Chapter 1376: Chapter 185: Exploiting Loopholes!
The mobile retail business arranged lunch at noon, and it was set at Linghai Hotel.
The people who should have stayed for the meal, Wu Ren Guang and Shi Shengyong, found an excuse to leave, making Niu Bin feel uneasy.
Chen Fang never gets involved in business affairs, thought the two elders actually had something to do, and after seeing them off, she excitedly went downstairs to check the opening day’s sales.
Jiang Xiaomei worked for several years at the government guest house, handling innumerable leaders, and had honed her skill in observing and interpreting them.
Looking at the two pieces of calligraphy left by Shi Shengyong made her increasingly uneasy, so she closed the door and asked, "President Niu, what did Inspector Wu and Director Shi mean? We’re opening today, but their words make it seem like we’re involved in some shady business!"
It’s definitely Salted Fish causing trouble!
That Salted Fish is not only smelly and tough but also petty. Years ago, just by casually mentioning that I liked Han Xiangning, he and Xiao Yu went to the Fourth Squad to drag Old Qian to the riverside Dunship to cook, splitting from the Fourth Squad and barring Han Xiangning from eating at their mess hall.
Later, he even found all sorts of excuses not to let me go to the Dunship.
If it weren’t for Zhang Lan’s reminder, I’d never have realized what a mischievous spirit he was, keeping an eye on Han Xiangning from such an early age.
I never thought, after all these years, he would remain so petty. Wasn’t it simply reporting someone selling "water goods"? You’re an anti-smuggling police, did I get the report wrong?
Niu Bin was both angry and regretful, thinking that if he’d known earlier how petty Salted Fish could be, he shouldn’t have mentioned someone selling "water goods" phones to him during the lunar month. It was just a report; there were plenty of channels.
If I weren’t dealing in phones or opening a mobile retail business, that Dead Salted Fish probably wouldn’t have any thoughts. But since I’m selling phones, Salted Fish is bound to think I’m using him to carry out my plan and that he is the weapon I’m wielding.
"President Niu, President Niu...
"Oh, what’s the matter?"
"What did Inspector Wu and Director Shi mean?"
"Didn’t they make it quite clear earlier? They’re getting old and hope we younger ones stay safe. For people their age, safety truly is a blessing."
Jiang Xiaomei felt it wasn’t that simple but couldn’t think of any other reason, so she chuckled: "President Niu, it seems Inspector Wu and Director Shi truly care about you!"
"So we must not let them down. Manager Jiang, there are a lot of people downstairs; please hurry down to oversee things."
"Alright, I’ll head down now."
...
As soon as Jiang Xiaomei left, Niu Bin closed the door and took out his mobile phone, swiftly dialing his brother-in-law’s number.
After about twenty seconds, the call was connected.
There was surveillance in the office, able to see every move in the retail business.
Niu Bin sat in the leather executive chair, looked at the monitor, and asked into the phone: "Xiao Jun, where are you?"
"Stocking up at the warehouse." Chen Jun was in a residential house about three kilometers from the Shenzhen Qianghua North Huabei Road Electronics Market, casually placed a packaged box of phones to one side, and sat down, laughing: "Brother-in-law, the retail business opened today; how is business?"
"Looks alright."
"What do you mean by alright? By closing time tonight, can you sell a hundred units?"
"Should be able to."
"That’s good."
The two old leaders had something more to say today, and Niu Bin couldn’t ignore it, pondering: "Xiao Jun, quickly find someone reliable to rent a booth at Qianghua North. You control things from behind the scenes, don’t show yourself, and don’t directly contact the bosses here in Linghai anymore."
"Brother-in-law, what really happened back home?"
"Nothing much, mainly back home isn’t like Shenzhen, it’s better to be cautious about certain things. Get the booth sorted, and then call around the small bosses here to let them order from the booth hereafter. Once well-coordinated, change numbers; don’t use this number, and I’ll change mine too."
The situation back home is truly different from the Special Economic Zone.
For instance, "water goods" mobile phones in the Special Zone are ubiquitous, like the several electronics markets in Qianghua North, which almost exclusively sell "water goods" phones, and no one ever investigates.
If they truly investigated, those electronics markets in Qianghua North would have to close.
People back home are inexperienced, unaware of what reform and opening up entail, truly considering the sale of "water goods" phones as potentially a criminal in some enforcement departments’ eyes.
Chen Jun admired his brother-in-law the most, knowing he could not ignore things, and promptly said: "Alright, I’ll have Ah Cheng rent a booth. I never intended to do business locally; the booth location doesn’t need to be prime, we’ll save where we can."
Niu Bin trusted his brother-in-law and whispered: "You decide where to rent the booth, but make sure the action is quick."
"I know."
...
Meanwhile, Han Yu had just finished attending a study organized by the bureau.
Recently, when General Secretary went to East Guang for inspection, he proposed the "Three Represents," not only requiring the Smuggling Crime Investigation Bureau Binjiang Branch to organize studies, but also necessitating the Maritime Bureau, Changhang Bureau, Water Police Station, and local party and government departments to organize studies.
He packed up his notes and walked out of the meeting room, following Xu Haoran to the Intelligence Department office.
Xu Haoran knew what he wanted to ask and closed the door: "Niu Bin’s brother-in-law’s surname is Chen, full name Chen Jun, twenty-eight years old this year, moved his household registration to the Special Zone two years ago, reportedly bought an apartment in the Special Zone."
"Where is Chen Jun now?"
"He returned before the Spring Festival but stayed at home for only two days before taking a flight back to Shenzhen."
"Anything else?"
Xu Haoran took out a key, opened the filing cabinet, took out a notebook, and browsed through it, saying in a low voice: "You never realize until you investigate; once investigated, it’s discovered that Niu Bin’s brother-in-law indeed has issues. From September 1997 to August 1998, he went to Hong Kong twice. During attempts to smuggle phones by binding dozens of mobile phones on his body and trying to sneak through, Shenzhen Customs caught him on suspicion of smuggling."
The clues provided by Wu Ren Guang were precise; unexpectedly, Niu Bin might indeed be involved in smuggling!
Han Yu took several deep breaths, furrowed his brows, and said, "As soon as Hong Kong was handed back, his brother-in-law started smuggling phones. He truly built his fortune by smuggling phones!"
"I’ve learned that during that time, he was at his most difficult."
"How did you find that out?"
"Fang Zhiqiang and Wang Yan gave me a few names, which I followed up with when I returned to Linghai for New Year’s greetings."
Their attitude towards this matter was somewhat "ambiguous."
They were very unhappy about Niu Bin using their names to "absorb" those small bosses in Linghai dealing in phones, but they weren’t very proactive against the sale of contraband phones.
They had seen the world, knowing that elsewhere, especially the South, contraband phones were common, beyond concern for most; why should they be concerned? Moreover, smuggling cases are now handled by Customs and the Smuggling Crime Investigation Bureau, out of their jurisdiction.
This is precisely why Wang Yan mentioned then that Niu Bin hadn’t opened a karaoke or dance hall.
All in all, they would only quietly keep a lookout, unless the branch specifically requested their assistance according to case procedures; otherwise, they’d never offend anyone.
This is a bit like the crackdown on illegal Foreign Exchange Certificates trading back then.
It’s certainly illegal, one hundred percent illegal, but some areas really don’t care and truly turn a blind eye.
Han Yu paused for a moment, asking, "Didn’t Customs visit Linghai to investigate, and they seized dozens of contraband phones; how was the case handled later?"
Xu Haoran set the notebook down and said helplessly, "The phones were confiscated, and the tax department handled the case, likely imposing fines."
"The amount involved reaches three thousand yuan, sufficient for accountability, so why transfer to the tax department?"
"They were just selling phones suspected of smuggling, not engaged in smuggling."
Xu Haoran took a deep breath, patiently explaining: "The seized phones were purchased from an electronics city in the Special Zone, with receipts, merchants’ contacts, and detailed addresses. Meaning, they were only suspected of tax evasion, unrelated to smuggling."
Han Yu asked perplexedly, "Why not follow the leads to investigate the merchants wholesaling contraband phones?"
"San’er, if you visit the Special Zone, you’d understand; all around Qianghua North Huabei Road Electronics Market are wholesale and retail contraband phones! How can Customs and the tax department follow leads, conduct deep investigations?"
Seeing Han Yu hesitate to speak, Xu Haoran smiled wryly, "I called Ming Yuan, saying it’s overwhelming, they can’t investigate further. Plus, exchanges between the Special Zone and Hong Kong are so frequent, over ten thousand Hong Kong people pass through the express passage daily, treating phones as second-hand goods sold into the market. If each sells one per day, it’s ten thousand units daily; how can Customs investigate?"
"Can’t stop it?"
"Ming Yuan said a new industry emerged there, called ’Water Guest,’ specialized for this. Many Hong Kong ’Water Guests’ utilize these methods, carrying electronics into the country, selling them for profit."
"If Niu Bin’s phones were acquired this way, we can’t touch him?"
"Without evidence, it’s hard to prove his smuggling."
"Alright, he’s really good at exploiting loopholes."
"So how should we handle this?"
Han Yu pondered for a moment, saying, "It’s hard to prove him smuggling, but it’s not difficult to deal with him. Customs can investigate him once, then a second and third time! As long as his phone market sells phones suspected of smuggling, Customs can investigate and confiscate, transfer the case to the tax department like last time, letting the tax department examine his tax evasion!"
Xu Haoran cautioned, "Customs can’t always keep an eye on him, and the tax department can’t follow our directions."
"In that case, only the second method can be used."
"What method?"
"To destroy him, first let him go wild. We’ll stand down and figure out how many phones suspected of smuggling come into Binjiang from him. Then track the source quietly; if we can catch his supplier, we can bring him to justice!"
"San’er, you’ve decided to deal with him?"
"He aims big, even trying to connect with former leaders and colleagues to turn them into his protectors, in other words, trying to involve many former leaders and colleagues in his scheme. He plots deceptively; if not him, then whom do we handle? Besides, I’m helping Senior Brother clean house!"
