Courtyard House: Time Traveler Not Yet a Ghost

Lawrence looked at Chen Xueru's name on the document, then at the unquestionable expression on He Damin's face, and suddenly smiled—a smile of sudden realization.

"Mr. Ho, you're... making Mrs. Ho the first female president of a television station in Hong Kong, no, possibly all of Asia!" This was truly a groundbreaking move. In this era, few women worked, let alone served as president of such an important emerging company.

"What, it won't work?" He Damin raised an eyebrow and asked deliberately.

"Sure! Of course!" Lawrence nodded quickly, his tone very certain. "Everyone has witnessed Mrs. He's performance at the bank over the past few years. She's composed, meticulous, quick learners, and decisive. She'll definitely do a great job as president! I fully support her!" He genuinely admired Chen Xueru; her abilities and progress in banking affairs over the past five years had impressed him greatly.

He Damin nodded, a relieved smile on his face.

"And what about you? You're the president at the bank now. Would you be willing to condescend to be a consultant for the TV station? Help her set up the TV station and give her some guidance in the early stages."

"I couldn't be happier!" Lawrence replied immediately, his tone solemn. "It's my honor to work under Mrs. He. Mrs. He is intelligent and quick to understand. I'm just offering some advice and suggestions from the sidelines." He knew that this was both He Damin's way of training Chen Xueru and a sign of his trust in him.

That afternoon, as the sun set, it bathed the villa on Victoria Peak in a warm golden light. Chen Xueru returned from the headquarters of the Global Bank. As soon as she entered the house, the housekeeper told her that He Damin was waiting for her in the study, saying that he had something important to discuss.

"Brother Damin, Lawrence said you have something important to discuss with me?" Chen Xueru pushed open the study door, bringing in the chill of the outside air. Today, she was wearing a beige wool coat, her hair styled in a bun, looking both capable and elegant. Having just returned from outside, her cheeks were slightly flushed from the wind.

He Damin stood up, walked over quickly, took off her coat, hung it on the coat rack next to her, then pulled her to sit down on the sofa and poured her a cup of warm black tea.

"It's cold outside, isn't it? Have some hot tea to warm yourself up."

Chen Xueru took the teacup, held it with both hands, felt the warmth emanating from it, and nodded: "Hmm, it's windy and a bit cold on the mountaintop. What's going on? You're being so mysterious."

He Damin sat down beside her, looking at her with gentle eyes: "Xueru, let me ask you, you've worked at the bank for five years, how does it feel? Are you tired?"

Chen Xueru held her teacup, thought for a moment, and a satisfied smile appeared on her face: "It's pretty good. At first, I was a bit flustered and didn't know anything, but thanks to Lawrence's patient teaching, everything is going smoothly now. I feel quite fulfilled. It's a bit tiring, but I feel a great sense of accomplishment."

"Have you ever thought about doing something else? Something... more challenging? Like... a completely new industry?" He Damin looked into her eyes and asked slowly.

Chen Xueru was taken aback, blinked, and asked in confusion, "Change what? The bank is doing just fine." She thought He Damin thought she was too tired.

He Damin smiled, said nothing, took out the "Asia Satellite TV President Appointment Letter" from the drawer of his desk, and handed it to her.

Chen Xueru took the document with a puzzled look and opened it. When she saw the words "Asia TV" and "Proposed President: Chen Xueru," her eyes widened in disbelief, as if she had seen something incredible. She looked up abruptly at He Damin, her voice trembling slightly: "A...Asia TV? A TV station? You...you want me to be the president of this TV station?"

"Yes." He Damin nodded, looking at her shocked expression, his tone certain.

"But...but I don't know anything about television!" Chen Xueru said hurriedly, placing the documents on her lap, somewhat at a loss. "I've barely even watched a TV set, let alone run a television station! This...isn't this like forcing a duck onto a shelf?" She had absolutely no confidence; this made her even more nervous than when she was put in charge of the bank. The bank, though complex, had rules to follow, and Lawrence was there to guide her. A television station? She was completely clueless.

He Damin grasped her slightly cold hand, patted it gently, and smiled: "Nobody understands. In all of Hong Kong, you can count the number of people who understand television on one hand. Those British people understand, but will they teach us? Certainly not. So, everyone starts from scratch, we all have to learn from the beginning. You don't understand, and neither do they, so what's there to be afraid of?"

Chen Xueru bit her lip and remained silent. She looked at He Damin, feeling both nervous and inexplicably excited. A completely new industry, completely new challenges… it was indeed very appealing.

"Xue Ru," He Damin's voice became gentle yet firm, "You've worked at the bank for five years, going from a complete novice to someone who can now manage two banks so well, earning the admiration of so many veteran bankers. I've seen your abilities, and everyone else has too. Television is indeed a new thing, difficult and challenging, but I believe you can do it well. You have a strong learning ability, are hardworking, and resilient; you'll definitely succeed."

Chen Xueru looked into He Damin's eyes, which were filled with trust and encouragement, like a warm current that slowly dispelled her unease and hesitation. She took a deep breath, feeling as if a switch had been flipped in her heart, and a long-lost courage surged up.

"Okay." She nodded slowly, her eyes hardening. "I'll give it a try."

He Damin smiled, pulled her tightly into his arms, and hugged her: "It's not a try, it's a must-do. My Xue Ru, you never let me down."

Chen Xueru leaned against his warm shoulder, inhaling his familiar scent, and felt much more at ease. She asked softly, "What about Lawrence? What will happen to him? The bank can't do without him."

"He will continue to manage the bank," He Damin said. "From today onwards, he will officially serve as the president of Global Bank Management Company, fully responsible for all bank affairs. As for the TV station, I have already spoken to him. He will be your consultant and help you set up the framework. If you encounter any problems that you cannot solve in the early stages, feel free to contact him."

Chen Xueru nodded. With Lawrence, this experienced "old master," sitting beside her, she felt even more confident.

"So... what kind of programs will the TV station produce?" she asked, looking up with curiosity. She was filled with questions about this unknown territory.

He Damin thought for a moment, then counted on his fingers and said, "We definitely need news, and it needs to be fast, accurate, and objective, so everyone knows what's happening in Hong Kong and what's happening in the world. We also need TV dramas; people love watching those, so we need to make some stories that everyone likes to watch. And variety shows, some light and enjoyable programs to help people relax. Oh, and educational programs are a must, to teach people some knowledge, like English, science, and so on. In short, we need to try everything, so that when viewers turn on the TV, there's something they want to watch."

He paused, a slight smile playing on his lips, his eyes gleaming with ambitious light: "Moreover, our program isn't just for Hong Kong audiences; it's going to reach the entire Southeast Asia!"

Chen Xueru looked up into his eyes, which were filled with confidence and ambition. She asked softly, "Will it work? Can the signal travel that far?"

He Damin lowered his head and gently kissed her smooth forehead, his tone full of certainty: "It can be done."

Outside the window, night deepened, and the lights of Victoria Harbour, like countless stars, lit up one after another, illuminating the entire harbor as if it were daytime. In the distance, the faint sound of ship horns entering the harbor could be heard, long and deep.

A new day will soon arrive. And her new life, it seems, is about to begin with the arrival of night.

A month later.

January 1, 1960, the first day of the new year.

When Hong Kong residents opened their newspapers that day, whether it was the *Shen Bao*, *Sing Tao Daily*, or *Wah Kiu Yip*, the front page featured a major news story with an eye-catching headline and content that shook the entire city of Hong Kong—

"Asia Satellite Television has received approval from the Hong Kong government to launch the first Chinese-language television station!" "Asia Satellite Television President Ms. Chen Xueru stated: 'We want every family to be able to watch Chinese-language programs!'" "Asia Satellite Television plans to invest HK$5 million to build a modern transmission tower and studios!"

The news caused a sensation throughout the city.

The topic of this matter was being discussed everywhere—in teahouses, on trams, and in offices.

"A Chinese TV station? Really? We won't have to watch those gibberish English programs anymore?" An elderly gentleman in a long gown, holding a newspaper, excitedly asked the tea drinker at the same table.

"Great! I've been wanting to watch Chinese programs for ages! I just don't know when this TV station will start broadcasting, or if the programs will be any good," a young man next to him excitedly chimed in.

Of course, many people are skeptical.

"Chinese people running their own TV stations? Can they even do it? Those things are so technologically advanced, and the British have been doing it for so many years and it's still not that great." A businessman in a suit curled his lip, looking somewhat disdainful.

"Yes, and I've heard that a television set is very expensive. How can ordinary people like us afford one? Even if a television station is set up, how many people will watch it?" someone said worriedly.

Many others adopted a wait-and-see attitude: "Let's wait and see how it goes after they actually air it. But Chen Xueru? Isn't that the young female boss of Global Bank? How come she's now working for a TV station? She's really something..."

Meanwhile, in the villa on Victoria Peak, Ho Damin and Chen Xueru were standing together in front of a huge map of Southeast Asia, planning the future of the famous Asia Satellite Television.

Holding a red marker, Chen Xueru traced the map: "In the first year, our goal is to cover the entire Hong Kong region—Hong Kong Island, Kowloon, and the New Territories—leaving no one out. The signal must be stable, and the image quality must be clear." She pointed to the location of Hong Kong on the map, her tone firm.

"Next year, when the technology is more mature, we want to extend signal coverage to Guangzhou. The year after that, we aim to cover the entire Guangdong province." Her finger slowly moved northward.

"And then?" He Damin asked with a smile, standing beside her.

Chen Xueru turned around, looked at He Damin, and smiled confidently. She picked up a marker and set off from Hong Kong, heading south across the South China Sea, pointing towards the Malay Peninsula and the Malay Archipelago.

"Nanyang," she said softly but clearly, "Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines... there are tens of millions of Chinese compatriots there. They must also want to watch Chinese programs and hear their familiar accents. We need to send the signal there!"

He Damin nodded in satisfaction and reached out to ruffle her hair: "You have ambition."

"Anything else?" Chen Xueru's interest was piqued. She took the marker and continued south, gliding across Oceania and all the way to the distant Americas. "Here... unfortunately, it's too far. The signal definitely won't get through." She put down the marker with some regret.

He Damin smiled, walked to the window, and looked up at the cloudless sky.

"It will be fine in the future," he said softly, his tone filled with a confidence that others could not understand.

High in the sky, unseen by ordinary people, thirty-six communication satellites are silently orbiting their predetermined paths. They are his eyes, his ears, his nerve network, connecting every corner of the world.

One day, they will also become the wings of Asia TV, sending Chinese voices and images from Hong Kong to every corner of the world, allowing more people to hear and see them.

Chen Xueru walked to his side, gently leaned on his shoulder, and felt the warmth and strength emanating from him.

"Brother Damin," she said softly, her voice filled with gratitude and determination, "thank you for believing in me."

He Damin grasped her hand, their fingers intertwined, turned his head, looked into her eyes, and said earnestly, "It's not about believing in you." He paused, then said, word by word, "It's about believing in us."

Outside the window, the sun shines brightly on Victoria Harbour, warm and inviting. The sea sparkles, and a thousand sails race across the water.