The Red Era: Living in Seclusion in a Siheyuan as a Boss

Chapter 616: Past Events in Hong Kong!!!
"There are joys in life, but there are also tears. When we met at the foot of Lion Rock, we finally had more laughter than sighs. Life is bound to be bumpy and it is difficult to be free of worries. Since we are in the same boat, let us help each other at the foot of Lion Rock..."

During his stay in Hong Kong, Liu Yong's temporary residence was arranged by his uncle Liu Shudong to be a luxurious villa on Lion Rock.

This property is also an asset of the company, and is only used for the convenience of senior family members who come from the country on business or for pleasure.

As a veteran TVB fan, Liu Yong certainly knows how famous the place he is in is.

Liu Yong can even hum a few lines in Cantonese from the theme song of the TV series "Under the Lion Rock" which he watched when he was a child!

The song "Under the Lion Rock" was written by the musical genius James Wong, composed by Joseph Koo, and sung by Roman Tam.

This song has a great influence and represents an era. Almost everyone in Hong Kong today can sing a few lines of it.

The song describes the geographical location of Lion Rock as "the end of the world". This sense of distance is in reference to the mainland as well as to heartland areas such as Hong Kong Island where the Hong Kong government is located.

In the past in the Hong Kong area, due to geographical, climatic and historical reasons, "the mountain" and "the foot of the mountain" had distinct spatial ZZ connotations.

"The mountain" is the exclusive residence of officials and wealthy businessmen from Country Y. The most powerful people occupy the "top of the mountain", while the "bottom of the mountain" is left for the poor H community.

“Under the Lion Rock” is such a special space - far away from the mainland of China, yet separated from the government and the upper class of society.

The middle and lower class H people "below the Lion Rock" represented the vast majority of Hong Kong citizens at that time.

They were once forced to leave their homes and have no one to rely on. They were the main cheap labor force for the start-up of industry in Hong Kong in the 1960s and 1970s.

However, the H people, with the unique hard-working and self-reliance character of the descendants of Yan and Huang, have worked together to create a miracle of economic development in Hong Kong.

Now that Hong Kong is about to return, Lion Rock, which was once only owned by foreigners, has now become the property of mostly wealthy H-people.

Liu Yong knew that his neighbors were all famous tycoons in Hong Kong. Families like Li, Guo, Huo and Yang all had properties here.

Lion Rock sits between Kowloon Tong in Hong Kong and Tai Wai in Shatin in the New Territories and was formed as early as 1.4 million years ago.

The location of this mountain was once a large lava field, which erupted from Sai Kung and Kowloon. Later, the volcano stopped erupting and the large lava slowly cooled down on the seabed and turned into granite. The movement of the earth's crust caused the granite to protrude from the ground and form new land.

The "lion" prostrating itself on the top of Lion Rock was created by nature through constant erosion by wind and rain until recently, millions of years ago.

Most of the mountains in Hong Kong are formed by volcanic rocks, while Lion Rock is made of granite.

Granite is not as resistant to weathering and erosion as volcanic rock, but Lion Rock is very special. After thousands of years, the head, body and tail of the "lion" can still be clearly seen.

To this day, the shape of the "lion" is still clearly visible, with its head facing west of Kowloon, and its body and tail lying intact on the mountain.

The wealthy people in Hong Kong are keen on buying properties on Lion Rock, not just because they want to drive away the foreigners who once oppressed them and feel proud.

According to folklore, there were nine dragons causing trouble in Kowloon in the past, so God sent a lion to suppress them.

The current Pat Sin Leng is where eight of the dragons have been defeated, and the remaining one is being held under the feet of the lion.

The lion is Lion Rock, and the ninth dragon is Kowloon Mountain, but it was razed to the ground during the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong due to the expansion of Kai Tak Airport.

Sitting between Kowloon Tong in Hong Kong and Tai Wai in Shatin in the New Territories, Lion Rock also sits on the spiritual high ground of Hong Kong people and at the majestic origin of a common bloodline.

The Lion Rock is here, the spirit is here, and the Hong Kong River is here.

Lion Rock represents the hard-working spirit of Hong Kong.

Like the "Four Major Families" that dominate Hong Kong today, they are indeed the most immortal legends in this glamorous city.

These families have witnessed the rise and fall of Hong Kong, and have become the best annotation of the "Lion Rock Spirit".

The "Four Major Families" are not simple. They control more than 75% of commercial properties and 45% of residential development in Hong Kong.

It also controls many of Hong Kong's infrastructure, covering ports, retail, energy, telecommunications and other fields.

Today, when Hong Kong society is complaining about high housing prices, everyone actually knows that the "Four Major Families" are the culprits.

李照基在1958年就首创“分层出售+十年分期付款”模式，打破整栋售楼传统，使香江中产置业率从1950年代的不足5%跃升至1970年代的35%。

However, its model of hoarding land and controlling the market has directly pushed up land costs and exacerbated housing conflicts.

Therefore, Hong Kong has been ranked as the city with the most unaffordable housing prices in the world for many years.

For example, the villa on Lion Rock where Liu Yong lives is worth more than 800 million Hong Kong dollars.

It's ridiculously expensive. With this money, you can buy several large courtyard houses within the Second Ring Road in Yanjing.

However, Hong Kong’s current glory is inseparable from the contributions of these legendary businessmen.

However, the various social problems facing Hong Kong are also caused by several major families. This is the two sides of the "merchant economy".

In addition to the main business of real estate, the major families are involved in gas, electricity, retail, telecommunications, television networks, etc., which are almost related to every aspect of life in Hong Kong.

Li Ka Shing's Hong Kong Electric and Power Assets Holdings and Kadoorie family-controlled CLP Holdings almost monopolized Hong Kong's electricity supply;
The Li Zhaoji family controls Hong Kong China Gas, which provides gas energy to nearly 200 million households in Hong Kong.

It can be said that from birth to death, Hong Kong people are inseparable from the industries of a few big families, and they are all contributing to the industries of these big families.

At the same time, the "exploitation" of Hong Kong people is everywhere and "silent".

Liu Shudong introduced the local customs and social situation of Hong Kong to Liu Yong and Liu Bencheng, two direct descendants of the family.

The topic turned to how the legendary Li Jiacheng, the richest Chinese man in public, rose to prominence.

In addition to the real estate dividends, Li Jiacheng also benefited from the comprador dividends of the old era.

Since the 80s, Li Ka Shing has used Hong Kong as an "intermediary" between mainland and external capital to connect with international capital and make profits from the price difference between the two ends.

He invested in real estate, acquired ports and telecommunications companies, all by forming alliances with monopolies. His huge wealth came from his monopoly of real estate and a series of livelihood projects.

Liu Shudong said: "A switch between the old and new eras is taking place, and in the context of the new era, the old rules are being torn apart.

Perhaps the 'Four Great Families' will soon come to an end.

Those wealth creation myths that once rose to prominence through geopolitical arbitrage and policy dividends are being replaced by new narratives of "hard technology" and "autonomous and controllable industrial chains."

The rules of the new era will be "independent technology + national interests", which will enable companies in the storm to remain standing. "

Liu Yong had no interest in economic and business topics and sat there bored.

On the other hand, Liu Bencheng had a very pleasant conversation with Liu Shudong and was very excited.

"Uncle Fifteen, I heard that you were the first one in our family to make a living in Hong Kong, is that right?" Liu Bencheng's eyes sparkled with admiration.

Liu Shudong smiled slightly, his eyes revealing some reminiscence, "Yes, that was in 1973."

"Can you tell me about your experience when you first arrived in Hong Kong?" Liu Bencheng asked impatiently, full of curiosity about the legendary stories of successful people.

"Want to listen? Okay, then I'll tell you..." Liu Shudong slowly leaned back in his chair, his eyes gradually looking into the distance, as if he had returned to that era full of unknowns and challenges.

That was in 1973, the eighth year, and Liu Shudong had been working in the Heijiang Provincial Production and Construction Corps for the third year.

In March of that year, Liu Shudong was transferred to the regiment's breeding station to learn the artificial insemination technology of horses and developed an indissoluble bond with horses.

Later, he served as the head of the breeding station and obtained the 16th level in animal technology until he returned to Beijing.

That autumn, the Heijiang Production and Construction Corps received an order from the Ministry of Agriculture and Reclamation: it was required to dispatch 11 beef cattle to Hong Kong before November for the Hong Kong compatriots to eat during the "Christmas". Later, Liu Shudong learned that since the establishment of the new summer in 300, the country has fulfilled this obligation for the Hong Kong compatriots every year, but the regions where the orders were received were different.

On that day, the Heijiang Production and Construction Corps, which was a military organization, regarded the order as a heavy blow and issued the task of assisting Hong Kong step by step.

The 33rd Regiment where Liu Shudong was located also accepted the glorious task of selecting 30 of the cattle and sending people to escort them to Hong Kong.

Everyone knows that escorting livestock is a very hard job, especially escorting large livestock, which requires a long journey. The cattle accepted by the Hong Kong side must not only be alive, but also fat and strong. You can imagine how difficult it is.

After repeated discussions among the leaders of the production section of the Youth League, Liu Shudong became the only educated youth among the six people to undertake this important mission.

At that time, Liu Shudong was only 20 years old and full of vigor and vitality. The other five were all veteran employees in their s and s, including Director Yin Zhending of the veterinary station, Director Wang Daming of the breeding station, Hu Zongtang of the purchasing station, as well as Lao Deng, the driver of the infrastructure team, and Li Bangping, the breeder.

They were all railway officers and soldiers who served in the Anti-Japanese War and Aid China and then retired to develop the Great Northern Wilderness.

Each of Liu Shudong and his colleagues received a red badge with "Escort of the Republic" printed in gold letters, which they wore on their chests. They looked very proud and dazzling - because they were carrying out the Hong Kong aid mission on behalf of the motherland.

To be honest, transporting 30 live cattle from Heilongjiang to Hong Kong with guaranteed quality and quantity seems easy, but it is actually very difficult.

Let’s not talk about how people eat, drink, defecate, urinate and sleep in these ten days, just say that from the northeastern border with heavy snow to the southern border with scorching sun;
The trip spans eight provinces and two cities, covering a distance of more than 5000 kilometers, passing through Heilongjiang, Jilin, Liaoning, Tianjin, and Guangdong. The climate changes caused by the vast territory are a severe test for humans and animals. The supply of cattle has become the top priority of Liu Shudong and his team, and must not be taken lightly.

That’s not all. Before the live cattle are sent to Hong Kong, they must undergo a “physical examination”.

Otherwise, if sick cows are allowed to flow into Hong Kong, it will cause a disaster. Personal problems are minor, but the reputation of the motherland is a major issue.

This is a serious ZZ task and there is no room for carelessness.

So Liu Shudong and his colleagues gathered the cattle selected from each company together, tied them up, weighed them, scalded them, pressed their heads, sheared their hair, disinfected them, injected them, drew blood, stopped bleeding, and tested them one by one. They only breathed a sigh of relief after all the results were checked and passed.

After five days of thorough preparation, passing the physical examination and with food and fodder in hand, everything was ready and only needed to be pulled by train to the fork next to the Yingchun Town general depot for loading.

It was October 10st. It was snowing heavily and the Northeast was already one foot frozen in October.

At three o'clock in the afternoon, the heavy snow was still pouring down recklessly accompanied by a howling wind.

A steam locomotive pushed two 60-ton empty sealed carriages, slowly stopped at the designated platform, and left without saying when it would depart.

The carriage door was in the middle of the car and had been opened in advance.

Liu Shudong and his colleagues had to drive the cows onto two separate carriages and then divide them into two parts according to their number on both sides of the carriage.

This is to facilitate the construction of wooden railings and to free up space in the middle for water tanks, bean cakes and pasture.

At the same time, it also solved their sleeping problem, but it was too cold in winter and they did not dare to open the car door, so people and animals lived together in the same sealed car and breathed the same air.

The cattle in the Great Northern Wilderness have never seen the world, let alone a train.

Liu Shudong and his team finally managed to push the 30 cows onto the carriage by pulling and pushing them.

Then they set up railings on both sides and moved water tanks, bean cakes, buckets, shoulder poles, fodder, iron shovels and fodder onto the cart, and they had to fill the water tanks.

Everything was ready at six o'clock in the afternoon. It was dark as the bottom of a pot and it was still snowing heavily. The five old comrades went home to eat and say goodbye to their families.

Because we didn't know when the train would depart, we all agreed to get back together within an hour.

Liu Shudong was single and homeless, but fortunately, his classmates had already met in the dormitory of the repair factory not far from Gaozongku to come and see him off.

A group of classmates from Beijing met up and it was a great party. They prepared all the food and drinks, and put out all the pots and pans. First, they wanted to congratulate Liu Shudong for having the opportunity to go to Hong Kong, and second, they wanted to say hello to their parents when they passed through Beijing on their way back...

In this way, about 40 minutes later, Liu Shudong's sixth sense reminded him that "it's time to go" and he couldn't miss anything important!
So Liu Shudong ate half of the remaining steamed bun, picked up his travel bag and a bucket of soybean oil, said goodbye to his classmates in a hurry, rushed out of the door, and ran towards the car with confidence, stepping forward and stepping back in the snow...

As a result, something unexpected happened. When Liu Shudong rushed to the platform, he saw two cold rails flashing with cold light, stretching mercilessly into the distance... The train had quietly left without him knowing.

At this moment, Liu Shudong suddenly felt cold all over and his mind went blank.

The enthusiasm he had just had was completely gone. Liu Shudong couldn't help but shudder and cursed himself: "I'm a talker and I can't do anything!" He fell into the abyss of self-regret.

Suddenly, an instinctive passion surged into Liu Shudong's mind: "I can't just sit there and wait for death. I can't let down the trust of my leaders and comrades, and I can't give up the opportunity to send cattle to Hong Kong, which I may never have again in my life.

I will chase! Chase!!! Chase!!!…I will hurry up, I will chase! Chase!!!

I believe I have the ability to catch up with the train, catch up with my comrades, and catch up with my once-in-a-lifetime dream of escorting cattle to Hong Kong!"

Liu Shudong regained his spirit, walked through the heavy snow, and ran with all his might to the stationmaster's duty room of Yingchun Railway Station in the frontier town shrouded in wind and snow.

He pointed to the badge that read "…Escort of the Republic" and explained his purpose and asked for help.

The stationmaster was a very considerate middle-aged man. He told Liu Shudong that the "ox" train had left early for some reason 10 minutes ago.

He also comforted Liu Shudong that he could take the next bus to Harbin to meet him in Hulin.

Liu Shudong quickly thanked the stationmaster, and with the help of the "escort" badge, he got on a bus heading west to Harbin for free seven minutes later.

An hour later, Liu Shu'e finally found the truck loaded with cattle at Hulin Station and reunited with the five old comrades.

You can imagine the excitement!

Liu Shudong also learned that they returned home with dry food and immediately returned to the carriage. He exclaimed: "The older you are, the wiser you are!"

Although Liu Shudong was happy, he also had some regrets: in his haste to change cars, he forgot a six-pound barrel of soybean oil on the bus.

When passing through Mishan, two more carriages loaded with cattle were hooked up. They belonged to the 35th Regiment of the Corps.

Liu Shudong and his team had a new partner. He confidently guessed that the 300 cattle that the entire regiment had sent to Xiangjiang would be gathered together and reorganized when they arrived in Harbin.
It marched southward in a mighty procession - passing through Jilin, Liaoning, Tianjin, Beijing... and finally arrived at Bao County, a border county in Guangdong Province, carrying the deep friendship of the people of the motherland into the Hong Kong through the Luohu Port.

The locomotive dragged more than 30 carriages and continued to head west. Liu Shudong and his companions, wrapped in fur coats, lay on the haystack, drowsy...

In the darkness, hunger, cold, thirst, sleepiness, and fatigue attacked them all the time, and Liu Shudong and his companions had no choice but to endure it...

But the most unbearable thing was the smell of beef stench and cow dung that filled the entire carriage, which went straight into my nose and eyes.

It's really hard to fall asleep... I can only endure it...

Liu Shudong was awakened by the clanging sound of brakes at some point. He looked at his watch in a daze and realized that it was two o'clock in the afternoon of the next day. The train stopped at Mudanhe, a famous city in the Northeast.

As the saying goes, "Man is iron and rice is steel, if you don't eat a meal you will feel hungry", if you count carefully, Liu Shudong and the other six people have not eaten for ten hours.

The train passes through Yimenpo and Yabuli and arrives at Harbin, which is known as the Moscow of the East and the Ice City.

Just as Liu Shudong expected, 300 carriages loaded with 20 cattle and more than 40 "escorts" gathered in Harbin from the various divisions and regiments of the Construction Corps. They were organized into a special train, forming a "great gathering of people and cattle."

Not so lively!

At that time, Liu Shudong and his friends were all very proud of being able to take part in this aid mission to Hong Kong and were looking forward to the joy of gathering together in Hong Kong.

Zhengcheng is the intersection of the north-south and east-west railway arteries, the Beijing-Guangzhou Line and the Longhai Line. It is the largest railway hub and marshaling yard in my country, shouldering an important mission in the construction of the motherland. It is also the place where all livestock and poultry for this aid mission to Hong Kong gather.

Since the carriages carrying livestock were scattered on dozens of tracks, it was not easy to connect "similar" ones together to form a train!
This not only kept the railway dispatchers busy, but also made everyone like Liu Shudong extremely nervous.

They were often confused by the frequent back-and-forth dispatching and track changing of carriages, and by the struggle to find the reorganized trains and their respective carriages.

Of course, each of Liu Shudong and his companions eventually found the train and their own carriages after being "renovated", and withstood the hardships and tests without any confusion or falling behind.

(End of this chapter)