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

Zhao Qiming placed the cardboard box securely, then took out a kraft paper bag from inside, the bag sealed with a red stamp.

He Dazhu was somewhat surprised: "Zhao, are you sure you're not mistaken? You were only interviewed today and you're already being offered a job?"

Zhao Qiming handed over the paper bag: "No mistake, the Graduate School, the Department of Electronic Engineering, and the Department of Automation have all signed it. It was specially approved by the university."

Lin Ying reached out and took the paper bag, opening it to reveal an admission notice on top: Beijing University of Science and Technology, Graduate Program in Industrial Automation: "Industrial Automation?"

Zhao Qiming explained: "It was an arrangement made after discussions among several professors at the school. Your proposal included communication hardware, signal processing, and factory production lines; if you were placed solely in the Department of Electronic Engineering, we were worried that you would get stuck in the control and production stages when you later worked on equipment manufacturing; if you were placed solely in the Department of Automation, we were worried that you would have no one to guide you in communication theory."

"So?" Lin Ying asked.

"So your student status will be listed as Industrial Automation; but the Department of Electrical Engineering, the Department of Automation, and the Department of Computer Science will all open doors for you. Just let them know in advance which lab you want to enter."

Lin Lanying didn't understand the technical terms, but grasped the key point: "So, my sister really got in?"

"I passed the exam."

Lin Lanying immediately patted He Dazhu on the shoulder: "Did you hear that? You passed the exam!"

He Dazhu laughed and said, "Then should we treat the school teachers to a meal? Things need to be done in Hong Kong, there's always a bit of an expense involved..."

Zhao Qiming quickly shook his head: "Uncle, no need for that; the school has rules."

Lin Ying put the admission notice back in the paper bag and asked Zhao Qiming, "Is the school still on holiday?"

"Yes, school officially starts on September 1st; you can register at the end of August; however, your situation is special, so it's best to finish the necessary procedures today to avoid queuing when school starts."

Lin Ying quickly made a decision: "Shall we go now?"

"Let's go now." Zhao Qiming picked up the cardboard box. "I'll lead the way."

Lin Lanying immediately grabbed her bag: "I'm going too."

Seeing the scene, Zhao Qiming smiled and said, "That's fine. There aren't many places to process the paperwork today, so your uncles and aunties can also come along and take a look at the school."

The group left the guesthouse.

The campus of Beijing University of Science and Technology is much larger than that of universities in Hong Kong. Rows of poplar trees line the roadside, and although the exterior walls of the teaching buildings are old, they are kept clean. There are few students during the summer vacation, and occasionally a cyclist passes by.

The graduate school was in a white tiled building. Zhao Qiming led them inside. The teacher handling the paperwork had obviously been notified in advance. Upon seeing Lin Ying's name, he immediately took out a stack of forms from his drawer.

"Lin Ying, please verify your identity first."

Lin Ying handed over her Home Return Permit, Hong Kong Permanent Resident Identity Card, graduation certificate, and original transcript.

After checking, another teacher handed over the student registration form: "Fill in your home address here, both your Hong Kong address and your temporary address in Beijing; leave the advisor section blank for now, the department hasn't finalized it yet."

Lin Ying filled out the form, signed it, pressed her fingerprint, and handed in her photo... Half an hour later, the procedures were more than half completed.

Next, I went to the finance office to pay the fee.

The female teacher in the finance office flipped through the forms: "Lin Ying, you don't need to pay your tuition yet. The school will arrange a special training program for you. You won't be assigned to a regular dormitory for now; arrangements will be made after you arrive at the start of the semester."

"What does the specialized training include?" Lin Ying felt she should ask for clarification.

The female teacher said, "I'm not sure about that; the graduate school will notify you. Anyway, the finance department shows that the fees are temporarily suspended."

The last stop was the department office.

In the office of the Department of Industrial Automation, two teachers were sitting; one surnamed Zhou, who was in charge of graduate student management; the other surnamed Gu, who was the deputy head of the department.

Upon seeing Lin Ying, Deputy Director Gu immediately stood up and said, "Welcome, Lin Ying."

Lin Ying nodded politely: "Hello, Teacher Gu. Hello, Teacher Zhou."

Deputy Director Gu asked her to sit down: "The department has tentatively decided that your specialization will be an interdisciplinary application of control theory and communication systems. Do you have any objections?"

"no."

Professor Zhou handed her a course schedule: "These are the courses you might take in the first semester. The specifics will be adjusted after the semester starts. You don't have to follow the regular graduate student plan exactly. You can be exempted from some basic courses, but you must take the lab courses."

By the time I finished the formalities and came out, it was almost noon.

Zhao Qiming handed the meal card to Lin Ying: "Let's go, I'll take you to the cafeteria."

"canteen?"

Zhao Qiming didn't react immediately: "Right, the school cafeteria."

Lin Ying asked cautiously, "Is your cafeteria... normal?"

Zhao Qiming: "Huh?"

He Dazhu explained from the side, "She was injured in the cafeteria in England."

Zhao Qiming: "Don't worry, at least we can tell what the dishes are in our cafeteria."

Upon arriving at the cafeteria, Lin Ying used her new meal card to pay for her first meal.

Scrambled eggs with tomatoes, shredded pork with green peppers, rice, and a bowl of seaweed soup; she took a bite of the scrambled eggs with tomatoes and felt at peace.

Seeing her eating so intently, Lin Lanying asked, "Is it better than in England?"

Lin Ying: "Don't insult this plate of scrambled eggs with tomatoes."

After the meal, Zhao Qiming escorted them back to the guesthouse.

Before leaving, he reminded her, "Lin Ying, it would be best to arrive three days early at the end of August, as you may need to attend a confidentiality training session."

Upon hearing the word "secret," Lin Ying nodded, "Understood."

Lin Lanying waited until Zhao Qiming was out of sight before asking, "What does 'secrecy training' mean?"

Lin Ying put the special pass into her bag: "This means I can't casually talk about what I come into contact with in the future."

He Dazhu: "Then we won't ask."

Lin Lanying also said, "Yes, we won't ask; if you can talk, then talk; if you can't talk, then eat."

The next day, the family of three flew back to Hong Kong.

As the plane landed in Kai Tak, the humid, hot air hit her, and Lin Lanying's first words were: "Hong Kong is still the most comfortable."

Back at Taikoo Shing, the door opened and Lin Qian and Lin Yue were both in the living room; Lin Qian was wearing shorts and holding a thick stack of law books. He immediately stood up when he saw Lin Yue enter.

"Big sister! You're back after the exam? Did you get accepted?"

Lin Ying put down her bag: "I got accepted. I'll be a graduate student in Industrial Automation."

Lin Yue immediately ran over to help pack the luggage: "Big sister, you're amazing! Are you going to build machines in the future?"

"Let's study first, then we'll talk about whether we should do it or not." Lin Ying looked at the two of them, "Are you on vacation?"

Lin Qian put the book down: "I've put it down, but it's like I haven't put it down at all! I regret studying law; the book is thicker than a brick!"

Lin Yue chimed in, "Weren't you so impressive when you filled out your college application last year? You said you wanted to be a top lawyer, wear a suit into the courthouse, and dominate the room with your presence."

Lin Qian clutched his chest: "I was young and ignorant back then."

Lin Ying asked Lin Yue, "How's your education major?"

Lin Yue sat back on the sofa: "It's alright, but I have to write a lot of lesson plans and observe classes at elementary schools. The children are cute, but when the whole class is talking together, I still can't stand it, it's too noisy."

Lin Lanying laughed when she heard this: "The three of you are going to study machinery, law, and education. Your family will be very lively in the future."

In the evening, Lin Lanying prepared a table full of dishes: poached chicken, steamed fish, stir-fried clams, slow-cooked soup, and roast goose that Lin Ying had specifically requested.

Grandpa, Grandma, Uncle, and Aunt also came; Lin Fu held the admission notice and looked at it for a long time.

Li Yuzhen served food to Lin Ying: "You're going to study in Beijing. It'll be cold in winter, so bring warm clothes."

Deng Hui said with a smile, "My eldest sister must have already made a list."