Chapter 471: This Isn't a Tour—It's Me Forging a Sword for Huaxia!

At dawn on Hong Kong Island, before the sky brightened, Wang Guilan was already awake.

She couldn't sleep soundly. The Sealy mattress she lay on, said to be worth a Toyota Crown, was as soft as a lump of cotton, making her feel like she was sinking all night, leaving her heart hollow.

The old lady got up quietly, feeling her way to the kitchen to simmer some porridge for the family. It had been her unchanging habit for decades in Fuqiang Hutong.

But when she pushed open the kitchen door, which was even wider than the door to her own main hall, she was completely stunned.

Inside it was as bright as a hospital operating room, rows upon rows of gleaming metal kitchenware that she couldn't name a single one. The gray‑haired British butler, accompanied by two blond, blue‑eyed maids, was conducting something like a precise chemical experiment, weighing coffee beans on a tiny electronic scale and measuring the milk temperature with a slender thermometer.

"Madam, good morning," the butler bowed, his face bearing an impeccable smile. Beside him, a maid with a Chaozhou accent immediately translated, "Today's breakfast includes English‑style scrambled eggs, Scottish smoked salmon, and a specially prepared Cantonese dried scallop white porridge made with spring water for you and your husband."

Wang Guilan opened her mouth, stared at the pot bubbling with richly fragrant white porridge, and forced herself to swallow the phrase "I'll make the porridge." She felt that the meager cooking skills she had learned in her life were not even enough to qualify as an assistant in this kitchen.

The following days, for the Lu family, became a fantastical drift mixing immense happiness with continual shock.

Lu Qingshan did not schedule any business meetings; Wang Yuyun assembled the most professional team, paired with top‑tier security, and took the whole family to explore Hong Kong Island and Macau Island thoroughly.

Day one: shopping.

The convoy stopped at the entrance of the most luxurious department store in Causeway Bay, and the entire mall cleared the scene in advance, serving only the Lu family party.

Lu Hong and Lu Fang had never in their lives seen so many beautiful clothes; their eyes could not take it all in. Lin Yueqiang, like Liu Laolao entering Grand View Garden, kept touching this and looking at that, continuously uttering "tch tch" in amazement.

Wang Guilan gingerly lifted the tag of a women's trench coat, saw the string of zeros on it, inhaled a cold gasp, her hand trembled, and she almost dropped the tag.

"My heavens! This single garment could fund the construction of three large tiled houses in our Capital City! This isn't clothing; it's a house you wear!" She grabbed Lu Qingshan's hand and refused to let him buy anything.

Lu Qingshan smiled, took a solid black card from Wang Yuyun's hand, and handed it to the bowing mall manager beside him: "The few items my mother liked, as well as those my elder sister and second sister have tried on, are all wrapped up. As for my wife and younger sister, let them pick themselves; whatever they like will be recorded on the account."

He glanced at the stone‑frozen Lin Yueqiang and said, "Brother‑in‑law, don't just stand there; take whatever you like. Today's entire consumption will be paid for by your brother‑in‑law, me."

Lin Yueqiang swallowed hard, feeling his calves trembling.

That evening, in the walk‑in closet at No. 1 Dawang Bay Road—larger than an ordinary living room—piles of shopping bags from various luxury brands formed a colorful little hill. Wang Guilan sat before that "little hill" for a long time without speaking, and finally just held Lin Yue'e's hand, her eyes reddened as she murmured, "Yue E, Mom has never in her life worn such fine clothes... Qing Shan, that child, must have endured so much hardship outside to earn this family fortune..."

On the fourth day, Lu Qingjun was about to leave.

On the private apron of Kai Tak Airport, the Bay‑Flow aircraft bound for London was already ready for departure.

"Brother, I'm off then," Lu Qingjun said, dressed in a handcrafted suit newly made on Hong Kong Island, looking upright and spirited, yet his eyes still carried a hint of nervousness about venturing out into the world alone.

"Hmm." Lu Qingshan patted his shoulder, straightened his tie, and said, "When you get to London, go see Li Zhi'an first. Remember what I told you: the suit is your armor; don't fear spending money, but you must use your brain. Observe more, listen more, think more, speak less."

He paused, then added, "If you run short of money, go find the one surnamed Rothschild, tell him to sponsor a European study tour for a promising Huaxia youth; he'll be happy to do so."

Lu Qingjun listened, his eyes widening, and finally gave a firm nod.

The family stood on the gangway, watching Lu Qingjun and Ahu and a few others step onto the aircraft, wave back at the cabin door, and, as the door closed, the plane taxied, lifted off, and finally vanished into the clouds. Wang Guilan could not hold back her tears any longer and they fell.

After seeing Lu Qingjun off, the subsequent itinerary became practical.

Wang Yuyun, following Lu Qingshan's wishes, contacted several tycoons of the Chinese Chamber of Commerce and arranged a unique "study tour."

They went to the container terminal of Bao Cheng. When Lu Qingyuan stood atop the towering control tower, watching the containers below being hoisted and moved like giant building blocks, watching the multi‑thousand‑ton vessels dock at the port, and watching the fleet of trucks forming a metallic dragon on the dock continuously shuttling cargo in and out, his usually steady face showed an indescribable shock for the first time.

He seemed to see Xinghan Group's future in the country. Canned goods and beverages from Shanwan Village, grain from Zhengding County, specialties from across the nation… all would be funneled in this way into the Capital City, then distributed nationwide, even worldwide. The vague blueprint of the domestic logistics network that lingered in his mind became strikingly clear at that moment.

They then visited the top‑tier shopping mall under Guo Dongying's ownership. Lu Hong and Lu Fang were like the most eager students, pulling the mall's general manager through questions about store layout, lighting usage, membership management, brand introduction, as if they wanted to drain decades of the mall's operating experience.

They finally understood what their second brother meant by an "international first‑class mall." It wasn't just about selling goods; it sold an experience, a service, a lifestyle. This provided a revelatory insight for the Xinghan specialty market and Xinghan Hotel they were about to roll out nationwide.

Even Lu Qinghe, the deputy county chief, fell into contemplation after touring several large residential communities under Li Zhaolong's portfolio. He saw the tight, efficient integration of commercial real estate, urban planning, and public services.

These two days of itinerary, like a sudden gale and rainstorm, washed away each Lu family member's entrenched perceptions, and like plump seeds, planted limitless possibilities for the future in their hearts.

On the final night, the family sat on the balcony of No. 1 Dawang Bay Road that overlooked the entire Victoria Harbour nightscape, eating authentic Hong Kong‑style late‑night snacks.

No one spoke, yet each face bore an unprecedented, ignited radiance.

"Second brother," Lu Qingyuan took a sip of iced lemon tea, looked at Lu Qingshan, his eyes showing unprecedented resolve, "I understand now. After we return, I know what to do."

Lu Hong and Lu Fang also gave a firm nod.

Lu Qingshan smiled; this was exactly the effect he wanted. Giving a fish is less effective than teaching how to fish. Letting them see the world's breadth with their own eyes works better than any thousand words he could say.

At that moment, Wang Yuyun, holding a phone, hurried over, walked to Lu Qingshan's side, and lowered her voice.

"Boss, Director Zhang Rongfeng of the Capital City reached me via an encrypted line, saying there's an extremely urgent matter and would like you to return his call when convenient."

The laughter and chatter on the balcony seemed to pause for a heartbeat.

Lu Qingshan's smile remained unchanged; he glanced at Lin Yue'e, who was peeling shrimp for Xiao Xue, then glanced at the excited older brothers and sisters discussing how to make a splash after returning to the Capital City, and nodded at Wang Yuyun.

"Understood, tell him to wait a moment."

He picked up a napkin, wiped his hands, stood up, and walked to a quiet corner of the balcony.

The call connected; he uttered a single "Hello" and then listened silently.

Behind him were the family's laughter, Hong Kong Island's glittering night, a rare warmth and tranquility.

On the other end of the line was the Capital City, a swirling storm of poker games.

Lu Qingshan gazed at the distant lights; the warmth in his eyes gradually faded, replaced by a bottomless calm.

The vacation time has ended.