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

Car ferry deck in the waters off Lantau Island.

The sea breeze howled, whipping up layers of white waves that pounded against the rusted hull of the ship. Dark clouds filled the sky, pressing down and making it hard to breathe, as if an even bigger storm was about to break.

In the center of the deck, the atmosphere was frozen solid.

Liang Junyi and Yang Zhen stood back to back, their faces ashen. Around them, thirty elite security guards in black suits and sunglasses formed an impenetrable steel wall, holding semi-automatic weapons.

The dark muzzle of the gun, like the eyes of death, coldly watched the two prey trapped in a desperate situation.

"Mr. Lu... Mr. Lu," Yang Zhen swallowed hard, trying to mask his fear with his usual bureaucratic tone, "I think there must be some misunderstanding. We were just carrying out a routine inspection, we didn't..."

"Playing dumb?"

Lu Chen sneered, interrupting him. He took out a black bug, no bigger than a button, from his trench coat pocket and tossed it lightly in his hand.

"The MI5 military-grade bugging device operates on 410MHz. If I remember correctly, the receiver in your car was tuned to this channel just now, wasn't it?"

unambiguous evidence.

Yang Zhen and Liang Junyi's faces turned deathly pale instantly.

"And this too."

Lu Chen snapped his fingers.

The rear door of the Mercedes-Benz slowly opened.

A long, slender leg stepped out. Immediately after, a woman dressed in a gray business suit, with a complex expression, walked out and stood beside Lu Chen.

"Madam Hu?!" Yang Zhen exclaimed, her eyes wide. "You...told me?"

As senior students of the same class as the "Big Boss," they naturally knew the "stars" of the police academy at the time, and they had also guessed the undercover identity of the "Big Boss." However, they never expected that this policewoman, who was supposed to be an "undercover agent," would be standing next to the target like a docile kitten.

"Inspector Leung, Inspector Yeung." Hu Huizhong looked at her two former colleagues with a hint of sympathy in her eyes. "Don't hold on anymore. Richard's orders are illegal. We're all just pawns."

"Damn it!"

Realizing he had been completely exposed, Yang Zhen frantically reached into his pocket, wanting to press the emergency distress transmitter. Pressing it would send a signal to Cai Yuanqi, and nearby marine police patrol boats would arrive.

"If I were you, I wouldn't waste my energy!" Tian Yangyi leaned against the car door, holding a black device that looked like a brick in his hand, a mocking smile on his lips. "Full-band signal jammer. Within a radius of 500 meters, not even the buzzing of a mosquito can be heard."

Yang Zhen's hand froze in her pocket.

Despair overwhelmed the two of them like the sea.

"Alright, that concludes the introductions," Lu Chen spat out the half-smoked cigar and walked up to the two men. "Now, we can get down to business."

"The current situation is that you have illegally and improperly wiretapped me, and the evidence is conclusive. This not only violates police regulations but also breaches privacy laws. If I were to hand over this wiretap and the equipment in your car to the media right now," Lu Chen's voice was low and authoritative, "do you think that high and mighty Assistant Commissioner Richard and Cai Yuanqi would protect you... or would they immediately kick you out of the police force, claiming it was your personal behavior and sending you to Stanley Prison to pick up the soap?"

Liang Junyi and Yang Zhen exchanged a glance, both seeing deep fear in each other's eyes. They knew all too well the nature of these foreigners and "banana people" (people who are Westernized but culturally Westernized), after all, this wasn't the first time something like this had happened.

"Mr. Lu..." Liang Junyi took a deep breath, took off his glasses, and wiped away cold sweat. "We...we had no choice. The pressure from above is immense; what right do lowly police officers like us have to say no?"

"I know," Lu Chen nodded, his tone suddenly softening, "so I'm giving you a chance. A chance not only to survive, but to live a good life."

"What opportunity?" Yang Zhen asked eagerly.

"Turn into a witness for the prosecution." Lu Chen pointed at Hu Huizhong, "To cooperate with Huizhong and testify against Richard and Cai Yuanqi for irregularities and abuse of power."

"What?!"

The two were so frightened they almost jumped up, shaking their heads like rattles.

"No, no! Absolutely not!" Yang Zhen's face turned pale with fright. "Mr. Lu, are you sending us to our deaths?! Testifying against the Assistant Commissioner? And at this critical juncture? Even if Richard falls, the other foreigners in the police force won't let us off the hook! How are we supposed to survive in Hong Kong after this?"

"Yes, Mr. Luk," Liang Junyi said with a bitter face, "the police force's higher-ups are all foreigners now. If we do this, even if we don't go to jail, we'll get shot when we go out."

"Do you have a choice?" Lu Chen retorted coldly. "If you don't cooperate, you'll be in jail tomorrow. If you cooperate, there might be a glimmer of hope."

Seeing that the two were still hesitating, Lu Chen decided to increase his stakes.

"Don't worry, since I dared to let you do it, I naturally have a way to protect you." Lu Chen patted Liang Junyi on the shoulder. "I have connections in the police force. As long as you are willing to testify, I guarantee that no one will dare to lay a finger on you. After it's done, if you want to stay in the police force, I can guarantee you a smooth career path. Or you can work for my security company, where the salary is three times what you are now."

"and……"

Lu Chen leaned closer to the two men, lowered his voice, and threw out his final bait: "I know you're short of money. Yang Zhen, you have to pay your mortgage and support your family; Liang Junyi, your mother's dialysis costs aren't cheap either."

Lu Chen pulled a slip of paper from his pocket with a stock code written on it: "Buy this stock with all your savings. It will more than double. The profits will be your legal investment income, and no one will be able to find out."

"Doubled in a week?"

Yang Zhen's Adam's apple bobbed. He calculated his savings; including the dowry his parents left him for his wife, it was about 100,000 yuan. Doubling that would be 400,000 yuan! That was ten years' worth of his salary! Enough for him to pay off his mortgage and give his wife a good life.

"You only get one chance," Lu Chen said gently, raising his wrist. "The ferry will dock in three minutes. If you don't agree in three minutes, I'll have to hand you over to my legal team and watch you go to jail."

"Timer begins."

silence.

A deathly silence.

All that remained was the sound of waves crashing against the hull and the heavy breathing of the two men.

Liang Junyi looked at Yang Zhen, who in turn looked at the ship full of gunmen and thought of his wife and children at home, as well as his greedy, foul-mouthed foreign boss.

One minute.

Two minutes.

"I'll do it!" Yang Zhen suddenly raised his head, his forehead covered in sweat despite the dead of winter, his eyes exceptionally resolute. "Damn it! Serving as a dog for those foreigners is death anyway, taking a gamble is death too! Better to die poor than risk everything for riches!"

Liang Junyi sighed and nodded: "Mr. Lu, I hope you can keep your promise."

"The choice of smart people."

Lu Chen smiled, a smile as bright as the sun.

"Don't worry, those who help me, Lu Chen, will never suffer a loss."

……

"Waaah—"

With a long whistle, the ferry slowly docked at Mui Wo Pier.

The huge springboard was lowered.

"Remember what to say when you get back?" Lu Chen straightened his trench coat.

"I will report to the superior that the target vehicle was lost at the dock due to traffic congestion," Liang Junyi regained his composure. "Then we will request instructions to continue our stakeout at the Jiahe headquarters."

"Great." Lu Chen patted the two of them on the shoulders. "Remember to buy the stocks, and wait for my signal."

After saying that, Lu Chen led Hu Huizhong, Tian Yangsheng, and the others into the Mercedes-Benz and drove away.

Liang Junyi and Yang Zhen, who remained where they were, exchanged a glance and looked at the piece of paper with the stock code written on it in their hands, feeling their palms burning.

They knew that from this moment on, their fate had been completely changed.

They were no longer just junior CIB officers, but rather the two sharpest weapons in Lu Chen's next operation.

……

Lantau Island, Deep Water Bay No. 1 Villa.

This is an extremely secluded private mansion, nestled against the mountains and facing the sea, with excellent feng shui.

At this moment, the aroma of tea wafted through the living room of the villa.

Two tycoons, whose mere stomp could cause an earthquake in Hong Kong, were sitting on a sofa, talking with grave expressions.

The man on the left, a burly figure with a resolute face, is none other than the shipping magnate who recently acquired Wharf Holdings and became a powerful figure in Hong Kong. The man on the right, wearing glasses, possesses a refined air, yet his eyes are as deep as the sea; he is Mr. Fok, a leader of patriotic businessmen.

"This is outrageous!" The shipping magnate slammed his purple clay teacup on the table. "Unable to compete in business, they resort to such underhanded tactics! They even have to use the police to frame us! Do these foreigners really think we Chinese are easy to bully?!"

"Old Bao, calm down," Mr. Huo said calmly, but his eyes were filled with suppressed anger. "They won on the Falklands and these people are getting too cocky. Richard's actions aren't just targeting Lu; they're trying to use this opportunity to put pressure on all Chinese-owned businesses."

At this moment, footsteps were heard outside the door.

"Sorry to have kept you waiting, seniors."

Lu Chen strode in, looking travel-worn but full of energy.

"Xiao Lu!" Bao Chuanwang stood up, his face full of concern. "How are you? Are you alright? I heard those bastards even used listening devices?"

"A close call, but no real danger."

Lu Chen sat down, and Tian Yangsheng immediately placed all the evidence in the sealed bag, along with the recording pen, on the table.

"This is physical evidence, as well as the statements recorded by the female police officer."

Lu Chen pressed the play button.

Richard's extremely arrogant voice echoed in the empty living room from the recording:

"We are the law! ...Let his family be destroyed..."

After listening to the recording, Mr. Huo's face darkened completely, and the prayer beads in his hand spun faster and faster.

"Outrageous! Utterly outrageous!" The shipping magnate sneered. "An assistant director dares to utter such words! This is the true face of colonizers!"

Old Huo picked up the recorder, a ruthless glint in his eyes: "I have a few old friends in the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC). There are many factions among the foreigners, and quite a few high-ranking ICAC officials are eager for Richard to die! Moreover, the ICAC and the police force have a long-standing feud. As long as this evidence is submitted, those ICAC officials will definitely be happy to take a big bite out of him."

"The Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) alone isn't enough," the shipping magnate Bao continued, tapping his fingers on the table. "We also need to exert pressure within the police force. I have connections in both the Executive Council and the Legislative Council. I will join forces with several other representatives of Chinese businesses to lodge a strong protest with Government House. We will ask them whether Hong Kong Island is still a society governed by the rule of law!"

When these two bigwigs made their move, they used overwhelming political and legal means.

"Then thank you both very much, seniors." Lu Chen smiled. "Since you two are in charge of the political and legal aspects, then I will be in charge of... the public opinion aspect."

"The media?" Old Huo looked at Lu Chen.

"That's right."

A dangerous glint flashed in Lu Chen's eyes. "My Asia Television (ATV) is currently in dire need of a major, explosive news story. I'll have the station produce an in-depth feature report overnight and broadcast it on a loop for a week. I've already thought of the title—'The Eavesdropping Scandal: Who's Listening to Our Privacy?'"

"I'll play Richard's line, 'We are the law,' repeatedly during prime time, so all Hong Kong citizens can hear what the Royal Hong Kong Police Force, which they're so proud of, really looks like in private. I'm going to create a city-wide media storm!" Lu Chen clenched his fist. "Taking this opportunity, I'll not only take down Richard, but I'll also cripple those foreigners in the police force!"

"Hahaha! Good!" Bao, the shipping magnate, laughed loudly. "This 'three-pronged approach' will be enough to give those foreigners a run for their money!"

"To deal with thugs, you have to be even more ruthless than them."

Lu Chen picked up his teacup and toasted the two big shots.

Three teacups gently clinked together in mid-air.