Chapter 1530: The Tory's Request

'Mr. Gerard, Governor Su, welcome!'

'Mr. Xia, thank you!'

'Mr. Xia, long time no see!'

When the elevator doors opened, Gerard Pate, Governor Su Xingjian, and Fok Kin-ning walked out, and Xia Yu smiled and shook hands with the first two.

'Mr. Gerard, this is the first time we have met since you became the British Foreign Secretary. You have come to Hong Kong for a rare visit, so you should stay for a few days.'

'Mr. Xia, before I came, I already asked the Prime Minister for permission to stay in Hong Kong for two more days, so I won't be formal with you.'

'Haha, that's really good news.'

'Let's go in and talk.'

After saying this, Xia Yu and Gerard Part walked in front, while Su Xingjian and Fok Kin-ning lagged behind by half a body length. The four of them soon arrived at Xia Yu's office.

After taking their seats, a staff member immediately arranged drinks after consulting the group.

While waiting, the group chatted.

'Governor Su, congratulations on your successful re-election.'

Xia Yu looked at Su Xingjian with a smile and offered his congratulations.

The latter smiled and said, 'My successful re-election would not have been possible without the Prime Minister's trust in me and Mr Xia's strong support during my previous term. Thanks to that, the Hong Kong government's various policies were able to be implemented efficiently and effectively. I must thank you.'

Although Xia Yu knew that Gerard Pat and Xia Yu were very close and that they were both on the same side, this was not a private conversation between the two men, so Su Xingjian's response was rather official.

Xia Yu didn't mind.

His relationship with Su Xingjian was much closer than with Gerard Pat.

Of course, Gerard Pat was only one of the four ministers in the British cabinet, and he would certainly need Xia Yu's help if he wanted to succeed Margaret Thatcher after she stepped down.

In particular, he also knew that Xia Yu was close to George Berkeley of the Bright Foundation and also had close ties with the British royalists such as the Duke of Howard.

Not to mention that he is currently only the Foreign Secretary, even if he were the Prime Minister now, he would also have great respect for Xia Yu.

Therefore,

as soon as Su Xingjian finished speaking, Gerard Pat interrupted with a smile, 'Mr. Xia, your influence is not limited to Hong Kong, it is rare even on a global scale. You must not forget your old friend, and in the future, please give me more support.'

'Haha, Mr. Gerard is joking, it is more like we look after each other.'

...

The morning visit was only official in nature, and Su Xingjian, a non-core member of the British Conservative Party, was also present, so they mostly talked about interesting things.

After lunch, Gerard Pat found an opportunity to arrange a meeting with Xia Yu for the evening.

Xia Yu readily agreed.

It was close to 8 o'clock in the evening.

At the top-floor observation restaurant of the Peninsula Hotel.

The weather was perfect tonight, with stars dotted the sky and the full moon hanging high.

Xia Yu and Gerard Part stood in front of the rooftop railing, admiring the unique night view of Hong Kong.

From a high vantage point, the night view of Victoria Harbour looked like a huge galaxy, shining brightly and making people feel as if they were in a dream. The cruise ships on the sea, illuminated by the lights, looked like spaceships floating in the galaxy, slowly sailing past, leaving a beautiful trail.

At the stroke of eight, Hong Kong's iconic Symphony of Lights laser and light show began on time.

Dozens of skyscrapers and landmarks on both sides of Victoria Harbour, on Hong Kong Island and the Kowloon Peninsula, began to collaborate in the show. The magical lights from each building illuminated the sky above Victoria Harbour, complemented by music and narration. It was a dreamlike, magnificent and impactful display of Hong Kong's dazzling night.

Gerard Pat, who was there for the first time, was full of awe and could not help but exclaim, 'I have seen this scene on TV and learned about Hong Kong's world's largest light and music show through the newspapers. I thought I could imagine the scene, but really appreciating it live, I realise that my imagination was not enough.'

'It's so shocking!'

'Hong Kong...is more prosperous than London!'

'It really is the Pearl of the Orient...'

Gerard Pat said the last sentence from the bottom of his heart.

But Xia Yu could hear the complex emotions in his tone of voice: shock, envy, and regret.

After slowly coming back to his senses, Gerard Pate looked at Xia Yu and exclaimed once again, 'Mr Xia, the last time I came to Xiangjiang was more than ten years ago. At that time, Xiangjiang was also prosperous, but it was more of a trade boom, a boom on the docks.'

'But now, Xiangjiang has become a beautiful swan, and in this process, it is inseparable from your contribution, Mr Xia.'

'As far as I know, this hotel, the landmark buildings in the vicinity, the stunning music performances, the taxis driving along the road downstairs, and even the passenger ferry sailing in the sea...every aspect visible to the eye is yours. This is truly a miracle.'

In response, Xia Yu simply gave a faint smile: 'The development of Hong Kong has been promoted by many factors, and I have only done my best to guide it in a direction that seems as correct as possible.'

Although the tone of the story was indifferent, Gerard Pat felt as if Xia Yu's indifferent manner concealed a domineering character and a towering figure.

He once again took a deep look at the bustling Xiangjiang, but it seemed as if he saw a huge figure standing in the middle of it.

Gerard Pat took a deep breath to calm his complex emotions, and then stated the purpose of tonight's meeting.

'Mr Xia, it seems that there are many places in London that need to learn from Hong Kong. We also hope that London and even the UK can continue on the right path under the leadership of our Conservative Party.'

'Let's sit down and talk.'

Xia Yu said, taking the lead and walking over to a chair to sit down, taking a sip of tea to moisten his throat.

'According to the normal term of office, the general election should be held at the beginning of next year, but based on the current situation in the UK and past examples, you have decided to advance the general election this year, and it should be held in the next few months?'

Upon hearing Xia Yu's words, Gerard Pat was taken aback, and then he laughed helplessly, 'Mr. Xia, as usual, you are wise, and you guessed it right away.'

'The reason for sending me to Hong Kong this time is that sending Su Xingjian to succeed you is only a secondary matter. The more important reason is to come and see you.'

'This time of year is not a good time for you, and it is not a good time for us either.'

Xia Yu nodded slightly to show his understanding.

The Conservative Party wanted to quietly enlist his support, and he didn't want to take any risks by going to the UK just yet. He had too many enemies, and it was hard to guard against their plots when you were on someone else's turf.

'Have you decided on a specific month to launch?'

Facing Xia Yu's question, Gerard Pat shook his head: 'The Prime Minister hasn't decided yet whether it will be two months, three months, or longer. It depends on whether preparations are sufficient.'

'Of course, if you give greater support, our time will also be advanced.'

With that, Gerard Pat looked at Xia Yu with burning eyes.

At present, although Margaret Thatcher is 62 years old, her energy is still vigorous, and she is still the leader of the party.

Therefore, if the Conservative Party wins the general election, naturally she will be re-elected as Prime Minister. He is not yet qualified for that.

But if the Conservative Party loses the election, he won't even be the Foreign Minister.

Under the expectant gaze of Gerard Part, Xia Yu nodded slowly and smiled, 'I have worked with the Conservative Party for so many years, and although there have been some twists and turns along the way, overall it has been very enjoyable.'

'You can reply to Lady Margaret that my support will only be greater than the last election, and I guarantee that it will be legal and compliant, and no one else will be able to find any fault with it.'

'Okay, thank you, Mr Xia!'

Gerard Part let out a huge sigh of relief, and then said happily.

He had gone back and done enough to get the job done. The final result of this trip, which had been a sure thing, was really no surprise.

'Mr Gerard, now that we've finished talking about politics, I think you should focus more on yourself and your family.'

'There are many projects in Xiangjiang with great investment prospects that I can tell you about. As for the UK, I think Bright Fund knows better. I'm good friends with George Berkeley...'

Over the next two days, Xia Yu also arranged for his friends to meet with Gerald Patten, and the fun ways were also brilliant.

Finally,

Xia Yu personally went to the airport to see Gerald Patten off.

It was only on the way back that Xia Yu sat in the car and thought about Gerald Patten's next trip to Australia and New Zealand.

Both are members of the Commonwealth, and they are also core members of it.

And he also has plans for these two countries.

'Where is Liu Bohui now?'

Fok Kin-ning immediately replied, 'He should currently be in Australia. He was in Sydney the day before yesterday.'

'Tell him to meet me in Hong Kong, and try to get here tomorrow, or the day after at the latest.'

'Okay!'