When Zhong Shi and his son returned home, it caused quite a stir. They had left Zhong Village with empty hands but came back with a small truck loaded with high-end appliances, including televisions, refrigerators, and washing machines. Zhong Shi bought three of each, sending them to his grandparents' house, his uncle's house, and his own home.
The people of Zhong Village were envious and secretly lamented that they wished they had a relative in Hong Kong. Little did they know that all these things were bought with the money Zhong Shi had earned!
In June, Zhong Yi finished his final exams and eagerly returned to his home in Jiangzhong Province. As a prospective graduate in his final year, he should ideally have found an internship during the summer to prepare for his upcoming graduation. However, in this era, college graduates were assigned jobs, unlike the future where unemployment was rampant.
A famous female host from Yanjing University, for example, was assigned to a newly established energy group after graduation, becoming one of its founding members. However, she was not interested and eventually became a journalist and a well-known beauty anchor at a TV station.
"What? Going to Hong Kong in September?"
Upon returning home, Zhong Yi saw the color TV and other large appliances and knew they were the work of his genius cousin. He rushed to Zhong Shi's house and heard the calm and composed Zhong Shi tell him about his most important plan for the second half of the year in a nonchalant tone.
"Little brother, tell me what you're going to do in Hong Kong? And how much money do you have now?"
Zhong Yi, completely puzzled, could not contain his curiosity. He felt that every time he met this young cousin, there was always a pleasant surprise.
"I'll show you what real finance is and how to make money quickly!"
Zhong Shi smiled and said to Zhong Yi. As for how to make money, there was no need to tell him, after all, the "Plaza Accord" had not yet been signed, and it was not good to leak it in advance. After a while, he stroked his smooth chin, ignored Zhong Yi's eager look, took a sip of tea, and slowly said, "As for how much money I have now, it's about five million Hong Kong dollars! Actually, the market value changes every day..."
Zhong Yi could no longer hear what was being said. In just half a year, his young cousin had earned several million, and the speed of making money was faster than a rocket. Zhong Yi felt a bit regretful for the first time, wondering if he had wasted his time in college.
The performance of "Cheung Kong Holdings" was rapidly developing, and its stock price was changing every day. Like Liao Chengde, who had invested a significant portion of his wealth in it, his investment had multiplied several times, making him grin from ear to ear. Every time he talked to Zhong Shi on the phone, he could feel the bold and confident tone in his voice.
Five million Hong Kong dollars, calculated at the official exchange rate, was about two million RMB, which was an astronomical figure in an era when the average salary was in the dozens.
Zhong Yi's mind was left with...
During the hot summer, Zhong Yi and Zhong Shi, the two brothers, went to the small river at the village entrance every day to fish and swim. The clear river water flowed gently, unlike the heavily polluted rivers of the future. The river was still very clear, and even the fine sand and fish could be seen. While enjoying the pleasant time, Zhong Shi also reflected on whether economic development was worth the cost of environmental pollution.
In the future, people gradually realized the importance of the environment and invested a lot of human and financial resources to clean up the already heavily polluted rivers and land, which undoubtedly led to a vicious cycle of development.
In September, Zhong Yi reluctantly left the small village and returned to Yanjing University. He still had one year of study left, and during this year, he had to complete the task given by Zhong Shi, which was to obtain a scholarship to study in the United States or to apply for a master's program in Hong Kong.
Zhong Shi, on the other hand, was much more relaxed. Although he was of school age, he had his own plans for schooling, so he currently only played at home. As for the little girl Zhong Xiaohui, with the help of two experts, she smoothly completed all her junior high school courses and was waiting for the junior high school entrance exam the following year.
Time passed quickly, and before they knew it, it was September 1985.
This time, no matter how unwilling Liu Lan was, Zhong Jianjun and Zhong Shi pulled her onto the bus to the provincial capital. After all, in the 1980s, not everyone had the opportunity to go to Hong Kong, and Zhong Shi also wanted to take his parents to more places while they were young.
Upon arriving in the provincial capital, Luo Zhiqiang was already waiting at the station. He personally escorted the Zhong family to a hotel under the provincial government, gave them many instructions, and then left happily.
In the evening, the provincial government secretary, Mr. Liang, quietly arrived, holding Zhong Jianjun's hand and speaking in a vague manner, making Zhong Jianjun nod repeatedly and say thank you to the leader. Finally, Mr. Liang noticed something was amiss, and his smile froze. He rubbed his sore cheeks and simply said to Zhong Jianjun, "Mr. Zhong, I entrust this matter to you!"
Zhong Jianjun, who was completely puzzled, only understood this sentence. He did not dare to agree easily and looked at Zhong Shi, who was pretending to play. Seeing him nod slightly, he then said mysteriously, "No problem, you can rest assured!"
Mr. Liang, having received the promise, showed a sincere smile, exchanged a few more words, and then left. He originally wanted to go to Hong Kong as well, but he was busy with work and could not spare the time. Besides, he thought he was not influential enough to help much. As long as he found out why Mr. Liao had not appeared for a long time, he would have completed his task.
After leaving the hotel, Mr. Liang saw Luo Zhiqiang waiting outside and called him over, giving him detailed instructions and said earnestly, "Zhiqiang, we are old classmates, so I won't hide anything from you. Recently, there has been a bad trend among Hong Kong businessmen, saying that the government is driving away investors. Several top officials are very worried about this matter. If we handle it well, I can leave a good impression with the higher-ups, and you will benefit as well, won't you?"
"Rest assured, I'll go with you and guarantee to complete the task!"
Luo Zhiqiang's face turned serious, and he patted his chest, looking as determined as Dong Cunrui about to blow up a bridge.
On this side, after Mr. Liang left, Zhong Jianjun hesitated for a long time before pulling Zhong Shi's ear and entering the bathroom.
"Tell me, what's really going on?"
Zhong Jianjun, who was completely unaware of what had just happened, was extremely unhappy, especially when he learned that the person who had been holding his hand and chatting was from the provincial government, which made him even more uneasy.
"Dad, it's nothing much, they just want to see Liao Chengde and want me to pass on a message!"
Zhong Shi, enduring the pain in his ear, hurriedly said.
"Is that all?"
Zhong Jianjun, seeing his son's grim face, thought he had been too rough and quickly let go, rubbing Zhong Shi's red ear, and asked suspiciously.
"Dad, I wouldn't dare to lie to you! Besides, I'm just passing on a message; whether he comes or not is up to Liao Chengde himself!"
Zhong Shi laughed and started to ramble. In Liao Chengde's mind, Zhong Shi's importance probably outweighed that of the Hong Kong governor, who wouldn't help him make so much money.
Zhong Jianjun looked at Zhong Shi, who seemed normal, and although he was skeptical, he had no good way to deal with this mischievous son.
...
A deafening roar came from Nandu Lu Airport as the flight to Guangzhou took off and soon disappeared into the sky.
Liu Lan, sitting on the plane, looked pale, and Zhong Jianjun whispered comforting words to her. Although he was also uncomfortable, the G-force during takeoff made his eyes see stars, but as a man, he had to be strong.
When Liu Lan gradually calmed down, Zhong Jianjun finally had the chance to look at Zhong Shi, who was sitting on the other side, and was surprised to find that Zhong Shi had already put on an eye mask and was sound asleep. He was puzzled; how could this kid act so calm on his first flight, even more so than his father?
Zhong Yi finally found an excuse and took a half-month leave from the university. He flew directly to Guangzhou and met up with the Zhong family there.
The group met in Guangzhou and then took a bus to Shenzhen, where they entered Hong Kong. In 1985, Shenzhen was under rapid development, the most vibrant place in China, but there was no airport yet.
After passing through the Luohu checkpoint, a group of tourists wearing Chinese Travel Service hats saw a group of men in black suits, all wearing sunglasses and with short hair, standing like wooden stakes at the exit. Liao Chengde, wearing a floral shirt, stood in front of the group, holding a large cigar. The people around them avoided the group as if they were the plague. In this era, the Hong Kong movies depicted the triads in this manner, and it was also the time when they were most rampant, not just local triads but also former soldiers from the Chinese army, known as "Big Circle."
Speaking of "Big Circle," the Hong Kong people of the 1980s were all terrified. These former soldiers, armed with powerful weapons and trained in military skills, swept through jewelry stores in Hong Kong and Kowloon like a whirlwind, disappearing without a trace after their heists, causing headaches for the Royal Police and local triads.
"Why such a show of force?"
As soon as Zhong Shi walked out of the exit, he saw this scene and frowned, his face turning cold. For the rich, the biggest taboo was to show off their wealth. Now, Liao Chengde's grand display made Zhong Shi very uncomfortable.
Liao Chengde, a shrewd man, seeing the displeasure on Zhong Shi's face, explained awkwardly, "Mr. Zhong, these are all bodyguards I hired..."
Luo Zhiqiang, walking at the back, was stunned. He never expected to see their target so soon after passing the checkpoint! What shocked him even more was that Liao Chengde was being so humble and ingratiating in front of Zhong Shi.