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

After explaining the factory's production capacity, Lu Chen returned to his office. He leaned back in his chair, a cigar between his fingers that had not yet been lit.

Standing before him was Ma Zhihua, the president of Lu's Bank. Although Ma Zhihua was now seen as an invincible financial tycoon, he maintained a student-like reverence in front of Lu Chen. After all, for Ma Zhihua, Lu Chen was not only a mentor but also a guiding light in the financial field.

"Zhihua, there have been quite a few rumors circulating about the Hong Kong dollar lately, haven't there?"

Ma Zhihua's expression turned serious, and he nodded, saying, "Yes, boss. As the negotiations enter a more complex phase, market confidence is severely shaken. Just a few days ago, the Hong Kong dollar had already fallen to the 9.4 dollar mark against the US dollar. Now, citizens across Hong Kong are scrambling to buy rice and noodles, and some are even setting up makeshift shelters outside banks to exchange their Hong Kong dollars for US dollars or gold. The financial turmoil has reached a critical point. If the foreign government doesn't intervene soon, Hong Kong's financial system will completely collapse."

Hong Kong Island is experiencing its most severe credit crisis since its founding as a port. Negotiations between the British Empire and the mainland regarding Hong Kong's future have stalled, causing market confidence to collapse and the Hong Kong dollar to fall to 9.6 against the US dollar. Historically, faced with an impending economic collapse, the Hong Kong government has been forced to abandon the free-floating exchange rate system it had implemented since 1974.

On October 17, 1983, Hong Kong officially implemented the Linked Exchange Rate System. This system stipulated that when issuing Hong Kong dollar banknotes, issuing banks must deposit US dollars with the Exchange Fund at a fixed exchange rate of 7.8 Hong Kong dollars to 1 US dollar in exchange for certificates of indebtedness. This measure not only stabilized the exchange rate but also established the Hong Kong dollar's foundation as an international currency. Following the policy's announcement, the Hong Kong dollar, which had been hovering at a low level, rebounded instantly.

"This is our opportunity," Lu Chen said calmly, yet with an undeniable air of authority. "Zhihua, from now on, through Lu's Bank and other banks, we will begin to massively go long on Hong Kong dollars."

Ma Zhihua's heart skipped a beat. He hesitated for a moment and said, "Boss, right now all the capital in Hong Kong is flowing out. HSBC and Citibank are selling Hong Kong dollars to support US dollars. Are we going against the trend and going long... isn't the risk too great?"

Faced with Ma Zhihua's doubts, Lu Chen smiled slightly: "I've heard that the foreign government has finalized its policy to stabilize the situation. In the middle of this month, they will officially implement the 'Linked Exchange Rate System,' directly pegging the Hong Kong dollar to the US dollar, and fixing the exchange rate at an extremely strong level. At that time, the Hong Kong dollar will experience a retaliatory surge."

A startling glint flashed in Ma Zhihua's eyes. As a top financier, he knew all too well what this meant. If the news was true, it was not only a high-stakes gamble, but also a bloodbath against global speculators.

"I understand, boss!" Ma Zhihua nodded heavily, his tone turning ruthless. "I will personally talk to the bigwigs at Citibank and HSBC, and buy up all the Hong Kong dollar contracts they are dumping in the name of Lu's Bank."

"Go do it. Be quick, but be discreet." Lu Chen waved his hand.

After explaining everything, Lu Chen dealt with some official business; it was already 6 PM. Lu Chen walked out of the Jiahe Building, the sunset casting a golden-red glow on the glass curtain wall of Central.

He got into the familiar Rolls-Royce and whispered to Tian Yangsheng, who was driving, "Back to the mountain road."

The Rolls-Royce convoy traveled smoothly along the winding mountain road.

As soon as the car stopped in front of the fountain square, two figures darted over like the wind.

"Woof! Woof woof!"

"Hey, you two little guys, why are you so enthusiastic today?" Lu Chen chuckled, squatting down to pat the two big heads, one black and one white. Normally, these two should be like bodyguards, always by Ruan Mei's side. Why are they out here greeting him today?

Lu Chen played ball with them for a while, enjoying a long-lost sense of relaxation. Afterwards, he pushed open the villa's door, only to find the interior unusually quiet.

"Ah Mei? Ah Mei?"

Lu Chen called out a few times, but no one answered. At this moment, the housekeeper Mary stepped forward, respectfully took Lu Chen's coat, and explained softly, "Boss, the First Madam went to St. Mary's Hospital today for a full routine check-up. Miss Tian Yang'en accompanied her, saying that there were many procedures, and she might not be back until around nine o'clock. The First Madam specifically instructed that you don't need to wait for her for dinner."

Lu Chen was taken aback, then nodded.

Then, as if remembering something, he asked, "What about Qiu Di? And Laura?"

"Ms. Qiu Di is filming her last few night scenes on the set of 'Back to the Future' today. The director said that in order to meet the deadline, they probably won't finish until the early hours of the morning. Ms. Laura... is working overtime at the company on the final draft of the autumn ready-to-wear collection for the luxury brand Garreau, and she will also be back late."

After listening, Lu Chen rubbed his nose helplessly. Ba Wanghua, unusually, said goodbye to him when she left work earlier, saying she was going to stay at her mother's house for the night to keep the old lady company.

Standing in the empty living room, Lu Chen looked at the two dogs staring longingly at him and said with a helpless self-deprecation, "Goodness, I'm usually surrounded by my own little darlings, but today I'm the 'empty nester'."

He was just about to go to his study to work on some documents and then ask the chef to make him some noodles when he suddenly smelled an extremely tempting aroma of roasting, accompanied by the sizzling sound of stir-frying coming from the direction of the kitchen.

Lu Chen curiously walked in with Coke and Sprite.

In the kitchen, a girl with a cute ponytail was wearing a slightly oversized apron, holding a spatula, and clumsily but earnestly stir-frying the vegetables in the pan.

"Laidi?" Lu Chen exclaimed in surprise.

Since Lai Di confessed her feelings to Lu Chen under the moonlight while drunk, Lu Chen has accepted this simple and persistent girl. Uncle Piao and Aunt Piao also noticed the signs and not only did not object, but also tacitly allowed Lai Di to visit the Lu family manor under the guise of delivering soup and dishes.

Hearing Lu Chen's voice, Lai Di was startled and almost dropped the spatula in her hand. She turned around, her originally fair face slightly red from the smoke of the stove, and now a shy blush appeared on her face.

"Ah... Brother Chen, you're back!" Lai Di hurriedly turned off the stove, wiped her hands a little awkwardly, "Sister Mei and the others... they said they all had things to do today, so they asked me to come over and cook dinner for you. I... this is the first time I've properly cooked for you, so please don't mind."

Lu Chen was incredibly intelligent; he understood the situation in an instant.

The examination at St. Mary's Hospital, the night scene shooting, the brand's finalization, and the Ba Wang Hua's leave of absence... What a coincidence! It was clearly a plan devised by Amei and Ya Zi, a group of grown women, to deliberately clear the place out so that he could completely get rid of Lai Di, this "little tail".

Thinking of this, Lu Chen felt a warmth in his heart, and the feeling of loneliness instantly vanished.

He walked up behind Lai Di and naturally wrapped his arms around the girl's slender waist, chuckling softly, "So my Lai Di can cook? This smells just as good as those five-star chefs."

Lai Di's body stiffened abruptly, then she leaned softly into Lu Chen's arms, her voice barely audible: "No... I only made three dishes: scrambled eggs with tomatoes, pork ribs, and some greens. Oh, and there's a winter melon and pork rib soup simmering in the casserole."

"It's a very nice meal, thank you for your hard work." Lu Chen breathed softly into her earlobe.

Fifteen minutes later, inside the restaurant.

Three dishes and a soup were laid out on the table. Although the ribs were slightly overcooked and the vegetables looked rather plain, for a girl who had just turned eighteen and had been pampered at home, this was a very sincere gesture.

Lu Chen picked up a piece of pork rib and tasted it. The flavor was just right, salty and sweet, and it was indeed quite good.

"How is it? Is it delicious?" Lai Di looked at Lu Chen expectantly, her eyes filled with a girlish longing and trepidation.

"It's delicious," Lu Chen nodded. "It's much better than the food stalls I used to eat at in Sham Shui Po."

Lai Di smiled happily and served Lu Chen a bowl of soup. The two chatted casually. Lai Di talked about the interesting things that happened at school recently, and how Uncle Piao was so anxious because ATV was suppressing TVB news that he lost his hair... Lu Chen listened patiently. This kind of ordinary, everyday life made him feel more at ease than ever before.

After finishing his last bite, Lu Chen put down his chopsticks and looked at Lai Di, who was cleaning up the mess, with a meaningful look in his eyes.

"Laidi."

"Hmm?" Lai Di looked up and met Lu Chen's deep, swirling black eyes.

"Amei and the others...are they really not coming back until after nine o'clock?" Lu Chen asked with a half-smile.

Lai Di's face instantly turned bright red, the color spreading to the roots of her neck. She lowered her head in a fluster, her slender fingers clutching the edge of her apron, her voice barely audible: "Um... Sister Amei said when she left that there were many tests to do and she needed to get a late-night snack... It really won't be until after nine o'clock..."

Only then did the girl realize that her little schemes were completely exposed in front of Boss Lu.

Lu Chen stood up, walked around the dining table, and slowly approached Lai Di. He reached out and gently pinched the girl's round, delicate chin, forcing her to look him in the eye.

"It's 7:40 now," Lu Chen glanced at the Patek Philippe on his wrist, a wicked smile curving his lips. "They'll be back in a little over an hour."

"Ah... Brother Chen, what... what do you want to say?" Lai Di was so nervous that she held her breath, and her heartbeat could be clearly heard in the quiet restaurant.

Lu Chen leaned down slightly, his hot breath brushing against the girl's face, his voice deep and aggressive:

"I want to say that time is of the essence, we need to hurry."

Before he could finish speaking, with a gasp from Lai Di, Lu Chen used one hand to lift the petite girl into his arms, striding across the living room and up the wooden spiral staircase to the master bedroom upstairs.

Coke and Sprite obediently lay down by the door, and even thoughtfully closed the bedroom door with their paws.

Although the girl in his arms buried her face in Lu Chen's chest in embarrassment, her slender arms were tightly wrapped around his neck. It was her bravest journey at the age of eighteen.

Outside the window, the moon quietly climbed to the treetops of Victoria Peak.

Another "storm" of early autumn, belonging to this manor, began its gentlest prelude in the quiet night.

Lu Chen gently placed the beauty in his arms on the huge European-style bed.

"Brother Lu Chen...I love you."

"I know."

Lu Chen kissed those trembling red lips. All the scheming, all the ambition, all the business battles, all melted into tenderness at this moment.

As Lu Chen said, Golden Harvest's territory is expanding, and his life is also becoming more fulfilling.