1977: The beginning of the blind date with the daughter of the king

Chapter 733 The Second Wife!

Causeway Bay, Times Square, is teeming with people.

After several days of promotion and word-of-mouth, Times Square in Causeway Bay has now become a must-visit spot for young people on Hong Kong Island. Even if they don't have much money and don't buy anything, it's still nice to stroll around.

More importantly, these young people discovered that the security guards here wore crisp, uniform uniforms, carried retractable batons and pepper spray, and patrolled the area continuously.

Forget about those swearing bastards, there weren't even many who actually got into arguments.

What's more, there are many novel things here, such as that extremely popular karaoke room, which is so popular that many people can't even book a room.

Today, new advertising signs have been erected in this huge square.

[New Year's Eve Fireworks Show at Landmark]

It begins with lasting love and ends with a lifetime.

[ATV Concert: Leslie Cheung Leads a Lineup of The Voice of China Singers in Passionate Performances]

For Li Changhe, it was just an idea to put forward a fireworks show, but when it came to Catherine, the plan was quickly improved and a grand Spring Festival celebration was created.

In addition to the fireworks show, the event also featured a music show at Causeway Bay Times Square and a live broadcast by ATV, among other collaborative efforts, creating a truly unique and spectacular event.

The word spread among young people, and soon it was New Year's Eve.

"Are the Spring Festival couplets here really this short?"

Wishing you prosperity and good fortune! May the Five Blessings descend upon you! May good fortune shine upon you! May everything go smoothly! May wealth flow in from all directions!
Gong Xue was somewhat surprised as she looked at the short idioms posted on the poster.

Li Changhe nodded in agreement: "Yes, this is called 'Huichun' here. It's similar to Spring Festival couplets, but they are shorter, mostly two- or four-character phrases."

"Let's go, let them clean up, I'll take you out for a walk."

Li Changhe then took Gong Xue to the street, where people were coming and going, their faces beaming with joy. Many places had flower markets, where all kinds of flowers were gathered.

Many singers also performed at Victoria Square.

Since this grand event is a joint effort between the two organizations, there will definitely be performances at Victoria Square.

At Times Square in Causeway Bay, they collaborated with ATV, which is Li Changhe's own company. On the Wharf side, Wu Guangzheng naturally partnered with TVB and PolyGram to set up a stage.

The two television stations each have one station in Central and one in Kowloon, which is considered to be an internal arrangement, but on the surface it gives the public the illusion of a "competition".

"Ah Yang, you've made such a big fuss, aren't they going to have their reunion dinner tonight?"

After strolling around and looking around, Gong Xue asked Li Changhe curiously.

"So the afternoon banquet ended at five o'clock and started again at nine o'clock in the evening. This time is for everyone to have a reunion dinner."

"By the way, speaking of which, I have something I'd like to ask for your opinion on."

Li Changhe then spoke to Gong Xue.

"what's up?"

"Haven't you always wanted to meet Rosamund Kwan? How about I ask her to meet you tonight?"

"Otherwise, she would be all alone on Hong Kong Island, all alone and helpless."

Li Changhe said to Gong Xue in a low voice.

Upon hearing this, Gong Xue glared at Li Changhe with annoyance.

"Did you already have this planned in mind?"

During this time, she also learned about Guan Zhilin's situation. Basically, Li Changhe would tell her the questions she asked, and Gong Xue also learned about the girl's past.

At eighteen, she was abandoned by her parents and left alone on Hong Kong Island. From then on, she followed Li Changhe and became his kept woman on Hong Kong Island.

Putting aside the fact that she had an affair with her man, her past is actually quite pitiful.

Most importantly, Gong Xue understood Li Changhe's intentions. This wasn't a meal; it was clearly a prelude to something else.
"New year, new look!"

"And to be honest, I think she's more like one of our own."

Li Changhe whispered in Gong Xue's ear.

Compared to the unconventional kinship of the Bao family, Li Changhe felt that Guan Meiren, whom he had completely won over, was a more reliable "one of his own."

Some things must be faced. During this time, Gong Xue learned a lot about Hong Kong culture by reading newspapers. The daily gossip and juicy stories about the wealthy in the newspapers had already prepared Gong Xue mentally.

Aside from Guan Zhilin, Li Changhe, a tycoon of such stature, rarely gets involved in scandals in Hong Kong, making him a rare exception among Hong Kong's wealthy elite.

"Fine, you get off easy!"

Gong Xue had no choice but to agree at this point; she was too frail and couldn't handle the burden alone.

On Kadoorie Hill.

Rosamund Kwan sat alone on the sofa, bored, watching the live broadcast on TV, which was showing the bustling Causeway Bay.

This year, she actually had somewhere to go. Guan Shan called and asked her to spend the Chinese New Year there, and Zhang Bingqian in the United States also called and asked her to spend the Chinese New Year there, but she refused both times.

In previous years, she might have been interested in going, but this year, she had no intention of going.

after all
Ding Dong!

Just then, the doorbell rang.

"Who?"

Rosamund Kwan asked curiously towards the door.

There were no servants at home today; she had given them all the day off so they could go home for a family reunion dinner. So the whole villa was quiet and deserted.

"Miss Guan, it's me!"

Ah Hu's voice rang out from outside the door, and upon hearing it, a hint of surprise suddenly appeared on Rosamund Kwan's face.

He strode forward, opened the door, and sure enough, it was the bodyguard captain, Ah Hu.

"Miss Guan, the master sent me to pick you up and take you to Deep Water Bay."

Ah Hu stood at the door and said respectfully.

"Are you really going to Deep Water Bay?"

Rosamund Kwan said with great joy.

Ah Yang was right.

"Wait a moment, I'll go change my clothes!"

Afterwards, Rosamund Kwan excitedly went to the fitting room and began to change into the clothes she had prepared.

For someone like her, a Hong Kong Island resident, Li Changhe's invitation to have lunch in Deep Water Bay for the Lunar New Year was more than just a meal.

This means that the First Madam agreed to let her into the family. Ten years ago, this would have been considered the equivalent of elevating a concubine. In other words, from now on, newspapers could openly refer to her as the second wife of the Bao family, and she could come and go from the Deep Water Bay mansion without any official status.

Soon, Rosamund Kwan changed into a carefully chosen outfit and then quietly returned to the Deep Water Bay mansion with Ah Hu.

Speaking of this house, she was the one who oversaw the interior design and renovation back then.

"Miss Guan, please come with me, Madam wants to see you!"

The maid recognized Rosamund Kwan, as she had visited a few times before and knew about her relationship with Li Changhe.

Then, Rosamund Kwan was taken to Gong Xue's private study. The maid closed the door, and the two of them talked behind closed doors.

Meanwhile, Li Changhe was also in the study, talking to Catherine.

"Have all the items been distributed? Is the sound system ready for tonight?"

"We're ready, but boss, are we really going to release it?"

Catherine was still somewhat hesitant; her boss's move would likely shock the entire Hong Kong Island tomorrow.

"It's alright, just do as I say!"

"Alright, Catherine, it's getting late. Go home and reunite with your family. We still have work to do tonight!"

Li Changhe then spoke to Catherine.

Catherine nodded, then got up and left.

After Catherine left, Li Changhe stood by the window and smiled slightly.

Tonight, he plans to give the people of Hong Kong Island another big gift.

After leaving the study, Li Changhe went downstairs and heard conversations coming from the next room.

"No, Sister Xiaoxue, you're quite slender, this outfit doesn't suit you. Besides, it's Chinese New Year, so the style has to be more elegant. You should wear this red Chanel-style suit."

Li Changhe followed the sound and found that Guan Zhilin was helping Gong Xue choose clothes in the dressing room.

Li Changhe didn't join in the fun, but went downstairs alone and then went to the restaurant.

A sumptuous dinner has already been set on the restaurant's dining table.

"Go and call Madam and the others downstairs for dinner."

At this moment, Li Changhe gave instructions to the servants.

Although he and Gong Xue are not married yet, everyone in the villa now calls Gong Xue "Madam".

Soon, Gong Xue and Guan Zhilin came down, both dressed in their finest attire, each exuding a unique fragrance, like plum blossoms, orchids, bamboo, and chrysanthemums.

"Let's eat something first. Xiaoxue and I will go next door in a bit, and Ahu will take you to the Landmark Building. Wait for us in the office, and we'll celebrate New Year's Eve together there tonight."

After taking his seat, Li Changhe spoke to Guan Zhilin.

"understood!"

Rosamund Kwan was incredibly obedient and well-behaved at that moment.

Li Changhe and Gong Xue ate a simple meal, then got up and walked towards the Bao family's house next door.

The two didn't drive; instead, they walked hand in hand toward the Bao family mansion.

The two villas are next to each other, and fortunately there is a side gate at the back, which can be walked directly from inside the manor.

There were naturally many more people here, including the three sons and daughters of the Bao family, as well as their sons-in-law, making up dozens of people in total—a lively and bustling large family.

Li Changhe was quite at ease here. Besides being familiar with the second branch of the Bao family, he was also no stranger to the first and third branches.

People from the first wife's family were involved in all the businesses in Singapore, from the petrochemical company in partnership with Rockefeller to the newly built Nanyang Technological University.

As for the third branch of the family, Li Changhe's own shipping company and dock company are in cooperation with the third branch.

So this harmonious scene, in Gong Xue's eyes, really did look just like a family.

After dinner, the group got together and prepared to go to Victoria Harbour to watch the fireworks show, since they were the ones who organized it.

However, older people like Bao Yugang weren't very interested, so the older generation didn't do much, while the younger generation went with great enthusiasm.

When Li Changhe and his group arrived, it was 9 p.m., and both Central and Victoria Harbour across the street were already packed with people.

With the support of various celebrities and music shows, Hong Kong Island residents who had finished their New Year's Eve dinner naturally flocked here with great enthusiasm.

Along the roadside, security teams in uniform and Hong Kong Island police officers in police uniforms worked together to maintain order and prevent any potential disturbances.

On the rooftop of a building not far away, Ming Wang and Senior Superintendent Chow Chi-kin of the Hong Kong Island District were smoking.

Tonight, the Hong Kong Island Police Department sent two senior superintendents: Chow Chi-kin, Senior Superintendent of the Hong Kong District, and Fong Tin-ming, Senior Superintendent of the West Kowloon District.

After all, although Central and Victoria Harbour are separated by the sea, one belongs to the Hong Kong Island Police District and the other to the West Kowloon Police District.

Therefore, each side sent a senior superintendent to coordinate police forces on their respective sides, and they were also the key targets that Ming Wang and his group were trying to win over this time.

In Hong Kong today, most Chinese officers who can become superintendents have received training from the Political Department, or even been sent to London for specialized training—in short, special agent training.

The reason is simple: the British were afraid.

In the 1960s, the British discovered that the bodyguard of Governor Alexander Graham, the highest-ranking Chinese police officer at the time, was a special agent of the Communist Party of China. This investigation completely baffled the British.

Therefore, since then, the UK has set an invisible threshold for promotion of Hong Kong Island police officers. One important aspect of this is that senior positions require passing the assessment of the Hong Kong Island Police Political Department.

Li Junxia, ​​the current top Chinese officer in the Hong Kong Police Force, came from the Political Department of Hong Kong Island and was one of the members who guarded the bodyguard of the governor who was discovered.

Li Changhe didn't think these people were necessarily adversaries. To put it bluntly, the more you are in the heart of the Westerners' territory, the more you can feel the impact of racial discrimination. On the contrary, the lower class is actually less affected.

Senior Superintendents are considered entry-level members of the Hong Kong Police Force, just starting out. They are newcomers to the top ranks of the police force, and these are the people who most need the support of the wealthy.

After all, the next step up for them is the Chief Superintendent, and the next step up is to enter the Police Force and become a true senior figure in the entire Hong Kong Island Police Force.

Li Changhe's intention was to have Ming Wang and Leng Fei make contact with these people first, to see their attitudes and whether any of them wanted to get close to Bao Zeyang.

After all, in a place like Hong Kong Island, the strong alliance between wealthy Chinese and high-ranking police officers is also a way to counter foreigners. For example, Li Ka-shing and the current Assistant Commissioner of Police, Li Kwan-ha, have a close relationship and complement each other's shortcomings.

Li Changhe was reluctant to invest in those Chinese officers at the police department level, since they were older and had a wide range of options, making investment troublesome.

On the contrary, Zhou Zhijian and Fang Tianming, who are newcomers to the Constitutional Committee, have certain potential and are in their prime. Such people are exactly the kind of people that Li Changhe wants to attract investment from.

So, besides Zhou Zhijian, on another high ground in Victoria Harbour City, Leng Fei was also chatting with Fang Tianming while observing what was below.

The time quickly reached 9:09. As the first firework rose, a series of dazzling fireworks were launched from the barge, soaring into the sky and exploding.

In 1983, it officially arrived amidst a sky full of fireworks over Victoria Harbour.

(End of this chapter)