Exciting 1979!

Chapter 466 The Rise of an Empire: From One Hundred Million to Ten Billion
In the following time, Wei Ming originally wanted to go shopping at Harbour City with Amin. It is currently the only commercial complex in Hong Kong with entertainment options available almost 24 hours a day, and it is also very close to the Peninsula Hotel.

However, Amin insisted on returning to the hotel to talk about things like music, life, and ideals.

Wei Ming knew that she was simply eager to learn and wanted to review what she had learned to gain new insights.

If things continue like this, Wei Ming doesn't know how long he can hold on.

However, once inside the hotel lobby, Wei Ming suddenly put on a mask and hat, pulling the brim down low.

"What's wrong?" Amin asked curiously as they went upstairs.

“I ran into an acquaintance, someone I met on the mainland,” Wei Ming said.

Amin recalled that the person who left the deepest impression on her in the lobby was a young woman who was quite good-looking.

"A woman?" Amin asked sourly.

Wei Ming simply told the truth: "Well, you may not have seen her movies. Chen Chong was very popular in mainland China, but later she went to study in the United States."

"I think I've heard of her. She's even more famous than Sister Long's sister, right? It's that Sister Gong Xue." Amin mentioned Gong Xue to Wei Ming for the first time, which made Wei Ming's heart flutter slightly.

“It’s the difference between being famous before and after,” Wei Ming said frankly as he opened the door and entered the room. “Right now, the most popular people in mainland China are Gong Xue and Zhu Lin. They’re known as ‘Gong Xue in the South and Zhu Lin in the North.’ They’re practically national idols; nobody dislikes them.”

Amin: "Indeed, a new generation replaces the old."

Wei Ming sensed that Amin was making a veiled criticism, but he wasn't sure, so he added, "That's how the entertainment industry is."

"Do you like them?" Amin suddenly asked.

Wei Ming smiled and said, "Of course I like it."

"Hmph, greedy." Amin pouted, then stood on tiptoe, now she was going to be Wei Ming's sweetheart.

After Amin had eaten and drunk her fill, Wei Ming immediately drove her home. This time, Amin was very satisfied because Amin remembered to put her teeth away.

When he came back, Wei Ming sat in the lobby for a while. When he came in earlier, he saw that Chen Chong was accompanied by Mars from Jackie Chan's stunt team. He wondered if Jackie Chan would come to the hotel after the party.

And he actually came; you could tell there was something wrong by how tightly he was wrapped up.

After Cheng Long went upstairs, Wei Ming, having satisfied his gossipy nature, went upstairs as well. He could understand Cheng Long, after all, his wife was currently in America breastfeeding, so why not take advantage of something that came to him?

This also served as a reminder to Wei Ming that he must never let his girlfriends get pregnant at the same time. Fortunately, he had many girlfriends, so this situation should not occur.

The next day, Wei Ming was woken up early by a phone call from Wei Lingling.

"I called several times last night but no one answered. Did they go out to have fun after the awards ceremony?"

Wei Ming yawned: "I probably went to see Amin off at that time."

"When are you leaving?" the aunt asked again.

"tomorrow."

"How about we meet today? I want to talk to you about something."

"Okay, come find me at the hotel. Bring breakfast with you; I have a date with Amin later."

Faced with Wei Ming's disrespectful request, Wei Lingling finally said, "Xiao Li, prepare the car."

~
"President Lingling, it's Chen Chong! It looks like Chen Chong!" Upon entering the Peninsula Hotel lobby, Lizhi's eyes slyly locked onto a woman. After all, they were both from Shanghai, and Chen Chong had once been incredibly famous.

"Oh, what's wrong?"

"It's alright, it's alright, let's go upstairs quickly," Lizhi said awkwardly. The big star in her eyes was nothing special in Wei Lingling's eyes. Recently, Transformers even had Jackie Chan film an advertisement for them.

Hey, isn't that Jackie Chan over there? He looks like him.

Once in the room, Wei Ming had already put on his clothes. He took the Hong Kong-style dim sum that Li Zhi had brought and started eating: "Hmm, these shrimp dumplings are good, and the char siu buns are perfect! Oh, they even sell milk tea?"

Wei Ming took a small sip, then pushed it aside: "But it doesn't taste very good."

Lizhi immediately took it and continued drinking. She doesn't usually drink it because she's afraid of gaining weight, but this was the one Wei Ming had drunk.

Wei Lingling ignored Lizhi's infatuation and replied, "That's why Aunt Fen is in a hurry to spin off the milk tea business and establish a new chain brand. I called Dad yesterday and heard that it has been decided to be called 'Nian Nu Jiao'. You chose it. It has a lot of cultural depth."

Wei Ming ate a little too quickly, then took the milk tea back from Li Zhi and drank a couple more sips, which made Li Zhi very happy.

"Auntie, is there something urgent that you're looking for me about?" Wei Ming asked.

"I'm not in a hurry. I just thought that it's been so long since we last met, and you're leaving again tomorrow, so I should tell you about Langning's profits last year and its current situation."

"I made about HK$100 million last year."

Wei Lingling: "Who are you underestimating? With 3 million, just looking at last year's profits, Langning is already the undisputed number one in Hong Kong's toy industry."

This profit is the sum of the previous ten years before Wei Lingling took over, and Lizhi began to produce financial statements.

"Three hundred million." Wei Ming glanced at his slightly oily hands, and Li Zhi quickly handed him a tissue. Wei Lingling couldn't bear to look at him. Whose assistant are you anyway?

Wei Ming wiped his hands, not even looking at the report: "So how do you plan to spend these three hundred million?"

Do you need money right now? If so, we can split a portion first.

Wei Ming shook his head: "No need, but the stock market will definitely recover after the Sino-British negotiations are over, and may even surge. You'd better have some cash on hand then."

“I know what I’m doing. Since we’re not splitting the profits now, we’ll naturally have to spend the money. The factories on the mainland and the new factory in Taiwan won’t cost that much. I think now is a good opportunity to enter the real estate market while the real estate industry is in a slump.” Wei Lingling looked at Wei Ming expectantly, hoping to get his approval.

Wei Ming: "You want to buy an office building?"

“It’s cheaper to buy now,” Wei Lingling said, “and Langning is thriving, so it’s easy to borrow money from the bank.”

Wei Ming laughed and said, "Since borrowing money is so easy, why don't we go all out?"

"Oh, how big of a deal?" Wei Lingling raised an eyebrow. To be honest, selling toys had never been her ideal or ambition. Lang Ning had already become number one in Hong Kong and among the top three in Asia, but there was still a huge gap between her and Hong Kong's top tycoons. How long would it take to accumulate a fortune of tens of billions by selling toys one by one?

In her view, besides doing solid business, real estate and finance are the easiest and fastest ways to reach the pinnacle of wealth.

Of course, the risks are much greater than those in the real economy, but Langning now has some ability to withstand risks.

The aunt and niece exchanged a glance and knew that the other, like them, wanted to do something big.

Wei Ming said, "Just take a few hundred million to buy a piece of land, develop and build it, whether it's a commercial building or a residential building. Once the Sino-British negotiations are over and the market recovers, these properties will multiply in value several times over. I would suggest building commercial buildings and renting them out. You can make a fortune from them for generations."

In his previous life, Wei Ming knew many Hong Kong stars. Those who lived comfortably mostly owned some prime commercial properties, and the rent alone was enough to support their luxurious lifestyles. Of course, those who enjoyed stock trading were an exception. I feel sorry for the God of Songs again.

Wei Lingling slapped Lizhi's thigh: "You're thinking the same thing, Ah Ming, have you ever been to Harbour City?"

Wei Ming looked at the legs; they were plump, white, and the palm print was clearly visible.

“Of course,” he replied, although he hadn’t gone this time, he had gone shopping with Amin before.

That was Hong Kong's first and Asia's first commercial complex, belonging to the Wharf Holdings Group. Now Wharf Holdings belongs to the shipping magnate, but it's a pity he doesn't have a son.

Wei Lingling said, "Harbour City is a great place. You can eat, drink, play, stay, and even work. Everything can be done there. It's also the place that young people love to go shopping. Even the rent for a small shop is quite considerable."

Wei Ming: "You want to build a commercial complex?"

Wei Lingling nodded solemnly: "I have thought about it."

Wei Ming: "That's not something you can just manage with a few hundred million."

The land purchase alone would probably cost more than a billion, and the subsequent investments would also be astronomical. Moreover, those who can manage such money-devouring behemoths and cash cow real estate projects are all Hong Kong business giants.

Harbour City and the future Causeway Bay Times Square are owned by Wharf Holdings.

The future Pacific Place will belong to the long-established British-owned Swire Group.

Tuen Mun Times Square belongs to Henderson Land Development, owned by Lee Shau-kee.

Hong Kong International Finance Centre is even more impressive, developed by Sun Hung Kai Properties, Henderson Land Development, and several other consortia.

With Langning's current capabilities, it seems a bit presumptuous of them to attempt this. Of course, if they succeed, they can simply coast along, as the annual rent for these large commercial complexes could easily reach several billion.

Wei Lingling said, "Of course, even with financial means, we may still be unable to develop it. So this time I plan to join forces with the resources of my uncle and aunt. Opportunities are fleeting. Hong Kong is a good place, and the Sino-British negotiations are also a good opportunity. If we don't seize this opportunity to rise rapidly, who knows if there will be such a good opportunity in the future?"

Seeing Wei Ming fall silent, Wei Lingling thought he was upset that she was taking too big a step and was getting anxious. Langning wasn't just hers; it belonged to both of them.

Just as Wei Lingling was about to speak, Wei Ming suddenly said, "Wharf Holdings has a piece of land, the land where the Hong Kong tram depot is located. The location is quite good, but unfortunately Wharf Holdings is holding onto it and definitely won't sell it."

"Although the Victoria Barracks in Admiralty is a bit remote, it has great potential if developed well. The key is that it's not in the hands of a large conglomerate, so it might be possible to acquire it through bidding."

"besides……"

Wei Ming mentioned several places in a row, all of which are future shopping hotspots and prime locations in Hong Kong.

In his previous life, when things were going well, he often took his girlfriend shopping in Hong Kong. Now that he's in Hong Kong, those areas are still undeveloped. Wei Ming often drools over the Hong Kong map, and he knows all the good locations by heart.

After listening to Wei Ming's long-winded talk, Wei Lingling and Lizhi were completely dumbfounded.

After she finished speaking, Wei Lingling laughed and clapped her hands: "Well done, kid! So you had this idea all along. You even did so much research. There are some things I didn't even know."

Wei Ming said, "If this commercial complex really takes off, you must reserve a piece of land for me. I want to build a modern multiplex cinema."

"Approved!" Wei Lingling then asked Lizhi, "And what about you, Xiaoli?"

"Huh? Me, I get a share too?" Lizhi's breathing quickened with excitement. "Then, then I'll open a jewelry store, so I can wear gold whenever I want, and wear jewelry whenever I want."

Wei Ming couldn't help but think of the pearl necklace he had given to Li Zhi.

Lizhi asked again, "Ms. Lingling, are you really going to give me a shop?" At that moment, she felt an urge to be Wei Lingling's slave.

Wei Lingling: "Of course I was joking, but cinemas can do it. Showing movies is still quite profitable. Last year, the total box office revenue of Hong Kong films at home and abroad almost caught up with the sales revenue of Transformers in the United States."

Listen to this! Is this something a human would say? The total box office revenue, both domestically and internationally, is almost catching up, and that's just the sales revenue of Transformers in the United States.

Wei Ming said, "The money the movie makes is indeed incomparable to that of Langning, but the movie's influence far exceeds that of Langning Toy Factory. The quality of Transformers toys is truly unique, and they also need the help of animated films to promote and publicize them."

“You’re right. Sales of claw machines have been sluggish lately. Do you think we could help promote them through movies or TV series?”

"Oh, are they not selling well?"

Wei Lingling: "Perhaps the gambling aspect of claw machines is not as good as blind boxes, so sales are just so-so. I even gave up on the Hong Kong market and prepared to focus on Japan."

Wei Ming thought for a moment and said, "Besides advertising, I think we can sponsor the filming of movies and TV series and have the male and female leads play claw machines while they are in love. We can forcefully link claw machines with dating and convey the idea that if you are in a relationship and don't play claw machines, it's like you're not dating at all."

Lizhi covered her mouth and chuckled, but thought it made a lot of sense.

Wei Lingling nodded: "It would be great if there were a TV series that could promote all of Langning Factory's products at the same time. We've also developed quite a few electric toys recently, but we can't compete with other established manufacturers."

She started developing electric toys when the Transformers series was all the rage, which was also a way of planning ahead. After all, nothing lasts forever, and the electrification and intelligentization of toys is a trend.

Suddenly, Wei Ming had a flash of inspiration. He thought of Uncle Ping An, who had mentioned more than once that Xi Zi should make a Hong Kong film to broaden his horizons. It seemed like there was a way to kill two birds with one stone.

“Auntie, how about I write a movie script, with Langning Factory funding it and DreamWorks producing it? I’ll put all Langning products, including claw machines, in the movie. It won’t just be product placement; they’ll all be functional and deeply involved in the plot.” “Huh? Wouldn’t that mean creating a script tailor-made for toys?!”

"You could say that: are you in or not?"

“Let’s do it!” Wei Lingling said decisively. The cost of a movie is only a few million, which is nothing to her, who often spends tens of millions on advertising in the United States.

Wei Ming: "Okay, then let's tentatively start filming during the summer vacation and release it at Christmas. Later, please prepare a copy of all the product information of Langning Factory so that I can incorporate it into the script."

"What kind of films will you be shooting?" Wei Lingling asked.

"For toys, of course the main character should be a child. I'll bring Xizi over later, and then we'll have the male lead. We don't need to find any big names for the supporting roles, but we can find a few big stars to make cameo appearances. This way, we can keep costs down without compromising on prestige."

Seeing how thoughtful Wei Ming was, Wei Lingling was so excited that she kissed him on the cheek. This nephew was just too lovable.

Seeing this, Lizhi was filled with envy. She also wanted to kiss him, and not just on the cheek.

Wei Ming was both amused and exasperated: "Alright, I'm going to pick up Amin now."

"Wait a minute, can I use your restroom?" Wei Lingling had been holding her pee because they were having such a good time chatting.

After she went inside, Lizhi pointed to Wei Ming's face and asked, "Do you want me to wipe it off for you?"

"No need, I'll have Amin wipe it for me later."

Lizhi exclaimed in surprise, "Won't she be jealous if she sees this?"

"I just love seeing her jealous," Wei Ming said, his voice tinged with the sweetness of romance.

As they were chatting, "click," the door opened, and Vivian Chow walked in wearing a mask.

I almost forgot, I gave her a room key earlier.

“Amin, why did you come by yourself? I was going to pick you up.”

“Because I couldn’t wait any longer,” Zhou Huimin said, glancing at Wei Ming and then at Lizhi. “Sister Li is here too.”

Lizhi: "Oh, let's talk about work."

"Do we need to kiss on the cheek to talk about work?" She had already seen the lipstick mark on Wei Ming's face, and her gentle eyes were starting to smolder.

Lizhi didn't explain, but looked at Wei Ming, thinking, "This is the kind of jealous girlfriend you wanted to see."

Following procedure, Wei Ming hurriedly said, "Amin, don't go, let me explain."

Amin didn't become hysterical: "I didn't leave, you can explain that now."

"This wasn't Xiaoli's kiss, it was my aunt's. We were just talking about business and we got along really well, so she got excited and gave me a kiss."

"Oh?" Upon hearing this explanation, Zhou Huimin began to examine the lip print on Wei Ming's face and the shape of Li Zhi's lips.

Lizhi thought of what Wei Ming had just said: he liked to see Amin get jealous.

So Lizhi simply pressed her lips against the spot next to the lip print. She was already tall and wearing high heels, so she easily and firmly pressed her lips against the print.

Then she pointed to the two lip prints on Wei Ming's face: "Look for yourself, they're different in both color and shape."

Wei Ming and Amin never expected that Lizhi would use such a self-destructive method to prove her innocence.

Now Amin is certain that the previous lip print was her aunt's, but now, her boyfriend has been kissed by someone else!
Thinking of this, Amin tiptoed and kissed Wei Ming's other cheek several times.

Unfortunately, because I wasn't wearing lipstick, the effect was very poor; it was almost invisible.

On impulse, Amin kissed Wei Ming's neck; she wanted to give him a hickey!

This scene was witnessed by Wei Lingling, who came out of the restroom. Seeing the passionate couple, she was surprised: "What's going on? They're not carrying each other anymore? We haven't left yet."

Amin didn't even lift her head, burying it in Wei Ming's neck, probably out of embarrassment.

Wei Ming put one arm around Amin's waist and waved to them with the other hand, telling them to leave quickly and not be third wheels.

After they went outside, Lizhi explained the whole story to Wei Lingling, which made Wei Lingling laugh heartily. She even poked Lizhi's forehead and said, "You little rascal!"

“Ms. Lingling,” Lizhi suddenly said, “I recently enrolled in a TOEFL class.”

"Do you simply want to learn English, or..."

Lizhi: "I also want to pursue further studies. I feel like I can't keep up with your and Langning's growth. I just can't bear to leave you, and I'm afraid that when I come back, there won't be a place for me by your side."

Wei Lingling looked at her seriously: "As long as you have the ability, whether it's me or someone else, you will have a place by my side. Tell me, which university do you want to go to?"

Lizhi licked her lips: "I heard before that Miss Wei Hong was going to apply to Stanford. I certainly wouldn't dare to hope for Stanford. It would be enough if I could be closer to her and have someone to look after each other."

Wei Lingling figured it out; she knew Wei Ming was going to accompany Wei Hong to study abroad, so he was going to reserve a spot in advance.

Although Wei Lingling prefers Zhou Huimin, the Wei family is small, with only Xiaoming as the third generation, so her moral standards are very low in this regard.

“Why can’t you aspire to Stanford?” Wei Lingling said. “Stanford does have literature and art programs, so you’re not entirely without hope. Come on, Xiaoli, fight for your future.”

~
In the hotel room, everyone had left, but Amin still hadn't given up. Wei Ming was worried that she wouldn't be able to shake off the feeling after returning to Beijing, so he reminded her, "I heard that growing strawberries can cause suffocation, and in severe cases, it can even lead to death."

"Ah!?" Amin quickly let go, seeing that it had turned red. "I'm sorry."

Wei Ming laughed: "It doesn't hurt."

"I mean I shouldn't have suspected you and Sister Xiaoli of having something going on." Amin lowered her head, realizing she had misjudged the situation.

Wei Ming replied, "Your suspicions are not wrong at all. I am so handsome and strong, and Xiao Li is so sexy and beautiful. Plus, we are a man and a woman alone together, and there is a lipstick mark on our faces. It is perfectly normal for you to suspect that we did something. If you don't suspect me, you should suspect your intelligence."

Amin chuckled, extracting the key information from the sentence: "Xiaoli is sexy and beautiful." Then she unbuttoned two buttons on her shirt, revealing a touch of youthful sexiness.

Wei Ming ignored him and asked again, "I'm a little curious. If today is exactly as you think, and Xiaoli and I really did have something happen, what would you do?"

Amin thought for a moment and said, "That depends on how far things have gone."

Wei Ming grabbed her small hand and made her shift gears: "What if it were like what we did last night?"

Amin's face flushed red, a warm blush spreading across her cheeks. She bit her lip, conflicted, and said, "Then, I'll do it even more thoroughly than her, and you can't refuse."

Wei Ming hugged her tightly because she didn't say anything about breaking up, but rather wanted to solidify their relationship to gain a sense of security in their love.

"What if Xiaoli and I did the whole thing?" Wei Ming provoked Amin further, which could be considered a kind of desensitization training. She would have to see the truth sooner or later.

Amin looked up at Wei Ming, her eyes slightly red: "Then I'll be very, very angry, and then I'll wait until I'm not angry anymore before I come to you."

This answer stunned Wei Ming. I'm so damn stupid!
He couldn't bear to see Amin continue to be sad, so he forcibly shut her up.

If he hadn't still had some reason left, Wei Ming would have said, "Screw the starting point method!"

"Alright, let's go visit the set of 'Lucky Stars'." The two replenished their water and set off.

When I arrived at the film set, Jackie Chan had just arrived as well. He also starred in this movie, and this was his first time playing a modern policeman. He was responsible for most of the action scenes in the film, while the other five Lucky Stars, including Hung Chun-po, were mainly responsible for the comedy.

Cheng Long and Wei Ming exchanged a glance and simultaneously saw each other's necks—good heavens, they both had hickeys.

He huddled up to Jackie Chan and whispered, "You know I've been staying at the Peninsula Hotel lately, right?"

"Huh?" Jackie Chan was taken aback, but quickly recovered.

Wei Ming asked again, "Did they send them away?"

Jackie Chan blinked his small eyes: "I know some friends in Hollywood, so it shouldn't be a problem for me to introduce her to a small role."

At this moment, Hong Jinbao appeared: "Oh dear, Miss Zhou is here too. Today's scene isn't really suitable for you to watch."

"Why?" Amin asked, puzzled.

Then she saw Wu Yaohan, who was wearing a bath towel and was shirtless.

Richard Ng was also a little surprised to see Vivian Chow: "Ah, Sanmao, are you deliberately messing with me, finding a beautiful woman to watch me film a nude scene?"

Upon hearing that it was an older man filming nude scenes, Vivian Chow immediately lost her appetite for watching their movie.

Upon seeing this scene, Wei Ming knew what kind of plot he was going to film. After all, he wrote this part of the plot in the "Lucky Stars" comic. The character Wu Yaohan thought he could become invisible, so the other brothers conspired to deceive him and make him believe that he could really become invisible.

So Richard Ng got carried away, not only taking off all his clothes but also going upstairs to watch the curly-haired girl take a bath.

Curly-haired Sister is also part of the prank team, which involves some lewd content, a characteristic of the Lucky Stars series, present in every film.

Wei Ming's deepest impression was of Rosamund Kwan taking a wet bath, and the female lead in this film seems to be Cherie Chung.

At this moment, Cherie Chung was wrapped in a bath towel, waiting for filming to begin.

Wei Ming said to Amin, "Amin, wait outside for a moment. I'll take a look. My company's next movie is also a comedy, and I need to learn from Director Hong."

"Okay, then I'll go listen to music in the car and wait for you there." Amin obediently left the film set.

Wei Ming, Cheng Long, and several other main actors immediately went upstairs to where Chung Chor-hung was taking a bath.

Facing the men's gazes, Cherie Chung generously took off her bathrobe, revealing... her swimsuit underneath.

Wu Yaohan cried out that it was unfair, saying that he was truly naked, but they just used opaque tape to hold him up in the front, which was not fair.

Wei Ming even found his body too hot to look at, while Hong Gu, though wearing a swimsuit, was undeniably sexy. That butt, that chest, wow, this woman was so alluring.

While they were filming, Cheng Long said to Wei Ming, "I almost forgot, Mr. Zou is treating you to lunch and will give you a check."

Wei Ming laughed and said, "A script worth 100 million yuan, and it still didn't beat 'Aces Go Places 2'. He probably feels like he was ripped off."

Cheng Long said, "No matter what he thinks, I think it's great value for money. You'd make more than a million for writing a song, and the fact that you're willing to write a script for me means you consider me a friend."

Wei Ming had already said beforehand: "Although you flattered me, there won't be a next time. Writing scripts is too tiring, and I have more important things to do recently."

"Okay, but Mr. Zou thinks it's great that we brothers appear together in a movie. My next movie should still be the same type as 'Project A' where all the brothers work together."

Wei Ming nodded. "Then it should be 'Wheels on Meals'. This time, it was filmed overseas, and it's a classic."

At noon, Wei Ming took Amin to meet Raymond Chow, with Jackie Chan also accompanying them, and they received HK$100 million.

Raymond Chow did not show any reluctance or heartache. In fact, he said, "Project A was very successful, but it was only appreciated by Asian audiences. It would be great if Mr. Wei could tailor a Hollywood script for Ah Long. Films like Cannonball Run and Killer's Lair are not really suitable for him."

Wei Ming asked with a smile, "Then how much of a price can Mr. Zou bear?"

Raymond Chow held up one finger.

"Still one million?"

Raymond Chow: "One million, US dollars!"

……

(A long chapter of 7000 words, please vote with monthly tickets!)
(End of this chapter)