Tang!"

"One vote for Mr. Tang Bingda."

After wiping the whiteboard, Tang Xueyuan wrote his name with a smile and made a stroke.

Tang Bingda finally smiled from his serious face, thinking to himself, "Although President Chen is in trouble, it has nothing to do with me, so Vice President Lian Zhuang should be fine."

No matter how capable Yin Zhaotang is, he is just one person and can only be a vice president. If you want to build a team in the chamber of commerce, you need to operate and cultivate for several years to succeed.

No matter how powerful a rising star is, it cannot take control of the overall situation.

The members in the back row stood up one after another and walked forward to line up to vote.

Li Zhibin stood guard at the ladder entrance and patted his subordinate on the shoulder: "Get to work!"

Qin Huanxi immediately waved his hand and led his men to the third floor and headed straight for the meeting area.

"on!"

Tang Xueyuan was holding a notebook and voting paper when he saw a group of policemen rushing into the meeting place with guns and live ammunition. He was not surprised but angry, frowning and asking, "What happened? Why do the policemen dare to come and disturb the Chamber of Commerce election?"

Two hundred and twenty-one members turned around and looked at the police.

Tan Huanxi raised his arm, showed his inspector's ID, and said loudly: "Excuse me, bosses, this is an O-Tribe case, please cooperate with me."

Hong Kong implements the capitalist system. According to the traditional Chinese class division of "scholars, farmers, merchants and artisans", the big bosses who control the means of production, whether big or small, have gentleman titles and status as members of parliament.

It’s not the lowest level businessman, it’s the highest level taxi!

Even a small boss without a title has to be considered a farmer.

This is because throughout history, farmers have always referred to landlords, not tenants. In today's era, the owners who use properties, shops, cruise ships, and licenses to collect rent are the new urban landlords, replacing the former "farmers".

Real tenants and contract laborers were never classified into classes. They were insignificant people in the tide of the times and just numbers in history books.

Engineers, technical talents, professional scholars.

商？
Small vendors, middlemen, distributors.

Being dependent on others and being ordered around by others, one is of course looked down upon and falls to the bottom of the rentier class.

Police?

They are just petty officials, at best workers, and only the top few in power can be called "scholars". The social organizations are bandits, the weak are like mice, and the strong are like dragons.

The members of the Chamber of Commerce present all raised their eyebrows and glared, their faces showing anger, feeling offended by the servants and getting angry. Today is an important occasion for the Chamber of Commerce, and they will not allow the servants to mess around.

Zhang Zhiguang, who was in the front row closest to the door, stood up, stared at Tan Huanxi and said, "The Chaoshan Chamber of Commerce is electing a leader. No matter how big the matter is, the police force cannot barge into the venue."

"Go back to the door and wait until the election is over. Otherwise, I will have to call Mr. Mei or Mr. Yu!"

Qin Huanxi's face was ugly, and he took a step back, feeling very aggrieved. The dozen or so O-Tribe agents behind him, wearing bulletproof vests and with guns hanging on their waists, immediately stopped and dared not speak out.

A higher-ranking official can crush people to death, and a higher-ranking class can crush a mountain!

The following guilty.

Damn.

Seeing this, Jimmy Lai quickly stepped forward, showed the arrest warrant, and explained: "Mr. Zhang, the arrest warrant was signed by Sir Yu himself. It didn't mean anything to the big sir, so the brothers didn't dare to come in."

"This is a serious case. To prevent the repeat offender from getting away, I have no choice but to offend."

The members thought of what Sir Yu had sent to deliver the message last night, and suddenly realized what had happened. They turned around and looked at Yin Zhaotang. Some people glanced directly at Chen Youqing, with a chill in their eyes.

Since it was the work of the newly elected vice-president, it was the internal affairs of the Chamber of Commerce and the police force was just acting on its behalf.

Zhang Zhiguang turned off the engine and asked in a low voice, "Who do you want to take away?"

Chen Youqing had already sensed something was wrong. He glanced out the window and saw the streets full of police officers. He finally stepped forward and said, "Officer, the Chamber of Commerce needs confirmation."

Li Zhibin shouted decisively, "Chen Youqing, Tang Bingda, and Liu Siren are involved in the murder case. Take them away and return to the police station to testify!"

The fire in Qin Huanxi's heart suddenly burned. He no longer cared about Chen Youqing's identity. He rushed forward, grabbed his arms vigorously, pushed him down, and handcuffed him with a silver bracelet.

"Be careful, Mr. Chen, don't hurt yourself, and then go to the Complaints Department to slander our guys."

Tan Huanxi locked up the criminal and said with a sneer.

Tang Bingda and Liu Siren were handcuffed by the men before they could resist. They didn't know what Chen Youqing was doing behind the scenes, and they looked wronged. Fortunately, they were not accomplices, and they didn't lose face. They just secretly cursed Yin Zhaotang for being vulgar.

Doing this to seize power?
When he comes out tomorrow, I will definitely give him a good show!
The two were just planning for the position of the Chamber of Commerce and did not participate in Chen Youqing's fight for the list of the transitional government. They did not know how big a game Chen Youqing was playing. After all, Chen Youqing only regarded the two as chess pieces and would not reveal his true colors.

At this time, Chen Youqing's face was already filled with despair, and he struggled and shouted: "Catch your mother, dare to catch me, can you bear the consequences!"

Yin Zhaotang, who had been watching the show for a long time, flicked away his cigarette butt, stepped forward to take on the pressure, and said in a loud voice: "If he can't bear it, I will!"

"Whoever uses the Chamber of Commerce's reputation to do something shady, damaging the interests of members and violating the law, will not be tolerated by colleagues in the Chamber of Commerce. There is no other way."

Chen Youqing couldn't help but sneer: "Young man, you are really brave to compete with me in cruelty."

Li Zhibin had long been tired of Chen Youqing's shouting. After receiving Yin Zhaotang's eye signal, he immediately waved his hand and asked the waiter to take the man away, clasping his fists and saying, "Hello, big bosses!"

When Liao Lieke saw the policemen packing up the two presidents who were going to join the party, he walked to Yin Zhaotang very tactfully and asked in a low voice: "Mr. Yin, what should we do next?"

Yin Zhaotang announced loudly to all members: "The election continues. Mr. Chen, Mr. Tang, and Mr. Liu are absent for some reason and are disqualified from running for election!"

The members present couldn't help but burst into an uproar and talked about it.

"How can I choose if I don't have all the people?"

"If we hold an election now, the person elected will not be able to convince the public. I suggest postponing the election until Mr. Chen and Mr. Tang finish their investigation."

"That's right. Both presidents are not here. Do we have enough votes to hold an election now?"

All the members are experienced in the business world and are very smart and sharp. They have already realized that Yin Zhaotang arranged this move deliberately to make a triple jump. It is not too late to be elected vice president, and he also wants to be elected president and control the entire chamber of commerce.

For a time, there were more people who opposed than supported it, and they were unwilling to see a gangster transform from a bad boy to a Chamber of Commerce official in one day. People's hearts are very complicated. Even though everyone knew that Chen Youqing was playing dirty tricks, no one wanted to see Yin Zhaotang eat up all the cakes and take all the power.

"Let me make it clear to you all. Chairman Chen colluded with the Bamboo Union, smuggled white powder, and committed murder on Lantau Island. He will not be able to come back. If this matter is exposed, the Chaoshan Chamber of Commerce will be greatly affected."

"If the Chamber of Commerce wants to maintain its influence, support your careers, and survive 1997, the new president must be able to deal with the police and the mainland. Otherwise, the Chamber of Commerce will become an empty shell and no one will take it seriously. What's the point of being the president or vice president?" "I can deal with the police, but can you, you, you, deal with them?"

Yin Zhaotang pointed at Liao Kelie, Tang Xueyuan, Zhang Zhiguang, and Chen Weinan. The naked reality was before his eyes, and the window paper called "face" was pierced.

The two hundred or so members fell silent again and stopped talking.

There are indeed people in the Chamber of Commerce who can deal with the police and mainland figures at the same time, such as Chen Weinan, who is a big boss. But if you want to deal with the police, the mainland, and Zhongyitang under the premise of Yin Zhaotang's trouble.

difficult!
Even Chaozhou bosses like Li Jiacheng, Zhuang Shiping, and Lin Baixin were unable to control the situation.

If they keep fighting, the Chamber of Commerce will be destroyed in the end.

The most unlucky and the most fearful are the small bosses and members. Their businesses cannot withstand the big waves, so they have to be cautious and keep their tails between their legs.

Chen Weinan hoped that the Chamber of Commerce would be fine. He sighed and asked, "Mr. Yin, there is no problem in continuing the election. How do you think the election should be held?"

"In special circumstances, anyone who wants to run can just raise their hands on the spot, re-determine the candidate, and then continue voting."

"Is there anyone who wants to be elected as the vice-president?" Yin Zhaotang asked loudly.

No one raised their hand.

Chamber of Commerce seats have become a hot potato, and members would rather sit on the sidelines and watch than fight for them.

"Who wants to re-elect the president?"

Yin Zhaotang asked again.

"No one raised their hand, so I'll go first."

He no longer needed to hide his ambition and raised his arms in public, which surprised the members.

Seeing this, Liao Lieke returned to the podium and said, "Let's hold the election for the president first. You can vote on whether to support Mr. Yin Zhaotang."

The Chamber of Commerce election must have multiple candidates, and there are several runners-up selected by Chen Youqing on the list of candidates. At this time, there are only two options: support Yin Sheng or abstain from voting.

Chen Weinan, wearing a suit, picked up the ticket and was the first to put it into the ballot box.

"One vote for Mr. Yin Zhaotang."

"Mr. Yin Zhaotang, two votes."

Tang Xueyuan recorded the votes and called out the names, writing out the correct characters one by one. As the saying goes, the situation is stronger than people, and the members' resistance was dissipated in the face of the cruel truth.

One ballot after another was put into the ballot box.

After all the members had voted, Liao Lieke said, "The 35th Chaoshan Chamber of Commerce President Election should have 221 members present, but the actual number is 219."

"Two hundred and nineteen votes, a turnout rate of ninety-eight percent. Mr. Yin Zhaotang was elected with two hundred and nineteen votes!"

"Congratulations, Mr. Yin."

Applause broke out again, and the atmosphere was much more depressing than the previous round of voting. Although blood was not spilled at the election venue, the two presidents were arrested, and the atmosphere of murder was everywhere.

Yin Zhaotang stood up, turned around and bowed to everyone. Without saying hello again, he sat back on the stool and the next round of elections began.

This time, Yin Zhaotang was the first to stand up and vote, using a ballot with Chen Weinan's name on it to make his position clear. The members who followed suit basically voted for Chen Weinan.

Finally, Chen Weinan and Zhang Zhiguang were successfully elected as vice presidents of the Chamber of Commerce.

The two stood up and shook hands with Yin Zhaotang in turn. Chen Weinan said earnestly, "Mr. Yin, the situation has changed over the past century, and the future of Hong Kong Island is complicated and confusing. The colleagues in the Chamber of Commerce are counting on you to lead everyone out of the predicament and create glory for Chaozhou merchants again."

Yin Zhaotang nodded slightly, clenched his hands, and said, "Work together."

Zhang Zhiguang stepped forward to shake hands, and said in a more distant tone, "We'll work together in the future. Thank you for your care."

The company was engaged in the porcelain foreign trade business, and its main customers were Europe and the United States. It had no competitiveness in the domestic market, so it was not that concerned about national affairs or the future of Hong Kong Island.

Yin Zhaotang also replied casually: "Take care of each other and give me more advice."

The three of them stood on the main stage together, each of them had a red flower on their chest handed to them by the Chamber of Commerce staff. The red flower was hung with a famous couplet that read: President of Chaoshan Chamber of Commerce, Vice President of Chaoshan Chamber of Commerce.

In front of the camera, Yin Zhaotang stood in the middle seat, crossed his left hand, and shook hands with Zhang Zhiguang and Chen Weinan, taking a group photo on the stage.

The three of them all had bright smiles, looking united and triumphant.

Liao Lieke hung the newly printed photo frame on the Chamber of Commerce’s cultural wall on the second floor, alongside successive Chamber of Commerce presidents.

Glancing at the dozens of photos on the wall, Tang Xueyuan smiled and said, "Mr. Yin, the Chamber of Commerce has a history of 62 years, and you are the youngest president among all the previous presidents."

"It's true that a hero comes from a boy!"

Yin Zhaotang crossed his arms and shook his head slowly: "Luck."

If Chen Youqing did not engage in shady dealings, it would be extremely difficult for him to become the president. However, as long as he is elected as the vice president, Chen Youqing's place in the preparatory group might be lost.

All I can say is, one wrong move can lead to a complete loss.

Tang Xueyuan said: "I hope Yin Sheng will live up to this good fortune."

Liao Lieke asked, "How does Yin Sheng want to solve the current troubles of the Chamber of Commerce?"

Yin Zhaotang said, "Please ask Mr. Liao to help me make an appointment with President Liang of Xinhua News Agency and tell him that I have been selected and we are open to talks."

Liao Lieke nodded gently: "No problem."

By this time the election was over and the members had dispersed. The three of them walked out of the Chamber of Commerce building side by side. On the side of Des Voeux Road, Chao Yongyi's Hua Wang club led more than 70 of his brothers, who lined up along the street, bowing and calling out to people.

"President!"

"President!"

Pedestrians on the road looked sideways, and police officers watched with awe-inspiring expressions.

Liang Manping put down his pen, picked up the phone on the table, and said, "Dashe Office, where are you?"

Liao Lieke sat in the Rolls-Royce, crossed his legs, and held up a mobile phone: "Mr. Liang, I'm Liao Lieke from the Chaoshan Chamber of Commerce."

Liang Manping said solemnly: "Mr. Liao, I know that your Chamber of Commerce is holding an election today. I wish you all the best."

Liao Lieke responded, "President Liang, the Chamber of Commerce election has ended. The new president, Mr. Yin Zhaotang, wants to meet you. Are you free tomorrow afternoon?"

Liang Manping's scalp suddenly tingled after hearing this: "When you are free, listen to Yin Sheng's arrangements."

Usually, Yin Zhaotang would ask his brothers in the society to help him make an appointment, but now, when he wanted to have a drink with him, he actually asked the Secretary-General of the Chamber of Commerce to make a phone call.

A small but insignificant change actually represents a huge leap in social class.

He picked up the cell phone and pondered whether he should contact him privately first to ask how he got elected as the president of the Chamber of Commerce when he had agreed to be the vice president.
The president of the Chaoshan Chamber of Commerce always sits in the guest seat alongside local leaders when he attends meetings in Guangdong Province.

(End of this chapter)