Courtyard House: Drunk and tipsy, the whole courtyard exposed at the start.

Zhang Dabiao's voice was a little hoarse.

The two leaders did not speak, but simultaneously raised their right hands in return, giving a standard military salute.

The dim light cast long shadows of the three people. A heavy feeling hung in the air.

The ceremony is over.

The middle-aged man picked up his briefcase, turned, and walked towards the door. His young companion followed closely behind.

Just as the middle-aged man's hand was about to touch the doorknob, Zhang Dabiao suddenly spoke up.

"etc."

The two stopped and turned around.

Zhang Dabiao clenched his teeth tightly. He was torn between two conflicting emotions.

Say or don't say?

Speaking out might change history, trigger a butterfly effect, or even lead to one's own utter ruin.

If I don't tell you, that's hundreds of thousands of lives at stake!

Zhang Dabiao closed his eyes and took a deep breath. To hell with the butterfly effect!

"Boss, I'd like to add two more points." Zhang Dabiao lowered his voice, each word seemingly squeezed out from between his teeth, "That's all I can say."

The middle-aged man's gaze sharpened instantly, and he stepped forward.

Zhang Dabiao stared at his young companion and said, word by word: "Tangshan earthquake—July 28, 1976, 3:42 AM. Magnitude 7.8. Strong aftershocks are expected."

The young companion's pupils trembled violently, and his hands clenched tightly.

Zhang Dabiao turned to the middle-aged man and continued, "There was another one. Sichuan, Wenchuan—May 12, 2008, 2:28 PM. A level 8 major earthquake."

The air seemed to have been sucked out instantly.

The room was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

The middle-aged man stared intently at Zhang Dabiao for a full ten seconds before slowly speaking: "I've noted down the exact time and magnitude."

He paused, his voice slightly hoarse: "Is this the limit you can reveal?"

Zhang Dabiao nodded heavily, a layer of cold sweat already seeping from his forehead: "If I say another word, I'll die a violent death."

"it is good."

The middle-aged man did not ask any further questions.

The two men exchanged a glance and then simultaneously saluted Zhang Dabiao again.

This is the last military salute of the evening.

"Comrade Da Biao, see you again someday."

Without uttering another word, the two turned and walked into the deep autumn night.

Zhang Dabiao stood at the doorway, watching the black sedan at the alley entrance silently start, its taillights drawing a red trail in the night before being completely swallowed by darkness.

The night wind suddenly picked up, blowing a chill through my body.

Zhang Dabiao shivered.

Back in the courtyard, he looked down at his right hand, which was in a cast, and then looked back at the mahogany box on the table.

That person's name is an unparalleled honor, but also an invisible shackle.

He suddenly realized an extremely unusual detail.

From beginning to end, neither of these two leaders, nor even the two people behind them, ever asked him, "Why do you know these things?"

Is it that you don't want to ask? Or that you're afraid to ask?

Or perhaps they already knew that asking wouldn't yield any answers?

Zhang Dabiao slowly retreated back into the house, closed the door, and bolted it shut.

He walked to the table, carefully rolled up the calligraphy again, put it into the wooden box, and then quickly returned to his "little nest." After taking a picture with his phone camera, he took precautions against corrosion and moisture and hid it in the innermost part of the hanging cabinet.

Back in the cabin, Zhang Dabiao turned off the lights and lay down on the bed.

The old locust tree outside the window rustled in the wind, its shadow cast on the window paper like a menacing monster.

"I've said everything I needed to say. The rest... well, just look at the above."

Putting aside other things, just considering post-disaster reconstruction and resource allocation, the domestic material production and economy are in this state, and there are still ten years in between. It's not something that can be done immediately just because you want to.

However, there is still time, and there's no use in Zhang Dabiao worrying about it. Let's see what happens next.

------------

Late October.

The weather in Beijing has turned cool.

Qin Jingru, He Yushui, and Mu Wanqing were still in school, while Zhang Dabiao went to Hong Kong through "Xiaowo".

He stepped through the connecting window and appeared directly in Agongyan Village, Xiangjiang.

After leaving the village house and greeting the villagers, I went to Shau Kei Wan Main Street, hailed a taxi, and headed straight for the office of "Yiu Yeung Investment Company".

This is a newly established company with a registered capital of two million Hong Kong dollars.

Zhang Dabiao owns 95% of the shares, making him the absolute controlling shareholder and chairman.

Jin Youlai, Jin Youwu, Qin Mancang, and A Xiang divided the remaining five percent among themselves.

The car was parked in front of an old office building.

Zhang Dabiao pushed open the door to the rented small office, which was filled with smoke.

Jin Youlai was scratching his head, staring at a pile of newspapers and financial statements on the table, sighing.

Jin Youwu was smoking incessantly beside him.

Qin Mancang and A Xiang sat on the sofa, staring at each other.

They are mainly responsible for this area now, and they just need to check the accounts at Mixue Ice Cream regularly.

Upon seeing Zhang Dabiao enter, the four men quickly stood up.

"Brother Yaoyang".

Zhang Dabiao waved his hand and walked to the head seat to sit down.

"Sit down, everyone. The sky isn't going to fall. Why are you all looking so gloomy?"

Jin Youlai pushed several newspapers in front of Zhang Dabiao.

"Brother Yaoyang, this market has gone crazy."

"In recent months, due to the demolition and collapse of old buildings, the Hong Kong government has begun to strictly regulate construction projects, and banks have followed suit by tightening real estate development loans."

"The cash flow of all the developers who previously relied on high leverage to borrow money to acquire land has dried up."

"There is panic in the market right now, and several banks have experienced bank runs."

"Land prices are simply collapsing."

Jin Youlai swallowed hard and pointed to the data on the report.

"Industrial land prices fell by 67 percent in one year, and luxury residential land prices fell by 35 percent."

"With so many companies lining up for bankruptcy, isn't it too risky for us to start an investment company at this time?"

Zhang Dabiao leaned back in his chair, took out a cigar cutter from his pocket, and slowly cut open a cigar.

Ah Xiang quickly came over and lit the fire.

Zhang Dabiao took a drag and exhaled a thick cloud of smoke.

"A drop is an opportunity."

Be fearful when others are greedy, and greedy when others are fearful.

"Hong Kong has a large population and limited land. In the long run, land and housing prices are bound to skyrocket."

"Now that a golden opportunity has been created, it would be a shame not to jump in and make money."

Kim Yoo-rae was still somewhat hesitant.

"Brother Yaoyang, Fok Ying-tung recently spent HK$35,000 to buy a plot of land in Yau Ma Tei to build a skyscraper."

"This price is shockingly cheap."

"Should we go all in and make a big bet?"

Zhang Dabiao shook his head.

"They're the big fish, we're just shrimps. We can boast all we want, but we still need to know our own limitations."

"Bigwigs like Fok Ying-tung and Li Ka-shing have deep pockets and extensive connections. They can reap the rewards, while we can just have a sip of soup."

"Remember our strategy: take a small portion of your funds, buy 100,000 to 200,000 worth of quality stocks, and then buy two well-located old buildings."

"The rest of the cash is all deposited in the safest foreign banks, where we can earn interest steadily."

"Learn from those big players: buy when the price is right, only buy and never sell, and hold for the long term."

"Keep an eye on them, do what they do, but don't overdo it. Better safe than sorry."