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

September sunlight filtered through the lush foliage atop Victoria Peak, dappling the white marble terrace of the Lu Family Manor. The morning mountain breeze, carrying the faint scent of grass and trees, gently dispelled the enchanting atmosphere of youth and indulgence from the previous night.

In the master bedroom, morning light filters through the sheer silk curtains and falls on the large bed in the middle.

Lu Chen had already woken up. He turned slightly to look at Lai Di, who was sleeping soundly beside him. The eighteen-year-old girl had shed her last bit of naivety last night. At this moment, her face, full of collagen, still had a blush that hadn't faded. Her long eyelashes trembled occasionally, as if she was still savoring the extreme trembling of last night even in her dreams.

"Um... Brother Lu Chen."

Feeling a light kiss on the tip of her nose, Lai Di groggily opened her eyes. When she saw Lu Chen's eyes, filled with doting affection and teasing, the absurd and daring scenes from last night instantly flooded her mind. Embarrassed, she let out a gasp and hurriedly pulled the thin blanket over herself, shrinking into it completely, leaving only her sparkling almond-shaped eyes showing.

"What's wrong? The little tiger who shouted 'I love you' last night has turned into a timid little cat as soon as it's light?" Lu Chen teased with a smile, gently patting her through the blanket.

Lai Di muttered in a low voice, "Brother Lu Chen is the worst... I, I have no strength at all right now."

Lu Chen chuckled softly, a hint of pity in his eyes. His current robust physique was indeed a bit too much for a girl receiving favor for the first time. He got up and quickly changed his clothes, then carefully lifted the corner of the blanket. From Lai Di's snow-white skin and several clear red marks, it was not hard to tell how intense the previous night had been.

"Come on, I'll carry you down. Amei and the others are probably getting impatient."

"Ah? No! My sisters will laugh at me to death!" Although Lai Di refused verbally, her body betrayed her and went limp in Lu Chen's arms.

As they descended the stairs, Lai Di practically buried her head in Lu Chen's neck. Only when her feet touched the thick carpet in the dining room did Lu Chen release her hand and help her sit down slowly.

As expected, the restaurant was already filled with women. Ruan Mei, dressed in simple home clothes, was holding her pregnant belly and directing the maid to set the table; Qiu Di, probably having just finished applying a face mask, looked exceptionally refreshed and was staring at Lai Di with ill intent; Ya Zi, wearing a fiery red dress, elegantly swirled the black tea in her hand; even Ba Wang Hua, who should have been back in her hometown, was sitting at the table, watching the "newlyweds" who had just come downstairs with a half-smile.

"Hey, our 'new little sister'''s downstairs?" Qiu Di was the first to jump out, circling Lai Di twice, deliberately drawing out her words, "Look at that little face, it's so red it could drip water. Boss Lu, did you go all out last night and bully that little girl terribly?"

"Sister Qiudi!" Lai Di was so embarrassed that she wished she could disappear into a crack in the ground, her little hands gripping the hem of her clothes tightly.

The boy joined in, pinching Lai Di's cheek with a mischievous grin. "I knew it!" he said. "Lai Di, last night we deliberately 'cleared the area,' and Lu Chen definitely wouldn't have lasted until dawn. Lai Di, tell your sister, isn't Lu Chen amazing? Did he hear you begging for mercy downstairs?"

"Oh my god! You guys are so mean!" Lai Di screamed, her little head slamming onto the table with a thud.

The women burst into a burst of cheerful laughter. In this manor, they had long since reached a delicate balance; their attitude towards Lu Chen's ever-growing "harem" was more one of acceptance and playful banter among sisters.

Finally, Ruan Mei coughed lightly, using her authority as the mistress of the house to stop the women's laughter and commotion. She walked to Lai Di's side, gently patted her back, and turned to the kitchen to instruct, "Mary, serve out that stewed angelica and black chicken soup for Lai Di to replenish her energy. It's her first time, so she's a bit weak. You older sisters should keep your mouth shut."

Lu Chen sat to the side, watching Ruan Mei calmly and methodically handle everything, feeling a sense of relief. He picked up his coffee and took a sip, his gaze sweeping over the stunningly beautiful faces, feeling that this was the ultimate meaning of a man's struggle.

The morning passed in this warm and slightly ambiguous atmosphere. Lu Chen played with the dogs in the garden with the women, and then discussed Garreau's latest design ideas with Laura. In the afternoon, the atmosphere in the manor gradually became more serious.

Today, the Lu Family Manor will welcome two very important guests.

At 2 p.m., several luxury cars with special license plates slowly drove into the manor gate. The lead car, a Rolls-Royce, was the personal vehicle of the shipping magnate, while the red sedan following closely behind was the favorite of tycoon Huo.

Since Lu Chen rose to prominence in Hong Kong and formed a "red alliance" with these two veterans, a tacit understanding has developed among the three. Every one or two months, they would get together, away from the outside world's hustle and bustle, to drink tea, smoke, and chat, deciding on major business moves across Hong Kong and even Southeast Asia in their casual conversations.

Today marks the first gathering of the three since the Lu family manor's renovation was completed. As the shipping magnate and Huo Daheng stepped out of their car, they both nodded slightly in approval upon seeing the magnificent modern Chinese-style manor before them.

"Little Lu, your manor is even more magnificent than my ducal residence!" King Bao laughed heartily as he walked forward, carrying an exquisite sandalwood box.

"Mr. Bao, you flatter me. My taste is that of a nouveau riche, far inferior to your refined taste." Lu Chen quickly stepped forward, his attitude humble, and accepted the gift box with both hands.

Huo Daheng, who was standing to the side, also stepped forward, holding an antique-style scroll in his hand. He said with a smile, "I heard that your garden is in the Chinese style, so I specially sourced an authentic work by Zhang Daqian from the mainland for you, just to bring you good luck."

"Thank you for your kindness, Elder Huo!" Lu Chen felt a warmth in his heart. These two people were not only allies to him, but also like elders mentoring their younger generation.

After exchanging pleasantries, the three walked through a long corridor and arrived at the most private area of ​​the manor—the cigar room.

The decor here is extremely sophisticated, with the walls veneered with top-grade cedar wood, which naturally regulates the temperature and humidity for cigars. Inside, there are thick leather sofas, and in the center is a large black walnut coffee table, on which are placed various cutters and lighters.

Lu Chen personally cut two large Cohiba cigars for the two big shots. As the flame flickered slightly, the rich aroma of tobacco filled the small space.

"call--"

"Xiao Lu, your 'Dragon Soaring' series is all the rage now," Bao Chuanwang exclaimed. "I heard that your sales this week have already earned back half a year's profits for Golden Harvest?"

"Sales are indeed quite good." Lu Chen smiled calmly. "300,000 mobile phones, 230,000 VCDs, and 90,000 computers in the first week. I didn't expect these numbers to be this crazy."

Huo Daheng picked up his teacup, gently blew away the foam, and asked in a somewhat enigmatic tone, "Xiao Lu, tell me honestly, aren't you already the richest man in Hong Kong?"

Lu Chen was slightly taken aback, then chuckled: "It's just an empty title. The two elders are the true pillars of Hong Kong."

"Hey, this isn't just empty fame." The shipping magnate waved his hand, his expression becoming serious. "Your Luk Bank has been delisted, and Golden Harvest, Dragonair, and ATV are all still unlisted. External valuation agencies can only guess, but we old guys know what's going on. Even by the most conservative estimate, your net worth is now over HK$10 billion. This HK$10 billion isn't a bubble in the stock market; it's real cash flow and factory assets."

The shipping magnate paused, his tone tinged with a wistful sigh of historical change: "The younger generation surpasses the older. I toiled for decades to be called the 'richest Chinese person.' But what about you? Now, when people in Hong Kong mention 'tycoon,' no one adds 'Chinese' before you. You are the undisputed number one in Hong Kong, without any prefix!"

Huo Daheng chimed in, "And this is only because Longteng's production capacity is limited! Otherwise, I reckon your assets would multiply several times over, Xiao Lu. I heard you're making quite a splash at that industrial park in Shenchuan; are you planning to build a Longteng OEM factory there?"

"Yes," Lu Chen readily admitted. "I am very optimistic about the development of the mainland. Shenzhen has land, favorable policies, and a relatively cheap and efficient labor force. As an OEM and assembly center, it is the most perfect base in the world."

Upon hearing the words "optimistic about the mainland," Bao, the shipping magnate, and Huo, the tycoon, exchanged a smile, their eyes revealing a sense of satisfaction.

"We'll also be heading north next month," said the shipping magnate. "Seeing your massive investment, we old folks can't sit still anymore. Investing in the mainland isn't just business; it's also our responsibility as Chinese people."

The three chatted for a while about the situation on the mainland. Suddenly, Lu Chen changed the subject, his tone becoming somewhat mysterious: "Old Bao, Old Huo, since we are allies, I would like to bring you both along if there are any opportunities to make money. The market in Japan is very hot recently, especially the stock market and real estate. I predict that they will show a crazy upward trend in the next few years."

"I've been setting up my business there for a year or two and have made a fortune. If you two are interested, why not allocate some of your spare funds and take a trip there? It's a short-term investment, and I guarantee you can double your money within a year."

The reason why Lu Chen took the initiative to offer to help the two of them make money was not only because he was grateful for the two elders' guidance and help in the early stages and wanted to repay them, but also because of his profound strategic considerations.

Lu Chen knew very well that with the memories of a transmigrator, he could easily seize every opportunity that changed the fate of the world, such as the Plaza Accord, the Gulf War, Black Saturday, and the internet frenzy, to amass wealth beyond measure.

However, doing so is also dangerous.

The world's pie has long been divided up by established conglomerates, especially the top ten conglomerates across the Pacific, each a behemoth capable of swallowing everything. A suddenly rising, underdeveloped company like Golden Harvest International, coupled with the newly formed High Table Group in Europe, can only barely protect itself against these conglomerates; it's utterly insufficient to support his grand ambitions. Therefore, he needs allies.

Moreover, instead of seeking allies, it's better to cultivate them ourselves.

What Lu Chen wants to do is to help shipping magnates, Huo Daheng, and Malaysian Guo Lao, among other Chinese, to grow stronger in the international market and build a truly meaningful "Chinese Alliance"—if a Chinese group is easily suppressed, then a consortium of Chinese groups with ports, banks, industries, energy, and cutting-edge technology is a "red behemoth" capable of engaging in equal dialogue with top conglomerates in the international market.

"Go to Japan to make money?" The shipping magnate's eyes lit up, but he hesitated. "That place is very xenophobic. If our people go there, I'm afraid they won't be able to get in."

Lu Chen simply smiled slightly: "Leave the entry-level stuff to me. Jiahe has already smoothed things over there. You two just need to prepare the funds, and I'll take you to fleece the Japanese."

Upon hearing "scamming the Japanese," Huo Daheng immediately perked up. He slapped his thigh and laughed, "That's great! We can make money and scam those Japanese at the same time—it's practically a meritorious deed! Xiao Lu, what are your plans?"

"Let's make a quick buck." Lu Chen exhaled a puff of smoke, his eyes cold. "Let's make some big moves in the financial sector first. Once we've made enough money, we'll go back to Europe and America and go head-to-head with those international giants."

The shipping magnate and the tycoon Huo exchanged a glance, both seeing the excitement in each other's eyes. Hong Kong Island was ultimately too small; despite their immense wealth and power, they still appeared insignificant on the world stage. Now that Lu Chen was willing to take the lead, what reason did they have not to follow suit?

"Alright! I'm definitely taking this ride!" Bao the Ship King slammed his hand on the table.

"I'll also raise funds. This time, we Chinese businessmen are going to make a splash in Japan!" Huo Daheng agreed.

As the sun set, the lights in the manor gradually came on. After seeing off the two elders, Lu Chen stood on the balcony again, gazing at the star-studded Hong Kong Island.

He knew that a golden age was rushing in at an unprecedented speed. And he would be the one wielding a spear, charging at the forefront—the king of the era.