Hong Kong Island Old Events

"Sir Barton, the price reduction campaign of the Rickshaw Association has squeezed the ferry market and caused a great negative impact on the Star Ferry." At the Peninsula Hotel, Yimigao was sitting next to a tea seat and said to Deputy Commissioner of Police Barton in front of him. : "The Star Ferry's stock price fell by 13% in one day. If it continues like this, the losses will be huge. Can the police help solve the problem?"

Barton was wearing a suit, holding up a coffee cup, and said thoughtfully: "The police cannot interfere in the market economy, so I'm afraid there is no reason to intervene."

Yimigao quietly pushed a check in front of him and said: "Rickshaws gathered at North Point Pier, Kowloon City Ferry, East Tsim Sha Tsui, and Yau Ma Tei. The number of people has exceeded fifty. It is an organized social event."

"But he did not apply to the police for assembly, which is an illegal assembly."

"The police can use the prohibition of illegal gatherings as an excuse to disperse rickshaws on the streets."

Barton's eyes fell on the amount of the check, and his eyes suddenly became sharp. He could see clearly that there were five zeros at a glance. While putting down the coffee, he folded the check and put it in his chest pocket and said: "Mr. Yi That makes sense.”

"The gathering of too many rickshaws will indeed affect social security, and most rickshaw pullers have a social background. Organizing social activities without reporting them to the police is absolutely not allowed."

Yi Mi Gao breathed a sigh of relief when he saw this: "Sir Barton, I leave the matter to you."

"It's just for public security." In addition to his position as Deputy Director of Operations, Barton is also the chairman of the Police Fund. He has just approved the investment plan for the Star Ferry Company. In fact, he is also a director of the Star Ferry.

Although it is the police fund that holds the shares and not Barton personally, Barton needs to be responsible for this investment and the interests of the two are related. This is why Yimigao was able to easily contact Barton and request the police to take action.

The moment Barton accepted the money, Yi Mi Gao was suddenly stunned. Barton saw the other party looking at him without saying a word, and asked doubtfully: "Sir Yi, do you have any questions?"

"without."

"No more." He opened his mouth and replied.

"Well."

"I'll go back and make arrangements." Patton acted simply and in a military style, and immediately stood up and left.

Yi Migao looked at his figure, but he already figured out who was in trouble! If it were not an issue between the police forces, then He Dingxian could have approved the rickshaw company's gathering activities, leaving Barton with no reason to take action.

And is Patton's behavior now a trap?

He was in no mood to care.

I only hope that Patton has the ability to settle this matter. As for what will happen to Patton in the future? unimportant! Surviving the Rickshaw Association's crisis is a victory. The police will fight as much as they like, as long as the Star Ferry Company is no longer involved.

This time, Yimi Gao's behavior was not even gambling. It was nothing more than a fight between gods and mortals suffering. It was completely innocent and the outcome could only be left to fate.

The next day.

early morning.

The sky was twilight, and the first ferry sailed over the sea and slowly docked at the North Point Pier.

The entrance to the pier.

The coachmen pulled the coach to the gate of the pier as usual, and gathered together to wait in line for the passengers. When the coachman at the head saw the guests coming out one after another, he immediately solicited the passengers and shouted: "Boss, boss, will you take the coach?"

"Five cents stampede all over Hong Kong."

"Plenty of buses, no need to wait."

A guest came to the door, called the coachman, and asked with a smile: "Master, are you still five immortals?"

"right!"

"The ferry will not lower its price, and the coachman will not increase its price." The chef with a flattering smile, shriveled skin, and dark body bent down to put down the car, and while talking, he invited the guests to get on the bus. The guest nodded with great satisfaction, stepped into the car, and said cheerfully: "Golden Bell."

"okay."

"boss."

The master hung up the sweat towel, pulled up the shaft of the cart and started running. The guest was sitting in the car and rarely added: "Thank you for your hard work."

At this time, 20 of the more than 60 passengers who came off the first ferry called for rickshaws to go to their destination. Later, the second batch of rickshaws came to fill in. There is never a shortage of cars at the North Point Pier. However, even the coachman noticed that there were more passengers at the North Point Pier. A young man who had just arrived in Hong Kong and spoke Chaoshan dialect counted with shrewd eyes: "There are sixty-eight people in total. The first passenger ship is bigger than yesterday." There are twenty more.”

"And there are few people catching the early ferry. This ratio would be even higher during the peak period of 7 or 8 o'clock. More and more people are taking the Yau Ma Tei Ferry."

The middle-aged rickshaw driver glanced at him: "Young man, you have good eyesight. Yesterday, the guests couldn't get a ride in Wan Chai, so they would naturally take a boat to North Point to disembark. A rickshaw or a taxi, any fool knows which one is cheaper."

"Driving a car is much more comfortable than pulling a rickshaw."

The young man sighed: "We are using our feet to help the Yau Ma Tei Ferry to steal customers."

The middle-aged driver kicked him: "Do you have the money to take the driver's license test? After you get the driver's license, will you have a car and a license plate? People haven't learned how to do it. They just want to be a car builder. Pull the car well!"

"We don't help the Yau Ma Tei Ferry to steal customers, but you can make up for the fare for us? Everything in this world is about mutual benefit, do you understand?"

The old coachman thinks he has a thorough understanding of the world and educates the younger generation, but he cannot see that the Yau Ma Tei Ferry is just a facade. However, the young man was very clever. He looked around and asked, "Uncle, where is my Uncle Kuang?"

"Brother Kuang?"

The old coachman looked around and said: "Yesterday after the union paid out the wages, a few workers from the society came out and called a group of brothers to go to dinner, and Uncle Kuang also went. Maybe he drank too much, so he should come to work later. "

"You brat, stop looking around. If you are caught peeking at a female family member, I will gouge out your eyes first and then come up to solicit customers!" When he saw the young boy, his eyes unconsciously glanced at the legs of a woman wearing a floral skirt and a ponytail. He gave the young boy a hard kick.

The young man stumbled to the woman, not daring to raise his head, and bent down with inferiority: "Miss, do you want to take a car?"

"good."

Women don't mind.

The old coachman looked at him with a secretive expression on his face. He knew in his heart what the young man was dreaming about, but it didn't matter. The one who pulled the coach was the one who pulled the coach. There could be no story with the guests. It was just that the coach was running a little harder. .

ten minutes later.

The old coachman also got his first customer of the day, but he was a fat man weighing almost 200 kilograms.

As the second and third flights arrived one after another, the coachmen at North Point Pier became very busy. The passenger flow of the Yau Ma Tei Ferry has indeed increased, making the wooden pier as bustling as a market. On the contrary, the Wan Chai Pier is deserted, and the number of customers has dropped significantly. There are only a sparse 20 or 30 passengers on each ferry, leaving passengers who have already left the train to wait. The taxi drivers were disappointed. In fact, all the smart taxis have moved to North Point to wait. Rather than hoping that the Star Ferry will take advantage of them, it is better to hope that there are not enough taxi drivers at the North Point Pier, or that there are some people traveling in groups who would rather take a taxi and take over this part. Benefits: Customers may make more money.

But when the North Point Pier was getting busier and busier, a British inspector led two teams of police officers to the roadside where the coachmen were gathering. He took out his ID and warned: "According to the police regulations, social gatherings of more than 50 people are prohibited." Submission for approval is required.”

"The police department has not received your approval application and will give you five minutes to evacuate. Otherwise, we will conduct a forced evacuation."

A rickshaw driver put down his car, stood up in front of Gui Lao, placed his ID on the ground, and said angrily: "We have a rickshaw license and we have been pulling rickshaws here. Who asked us to apply for it?"

"you."

When the British inspector saw the coachman's insulting behavior, his eyes showed anger. He decisively drew his baton, pointed at the certificate on the ground and shouted: "Pick it up!"

The driver raised his neck, looked back without fear, and said firmly: "What if I don't pick it up? What do you want!"

More than a dozen rickshaw drivers put down their rickshaws and unconsciously gathered behind the brother, looking at the police with hostile eyes. It happened that a group of ferry passengers arrived at the pier and saw a British police officer holding a baton and threatening the coachman. They stood decisively with the coachman. Except for a few people who left in a hurry, most people gathered at the pier to watch.

The British inspector was used to shouting and shouting. Even if he knew that the police force was now headed by a Chinese, and he was respectful to the powerful Chinese, how could he tolerate a manpower driver shouting at him? But seeing more and more people gathering around him, he still suppressed the anger in his heart and gritted his teeth and said: "Pick it up!"

The rickshaw driver was about to return the greeting to Gui Lao with a family greeting, but someone suddenly pressed his shoulder. He looked back and got out of the way, handing over the words to Brother Zhan, the vice chairman of the rickshaw union. At this time, Brother Zhan was wearing a black shirt and a turban. He bent down on the ground to pick up the police officer's ID card, blew the dust on it, wiped it with the corner of his clothes, handed it to the British inspector with both hands, and apologized sincerely. : "I'm sorry, sir, my brother is not sensible, but there are so many guests waiting. Can you let us finish this trip?"

The British inspector looked at Brother Zhan with a look full of disdain and disgust, then forcefully pulled the document from his hand, and gave a cold answer: "Now, get out of here right away!"

A group of rickshaw drivers standing behind Brother Zhan couldn't bear it anymore and shouted: "Why, you damn guy? We have license plates and business here is good. Can't we come here more to solicit customers? Who stipulates a place?" Only a dozen rickshaws?”

Brother Zhan, however, remained humble and bowed: "Sir, we are just making ends meet. We can travel all over Hong Kong with two legs for only 5 cents. If we work for a month, it won't be enough for you to have a meal. It's really not worth getting angry with us." ."

Just when the British inspector was about to have a fit, a Chinese guest could no longer bear it. He boldly walked out of the roadside and shouted: "Is there a car?"

"I want to take the car."

"have!"

"Yes!" Brother Zhan agreed quickly, turned around and waved, and a rickshaw immediately ran over. The remaining guests shouted: "I'm taking a car too, come on, come on, hurry up, I'm in a hurry"

"Yes, yes, yes." The coachmen ran away to solicit customers.