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

It wasn't until her junior year that Lin Ying truly understood that the Cambridge Mathematics Department had actually been quite lenient with her during the first two years.

The course schedule was packed full of dry and profound subjects: advanced analysis, algebraic geometry, numerical methods, stochastic processes, and signal processing and basic electronic engineering courses that she had forced herself to take.

When Lucas first saw her class schedule in the hallway: "Lynn."

"Um?"

"Do you owe Cambridge a lot of money, so they're planning to make you pay with your life through these courses?"

Lin Ying zipped up her backpack: "I'm starting to have doubts about that too."

Joanne happened to be passing by with a stack of books, glanced at the timetable, and said, "Both of you stop complaining; Lucas, did you finish that proof about topology last night?"

Lucas immediately shut up, painfully rubbed his curly hair, and turned to walk towards the library.

During her junior year, Lin Ying would go to the classroom at eight o'clock every morning, spend her afternoons in the library researching obscure papers, and return to her apartment in the evenings to continue studying materials on electronic hardware. Professor Smith would give her a few internal papers that had not yet been published in academia, and then point out the lazy parts in her derivations.

Scott, the tutor, remained as sharp-tongued as ever. Once, after reviewing Lin Ying's homework, he wrote a comment in red pen: "She's really become stupid now."

After reading it, Lin Ying silently put her workbook back into her bag; Lucas, who was standing next to her, laughed so hard that he was almost kicked out of Scott's office.

With her studies demanding that year, Lin Ying was unable to find the time to return to Hong Kong for the Christmas break.

Hearing this news on the other end of the overseas phone call, Lin Lanying felt uneasy: "Sister, can't you really come back for a few days?"

"I really can't; I have two long papers due in January, and an interdisciplinary seminar in electrical engineering. If I go back, I won't even be able to adjust to the time difference, and then I'll have to fly back."

Lin Lanying asked with concern, "Then what will you eat over there all by yourself?"

"Mommy, if you ask me this question now, I'll feel more like crying."

"I'll send you some things!" Lin Lanying said immediately, "I'll send you lots of sausages, dried scallops, and other dried goods that you like."

"Don't send too much," Lin Ying said helplessly. "Customs will really suspect that I'm running a shop in Cambridge."

That year, Lin Ying didn't return to Hong Kong, but she didn't feel empty around her. Matthew was still the same Matthew, always complaining, but meticulously arranging things. Lucas and Joan would call every now and then, one complaining about how noisy her relatives in Boston were, and the other reminding Lin Ying not to exhaust herself trying to meet deadlines... She didn't have many friends, but they were all very genuine.

Claire's transaction briefings have never stopped over the years.

Previously, Lin Ying converted her money into 16 million US dollars and invested it in the US market, entrusting Claire with channel and risk control; there were some declines during this period, but the overall trend was upward;

The timeline shifts to June 1991.

Claire sent the latest account settlement report via fax.

Lin Ying looked at the final total figure printed on the paper: forty-one million US dollars.

She picked up the phone and dialed Claire directly: "I saw it."

Claire's voice sounded cheerful: "Congratulations, Lynn, you can now seriously consider your business plan."

"I was already considering it."

At the end of June, graduation season arrived as scheduled; after her last exam in her junior year, Lin Ying successfully obtained her Cambridge University degree and all supplementary certificates.

On graduation day, Cambridge was blessed with a rare sunny day; the college lawns were filled with students in academic gowns, parents were taking pictures with film cameras, and professors stood by chatting while sipping champagne.

Lucas was wearing that loose-fitting university gown, the fabric clinging loosely to his body, and he kept adjusting the collar that was choking him.

"Who designed this medieval relic?" he muttered to himself. "Wearing this thing makes me look like a criminal about to go to a religious trial."

Qiao An rolled her eyes at him: "Don't move around. Stand up straight, and you'll look like a graduate with normal intelligence."

Lin Ying stood quietly to the side, watching them bicker. She did not make an exceptional speech as an outstanding representative, nor did she stand on the stage to tell her inspirational story of overcoming social class barriers to get here. She simply went on stage according to the normal procedure, smiled as she accepted the certificate, shook hands with the dean, and walked off the stage.

Everything is going smooth.

However, the closer it got to leaving Cambridge, the more Lin Ying frowned, feeling as if something was pressing heavily on her chest.

She knew very well that this feeling had nothing to do with nostalgia. She didn't have a deep attachment to Cambridge; there were professors who protected her, friends who shared joys and sorrows, rigorous academic training, and food she could never stomach in her life.

The day after the graduation ceremony, Professor Smith called Lin Ying into his office.

He wasn't alone in the office; Scott's advisor was also there, along with two senior professors in charge of electrical engineering; on the table, a graduate student invitation document stamped with an official seal was neatly placed.

Smith looked at her and got straight to the point: "Lynn, the math department is willing to offer you an unconditional graduate position. If you want to stay here, I can personally recommend you."

Another professor from the Department of Electrical Engineering smiled and said, "Your self-study progress in signal processing and electronics is also outstanding; if you continue to study at Cambridge, you don't necessarily have to go down the path of pure mathematics. You can do research in other departments."

Lin Ying looked at the invitation on the table and remained silent for a moment.

Then, she pushed the materials back: "Thank you all for your kindness, professors, but I've decided not to continue."

Smith seemed to have anticipated this outcome, but still followed protocol and asked, "Why?"

Lin Ying: "First, I want to start my own business; I want to make communication modules, mobile phones, and electronic hardware assembly myself, to open a factory, and to build a production line. I don't want to just leave them in theory and papers."

Scott raised an eyebrow: "And second?"

"Secondly, I really can't eat the food here."

Professor Smith clenched his fist and coughed awkwardly; the two professors who had been to Hong Kong for exchanges exchanged glances, and one of them nodded: "I fully understand that reason."

Another professor sighed, "To be honest, after I came back from having dim sum in Hong Kong last time, I didn't want to touch the plates in the college cafeteria for three days in a row."

Scott gritted his teeth: "You lot are really something! We're talking about postgraduate places at Cambridge!"

Lin Ying stood up: "Professor, I am very grateful for the opportunities Cambridge has given me over the past three years; but what I will do in the future will not deviate from the underlying logic of mathematics, nor will I waste these three years of training; it's just that I must go out into the world."

Smith smiled and nodded: "Since you're starting a business as a Cambridge graduate, the university will certainly support you. If you need recommendation letters, lab resources, or engineering talent in the future, I can help you make the connections."

"There's also patent registration and technology transfer," another professor reminded. "If you want to make hardware products, you first need to learn how to legally protect your own products."

Lin Ying nodded: "I will have a lawyer follow up on this."

Scott, with a cold expression, pulled a piece of paper from his drawer and pushed it towards her: "These are the names of several engineers who are currently doing very well in the industry; they all have bad tempers, but they have real skills. You can try to poach them."

Lin Ying accepted it with both hands: "Thank you, mentor."

Scott still didn't give him a friendly look: "Don't thank me too soon. Failing in a physical business is much more embarrassing than failing an exam."

Lin Ying smiled and said, "Then I'll try my best not to embarrass you."

Three days later, Lin Ying booked her flight back to Hong Kong.

On the day she left, Matthew took half a day off from the lab and drove her to the airport.

In the car, Matthew was as usual, steadily steering the wheel while muttering, "Passport, plane ticket, graduation certificate, copy of the contract from the lawyer, settlement documents for Claire's account—you have all of these with you, right?"

"I brought everything."

Upon arriving at the airport, checking in large items, and going through customs and security, everything seemed normal; however, Lin Ying's eyes kept wandering around, her fingers tightly gripping the bag strap.

The waiting hall was bustling with people, and announcements from various airlines were playing repeatedly. She and Matthew sat in seats near the boarding gate. Matthew went to the convenience store next door and bought two hot coffees, handing one to her.

Just as Lin Ying took the coffee, she suddenly heard a familiar voice coming from not far away; it was standard Mandarin.

She looked in the direction of the sound.

A group of Chinese soldiers in green uniforms were sitting on the other side of the waiting area. There were about a dozen of them, with their green military bags neatly arranged at their feet. Some were talking in hushed tones, while others were resting with their eyes closed. At the front of the group, a young officer was checking the identification documents in everyone's hands.

Matthew followed her gaze, somewhat surprised: "You know them?"

"I don't know them." Lin Ying's tense shoulders relaxed slightly at this moment. "But hearing familiar Chinese and seeing my own people here suddenly makes me feel much more at ease."

She put down her coffee, thought for a moment, and then stood up and walked over.

The young officer had a cold and stern face. As soon as Lin Ying took three steps closer, he stopped and looked over.

Lin Ying took the initiative to greet them in Mandarin: "Hello, I'm an international student from Hong Kong; are there so many of you going on a mission?"

The officer looked at her and said without any further pleasantries, "We are on our way to the Middle East for a peacekeeping mission and are just transiting here."

A soldier with a tanned face standing nearby smiled when he heard she was from Hong Kong: "Female student, are you also on holiday back home?"

"I've completely gone back," Lin Ying replied with a smile. "I just graduated from Cambridge University."

Upon hearing the name Cambridge, several soldiers exclaimed, "A prestigious university! Impressive!"

Lin Ying shook her head and said in a very down-to-earth manner, "It's okay, it's just that the food here is really terrible. I'm going to starve to death if I don't leave soon."

"Going back alone?" The officer glanced behind Lin Ying and asked.

"A friend brought me here," Lin Ying said, pointing to Matthew standing not far away. "He's my British friend."

The officer nodded and gave a final reminder: "When you're traveling, make sure you keep an eye on your belongings before boarding the plane. Don't leave your documents and bag unattended."

"Thanks."

As Lin Ying returned to her seat, the inexplicable panic she had felt was indeed somewhat suppressed by the presence of this group of people; Matthew, seeing that her expression had eased, asked, "What did they say to you?"

"Let me keep an eye on my luggage."