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

Early Sunday morning, the Lu family manor was still quiet in the morning light when a series of hurried footsteps suddenly shattered the tranquility.

Little Lu Qian, dressed in a set of armored warrior pajamas, ran to the master bedroom door, stood on tiptoe, and pounded on the door: "Daddy! Mommy! Wake up! Today is my birthday!"

After a while, the door finally opened, and Ruan Mei came out wearing a coat. Before she could even speak, little Lu Qian had already buried his head in her arms and snuggled against her, then giggled and ran away, saying, "I'm going to call Aunt Hu!"

"Qianzai—" Ruan Mei watched her son's small figure disappear around the corner of the corridor, shaking her head with a mixture of amusement and helplessness.

Immediately afterwards, knocking sounds rang out from all over the manor.

Little Lu Qian transformed into a spinning top, knocking on the bedroom doors of each of his aunts, including Ba Wang Hua, Qiu Di, and Ya Zi.

Whenever the door was slightly ajar, the little guy would shout excitedly, "Today is my birthday!" Before his charming aunties could even react, he would have already dashed off to the next room.

He turned the entire manor into chaos, yet it was also filled with a warm and lively atmosphere.

Finally, Xiao Luqian arrived at the dining room, satisfied. He saw Butler Mary directing the servants to set the table and looked up at her, asking, "Aunt Mary, is the big cake ready for tonight?"

Mary crouched down, smiling as she patted his head: "Young master, we're making it now, strawberry flavor, your favorite kind."

"Hmm," Lu Qian nodded like a little adult, "Then ask the chef to add more strawberries."

"Alright, I'll do as the young master says."

"Thank you, Aunt Mary. I'm going to have breakfast now!"

……

Starting in the morning, the manor's enormous banquet hall was gradually transformed into a dream party venue by a professional team.

Balloons were tied into an archway, colorful ribbons hung all over the walls, and a cream-colored tablecloth was laid out on the long table, where fresh flowers and tableware were arranged. Servants moved about among them, preparing everything in an orderly manner.

At noon, Han Xiulan and Zhao Jiajia arrived ahead of time—Lu Qian had specially invited them to come early; as for Zhao Mengsheng, he was still busy at the New X Society and wouldn't have time until the evening.

Jiajia was wearing a floral dress today, and she exclaimed "Wow!" as soon as she entered the banquet hall. Xiao Luqian took her hand and proudly showed her around the entire banquet hall before taking her to lunch.

At the dinner table, the two children sat side by side. Lu Qian put a chicken leg from his bowl into Jiajia's bowl, but Jiajia put it back into her bowl. They pushed it back and forth several times, which made the adults laugh.

After lunch, Xiao Luqian enthusiastically pulled Jiajia to act as his "little helper"—hanging ribbons, arranging desserts, and neatly stacking bags of exquisite gifts for the guests.

To be honest, Lu Qian was quite capable at his work. Although he occasionally made things worse, his earnestness made Ruan Mei smile with tenderness and satisfaction.

At four o'clock in the afternoon, the guests began to arrive.

First, there were several elders of the Red Alliance, including Bao Chuanwang, Li Shutang, and Huo Daheng.

As the old men entered, they saw young Lu Qian standing at the door to greet them. The usually stern old men smiled so broadly that their eyes narrowed into slits. They picked him up one by one, weighed him in their hands, and then each gave him a small gift—one was the key to a Ferrari sports car, another was a winery in Gaul, and yet another was a Parker pen with police-specific features…

Little Lu Qian bowed and thanked them one by one, his little face beaming with a happy smile.

"I'm getting old, I can't carry you anymore." Huo Daheng put him down, patted his head with a smile, and said, "Qianzai, when you grow up you'll have to take over your dad's job."

"Yes!" Xiao Luqian nodded heavily.

After the old gentlemen finished presenting their gifts, they were led by the servants to the cigar room and study to chat.

Following closely behind were senior executives or partners of the Golden Harvest Group, including Cheng Yiyan, Ma Zhihua, and Jiang Tiansheng.

Compared to the unrestrained and casual manner of the old gentlemen, this group of powerful figures from various fields appeared much more polite and reserved. The gifts they presented were all priceless and rare treasures, and they spoke with the utmost respect, bowing before young Lu Qian with smiles that conveyed just the right amount of intimacy and reverence.

After presenting their gifts, they went to the living room, sat down in twos and threes, and chatted about the international situation and the recent developments of Jiahe.

As for the young girls like Song Myung-hee and Lee Boo-jin, or their relatives and friends, they were led to the lawn—where elegant parasols and long white tables had already been set up, where they could sit and enjoy a refined afternoon tea.

Sunlight falls on the lawn, and the fountain's water murmurs softly, creating a scene of tranquil beauty.

On the lawn, Song Mingxi and Li Fuzhen stood facing each other, looking at each other in bewilderment.

"...Myung-hee unnie, you—"

"...Tomijin, you—"

The two spoke at the same time, then froze at the same time. After exchanging a few words, they finally understood that they were both guests invited by the Lu family.

"Oh! So you're Samsung's little princess!" Song Myung-hee exclaimed in surprise after learning Lee Boo-jin's identity, looking her up and down. "No wonder your clothes are always so expensive!"

"Myung-hee unnie, please stop teasing me." Lee Boo-jin gave a wry smile and waved her hand gently. "After finally leaving that suffocating environment in Seoul, in Hong Kong, I still only want to be your Boo-jin sister."

"Alright!" Song Mingxi patted Lee Boo-jin on the shoulder with an air of confidence. "Then come to Hong Kong, I'll protect you!"

Lee Boo-jin smiled, then suddenly remembered something, a mischievous glint in her eyes: "But speaking of which, unnie...didn't you tell me before that you came to Hong Kong 'for love'? You wouldn't be here for—"

Before she finished speaking, she glanced almost imperceptibly toward the living room.

Song Mingxi's face flushed instantly. She followed Li Fuzhen's gaze and looked over—in the living room, the man was sitting on the sofa, chatting and laughing with Cheng Yiyan and the others. Sunlight streamed through the French windows, casting a dazzling halo on him.

She nodded shyly, her voice barely audible: "...Mmm."

Upon receiving an affirmative reply, a complex expression flashed across Lee Boo-jin's face.

Although Lee Kun-hee had never said it outright before, having grown up in this environment, how could she not guess her father's hidden agenda? Sending her to Hong Kong Island was not only to ensure that the Lu family maintained good relations, but he also likely harbored the idea of ​​getting her to form a closer relationship with Lu Chen.

Lee Boo-jin lowered her head, gazing at the clear, fragrant black tea in her cup. She then looked up at Song Myung-hee's shy, lovestruck face beside her, before shaking her head self-deprecatingly, forcibly banishing these complex thoughts from her mind.

She did not reject Lu Chen.

To be fair, Lu Chen is handsome, talented, and capable; any girl would be attracted to him.

But she was holding back a lot of anger.

On what grounds?

Why should girls from the Li family only be able to marry out through political alliances and become pawns on the family's chessboard?

Why should Lee Boo-jin be forced to marry a stranger under her father's arrangement?

She also wanted to try—she wanted to sit on the throne of the three-star clan leader.

……

On the other side, in the living room, the atmosphere was completely different from the leisurely atmosphere on the lawn.

Lu Chen sat in the main seat, with three men standing in front of him—the Jiang brothers, Jiang Tiansheng and Jiang Tianyang, and Big D.

Any one of these three would be a powerful figure in the outside world, with countless henchmen flocking to them. But at this moment, in front of Lu Chen, the three of them were respectful to the point of humility, their backs slightly bent, not daring to breathe loudly.

"Boss," Jiang Tiansheng, as the representative, bowed slightly and reported, "Currently, the underworld of Hong Kong Island is roughly a three-way standoff. Besides Red Star Security and Sun Wo Luen Shing, only the Number Gang still has some strength. As for the others, old-established gangs like Tung Sing are long gone and not worth worrying about."

Upon hearing Jiang Tiansheng refer to Red Star Security instead of Hung Hing, a hint of undisguised envy flashed in Big D's eyes.

After all, under Lu Chen's leadership, Hung Hing has already undergone a complete transformation and is now mainly engaged in gray-market businesses such as property management, security, earthwork, and logistics. Not only have they made a lot of money, but their status has also become more prominent.

Unfortunately, he was a step too late in taking the plunge, but he firmly believed that as long as he worked hard to please Lu Chen from now on, he could also successfully get ashore!

"What's the current situation with Number Gang?" Lu Chen asked, picking up his teacup.

"The organization is in disarray internally, barely managing to get by," Jiang Tiansheng replied respectfully. "The 'Yi' faction's 'Bearded Yong' and the 'Zhongxinyi' faction's 'Lian Haolong' are constantly vying for leadership, and neither can gain the upper hand. If things continue like this, they'll inevitably split up sooner or later."

Lu Chen nodded, his gaze sweeping across the three faces: "There are still nine years until the handover. During this time, Hong Kong cannot afford any security problems—especially in the underground sector. Do you understand what I mean?"

"Understood!" The three nodded in unison, their expressions serious.

Just then, Lu Chen's phone rang.

He glanced at the caller ID, stood up, and said, "I'll go to the door to greet a guest. You can make yourselves at home."

"Take care, boss." The three quickly stood up and bowed to see him off.

Lu Chen had barely stepped out of the living room when Xiao Lu Qian ran in with Zhao Jiajia—of course, Kele and Xuebi were still on either side of them, following behind like two little guards.

He saw Big D in the living room, stopped curiously, and blinked his big eyes: "Uncle Big D, where's my dad?"

Upon hearing the question, Big D, who was arrogant and domineering outside and even dared to confront the police, immediately put on a smile, bent down, and softened his voice: "Young Master, your father has gone to the door to greet the guests and will be back in a little while."

"Oh, thank you, Uncle D," Xiao Luqian nodded, taking Zhao Jiajia's hand. "Come on, I'll take you to see Hongyu! It hasn't eaten any sweet carrots yet!"

The two children dashed off to the backyard, with Cola and Sprite following happily, wagging their tails.

……

On the lawn, Lee Boo-jin and Song Myung-hee were each lost in their own thoughts.

Suddenly, footsteps came from the direction of the covered walkway. The two subconsciously looked up and saw Lu Chen walking towards them from the direction of the main building, accompanied by a woman.

The woman was in her early twenties, wearing a well-tailored white blazer, with shoulder-length short hair, delicate features, and a calm demeanor that belied her age.

She followed behind Lu Chen with a composed pace, her gaze sweeping over the crowd on the lawn with a hint of scrutiny.

Lu Chen led her to Song Mingxi and Li Fuzhen and introduced them in English: "This is He Chaoqiong, the daughter of the gambling king He. She's about your age, and I thought you young people would get along well, so I'm introducing you."

In an instant, Song Mingxi's inner radar went off!

She stared at He Chaoqiong—her delicate features, composed demeanor, and those unwavering eyes… She couldn’t explain why, but her intuition told her that this woman was likely her rival in love!

But when Lee Boo-jin looked at Ho Chiu-lung, a different feeling arose in her heart.

She couldn't quite put her finger on it, but she had a strange intuition—this woman was the same kind of person as herself.

They are the kind of people who are unwilling to be forced into marriage or to be arranged for...