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

Mid-July 1983.

If Stanley Prison is the sewers of Hong Kong, flowing with the city's sins and filth, then Central is the crown of the city, shining with the light of money and power.

Central, Hilton Hotel, Grand Ballroom.

Today, this top-tier hotel in Hong Kong has undergone a complete transformation.

The once magnificent ballroom, brimming with old-fashioned British luxury, was now completely enveloped by black curtains. All the crystal chandeliers were off, leaving only countless futuristic blue laser beams weaving and crisscrossing in the darkness, creating a sci-fi atmosphere as if one were in a spaceship.

Here, a grand event worthy of being recorded in the annals of human commercial history is being held—the Jiahe Global New Product Launch.

The audience was packed.

Not only were all the media reporters in Hong Kong present, but even the Hong Kong correspondents of Time Magazine, The Wall Street Journal, Reuters, and AFP, as well as business representatives from Sony, IBM, and Motorola, were all scrambling to get in and see what was going on, because Golden Harvest's publicity campaign was just too fierce.

In fact, the brewing of this storm began as early as mid-June. Lu Chen mobilized all the media resources at his disposal—prime time slots on Asia Television (ATV), full-page headlines in major newspapers across Hong Kong, and even the front pages of media in Japan and Southeast Asia were all covered by a mysterious and futuristic black poster.

The poster did not feature any specific product images or celebrity endorsements.

There was only one slogan, written in both Chinese and English, which was highly provocative and left much to the imagination:

On July 15th, we will reinvent the future.

Over the past month, countless speculations have circulated. Some say Golden Harvest is going to acquire Hollywood, others say Lu Chen is going to build rockets, and there are even rumors that Golden Harvest has developed a drug that can make people live forever.

This almost frenzied sense of anticipation spread like a virus, quickly breaking through Hong Kong Island and reaching all of Asia and even the world.

It was exactly 10:00 AM.

The once noisy venue suddenly fell into a deathly silence.

"Thump...thump...thump..."

A deep, powerful electronic drumbeat, like a heartbeat, resonated heavily in everyone's chest through the top-of-the-line sound system.

"Dragon One"

Lu Chen held up his phone and showed it to the audience:

"Look, it's in my pocket."

"It weighs only 295 grams. It has a standby time of up to 12 hours and a talk time of 90 minutes."

"More importantly, it no longer uses outdated analog signals," Lu Chen's voice rose an octave, "We've skipped the noisy, easily eavesdropped analog era. The DragonD1 uses second-generation digital communication technology based on the GSM standard, jointly developed by Jiahe and British Telecom!"

What does digital signaling mean? It means clearer call quality, more secure encryption, and...

Lu Chen paused, a sly glint in his eyes:

"A brand new feature that will change the way humans communicate—SMS (Short Message Service)."

What is a text message?

The reporters in the audience looked completely bewildered. This term was entirely unfamiliar to them.

Sometimes, it's inconvenient for us to speak. Sometimes, some words are more moving when written down than spoken.

Lu Chen looked down and quickly pressed a few keys on his phone.

On the large screen, a monochrome LCD screen of the mobile phone was simultaneously photographed.

Recipient: Cheng Yiyan.

Content: Hello World.

"send."

Lu Chen pressed the send button.

"Beep—"

Only three seconds passed.

Cheng Yiyan, chairman of Jiahe Financial Group, who was sitting in the first row of VIP seats and looked excited, suddenly heard a clear "beep" sound from his pocket.

Cheng Yiyan quickly took out his DragonD1 and held it up to show the camera behind him.

On that small screen, a line of text was clearly displayed:

From Lu Chen: Hello World.

"Whoa!!!"

At that moment, the Hilton Hotel's grand ballroom seemed to have been detonated like an atomic bomb!

The entire venue erupted! Everyone stood up wildly, clapping and screaming with fervor!

"Hello World!" Lu Chen looked at the wide-open, shocked faces below the stage and said with a smile, "This is a small step for DragonMobile, but a giant leap for human communication."

"Furthermore, I have an announcement to make!" Lu Chen pressed on, "Golden Harvest has reached a comprehensive strategic partnership with British Telecom. In the second half of the year, we will invest HK$5 billion to complete the deployment of next-generation GSM base stations in Hong Kong Island and the UK!"

"In other words, once you buy this phone, whether you're in an office building in Central or in a square in London, you can connect to the world anytime, anywhere!"

……

The press conference is drawing to a close.

But the most exciting news is just beginning.

Lu Chen stood in the center of the stage, with images of three products slowly rotating on the screen behind him.

"I know everyone is waiting for the price," Lu Chen's voice suddenly became calm and solemn, "but before announcing the price, I have a more important decision to announce."

"These three products are more than just simple appliances. They represent the future, content, and connectivity. They represent a completely new ecosystem."

"To better support this grand vision for the future, and to make technology run faster than dreams."

Lu Chen took a deep breath and solemnly announced, "I have decided that, effective immediately, Jiahe Group will officially spin off its technology business and establish a brand new, independently operated wholly-owned subsidiary!"

On the big screen, a brand new, golden dragon-shaped logo soared into the air, accompanied by four large characters:

Longteng Technology

"From today onwards, Longteng computers, Longteng VCDs, Longteng mobile phones, and all future software and hardware development will belong to Longteng Technology!"

"This will be a technology company focused on changing the world, and together with Golden Harvest Entertainment and Garreau, it will form the three pillars supporting our business empire!"

The financial professionals in the audience instantly sensed the scent of money.

An independent subsidiary? What does this mean? It means that it may go public independently in the future! It means that Golden Harvest's business will no longer be limited to luxury goods and entertainment, but will officially enter the world's most advanced hard technology field!

"alright."

After announcing this major strategy, Lu Chen smiled slightly and returned to his relaxed demeanor.

"Now, let's get back to the question everyone cares about most—price."

At this moment, the prices of competing products currently on the market are displayed on the large screen:

IBM PC: HKD 35,000.

Motorola Big Brother: HKD 28,000.

Sony VCR recorder: HKD 6,000.

"This is the price you are paying now."

Lu Chen shook his head, a cold, capitalist smile on his face that sent despair through his competitors. "Too expensive. Technology shouldn't be the exclusive privilege of the rich."

"Golden Harvest, we want to make the future affordable for everyone."

"Bang!"

The numbers on the big screen shattered instantly!

New numbers popped up with flame effects!

Dragon PC: HKD 9,999!

DragonPass D1 mobile phone: HK$3,999!

Dragon VCD Player: HK$1,999!

Dead silence.

After a brief silence came wave after wave of almost frantic roars!

"They've gone mad! Golden Harvest has gone mad!" A colleague gasped, covering his mouth in horror. "This price...is this even cost price?! They're trying to drive all the other companies out of business!"

A computer for 9999? A phone for 3999?

In an era when mobile phones cost 20,000 to 30,000 yuan, 3999 yuan is practically free!

"Shut up and take my money!!"

"Buy! I want to buy ten!"

The reporters and company representatives in the audience were completely stunned. They knew that at this price, all competitors would be utterly insignificant.

Lu Chen stood in the center of the stage, enjoying the thunderous cheers.

He opened his arms as if embracing the whole world.

Behind him, on the huge screen, Jiahe Technology's new slogan slowly appeared—an extremely arrogant yet irrefutable statement:

The Future is Here.

……

Early the next morning.

Paper prices have gone up across Hong Kong because all newspapers are being printed at an alarming rate!

Whether it's a left-wing newspaper or a right-wing newspaper; whether it's a serious financial magazine or a gossip tabloid.

Today's front-page headlines are remarkably consistent.

There were no political disputes, no celebrity scandals. All the headlines were dominated by the man standing under the blue laser and those three groundbreaking products.

South China Morning Post: Future Shock! Golden Harvest is reshaping the world! Lu Chen: We've just moved history forward by ten years!

Ming Pao: The Dragon Soars to the Heavens! A Miracle of Hong Kong's Technological Industry! From Today Onward, Silicon Valley Will Have to Take the East Seriously!

Time Magazine's front-page headline: THE FUTURE IS HERE: Dragon Tech Rewrites History!

Oriental Daily News: If you haven't prepared your money yet, then borrow it! Because Longteng products will change your life like a money-printing machine! IBM and Motorola became history dust last night!

Wall Street Daily News: BT announces the launch of a comprehensive base station deployment plan! Hong Kong will become the world's first mobile digital city!

Even a well-known stock commentator, known for his sharp tongue, wrote in his column:

"...If you haven't heard anything about Golden Harvest today, you'd better get your ears checked. What happened in Central yesterday wasn't a press conference, but a coronation ceremony for a new era. Lu Chen, this young man, isn't selling computers or cell phones; he's selling—tickets to the future!"

Top floor office of the Golden Harvest Building, Central.

Lu Chen stood in front of the huge floor-to-ceiling window, looking down at the bustling city below.

Holding the white Dragon D1 phone in his hand, a faint smile appeared on his lips.

He has the future of technology in his hands.

Meanwhile, the underground order is being reshuffled step by step, according to his script.

"Hello World".

Lu Chen whispered.

This world will ultimately belong to me.