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

In March 2006, the nights in Yanshi were still chilly. Zhou Jin led Lin Xiaoman into an old alley on Erdao Street. A dim red lantern hung at the entrance of the alley, and the wooden sign for "Lao Ma's Lamb Stew" swayed slightly in the lamplight.

"This shop has been open for over thirty years and is a well-established restaurant frequented by locals in Yancheng." Zhou Jin pushed open the creaking wooden door, and a rich aroma of mutton soup wafted out. "Let's not talk about work today, just have a home-cooked meal."

The shop was bustling with activity and steaming with customers. Seeing Zhou Jin enter, the owner greeted him with a smile, "Mayor Zhou, you're here! Same as always?"

"Two bowls of premium paomo (pita bread soaked in mutton soup), with extra chili." Zhou Jin nodded, then turned to Lin Xiaoman and asked, "Can you handle spicy food?"

Lin Xiaoman took off her sunglasses, looked around at the old photos covering the wall, and said with a look of curiosity in her eyes, "Why not give it a try? Coming to northern Shaanxi and not eating spicy food is a wasted trip."

The two found a small table by the window and sat down. The waiter brought over two white porcelain bowls and two tuo tuo breads. Zhou Jin picked up a bread and taught her step by step: "The essence of paomo is breaking the bread into pieces the size of soybeans, so that it can absorb the soup and flavor."

Lin Xiaoman imitated him, pinching the bread between her fingertips and breaking it into pieces little by little. Her movements were a bit clumsy, which made Zhou Jin chuckle: "Don't rush, break it slowly. This is the ritual of eating paomo."

The warm yellow light shone on the two of them. Outside, the cold wind howled, but inside, it was cozy and warm. While breaking up a steamed bun, Lin Xiaoman suddenly spoke: "When I get back this time, I'll have the team set up shop in Yan City. For the apple processing base, Luochuan will be the first choice for location, and I'll have the experts refine the cold chain logistics plan further."

"Thank you for your hard work." Zhou Jin looked up, her tone sincere. "The people of Yan City will remember this kindness."

"You're telling me this?" Lin Xiaoman rolled her eyes at him, then changed the subject, "Speaking of which, the Hong Kong stock market has been quite lively lately. You've been in Hong Kong for eight years, do you have any stocks you're optimistic about?"

Zhou Jin paused in his hand as he broke the bread, his mind racing. He couldn't reveal his identity as a time traveler; he could only use the excuse of "long-term research" to cover it up.

"In the short term, there are a few good options," Zhou Jin said, putting down his steamed bun and lowering his voice. "You know the London Stock Exchange, right? It rejected Nasdaq's acquisition offer a few days ago, and the market has high expectations for its valuation. I think there's still room for it to rise in the short term. There's also Schering Pharmaceuticals in Germany. Morgan Stanley just upgraded its rating, and with the wave of mergers and acquisitions in the pharmaceutical industry, its stock price is sure to rise."

He paused, then added: "Goldman Sachs' first-quarter financial report was very impressive, with net profit rising by 64% and dividends increasing, which is a real positive. Prudential Insurance rejected Aviva's acquisition offer, and its prospects for independent development are viewed favorably by the market. Vodafone is also going to issue a special dividend, and Zijin Mining's performance has surged and it has also issued a high dividend payout. These are all targets where you can make quick money in the short term."

Lin Xiaoman's eyes lit up, and she even forgot to break the bread in her hand: "How did you research this so thoroughly?"

"When I was in Hong Kong, I liked to look at financial reports and keep an eye on the market when I had nothing to do." Zhou Jin smiled and said in a nonchalant tone, "These targets either have merger and acquisition benefits or have performance support, and the short-term profit-making effect is very good."

"What about the long term?" Lin Xiaoman pressed. "I have some spare cash and I'd like to make long-term investments of more than ten years."

Zhou Jin pondered for a moment, then looked up at her with a serious expression: "In the long term, I'm more optimistic about the core companies in several sectors. In the technology sector, Nvidia has now launched the CUDA platform, and GPUs are shifting from graphics cards to general-purpose computing, with unlimited potential in data centers and artificial intelligence. Apple's stock price is still low, and I've heard they're developing a smartphone that will absolutely revolutionize the entire industry once it's released. Although Microsoft seems stable now, they're laying out cloud services, which is a major future trend."

"There are also the consumer and healthcare sectors," he continued. "Netflix is ​​currently doing DVD rentals, but I predict that streaming media will be the mainstream in the future, and now is the perfect time to invest; Monster Beverage has a precise positioning in the energy drink sector, a clear competitive landscape, and strong counter-cyclical capabilities; ResMed's respiratory medical devices meet the urgent needs of the global aging population, have high product barriers, and stable long-term growth."

Lin Xiaoman stared at him blankly for a long time before she came to her senses: "These companies don't even seem that impressive now, and you think so highly of them?"

"When making long-term investments, we look at the future of the industry and the core competitiveness of the companies." Zhou Jin said with certainty, "These companies either have disruptive innovations in technology or have irreplaceable advantages in the industry. Ten years from now, you will definitely see a different picture."

He pulled a bank card from his pocket and pushed it in front of Lin Xiaoman: "There's 500 million in here. It's what I earned during the financial battle in Hong Kong back then, and I made some investments afterward. I'd appreciate it if you could help me manage this in Hong Kong and buy all of it into these long-term assets. Don't touch it for the next ten years."

Lin Xiaoman stared at the bank card, then into Zhou Jin's eyes, her heart churning with shock. Five hundred million—no small sum. How could he so readily entrust it to her?

"Aren't you afraid I'll run off with the money?" she teased deliberately.

"I believe you." Zhou Jin's tone was soft, but it carried an undeniable certainty.

Lin Xiaoman's heart skipped a beat. She lowered her eyes, concealing the emotions within them, and after a long while, she picked up the bank card and put it in her bag: "Don't worry, I'll take care of it for you. By the way, regarding those long-term investments you mentioned, I'll also buy some myself, just as if we're investing together."

"No problem." Zhou Jin smiled. "Long-term investment requires patience and perseverance to maintain prosperity."

Just then, the waiter brought over two steaming bowls of paomo (pita bread soaked in mutton soup). The mutton was tender and succulent, the vermicelli was chewy, and the broth was rich and flavorful. Zhou Jin picked up a spoon and scooped up a spoonful of soup: "Try it, how does it taste?"

Lin Xiaoman blew on the hot soup, took a sip, and felt the warmth flow from her throat to her heart. She looked at Zhou Jin, then suddenly put down her spoon, her tone serious: "Zhou Jin, I've made up my mind. I will not get married in this lifetime."

Zhou Jin was taken aback and looked at her with some confusion.

"The Lin Group doesn't need a marriage alliance to solidify its position; I have the ability to make it even better." Lin Xiaoman's eyes shone brightly. "What I lack is only an heir. After finishing the project in Yan City, I'll go to the international sperm bank, find the best genes, and do in-vitro fertilization."

She paused, looked into Zhou Jin's eyes, and a complex smile played on her lips: "Since meeting you, I haven't met anyone more outstanding than you. What a pity..."

She didn't finish her sentence.

Zhou Jin felt as if something had gently bumped into his heart. Looking at the light in Lin Xiaoman's eyes, he was momentarily at a loss for words.

The cold wind still howled outside the window, and the red lanterns at the alley entrance swayed in the wind. Two bowls of steamed bread paomo sat on the table, the rising steam blurring the faces of the two people.

Some things don't need to be said outright; some feelings can only be kept in the heart.

As night deepened, Zhou Jin escorted Lin Xiaoman back to her hotel. Before parting, Lin Xiaoman suddenly hugged him and whispered in his ear, "Take care. Winters in Yan City are very cold; remember to wear warm clothes."

Zhou Jin stiffened slightly, then gently patted her back: "Have a safe trip."

Watching Lin Xiaoman's figure disappear at the hotel entrance, Zhou Jin turned around and walked back into the cold wind. Moonlight shone on him, casting a long shadow.

He knew that with Lin Xiaoman gone, he didn't know when they would meet again. And the story between him and her, like the night in Yancheng, was deep and long.