Chapter Ninety-Eight: Wine, Lust, Wealth, and Vanity

Hong Kong.
Regent Hotel.
After the matter was settled, everyone finally relaxed.
The foundation was established, and Stone’s Hong Kong residency issue was resolved.
Perfect!
At this moment, Lu Kun, Stone, the brothers Cheng Yuan and Cheng Hao, and Li Erfu were sitting on the outdoor rooftop terrace built by the hotel, drinking and chatting.
The hotel waiter, Ah Qing, was quite a character—his witty banter could make anyone laugh.
“October 9th.
Unemployed Zhang invited his best friend Wang over to his subsidized apartment for drinks.
During their conversation, Wang sighed about how many wealthy people there were in Hong Kong.
Zhang immediately suggested, ‘Why don’t we go out and pull off something big, make some money?’
Wang nodded in agreement.
Aunt Lin, who lived downstairs, noticed all this.
October 10th, around 5:12 a.m.
Causeway Bay.
Their breakfast stand was set up!
At 5:22, a black van pulled up in front of the stand, and several strong young men got out of the car.
They walked straight to Zhang,
Ordered four bowls of pork and preserved egg congee with fried dough sticks!
At 5:24, Zhang pulled a sharp kitchen knife from beneath the breakfast stand!
While the young men chatted,
He began chopping green onions!
After finishing their breakfast, the young men realized they’d forgotten their wallets and tried to negotiate credit with Zhang and Wang, but were flatly refused!
They borrowed the shop’s phone, called over a dozen friends,
And managed to scrape together the breakfast money!
Just as the group was gathering the money, Wang’s eyes revealed a terrifying hint of pity.
Zhang picked up the sharp kitchen knife.
In a split second, Zhang said, ‘Forget it, this meal’s on the house.’”

After telling the story, Ah Qing gave the group a gentlemanly bow.
Lu Kun: “...”
Stone: “...”
...
“Hahahaha...”
Everyone burst into laughter.
“Clearly an inspirational story, but you turned it into a suspenseful thriller—this is the most ridiculous news I’ve ever heard,” Li Erfu, the chubby one, was laughing so hard he nearly couldn’t breathe.
“Ah Qing, you really are talented!” Lu Kun looked at the young man with genuine appreciation in his eyes.
“Thank you, sir!” Ah Qing scratched his head, grinning sheepishly.
“Ah Qing, with all your talents, how much does your boss pay you?” Lu Kun asked, curious.
“Oh, not much, just the same base salary as everyone else. These little stories are my own invention, just to entertain the guests. Plus, we waiters get a commission on drink sales.”
Ah Qing didn’t hide anything and answered straightforwardly.
“So, working here, how much do you make in a month?” Stone straightened up and chimed in.
“My earnings are pretty good, but the only issue is I can’t afford a decent apartment, and getting married is a big problem,” Ah Qing admitted openly this time.
“How old are you? Are you even fully grown yet, thinking about marriage?” Stone teased.
Ah Qing looked about seventeen or eighteen, still youthful in the face.
Stone’s teasing made Ah Qing blush slightly.
“Take this—it’s my contribution toward your future wife,” Lu Kun laughed, pulling out a wad of cash from his pocket—several hundred Hong Kong dollars, he didn’t count—and handed it to Ah Qing as a tip.
Li Erfu, seeing Lu Kun’s generosity, didn’t want to lose face and likewise gave several hundred Hong Kong dollars.
“Don’t look at me, I’m broke. This is all I’ve got,” Stone fished around in his pocket and shoved about a few dozen Hong Kong dollars into Ah Qing’s hands.
The Cheng brothers felt awkward—they had some money, but wanted to save their few Hong Kong dollars to show off back in Gui’an.
...

In 1990, Hong Kong’s momentum for development was already gradually waning.
Among Asia’s “Four Little Dragons,” Hong Kong ranked last, with annual economic growth at a sluggish 2% or so—not impressive by any means.
Of course, in 1990, Hong Kong’s re-export trade, tourism, finance, and real estate still supported its ongoing economic growth.
But Hong Kong harbored deep concerns.
Inflation was rising, domestic demand weakening.
Some claimed 1997 was the turning point from prosperity to decline for Hong Kong, but they failed to realize the seeds of economic trouble had been sown long before—the Asian financial crisis merely triggered it.
Some even shamelessly blamed Hong Kong’s fall from grace entirely on “the handover.”
But the real reason was simply the hollowing out of Hong Kong’s industries.

Accustomed to earning money easily, people inevitably became too lazy for hard work.
Real estate and finance were the true cause of Hong Kong’s downfall.
If only Hong Kong had seized the opportunity of the Internet boom, perhaps there would have been hope.
Unfortunately, property and finance were so lucrative that all ambition was worn away.
Hong Kong, Japan, and later—other nations—have all had to swallow the bitter fruit of real estate and deindustrialization.
...

“Lu, when are you heading back to An Gui?” Li Erfu leaned over and quietly asked.
“Probably in the next few days.
Eating and drinking here isn’t much fun—guys like us are just small fry in Hong Kong,” Lu Kun replied self-deprecatingly.
It wasn’t a lie—this was the turf of the Four Great Families.
“Brother Li, don’t worry. You’re trustworthy, and I won’t forget my obligations,” Lu Kun patted his shoulder. “Besides, if you want to expand your business into An Gui province, you’ll need to come by for Spring Festival at least; otherwise, the timing’s too tight.”
“Hey, Lu, you misunderstood. I do trust you,” Li Erfu said with a smile.
“Oh? Then?” Lu Kun was puzzled.
“I just wanted to ask if you’d like to head over to Macau tonight for a few rounds?” Li Erfu asked mysteriously.
Lu Kun raised an eyebrow. “Macau?”
Was it that famous dealer surnamed Gan, dealing cards online?
“No,” Lu Kun shook his head.
In his previous life, he’d lost quite a bit of money there.
Fortunately, he stopped in time and avoided getting caught up in gambling debts.
This life, his career was just starting, and his wife and children were waiting at home.
They say a little gambling is fun, but gambling big is destructive; best not to gamble at all.
Once you get hooked, it’s hard to quit, and countless families have been ruined by it.
“Hm?”
Li Erfu was surprised—Lu Kun’s mannerisms made it easy to tell he wasn’t exactly a straight-laced guy.
He looked like someone who indulged in all the vices—drink, women, gambling, you name it.
He didn’t expect Lu Kun to be so disciplined.