Hong Kong is a small place, with an area of more than a thousand square kilometers and a population of several million, making it one of the most densely populated regions in the world. This is mainly due to the fact that after the founding of New China, for various reasons, it was not immediately reclaimed. Later, Hong Kong became a point of contact between the East and the West, attracting forces from all over the world. These included the British-led European forces, the remnants of the former dynasty, the Southeast Asian forces who came due to war, the American and Japanese forces who were strategically positioned in East Asia to contain the spread of communism, and the forces of China itself.
There was once a saying that the number of spies gathered in Hong Kong was second only to that in Germany. At the time, Germany was divided into two parts, with East Germany being a socialist country under the Warsaw Pact and West Germany being a capitalist country under NATO. The Berlin Wall, which divided Germany, stood in the middle of these two most powerful military alliances in human history.
Imagine such a region; it would inevitably be the focus of contention, with each side's forces penetrating every possible gap, trying to keep track of the other's every move. In the East, Hong Kong played a similar role, a small place surrounded by various forces, with the political situation constantly changing.
Of course, the mainland had the greatest impact on Hong Kong. After all, most Hong Kong residents' roots were on the mainland. For various reasons, they left their hometowns and settled on this small island to make a living, still harboring a sense of belonging to their homeland. Another reason was that the leaders of the mainland had already negotiated with the British government to reclaim Hong Kong in 1997 and exercise sovereignty.
Thus, the political changes on the mainland were closely linked to Hong Kong, which is why, in the 1980s and 1990s, countless Hong Kong elites emigrated abroad, mostly because they were pessimistic about Hong Kong's future and had little hope in the mainland government.
In fact, the development of the past few decades after the handover proved that their thoughts were somewhat extreme. The Chinese government has always taken an enlightened attitude toward Hong Kong, even providing policies and financial support. Whenever Hong Kong faced major disasters, the central government promptly extended a helping hand.
For a very simple example, before the handover, few artists went to the mainland to film movies or TV shows. At the time, Hong Kong's film industry was known as the "Hollywood of the East," with thousands of Hong Kong films produced each year dominating the Southeast Asian cultural market, and the mainland was one of the main export destinations for these films.
With the development of the mainland's economy, the cultural industry also rapidly developed. Many Hong Kong artists, seeing the vast market on the mainland, put aside their once unapproachable attitudes and moved north to seek opportunities. For a time, the leading actors and actresses of TVB collectively left for the mainland to find opportunities, forcing TVB to push younger, less experienced talent to the forefront, leading to a decline in the quality of their productions, which could not compare to those from the mainland.
Of course, these are all later developments. At present, ordinary Hong Kong residents still have a sense of superiority over people from the mainland.
After certain events in Beijing this year, the fear among Hong Kong residents was reignited. Some people seemed to see the scenario after the handover, and with the extensive propaganda of pro-British media, they hurriedly sold their assets and desperately wanted to leave Hong Kong.
The real estate market plummeted, with countless people waiting to sell their properties.
This was indeed a good time to buy at the bottom, especially for a place like Hong Kong, which has limited land and a large population. All of Hong Kong's wealthy families have backgrounds in real estate.
Zhong Shi naturally would not miss such an opportunity. If possible, he was even willing to buy entire buildings. He knew that in the future, the money invested in the real estate market would outpace inflation and interest rates, and it would be extremely safe.
When he arrived in Hong Kong, Liao Chengde, with a serious expression, said something that made him quite reflective.
"Mr. Zhong, I have already applied for immigration to Australia and may soon go there to retire!"
When Liao Chengde said this, his face showed a complex expression. Deep down, he did not want to immigrate, but out of practical considerations, he had to make such plans.
If, after the handover, a high-ranking official ordered the confiscation of all the assets of the rich, his entire life's work would be in vain.
Sometimes, a single word from a high-ranking official could cause countless ordinary people to lose everything.
"Oh? Who will go to serve the immigration residency requirement?" Zhong Shi was taken aback, then realized that Liao Chengde was not young and it might be better for him to retire early, as someone of his age had many things to consider.
Australia is a good place, with vast land and a sparse population, and the air and environment are suitable for the elderly. Most importantly, it is close to Hong Kong, just a few hours' flight away.
The immigration residency requirement is a policy where, to obtain permanent residency in a country, one must live there for a year or so, hence the term "immigration residency requirement," which is often jokingly referred to as "serving time."
"Of course, it will be my wife." Liao Chengde gave a self-deprecating laugh, somewhat surprised by Zhong Shi's reaction. "Why don't you ask me why I'm immigrating and what will happen to my business in the future?"
"What can you do? You'll just continue your business in Hong Kong and add a foreign protection layer." Zhong Shi shook his head disdainfully. Many people in the future did the same, and for the first generation of immigrants, it was difficult to integrate into the culture of the host country, and most just sought peace of mind.
"Don't you want to say more about it?" Liao Chengde, on the contrary, became more enthusiastic, persistently questioning Zhong Shi.
"What's there to say! But Liao, actually, a Hong Kong passport is not bad. As long as you don't get involved in politics, living in Hong Kong will ensure a worry-free life for you."
"Is that so?" Liao Chengde fell into deep thought.
...
On this day, they went to Tai Po to look at properties. Tai Po, with its mountains and water, and an industrial park, has a very good location. On the hilltop, there was a batch of villas in Kang Le Park that were urgently for sale. These were some of the early villa projects in Hong Kong, and their prices were astonishingly high.
However, due to the urgency of the sellers, the prices were naturally very low, and Zhong Shi and his group were quite satisfied with the prices. After viewing the properties, they signed the agreements without hesitation, waiting for the money to be transferred before taking possession of the houses.
Many of the sellers were entrepreneurs from the industrial park. Seeing Zhong Shi and Liao Chengde's quick agreement, they were very pleased, and some even wanted to sell their factories, which made Zhong Shi laugh and cry at the same time. Not to mention the high labor costs in Hong Kong, in a few years, the competitiveness of Hong Kong manufacturing would be gone.
After viewing all the houses, it was already dark. Declining an invitation to dinner from an enthusiastic owner, Zhong Shi and his group got into an unremarkable minibus and left, with the owner looking at them with infinite gratitude.
"This is a big win. Once the situation improves, even if we sell these villas at the original price, we can make at least tens of millions!" Liao Xiaohua, after calculating for a long time in the car, said excitedly.
"Yes! I never thought these people would be so eager to immigrate that they would sell at such low prices, it's really unexpected!" Zhong Yi also chimed in.
"Such opportunities are rare. I wish there were always incidents in the north, so we would have plenty of opportunities to buy at the bottom!" Liao Xiaohua, who had spent the past two years in an accounting firm, not only became proficient in accounting but also became very familiar with the relationship between Hong Kong and China.
"Shut up!" Liao Chengde glared at him and shouted loudly. "Do you know what the relationship between the mainland and Hong Kong is? It's a relationship where if one side is lost, the other will suffer. Do you understand, you brat? You haven't learned much about your own culture, but you're full of foreign nonsense."
It was difficult for Liao Chengde, who had not read much, to understand the concept of "if one side is lost, the other will suffer." More accurately, it should be "if the skin is gone, where will the hair attach?" However, this level of idiom was already difficult for Liao Xiaohua to understand, as he had studied abroad and knew little about Chinese culture, even speaking Mandarin with a stammer.
After being scolded by his father, Liao Xiaohua immediately wilted and secretly asked Zhong Yi about the meaning of "if one side is lost, the other will suffer."
"You brat, talking nonsense!" Liao Chengde, after scolding him, still had some dissatisfaction on his face. After all, he was from the mainland and, deep down, still hoped for its development, a common wish among Chinese people.
The car drove to Tolo Harbor, with the port on one side and mountains on the other. There were few pedestrians on the road, and the driver, Lu Hu, stepped on the gas and sped forward. This was in the New Territories, and there was still a distance to return to Hong Kong Island.
Suddenly, a minibus rushed from behind, swerved, and blocked the front of Zhong Shi's car. The minibus suddenly slowed down and brazenly stopped in the middle of the road.
Due to the suddenness of the incident and the high speed of both vehicles, Lu Hu, caught off guard, slammed on the brakes. The tires screeched, leaving two long marks on the ground, and the car came to a stop just in front of the other vehicle, missing a collision by half a meter.
"How do you drive?" The people in the car were jolted, but fortunately, they were all wearing seat belts and were not seriously injured. Liao Xiaohua, who was quick to speak, could not help but complain.
"Something's not right!" Lu Hu stared at the minibus in front, feeling a sense of unease.
As he spoke, the door of the minibus suddenly opened, and several burly men jumped out. They wore head coverings and held weapons like machetes and wooden sticks. One of them held a black .38 revolver, pointing it directly at Lu Hu in the driver's seat and shouting, "Don't move, or I'll shoot!"
The people in the car were stunned. They never expected that this seemingly accidental "traffic accident" was actually a premeditated robbery.
"I finally understand what 'if one side is lost, the other will suffer' means!" Liao Xiaohua, with a mournful face, silently sighed in his heart. (Today, I'm adding an extra chapter, especially to thank Ah Fang for the generous tip!)