Chapter 008

Chapter 008

Wang Xingcai had four sons. His eldest son was Wang Bohui, and the remaining three were named Wang Zhongzhao, Wang Shuyang, and Wang Jixu, following the traditional "Bo, Zhong, Shu, Ji" naming convention. They were all born to Madam Wang.

Unlike Mr. Lu, who had three concubines, Wang Xingcai remained faithful to his wife and didn’t engage in any extramarital affairs. He had only one wife, chosen for him through a matchmaker by his parents. Now in his sixties, Madam Wang had a round, kind face with benevolent eyebrows and a slightly plump figure. Dressed in a sleeveless emerald green qipao, she wore a string of white pearls around her neck, white pearl earrings, and a pair of jade bracelets on her wrists.

The shimmering pearls and vibrant jade reflected her wealth and status.

Her carefree and content life had given her an untroubled aura, making her look only in her fifties.

As a junior, Lu Mingzhu quickly stepped forward and greeted them. "Godmother, Big Sister-in-law."

When they saw Lu Mingzhu’s dramatic change in appearance, Madam Wang and her daughter-in-law Liao Wanru reacted just like Wang Bohui, even saying the exact same thing in surprise.

Lu Mingzhu smiled, her lips curving into a small grin. "When you're out and about, it's best to disguise yourself to avoid trouble."

She took out a hairpin and pinned back her bangs, revealing her delicate, baby-faced features.

"You did the right thing by prioritizing safety," Madam Wang said, holding her hand with a bright smile. "Your sister-in-law has already had the rooms prepared for you and Pingan. You can stay here with peace of mind. With us here, you don’t need to wear makeup every day. You, my dear, look best when you're naturally beautiful. I love pretty young ladies; they're a delight to the eyes."

Lu Mingzhu quickly thanked Liao Wanru.

Liao Wanru smiled and said, "We're family, no need to be polite. Come inside quickly, it's hot outside."

She then took the tie from Wang Bohui and hung it on the coat rack by the door.

Once everyone was seated, Madam Wang asked about Mr. Wang's recent situation.

Since Uncle Li hadn't arrived yet, she turned to Lu Mingzhu for updates.

"He's doing well, everything's fine. My godfather saw me off on the ship," Lu Mingzhu replied, drawing on the original body's memories. "The week before we left Shanghai, I had a meal with my godfather. He ate a lot and had a very good appetite."

Madam Wang was pleased but then sighed, "I wish he had come to join us sooner."

Wang Bohui smiled and said, "After the liberation, there was much to be rebuilt. Father was called back for important duties. It's not something that can be arranged on a whim."

The brothers stayed in Hong Kong for two reasons: as a contingency plan and to facilitate the covert transportation of important strategic materials to the mainland. Since last year, all the money they earned and the cash left by their father had been funneled into this effort.

And it had to be done secretly, without drawing attention.

Lu Mingzhu recalled Wang Xingcai's response. "My godfather said he would come over after he retires."

"Then I hope he retires soon and doesn’t overwork himself," Madam Wang said, her innocence showing. Noticing that Lu Mingzhu's makeup was smudged, and just as Uncle Li and the servants arrived with the luggage, she had many questions about Mr. Wang to ask Uncle Li. So she said to Lu Mingzhu, "Mingzhu, go wash your face first, we'll have dinner soon."

"Yes, Godmother," Lu Mingzhu replied obediently.

She too felt uncomfortable with her makeup.

Liao Wanru led her and Lu Pingan upstairs, and their rooms were arranged on the third floor.

The bedrooms were large, each with a living room and a bathroom.

Liao Wanru was meticulous in her preparations; all the bedding was new, and even the toiletries were fully prepared.

Lu Mingzhu and Lu Pingan thanked her repeatedly.

Once the servants brought up their luggage, Liao Wanru went back downstairs.

Lu Mingzhu watched Lu Pingan enter his room before going into her own, locking the door behind her. She took out a change of clothes from her suitcase, removed her makeup, washed her face, and quickly took a hot shower.

After drying her hair, Lu Mingzhu selected four pieces of silk fabric and four cans of tea to give to Mrs. Wang and Mr. Wang Bohui as gifts.

In addition to these, Lu Mingzhu took out an old ginseng root and an ivory carved sailboat ornament from her space. The tea and the ornament were both from the Lu family's storeroom, but the silk fabrics had been renewed by Uncle Li from old ones.

She called Lu Pingan, and the two of them went downstairs with the gifts.

They walked lightly, and Lu Mingzhu, in particular, wore soft-soled embroidered shoes.

As they descended the redwood staircase and were about to reach the first floor, Lu Mingzhu suddenly noticed that there were guests at the Wangs’. Peeking through, she saw an extraordinarily handsome man sitting on the sofa in the hall, talking with Wang Bohui.

A classic beauty in the traditional sense.

His sword-shaped eyebrows and star-like eyes, along with his straight nose and thin lips, made his features very well-defined. His facial contours were smooth, and even though there was a hint of coldness in his eyes, it did not diminish his beauty. Instead, he gave off a gentle and elegant feeling, non-threatening.

He was exactly Lu Mingzhu's type.

Meeting such a good-looking person as soon as she arrived in Hong Kong was truly a feast for the eyes.

"Big brother, we have guests?" At the same time, Lu Mingzhu deliberately made her footsteps louder.

The two in the hall immediately stopped their conversation and looked up at Lu Mingzhu.

Lu Mingzhu had swept her bangs back, revealing her natural beauty without any makeup. She wore a square-necked red dress that made her skin appear extremely fair and her lips strikingly bright. Her peach blossom eyes were full of charm, making her stunningly beautiful.

She noticed the admiration in their eyes and felt a surge of satisfaction.

Being beautiful and attracting attention was only natural.

The handsome man quickly shifted his gaze away from Lu Mingzhu and asked Wang Bohui politely but directly, "Is this the Eighth Miss of the family? I've neither heard of nor seen her before."

Wang Bohui smiled and said, "My sister, Mingzhu, and my nephew, Pingan, just arrived from Shanghai. Of course, you haven't met them before."

He waved to Lu Mingzhu and Lu Pingan, "Mingzhu, come and meet Mr. Xie Junyao. If you're interested in buying a property, Xie's Peak Real Estate Company has some excellent options for you to choose from."

"Didn't Uncle Li say you have a property project on Pok Fu Lam Road?" Lu Mingzhu said as she walked over.

Wang Bohui didn't know about this and said, "We built six buildings, which were sold out last year. Uncle Li probably doesn't know the specifics. This year, we lack funds and haven't purchased any new land for development."

"Lack of funds? Do you need my help? Pingan and I can invest." Lu Mingzhu put down the things she was holding.

Buying buildings was a sure profit, but building them was even more profitable.

With that in mind, she turned to Wang Bohui and said seriously, "Big brother, please consider my proposal! Pingan and I will only provide the funds and be shareholders to share the profits without getting involved in management."

Lu Pingan nodded in agreement.

He enjoyed doing business, but he was too young and still needed to continue his studies.

Wang Bohui couldn't help but say, "Didn't you want to buy a building and be my neighbor? If you invest the money in the company, how will you buy a building?"

Lu Mingzhu waved her little hand, "The business is more important. I can always buy a property once the company starts making profits."

She still had Grandfather's 120 large gold bars, and by selling some jewelry that was currently expensive but had lower appreciation potential in the future, she could easily gather enough funds to buy a building.

"The real estate market has been slow over the past two years because of the war," Wang Bohui reminded her.

Lu Mingzhu disagreed, "That's exactly why it's a good time to enter the market! It will develop well in the future. Despite its small size and large population, Hong Kong serves as a gateway between the mainland and the international market. With the current abundance of labor, industrial development will soon boom. When the economy improves, housing will become essential."

Xie Junyao interjected, "Eighth Miss, do you see a bright future for Hong Kong?"

Lu Mingzhu nodded.

"However, the current real estate is extremely difficult to sell," Xie Junyao told her.

Lu Mingzhu thought for a moment, recalling the relevant information she had reviewed before her time-travel, "In the past, buildings were sold as a whole, right?"

"Yes," Xie Junyao and Wang Bohui nodded simultaneously.

"Is there floor-by-floor sales now?" Lu Mingzhu asked them again.

Xie Junyao and Wang Bohui exchanged glances and asked in unison, "What is floor-by-floor sales?"

Lu Mingzhu said in surprise, "There isn't?"

There shouldn't be!

In the early 1950s, there should have been a floor-by-floor sales model; presales would come two years later.

Lu Mingzhu had reviewed the relevant information.

"No, buildings have always been sold as a whole. Only the wealthiest can afford them, including my properties," Wang Bohui assured her, "The price varies depending on the location. A building can cost anywhere from 100,000 to 300,000 Hong Kong dollars. Ordinary citizens earning just a few hundred dollars a month can't afford to buy, so they rent instead. That's why the real estate market in Hong Kong has always had high rents but very few transactions."

Lu Mingzhu was stunned.

Could it be that she had landed in a parallel universe?

In her original world, there were no prominent capitalists like Wang Xingcai or her father.

Lu Mingzhu mentioned a few names of tycoons she was familiar with, only to find both men looking confused, and asked, "Who are they?"

"Nothing, just asking if you know these people," Lu Mingzhu perked up, "The so-called floor-by-floor sales means dividing a five-story building into five units for sale. Each floor will have a separate owner, each holding one-fifth of the property. This method should be feasible. Brother, you can go ask the Land Office; the government is very likely to agree to this sales method."

Xie Junyao was quite interested and said to Wang Bohui, "It's worth a try."

Wang Bohui was similarly tempted, but...

"The funds in my account are not sufficient. After buying the land, I have no money left to build the buildings," he truthfully revealed his financial predicament, sighing twice before adding, "But Junyao, you might as well give it a try."

Lu Mingzhu raised her hand, "I have money. Brother, I've said that Pingan and I can invest."

Together, we have around one million Hong Kong dollars.

At this time in Hong Kong, that amount would be considered quite substantial, wouldn't it?

Certainly, while it may not rival the super-rich, it's more than enough to start a business.

The Hong Kong real estate market was destined to soar, and doing business in this industry would definitely be profitable, better than just buying buildings.

Hearing this, Xie Junyao said, "I have a better idea."

Aunt and nephew, Wang Bohui and Lu Mingzhu, asked in unison, "What idea?"

Xie Junyao replied, "After consulting with a lawyer and the Land Office to confirm that floor-by-floor sales are possible, we can partner up. Together, we can establish a real estate company. We'll acquire prime land and construct buildings. Wealthy individuals who can't afford an entire building but have enough for a floor will definitely be interested. There will definitely be high demand for these units."