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

At 6 p.m., the formal birthday dinner began as scheduled.

The grand banquet hall was brightly lit, with several round tables covered with pure white embroidered tablecloths surrounding the stage at the front. On the stage, a small orchestra from a top-notch ensemble was playing elegantly, and the light and melodious waltz flowed gently in the air along with the cheerful laughter of the guests.

Lu Chen sat at the main table, with Ruan Mei beside him, while the birthday boy, Lu Qian, sat happily between his parents. He was wearing a little suit today, looking like a little adult, but his eyes were darting around, looking at this and that, unable to hide his excitement and joy.

ATV's popular host, Lok Wai-ching, served as the emcee for the evening. Dressed in a burgundy evening gown, she delivered a series of witty remarks on stage, teasing the birthday boy and making the ladies in the audience laugh heartily, creating a relaxed and lively atmosphere.

To cater to the tastes of everyone, young and old, tonight's main course is a light Huaiyang dish.

The braised lion's head meatballs are served in a small, exquisite white porcelain bowl, with a clear broth that allows you to see the bottom. The squirrel-shaped mandarin fish is cut with extremely fine lines by the chef, then fried until golden and crispy, with its tail curled up as if about to fly. The Wensi tofu is cut as thin as hair and floats slowly in the rich broth like a scroll painting. The crystal meat is as thin as a cicada's wing and is arranged on an ice plate with a crystal clear appearance.

In addition, there are famous dishes such as braised dried bean curd strips, crab roe soup dumplings, and three-layered duck... Each dish is served with perfect color, aroma, and taste, and even the cold dishes placed on the corner of the table are carved with exquisite flowers.

Just as the banquet atmosphere was getting better, Zhao Mengsheng finally finished his work and arrived late.

"Old Zhao, you've finally arrived!" Lu Chen greeted him with a smile.

"I'm done, I'm done," Zhao Mengsheng said with a smile, "I'm really sorry, something came up at the office."

"Vice President Zhao is really putting on airs these days," Huo Daheng joked with a laugh, raising his glass. "He even dares to be late for the Lu family's eldest son's birthday banquet."

As early as the first half of the year, Lu Chen had formally introduced Zhao Mengsheng to the bigwigs of the Red Alliance. Although they didn't meet privately often, they were already quite familiar with each other, so they joked around without any restraint.

"Mr. Huo is teasing me," Zhao Mengsheng quickly bowed and apologized, saying heartily, "I'll punish myself with a drink, I'll punish myself with a drink!"

"One cup isn't enough, three cups!" Bao Chuanwang chimed in from the side.

"Old Bao, don't bully honest people," Li Shutang said with a chuckle. "Did you know you couldn't outdrink Zhao Sheng at the dinner table later, so you took the opportunity to get him drunk beforehand?"

A burst of hearty laughter erupted from the table, and even little Lu Qian grinned and giggled incessantly.

Zhao Mengsheng went to the prepared seats and toasted everyone one by one before everyone sat down again.

As everyone ate and chatted, they talked about everything from the recent weather to the Hong Kong property market, and then from the property market to the international situation. The topics covered a wide range of topics, and the atmosphere was lively.

……

At exactly seven o'clock, the lights in the banquet hall suddenly went out.

In the darkness, a spotlight shone on the entrance to the banquet hall, where several chefs in white hats carefully pushed a trolley slowly in. On the trolley stood a magnificent six-tiered, dreamlike cake. The cream was snow-white, adorned with bright red strawberries, and a ring of candles adorned the top tier, their light flickering gently in the darkness.

"Wow--"

The guests cheered in unison.

"Now, please welcome my birthday boy, Lu Qian, to blow out the candles!" Le Huizhen announced the program on stage.

Little Lu Qian skipped and hopped forward, stepped onto the small stool that had been prepared, then put his hands together, stood in front of the cake, and closed his eyes.

No one knew what he had promised. The candlelight cast shadows on his small face, and his expression was so serious that it didn't seem like that of a five-year-old.

The next moment, he took a deep breath, puffed out his cheeks, and blew hard forward.

"call--"

The candles went out, the lights came back on, and enthusiastic applause and cheers erupted in the banquet hall. Little Lu Qian stood on a stool, grinning, revealing two tiny, missing front teeth.

However, at the side table right next to the main table, Song Mingxi's mood was far from pleasant.

She sipped her juice through a straw, looking somewhat sullenly at the scene to her left, and unconsciously pouted.

To her left, Ho Chiu-kwan and Lee Fu-chen were chatting happily with their heads down.

Despite being from Macau and South Korea respectively, the two chatted enthusiastically in English the entire time.

The two chatted about everything from current affairs to economics, and from economics to wine tasting, discussing topics like the left and right banks of Bordeaux and single malt whiskies. They talked at length and found themselves getting along very well.

Song Mingxi sat next to him, unable to get a single word in.

She was so frustrated and aggrieved—this afternoon she had patted Lee Boo-jin on the shoulder with great confidence and said, "Come to Hong Kong Island, I'll protect you," but by evening, that brat had turned around and was chatting enthusiastically with her new girlfriends, leaving her standing aside as a background character!

She couldn't help but groan inwardly: You, Lee Boo-jin, are you just going to abandon your Myung-hee unnie like this?!

It's not surprising that Lee Boo-jin is "fickle". The more they talked, the more they found that their family backgrounds, life pressures and even values ​​were very similar. They were like isomorphic beings from different countries.

More importantly, they all seem to have an ambition to not be reduced to mere ornaments or pawns in marriage alliances.

Song Mingxi poked the tender lion's head meatballs on the plate with a small fork, feeling annoyed. Then she looked up at the direction of the living room—the man was chatting and laughing with several old men.

She sighed softly, ultimately swallowing her resentment along with the delicious food.

……

At 8:30 p.m., the warm dinner gradually came to an end.

The guests left the banquet hall one after another, dispersing in twos and threes.

Some people went for a walk in the back garden to digest their food, while others returned to the living room to continue chatting and drinking tea. The younger generation excitedly gathered on the lawn, ready to watch the fireworks show that Lu Chen had specially commissioned for his son.

Lu Chen, along with Zhao Mengsheng and several members of the Red Alliance, quietly withdrew from the boisterous crowd and went to the study on the second floor.

The housekeeper, Mary, brewed a cup of black tea for everyone, then quietly slipped out and closed the door behind her.

Lu Chen sat in the main seat, picked up his teacup, took a sip, and then spoke: "Everyone, things haven't been going too well over there lately."

"Oh? What are these remnants of the Twilight Empire up to now?" Upon hearing this, Zhao Mengsheng put down his teacup, his expression turning serious.

"Yes, I recently heard that the authorities are developing a special plan to grant Japanese citizenship to 50,000 key families on Hong Kong Island."

"Key families?" The ship king frowned slightly.

"In other words, they're targeting all useful talent," Lu Chen sneered, "senior civil servants, medical experts, veteran lawyers, senior engineers, and other elites from all walks of life in Hong Kong. They plan to use citizenship to poach these talents."

"What a bunch of treacherous robbers!" Huo Daheng sneered. "They'll leave, transfer the money, and leave Hong Kong with a mess."

"But I must say, this plan is very effective."

Although Ri Bu Guo is now in its twilight years, its foundation and brand remain, and the identity of Ri Bu Guo is still very attractive to many people on Hong Kong Island. Once the news is released, it will definitely cause a stir.

"Don't worry, everyone. I'll report to the higher-ups immediately and try to make preparations in advance," Zhao Mengsheng's expression turned serious. "If something like this really happens, we will absolutely not sit idly by... for example, we might directly refuse to recognize the validity of these Hong Kong residents' Japanese passports as Hong Kong citizenship."

Lu Chen nodded: "That would be ideal, of course. We will also cooperate, for example, by explaining the pros and cons to the public through the news media."

At this point, Lu Chen's expression turned colder: "Those 'bananas' who are determined to leave, let them go. We can't stop them, and there's no need to. But those who are kept in the dark can't be allowed to continue being deceived. At least they need to know that what Japan gives them isn't free."

Everyone nodded.

"Speaking of the media," the shipping magnate suddenly changed the subject, his face darkening, "there are a few clowns jumping around quite a bit lately."

"Oh?" Lu Chen looked up curiously. "Who were these despicable people who dared to spoil Bao Sheng's enjoyment?"

"Who else could it be? It's just those scoundrels like Situ and Li!" The shipping magnate laughed angrily. "They've been clamoring in various forums lately, demanding direct universal suffrage for the first head of state after the handover, and demanding direct elections for a majority or even all seats in the Legislative Council."

Huo Daheng snorted coldly and said incisively, "It's obvious they're taking money from the Japanese Empire and are just cheering for their own master."

After all, Japan had just withdrawn from Hong Kong at that time, and its influence and relationships were at their strongest. If direct elections were to be launched rashly, those who came to power would definitely be Japan's puppets and spokespeople. The Westerners are simply trying to change the guise of their power while continuing to rule from behind the scenes and control Hong Kong!

"The problem is that these two are still somewhat well-known in Hong Kong," Li Shutang added. "If they really cause trouble, they'll have a certain amount of influence."

Lu Chen had naturally heard of these two people. Not only because they were Legislative Council members, but also because in his previous life, they were notorious cancers who, under the guise of so-called freedom and democracy, engaged in nothing but treasonous acts of selling out the country and wreaking havoc on Hong Kong.

There's not much to say about this kind of person.

Lu Chen picked up his teacup and took a leisurely sip: "In that case, let's ban them."

The study was quiet for a moment, then the group exchanged smiles, and the tense atmosphere instantly dissipated.

"It should have been done long ago!" The shipping magnate slapped his thigh. "I've wanted to teach them a lesson for ages, if it weren't for the interference from the foreign government—"

"What are you afraid of?" Lu Chen said, "I'll take care of it."

Upon hearing this, everyone nodded in agreement.

No one doubts the weight of this statement.

Admittedly, Situ and Li wield considerable influence in Hong Kong, but in front of Lu Chen, they are nothing more than ants trying to stop a chariot.

He holds the economic lifeline of Hong Kong Island in his hands, and he controls the voice of the media. If he were to issue a ban tonight, these two people would be silenced from Hong Kong Island by tomorrow morning.

The lingering aroma of black tea still filled the study, and the group naturally transitioned into some light and pleasant topics, filled with laughter and chatter.

Outside the window, dazzling fireworks burst open, illuminating the night sky above the hillside mansion as bright as day.

On the large lawn below, the cheerful, clear laughter of Lu Qian, Zhao Jiajia, and other children, carried on the gentle night breeze, drifting far, far away into the vast and deep night sky above Victoria Harbour…