What do you mean by quitting the business? I'm not a big shot.

Chapter 653 Success and Fame
It began with "student protests," erupted into a coup at the arsenal, and ultimately ended with the governor's resignation, the army's explanation, and the imprisonment of twelve education councilors.

At the capital level, the swift action prevented deep turmoil. The Hang Seng Index only fell in the first two days after the outbreak, before being pulled back up by speculative capital.

International speculative capital only cares about the safety of Hong Kong Island, not who controls it.
As long as the Sino-British Agreement remains unchanged, China's increased control is good news.

When Leung Man-ping arrived at Chung Yee Group, he smiled and praised, "Mr. Yin, the senior management greatly appreciates your courage and determination. From now on, Hong Kong Island will usher in a new era."

Yin Zhaotang said modestly, "Thank you for your care, leaders. It is my incompetence that things that could have been resolved peacefully turned into conflicts."

"It has affected the citizens to some extent, and I feel deeply guilty."

Liang Manping slowly shook his head and said, "Mr. Yin is being too modest. It's not a bad thing to pay a price if it can solve a problem once and for all."

There's an old saying: "If you throw one punch, you'll avoid a hundred."

Yin Zhaotang nodded. It seemed the higher-ups had good foresight; no one was using this as an excuse to cause trouble. If they really wanted to kick someone while they were down, the number of dead and injured alone would be enough to make a scene.

However, Hong Kong Island hasn't truly returned to China yet. Even after 97, it still needs to be managed by local gentry. It has significant united front value, and no one wants to risk offending it.

Ultimately, the rule of law still relies on the rule of man, and the system is still man-made. The management by gentry may sound unpleasant, but it is the most suitable means.

No dynasty or era could save that.

The same thing exists in mainland China; it's just that the term "gentry" has been changed to "people" or "representatives," and they are all classes that monopolize the means of production.

When ordinary people fill out their identity information, they can only fill in "masses" as their political identity. Why? Because those who lack the means of production are the means of production themselves.

"The masses" and "people" are not the same!
"After this movement, the return of Hong Kong Island was truly the will of the people," said Yin Zhaotang. Liang Manping wholeheartedly agreed and smiled, "Yes, with Mr. Yin setting an example, it's not just a return on paper, but a true collective return."

Historically, true reunification didn't occur until after the passage of the National Security Law. If you think about it carefully, twenty years of extra time can bring tremendous development to Hong Kong Island.

"In terms of economics and politics, Mr. Yin will need to take more care," Liang Manping said. Yin Zhaotang considered carefully and said, "I will observe and consider more, and I will definitely submit any good proposals."

"Hehe, with Mr. Yin around, I'm relieved," Liang Manping replied. Yin Zhaotang raised his eyebrows and invited, "Mr. Liang, next month, the Guandi statue at the Tian Tan Temple on Lantau Island will be officially consecrated. I plan to hold a consecration ceremony and invite many friends, both domestic and international. Would you like to come and join us?"

Liang Manping readily agreed: "No problem, I'll be there for Mr. Yin's sake."

To fulfill the conditions for offering thanks to the gods in the "Yi" ritual, a pretext must be found. It was a major sacrificial event involving as many as 100,000 people; without clearly explaining the purpose, it would be difficult to even gather enough participants.

So he came up with the excuse of consecrating a statue, which sounded absurd but was quite popular. Since Hong Kong Island values ​​feng shui and superstition, it's normal to join in the fun of consecrating the world's largest outdoor Guan Yu statue, right? Folk activities can also downplay their political nature, allowing many people to let go of their inhibitions and participate.

He genuinely had no intention of engaging in political maneuvering during this ceremony to thank the gods. Since he had no rivals in Hong Kong, and everyone there was his man, there was no need for such coordination. Therefore, he simply invited friends from all walks of life, sending out invitations indiscriminately.

He doesn't care if people are colluding in private; as long as they don't get involved in drugs or human trafficking, he considers any business deals a chance for them.

He also instructed the company to form a fundraising committee to raise funds from the business community and the general public. Aside from contributing ten million in initial funding, the organization does not plan to donate any further.

Those who participate in the celebration pay for their own travel expenses, and there is an additional charge of ten dollars for incense offerings. The funds raised will be channeled into society under the name of the "Guan Sheng Ai Min Fund" to support vulnerable groups such as the disabled and children.

As for the business and political spheres, unsurprisingly, they are now dominated by Chinese, with reformists rapidly growing in strength and conservatives beginning to lie low.

Among them, Ren Darong made the greatest contribution, was promoted to the second rank, and became the Commissioner of Police, becoming the de facto head of the police force. Zhuang Zhuoyan received a letter of appointment from You De and became the ICAC Commissioner Against Corruption, becoming the first Chinese Commissioner of the ICAC and gaining fame throughout Hong Kong.

Although the conservative faction, mainly composed of real estate developers, still wields considerable power, it is destined to become weak and is unlikely to rise again.

As the timetable for their return draws ever closer, their only recourse to policy is to turn to the reformists.

November 5, 1990.

Tens of thousands of Guan Di believers crossed the border into Lantau Island. Among them were people from mainland China, Macau and Taiwan, Chinese from Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand, as well as overseas Chinese from Europe and America.

Many of the attendees were ordinary citizens who came specifically for the event. The Guan Yu faith has a large following in East China and overseas, and many people, seeing the grand scale of the consecration ceremony in Hong Kong, wanted to see it for themselves, join in the fun, and treat it as a tourist experience.

Of course, the core group consists of people from the business, political, and underworld circles.

Wealthy business owners mostly came for Yin Sheng's title of "Chaos and Shantou Association President," hoping to find opportunities to cooperate with Hong Kong businessmen. Politicians, on the other hand, came for Yin Sheng's power as "Deputy Head of the Organizing Committee," hoping to cultivate a good relationship with him and build connections for doing business back in China.

Even without establishing a connection with Mr. Yin, exchanging business cards with representatives from various sectors in mainland China at the gathering could potentially bring him favors.

Those in the underworld are even simpler; they come solely because of Yin Sheng's reputation!
Meeting the legendary gangster boss who forced the governor to leave would make me sound more confident when I go back home. Having a drink with Yin Sheng would be even more incredible—definitely worth the price of admission.

Meanwhile, tens of thousands of tourists flocked to Hong Kong, filling all hotels and restaurants to capacity. The catering, massage, and bar industries reaped huge profits, and local bakeries like Wah Wing and Maxim's Bakery were raking in the cash. Kowloon Motor Bus, China Motor Bus, and Star Ferry also benefited significantly, seemingly bringing a new look to Hong Kong Island's economy.

On this day, Youde officially stepped down from his position as governor, moved out of the Governor's House, and took his family to Kowloon Airport to welcome the new governor, Peng Jiakang.

When Peng Jiakang, dressed in a suit, with a gleaming forehead and a dignified appearance, stepped down the gangway and approached Youde, Youde unconsciously lowered his head.

Shameless!
He couldn't bear the gaze of any "governor," because he was the most unsuccessful of all the governors. But Peng Jiakang grasped his hand with a broad smile: "Thank you for your kind welcome, Sir Edward. May I ask if you could take me to Lantau Island?"

(End of this chapter)