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

On December 7th, Designer Zheng called to say that the work was ready for acceptance.

Lin Lanying and He Dazhu went to the construction site almost every other day to oversee the renovation, but they had something to do today so they didn't go. Lin Ying drove there alone that afternoon, and Designer Zheng led her from the first floor to the third floor, opening the door of each room and looking around.

The kitchen cabinets are all in place, and the built-in oven, steamer, and dishwasher are lined up in a row. The quartz countertop of the island feels cool to the touch, and the faucet flows smoothly when tested.

The study was the place Lin Ying cared about the most. She pushed the door open and stood there for a while. The soundproofing was indeed very good. After closing the door, the sound of the workers cleaning up their tools in the garden outside could hardly be heard.

"Ms. Lin, is there anything that needs to be adjusted?" Designer Zheng followed behind, holding the acceptance form.

Lin Ying walked through all the rooms, then went to the garden and swimming pool: "No problem, inspection passed."

Designer Zheng handed over the acceptance form, which Lin Ying signed. She then wrote out the final payment check and gave it to him on the spot.

Back in Taikoo Shing in the afternoon, Lin Lanying was sitting in the living room watching TV. Hearing the door open, she asked, "How did it go?"

"It's all set up, it looks beautiful." Lin Ying sat down on the sofa. "But I don't plan to move in right away."

Why?

"The house was just renovated. Although it was made of solid wood and imported environmentally friendly materials, it would still be better to ventilate it a bit. I'd like to wait until a week before the Lunar New Year to move in."

Lin Lanying thought about it and agreed: "Okay, a few more weeks won't make a difference."

He Dazhu walked in from the balcony: "The safety amulets are all packaged!"

"Old Dou, you've worked hard. You'll meet with your neighbors on January 29th."

During dinner, Lin Ying remembered something: "Mommy, should we hire two Filipino maids after we move in? It's a house of over 300 square meters with a garden and swimming pool; you can't manage it all by yourself."

Lin Lanying immediately refused: "No, thank you."

Why?

"I'm not used to having a stranger wandering around my house every day, watching what I do, and even feeling uncomfortable when I burp; before, I had to take care of your two kids' food, drink, and daily needs while running the shop, but now that you're grown up, I don't have to work anymore, I just manage the household."

He Dazhu chimed in from the side, "Your mother is the kind of person who will get angry if someone touches her kitchen."

"Exactly!" Lin Lanying said firmly. "I know exactly where my own pots and pans are. If an outsider comes in and leaves them lying around, I'll be frantically looking for them the next day."

Lin Ying knew her mother's temperament and didn't force her: "Then how about we take a step back and hire a cleaning lady? The kind who doesn't live here, just comes twice a week, does a deep cleaning, wipes the windows and mops the floor and leaves."

Lin Lanying thought for a moment and said, "This is acceptable. People come, work, and leave. It's no big deal."

The next day, Lin Ying called Manager Liang to ask if there were any reputable cleaning companies near Kadoorie Hill. Manager Liang quickly returned a phone number, saying that several households in the area used their services and that they had been doing so for seven or eight years and were very reliable.

Lin Ying arranged to meet with the person in charge, a plump woman in her early forties surnamed Liu, who spoke very frankly.

"Ms. Lin, our cleaners are all experienced professionals who have been doing this for several years. They are very familiar with the rules here in Kadoorie Hill: change into shoe covers when you enter, don't touch valuables, and leave immediately after finishing your work without lingering."

Lin Ying signed a one-year contract with her, which stipulated that she would come twice a week, on Tuesdays and Fridays, for four hours each time with three people, and the fee would be settled monthly.

That afternoon after the contract was signed, Butler Liang called again: "Ms. Lin, would it be convenient for you to schedule a time for the neighborhood introduction meeting?"

"January 29th, I guess," Lin Ying said, calculating the date. "Let's air out the new house again."

"Okay, I'll pass the message on to all the neighbors."

"Okay, thank you, Mr. Liang."

After hanging up the phone, Lin Ying leaned back on the sofa and flipped through the newspaper for a while. When she got to the financial section, she glanced at it but there was nothing special about it. When she got to the technology section, a whole page of GG caught her eye.

"Huake Communications' new mobile phone is about to be launched," the headline reads, followed by a rendering of a phone that is not much bigger than a fist, with a streamlined body, a small antenna, and green numbers lit up on the screen.

Lin Ying stared at the picture for several seconds.

This is her stuff.

Her battery design, the chip architecture she helped optimize, and the motherboard layout she drew have now become a beautiful product advertisement in the newspaper.

Turning to the next page, there was another full page with the press conference date: December 28th, at the Shenzhen Science Park Conference Center.

Lin Ying closed the newspaper and went into the study. On the desk was a letter she had received the day before yesterday, in a kraft paper envelope with no sender's address, only a number; she hadn't opened it before, but now she picked it up, tore open the seal, and inside was a gold-embossed invitation.

"Dear Ms. Lin Ying, we cordially invite you to attend the launch event for Huake Communications' first portable mobile phone terminal."

Time: 12 PM, December 28, 1993.

Location: Shenzhen Science Park International Conference Center.

The invitation letter was stamped with the internal seal of Institute D6 in the lower right corner, and next to it was a line of small print written in pencil: "Please arrive in Shenzhen one day in advance for transportation. Accommodation has been arranged. — Li Xiao"

Lin Ying put the invitation back into the envelope and locked it in her desk drawer.

Li Hua's name will not appear in any public occasions, she will not have a place at press conferences, and no one will mention her on stage; but she still wants to go and see.

She remembers every single day that phone went through, from the initial idea in her mind to the plan on paper, to repeated testing in the lab, and finally to becoming a mass-producible product.

She wanted to see it released with her own eyes.

During dinner that evening, Lin Ying told her family, "I'll be going to Shenzhen for two days at the end of the month."

Lin Lanying asked, "What are you doing?"

"Attend an industry press conference."

He Dazhu didn't ask any further questions, only saying, "Be careful."

After dinner, Lin Ying returned to her room and sat by the window looking at the night view outside. 1993 was coming to an end. That year, she graduated from D6 Institute, obtained her master's degree, signed a profit-sharing contract, bought a villa and a car, and also figured out many things.