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

Sunday.

Sicily, San Luigi dei Francesi.

The sky remained overcast, as if even God did not wish to see this filthy world; the incessant drizzle had been falling for a whole week.

Today is the funeral of former Mafia godfather Antonio.

As a legendary figure in the European underworld, Antonio's funeral was extremely grand. The church was lined with black luxury cars, and even the streets were filled with police officers there to maintain order.

Guests dressed in black mourning clothes and carrying black umbrellas entered the church with solemn expressions. Among them were various Mafia bosses, politicians and judges with ties to their families, and even Vatican clergy.

At the very front of the crowd stood the newly appointed godfather, Luca, who had just "taken the throne" a week earlier.

At this moment, although Luca's face showed a sorrowful expression, his eyes and brows could not hide his spiritedness.

This week was a dream start for him. Under the pretext of "avenging the Godfather," he used his family's armed forces to bloodily purge the Godfather's loyalists and completely suppress any voices that opposed him.

What surprised him most was that Sophia of the Lubbers family actually kept her promise and did not take advantage of the Mafia's internal strife to launch an attack. Instead, she took the initiative to withdraw her men to the border.

"As expected, only I can lead the family to glory," Luca thought with a sneer, looking at Antonio lying peacefully in the coffin. "Old man, rest in peace. Although the ledger hasn't been found yet, that scapegoat King Kong has already taken the blame for all the crimes. As long as I hold onto this position, that thing will come out sooner or later."

"Your Excellency Luca, it is time for you to deliver the eulogy," the master of ceremonies whispered.

Luca straightened his black tie, took a deep breath, and, as if to shed a few crocodile tears, walked onto the podium.

"Dear friends and family, distinguished guests..." Luca's voice choked with emotion, yet deeply moving, "Today, with heavy hearts, we bid farewell to our great Godfather, our leader, His Excellency Antonio. He was murdered by a despicable man! By that damned King Kong..."

"Enough!!"

A furious roar suddenly came from the church entrance, interrupting Luca's performance.

The entire room erupted in uproar. Everyone turned their heads away.

The church doors were pushed open. Two men stood (or sat) against the light.

The one on the left, dressed in a well-tailored gray suit and wearing gold-rimmed glasses, exudes a refined air but has a cold gaze. He is Paolo, the former second-in-command who was ousted by Luca and now controls the family's financial lifeline.

And the one on the right...

When Luca saw the person's face clearly, his pupils contracted sharply, and he took a step back as if he had seen a ghost, crashing into the coffin.

He was a man with a face as pale as paper, who needed to be pushed around in a wheelchair, and whose chest was wrapped in thick bandages.

Dante, the captain of the suicide squad!

"You...you..." Luca pointed at Dante, his finger trembling violently, "Weren't you dead?!"

"God won't take me because He thinks hell is a better fit for you."

Dante's voice was hoarse and shrill, a lingering effect of vocal cord damage. Supported by Paul, he walked step by step toward the podium, each step feeling like it was treading on Luca's heart.

"Who...who is he?" the guests below whispered among themselves.

"I am Dante, the captain of the guard for Father Antonio," Dante stood in the center of the church, surveying his surroundings with a gaze as sharp as a knife. "That day in the Church of San John, I saw it with my own eyes—it was you, Luca! It was you who deliberately withdrew the outer guards! It was you who colluded with outsiders, sending that masked assassin to kill my nine brothers! And it was you who drove the Father to his death!!"

"Whoosh—!!"

These words were like a depth charge dropped into a calm lake. Although everyone knew the truth, being identified by the sole survivor in front of so many people completely changed the nature of the situation.

"Nonsense!!"

Luca realized what was happening, his face flushed red, and the veins on his neck bulged. "You've been bribed by Paul! You're trying to frame me! Guards! Arrest these two traitors from the families!!"

At his command, more than a dozen of Luca's loyal bodyguards immediately drew their guns and rushed toward Paul and Dante.

"Let's see who dares to make a move!"

Paul adjusted his glasses, his expression unchanged.

Just then, a group of police officers who had been maintaining order outside the church suddenly rushed in.

"Don't move! Police!"

The well-equipped and numerous police officers quickly surrounded Luca's bodyguards.

Leading the group was Rossi, the police chief of Trapani province.

"Chief Rossi?!"

Luca's eyes widened. "What are you doing?! This is an internal matter of our family! You, as an ally of our family..."

"Mr. Luca, this is a public place," Chief Rossi said sternly and firmly. "Someone called the police saying there are armed thugs threatening public safety here. Please have your men lay down their weapons, or we will take coercive measures."

The situation reversed instantly.

Luca stood alone in front of the tomb, looking at the family members who were indifferent to him because of his arrogance and domineering behavior, at Paul who looked at him with a mocking expression, and at Dante who looked at him with hatred in his eyes.

He got it.

This is a trap.

A deadly trap set for him.

"Paul...you...you tricked me..." Luca gritted his teeth, his hand secretly reaching towards his lower back.

"It's not that I'm plotting against you, it's that you're too greedy."

Paul said calmly.

Just then.

Dante, who had been supported by Paul, suddenly moved.

Although he was still recovering from serious injuries, the flames of revenge gave him boundless strength. He suddenly drew a pistol.

That was his Beretta, which had been with him for many years.

"Bang--!!"

A deafening gunshot rang out.

A red dot appeared between Luca's eyebrows, and then a cloud of blood mist exploded from the back of his head.

His eyes widened, an expression of disbelief still lingering on his face, before he fell straight backward, crashing heavily in front of Antonio's coffin.

Blood stained the white lilies red.

"Godfather... brothers... rest in peace."

Clang.

The pistol fell to the ground.

Dante slowly raised his hands, knelt on the ground, and said, "I have killed someone. I confess."

Several police officers immediately rushed up, pinned Dante down, and handcuffed him.

"Take him away!" Chief Rossi waved his hand.

As Dante passed by Paul, he paused for a moment.

"Don't worry," Paul said in a low voice, "the best lawyer in all of Italy is already waiting for you at the police station. Self-defense, insanity, crime of passion... whatever the reason, I guarantee you'll be out within three years."

Dante nodded and was put into a police car.

Inside the church, chaos reigned.

Luca is dead. The new godfather is dead.

Those high-ranking members who originally belonged to Luca's faction began to stir, creating a power vacuum, and everyone wanted to take over.

"Quiet down, all of you!"

Paul suddenly walked up to the podium and picked up the microphone. His voice wasn't loud, but it conveyed a calm and collected demeanor, as if he were in complete control.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the farce is over."

Paul took a black floppy disk from his briefcase and held it high.

"I know what you're thinking. You want to seize power and divide up the territory."

Paul coldly looked at the crowd below the stage, "But I want to tell you, the family's lost ledger... the ledger that recorded all business channels, bribery lists, and everyone's life and fortune... was actually stolen by Luca, who then framed King Kong, and I—found it back."

Upon hearing this, everyone froze in place.

The ledgers are in Paul's hands!

That means that the family's economic lifeline, as well as that vast network of protection, are all in Paul's hands!

"And also," Paul gestured to Chief Rossi standing by the door, "Chief Rossi is an old friend of ours. He represents the Sicilian government and supports the Corleone family in restoring order. In this critical time, we need stability, not civil war."

On one side is Paul, who controls the economic lifeline and has access to dirt on the government; on the other side is the endorsement of official forces.

The restless leaders of the militant faction exchanged glances and finally lowered their hands in dejection.

The tide is gone.

“Since Luca is a traitor, he doesn’t deserve to be the godfather,” a family elder stepped forward and bowed first. “Paul, you are the second-in-command. Now… the family is in your hands.”

Paul looked at the awe-inspiring faces below the stage, pushed up his glasses, and a glint of shrewdness flashed behind the lenses.

"Since everyone trusts me, I will reluctantly accept this offer."

"The funeral continues."

……

That evening, at eight o'clock.

In the city center, there is a Michelin three-star restaurant called "La Pergola".

Inside the most luxurious private room, a crystal chandelier cast a soft glow.

Four people were sitting around the round table.

Paul, who has just become the new godfather of the Mafia;

Police Chief Rossi;

Sophia, the head of the Lubbers family;

And... Lu Chen, sitting in the main seat, elegantly cutting his steak.

"Mr. Lu, this glass is for you," Paul stood up, bowing deeply, and raised his glass with both hands. "Without your planning, I might still be growing grapes in the countryside of Palermo. You not only helped me get rid of Luca, but also allowed me to rightfully take over the family business. From now on, the Corleone family will follow your lead."

Paul is a smart man.

When Dante, the captain of the suicide squad, suddenly appeared in front of him and took out the "script" that Lu Chen had given him, he knew that he had no choice.

Either cooperate and become the new Godfather, or die with Luca.

Moreover, he was not content to spend his life as a farmer in Sicily; he also had his own ambitions.

That's right, it was all part of Lu Chen's plan. Even Dante's right heart was part of his scheme. To prevent Dante from not making it through, he even bribed the body-collecting team to secretly give Dante an adrenaline injection.

The puppet Lu Chen chose for the Corleone family was never the arrogant, militant leader Luca, but rather Paul, who managed the family's economy, was shrewd and opportunistic, and lacked any real power base.

"Paul, you're a businessman, and a smart man."

Lu Chen picked up his wine glass and lightly clinked it against his: "I like dealing with smart people. Keep that floppy disk; it's your tool for ruling the family."

"Mr. Xie Lu!" Paul was overjoyed.

"However," Lu Chen changed the subject, taking out the black photo album from his pocket and placing it on the table, "I'll keep this album for you."

Upon seeing the photo album, Chief Rossi's eyes twitched. He knew very well that it contained his "artistic portraits."

"Director Rossi," Lu Chen said with a smile, looking at the director who was covered in sweat, "I heard you're thinking of running for councilor?"

"Uh...yes, I did have that idea." Rossi wiped his sweat and said with a forced smile.

"I will support you." Lu Chen's fingers tapped lightly on the photo album. "As long as you are a 'good friend,' this photo album will never see the light of day. Moreover, political donations from the Lubers and Corleone families will continue to flow into your campaign account."

"Understood! Understood!" Rossi nodded repeatedly. "I will always be Mr. Lu's most loyal friend!"

"Sophia." Lu Chen looked at the beauty beside him.

"Darling," Sofia said tenderly.

"Starting tomorrow, the Corleone family will also join the High Table," Lu Chen gave his final instructions. "After Paul finishes consolidating the Corleone family's underground businesses, you will continue to expand. Not only should you control Italy, but you should also infiltrate France and Germany."

"I want to build... an underground empire without borders."

"yes!"

Paul and Sophia responded simultaneously.

Lu Chen cut off a medium-rare steak and put it in his mouth.

It is tender, juicy, and has an excellent taste.

Outside the window, Rome was ablaze with lights. The outline of the Colosseum was faintly visible in the night.

Thousands of years ago, Caesar conquered the world here.

Thousands of years later, a young man from the East trampled this eternal city under his feet in a different way.

"This dish..."

Lu Chen swallowed the beef, picked up a napkin to wipe his mouth, and a look of satisfaction flashed in his eyes.

"The taste is indeed very good."