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

In the depths of winter 2005, the damp chill of the sea breeze swept across Victoria Harbour, pattering against the windowpanes of the Liaison Office in Hong Kong. Zhou Jin, bent over his desk, his fingertips tracing the thick stack of work files on the table. Each page bore the marks of his eight years in Hong Kong since arriving in 1997. From his initial naive caution upon arriving in Hong Kong, to his strategic planning in the financial defense battle, and then to his diligent work in economic coordination and improving people's livelihoods, his term was drawing to a close. He had risen from Deputy Director of the Economic Division of the Liaison Office to Director-General of the Economic Department, a position equivalent to a full-fledged department head—the best recognition from the organization for his eight years of dedicated service and outstanding achievements in Hong Kong.

Looking back on these eight years, the glorious achievements of the financial defense battle have long been recorded in the annals of Hong Kong's financial history. However, Zhou Jin deeply understands that safeguarding Hong Kong's prosperity and stability is a far more protracted task than winning a single battle. In the area of ​​economic coordination, he has devoted most of his energy to solving the financing difficulties of Hong Kong's small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Since the 1998 Asian financial crisis, Hong Kong's SMEs have been mired in a cash flow crisis, with many businesses forced to close down due to their inability to obtain loans. Zhou Jin led a survey of hundreds of SMEs, identifying the core issues hindering their financing—either a lack of qualified collateral or limited financing channels and excessively high interest rates. To address this, he repeatedly coordinated with Huayao Capital and the Hong Kong SME Association to launch a targeted relief program.

This program broke down the collateral barriers of traditional financing, using business operating cash flow and industry prospects as core evaluation indicators. It has cumulatively issued 50 billion yuan in low-interest loans, covering multiple industries closely related to people's livelihoods, including catering, retail, electronics manufacturing, and logistics. Mr. Li, a long-established restaurant owner in Mong Kok, Hong Kong, still feels deeply grateful. When his restaurant faced a cash flow crisis due to a sharp decline in customers after the pandemic, it was thanks to a 200 million yuan low-interest loan from Huayao Capital that he was able to renovate and launch a takeaway business. Now, he has three branches. According to statistics, this 50 billion yuan in low-interest loans has cumulatively helped thousands of small and medium-sized enterprises in Hong Kong overcome difficulties, directly saving tens of thousands of jobs and injecting strong momentum into the stable recovery of Hong Kong's economy.

Regarding improving people's livelihoods, Zhou Jin deeply understands that the equitable distribution of medical resources is one of the most pressing concerns for Hong Kong residents. Hong Kong's public healthcare system is chronically overburdened, forcing many patients with complex or rare diseases to travel overseas for treatment, which is both time-consuming and expensive. To address this, Zhou Jin took the initiative, making numerous trips between the mainland and Hong Kong to coordinate between the mainland's National Health Commission and Hong Kong's Hospital Authority, ultimately leading to the establishment of a cross-border medical cooperation mechanism. He spearheaded the opening of a "green channel" for Hong Kong residents seeking medical treatment on the mainland, simplifying referral procedures and enabling the exchange of medical records and mutual recognition of test results between Hong Kong and several top-tier hospitals in the Pearl River Delta region. Furthermore, some medical expenses can be directly settled across borders.

Meanwhile, he also organized top mainland experts in cardiovascular, oncology, and other fields to regularly visit Hong Kong public hospitals for consultations and academic exchanges, and to mentor young Hong Kong doctors. Previously, Hong Kong residents seeking medical treatment on the mainland had to go through multiple departments to complete procedures, and expense reimbursement was even more cumbersome; now, through a green channel, referrals can be completed in half a day, and expense settlement is done with a single click. This measure has not only greatly alleviated the pressure on Hong Kong's public healthcare system, but also allowed Hong Kong residents to enjoy high-quality mainland medical services right at their doorstep, becoming a vivid microcosm of the integration of people's livelihoods between the two places.

Youth are the future of integration between the two places. Zhou Jin has always believed that enhancing mutual understanding between Hong Kong and mainland youth is key to consolidating the foundation of "one country, two systems." Since 2002, he has spearheaded the "Hong Kong Youth Entrepreneurship Program in Mainland China," personally leading teams to visit multiple entrepreneurial incubation bases in the mainland, connecting them with industrial resources and policy support in the Pearl River Delta and Yangtze River Delta regions, and building a bridge for entrepreneurial exchange for Hong Kong youth. Over the three years of the program's implementation, it has organized over a thousand Hong Kong youth to visit and learn in the mainland, invited mainland entrepreneurial mentors to conduct dozens of training sessions, and provided start-up capital and venue support to nearly two hundred Hong Kong youths aspiring to develop in the mainland.

Many young Hong Kong entrepreneurs have found their entrepreneurial path in mainland China through this program—some have settled in Shenzhen to pursue technological innovation, others have focused on cross-border e-commerce in Zhejiang, and still others have returned to their hometowns to collaborate with mainland companies in developing specialty agriculture. They have not only realized their entrepreneurial dreams but have also become unofficial ambassadors for cultural exchange and economic cooperation between the two regions. As Chen Hao, a representative of young Hong Kong entrepreneurs, said, "My previous understanding of the mainland was limited to what I read in books. Through this program, I have witnessed firsthand the mainland's vibrant development and found my own stage in life."

Accompanying Zhou Jin's personal growth was the rapid development of Huayao Capital. From an emergency investment platform established in 1998, Huayao Capital had grown into a large investment institution with assets of 300 billion yuan by 2005. Under Zhou Jin's leadership, Huayao Capital accurately seized market opportunities and optimized asset allocation, safeguarding financial security while achieving steady asset appreciation. Its assets encompass equity in high-quality financial institutions in Hong Kong, prime commercial real estate, equity in innovative technology companies, and high-quality real assets in Southeast Asia, making it a veritable "national strategic asset reservoir." Over eight years, Huayao Capital has paid a total of 50 billion yuan in dividends to the state, providing strong financial support for the coordinated economic development between mainland China and Hong Kong.

The news of Zhou Jin's term ending was like a stone thrown into Hong Kong's business community, quickly triggering a "talent grab." Over the past eight years, his professional competence in the financial field, his pragmatic approach to economic coordination, and his commitment to improving people's livelihoods have earned him widespread recognition in Hong Kong's business community. Major conglomerates have extended olive branches to him, offering increasingly generous terms—a Hong Kong real estate tycoon personally visited to invite him to serve as co-president of his group, promising an annual salary plus bonuses exceeding HK$100 million, plus a luxury villa in a prime location; an international financial institution strongly invited him to serve as chief strategic advisor for the Asia-Pacific region, offering a lifetime board seat and global resource allocation rights; and the Hong Kong Chamber of Commerce spearheaded an effort to have him serve as its secretary-general, coordinating cooperation between businesses in both regions.

Of all those who tried to persuade her to stay, Lin Xiaoman was the most persistent. Eight years had passed since their first encounter at the Hong Kong Chamber of Commerce annual meeting in 1998. In those eight years, Lin Xiaoman had shed her youthful naiveté and become increasingly composed and capable. With her outstanding business acumen, she had risen from managing part of the family's investment business to becoming one of the de facto leaders of the Lin Group. She was never short of suitors, yet she remained unmarried. This stubborn waiting was all because of the person she longed for.

Upon learning of Zhou Jin's impending departure, Lin Xiaoman met with him privately five times. Initially, she used work as a pretext to discuss the future of business cooperation between the two regions; later, she frankly expressed her desire to retain him, proposing that the Lin Group deepen its cooperation with Huayao Capital, with Zhou Jin serving as the chairman of the cooperation platform and possessing absolute decision-making power; finally, she set aside all business considerations and simply expressed her true feelings.

Their final meeting was held at a private club by Victoria Harbour. Outside the floor-to-ceiling windows, the night view of Hong Kong remained dazzling, neon lights reflecting on the water, creating shimmering waves. Lin Xiaoman, dressed in a well-tailored black suit, appeared less assertive than before, and more forlorn. She poured Zhou Jin a glass of red wine, her voice soft yet firm: "Director Zhou, eight years have passed, and my mind has never wavered. Hong Kong needs people like you to drive its development, the Lin Group needs partners like you to create the future, and I… need you too. As long as you stay, all the resources of the Lin Group are at your disposal. I can give you absolute trust and freedom. We can build a bigger business together and protect this land."

Zhou Jin put down his teacup, his gaze gentle yet unwavering. Looking at the woman before him, who had been so devoted for eight years, he was overwhelmed with emotion. He was grateful for her appreciation and patience, and admired her talent and responsibility, yet he could never reciprocate her feelings. "Xiaoman," he spoke softly, his tone apologetic, "thank you for your eight years of kindness and appreciation. I will always remember this kindness. But I am a public servant; my roots are in the mainland, and my family is there. My eight-year term is over; I must go back, back to them."

Lin Xiaoman looked at him, a flicker of resentment in her eyes, which quickly turned into relief. She knew that Zhou Jin's mind had never wavered, and her attempts to keep him were ultimately futile. She tilted her head back and finished her glass of wine, the rich aroma spreading in her mouth, but she couldn't suppress the disappointment in her heart. "I know I can't keep you," she put down her glass, her gaze fixed on Zhou Jin, "but I want to tell you, Zhou Jin, I won't give up. If you go back to the mainland, I'll come find you there. No matter where you are, I'll wait for you."

These words, tinged with stubbornness and deep affection, left Zhou Jin speechless for a moment. Looking at this woman before him, so passionate and decisive, he felt a deep sense of helplessness. After Lin Xiaoman turned and left, he was left alone in the club. He walked to the floor-to-ceiling window, gazing at the myriad lights outside, and sighed softly, "The hardest thing to bear is the kindness of a beautiful woman."

As night deepened, a cool sea breeze blew in through the half-open window. Zhou Jin got up, tidied the documents on his desk, and took one last look at the office. The map of Hong Kong hanging on the wall was already covered with markings; on the desk lay a photo of him, Chen Panpan, and their two children. In the photo, Zhou Shouzhen and Zhou Nianqi nestled beside their parents, smiling brightly. He reached out and stroked the photo, his eyes filled with tenderness.

His eight years in Hong Kong were a significant chapter in his life. There, he witnessed thrilling financial battles, tackled challenging issues affecting people's livelihoods, forged deep bonds with colleagues, gained the recognition and affection of the citizens of Hong Kong, and developed a profound and unyielding affection. He dedicated his youth and sweat to this land, and reaped growth and glory here.

After packing his simple luggage, Zhou Jin took one last look at the office building. Under the streetlights, the signboard of the Hong Kong Liaison Office stood out prominently in the night. He gently closed the door and turned to disappear into the Hong Kong night. He knew that his story with Hong Kong was coming to an end, but the next chapter of his life had quietly begun on the mainland.