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

But the news spread very quickly.

The next morning, the headlines of several major Hong Kong newspapers not only circulated on Hong Kong Island, but were also carefully compiled and delivered to different offices. Some even crossed the Shenzhen River and were placed on a desk.

Early autumn in the north.

In a quiet office, several newspapers sent urgently from Hong Kong were placed on the desk, next to which was a detailed document.

A middle-aged man wearing glasses stood beside the table, turned to the second page of the document, and said:

"Ten A's in the Form Five examinations. Chinese, English, Mathematics, Additional Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Biology... all at the highest level A; not only that, the time she actually received formal school education was only seven years at most; there is no record of her learning before the age of nine, and after the age of nine she studied on her own for a few months, skipped a grade to enter the fourth grade of St. Paul's Primary School, and six months later she entered the sixth grade, and then went straight to Liberal Arts College."

He then looked at the leader sitting behind the desk and added, "In addition, at Cambridge University, a retired mathematics professor named Smith has personally endorsed her; as soon as her deposit arrives, Cambridge will activate a special pathway, and she can skip the foundation exams and go directly to the UK once she finishes Form Six."

There were still a few people sitting in the office, and the atmosphere became somewhat heavy for a moment.

"If only she were here," the leader said, putting down his teacup and letting out a long sigh.

After he said that, none of the people in the room responded.

The leader's tone was full of regret: "If such a brain had been born in our mainland, if we had discovered it earlier, we would have given her the best teachers, the best laboratories, and the best knowledge."

Beside her, a cadre in a Zhongshan suit whispered, "But she's in Hong Kong now, receiving the full British education system; the documents say she's going to Cambridge next year, and Cambridge is making an exception for her, which shows the British also see her value; would Cambridge let such a genius slip away?"

The British aren't stupid; the Western system has always been very good at attracting top talent. Once a sixteen-year-old mathematical genius enters Cambridge and comes into contact with the cutting edge of academia, it's really unknown where she will stay or who she will serve in the future.

"It's not just about being good at studying." The middle-aged man with glasses turned to the last page of the document, pointed to a few lines of text, and said, "Sir, take a look at this;"

"Several commercial films that have been very popular in Hong Kong in recent years, such as 'The New Territories', 'Qin Guan', and 'The Magic Academy Exchange Student,' have been internally verified to have her as the core screenwriter; moreover, she also brought along relatives from a village in the New Territories to pool money for investment."

The middle-aged man closed the folder: "This editing ability, this business acumen, is astonishing for a sixteen-year-old girl."

The office was quiet for a few more seconds.

"We are working hard to bring Hong Kong back; it's the general trend," another leader sitting on the sofa said. "There are many people over there who still cherish their roots. Her father, He Dazhu, fled to Hong Kong from Guangdong Province in the 1970s, and her mother, Lin Lanying, was an indigenous resident of the New Territories. This bloodline can never be severed."

The leader on the sofa looked towards the office: "How about... we send one of our people to sound them out?"

"Go ahead," he finally said. "Such talent is rare; you might only see one in ten years in all the people in the mainland. We can't pretend we didn't see it. The country is currently undergoing construction and is short of people everywhere, especially top-notch minds like this."

"But remember this: she is still a student, and her most important task right now is to study. It's a good thing that she wants to go to Cambridge to broaden her horizons; talent isn't something we can just snatch away. What we need to do is let her know that the mainland has also noticed her. If she wants to come back in the future, there are always doors open for her here."

The secretary diligently took notes: "Sir, through what channels should we make contact?"

"Let the Xinhua News Agency's Hong Kong branch handle it; to be gentle, call and visit her under the guise of congratulating her on getting ten As in her Hong Kong Certificate of Education Examination."

"What if the other party avoids us?"

"That means she has concerns, so we should not meet her; we must not force her, and we must not provoke unfounded speculation from the Hong Kong media."

------

Two days later, at Taikoo Shing, Hong Kong.

Lin Ying hasn't gone anywhere these past few days, staying quietly at home and organizing the application materials she's sending to Cambridge.

On the table were a copy of his Form 5 report card, a notarized birth certificate, and a letter of recommendation from the principal, along with a stack of mathematical derivation manuscripts.

Lin Yue carried a plate of sliced ​​apples into the study and placed it on the table: "Big sister, have some fruit."

Lin Ying was still checking the English form in her hand: "Just put it there."

Lin Yue leaned closer to look at the English materials piled on the table: "Big sister, the newspapers say you're about to fly to Cambridge to become a university student, is that true?"

"The newspapers even said I was a goddess descended to earth. Have you ever seen me fly?" Lin Ying put a document into a brown paper bag.

"I've never seen it before," Lin Yue answered honestly.

"So don't believe what people outside say. I just got a ticket that might allow me to skip the line. Before I even get in, I still have to deal with the interview and those math problems all by myself. Only by taking it one step at a time can I feel secure on the road ahead."

Lin Yue nodded, seemingly understanding but not quite.

In the living room, Lin Lanying was plugging the two disconnected telephone lines back into their sockets; she hadn't received a call for two days and was worried that Professor Smith might have something urgent to discuss.

"Click".

The phone line had been plugged in for less than ten minutes when it started ringing in the living room.

Lin Lanying walked over, picked up the microphone, and asked impatiently, "Hey? Who is this? If it's someone from the newspaper again, we don't do interviews."

A gentle male voice came from the other end of the phone: "Excuse me, is this Mrs. Lin?"

Lin Lanying was taken aback for a moment: "Yes, I am. Which seat are you in?"

"Hello Mrs. Lin, please don't hang up. This is Xinhua News Agency's Hong Kong branch."

He Dazhu, who was sitting on the sofa reading the newspaper, heard this and his hand trembled, causing the newspaper to fall to the ground.

"Old Dou, why are your hands shaking?" Lin Qian asked curiously from the side.

He Dazhu's face turned pale: "I...I swam here back then. Xinhua News Agency is a state agency! What could they possibly want when they call my home? How could I not panic?"

Lin Lanying glared at him and mouthed, "What are you panicking for! Now it's our sister who's in charge!"

Her voice became more polite as she spoke into the phone: "May I ask what brings you here?"

The other party's tone remained calm and unhurried: "Mrs. Lin, we saw in the newspaper that Lin Ying achieved ten As in her Form Five examinations, and we also understand that she is preparing her Cambridge application. Several of our colleagues highly admire Lin Ying's academic performance. We would like to ask if it would be convenient for us to visit her in person and congratulate her?"

Lin Lanying could tell that the other party's tone was polite, but her hand holding the microphone unconsciously tightened.

"This..." Lin Lanying glanced in the direction of the study. "Comrade, my daughter is still reviewing her lessons; I can't make this decision for her. I need to ask her opinion first."

"Of course, we fully respect Lin Ying's and her family's wishes. If it's inconvenient for you to come in person, we can meet at a quiet teahouse; my phone number is..."

Lin Lanying quickly picked up the pen on the table and wrote down the number and the other party's surname.

After hanging up the phone, Lin Lanying took the note and hurried to the study: "Aying, something's happened."

Lin Ying put down her pen: "What's wrong?"

"That phone call just now... was from the Xinhua News Agency's Hong Kong branch." Lin Lanying handed over the note. "They said they wanted to visit you to congratulate you on getting ten As."

Looking at the number on the slip of paper, Lin Ying recalled the warning Professor Smith had given her in the Mid-Levels apartment before he left Hong Kong.

"Your identity will become a bargaining chip for all sorts of people with ulterior motives to test you there; remember, don't talk about politics, don't talk about your stance."

Looking at the note, Lin Ying knew that this meeting meant she had officially entered their sphere of interest.