Returning wealthy individuals develop their hometowns and become rich in the 1980s

Just as the staff of Nanshan Precision Machinery Research Institute were arriving one after another, a Panama-registered 10,000-ton bulk carrier, the "Seagull," was slowly sailing into Victoria Harbour in Hong Kong under the guidance of its dockworkers.

The arrival of this 10,000-ton bulk carrier, with its mottled and old paint, went unnoticed by anyone. The cargo on board was Americana's "scrap metal and discarded parts from second-hand machine tools," ordered by a Hong Kong businessman.

Deep within its massive hold, in a specially reinforced and electromagnetically shielded hidden container, lies a huge box tightly wrapped in multiple layers of shockproof and moisture-proof materials, with a crudely welded sign on the outside reading "Industrial Waste, Do Not Open".

Inside the container, under constant temperature and humidity, a sophisticated and complex F100-PW-100 turbofan engine core, gleaming with a cold metallic luster, along with several sealed technical data boxes containing massive amounts of data, was brazenly placed in the middle by multiple shipping containers filled with scrap machine tool parts.

The Seagull slowly docked at its berth, and the dockworker waved goodbye and disembarked. Meanwhile, in an office building in Hong Kong, the secret contact in China received a call from overseas: "Sir, the used machine tool parts you ordered have arrived in Victoria Harbour, Hong Kong. The goods will be temporarily stored there. The rest is no longer our concern; our transaction is complete!"

"Understood, I'll notify someone to ship it immediately," the contact said, hanging up the phone and immediately dialing his superior. Once connected, he said in a calm tone, "Hello, Mr. Xia, the used machine tool parts I ordered for you have arrived at port. What's your situation?"

Xia Qi's voice on the other end of the phone wasn't excited, but his question revealed his doubt: "It's only been less than a month, and you're already in Hong Kong? Didn't they say it would take at least three months?"

"Mr. Xia, the faster the loading is over there, the faster the ship will depart. From San Francisco to Hong Kong, it's only a twenty-day voyage, which isn't considered fast!"

"Okay, I understand. The ship to pick up the goods will arrive soon." After saying that, Xia Qi hung up the phone, turned around and walked out of his office. He went to another office that did not have any signs, knocked on the door and pushed it open.

"Director Lin, the goods have arrived in Hong Kong!"

Lin Guotao looked up in surprise, then his face lit up with joy. He picked up the phone on the table, gestured for Xia Qi to sit down first, and said after he finished his call, "Hello, this is Lin Guotao. Project 'Hidden Dragon' can begin. The goods have arrived at Victoria Harbour in Hong Kong!"

"clear!"

Lin Guotao put down the phone, walked around the desk to the sofa, and offered a cigarette to Xia Qi. "Xia Qi, I need you to take your men to Tuocheng in Nanyue immediately and deliver the goods to Nanshan Police Station safely. Our comrades in Tuocheng have already made arrangements. Once you get there, you must coordinate the entire operation perfectly; there can be no mistakes!"

Xia Qi immediately straightened his posture and replied in a serious tone, "Understood! Mission accomplished!"

"I'm entrusting you with the security work at the Nanshan Police Station this time," Lin Guotao said, walking to his desk, opening a drawer, taking out an appointment document stamped with the official seal, and placing it on the coffee table in front of Xia Qi.

Xia Qi merely glanced at the appointment document, then nodded emphatically. Without any weak or feeble statements, he simply said "Understood," conveying his firm resolve to take on the task.

Xia Qi left Lin Guotao's office without going home or calling his wife, because his work was highly confidential and his wife did not know his workplace, only that he was often away from home.

She had asked her husband before, but Xia Qi always smiled and replied, "Don't ask, this is confidential!"

The appointment document provided by Lin Guotao stated that Xia Qi was appointed as the Director and Secretary of the General Political Department of a certain department in Tuocheng, South China. He was to take a special plane from the Capital Airport, along with other key personnel, to Tuocheng to oversee security work.

Meanwhile, on the Victoria Harbour side of Hong Kong, the "Seagull" ship, having completed loading and unloading, slowly departed from its berth. Its mission was over, and the remaining containers on board would need to be unloaded in Luzon.

Dockworker Ruan Ji, wearing a raincoat and holding a flashlight, was walking towards the containers that had just been unloaded, which were filled with "scrap metal parts". He should have been off work by now, but he was still there, thinking of making some "extra money".

As he passed each container, he would turn on his flashlight and shine it on the markings outside to see if it was worth opening. He wasn't a native of Hong Kong; his parents had smuggled themselves in from South Vietnam. The British-controlled Hong Kong government accepted these refugees for the sake of so-called international public opinion.

The inhumane behavior of those with British ties is an old tradition; they always manage to stir up trouble, turning a perfectly good pool into a murky mess. With the influx of these South Vietnamese refugees, Hong Kong's security has become increasingly chaotic.

This is exactly what the British-controlled Hong Kong government wanted. Nguyen Cat was known as a "camp kid" among the people of Hong Kong. Although he had a Hong Kong ID card, he spoke the local dialect of South Vietnam. He was not considered a South Vietnamese, was not accepted by the locals of Hong Kong, and was ostracized. He could only do dirty and tiring jobs as a dockworker.

Ruan Ji finally found the dozen or so containers of "scrap metal" that had just been unloaded. Based on his experience of making extra money on the side, this kind of scrap metal was the fastest way to get rid of it and the least risky to be investigated.

He glanced at one of the boxes, which had a large lock that would require pliers to open. After looking around to make sure no one was nearby, Ruan Ji took out the pliers he had hidden in his pocket, ready to break the lock, grab a few, and leave.

Just as he was about to make his move, the sound of leather shoes clattering on the ground came from not far behind him. Ruan Ji turned around and saw several people carrying umbrellas and flashlights walking quickly toward him.

"Holy crap! Could it be a fellow trader?" Ruan Ji was so frightened that he immediately hid around the corner, holding his breath. If it were a local Hong Kong trader, he could just wait for them to finish taking the goods and leave, saving himself the trouble of breaking the lock.

"Mr. Liu, the goods are right here. Do you want to open them?"

Six men in suits arrived, each carrying an umbrella. One of them, wearing glasses, picked up a large padlock from the container, examined it, and then said, "No need. This shipment is destined for the mainland. Tell the dockworkers not to touch these twelve containers, or things will get very serious!"

"Mr. Liu," one of the men leaned closer and whispered, "it's not drugs, is it? Customs in mainland China checks very strictly!"

"Hehe! Don't worry, nothing will happen!"