Hong Kong Movies: You Hongxingzi, what the hell is the charity king?

Chapter 786 "785" Guan Zu's Warning: Wealthy People Immigrting? Did You Ask for My Opinion?!
A new day,
Unsurprisingly, all the newspapers in Hong Kong used Ashton's announcement as their front page story.

"The UK's residency rights plan is a show of force; Britain pretends to care but actually wants to destabilize Hong Kong!" — Ta Kung Pao

"Britain harbors ulterior motives and openly challenges national sovereignty!" — Wen Wei Po

"Britain's 'Right of Residence' Grants a Share to Elite Families but Not to Ordinary People?" — South China Daily

"Hong Kong Governor's High-Profile Push for Abode Rights Leads to Press Conference Questions, Leading to His Inability to Evade the Question" - Sing Tao Daily

The outcry was deafening throughout Hong Kong.

Citizens who admire the ocean cursed that they were not included, feeling that their patriotism had been betrayed.

Those who agree with the University of Tokyo are vehemently criticizing Britain for stirring up trouble.

Ashton is facing his second negative public opinion storm since arriving in Hong Kong, the first being the scandal involving his female secretary when he first arrived.

……

In the afternoon,

Xinhua News Agency held a press conference.

The press conference hall was packed with over fifty reporters and photographers, their flashes going off constantly.

The president stepped onto the podium and scanned the entire room.

Because Guan Zu had leaked the information in advance, the north held a meeting to make a prediction, and Xinhua News Agency was able to react faster. Yesterday, Ashtang announced it, and today Xinhua News Agency stepped forward.

"Good afternoon, fellow journalists and residents of Hong Kong Island..."

The president's calm voice carried through the microphone to every corner:
"Regarding the UK government's unilaterally launched 'Right of Residence Scheme,' the University of Tokyo government hereby clearly states its position: This scheme seriously violates the core spirit and principles of the Joint Declaration and is a blatant trampling on international law and the basic norms of international relations."

"This is essentially an attempt to perpetuate influence over Hong Kong Island, which completely exceeds the framework of the joint statement, and we absolutely will not accept it!"

"Here, we solemnly respond to this: According to the terms of the Joint Declaration, the University of Hong Kong government will not recognize the British citizenship of any Hong Kong Island citizen obtained through the British government's 'Right of Abode Scheme' from July 1, 1997."

"From a legal perspective, they will not be entitled to the so-called consular protection rights of the UK."

"We hereby strongly condemn..."

At last,
The president's tone was resolute: "Any attempt to disrupt or harm..."

The reporters below were taking notes rapidly.

Wow, I didn't expect the University of Tokyo to react so quickly.

In summary, there's one key point.

Dual citizenship is not recognized, and the legitimacy of this British citizenship is denied. In other words, you either leave immediately and get out of Hong Kong Island, or retain your Dongda citizenship but lose your British consular protection rights.

As for administrative staff within the Hong Kong Island government departments, they have two options: either resign or renounce their British citizenship.

If one does not renounce British citizenship, the British consulate has no right to intervene on the grounds of consular protection in cases of legal disputes or accidents in Hong Kong.

From a legal standpoint, the Joint Statement is the only one that holds water.

The interview session began quickly.
ATV reporter Lok Wai-ching asked: "Mr. President, are there any clear deadlines for authorized personnel who are still working in government departments to leave their posts or renounce their citizenship?"

The president replied, "The new government will issue detailed rules before July 1, 1997, requiring relevant public officials to make a choice within a specified period—either renounce their British citizenship and report it to continue performing their duties, or voluntarily resign. Those who fail to make a compliant choice by the deadline will have their public office terminated in accordance with the law, ensuring the loyalty and legitimacy of government personnel."

An interview with the Oriental Daily News reporter: "Mr. President, ordinary citizens are worried that the plan will lead to a brain drain. What supporting measures does the government have to reassure the public?"

The president stated without hesitation: "The foundation of Hong Kong Island's development lies with all citizens, not a small group that has been co-opted. The new government will introduce a series of policies, including measures to optimize the talent development environment, etc., so that the citizens of Hong Kong Island can truly feel the development dividends after the handover. We firmly believe that only those who truly love Hong Kong Island will grow together with it, and the petty tricks of external forces cannot shake the stable foundation of Hong Kong Island..."

That evening, the press conference was featured on ATV and TVB news reports.

the next day,
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the University of Tokyo held an international press conference to lodge a strong protest and condemnation...

On the third day,
The UK responded that everything they did was to provide better international development opportunities for those who had made contributions, and it was absolutely not a conspiracy. They said the University of Tokyo's reaction was excessive.

Then the two sides started arguing.

On Hong Kong Island, there are daily reports of the verbal sparring between the two countries.

……

……

Causeway Bay wet market.

Mr. Guan, an "ordinary citizen," was shopping for groceries at the market with Ruan Mei.

"Mr. Guan, Mrs. Guan~~~~"

"Mr. and Mrs. Guan are here to buy groceries again~~~~"

One by one, citizens and stall owners greeted Guan Zu and Ruan Mei.

"Brother Zu, here's a top-quality grouper, it's absolutely amazing!" The seafood stall owner exclaimed as soon as he saw Guan Zu.

(Photo: Money Spot)
The golden grouper is a type of grouper with black spots the size of coins all over its body. Its flesh is snow-white, has a richer flavor than the red grouper, and is firmer and crisper.

It is considered a high-end delicacy fish, with a market price of over HK$80. The fresher it is, the more expensive it is.

It is a top choice for steamed delicacies.

"Weigh me!"

I then bought the "King of Crabs," the yellow oil crab, from another seafood vendor. It is actually a variant of the roe crab. During the spawning season in the hot summer, the mature roe crab is stimulated by the high temperature in the shallow water, causing the crab roe in its body to decompose into a golden oil that permeates the whole body, making the crab's body appear orange-yellow.

The price is HKD 600 each.

However, some people think it tastes bad while others think it tastes good; it depends on the cooking method.

at this time,

Hai Mimi, carrying an interview microphone and followed by a photographer, walked into the farmers' market.

She came to conduct street interviews.

Hai Mimi asked Aunt Li, who sells vegetables, "Auntie, do you have time? Can I do an interview with you?"

Aunt Li, while tidying up the clothes, said, "Sure!"

Hai Mimi asked in an interview: "What are your thoughts on the issue of British residency rights these past few days?"

Aunt Li immediately started cursing: "My opinion? I think of course Britain has ill intentions! They just want to incite people to cause trouble and make a mess of Hong Kong!"

Then we interviewed an old man who came to buy groceries.

The old man said, "Those who genuinely want to stay in Hong Kong won't be tempted by such 'sweet' offers. How can someone with British citizenship who wants to work for the government have their mind in Hong Kong? Either focus on staying in Hong Kong, or leave quickly and stop occupying positions and harming others!"

Interviews along the way,
The people who come to this market are mostly ordinary citizens, and they are all criticizing the British for their conspiracies and tricks.

At this moment,
Huh?
Hai Mimi suddenly spotted Guan Zu, Ruan Mei, and bodyguard Xu Zhengyang in the crowd, buying groceries.

"Wow~~~ Everyone look, I've run into someone... It's Mr. and Mrs. Guan!"

Reporter Hai Mimi's eyes lit up immediately, and she quickly ran over to conduct an interview.

Guan Zu and Ruan Mei looked at Hai Mimi in surprise: "What a coincidence?"

Hai Mimi winked mischievously.

"Mr. Guan, Mrs. Guan... do you have time for an interview?"

"sure."

"Mr. Guan, Mrs. Guan, you're already incredibly wealthy, why are you personally buying groceries?"

First, a little flattery.

Guan Zu laughed, then said seriously, "I've always believed that one shouldn't forget their roots. I've never thought of myself as superior in any way. We need to eat, so it's perfectly reasonable for us to come to the market to buy groceries... Besides, chatting and gossiping with my neighbors is one of my greatest hobbies..."

"Coming from the masses and going back to the masses has always been my habit..."

This is Guan Zu's honest opinion. His previous idea for "old building renovation" made him realize this even more.

Hai Mimi quietly gave a thumbs up, then continued the interview: "Mr. Guan, what are your thoughts on the 'Right of Residence Scheme' that has been discussed in the past few days?"

Guan Zu was serious. He thought for a moment, then said, "As for government officials, police officers, and other groups, I don't think I need to say anything more..."

"What I want to talk about is—the wealthy."

"Britain wants to grant the wealthy the right to reside in the UK, simply because it hopes they will move to Britain and withdraw their funds."

"To these tycoons, I would like to say: If you want to leave, Five Star Group will raise funds together with the citizens to acquire your assets. You can't expect to keep making money from Hong Kong Island after you leave, can you? That's unfair to the citizens of Hong Kong Island."

The assets on Hong Kong Island are limited, and Kwan Cho certainly wants the citizens of Hong Kong Island to control these assets, rather than letting foreigners control them.

When Guan Zu said this, it was tantamount to a warning.

If you dare to leave, I dare to force you to sell your assets!
Not selling?

Want to experience the power of the people?!
The eyes of the other citizens buying and selling vegetables in the vicinity lit up.

Yup!

Damn, are we leaving?
Keep the profitable assets!

Hai Mimi was deeply moved as she listened to Guan Zu's words!
So domineering!
I am truly impressed!

At this moment, Guan Zu's sudden inspiration sparked a new line of thought.

After saying goodbye to Hai Mimi, Ruan Mei and I bought some other groceries. Once in the black Chevrolet, we made a phone call to Wu Lianqian: "Have someone investigate which wealthy people are planning to emigrate from Hong Kong Island..."

Wu Lianqian: "Okay, Brother Zu!"

……

That night,

TVB reported on this street interview.

Farmers' markets, streets, shopping malls, tea restaurants... all kinds of places...

Most citizens criticized Britain for having ulterior motives.

Some citizens are quite unconventional.

A white-collar worker said: "Why can elites go to the UK? I've worked and paid taxes for over ten years, doesn't that count as contributing to Hong Kong? This plan is just discriminating against people and looking down on us ordinary citizens!"

A driver said, "I also want the opportunity to live in the UK. Why are we excluded? Does only those who make a lot of money and become high-ranking officials have value?"

The camera also went to interview people at the government building.

Interviews were conducted with some mid- to high-level officials in government departments.

“I have always been loyal to Hong Kong Island, and I will not go to the UK.”

"I will continue to serve the citizens of Hong Kong Island!"

These mid- to high-ranking government officials are well aware of one thing: Is it not good for me to be an official in Hong Kong? Why should I go to the UK to work and live under someone else's roof?
Any fool knows how to choose.

After these regular interviews were broadcast, the interview with Guan Zu finally began.

……

……

Detached villa at No. 6, Repulse Bay.

This villa belongs to Mr. Liu, one of the creators of Hong Kong gossip news KPIs, a party involved in the golf incident, and the ultimate rival of Mr. Lin.

At this moment, he was sitting in the living room of his mansion, with TVB news playing on the television in front of him.

He was listening absentmindedly.

Suddenly, Guan Zu's interview came through:

"If you want to leave, the Five Star Group will raise funds together with the citizens to acquire your assets..."

Mr. Liu's hand trembled, and some of the red wine in the glass he had just picked up spilled onto the floor.

He was very politically astute and made a major decision in search of a so-called "safe haven"—to immigrate to the United Kingdom.

To achieve this goal, he has already launched a series of aggressive asset disposal actions this year.

In the original timeline, he cashed out 500 billion yuan through various trading channels and then immigrated to the UK.

After immigrating to the UK in 1997, he purchased the headquarters building of BP and transformed into a "London landlord," hoping to gain a foothold in the UK commercial real estate sector.

Then they were taught a lesson by British culture, law, and politics.

Subsequently, investments were made in other areas, but none of them yielded any significant results.

Ultimately, the company's wealth shrank to 220 billion.

After returning to Hong Kong in 2010, he found that the times had changed. His emigration had been too drastic, resulting in mass layoffs and tax evasion, which severely damaged his reputation. He was subsequently sentenced to four years in prison in Macau for tax evasion and money laundering, but escaped extradition due to the lack of an extradition clause.

Of course, back in 1996, Mr. Liu was unaware of the many hardships he would face after going to the UK, and he was still very determined to immigrate to the UK.

Starting this year, he began selling off his assets.

He owns several office buildings on Hong Kong Island, including several in Central, in prime locations.

There are also Chinese Estates Holdings Limited and Mei Gao Company.

In addition to these, he also owns large tracts of industrial land in the New Territories.

There are also dozens of other companies, large and small.

These assets combined amount to at least 500 billion yuan.

And now,
Although Kwan Cho's statement on television was not explicit, it served as a warning to everyone:

1. Leave? Sure, but you'll have to suffer a lot first!

2. Anyone who dares to take over is going against me, Guan Zu!

With this statement, wealthy individuals who intend to acquire his company will inevitably become very cautious and will have to wait and see Guan Zu's attitude.

The boss's face turned pale and then red.

He knew in his heart that if Guan Zu really wanted to acquire his assets, his own assets would be greatly reduced, and Guan Zu would skim off his wealth.

However, if he were to sell his assets at a low price as Guan Zu suggested, his years of hard work would be greatly diminished.

Another major issue is that if he wants to transfer HK$500 billion overseas through legal means, he will have to pay approximately HK$100 billion in taxes and fees (small amount, long time, complicated procedures, and high tax rate).

Therefore, this forces him to transfer money through underground banks (fast, flexible, and with low fees). According to the current service standards of underground banks, they only charge a 3% service fee (HK$15 billion).

So, should it be legal or illegal?
Should we take the risk and save this HK$85 billion?

"Ring ring ring~~~~"

at this time,

A wealthy businessman called: "Mr. Liu, I need to reconsider the acquisition of Chinese Estates Holdings."

Boss Liu: "…………"

It's really coming!

Damn Guan Zu!
Boss Liu gritted his teeth!

------------

P.S.: I checked and found that underground banks and money laundering are not the same, so the fees are also different.

(End of this chapter)