Courtyard House: Time Traveler Not Yet a Ghost

He Damin's lips curled into a cold smile, devoid of any warmth, which instead sent chills down one's spine.

"Where is the Wo Shing Wo branch located?"

He Yuzhu was stunned and didn't quite understand: "Uncle, you...you wouldn't be going to..." He thought that He Damin was going to go and argue with them in person, which would be like a lamb being led to the slaughter.

"Where?" He Damin repeated, his tone leaving no room for argument.

He Yuzhu hesitated for a moment, glanced at his distraught father, and gritted his teeth, saying, "I heard from those thugs that it's in Kowloon City, but I'm not sure of the exact location."

"I know." He Daqing suddenly spoke, his voice hoarse and dry, clearly quite frightened, but he still tried hard to recall, "They told us before they left that we should deliver the money to No. 6 Hou Wong Road, Kowloon City, to the Wo Shing Wo branch."

He Damin nodded, stood up, and turned to walk out.

"Da Min!" He Daqing jumped up from his chair, staggered a couple of steps to catch up, grabbed his arm, his face full of fear. "Don't go! They outnumber us and are ruthless! We can't afford to mess with them! Maybe... maybe we should just give them the money? It'll be better to pay up than to face the consequences..."

He Damin gently pulled his hand away without turning around.

"Brother, focus on opening the restaurant. You don't need to worry about anything else." His voice came clearly, carrying an undeniable authority.

Watching He Damin's resolute figure disappear through the door, He Daqing opened his mouth, but ultimately slumped back into his chair, his eyes filled with complex emotions. He Yuzhu also looked worried, but he knew that his uncle was no ordinary person.

No. 6 Hau Wong Road, Kowloon City.

This was a street even narrower and dirtier than Lockhart Road, where He Daqing Restaurant was located. Most of the buildings on both sides were dilapidated arcades with peeling paint and electrical wires tangled in the air like spider webs. The air was filled with an indescribable stench, a mixture of fishy smells, garbage smells, and the smell of cheap food.

Number 6 Houwang Road is an old three-story building that looks no different from the surrounding buildings. A faded sign hangs on the ground floor—"Heshenghe Trading Company." The door is open, and you can see smoke billowing inside, with the faint sounds of mahjong being played and noisy laughter and shouting coming from within. This is Heshenghe's front for the outside world; their real headquarters are upstairs.

He Damin stood alone across the street, quietly watching the building. He was dressed in an ordinary gray Zhongshan suit and wore a baseball cap, looking like an ordinary passerby. On a summer afternoon, the streets were sparsely populated, with only a few shady-looking young men occasionally walking by, casting wary glances at He Damin.

But He Damin seemed oblivious to all this; his gaze was indifferent, as if he were merely looking at an ordinary object. His divine sense had already formed an invisible net, enveloping the entire building.

The scene inside the building was clearly in his mind: the first floor was a smoky mahjong parlor, with seven or eight tables filled with all sorts of people, mostly low-level members of the He Sheng He gambling syndicate and some gamblers. The second floor was the office area, with several rooms occupied by people in charge of accounts and communications. The third floor was the core area.

In a relatively luxurious office on the top floor, a man in his fifties sat with his legs crossed in a large executive chair, leisurely sipping tea from a purple clay teapot. Several burly thugs stood nearby, their eyes warily scanning the surroundings.

It was Chen Yaoxing, the head of the Wo Shing Wo triad.

He Damin had no intention of going in. Dealing with this kind of person didn't require him to lift a finger.

He simply stood across the street, his gaze piercing through the thick wall, landing precisely on Chen Yaoxing.

Then, a wisp of barely perceptible, almost invisible gray mist drifted silently from between his brows, like the most cunning ghost, passing through the street and walls, and floating towards the top floor of that old building.

The top-floor office of Wo Shing Wo.

Chen Yaoxing was talking to Scarface Liu.

"Is everything settled at the restaurant? No problems, right?" Chen Yaoxing asked, taking a sip of tea.

"All done, boss!" Scarface Six said with a smug smile. "That guy surnamed He is a coward. He was scared stiff by just a few words from us and even got pushed and bumped. Judging from his appearance, he'll probably have to obediently send the money over tomorrow."

"Give him money?" Chen Yaoxing put down the teapot, snorted, and a disdainful expression appeared on his face. "Three thousand yuan? What's that little bit of money? What I want is He Damin, the man behind him! As long as he dares to show his face, we'll..."

His words suddenly stopped, and his eyes instantly became empty, like a puppet that had lost its soul.

Scarface Liu was getting into the conversation when he noticed Chen Yaoxing suddenly fall silent. He looked at him strangely and asked, "Boss? What's wrong?"

Chen Yaoxing's lips moved, but his voice became unusually flat and devoid of any inflection: "Get out."

Scarface Liu was stunned: "Big Boss?"

"Get out!" Chen Yaoxing's voice suddenly rose, carrying an undeniable air of authority.

Scarface Liu was startled by his sudden sternness and dared not ask any more questions. He quickly bowed and retreated, gently closing the door behind him.

Chen Yaoxing was the only one left in the office.

His empty eyes slowly regained a glimmer of light, but that light was no longer the ruthless and greedy one before; instead, it became profound and calm, carrying an aura completely incompatible with this body.

He slowly stood up, walked to the window, pushed it open, and looked out at the bustling, chaotic street.

Then, the corners of his mouth slowly turned up, revealing the same cold and knowing smile as the man in the baseball cap across the street.

On Victoria Peak, in He Damin's study.

He Damin slowly opened his eyes, a faint smile playing on his lips. He picked up the slightly cooled teacup on the table and took a small sip.

He Sheng He?

From this day forward, Wo Shing Wo is his. Controlling a gang is sometimes more useful than eliminating it. Especially in a place like Hong Kong, many things that can't be done openly need to be accomplished by these underground forces.

The next day, a bombshell piece of news spread like wildfire through both the legitimate and underworld circles in Hong Kong.

Chen Yaoxing, the head of Wo Shing Wo, suddenly announced at an internal core meeting that from now on, all employees of Wo Shing Wo would unconditionally support Global Bank and its owner, Mr. He Damin. Anyone who dares to harm Global Bank and its related industries is a mortal enemy of Wo Shing Wo, and Wo Shing Wo will retaliate at all costs!

The news caused an uproar throughout Hong Kong!

Everyone knows what kind of gang Wo Shing Wo is—ruthless and vindictive. Yesterday they were collecting protection money and vandalizing their boss's restaurant, how did they suddenly become his protectors? This transformation is too fast, too unbelievable!

When the news reached the top floor of Jardine Matheson & Co. in Central, William Jennings was hosting a dinner for several senior executives of British banks to discuss how to deal with the impact of global banking. When he heard the news, his face instantly turned ashen, and the crystal wine glass he cherished, which he had brought back from Europe, crashed to the floor and shattered, spilling wine onto the expensive carpet.

"Useless! A bunch of useless trash!" he roared angrily, sweeping the documents off the table. He had originally thought he could use the Wo Shing Wo knife to test He Damin's true colors, but unexpectedly, the knife broke on its own and turned against him!

When the news reached Government House on Victoria Peak, the Governor, who had been observing the situation, remained silent for a full ten minutes after hearing the report. His fingers tapped unconsciously on the table, his eyes filled with complex emotions. A Chinese man who could make a long-established triad like the Wo Shing Wo submit overnight was no ordinary person. It seemed that Ho Tai-man needed to be reassessed.

When the news reached police headquarters, the Commercial Crime Investigation Department, which had already made plans to cooperate with certain "business investigations," canceled all its plans overnight. What a joke! Wo Shing Wo is now the protector of Global Bank. To mess with Global Bank is like stirring up a hornet's nest! They don't want to get themselves into trouble.

No one knows why Chen Yaoxing suddenly switched sides. Some say He Damin gave him astronomical sums of money, others say He Damin found something wrong with him, and still others say He Damin cast a spell on Chen Yaoxing. Various speculations abound, but there is no evidence.

Only He Damin knew that the current Chen Yaoxing was no longer the original Chen Yaoxing. A fragment of a soul from another world had taken up residence in his body.

Three days later, Daqing Restaurant officially opened.

The entrance was filled with countless flower baskets, stretching from one end of the street to the other, creating a spectacular scene. The most eye-catching basket, taller than a person, was inscribed with a gold ribbon that read, "All colleagues of Wo Shing Wo wish Mr. Ho a prosperous opening." It was signed Chen Yaoxing.

This completely dispelled any thoughts of trouble from those who wanted to cause trouble. Even He Shenghe personally sent a flower basket to congratulate them; this restaurant's backing is terrifyingly powerful!

He Daqing stood at the door, dressed in a brand-new silk mandarin jacket, his face beaming, grinning from ear to ear. He still didn't quite understand what was going on, only that the arrogant and domineering He Shenghe had suddenly changed his attitude. Not only did he stop collecting protection money, but he also sent people to help maintain order and even sent such a large flower basket. But he knew that all of this was definitely thanks to his younger brother, He Damin. He patted his chest, confidently welcoming the guests who came to congratulate him; his previous fear and frustration had long since vanished.

In a private room on the second floor with the best view, He Damin and Chen Xueru sat facing each other, with exquisite tea and snacks laid out on the table.

Chen Xueru, dressed in an elegant cheongsam, exuded a gentle and refined air. Holding her teacup, she looked down at the lively scene below, then glanced at He Damin across from her, who remained calm. She hesitated, her eyes filled with curiosity and a hint of barely perceptible inquiry.

He Damin seemed to read her mind, poured her a cup of tea, and smiled faintly: "Ask whatever you want."

Chen Xueru pursed her lips, hesitated for a moment, and then asked softly, "That boss of Heshenghe, Chen Yaoxing... how could he suddenly..." She didn't finish her sentence, but the meaning was self-evident.

He Damin picked up his teacup, took a small sip, and looked out the window.

"Maybe... he's figured it out," he said calmly, his tone devoid of any emotion.

Chen Xueru looked at him intently, but didn't press him further. She knew that asking He Damin wouldn't change anything he didn't want to say. However, her respect for He Damin grew even stronger. This man always seemed to be able to do things that were both unbelievable and remarkably effective.

Outside the window, the sun shines brightly, and on the surface of Victoria Harbour, a huge cargo ship is slowly entering the port, sounding a long, drawn-out whistle.