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

February 15, 1983, the third day of the first lunar month.

Red mouth.

In Hong Kong's traditional customs, this day is considered the day when the "God of Wrath" reigns, in charge of gossip and disputes, and arguments are easily caused. Therefore, the older generation usually does not visit relatives or host banquets on this day, but instead goes to Che Kung Temple to pray for blessings, so as not to offend Tai Sui and bring bad luck for the year.

But for the number swiping group, it was a good day to "get things done".

Four o'clock in the afternoon.

Wan Chai, Lockhart Road, "Hero Bar".

Unlike its usual hustle and bustle, the bar was closed today, with a sign saying "Undergoing renovations." But inside, however, it was brightly lit, and the air was filled with a faint aroma of cigars and expensive whiskey.

In the VIP room on the second floor, Lu Chen leaned back on the leather sofa, unbuttoned his collar, and let out a long sigh of relief.

From the first day of the Lunar New Year to the second, he was practically spinning like a top. First, he visited the shipping magnate to discuss the cooperation between Hong Kong Electric and Wharf Holdings; then he went to the Huo family to offer New Year's greetings and chat about the investment trends in mainland China's reform and opening up; he even had to go to Government House to deal with the hypocritical Governor Edward Youde.

"Boss, thank you for your hard work."

Ahua personally brought a glass of Martell Cordon Bleu with ice hockey pucks and respectfully placed it in front of Lu Chen.

Recently, Ahua has stopped wearing those flashy clothes and started wearing a black Zhongshan suit, which makes him look much more composed and gives him the air of a powerful figure.

"It's alright." Lu Chen took a sip of his drink; the cool liquid went down his throat, making him feel much more awake. "So, how's business lately?"

"Thanks to the boss, everything went smoothly."

Ahua took out an account book and handed it to Lu Chen.

"The arcade project we partnered with Mr. Chiang has now become our most reliable cash cow in the underworld. Currently, there are a total of 108 'Hero Arcades' across Hong Kong. Of these, 35 are directly operated by us, and the rest are joint ventures with other Hung Hing branches."

"The daily turnover..." Ahua lowered his voice and held up five fingers, "Five hundred thousand. All in cash."

In those days, arcades were practically money-printing machines. After all, not everyone had a Golden Harvest JF machine, and arcades had better graphics; many motion-sensing games were only available in arcades. The students and gangsters queuing up with coins to play arcade games supported this massive cash flow empire.

"Not bad." Lu Chen nodded. "How about the film and television side?"

"It's on track now," Ah Wah continued to report. "As per your instructions, we've established the 'Hero Extras Company' and the 'Props Rental Company.' Now, whenever Golden Harvest, ATV, or Boss Lui's Cinema City are putting on a show, they use our people 70% of the time."

"Riding the wave of the film and television industry, we've made a fortune, and..." Ahua revealed a sly smile, "Once those salaries and prop costs are settled, whether it's the protection money we collect on set or those unspeakable dirty money, it all becomes legitimate company revenue."

"Well done," Lu Chen said approvingly, glancing at Ahua. "Ahua, you're becoming more and more like a businessman. From now on, try to delegate the fighting and killing to your subordinates. You need to learn to use your brain."

"Boss is right." Ahua scratched his head a little embarrassedly. "Actually... when it comes to doing business, I do have a promising young man under me. He's been giving me a lot of advice lately, and he's much better than me."

"Oh?" Lu Chen's interest was piqued. "You have someone like this under your command?"

"He's a new recruit named Li Jiayuan. But everyone calls him Jimmy," Ah Hua said. "This kid's interesting. He told me he joined the triads not for prestige or to climb the ranks, but simply so he could run his stall peacefully and avoid being extorted for protection money by other gangsters."

"I saw that he was quick-witted, so I entrusted him with managing a few arcades. And guess what? He came up with some kind of 'member recharge lottery' event and a 'points redemption prize' system, and managed to turn those stagnant arcades into the number one in Hong Kong."

"Jimmy?"

Upon hearing this name, Lu Chen raised an eyebrow slightly.

Of course he knows this person.

In Johnnie To's film "Election," Jimmy, who least wanted to be a boss and only wanted to do business and make money, was eventually forced to become the person in charge.

That's definitely a top-notch business talent; if he followed the right path, his achievements would be limitless.

"Is he at the bar right now? Go and call him up." Lu Chen put down his glass.

……

After a while.

The door to the private room was pushed open.

A young man in his early twenties walked in.

He was completely different from other gangsters. He had no dyed blond hair or tattoos. He wore a clean white shirt, over which was a slightly cheap but neatly ironed suit jacket. He was also carrying a briefcase.

If you didn't know he was from Hung Hing, people would think he was a salesman from some office building in Central.

Jimmy.

"Hello... Boss."

Jimmy stood somewhat awkwardly at the door, his eyes revealing a hint of nervousness, but even more so, a longing.

He knew that the young man sitting on the sofa was the real behind-the-scenes boss, someone even Brother Hua had to bow down to.

"sit."

Lu Chen pointed to the sofa opposite him.

Jimmy didn't dare to sit down completely, he just sat on half of his buttocks, keeping his back straight.

"I heard you're good at business?" Lu Chen sized him up.

"Reporting to the boss... it's just... just some random thoughts," Jimmy said modestly. "I think the most important thing in doing business is to be trustworthy and achieve a win-win situation. Only when customers feel they've gotten a good deal can we make money in the long run."

"Hmm, he's a sensible person." Lu Chen nodded, then suddenly asked, "Since you're so eager to do business, why did you get involved with the underworld?"

Jimmy paused for a moment, then gave a wry smile.

"Boss, I'm from a poor family. I want to set up a stall in Temple Street to sell counterfeit DVDs, and I want to open a small stir-fry restaurant. But... if I don't join a triad, I'll be bullied by the Tung Sing gang and extorted by the Wo Luen Shing gang. I work hard to earn a hundred dollars, and I have to give them fifty dollars."

"I joined the Heroes' Hall because I wanted to find someone to back me up." Jimmy raised his head, his eyes sincere. "Brother Hua is good to me. He doesn't charge me and even lets me manage the arcade. I'm very content."

"Contentment?"

Lu Chen smiled, stood up, and walked over to Jimmy.

"Jimmy, Ahua mentioned your abilities to me, but your vision is too narrow."

"Your personality isn't suited for clubs," Lu Chen patted him on the shoulder, "How about doing something bigger?"

"Big...big?" Jimmy's heart started racing.

"You're a promising student. I'm going to send you to school," Lu Chen said, surprising everyone. "To night school, to study business administration, to study law, even to study economics... Don't worry, I'll cover all the expenses."

"Once you've earned your diploma and acquired the skills, come report to Jiahe."

"Then, I'll have you wearing Armani, sitting in an office in Central, negotiating multi-million dollar deals with those foreign devils."

"Instead of spending money on a few game tokens in this smoky bar."

boom--

Jimmy's mind went blank.

Reading? White-collar work? A business worth tens of millions?

This was a future he never dared to dream of. He had always thought that he would only ever be a small-time hoodlum with a little money, at best a nobody like Chen Yao.

But the man in front of him drew him a ticket to high society.

The man in front of me is Boss Lu of Jiahe, and the promises he makes are more valuable than real gold and silver.

"What? You don't want to?"

"Boss...I..." Jimmy stammered, his eyes red-rimmed, "I...I'm willing! I'll definitely study hard! I'll never let you down!"

"Thump!" He knelt down on the ground. "Thank you for your guidance, boss! Thank you for your mentorship, Brother Hua!"

"Get up," Lu Chen pulled him up. "A man's knees are worth gold. Remember this from now on: you're a businessman, not a short mule. Make money with your brain, not your knees."

"Yes!" Jimmy wiped away his tears, his eyes burning with ambition.

Just then.

"Knock knock knock".

Suddenly, there was a rapid knocking on the door of the private room.

A henchman responsible for security pushed open the door and came in, looking flustered.

"Brother Hua! Someone is looking for you outside."

"Who?" Ahua frowned. "It's closed today. Didn't you see the sign?"

"Yes...yes, he's a loyal and trustworthy person." The underling swallowed hard. "The leader is Lian Haodong. He said he has urgent business to discuss with you."

Lian Haodong?

Upon hearing this name, the atmosphere in the private room instantly turned cold.

"What are the people from the 'Number Gang' doing here?"

Lu Chen's eyes narrowed slightly.

Today is an inauspicious day, and if the number swindler comes knocking at this time, it's definitely not to offer New Year's greetings.

"I don't want to get involved in gang affairs," Lu Chen pointed to the screen behind the private room. "I'm going to have some tea in the back. Ahua, you deal with him."

"clear."

Ahua straightened his clothes, regained his leader's demeanor, and sat in the main seat. Jimmy, being very sensible, stood behind Ahua, acting as his secretary.

After a while.

A young man in a gray suit, always with a smile on his face, and who looked very refined, walked into the private room.

He was probably twenty-five or twenty-six years old, carrying a fruit basket and wearing that professional, fake smile.

Lian Haodong.

"Happy New Year, Brother Hua!"

As soon as Lian Haodong entered, he placed the fruit basket on the table, cupped his hands in greeting, and said, "Nice to meet you. I am Lian Haodong. On behalf of my elder brother Lian Haolong, as well as Brother Yong from the Yi group and Uncle Kun from the De group, I wish Brother Hua a Happy New Year."

Ahua didn't get up, but just looked at him coldly: "Young Master Zhongxinyi, you dare to come to my Hung Hing territory to offer New Year's greetings? What are you up to, you weasel offering New Year's greetings to a chicken?"

"Brother Hua is joking."

Even Hao Dong wasn't angry. He pulled up a chair, sat down, and adjusted his glasses.

"Let's not beat around the bush. My good-for-nothing brother Wang Bao ruined Brother Hua's plans because he didn't know the rules. His death was in vain."

"We uncles have already discussed this matter," Lian Haodong said, looking at Ah Hua with a shrewd glint in his eyes. "Wang Bao brought this upon himself, and our Number Gang admits defeat. This matter is over. We won't go to war with the powerful and well-equipped Hung Hing for a dead man."

"Oh?" Ahua raised an eyebrow. "So generous? This isn't like the style of your Number Gang."

"Times have changed," Lian Haodong smiled. "Everyone's after money. Fighting and killing only hurts relationships."

After saying that, he changed the subject and lowered his voice.

"However, Brother Hua, although Wang Bao is dead, there still needs to be an explanation for the territory he left behind."

"We don't cause trouble for Hung Hing because Hung Hing follows the rules."

"But some people..."

A murderous glint flashed in Lian Haodong's eyes. "Taking advantage of someone's misfortune is too disgusting."

"Tonight, our Number Gang plans to go to Longgen to 'collect debts'."

"My older brother sent me here to say hello to Brother Hua."

Lian Haodong stood up and straightened his suit.

"It might be a bit noisy in Wan Chai tonight. I hope Wah Gor and the Hung Hing brothers can stay home, have a drink, watch TV, and not come out to join the fun."

"After all, this is a private matter between us and Wo Luen Shing."

"As long as Brother Hua gives us this face, we'll keep to ourselves and make money together from now on."

This is the principle of "courtesy before force."

Although the Number Gang wanted revenge, they were also afraid of offending Hung Hing at the same time. So they specially sent Lian Haodong to "pay their respects" and keep Ah Wah at bay.

Ahua was silent for a moment, then raised his glass to Lian Haodong.

"Fine, since it's a private matter, I'm too lazy to interfere."

"My brothers are all home celebrating the New Year tonight. As long as the fire doesn't reach my territory, you can do whatever you want."

What does it matter to Lung Gen, that old lecher, whether he lives or dies? Besides, letting the Number Gang and the Wo Luen Shing fight like dogs is only beneficial to Hung Hing and Hero Hall.

"That was great!" With his goal achieved, Lian Haodong smiled with satisfaction. "Brother Hua is indeed a man of great things. I won't bother you any longer."

After saying that, he turned and left, his departure swift and decisive.

Wait until the footsteps faded into the distance.

Lu Chen slowly walked out from behind the screen, a playful smile on his face.

"Dogs fighting, how interesting..."