Chapter 467

In the following days, Wei Ming had planned to go shopping at Harbour City with A Min—it was Hong Kong’s only commercial complex at the time, offering entertainment nearly 24/7 and located close to the Peninsula Hotel.

But A Min insisted on returning to the hotel to talk about music, life, and ideals.

Wei Ming knew she was simply eager to learn, wanting to review the old to understand the new.

If things continued like this, Wei Ming didn’t know how long he could hold out.

Yet once they entered the hotel lobby, Wei Ming suddenly put on a mask and hat, pulling the brim low.

“What’s wrong?” A Min asked, puzzled as they took the elevator.

“I saw someone I know—a person I met on the mainland,” Wei Ming said.

A Min recalled: the one person who stood out in the lobby was a young woman, quite attractive.

“A woman?” A Min asked, tone tinged with jealousy.

Wei Ming decided to tell the truth: “Yeah, you probably haven’t seen her films—Chen Chong. She was hugely popular on the mainland before going abroad to study in the U.S.”

“I think I’ve heard of her—is she even more famous than Long Sao’s older sister? I mean, Gong Ying?” A Min mentioned Gong Ying for the first time in front of Wei Ming, making his heart stir slightly.

“It’s about who became famous first versus later,” Wei Ming said, opening the door and stepping inside calmly. “Right now, the two most popular figures on the mainland are Gong Ying and Zhu Lin—nicknamed ‘Southern Gong Ying, Northern Zhu Lin.’ They’re national idols; everyone loves them.”

A Min: “So the new generation has replaced the old, huh.”

Wei Ming felt A Min was hinting at something, unsure, so he added: “That’s how the entertainment industry works.”

“So do you like them?” A Min suddenly asked.

Wei Ming laughed: “Of course I do.”

“Hmph, greedy,” A Min pouted, then stood on her tiptoes—now she was Wei Ming’s little sweetheart.

After A Min had eaten her fill, Wei Ming immediately drove her home. This time A Min was satisfied, because she remembered to keep her teeth tucked in.

On his way back, Wei Ming lingered in the lobby for a while—he’d noticed Chen Chong was accompanied by Mars from the Cheng Family Troupe, and wondered if Cheng Long might show up after his party.

And sure enough, he came—his outfit was so heavily covered, it was obvious something was up.

Once Cheng Long went upstairs, Wei Ming, having satisfied his curiosity, followed up. He understood Cheng Long—his wife was currently in America nursing their child, so why not take advantage of an available opportunity?

This also served as a warning to Wei Ming: never let your girlfriends get pregnant at the same time. Fortunately, he had many girlfriends, so such a situation was unlikely.

The next morning, Wei Ming was woken by a phone call—it was Wei Lingling.

“I called several times last night and no one answered. Did you go out celebrating after the awards?”

Wei Ming yawned: “I was probably dropping off A Min.”

“When are you leaving?” his aunt asked.

“Tomorrow.”

“Then should we meet today? I have something to discuss with you.”

“Sure, come to the hotel. Bring breakfast—I’m meeting A Min later.”

Facing Wei Ming’s disrespectful request, Wei Lingling finally said: “Li Zhi, get the car ready.”

“Miss Wei, that’s Chen Chong! It’s definitely Chen Chong!” Li Zhi, eyes sharp, locked onto a woman in the Peninsula Hotel lobby—after all, they were both from Shanghai, and Chen Chong had once been a sensation across half the country.

“Oh, so what?”

“Nothing, nothing—let’s hurry upstairs,” Li Zhi said awkwardly. To her, the big star meant little in Wei Lingling’s eyes—recently, Transformers had even hired Cheng Long for an ad.

Hey, isn’t that Cheng Long over there? Looks like it.

Upstairs, Wei Ming had already dressed and was eating the Hong Kong-style dim sum Li Zhi brought: “Mmm, these shrimp dumplings are great, the char siu bao is perfect! Wait, they even sell milk tea?”

Wei Ming took a sip, then pushed it aside: “But it’s not very tasty.”

Li Zhi immediately picked it up and drank it—she normally avoided it to avoid gaining weight, but this was what Wei Ming had drunk.

Wei Lingling ignored Li Zhi’s infatuated behavior and replied: “That’s why Aunt Fen pushed to spin off the milk tea business into a new chain brand. Yesterday she called Dad—he said the name’s already confirmed: ‘Nian Nü Jiao.’ You named it—very culturally rich.”

Wei Ming ate too quickly, snatched the milk tea from Li Zhi’s hand, and drank two more sips, making Li Zhi ecstatic.

“Auntie, why did you rush to see me?” Wei Ming asked.

“I’m not in a hurry—I just realized we haven’t seen each other in a long time, and you’re leaving tomorrow, so I thought I should tell you about Langning’s profits and current situation last year.”

“Last year they made about 100 million Hong Kong dollars, right?”

Wei Lingling: “Underestimate me? Three hundred million. Just based on last year’s profit, Langning is unquestionably the top toy company in Hong Kong.”

That profit equaled the total of the past ten years before Wei Lingling took over. Li Zhi pulled out the financial reports.

“Three hundred million?” Wei Ming glanced at his greasy hands. Li Zhi quickly handed him tissues. Wei Lingling winced—just who exactly is your assistant?

Wei Ming wiped his hands, ignoring the reports: “So what are you planning to do with these three hundred million?”

“Do you need money right now? If so, I can give you a portion upfront.”

Wei Ming shook his head: “No need. But after the Sino-British negotiations end, the stock market will definitely rebound—even surge. You should keep some cash on hand.”

“I’m aware of that. Since we’re not splitting now, we should spend it. Our factories in mainland China and the new one in Taiwan won’t need all this money—I think now’s a good time to enter real estate while the market is depressed.” Wei Lingling looked at Wei Ming hopefully, seeking his approval.

Wei Ming: “You want to buy office buildings?”

“They’re cheap now,” Wei Lingling said. “And with Langning thriving, borrowing from banks is easy.”

Wei Ming smiled: “If borrowing’s easy, why not go bigger?”

“Oh? How big?” Wei Lingling raised an eyebrow. Honestly, selling toys had never been her dream—Langning was already number one in Hong Kong and top three in Asia, but still far behind Hong Kong’s elite tycoons. How long would it take to build a billion-dollar fortune selling toys one by one?

In her view, to reach the pinnacle of wealth, besides solidly building real industry, real estate and finance were the fastest paths.

Of course, the risks were far greater than in industry—but now Langning had some risk resistance.

The aunt and nephew exchanged glances—they both wanted to do something big.

Wei Ming said: “Use several hundred million to buy land, develop it—whether commercial towers or residential buildings. After the Sino-British negotiations end and the market revives, these properties will easily triple or quadruple in value. I’d recommend commercial buildings—rent them out. You could feed generations on the income.”

In his past life, Wei Ming knew many Hong Kong stars who lived comfortably because they owned prime retail spaces—their rental income alone supported their lavish lifestyles. Of course, exceptions existed for those who loved stock trading—he felt sorry again for the God of Songs.

Wei Lingling slapped Li Zhi’s thigh: “You’re thinking exactly what I am. A Ming, have you ever been to Harbour City?”

Wei Ming looked at her thigh—plump, white, the palm print clearly visible.

“Of course,” he replied. He hadn’t gone this time, but he’d visited with A Min before.

It was Hong Kong’s first—and Asia’s first—commercial complex, owned by Wharf Holdings. Now it belonged to the Boat King, pity he had no son.

Wei Lingling said: “Harbour City is perfect—dining, shopping, entertainment, lodging, offices—all in one place. It’s the most popular spot for young people to shop. Even a tiny shop’s rent is substantial.”

Wei Ming: “You want to build a commercial complex?”

Wei Lingling nodded seriously: “I’ve thought about it.”

Wei Ming: “That’s not something a few hundred million can handle.”

Just buying the land might cost over a billion, not to mention the massive later investments. Only Hong Kong’s top business giants could manage such money-sucking beasts.

Harbour City and the future Times Square in Causeway Bay belonged to Wharf Holdings.

The future Pacific Place belonged to the old British firm Swire Group.

The Tuen Mun Times Square belonged to Li Ka-shing’s Henderson Land.

The International Finance Centre was even more formidable—developed jointly by Sun Hung Kai, Henderson Land, and several other conglomerates.

With Langning’s current strength, attempting this seemed overreaching. But if they succeeded, they could live off the income forever—these large complexes would generate billions in annual rent.

Wei Lingling said: “Even with financial tools, we might still lack the power to develop it. So this time, I plan to unite the resources of Uncle and Auntie. Opportunities vanish quickly. Hong Kong is a great place, and the Sino-British negotiations are a golden chance. If we don’t seize this moment to rise rapidly, who knows if such an opportunity will come again?”

Seeing Wei Ming fall silent, Wei Lingling thought he disapproved of her boldness and grew anxious—Langning wasn’t just hers; they each owned half.

Just as Wei Lingling was about to speak, Wei Ming suddenly said: “Wharf Holdings owns a plot of land—the old Hong Kong Tramways factory site. The location’s excellent, but Wharf won’t sell it.”

“The Victoria Barracks in Admiralty may be a bit remote, but if developed well, it’s promising—key point is, it’s not in the hands of a major conglomerate. Maybe we can win it through bidding.”

“And…”

Wei Ming listed several locations—all future Hong Kong shopping meccas, prime real estate.

In his past life, when times were good, he’d taken many girlfriends shopping in Hong Kong. Now that he was here, these places hadn’t been developed yet. He’d often stared at Hong Kong maps, drooling—he knew every prime location by heart.

After hearing Wei Ming’s speech, Wei Lingling and Li Zhi were stunned.

When he finished, Wei Lingling clapped and laughed: “Good boy—you’ve had this idea all along and done so much research. I didn’t even know some of this.”

Wei Ming said: “If this commercial complex really gets built, reserve a space for me—I want to build a modern multiplex cinema.”

“Approved!” Wei Lingling turned to Li Zhi. “What about you, Li Zhi?”

“Huh? Me? Do I get a shop too?” Li Zhi’s breathing quickened with excitement. “Then I’ll open a jewelry store—I’ll wear gold whenever I want, jewels whenever I want.”

Wei Ming couldn’t help thinking of the pearl necklace he’d given Li Zhi.

Li Zhi asked again: “Miss Wei, you’re really giving me a shop?” At that moment, she felt like becoming Wei Lingling’s servant for life.

Wei Lingling: “Of course I’m joking—but the cinema? Yes. Movie theaters still make good money. Last year, Hong Kong films’ total domestic and overseas box office nearly matched Transformers’ sales in the U.S.”

Listen—that’s what a person says? Total box office, nearly matched, and that’s just Transformers’ U.S. sales.

Wei Ming said: “Movie profits can’t compare to Langning’s, but their influence far exceeds Langning’s toy factory. Transformers toys are unique, but don’t they still need animated films for promotion?”

“You’re right. Lately, claw machine sales have been flat. Could we use movies or TV dramas to promote them?”

“Oh, sales are bad?”

Wei Lingling: “Maybe the gambling appeal of claw machines isn’t as strong as blind boxes. Sales are mediocre—I’ve even given up the Hong Kong market and plan to focus on Japan.”

Wei Ming thought for a moment: “Besides advertising, I think we can sponsor film and TV productions—have the male and female leads play with claw machines while dating. Forcefully link claw machines with romance—convey the idea that dating without playing claw machines is meaningless.”

Li Zhi covered her mouth, stifling a laugh—but she thought it made perfect sense.

Wei Lingling nodded: “If we could have a film or TV drama promote all Langning’s products at once, that’d be ideal. Recently we’ve developed many electric toys, but we can’t compete with established brands.”

She’d started developing electric toys when Transformers became popular—she’d been preparing for the future. After all, no flower lasts a hundred days; electrification and intelligence were clear trends in toys.

Suddenly, Wei Ming had an epiphany—he thought of Uncle Anping, who’d repeatedly urged Xi Zi to make a Hong Kong movie to broaden his horizons. There might be a way to kill two birds with one stone.

“Auntie, what if I write a movie script? Langning funds it, Dream Factory produces it—I’ll include all Langning products in the film, not just as product placement, but deeply integrated into the plot.”