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

January 1, 1988, New Year's Day.

The mornings in Kwun Tong are much noisier than those on Victoria Peak.

The Ho family's hardware store is located on the corner of an old street. It is a two-story building with shops on the ground floor and living quarters on the upper floor, which is very characteristic of Hong Kong Island.

Because it was New Year's Day, few shops were open on the street, and the metal roller shutter door of the hardware store was only half-closed, revealing the dark shelves inside. Screws, hinges, pipe fittings, and various bottles and jars were piled up haphazardly on the shelves, all of them inconspicuous, cheap little items for sale.

The He family did the same thing this year for New Year's Day.

Early in the morning, He's mother was in the kitchen preparing ingredients for stewed pot dishes, while He's father was downstairs checking the shop's miscellaneous accounts. Meanwhile, He Wen was curled up in his small room upstairs, typing away at his computer.

Just then, a deep car engine sound came from the narrow alleyway downstairs, followed by a knock on the downstairs roller shutter door.

The knocking sound was neither like a customer buying something nor like friends and relatives visiting, but rather a very urgent knocking sound, filled with trepidation—afraid that if it was too loud, it would startle the people inside, and also afraid that if it was too soft, they wouldn't hear it.

He Wen paused slightly on the keyboard, his brows furrowed, and he got up to go downstairs.

He froze as the roller shutter creaked open and was pulled up.

Two people were standing at the door. The middle-aged man in front had his hair neatly combed and a forced, ingratiating smile on his face.

Behind him was Li Jiameng, who was wearing an extremely understated ordinary jacket today. His hair was cut short, and his face was full of ingratiation and guilt. He was carrying large and small bags with the dazzling gold-plated logo of Chow Tai Fook on them.

Upon seeing these two faces, He Wen's expression instantly turned cold, and he tried to pull the door shut again.

"Mr. He! Mr. He!" Li Tiangui reacted quickly, grabbing the doorframe. "Please don't close the door! I am Li Jiameng's father, Li Tiangui. I've come today to sincerely apologize! Please give my son and me a chance, just one chance!"

He Wen's hand was still on the doorknob, his tone cold: "I don't think there's anything between us."

"Mr. He, please!" Li Tiangui's voice was already trembling with tears. "You can hit me, you can scold me, just please give us a chance to speak! Don't worry, we wouldn't dare cause you or your family any trouble during the New Year. I promise I will give you a satisfactory answer!"

Just as the two sides were at an impasse, He's mother also heard the arguing and came downstairs, wiping the water stains off her clothes: "Awen, who is it?"

"..." He Wen opened her mouth, but before she could answer, Li Tiangui rushed in and called out, "Hello, Mrs. He, my name is Li Tiangui. My son did something wrong to Awen before, and we've come here today specifically to apologize! Please let us in to talk!"

Mr. He, who was downstairs checking the goods, also came out, holding a wrench in his hand. Hearing the other party's shout, his brows immediately furrowed.

Although He Wen had not told his parents about being framed and harmed by his business partner in order not to worry them, the elderly couple had already noticed their son's unusual behavior and depression.

"Ah Wen," Mr. He gripped the wrench tightly, his voice low and serious, "what do you intend to do?"

He Wenzhan remained silent for a long time: "Dad, let them come up. We can't let them keep wailing at the entrance of the old street and become a laughing stock among the neighbors."

"That makes sense. Then come in." Father He nodded coldly, uttered a few words, and turned to walk into the house.

Li Tiangui felt as if he had been granted a pardon and hurriedly bowed and scraped as he entered the door. Li Jiameng followed behind him, carrying large and small bags, barely daring to take big steps.

……

The He family's living room was already cramped, and with five people crowding in, it instantly felt even more cramped.

Mrs. He moved the vegetable basket aside and went to boil water to make tea. He Wen's father sat down on the sofa opposite them, silent and warily observing the two uninvited guests.

Li Tiangui placed Zhou Dafu's bag on the coffee table, then took the bottles of wine from Li Jiameng and arranged them neatly in a row.

Then, he rubbed his hands together, a smile plastered on his face: "Mr. He, Mrs. He, this is just a small token of my respect. That foolish thing I did before was all because that beast Ameng was blinded by greed... Of course, it was also because I, as his father, failed to raise him properly! That's why I brought him here today, hoping to obtain Mr. He Wen's forgiveness."

After saying that, he turned his head and winked at Li Jiameng.

Li Jiameng immediately understood and knelt down on the living room floor with a thud.

Mrs. He was startled and almost dropped the teapot she was holding. He Wen's father also frowned: "What are you doing? Get up and talk—"

"I'm sorry!" Li Jiameng's voice trembled with tears, her head bowed low. "Mr. He, I'm so sorry! I was blinded by greed and did something so beastly! I'm a bastard, I'm not human!"

Before he finished speaking, he raised his hands and slapped himself across the face repeatedly!

The slaps were delivered with exceptional force, the crisp, loud sounds echoing instantly in the small living room. Soon after, blood began to seep from the corner of Li Jiameng's mouth.

Standing to the side, Mrs. He's eyelids twitched. Although Mr. He did not say a word, the anger that had been surging in his eyes unconsciously subsided a bit.

Only He Wen leaned against the door frame, looking at Li Jiameng kneeling on the ground, a hint of mockery flashing across his face.

He knew very well that if his cousin-in-law hadn't been Lu Chen, the Li family father and son wouldn't have been kneeling here at all—they wouldn't have even answered his calls, let alone knelt.

Just two weeks ago, Li Jiameng was sitting on the sofa in Aihua Pavilion, holding a glass of red wine, mocking him, "Blame it on your own stupidity." The only reason he suddenly had a change of heart now was because he learned about his relationship with the Lu family.

After saying that, Li Tiangui pulled out a tough bamboo whip that he had prepared beforehand from his pocket and fiercely lashed it down on Li Jiameng's back!

"Snapped!"

Li Jiameng was slapped so hard he stumbled forward, his shoulder trembling.

"You beast! I'll teach you to cheat people! I'll teach you to steal people's things!" Li Tiangui cursed as he whipped the bamboo whip, the whip striking the clothes with a dull thud. "When has our Li family ever done anything so despicable! If I don't teach you a lesson today, you'll cause trouble again!"

"Dad! Dad! I was wrong!" Li Jiameng lay on the ground, clutching his head, his voice trembling with tears. "I'll never do it again! Mr. He, please say a word for me—"

Standing to the side, He's mother's lips moved, wanting to offer advice but not wanting to speak. He Wen's father's expression was also somewhat complicated—the father and son had knelt, sobbed, and cried as soon as they entered the door, putting on such a grand show that it was hard to tell whether it was a genuine expression of emotion or a self-inflicted injury.

Li Tiangui took seven or eight drags, panting heavily, and stopped. He turned around and bowed deeply to He Wen's father and mother: "Boss He, Mother He, I, Li Tiangui, have been in Hong Kong for decades, and today this beast has utterly disgraced me. But he is still my son, and I, Li Tiangui, acknowledge his wrongdoing. Whatever compensation he wants, I will pay it even if it means selling everything I own."

He paused, his voice choked with emotion: "I only beg Mr. He to have mercy and spare my son's life."

Although Mrs. He didn't know what method her son had used to make these two rich people so afraid, she was already starting to soften her heart.

She glanced at He Wen, her lips moved, but she ultimately didn't say anything.

She knew she didn't understand these things, but she knew that whether or not to forgive her son after he had been wronged was a decision for him to make.

Father He was the same. He put his hands behind his back, looked at his son, then at Li Jiameng kneeling on the ground and Li Tiangui standing, and slowly said, "Awen has always been a man of his own mind. Whether he acknowledges you or not after being wronged is up to him. We will not make that decision for him."

These words, spoken casually, actually pushed the decision-making power entirely to He Wen.

Li Tiangui's eyes flickered, and he turned to look at He Wen, his face becoming even more ingratiating: "Mr. He, what do you think—"

He Wen didn't answer immediately. He stood in the living room, looking at Li Jiameng kneeling on the ground, and at the row of wines and Chow Tai Fook gold jewelry on the coffee table, for a long time.

Given his usual temperament, he would never forgive.

That was the code he wrote after countless sleepless nights, the website he built bit by bit, and what happened? He was tricked and lured away, kicked out of the company, and thrown out of his apartment.

Those unforgettable humiliations cannot be erased by a few bottles of wine, a few pieces of gold jewelry, or a few beatings.

But he also understood that he had solved this problem because of Mr. Lu's background, so what he needed to do now was not just to vent his anger—he needed to figure out how to handle this matter in a way that would have the best effect on the Lu family.

"Please sit down first," He Wen said, taking out his phone and walking into the room. "I'm going to make a call."

Li Tiangui was taken aback, but immediately understood and nodded hurriedly, "Please, please!"

……

He Wen returned to his bedroom and dialed his cousin's number.

"Happy New Year, sister! How's everything at home? Is your husband home?"

"Happy New Year," He Min's voice was cheerful. "Everyone's here for New Year's Day. What's up, Wen? Did the Li family come to see you?"

"Hmm," He Wen leaned against the window, lowering his voice to recount what had just happened, "The father and son came over early this morning, they knelt down, they whipped me, they brought things. Sister, I want to ask... what does brother-in-law mean?"

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone, then He Min's voice came through: "Wait a minute, let me ask him."

He Min put down the phone, just as Lu Chen came out of the study and sat on the sofa. While listening to He Min recount what had happened, he fed Lu Qian, who was sitting on the carpet, piece by piece of the cut apple.

Not far away, Gemma was in her walker, circling around her brother, with Cola and Sprite on either side of her.

"...So, Ah Chen," He Min sat down beside him, lowering her voice, "what do you mean by this?"

Seeing Lu Qian wave his hand to indicate that he couldn't eat anymore, Lu Chen tossed the last piece of apple to Kele, then patted the juice off his hands: "It was just to let Awen vent his anger. He was wronged, so let him decide how to handle it. I don't have any instructions."

"What if he forgives the Li family?"

"Forgive me if you will," Lu Chen said, wiping his hands with a towel. "The Li family's things aren't worth my time anyway."

That's a bit of a Versailles analogy, but it's certainly true for Lu Chen. The size of Li Tiangui's company isn't even enough to cover a single day's profit for his subsidiary, Longteng Technology.

He Min smiled knowingly, picked up the phone, and relayed Lu Chen's words to He Wen verbatim.

……

He Wen held his phone, stood by the window, and remained silent for a long time.

Outside the window, at the corner of Kwun Tong Old Street, someone was setting off firecrackers—the crackling sound drifted up on the wind, mixed with the aroma of stir-fried dishes and children's laughter.

He thought about it for a long time.

Then, he took a deep breath and walked back to the living room.

Li Tiangui and Li Jiameng were still sitting there. When they saw him come out, the father and son stood up at the same time, bending down even lower than before.

"Mr. He—" Li Tiangui cautiously observed his expression.

"I can let it go," He Wen said.

Li Tiangui's eyes suddenly lit up.

"However, there are two conditions," He Wen held up one finger. "First, I only want the 51% of Hong Kong Island Online shares that originally belonged to me. As for the remaining 49%, you have Li Jiameng draft a new agreement to give it away to my cousin He Min free of charge."

Li Tiangui was stunned for a moment, and Li Jiameng looked even more incredulous.

Forty-nine percent. Citibank is valued at twelve million, so forty-nine percent is worth over five million. He Wen doesn't want it, but instead gives it to his cousin?

Li Tiangui, being a seasoned veteran, quickly recovered from his initial shock. He gave He Wen a deep look—this young man was no ordinary person.

After this battle, He Wen has matured a lot.

When he was working on a portal website, he naively thought that as long as he had strong technical skills, he could make a living based on his abilities. But now he understands that in this world, ability alone is not enough.

Why did Li Jiameng dare to cheat him? Because he had no powerful backing. Why was he able to turn the tables now? Because his cousin-in-law is Lu Chen.

Favors will eventually run out, but the bonds of mutual benefit will only grow stronger. By giving the shares to his cousin, he was both expressing his gratitude and also binding himself even closer to the Lu family.

My cousin and brother-in-law may not care about such a small amount of money, but the Lu family will remember their thoughtfulness and gratitude.

"Second," He Wen raised his second finger and looked at Li Jiameng, "you must publish a public apology in the newspaper, clarifying who actually did the Hong Kong Island Online project."

Li Jiameng's expression changed.

Publicly apologize? How will he ever be able to work in the industry again? Hong Kong Island isn't that big, but it's not that small either. Once the newspapers publish it, everyone will know that he's a clown who set up his partner and got himself killed.

He opened his mouth as if to say something, but was silenced by a glare from Li Tiangui.

"No problem!" Li Tiangui blurted out. "Of course! Of course! Amon, did you hear me? Get it done first thing tomorrow morning! Make it the biggest headline!"

"...Yes." Li Jiameng lowered his head, his voice muffled.

However, Li Tiangui breathed a huge sigh of relief.

He had already prepared himself for the Lu family to uproot him and wipe out his entire fortune. Compared to the confiscation of his property and extermination of his clan, these two conditions were incredibly lenient. What did face matter? Saving his life and his family's wealth was more important than anything else.

He Wen looked at the father and son and nodded: "Then that's settled. Today is New Year's Day, and our family is preparing to have our New Year's dinner. Please go back."

"Yes, yes, yes, we'll be going right now!" Li Tiangui bowed repeatedly, pulling Li Jiameng towards the door. At the door, he turned back, a smile plastered on his face. "Mr. He, rest assured, I'll have the shareholding arrangements taken care of today, and the newspaper announcement will be finalized tomorrow! If you need anything in the future, just let me know!"

He Wen didn't speak, he just nodded.

The Li father and son bowed and scraped as they left the room, their footsteps echoing down the stairs and disappearing into the hustle and bustle of the old street below.

He Wen stood at the door, watching their figures disappear, and then closed the door.

"Ah Wen," Mrs. He peeked out from the kitchen and asked tentatively, "Those two people...are they really gone?"

"Okay, I'm leaving." He Wen turned around, a long-lost, relieved, bright smile finally blooming on his cold face. "Mom, is the abalone in the stew ready? Do you want me to help you?"

"No need, no need," Mrs. He waved her hand with a smile. "I'm almost done. There are still some goose feet you like to eat. Go ahead and get to work. I'll call you when you're done."

"That's great! I've been craving your cooking, Mom."

He Wen smiled and responded with a couple of words, then went back to his room and sat down at his computer again.

On the screen was the code he had only half-written—the project framework for Dragon Search. He glanced at it, then looked out the window.

The sound of firecrackers from the old street downstairs grew even louder, mingled with the laughter of children. In the new year, the sky over Hong Kong Island was a deep, clear blue.

He smiled slightly, lowered his head again, and began typing on the keyboard once more.