"Wow! Is this how Hong Kong looks?"
"It seems so crowded!"
Maria furrowed her brow as she glanced at the map; she wasn't fond of overly crowded places.
"What are you thinking? This is just a map. It may look small, but in reality, it's not."
Angela lightly scolded, then tapped on a congested area on the map. As the view switched, a street projection appeared.
In the projection, the street appeared crowded, but when zoomed in to a normal level, it didn't seem crowded at all. The layout was quite reasonable. It was just that the high-rise buildings were too numerous, and the structures were so tightly packed together that it caused a visual distortion.
"Huh? What's this map?"
At this point, Zhao Lun fell silent.
"What's wrong with the map?"
"It's nothing... It's just that the shape is a bit odd. The island seems to have too many islands. Could we maybe claim one as our own and play island lord?"
Besides a few large areas, Hong Kong is surrounded by numerous islands, and Zhao Lun wondered if he could acquire one and transform it into a personal recreational haven. That would be quite appealing.
"Don't even think about it!"
"All the good spots are already taken, and the bad ones aren't worth it."
"Besides, with the current political unrest, it's too risky."
Angela said, dismissing the idea, as she pulled back the projection and showed them some images, explaining that there was no land left on the islands for development, and becoming an island lord in Hong Kong was no longer an option.
"No worries, the property market is sluggish right now, so we can buy up some land."
"Let's pick a scenic spot."
"We could build a headquarters here."
Zhao Lun spoke, his gaze falling upon the routes they had traveled. He zoomed in to examine the strange areas he had previously noticed, but he couldn't find them on the map.
Sure enough, something was amiss! Zhao Lun thought to himself.
Just like in London, where one must personally seek out the magical realm's entrance, satellite images wouldn't show it. It required special methods, creating a sense of two different worlds.
Could this be what Mulan was referring to as a powerful being?
"Build a headquarters? Are you sure?"
Nicole and the others, unaware of Zhao Lun's deep thoughts, turned to him.
The real estate market in Hong Kong was shrinking, but building a tall headquarters would require substantial funds. Zhao Lun's plan, though, might impact cash flow and be somewhat detrimental to company development.
"The bounty guild needs such a place."
"Our future company will need such a place! Of course, now is the best time to pick up bargains, we can't let this opportunity slip!"
"Given all these reasons, we certainly can't miss it! In the future, even if we want to buy, we may not be able to!"
The British Empire, unwilling to give up what's in their mouths, was agitated. Hong Kong was a powder keg, the people there like dry wood, ready to catch fire at any moment. And it had already started.
Competing interests, a nation pushing forward, and some individuals seizing the opportunity to profit.
Right now, it was the perfect time to strike; if they didn't, someone else would. Failing to seize the benefits would make them fools.
"You're the boss, you call the shots. But now we should have breakfast, let's replenish ourselves."
"Breakfast? I'm already starving."
"To eat food made by Master Mulan is the greatest happiness!"
The thought of Mulan's cooking made everyone's mouths water. They stopped talking business and followed the delicious scent to the dining room.
Mulan, already aware of Nicole's situation, had prepared a feast. The table was filled with enough food to satisfy even the biggest eaters.
"Buns! Fried dough sticks! Soy milk! Porridge! Pan-fried buns!..."
"Is this a traditional Chinese breakfast? I can't wait!"
"And here's some noodles!"
The table was full of Chinese-style dishes, with no Western foods in sight. Though it lacked substantial meat dishes, the food was surprisingly filling. After finishing, everyone felt thoroughly content.
Mulan's cooking always exuded different kinds of energy, offering a unique satisfaction that other chefs couldn't provide.
Is it strange to feel satisfied after eating? Zhao Lun didn't think so.
Why do so many greedy people, especially the overweight, have such strong appetites? Some people feel hungry even after eating to the point of fullness. Zhao Lun found the answer after tasting Mulan's food.
It was satisfaction! The fulfillment and happiness that food brings!
At this moment, everyone lazily lounged on the sofa, not wanting to get up, all longing for a good nap.
"Let's rest a bit, we'll adjust the time after that."
They hadn't had proper rest on the plane, and after the commotion at the airport, everyone was exhausted. Now, they relaxed and began to feel sleepy.
Soon, they all adjusted their time zone.
They quickly adjusted, waking up just as it was getting dark.
In the living room, the group was gathered again. The bright lights and occasional laughter brought some life to the mansion.
The big screen turned on, linking to the TV channels to watch the news.
Hong Kong was small, with only two major TV stations, both rather similar.
The news began, and everyone watched, curious about their influence. After the serious news concluded, they were disappointed. The content felt small and insignificant, and there was nothing particularly distinctive. After watching, they lost interest.
Change the channel! Entertainment news!
"…This morning, famous movie stars Angela, Monica, and Nicole arrived in Hong Kong… Fans went wild, and the three beauties displayed their skills, breaking through the crowd…"
After a brief commentary, a video was shown: it was of them escaping the crowd.
The video was short, no longer than a minute.
In it, a few glamorous women wearing sunglasses emerged from the airport, only to be halted by the crowd. After some brief exchanges, the situation escalated, and the women were surrounded by enthusiastic fans. A smoke bomb went off, and they disappeared, only to reappear near their car, quickly fleeing the scene.
Their escape was swift, lasting no more than ten seconds.
The video was cleverly edited, and watching it felt like watching a movie.
After the video, the host praised them for their agility, comparing them to movie protagonists, and speculated whether they were here to promote a new film.
The news segment served as an advertisement for their movie.
Whether promoting a new film or engaging in other business activities, the people of Hong Kong now knew that these three had arrived.
"Their goal has been achieved!"
Nicole and the others saw the news and were impressed by the quick response. They had witnessed the power of the local elites.