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

Kowloon, the headquarters of the winery.

The sun shone brightly outside the window, and the surface of Victoria Harbour shimmered. Lu Chen stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling window, looking down at the ant-like stream of cars below, toying with an unlit cigar in his hand.

"Boss, Uncle Shao has really suffered a major setback this time," Fourth Brother (Rum) reported, standing by the desk. "TVB's financial crisis is still unresolved, and I've heard that the Lee family is pressing hard, with rumors even suggesting a board meeting to replace the chairman. Uncle Shao is currently overwhelmed and probably won't have the energy to compete with ATV in the short term."

"Hmm," Lu Chen nodded calmly, seemingly unsurprised by the outcome. "Even a starved camel is bigger than a horse. Uncle Shao has stood strong in Hong Kong for so many years; he won't fall so easily. This time, it's just a minor blow, a lesson in pain. However, for a long time to come, he won't be able to look after us."

"By the way, how's it going at the winery?" Lu Chen turned around and asked.

"Everything is going smoothly," Fourth Brother said, taking a document out of his briefcase. "The logistics department has recruited an additional hundred people, all of whom are retired British Army soldiers of Chinese descent and members of the disciplined forces. They have clean backgrounds and are quite skilled. As for the intelligence department, we are not only developing informants, but also acquiring two private detective agencies and are currently planting spies in various gangs and police stations."

"As for the training base..." Fourth Brother pointed to an outlying island on the map, "We've rented a deserted island near Lantau Island, and construction has already begun. It's expected to be operational in six months. At that time, we'll be able to train talent through our own base."

"Well done," Lu Chen nodded in satisfaction, "but... what about the core members? I'd like to know if we've added any new wines to our 'wine shelf'?"

Upon hearing this, Fourth Brother showed a hint of shame on his face: "Boss, although quite a few talented people have wanted to join recently, I feel they all fall short. Either they're not skilled enough, or they're not smart enough, or... their character isn't good enough. Adhering to the principle of 'better to have none than to have the wrong one,' there hasn't been any progress."

"It's not your fault," Lu Chen smiled. "Geniuses like Xiao Fu and Feng Yuxiu are not like cabbages in the field, easily found."

Lu Chen picked up his coat and walked towards the door: "Let's go. Since there's no one readily available, let's find one. Let's also call Xiao Zhuang along; I'll take you to meet a 'friend'."

"A friend?" Fourth Brother was taken aback. "Who?"

"A master gunman." Lu Chen smiled mysteriously.

……

Half an hour later.

Kowloon, Gun Club Hill.

This is the largest IPSC (Practical Shooting) training range in Hong Kong, and a sacred place in the hearts of countless gun enthusiasts.

"Bang! Bang! Bang bang bang!"

Before even entering the shooting range, the crisp and rhythmic sound of gunfire could be heard.

It wasn't random shooting; every shot was accompanied by the sound of a metal target falling to the ground. The rhythm was breathtakingly fast, yet as steady as a precision machine.

Lu Chen led his fourth brother and Xiao Zhuang into the VIP shooting area.

A man dressed in a gray tracksuit, wearing goggles and earmuffs, was standing at the firing position. He wasn't particularly tall, and was even somewhat thin, but standing there, he resembled a javelin.

He held a heavily modified M1911 in his hand.

"Beep—"

The timer beeped.

The man moved.

Draw the gun, load it, and fire.

The series of movements was so fast that only a blur remained.

"Bang bang bang! Bang bang bang!"

Double Tap (double-shot rapid firing).

The six steel targets in front of me fell down in less than two seconds, and every shot hit area A (the highest zone) precisely.

"Excellent marksmanship," Xiao Zhuang (Gin) couldn't help but exclaim.

As a top assassin, he knew his stuff. Even he might not be able to achieve that rate of fire and accuracy.

Hearing the sound, the man took off his earmuffs and turned around.

It was a face that was slightly gloomy, yet possessed a unique artistic temperament. His eyes were indifferent, but when he looked at the gun in his hand, they were filled with an almost obsessive love.

Rick Peng, the protagonist of the movie "The Gunman", is a genius obsessed with guns.

"Mr. Lu?" Peng Yixing's face showed a hint of surprise when he saw Lu Chen, but he quickly regained his composure. "You've come."

"Sorry to interrupt your shooting practice," Lu Chen said with a smile as he stepped forward. "I'm here to keep my appointment. I mentioned to you last time that I have a gun I'd like you to help me modify."

"Did you bring it?" Peng Yixing asked.

Lu Chen gave his fourth brother a wink. His fourth brother took a gun case out of his bag and handed it over.

Peng Yixing opened the box, inside lay a collector's edition Beretta 87.

He picked up the gun and skillfully disassembled it, examining the rifling, firing pin, and recoil spring. His initially indifferent gaze softened and became focused the moment he touched the parts.

"The barrel is well-maintained, but the trigger travel is too long and the hammer strike isn't linear enough," Peng Yixing said as he fiddled with the gun. "If it's for actual combat, the recoil spring needs to be replaced with a stiffer one to prevent it from exploding. If it's for a competition, this gun is too heavy."

"It's for self-defense," Lu Chen corrected with a smile. "I heard that Mr. Peng is the best gun modifier in Hong Kong, and I want to make this gun a little 'faster'."

"Quickly?" Peng Yixing raised his head and looked at Lu Chen for the first time.

"I don't require perfect accuracy, I just need to be able to draw my gun faster than everyone else!" Lu Chen said.

A glint flashed in Peng Yixing's eyes.

"Many people only know about accuracy, but they don't know that speed is the soul of a gun," Peng Yixing put down the gun, his tone softening considerably. "I can modify this gun. I can lighten the trigger pull to 2 pounds, shorten the travel, and polish the feed ramp. Come back in three days to pick it up."

Thank you.

【Ding--】

[Key plot character detected: Peng Yixing (Rick).]

[Checking in at the movie "The Gunman".]

[Check-in successful.]

[Reward: +1 Free Attribute Points]

After finishing their business, Lu Chen didn't rush to leave. Instead, he pointed to the competition pistol that Peng Yixing had placed on the table and said, "Is this your treasure? The SV Infinity's body, the extended barrel, and this sight... It seems that Mr. Peng not only knows about guns, but also loves them like his own life."

Lu Chen accurately described every modification detail of the gun, even mentioning some extremely subtle tweaks.

Peng Yixing was stunned.

He never expected that this business tycoon would be so knowledgeable!

In this world, there are only two people who can understand his almost pathological obsession with firearms. One is his girlfriend Colleen, and the other is Inspector Miao Zhishun of the Major Crimes Unit.

Now, it seems there's a third one.

"You play IPSC too?" Peng Yixing finally smiled, a smile that belonged to a friend.

"I really like it, but I've never actually played in one," Lu Chen said with a shrug.

Lu Chen's honesty actually won Peng Yixing's favor, because he knew from Lu Chen's grip on the gun that the other party had not participated in professional competitions, so he asked that question on purpose.

"Mr. Lu, you can try it out next time you have time. After all, watching a game and participating in a game are two completely different experiences," Peng Yixing couldn't help but recommend to him.

"Sure, but compared to you, I'm just an amateur. By the way, this is my bodyguard; he's also a skilled shooter. How about you two have a friendly spar?"

Lu Chen pointed to Xiao Zhuang behind him.

Xiao Zhuang was stunned for a moment, then understood what the boss meant.

"Please advise me," Xiao Zhuang said, stepping forward.

"Okay." Peng Yixing picked up his goggles. "What rules are we playing?"

"Let's play the same scene you just played." Xiao Zhuang picked up a communal competition gun, weighed it in his hand to get used to the feel, and then signaled to the referee that it was time to start.

"drop--!"

As the match began, Peng Yixing once again demonstrated his terrifying dominance.

"Bang! Bang!"

He was like a precise killing machine, every movement honed through countless trials, without a single superfluous motion. Moving, firing, reloading—all done in one fluid motion.

4.7 seconds!

Section A of the entire venue!

"Amazing!" Xiao Zhuang exclaimed, then walked to his shooting position.

"drop!"

Xiao Zhuang made a move.

Unlike Peng Yixing's mechanical precision, Xiao Zhuang's movements carried a freehand style reminiscent of the martial arts world, combined with the sharpness of real combat.

He didn't use standard athletic postures; instead, it was more like street fighting.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

5.5 seconds.

After the results came out, although all shots hit, the time was almost a second slower, and two shots hit the C area (outer circle).

"You lost." Peng Yixing looked at the target paper and said bluntly.

"Yes, I lost." Xiao Zhuang put away his gun, not feeling discouraged. "Mr. Peng's shooting skills are truly unparalleled. Under the rules of the competition, no one can beat you."

"Competition rules?" Peng Yixing keenly grasped this phrase. "You mean, in a real match, you would win?"

"Real combat..." Xiao Zhuang smiled, a smile tinged with a hint of bloodlust. "Real combat has no rules, no A zone or C zone, only life and death. In my mind, as long as someone loses the ability to resist, that's enough. Whether it's the bullseye or not is unimportant."

Peng Yixing remained silent.

Looking at Xiao Zhuang, he suddenly realized that this man was not an ordinary gun enthusiast—he was a real "user" of guns.

This realization did not frighten him; instead, it gave him a strange...excitement.

That primal desire for "killing" buried deep in his heart, suppressed by reason and law, seemed to be gently stirred.

"Interesting!" Peng Yixing wiped his hands, his eyes becoming intense. "Mr. Lu, and this friend as well. There's a Hong Kong-wide IPSC competition the day after tomorrow. Would you be interested in coming?"

"Of course!" Lu Chen nodded in agreement. "We will definitely attend the Gun King's match."

……

On the way back.

Fourth Brother was driving when he glanced at Lu Chen through the rearview mirror.

"Boss, are you trying to recruit Rick?" Fourth Brother asked. "His marksmanship is truly superb. If he could join the distillery, he would definitely be a top-notch operative."

"Yes and no," Lu Chen leaned back in the seat, looking at the sunset outside the window with a deep gaze. "He's not ready yet."

"Why?" Fourth Brother asked, puzzled. "His marksmanship is already better than Xiao Zhuang's."

"Maybe it's because there's no murderous intent in his gun," Xiao Zhuang guessed the answer.

"That's right!" Lu Chen said calmly. "The current Peng Yixing is just a highly skilled athlete. He treats the gun as sports equipment and shooting as a competition."

Lu Chen closed his eyes, as if he could already see Rick, tormented by his inner demons and driven into darkness.

"That's not enough! I don't want a championship, I want... a gun king."