National Tide 1980.

Hong Kong is full of wealthy people, but if we're talking about who is the most patriotic, has the closest relationship with the mainland, and whose economic strength is the most mysterious and unknown to outsiders, then the Fok family is definitely the one.

At 33 Sassoon Road, Pok Fu Lam, Hong Kong, stands a castle-style building, a rare find in Asia, named "Stone Manor," which is the home of the Fok family of Hong Kong.

This building was purchased by Henry Fok in 1970 for HK$143 million. More than a dozen members of the Fok family, spanning three generations, lived here together; it was the core residence of his family.

The entire building covers an area of ​​approximately 3000 square meters, with a three-story main building, a large round pavilion, a lawn, workers' dormitories and an underground parking garage. It is surrounded by greenery and offers a high degree of privacy.

It must be said that although Louis Cha is also a billionaire living in a mansion, there are still differences in scale among billionaires.

Even though his villa is located in Victoria Peak, a high-end area, its area is only 1300 square meters. Compared with the Huo family's garden villa, it can only be considered a pigeon coop.

Even Ning Weimin, who had just arrived in the port city, was perfectly aware of this.

He knew the business world of Hong Kong well, and the Huo family was like a pillar of stability.

In particular, the head of the Huo family, Mr. Huo, is not only a business tycoon in Hong Kong, but also a patriotic overseas Chinese leader who has always been concerned about the mainland and has worked silently for his country.

He wields significant influence and prestige within the Hong Kong business community and even among the global Chinese community.

His purpose in coming to Hong Kong this time was to make investments and profits.

According to the rules of the underworld, if he wanted to do business on the Huo family's "territory," he would naturally first have to greet and express his respect to this true "landlord of Hong Kong."

This is called "paying respects to the mountain stronghold".

Not to mention the resources and connections the Huo family has to pave the way for his business.

For him, simply being able to establish a formal cooperative relationship with the Huo family was the most solid guarantee and endorsement of his credibility.

In addition to his plans to speculate in stocks and real estate, Ning Weimin also has plans to charter a ship as his business in Japan grows. He urgently needs a reliable cargo ship to transport goods between China and Japan, which happens to be the Huo family's traditional business.

Furthermore, Ning Weimin is optimistic about the tourism and consumption market in Hong Kong and Macau, and he is eager to try to expand his physical business in both regions.

In short, Mr. Hung and Ah Xia's relationship is enough for small-scale operations in Hong Kong, but for real big deals, it's best to have the support of the Huo family to ensure smooth sailing.

That is why Ning Weimin specifically asked Lin Bingkun of Yindu Group to introduce him to Ning Weimin.

After all, as one of the mainland's media representatives, Lin Bingkun had long-standing ties with the Huo family in Hong Kong.

The Huo family might not give face to others, but Lin Bingkun's face is usually still useful.

However, Ning Weimin also has a clear understanding of his own importance.

Who is Mr. Huo?
He was a legendary figure in the port city.

His circle of acquaintances consists of political figures and top business leaders from various countries.

He himself is currently just a mainland businessman who has just arrived in Hong Kong and has not yet gained a foothold there.

Even with the introduction of the head of Yindu Group, and thanks to Lin Bingkun's influence, he wouldn't be turned away, but it wasn't enough to get Mr. Huo to personally meet with him.

Even the eldest son of the Huo family's eldest branch will not show up.

In his view, the best outcome of this visit would be nothing more than meeting with a member of the Huo family's collateral branch.

However, as long as the business deal goes well, he has no objections.

He had even planned out what gift to give when they met, how to introduce his business, and how to subtly express his intention to cooperate; every step was meticulously planned.

However, there will always be an element of chance in this world, and unexpected changes are inevitable.

Ning Weimin never expected that his donation of eight million to film "The Banquet" would become the focus of Hong Kong's attention and create a variable, unexpectedly breaking the course of the matter.

…………

On the evening of the same day that Ning Weimin and Cha Liangyong reached an agreement on the copyright transfer, Huo Zhenting, the eldest son of the Huo family, returned to Stone Manor before 7 p.m.

After getting out of the car with his briefcase, he changed into house shoes with the help of his maid before heading towards the dining room.

As a prominent family in Hong Kong, the Huo family has always been very particular about rules. Whenever they are in Hong Kong, the whole family must sit down together for dinner.

"Father. Mother."

When Fok Chun-ting entered the restaurant, his family was already sitting at the table waiting for him.

Meanwhile, his father, Mr. Huo, was sitting at the large dining table, wearing a loose-fitting Tang suit and glasses, reading a newspaper at a leisurely pace.

The old butler stood quietly and respectfully to the side.

"You're back," Huo Zhenting's mother greeted her son warmly. "You're back so late today, you must have been very busy with official business."

Mr. Huo's gaze remained fixed on the newspaper, and his voice was steady, "Please sit down, the dishes will be served shortly."

Huo Zhenting nodded, found his seat, and sat down, placing his hands lightly on his knees with a respectful expression.

He knew his father's temperament well; he didn't talk much, but every word he said was to the point.

The atmosphere at the table was quiet for a moment before the servants began to quietly serve the dishes and soup.

Henry Fok then slowly put down the newspaper and looked up at Fok Chun-ting.

"I think you mentioned it a few days ago. Did General Manager Lin from Yindu Group take the initiative to make a connection and want to bring a guest from the mainland to you for a meeting?"

Huo Zhenting was taken aback, but immediately realized what he meant: "Yes, Father. That Mr. Ning is a businessman from the mainland. I heard that he has a very successful business there and is a very outstanding young man. He is now planning to invest in Hong Kong. Mr. Lin hopes that our Huo family can give him some assistance. I have entrusted this matter to my second brother, and I believe he will handle it well."

"So, does Mr. Lin mean that he hopes you will come forward to meet him?" Mr. Huo asked calmly.

"Yes. But I've been really busy lately. Especially considering that what they're asking for is nothing more than a little business convenience, it doesn't seem really necessary for me to get involved. It would be better if my second or third brother could handle the contact, since they usually manage the family business," Huo Zhenting replied truthfully.

Henry Fok nodded slightly, but then said softly, "After you finish eating, go and ask them if they've arranged a time and place to meet. If the time is suitable, I want to meet this person in person."

Fok Chun-ting suddenly looked up, clearly surprised.

"Father? What...you...you want to see him in person?"

In his memory, his father rarely took the initiative to meet a foreign businessman who had just arrived in Hong Kong, let alone change his plans for someone he originally intended to meet with his son.

Mr. Fok didn't explain much, but simply reached out and picked up the evening newspaper on the table, turned to a page, and pushed it in front of Fok Chun-ting.

The page was prominently displayed, featuring the news that had been the talk of the town in Hong Kong for the past few days.

"Mainland businessman Ning Weimin, upon arriving in Hong Kong, donated eight million Hong Kong dollars to sponsor the charity film 'The Banquet,' in which stars starred without receiving any payment. He also hosted a lavish banquet at the Regent Hotel to entertain the film's creators and publicly stated to numerous entertainment industry figures that all proceeds from the film's release would go to disaster relief, and he would not seek to recoup his costs..."

“Take a look at this.” Fok Ying-tung tapped the page with his fingertip. “A businessman from the mainland came to Hong Kong, and before he even signed a single contract, he donated eight million to charity. More than two hundred Hong Kong stars cooperated without receiving any payment, and the whole of Hong Kong is praising him.”

Fok Chun-ting quickly scanned the report, still somewhat puzzled.

“Father, this man is indeed generous and kind-hearted… but he’s too ostentatious. Is he doing this on purpose? And I’ve also heard that he has connections with the 14K. For a mainland Chinese to have a triad background in Hong Kong, this man seems a bit complicated.” Although Mr. Huo was thin, his gaze was deep, his tone calm, and his words carried considerable weight.

"Remember, to judge a person's character, you need to look beyond what they say and do, and also their actions and the consequences. Regardless of whether they intentionally flaunt their wealth or their background, I only see that as a mainland businessman, upon arriving in Hong Kong, instead of focusing on making money, he first funded Hong Kong filmmakers to produce films for disaster relief, single-handedly solving many people's problems. Think about it, how many people in the world are willing to proactively do something that others might consider 'a loss'? Such a person is certainly not an ordinary businessman. He's either a great benefactor or a great villain. As for his dealings with triads, what does that matter? Almost every Hong Kong businessman has to deal with triads."

He paused, took back the newspaper, and put it back on the corner of the table.

“It’s been a long time since I’ve met someone like this, and the fact that he’s from the mainland makes it even more interesting. Think about it, the mainland has only been reforming and opening up for a short time, how could he have such considerable wealth? How did he do it? So I really want to see for myself what kind of person he is.”

Mr. Fok spoke with great interest, but Fok Chun-ting seemed quite surprised.

He had considered countless possibilities from both a businessman's and a social perspective, but he never expected that his father would be so moved by a news report about a charity donation that he decided to meet the person in person.

"Perhaps he's the son of some high-ranking official. In mainland China, as long as you have access to certain connections, making money can be quite easy."

"It doesn't seem like it. If that were the case, why didn't Lin Bingkun tell you directly? Would he deliberately hide such important information?"

Huo Zhenting was taken aback again. Then, seeing that his father's expression was definitely not joking, he finally nodded gently. "I understand, Father. I'll call my brothers after dinner and make new arrangements according to your wishes."

Mr. Huo hummed in agreement, picked up his chopsticks, and said in a calm but firm tone, “If you have time, come with me. Whatever the reason, someone from the mainland who can do something like this is extraordinary. I don’t believe in coincidences. This young man from the mainland has come this far, so it’s worth seeing. Of course, we don’t need to make it too formal; a simple morning tea will be fine.”

…………

Three days later, at dawn, St. John's Row in Central, Hong Kong, was already bustling with traffic and noise. Amidst the hustle and bustle, Luk Yu Tea House, located at 24-26 on the street corner, exuded an elegant tranquility. This was the place chosen by the Huo family for their appointment.

As a landmark of the port city's culinary culture and a "dining hall" for the top tycoons, Luk Yu Tea House has been around for decades since its founding in 1933.

This place retains the style of an old-fashioned Hong Kong teahouse, with its antique decor, elderly waiters dressed in traditional Tang suits, fragrant tea aroma, and exquisite Cantonese dim sum.

This place exudes the charm of old Hong Kong, making it a top choice for wealthy people, celebrities, and literary figures to gather and socialize. Even if ordinary people have money, they may not be able to fulfill their wish to enter the store and enjoy the tea.

The most widely circulated story about this teahouse is the sensational rumor that rocked Hong Kong in 1975.

When Queen Elizabeth II visited Hong Kong, she intended to try the local dim sum here, but the teahouse politely declined, saying that "the seats are already fully booked and reserved for regular customers."

This unwavering confidence has not only enhanced the reputation of Luk Yu Tea House, but has also become a symbol of upholding one's principles in the hearts of the people of the port city.

Behind this confidence lies the support of the Huo family – the Huo family is a major shareholder of Lu Yu Tea House. With this relationship, the Huo family can come at any time without making a reservation in advance, and can enjoy the most secluded private room on the second floor with the best view, avoiding the hustle and bustle of the outside world. This is a privilege that ordinary wealthy people cannot obtain even if they make a reservation well in advance.

On weekdays, the tea tables in the tea room are usually reserved by regular customers. The people who come and go are all celebrities from all walks of life. Being able to step into this place is a sign of status.

At this moment, Ning Weimin, accompanied by four capable subordinates, stepped out of the car parked in front of Lu Yu Tea House, his expression filled with undisguised anticipation.

This is not only because he recalls Hong Kong films like "Infernal Affairs" and "Sparrow" that he watched in his previous life, and he is excited about visiting the filming locations of these movies.

What excited him even more was the prospect of meeting Mr. Huo in person, which gave him a real sense of the absurdity of having wandered into history.

To be honest, Ning Weimin didn't sleep well all night after receiving Lin Bingkun's call the day before yesterday, informing him that Mr. Huo wanted to see him in person, invite him to have morning tea at Lu Yu Tea House, and even allow him to bring four or five entourage members.

He pondered repeatedly that he was just a mainland businessman who had just arrived in Hong Kong and had not yet gained a foothold. He had neither earth-shattering achievements nor a distinguished family background.

In any case, it shouldn't warrant someone of Mr. Huo's stature personally coming out to greet him.

This honor was so generous that he was filled with both anticipation and doubt, unable to understand what he had done to deserve such special treatment from Mr. Huo.

However, what gave him an even bigger headache was preparing a gift for their first meeting.

He had originally planned that the meeting would at most be attended by members of the Huo family's collateral branches, so there was no need to be too particular; he could simply bring some light luxury items.

Gold pens, gold watches, and gold lighters are all quite good; it's very convenient for him to get his goods from Goldlion.

But now we are meeting Mr. Fok himself, a patriotic overseas Chinese leader who cares deeply about his country and his homeland, a pillar of the Hong Kong business community, and the number one figure in the Fok family. It would be inappropriate for him to give such worldly gifts.

Ning Weimin thought it over and over, but felt that there were many difficulties.

Gifts should neither be overly materialistic nor too cheap, lest they make one appear impolite.

The problem is that there isn't enough time. Buying antiques and calligraphy requires careful selection. Otherwise, not only will you buy a fake and become a laughing stock, but you might also violate some taboo, which would be counterproductive.

Originally, the glass grapes he brought from the capital would have been a good choice, but he had just given a pair to Cha Liangyong.

Given the different statuses of Cha Liangyong and Mr. Huo, if he were to present Mr. Huo with the same glass grapes, it would seem like a perfunctory gesture.

So he pondered and pondered, and finally it seemed that he could come up with a solution that was not really a solution.

That is to treat Mr. Huo as a pure relative or elder, and bring him some tonics such as bird's nest and deer antler as gifts.

In addition, Ning Weimin felt that it would be proper to get some local products from the capital.

Otherwise, if they are all supplements that can be bought locally in the port city, no matter how expensive they are, it will seem like they are not sincere.

Speaking of which, we should be glad that he bought the Regent Hotel.

It turns out that after he bought the Regent Hotel, he specially transferred 300 catties of Yutian Rouge Rice from the mainland to Ah Xia for trial sale in the Chinese restaurant of the Regent Hotel.

Because of the high price, and because the fame of Rouge Rice, which had just arrived in the port city, had not yet spread like it had in Japan, the Regent Hotel had not sold much of it, and still had about 200 jin left.

This kind of rice is rarely seen by ordinary people. It is a precious and elegant gift, with a touch of inland characteristics, making it far more thoughtful than ordinary expensive gifts.

So Ning Weimin had the ten kilograms of rice properly packaged and obtained genuine health supplement gift boxes through the Regent Hotel's supplier, finally solving the biggest problem.

However, this created a new awkward situation, as he and his subordinates were now "carrying a heavy burden."

Just like now, Ning Weimin got out of the car carrying two heavy bags of Imperial Rouge Rice, while his subordinates behind him carried gift boxes of bird's nest and deer antler, their arms piled high with bags and packages. The group stood at the entrance of the antique-style Lu Yu Tea House.

To others, they didn't look like guests coming for morning tea at all; instead, they resembled country folk visiting relatives in Hong Kong from the mainland, exuding the awkwardness of "northerners."

Meanwhile, Lin Bingkun, who had been waiting downstairs at the teahouse, saw this scene from afar and couldn't help but show a look of bewilderment.

He strode forward to greet the guest, waved helplessly at Ning Weimin, and said in a low voice.

“Mr. Ning, what are you up to? Mr. Huo specifically said that we don’t need to be too formal, just have some morning tea and chat. Bringing so much stuff makes it seem like we’re not close. Besides, if someone who doesn’t know the situation saw you like this, they might think you’re here to deliver goods.”

Given Ning Weimin's composure, he wouldn't be as embarrassed as his subordinates.

He merely scratched his head somewhat awkwardly, "President Lin, I was just unsure of myself. Mr. Huo is such a figure, how could I dare to be negligent? It's just a token of my appreciation."

As he spoke, he looked at the rouge rice in his hand and added, "This is our mainland's Imperial Rouge Rice, a tribute rice from the Qing Dynasty. It has an excellent taste and nutritional value. I thought Mr. Huo might like it and want to try it, so I brought some with me."

Seeing him say that, Lin Bingkun couldn't bear to tease him any further and could only smile helplessly.

"Alright, alright, it's good that you have the thought. Mr. Huo is a very insightful person and doesn't care about these formalities. He values ​​your character and sincerity. These things you brought only show how genuine you are. Come on, I'll take you upstairs. Mr. Huo and Mr. Huo are already waiting in the private room on the second floor."

Ning Weimin nodded hurriedly, signaling his subordinates to follow. He then subconsciously tightened his grip on the Rouge Rice in his arms before stepping into Lu Yu's Tea Room. (End of Chapter)