Bab 2: Chapter 2: I Want to Be a Tycoon!!!
After lunch, Xia Yu began to help his younger brother and sister with their homework. In this life, he had a younger brother, Xia Ming, who was 14 years old and in his third year of middle school. His sister, Xia Xiaomei, was 12 years old and about to start her first year of middle school. (Before 2009 in Hong Kong, middle and high school were combined, ranging from Form 1 to Form 7.)
Because Xia Yu was a role model as their genius older brother, and Xia Ming and Xia Xiaomei both admired him greatly, his words carried a lot of weight. With his positive influence and his tutoring, Xia Ming and Xia Xiaomei performed very well academically, always ranking among the top three in their classes.
This made their parents, Xia Dahai and his wife, overjoyed. They marveled at how their family, which had been fishing for generations, was finally on the verge of success.
Thanks to their three diligent children, Xia Dahai and his wife gained a lot of respect in their small fishing village. Even those who were better off financially didn't look down on them, as no one wanted to offend Xia Dahai's family.
This was a classic case of "the father is honored because of his children!" After all, given the current situation, even though Xia Yu and his siblings hadn't yet made it big, no one could deny that they would change the fate of their family.
Education has always been the best way for the poor to change their fate. Throughout history, countless people from humble backgrounds have risen through education!
Just as Xia Yu finished tutoring his siblings, a loud shout came from outside the door, almost like the angry roar of Zhang Fei.
"Ah Yu, are you ready? Let's go!"
Hearing this familiar voice, Xia Yu smiled, replied that he was coming, and quickly walked outside, where he saw a burly figure.
The person who arrived was Xia Yu's close childhood friend, Xia Lei. Despite being only 17, Xia Lei had developed into a very strong and robust young man, standing at 1.85 meters tall. It was hard to imagine that he had almost starved to death as a child.
Xia Lei's father and Xia Yu's father were distant relatives, but his father died in a fishing accident when Xia Lei was very young, leaving him to be raised by his mother. She couldn't earn much and couldn't go out to fish, while Xia Lei had a big appetite, which made life very tough for them. There were times when they didn't even have rice to cook.
Xia Yu, being very smart from a young age, got along well with Xia Lei and often sneaked fish from home to share with him or brought other things like fruits to help Xia Lei satisfy his hunger. This formed a deep bond between them.
Xia Lei also grew accustomed to following Xia Yu's lead, and his mother encouraged this, hoping Xia Lei would stay close to Xia Yu and be influenced by him instead of getting into trouble with others. Over the years, Xia Lei became Xia Yu's loyal follower.
Unfortunately, a year ago, after Xia Lei's mother fell seriously ill, he had to drop out of school, and Xia Yu could no longer keep a close eye on him. This led to Xia Lei taking a path that others might see as crooked, trying to make a living.
Xia Yu wanted to intervene, but every time he thought of Xia Lei's mother's illness, he found himself unable to speak up.
In the end, it all came down to not having money. Poverty can suppress one's spirit, and under the pressure of life, people sometimes have no choice but to bow their heads.
"Ah Lei, let me grab the stuff." Putting aside these sad thoughts, Xia Yu said as he went back inside to fetch a bag of seafood. This was the material they had prepared for a barbecue.
"Ah Yu, why are you bringing so much? Uncle still needs to sell this to make money," Xia Lei, being from a fishing family, quickly estimated the value of the large bag of seafood Xia Yu was carrying and was a bit surprised.
Xia Yu smiled, "My parents heard that Brother Jun got into the police force and packed extra, saying we should celebrate. I told them not to pack so much, but it was their kind gesture, so I couldn't refuse, right?"
Hearing Xia Yu's explanation, Xia Lei nodded and didn't say more. He knew the real reason was that he ate a lot, and Xia Yu's parents packed extra for that reason. He was old enough and had been out in the world for a year, so he understood social nuances better now. He felt deeply grateful for the support Xia Yu's family had given his.
Chatting and laughing along the way, Xia Yu and Xia Lei met up with Xia Jun, who was waiting by the roadside with a box of beer.
Xia Jun, 18 years old, was a relative of Xia Yu's family. His grandfather and Xia Yu's grandfather were brothers, so he was technically Xia Yu's cousin. Xia Jun was also related to Xia Lei, so Xia Lei called him cousin as well.
Xia Jun had also grown up playing with Xia Yu and Xia Lei, forming a tight-knit trio. However, they usually followed Xia Yu's lead because he was the smartest. In the small fishing village, Xia Jun was considered the most outstanding young man after Xia Yu, though his achievements were often overshadowed by Xia Yu's brilliance. However, when Xia Jun recently got into the police force, the villagers realized that besides Xia Yu, there was another promising young man, Xia Jun.
"Ah Yu, Ah Lei, you're here!" Xia Jun greeted them with a smile.
Xia Yu and Xia Lei responded with smiles, and the three of them headed to their old barbecue spot, where they had often gathered as kids.
After setting down the food, the three of them got to work, and before long, the enticing aroma of grilled seafood filled the air. Each of them grabbed a bottle of beer and began to drink.
"Congratulations, Brother Jun, for getting into the police force. We should start calling you Officer Xia now!" Xia Yu teased, holding a skewer of grilled squid in one hand and a beer in the other, winking at Xia Jun.
"Yeah, Brother Jun, congrats! We'll need your protection from now on!" Xia Lei added in his booming voice.
"Brothers for life!" Xia Jun smiled sincerely, not bothering with words of thanks, but instead nodding heavily.
"Clink!"
"To brotherhood!" The three of them clinked their beer bottles together, their eyes full of seriousness, and then downed their beers.
"Hahaha!..."
After they finished drinking, they looked at each other and burst into laughter.
However, as Xia Yu laughed, he quickly glanced at Xia Jun and Xia Lei, feeling a bit uneasy inside.
Even though they were both older than him, they had always followed him, with Xia Yu as their de facto leader. Now that they were starting to forge their own paths, Xia Yu wasn't worried about them changing their attitudes towards him. Instead, he was concerned about the dynamic of their brotherhood.
Since Xia Jun had joined the police force, the relationship between the three brothers had begun to grow more complicated!
After all, they were now on opposite sides of the law—one in the black, the other in the white!
To avoid a future scenario where they might end up on opposite sides of a conflict, the best solution would be for one of them to step back.
But that wasn't realistic! This was their path, and they each had families depending on them. Even Xia Yu couldn't force them to make a different choice.
Moreover, Xia Yu hadn't even solved his own family's problems yet, so how could he intervene in their lives?
"Forget it, I shouldn't think about it for now. There should be a way, and as long as I rise to the top, these issues will be small in comparison." Xia Yu thought to himself.
Afterward, the three of them continued enjoying their barbecue and beer.
Once they had eaten and drunk their fill, they cleaned up a bit and headed for the hilltop. This had become a habit for them—after every barbecue, they liked to stand at the peak of the hill and gaze out at the sea, enjoying a moment of true relaxation.
Standing side by side on the hilltop, they felt the refreshing sea breeze against their faces, looked out at the vast ocean, and savored the feeling of peace and contentment.
Below them, Victoria Harbour was bustling with activity. Across the water, the city skyline was dotted with towering buildings, the docks were busy, and everything was bathed in the glow of prosperity.
And over there, the grand Peninsula Hotel stood tall.
"The view here is always amazing. Every time I come here, I feel so relaxed!" Xia Jun remarked.
Xia Yu and Xia Lei nodded in agreement.
At this moment, a look of longing flashed in Xia Lei's eyes, and he suddenly asked, "What do you think it would be like if we were standing on the top floor of the Peninsula Hotel looking down?"
Hearing this, Xia Jun looked puzzled but also intrigued, mumbling, "I don't know, but it should be beautiful..."
Both Xia Jun and Xia Lei instinctively turned to look at Xia Yu, wanting to hear his opinion. This was a habit of theirs—they often sought Xia Yu's advice on many things.
Xia Yu glanced at the two of them, full of anticipation and longing, then looked at the distant Peninsula Hotel and smiled, "We'll only know if we go up there ourselves!"
"Can we even go up there? I heard only tycoons can go up there," Xia Jun blurted out, though his tone was full of uncertainty.
"Yeah, if I could go up there, even just once, I'd be satisfied!" Xia Lei sighed, his eyes filled with longing.
Xia Yu patted Xia Lei on the shoulder and said confidently, "Why not? As long as we work hard, we'll definitely make it up there one day. When that day comes, we won't just be standing on the top floor of the Peninsula Hotel—we'll be the ones who can buy the whole building!"
Xia Jun and Xia Lei were taken aback by Xia Yu's bold words. They looked at him in surprise, then glanced at each other. After a moment of silence, Xia Jun grinned and said, "Ah Yu, your ambition is really something. But I like it! Let's aim high. Who knows? Maybe we'll really make it big one day."
Xia Lei clenched his fists and nodded, his eyes filled with determination. "Yeah, I believe in Ah Yu! Let's work hard together, and we'll make it to the top!"
The three brothers stood side by side, looking out at the vast ocean, their hearts filled with hope and determination. At that moment, they weren't just dreaming of standing on the top floor of the Peninsula Hotel—they were dreaming of a future where they could change their destinies and rise to the pinnacle of success.
"Let's make a pact," Xia Yu suddenly said, extending his hand. "No matter what happens in the future, we'll always support each other and work towards our dreams together. We'll become the tycoons we aspire to be!"
Xia Jun and Xia Lei looked at Xia Yu's outstretched hand, then at each other. Without hesitation, they both placed their hands on top of Xia Yu's.
"Agreed!" they said in unison, their voices filled with conviction.
The three brothers made their pact on that hilltop, vowing to chase their dreams and change their lives. Little did they know that this moment would be the beginning of a journey that would take them far beyond what they could ever imagine.
Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
stone