Chapter 6: A Sudden Turn of Events

"Zhou Ming from Nanjing? Oh, now I remember! You're the one who established the Nanjing Stock Market in mainland China, and during the last Chinese New Year, when the highest leader Yang came to inspect, he stayed at your industrial park and gave a speech on persisting with reform and opening up. You were highly praised by Yang. I didn't expect you to attend the banquet today!"

Zheng Haolong's eyes lit up with surprise as he looked Zhou Ming up and down.

Originally, Nordman's praise had already made Zheng Jiancheng feel the sting of American disdain. Now, hearing his father say the same thing, his already disordered thoughts became even more chaotic.

Zheng Jiancheng quietly asked his father, "Dad, do you also know about Zhou Ming?"

Zheng Haolong shot Zheng Jiancheng a displeased glance, clearly reproaching him for not paying attention to mainland news. However, in front of so many people, he chose not to reprimand him openly.

This glance made Zheng Jiancheng's mind snap back to reality. He knew that his father had always leaned towards the mainland and was among the first group of Hong Kong businessmen to connect with mainland authorities after the reform and opening up. When his father visited Yan Jing, he was received by the highest mainland leaders according to national standards.

Realizing how foolish his question was, Zheng Jiancheng was relieved that his father would at least maintain face in front of others.

However, the face his father gave wasn't enough to reassure Zheng Jiancheng. Although he was the eldest son, his father didn't adhere to traditional notions of inheritance, and with several capable brothers-in-law, his own prospects of inheriting the family business were uncertain.

"Sir Zheng, I'm Zhou Ming, the person you mentioned. I'm honored to attend your banquet today and have the chance to converse with you," Zhou Ming said with a smile, maintaining a demeanor of polite respect. As for the title, Lin Muqing had informed him of Zheng Haolong's knighthood, but Zhou Ming had no interest in the internal affairs of the Zheng family or Zheng Jiancheng's psychological state.

Zheng Haolong smiled and nodded in approval. At this moment, another person approached Zhou Ming and greeted him, "Mr. Zhou, it's a pleasant surprise to meet you here. It's been quite a long time since we last met!"

"Mr. Li, it's a pleasure to see you as well. I'm sorry I haven't had the chance to visit Hong Kong to see you. I hope you can forgive my absence."

The person greeting Zhou Ming was none other than Li Cheng, the future global Chinese tycoon.

Li Cheng waved his hand, saying, "Mr. Zhou, you're too polite. We're all businessmen with our own affairs to attend to. I've heard about the significant achievements you've made in the mainland!"

"Mr. Li, you flatter me," Zhou Ming responded modestly.

"Li Cheng, you know him too?" Zheng Haolong interjected, surprised by the warm exchange between Li Cheng and Zhou Ming.

"Yes, teacher. Mr. Zhou visited Hong Kong two years ago, and that's when I met him. You might remember that two years ago I entered the financial sector and later invested to help Ms. Lin Muqing establish the Joint Investment Company. All of this was due to Mr. Zhou's idea of a principal-protected fund, which completely revitalized Hong Kong's economy."

Li Cheng's words piqued Nordman's interest. He said, "So this young Mr. Zhou has made such arrangements? That's both surprising and fitting."

What's going on? How did Zhou Ming, this mainlander, save Hong Kong's economy?

Li Cheng's remarks once again overturned Zheng Jiancheng's perceptions.

But the world's disdain for Zheng Jiancheng didn't end here. Following Li Cheng, Tong Gang, the second-largest ship king globally, also stepped forward to greet Zhou Ming. "Hello, Brother Zhou Ming. I've heard about your contributions in the mainland and Hong Kong. I really admire you. If not for many commitments here in Hong Kong, I would have visited your industrial park to have a chat with you, just like your leader."

"You're too kind, Mr. Tong. As someone senior to me, I should be the one to visit you whenever you call, rather than you coming to me," Zhou Ming responded courteously.

After Tong Gang, two heavyweight real estate and financial tycoons in Hong Kong also came forward to greet Zhou Ming. The financial tycoon, in particular, expressed amazement at Zhou Ming's financial methods and ideas.

At this point, Zheng Jiancheng felt as if he were going crazy. If the praise for Zhou Ming had already been a slap in his face, now it felt like his face was being pummeled into a mess, beyond even the legendary "return my pretty punches."

He couldn't imagine how the story had turned out this way. Though he had prepared himself mentally, knowing that a man who could attract Lin Muqing's attention and make it to Hong Kong would be exceptional, he had deliberately brought Zhou Ming through the banquet hall, intending to show him his place and let him withdraw.

This idea seemed reasonable, given his father's presence and the high-profile guests. As the eldest son, he seemed to have the advantage in timing, location, and support. But unexpectedly, the plot had taken a sudden and unexpected turn.

Firstly, Nordman's appearance, a respected American monetary economist, was a significant factor in the banquet. To everyone's surprise, this world-class economist had unveiled Zhou Ming's legendary achievements.

Under Nordman's high praise, Zheng Haolong approached Zhou Ming, which triggered Li Cheng's memories and led Tong Gang and others to recall Zhou Ming's accomplishments.

For Zheng Jiancheng, today's events could only be described as extraordinary, with high-profile figures surrounding Zhou Ming. He had initially hoped to make Zhou Ming the center of attention and teach him a lesson, but now, with everyone surrounding Zhou Ming and ignoring him, it was like he had shot himself in the foot.

Realizing this, Zheng Jiancheng glanced at Lin Muqing, whose proud and happy expression at Zhou Ming's success only intensified his frustration.

Lin Muqing's happiness wasn't just about pride in her partner but genuine delight in Zhou Ming's success. As for Zheng Jiancheng's distress, it was of no concern to her.

Despite Zheng Jiancheng's feelings of impending doom, reality seemed determined to deal him more blows.

As the atmosphere grew more pleasant, Nordman said, "If you don't mind, I'd like to invite Mr. Zhou Ming to sit down and chat with us. Perhaps Mr. Zhou Ming can provide us with a unique perspective on the issues we've been discussing."

Nordman's invitation for Zhou Ming and others to sit down left Zheng Jiancheng stunned, his mind racing with a torrent of conflicting thoughts.

What shocked him further was not only Lin Muqing naturally sitting next to Zhou Ming to assist as a translator but also Zhou Ming sitting in the center with Nordman. Historically, the central position signified the highest status and honor. While it was understandable for Nordman to occupy that place, Zhou Ming's presence there was inexplicable.

Furthermore, Nordman's suggestion to discuss and explore different viewpoints with Zhou Ming seemed absurd. What could a person from the backward mainland possibly contribute to discussions on global economic trends and policy changes?

Zheng Jiancheng was dumbfounded. Yet, with his father and so many prominent figures present, he had no choice but to listen quietly.

"Brother Zhou Ming, if I'm not mistaken, you came to Hong Kong this time to attend that conference, right?"

Nordman asked Zhou Ming. Zhou Ming nodded, and Nordman continued, "That's good. In that case, I don't need to repeat certain points. What is your opinion on the conference?"

Zhou Ming raised an eyebrow, surprised by the challenging question Nordman had posed. After a moment's thought, Zhou Ming replied, "I believe the conference is quite necessary. After all, Hong Kong is closely tied to the mainland. It's clear from the return of Hong Kong that separation is not an option, so strengthening the connection between Hong Kong and the mainland is inevitable."

"I understand. Due to various reasons, there has been a certain ambiguous impact on Hong Kong and the outside world, leading to deep misunderstandings about the mainland. It's only natural to have this conference to dispel these negative effects."

Zhou Ming paused, then added, "I'm not just speaking nonsense. Mr. Nordman and Sir Zheng have been to the mainland before, so I believe you both have some understanding of it."

"Yes, it's truly a magical land. I've never seen a city develop so rapidly," Nordman said, reflecting on his experience.

He then turned to Zheng Haolong and asked, "Zheng, what do you think?"

Zheng Haolong smiled and said, "I've always believed that the mainland is a place of hidden talents. Zhou Ming represents the mainland at this conference, and despite his youth, he speaks with remarkable insight. I believe this conference will achieve some meaningful results."