Gu Shaolong was an old hand in the criminal world, with a strong old-school air about him.
He had one surprisingly good habit: keeping ledgers.
He didn't hire an accountant; he did it himself.
According to his men, the guy didn't trust anyone but himself—not even his own wife.
And he had to write them all by hand.
Every day, unless something special came up, he would head to the breeding farm as if he were clocking in for a job.
Then he would record the daily income and expenses, entry by entry.
He didn't use any particular accounting method; it was just pure record-keeping.
[Gave So-and-so 200 yuan for gas]
[So-and-so caught 7 stray cats, commission 140.]
[Sold one golden shaded cat today, income 1,500. Stolen by so-and-so, commission 450.]
He filled one ledger after another.
He had told his men about this before.
He said he'd been scarred by poverty and had developed a love for counting money.
