My 1995 Small Farm.

The car drove through bustling streets and finally stopped in front of a rather impressive detached house in the Mid-Levels of Hong Kong Island.

The environment here is serene and shaded by green trees, forming a striking contrast with the skyscrapers of Central not far away. It offers both a panoramic view of the bustling city and a sense of tranquility.

"Here we are, right here!"

Liang Yuemin smiled and gestured for Chen Ling and his family to get out of the car. "I rented this house specifically to entertain friends and discuss business. It's spacious, convenient, and much more comfortable than a hotel!"

The house is in a typical European style, with front and back gardens, and the decoration is elegant yet modern.

As soon as Rui Rui and Wang Zhenzhen entered the house, they were attracted by the spacious living room and the small garden outside the floor-to-ceiling windows, and excitedly ran around.

Kang Kang and Lele also stared wide-eyed, curiously observing their new surroundings.

Wang Susu was a little flustered: "Brother Yuemin, this...this is too much of a waste. We can just stay in a regular hotel."

"Oh, Susu, you're being too polite!"

Liu Yinhuan affectionately took her arm, "You rarely come all this way, of course you should stay comfortably!"

"Besides, it's close to the company, so it's convenient for Yuemin and Fugui to discuss things here."

"Quickly, let me show you the room, help you wash up, and get some rest. We still have dinner tonight!"

After settling in, we rested for a while.

In the evening, Leung Yuet-man personally drove his family to the famous "Fook Lam Moon" restaurant.

Fook Lam Moon, located in Wan Chai, is a long-established upscale Cantonese restaurant on Hong Kong Island, renowned for its abalone, sea cucumber, shark fin, and classic Cantonese dishes, and is a favorite among the wealthy and famous.

The entrance decoration is not extremely ostentatious, but it exudes the understated charm of old Hong Kong residents.

The doorman in uniform respectfully opened the door, revealing an elegant and tranquil interior filled with a unique blend of subtle food aromas, cigar scents, and perfume.

Rui Rui was a little nervous by the commotion and held tightly to her parents' hands.

Kang Kang and Le Le were held by Liu Yinhuan and the nanny, looking around curiously.

Wang Zhenzhen is quite adaptable; by this time, she was looking around and smiling at the doorman and waiter.

Guided by a waiter, they entered a spacious private room.

There were already five or six people in the private room. When they saw Liang Yuemin come in, they all stood up and exchanged pleasantries.

"Mr. Liang! Mrs. Liang!"

"Brother Min! Sister Huan!"

Liang Yuemin enthusiastically introduced to everyone: "Everyone, let me introduce you. This is Chen Ling, the best brother I often mention to you, and also the co-founder of our 'Fugui Mountain Villa' brand, from the mainland!"

"This is your sister-in-law, Ms. Wang Susu..."

"These are their family's precious dolls!"

He then turned to Chen Ling and introduced everyone present: "Fugui, Susu, this is Mr. Li from Yongshen Group, this is General Manager Liu from Jinhong Trading, this is Mr. Ma, the editor-in-chief of the entertainment section of the Oriental Daily, this is Mr. Zhao, the owner of the watch shop..."

These Hong Kong businessmen were all well-dressed and had an extraordinary air about them.

They had long known that Liang Yuemin's "Fugui Mountain Villa" braised beef noodles had grown like a snowball, and that there was more to it than met the eye.

I was very curious about this second boss.

Upon seeing Chen Ling, they were all secretly surprised.

too young!

The young man in front of me looked to be only twenty-four or twenty-five years old. He was tall and upright, wearing a well-fitting casual suit without a tie, which made him look casual but not sloppy.

He has a handsome face, healthy wheat-colored skin, and clear, bright eyes that are smiling yet exude a composure and restraint beyond his years.

They were nothing like the kind of people they had imagined: either seasoned masters with family secret recipes or shrewd, eager-to-achieve rural entrepreneurs.

The bosses exchanged surprised glances when they heard Liang Yuemin say that the brand name "Fugui Villa" was taken from Chen Ling's name "Chen Fugui".

It is not uncommon for companies to be named after themselves.

But they managed to make the product so good that even a picky person like Liang Yuemin praised it highly and took the initiative to use it as their brand.

And those who are ambitious enough to expand into the Hong Kong Island and even international markets are extremely rare.

"Chen Sheng is truly a promising young man!"

Mr. Li, the owner of Yong Shen, spoke first with a smile, speaking in Mandarin with a heavy Cantonese accent, "When your braised beef noodles first came to Hong Kong, it was absolutely amazing! Even the God of Cookery, Brother Tao, raved about it!"

"Mr. Li, you flatter me."

Chen Ling responded with a smile, neither humble nor arrogant, speaking fluent Mandarin at a steady pace and with clear enunciation.

"The main difference is the attention to detail in the ingredients and the cooking process, plus a bit of family-inherited seasoning expertise."

"It's our honor to be able to please everyone's tastes."

He remained calm and composed, neither fawning over the other party's status nor displaying any arrogance due to the excellence of his own products, as if he were discussing something very ordinary.

Mr. Liu, the general manager of Jin Hong Trading, adjusted his gold-rimmed glasses and tentatively asked, "Mr. Chen's business in mainland China must be quite large, right? I heard that the scale of the raw materials he supplies to Mr. Liang alone is quite considerable."

Chen Ling smiled and said in a calm tone, "Mr. Liu is joking. The mainland is a vast country with abundant resources. We just do some small-scale farming and breeding in our hometown, relying on the good mountains and rivers. It's mainly to ensure the quality of the raw materials for our own products."

"Compared to the international business world you bosses are, our scale is really not worth mentioning."

His words were so flawless that no one could find fault with them, nor could they glean any useful information from them.

Editor-in-Chief Ma of the Oriental Daily was more interested in the cultural aspect and asked, "Mr. Chen, I heard that the name of your brand, 'Fugui Mountain Villa,' has a very idyllic feel to it. Is it taken from Tao Yuanming's ideal of retiring to the mountains and forests, like the poem 'Picking chrysanthemums by the eastern fence'?"

Upon hearing this, Chen Ling's smile became even more genuine:

"Editor-in-Chief Ma is indeed a cultured person; he hit the nail on the head right away. It's not entirely about retiring to a secluded life; it's more that he feels that for us in the food industry, our roots are in the mountains, rivers, and fields."

"The word 'wealth and honor' in my name may be a bit vulgar, but what ordinary people want is peace, wealth, and honor."

"We hope to bring the natural and healthy aspects of rural life to more friends through a bowl of noodles."

Chen Ling had already mastered empty rhetoric in his past life.

More than enough to handle this kind of situation.

His explanation was met with nods of agreement from the people present.

Next.

Although Chen Ling doesn't talk much, every time he does speak, he gets to the heart of the matter.

Whether discussing changes in the mainland market, the development of the food industry, or some views on consumption habits in Hong Kong, their insights were quite remarkable, earning nods of approval from several seasoned business owners.

His almost obsessive pursuit of ingredient quality and his understanding of modernizing traditional techniques particularly piqued the interest of several business owners in the food industry.

This young man is articulate, insightful, and possesses both market knowledge and passion.

They were not, at all, the "connected individuals" they thought might have some special background in mainland China.

Rather, they do possess some real skill and ideas.

The atmosphere at the next dinner was even more harmonious.

Although Wang Susu is a woman of few words, she is well-mannered and takes good care of the children. She also responds to questions from other women with grace and poise, which makes her even more likable.

With encouragement from the adults, Rui Rui and Wang Zhenzhen gradually relaxed. Although they couldn't understand Cantonese, they enjoyed the delicious food.

After three rounds of wine, five flavors of food.

After the other business owners took their leave, only Liang Yuemin and his wife, and Chen Ling's family remained in the private room.

Then he also invited Director Zhong from the "Return to Glory" crew over for a casual meal with acquaintances.

Leung Yuet-man was beaming, clearly very satisfied with tonight's performance: "Fu-gui, did you see that? The big shots have a very good impression of you! I told you, gold shines wherever it is! With your abilities, plus our products, opening up the Hong Kong market will be no problem at all!"

Director Zhong smiled and chimed in, "Yes, Mr. Chen has an extraordinary demeanor; he's clearly someone who can accomplish great things. Speaking of which, Mr. Chen, there's something I need to discuss with you again." "Please go ahead, Director Zhong."

"In our show, there's an important plot point where they film you to reveal your identity..."

Director Zhong rubbed his hands together. "The original plan was to ask you to bring your two particularly majestic and intelligent dogs from home to shoot a few scenes. The effect would definitely be great! Unfortunately, the quarantine and transportation are too troublesome. It's inconvenient to take a plane, and there's not enough time."

Chen Ling nodded, indicating her understanding.

Heiwa and Xiaojin are indeed extraordinary, but it is unrealistic to bring them to Hong Kong Island so quickly.

Director Zhong then changed the subject: "However, I heard about a friend who is also a dog lover. He has many purebred dogs at home, including several very majestic Tibetan Mastiffs!"
"His physique and presence are absolutely commanding!"

"I'd like to take you there tomorrow to see if there's anything you like that we can borrow."

"Of course, the payment is negotiable!"

"Oh? People in Hong Kong Island keep Tibetan Mastiffs?"

Chen Ling was genuinely surprised.

It was 1998, and Tibetan mastiffs were still largely unknown in most parts of China.

Although the price started out, it was far from reaching the sky-high prices of later generations, nor did it become so sought after.

Not to mention that in places like Hong Kong Island, large dogs are not very popular.

They also prefer foreign dog breeds.

It's really rare to see people keeping Tibetan mastiffs.

Liang Yuemin interjected, "You mean Brother Hua? He's absolutely obsessed with these large, fierce dogs! His house is practically a doghouse!"

"Yes, it's Brother Wah, a Taiwanese actor who's based in Hong Kong!"

Director Zhong laughed and said, "He's quite a character; he really loves cats and dogs. If Mr. Chen is interested, how about we go take a look together tomorrow? Maybe we can even exchange some tips on raising dogs."

Chen Ling's heart stirred.

He originally intended to find excellent dog breeds, partly to fulfill his promise to Jackson and others to breed mastiffs similar to "Purple Qilin".

On the other hand, it is also to enrich the natural species population of its caves in the future.

Since this "Brother Wah" from Hong Kong Island is able to keep Tibetan mastiffs in this day and age, he must be no ordinary enthusiast, and he might actually have some success.

I can get two Tibetan mastiffs from him, breed them, and save myself the trouble of making a trip to the snowy area.

“Sure!” Chen Ling readily agreed. “I’ll trouble Director Zhong to introduce me tomorrow.”

"No problem! I've got it covered!" Director Zhong patted his chest and assured him.

The dinner ended in a pleasant atmosphere.

Back at their lodging halfway up the mountain, the children had played so much that they were too tired to go to bed early.

While tidying up the clothes the children would wear tomorrow, Wang Susu said to Chen Ling, "Ling, those big bosses today all looked quite impressive. I didn't expect you to get along so well with them."

Chen Ling smiled and said, "They're all Yue Min's friends, just giving him face. The important thing is that our instant noodles are good."

"By the way, tomorrow I'm going to see the dogs with Director Zhong. You and Zhenzhen can take the kids and have Sister Yinhuan accompany them to Repulse Bay or Ocean Park."

"Alright, you go ahead with your work, important matters come first. Don't worry, your wife Yinhuan and I will take care of the children."

Wang Susu sat back on the bed, shifted her body, and snuggled into his arms.

"Once you're done with your work, let's go out and have some fun as a family."

"Alright, you guys go ahead and fight the initial battle, then you'll be my guides..."

Chen Ling hugged his wife tightly with a smile.

The following morning, the air in the Mid-Levels of Hong Kong Island was moist and fresh, with the unique scent of the sea breeze.

Chen Ling woke up to the sound of birdsong, opened the window, and saw the shimmering waves of Victoria Harbour and the silhouettes of skyscrapers faintly visible in the morning mist.

Wang Susu and the children were still fast asleep, their faces showing a tranquil blend of travel fatigue and excitement for the new environment.

Chen Ling got up quietly and prepared a simple breakfast in the kitchen—using millet and red dates brought from her hometown, she cooked a pot of soft and sweet porridge and fried a few eggs.

The aroma of the food quickly woke up the family.

"Daddy, it smells so good!" Rui Rui rubbed his eyes, ran out in his pajamas, and peeked out from behind the kitchen door frame.

Wang Zhenzhen also sniffed: "Brother-in-law, where are we going to play today?"

"Yes, Dad, where are we going to play? Rui Rui wants to see the river, oh no, Auntie, don't pull my ear, I know, I mean the sea."

"Dad and Uncle Zhong have something to do today; they're going to see the big dog."

Chen Ling brought the porridge to the table and said, "Why don't you, your mother, your aunt, and Aunt Yin Huan go to Repulse Bay to play in the sand and see the sea?"

"Look at the sea!"

Rui Rui and Wang Zhenzhen immediately cheered.

Wang Susu carried the still sleepy Kang Kang and Lele out, and said with a smile, "Hurry up and wash up and eat. Aunt Yinhuan will be here to pick us up soon."

At nine o'clock in the morning, Liang Yuemin had something to do at his company, so Director Zhong drove to Chen Ling's residence on time to pick her up.

"Mr. Chen, how was your rest? I've already contacted Brother Hua. He was very happy to hear you were coming!" Director Zhong was dressed casually today, appearing much more approachable.

"That's fine, thank you Director Zhong." Chen Ling got into the passenger seat.

The car descended the winding mountain road, heading towards the Southern District of Hong Kong Island.

Unlike the skyscraper jungles of Central and Causeway Bay, the Southern District is more tranquil, with many detached houses and small villas nestled against the mountains and by the sea.

As he drove, Director Chung introduced, "Brother Wah is an old actor from Taiwan. He acted in Shaw Brothers films in his early years, and later he did some business, but it didn't go very well, so he became a bit... well, he took a liking to material things."

"I especially love raising dogs, particularly large and fierce dogs."

"He lives in a relatively secluded place, which is perfect for raising these big guys."

About half an hour later, the car stopped in front of a Western-style building with a private courtyard, nestled among green trees.

The courtyard wall wasn't high, and you could hear deep, powerful barks coming from inside. The sounds were loud and carried a kind of rugged, primal power that was different from the spirit mastiffs like Heiwa and Xiaojin.

Director Zhong rang the doorbell, and soon a middle-aged man in loose sportswear walked quickly to open the door, followed by a maid-like aunt.

"Ah Zhong! You've finally arrived!"

Hua Ge's voice was loud and clear, with a heavy Minnan accent. His gaze immediately fell on Chen Ling, filled with scrutiny and curiosity.

"Is this the Mr. Chen from the mainland you mentioned? Wow, he's so young and promising, and quite the handsome young man!"

"Brother Hua, you're too kind. Just call me Chen Ling."

Chen Ling smiled and stepped forward to shake hands, feeling that the other person's palm was rough and strong, indicating that he often took care of dogs by hand.

"Alright, alright, Ah Ling, please come in! Ah Zhong, you come in too!"

Zhang Lihua warmly welcomed the two inside and instructed the maid, "Sister Ping, go and brew a pot of the finest Tieguanyin tea!"

Upon entering the yard, the distinctive scent of dogs became even stronger, mixed with the smell of disinfectant and dog food.

The yard was large and divided into several areas by sturdy wire mesh.

In each area, there were seven or eight huge Tibetan mastiffs, some standing and some lying down!

These Tibetan mastiffs have different coat colors, including the jet-black and glossy "Iron-coated Gold", the fiery red "Red Mastiff", the mighty and domineering "Lion-headed Mastiff", and the relatively streamlined "Tiger-headed Mastiff".

They are all tall and strong, with huge heads, thick necks, and thick fur. Even in the humid and hot weather of Hong Kong Island, they still maintain a majestic and awe-inspiring presence from the snowy plateau.

Upon seeing strangers enter, several of the closest animals immediately stood up alertly, letting out threatening growls, their massive claws scratching the ground, their eyes fierce. (End of Chapter)