Simultaneous travel: City, infinite evolution

Chapter 183 Counterattack
Xin Xin, Chen Haonan, Chen Yongren, and others watching on television seemed to be seeing Chen Hong for the first time.

However, the people of Hong Kong Island have developed a sense of shared hatred and indignation.

Because the Japanese were also the most hated force among the people of Hong Kong Island.

The Japanese invaders carried out large-scale looting and massacres on Hong Kong Island, and brutally persecuted civilians and prisoners of war, causing a large number of casualties.

There are still many elderly women on Hong Kong Island who were once comfort women.

Therefore, the people of Hong Kong Island resonate deeply with Chen Hong's mother's experience.

"Damn Japanese devils, they all deserve to go to hell!"

"I never imagined that Chen Hong's mother had such a tragic experience."

Chen Hong continued, “After becoming a comfort woman, my mother suffered tremendous torment, transforming from a lively and vibrant rural girl into a numb and humiliated doll.”

Later, after the victory, the Japanese devils left, but they didn't forget to sell my mother to a brothel so they could make one last profit.

My mother lost all her relatives and could only live a life of despair in a brothel.

Many years later, she unexpectedly conceived me.

I don't even know who my father is, that damned bastard!
Later, my mother was stabbed to death by a drunken customer, so I left that place and came to Hong Kong Island to start over.

I was penniless, homeless, and desperately looking for work, but no one wanted me.

Unable to find a job, starving, and even bullied by gangsters.

To survive, to avoid being bullied, I had no choice but to join a gang and become a thug.

These words resonated with and evoked sympathy from the people of Hong Kong Island.

In fact, most gangsters are not born wanting to be gangsters.

They were all unemployed, low-class people who risked their lives to earn a living, people who had nothing to lose.

Most people are bullied by gangsters and then become the new gangsters.

Therefore, Chen Hong's experience resonated with them.

"I never imagined that Chen Hong had such an experience."

"He just wanted to live, what could be wrong with that?"

"It's all just slander from those newspapers. I wronged him."

"That's hard to say. Maybe he turned bad after becoming a gangster?"

Chen Hong continued, "After becoming a gangster, I never did anything to harm ordinary people; I just barely managed to make a living."

"But I saw that Cheung Kong Real Estate hired a large number of gangsters to force ordinary people to relocate."

Those who refused to move out were subjected to vandalism, looting, paint-splashing, and house-burning—they resorted to all sorts of extreme measures.

Many elderly people even died during the era of Cheung Kong Group's disorderly and reckless expansion.

However, Cheung Kong Group built high-rise buildings, divided them into individual cubicles, and sold them off at high prices.

Moreover, the price kept getting higher and higher, and the Li family ate until their mouths were greasy.

That's the life savings of ordinary people!
It was taken away so easily.

If this isn't robbery, what is?

Chen Hong began to sow discord among the Li family, using their own methods against them.

Chen Hong retaliated in kind to the same way the Li family had previously tried to smear him.

Unlike the rumors fabricated by the Li family, Chen Hong spoke of the Li family's real cases and practices.

Because when they fabricate rumors, they subconsciously repeat the facts they have already done.

My Li family is so filthy, how much better can you, Chen Hong, be?
It's definitely exactly the same as mine.

They might be even dirtier than me.

"Later, I made up my mind to build affordable and accessible houses for everyone to live in."

I also abhor any act of persecuting ordinary people.

Chen Hong continued, “If you’ve ever bought a house from me, you should know that I sell it for a much lower price than the Li family did.”

Moreover, the quality of the houses, infrastructure, and service attitude far surpass those of Yangtze River Real Estate.

"Therefore, Galaxy Real Estate has grown rapidly, which has had a certain impact on Cheung Kong Real Estate's business, and we are business competitors with them."

Now everyone should understand why the Li family manipulates public opinion, spreads rumors and slanders against our group, and even launches personal attacks against me personally, right?

"Speaking of manipulating public opinion, I heard that the Li family has imposed a news blackout on Chen Sheng. Is that true?"

Huang Jieyi asked a question at just the right time.

Chen Hong said indignantly, "It's true!"

"When I saw the news, I immediately contacted the media to clarify, but all the major newspapers were unwilling to publish my interview."

At that time, I knew that some important person must have intervened to ensure that almost all newspapers adopted the same line, forbidding any positive news about me from appearing.

"Fortunately, TVB and ATV are principled and conscientious media outlets that were willing to accept my clarification interview."

Otherwise, I would never be able to clarify the situation, and the audience would never know the truth, forever kept in the dark by the Li family.

As expected, Chen Hong's words aroused the anger of some people.

"Damn the Li family, they're actually manipulating public opinion across Hong Kong Island behind the scenes."

In that case, wouldn't we only be able to listen to whatever they want us to listen to?
In that case, will we still be able to hear true stories?

"Haven't we been completely fooled by the Li family?"

"Okay, now let's switch the camera to the reporters on the scene." Hai Mimi gestured, and the scene changed.

"This is the Yinhe Group Wanzai residential community. We are here to interview the residents about their true opinions on Chen Hong."

Reporter Yue Huizhen began her interview by handing over the microphone: "Grandma, is it true that the newspaper reports that Galaxy Real Estate and its property management have a large number of thugs who beat up homeowners, extort protection money, and force evictions?"

The old woman, who had moved to Bengbu, burst out cursing, "They're talking nonsense!"

“I’ve heard this rumor at least eighteen times since I woke up today. It’s utterly slanderous and nonsensical.”

"How could I not understand?"

"I myself am one of those whose property was demolished."

"My wife only demolished a dilapidated little tile-roofed house, and she received 900 million yuan in compensation!"

They even gave my wife a 120-square-meter house for free.

He even offered to renovate my wife's house for free, based on my own requests.

"The staff of that group and the young men in the property management are incredibly considerate. If I have any problems, I only need to make one phone call, and they will immediately come over to help me solve them."

They come to visit my old woman every few days, bringing warmth and comfort.

"They are thousands or even tens of thousands of times better off than the Li family, who suffered from the plague!"

"Yes, yes, you don't know."

That piece of land of ours was bought by Li Jiaqiang.

Then we were forced to relocate by people sent by the Li family.

To force us to leave, they actually poured lard on the stairs! That's truly despicable!

Some residents passing by couldn't resist joining the group chat.

"They also burn houses, splash paint, move furniture... they really are capable of anything."

"Someone even died in our building."

The elderly men and women were filled with righteous indignation, denouncing the Li family, their spittle practically flying out.

"If Ah Hong hadn't bought that land again and driven the Li family away, we don't know how much suffering we would have endured."

Do you know how much compensation the Li family promised us?
Less than 10!
The difference between this and the 900 million that Ah Hong gave is enormous.

"In my opinion, it's because the Li family resents Ah Hong for doing honest business and good deeds, which has ruined their shady business and money-making schemes."

So they bribed the media to smear Ah Hong everywhere!

"That's right, that's right. Without Ah Hong, no one would even know if we old folks died."

"Support Ahong!"

Boycott the Li family!

"Support Ahong!" "Boycott the Li family!"

The elderly women and men raised their arms and shouted, their emotions running high.

Lok Hye-jung and everyone else were shocked; they never expected the truth to be like this.

The ones who actually did those dirty things were not Chen Hong, but the instigators, the Li family.

They're basically exposing their own secrets.

I introduced myself; I belong to [the relevant category].

Lok Wai-ching continued her interviews and arrived at a school under Chen Hung's management.

"Is your school really like the newspapers say, full of gangsters, with students smoking, drinking, getting perms, robbing, bullying, using drugs, and having promiscuous relationships and early pregnancies?"

The student being interviewed looked at Lok Hye-jung with an expression as if she were an idiot.

Are you blind?

"Don't you know how to read it yourself?"

The camera pans across the school, capturing its beautiful environment and the students, all youthful and energetic, playing sports on the playground, looking very healthy.

There's nothing messy or chaotic about it.

The student explained, "Actually, the environment of this school used to be quite bad."

"It's just that after being acquired by Brother Hong, it underwent a major overhaul."

Since Principal Chen Yongren arrived, he has managed the school very well.

The old bad habits and evil practices are gone forever.

Not to mention drugs, those are absolutely forbidden.

"Brother Hong has spoken; not a single packet of drugs is allowed into Wan Chai."

Lok Wai-ching then interviewed the teachers, and all of them spoke with great enthusiasm:
"Since the school was acquired by the chairman, our salaries have increased, and there's also a bonus system."

The more excellent students you teach, the greater the rewards will be.

The power of everyone was unleashed.

I never want to drift through life aimlessly like I used to.

We really love the atmosphere at school now; it's vibrant and full of life.

Lok Wai-ching continued her interviews and discovered that the claims of orphanages, welfare homes laundering money, and black-hearted factories exploiting workers were all complete fabrications.

These elderly people, orphans, and workers are living incredibly happy lives.

Chen Hong's factory strictly implements an 8-hour workday and weekends off.

Can you believe this?

How can such a factory be so luxurious?

But Chen Hong has achieved this in all his factories, in all industries and product categories.

Furthermore, the base salary is more than three times that of the industry average, and overtime pay is tripled.

The workers were eager to work overtime, yet they still complained that there wasn't enough overtime.

Moreover, holidays are observed without any exaggeration.

During holidays and festivals, they receive generous gifts, and their basic social welfare benefits are fully guaranteed.

These revelations instantly threw the entire Hong Kong Island population into disarray.

"Since when can you make something of yourself just by working in a factory?"

"That's outrageous."

"I really want to work at Mr. Chen's factory. I wonder if they're still hiring?"

While those who lack initiative are still lamenting, the smart ones have already quietly gone to sign up.

These naive fools, used to being exploited, have no idea that even with Chen Hong's arrogance, the profits of the major factories are still enormous, figures that ordinary people cannot even imagine.

Giving each worker three times their usual wage is not even enough to make a small slice of the pie for the factory.

Compared to the money they earned for Chen Hong, it was insignificant.

Lok Wai-ching continued her interviews, revealing that the claims about bars harboring prostitutes and engaging in sex trafficking, forcing thirteen-year-old girls to work as prostitutes, and buses being unlicensed vehicles that lured passengers to remote mountain areas to sell them to illegal kilns, were all false.

A dancer from one of Chen Hong's bars testified that Chen Hong had abolished the previous illicit sexual transactions.

Chen Hong is pioneering a new way of doing things in the industry.

Singing and dancing to liven things up, group dancing to release the stress of city life.

There are many types of wines available, and you can mix and match freely, trying new flavors every day.

Part-time work is welcome, but minors will not be allowed to engage in prostitution.

As for unlicensed taxis, that's utter nonsense.

The passengers' testimonies were all nonsense.

If you want to know if it's true, just come and do it yourself, and you'll know.

The bus driver joked, "Welcome to my entrapment operation. I'm innocent, so I have nothing to hide."

They silenced the audience who were still questioning them.

As for hospitals, airlines, banks, etc., Lok Wai-ching denied them all after the interview.

Those newspapers simply cobbled together dirt on other companies and attributed it to Chen Hong's company.

Once the on-site investigation was conducted, the rumors immediately fell apart, proving they couldn't withstand scrutiny at all.

Furthermore, the detailed data and information published in newspapers further confirmed Chen Hong's innocence.

Those previous newspapers were all fabricated and talking nonsense.

Chen Hong's company was extremely clean; it even had detailed tax payment records and didn't falsify accounts.

Compared to the Li family and their chaotic company, this place is infinitely cleaner.

The people of Hong Kong Island who were previously unaware of the situation were shocked and felt they had been deceived.

"I never imagined the truth would be like this."

"You wouldn't know until it's exposed, and only then do you realize how clean Chen Hong really is."

He's a true philanthropist.

"I never expected the Li family to be so ruthless, spreading those rumors and doing so many heinous things."

"Compared to the Li family, even a gangster like me seems kind."

"Also, have you noticed that there are many ordinary people who support Chen Hong?"

"The fact that so many people support this speaks volumes."

"Chen Hong is truly doing practical things, and the people have benefited from his efforts."

Teacher Xin Xin's eyes lit up as she watched TV in her room.

"I never imagined that Mr. Chen was such a noble person who helped so many people."

"I was previously influenced by fake news and wondered if Mr. Chen was really a wolf in sheep's clothing."

I'm so damn stupid!

Xin Xin pounded her heart, feeling extremely frustrated.

"Mr. Chen must be feeling terrible being slandered, misunderstood, and targeted by the Li family, the richest family in the world."

"No, I have to comfort him, give him strength, and help him keep going."

"Hong Kong needs Mr. Chan!"

On television, Hai Mimi continued her interview with Chen Hong:
"Mr. Chen, what do you have to say about the Li family and various media outlets spreading rumors and slanders to tarnish your and the company's image?"

Chen Hong said with a righteous expression, "I will sue those media outlets that spread rumors and slander."

I will also sue the Li family, who are behind the scenes.

Regarding Li Ka-shing, all I want to say is:

You want war? I'll give you war!

(End of this chapter)