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

In Beijing in 1983, the summer sun shone with a dry yet clear quality, casting its rays on the wide Chang'an Avenue. The occasional cooing of pigeons drew long, lingering arcs in the tranquil morning air.

Lu Chen stood with his hands behind his back in front of the heavily concealed red-lacquered gate of the state guesthouse, taking a deep breath of the air carrying a faint fragrance of lotus flowers.

The three-day secret meeting has come to a successful conclusion. Due to the extremely high level of those meetings and the fact that each person involved was a legend worthy of being recorded in history, it is best not to speak of it.

After seeing off those special personnel, Lu Chen finally had time to relax. Beside him were the dashing and valiant Hu Huizhong, and Ruan Wen, who wore an elegant cheongsam that added a touch of Jiangnan charm.

"Let's go. Since we've come all the way to the capital, we should at least take a look around and see this spine of the world."

Lu Chen, accompanied by the two women, made the Forbidden City their first stop.

Walking on the blue brick pavement of the Forbidden City, flanked by vermilion palace walls and golden glazed tiles, Ruan Wen, as an artist, was almost powerless against this ultimate oriental aesthetic. She would stop from time to time to observe the beasts on the eaves and the dragon patterns on the door knockers, her eyes filled with fascination.

"Mr. Lu, this way please."

Comrade Liu was still accompanying him, dressed impeccably in a Zhongshan suit, his eyes revealing the simplicity and restraint characteristic of a northern man. In the days that had passed, he had gained a preliminary understanding of Lu Chen and was also impressed by this excessively young "patriotic tycoon"—neither arrogant nor humble, possessing astonishing insight in his speech, and exhibiting an almost instinctive love for this land.

Lu Chen stood before the Hall of Supreme Harmony, gazing at the dazzling brilliance of the red walls and yellow tiles reflected in the sunlight. The mottled vermilion paint and the mythical beasts coiling around the eaves appeared desolate yet majestic under the wear and tear of time.

"I used to only hear older generations talk about the Forbidden City when I was in Hong Kong, and I always thought it was something in paintings. But seeing it in person today, I finally understand what true national majesty is," the supermodel sighed softly.

She could feel the oppressive feeling brought by this grand culture, a sense of identity that she had never experienced in Southeast Asia or Hong Kong, a sense that was deeply rooted in her blood.

In the afternoon, the group climbed the Badaling Great Wall.

The early autumn wind blew in from beyond the Great Wall, carrying a primitive and desolate feel. Lu Chen stood on the beacon tower, gazing into the distance, where he saw the gray dragon winding and coiling among the towering mountains, disappearing into the horizon.

After visiting the famous scenic spots, Lu Chen suggested that he wanted to experience the most authentic "ancient style and flavor" of the capital.

So, led by Comrade Liu, the group walked into Yandai Xiejie near Houhai and ventured into the dense network of old alleyways.

The air here is filled with a faint smell of coal smoke and the fresh scent of locust leaves. The courtyard walls on both sides are somewhat dilapidated, with exposed blue bricks, and occasionally you can see dry firewood and old wooden sticks placed in the corners. Two or three old men sit on small stools playing chess, waving tattered palm-leaf fans in their hands; a few little girls with pigtails are jumping rope in the alley, their laughter ringing out.

When Lu Chen and his two companions, dressed impeccably and exuding an extraordinary aura, appeared, the residents of the alley stopped what they were doing and cast curious yet slightly reserved glances their way.

They'd seen this kind of look many times these past few days. To the people of Beijing at that time, these Hong Kong guests, dressed in "Western clothes," riding in Hongqi cars, and accompanied by officials, looked like aliens.

"Comrade Liu," Lu Chen stopped and looked at an old courtyard with exquisite mounting stones and drum-shaped stone bases. He turned to the receptionist beside him and asked in fluent and authentic Mandarin, "Excuse me, are there any courtyard houses like this in Beijing currently for sale? I'd like to buy one. When I come to Beijing for business, it's not right to always stay in hotels; it lacks the feel of home."

Upon hearing this, Comrade Liu was also taken aback. He originally thought that Lu Chen would be fond of those modern hotels, but he never expected that this top tycoon from Hong Kong Island would take a fancy to these "dilapidated" old houses. Perhaps he was used to the delicacies and wanted to change his taste.

He pondered for a moment, then replied earnestly, "Mr. Lu, most of the courtyard houses in Beijing are currently public housing owned by the government and are not allowed to be bought and sold privately. However, the policy has indeed been relaxed in the past two years, and a number of private properties have been returned to the government as a result. If you are really interested, I can apply to the higher authorities, or through organizational connections, I can contact those private homeowners with full property rights to negotiate."

Comrade Chen paused, his tone somewhat strange: "But Mr. Lu, young people these days all want to live in apartment buildings with elevators and gas pipes. These old courtyards are unbearably hot in the summer and freezing in the winter, and they don't have any modern amenities... Are you really sure?"

In the eyes of Beijing residents in 1983, although the courtyard house was their ancestral property, the living conditions were indeed not very good.

Lu Chen smiled faintly upon hearing this: "You don't need to worry about that. After I buy it, I will naturally hire the best team to carry out the interior renovation. Please keep an eye out for me. I want to choose a large courtyard with a complete layout, preferably three or five courtyards, and the location should be as close as possible to the Forbidden City, preferably in the Dongsi or Houhai area."

"Price is not an issue. To express Jiahe's support for the development of its hometown, I settled all my payments for the house directly in US dollars."

Upon hearing the word "US dollars," Comrade Liu's eyes visibly lit up.

China is currently in the early stages of reform and opening up, and its foreign exchange reserves are extremely scarce. The price of one US dollar on the black market can even double that of the normal exchange rate. For factories and research institutes that urgently need to import foreign equipment, every penny of the US dollar is precious and must be spent sparingly.

As a top investment tycoon in Hong Kong, Lu Chen took the initiative to offer to buy this "dilapidated courtyard" which was worthless in the eyes of the locals with US dollars. In a political sense, this was also a statement—he was willing to leave his most precious foreign exchange in the mainland. He was not just here to make quick money; he was here to put down roots.

"I understand, Mr. Lu. I will convey your message to the higher-ups as truthfully as possible, and I believe there will be a result soon," Comrade Liu said solemnly.

……

After spending about a week in Beijing, Lu Chen and his group bid farewell to the overly enthusiastic Director Chen and headed south.

As the private jet's wheels struck the ground again, sending tremors through the air, Lu Chen looked out the window at a landscape utterly different from the solemnity of the capital—a wild land.

Fukawa.

In Fukagawa, which has been designated as a special economic zone, the air is filled with a smell that is a mixture of earthy, salty seawater, and the ever-present dust from construction.

There are no red walls like the Forbidden City here, but there are endless construction sites; there is no vastness like the Great Wall here, but there is the clamor of bulldozers roaring day and night.

As soon as the plane landed, provincial and municipal officials who had been waiting there, along with a large number of local cadres in white shirts who looked excited, immediately surrounded it.

"Mr. Lu! Welcome to Fukagawa Special Economic Zone!"

The leader of the group held Lu Chen's hand tightly. His hands were rough from years of working on the front lines, but the drive in his eyes was something Lu Chen had never seen in any official in the world.

Looking at the devastated yet vibrant land before him, Lu Chen was filled with emotion.

Instead of going directly to the guesthouse where he was staying, he requested to visit the factory site that had been planned in advance and was now under construction, namely the Jiahe Industrial Park.

The reason why the industrial park was chosen to be located in Shenzhen rather than in Beijing or Shanghai was not only because Lu Chen knew the future and knew that this place would be the heart of global technology for the next thirty years, but also because Shenzhen in 1983 had unique advantages.

First, this is the first special economic zone established by the country, and the policy "green light" has been opened to the maximum. All the cumbersome approval processes have been fast-forwarded in front of a large company like Lu Chen's.

Secondly, this location is separated from Hong Kong Island by only a river. The core chips and precision components that Golden Harvest develops on Hong Kong Island can be transported to the assembly line here within half an hour via the Lo Wu Bridge. This "front-end research and development, back-end production" model will reduce the production cost of DragonTech products to a level that will leave competitors worldwide in despair.

Of course, the most important point is that, as a time traveler, Lu Chen is all too aware of the terrifying energy that this small fishing village will unleash in the next thirty years. Right now, Shenchuan is just an insignificant dot on the world map, but thirty years from now, it will be home to the world's most complete electronics industry chain, becoming the global production center of the Jiahe Empire.

Entering the market now means seizing the future.

……

Inside the makeshift shed, Lu Chen unfolded the huge industrial park planning map.

"Distinguished leaders, I can assure you," Lu Chen said, pointing to the circled land in the center of the blueprint, his tone calm yet resolute, "that the five hundred million US dollars is only the first phase of investment for Jiahe International. In the future, we will build the world's largest micro-communication device production base, personal computer assembly center, and supporting logistics and warehousing system here."

"Five hundred million US dollars is just... the first phase?"

The leaders present all gasped for breath, then were overjoyed. How much foreign exchange and how many jobs would this bring!

"Mr. Lu!" The city official stood up abruptly, patting his chest. His voice trembled with excitement. "Since you think so highly of Shenchuan, we have nothing more to say. All policies and approvals will be handled on a case-by-case basis! If any department dares to hold Jiahe back, or any underlings dares to cause trouble, just give me a call, and I'll take their hat off!"

This promise carries immense weight.

Looking at this group of cadres, who were covered in dust but whose eyes were shining, Lu Chen finally smiled with relief.

That night, the construction site in Fukagawa was brightly lit.

Lu Chen stood on the high hill, looking down at the land under construction.

He knew that it wouldn't be long before this place would take off completely.