"Remember to keep your permit. You are only allowed to stay in Hong Kong for no more than fifteen days. Exceeding this limit will require a new Hong Kong permit, or you will be deported."
"During your stay in Hong Kong, you are not allowed to violate any laws. Otherwise, you will also be deported, or even imprisoned."
The immigration police said this with a cold, indifferent tone in broken Cantonese, looking down on the mainland as a backward place where people couldn't get enough to eat.
So many mainlanders who had illegally crossed the border looked like beggars, only able to do the most menial jobs in Hong Kong – manual labor, shining shoes, washing clothes, or working as nannies...
Not just in Hong Kong, but in the eyes of many Western countries at that time, China was such a backward nation.
The Chinese people couldn't get enough to eat, their clothes were patched, and they were disheveled and stinky.
Listening to his arrogant words, Lei Baoguo and the others felt a surge of anger. No one liked to see their country and themselves looked down upon.
This feeling was unpleasant!
"Baoguo, Dabiao, Liu Yong, don't be angry. Our country is indeed a bit backward now, but there's nothing shameful about it."
"Reputation is earned through our own efforts. Our country has so many hardworking and diligent people. I believe that as long as we are on the right path,"
"we will soon, within a few decades, catch up to their achievements accumulated over hundreds or even thousands of years, and even surpass them!"
"We are a sleeping giant, a dragon that has merely taken a nap. Let them run ahead for now."
Chen Yang said this lightly, but in his heart, he wished he could draw his legendary 40-meter saber and cut down this snobbish person who acted like a lapdog for the foreigners.
"Boss, we understand. It's just that we're indignant. What right do they have to look down on us? They may not be tall, but their eyes are certainly positioned high up on their heads."
"It's not that I'm underestimating him, but if he let me go first, I could still take him down in three moves."
Chen Yang let out a wry smile. Zhang Dabiao was a towering six-foot-three, and the Hong Kong police officer was barely at his shoulder height, unable to reach him even if he stood on tiptoe.
"Alright, alright, let's stop complaining. Get ready, we're going to the HSBC bank first. Let's see if we can exchange this money for US dollars. We only have fifteen days."
"During these fifteen days, we not only need to exchange the US dollars, but we also need to sell the braised fish cans. The task is still quite challenging."
Even though they had over seven hundred thousand yuan in their bags, in Hong Kong, this money was like a wad of worthless paper.
After all, the policies hadn't been fully opened up yet, and it wasn't as convenient for Hong Kong businessmen to invest in the mainland. If they couldn't go to the mainland, this money couldn't be spent, making it as good as waste paper.
"Brother, we're new here and don't know where the HSBC bank is. Why don't we take a taxi?"
Zhang Weiyang looked at the bustling Hong Kong and then at Shenzhen across the Pearl River, which was still barren. He was greatly shocked.
He had thought that Shanghai was the peak of urban prosperity, but seeing Hong Kong before him, he realized what a small potato he was.
Hong Kong was far more prosperous than Shanghai at that time. Skyscrapers were everywhere. Only the Bund in Shanghai could compare to this place; other areas were far behind.
"I want to take a taxi too, but we don't have Hong Kong dollars. How will we pay? If the driver reports us, we'll be stuck in the police station for fifteen days."
"Let's walk. The HSBC bank is just two streets ahead. When we get there, we'll see if we can exchange RMB for HKD first, and then figure out how to exchange it for USD later."
"If we don't exchange some Hong Kong dollars today, even eating and sleeping will be a problem."
Chen Yang also felt a sense of urgency. He didn't want to starve or sleep on the streets.
The five of them took many turns and twists before finally finding the HSBC bank building. Fortunately, HSBC was grand enough to rent one of the prime high-rise buildings in bustling Hong Kong. Chen Yang easily spotted the "HSBC Holdings" sign.
Located at the intersection of Des Voeux Road and Queen's Road, the Hong Kong HSBC building was the second generation office building for this bank.
The first Hong Kong HSBC, established in 1865, was housed in rented premises.
The second HSBC building was completed in 1886. The design of the front and back parts of the entire building was completely different, making it look like it was composed of two buildings with distinct styles.
The side facing Queen's Road featured a colonnade and an octagonal dome, characteristic of Victorian design. However, the side facing Des Voeux Road adopted an architectural style centered on a series of arched corridors.
The building they were currently looking at was indeed the second generation building, although it was rebuilt in 1933.
A 70-meter-high tower with 13 floors, it was the largest building in the Far East at the time. Even now, it was a premier landmark in Hong Kong and the first building in Hong Kong to be equipped with air conditioning.
Looking at the revolving glass doors at the entrance, Zhang Weiyang and Lei Baoguo were stunned.
In their lives, they had never seen doors that rotated with people. They watched as others walked in, the door following them like a shadow, and then they disappeared.
For a moment, even the usually boisterous Zhang Weiyang rubbed his hands, hesitant to enter.
This was the limitation of their era. Was Zhang Weiyang not excellent? No, perhaps many successful businessmen couldn't match his business acumen and intuition.
However, limited by his experiences, when faced with things he hadn't encountered before, he genuinely couldn't handle them with ease.
Lei Baoguo and the others were even more so. They could fight, but exploring new things was not their forte.
"Don't be afraid. We're not afraid of making a fool of ourselves. There are plenty of things we haven't seen before. No one is born knowing everything."
"The reason they can walk in so easily is that they know how to open the door, just like you opening your own door at home. Are you nervous?"
"Observe carefully. See? They just follow the glass door and go in. Come, follow me, let's go in."
"Once inside, listen to me. If you don't understand, don't say anything. We can ask me later after we leave."
A bank opened by foreigners would inevitably look down on Chinese people, let alone the fact that they were all wearing domestic blue work uniforms.
At that time, only wealthy individuals were allowed to enter banks. Everyone else was dressed in suits. If they, dressed so simply and making noise, were to be kicked out by security, it would be disastrous.
Banks at that time did not serve the general public. The poor were not qualified to enter the HSBC building.