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

Wednesday, November 1983, 1.

Kai Tak Airport.

This airport, hailed as the "world's most thrilling," is currently bathed in the warm winter sun. A Boeing 747 passenger plane, flying from Zurich, hovered low, almost touching the rooftops of Kowloon City, and with a tremendous roar, left a puff of smoke on the runway before landing smoothly.

Unlike the crowded exits for regular passengers, the company's extended Lincoln limousines were already parked at the VIP entrance on the tarmac.

The hatch opened.

Two men wearing fitted trench coats and sunglasses came down.

Leading the way was a tall, resolute middle-aged man. His temples were slightly gray, but this did not make him look old; instead, it added to the composure and experience of a mature man. His steps were steady, each one measured, exuding the air of a great general.

Following behind him was a man with a brisk walk and a matchstick dangling from his mouth. He wore a black trench coat with a stand-up collar and dark sunglasses. Although his face showed signs of fatigue from a long flight, his nonchalant and unruly spirit could be felt from a distance.

"call--"

Ma took off his sunglasses, took a deep breath of the air filled with the smells of kerosene and the sea, and opened his arms as if to embrace the city.

"Hong Kong Island's food is still the best! Apart from Northern Europe, the air quality in Europe isn't as good as Hong Kong Island's, and the food is just not to my liking. The flavors are all so bland!" Little Ma spat out the matchstick in his mouth and complained with a look of disgust.

Song Zihao chuckled and patted him on the shoulder: "Alright, stop complaining. You handled things beautifully this time. What do you want to eat when we get back? It's on me."

"It has to be a street food stall! I want stir-fried beef noodles! And iced milk tea!"

The two chatted and laughed as they got into the Lincoln.

As the car door closed, shutting out the outside noise, Song Zihao's expression turned serious. He patted the silver briefcase beside him.

The documents inside are priceless.

For the past year, the two of them have been like frequent flyers, shuttling between Rome, Switzerland, London, Paris and New York.

There is only one mission: to clear one's name.

It's not money laundering, it's gold laundering.

The more than one hundred tons of gold that Lu Chen obtained from the Sahara was an astronomical figure. If it were sold directly on the market, it would not only cause the price of gold to collapse, but would also attract the attention of Interpol and major intelligence agencies.

Therefore, Lu Chen dispatched his most trusted right-hand men.

During that year, Song Zihao and Xiao Ma used DOA's overseas shell companies to conduct a series of complex financial operations, such as auctioning antiques, investing in minerals, and even sponsoring European football clubs, to break down the gold into smaller amounts and turn it into legal US dollars, British pounds, and bonds.

More importantly, they used this opportunity to establish a stable, secretive, and efficient underground funding channel in Europe.

This means that no matter how much "dirty money" Golden Harvest has in the future, it can all be turned into clean "white money" through this channel.

"Brother Hao, Brother Ma, the boss is waiting for you at headquarters."

The bodyguard driving the car said respectfully.

"Let's go surprise the boss!"

……

Kowloon, the headquarters of DOA Group.

Top floor, Chairman's office.

Lu Chen stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling window, gazing at the view of Victoria Harbour. A knock came from behind him at the door.

"Come in."

The door was pushed open, and Song Zihao and Xiao Ma walked in.

"Boss, we're back." Song Zihao bowed slightly, his tone carrying a hint of relief after completing his mission.

"Thanks for your hard work."

Lu Chen turned around, strode forward, and instead of putting on airs like a boss, gave the two of them a tight hug.

"Hao Ge has become even more charismatic since we last met, and Mark is even more handsome."

"Hehe, boss, what's the use of being handsome? I almost died from exhaustion on the Swiss snow mountain." Although Little Ma complained, he couldn't hide the smile in his eyes. "But I did my job well. Those hundred-plus tons of 'goods' have all been converted into Swiss bank drafts."

Song Zihao placed the suitcase on the table and opened it.

Inside was a thick stack of documents.

"Boss, here's the list."

Song Zihao reported, "After deducting money laundering fees, middlemen's commissions, and the costs of establishing channels in Europe, the net return of funds is... 1.9 billion US dollars. Of that, 900 million has already been transferred to Miss Sophia, and we now have approximately 1 billion US dollars in our accounts."

Lu Chen didn't even glance at the documents before closing the box.

"I don't care about the process, I only care about the result. Since you're handling this, I trust you."

This trust warmed Song Zihao's heart.

"I called you back this time not only to settle accounts, but also to give you a reward."

Lu Chen picked up the two car keys on the table and tossed them to the two men respectively.

"Go down and take a look; we've saved some space for you in the garage."

Little Ma caught the keys, glanced at the logo, and his eyes widened instantly.

It was an angry bull.

"A Lamborghini?!"

"Countach LP5000S," Lu Chen said with a smile. "The latest model, scissor doors, V12 engine. The first one on Hong Kong Island; I had it flown in from Italy."

"As for Brother Hao..."

Lu Chen pointed to the key in Song Zihao's hand—it had two overlapping Rs.

"A Rolls-Royce Silver Spur, extended bulletproof version. It suits your status as a general manager; it's comfortable to sit in, and it makes you look good when conducting business."

This is not just a car, but a symbol of status.

In this day and age, anyone who can afford a Rolls-Royce or Lamborghini is undoubtedly a top-tier tycoon. Lu Chen is telling the entire Hong Kong island: DOA's general manager and vice president are figures of that caliber.

"Boss... this is too expensive." Song Zihao hesitated.

"Take it," Lu Chen waved his hand, "This is what you deserve! Compared to the money you earn for the company, these two cars are just toys. Besides..."

Lu Chen looked at the two men with sincere eyes: "You are my brothers. In this world, money can be earned, but brothers who can entrust their backs to each other are priceless."

"Thanks, boss!" Little Ma didn't mince words, excitedly twirling the car keys. "Then I won't be polite! Once this car's out here, a whole bunch of girls will line up to throw themselves at me!"

"...Thank you, boss! I'll definitely keep working hard!"

……

That evening.

Causeway Bay, typhoon shelter.

The elegantly decorated pleasure boat was brightly lit.

There were no outsiders here, only Sung Tze-ho, Ma-gor, Sung Tze-ho's younger brother, Sung Tze-kit (Ah-kit), and his girlfriend, Siu-ki.

Since the two brothers, Song Zihao and Song Zijie, resolved their differences, their relationship has been completely repaired. Now, because his brother has completely cleaned up his act and become a high-ranking executive at DOA, he no longer has the psychological burden of being a "gangster's family member." In the police force, thanks to Song Zihao's "secret help," he now has a bright future.

"Brother! Little Ma! Welcome home!"

Dressed in civilian clothes, Song Zijie raised his glass, a bright smile spreading across his face. It was a smile never seen on the face of the gloomy, angry detective Song Zijie of the past.

"Good lad, you've gotten even stronger!"

Song Zihao looked at his younger brother with eyes full of affection. In his life, he had been the eldest brother, served time in prison, experienced glory and destitution, but the one he cared about most was always this younger brother.

"Come on, come on! Let's drink! We're not leaving until we're drunk tonight!" Little Ma was the most energetic. While pouring a drink for Xiao Qi, he teased, "Ah Jie, you're the rising star of the police force now. From now on, if you see me speeding, you'd better turn a blind eye! The boss just gave me a Lamborghini. That car goes 200 miles per hour with a single press of the accelerator. It's hard not to speed!"

"Brother Ma, you're bragging again." Xiaoqi laughed and covered her mouth.

"Who's bragging? Little Ma will take you for a drive tomorrow!"

"Hahaha!"

After several rounds of drinks and five courses of food,

Song Zijie suddenly put down his chopsticks, blushed, and took Xiaoqi's hand under the table.

"Big Brother... Little Ma..."

Song Zijie took a deep breath, as if he had made a major decision, "Actually, there's some good news I want to announce about why I'm treating you all to dinner today."

"Oh?" Little Ma raised an eyebrow, a chicken leg dangling from his mouth. "Did you get promoted? Or did you catch a big thief?"

"No," Song Zijie turned to look at Xiaoqi beside him, his eyes so tender they could melt your heart, "Last week, I proposed to Xiaoqi..."

"She agreed."

Xiaoqi lowered her head shyly, raised her hand, and showed a sparkling diamond ring on her ring finger: "Brother Hao... Brother Ma... please take care of me in the future."

"Clang!"

Song Zihao dropped his wine glass onto the table.

He was stunned, frozen for a full three seconds.

Then, this tough guy, who hadn't even blinked in the hail of bullets, suddenly had tears welling up in his eyes.

"Okay...okay! Great!!"

Song Zihao was so excited he was almost incoherent, repeatedly saying "good" three times. "Ah Jie, you've finally grown up... If Dad were still here, he would be so happy to see this..."

Since their father's death, besides seeking his younger brother's forgiveness, Song Zihao's greatest wish has been for his brother to settle down and start a family. Now, that wish has finally come true.

"Congratulations, Ah Jie!!" Little Ma was also excited, slapping Song Zijie on the back. "You're something else! Xiao Qi is such a good girl, you'd better treat her well!"

"Xiaoqi, this is for you."

Song Zihao realized what was happening and hurriedly pulled out a thick red envelope that he had prepared beforehand from his pocket.

This was something he specially prepared for his return, originally intended as a gift for Xiaoqi, but it unexpectedly became a "change of address fee".

Song Zihao stuffed the red envelope into Xiaoqi's hand, his voice choked with emotion: "A-Jie is a stubborn boy, and sometimes he gets stuck on things. From now on... from now on, I'll have to trouble you to take care of him."

"Don't worry, big brother, I will." Xiaoqi obediently accepted the red envelope.

"Me too! Me too!" Little Ma also pulled out a check from his pocket, filled in a large sum, and said, "This is a little something from me! Use it to buy a wedding dress! Buy the most expensive one! Shock the whole of Hong Kong!"

That night, the sea breeze in Victoria Harbour was gentle.

Song Zihao was drunk.

He passed out laughing.

……

The next day, the morning sun shone on the high walls of Stanley Prison, gilding the building, which was filled with despair and oppression, with a golden edge.

A black Rolls-Royce slowly pulled up in front of the prison visiting room.

Song Zihao got off the car alone.

He was wearing a black trench coat and carrying two huge bags filled with high-end daily necessities that were allowed to be brought into the prison.

Although he is now the general manager of DOA and a multi-millionaire, he has never forgotten those who stood by him through the long nights during his lowest points. Now he has returned home in glory.