December 25, 4 p.m., in the auditorium of the University of Hong Kong.

This year's Christmas party is a little more grand than last year, from the stage to the performance of the students, almost all of them have gone through half a month of rehearsals and decorations, so on Christmas Day, there are many students who come to watch the party.

I don't know if it is because the School of Philosophy and the School of Law will open next year, but the Governor of Hong Kong, David Able, his wife, Margaret Gould, David Ebel, the Secretary for Education, and some other senior officials of the British government, came to the University of Hong Kong in person to attend the Christmas party.

Before the opening of the party, Governor Dai Lintoe and Principal Lok Pin Chun walked on the stage together.

The two gentlemanly gave in to each other, and then the president Le Pinchun took a note in his hand, took a step forward with a smile, came to the microphone and said: "Since the official opening of the University of Hong Kong in 1910, from the earliest Faculty of Arts, Faculty of Science to the Faculty of Medicine, HKU has established three faculties and thirteen departments, but next year HKU will set up the Department of Philosophy and the Department of Law again, and will continue to recruit more students to study at HKU, and we will provide the best educational environment for all students to jointly create a better tomorrow for Hong Kong." Before concluding his remarks, he wished all the students and faculty of the University of Hong Kong a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. ”

"Bang Bang Bang ......"

A burst of fierce applause rang out from the audience.

After the headmaster Le Pinchun finished speaking, he retreated slightly, smiled and made a gesture of invitation to Governor Dai Lintoe.

In contrast to Le Pin Chun, Governor Trench Lun Toe's Christmas speech focused on holiday wishes, approached the microphone and said: "Today is Christmas, may the bright and festive Christmas candlelight warm every day and night of the year, and I wish all the students and teachers of the University of Hong Kong a happy new year." ”

After the two of them delivered a Christmas message and blessings one after another, they walked off the stage together and handed it to the master of ceremonies to preside over the next programs and activities.

The opening show was a group of second-graders performing the song "Back in the ... Later, in the 90s, Anita Mui also covered this classic track.

Under the stage, Huo Yaowen sat in the teacher's seat, and next to him was Anne Isabel.

Anne glanced at the students performing on the stage, singing in general, so she didn't put her mind on the party, but turned to Huo Yaowen and asked, "Evan, I heard Professor Luke say that you are going to cooperate with the school to open a publishing house?"

Huo Yaowen glanced sideways at Anne, nodded and said, "Well, yes, it is mainly to publish school textbooks, and secondly, some miscellaneous books will be published occasionally." ”

"Is your publishing house still short of people?" said Anne with burning eyes, "When I was at the University of London, I was a review editor at the school publishing house, and in my spare time, I would work in the publishing house. ”

"But ......" Huo Yaowen just wanted to say something, but he held back his words, thought about it, and said: "If you are willing, I am happy for you to join the publishing house, but you should know that maybe the salary will not be very high." ”

"It doesn't matter, I don't care how much I get paid. ”

Anne shook her head and said, "I've been coming to Hong Kong from the UK for almost two months, and there is hardly anything to do every day except to plan the rules and regulations and curriculum of the new department with Professor Luke. ”

Since she came to Hong Kong, except for the last time she substituted for Fok Yaowen for half a month, she has basically been working out a new curriculum with Professor Luke and others, which must be a little boring.

"Well, the salary should be as much as it should be. ”

Huo Yaowen smiled and said, "It just so happens that our publishing house needs an authentic British editor, and when we print textbooks for philosophy and law courses at the University of London in the future, we also need the help of someone like you who graduated from the University of London, Anne." ”

"It's great, that's what I'm good at. Anne smiled and said confidently.

The two chatted a few more words, and suddenly Huo Yaowen asked, "Why don't you go back to England for Christmas?" Professor Luke and Professor Jacob have both gone back to the UK. ”

Anne said casually: "There are still some things I need to deal with at the school, and I will fly to the UK the day after tomorrow." ”

Huo Yaowen didn't ask Anne what she was doing in Hong Kong, but said with some hesitation: "Anne, can you do me a favor when you go back to the UK?"

"What do you say. ”

"I wrote one myself, can you help me submit it to Bergman Publishing when you go back to England?"

"Oh? Did you write about love?" Anne knew that Huo Yaowen had written a book of love before, and had seen many female students ask him for autographs, but because it was Chinese, she couldn't read it, so she hadn't read it, but looking at Huo Yaowen's words just now, it seemed that he had written a book in English.

Huo Yaowen shook his head: "It's not love, it's a science fiction." ”

The book "1999 - Our Journey is the Sea of Stars", although it was signed to the American Bantan Book Publishing Company, but it was only the publishing copyright in the United States.

"Science fiction?" Anne was a little surprised that Evan could write science fiction, but she didn't say much, just nodded and laughed: "Okay, it just so happens that the headquarters of Bergman Publishing Company is not very far from my house, and it is only two streets away." ”

"Then trouble you Anne, when you return to Hong Kong, I will treat you to a pineapple bun. ”

Since the last time he went out for refreshments with Anne and his younger sister, Huo Yaowen knows why the British are so fat after middle age, he really loves sweets, the sweet and greasy pineapple buns in the teahouse, Huo Yaowen can't eat one of them, but Anne eats four in a row, but she doesn't care much about shrimp dumplings, and she is called sweets.

"Which one was it last time?" Anne couldn't help but purse her pink lips at the thought of pineapple buns.

"Of course. ”

Looking at her delicious appearance, Huo Yaowen smiled at the corner of his mouth.

The evening lasted only two hours, and ended at six o'clock in the evening, but before that, most of the school leaders and the governor had already left their seats early and went back to celebrate Christmas.

Starting tomorrow, the University of Hong Kong will have a month-and-a-half-long holiday for students to go home for New Year's Day and New Year's Day, and classes will not officially start until mid-February.

The students have a holiday, and the teachers will naturally have a holiday too.

That night, many students packed their bags and began to return home one after another to have a happy holiday, but most of these students live on Hong Kong Island, because after 6 o'clock in the night, the ferry at Hong Kong Island Pier will be moored.

After the party ended, after Huo Yaowen returned to the dormitory, he did not start packing his luggage like Teacher Zhang, who taught mathematics next door, and prepared to return home early tomorrow morning.

He will spend a long time in the future at the University of Hong Kong, mainly because the publishing house's printing house is less than half a kilometer away from the University, and it only takes about ten minutes to walk there.

Glancing at his watch, it was already seven o'clock in the evening, Huo Yaowen walked to the desk and began to write the second part of "Ghost Blowing the Lamp", as well as translating the book "Our Journey is the Sea of Stars" into Chinese.

.....

The next day, at nine o'clock in the morning, Huo Yaowen got up early, washed up and sorted out his personal image, and walked towards the gate of the school.

Waited a while.

I saw my uncle Zhang Zhide hurrying over with lawyer Luo Cheng.

"Mr. Huo. Luo Cheng stepped forward and said hello.

Huo Yaowen shook hands with the other party and said, "Lawyer Luo has trouble you to go on a special trip." ”

"It's my job. Luo Cheng said with a smile: "Mr. Huo has also seen the signing matter before, is there anything else to add?"

"No, you just need to follow the contract that was made before. Huo Yaowen shook his head.

"Okay. Luo Cheng nodded.

After a while, the two of them, led by Huo Yaowen, walked towards the school conference room.

On the way, Luo Cheng looked at the surrounding environment of the University of Hong Kong, and suddenly opened his mouth and asked, "Mr. Huo, I heard that the University of Hong Kong will open a law department next year?"

"Well, if nothing else, it should be the official opening of classes in September next year, and the school has already vacated the teaching buildings of the law and philosophy departments. ”

This is not a secret matter, seeing that Luo Cheng asked, Huo Yaowen also said it casually.

When Luo Cheng heard this, he nodded and said: "That's a good thing, most of the lawyers in Hong Kong now are lawyers who studied law in the UK and returned to become lawyers after completing their studies." Now that Hong Kong also has its own law department, it will be able to train more elite lawyers in the future. ”

"Who's to say it isn't. Huo Yaowen glanced at Luo Cheng.

Soon, the three of them arrived at the school's conference room, which was still empty at this time, and after waiting for a few minutes, the principal Le Pinchun rushed over with several main persons in charge of the school, as well as people from the legal office.

The contract was signed very smoothly, and it had been negotiated before, but this time it was just a process to exchange contracts with each other.

After everything was done, the principal Le Pinchun walked up to Huo Yaowen and said: "Evan, you are a student who graduated from the University of Hong Kong, and now you are a teacher of the University of Hong Kong, and the school has handed over the publishing house to you, we are all very relieved, and I hope you will work hard to develop the University of Hong Kong Press." ”

"Thank you, Principal. ”

Fok Yaowen stretched out his hand to shake the president's hand, smiled and said, "I have studied at HKU for three years, and I will stay at HKU for a longer time in the future. ”

"That's good. ”

"The school still has a batch of textbooks in stock, so there is no need for the time being, if the publisher has other needs, you can discuss with me or George (Director Huang), he will be responsible for the communication between the school and the publisher in the future." ”

"I have an idea that I hope the school can support. Huo Yaowen didn't talk to the principal implicitly, he knew that the British were straightforward.

"Tell me about it. ”

"I'm going to run a weekly school newspaper and publish some wonderful poems by students or papers written by teachers. ”

"Yes, I'll tell George, and ask him to arrange for some students or professors in the Faculty of Arts to help. ”

Le Pinchun agreed without thinking about it, running a school newspaper is also a big achievement for him, at least so far, there is no school in Hong Kong that has a school newspaper, if the University of Hong Kong opens a school newspaper, it will be the first case.

Huo Yaowen wanted to tell the principal how to settle the school newspaper funds, but after thinking about it, he decided to discuss this matter with Director Huang, so he nodded and said, "Okay." ”

......

A few minutes later.

Huo Yaowen followed Luo Cheng and his uncle Zhang Zhide out of the school gate.

"Lawyer Luo, I'm bothering you this time. ”

"Yes, Mr. Huo. ”

Luo Cheng smiled, glanced at the car next to him, and then glanced at Huo Yaowen and Zhang Zhide: "Mr. Huo, Mr. Zhang, where are you going, do you want to take my car?"

"Nope. ”

Huo Yaowen shook his head and declined: "We will go to the dock and return to Kowloon later." ”

"That's not the way to go. ”

Luo Cheng didn't care, got into the car and said before leaving: "Mr. Huo can call my office directly if he has anything in the future, and contact him at any time." ”

"Good. ”

watched Luo Cheng drive away.

Huo Yaowen looked sideways at his uncle and asked, "Uncle, how did you talk to the toy factory?"

"The quantity we ordered was too small, and they were not very satisfied with the price, saying that they would redo the mold, and they felt that it was a little unworthy. However, I have already made an appointment with the managers of the production and marketing departments of the toy factory to meet at the Luk Yu Tea House on Hong Kong Island in the afternoon. ”

"Afternoon?"

Huo Yaowen glanced down at his watch, it was only ten o'clock in the morning at this time, and after calculating the time, there was nothing to do in the afternoon, and said, "Let's go over together then." ”

"Well, I don't know much about the toys you talked about. Uncle nodded.