Soul Returns to Hong Kong: From Tailor Shop to Richest Woman

Lin Lanying glanced at the ten million yuan promissory note in her handbag, then looked at her daughter.

In the past year or so, Lin Ying has earned an amount of money from writing screenplays that most people wouldn't even dare to dream of in several lifetimes. Everyone outside thinks she should continue writing, continue filming, and continue making quick money; but Lin Lanying knows that her daughter has never been someone who is driven by money.

"Think it through." That was all Lin Lanying said at the end. "Money is for paving the way for people, not for binding them."

Lin Ying nodded: "I've thought it through very clearly."

Su Zhihao was still persistent: "Ah Ying, I won't stop you from getting into tech. But in the film industry, are you really not going to write anything for a year?"

"I won't write for a year." Lin Ying took a sip of juice. "I'll write if there's a suitable topic in the future. But I won't confine myself to the entertainment industry."

"Alright." Peng Xuebin picked up his glass. "Screenwriter Lin, I don't understand what you mean by building a machine's brain. But I didn't quite understand when you said an Eastern boy could break into a Western castle either. It turns out I had a narrow perspective."

Su Zhihao also raised his glass: "Then I wish you success in truly taking back control of those foreign machines from the West!"

Lin Ying earnestly raised her juice glass: "Thank you, Uncle Peng, Second Uncle."

After the celebration banquet, Lin Lanying carried the ten million yuan promissory note all the way back to Taikoo Shing. The next morning, she and Lin Ying went to the bank, accompanied by their lawyer, Shen Yanwen, who lived across the street.

Ten million is definitely not a small sum. Adding the previous dividends from "The Gambling King" and other income, the Lin family's cash holdings have exceeded what an ordinary middle-class family could imagine. Lin Lanying sat on the sofa in the VIP room, intending to deposit it all in a fixed-term deposit to earn interest.

Lin Ying, however, held up the account book and said, "Mommy, Hong Kong property prices will continue to rise. If we don't buy now, they'll be even more expensive later."

Lin Lanying frowned: "Buy again? We're already living comfortably in Taikoo Shing, do you really want to move to a bigger house?"

"It's not for my own residence, it's an investment." Lin Ying tapped her pen on the paper. "I'll rent it out immediately after buying it. The rent can cover some of the expenses. I'll sell it when I need the money later. In Hong Kong, real estate is more resistant to depreciation than cash."

He Dazhu, sitting next to her, asked, "Sister, how many sets do you want to buy?"

"Seven places," Lin Ying said.

Lin Qian, who was drinking milk, choked: "Seventh Division?! Sister, are you planning to open a housing estate and collect rent?"

Lin Ying listed the areas she had selected for them one by one: "Buy a small unit near Taikoo Shing, convenient for renting to people working in Hong Kong East; buy an old building in Wan Chai, good location, close to schools and offices; a small commercial and residential unit in Causeway Bay, where rents are high; a two-bedroom unit in North Point, good transportation; a small shop in Tsim Sha Tsui, location doesn't have to be top-notch, but good foot traffic; an old tenement building unit in Mong Kok, cheap and easy to rent out. The last one is a village house site near a main road in the New Territories, just for now, it will definitely be more valuable when the road is built."

After hearing the list of purchases, Lin Lanying finally asked, "Buying so much... how much money will you have left?"

"After buying the property, paying the taxes, and setting aside funds for basic renovations and agency fees, I'll keep five million in cash on hand." Lin Ying's plan was straightforward. "I'll leave this five million untouched as a safety net for my future studies and venture capital investments."

Shen Yanwen sat down next to her, carefully reviewed the information Lin Ying had listed, and nodded.

"Mrs. Lin, Ah Ying's investment strategy is very sound," Shen Yanwen offered his professional opinion. "Putting all your money in cash to earn interest isn't cost-effective; inflation will eat into your wealth. Putting all your money in real estate isn't suitable either; it takes time to liquidate it. Keeping five million in liquid funds is enough to cope with any unexpected risks."

With the lawyer's words of reassurance, Lin Lanying finally felt at ease.

For the next two weeks, Lin Lanying worked swiftly and efficiently, busy looking at properties, signing contracts, and handling paperwork. He Dazhu would go to his jade carving shop in Yau Ma Tei to work during the day, and when he returned home at night, he would hear from his wife and daughter which property they had looked at that day, which owner was in a hurry to sell, and which agent was not being honest.

After the transfer of ownership of the seven properties was finalized, the Lin family finally returned to normal life. Lin Ying went to school and did her homework as usual every day. Until one weekend evening, she called her family to the living room.

Lin Lanying had just finished washing the dishes and was drying her hands. He Dazhu was holding a small piece of jade that was being polished. Lin Qian was sitting on the sofa with his homework.

Lin Ying placed a written plan on the coffee table. "I'd like to reiterate my future plans."

He Dazhu immediately said, "Go ahead and speak."

Lin Ying looked at her parents and said, "During my secondary school years, I will thoroughly master mathematics, English, and science. After graduating from Form 7, I want to apply to the Department of Mathematics at the University of Cambridge in the UK."

Lin Qian was stunned: "England?! That's so far! It'll take a long flight!"

Lin Lanying was also a little anxious: "Aying, you're just a young girl, going to study so far away all by yourself?"

"Not now, but many years from now," Lin Ying continued, explaining her plans. "I need to see the world's top mathematics training programs and learn about the most cutting-edge scientific systems. In this era, you can't learn truly hardcore skills by staying in Hong Kong."

He Dazhu asked somewhat nervously, "What about the graduate students? Will they stay in England and not come back?"

"No." Lin Ying shook her head. "For my graduate studies, I want to go back to the mainland, to Beijing."

Even Lin Lanying was stunned: "Beijing?"

"Yes." Lin Ying nodded. "If we really want to do technology and build the underlying infrastructure, we can't just focus on Hong Kong. Hong Kong is suitable for making money, for trade, and for accessing the international market. But for long-term research and the development of fundamental technologies, the mainland has the people, the land, and the future."

Lin Qian was completely confused: "Sister, do you mean you should go to England to learn the skills of foreigners first, and then come back to the mainland to open a factory and do business?"

"almost."

He Dazhu had smuggled himself out of the mainland years ago, enduring hardships that most people couldn't bear. He had experienced poverty and been hurt by the short-sighted people back home. But he knew in his heart that his daughter's talk of returning to Beijing was definitely not about going back to suffer mistreatment.

The place she was going to was farther and higher than any of them had imagined.

Looking at the thin schedule on the coffee table, Lin Lanying suddenly felt a pang of sadness. Her daughter was only twelve years old, yet she had already clearly laid out the path of her life for the next ten years or so.

"Ah Ying," Lin Lanying advised, "aren't you pushing yourself too hard?"

Lin Ying looked at her parents, then at her younger brother.

"I will always remember everyone's expectations of me. My parents, grandparents, Uncle Lin, Principal Liang, and all the teachers." Lin Ying knows what she wants. "Along this journey, everyone has been pushing me forward, and I can't stop. I will keep working hard."

After he finished speaking, no one in the living room responded for a long time.

Lin Qian, unusually, didn't crack any jokes. He whispered, "Sister, I'll study hard from now on and never let you down."

Lin Ying turned to look at him: "It's not about not embarrassing me, it's about making yourself proud. No one can protect you forever."

"I understand." Lin Qian nodded sullenly.

"Okay," Lin Lanying said gently. "No matter how long the road is, Mommy and Daddy will walk it with you slowly."

Time flies, and August is here in the blink of an eye.

During the summer of 1983, Hong Kong was still unbearably hot; before Lin Ying was about to enter the second year of secondary school, Su Zhihao's family also had a big event.

Their family moved from Causeway Bay to Wan Chai.

Su Jun performed exceptionally well in his secondary school entrance exams and was admitted to a highly reputable boys' school in Wan Chai. Su Cheng also studied in Wan Chai, meaning the two Su brothers spent seven years in the area, from Form 1 to Form 7.

Su Zhihao is a man who is always meticulous despite his seemingly rough exterior. Since his two sons are both focused on Wan Chai, he simply splurges and buys a huge duplex apartment there, over 2,000 square feet. It's spacious, close to the school, and convenient for driving to Central for business meetings. It's only a 30-minute drive from Taikoo Shing.

On the day of the housewarming party, Su Zhihao called the Lin family specifically to invite them: "Ah Ying, you absolutely have to come tonight! My two good-for-nothing sons owe the most to you, their tutor, for how they are where they are today! If you don't come, they absolutely cannot have a meal tonight!"

As soon as Lin Ying hung up the phone, Lin Lanying was already laughing beside her.

"Now that Boss Su's business has grown so much, he's become increasingly adept at cultivating relationships." He Dazhu, now quite the smooth talker, added, "Go ahead. It's a joyous occasion for him to move into a new house; we can't skip the proper etiquette."

In the evening, the Lin family of four took a car to Wan Chai.

The Su family's new house was indeed magnificent. The duplex living room had a five-meter-high ceiling, and the solid wood staircase railing was polished to a shine. Through the floor-to-ceiling windows that covered an entire wall, one could see the dense neon lights of Wan Chai. Newly framed calligraphy and paintings by famous artists hung on the walls, and blooming flowers were placed in the four corners of the living room. Two hired maids were serving tea and water back and forth.

Su Zhihao, dressed in a casual suit, stood at the door to personally greet the guests. Upon seeing Lin Ying, he called out, "Ying's here! Come in, come in!"

Chen Meishan also came up to greet her and warmly took Lin Lanying's hand: "Mrs. Lin, don't be in such a hurry to leave today. After we cut the cake, I'd like to talk to you about the styles of winter coats. You must reserve a time for me."

"You're too kind, Mrs. Su. You're welcome." Lin Lanying replied with a smile.

Su Jun and Su Cheng also ran downstairs quickly; Su Jun was much more composed than before, and greeted Lin Ying respectfully, "Sister Ying."

Su Cheng has become much more composed now. After greeting Lin Ying, he gestured, "Ying, come up and play."

Lin Qian peeked out from the side, a hint of jealousy in his eyes: "You two are living in such a big room now, your desk isn't even bigger than my single bed, is it?"

Su Jun grabbed Lin Qian's shoulder and said, "Why don't you come up and see for yourself? Come on, I'll take you to play on the Famicom!"

Several children walked up the solid wood staircase to the second floor.

As Lin Ying stepped onto the corner of the stairs, her gaze inadvertently swept across the other side of the living room; out of the corner of her eye, a very familiar face caught her eye.

Zhou Yawen.

Lin Ying blinked, thinking she had misread it.

Zhou Yawen happened to look up and saw Lin Ying standing on the stairs. Holding her teacup, she smiled and nodded slightly to Lin Ying as a greeting.

Lin Ying took a deep breath, suppressing her astonishment.

The homeroom teacher and the original author of the novel appeared at Su Zhihao's private housewarming party? And judging from the way she sat in the main sofa with such familiarity, she was clearly not treated like an ordinary guest.

Just as Lin Ying was frantically reviewing in her mind how the two had secretly conspired, Chen Meishan somehow bypassed Lin Lanying and quietly walked to the stairs.

Chen Meishan moved closer to Lin Ying, her eyes gleaming with gossip. She gestured towards Zhou Yawen on the sofa, then winked at Lin Ying three times in an exaggerated manner.

"Ah Ying," Chen Meishan whispered gossiping to Lin Ying, "you'd never guess. That boorish Su Lao Er has actually started dating Zhou Yawen lately!"

"What?!" Lin Ying blurted out: "Dating?!"

That aloof female teacher who once called Su Zhihao a "bandit who tries to get something for nothing" and a "profiteer who tries to drive down prices"? That Su Lao Er who was secretly cursed by Zhou Yawen as an "illiterate nouveau riche who only knows how to throw money around"?

These two...have taken a liking to each other?!

In this magical land of Hong Kong, nothing is truly impossible!