Inside the secluded Zeng Family Rear Villa, with the arrival of Martin Yang, Gordon Zeng and the other distinguished guests welcomed him in, and everyone began sipping tea and exchanging pleasantries.
The guests present were all legendary entrepreneurs of Hong Kong, the kind whose every move could shake the city. They had worked together before and were far from strangers.
"Haha, who would've thought, after more than twenty years, on the day of my son's engagement, we'd finally have the chance to gather together and reminisce! It's truly a rare opportunity!" Gordon Zeng said with emotion.
"That's right, Gordon, you're spot on. Time really flies—just like that, more than twenty years have passed. For us to reunite today, remembering those wild days when we fought side by side, it really makes you feel nostalgic!" James Cheung from Harbor Glory Properties also sighed.
"It's a real honor to have Martin here. If it hadn't been for him turning the tide back then, none of us would be where we are today," Jack Lee from Horizon Industries said with a smile.
"Exactly! We owe it all to Martin's quick decisions! Otherwise, we might not have made it back, let alone achieved what we have today!" David Chow from Mingxin Jewelry Group nodded in agreement.
"To be honest, everyone in Hong Kong knows us, but not many know Martin. But he's the guy I admire most! If he hadn't pulled me out of that mess back then, I'd be done for—probably fish food in the open sea by now! Hahaha!" Samuel Niu from Royal Eagle Pictures said, visibly excited.
"Haha, it's tough for everyone—this is how the business world is. Only the best survive the waves. It's your own luck, and mine too, so stop flattering me!" Martin Yang waved his hand and laughed.
Their conversation made Damian Zeng, who was standing nearby, very curious. He quickly asked Gordon Zeng, "Dad, did you all do something together in the past?"
Gordon Zeng nodded and said, "That's right. Back then, all of us here were still young. We came from different backgrounds but faced huge life challenges. At the time, Hong Kong was hit by a major economic crisis—the stock market crashed and our businesses were in trouble. To get through it, we joined forces to resist the international hot money trying to swallow up Hong Kong's economy. But those financial sharks were no pushovers. After several rounds of attacks, we were driven to the brink—almost bankrupt, nearly begging on the streets!" Gordon Zeng explained.
"Wow! That sounds so intense! So what happened next? How did you all make it through? Was it like the newspapers said—everyone united, and finally the clouds parted and the sun came out?" Damian Zeng asked, full of curiosity.
"Haha, what the newspapers said is only half true. We did unite, but the process was absolutely nerve-wracking. We were desperate, so we took a risk and turned to the Hung Society for help. They sent Martin, a business genius, to help us out. We followed your Uncle Martin out to international waters for a few smuggling runs and managed to raise enough money to come back from the dead. Without those experiences, we'd all be finished!" Gordon Zeng revealed a secret.
"Smuggling on the high seas? You guys actually did that?" Damian Zeng exclaimed in shock.
"Haha, Damian, you have to understand—business is war, and it can be just as brutal. Anyone who succeeds has gone through hell and fought for it. During those crazy times, there were no real rules. If you wanted to survive, you did whatever it took!" Samuel Niu from Royal Eagle Pictures reminded him with a laugh.
"Your Uncle Samuel is right. Who would've thought that the big shots sitting here today once shared such a wild, life-or-death bond! We all owe Martin for that!" Gordon Zeng said.
"Looking back, in these past twenty-plus years, I've done business all over Asia, but nothing compares to those smuggling trips on the high seas. Those were the most unforgettable experiences of my life!" Jack Lee from Horizon Industries said.
"Jack, out of all of us, you've got the deepest pockets and the biggest reputation. Who would've thought you'd almost wet your pants on the high seas! Hahaha!" Samuel Niu from Royal Eagle Pictures teased.
"Heh, Samuel, you weren't much better! When those huge waves hit, if Martin hadn't grabbed you, you'd be married to the Dragon King by now!" Jack Lee joked back.
"Haha, do you guys still remember, in those storms, all of us squeezed onto a little sampan, eating compressed biscuits and toughing it out together? That's something I'll never forget!" James Cheung from Harbor Glory Properties sighed.
"Of course I remember—how could I forget? Even now, I still think about eating those compressed biscuits with rainwater!" David Chow from Mingxin Jewelry Group added, deeply moved.
"Haha, not gonna lie, even now I still eat compressed biscuits from time to time!" James Cheung from Harbor Glory Properties laughed.
"Me too! It's a good habit—I still do it! Every morning, I eat a small piece of compressed biscuit and it keeps me energized all day! Haha!" Martin Yang laughed heartily.
"Hey, since we've all got the chance to get together today, how about we have a 'remembering the hard times and sweet moments' party? Let's eat some of those old compressed biscuits again!" Gordon Zeng suggested.
"A 'remembering the hard times and sweet moments' party? That's a great idea—sounds fun!" Jack Lee from Horizon Industries clapped and laughed.
"Wait, Gordon, do you still have any of those old 'Red Star' brand compressed biscuits?" David Chow from Mingxin Jewelry Group asked curiously.
"Sure do! But they're not called 'Red Star' anymore. I bought that biscuit factory and renamed it 'Harbor Prosperity.' The main products aren't compressed biscuits now, but trendy pastries. Business is good—I've even opened several branches on the mainland!" Gordon Zeng laughed.
"Oh? Do you have any of the old 'Red Star' ones? If you do, hurry and bring them out so everyone can taste if they've still got that original flavor!" Jack Lee called out.
"Haha, I've got some stashed in my room. Hang on, I'll go get them!" Gordon Zeng said, then turned and headed inside. Soon, he returned with a few tin cans with rather simple packaging.
Gordon Zeng opened one of the cans, took out a few vacuum-packed compressed biscuits, and handed them out to everyone—including Damian Zeng and Simon Soo, who hadn't had a chance to speak. Everyone tore open the packaging and started chewing thoughtfully.
Damian Zeng had never eaten anything so 'magical' before. He eagerly tore open the packaging and started gnawing, but quickly realized these compressed biscuits were so hard he could barely bite through them. Sneaking a glance around, he saw the 'old guys' munching away noisily, clearly enjoying themselves.
Determined, Damian took a hard bite and finally managed to break off a tiny piece—almost breaking his teeth in the process. He chewed a few times, finding the taste quite ordinary, even hard to swallow, but he forced it down anyway.
Seeing his son's struggling expression, Gordon Zeng asked, "Damian, how does it taste?"
"Uh, it's pretty average," Damian answered honestly.
"That's right, it is pretty average. But I've been eating these for over twenty years—just got used to it! Do you know why?" Gordon Zeng asked.
"Uh, I really don't know why," Damian scratched his head and asked.
"It's to remind myself that today's life wasn't easy to come by. You have to be persistent! Do you get it?" Gordon Zeng said seriously.
"I think... I think I get it," Damian nodded repeatedly.
Just then, a servant rushed in and reported to Gordon Zeng, "Sir, outside—there's a young man saying he's Mr. Yang's boss. He's trying to force his way in."
"Boss?! Martin, you have a boss? I didn't know that! Who is he?" Gordon Zeng asked with a frown.
"Haha, that's me! He's talking about me!" came a cheerful male voice from outside. Moments later, a young man strode in—it was Shawn Young.
(end of chapter)