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

Kowloon Tong, a high-end apartment complex for the middle class.

Chen Xiaochen had just gotten home from get off work, loosening his tie and looking exhausted. He had embezzled over a million yuan of company funds to speculate in stocks, but it was all tied up. Recently, in order to cope with the audit of the company's funds, he had lost a lot of hair.

Ring ring ring—

The phone in the living room suddenly rang.

Chen Xiaochen answered the phone with some annoyance: "Hey? Who is this?"

"Hello, is this Mr. Chen Xiaochen?" A calm, professional male voice with an air of sophistication came from the other end of the phone.

"I am, who are you?" Chen Xiaochen asked warily.

"Hello, I am Chen Tai, an investment advisor from Hengsheng Securities."

"Hengsheng Securities?"

Chen Xiaochen frowned. He had been working in the Hong Kong stock market for many years and had heard of many securities companies, big and small, but he had never heard of "Hengsheng".

"Never heard of it, don't need it, don't call again."

Just as Chen Xiaochen was about to hang up, the other party seemed to have anticipated this, speaking rapidly but politely: "Mr. Chen, please give me thirty seconds. Although Hengsheng is newly established, we focus on trading in the Johns Hopkins stock market. We have strong financial resources and numerous channels..."

"We've heard rumors that a stock will skyrocket tomorrow. If you miss it, you'll miss out on 50 percent of the potential profit."

"Fifty percent?!"

Chen Xiaochen's hand froze in mid-air.

As a seasoned gambler, he had a natural sensitivity to these two numbers. Moreover, he was currently in a desperate situation due to the embezzlement of public funds.

"Are you bragging? Fifty percent in six months?" Chen Xiaochen sneered. "Even Buffett wouldn't dare say that."

"Whether it's bragging or not, we'll find out tomorrow," Chen Tai said confidently. "To show my sincerity, I can give you this insider information for free. Even if you don't buy, you can observe first."

"Oh?" Chen Xiaochen's interest was piqued. "What news?"

"Tomorrow, London Stock Exchange, Kingsmere Steelworks."

Chen Tai lowered his voice and said mysteriously, "We've received concrete information that a major international speculator will be aggressively driving up this stock price tomorrow. Remember, this is just a small token of our appreciation."

After saying that, the other party hung up the phone immediately.

"Beep...beep..."

Chen Xiaochen held the receiver, stunned for a long time.

Kingsmill Steel?

He rushed into his study and pulled out yesterday's international financial newspaper. Among the densely packed stock lists, he finally found the stock in a corner.

A stagnant, low-quality stock that has been trading sideways for a long time, with a share price of only £1.6.

"Really?"

Chen Xiaochen shook his head. Although he didn't believe it, a seed of greed had already been planted in his heart.

……

Meanwhile, at the DOA Group headquarters.

Lu Chen was sitting on a leather sofa, swirling a glass of red wine in his hand. Opposite him sat a middle-aged man in a well-tailored suit, wearing gold-rimmed glasses, and with sharp eyes.

Ma Zhihua, the mastermind behind the scenes in the movie "Overheard 1" who said "I wasn't born a serial killer" but killed without shedding blood in the financial market. At that time, he was just a down-on-his-luck trader who had just been kicked out of Wall Street.

Until yesterday, Lu Chen found him.

They gave him the highest annual salary, absolute power, and rare high pay and respect, only to have him do one thing—money laundering and pig slaughtering.

"Chairman Lu, the 20 billion yen has all been received," Ma Zhihua said, his eyes gleaming with fervor as he looked at the constantly changing data on the computer screen. "It has been distributed into twenty offshore accounts. Tomorrow, as soon as the market opens, this money will flood into the London Stock Exchange like a tidal wave, propelling 'Kingsmeer Steel' to new heights."

Two hundred billion yen, which is roughly equivalent to fifty million pounds. This was the first sum of money that Nguyen Van had transferred in US dollars, and he had never had a chance to launder it. He took this opportunity to buy low and sell high in the stock market to launder the illicit funds—a tactic also commonly used by Ma Zhihua in the TV series "Overheard."

"Very good!" Lu Chen nodded in satisfaction. "Old Ma, I trust you to handle things."

In this era, the global financial regulatory system was still in its infancy. The Financial Services Act of the United States wouldn't be enacted until 1986. For a shrewd and well-informed investor like Lu Chen, the London Stock Exchange was practically an ATM.

"Don't worry, boss," Ma Zhihua pushed up his glasses, revealing a cruel smile, "I also enjoy this process of turning trash into gold."

【Ding--】

[Key plot character detected: Ma Zhihua]

[Checking in at the movie "Overheard"]

[Check-in successful.]

[Reward: +1 Free Attribute Point]

Lu Chen chose to add the three attribute points he had accumulated to [Charm], [Affinity], and [Personal Space], respectively.

[Personal Space: Lv6 (Private Container)]

[Evaluation: Congratulations! Your personal space has reached the standard unit of international shipping—a 20-foot container. With a volume of 32 cubic meters, you can easily stuff a fully armed Hummer H2 inside. Now you're not only a walking arsenal, but also the ultimate nightmare for moving companies and bank robbers.]

……

The next day, Chen Xiaochen unusually took sick leave and did not go to work at TVB.

He locked himself in his study, guarding the Reuters terminal that had just been connected to real-time market data.

"1.6... or 1.6..."

Chen Xiaochen stared at the screen, his hands sweating profusely.

Nine o'clock sharp.

The London Stock Exchange opened.

Kingsmeer Steel, which had been stagnant, suddenly experienced a surge in trading volume, as if it had been given a shot of adrenaline!

1.7...1.9...2.0!

The red curve shot up like a rocket, almost vertically!

"It moved! It really moved!!" Chen Xiaochen was so excited he almost knocked over his coffee cup. "Chen Tai wasn't lying to me! There really is a bookmaker manipulating the market!!"

In just one morning, the stock price soared to 2.4! That's an astonishing 50% increase!

"My God... if I had bought in with all my funds this morning..."

Chen Xiaochen clutched his chest, his heart aching so much he could hardly breathe. He had missed out on 50% of the profits! That was several million!

"Buy! Buy it now!!" Chen Xiaochen couldn't sit still any longer. He grabbed the phone and called his stockbroker: "Mark! Buy Kingsmill Steel for me! Buy as much as you can! Even if it's at a premium, buy it!"

"Mr. Chen, calm down!" The broker on the other end of the phone was startled. "This stock's movement is too erratic! This kind of straight up-and-down surge definitely indicates that a market manipulator is rigging the stock; it might even be a pump-and-dump scheme! I suggest you observe it further..."

"Watching my ass!!" Chen Xiaochen roared, his eyes red. "I've been watching all morning! I've watched it rise by 50%! If I lose money, I'll take responsibility. Just buy me 100,000 pounds first!!"

"Okay, okay... but you have to bear the risks yourself."

The agent had no choice but to place the order.

However, by the time the market closed in the afternoon, although Chen Xiaochen managed to buy some shares, he only managed to acquire a small portion due to the large number of buyers.

Even so, the stock price closed at 2.8, and he made a small profit.

DOA Group Trading Room.

"Boss, let's close the net."

Looking at the candlestick chart on the screen, Ma Zhihua smiled sarcastically. "Today, those retail investors who followed the trend rushed in like madmen, and we've already sold 80% of our shares at the high price."

"This wave not only laundered the dirty money, but also took the opportunity to fleece three million pounds of investors."

Looking at this man who could bankrupt countless people with just a few words, Song Zihao couldn't help but feel a chill. This was much faster and more ruthless than robbing someone at gunpoint.

"Mr. Lu instructed," Song Zihao said, "that all of this stock be sold off tomorrow, as it is no longer worth anything."

"Understood!" Ma Zhihua nodded. "I plan to change my target tomorrow."

……

night.

"Ring ring ring—"

The phone call came as expected.

"How was it, Mr. Chen?" Chen Tai's voice remained confident, even tinged with a hint of teasing. "Are you satisfied with today's 'gift'?"

"Satisfied! Extremely satisfied!" Chen Xiaochen's attitude underwent a complete 180-degree turn, his tone becoming as obsequious as a grandson. "Consultant Chen is truly a genius! Oh dear, it's a pity I hesitated this morning and didn't buy much; I'm so regretful!"

"It's alright, there will be plenty of opportunities!" Chen Tai smiled. "There's another amazing stock coming up tomorrow, you'd better seize it this time."

"What stock? Brother Chen, please tell me quickly!" Chen Xiaochen asked eagerly.

"Xuduo Chemicals," Chen Tai announced a name. "It's a shampoo company. Although its performance is mediocre, we're going to use it as a shell to make some big moves. The stock will rise as soon as the market opens tomorrow. This is a perk we're giving to some potential clients. Remember to keep it a secret."

"Don't worry! I understand! I understand!" Chen Xiaochen nodded repeatedly. "This time, I definitely won't hesitate!"

The same script played out again the next day.

"Xuduo Daily Chemicals," a small-cap stock that was originally ignored, experienced a meteoric rise at the opening bell under Ma Zhihua's management, as if it had taken Viagra.

From £1.3, it skyrocketed to £1.8!

And this time, Chen Xiaochen learned his lesson.

He invested all his savings from the past few years, plus some of the news department's funds—worth £200,000.

"Prices are rising! They're rising! They're rising!!"

Watching the numbers on his account steadily increase, Chen Xiaochen blushed with excitement and danced around the study.

"I'm rich! Haha, now it's finally my turn to get rich!!"

The adrenaline rush made him completely lose his mind. He could almost see himself buying luxury houses, driving luxury cars, and even Uncle Shao having to carry his shoes.

"Raise it a little more! Just a little more and I can fill the hole in the wireless network! The rest is all mine!!"