Sharpening the Blade Against the Red Wall: From Hong Kong to Handong

Hong Kong International Airport was bustling with activity in July 1997. An announcement came over the loudspeaker that a flight bound for Kyoto was about to board. Zhou Jin stood outside the security checkpoint, watching her grandfather Zhou Jianguo and Chen Panpan, her throat tightening slightly.

Zhou Jianguo patted him on the shoulder and placed a Qingtian stone seal into his palm. The seal was slightly cool to the touch, and four powerful seal characters were engraved on its surface: "Uphold righteousness and seek innovation." The old man's voice carried the weight of years: "Xiao Jin, when you get to Hong Kong, remember these four words. Upholding righteousness means upholding the bottom line of national interests and adhering to the principles of being a person and doing things. Don't be blinded by the glitz and glamour of this world. Seeking innovation means being flexible and adaptable in the face of the encirclement and suppression by international capital, and daring to break with convention at critical moments. Also, be extremely careful. Hong Kong is a melting pot of people, with international capital and local forces deeply entrenched. You must not only protect yourself, but also protect your comrades and the foundation of Huayao Capital." Zhou Jin gripped the seal tightly, his fingertips tracing the engravings, and nodded emphatically.

Chen Panpan stood to the side, her eyes reddening, but she held back her tears. She handed Zhou Jin a light blue notebook, her fingertips trembling slightly: "Take this with you. There are photos of us together inside, and some words I wrote. Take good care of yourself in Hong Kong, eat on time, don't stay up too late, and remember to call me often." Zhou Jin took the notebook, his fingertips touching her slightly cool hand, a warmth spreading through him. He remembered the promise he made on the beach last night, a thousand words welling up in his throat, but in the end, they all boiled down to one sentence: "Wait for me to come back."

Security personnel urged passengers to board. Zhou Jianguo turned back and gave Zhou Jin a deep look before taking Chen Panpan's hand and walking into the security lane. Zhou Jin stood there, watching their figures disappear into the crowd, until the announcement was repeated three times before she slowly turned around.

He got into his car parked in the parking lot, carefully placed the seal and notebook into his briefcase, and then took out a bank card from a hidden compartment. This card contained all his liquid assets—800 million yuan. Part of this money was his first pot of gold earned from experience accumulated in his previous life, and the other part was his savings after starting work. He had already planned that this money could serve as living expenses in Hong Kong, covering the high rent and daily costs in Central, and could also be used to strategically position himself for profit in the upcoming financial war. Simultaneously, it could serve as supplementary strength for Huayao Capital, enabling him to wage a brilliant "guerrilla war" at crucial moments.

As the car drove away from the airport, Shen Mingyuan called. The old professor's voice came through the receiver, tinged with seriousness: "Xiao Jin, I just received news that Quantum Fund has quietly established short positions in the Hong Kong foreign exchange market. You must pay close attention after you take office. The situation in Hong Kong is more complex than we anticipated. International capital, local forces, and foreign forces are intertwined. You must be careful when dealing with them and learn to distinguish between good and evil, loyalty and treachery. Huayao Capital is our trump card. Its operation must be discreet. All investments must be completed through offshore accounts. We must never expose its state-owned background, otherwise it will bring endless trouble. If you encounter any problems you can't handle, call me anytime. I will use all available resources to support you."

"Don't worry, teacher, I know what I'm doing," Zhou Jin replied in a deep voice. After hanging up the phone, she looked out the window. The car was driving along the highway towards the city center. In the distance, the high-rise buildings of Central stood tall, and the surface of Victoria Harbour shimmered. Sunlight shone on the rows of buildings, reflecting a dazzling light. This bustling international financial center appeared calm and peaceful at this moment, but unbeknownst to many, undercurrents were already surging.

It was 3 p.m. when Zhou Jin arrived at the Liaison Office in Hong Kong. The building was solemn and imposing. After the security personnel at the entrance checked his appointment documents, they respectfully led him to the Economic Department. The director was already waiting in his office. Upon seeing Zhou Jin enter, he immediately stood up to greet him: "Deputy Director Zhou, welcome! Headquarters and Professor Shen have already spoken to you. The emergency response team's office in Hong Kong will be located in our department. From now on, we will work side by side to safeguard Hong Kong's financial security."

After a brief handover of her work, Zhou Jin declined the welcome banquet arranged by the department head and drove straight to Huayao Capital's office—the 28th floor of the Shanghai World Financial Center in Central. The elevator doors slowly opened, revealing a clean and efficient office area. On the wall hung a map showing the distribution of investment targets in Southeast Asia and Hong Kong. Several team members were gathered around computers, intently watching the numbers flashing on the screens, the atmosphere tense yet orderly.

"President Zhou!" Upon seeing Zhou Jin enter, everyone stood up, their eyes filled with anticipation and admiration. These were all elites he had carefully selected, including Shen Mingyuan's prized students, senior financial experts from the central bank, and key economic investigation personnel from the Ministry of State Security, who had been waiting in Hong Kong for a long time.

Zhou Jin walked to the head seat in the conference room, placed her briefcase on the table, and glanced at everyone. Her voice was steady and powerful: "Gentlemen, I'm here. From today onwards, we are the vanguard of the financial war in Hong Kong. Every investment by Huayao Capital is related to national interests and cannot tolerate the slightest mistake. Next, we will closely monitor the movements of international capital, especially the actions of the Quantum Fund, and be ready to act at any time."

He paused, then took out a bank card with 800 million yuan from his briefcase and placed it on the table: "This is all of my personal liquid funds. I will be using this in my personal capacity to expand in the market, as a supplement to Huayao Capital. Remember, our core objective is to safeguard Hong Kong's financial stability and acquire strategic assets. Personal interests always come after national interests."

The team members responded in unison, "Understood!"

Zhou Jin stood up and walked to the floor-to-ceiling window, looking down at the bustling Central district. Ships crisscrossed Victoria Harbour, and in the distance, Victoria Peak was lush and green. The afterglow of the setting sun bathed the city in a golden halo. He gripped the stamp in his pocket, feeling the familiar coolness on his fingertips. His grandfather's admonitions, Shen Mingyuan's warnings, and Chen Panpan's tearful gaze echoed in his mind.

As night fell in Hong Kong, the city lights began to twinkle, adorning it with extraordinary brilliance. Zhou Jin knew that the peace was only temporary, and a war without gunfire was about to begin. He was ready, and here, he would use the wisdom and courage of "upholding the right path while seeking innovation" to safeguard the nation's financial frontier and write his own legend.