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

In November 1998, the early winter in Kyoto was already chilly, but the Zhou family courtyard deep in the alley was several times more lively than usual. The news that the core commander of the Hong Kong financial defense battle was Zhou Jianguo's grandson, Zhou Jin, spread among the retired cadres and small circles within the system in Kyoto, and people came to visit in an endless stream.

Zhou Jianguo, dressed in a slightly worn Zhongshan suit, sat with Su Tian at a stone table in the courtyard, sipping tea. Both were members of the Central Advisory Commission, holding exceptionally high positions: Zhou Jianguo had been a core member of the State Council's decision-making body, and in response to the leader's call to "let younger comrades take on greater responsibilities," he voluntarily submitted his retirement application, resigning from his current leadership position; Su Tian was Zhou Jin's maternal grandfather, the former commander of the Kyoto Military Region, who, with the same awareness, relinquished his military post and joined the Central Advisory Commission. Facing their new visitors, their expressions remained calm and composed, but when a certain matter was mentioned, an undisguised warmth shone in their eyes.

"Old Zhou, Old Su, you two are really good at keeping your composure!" The old comrade-in-arms, who had just entered the room and served as the deputy commander of the Kyoto Military Region, grabbed Su Tian's hand and said in a loud voice, "Xiao Jin really crushed Soros and his gang of international speculators in Hong Kong, earning the country tens of billions of foreign exchange. That's a tremendous achievement! What's even more commendable is that he donated 1 million yuan from his personal profits to support flood relief efforts in Nanjiang. This sense of national responsibility is truly remarkable!"

Mentioning the donation, Zhou Jianguo paused slightly, his fingertips tracing the rim of his teacup. A hint of pride flickered in his voice: "Serving the country and the people is what we taught him. This young man hasn't forgotten his roots; he's both protected national interests and fulfilled his civic duty. He deserves recognition." Su Tian put down his teacup, a slight smile playing on his lips, his eyes bright: "In the perilous game in Hong Kong, he managed to stay calm, win the tough battle, and even proactively donated a huge sum to support disaster relief. He didn't disappoint us elders. This character is more important than anything else." His words were filled with undisguised satisfaction and pride.

It turns out that news of Zhou Jin's donation of 1 million yuan to support disaster relief for the "98 Nanjiang catastrophic flood" had already spread along with the good news of the victory in the financial war. The Ta Kung Pao and Wen Wei Po not only reported on the donation but also published his statement that "personal wealth is taken from the country and should be used for the people." This sense of responsibility greatly pleased the two elderly people who had dedicated their lives to the country and added to the respect of the visitors.

No matter how much the visitors praised Zhou Jin's achievements and sense of responsibility, the two always adhered to the principle of keeping a low profile. Their conversations revolved only around their military careers, trivial matters of political work, or their current health routines, never mentioning Zhou Jin's personal performance. But the more they did this, the more curious and admiring people became about Zhou Jin, and the number of people visiting them did not decrease but increased.

Within days, two major pieces of news spread: First, Zhou Jin's personal assets soared from 800 million to 3.2 million through legal and compliant operations during the financial battle in Hong Kong; second, the organization officially issued a promotion notice—in view of Zhou Jin's outstanding performance in the financial defense of Hong Kong, he was appointed as the Director of the Economic Division of the Liaison Department in Hong Kong, continuing to be fully responsible for the overall work of the emergency team in Hong Kong and coordinating the investment operations of Huayao Capital.

In 1998, 320 million yuan carried immense weight. At that time, the average house price in Beijing was only a little over 2,000 yuan per square meter; 300 million yuan could buy more than a dozen well-maintained courtyard houses. An ordinary worker's monthly salary was less than 1,000 yuan; even if they didn't eat or drink for a lifetime, they couldn't earn a million yuan. Zhou Jin's promotion was well-deserved—previously, as the deputy director of the Economic Division of the Liaison Office in Hong Kong, he had already shouldered the heavy responsibility of the front lines in Hong Kong. His promotion to director was both a recognition of his practical achievements and an expectation that he would continue to stabilize Hong Kong's financial situation. These two pieces of news combined made Zhou Jin's name a household name in Beijing's financial circles.

Originally, only retired cadres and colleagues from within the system came to visit, but later many business people and those trying to curry favor also came knocking, and there were people loitering at the entrance of the courtyard almost every day. Zhou Jianguo and Su Tian were so bothered that they exchanged a glance and reached a consensus.

"Old Su, things have been too noisy lately. Let's shut ourselves off from visitors," Zhou Jianguo said in a deep voice. "Let's not disturb the neighbors, let's not cause trouble for the organization, and we can't let this restless atmosphere disrupt Xiao Jin's work in Hong Kong." Su Tian deeply agreed, his brows relaxing a bit: "It should have been done a long time ago. Xiao Jin's achievements are recognized by the country, not for showing off or currying favor. Shutting ourselves off from visitors will also allow everyone to calm down and stop focusing on these fame and fortune."

The next morning, the gate of the Zhou family courtyard was tightly closed, and a note with strong handwriting was posted at the door: "Something has come up at home, and we are not receiving guests for the time being. Please understand." This slightly stopped the endless stream of visitors.

The news spread like wildfire, not only throughout Kyoto but also across thousands of miles to Handong Province.

Inside the Hantong Provincial Government office building, newly promoted Governor Zhao Lichun was flipping through an internal reference document, the title of which was prominently displayed: "A Summary of the Deeds of Comrade Zhou Jin, the Core Commander of the Hong Kong Financial Defense War." The more he read, the more alarmed he became. When he reached the section on resume and promotions, he suddenly slammed his hand on the table and said to his secretary, Li Dakang, who was standing beside him, "Dakang, come and see!"

Li Dakang hurriedly stepped forward, took the internal report, and read it carefully. When his eyes swept over the words "Zhou Jin, currently the Director of the Economic Division of the Liaison Department in Hong Kong, formerly a secretary of the General Office of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, and once went to Jingzhou City, Handong Province to investigate the reform of state-owned enterprises," his pupils suddenly contracted.

"Look at this, Dakang!" Zhao Lichun pointed to the words, his tone full of amazement and emotion. "This Zhou Jin is the same Secretary Zhou who came down from the General Office of the Central Committee to conduct research a few years ago! Do you remember? Back then, at the state-owned enterprise reform symposium in Jingzhou City, it was he who pointed out the land loophole in Chen Yanshi's reform plan and proposed the lifelong accountability system!"

Li Dakang suddenly recalled the scene from back then, the tense atmosphere in the meeting room seemed to be right in front of him. He nodded heavily: "I remember! How could I not remember? At that time, Mayor Chen was showing off the 'achievements' of the textile factory's restructuring at the meeting, avoiding the important issue of land. It was Comrade Zhou who pressed on the spot, pointing out that the free transfer of state-owned land to private individuals was a loss of assets. He also predicted the future demolition disputes of Dafeng Factory and proposed to implement the dual reporting of archives and a lifelong accountability system."

"It's him!" Zhao Lichun exclaimed with emotion. "Back then, I knew this young man was extraordinary. He saw the crux of the matter, possessed both professional expertise and the courage to speak his mind. I never imagined he would be so capable! We didn't even understand the ins and outs of stocks and futures back then, yet he was already commanding a war concerning the nation's financial security from Hong Kong! Now, he's been promoted to Director of the Economic Division of the Liaison Office in Hong Kong and has even donated 1 million HKD for flood relief. He's truly young and promising, and deserves all the recognition!"

He put down the internal reference book, his tone tinged with a hint of wistfulness: "The Hong Kong businessmen I've been meeting lately all talk about Mr. Zhou Jin, how he single-handedly turned the tide in Hong Kong, repelled international speculative capital, earned tens of billions of dollars in foreign exchange for China, and steadily preserved Hong Kong's financial market. The Hong Kong businessmen speak of him with genuine admiration!"

Zhao Lichun stood up, walked to the window, and looked down at the provincial government compound. His gaze became serious. He turned to Li Dakang and said, "Dakang, the organization has decided to send you to Jinshan County as county head. When you get there, do a good job and learn from capable, responsible, and visionary young people like you. Zhou Jin is so young yet she can shoulder such a heavy responsibility in Hong Kong. You must also show your courage, boost the economy of Jinshan County, and do more practical things for the development of Handong."

Li Dakang's eyes were firm as he replied in a deep voice, "Please rest assured, Governor, I will certainly live up to the trust of the organization, do my job conscientiously, learn from advanced experiences, adhere to principles and bottom lines, and never let down the expectations of the people."

At this moment, in the office of the Economic Division of the Liaison Office in Hong Kong, Zhou Jin was holding the promotion notice she had just received, her expression calm. The handwriting on the notice was clear and forceful: "Comrade Zhou Jin is appointed as the Director of the Economic Division of the Liaison Office in Hong Kong, responsible for the overall work of the emergency response team in Hong Kong and coordinating the investment operations of Huayao Capital."

From deputy director to director, the promotion meant greater responsibility. He carefully put away the notice, then turned to Li Jianguo beside him and said, "Brother Li, the organization trusts me to stay in Hong Kong and lead the work. We'll need to work together to maintain financial stability and integrate Huayao Capital's assets."

Li Jianguo smiled and nodded, his tone sincere: "Director Zhou, this is what you deserve! We fought side by side before, and I know best how much effort you've put in. Everyone respects you. Let's continue to work together to defend Hong Kong's financial defenses and solidify Huayao Capital's strategic layout."

Zhou Jin nodded in agreement, his gaze drifting to the calm Victoria Harbour outside the window. Sunlight shimmered on the sea. This period of struggle and perseverance had been filled with both turbulent times and moments of unexpected success. His grandfather's admonitions, his maternal grandfather's expectations, Chen Panpan's concern, and the organization's trust were all sources of strength that propelled him forward.

He took out the Qingtian stone seal from his pocket, his fingertips tracing the four seal characters "Upholding Integrity and Achieving Innovation," his resolve growing stronger: with this new position and new responsibilities, he would continue to defend Hong Kong, safeguard the nation's financial frontier, and live up to everyone's expectations.

Then, he took out his phone and dialed Chen Panpan's number, his tone gentle yet firm: "Panpan, I've been promoted, and I'll still be working in Hong Kong. I need to keep an eye on things here. I'll find time to come back and see you once things have stabilized a bit more."

Chen Panpan's gentle voice came through the receiver: "Congratulations! I'm so happy for you. Focus on your work and don't worry about me. I'll be here waiting for you."

After hanging up the phone, Zhou Jin opened the light blue notebook and wrote on a new page: "Promoted and reassigned, I will remain steadfast in Hong Kong. Upholding my original aspirations, I will demonstrate exceptional courage and responsibility. I will live up to the trust placed in me and forge ahead with determination."

Sunlight streamed through the window and fell on the paper, adding a new footnote to this period of hard work and casting a firm and warm glow on his new journey in Hong Kong.