Courtyard House: Time Traveler Not Yet a Ghost

Spring 1963, Hong Kong.

The wind atop Victoria Peak always carries a hint of sea saltiness, mixed with the fresh scent of mountain vegetation. He Damin's villa is nestled within this lush greenery, like a quiet giant overlooking the bustling city below. The old pomegranate tree in the courtyard, its age unknown, bursts forth every spring with a dense profusion of vibrant red blossoms. The petals, as red as clusters of tiny, burning flames, sway gently in the morning light, filling the air with a sweet fragrance.

He Damin stood on the carved teak balcony on the second floor, holding a white porcelain covered bowl filled with this year's freshly harvested Longjing tea. The tea leaves unfurled in the boiling water, the rising steam blurring his glasses and the distant Victoria Harbour. He took off his glasses, wiped them with his sleeve, and put them back on. Seven years had passed. When he first came to Hong Kong, the area around the harbor wasn't filled with so many steel and concrete monsters. Now, looking at Central, a dense cluster of glass curtain wall buildings gleamed in the sunlight, like unsheathed swords piercing the hazy sky. The changes were so rapid, he sighed inwardly, taking a sip of the warm Longjing tea. The tea was clear and refreshing, carrying a hint of spring's crispness, sliding smoothly down his throat, soothing and comforting.

"Ring ring—"

The phone rang in the study behind him, its sound particularly clear in the quiet morning. He Damin turned around and stepped into the room, his footsteps treading on the thick Persian carpet. The study was well-lit, with a brass lamp on the mahogany desk and several open financial magazines piled beside it. He picked up the black receiver, its cool touch sending shivers down his spine.

"Mr. He, it's me, Lawrence." A slightly hoarse but strong voice came from the other end of the phone, carrying a hint of fatigue but more of an irrepressible excitement.

He Damin hummed in agreement. This old man had been with him for almost ten years. When they first met, his hair was only slightly gray, but now it was completely white, like a head of snow. But his energy was more than that of the young men in their early twenties in the office. He always wore a suit and tie, his hair was always neatly combed, and he was decisive and efficient in his work.

"Speak," He Damin said calmly, his voice devoid of emotion.

"Things in the US are all settled!" Lawrence's voice rose slightly. "We've opened branches in Manhattan, New York; the Loop in Chicago; and near Beverly Hills in Los Angeles. All the paperwork is in place, and they officially opened for business yesterday. Things are almost done in Europe too. Branches in the City of London, La Défense in Paris, and the banking district in Frankfurt opened their doors last month, and business is even better than expected!"

He Damin held the receiver, his fingers tapping lightly on the table unconsciously. His face was expressionless, but he nodded slightly. Lawrence knew his habit and didn't interrupt, continuing his report: "Things in Japan are a little slower. Shops in Ginza, Tokyo, and Shinsaibashi, Osaka, have been found, and the renovation team is working hard. We estimate they can open next month."

"The bank card business is progressing very smoothly," Lawrence said through the rustling sound of documents on the other end of the phone. "In the US, through partnerships with several major department stores and gas stations, we already have over three million users. Europe isn't doing badly either, with over a million. And adding us in Asia—Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia… the total has exceeded six million!"

Six million… He Damin leaned back in his large leather chair, a barely perceptible smile playing on his lips.

"The online transfer system is running stably," Lawrence said with satisfaction. "Last month, the transaction volume exceeded two billion US dollars! Those foreigners now think this thing is novel and convenient, and they're scrambling to use it."

Two billion US dollars… He Damin picked up the Longjing tea on the table and took another sip. These figures, decades later, might not even be enough to fill a tooth gap. But in 1963, this was already the world's only electronic payment network. Those blond-haired, blue-eyed Americans, earnest Europeans, and obsequious Japanese were still foolishly believing they were using the most advanced financial technology and enjoying convenience. Little did they know that every time they swiped their cards, every time they transferred money, that invisible and intangible data silently passed through the secret satellite above his head, through the server cluster he had built on an overseas island, and finally converged in his unimaginable "little world," where it was meticulously filtered, analyzed, and monitored by that photonic computer ahead of its time. The entire world's financial flows were almost transparent to him.

"What about the luxury goods sector?" He Damin changed the subject.

"That's about it." Lawrence seemed to be flipping through another folder. "Regarding automobiles, we quietly acquired 15% of Rolls-Royce through several offshore companies. Bentley, 12%. Ferrari in Italy, 10%. Porsche, 8%. All are high-quality assets, just a bit pricey."

He Damin paused, thinking for a moment, and said, "What about those two British sports car companies? They make Lotus and Jaguar."

"You mean Lotus and Jaguar?" Lawrence answered quickly. "We bought five percent of Lotus and eight percent of Jaguar. We were very careful, operating through layers of offshore companies. Nobody knows we're behind it. The shareholders just think we're Middle Eastern oil tycoons or an anonymous Swiss consortium."

"Keep buying." He Damin's tone left no room for argument. "Lotus's technology is good, especially its chassis and engine tuning, but its management is terrible, and the management is clueless. Wait a few more years, until they run out of cash and can't hold on any longer, then find an opportunity to acquire it outright."

"Understood," Lawrence replied, then paused, unable to resist asking, "Mr. He, if I may be frank, these investments have such long payback periods. Some companies, like Rolls-Royce, I've looked at their financial reports, and their operations aren't actually doing well; they've been losing money year after year. Why should we invest so much money in these 'old relics'?"

He Damin didn't answer immediately. He picked up his teacup, brought it close to his nose, and inhaled the faint aroma, which invigorated him. The tea was this year's pre-Qingming new tea, brought over from the mainland by someone, and was quite precious. He took a small sip; the refreshing taste was accompanied by a subtle, almost imperceptible sweetness that slowly spread across his tongue.

"Lawrence, how many years have you been with me?" he suddenly asked an unrelated question.

"It's been almost ten years, Mr. Ho. I've been following you ever since you opened your first small trading company in Kowloon." Lawrence's voice carried a hint of emotion.

"Ten years..." He Damin repeated, then nodded. "Then you should know that I never do things based on petty gains."

He stood up and walked to the huge French windows, gazing at the vibrant pomegranate blossoms outside. "Rolls-Royce isn't doing so well anymore; its car business is declining, but the brand remains. The 'Silver Ghost' name isn't something just any Tom, Dick, or Harry can compare to. Bentley, Ferrari, Porsche—these brands, even fifty or a hundred years from now, as long as the earth still exists, will still be the best in the world, the epitome of status and taste. Buy them now, while they're not so valuable yet, while they're still facing difficulties—they're cheap. Once they truly become legends, living fossils, then buying them won't be at this price; you might not even have a chance."

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone, as Lawrence seemed to be processing his words. After a while, a voice came through: "I understand, Mr. He. I will continue to follow up and pay attention to market developments."

"And another thing," He Damin added, "find a few people and set up a dedicated investment department. Give them some seed funding and have them keep an eye on emerging tech companies. American, European, Japanese—anything that sounds interesting, keep an eye on them. If there are good projects, invest. Tell them, don't be afraid to spend money, just be afraid of missing out."

"What kind of tech company?" Lawrence pressed, afraid of missing something.

He Damin thought for a moment, and those names that would become familiar in the future flashed through his mind. "Chip companies, computer software companies, communication technology companies... well, anything related to 'information' and 'connection,' especially the prototype of that concept called 'Internet,' look at them carefully." That was all he could describe it like that; he couldn't just give out stock codes.

"Understood! I'll get right on it!" Lawrence's voice became excited again.

After hanging up the phone, the study returned to silence. He Damin stood by the window, watching the ships coming and going in Victoria Harbour. His thoughts drifted far away, decades into the future. At that time, the internet would permeate every corner of the world like air and water. The companies built on this vast network he had constructed would grow into behemoths with market capitalizations of hundreds of billions or trillions. And their information and capital flows would all pass through his "pipeline," all paying him "rent." Thinking of this, his smile deepened.

"Tap tap tap." Soft footsteps came from behind.

Chen Xueru pushed open the door and came in, still wearing an apron, holding a white porcelain bowl in her hand. The bowl contained a stewed white fungus and lotus seed soup, with a few red goji berries floating on top.

"You spent the whole morning talking to Lawrence again?" She gently placed the bowl on the desk and said reproachfully, "Lawrence is almost seventy years old, and you still make him do this. Be careful not to exhaust him."

He Damin turned around with a relaxed smile on his face: "He was willing to do it himself. Last time he joked with me that he wanted to retire and go home to hold his grandson. I casually said, 'Sure, I'll give you a big red envelope.' But he got upset and said that I thought he was too old and that he wanted to work with me for another twenty years."

Chen Xueru shook her head, picked up the documents on the table, glanced at them, and put them down again: "You men are all workaholics. Don't you know how to take a break?"

He Damin walked over and gently pulled her into his arms from behind, resting his chin on the top of her head, inhaling the faint scent of soap in her hair. "Aren't you the same? Asia TV is now the largest television station in Southeast Asia, you're so busy every day, you're even more of a workaholic than me."

Chen Xueru leaned against him, relaxing her body, and said softly, "Wasn't that all because you forced me to? You insisted on making me a CEO. I'm just a housewife, I don't know anything, I was almost scared to death."

"Aren't you doing quite well now?" He Damin laughed. "My Xue Ru is so capable."

Neither of them spoke, and they simply held each other quietly. Sunlight streamed through the window, falling warmly on the floor and casting long, intertwined shadows of them.

After a long while, Chen Xueru suddenly raised her head and asked softly, "Brother Damin, have you thought about what we'll do in the future?"

He Damin looked down into her clear eyes: "What do you mean? Isn't it good like this?"

"It's not that it's bad," she gently shook her head, drawing circles on his chest with her small hand, "It's just... look at you, you've opened banks all over the world, invested in so many companies, and now you're getting into the internet. After all that, what's next? What else do you want to do? Can't we... just live a quiet life like ordinary people?"

He Damin was silent for a moment. He recalled many years ago, when he first arrived in this chaotic era, he had nothing, like a stray dog, only wanting to survive, to live a better life, and not be bullied. Later, he gained money, power, and even unexpectedly acquired unimaginable cultivation. Later still, he began to think, since he was here, shouldn't he do something? Change something? Make this world, because of his existence, even just a little bit different.

"Xue Ru," he cupped her face in his hands, looking at her earnestly, "have you ever thought that this world is actually very unfair?"

Chen Xueru blinked and looked into his deep eyes.

"Some people are born with a silver spoon in their mouth, living a life of luxury and never having to worry about anything. Others, however, are born in slums, struggling to get enough to eat, and spending their entire lives at the bottom of society," He Damin said slowly. "Some people, like us, may have the chance to live longer, or even possess abilities that ordinary people don't have. But most people, in their short few decades, come and go like ants, leaving nothing behind. Some people are smart, some are stupid, some are kind, and some are rotten to the core..." He paused, his gaze becoming somewhat distant, "What I want to do is to make this world just a little bit fairer."

Chen Xueru's heart skipped a beat. She didn't say anything, but just hugged him tighter, pressing her cheek against his chest and listening to his strong heartbeat.

"So you want to open banks all over the world?" she asked softly, her voice trembling slightly.

"It's not just about banks," He Damin said, stroking her hair. "It's about the internet, information, and knowledge. When everyone can easily access information, learn knowledge anytime, and freely trade wealth, that's when the world will truly change. Only then will those who were previously misled and exploited have the opportunity to stand up."

Chen Xueru didn't really understand these words; information and the internet seemed so distant to her. But she knew that her husband's actions were never trivial. What he held in his heart was far greater than the summit of Victoria Peak.

"When will you be done with all this?" She looked up, a hint of reluctance in her eyes.

He Damin thought for a moment, then smiled: "Soon. Once this network is in place, the banking system is stable, and those companies are all on the right track, I won't have to keep an eye on things every day. At that time, I'll hand over the management of the companies to my subordinates."