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

February 1, 1983, 1 PM.

Las Vegas, Nevada.

This is a mirage in the desert, a Tower of Babel built from desire and money. Although it is New Year's Day afternoon, for this city that never sleeps, the revelry has just begun.

The Red Dragon Hotel is located diagonally opposite Caesars Palace.

This is one of the fastest-rising new landmarks on the Las Vegas Strip in recent years. The red neon sign, full of oriental charm, is still eye-catching in the sunlight, and the huge golden dragon sculpture coils around the hotel's exterior wall, baring its teeth and claws, as if it wants to devour every gambler who steps into it.

The hotel's top-floor executive suite features huge floor-to-ceiling windows that offer panoramic views of the entire gambling city.

Reign, the owner of the Red Dragon Hotel and a rising gambling tycoon in Las Vegas, was sitting on an imported Italian leather sofa, a Cuban cigar between his fingers, his eyes revealing an undisguised greed and anxiety.

He was a typical white speculator who made his fortune through money laundering and running underground casinos. He later went straight to the bank, but his deep-seated desire for huge profits never disappeared.

"Have they arrived yet?" Ryan glanced at his Rolex gold watch and asked the bodyguard beside him.

"Just got into the elevator, boss."

"very good."

Ryan straightened his suit and tie and stood up. He knew that the guest he was meeting today represented a powerful force capable of doubling his wealth.

A few minutes later.

"bite--"

The doors of the private elevator slowly opened.

Ryan's prepared professional fake smile froze for a moment when he saw the three people walking out of the elevator.

They are far too young.

Leading the way was an Asian woman in a white haute couture suit. She wore sunglasses and carried an exquisite Hermès handbag. The elegance and aloofness that emanated from her made her look more like a Hollywood star on vacation than the legendary underworld boss.

Behind her followed two women with very different styles, yet both exuding a dangerous aura.

The one on the left is wearing a Japanese-style JK uniform and round-toed leather shoes. She's playing with a chained flail in her hand, and her eyes have a neurotic smile about them.

The one on the right is a fit woman with well-defined muscles, her hair styled in an updo, wearing a tight vest and leather pants, her eyes cold as knives.

This combination of intellectual and physical strength instantly filled the spacious suite with a sense of oppression.

Not to mention the powerful squad of bodyguards following behind.

"Mr. Ryan, I've heard so much about you."

Ruan Wen took off her sunglasses, revealing a pair of beautiful eyes that seemed to see right through people, and spoke in fluent American English.

"Miss Vermouth! Welcome to Las Vegas!"

Ryan, being a seasoned veteran, quickly composed himself and extended his hand warmly, saying, "I've long heard of a painter in Japan with extraordinary artistic talent, and seeing him today, I can confirm that his reputation is well-deserved."

Ruan Wen merely shook hands politely with her fingertips before gracefully taking her seat in the main seat of the sofa. GOGO and Nishiwaki Michiko stood on either side of her behind her, like two guardian deities.

Ryan's bodyguards instinctively tried to step forward to check the weapons, but were stopped by GOGO's murderous glare. The chain of the flail in the girl's hand made a soft "clattering" sound, as if it were ready to crack someone's head open at any moment.

"Mr. Ryan, we are short on time."

Ruan Wen got straight to the point, taking out a seemingly ordinary black envelope from his handbag and pushing it onto the table. "This is a small gift I brought. I hope you like it."

Ryan's breathing quickened instantly.

With trembling hands, he opened the envelope, inside which was a thick wad of Franklin. He pulled out a hundred-dollar bill.

Brand new, crisp, and exuding the alluring scent of ink.

Ryan took out his money detector pen and ran it over the counterfeit money.

Light yellow.

He then picked up a magnifying glass and carefully examined the texture of Benjamin Franklin's collar and the security thread that was almost impossible to forge.

perfect.

It's simply a work of art.

"This is... the legendary 'Super Dollar'?" Ryan's voice trembled slightly.

Having been in the underworld for so many years, he had naturally seen countless counterfeit bills. Some felt wrong, some had faulty color-changing ink, and some had blurry watermarks. But this one in front of him was indistinguishable from a genuine bill in terms of feel, color, and anti-counterfeiting details.

Even... better than the printing quality of real banknotes.

If Nguyen Van hadn't deliberately given these sample US dollars a string of random numbers, Ryan would have deposited them into the bank without hesitation, treating them as real money.

"Of course, I wonder if Mr. Ryan is satisfied?"

"Phew, Miss Vermouth, I am extremely satisfied. Now, let's talk about cooperation." Ryan leaned forward, exhaled a smoke ring, and his eyes gleamed.

"I know Takamagahara has always wanted to sell Super Dollars to the US, but he's been hampered by the FBI's lackeys... I may not be very capable, but I have considerable assets in Las Vegas and the West Coast, and I believe I'm qualified to be Takamagahara's partner. If we join forces, I guarantee that within a year, Super Dollars will be flourishing all over the US!"

Ruan Wen nodded slightly, a glint of shrewdness flashing in his eyes behind his sunglasses.

"Your conditions," Ruan Wen asked calmly.

"Exclusive agency rights"

Ryan held up one finger. "You can't give the goods to anyone in North America except me."

"exclusive?"

Ruan Wen chuckled, picked up his cup of black tea, and took a sip. "Mr. Ryan, you have quite the appetite. Do you know how much that means?"

"I own the Red Dragon Hotel! I also have two casinos in Atlantic City! And I have an underground money laundering network spanning the entire United States!"

Ryan patted his chest and assured them, "By mixing this money into the casino's turnover, laundering millions every day is as easy as drinking water! Besides, I have connections in the FBI and the IRS, so it's absolutely safe!"

Ruan Wen remained silent for a moment, seemingly weighing the pros and cons, but in reality, she had already made her decision. She had no intention of interfering in the US mainland, but she wanted to make money from the American money, so a "white glove" like Ryan, who had both a real business as a cover and enough greed, was the best choice.

"Can."

Ruan Wen put down his teacup and gave his final verdict, "But I have one condition."

"Please speak!"

"I need to test the capabilities of my future partner. For the first shipment, I'll give you US$100 million in face value. If you can launder the money within three weeks, you'll be considered successful."

"...Okay, but regarding the price—"

"The ratio is 1 to 5. That is to say, if you pay me 20 million US dollars in real money, I will give you 100 million US dollars."

"1 to 5..."

Ryan was calculating rapidly in his mind.

The market price for ordinary counterfeit banknotes is usually 1:10 or even lower, but that's junk. Top-quality counterfeit banknotes that can pass through banknote detectors are practically dirt cheap at 1:5! Even after deducting the cost of laundering, there's still at least a $60 million net profit!

This is more profitable than running a casino!

"Deal!" Ryan agreed without hesitation. "When is the deal?"

"Three days from now. I'll have someone inform you of the location," Ruan Wen stood up, put his sunglasses back on, and said, "Mr. Ryan, as a partner, I have one last reminder for you."

"Greed is a driving force, but don't let it cloud your judgment. If you mess up this shipment, or attract the police..."

Ruan Wen didn't continue speaking, but GOGO behind him suddenly grinned, revealing a cute little tiger tooth, and slammed the meteor hammer in his hand onto the marble coffee table next to him.

"boom!"

The hard marble shattered instantly.

Ryan's eye twitched, and cold sweat trickled down his forehead.

"Don't worry! I promise I absolutely won't!"

After Nguyen Van and his party left.

Ryan slumped onto the sofa, wiping the cold sweat from his forehead. The woman's aura was too strong; even this seasoned veteran felt immense pressure.

But soon, this pressure was replaced by the ecstasy of the enormous wealth that was about to be in their hands.

"We're rich...we're really rich this time!"

Ryan excitedly grabbed the stack of counterfeit bills and kissed it hard. "With this, who can shake my position in Las Vegas?!"

He calmed himself down and picked up the internal phone on the table.

"Bring Ricky Tan up to see me."

Ten minutes later.

A knock came at the door.

A middle-aged man wearing a gray suit, with slicked-back hair and a humble smile always on his face walked in.

Ricky Tan.

He looked unremarkable, like an ordinary hotel lobby manager. But those familiar with the history of the Hong Kong police force know that this man was once a key member of the Royal Hong Kong Police Force's Serious Crimes Unit. He was later investigated by the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) for corruption and bribery, and was forced to flee to the United States.

With his ruthlessness and exceptional intelligence, he quickly established himself in San Francisco's Chinatown and became the Triad's top leader in the western United States.

Currently, he is ostensibly Ryan's partner, responsible for casino security and debt collection. But in reality, Ryan has always treated him as a high-ranking watchdog.

"Boss, you wanted to see me?"

Tan Ruiqi bowed slightly, his attitude respectful, leaving no room for criticism.

"Ricky, look at this." Ryan tossed a wad of super-sized US dollars in front of Ricky Tan like a bone. "Look at the quality."

Tan Ruiqi picked up the banknotes, glanced at them, and his pupils contracted slightly.

As a former police officer, he was no stranger to counterfeit money. But this level... was simply unheard of.

"Is this... real money?" Tan Ruiqi asked tentatively.

"Hahaha! If it were real money, why would I need you?" Ryan laughed smugly. "This is the latest super-sized US dollar! A treasure that even a banknote detector can't detect!"

"Listen, Ricky." Ryan's smile vanished, replaced by an imperious, commanding tone. "In three days, a shipment will arrive at Warehouse 4 at the San Pedro docks. Approximately one hundred million in face value."

"You take some men to pick up the goods. Remember, make sure it's spotless, don't let the cops smell it."

"After receiving the goods, we distribute them to our casinos and nightclubs to launder the money as quickly as possible."

"This is a big deal. If it goes well, you'll definitely get your share."

Tan Ruiqi lowered his head, the shadows obscuring his eyes.

"Boss, one hundred million US dollars... that's a huge amount. If it's all released to the market in a short period of time, even casinos would have a hard time absorbing it, and it would easily arouse suspicion."

Tan Ruiqi offered his professional advice.

"That's your problem!" Ryan waved his hand impatiently. "What am I keeping you around for? If you can't even handle this little thing, I'll find someone else to do it!"

Ryan stood up, walked over to Tan Ruiqi, and poked him in the chest with his finger: "Also, this supplier has powerful connections. If you mess this up, I'll cripple you before they even lift a finger, understand?"

Despite Ryan's humiliation, Tan Ruiqi's smile remained unchanged, and even became brighter.

"Understood, boss."

Tan Ruiqi lowered his head. "I'll make the arrangements. I'll pick up the goods in three days."

"Get lost."

Ryan turned around and continued to admire the box of US dollars.

Tan Ruiqi slowly left the room and gently closed the door.

……

In the corridor.

The moment the door closed, the humble smile on Tan Ruiqi's face vanished without a trace.

Instead, a chilling, sinister, and murderous aura prevailed.

"idiot."

Tan Ruiqi straightened the collar of his suit that Ryan had poked at, and muttered a curse under his breath.

He walked to the floor-to-ceiling window at the elevator entrance, looking out at the bustling Los Angeles cityscape, his eyes becoming deep and greedy.

As the head of the Triads in the western United States, he had long been fed up with Ryan, this self-important white nouveau riche.

He had to tolerate it before because Ryan had a legal casino license, which was a necessary channel for him.

but now……

"Super US dollars..."

Tan Ruiqi took out the counterfeit bill that Ryan had just thrown to him from his pocket and slowly crumpled it in his hand.

With this level of money printing technology, it's an inexhaustible gold mine.

"Why let a womanizing idiot like Ryan be the middleman for such a good deal?"

A cruel smile curled at the corner of Tan Ruiqi's mouth.

He knew that Ryan was just a simple, greedy businessman who didn't understand the real rules of the underworld.

In the underworld, if you're holding a huge gold brick but have no way to protect it, you'll not only lose your wealth but also your life.

"Soup? No."

Tan Ruiqi folded the counterfeit bill into the shape of a flower and tucked it into his breast pocket.

"I want to be the one who sits at the table to eat."

He took out his phone and dialed a number.

"Hey, Julia."

"Tell the guys to get ready to work."

"Also... find out who that woman who came to see Ryan today is. It seems we need to find a smarter new partner."

Tan Ruiqi hung up the phone and looked at his reflection in the elevator door.

That honest and kind senior inspector in the Hong Kong Island Police Force is long dead.

Now, he is ready to devour everything—the head of the Triads.