Chapter 16.2. He’s unexpectedly this kind of dad!

At this moment, the food was finally served. Gu Shizhang said, “Eat first, I’m afraid you’re hungry again.”

In fact, Ye Tianhui wasn’t really hungry anymore, but the dishes Gu Shizhang ordered were very appetizing. Moreover, since he was eating, it wouldn’t be polite for her to just watch, so she took a few bites. After tasting it, she couldn’t help but admit that it was much better than what vendors outside sell.

Gu Shizhang pushed the almond juice steamed egg whites toward her, saying that it was what he had ordered for her.

She didn’t refuse and tasted it. It was very tender, smooth, and fragrant, with a rich almond juice and milk flavor. She ate it with satisfaction.

Gu Shizhang lifted his eyes and saw how much she was enjoying her food.

He didn’t speak again, just quietly watched her.

After Ye Tianhui had almost finished eating, she suddenly remembered something: “By the way, do you read newspapers? Are you interested in the gossip about the wealthy families?”

Gu Shizhang looked puzzled: “Why are you asking about this all of a sudden?”

Ye Tianhui wiped her mouth and said, “Do you know the Gu family? They share your surname! I mean the Gu family, the richest family in Hong Kong.”

Gu Shizhang glanced at Ye Tianhui.

He thoughtfully handed her a napkin, then slowly said, “I know. Their business is very large.”

Ye Tianhui: “What about the Ye family?”

Gu Shizhang: “I know them as well.”

Ye Tianhui: “Tell me about them!”

Gu Shizhang raised an eyebrow, “Oh?”

Ye Tianhui then started asking: “Like their family’s marriages, for example, Ye Wenyin, the young lady, we saw her at the racetrack the other day. Are the two families involved in a business alliance? Is Ye Wenyin highly favored? She’s quite outstanding, right? Also, the Gu family, are they really rich? How rich are they exactly?”

She asked many questions in one breath.

Gu Shizhang looked at her excited, curious expression: “So what you really want to know is about Ye Wenyin and Gu Zhixin, right?”

Ye Tianhui: “……”

He was so sharp, he could see through her thoughts immediately.

She felt a bit embarrassed but still said, “Something like that. That Miss Ye is quite pretty, and she kindly gave me some snacks the other day. Are she and Gu Zhixin planning to date?”

Gu Shizhang elegantly held his chopsticks and said, “Actually, I’ve been away from Hong Kong for many years, and when I was in South Africa, I had little connection with Hong Kong. After returning, I’ve been busy with business and horse racing, so I’m not familiar with them. I’ve only heard some rumors, mostly related to horse racing, so that’s how I know a little.”

He casually added, “But I’m not sure if it’s true. I’m just telling you what I’ve heard.”

Ye Tianhui asked, “So what did you hear?”

Gu Shizhang said, “The Ye family used to do business in mainland China, in Shanghai and Beijing, focusing on consumer goods—producing and selling daily necessities and personal care products. In the 1930s, they expanded their business to Hong Kong. In the 1940s, they moved the entire family here and continued to operate their daily goods business, which was pretty successful. They’ve also built a good reputation abroad in recent years.”

Ye Tianhui said, “So their business is doing pretty well.”

Gu Shizhang said, “But a few years ago, when Old Master Ye grew older, he handed over the family business to his eldest and second sons. These two new leaders, eager to prove themselves, invested a lot of money into the real estate sector.”

He paused, looking at Ye Tianhui: “You know about the development of real estate in Hong Kong in recent years, right?”

Ye Tianhui shook her head in confusion, “No, I don’t.”

Gu Shizhang: “Starting a few years ago, Hong Kong began demolishing old buildings and constructing new ones, and the real estate prices skyrocketed. To be more specific, in 1960, a square foot in Central was only 800 HKDs, but by 1963, it had doubled to 2,000 HKDs.”

Ye Tianhui was amazed: “That’s insane!”

Gu Shizhang said, “Because land prices increased so quickly, a lot of hot money flooded in—Singapore, Malaysia, and even the Philippines and Australia sent in their hot money. So, real estate became very popular, and the Ye family got caught in the boom.”

Ye Tianhui was confused: “But if the real estate market is booming and land prices are rising, shouldn’t they be making money? How did they fall into a pit?”

Gu Shizhang smiled at her: “Because they used loans and high leverage, borrowing money to buy land. So, when the real estate market hit a problem, the banks faced a crisis, and those who were speculating on land also fell into the pit.”

Ye Tianhui suddenly understood: “It’s like borrowing high-interest loans to buy lottery tickets!”

Gu Shizhang nodded slightly: “That’s right, so the two brothers of the Ye family encountered liquidity issues with their funds, and Old Mr. Ye had no choice but to step back in to take control. The other day when you were at the racecourse, did you see the Ye family’s young lady and the Gu family’s young master?”

Ye Tianhui: “Yes.”

Gu Shizhang: “The sixth young lady of the Ye family has liked equestrianism since she was young. She attended Nottingham Trent University, and her major was horse racing and business management, a program specifically designed for the horse racing industry. Based on the timeline, she has been in the program for two years, and this is her final year. She returned to Hong Kong this time with two goals: one to assist her family, and the other to complete her graduation project.”

Ye Tianhui listened, feeling a little puzzled: “Are you saying that the Ye family is going to enter the horse racing industry?”

She had read a lot of gossip, but none of it mentioned this.

Sure enough, those tabloid news stories didn’t provide any useful information.

Gu Shizhang: “Yes.”

He spoke slowly: “Earlier, I mentioned the development of real estate in Hong Kong, right? The Ye family is venturing into the real estate industry, but they currently lack new opportunities. They’ve been hoarding large plots of land in Sha Tin, and now they need to increase the value of these lands. The way they plan to do this is through horse racing.”

Ye Tianhui: “How do they plan to raise the value?”

Gu Shizhang: “Over a decade ago, the Hong Kong government conducted reclamation work in To Kwa Wan, connecting Hoi Sam Island with To Kwa Wan. A few years ago, they built Hoi Sam Park there, which greatly increased the value of Hoi Sam Island.”

Ye Tianhui: “They bought the island, intending to reclaim the land?”

Gu Shizhang nodded: “Yes, now the Hong Kong government is planning further reclamation, with two options: one is Round Island Point, and the other is the naval base on Stonecutters Island near Kowloon Peninsula. The government has yet to make a final decision on which one to choose.”

Ye Tianhui quickly processed the information in her mind and soon understood: “Currently, the racecourse in Hong Kong is in Happy Valley. The government wants to build a new racecourse to vigorously develop the horse racing industry and stimulate the economy. But such a racecourse requires a large amount of open land, so the government plans to reclaim land and build around a specific island?”

Gu Shizhang’s eyes showed admiration as he smiled: “Exactly, so you naturally guessed it— the Ye family has invested heavily in hoarding large islands. They must find a way to enter the horse racing industry to compete for their island to become part of the reclamation plan. Once the reclamation is completed, the land will be integrated into the horse racing development functional area.”

Ye Tianhui: “Currently, Happy Valley is surrounded by luxury homes, and the prices are very high. Even the nearby cemetery is so expensive. If they develop a new racecourse, the land they have hoarded will naturally become highly valuable.”

Gu Shizhang: “Exactly. In recent years, property prices around Happy Valley have skyrocketed. Now that the government plans to develop a new horse racing economic center, this will naturally become something everyone will compete for.”

Ye Tianhui: “Which island does the Ye family own? Who are they competing with?”

Gu Shizhang smiled: “There are several prominent families in Hong Kong, and they have teamed up to dominate the economy. These families are the Gu family, the Ye family, the Meng family, and the Liang family. You already know about the Gu and Ye families, but how much do you know about the Meng family?”

Ye Tianhui thought for a moment. The gossip news she had read seemed to mention the Meng family. She recalled: “Their ancestors ran gold and silver shops and also engaged in foreign exchange trading. They primarily operated in the Guangzhou area and came to Hong Kong before the Liberation. Now they’ve also started to get into real estate?”

Gu Shizhang: “Yes, the Ye family has invested heavily and illegally occupied a section of Yuoanzhou in Sha Tin, while the Meng family has focused on Stonecutters Island. These two families are also old friends, but now that they’ve both invested heavily, and there’s big profit at stake, naturally, some tension has arisen. They’ve been secretly competing in both the open and hidden arenas.”

Ye Tianhui: “The Ye family’s Miss Ye Wenyin studied equestrian-related subjects in the UK. Originally, she shouldn’t have returned home, but she’s come back to assist, right? Because the two families are about to have a showdown in the upcoming horse racing season, which will determine the future planning for the racecourse.”

Gu Shizhang nodded: “Yes, horse racing originated in the UK, but it has taken root and expanded in Hong Kong. In recent years, public participation has soared. Now Hong Kong has successfully established a Horse Racing Committee, which currently has one chairman and six members handling daily affairs. In the future, the selection of racecourse locations will naturally be decided by the committee, giving it significant influence.”

Ye Tianhui: “Does the Ye family want to enter the Horse Racing Committee?”

Gu Shizhang: “Yes, the Ye family has already dabbled in the horse racing field in recent years, but the results weren’t as good as expected. Now the chairman of the Horse Racing Committee is elderly, and six members are nearing retirement. The aristocratic families in Hong Kong are all watching this position.”

He smiled and continued: “In Hong Kong’s elite circle, reputation is social capital. Now, among the major families, whoever can make a strong showing in the upcoming horse races and prove their influence in the industry will easily enter the Horse Racing Committee, thus gaining control over the racecourse locations.”

Ye Tianhui listened to this and naturally began to make various plans in her mind.

If she only placed bets to gain profits, it would be a small-scale endeavor. One wrong move, and she could lose everything. It wasn’t a sustainable approach.

Now that the Ye family wanted to develop their horse racing business, wasn’t this the perfect opportunity for her to showcase her skills? As for their daughter, it seemed she didn’t necessarily have to be the princess married off for an alliance. So, the identity of the young lady of the family was something worth competing for.

As she pondered, her curiosity grew: “Since the Ye family wants to develop in the horse racing industry and increase their influence in the field, how did the Gu family get involved?”

Gu Shizhang glanced at her briefly.

Ye Tianhui felt something was off about his gaze and asked in confusion, “What’s wrong?”

A hint of cold mockery appeared in Gu Shizhang’s eyes. He smiled slightly and said, “If you want to know about the Gu family, you can just ask directly. No need to go around in circles.”

Ye Tianhui: “…I was just trying to learn more!”

Gu Shizhang continued, “The head of the Ye family is usually very cautious in his actions. The Meng family has also shown some investment in horse racing in previous years. The Ye family has just entered this industry, so naturally, they wouldn’t stake their entire fortune and future on horse racing. A marriage alliance with the Gu family is a backup plan for the Ye family.”

Ye Tianhui seemed to think it over.

Gu Shizhang took a sip of tea and remained silent.

But Ye Tianhui suddenly asked, “The person who went to the racetrack that day, called Gu Zhixin, it seems like he’s the one Ye family is marrying into.”

Gu Shizhang nodded, “Yes, you met him last time?”

Ye Tianhui: “Mm.”

Gu Shizhang said indifferently, “He seems to be of mixed heritage, his mother is of British descent.”

Ye Tianhui: “Oh.”

Gu Shizhang raised an eyebrow, “What are you thinking? Thinking he’s good-looking?”

Ye Tianhui was a bit surprised by his words but honestly admitted, “He is good-looking. When I first saw him in a magazine, I thought he was like the prince on a white horse in fairy tales.”

As soon as she finished saying this, she felt the air grow colder.

She raised an eyebrow in confusion, “What’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?”

Gu Shizhang coldly replied, “Nothing.”

Ye Tianhui felt puzzled, not understanding what was going on with him. She suddenly felt a little awkward.

To ease the tension, she lowered her head to eat and grabbed some pastries from the table.

After finishing two pieces of pastry, she still felt something was off. She took a sip of tea to clear her throat and eventually asked, “Well… why don’t you tell me more?”

Gu Shizhang’s expression was cold and indifferent, “About what?”

Ye Tianhui lightly cleared her throat, “I’m curious, about the Ye family, the Gu family, or the Meng family, anything is fine.”

Gu Shizhang’s face remained emotionless, “You’re so interested?”

Ye Tianhui: “Mm, I am quite interested. These Hong Kong wealthy families are all so new to me. I’ve never heard such stories before.”

Gu Shizhang was silent for a moment before speaking again, saying, “I don’t know much either, since I’ve been away from Hong Kong for years. But the marriage between the Gu and Ye families seems inevitable. It appears to be a promise made by the elders on both sides many years ago.”

Ye Tianhui: “You mentioned the Ye family’s eldest son and second son earlier. What about Ye Wenyin? Which branch does she belong to?”

Gu Shizhang: “She’s from the third branch. Her father is Ye Lixuan, the third son of Old Master Ye.”

He paused for a moment and added, “Ye Lixuan teaches at Hong Kong University, the same university we just visited.”

Ye Tianhui immediately became interested: “How old is Ye Lixuan? Is he handsome? Talented? I’ve seen many students who admire and look up to him!”

Gu Shizhang furrowed his brow and gave her a look that was hard to describe.

Ye Tianhui: “I’m just curious! I heard those students talking about him, and I don’t understand. What’s so special about a middle-aged man?”

Gu Shizhang: “Professor Ye is still under forty, in the prime of his life, and has achieved success in his field of expertise. It’s not surprising that young students admire him.”

His tone was unusually calm, so calm it seemed devoid of any emotion.

Ye Tianhui: “So, is he good-looking? Does he look young?”

Gu Shizhang: “He’s okay, I suppose. After all, as you said—”

He raised his thin eyelids and looked at her. “He’s in his middle age, with a daughter that old. He’ll be getting older in a few years.”

Ye Tianhui agreed: “That makes sense. Even if he’s not that old, with a daughter that age, he can’t possibly be that good-looking.”

He probably looks like a father.

Gu Shizhang nodded: “Exactly. Besides, he’s a university professor, dedicated to teaching and educating. You can imagine how serious and stern he must be, right?”

A teaching father?

Ye Tianhui suddenly felt a chill run down her back.

Images of listening to the crown prince and princesses in the prime minister’s study, where the crown prince’s tutor lectured, flashed before her eyes.

She took a deep breath and sighed, “So, he’s like that!”

It’s better to stay far away from such a father!