Reborn in America: Starting as a California Resident

As the conversation drew to a close, the morning light gradually illuminated the area around the pavilion, and sunlight filtered through the leaves, dappling the air like countless golden fragments gently swaying.

Xiang Huayan and Henry slowly stood up, shook hands, and said goodbye.

Watching the other person walk away, Henry turned to Fred Sassoon beside him and asked, "Is he, or rather, it, the backup candidate you've chosen?"

As a member of the upper class in Europe and America, Henry was well aware of the complex emotions in England regarding the Sino-Vietnamese conflict that began on February 17th of this year.

The war lasted only a month, but it successfully shattered the ambitions of South Vietnamese militarism and dealt a heavy blow to its Soviet supporters.

Many countries during the Cold War reassessed China's strength and its importance in the global political landscape.

As England still residing on Chinese territory, they are now facing extremely severe pressure and challenges.

Their biggest fear is that this "rogue rabbit" who "punches the American imperialists and kicks the Soviet Union" will take advantage of the situation to move south and completely regain control of Hong Kong.

If that's really the case, it would be a disaster!

Since the two Opium Wars, Hong Kong has been a major economic center for Britain in the Far East and an important pillar of its international status and influence.

If this pearl of the Orient were truly lost, the once-glorious British Empire, now only bathed in the afterglow of its setting sun, would likely have no last glimmer of light left.

Therefore, the British government and its top elites had to reassess their strategic layout in Hong Kong, abandon the illusion of long-term colonial rule, begin to formulate a prudent withdrawal plan, and look for suitable "proxies" so that they could still maintain a certain degree of influence after the withdrawal.

Among them, Mr. Li Huangtai, who will later become world-renowned and the richest man in Asia, is one of the agents chosen by the British royal family.

Since the 80s, it has cooperated with England to carry out an asset stripping operation that lasted for more than a decade, taking away most of Hong Kong's wealth through land transactions, financial harvesting and other means.

Against this backdrop, Fred Sassoon suddenly introduced the Sun Yee On triad to Henry, which made Henry suspicious that the Sassoon family and the English side hoped to gradually "clean up" his identity through business cooperation.

"Heh, maybe!"

Fred smiled slightly, without answering directly, and simply said softly, "The world is changing, Henry."

We all need to prepare for the uncertainties of the future.

Yes, the world is changing.

Henry gazed into the direction of the continent, his heart filled with emotion.

To this day, he has not figured out how to handle his relationship with China.

His status as an American aristocrat naturally placed him in the Western camp;

But his deep-seated Chinese heritage constantly reminded him that he should not interfere in the entanglement between England and China.

A gentle breeze swept by, carrying a hint of early summer coolness.

Henry turned to Fred, his gaze returning to him, and invited, "Want to have breakfast together?"

"Of course! I'm honored to accept your invitation."

Fred Sassoon, seemingly oblivious to the deeper meaning in Henry's words, nodded with great interest and readily accepted the invitation.

Afterwards, the group walked into a well-known restaurant in Central.

This restaurant is known for its traditional English breakfast and authentic Chinese dim sum, and is a favorite dining spot for many local high society members.

The restaurant's interior is elegantly decorated, with wooden furniture that exudes a subtle luster, and several oil paintings depicting the scenery of Victoria Harbour hanging on the walls, creating a unique atmosphere that blends classic and modern elements.

Outside the window is a bustling city scene, with green trees occasionally dotting the landscape between the tall buildings.

"Gentlemen, what would you like to order?"

The group went straight to the innermost private room in the restaurant and found a seat by the window.

A handsome young waiter approached respectfully and asked Henry and Fred what they would like to order.

"I'd like an order of shrimp dumplings, siu mai, and a beef rice noodle roll."

Another cup of black tea, please.

Fred Sassoon blindly ordered a few dishes he was familiar with, then explained to Henry, "The Hong Kong-style breakfast here is very good, especially the famous pineapple bun; you should try it."

Fred Sassoon had noticed Henry's strong interest in Chinese cuisine at the last welcome party;

That's why he recommended Henry come here today to experience authentic Hong Kong-style morning tea.

"Okay, in that case, let's order the same meal, and I'll also try that famous pineapple bun."

The waiter took down their order, politely withdrew, and prepared to hand their order over to the kitchen.

The restaurant plays soft jazz music, and the view of the bustling Central district outside the window gives it the feel of an urban oasis.

As the food was served, Henry and Fred temporarily set aside their serious topics and turned to something more relaxed.

They talked about the recent art auctions and the upcoming horse races.

Henry also mentioned his family museum in Los Angeles, which included a collection of valuable Chinese antiques, which greatly interested Fred.

These topics, coupled with the soft jazz music playing in the restaurant, created a relaxed and pleasant atmosphere, making their relationship even more harmonious.

At least on the surface, that's how it seems.

As time quietly passed, Henry gently put down his knife and fork, turned his focused gaze to Fred, and said in a serious and firm tone: "I don't care what role Xiang Huayan will play in the future, but I will never allow any of his actions to affect my business."

"Henry, I understand your concerns."

"You can rest assured on this issue."

I introduced you to him purely because I owed him a favor; it doesn't imply any other intentions from my family or England.

Fred Sassoon put down his cutlery, a knowing smile playing on his lips: "This was just my personal behavior."

After a moment's thought, he added softly, "At least for now."

"Okay, Fred, I believe you."

Henry said slowly, "But if things develop in a way that doesn't meet expectations, I hope you can understand some of the necessary measures I may have to take."

Considering the current state of the Sun Yee On triad, it is indeed not worthwhile for Sassoon or HSBC to deceive Henry.

Therefore, he nodded slightly and chose to believe the other party's explanation for the time being.

"That's natural, Henry."

Each of us has our own bottom line and responsibilities.

I will notify you immediately if there are any changes.

Their eyes met, as if they had reached a silent understanding.

After watching Fred leave, Henry sat there alone, lost in thought for a while.

By this time, the sun was high in the sky, completely dispelling the morning mist: "Let's go back to the factory."

Henry returned to his office in the sci-fi arcade, boarding his recently purchased Mercedes-Benz.

I had barely sat down when I heard a dull knock on the door.

"Please come in," he replied.

Shen Fei pushed open the door and entered, holding a document in her hand: "Boss, the final soundtrack for the arcade game has been finalized. Here is the track list."

"Well, now that it's all polished up, let's officially launch the project."

Henry took the documents from Shen Fei, quickly flipped through them, and then nodded in agreement.

The reason for such a quick decision was that these tracks had already been completed;

The current work is simply to make final adjustments based on different stages and situations in the game to ensure that the music blends better with the game's rhythm, thereby enhancing the player's overall experience.