Tongkat Ali of Life

Chapter 7

“Tame your enemies like you tame your dog”

Godfather is a very careful person. He doesn’t act without facts. 

Once there was a man who was trying to tarnish Godfather business by telling lies and spreading rumors. 

Godfather could have get someone to finish him off but Godfather told me that what comes around goes around. 

When you take someone else life, someday someone else will take yours. 

Therefore, Godfather hired an investigator to check about this man background. 

We know where he lives, we know where he works, we even know how many children he has and we even knows where the children go to school. 

One day, Godfather sent a bouquet of flowers with an invitation to the wife.

The wife did not know who were they from, the messenger just told them that they have won a contest and the prize is everything free in one of the five star hotels.

Godfather own part of the hotel. 

That weekend the whole family went to the hotel.

While the whole family were enjoying, Godfather invited him to for dinner. Just him.

He did not know who invited him for dinner until he entered the restaurant and found only Godfather, Kidd (This brother will be in my next chapter) and I were waiting for him. 

He tried to walk out from the restaurant but it was too late, one of the bodyguards was stopping him from existing. 

“Mr. Chow, please have a seat” Godfather invited. 

“Would you like a glass of wine?” Godfather concluded. 

“No, thanks” He answered. 

“Can we have this conversation short” He proposed. 

Godfather is a man of few words.  

“You want it short?” Godfather asked 

“Ok, let’s make it short” Godfather complied. 

“You have been tarnishing my good names in front of my business associates and I want you to stop it!” Godfather instructed him. 

Godfather took out the photos of his wife and children; place it on the table. 

“Are you treating me?” He asked. 

“It depend on how you look at it” Godfather answered. 

“I just want you to stop saying things about me which it is a lie” Godfather concluded. 

He looked at Godfather. 

“Ok, I will stop but just don’t hurt my family” He requested. 

Godfather laughed. 

“We can be friends,” Godfather told him. 

Godfather gave out his hand and both of them shook it. 

Both of them become good friends after that.                

Chapter 6

“The money is everywhere, is up to you; how you going to grab it”

There were three entry points in Malaysia.

The first entry point is in Pahang, the second entry point is in Penang and the third entry point is in Johor. 

Timing is very important to ensure the goods received on the specific date and time. 

I remembered once, Godfather took me to a warehouse in Johor.

We did not need to stop at the checkpoint; as the guards know who we were. 

We reached the warehouse and there we no officer there. 

I asked Godfather and he told me all of them went out for lunch. 

We went in to the warehouse. There were five of us, including Godfather’s three bodyguards. 

Godfather asked on of them to open up one of the wooden boxes. 

One of the bodyguards took out a pair rubber gloves and handed over to Godfather. 

Godfather wore the rubber gloves.  

To my surprised, the bodyguard took out a gun out from the wooden boxes and handed over to Godfather. 

“I thought we do not do drug and gun?!” I asked Godfather. 

“We don’t do drug because we do not want to de-generate our next generation” Godfather replied. 

“We do weapon because we are entitled to protect ourselves from our enemy” Godfather continues. 

“I am just a middleman who helps other to deliver their goods” Godfather explained. 

“Whatever they do with these goods is not my business” Godfather concluded. 

“You will be surprised if I tell you who involved in this trade” Godfather said. 

“Don’t just stand there; don’t you want to learn how to fire a gun?” Godfather asked.

Chapter 5

“Patience is the best virtual”

Godfather office (I can’t name the place) were located at the center of Singapore business center.  

He got his own driver to take him to work every morning.  A bodyguard sits next to the driver. Another two bodyguards will be following his car from the back. 

At Godfather’s office, I was just an office boy. I was given documents, invoices to do filing. 

For almost six months, I was doing the same thing everyday. I was getting fed up.  

Then on the six month, Godfather asked me to his office room.  

His office room was as big as the flat I was staying in.  

Behind him, there was this Chinese calligraphy written “patience”  

A mini bar on the right with flat screen attached to the wall. 

A sofa set on the left with beautiful Singapore scenery. 

“How are you my son?” Godfather asked. 

“I am fine, sir but a little bit bored doing the same thing everyday” I replied. 

“Do you know why I trained you in such way?” Godfather questions me again. 

“It’s because I want you to know who my business associate are.” Godfather continues. 

I looked at him with a surprised.

Chapter 4

My life was about to change. 

Godfather visited me. He asked me “Why did I raise my arm to protect him?”  

I told him “It was a normal human being to do.” 

Godfather smiled. 

Soon, Godfather asked me to work with him. He told me, good man is hard to find these days. 

He told me he is a legitimate businessman. Business that he started 20 years ago and now everyone wants a piece of the cake.  

Every time he gives out some, the rival wants more and they begin to be greedy. 

“It was a natural thing to do to tame the dogs; you have to be the tiger”

Chapter 3

“If the skill of negotiate doesn’t work, use the skill of violent”

I met Godfather again at one of the club where my uncle worked in. It was at Joo Chiat Road. 

Godfather was having a business discussion there (in Malaysia we called it ‘table talk’). 

As I was passing by the room, Godfather was rushing out and the rival tried to attack him with a samurai sword. Yes, it was a samurai sword! 

Without thinking twice, I raised my left arm to protect Godfather and I heard a loud ‘tug’ and I could see blood flowing out. Yes, just like in the movie! 

There was a big fight that happened so fast.  

Then I saw few guys were rushing Godfather out from the place and I heard Godfather said “Take him to the doctor!”  

When I woke up the next day, I was told I fainted and soon to be brother took me to the doctor. 

Later, I found out that that doctor was the same doctor that took care of Godfather.

Chapter 2

“Force of nature that brought two persons together”

It was 1996, when I just graduated and got the job opportunity in Singapore.  

I still remembered my mum told me to stay back but I wouldn’t listen because I want to be independent. 

Believe it or not, I met Godfather in a bus. He was sitting right beside me. He looks like normal average man to me. 

As usual, I am not a people person. We didn’t talk. We just sat in the bus for couple of hours until the bus stop for a break.  

Then I went down first to take a leak. When I was in the toilet, I saw him was talking the leak too. He went out first and then I notice he left his mobile phone nearby the sink. I took the mobile phone and rush to him. I handed over the phone to him. He said thank you and asked me to join him for a drink.  

Obviously, he is a Singaporean that his bahasa was so bad (forgive me Godfather, it is a joke!) 

We spoke like any stranger does.

Asking him about what he does for living?

How many family he has?

What is he doing in Malaysia? 

Basically, we become instant friends. We spoke until we reached the causeway. 

He didn’t get into the bus after the immigration checkpoint.

Chapter 1 ~ Prelude

“Once you starts, there is no turning back”

Have I ever killed anybody? 

The answer is I don’t know or maybe I don’t want to know.

By the time the fight started, all focus was to protect Godfather & to defend myself. 

Lastly, is to avoid from being caught by the authorities.

This book is dedicated to my

 ~ Godfather ~

(Which I am unable to reveal his name)

1947 - 2007