You need to raise your pet using a system [Era]

Chapter 335 Si Jin's Predicament

Before heading to Hong Kong, Lu Yuanqing and his group first went to Shenzhen, met with Si Anqing, and brought a batch of goods there before preparing to go to Hong Kong.

"Are you going to Hong Kong?" Si Anqing asked, a hint of nostalgia flashing across his face.

“I was born there when I was little, but I don’t remember much about it.”

He is a native of Kyoto, but his ancestors went to the port city to make a living, made money, and then moved back to Kyoto with their family.

Si Anqing was too young at the time and doesn't have many memories.

He was able to marry his wife because both of their elders had worked in Hong Kong.

It's essentially a childhood betrothal.

Shenzhen is close to Hong Kong, but after settling in Shenzhen, he never thought of going there.

Hearing Lu Yuanqing mention that they were going to Hong Kong, he suddenly remembered the past he had almost forgotten.

“Well, it’s so close, it’s not very convenient to go there,” Lu Yuanqing said.

“It’s very close, but there’s no point in going. We don’t even know if the friends that Grandpa and the others knew are still around, or if we can even find them,” Si Anqing said with a smile.

The Si family now consists of only him, his wife, and their daughter; all their elders perished in the catastrophe.

During the years he was sent to the countryside, he fantasized countless times about what would have happened if his Si family had not returned to the mainland and had stayed in Hong Kong.

His fantasy was so wonderful that he became completely absorbed in it.

But now he no longer indulges in such fantasies and is more willing to face reality.

"Are you planning to invest? Or buy a house?" Si Anqing asked jokingly.

Having known each other for so many years, Lu Yuanqing's actions of buying houses and land have long been well known.

Lu Yuanqing smiled, raised his wine glass, and said, "No, it's just that some acquaintances invited me over. Of course, if I come across a suitable investment project, I certainly won't let it pass me by."

You can never have too much money!

Si Anqing smiled and raised his glass as well, "I trust your judgment. I'm sure you'll find suitable investment projects. Don't forget me when you make money!"

Because of Lu Yuanqing, he bought several houses, and he made a lot of money from the rent alone. With the continuous rise in housing prices, Si Anqing now has great faith in Lu Yuanqing's judgment.

Moreover, Lu Yuanqing actually had connections in Hong Kong, just as he had thought; Lu Yuanqing was no ordinary person.

Lu Yuanqing, who was actually quite ordinary, said, "You mean this? Given our relationship, I'll definitely think of you when the time comes!"

Si Anqing burst into laughter upon hearing this.

Xie Qianyu did not participate in the whole process, but she always paid special attention to Lu Yuanqing's way of speaking and acting when interacting with people.

She said she would learn it secretly.

Lu Yuanbo picked up a piece of food for her and said with a smile, "This is good. My brother and I order it every time we come to Shenzhen."

That's right. Compared to going out alone with Lu Yuanqing, Lu Yuanbo is quite good at dealing with people.

But with Xie Qianyu by his side, Lu Yuanbo's attention was mostly on Xie Qianyu.

With the current underdeveloped transportation system, going out is a very difficult thing.

Having experienced hardship, Lu Yuanbo took great care of Xie Qianyu throughout the journey, worried that she might get tired.

Xie Qianyu picked up some food and ate it, then smiled at Lu Yuanbo and said, "It's delicious!"

"Is it delicious?" Lu Yuanbo smiled brightly and continued to put more food on her plate. "If you like it, eat more!"

……

Just as they stepped outside, they encountered Lu Yuanqing, Lu Yuanbo, and Xie Qianyu.

After saying goodbye to Si Anqing, the three of them boarded the train to Hong Kong.

As soon as we arrived at the station, Si Jin drove over to pick us up.

"Lu Yuanqing!!!"

Lu Yuanqing heard the voice, looked over, and was about to greet him with a smile.

"Hello, Brother Lu!!!"

Si Jin was surrounded by a group of bodyguards, all dressed in black suits and sunglasses.

Lu Yuanqing: "..."

Lu Yuanqing's expression was indescribable. He had always thought of Si Jin as a noble young master. After years of correspondence, he never expected that Si Jin would become such a pretentious person.

Lu Yuanbo and Xie Qianyu were both surprised to see such a scene for the first time.

"Brother Si!" Lu Yuanbo called out.

"Brother Si!" Xie Qianyu called out.

Si Jin laughed heartily, "Yuanbo, it's been so many years! You told me back then that you married a very beautiful wife, and it turns out you weren't lying!"

Lu Yuanqing and Xie Qianyu silently looked at Lu Yuanbo.

Lu Yuanbo never expected that he would be exposed by Si Jin.

Si Jin's interactions with the Lu family were mostly limited to bamboo handicrafts.

But after all, we've known each other for over ten years. Gradually, the content of our letters changed from only mentioning work to gradually including our personal lives as we spent more time together.

There was a back-and-forth exchange; although the people didn't meet, they talked a lot.

For example, Si Jin told them that his brother-in-law was having an affair and he wanted to confront him, but his family thought it was disgraceful, which made him very unhappy. He had a fight with his family, and his younger sister even forgave his brother-in-law for having a mistress, which made him even angrier.

For example, Si Jin asked why Lu Yuanqing wasn't married yet, and suggested that if he didn't find anyone from their village interested, he should go to Hong Kong and be introduced to a rich man's daughter, who was very beautiful.

For example, Lu Yuanqing gave him an idea to put a sack over his brother-in-law's head.

For example, Lu Yuanbo boasted that he had married the most beautiful wife in the world.

Si Jin didn't believe it.

Upon seeing Xie Qianyu, her beauty was undeniable, but Lu Yuanbo still looked down on him in his heart, thinking that he had never seen any beautiful women in Hong Kong before, which was why he thought Xie Qianyu was the most beautiful woman in the world.

But Si Jin would never say that.

Moreover, Xie Qianyu has a very good temperament, which made him admire her.

Lu Yuanbo blushed slightly, "Brother Si..."

That's not right! His wife is the most beautiful. Even if he tells everyone, Xie Qianyu found out anyway, so why is he blushing?

"I'm not lying." She was so confident!

Lu Yuanqing: "..."

Xie Qianyu: "..."

"Hahaha!!!" Si Jin laughed loudly, "Come on, I'll take you to a place to stay first!"

Lu Yuanqing was speechless: "What are you doing...?"

You've gone astray!

Si Jin: "Where?"

"Since you're coming to Hong Kong this time, I'll be the host. You must have a good time for a few days."

The bodyguard immediately drove over and opened the car door with great professionalism.

Lu Yuanbo and Xie Qianyu remained calm and pretended to be nonchalant, but forgivingly, this was the first time they had ever witnessed such a grand scene.

In mainland China alone, if someone were to make such a grand entrance, aside from being accused of showing off, they would very likely be arrested by the police.

Lu Yuanqing shook his head, speechless, but his aura showed no signs of discomfort as he got into the car first.

Si Jin raised an eyebrow, stubbed out his cigarette, and got into the car. "Let's go to the Hong Kong Grand Hotel first."

Five cars drove onto the road.

Lu Yuanqing genuinely felt nothing.

No other reason than that I've seen too much of it.

In his past life, his family was a family that received compensation for land expropriation, but they didn't have the grandeur of other aristocratic families.

But in his time, the internet was so rich and diverse!

He was quite surprised when he first saw that kind of pretentious behavior online.

After seeing it so many times, you stop noticing anything unusual about it.

Moreover, it seems that the real aristocratic families are actually quite low-key!

Hong Kong was very prosperous in the 1980s; of course, we can only compare it to the mainland now.

It will become even more prosperous in the future.

Lu Yuanbo and Xie Qianyu were overwhelmed by the sights on the street. The people there were dressed very fashionably, a style completely different from that of people on the mainland.

Passing by countless shops on both sides of the street, with billboards of all sizes hanging on them, coming from the mainland, the moment I entered Hong Kong City, it felt like I had entered another world.

Over the years, Lu Yuanbo has traveled to many places, and Shenzhen is considered one of the most prosperous cities he has ever seen. However, after coming to Hong Kong, he realized that his perspective was too limited.

“That’s…Yuanbo, look here…”

Si Jin enthusiastically pointed out the buildings they passed by and explained to them whose property they belonged to.

Lu Yuanqing crossed his arms and said calmly, "Very prosperous!"

Si Jin gave him a thumbs up.

Lu Yuanqing: "Are you a scoundrel?!"

Si Jin smiled and said, "You don't understand Hong Kong. Sigh, I'm just trying to protect myself!"

In this place, if you don't have the ability to protect yourself, you'll be swallowed up without leaving a trace.

Lu Yuanqing nodded knowingly. Hong Kong was indeed very chaotic for a period of time, with rampant organized crime. He knew this from his previous life.

As they were talking, the car arrived at the Port City Hotel.

Si Jin first helped them settle in, and then treated them to a meal before leaving.

Before leaving, he also said he would take them out to play the next day.

After everyone left, Lu Yuanbo relaxed and lay down on the sofa.

"Hong Kong is really different!"

Xie Qianyu wholeheartedly agreed, "The difference is indeed huge."

Lu Yuanqing smiled, sat on the sofa, and said, "The mainland will also develop very well in the future, comparable to Hong Kong."

"Are you tired? If you are, you can take a rest. I'll take you out to see the nightlife in Hong Kong tonight."

The port city was exceptionally beautiful at night, a dazzling display of lights and colors. Lu Yuanqing hadn't seen such a night view in a long time; he was used to finding quiet places as soon as it got dark.

Now, suddenly finding himself in a place with a beautiful night view has stirred up countless memories for him.

It's as if he's still living in the bustling 21st century in Hong Kong, rather than the 1980s.

"I'm not tired, I don't feel tired at all." Lu Yuanbo got up and ran to the window, looking around.

"I'm not tired either!" Xie Qianyu said excitedly.

She came to Hong Kong to see the clothing situation there. Through the car window, she saw clothing that was completely different from that on the mainland, which gave her a lot to think about.

Lu Yuanqing: "..." Okay! So he's the one who thinks he needs to take a nap?

"Okay, let's take a break then. Tomorrow we'll go buy some new clothes."

They are not short of money. In mainland China, they are the envy of others when they walk down the street dressed like this.

Unexpectedly, upon arriving in Hong Kong, Lu Yuanqing felt something was off.

It's not about anything in particular, just the style and color of the clothes!

The clothes in Hong Kong look particularly trendy, while what they wear looks especially tacky.

To avoid being laughed at as a country bumpkin from the mainland, Lu Yuanqing felt he needed to change his entire outfit.

Hong Kong was also very prosperous in the early 1980s.

Si Jin took them to have a great time in Hong Kong for a few days, and finally arranged for someone to take Lu Yuanbo and Xie Qianyu to shop at clothing stores in Hong Kong.

He then took Lu Yuanqing to his shop.

Who would have thought that Si Jin, a young master, would not go home to inherit the family business, but instead run a small bamboo weaving shop?

"Come over and have some tea!" Si Jin called out with a grin.

Lu Yuanqing then snapped out of his reverie, which was taking in the shop.

Regardless, Si Jin is the eldest son of the Si family. The Si family has always been engaged in foreign trade in Hong Kong, and their reputation and financial resources are quite good. The shop that Si Jin used to open his store is also quite large.

There are two floors in total. The first floor is filled with various small and exquisite bamboo woven handicrafts.

The second floor is also spacious, with a bamboo tea table for brewing tea placed next to the window facing the street.

Lu Yuanqing sat in front of Si Jin, watching him skillfully brew tea.

The young master used to look down on such slow tea-making movements, and even such an elegant activity as drinking tea should not have been associated with him.

However, in just over ten years, this person seems to have changed too much.

"Try it. I snatched this tea from my dad. He cherishes it very much. He only brings it out to entertain his close uncles and aunts when they visit."

Si Jin poured tea into his cup, palm up, gesturing for him to try it.

Lu Yuanqing had no choice but to enjoy the service from Young Master Si, picking up the teacup and bringing it to his lips.

He couldn't taste the difference between the tea leaves, nor did he have the patience to appreciate tea.

After finishing his drink, he casually remarked, "Not bad!"

Si Jin smiled and said, "My father loves drinking tea and is very particular about it." After saying that, he picked up the teacup in front of him and drank it all in one gulp.

Lu Yuanqing found the unrestrained way of drinking tea amusing.

He almost succeeded in his act.

“I don’t like drinking tea!” Lu Yuanqing said bluntly.

Si Jin laughed heartily, "I don't like it either!"

The two looked at each other and smiled.

"But even if I don't like it, I have to pretend to like it in front of others!" Si Jin said helplessly.

Lu Yuanqing raised an eyebrow at him, utterly unable to comprehend how this young master's life was so different from what he had imagined.

I still remember meeting Si Jin at the Canton Fair; he was full of vigor and ambition, but he's completely different now.

Si Jin was still Si Jin, but the feeling of being frustrated and unfulfilled surprised Lu Yuanqing.

"Your family went bankrupt?" Lu Yuanqing's sudden question startled Si Jin.

Then, he burst out laughing.

"What?! My daddy is perfectly fine, and my family isn't bankrupt yet!"

Si Jin found it amusing. If it weren't Lu Yuanqing who said those words, he might have already taken action.

Because he knew that Lu Yuanqing didn't understand his family situation, and given his appearance, it was normal for him to misunderstand.

"Then why are you like this!" Lu Yuanqing was very straightforward, saying whatever came to mind.

Si Jin is a person they've known for a long time, and they understand each other's personalities. He's not malicious or petty, so it's best to speak your mind directly when you're with him.

Si Jin didn't seem to care. Hearing this, she smiled, but the smile was a little bitter. "It's nothing, I just feel like I'm doing really badly!"

Si Jin is very concerned about his image; even when facing acquaintances, he will try to put on a brave face.

However, it's also possible that Lu Yuanqing was too straightforward. He hadn't met someone willing to speak frankly with him in a long time, so he didn't need to pretend.

“My dad’s company, he doesn’t want me to go!” Si Jin said bitterly.

Lu Yuanqing asked in confusion, "Why?"

Si Jin seems to have many siblings, but even so, as the eldest son of the Si family, it's impossible that Si Jin can't even enter the company!

"Do you remember the letter I wrote to you six years ago, saying that I had a younger brother? Do you remember?" Si Jin asked.

Lu Yuanqing nodded: "I remember!"

At the time, however, he did not sense Si Jin's happiness from the letter.

He gained a new pair of younger brothers, but he wasn't happy.

Lu Yuanqing instantly understood—it was a wealthy family! He'd been watching too much TV.

It's normal for Si Jin to worry about his younger brother fighting with him for the family fortune.

Moreover, Si's father was clearly a very hardworking person; according to Si Jin, he had eight siblings.

This shocked Lu Yuanqing at the time.