Hong Kong variety show: The mastermind behind the scenes is emerging.

The city awakens as the first rays of sunlight fall upon the surface of Victoria Harbour.

But today, Hong Kong Island seems different from usual. Whether on crowded double-decker buses, in noisy tea restaurants, or even in amusement parks, everyone has an excited expression on their face and is discussing the same topics.

"Hey! Did you watch ATV last night? It was so exciting!"

"I watched it! That talk show, 'Today's Legal Report,' about the cardboard box murder case. It scared me so much I couldn't sleep all night! But the male host was really good; so this is what 'presumption of innocence' means!"

And at an amusement park in Kowloon Tong.

"Flame Dragon Armor! Combine!!"

A chubby little boy, holding a tree branch and striking a cringeworthy pose, shouted at his classmate, "I'm Flame Dragon Warrior! I'm going to seal you away, you supernatural beast!"

"Bullshit! I'm the Flame Dragon Warrior! I have a transformation device!"

Another child proudly pulled a red plastic toy from his schoolbag—it was the "Flame Dragon Summoner" that Jiahe Toy Factory had been distributing overnight.

In an instant, all the boys in the class surrounded him, and the boy with the summoning device instantly became the leader of the group.

……

If you don't look at the children, look at the housewives.

In the farmers' market, housewives who used to only care about vegetable prices have a new topic of conversation today.

"Mrs. Chen, you look great! What cosmetics are you using?"

"Oh, it's that French face cream I bought last night at ATV's 'Home Shopping' store! It was only twenty-something dollars! Let me tell you, it's a real bargain, more than half the price of what you get at department stores! And they even deliver to my door!"

"Really? Then I'll have to watch TV this afternoon too. I heard they're selling that oil-free air fryer today..."

……

Of course, what truly ignited a nationwide craze and drove men, women, and children alike crazy was that "sword".

That sword from "The Legend of Sword and Fairy".

In 1982, audiences on Hong Kong Island were used to seeing martial arts dramas filmed in cramped studios by TVB—artificial mountains, artificial trees, and plastic foam backdrops that could be easily punctured.

Although Jin Yong and Gu Long's novels are excellent, the television adaptations are often less than satisfactory due to limitations in filming technology and funding.

Until last night.

When the first episode of "Chinese Paladin" aired, and the young man named Li Xiaoyao rode a flying sword through the sea of ​​clouds, accompanied by exciting special effects and sound effects, the visual impact was nothing short of an orgasm for the audience of this era.

Dimensionality reduction strike.

It's truly a case of overwhelming force.

"So this is what they call Xianxia (fantasy martial arts)!"

"Those shows I watched before were totally lame! This is a battle of gods!"

"Who's that male lead? He's so handsome! I've never seen him before!"

There's an interesting story behind the male protagonist, Li Xiaoyao.

The actor playing Li Xiaoyao is a handsome young man with clear eyes named Li Xiaojun. According to the original trajectory of his life, this naive young man from Tianjin who came to Hong Kong Island to stay with his aunt should have met the shrewd Li Qiao at McDonald's, and the two should have started a relationship that would last for many years.

But in this time and space, Lu Chen, like a giant butterfly, flapped his wings.

Two weeks ago, Li Xiaojun, who had just arrived in Hong Kong penniless, was on his way to a job interview at the wet market. As he passed the ATV building, he saw a large poster advertising "New Faces Wanted." Hoping to earn some quick money to bring his girlfriend Fang Xiaoting over, he went inside.

Lu Chen, who was on an inspection tour, spotted Li Xiaojun, who exuded a "simple and honest boyish charm," in the crowd at a glance.

At that moment, what came to Lu Chen's mind was not Li Xiaojun riding a bicycle and humming Teresa Teng's songs, but Li Xiaoyao, the shopkeeper from Yuhang Town.

Thus, a contract was signed, and Li Xiaojun became ATV's rising star. Without the McDonald's encounter, he might have missed out on Li Qiao, but he embarked on a dazzling career as a "superstar."

Of course, Lu Chen also gained some attribute points.

……

Back to the plot.

The first two episodes, which aired last night, were just the prologue, but they already captivated the audience.

The Nanzhao Kingdom ten years ago.

To save her people, the Witch Queen revealed her true form—a human head and a snake's body—and battled a gigantic water monster in the flood. The special effects in that scene, though expensive, were outstanding. Countless viewers gasped in astonishment when the giant water monster burst from the water.

Afterwards, the grandmother carried the young Zhao Ling'er and fled, where they were rescued by a mysterious person.

Let's rewind to the present.

Li Xiaoyao, a petty hoodlum in Yuhang Town, was woken up by Aunt Li hitting him with a spatula.

The relaxed and humorous everyday life contrasted sharply with the grand scenes that followed, creating a well-balanced tension.

Immediately afterwards, in order to save his seriously ill aunt, Li Xiaoyao ventured into Immortal Spirit Island.

In the peach blossom grove, Ling'er, who was taking a bath, turned around and smiled.

"Brother Xiaoyao..."

That sweet and tender call not only melted Li Xiaojun's bones at the time, but also melted the hearts of millions of men across Hong Kong Island.

The subsequent plot was like a rollercoaster ride: the grandmother's forced marriage, the wedding night, the separation the next day, the Moon Worship Cult storming the island, and Li Xiaoyao losing his memory after consuming the Forget-Me-Not Gu...

虐！

This is so heartbreaking!

Especially at the end of the second episode, Li Xiaoyao forgot about Ling'er and stood foolishly on the boat looking at the elixir Ling'er had given him, while Ling'er watched his departing figure with tears in her eyes amidst the sea of ​​fire.

At that moment, the hearts of countless young girls in front of the television were broken.

"Waaaaah... That Moon Worship Cult is so evil!"

"Li Xiaoyao, you big jerk! How could you forget?!"

"QuickPlay episode 3! I want to see him remember!!"

……

On this day, the sky above the TVB station was gray.

Broadcast Drive, top floor of the TVB Executive Building.

The air pressure in the conference room was so low it was suffocating.

"Bang!"

Uncle Shao slammed a ratings report heavily on the table. His face, which usually wore a shrewd smile, was now filled with gloom and anger.

"30%..."

Uncle Shao's voice trembled, "Last night our average viewership rating was only 30%?! And during prime time, when 'Chinese Paladin' aired, our rating even dropped below 20%?!"

This is a terrifying number.

It's worth noting that before ATV's revamp, TVB's viewership ratings consistently remained above 70%, and often exceeded 90% during prime time.

That was an absolute monopoly, an absolute hegemon.

But only for one day.

In just one day, the young man named Lu Chen used a series of combined punches to shatter this myth that had lasted for more than a decade.

"Speak up!" Uncle Shao roared, looking at the lowered executives who dared not utter a sound. "Weren't you all usually so talkative? Why are you all mute now?"

"Chairman..."

Fang Yihua forced herself to speak, "This...this is not a fault of our own. ATV really went all out this time. Just that 'Chinese Paladin' series, according to inside sources, cost over seven million just to produce, not counting marketing. The special effects, the location shooting...our current dramas really can't compare."

"Yes, Uncle Six," the production director said with a bitter face, "the audience these days has become too picky. After watching ATV's movie-quality visuals, they say ours is like watching a amateur opera troupe perform."

"Then what do you suggest we do?!" Uncle Shao demanded.

"Add more investment!" the production director said through gritted teeth. "We also need to upgrade our equipment, film on location elsewhere, and hire a better special effects team! And the actors' salaries need to be raised too, otherwise they'll all be poached by ATV!"

"Money, money, money! All you ever think about is money!!" Sure enough, upon hearing about the need to pay, Uncle Shao's face instantly turned even uglier. "What am I feeding you all for? Do you think you can't make movies without money? How much did we spend on 'The Legend of the Condor Heroes' back then? And it still became a hit across Asia!"

"Young people these days are just too ambitious!"

Uncle Shao paced back and forth in the conference room, cursing and feeling sorry for Shao at the same time.

As a notoriously stingy tycoon, asking him to spend huge sums of money on an arms race with ATV would be more painful than cutting off his own flesh. He has always believed in the "low cost, high return" assembly line model.

But he didn't understand that times had changed, and the good old days when "anything you filmed would be watched by the audience" were gone forever.

"That damned Lu Chen..." Uncle Shao gritted his teeth, muttering the name, "He's got wolfish ambitions! He's utterly a wolf in sheep's clothing!!"

He had a premonition that if he didn't come up with a solution, TVB's era of dominating Hong Kong Island might really be coming to an end.

……

Unlike the gloomy atmosphere at TVB, the atmosphere in the chairman's office at ATV was as lively as if it were Chinese New Year.

"Boss! We won! A resounding victory!" Huang Xizhao, beaming with pride, held up the latest financial statements. "After the ratings came out last night, our customer service phones were bombarded with calls from advertising agencies! Those big brands that were initially hesitant, like Coca-Cola, ParknShop, and several banks, all demanded to buy the remaining slots for 'Chinese Paladin.' Just now, we signed contracts totaling twelve million!"

Twelve million!

The results of just one day!

This money not only covered the production costs of "The Legend of Sword and Fairy", but also recouped the money from the later "Grand Earth's Grace" project.

"very good."

Lu Chen sat in the boss's chair, not showing excessive joy, but the smile in the corner of his eye betrayed his feelings.

Although he is not short of money, and although he could earn even more in the stock market, it is only through money earned in different industries like this that he has built the foundation for his vast business empire. Moreover, more important than money is the power to influence and control.

"With ratings comes influence," Lu Chen stood up, looking out at the bustling Central district. "From today onwards, ATV will no longer be that nobody watching. It will become the barometer of public opinion in Hong Kong."

"Old Huang, keep it up," Lu Chen instructed. "Tell the crew that the production quality can't be cut back. Li Xiaojun is a promising talent; give him special attention and make him the male lead in the next film."

"clear!"

After seeing off the excited Huang Xizhao, Lu Chen sat back down in his chair.

The office fell silent.

Just then, his pager went off. When Lu Chen saw the message, his relaxed expression gradually faded, replaced by a hunter-like coldness.

He took out an encrypted mobile phone from the drawer.

"Beep...beep..."

The call was connected.

"Boss." That was Ahua's voice.

"How is it going?" Lu Chen asked.

"There's some activity in Wan Chai."

Ah Hua's voice was low. "As you instructed, I had people keeping a close eye on the Vietnamese gang's movements. Just now, my informant reported that Brother Zha and Tony went out with their men to a high-end teahouse in Wan Chai."

"Moreover, Brother Sheng also found out that the teahouse is the place where the three financial backers behind the Vietnamese gang, 'Four-Eyes,' often gather."

"Oh?" Lu Chen's lips curled into a playful smile. "Looks like the mad dog is hungry and wants to ask its owner for meat."

"Boss, should we make our move before Tony gets the money?" Ahua asked.

"No rush, wait a bit longer. I guarantee they won't get their money too easily this time. Wait until they've threatened their sugar daddy and gotten the money before you make your move," Lu Chen said calmly. "And that girl named Qiu Di, have you found her?"

"Found her!" Ah-Hua said quickly. "She works as a beer girl at a dai pai dong (open-air food stall) in Wan Chai. I've already sent my underlings over there, and we can 'invite' her to our place tonight—don't worry, boss, we won't force her."

"very good."

Lu Chen hung up the phone and tapped his fingers lightly on the table.

On the other hand, ATV won a resounding victory in the business war.

Meanwhile, the bloody storm in Wan Chai is about to begin.