Soul Returns to Hong Kong: From Tailor Shop to Richest Woman

"In this extension, you've overlooked a boundary condition." Professor Smith, pen in hand, wrote down a complex system of equations on a piece of paper. "You see, if we introduce the partial derivatives, it makes sense."

Lin Ying looked at the professor's derivation process and immediately understood it.

"I see," Lin Ying said sincerely in English. "Thank you, Professor."

"Lin Ying, I admit you are a mathematical genius. The way you solved the problem just now is so concise that many second-year students at Cambridge University cannot do it."

"You're too kind."

"I don't lie. Mathematics never lies either." Professor Smith shrugged. "I originally came to Hong Kong for a winter vacation and had no intention of wasting my energy teaching any students, but..."

The old professor pointed to the notebook on the table: "To leave a brain like yours undeveloped is a desecration of mathematics. Since you're on winter break now, I can help you answer your questions and guide you into advanced mathematics."

Upon hearing this, Su Zhiming was incredibly excited. He knew that the deal was done! This not only helped Lin Ying, but also gave him a huge boost in front of his foreign boss.

Lin Lanying, who had been holding her breath and hadn't dared to interrupt, guessed the outcome from the expressions of her brother-in-law and the foreigner, even though she couldn't understand English.

Su Zhiming quickly turned around and whispered to Lin Lanying in Cantonese, "Sister-in-law! The old professor has agreed! He's agreed to tutor Aying during the winter break!"

"Thank you! Thank you, Mr. Su!" It was true that Lin Lanying came from a poor background, but she understood the rules of Hong Kong. It was a favor if someone was willing to teach her, and she couldn't skimp on the tuition she was owed.

"Uncle, please translate this for the professor." Lin Lanying thought for a moment. "Just say, although our Lin family isn't a wealthy or powerful clan, we value respecting teachers above all else. It's a blessing for our family that the professor is willing to teach Ah Ying. We'll charge the highest tuition fees in Central, five hundred Hong Kong dollars per lesson, without fail!"

Five hundred Hong Kong dollars per class.

Nowadays, an average office worker in Central, Hong Kong, only earns one or two thousand dollars a month. Spending five hundred dollars on a single lesson shows the Lin family has considerable financial resources.

Su Zhiming nodded and relayed Lin Lanying's sincerity to Professor Smith in English.

After listening, Smith glanced at Lin Lanying in surprise. He hadn't expected his mother, who was dressed in a simple cheongsam and looked very traditional, to speak so frankly and directly.

He smiled and shook his head. "Manager Su, please tell this mother that I don't lack money. My pension is enough for me to eat these delicious shrimp dumplings every day in Hong Kong; I am willing to teach Lin Ying because I admire her pure pursuit of truth."

Smith pointed at Lin Ying and gave a fixed price: "Three hundred Hong Kong dollars. It's a two-hour class, so I'll charge three hundred Hong Kong dollars for the Q&A session as my tea money; any more than that would be an insult to our academic discussion."

Su Zhiming immediately translated it.

"Three hundred it is!" Lin Lanying immediately stood up, pulled Lin Ying along, and bowed to Professor Smith. "Thank you for your kindness, Professor!"

Lin Ying quickly followed up with her thanks: "Thank you, Professor Smith."

With the price finalized, the rest of the details fell into place.

Professor Smith directly arranged the time: "Monday to Friday, 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. The location is my son's apartment in Mid-Levels, Central. It's quiet there, and it has a full set of blackboards and a study."

At this point, the old man, displaying the thoughtfulness of an English gentleman, added, "Of course, Lin Ying is, after all, only a thirteen-year-old girl, and she comes to this private residence in the Mid-Levels alone every day. To dispel any doubts from her parents and ensure her safety, adults can accompany her to wait for her during her classes."

Lin Lanying was extremely grateful after she understood the translation.

This is not only about finding a top-notch teacher, but also about finding an academic giant who understands the rules and knows how to conduct himself appropriately.

Everyone enjoyed the morning tea.

------

Around noon, as I stepped out of the teahouse, the cold wind from Central hit me, making my mind exceptionally clear.

Su Zhiming and his colleagues had to go back to the bank to work overtime, while Chen Meishan went to the department store on the way. They parted ways at the entrance of the teahouse.

Lin Lanying took Lin Ying's hand, hailed a taxi on the roadside, and headed straight for Taikoo City.

Sitting in the back of the taxi, watching the skyscrapers and hurried Hong Kongers rushing past the window, Lin Ying leaned back in her seat and let out a sigh of relief.

"Ah Ying," Lin Lanying patted her daughter's hand, "you really made Mommy proud today."

"Mmm," Lin Ying responded softly.

She didn't feel much joy; her mind was preoccupied with calculating accounts.

Two hours a day, five days a week, Monday to Friday; 300 yuan a day, 1500 yuan a week. In a month, the tutoring fees paid to Professor Smith alone amounted to a full 6,000 Hong Kong dollars!

Lin Ying couldn't help but sigh inwardly: Six thousand yuan.

Back when she went to tutor the Su brothers, her second uncle, Su Zhihao, charged her 100 yuan per lesson. At that time, this amount of money was a lifesaver for the Lin family in Yufa Building. Even when the price went up later, it was just a small amount that the big boss could easily pluck.

But now?

A retired professor from Cambridge, England, sits in his mansion on the hillside. Even if he offers to lower his price and says he'll only charge for tea, he still asks for HK$300 per session.

In Hong Kong, knowledge has its barriers, and social class has its ceiling. Children from ordinary families, no matter how talented, cannot even cross the threshold of this teahouse without the money to buy their way in, let alone encounter a teacher of this caliber.

If she hadn't resolutely picked up her pen to write a script when she was ten years old, what would the Lin family have to say today that they would never be late with paying 500 yuan per lesson? What would support her ambition to go to Cambridge?

"Making money... is always the top priority."

Lin Ying was very glad that she had completely let go of her pride back in elementary school and decisively plunged into the film industry to make money. She needed commercial scripts to sustain her dream of graduating from Cambridge.

Therefore, this winter break should not be just about attending classes.

Back at her home in Taikoo City, Lin Ying put down her schoolbag and went to her bedroom.

"Uncle helped me so much today, I must repay this favor." Lin Ying sat down at her desk and turned on her computer.

Su Zhiming is different from Su Zhihao.

Su Zhiming works as a manager at a foreign bank in Central, and he possesses the arrogance and sophistication of a financial elite. At the celebration banquet at the Peninsula Hotel last time, Su Zhiming swallowed his pride in front of his whole family and humbly begged his second son to take him into investing in movies.

At the time, Su Lao Er laid out the unpleasant truth upfront: the film industry is a murky place, blindly following trends will lead to total loss, and if you want to make a sure profit, it all depends on Lin Ying's script.

Since her uncle wanted to get involved, and he was doing his best for his future this time, Lin Ying also wanted everyone to know that she was a grateful person, worthy of investment, so that others would think of her when there were good things in the future.

After much deliberation, Lin Ying decided to write a separate notebook for Su Zhiming.

Not only do I have to write, but I also have to write a script that perfectly matches my uncle's investment tastes and is a box office hit in the Hong Kong film market of this era.

The script given to Boss Peng was a fantasy comedy, while the script given to Second Uncle was a melodramatic idol drama like "The Heart Exchange Agreement" targeting the lower-tier market.

Su Zhiming works in banking and finance; he's seen money all the time and understands best how money can drive people to extremes. Furthermore, this document can't use the pen name Xu Yue; it must use Lin Ying's already established name to allow Su Zhiming to attract enough funding.

"Then let's write this."

She had already set her bottom line in her mind: no matter how much money her uncle Su Zhiming invested, or which wealthy people in Central he tried to bring in to share the risk, Lin Ying was only responsible for providing the script and core ideas, and she would only receive 20% of the net profit. Not a penny less.

On the screen, four words were typed out: "The Gold Rush Era".