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

February 24, 1983, 1 p.m.

The night was as dark as ink, making the dazzling lights of Victoria Harbour even more radiant. But tonight, the pulse of this bustling metropolis was not in the stock exchange in Central, nor in the bars of Lan Kwai Fong, but in the shimmering screens of countless homes.

At this moment, the electricity load in Hong Kong reached a historical peak.

TVB (Television Broadcasts Limited).

The third episode of "The Legend of the Condor Heroes" aired on time. On the screen, the quirky, charming Huang Rong finally changed into women's clothing, and her cry of "Brother Jing" melted everyone's hearts.

It must be admitted that this is TVB's most well-produced and best-cast drama in recent years.

Under any normal circumstances, this would be an absolute ratings phenomenon, drawing massive audiences.

But tonight...

"What were the ratings?" Uncle Shao asked, his voice a little hoarse as he sat in the control room.

"Sixth Uncle... 35%." The technician lowered his head, not daring to look the boss in the eye.

Meanwhile, ATV is located next door.

"Boss! It started at 60%! And it's still going up!!"

Huang Xizhao was so excited that he almost spilled the coffee in his hand.

"The whole of Hong Kong Island is waiting for Ko Tin-lap!"

……

Inside the studio, the lights were dazzling.

"Good evening, everyone! Welcome back to 'Who Wants to Be a Millionaire'!"

Tonight, James Wong changed into a dark red suit, making him look exceptionally energetic.

Although Wong Jim was still trying to lighten the mood, he could sense that the audience's appetite was already at its peak. For the sake of ratings, Ko Tin-lap wouldn't be the first to go on stage. The two new challengers who went on stage before him performed reasonably well, and even won money—one won eight thousand and the other won sixteen thousand—but the audience was clearly somewhat distracted, and the applause was sparse.

Everyone is waiting for that person.

at last.

The clock hands pointed to nine o'clock.

The studio lights suddenly dimmed, leaving only a spotlight shining on the entrance to the contestants' tunnel.

A stirring yet tragic melody began to play.

Last night, we witnessed history. Tonight, we will witness destiny!

"Please welcome—the man who brought tears to the eyes of all of Hong Kong last night, Mr. Ko Tin-lap!!"

The door opened.

Gao Tianli came out.

He was still wearing that faded old suit, but tonight, his back was ramrod straight, and the look in his eyes behind those black-rimmed glasses was no longer lost, but rather radiated a kind of high-spirited confidence.

"Whoosh—!!!"

applause.

Thunderous applause.

All five hundred audience members stood up. There were no cheers, no screams, only prolonged applause. This was the highest tribute to an honest man who, despite suffering injustice, remained upright.

Gao Tianli walked to the center of the stage, bowed deeply to the audience, and then sat down opposite Huang Zhan.

"Mr. Gao, welcome back." Wong Jim looked at him, his eyes less mocking and more respectful. "How did you rest last night?"

"I didn't sleep much." Gao Tianli gave a wry smile and pushed up his glasses. "I've been at the hospital with my daughter. The doctor said her condition has stabilized a bit."

"That's good." Wong Jim nodded. "Before we start answering the questions, there's something I'd like to ask you on behalf of ATV and all the people of Hong Kong."

"After yesterday's program aired, our ATV hotline was flooded with calls. Countless kind-hearted citizens wanted to donate to you, and some even brought money directly to the TV station entrance. What would you like to say about this outpouring of support?"

The camera zoomed in, giving Gao Tianli a close-up.

Gao Tianli took a deep breath, looked at the camera, and his eyes were sincere.

"First of all, I want to thank everyone, thank all the kind people who care about me and my daughter... but I cannot accept this money."

This statement caused an uproar in the room.

"Why?" Wong Jim asked. "You're short of money right now, aren't you?"

"Yes, I'm short of money." Gao Tianli's voice was soft, but firm. "But Mr. Lu from ATV has promised to cover all of my daughter's medical expenses. ATV even paid for my wife's funeral expenses."

"My problems have been resolved, I can't accept this money."

Gao Tianli paused, a resolute glint flashing in his eyes.

"Besides, I originally came here to save my life. Now that I'm safe, I want to do something more meaningful."

He stood up and solemnly announced to the entire Hong Kong audience:

"I've decided that tonight, no matter how far I go, no matter how much prize money I win—even a million."

"I won't keep a single penny for myself."

"I will donate all of my prize money to charity to help children like my daughter who are sick but have no money for treatment."

Quiet.

A deathly silence.

Immediately following was applause and cheers ten times more enthusiastic than before.

"Well done, Gao Tianli!"

"A true man!!"

Countless viewers in front of their televisions were moved to tears.

This is the pattern.

A peasant trampled underfoot by capitalists, a man tormented by fate, at this moment, revealed a soul even nobler than those of the wealthy.

Boss Lei watched the live stream in his office, his face ashen. He knew that the more noble Gao Tianli appeared, the more despicable he became. This was no longer just a moral crisis for him; it was a public relations disaster for his businesses.

"Good! Since Mr. Gao has such a great wish, then God will surely bless you!" Wong Jim sincerely blessed Gao Tianli. "Now the challenge officially begins! Please listen to the ninth question!"

Continue answering questions.

Starting with question nine, the difficulty increases sharply.

The questions are no longer common sense, but cover obscure knowledge in astronomy, geography, history, and even biology.

Question 10 (NT$32,000): How many bones are there in the human body?

"A. 206 pieces." Gao Tianli answered instantly.

Question 11 (64,000 yuan): Who was the third emperor of the Song Dynasty?

"B. Emperor Zhenzong of Song, Zhao Heng." Gao Tianli remained calm.

He worked as an accountant at Kowloon Motor Bus for seven years. Although the work was monotonous, his only hobby was going to the library to read. At that moment, the knowledge that others considered useless became his weapon against fate.

However, as the prize money increased, the questions became increasingly tricky.

On the thirteenth question (250,000 yuan), a physics question about quantum mechanics stumped him. He narrowly escaped the question by eliminating two incorrect options.

Question 14 (worth 500,000 yuan) asked: "Which of the following poets is known as the 'Poet Ghost'?"

Gao Tianli hesitated for a long time before finally using his last trick: "call for help." He called a former high school teacher and received the answer "Li He" at the last second.

"Congratulations!! You got it right!!" Wong Jim's voice trembled. "Five hundred thousand! Mr. Ko! You've received five hundred thousand Hong Kong dollars!!"

"Now, only one question remains."

"The millionth."

The studio lights turned a suffocating deep red. The background sound effects of a heartbeat grew faster and faster, pounding on everyone's eardrums.

"Mr. Gao," Wong Jim's smile vanished, replaced by an unprecedented seriousness, "this is the last question. If you answer correctly, one million—that will be a fortune."

"But if you answer incorrectly, all your prize money will be forfeited."

"You've used up all your tricks."

"Do you want to continue?"

Gao Tianli sat in the chair, his forehead covered with fine beads of sweat.

Five hundred thousand yuan could save many children if donated.

But what if you answer incorrectly...

He closed his eyes and seemed to see his wife's pale face in the delivery room and his daughter's faint breathing in the incubator.

"continue."

Gao Tianli opened his eyes without any hesitation.

"I want to give it one more try for the children who need help."

"Good! That's a true warrior!"

Wong Jim took a deep breath and took out the golden card.

"Here's the question—"

On the screen, the fifteenth question slowly appeared:

In traditional Chinese culture, which of the following plants was praised by Confucius as having the "fragrance of a king"?

【A. Plum Blossom】

【B. Bamboo】

C. Orchid

【D. Chrysanthemum】

The room fell silent as soon as the question was posed.

This question is neither particularly difficult nor particularly easy.

Everyone knows that bamboo represents a gentleman, plum blossoms represent integrity, and chrysanthemums represent recluses. But the story of "the fragrance of a king" is rather obscure for ordinary people.

Gao Tianli was stunned.

He stared at the question, at the option "orchid," and froze on the spot as if struck by lightning.

His thoughts were instantly pulled back to six months ago.

……

It was a warm, rainy night.

That rented room, only 20 square meters in size, was simple, yet filled with the warmth of home.

His wife had just found out she was pregnant and was lying on his lap, knitting a small sweater.

"Honey, have you thought of a name for the baby?" the wife asked with a smile, her face radiating maternal warmth.

"I've decided on a boy, we'll name him Tianci. A gift from heaven." Gao Tianli stroked his wife's slightly protruding belly. "We haven't decided on a girl yet. You're well-educated, you can come and get it."

The wife thought for a moment, her eyes sparkling.

"If it were a girl, I would call her 'Lanlan'."

"Orchids?" Gao Tianli laughed. "Aren't they too ordinary?"

"It's anything but ordinary."

His wife playfully slapped him, saying, "I once read in a book that Confucius said in the 'Qin Cao' (a collection of classical Chinese poems): 'The orchid is the fragrance of a king, and it does not cease to be fragrant because no one is there to appreciate it.'"

"It means that orchids have the fragrance of royalty. Even if they grow in a secluded valley and no one appreciates them, they will still bloom alone and maintain their nobility."

His wife held Gao Tianli's hand and said gently:

"Although our family is poor and we are just ordinary people, I hope our daughter can be like an orchid. No matter how harsh the environment or whether anyone respects her, she must have her own backbone and live like a queen."

"The Fragrance of Kings... What a beautiful name." Gao Tianli smiled and kissed his wife's forehead.

"Then it's settled. If it's a girl, we'll name her Gao Lanlan."

……

A tear slid down Gao Tianli's cheek and dripped onto the transparent crystal table.

So, you've always been there.

So, you were watching me from heaven.

You told me the answer long ago, and you also told me about our daughter's fate long ago.

It is not diminished by the absence of people.

Even if we are born in the mud, even if we are trampled on by powerful figures like Boss Lei, we should still live out our own fragrance like orchids.

"Mr. Gao?" Wong Jim noticed the tears welling up in Gao Tianli's eyes and whispered, "Do you have an answer yet?"

Gao Tianli took off his glasses and wiped away his tears.

At this moment, a smile he had never seen before, one that was extremely complex, appeared on his face. It was a smile that was a mixture of sadness, remembrance, relief, and pride.

"I know the answer."

Gao Tianli's voice choked with emotion, yet it was as gentle as if he were whispering to his lover.

"Six months ago, my wife chose a name for our daughter."

She said, "The orchid is the fragrance of a king."

"She hopes our daughter will grow up to be a person of integrity."

Gao Tianli raised his head and looked firmly into the camera:

"I choose C, the orchid."

Wong Jim was stunned. The audience was stunned.

There was no thrilling countdown, nor any deliberately suspenseful pauses.

Wong Jim slammed the card in his hand onto the table, his eyes reddening.

"answer--"

"correct!!!"

"boom--!!!"

Golden ribbons descended from the sky. A stirring symphony resounded throughout the studio.

One million!

Cleared!

The entire audience erupted in applause, screams, and tears.

Gao Tianli neither cheered nor jumped. He simply sat there quietly, his hands covering his face, his shoulders heaving violently.

Honey, did you see that?

We won.

We won fair and square.

……

Awards ceremony.

Wong Jim handed the huge check, symbolizing one million Hong Kong dollars, to Ko Tin-lap.

Holding the check, Gao Tianli walked directly to the charity representative who was already waiting by the table, as promised.

"I'll donate all of this million," Gao Tianli said, handing over the check without hesitation. "I hope it can help those premature babies."

Just then.

"Wait a moment."

A voice interrupted the process.

ATV General Manager Wong Hei-chiu, dressed in a suit and holding a red folder, strode onto the stage.

"Mr. Gao, please wait."

Huang Xizhao took the microphone and faced the audience and cameras.

"I am Wong Hei-chiu, General Manager of ATV. Here, I have an important announcement to make."

"Our boss, Mr. Lu Chen, watched the entire game backstage."

"He was impressed by Mr. Gao's talent and moved by his character. Mr. Lu said that in this materialistic age, Mr. Gao showed us how profound and noble the character of 'humanity' truly is."

Huang Xizhao opened the folder and showed a new check.

The numbers on those figures made everyone gasp in shock.

"In response to Mr. Gao's act of kindness."

"Mr. Lu Chen has decided to donate HK$9 million in his personal capacity!"

"Adding Mr. Gao's winnings of one million, the total is ten million Hong Kong dollars!"

"We will establish the 'Lanlan Premature Infant Relief Fund'!"

"This fund will be named after Mr. Gao's daughter and will be dedicated to helping premature babies born to impoverished families throughout Hong Kong!"

Huang Xizhao solemnly handed the check to Gao Tianli.

"Mr. Gao, this is the future you have won for your daughter and for all the children of Hong Kong Island."

Gao Tianli looked at the check for ten million yuan and at the two words "Lanlan".

This seven-foot-tall man could no longer hold back, and knelt on the stage, wailing loudly.

This time, it's not because of humiliation, nor because of despair.

It was out of gratitude, and also out of hope.

The applause from the audience was thunderous and lasted for a long time.

Countless people shed tears that night.

That night, no one remembered what happened in "The Legend of the Condor Heroes".

All people remember is an honest man named Gao Tianli, an orchid from heaven, and a tycoon named Lu Chen who is kind and righteous.

ATV, a complete victory.