Manhattan Reborn 1978

Asia, Hong Kong.

It's approaching midnight~

The Peak, in front of Villa 60, Mount Kellett Road.

The car that Cui Yingying and Luo Qingren were riding in slowly stopped.

After driver Zhou Liwen parked the car, he glanced at the two people sitting in the back seat through the rearview mirror, then silently opened the door and got out.

At this time, Luo Qingren, who had slowly digested the shock in his heart, turned his head to look at Cui Yingying, sighed with a wry smile.

"You should tell David this news."

Cui Yingying felt her mind was unusually clear and shook her head decisively, looking into Luo Qingren's eyes and said.

"Just as Consul General Thomas said tonight, Governor Murray MacLehose deliberately called together people from all walks of life in Hong Kong to announce this news before the press conference tomorrow. He must have wanted to express some unofficial attitudes in advance."

"I'm a normal woman who has never been through any of this."

"My greatest luck is that I fell in love with the right person."

"I have no personal opinions about these people and these things, and I will not make any suggestions to David!"

"But you're different! You can!"

"..." Luo Qingren stared into her eyes for a few seconds, and suddenly felt as if he had never thought of taking her seriously.

At this moment, Cui Yingying explained in just a few words that she and Luo Qingren were invited by Thomas, the US Consul General in Hong Kong, to attend the private reception hosted by Sir Murray MacLehose, the Governor of Hong Kong, tonight because of their connection with David Coleman, and learned the "shocking" news.

The New Territories lease may never be renewed!

So, what is the future of Hong Kong?

Do you really want to leave before "big changes" happen?

Or should I follow my father's insistence and hedge my bets?

Luo Qingren silently looked away and fell into deep thought.

Cui Yingying smiled and patted his arm, saying everything.

. . .

About half an hour later.

When driver Zhou Liwen sent Luo Qingren home and returned to the villa with a heavy heart, he saw Cui Yingying, wearing casual home clothes, sitting in the living room on the first floor with Ruan Xiaoling, chatting and laughing.

Cui Yingying saw Zhou Liwen coming back, smiled and invited him to sit down, and asked: "Xiaoling just told me that her real name is Chen Xiaoling, not Ruan Xiaoling..."

"Nguyen is just a surname she changed to in order to make herself look more like a Vietnamese refugee..."

"So I want to contact Lawyer Liu tomorrow and ask him to help change Xiaoling's last name on the immigration application documents back to her real name, Chen Xiaoling. What do you think?"

"Um... okay!" Zhou Liwen certainly had no objection to this kind of thing and nodded happily.

Cui Yingying glanced at Ruan Xiaoling who was sitting next to her, and seemed to have guessed the question that Zhou Liwen had not asked, and smiled.

"In fact, before David left, he told me what we know today..."

"Hong Kong is now just a concession with a signed lease."

"The former British Empire no longer has the glory it had a hundred years ago."

"So, this place will return to its motherland one day!"

"And those of us who live on this land should be full of hope for its future!"

"But..." Zhou Liwen understood what Cui Yingying said, his brows furrowed, and a look of hesitation appeared on his face.

Cui Yingying could certainly understand Zhou Liwen’s complicated feelings at the moment, and said to him with a smile.

"Whether the contract can be renewed successfully or not...it won't have a big impact on ordinary people like us..."

"It's the British people who need to worry about the contract renewal!"

"I have obtained American citizenship~"

"If you also want to immigrate to the United States, I will try my best to help you!"

"I...thank you!" Zhou Liwen finally let go of the heavy stone in his heart after hearing Cui Yingying's promise.

He looked at Cui Yingying and Ruan Xiaoling with gratitude in his eyes, and after a little thought, he said what was buried in his heart.

"A few days ago, when Mr. Coleman was staying at the Peninsula Hotel, an American appeared several times..."

"Today, I saw that American again, following Consul General Thomas and serving as his driver."

"Later, when I was waiting for you in the car outside, I found that several old colleagues were in charge of security patrols."

"So I found them and asked around."

"It turns out that person is a military attaché at the U.S. Consulate in Hong Kong..."

"But, according to rumors I've heard, the military attachés in the consulate are mostly field agents of the CIA."

"Oh?" Cui Yingying showed a hint of surprise on her face and nodded.

"thank you, I know now."

"Um.."

After saying this, Zhou Liwen felt relaxed, waved to Cui Yingying and Ruan Xiaoling, stood up, turned around and left.

. . .

Zhou Liwen is gone.

Cui Yingying did not go upstairs to rest immediately, but sat in the living room and stared at the phone for a long time.

It was not until the clock in the living room struck midnight that her eyes gradually became "lively" and she picked up the phone to make a call.

----

The other side of the Pacific.

new York.

Afternoon~

33 Liberty Street, Manhattan

David stopped on the street, looked up at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York building built with huge stones, and slowly exhaled.

Pine walked up to David carrying an oversized briefcase, glanced at his secretary Maggie, and asked with a smile.

“Is this your first time to come to the New York Fed for work?”

"Ah."

"Where's your work ID?"

"Bring it."

"Uncle Julie will be here soon, shall we go in first?"

"OK, let's go!" David took out a brand new work ID from his pocket and walked towards the New York Federal Reserve Building.

. . .

Manhattan, top floor of the Blue Crystal Hotel.

George Sassoon of the Sassoon family in Hong Kong, holding a briefcase in his hand, knocked on the door of Carnes Rothschild's room.

After a while.

Carnes lay sideways on the sofa in the living room, tilted his head and looked at George and asked.

"Why did you think of looking for me again?"

George showed a helpless expression, pointed at the briefcase and said, "These are your uncle Schrott. He asked me to bring them to you."

“..?!”

"What's in here? Why doesn't he just have someone deliver it to me?" Kanes asked puzzledly after taking a look at the briefcase.

"I don't know, and I can't answer you."

"I was just helping out."

"..." Carnes stared at George for a few seconds, slowly sat up, took the briefcase, and took out several sealed file bags from it.

George sat opposite Carnes, quietly watching him find a pair of scissors, open the file bag, and take out two documents with hundreds of pages, constantly guessing in his heart.