Chapter 294 Hong Kong, Here I Come

The next day.

Liu Zhiye and Zheng Chaoyang bid farewell to the enthusiastic Chen Afa, and they decided to contact Zheng Chaoshan as soon as possible.

The two of them tossed and turned all night long, living in a wooden house that was like a big shack, where more than a dozen grown men were crammed.

In the room, there were all kinds of unpleasant smells, including foot odor, sweat odor, and moldy food odor, which was disgusting.

That was not all. The stuffy heat, the constant snoring, and the swarms of particularly large mosquitoes from the Lingnan region made it difficult for Liu Zhiye, who could fall asleep peacefully among a pile of corpses on the battlefield, to fall asleep.

They struggled to get through the next day and didn't even want to eat breakfast, so they left in a hurry.

The two first took a bus to Nathan Road in Kowloon, where they planned to have breakfast and then go find Zheng Chaoshan.

Nathan Road is located in the Kowloon area of ​​Hong Kong, connecting Mong Kok and Tsim Sha Tsui. There is Tsui Wah Restaurant nearby and it is also very close to Temple Street. It is one of the most famous streets in Hong Kong and is about 3.6 kilometers long.

Nathan Road has always been a main street in the downtown area of ​​Kowloon. The road extends from Salisbury Road in the south to Cheung Sha Wan Road in the north, passing through Jordan and Yau Ma Tei.

Starting from Thornbury Road in Tsim Sha Tsui, it runs through Kwun Chung, Yau Ma Tei, Mong Kok and ends in Sham Shui Po. The houses on both sides of the road have more than one thousand house numbers (fictitious).

This road has always been one of the best in Hong Kong and Kowloon in terms of length, width and prosperity. This Nathan Road is the earliest road built by the British on the Kowloon Peninsula.

The person who handled the occupation procedures with the Governor-General of Guangdong and Guangxi at that time was the Governor of Hong Kong, Hercules Robinson.

After the British occupied Hong Kong, they started building the first trunk road in Kowloon and named it after him, Robinson Road.

At that time, there was no Robinson Road as it is today in the Mid-Levels of Hong Kong Island, but the Robinson Road in Kowloon was built first.

Robinson Road in Kowloon, which was opened more than a hundred years ago, was still a very simple and narrow road; until 1904, a new governor named Nathan came to Hong Kong.

After Nathan arrived, he first issued bonds to raise money to build the Guangzhou-Kowloon Railway, and then installed water meters to collect water charges.

A lot of manpower and resources were spent on renovating and expanding Robinson Road in Kowloon, not only widening the road to a width that was unprecedented at the time, but also giving it a refreshing feel.

They even went to great lengths to plant trees on both sides of the road, transforming the originally desolate old road into a completely new look.

At the same time, he renamed Robinson Road in Kowloon to Nathan Road, which has been used until today.

Today, this has become a famous commercial shopping street in Asia. It is filled with luxury handicrafts from various big brands, and beautiful women and handsome men who follow the trend are all in all shapes and sizes on the street, vividly reflecting the word "saucy youth".

Liu Zhiye and his companion were walking on this, the most prosperous street in Hong Kong in the early 1960s.

Looking at the small shops here, which are lined up one after another and are shoulder to shoulder, the goods in each shop are enough to make people dazzled.

The bustling and crowded streets, with high-rise buildings lining both sides, have squeezed the streets into narrow valleys. Large shopping malls, small shops, banks, dances, and neon lights on all kinds of signs are all on, turning the night into a dazzling colorful world.

The whole street was bustling with traffic, and people of all skin colors gathered together. Once you blend into it, you will immediately become a rootless, bottomless, and thoughtless duckweed, letting the hustle and bustle come and go without touching the ground.

This place is different from the capital city in China. It is a prosperity in another world.

Fortunately, Liu Zhiye had experienced the prosperous scenes of later generations after all. But Zheng Chaoyang was different. Although he had seen big scenes in China and had worked in Shanghai, which was known as the largest city in the Far East at that time, for nearly ten years.

But it must be said that Hong Kong is now more prosperous than Shanghai, and this change surprised Zheng Chaoyang. Thinking back to the prosperity of Shanghai in the past, it is no longer comparable to Hong Kong, which is amazing.

"Wow! Zhiye, this place is so prosperous! I'm really envious. I wonder when our capital city can be so prosperous."

Liu Zhiye smiled and said, "Yes, we must believe in our country, we will definitely become better." He was not just saying this to please Zheng Chaoyang, because decades later, many cities in the country have surpassed Hong Kong in development.

In fact, the economy of the latter country is continuing to grow, and earth-shaking changes are taking place not only in cities but also in rural areas.

However, the Hong Kong region is currently one of the fastest growing regions in Asia.

In the 60s, Hong Kong's economy began to take off and business activities became increasingly active.

Industries such as manufacturing, real estate, and finance are booming, attracting a large number of entrepreneurs.

At the same time, the Hong Kong government's open policy and the popularization of English have also provided strong support for Hong Kong's economic development.

In 61, Hong Kong's per capita GDP reached more than US$400. It was not until 94 that mainland China's per capita GDP exceeded US$400 for the first time, a full 33 years later than Hong Kong.

It was from this time that Hong Kong's economy officially began to take off. In the 61 years from 91 to 30, Hong Kong's economy developed very rapidly, increasing 63 times, and its per capita GDP exceeded US$1, reaching the level of US$1.5 at the time.

…………

Zheng Chaoyang looked at the Xiangjiang River in front of him and said helplessly: "Such a superior place, when can I take it back!"

Liu Zhiye snorted and said, "Old Ying is just a paper tiger now. It's easy for us to take him back. It's just that it's not convenient to take him back temporarily. There are some reasons for that..."

"Keeping it will also serve as a window for communication with the outside world..."

The two talked as they walked, looking at the scenery along the way and paying attention to the changes in the house numbers on the roadside. They felt that they were not far from their destination.

Zheng Chaoyang had sharp eyes. He noticed that there was a busy breakfast shop not far ahead, with people coming and going.

"Zhiye, let's go fill our stomachs first. I haven't had a full meal since I came here yesterday."

The two walked into the store and saw a wonton noodle restaurant in front of them. They waited in line patiently and finally had a delicious breakfast.

"Hmm! It tastes really good, no wonder there are so many people queuing up. This is the first time I've seen a way of eating noodles, noodles and wontons..." One bowl was not enough, so Zheng Chaoyang ordered another one.

"Boss, give us another bowl of noodles."

Wonton noodles is a traditional Xiangjiang noodle dish, famous for its delicious wontons and rich soup.

Wonton is a small wonton with rich fillings, usually including shrimp, pork and vegetables. The soup is usually made from chicken and fish bones and tastes delicious.

"Here I am, handsome boy, please enjoy your meal!" A beautiful woman in her thirties personally brought two bowls of steaming noodles over.

When she saw Liu Zhiye's face, her eyes lit up and she couldn't help but exclaimed: "Oh! This guy is really a handsome guy!"

Liu Zhiye said to her politely: "Thank you, elder sister, thank you for your help!"

The proprietress's eyes moved slightly, and she asked with a smile: "Oh! Sir, judging from your accent, you are from the mainland, right?" In recent years, there have been many people from the mainland coming to Hong Kong, and she is no longer surprised by this.

Liu Zhiye and Zheng Chaoyang looked at each other, then smiled and said, "Yes, our family suffered a disaster and couldn't make ends meet, so we had to come here to seek refuge with our relatives."

Hearing this, the proprietress sighed softly and said, "Ah! I heard that life has not been easy in my hometown in recent years."

"Oh, I forgot to introduce myself. My last name is Hu. I'm from Shanghai. After the victory of the Anti-Japanese War, I came here to live with my husband's family."

"Gentlemen, what are your names..."

Liu Zhiye smiled and said, "My name is Liu Erzhuang, and this is my eldest brother Liu Dazhuang." He pointed at Zheng Chaoyang.

This was the name they had agreed on before.

At first, Zheng Chaoyang didn't agree to call him that. He wanted to call him Zheng Dazhuang or Zheng Erzhuang. Unfortunately, he lost the rock-paper-scissors game to Liu Zhiye, so he had no choice but to call him that.

Sister Hu showed great interest in Liu Zhiye and the other man. Even though the store was very busy, she sat down and chatted with them.

Sister Hu stared at Liu Zhiye and liked him more and more. She had been a widow for more than ten years and could no longer bear the loneliness. She longed to find a man to live with her.

The handsome guy in front of her was undoubtedly the best candidate God had given her. His hometown had suffered a disaster, and he only had one brother. He didn't look like a rich man from the way he dressed, and he had even come here illegally.

Sister Hu thought to herself: "If I let these two brothers work in the store, Liu Erzhuang will behave himself after a while..."

So, she said sincerely, "My two brothers, although Hong Kong Island is prosperous and you don't have to worry about finding food, it will be difficult for you to get by without an identity. If you are not careful, you may be deported."

"So, our meeting is also predestined. My elder sister is kindhearted and can't bear to see you suffer, so she wants to take you in to work in the store." "You have also felt how busy my store is. Business is so prosperous that we are obviously short of staff."

"If you two brothers don't mind, I can help out in the shop temporarily. Maybe I can find a place to stay."

"It won't be too late to talk about the future when things get better."

"Please rest assured, I will not treat you unfairly. Your treatment will be no less than that of the locals. What do you think?"

Liu Zhiye and Zheng Chaoyang looked at each other in surprise when they heard this. They didn't expect that they would be noticed and recruited by the boss just for having breakfast.

If they really had escaped here, they would definitely be overjoyed to be taken in by the landlady. This would be something they would never have wished for.

Too bad they weren't.

Zheng Chaoyang said gratefully: "Oh! Thank you so much, you are such a kind person! Thank you for your kindness in taking us in, but we have to go to our relatives first."

"If my relative is not able to take us in, can we two brothers come back to bother you?"

Sister Hu felt a little unhappy when she heard Zheng Chaoyang's rejection. It was fine if Liu Dazhuang rejected her, after all, she didn't like him. But Liu Erzhuang was different, she couldn't let him go.

However, she changed her mind and thought, "Looking at how poor these two brothers are, their relatives are not much better.

How can I entertain two grown men like this? They will have to come back to me obediently when the time comes."

Thinking of this, she didn't bother to argue too much and started chatting with Liu Zhiye and the other person about other topics with great interest.

She had a smile on her face and spoke in a relaxed manner, which made people feel her confidence and charm.

Liu Zhiye and Zheng Chaoyang were also happy about this. After enjoying the delicious food, they also got detailed information about the nearby area from Sister Hu.

Finally, Liu Zhiye asked her for the address of 1086 Nathan Road with the idea of ​​giving it a try.

Sister Hu actually knew this place because the address of her restaurant was 1050, and not far away was 1086.

After saying goodbye to the reluctant Sister Hu, the two walked out of the store. Zheng Chaoyang looked back and saw Sister Hu still watching them leave.

He joked, "Hey, it seems that this lady boss is interested in you. Why don't you stay here after the task is completed? This is really a win-win situation. You don't have to worry about the rest of your life."

Liu Zhiye chuckled and said sarcastically, "I think it's you who's thinking. Do you think my sister-in-law is old and ugly, and want to replace her with someone younger and richer?"

Zheng Chaoyang said angrily: "Nonsense, my Bai Ling is young and beautiful!"

Liu Zhiye: “…”

The two of them quickly found the building with the house number 1086 and discovered that it was a small hotel.

Zheng Chaoyang shouted happily: "Hey! Found it!" He was about to walk in, but was pulled back by Liu Zhiye.

Liu Zhiye gave him a secret look, and Zheng Chaoyang was shocked. He followed Liu Zhiye's gaze and found that there were several people of suspicious identities lurking nearby.

When a few people dressed strangely saw Liu Zhiye and the other person appear, they wanted to come over and ask what was going on.

Liu Zhiye nodded to Zheng Chaoyang and whispered simply, "Let's go."

Zheng Chaoyang blinked to show that he understood.

The two men walked past these people as if nothing had happened, pretending to be nonchalant. These people looked at each other, and seeing that they were not suspicious, they returned to their original positions and continued to wait.

When they reached a corner and felt that those people were no longer paying attention to them, they stopped.

Zheng Chaoyang heaved a sigh of relief: "That was a close call. It almost ruined the whole thing."

"Zhiye, who are these people you say?"

Liu Zhiye narrowed his eyes and said, "From the way they are dressed, they don't look like professional agents or military police. They look more like some scumbags."

"Shorty mule?"

"Hiss! What are they doing here? Are they also waiting for my brother?" Zheng Chaoyang asked doubtfully.

His brother is an agent of the "Secret Service", so shouldn't there be spy organizations or military police monitoring and watching him?

How could some "short mules" who were not presentable come to monitor Zheng Chaoshan? These people were too unprofessional, which made Zheng Chaoyang a little confused.

Liu Zhiye said without hesitation: "I think this is easy to understand. After all, this is still the territory of the British. How could they allow Taiwanese people to act so recklessly here?"

"Besides, don't underestimate these [dwarf mules]. They have great power in Hong Kong. They can easily handle things that other forces can't handle. It's really convenient to ask them for help on some matters."

Zheng Chaoyang nodded, and they had a general understanding of the current social situation in Hong Kong.

At present, there are numerous gangs in Hong Kong, with thousands of large and small gang organizations. In this age where the weak are preyed upon by the strong, only gangs with money and manpower can gain a foothold in the underworld and survive.

At that time, there was a saying in Hong Kong that "police and gangsters are one family", which means that the Hong Kong police and the gangs colluded with each other to eliminate dissidents. The most famous among them were the four chief detectives and the four major underworld families.

Among them, the most famous are the four major underworld families: "Sun Yee On", "14K", "Yi Kwan" and "Wo Shing Wo".

In fact, Hong Kong has been filled with various gangs since its cession, and the social activities of its members can be said to be open, which is very similar to the openness and legalization of the Green Gang in Shanghai before liberation.

Different from the Green Gang in Shanghai, the Hong Kong gangs mainly come from the Hongmen Tiandihui.

The "Hongmen Tiandihui", also known as the "Red Gang" and the "Three-Point Society", is a global Chinese organization with many members both at home and abroad.

The "Hongmen" has five major branches: Lotus Hall, Hongshun Hall, Jiahou Hall, Chantai Hall and Bama Hall.

Hung Shun Tang is also known as the Chi Kung Tang or the Triads. This organization includes large gangs in the Hong Kong area, such as the "Sun Yee On", "14K", and "Wo Shing Wo".

Mr. Sun, the pioneer of the revolution, joined the Honolulu branch of the Hongmen Zhigongtang in Honolulu in 1903 and served as a "Red Stick".

At the same time, during his revolutionary career, he founded the Xing Han Hui, which integrated the forces of the "Xing Zhong Hui", "Triads", "Ge Lao Hui" and other forces. Among them, the "Triads" and "Ge Lao Hui" were both gang forces derived from the Hongmen.

Therefore, the Hongmen organization has a great influence in the overseas Chinese world, and its power is also very strong. The gang forces in the Hong Kong area are also numerous in the region, and they are simply omnipresent.

Therefore, Taiwan has certain connections with these Chinese gangs. It is understandable that they would entrust these gangs to help when it is inconvenient.

I'm just not sure which gang the people who are squatting here to monitor Zheng Chaoshan belong to.

As the current situation is unclear, Zheng Chaoyang and Liu Zhiye decided to leave first and then find a way to sneak into the hotel and contact Zheng Chaoshan.

"Zhiye, we don't have ID cards, how can we walk in and look for someone openly?" Zheng Chaoyang said with a frown.

Hong Kong has implemented the identity card system a long time ago, and it has developed into the second generation of identity cards.

The second generation of identity cards were first issued in June of the previous year. At that time, as more and more people entered Hong Kong, the Hong Kong government began to issue second generation identity cards.

This type of plastic ID card is nicknamed "sandwich ID card" because there is a piece of paper with personal information sandwiched between two pieces of film.

It is not easy to forge such an ID card in a short period of time, and it is easy to leave flaws if you ask someone else to do it.

"Hehe! Who says that you can't go in openly without an ID card?" Liu Zhiye said in an unfathomable manner.

Zheng Chaoyang urged him: "Hey! Tell me the solution quickly, don't keep us in suspense!"

Liu Zhiye nodded at him and said, "Do you see the police officer over there?"

Zheng Chaoyang looked at the two patrolling policemen in green military uniforms across the street in confusion and responded, "What's going on?"

(End of this chapter)