▁load ▁we igh ing ▁around ▁ 9 3 6 0 0 ▁catt ies ▁( appro xim ately ▁ 4 6 , 0 0 0 ▁kil og rams ); ▁this ▁made ▁them ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁largest ▁salt ▁carri ers ▁in ▁the ▁country . ▁For ▁ten ▁years , ▁Z eng ▁served ▁as ▁president ▁of ▁the ▁Ch ong q ing ▁Salt ▁Mer ch ants ' ▁Association . ▁ ▁His ▁st int ▁in ▁the ▁salt ▁industry ▁ended ▁after ▁three ▁dec ades . ▁Salt ▁tax es ▁hit ▁a ▁new ▁high ▁and ▁substantial ly ▁affected ▁ear nings . ▁In ▁ 1 9 3 5 , ▁during ▁the ▁bo om ▁of ▁the ▁op ium ▁trade , ▁Z eng ▁decided ▁to ▁purs ue ▁the ▁rich es ▁involved ▁in ▁drug - de aling . ▁Non eth eless , ▁he ▁was ▁initially ▁app reh ensive ▁of ▁the ▁risk ▁involved . ▁He ▁approached ▁a ▁hand ful ▁of ▁banks ▁for ▁lo ans , ▁and ▁signed ▁a ▁p act ▁with ▁friends ▁Li ▁Ch ong ji ang ▁( 李 <0xE8> <0x88> <0x82> 江 ) ▁and ▁Sh i ▁Zh ux uan ▁( 石 竹 <0xE8> <0xBD> <0xA9> ), ▁Z eng ▁was ▁able ▁to ▁pool ▁together ▁ 3 0 0 , 0 0 0 ▁y uan ▁to ▁start ▁his ▁new ▁business , ▁and ▁then ▁reported ly ▁earned ▁nine ▁times ▁that ▁amount . ▁ ▁Fort un ately ▁for ▁Z eng , ▁his ▁established ▁deal ings ▁with ▁high - ran king ▁officials , ▁including ▁He ▁Gu og u ang ▁( <0xE8> <0xB3> <0x80> 國 光 ), ▁X ia ▁Dou y in