Chapter 256: Shek O

When Lu Qingshan woke up, his head was still a bit hazy. The alcohol from last night was indeed strong, and with everyone's enthusiastic toasts, he finally managed to relax. Sunlight streamed through the floor‑to‑ceiling windows of the Hilton Hotel's top‑floor suite, casting golden spots on the carpet. The whole Hong Kong Island looked especially beautiful in the morning light, Victoria Harbour glittered, and the skyscrapers seemed to shine in celebration of the Chinese people's victory.

"Brother, awake?" Lu Qingjun pushed the door open, carrying a glass of honey water, his face showing uncontainable excitement, his whole body trembling slightly, "Drink this quickly, it'll sober you up. I'm telling you, there's a huge surprise waiting for you today! A huge surprise!"

His tone had shifted, clearly he was overexcited: "Brother, I didn't sleep well last night, I've been thinking about this all night! It's like a dream!"

Lu Qingshan took the cup and drank it in one gulp, his mind finally cleared a bit. His memory of last night was hazy; he only recalled everyone being excited, repeatedly toasting in celebration, and Li Fuying and the others seemed to have mentioned something important. That raucous atmosphere reminded him of a sense of glory he had never experienced in his previous life.

"Qingjun, today is Saturday, where are we going?" Lu Qingshan massaged his temples, feeling a faint buzzing in his head.

Lu Qingjun's eyes flashed with excitement, almost leaping up, his voice trembling with excitement: "Brother, let's go check out the new house! Your new house! Your castle!"

"New house?" Lu Qingshan was startled; the alcohol still lingering in his brain couldn't keep up, "What new house? When did I buy a house?"

"It's not bought, it's a gift!" Lu Qingjun's voice changed with excitement, he spun around the room, "Last night Chairman Li and they gave you that mansion! No. 1, Da Lang Bay Road, Shek O, purchased jointly by thirteen enterprises of the Chinese Chamber of Commerce! It's said to be the most expensive single castle‑style mansion on Hong Kong Island, and it comes with a private garden of 140,000 square feet!"

He grew more excited, gesturing wildly: "Brother, do you know what 140,000 square feet means? That's equivalent to thirteen football fields! In Hong Kong Island, where every inch of land is precious, that's an astronomical figure!"

Lu Qingshan finally recalled that Li Fuying had indeed mentioned this last night; at the time he had drunk a bit too much and thought it was just polite talk, but he didn't expect those old guys to act so quickly—once they said it was a gift, it really was.

"140,000 square feet?" Lu Qingshan inhaled a cold breath; that's a private garden of about 13,000 m², and on Hong Kong Island, how much would that be worth? "Qingjun, are you sure you're not joking? A mansion of this level, even Li Jia Zhen might not be able to afford it!"

"Absolutely certain!" Lu Qingjun grew more excited, his voice trembling, "And that's not all! There's also a natural stream flowing down from the mountain into the garden's pool year‑round—that's great feng shui! The rich on Hong Kong Island care about this. Brother, I heard Chairman Li and they said the house alone cost two hundred million Hong Kong dollars! Two hundred million!"

He continued excitedly: "Moreover, the house was originally a private residence of a United Kingdom aristocrat; it's said that when it was built, even the building materials were airlifted from the United Kingdom! The red bricks are an England specialty, the timber is Scottish oak, and even the glass is handcrafted from Venice!"

Lu Qingshan stood up and walked to the window, watching the bustling crowd in the Hilton Hotel lobby below. Since yesterday, many people who wanted to see him had gathered here—big shots from the financial world, celebrity agents from the entertainment industry, as well as various junior reporters and investors. Every entrance and exit felt like walking a red carpet, stared at by countless eyes.

Even more exaggerated, downstairs many Chinese had gathered, holding banners that read "Long live Chinese hero Lu Qingshan!" and "Pride of the Chinese!" Some people had even been waiting here since last night just to catch a glimpse of him.

"Indeed, I should move out," Lu Qingshan nodded, his brows slightly furrowed, "Living here is too inconvenient; every entry and exit is surrounded by people. A Qiang and the others are also extremely nervous, fearing any mishap. And if this continues, it will affect the hotel's normal operations."

At that moment, a knock came from outside the door. Lu Qingjun opened it and saw Li Fuying, the Chairman of the Chinese Chamber of Commerce, dressed today in a brand‑new Tang suit, looking vigorous, his smile brighter than last night's. Excitement glittered in his eyes, and he radiated a glowing vitality.

"Brother Qing Shan, awake?" Li Fuying entered energetically, followed by a middle‑aged man in an expensive suit, carrying a valuable genuine leather briefcase, "How did you sleep last night? I had the best sobering soup prepared, plus bird's nest porridge—would you like a bowl?"

"Uncle Li, you came so early?" Lu Qingshan felt a bit embarrassed, "I drank too much last night and behaved poorly."

"Not at all!" Li Fuying waved his hand, laughing loudly, tears of excitement flashing in his eyes, "Last night was the happiest day for us Chinese; what's a few more drinks? I'm almost sixty years old and have never been so exhilarated! I got home last night, so excited I couldn't sleep all night, constantly thinking about this!"

He continued excitedly: "By the way, let me introduce you to this gentleman, the most famous property broker on Hong Kong Island, Mr. Chen, who specializes in top‑tier mansion transactions. Every mansion he handles is worth over a hundred million!"

The middle‑aged man bowed respectfully, his demeanor extremely deferential: "Mr. Lu, hello! I am Chen Zhihao, honored to serve you. Last night Chairman Li and they entrusted me with the property transfer; now all procedures are completed, and this mansion officially belongs to you!"

He took a thick stack of documents from the briefcase, each page stamped with a red seal: "This is the property deed and various related certificates. This mansion was originally a private residence of a United Kingdom aristocrat, built in 1985, covering an area of 140,000 square feet, with a building area of 8,000 square feet, and is one of the most expensive single villas on Hong Kong Island today."

Chen Zhihao continued, his voice reverent: "Mr. Lu, I've been in high‑end real estate for twenty years, handling countless mansions, but at this level, there are no more than five across the entire Hong Kong Island. This house is not just a building; it's a work of art!"