How can I justify myself as a Magnate if I don't indulge myself?

Varieties of Cantonese hawkers' calls were incessant...

The lights were just as dazzling, but unlike the twinkling neon around Victoria Harbour, these were lights full of the atmosphere of everyday life...

Seeing the surrounding dilapidated buildings, Gu Heng finally felt the old Hong Kong vibe from the old movies...

Rolls-Royces for travel, two professional-looking beauties, and several bodyguards following behind...

Even an idiot would know Gu Heng was no ordinary person, and tourists around him unconsciously kept a distance...

Gu Heng was happy to have it this way...

These people clearing the way meant he didn't have to squeeze through the crowd like others inside...

"Miss Zheng, are you familiar with Temple Street?"

As he walked towards Temple Street, Gu Heng chatted with Zheng Jiayi with a smile, making sporadic conversation.

"I guess you could say I understand it..."

"You guess?"

Gu Heng asked, puzzled.

"My family lived nearby when I was little, in a 400-square-foot house with the six of us.

I often came here to eat when I was a child, but after my dad started making some money in trade with the Mainland, we moved away, and I rarely came here after that.

You could say this place carries the memories of my childhood."

Zheng Jiayi explained to Gu Heng, unabashed and smiling.

"Hahaha, that's perfect then, since you're familiar with this place, you'll be our tour guide today."

Listening to Gu Heng's hearty laughter, Zheng Jiayi felt somewhat surprised...

In Hong Kong Island...

Quite a few people who came up from slums are very secretive about their origins, not wanting to reveal even a bit...

Not just in Hong Kong Island...

People all over the world seem to be the same...

She had assumed that someone like Gu Heng, in his twenties, who could casually spend over a million on clothes, stay in hotels costing tens of thousands, and grew up with a silver spoon, would disdain her somewhat for her ordinary background...

That feeling of disdain, she had experienced it many times, and she was even mentally prepared for it after answering Gu Heng...

But not only did Gu Heng not disdain her...

On the contrary, it seemed to make him feel even closer to her...

And her feeling was indeed not wrong...

Learning that Zheng Jiayi also came from an ordinary background, Gu Heng did feel a bit closer to her...

The reason was simple, he was rich now, but he still felt like he was just a fortunate ordinary person.

There was a natural gap between him and those who had received a proper education from a young age, and he couldn't relate to them...

In an international metropolis like Hong Kong Island, living in a 430-square-foot room with six family members made no difference from being a country bumpkin himself.

While Zheng Jiayi was curious, she didn't ask further, instead leading Gu Heng through the crowd: "Mr. Gu, there's a dai pai dong up ahead that's been open for over 30 years. I used to eat there a lot when I was little, and the food is really good.

Recently, it even featured on a Hong Kong Island food show. You haven't had any staple foods tonight, shall we go there first to have something substantial?"

"Sounds good."

Gu Heng nodded.

As a foreigner, when out for fun, following the locals is always the right choice.

...

Pushing through the crowd...

The group finally reached the dai pai dong Zheng Jiayi had mentioned, which had been open for over thirty years...

Since it wasn't the tourist season, there were quite a few people at the dai pai dong, but it wasn't so packed that they had to queue. Zheng Jiayi, with her keen eyes, immediately found a spot and led Gu Heng and the others straight to it...

The table had been wiped, but it was still gleaming with an oily sheen...

There were also a few water stains in the corners...

Such conditions would have turned anyone with a touch of OCD away immediately...

But Gu Heng acted as if he saw none of it, excitedly looking around at the crowd who were already eating and drinking to their heart's content, loudly shouting with bare arms, and said to Xu Ying, "Xu Ying, go order the food, and remember to get a lot!"

Xu Ying nodded and headed straight for the cash register at the dai pai dong...

Just as Gu Heng was about to sit down, Zheng Jiayi hurriedly spoke up, "Mr. Gu, wait a moment!"

"What's up?"

Zheng Jiayi pulled out a tissue from her pocket, saying, "The sanitary conditions here are a bit poor... I was thinking..."
Discover more content at empire

She didn't finish her sentence.

In her opinion, Gu Heng's outfit would not cost less than 100,000 Hong Kong dollars...

Those oily seats could ruin his clothes with just a touch, and it wasn't worth it for a meal that would cost at most a few hundred Hong Kong dollars...

With 100,000 Hong Kong dollars, one could eat and drink here for half a year.

But Gu Heng, seeing her motion, simply waved his hand and said, "I'm not that fussy! If it gets dirty, just wash it, and if it can't be cleaned, then change to another set."

With that, he sat down on the plastic stool and started taking pictures of Temple Street's night scenery with his phone.

A few minutes later, Xu Ying, who had gone to order, finally came back.

"Did you order?"

"Yeah, I ordered 14 dishes, all signature dishes recommended by the owner."

"How much did it cost?"

As Xu Ying hurriedly took out her phone and showed the successful payment of 711 yuan, Gu Heng couldn't help but say, "You can use WeChat Pay in Hong Kong Island?"

Before Xu Ying could explain, Zheng Jiayi took the lead, "Nowadays, many places in Hong Kong Island accept Alipay and WeChat Pay. Temple Street has many Mainland tourists, so it's normal to use WeChat Pay here.

But Mr. Gu, you should still exchange some Hong Kong dollars to carry on you, because not all places accept WeChat Pay."

Gu Heng nodded and then commented, "But the prices here are really something.

I've always heard that prices on Hong Kong Island are extremely high, but 711 dollars for 14 dishes is almost the same as in the Mainland, that would be enough to eat here over 20 times in your hotel's restaurant."

Gu Heng was just making a casual remark...