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

8:10 a.m., Yuminfang Building, Room 303.

The "bandit-style meal" with its magical realism was finally over. All that was left on the table were piles of bones and a few empty noodle bowls. The tempting aroma of roast goose in the air was gradually being replaced by a chilling atmosphere of impending doom.

"belch……"

Ah Jin let out a burp, wiped the grease from the corner of his mouth, glanced through the mirror at the Flying Tigers who were still on high alert outside the window, and then turned to look at Ye Guohuan, who was wiping gun oil.

"Brother Huan, we've finished eating. What's next? We can't just stay here until the New Year, can we?"

Ye Guohuan loaded the last bullet into the magazine with a crisp "click." He stood up, walked to the window, and glanced through the crack at the dense crowd of reporters and flashing lights below. A wildly cunning smile curled at the corner of his mouth.

"What else can we do? Just go all the way."

Ye Guohuan turned around, looked at Da Dong and the other two who were organizing their equipment, and pointed to the tattered old man's shirt he was wearing.

"Brother Da Dong, didn't that policewoman on TV just say that she wanted to bring us 'ruthless' criminals to justice? Let's give her that face."

Ye Guohuan skillfully concealed the fully equipped AK-47 inside his oversized military green overcoat, leaving only the barrel protruding and resting against his chin. Then he winked at Da Dong.

"From this moment on, I, Ah Jin, and Ah Zhong are the most unfortunate and innocent 'hostages' in this building. And you three are the 'kidnappers' who are holding us hostage."

"Remember, make your acting convincing. Keep the gun barrel pressed tight, don't hold back. We'll just swagger out like this, forcing those Flying Tigers to make way for us! Then we'll go up to the rooftop, I've made preparations there beforehand..."

Da Dong was stunned for a moment, then understood Ye Guohuan's plan. It was an extremely bold scheme, a "do-or-die" tactic that only these desperate criminals could come up with!

Taking advantage of the police's reluctance to act and the pressure of being broadcast live throughout Hong Kong, they managed to carve out a path to survival from the guns of hundreds of guns!

"Alright! Ah Huan, that was a brilliant move!" Da Dong took a deep breath, the dejection in his eyes vanishing, replaced by the ruthlessness of a veteran. "Then I'll have to trouble the brothers!"

"Stop complaining! Survival is the priority! The police have limited patience; if we stay any longer, we'll be surrounded!" Ye Guohuan waved his hand. "Move out! Ah Jin, hide your Black Star pistol well, don't show it! Ah Zhong, hang your grenade in the lining! Once we're out of this building and into the alley, the sky's the limit!"

"Team C, be alert! Team C, be alert! There's movement in the target room!" The Flying Tigers Team C captain, codenamed "Thunderbird," was guarding the corner of the corridor, staring intently at the door of room 704, his finger on the trigger of his MP5 submachine gun, his palms covered in cold sweat.

The earlier desperate cries for help and shouts of "hostages!" had put the entire police force on edge. Meanwhile, the negotiation expert, stuck in traffic in his Mazda in Central, hadn't arrived yet.

"Squeak—"

The rusty iron gate slowly opened with a sickening scraping sound.

"They're out! Stay alert! Snipers, get ready!" Thunderbird growled.

Under the watchful eyes of dozens of special police officers and countless camera lenses, a scene unfolded that was enough to make the hearts of all Hong Kong citizens stop beating.

The three thugs, Da Dong, Ba Zhong, and Fei Gu, had faces covered in soot and looked ferocious. Each of them was holding a "hostage" in front of him.

Da Dong had one hand around Ye Guohuan's neck, while the other hand held a Black Star pistol firmly against Ye Guohuan's temple, the muzzle pressing so hard that the skin caved in.

"Help! Officer, help me!" Ye Guohuan was practically channeling his inner Oscar-winning actor at this moment. His usually arrogant and domineering face was now contorted into a grimace, tears and snot streaming down his face, his legs trembling violently like a sieve, and he was screaming like a pig being slaughtered, "Don't shoot! Please don't shoot! I don't want to die! I have an eighty-year-old mother and a three-year-old child to support! Waaah..."

Behind him, Ah Jin and Ah Zhong were also extremely cooperative, their faces pale, as Ba Zhong and Fei Gu pressed guns against their lower backs, inching their way out step by step.

"Get the hell back!!"

With red eyes, Da Dong roared at the Flying Tigers in the stairwell like a wild beast driven to the brink of despair:

"Anyone who dares to move an inch, I'll smash those three bastards' heads in! They'll pay with their lives!"

"Back off! Everyone back off!"

Thunderbird looked at the gun barrel that could go off at any moment, and then at Ye Guohuan's "miserable" appearance, and felt a chill run down his spine.

This is being broadcast live across Hong Kong! If these three hostages die in front of him, his career as a police officer will be over.

"Keep your distance! Don't provoke the suspect! Back away slowly!"

Thunderbird gritted his teeth and gave the order.

The well-trained Flying Tigers, though extremely unwilling, could only hold up their bulletproof shields and retreat step by step, clearing the space in the corridor.

……

Downstairs, in the police command vehicle

"Commander Fang! They're out! The hostages are out!" the liaison officer exclaimed.

Fang Jiexia also heard Thunderbird's report, and her nails almost dug into her flesh.

Through the walkie-talkie, the kidnapped man cried so desperately that his fear of death practically overflowed the screen.

"Damn it! Damn it!"

Fang Jiexia paced anxiously in circles. She was a public relations genius, a master at manipulating public opinion, but she wasn't a frontline commander. Faced with this extremely complex tactical hijacking situation, she completely panicked.

"Where's the sniper? Can you lock onto him?" Fang Jiexia shouted, grabbing the walkie-talkie.

"Sir! The corridor is narrow and poorly lit! Moreover, the suspect is very cunning and keeps hiding behind the hostages, making it impossible to lock onto him! Forcing a shot carries an extremely high risk of accidentally injuring the hostages!" the sniper replied helplessly.

"What do we do then?! Are we just going to watch them come down?!"

Fang Jiexia watched the monitor as the ruthless criminals gradually forced the SWAT officers back, cold sweat trickling down her temples. If they were allowed to leave the lobby and charge into the crowd, the consequences would be unimaginable!

"Sir! Give the order! Should we take action in the hallway, or let them out?!" came the anxious question from the frontline commander over the walkie-talkie.

"I...I..."

Fang Jiexia opened her mouth, but found that she couldn't make any effective sound at all.

At this critical moment, this Iron Lady finally exposed her weakness and incompetence as a "test-taker" and "politician" in the face of real combat.

At this moment, Da Dong, Ye Guohuan, and the others had forced the special police to retreat and arrived at this narrow corner.

This is the main passageway of the entire building, and also the darkest place.

"Brother, the next floor is the second floor, which will definitely be heavily guarded. We can't go through the main entrance," Ye Guohuan said, pretending to cry while subtly moving his lips in a voice only Da Dong could hear. "Once we get to the third-floor platform, we'll rush back and take the fire escape to the rooftop! There's only one Flying Tigers squad on the rooftop, and the terrain is open, making it easy to jump and escape!"

"Understood!" Da Dong nodded almost imperceptibly.

However, as the saying goes, man proposes, God disposes.

At this critical juncture that would determine his life or death, Ye Guohuan's damned bad luck once again haunted him like a ghost.

Ah Jin, walking in the middle of the group, was so nervous, and because he had just eaten too much, the fat on his belly jiggled.

His oversized floral shirt, which he had originally used to cover his weapons, got caught on the handrail as he went down the stairs.

"Sizzle..."

A very faint sound of fabric rubbing together.

The hem of the shirt was lifted up by one corner.

In that instant, the grip of the Black Star pistol, black and full of metallic texture, was revealed in Ah Jin's belt!

Although it was only for a brief second, and although it was in a dimly lit stairwell.

However, in the Flying Tigers' ranks below, responsible for blocking the attack, a pair of eyes with extremely keen eyes captured this fatal scene.

He was a young Flying Tigers member standing at the very front of the team, holding an MP5 submachine gun, lean in build, but with eyes as sharp as a cheetah's.

His reaction speed was half a beat faster than everyone else's!

"Something's not right!!"

The assault soldier's pupils contracted sharply; an instinctive intuition allowed him to make a judgment in an instant:

What kind of "innocent citizen" is being held hostage with a loaded Black Star pistol tucked into their belt?!

In the blink of an eye, an extremely terrifying thought exploded in the assault soldier's mind!

This is not a hostage!

These are accomplices! They're another group of ruthless thugs disguised as hostages!

"Attention! The hostages have guns!! They're accomplices!!"

The assault troops let out a heart-wrenching, furious warning roar!

At the same time, he instinctively pulled the trigger of his MP5 submachine gun!

"Da da da da da!!!"

A burst of 9mm bullets instantly left the barrel and struck the concrete steps at Akin's feet, sending sparks flying!

"Damn! We've been exposed!!"

Ye Guohuan's reaction was incredibly fast!

In the fraction of a second that the gunshot rang out, the fear, tears, and snot on his face vanished without a trace, as if he were changing his face in a Sichuan opera!

Instead, there is a grotesque and violent ferocity that sends chills down your spine!

"Go to hell, you damn cop!!"

Ye Guohuan suddenly flung his coat aside, and the AK-47 that was already on fire instantly appeared in his hand!

He didn't need to aim at all; relying on the muscle memory honed through countless real battles, he fired a burst at the bulletproof shield below the stairs!

"Da da da da da da!!!"

The unique, death-like roar of the AK-47 echoed through the narrow, enclosed stairwell!

This isn't a water gun like an MP5!

The 7.62mm intermediate-power rifle bullet, carrying terrifying kinetic energy, is practically a cataclysmic force at such close range!

"Clang! Clang! Clang!"

The bullets slammed into the Flying Tigers' bulletproof shields!

Although it didn't penetrate the shield, the enormous impact sent the SWAT officer holding the shield flying backward, blocking the area behind him!

"Damn it! Since we've been exposed, let's fight our way out!"

Da Dong stopped acting! He shoved Ye Guohuan aside and fired a series of rapid shots with his Black Star pistol, each shot aimed at the SWAT officer's head!

"Eighth Middle School! Fat Girl! Suppressive firepower!!"

"Ah Jin! Ah Zhong! Show your stuff! Stop hiding your weapons!"

In an instant!

The three hostages, who were originally timid and submissive, instantly transformed into three killing gods!

Ah Jin drew his two pistols, Ah Zhong pulled out a grenade, and Ye Guohuan even fired wildly with his AK!

Six ruthless bandits, six guns, created an impenetrable metal storm in the narrow stairwell on the third floor!

The Flying Tigers were completely stunned!

They never dreamed that these three poor "sheep" who needed to be rescued would instantly turn into three "Tyrannosaurus Rex"!

And this happened in a narrow stairwell where there was nowhere to hide!

"The firepower is too intense! We can't hold them off! We need to retreat temporarily!!"

Seeing his team members being suppressed and unable to lift their heads, Captain Thunderbirds had no choice but to order them to temporarily retreat.

"Boom! Boom!"

The two grenades Ah-Zhong threw exploded at the bottom of the stairs, sending up gusts of wind and billowing smoke.

"I'll cover you, get to the rooftop!" Ye Guohuan shouted as he changed magazines.

"Walk!!"

Taking advantage of the smoke from the grenade explosion, the six thugs turned around and rushed upstairs!

They were incredibly fast and their teamwork was impeccable. Ye Guohuan and Da Dong led the way, while A Jin and Fei Gu covered their retreat. With their two AKs providing cover, they fought their way through the enemy lines.

"Huff... huff..."

When the six men broke through the iron gate to the rooftop and rushed to the top floor, the cold morning wind, mixed with the smell of the sea, hit them.

The Flying Tigers Team A, which was originally responsible for rappelling down the rooftop, had most of its personnel sent down to provide support due to the explosion on the 9th floor and the fierce battle below.

At this moment, only three special police officers responsible for logistics and security remained on the rooftop to guard the rappelling rope.

The three special police officers were visibly taken aback when they saw six blood-covered thugs suddenly rushing towards them.

That moment of hesitation sealed their fate.

"die!!"

Without any hesitation, Ye Guohuan raised his hand and fired a burst of bullets!

"Da da da!"

One of the special police officers was shot and fell to the ground.

Da Dong, like a cheetah, flanked from the side and took down the other two men with two incredibly precise shots.

In just five seconds, the rooftop changed hands.

Ye Guohuan took out the booby trap hidden in the corner and set it at the entrance to the rooftop, so that even if the police chased after him, it would delay them for a while.

"Quick! Run that way!"

Ye Guohuan pointed to a cluster of old buildings stretching to the east.

The old town area of ​​Kwun Tong has an extremely high building density. The distance between this tenement building and the surrounding buildings is less than two meters. For these agile desperados, this is a natural escape route!

"Here! You can jump here too!"

Da Dong glanced at the terrain to the west, which led to a more complex back alley market.

The six people stood on the edge of the rooftop, looking down into the abyss below and at the distant, frantic wailing of police sirens.

They knew the time for parting had come.

If six people gather together, they will be too conspicuous. Only by breaking up and trying to escape can they have a chance of survival.

"brother!"

Ye Guohuan turned his head and looked at Da Dong, whose face was covered in blood.

The two looked at each other in the morning sunlight.

No hugs, no idle chatter.

"Read the newspaper!"

Ye Guohuan grinned, revealing a mouthful of blood-stained white teeth, and pointed arrogantly at the sky:

"As long as I live, my name, Ye Guohuan, will definitely be on the headlines tomorrow!"

"Alright! Let's read the newspaper!" Da Dong smiled, touching the coin in his pocket, his eyes resolute. "We'll meet again in the underworld!"

"Walk!!"

At a command.

Ye Guohuan, with A Jin and A Zhong by his side, took a running start and jumped!

Three figures, like large birds, flew across the two-meter-wide gap between the buildings and landed heavily on the rooftop of the building to the east. They rolled a few times to dissipate the force and disappeared behind the water tank on the rooftop.

Meanwhile, Da Dong, along with Ba Zhong and Fei Gu, turned west.

however.

Fate ultimately did not favor this ruthless bandit.

Just as Da Dong was about to jump.

"Rat-a-tat ...

A muffled roar of propellers suddenly pressed down from overhead.

Police air support—Royal Air Service helicopters—finally arrived.

Meanwhile, at the top of the rooftop stairwell, the main force of the Flying Tigers, who had been suppressed by Ye Guohuan and his men, finally rushed up. However, before they could even shout, they were blown up by the booby traps set by Ye Guohuan as soon as they pushed open the door.

But that was all. The blinding beams of searchlight were fixed on Da Dong and his two companions on the rooftop; they had nowhere to escape.

"Listen up, suspects below! Drop your weapons and surrender immediately!"

Da Dong glanced at Ye Guohuan's back as he jumped to the roof of the opposite building and ran wildly, then glanced at Ba Zhong and Fei Gu beside him, whose wounds had reopened and who were at their last gasp.

At this moment, if he were to force a jump, there might be a 50% chance he could make it across. But that would definitely leave behind No. 8 Middle School and Fatty Girl, and the Flying Tigers' firepower would likely spot Ye Guohuan escaping from the other side.

"Brother Dong... I can't run away anymore, you should go."

Eighth Middle School leaned against the wall, blood and foam gushing from his mouth, his hand still tightly clutching the empty pistol.

Da Dong took a deep breath.

He reached into the pocket closest to his body and touched the cold coin.

That was given to him by Ye Guohuan.

"If I say yes, then it's yes."

Ye Guohuan's arrogant words echoed in Da Dong's mind.

He suddenly laughed. His laugh was one of utter serene acceptance and profound relief.

"Brothers."

Da Dong turned around, his back to the direction Ye Guohuan had fled. He faced the helicopter hovering in the air, and the dozens of Flying Tigers rushing towards him.

He slowly raised the AK-47 in his hand.

He didn't choose to jump; he chose to cover.

"In our next life, let's still be brothers, and build a house back in our hometown!"

Da Dong let out a roar that shattered the heavens!

"ah!!!!!!"

He pulled the trigger!

"Da da da da da!!!"

The last bullet from the AK-47 transformed into an angry whip of fire, lashing fiercely at the helicopter in the air and the police rushing up!

He arrogantly exposed all his weaknesses, like a lighthouse attracting all the firepower.

"Target refuses to surrender! Fire! Fire!!"

The Flying Tigers commander issued a kill order.

"Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!"

The bursts of gunfire erupted like popping beans.

Countless bullets pierced Da Dong's body. Blood mist exploded in the morning light, like a beautiful but tragic red spider lily.

Da Dong's body trembled violently, but he did not fall. He used his AK to support himself, remaining firmly rooted to the spot until he fired the last bullet.

In the last moment before consciousness faded.

He could almost see the coin spinning in the air.

He seemed to see Ye Guohuan and his men disappearing into the vast expanse of buildings.

"Thanks... bro..."

Da Dong smiled and slowly closed his eyes.

His body fell backward, crashing heavily onto the dusty rooftop.

Ho Yiu-tung, a notorious gangster and a leading figure in the Guangdong-Hong Kong gang, met his end in Kwun Tong.

……

Downstairs, inside the police command vehicle

"Report! Bandit leader He Yaodong and two of his accomplices have been shot dead on the spot!"

The voice of the commander at the front came through the walkie-talkie.

Upon hearing the news, the police superintendents in the command vehicle burst into cheers.

Fang Jiexia's heart, which had been hanging in suspense, was finally half relieved.

Although the process was tortuous and the live broadcast was interrupted, as long as the bandit leader was killed, it can be considered a victory!

"Very good!"

Fang Jiexia wiped the cold sweat from her forehead and was preparing to tidy herself up before announcing the good news to the media.

however.

Just then, another message came through the walkie-talkie that made me feel dizzy:

"Reporting, sir... We've counted the bodies at the scene... and only found three bodies... those are from Da Dong's gang..."

"Those three 'hostages' who rushed onto the rooftop with them... they're gone!" The captain swallowed hard. "We confirmed during the firefight that those three weren't hostages at all, they were ruthless bandits! They had AKs, and they were the ones with the most firepower!"

boom--!!!

Fang Jiexia's mind went completely blank! She almost collapsed to the ground.

Those three men, whom she personally identified as "innocent citizens" in front of millions of viewers across Hong Kong... were actually ruthless criminals?!

And he even carried an AK-47, and right under her nose, using Da Dong's cover, he swaggered away?

If this gets out... it would be a serious and huge blunder, and Fang Jiexia would be out of a job in the police force. Even Director Han would have to resign.

"Shut up!!!"

Fang Jiexia abruptly interrupted the other person, her eyes turning extremely cold in an instant.

She turned around, staring intently at her trusted confidants in the car, her voice hoarse: "Listen carefully!"

"There was never a second group of robbers!"

"Those are hostages! Hostages who left on their own after we successfully rescued them, but were so terrified!!"

"Immediately! Find three innocent civilians of similar build and have them take their place!"

"I want to announce to the media: all hostages have been safely rescued, and the Da Dong gang has been completely wiped out. This is a perfect victory!"

"Did you understand?!"

"Yes, Madam!"

Ten minutes later.

In a sea of ​​flashing lights.

Fang Jiexia stood on the press conference platform with a beaming smile. Behind her stood three ordinary citizens who had been randomly selected from the building, looking bewildered and trembling.

"Everyone! Thanks to the valiant efforts of the police!" Fang Jiexia's voice was loud and filled with a sense of justice, "the notorious criminal He Yaodong and his gang have all been brought to justice!"

"The three hostages were unharmed and have been safely rescued under the protection of the Flying Tigers!"

"This is a victory for the Royal Hong Kong Police! A victory for justice in Hong Kong!!"

Thunderous applause and cheers resounded through the sky.

Witnessed by countless cameras, a complete lie was packaged into a perfect monument.

After the interview concluded, Fang Jiexia deliberately kept the assault officer who had promptly discovered the hostage was a criminal in disguise. Looking at the lean, sharp-eyed young SWAT officer, she asked, "You did a great job. What's your name?"

The young SWAT officer stood at attention, gave a perfectly crisp salute, and loudly replied, "Reporting, Madam! Flying Tigers Special Task Force, Zhou Xingxing!"

……

Inside a dark rented room in Kowloon Walled City.

A torrential downpour began outside, the rain washing over this city of sin.

Ye Guohuan sat in the dimly lit room, a cigarette between his fingers, the ash long and burnt, but he remained motionless.

The old television in front of me was replaying the daytime "big news".

In the picture, Fang Jiexia is receiving the award with great pride.

The scene shifts to several bodies covered in white sheets being carried out of a building. Although the images are blurred, Ye Guohuan immediately recognizes the hand dangling from under the white sheet.

Because in that hand, a blood-stained coin was still tightly clutched.

It's Da Dong.

Ye Guohuan's eyes reddened.

He took a deep drag of his cigarette, the acrid smoke choking him and causing him to cough violently, bringing tears to his eyes.

"Brother... you didn't get past this hurdle."

Ye Guohuan took out a large golden bull from his pocket and slowly lit it; it was his final tribute to his brother.

"Rest in peace. I will finish what you didn't do."

Ye Guohuan raised his head, his eyes no longer filled with the arrogance of the past, but with a chilling stillness and madness.

"These cops, these politicians who are full of lies."

"Don't they like acting? Don't they like big productions?"

"it is good."

Ye Guohuan pulled out the pistol that had accompanied him through the battle and slammed it heavily on the table.

"Then I'll orchestrate a truly unprecedented case for them! I'll tear a hole in the sky above Hong Kong and use it as a sacrifice to you!!"

Just then.

"Ring ring—"

The red telephone on the table, long covered in dust and whose number Ye Guohuan himself had almost forgotten, suddenly rang.

On this stormy night, the ringing of the bell sounded particularly eerie.

Ye Guohuan frowned. Only a very few brothers knew the phone number for this safe house.

He hesitated for a moment, then reached out and answered the phone.

"Hello, who is this?"

There was a static noise coming from the other end of the phone.

Immediately afterwards, a deep, magnetic male voice, seemingly possessing some kind of all-powerful magic, pierced through the noise of the rainy night and clearly reached Ye Guohuan's ears: "Hello, Ye Guohuan. I'm one of your loyal fans. Today's performance in Kwun Tong... you gave a wonderful performance."

Ye Guohuan's heart skipped a beat, and his hand reached for the gun: "Who exactly are you?!"

The man on the other end of the phone chuckled softly.

You can call me—the director.

"I admire you. Would you be interested in starring in a real big-budget production? A leading role that would make the whole of Hong Kong tremble?"