Chapter 891: Jiuding University is completed

After returning to Hong Kong in a low-key manner, Xia Yu did not appear in public, but stayed at home instead.

In fact, François Mitterrand also stayed on the island for only one day before returning, but Xia Yu stayed at home for five consecutive days in order to minimise the risk of exposure.

Of course, he didn't waste any time, and had specially asked Huo Jianning to deliver the development reports of each company to his home.

Five days later, in the morning, after playing tai chi in the backyard, Xia Yu was having breakfast with Li Qian and his younger siblings.

Since it was Saturday, and considering that it was rare for the children to relax, breakfast was relatively late, and Xia Yu had not finished eating when Huo Jianning arrived on time.

'Good morning, uncle!'

Seeing Huo Jianning come over with his bag, Xia Ming's three children politely greeted him.

'Jianing, have you had breakfast? Do you want some more?'

Xia Yu said to him, smiling and pointing to the breakfast on the table without getting up.

After smiling and nodding at the three children and their parents, Huo Jianing shook his head and said, 'Chairman, no thanks, I've already eaten at home.'

Xia Yu didn't insist, and said to him, 'Then sit down for a while, I'll finish eating first.'

'Okay, I'm in no hurry, enjoy your meal.'

After saying this, Fok Kin-ning sat down on the sofa and waited.

Three minutes later, Xia Yu finished drinking the milk, dabbed his mouth with a paper towel, and sat down on the sofa.

Fok Kin-ning immediately handed over the documents and said, 'Chairman, these are the development reports of seven companies including Tiangong Electronics Co., Ltd. and Tiangong Electrical Appliances Manufacturing Co., Ltd., and this is the report from President Wang Gengwu.'

Xia Yu took it, casually flipped through it a few times, and then put the company development report down. He would read these documents later, there was no rush.

Instead, he opened Wang Gengwu's report and read it.

The report was neither long nor short, mainly introducing various aspects of Jiuding University. Xia Yu finished reading it in just a few minutes.

Since the land was confirmed and acquired at the end of November last year, with the full construction efforts of Jiuding Infrastructure Limited, it took ten months for Jiuding University to rise from the ground in Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, and all the buildings were completed.

Wang Gengwu did not know that Xia Yu had returned to Xiangjiang, but the report had already stated that it was hoped that Xia Yu would find time to visit Jiuding University as soon as possible to decide when to hold the groundbreaking ceremony for Jiuding University.

Xia Yu's interest immediately piqued. The importance of Jiuding University to his Jiuding Group and to Xiangjiang was unquestionable. It had just been completed when he returned, so he really should go and take a look at the site.

He also wanted to see what Jiuding University would look like after it was built, as shown on the drawings.

After closing the report, Xia Yu asked Huo Jianning, 'Jianning, please inform President Wang that I will be there in a while.'

Fok Kin-ning's face became serious, and he nodded, saying, 'President Wang will be at the university at eight o'clock every day, and he should be there now. I'll go and confirm that. Chairman, may I use the phone?'

'Mm!'

Xia Yu nodded.

Then, Fok Kin-ning made a phone call to the president's office of Jiuding University to notify Wang Gengwu. After that, Xia Yu immediately returned to his room, changed his clothes, and came down with Li Qian.

'Mom and Dad, I'll be going out for a bit.'

After saying this to his parents, Xia Yu was just about to leave when his younger sister Xia Xiaomei suddenly asked crisply, 'Big brother, are you going to the university?'

Xia Yu smiled and said, 'Well, the Jiuding University that I helped build has been completed, so I'm going to go take a look.'

'Big brother, can you take me with you?'

Xia Xiaomei's eyes lit up as she looked at Xia Yu pleadingly.

'Big brother, I want to go too, to see what the university I'll be attending looks like,'

Xia Ming was also eager to go, and quickly said so.

Xia Yu couldn't help but smile, teasing, 'Ah Ming, are you sure you'll be going to Jiuding University in a few years?'

Xia Ming nodded with certainty, 'Of course. The university you built, it must be the best in the whole of Xiangjiang, so of course I want to go there to study.'

'Second brother is right, let's go and have a look at the university we'll be going to in the future,'

Xia Xiaomei immediately chimed in.

As for Yan Hong, although he never said a word, his flashing gaze also revealed his thoughts.

Xia Yu of course would not refuse such a request from his younger siblings. After all, this morning's visit to Jiuding University was also for sightseeing, so it would be just like taking them out to play.

If they could be touched, that would be even better. So he nodded with a smile and said, 'No problem, hurry up and go change, I'll wait for the three of you outside.'

'Yay!'

'I'll go right now, I'll be right down.'

The three children immediately cheered and ran upstairs, and Xia's parents couldn't help but smile, then tidied the table together.

Twenty minutes later, a convoy of five black Rolls-Royces Phantom arrived at the gate of Jiuding University in Clear Water Bay, Kowloon. Wang Gengwu was already waiting at the gate with the school's senior management.

Xia Yu immediately got out of the car, smiling and shaking hands with Wang Gengwu and the others to say hello, 'Principal Wang, it's been a long time, thank you for your hard work.'

'Haha, it's not hard work, I enjoy it,'

Wang Gengwu said with a smile, looking at Xia Ming's three children, Xia Ming Sanxiao, who were looking around behind Xia Yu.

Xia Yu introduced in a timely manner, 'President Wang, these are my younger siblings, I've brought them along to show them their future alma mater.'

'Ming, Xiaomei, say hello to the uncles and grandpas.'

'Hello grandpas Wang, hello uncles!'

'Hello, welcome!'

...

After the pleasantries, Xia Yu finally had time to tour the school.

Wang Gengwu said to Xia Yu, 'Xia Sheng, let me show you around. Although the university was built according to the drawings, some changes were made during construction.'

'Well, then I'll trouble you.'

After that, the group wandered around the empty school.

Jiuding University does not have a precise main entrance. There are nine gates in total, each leading about 20 metres into the campus. At the centre of each gate is a two-metre-high bronze tripod, inscribed with an ancient Chinese saying.

The motto of Jiuding University is 'Self-discipline leads to responsibility for the world'.

'Self-discipline starts with oneself, starting with every little thing around you. 'Self-discipline' is a process of growth and continuous learning. 'Taking responsibility for the world' means that if you have done your 'self-discipline' well now, you will be able to take responsibility for the future and the world, serving the school, society and country.

Jiuding University covers an area of 60 hectares, which is 10 hectares larger than Xiangjiang University. The land is fully utilized, and according to the plan, it can accommodate 20,000 teachers and students, which is definitely enough in the early stage.

As for the later stage, it is certain that there will be further expansion. As for how this will be done, that will be discussed later. Xia Yu was not worried about not being able to obtain land. Although it is true that land in Xiangjiang is scarce, once the Jiuding consortium becomes more influential, there is no need to worry about being unable to get the Hong Kong government to cooperate.

Unbeknownst to them, after touring the library, the group sat down to rest in the library's science and technology hall.

'President Wang, the school has already been built and will start next autumn. There are still eight months until summer enrolment. I'm not sure how you're preparing for the teaching staff.'

Xia Yu asked with concern.

Wang Gengwu organised his thoughts and said to Xia Yu with a worried look on his face: 'Xia Sheng, I have already started recruiting professors, mainly from universities in Xiangjiang. Of course, I have also invited many well-known scholars from Taiwan, the provinces and Southeast Asia. At present, there are just enough professors to teach more than 2,000 students, and most of these professors are biased towards the arts. There is a large gap in the sciences.'

'Our university can accommodate more than 20,000 teachers and students, but because it is a new university, it only recruits first-year students, so the initial enrollment is 4,000. It would have been enough to set up first-year courses.'

'But our school is a credit system, and students are allowed to graduate early as long as they have earned enough credits. Therefore, it is best to build the later grades at the same time. Considering this, the shortage of high-level professors is even greater.'

'It is very difficult to fully staff the university within eight months, unless you reduce the number of students enrolled or lower the recruitment standards...'

Wang Gengwu had just finished speaking when Xia Yu immediately shook his head and said, 'The requirements cannot be lowered. Jiuding University's ultimate goal is to become a world-class institution of higher learning, so the quality of the faculty absolutely cannot be compromised. Since the students have come to study with us, we must do our best to nurture them into talent.'

Wang Gengwu nodded in deep agreement: 'My original intention was also not to lower the recruitment standards, so we would have to reduce the number of admissions.'

Wang Gengwu's face fell a little, and one could hear the reluctance in his tone.

As the head of a university, he of course hoped to have many successful students and to cultivate as many talents as possible, but the reality was that there were too many constraints, and he had already done his best.

It was true that the quality of science teaching staff in Hong Kong and even Southeast Asia was poorer.

Xia Yu frowned for a long time, thinking, and came up with a possible solution, but he would not say it rashly without a definite answer.

He said to Wang Gengwu, 'Principal Wang, you need to do your best in this regard. The standards must not be lowered. I will also find a way. In half a month at the soonest, or a month at the latest, I will give you a definite answer.'

Wang Gengwu was suddenly relieved, and a smile appeared on his face. He nodded emphatically and said, 'Okay, I will do my best!'

After that, the two men were at a loss for words, and the atmosphere gradually cooled.

Wang Gengwu patted his forehead and said to Xia Yu, 'Xia Sheng, I almost forgot, the school has already been built, when would you like to hold a foundation stone laying ceremony?'

Xia Yu nodded slightly and said, 'The foundation stone laying ceremony will definitely be held, and it will be as grand as possible. I will arrange for the whole thing to be broadcast live on TV, covering the whole of Southeast Asia.'

'The problem now is choosing a good day.'

'I will have someone choose one when I get back, and it should be held soon.'

'President Wang, you need to get ready on your end as well.'

Wang Gengwu nodded and replied, 'Xia Sheng, don't worry, I've already started preparing, and it will be ready in three days at the most.'

'That's good, wait for my news!' Xia Yu said with a smile.

Afterwards, Xia Yu led the group on a long tour of Jiuding University, and then arranged for two cars to take Xia Ming and the others home, while he went to the Chunqiu Hospital.

The Chunqiu Hospital had already been built and was in trial operation, and Li Chunqiu was busy as the hospital's director.

After arriving at the Spring and Autumn Hospital, Xia Yu also took the opportunity to have a look around, and then asked his master Li Chunqiu to pick an auspicious date for him.

After some deliberation, the time was finally set, corresponding to 10 o'clock on the morning of the 10th of October in the Gregorian calendar!

As soon as the time was set, Xia Yu immediately informed Wang Gengwu, and then arranged for invitations to be made.

Six days passed in a flash, and it was suddenly the 10th of October.