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

An unnamed island in the Okinawa Islands, in southern Japan.

Sunshine, beaches, and azure waters. This is a vacation paradise, but also a devil's resting place.

Bill was wearing floral shorts, lying on a beach chair under a parasol, holding an iced martini, enjoying a rare moment of leisure.

Not far from him, several seemingly "ordinary" men and women were engaging in various "relaxation activities".

Beatrix Kiddo, the Black Mamba, a blonde, blue-eyed woman with a stunning figure, is practicing her slashes in the waves with a samurai sword. Each swing is accompanied by a chilling whooshing sound.

Side-striped Rattlesnake—Budd, Bill's brother, was sitting on a rock, casually wiping a huge Desert Eagle while drinking cheap beer.

There were also O-Ren Ishii, the cotton-mouthed snake, and Vernita Green, the copper-headed snake, who were huddled together, enthusiastically discussing which knife could behead someone faster and less likely to splatter blood.

This assassination squad, known as the "DiVAS," had just emerged from the damned jungles of Southeast Asia the day before yesterday. They had just completed a brilliant mission—sending the entire family of a local warlord to meet their maker.

"Ring ring ring—"

The maritime satellite phone on the small round table suddenly rang, breaking the eerie silence.

Bill put down his glass and picked up the phone.

"Feed? Who?"

"Old friend, do you remember me?" A deep voice came from the other end of the phone.

Bill raised an eyebrow slightly, then a playful smile spread across his weathered face. His distinctive, hoarse voice chuckled gratingly: "Oh, Frick! My old buddy! I heard you're working as a watchdog for some big banker in London? How's it going, still feeling the kick?"

"It smells delicious, and there's a lot," Flick ignored his teasing and went straight to the point, "Where are you now?"

"In Okinawa, Japan, people are enjoying the sunshine and sake."

"Great, it's not far!" Frick lowered his voice. "There's a big job that requires a trip to Hong Kong Island. Do you want it?"

"Hong Kong Island?" Bill swirled the ice in his glass. "First, tell me what you want. To kill that triad boss? Or some troublesome cop?"

"No, it's a young, wealthy Chinese man," Frick's voice held a hint of malice. "This kid offended my boss, and he's furious. We need you to kidnap him and make him sign some documents."

"The deposit is one million pounds, and you'll get another million after it's all done."

"And... as long as you get what the boss wants, you can do whatever you want with that fat sheep. You can squeeze another ransom out of him—of course, you have to make sure he ends up as a corpse."

"One million pounds? Plus a fat sheep?" Bill's eyes lit up instantly, like a shark smelling blood. "I love rich people, especially those delicate, bloodless young Chinese men... I'll take this job! Tell your boss I'll personally deliver the stuff to him and send that young man to meet his maker."

After hanging up the phone, Bill stood up from the recliner and clapped his hands.

"Hey! Ladies and gentlemen!" he shouted to his men on the beach, "The holiday's over! Pack your bags, we're heading to Hong Kong Island!"

"Another job?" Guido sheathed his katana, shook his wet blond hair, and his eyes gleamed with excitement.

“Yes, it’s a big deal,” Bill licked his lips. “This time we’re not going into the jungle. We’re going to the Pearl of the Orient, to that city of gold, to hunt a…lost lamb.”

However, these venomous snakes from the West were unaware of this.

What awaited them in that city was not lost sheep, but a pack of real wolves and a hell called "The Distillery".

……

Central, Hong Kong Island.

Jiahe Building, Chairman's Office on the Top Floor.

Lu Chen stood in front of the huge floor-to-ceiling window, looking down at the bustling yet terrifying city below.

The office television was broadcasting financial news. The scrolling subtitles at the bottom of the screen were alarming:

The Hang Seng Index fell another 3.2% today, closing at 895 points. Since the Iron Lady's visit, the index has fallen a cumulative 35%.

This was a devastating disaster that left everyone in a state of utter despair.

Countless middle-class people were impoverished overnight, and countless stock market investors lined up to jump off rooftops.

But for Lu Chen, it was a grand celebration.

"Boss, this is the latest earnings report."

Cheng Yiyan walked in with a radiant face, holding a thick document in her hand, her steps light as if she were about to fly.

"As of today's market close, our short positions have generated unrealized profits exceeding 1.5 billion!"

Cheng Yiyan's voice trembled with excitement, "Adding our original principal and the additional margin, when the contract expires and settlement is completed, our expected profit will reach... 3 billion Hong Kong dollars!"

"Calm down, Lao Cheng," Lu Chen took the report, flipped through it casually, then stood up and walked to the huge Hong Kong Island business map, his eyes blazing.

"With this money, and taking advantage of the recent stock market crash and the resulting reduction in the assets of British companies, we can now begin our next plan."

His finger finally stopped on the name of a company.

Hong Kong Electric.

"HK Electric?" Cheng Yiyan was taken aback. "Boss, you want to acquire HK Electric?"

Hong Kong Electric, officially known as Hong Kong Island Electric Company, is a true behemoth on Hong Kong Island. It monopolizes the electricity business in the island and parts of Kowloon and the New Territories, making it the largest electricity company on Hong Kong Island and the absolute leader in public utilities.

Moreover, HK Electric is a vast business empire with businesses spanning real estate, retail, construction, engineering, and more.

"Boss, this...this is one of the top ten companies in Hong Kong Island!" Cheng Yiyan swallowed hard.

According to asset data released by Hong Kong Island in 1982, Hong Kong Electric ranked eighth among all listed companies on Hong Kong Island with total assets of HK$51 billion!

Ahead of it are established British giants such as HSBC (98 billion), Hongkong Land, Swire, Jardine Matheson, and Hutchison Whampoa.

"I know."

Lu Chen turned around, his eyes radiating powerful confidence. "Precisely because it's in the top ten, that's why I'm going to devour it."

Although Chinese capital is beginning to rise in Hong Kong's business world, it is still largely dominated by foreign businesses. Apart from Wharf Holdings, which was recently acquired by the shipping magnate, almost all of the top ten companies are British.

Lu Chen had always wanted to acquire the top ten companies, but the top four trading companies were too large and deeply entrenched to be taken over for the time being. As for Hong Kong Island Land, ranked fifth, its shareholding structure was too complex, and internal strife was rampant; it was currently a murky mess, and he didn't plan to touch it for the time being. Hutchison Whampoa, ranked seventh, was still bleeding money under Li Chengjia's management, and it was estimated that it would take a long time for it to turn a profit.

"...Each of the top ten companies on Hong Kong Island has its own difficulties and limitations," Lu Chen pointed heavily at the name "Hong Kong Electric," "but Hong Kong Electric is the best target for us!"

"First, with the Hang Seng Index continuously falling and market sentiment panicking, Hong Kong Electric has also been affected, presenting a good opportunity to buy at the bottom. Second, it's a public utility; no matter how bad the economy is, people will always need electricity, making it another sure-fire cash cow for us."

"Third, and most importantly!" A glint of light flashed in Lu Chen's eyes. "HK Electric possesses vast underground pipeline resources and telecommunications licenses. Acquiring HK Electric is equivalent to securing a ticket to lay fiber optic cables and enter the telecommunications industry. Our Golden Harvest mobile phones are expected to enter mass production next year. Without our own telecommunications network, we'll be at the mercy of others."

"Oh, and we should also acquire Hong Kong Island Telephone Company to pave the way for our mobile communications empire," Lu Chen said, gesturing grandly as he outlined a magnificent business plan. "Power + telecommunications—I want Jiahe Group to be the leader in the electronic communications era!"

Lu Chen looked at Cheng Yiyan and gave the order: "Old Cheng, I want you to immediately assemble an acquisition team. First, secretly acquire shares of Hong Kong Electric and Telephone Company on the secondary market. Same old trick, take advantage of the current stock price crash, and buy as many as you can without anyone noticing."

"Yes, boss!" Cheng Yiyan straightened his back, his eyes burning with the flames of battle.

He knew that by working for a boss like this, he was witnessing and even creating history.

……

Five o'clock in the afternoon.

Lu Chen left Jiahe Building.

A convoy of five black, bulletproof Mercedes-Benz cars slowly drove out of the underground parking lot and merged into the congested traffic in Central.

This motorcade has now become a unique sight on Hong Kong Island. Everyone knows that it belongs to Mr. Luk of Golden Harvest, a symbol of power and wealth for the new generation.

however.

It's at an intersection not far from Jiahe Building.

Inside a seemingly ordinary gray Toyota sedan.

Bill put down his high-powered binoculars, a cruel smile playing on his lips. He glanced at the photograph in his hand, then at the silhouette of the bulletproof Mercedes in the distance.

"That's him," Bill said, picking up the walkie-talkie in his signature hoarse voice. "While I don't like this kind of entourage, there's one advantage: it makes him very recognizable."

"Attention everyone! Today is just reconnaissance, to confirm the target's movement route and security arrangements. Don't alert him. We need to find the perfect ambush location, peel away his bodyguards layer by layer like peeling a banana, and then dig out the tender flesh."

"Yes, Sir!"

The Toyota started slowly, trailing behind the Mercedes convoy at a distance of two or three cars.

As one of the world's top assassins, Bill's tracking skills were exceptional. He knew how to exploit blind spots, use multiple vehicles to provide cover, and even manipulate traffic lights to control the pace of the chase.

In his view, using such a configuration to track the motorcade of an ordinary wealthy person is extremely safe.

however.

Inside the Mercedes convoy's main vehicle.

Lu Chen, who was resting with his eyes closed, suddenly sensed a subtle change in his surroundings, a warning brought about by his superhuman perception.

"Boss," Tian Yangsheng, who was driving, also received a message from his subordinate. His voice was as calm as still water, but it carried a chilling undertone, "We're being followed."

"Heh," Lu Chen opened his eyes and asked calmly, "What's your background? Paparazzi? Or...?"

"They don't seem like paparazzi," Yang Sheng said, squinting slightly as he observed the Toyota car that was barely visible through the rearview mirror. "Their tracking skills are very professional; they know how to use traffic as cover, and Tian Yangyi told me... they have a menacing aura."

"A strong smell of blood, only someone who's seen blood would recognize it."