Chapter 194

The black tiger-head Mercedes sped along the highway, its engine emitting a low, powerful roar. Lu Qingshan looked out the window at the mountains and rivers flashing by, his heart filled with mixed feelings.

From Shenzhen to the Capital City, they had been on this road for several days. Whenever they reached a big city, Lu Qingshan would ask to stop and rest, then find a place to call the factory at home.

"Qing Shan, how have you been these past few days?" Lin Yue'e's gentle voice came over the phone, obviously missing him.

"Not bad, just a little homesick." Lu Qingshan held the receiver, his voice unconsciously softening, "How's the factory doing?"

"Everything's fine. Everyone is working seriously, orders are delivered on time, and there's enough money in the account." Lin Yue'e paused, "It's just that Xiao Xue keeps asking when Dad will come back, and I don't know what to tell her."

Hearing his daughter's name, Lu Qingshan felt warm inside: "Tell her Dad will be back soon. This trip, we unexpectedly made quite a bit of money."

"How much did you make?" Lin Yue'e asked curiously.

"I'll tell you in person when I get back." Lu Qingshan smiled, thinking the figure would probably give his wife a fright, "In short, from now on our family won't have to worry about money."

"Don't scare me." Lin Yue'e chided, "I know you can make money on Hong Kong Island, but don't brag."

"You'll find out then." Lu Qingshan listened to his wife's voice, wishing he could sprout wings and fly back immediately.

After hanging up, Lu Qingshan turned to Lu Qingjun and said, "Speed up; I want to get home sooner."

"Second brother, you're too impatient." Lu Qingjun grinned from the passenger seat, "Even after we reach the Capital City we still have to go see big brother at the construction site. But let's stay in Shanghai a couple more days; I hear business is good here."

"Let's go see first, then decide." Lu Qingshan nodded.

Shanghai's prosperity indeed leaves a deep impression, but when Lu Qingshan arrived at the securities exchange entrance, the sight before him made him laugh and cry at once.

Dozens of people lined up in a long queue at the exchange entrance, waiting to buy stock subscription certificates. The queue stretched from the gate across the street, every face full of anticipation and anxiety. Some even brought small stools, clearly intending to spend most of the day here.

"Holy shit, is this the mainland stock market?" Lu Qingjun pointed at the queue, incredulous, "How can it differ so much from Hong Kong Island? There we trade tens of billions of Hong Kong dollars a day, while here people queue half a day for a slip of paper."

Lu Qingshan ignored his brother's exaggeration and quietly observed the people in line. There were young workers, middle-aged cadres, and even a few elderly gentlemen leaning on canes. Each person clutched money tightly, eyes fixed on the queue ahead, afraid someone would cut in.

"Master, how much does one subscription certificate cost?" Lu Qingshan walked to the side of the queue and asked a middle-aged man waiting in line.

"Thirty yuan each." The man answered without turning his head, fearing a lapse would let someone cut in, "But whether you win the draw is purely luck. I've already been waiting three hours, and there are still over twenty people ahead."

"Is the odds of winning high?"

"High my ass!" the man exclaimed excitedly, "Out of a hundred subscription certificates, getting three to five winners is already worth burning incense for. But there's no choice—what if you win? I heard that once Shanghai Petrochemical lists, it could at least tenfold! Thirty yuan becoming three hundred—what a deal!"

An old woman beside him chimed in: "Exactly! My old man came to queue at two in the morning yesterday and is still standing up front. His legs are numb from standing, but he dare not move, lest he lose his spot."

Lu Qingshan listened, feeling a myriad of emotions. The Hong Kong Island stock market sees daily turnover of tens of billions of Hong Kong dollars, while here people queue for hours for a thirty‑yuan subscription certificate. The gap is not just a little—it's enormous.

"Brother Qingjun, are you also here to buy subscription certificates?" a familiar voice called from behind.

Lu Qingshan and Lu Qingjun turned around to see none other than Xiao Zhao, a friend Qingjun had met in the Capital City. The guy was holding an enamel bucket filled with tea, clearly another member of the queue.

"Xiao Zhao? What are you doing here?" Lu Qingjun said, somewhat surprised.

"Hey, don't mention it." Xiao Zhao gave a wry smile, "I heard this stock could make money, so I took leave to try my luck. I've been waiting all morning; my legs are almost not mine anymore."

Lu Qingjun muttered beside him, "If this were Hong Kong Island, people could trade several times a day—no need to suffer like this."

Xiao Zhao's eyes lit up: "Brother Qingjun, have you been to Hong Kong Island? Really? That's a legendary place!"

"We've been there, just got back." Lu Qingshan replied offhand.

"Awesome, my brother!" Xiao Zhao gave a thumbs‑up, "What's Hong Kong Island like? I hear the streets are paved with gold—any little business there can make you rich."

Lu Qingjun couldn't help but say, "We didn't see gold everywhere, but we did make a little fortune."

"How much? Ten thousand? Twenty thousand?" Xiao Zhao asked curiously.

"Cough, cough." Lu Qingshan cleared his throat twice, stopping his brother from bragging further, "Ah Qiang, we're not staying here. Let's head straight back to the Capital City."

"All right, Mr. Lu." Ah Qiang immediately started the car.

Xiao Zhao watched them board the luxurious sedan, completely dazed. After the car drove off, he came to his senses and told the person beside him, "Wow, Brother Qingjun really made it big! That car I've seen on TV—must be worth tens of thousands of yuan!"

The Shanghai experience reinforced Lu Qingshan's belief: the mainland financial market is still in its infancy, with a huge gap compared to Hong Kong Island. Yet that also means enormous opportunity. Perhaps in the near future, this place will become a financial center like Hong Kong Island.

Two days later, the black tiger‑head Mercedes finally entered the streets of the Capital City. Familiar hutongs, familiar courtyard homes, and familiar Beijing dialect made Lu Qingshan feel especially close. Pedestrians seeing the car stopped to point and stare; some children even ran after it for a few steps.

"Second brother, where should we go first?" Lu Qingjun asked excitedly, looking out the window.

"Let's check the construction site first." Lu Qingshan said, "Big brother should be there."

The car stopped in front of a building under renovation. This was Lu Qingshan's commercial project invested in the Capital City, currently undergoing interior decoration.

Just after getting out, Lu Qingshan saw a familiar figure. Lu Qingyuan stood beside the scaffolding, carefully inspecting the workers' construction quality. Although it was already noon, he showed no sign of resting, occasionally bending to check the floor tile laying.

"Big brother!" Lu Qingshan shouted loudly.

Lu Qingyuan turned his head; seeing Lu Qingshan, his face instantly lit up with surprise and joy: "Qing Shan! You're back!" He hurried over, sizing up his brother from head to toe, "You look good—seems you've been doing well in Hong Kong Island."

The three brothers embraced tightly. Lu Qingyuan patted Lu Qingshan's shoulder: "You've lost quite a bit of weight; you've worked hard these days."

"Not bad, just really homesick." Lu Qingshan smiled, "How's the construction site?"

"Everything is proceeding according to plan." Lu Qingyuan pointed at the building under renovation, pride in his tone, "It should be finished in about two months. Once rented out, the monthly rental income will be quite substantial. Moreover, I already have several clients inquiring—all big‑business types."

Lu Qingjun stepped forward, curious: "Big brother, how much can this building rent for?"

"At current market rates, each square meter can fetch at least eight yuan per month." Lu Qingyuan calculated, "The whole building is 3,000 square meters, so one floor brings in twenty‑four thousand yuan a month."

"Twenty‑four thousand a month!" Lu Qingjun gaped, "That's over two hundred thousand a year!"

"Exactly, that's why I say this investment is worthwhile." Lu Qingyuan laughed and patted his brother's shoulder, "Qing Shan has good eyesight; he picked a superb location. In a few years, this area will surely become the Capital City's commercial hub."

Lu Qingshan walked around the site, satisfied with the construction quality. He knew his elder brother always handled things responsibly; entrusting the project to him, he could rest completely at ease.

"By the way, big brother, when are Second Sister and the others coming back?" Lu Qingshan asked.

"Elder Sister and her husband are finishing paperwork; they should be back by the end of this month." Lu Qingyuan said, "Old Three works in Zhengding, while Dad, Mom, Second Sister, and Xiao Yu are at home waiting for you. When we got your call and heard you were coming back, Mom has been preparing tasty food every day these past few days; yesterday she even specially bought an old hen."

"Then let's hurry home." Lu Qingshan felt a warm surge in his heart, "I miss them to death."

The three brothers were chatting when suddenly a car horn blared from outside the site. Lu Qingshan turned his head—it was Ah Qiang reminding them it was time to go.

"Big brother, come home with us." Lu Qingshan said, "Anyway, it's already noon; we can discuss the site this afternoon."

"Okay, I also want to go home and have a look." Lu Qingyuan nodded, then eyed the black sedan curiously, "Your car is really impressive. In the Capital City, absolutely no more than ten people can drive such a car. How much does it cost?"

Lu Qingjun laughed triumphantly: "Big brother, this is nothing. If you knew what we experienced in Hong Kong Island, you'd be shocked."

"Oh? Do tell." Lu Qingyuan got into the car, running his hand over the leather seat, "This seat is really comfortable—much better than the jeep at our factory."

"This..." Lu Qingjun looked at Lu Qingshan, "Let the second brother tell you."

Lu Qingshan smiled: "Let's talk about it when we get home. These matters, let's discuss them together with Mom and Dad."

The car started, driving toward the Lu Family's courtyard. Lu Qingshan looked through the car window at the familiar streets of the Capital City, feeling both excited and nervous. This time returning, he was no longer the penniless brat, but a billionaire with assets of over ten billion Hong Kong dollars. Yet in front of his family, he would always be that Lu Qingshan, the son and brother they doted on.

Thinking about seeing his parents and sisters soon, Lu Qingshan's heartbeat quickened a bit.