The bar was dimly lit, and the heavy metal music was deafening.

The dance floor was packed with people swaying and dancing, while some listless people sat at the bar, drinking various colored beverages.

Lin Li found a corner seat, ordered a whiskey, and slowly observed the situation in the bar.

She saw the bar owner, a burly man known as "Tiger," talking quietly with several people who looked like buyers in a corner.

She spent a long time in the bar, figuring out its opening hours, staff shifts, and the location of the emergency exits.

She discovered that the bar's warehouse contained a large number of black items.

The warehouse key was kept by a foreman named Ah Kun.

For the next few days, Lin Li lingered near the bar, observing Ah Kun's movements.

She discovered that Ah Kun would go to a nearby late-night food stall every night after the bar closed, and he would always get completely drunk.

Lin Li felt this was an opportunity, and she decided to start with Ah Kun to get the warehouse key.

However, none of these things are in a hurry.

She must make sure she can completely extricate herself from this matter.

A week goes by quickly.

One day after the Spring Festival in 1986.

As the neon lights on Nathan Road went out, the aroma of fish balls filled the morning market in Yau Ma Tei.

Lin Li stood downstairs at the South Sea Pavilion, her fingertips brushing against the three gilded seal characters "South Sea Pavilion" on the brass signboard.

The red silk that was hung up last night was slightly damp from the morning dew, and mixed with the aroma of milk tea wafting from the tea restaurant next door, it left fine, damp marks on the arcade pillars.

She wore a cheongsam made of Xiangyun yarn, the moon-white trim shimmering with a pearly luster in the morning light, and her black high heels made a crisp "thump-thump" sound on the cement floor.

These shoes were recently purchased from a department store in Tsim Sha Tsui; the heels are three inches thinner than the trendy styles in Hong Kong.

Instead of silk flowers adorning her temples, she wore a gold camellia brooch on the collar of her cheongsam, which shimmered with subtle light as she moved.

"Dr. Lin, are you ready to open for business?"

Mr. Chen, who runs a trading company next door, asked while holding up a pair of sandalwood scissors.

He had just returned from the Tsim Sha Tsui pier, and he still had a copy of Ming Pao in his suit pocket, with the Sino-British Joint Declaration printed in bold on the front page.

"Yes, we're opening today!"

Lin Li responded with a smile.

"Boss, Mr. Yu's car is at the street corner!"

Jiang Fusheng emerged from the crowd, his white shirt cuffs stained with soy sauce, which he had just gotten from tasting dishes in the kitchen.

As Lin Li turned around, she bumped into Mr. Yu, who was being helped out of the black car by Mr. Yu.

The old man was wearing a silk mandarin jacket and leaning on a jade pipe, the tobacco in the bowl still unlit.

He squinted at the plaque above the door.

"'Nanhai Pavilion,' the calligraphy is quite good. Was it written by Mr. Song?"

"The old man has a good eye."

Lin Li greeted them with a smile, followed by Lin Laosan and the two little ones.

Lin Laosan was wearing a brand-new blue cloth jacket, with the cuffs rolled up neatly.

Lin Hu clutched a corner of the red ribbon, the end of his braid tied with a red string.

Lin Yao hid behind his brother, holding a freshly baked almond cookie in his hand, a sample given to him by the head chef in the kitchen.

The Luo siblings turned in from another alleyway.

The older brother, Luo Wenxuan, wore a beige suit, while his younger sister, Luo Wenshan, wore a dress with Teresa Teng's image printed on it and carried a wicker food box.

"Dr. Lin, my father asked me to send two jars of thirty-year-old Shaoxing wine, saying it would add to the auspiciousness of the business opening."

The food box had just been placed on the counter when it was taken by the waiter, Afu, who was wearing a blue cloth shirt and had a white towel draped over his shoulder swinging like a windmill.

"Thanks!"

Lin Li led the group into the hall for a short rest.

"Dr. Lin, are you planning to go back after the opening ceremony?"

Mr. Yu took a sip of tea, put down his teacup, and asked softly.

"Yes, we're planning to return to Beijing after the opening. I'm relieved to have Jiang Fusheng here in Hong Kong. But if there are any other troubles, I hope Mr. Yu can still lend a hand..."

"Don't worry, I'll have Awei keep an eye on things here."

Lin Li nodded gratefully to Mr. Yu.

"Dr. Lin, are you also planning to bring Lin Laosan, Lin Hu, and Lin Yao back to Beijing?"

Mr. Yu looked at the three people bustling around and asked in a low voice.

Lin Li shook her head in response.

“I want them to come to the port city to study, but some procedures need to be completed in advance. I expect they will come to study in the second half of the year.”

After hearing Lin Li's arrangements, Mr. Yu had a better understanding of the situation.

"If you need our help here, just let us know. We'll do our best to help you with anything we can."

"Me too!"

The Luo siblings quickly chimed in.

"Thanks!"

Lin Li smiled.

"Boss, it's time to cut the ribbon."

While everyone was still chatting, Jiang Fusheng walked in from outside.

His face was covered in sweat, but the corners of his mouth were turned up high.

"Okay, let's go cut the ribbon!"

Lin Li stepped forward to help Grandpa Yu, and together they walked to the ribbon-cutting area.

"Dr. Lin, congratulations!"

The surrounding merchants all came forward to offer their congratulations.

Lin Li and the rest of the Lin family kept smiling and thanking them.

Just as the sandalwood scissors touched the red silk during the ribbon-cutting ceremony, a loud "bang" suddenly came from the end of the alley.

It was the waiter from the roast meat shop next door who knocked over the maltose bucket. The golden syrup spread on the cement and stuck to a few early-rising sparrows.

Mr. Yu smiled and waved his hand: "Sweet and sticky, it's a good omen."

The old man had been seated in the main seat and was stroking his beard as he looked at the menu on the wall. The four characters "Taishi Snake Soup" in the glass frame were written in gold powder.

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