Traveling back to 1966, starting by living in a cowshed.

Hong Kong today has embraced a fast-paced lifestyle. The cries of vendors hawking their wares in the streets and alleys, the ringing of tram bells, and the whistles of ships at the pier intertwine, sketching a busy and vibrant outline of the city. But in recent days, a different kind of enthusiasm has been quietly spreading—whether in the old industrial areas of Sheung Wan, the working-class housing estates of Kowloon, or the rural streets of the New Territories, the hottest topic of conversation among people after meals is the job posting in the *Zhonghua Daily* that occupies half a page.

GG's layout is particularly eye-catching, featuring three clear black and white photos at the top. The first photo is a panoramic view of the Chung Wah Industrial Park in Yuen Long, New Territories. The tall factory buildings feature a simple, modern steel structure design, with off-white exterior walls that gleam cleanly in the sunlight. The wide factory roads are lined with neatly planted landscape trees, creating a stark contrast to the dilapidated and low-rise factory buildings that were common in Hong Kong at the time. The second photo shows the exterior of the dormitory building, a dozen stories high with a simple colonnade design. Each floor has a spacious corridor, and the clothes drying on the balconies are neatly arranged. The third photo is a close-up of the dormitory interior, with four bunk beds against the wall, separated by two desks. Most impressively, there is a separate bathroom in the corner of the room, with a clean and tidy tiled floor and a sunny window that lets in direct sunlight.

"Ah Zhen, look! The dormitories at Chung Wah Home Appliances Factory are so nice! They even have private bathrooms!" In a small tenement building in Sham Shui Po, female worker Chan Sau-lin held up a newspaper, her voice filled with unbelievable surprise. Her coworker, Lee Ah-zhen, leaned over, her eyes falling on the photos, and she couldn't help but gasp: "My God, this isn't just a workers' dormitory! It's even more decent than my cousin's mansion! Look at this balcony, you can even put a chair there and sunbathe, unlike the pigeonholes we live in now, where you can barely turn around."

Both women were factory workers at a nearby textile factory, working over ten hours a day in the sweltering, humid factory. Their wages were meager, and their dormitory consisted of ten people crammed into a windowless attic. They had to use a communal tap downstairs to wash, and wait in line for hot water to shower—the conditions were extremely harsh. Seeing the job posting in the newspaper, their eyes lit up.

"The salary is 20% higher than the Hong Kong average! Plus, room and board are included!" Chen Xiulian pointed to the text on GG, her voice trembling slightly. "I only earn HK$180 a month now. If I go here, I can earn over HK$200? And I won't have to pay rent or food myself. That's real money saved!"

Li Azhen did the math, her excitement growing even stronger: "That's right! Our rent alone costs tens of yuan, and food costs at least a hundred yuan a month. We're lucky if we can save thirty yuan after we get our paychecks. If we go to Zhonghua Home Appliance Factory, which provides room and board, we can save almost all of our salary. We can save a lot of money in a year, and maybe we can even build a new house for our family."

Such conversations are playing out in every corner of Hong Kong right now. At the docks in Sheung Wan, dockworkers gather around a newspaper during their breaks, discussing the job offers; in the villages of the New Territories, villagers sit under a large banyan tree at the village entrance, listening to educated young people read out job postings; in the wet markets of Kowloon, housewives ask each other while shopping: "Have you heard? A big new factory opened in Yuen Long, and the pay is really good. Should we have your husband give it a try?"

The scale and conditions of Zhonghua Industrial Park are inseparable from Lin Zhou's meticulous planning. Since deciding to produce air fryers, he understood that the factory's facilities and benefits were key to attracting workers. In Hong Kong at that time, most factories were small family workshops or converted from dilapidated old buildings, with poor working conditions and negligible benefits. Lin Zhou's goal was to break this status quo, attracting the best workers with better conditions and laying the foundation for large-scale production.

The industrial park was built over three months, entirely to modern factory standards. The factory buildings feature a steel frame structure, are spacious and bright, with sufficient height to accommodate automated production lines ordered from Europe. The ventilation and lighting systems are newly designed to ensure a comfortable working environment for workers. The dormitories have also been meticulously designed, with each room accommodating up to eight people and equipped with a private bathroom, balcony, and desk. Each floor has a communal laundry room and hot water dispenser, and downstairs there are basketball courts and small gardens, providing workers with places to relax and unwind during breaks.

In addition to the hardware facilities, Lin Zhou also established a comprehensive welfare system. Workers work eight hours a day, with one day off per week. Overtime is paid in full, and double pay is given for working on holidays. The canteen provides three meals a day, with a balanced diet of meat and vegetables to ensure nutrition. The factory also organizes regular health checkups for workers. Lin Zhou even plans to establish a school specifically for the children of employees to solve their education problems. These benefits are practically unheard of in the manufacturing industry.

Three days after the job posting in the *Zhonghua Daily*, a long queue had already formed at the recruitment site. The recruitment point was set up outside the industrial park gate, with a temporary sunshade and several tables neatly arranged. Lin Zhou had specifically arranged for HR staff and technical experts recruited from the job market to handle the recruitment. Job seekers began arriving early in the morning, and by 10:00 AM, the queue had stretched for hundreds of meters, winding its way to the road outside the park.

The job seekers came from all walks of life: experienced factory technicians, recent graduates, unemployed housewives, and even skilled workers who had switched jobs from other factories. Each face wore an expression of anticipation and trepidation, holding a carefully prepared resume or simply a slip of paper with personal information, their eyes filled with longing for a better life.

"Next, please come and register." At the recruitment counter, HR manager Zhou Minghui worked methodically. He wore a neat shirt and glasses, his demeanor both gentle and professional. The job seeker in front of him was a middle-aged man named Wang Zhiming, who had worked as an assembler in an electronics factory for five years. Due to the factory's poor performance, his wages were three months in arrears, so he wanted to try his luck at Zhonghua Home Appliances Factory.

"Manager Zhou, I have five years of experience in electronic assembly. I know all kinds of components, and my soldering skills are also pretty good." Wang Zhiming nervously handed over his resume. "I just want to find a stable job with timely pay and a decent working environment."

Zhou Minghui glanced through the resume and asked a few professional questions, all of which Wang Zhiming answered fluently. He nodded in satisfaction: "Mr. Wang, your qualifications perfectly match our requirements. Our probationary period is one month, with a salary of 210 yuan. After becoming a regular employee, the salary is 240 yuan, including room and board. Other benefits are as stated in the recruitment notice. Would you like to work at our factory?"

Upon hearing the salary amount, Wang Zhiming's eyes lit up instantly, and he nodded hurriedly, "I'm willing! Of course I'm willing! When can I start work?"

"Meet at the park entrance at 8:00 AM tomorrow. Someone will help you with the onboarding procedures and arrange your dormitory and positions." Zhou Minghui handed Wang Zhiming an onboarding notice. "This is your notice. Remember to bring your identification tomorrow."

Wang Zhiming took the notification letter, clutching it tightly in his hand, his voice choked with emotion: "Thank you, Manager Zhou! Thank you for giving me this opportunity! I will definitely work hard!"

Watching Wang Zhiming's departing figure, Zhou Minghui smiled with satisfaction. He looked up at the long queue, his heart filled with emotion. When Lin Zhou initially offered such generous compensation, he had worried about the high cost, but now it seemed the investment was worthwhile. The eagerness in the eyes of these job seekers was precisely the driving force the factory needed most for its development.

Under the shade of trees not far away, Lin Zhou, Zhao Jianguo, the new factory manager of Zhonghua Home Appliances Factory, and Su Wanqing, the general manager of the upgraded industrial park, stood together, watching the bustling recruitment scene. Zhao Jianguo was an experienced engineer whom Lin Zhou had specially hired from the acquired factory. He had extensive experience in factory management and had made invaluable contributions to the construction of the industrial park and the commissioning of the production lines.

"Mr. Lin, I didn't expect the recruitment to be so successful. We've already hired over a thousand people in just one morning," Zhao Jianguo said with a smile. "At this rate, we should have all the workers we need in less than three days."

Lin Zhou nodded, his gaze falling on the factory buildings in the park, his eyes full of anticipation: "We have a backlog of more than 50,000 air fryer orders, and overseas distributors are urging us to deliver. We must get the production line up and running as soon as possible. These workers are the cornerstone of our factory, so we must arrange their accommodation and training properly so that they can adapt to their positions as quickly as possible."

"Don't worry, Lin Zhou, the dormitories have been thoroughly cleaned, and the canteen chefs are all in place. We'll be able to provide meals for the workers tomorrow," Su Wanqing reported in detail on the preparations. "The training plan has also been finalized. Our technical experts will teach them how to operate the production line, ensuring that mass production can be achieved within a week."

Lin Zhou smiled with satisfaction: "Good, thank you for your hard work. We not only need to produce high-quality products, but also build a company where workers feel a sense of belonging. Only when workers are at ease can the factory develop in the long term."

As the sun began to set, the crowd at the job fair showed no signs of thinning. Chen Xiulian and Li Azhen had successfully passed their interviews and received their job offers. Hand in hand, they walked back along the road, their faces beaming with undisguised joy. The setting sun cast long shadows of them, as if foreshadowing the new life they were about to embark on.

"Xiulian, I can't believe we were actually accepted!" Li Azhen said excitedly. "We can move into a dormitory with a bathroom tomorrow. It feels like a dream."

Chen Xiulian nodded vigorously, her eyes sparkling with anticipation for the future: "We'll be able to earn more money in the future, and we won't have to squeeze into that dilapidated attic anymore. Once we're settled, we'll bring our families over to visit, so they can be happy for us too."

As night deepened, a few lights began to twinkle in the dormitory buildings within the park, as staff members who had moved in early tidied their rooms. The aroma of food wafted from the canteen, preparing for the new employees arriving the next day.