The heavy, black-painted iron gates of the Governor's House, a symbol of colonial authority, were firmly shut. But today, Garden Road in front of the gate was already packed with people.
The air was filled with the smell of sweat, camera leather, and intense anticipation.
Five minutes before the agreed petition time by Lin Huowang, the front of the Governor's House was already flooded with people.
The riot police were all facing a serious enemy, and they barely carved a narrow gap under the metal isolation railings to lead to the gate.
Fatty Wang, the photography director of Oriental Daily, squeezed his bloated body next to the tripod, his shirt collar soaked with sweat.
He roared into the intercom, "Ajian! Get me the best angle on the right! If I can't get a close-up of 'Xiao Linsheng' bowing his head today, you'll be on the dog and horse racing circuit tomorrow!"
Li Shujun, a senior political reporter for Sing Tao Daily, was jotting down notes nearby: "Will MacLehose receive Kobayashi? Something's wrong. Focus: Is the Hong Kong government being forced to make concessions? If they refuse, what's their stance? Kobayashi is in a dilemma."
Not far away, TVB's broadcast vehicle was already on standby.
The host, Zhou Huiting, dressed in a lavender Chanel suit and delicately made-up, flashed a professional smile to the camera: "Good afternoon, everyone! I'm broadcasting live from the front of Governor's House. As you can see, there are already thousands of residents and a large number of media present."
Today's focus is undoubtedly Mr. Kobayashi Tenmo, the newly appointed head of Hong Kong Land Development, a Japanese-Chinese businessman. He will be visiting Governor's House for the first time as a petitioner, protesting the Hong Kong government's inaction regarding the plight of Hong Kong Land Development, its core asset. As is well known, Hong Kong Land Development's stock price has been volatile recently, and the suspension of commercial supply with the Fok Group has only exacerbated the situation.
The camera switches to focus on the surging crowd outside the Governor's House.
"Many market insiders are speculating," Zhou Huiting's voice was filled with meaning. "Will Mr. Kobayashi's visit truly force a response from the Governor's Office? Or... is it just a gesture? How will Sir Murray MacLehose respond to this rising Chinese upstart, yet with a delicate relationship to the British financial establishment? We'll have to wait and see. This station will continue to pay close attention."
TVB News Director Chan Kwok-keung stood beside the surveillance screen, brow furrowed. He whispered to his assistant, "Set up all the cameras, paying special attention to capturing the subtle facial expressions of Kobayashi Ten-Wang and Governor Murray MacLehose. In this scene, one shot is worth more than ten lines of voiceover!"
Rickshaw driver Uncle Chen, who squeezed into the front row to watch the excitement, stretched his neck like an old goose, and his worn sweat shirt stuck to his body with sweat.
"Damn! Such a big show at the Governor's door? Could it be that the Governor personally came out to greet him? Am I seeing things? In the past, dock workers came to ask for their wages, but no one paid any attention even when they shouted at the top of their lungs! This Xiaolin Tianwang really cares about face more than anything else!"
Next to him, Mr. Zhang, who looked like an office white-collar worker, was holding a briefcase. He curled his lips in a reserved manner: "What do you know? The higher you praise, the harder you fall. Westerners are the best at this. They give you great face on the surface, but they are so cruel to you behind your back. Mr. Xiao Lin wants to negotiate money and business with the Governor to save Hong Kong from its predicament. It's difficult!"
His words were filled with the shrewdness and a hint of sarcasm that are unique to the Hong Kong middle class.
A little further away, several well-dressed young people were waving their arms. They were loyal fans of "Dragon Jump" and they had skipped school specifically to come here because they heard about the excitement.
"Xiao Linsheng is so awesome! He can actually be on the same stage with the Governor of Hong Kong!" A male student wearing glasses shouted excitedly.
"I hope the boss can handle it! Don't be bullied by the Huo family and the British capital!" Another short-haired girl whispered in agreement, her tone worried but also full of expectation.
Their presence doesn't stand out amid the clamor, but they represent a completely different voice. They don't care about the infighting among the tycoons, but only hope that the "big boss" who brought cool comics and broke the dullness can continue to prosper.
On the top floor of HSBC, heavy velvet curtains blocked out the outside noise. Shen Bi stood in front of the French window, the TV screen in front of him broadcasting the grand scene in front of the Governor's House.
"Heh," he chuckled, speaking to his confidant. "Peter's move... is truly brilliant. Judging by the looks of things, is he planning to personally greet us? And then just kick the ball back to us. He's given us enough face. If Kobayashi Tianwang makes any further requests, he'll have to consider whether his 'contribution' is worthy and whether his demands are 'reasonable'. This petition and protest... Kobayashi Tianwang has already lost half the battle."
On the top floor of Jardine House, Newbigin stared intently at the television screen. He still felt resentful about Lin Huowang's attacks and humiliations in the stock market, as well as the "unequal treaty" that had allowed him to gain something for nothing.
"Alright! Go ahead! Go and ask our Governor! Let's see if this noble Lord of the British Empire will use the colonial government's authority for a kid like you from Japan?"
He gritted his teeth and said, "The more polite MacLehose is, the more he'll make you realize your worth! Just wait for your own embarrassment!"
In the director's room of TVB News Center, Huo Zhenting sat in the VIP chair, holding a champagne glass with a sneer on his lips.
On the TV screen, there was a close-up of Zhou Huiting and a silhouette of Mr. Huo calling on Chinese capital to encircle the Hong Kong Land Group.
"Overpraising! This move by Hong Kong Governor Murray MacLehose is definitely overpraising Kobayashi Tenmo!"
He said to the TVB director beside him, his tone filled with the satisfaction of revenge, "That old fox, MacLehose, is so hypocritical! I wonder what will happen to Xiao Lin Tianwang? He's been placed on such a high pedestal. If he makes demands, he'll be asking for more and ungrateful. If he doesn't make any demands? He'll just go back in disgrace? Ha! Neither of them is human!"
In the office of Xinhua News Agency's Hong Kong branch, President Liang Weilin stared at the TV screen with sweat on his palms.
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