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

In the conference room outside the screening room, the late-night snack lasted until after 9 p.m.

Boss Peng was truly starving. For three months, he spent his time in the freezing cold of Scotland negotiating with foreign film crews, eating cold food and hard bread every day. Even his iron stomach couldn't take it.

He shoveled beef noodles into his mouth while mumbling and cursing. He cursed the foreign unions for constantly going on strike, and he cursed the bad weather too. He even dragged out the ancestors of that scheming director who wanted to change the script and cursed them all.

Su Zhihao sat beside him, holding a bowl of porridge and listening with amusement.

"Old Peng, you've lost a lot of weight since you came back, and your temper has gotten even worse."

Boss Peng picked up a thick piece of braised goose meat: "Why don't you try being a villain for three months in the freezing cold? Let me tell you, I get a headache just thinking about those robes, wands, and castles from abroad when I close my eyes."

Lin Ying sat opposite her, holding a cup of hot tea, barely touching her chopsticks; she hadn't eaten much for dinner, her attention still focused on the sample video she had just watched.

The film was much better than she had expected. The cool tones of the Western castle in the visuals contrasted sharply with the sharp features of the Eastern youth in white robes and black hair. The moment the talisman flew up and flashed with golden light was indeed captivating.

Westerners often make cheap and sensational films about Eastern elements, creating clown-like figures with straw hats and queues. This film is different; the Eastern spiritual cultivation system has a profound foundation and is presented in a dignified and groundbreaking way.

After finishing half a bowl of boat congee, Boss Peng wiped his mouth with a tissue and took out his cigarette case.

"I'm full, let's get down to business." Boss Peng tapped his fingers on the table. "The film still needs final mixing and subtitle adjustments. I've already had someone keep an eye on the English version. I have to find someone to do the traditional Chinese subtitles myself; those Taoist terms can't be mistranslated by the foreigners. I'm planning to release it during the summer vacation."

Su Zhihao stopped picking up food with his chopsticks: "Summer vacation?"

"Yes." Boss Peng leaned back in his chair. "The final version will be completed by the end of May. We'll submit it for review in June, then roll out posters and launch the publicity campaign, and it will officially go on sale in July. Students in Europe and America are on summer vacation in July, and so are those in Hong Kong. If we don't release it now, are we going to wait until Christmas to go head-to-head with big Hollywood productions?"

When Lin Lanying heard the words "summer vacation," she glanced at her daughter sitting next to her.

"Boss Peng, Ah Ying has a big exam in June."

Lin Ying put down her teacup and replied, "The exams will finish on June 27th. The official holiday will begin after the exams."

Mr. Peng looked at her, somewhat surprised: "Your school lets out for vacation so late?"

Lin Ying nodded; that's how it is at schools here.

Su Zhihao clicked his tongue twice, pointing at Lin Ying: "Look at this, look at this. Other kids in sixth grade are busy memorizing vocabulary for fear of getting beaten, while she's busy with the global release of a movie worth tens of millions of dollars. What kind of logic is that?"

Lin Ying: "I don't want to get beaten up either, but I still have to take the exam."

"Yes, yes, yes." Su Zhihao waved his hand in defeat. "You take your test first. If you fail, Mrs. Lin can chase me from Taikoo Shing to Causeway Bay with scissors."

Lin Lanying rolled her eyes at him, annoyed: "It's good that Boss Su knows."

After the dinner, Boss Peng went into a non-stop promotional and distribution channel-running mode, and was nowhere to be seen for several weeks.

In late May, the weather in Hong Kong was already starting to get hot and humid.

In the final days of sixth grade, the atmosphere in the classroom grew increasingly tense. Every morning during reading time, Ms. Chen would stand on the podium, holding a wooden ruler, and tap the blackboard to remind students.

"Every test paper you answer correctly now is a step towards your future! If you want to get into a good middle school, don't rely on luck!"

Under pressure, even the girls in the class who usually loved passing notes after class started sitting obediently in their seats, holding their vocabulary books and memorizing them by rote.

Lin Lanying used to be in charge of her; now, He Dazhu has started to take charge as well.

Since his last trip back to his hometown and his subsequent awakening, He Dazhu's presence in the family has become increasingly strong. He is no longer the invisible man who would only hide on the balcony, silently polishing jade.

At 10:20 p.m., there will be two knocks on the study door.

"Sister, there are ten minutes left." He Dazhu's voice came from outside the door.

At 10:30, the door will be gently pushed open.

"Put down your pen and close your eyes." He Dazhu stood at the door, his expression serious. "You can't trade your health for studying or making money. You were in poor health before you were nine, and now that you're finally fully recovered, you have to protect yourself."

Lin Ying looked up and saw that Lao Dou was becoming more and more like the head of the family, which sometimes made her laugh. So she obediently put the pen cap back on.

"Okay, Lao Dou, I'm going to sleep now."

On the afternoon of the first Saturday in June, the whole family gathered at Taikoo Shing, a rare occasion.

Lin Ying sat at the large dining table doing a long English reading exercise, while Lin Qian, across from her, was biting his pencil and struggling with math bonus problems. Lin Lanying was by the living room's French windows, practicing on a Western-style garment she had just learned to make, while He Dazhu sat on a small stool on the balcony, slowly sanding a Guanyin jade pendant.

The landline phone on the coffee table rang.

Lin Qian looked up, his eyes lighting up: "It must be Uncle Su! He's here again to claim the cost of the 'Gambling King of the Underworld' videotapes!"

Lin Lanying glared at him: "Go do your math, stop thinking about money."

Lin Ying put down her pen, walked over, and answered the phone: "Hello, who is this?"

"Screenwriter Xiao Lin." It wasn't Su Zhihao's loud voice coming through the receiver, but Boss Peng's voice.

"Uncle Peng? The European and American channels have been finalized?" Lin Ying straightened up.

"I already knew about the European and American channels," Boss Peng said cryptically on the other end of the phone. "Guess which channel I unexpectedly managed to get through in the past few weeks?"

"where?"

"The mainland." On the other end of the phone, Boss Peng said smugly, "I originally just asked a few old friends who do entrepot trade to test the waters, I didn't expect it to work out at all. But someone there was willing to watch the film, so I had someone send a copy of the sample film over."

Lin Ying asked, "What did they say after they read it?"

"They said the theme is excellent," Boss Peng repeated. "The leaders over there saw it very clearly, saying that this film is about an Eastern boy who, in Western soil, is neither ashamed nor subservient. It's not about feudal superstition; it's about using his own cultural system to break through and save people. They said, 'This theme is spot on!'"

Mr. Peng continued, "After watching it, their attitude was much better than I expected. They've already given preliminary verbal approval for it to be screened as part of cultural exchange. And as long as the subsequent procedures are approved quickly, it can be screened simultaneously with foreign films!"