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In the spring of 2019, the sun was blazing and dazzling, and the bright sunlight poured into the room through the glass curtain wall of the ward, reflecting golden lights and shadows on the floor.
At this moment, on the hospital bed, an old man with a wrinkled face and still sparkling eyes was staring out the window, deep in thought.
This old man is a well-known figure in Hong Kong society, Mr. Tang Wing-cheung, however, regrettably, he is suffering from liver cancer.
The doctor walked into the room, his face a little heavy. "Mr. Deng, I'm very sorry......" he finally said after hesitation, "you may only have one or two months left to live."
Such news will undoubtedly break anyone's heart, but, to everyone's surprise, Deng Yongqiang did not show the slightest grief.
He blinked softly, a faint smile rising into the corners of his mouth.
The doctor was stunned for a moment, not knowing how to respond. However, Deng Yongqiang had already gotten up from the hospital bed in good spirits, as if what he had just heard was not a critical illness notice, but the good news of the coming of the New Year.
"We are always used to mourning and grieving people when they are dying. "Actually, however, I prefer to go away quietly, as gracefully as a proud white swan."
After saying this, he opened the notebook in his hand and quickly wrote a few lines:
"Dear friends, I am about to say goodbye to this world and start a new journey in life. In these last moments, I long to be able to meet you again and spend quality time together.
The ward was silent for a while, except for the rustle of the tip of Deng Yongqiang's pen on the paper. The neat and uniform font shows his love for life and his cherishing of friendship.
Everyone who received this invitation was shocked by Deng Yongqiang's determination to bravely face death. Some people lament that this old gentleman is really a model among the aristocracy, while others lament that this doomed end-of-life party can only become a dream in their hearts.
Born into a family of scholars in Hong Kong, Tang received a rigorous elite education at the prestigious La Salle College from an early age.
Although he was not a gifted student and his academic performance was only average, his lively personality made him unique in school.
Whenever the chiming clock at dawn rings deafeningly, when the vast majority of students are still immersed in tender dreams, an innocent and naughty figure like a child quietly sneaks into the vast playground of the campus.
That's Deng Yongqiang, who is always full of energy and joy clutching his ping-pong racket, eager to devote himself to this sport that he is deeply obsessed with, and sometimes he is unfortunately caught red-handed by the morning teacher and severely reprimanded, but it seems that such an encounter can never extinguish the fiery passion in his heart.
Time is like an arrow, time is like a shuttle, and in an instant, Deng Yongqiang has grown into a 12-year-old young man. This year, he followed his parents to England and started a new boarding life.
After stepping into Pace High School in Cambridge, the first days were undoubtedly extremely difficult for Tang, as an international student from Hong Kong, his English speaking ability was almost zero, which undoubtedly brought great trouble to his studies.
However, Deng Yongqiang is not the kind of person who gives up easily. Despite the huge gap in communication, he remained steadfast in his activities, only deliberately picking out chess events that did not require much verbal communication.
He silently studied chess, Chinese chess, etc., and practiced the life creed of "it is better to use words than to do it" with practical actions.
Time flies, and in a blink of an eye, Deng Yongqiang has entered the age of 16 years old.
During the summer vacation of that year, a teacher who loved music kindly invited him to participate in a music summer camp held by the school.
It was this coincidence that made Deng Yongqiang deeply feel the infinite charm of music, and an incomparable desire for the piano emerged in his heart.
Back at home, Tang Yongqiang mustered up the courage to express his wish to his parents, hoping to have a piano of his own. However, to everyone's surprise, he was met with strong opposition from his parents.
Faced with a difficult situation, Tang decided to take a desperate gamble, and he sought help from the famous Hong Kong jazz master Tang Siu-kin, although Tang Shiu-kin was his personal friend, but the two never had the opportunity to meet.
Just when Deng Yongqiang fell into despair, Deng Zhaojian's letter was like a shot in the arm, giving him endless strength and confidence: "As long as you dare to challenge yourself, you will definitely be able to achieve the dream you expect!"
Every sentence in this letter is like the sunshine in the morning light, illuminating the way forward for Deng Yongqiang. From that day on, he worked hard day and night, eventually winning a coveted piano with a grade high in just two weeks.
This fortuitous opportunity made music as precious as Deng Yongqiang's life, and at the same time, it also gave him the infinite power to deeply experience hard work.
This beautiful youthful youth has become an indelible memory yardstick in his heart, spurring him to take responsibility bravely and perseverely in his long school career in the future.
When it comes to the most brilliant achievements of Mr. Tang Yongqiang's life, it is undoubtedly the unique clothing brand he founded in 1994 - "Shanghai Tang".
This is not only China's first true haute couture brand, but also the unique charm of Chinese culture all over the world.
In order to ensure that "Shanghai Tang" can accurately represent the unique style of the old Shanghai Tang, Deng Yongqiang spared no expense to invite and hired nine skilled old tailors from the bustling city of Shanghai to personally handle the work.
Holding sharp scissors in their hands, they harness the gorgeous brocade silk, and skillfully present the dazzling costumes of the Orient to the world one by one.
It is worth mentioning that the first person who served as the spokesperson of the image of "Shanghai Tang" was Ms. Gong Li, who was a concubine back then. Dressed in a bright red cheongsam, she stepped on the red carpet of the international film festival with her elegant and noble figure, and her unique oriental charm instantly attracted global attention.
All of this stems from Tang Yongqiang's deep love for Chinese culture and his firm belief in promoting it.
In just a few years, the brand "Shanghai Tang" has risen rapidly, pushing Chinese elements to the forefront of global fashion trends. Although the ownership of the "Shanghai Tang" brand has changed hands several times, the deep relationship between Tang Yongqiang and Tang has never really been severed.
He has always had a sincere heart and is unswervingly committed to connecting personal power with the brand.
It wasn't until 2018 that Tang Wing-cheung's daughter, Tang Aijia, was honored to take over the role of creative director of Shanghai Tang. Under her leadership, the brand finally played a new movement, injected a new design concept, and gradually won the favor of young consumers.
Amazingly, before the launch of the Shanghai Tang brand, Tang had a legendary experience – he was the first Hong Kong native to teach at Peking University.
As the honorary guest of the highest academic hall in mainland China, Mr. Deng Yongqiang is deeply respected and loved by the students. He is well aware of the importance of knowledge and the meaning of teaching, so he does not hesitate to care about the growth of his students, and often does not hesitate to take money out of his own pocket and warmly invite his classmates to share food and wine.
He has repeatedly emphasized that the true meaning of education is not just about living for the needs of life, but also about the real value of planting the seeds in the hearts of students who will be the future pillars of the country, and building deep and lasting emotional bonds.
As we all know, success is often inseparable from the dual promotion of opportunity and hard work. However, for Mr. Tang, his career is more like a perfect combination of opportunity and discernment.
When the wave of "China fever" swept in, he was keenly aware of this trend, decisively adjusted his development strategy, and finally seized this once-in-a-lifetime historic opportunity.
In addition to the magnificent building in "Shanghai Tang", Mr. Tang also spent nearly 40 million Hong Kong dollars to carefully transform the top three floors of the most iconic old Bank of China building in Hong Kong into a luxury private club, the "China Club".
All of a sudden, the "China Club" became one of the most luxurious and noble private estates in the world at that time, where the aristocracy and celebrities from all over the world gathered, and it was undoubtedly an excellent platform for Mr. Tang Yongqiang to conduct in-depth exchanges and interactions with the international elite.
A critic once humorously commented that Mr. Tang Wing-cheung "is simply the one who can call everyone in the world by name". Indeed, his social circle can be described as star-studded and celebrity-studded.
Whether it's the British royal family or American politics, whether it's a sports star or a movie star, he can handle it with ease and build a deep friendship with them.
Speaking of Mr. Tang Wing-cheung, we have to mention his philanthropic demeanor that originated from his grandfather Tang Siu-kin's family motto. Since serving as President of the Hong Kong Down Syndrome Association in 1993, he has devoted himself to this cause, selflessly dedicating his precious time and wealth.
Every year, Mr. Tang Yongqiang plans various forms of public welfare activities for the association and generously donates a large amount of funds. He did his best to speak out for this special group and called on all sectors of society to give more attention and support.
Under his active advocacy, the football and swimming teams of the Hong Kong Down Syndrome Association often travel to the UK to learn skills and enhance friendship with local compatriots.
What is even more commendable is that under the unwavering advocacy and promotion of Mr. Tang Wing-cheung, the early Hong Kong Post Office made an exception to create two special positions, which were specially designed for those suffering from Down syndrome.
This initiative undoubtedly provides them with a broad stage to display their strength and realize their self-worth, and greatly promotes the awareness and understanding of diversity and inclusion in the whole society.
In recognition of his outstanding contributions to philanthropy, Mr. Tang was awarded the KBE Commander of the Order of Merit in 2008 by Her Majesty The Queen.
This prestigious honor is usually reserved for entrepreneurs and high-ranking government officials who have made significant achievements in the business field or are of high moral character.
When recalling the moment when he received this award, Mr. Tang Yongqiang's joy was overflowing.
Time flies, time flies. However, in 2019, both Hong Kong and the United Kingdom were overshadowed by the news of Mr. Tang's tragic death from liver cancer.
All walks of life in Hong Kong and the whole society have lowered the flag at half-mast to express their endless admiration and deep remembrance for this outstanding figure.
The British Telegraph, the Financial Times and other world-renowned media have also reported this sad news.
Ms. Naomi Campbell, a close friend of Mr. Tang Wing-cheung and an international supermodel, wrote an affectionate tribute on social media, saying, "In this world, it is difficult to find a person with extraordinary wisdom, rich inner world, and profound philanthropic spirit like you.