Rebirth 1977 Great Era

Chapter 1009 Checking into the Peninsula Hotel, Mrs. Huo's Gift (Bonus Chapter for Monthly Tickets: 3K Chapters)

"Oh, Director Liao, you're overthinking it. The people we arranged have no language problems," Mrs. Huo said.

She paused slightly after speaking, as if realizing something, then smiled and said:

"But it's alright. Since he's made the arrangements, we'll just listen to him."

Fang Yan nodded and said:
"Yes, these are all people I know. I feel more comfortable with them around."

Li Chong, Deng Cai, and Wang Feng laughed along when they heard Fang Yan's words.

Although Fang Yan and they had just met downstairs, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say they were acquaintances now.

If that's the case, Mrs. Huo will understand what's going on.

Next, Mrs. Huo addressed the medical staff and her friends:

"I'll leave the rest to the hospital staff. Dr. Fang is here to attend Zhenting's wedding; he's a guest of our family. Now I need to take him to the hotel."

At this moment, the child's grandmother said to Fang Yan:

"Thank you, Dr. Fang, you've worked so hard!"

Fang Yan smiled and waved his hand, saying:
"It's alright, I wish your grandson a speedy recovery."

Mrs. Huo glanced at the clock in the room; it was already eight in the morning. She said:
"Okay, we'll be going now. Call us anytime if you have any questions."

The middle-aged woman, dressed in what appeared to be expensive clothing, clasped her hands together in gratitude to Mrs. Huo and said:
"You've worked so hard, taking care of everything for our family."

Mrs. Huo glanced at the child on the bed and said:

"Putting that aside, the child calls me Grandma all the time, how could I let him get into trouble?"

"Mmm..." The other person nodded.

After Mrs. Huo finished speaking, she told them:

"Alright, we're leaving now!"

"Goodbye!" Fang Yan also said goodbye to the family.

Then Fang Yan and the others walked out of the ward together and headed downstairs. Mrs. Huo was going to take them to the Peninsula Hotel waterfront. As they went downstairs, she said to Fang Yan:

When did Dr. Fang set off?

“On Thursday,” Fang Yan replied, pausing before continuing:

"I flew to Shanghai first, then to Guangzhou on Friday. I got up at three o'clock this morning and then took a plane here."

Mrs. Huo said to the dialect:
"It must have been a tough journey."

Dialectal wave:
"It wasn't hard work, we had good food and drinks along the way, and life was much more comfortable than in Beijing. It's just that the weather is a bit hot."

Mrs. Huo nodded and said with a smile:

"That's true. The weather here is much hotter than in the capital."

The two chatted idly, nodded, and went downstairs.

Mrs. Huo's car was driven over at that moment.

She invited Fang Yan to ride over together, and Fang Yan immediately nodded in agreement.

Then the two got into the car.

There were only two other people in the car: the driver and Mrs. Huo's assistant.

Fang Yan's three security guards couldn't easily get into the car now, and since Fang Yan reassured them, the three didn't follow him and instead got back into the car they had been in before.

Fang Yan and Mrs. Huo started their Mercedes-Benz and drove away from the hospital, the car gliding smoothly on the hillside road.

Outside the car window, the morning mist on Victoria Peak had been dispelled by the sunlight, revealing a cluster of red-brick villas from the colonial era. Occasionally, gardeners in white uniforms could be seen trimming the lawn, and the fresh scent of grass clippings mixed with the sea breeze drifted into the car window.

“That’s Pok Fu Lam Road ahead.” Mrs. Fok pointed to the road sign flashing past the window. “In the old days, this area was full of lychee groves. I used to bring Zhen Ting here to pick fruit.”

After saying this, she sighed:

More than 30 years have passed in the blink of an eye.

"He's about to get married now; time really flies."

As the car passed through the main street, the breakfast stalls under the arcades were bustling with activity: an elderly couple selling rice noodle rolls used bamboo slivers to scrape up the rice batter, revealing glistening rice noodle sheets amidst the rising steam.

The middle-aged man selling "sha weng" fried the dough until it was golden brown, and it even smelled sweet.

Fang Yan saw several young people in blue overalls squatting by the roadside, using chopsticks to pick up breakfast from cardboard boxes.

In those days, Hong Kong was facing a labor shortage, and young people who weren't lazy could earn a decent wage.

The car then turned onto Des Voeux Road Central, where the shadow of the HSBC Building loomed over the street, and white-collar workers in suits were queuing to enter through the revolving doors.

At this moment, Fang Yan saw an advertisement for their company's hangover pills on a billboard on the street.

This place has a strong commercial atmosphere. Fang Yan saw several billboards that flashed by, all of which were advertisements for medicines from his and Lao Hu's company.

I don't know how much money they invested, but I saw several of them along the way.

However, Fang Yan also noticed a problem: these advertisements didn't have any celebrity endorsements; they relied entirely on sheer volume.

Oh right, Fang Yan suddenly remembered that there's a TV series being filmed in Hong Kong based on his own life, starring Zhang Guorong.

I definitely want to meet him during this trip to Hong Kong.

Mrs. Huo suddenly pointed to the traditional Chinese medicine shop on the street corner:

“Dr. Fang, look, that’s Eu Yan Sang on Bonham West Street. Our Huo family used to trade our medicinal herbs through them. When the British inspected the goods, they said it was ‘incense ash used in the Huo family ancestral hall.’”

Fang Yan smiled after hearing this. Mrs. Huo was referring to the things their family did for the mainland.

“Everyone can see the Huo family’s feelings for the mainland.” Fang Yan spoke carefully, recalling the national flag flying on the roof of the Huo family hospital. “I was startled when I saw the national flag at the hospital just now. In Hong Kong in 1978, not many people dared to do this.”

Mrs. Huo turned to look at him, a hint of surprise flashing in her eyes, which quickly turned into a soft laugh:

“Dr. Fang is very thoughtful. My husband secretly had someone hang that national flag, saying it was ‘for guests from the mainland to see, so they wouldn’t feel shy.’”

Fang Yan smiled and said:

"I see. I'll remember this kind gesture and pass it on to my supervisor later."

Mrs. Huo said with a smile:

"Hey, no need to be so deliberate. Just mention it when the opportunity arises."

Fang Yan understood immediately and nodded, saying, "Okay, I'll write it down."

"Thank you, Dr. Fang!" Mrs. Huo said.

Fang Yan waved his hand and continued looking out the window.

After a while, the driver informed them that they had arrived at the Peninsula Hotel.

Mrs. Huo's smile faded, she straightened her silk scarf, and suddenly said:

"By the way, Dr. Fang, there will be many British dignitaries at Zhenting's wedding. If anyone recognizes you and comes up to ask for the prescription, just push it onto me and say that I have already bought the secret formula, or any other excuse will do."

Fang Yan paused for a moment, then said:

"Don't worry, I'll wear makeup and no one will recognize me."

Mrs. Huo was also taken aback, not expecting Fang Yan to pull this stunt. She then laughed and said:
"I never knew Dr. Fang had such skills! That's perfect!"

Next, the car stopped in front of the Peninsula Hotel, whose dark green dome was clearly visible in the morning light.

The granite bricks on the building's exterior walls bear the marks of time, and the carvings on the bronze gate, though somewhat old-fashioned, still exude exquisite beauty.

At that moment, the doorman quickly stepped forward and opened the car door. His white gloves and the crown badge on his hotel uniform made the scene look like something out of a movie.

Fang Yan composed himself and got out of the car with Mrs. Huo.

The car behind them stopped, and Li Chong, Deng Cai, and Wang Feng quickly got on.

Mrs. Huo said to Fang Yan:

"I'm too conspicuous, so I won't go in. Dr. Fang, please follow the waiter in; the room has already been arranged."

“Okay, thank you, Mrs. Huo.” Fang Yan nodded.

Then she added:

"We have prepared gifts for Dr. Fang and everyone else in the room. We hope you like them."

"..." Li Chong, Deng Cai, and Wang Feng looked at each other in surprise, not expecting that they would have a gift.

Fang Yan said to Mrs. Huo:
"Thank you, Mrs. Huo. We'll go upstairs now."

Li Chong and the others nodded in agreement.

Mrs. Huo smiled and gestured for them to proceed.

At this point, the waiter tried to take the packages from the people, but was refused.

“We can bring it up ourselves,” Deng Cai said cautiously.

The waiter could only force a smile and then invited them into the hotel together.

Stepping into the lobby, the high ceilings make the space feel exceptionally bright and airy.

In the Palm Hall directly ahead, the sound of a piano flows gently, and guests in suits sit around several wooden round tables. The air is filled with the aroma of perfume and coffee.

The left wall is covered with yellowed old photos, recording scenes of the hotel hosting dignitaries in its early years, while the right wall has floor-to-ceiling windows that offer a view of double-decker buses passing by on the street.

The elevator lobby is located at the back of the main hall, and the Far East map on the bronze door has an antique luster.

The waiter led everyone inside, pressed the elevator button, and turned to Fang Yan, saying:

"Sir, your room is on the eighth floor, facing Victoria Harbour, with a great view."

Fang Yan nodded.

At this moment, the elevator doors closed, and the mirror inside the car reflected the figures of several people, giving Fang Yan a sense of déjà vu from a Hong Kong movie.

The elevator went up to the eighth floor, and after the doors opened, everyone followed the waiter out. The corridor was covered with a dark red carpet, and there was a wall lamp every few steps, providing soft lighting.

The door to room 803 was gently opened by the waiter, and the sea breeze immediately rushed in through the open window.

The room was large, with a beige wool carpet and light walnut furniture arranged in an L-shape. By the window was a carved desk with lace trim on the lampshade, giving it a vintage feel.

On a low cabinet against the wall sat a wicker fruit basket containing lychees, mangoes, and chocolates wrapped in cellophane, next to which was a gold-embossed welcome card.

The minibar cabinet door was open, with whiskey bottles and tea canisters side by side. The bottom drawer was neatly stacked with Chinese tea sets, and the tea tray was engraved with the words "Peninsula Tea Ceremony".

This is still a main hall.

The waiter handed the keys to Fang Yan with both hands and then left.

Fang Yan caught up and asked:
"By the way, where are the people who came with us?"

The other party responded:
"Everyone else is on this floor."

Then he bowed slightly:
"Sir, I wish you a pleasant stay!"

After saying that, he left immediately.

Fang Yan walked to the door, looked outside, and found that all the doors were closed.

At this moment, someone in the room shouted:
"Director Fang, there are so many clothes here!"

"Hmm?" Fang Yan turned around, closed the door, and walked over.

It turned out that the group of people were checking every corner of the room. In the two bedrooms next door, after opening the wardrobe door in the master bedroom, they saw a wardrobe full of clothes.

They have casual wear, sportswear, swim trunks, and formal wear.

Various sizes are available.

It seems to have been prepared specifically for them.

Fang Yan nodded:

"This is the gift Mrs. Huo was talking about earlier..."

Fang Yan picked up a few pieces of clothing and threw them on the bed, saying:

"After checking the rooms, everyone come and try it out. I'll do your makeup later so we can look like locals, and then we can go out and explore Hong Kong!"

PS: I've gained another 100 monthly votes, so I owe you all another 2000 words.

After finishing this chapter, I currently owe everyone 105000 words.

That's all for today, please come early tomorrow.

(End of this chapter)