He arrived with a gift before the agreed-upon time.

The motorcycle was still at the shop, already paid for. Yin Zhe would pick it up later. Chen Linzhi had given the staff extra tips, asking them to provide attentive service and instructing them not to refuse a refund if Yin Zhe wanted one.

Yin Zhe’s home was now in Yau Tsim Mong, a few minutes away from Victoria Harbour.

The apartment building wasn’t new, but it wasn’t old either. It was a building from over a decade ago, located above a bustling commercial district.

Hong Kong had been developing for many years, with new and old buildings coexisting. Perhaps due to a lack of overall planning, allowing developers to do as they pleased, it was lively but somewhat chaotic. Especially with Chen Linzhi’s increasing preference for quiet, he found it difficult to adjust to crowded places.

Speaking of Yin Zhe, their previous encounters hadn't gone smoothly. They didn't have much in common, and their conversations always felt distant. Years had passed in a blink of an eye, and Yin Zhe was still working at the United Trading Company. Considering his lack of education and resources, it was indeed difficult for him to venture out on his own.

Chen Linzhi wasn't married, but Yin Zhe was, and he had a child last year. Chen Linzhi hadn't come to visit after receiving the good news, but he had sent Yin Zhe 50,000 Hong Kong dollars. This time, he picked out a longevity lock as a belated gift.

The scenery at the Peak was beautiful, but it lacked a human touch.

When he arrived at Yin Zhe's home, he saw his entire family, including his in-laws, happily cooking and chatting. It was clear that he was doing well.

Chen Linzhi was pulled aside by his in-laws, who chatted about stocks and real estate. This gave him the strange feeling of watching a Hong Kong drama. They were very friendly and enthusiastic.

Ordinary people only had access to so much information. Chen Linzhi didn't mind offering some guidance, since he was familiar with several companies in Hong Kong and didn't have to worry about leading them astray. It was just a small favor.

His thoughts were mostly on the chubby toddler who was already walking.

Since he didn't have children himself, he found these small beings quite fascinating. But more than wanting a child of his own, he mostly felt uneasy and melancholic.

Chen Linzhi's life was quite carefree now. Having a child meant worrying about whether they would be good-looking, smart, or well-behaved. Being ordinary would be fine, but if they turned out to be ungrateful or spendthrift, it would be better not to have them at all, saving him a lot of worry.

At home, the nannies and housekeepers rarely appeared before Chen Linzhi and never spoke loudly. He couldn't hear any noise from outside the window.

It was different now. The sounds of talking, including Yin Zhe's voice, the child crying, and the adults soothing him, filled the hundred-square-meter apartment. The upstairs neighbors were also oddly jumping around.

While feeling slightly annoyed, Chen Linzhi thought that if he hadn't had an accident and stumbled into his current situation, his daily life would probably be similar. He might even envy Hong Kong residents like Yin Zhe who owned "thousand-square-foot mansions" and earned high salaries with good benefits.

In that light, a life without human touch didn't seem so bad. At least Chen Linzhi preferred his current life to Yin Zhe's everyday existence.

…

Fish maw and chicken soup, steamed crab, and high-quality beef showed that Yin Zhe's family had put a lot of effort into preparing the meal.

After the meal, Chen Linzhi and Yin Zhe went to the balcony to smoke. From the fifteenth floor, they could see many low-rise old buildings. The streets were too narrow, and cars were stuck in traffic, unable to move after several minutes, honking their horns as if that would clear the way.

After discussing some topics related to Hong Kong celebrities, Chen Linzhi suddenly said, "It's a bit noisy, and your apartment is too small for your family. I can advance you some salary from the company to help you buy a bigger place. The appreciation potential is quite high, and it's hard to lose money."

"I haven't finished paying off the mortgage on this place, and I can't afford a bigger house. I know you're doing well now, but I don't want to take advantage of you. You've already helped me a lot. I'm planning to buy a shop to rent out," Yin Zhe said with a smile.

House prices had risen, and in this pre-online shopping era, shop prices would likely follow suit. Chen Linzhi smiled and didn't interfere, nodding and saying, "Alright, I'll go to the company tomorrow and see if I can find a suitable position for you, and try to get you a promotion and a raise. The Hong Kong branch might have some big moves soon, and some positions will probably open up. This company will become more and more important, and it might even surpass my United Capital Group. If you study hard and work hard, you still have a bright future."

Yin Zhe was curious and asked, "What kind of big moves? Is someone going to quit or get laid off?"

"Neither. I have some new projects that I might put in Hong Kong and the neighboring Casino. I need to assemble a new management team. Your side will continue to be responsible for investments in the mainland, and there won't be much change. I also want to build a semiconductor research and development center and a low-threshold stock exchange similar to Nasdaq. If necessary, an energy futures exchange can also be tried. I heard that the British have been trying to carve up Hong Kong, taking away capital, technology, talent, and factories. When they leave, I'll step in. These are all meaningful new businesses, and I might even start one or two private universities, similar to Caltech or MIT."

Smoking a strangely flavored Montblanc, Chen Linzhi didn't inhale, and he quickly couldn't stand it, putting out the cigarette.

He was planning to build a dam to block the external wolves while trying to help the mainland keep some good things, such as the rare earths that were being bought in large quantities at bargain prices, and the talented people who were rushing abroad with feverish heads. The goal was set ten years in the future, and it seemed nonsensical now.

It wasn't that he was trying to be a good person. Chen Linzhi believed that he already had the ability to accomplish many things, and they were all in his interest. It was just that he was temporarily transferring industries that should have been placed in the United States, Japan, and Europe to Hong Kong and Casino, which were more closely connected to the international market, so he could advance or retreat as needed.

When he had reaped the benefits of this economic cycle, he could completely shift the center of gravity of his assets to Asia. It wouldn't be wrong to say that he was betting on the country's future. The only things that the United States could offer him were technology and finance. The number of eggs in his basket would change.

Yin Zhe could only see the small world in front of him and couldn't reach Chen Linzhi's level. Therefore, he immediately breathed a sigh of relief and only replied, "That's good. Several senior executives in the company have been taking care of me. I thought someone had a problem with their business. You're doing more and more business. You even want to invest in an dL securities exchange. Isn't that directly opposing the Hong Kong Stock Exchange?"

Chen Linzhi smiled and said, "So I should arrange the exchange in Casino. The positioning is different. It mainly attracts small Asian technology companies to list with me, and it can also attract mainland companies to facilitate their financing and strive to create a financial port…"