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

Inside the souvenir shop, as the glass doors slammed shut, the room fell into an eerie silence. Only countless plush toys and dolphin figurines remained hanging on the shelves, their beady black eyes innocently gazing at the mess on the floor.

Besides the mother and daughter who were abducted, there were three other citizens in the store who hadn't managed to escape: a female clerk in her early twenties, squatting behind the cashier, pale with fright, too scared to even cry out; and a young couple, the boy shielding the girl behind him, the two huddled in a corner, trembling with fear.

Roman ignored them for the time being, walked to the shelf, pulled out a roll of sealing tape, grabbed a dolphin plush toy, tore open its belly, took out the white cotton wool inside, and quickly walked to Calvi's side.

Calvi slumped against the wall. He had just been shot in the right arm, and his sleeve was now soaked in blood. His face was pale, and his forehead was covered in a thick layer of cold sweat.

Roman squatted down and forcefully stuffed cotton into the wound, then tightly wrapped it with tape, layer upon layer.

Calvi gasped in pain, but gritted his teeth and didn't cry out.

"Just bear with it," Roman said. "We'll be fine once the helicopter arrives."

Calvi looked at him, a bitter smile tugging at the corners of his mouth: "Boss,... are we... really still able to get out?"

"Don't overthink it," Roman ripped the tape off and patted him on the shoulder. "We still have hostages in our hands; they won't dare disobey us."

Calvi didn't respond; he knew Roman was just trying to comfort him.

As a fugitive who walked the line between darkness and crime, he knew this situation all too well. Cases of escaping from a police encirclement were extremely rare worldwide, and every single one involved meticulous planning and coordinated attacks from within and without.

For people like them, trapped in an unfamiliar environment with no way out, the probability of escaping is almost zero.

But he didn't actually utter those discouraging words, because the most important thing right now was to stabilize morale.

Roman's words were addressed not only to him, but also to everyone in the room—including the five hostages.

"Keep an eye on them." Roman pointed to the hostages huddled in the corner, put his Uzi submachine gun on the table, sat down against the wall, and closed his eyes to rest.

……

Meanwhile, outside the store, there was a police cordon 200 meters away.

Three black armored vehicles silently slid to the outside of the blockade line. The doors opened, and thirty-six heavily armed team members dressed in black tactical combat uniforms filed out, their movements as synchronized as a single machine.

Leading the team were the top fighters of Jiahe Security – the Tian Yangyi and Tian Yangyong brothers.

Just as the two were about to cross the cordon and take over the battlefield from the police, a green police armored vehicle suddenly roared up and screeched to a halt on the side of the road.

The Flying Tigers have also arrived.

The team leader was a man in his early thirties wearing a black tactical uniform and a headset. He had a regular face, but there was a restless look in his eyes.

Stephen Chow spotted the group of Jiahe elites dressed in black from afar, raised an eyebrow, and swaggered over to greet them.

"Hey, hey, hey, everyone," Zhou Xingxing pointed to the cordon, "This is our case. What are you... um, security company guys doing here?"

Tian Yangyong glared at him and said in a gruff voice, "Security company?"

"That's right, now that the Flying Tigers are here, let's leave the professional work to us professionals!" Stephen Chow said confidently.

"You think you're a professional?" Tian Yangyong scoffed. "If your police force were truly professional, you wouldn't have let these bastards escape to Ocean Park!"

Stephen Chow was taken aback, then said stiffly, "Everyone makes mistakes. I'm here to clean up the mess."

"Stop talking nonsense!" Tian Yangyong stepped forward, staring down at him intently. "Our Madam and Young Master are trapped inside too! If even a hair on their head falls here, can your Flying Tigers afford to compensate us?!"

"?!" Upon hearing Tian Yangyong's words, Zhou Xingxing's pupils suddenly contracted.

There is only one family in Hong Kong Island and even the world that can be addressed as "Madam" and "Young Master" by Jiahe Security – the Lu family of Jiahe!

However, Stephen Chow also knew that the police force had already lost face by handling the case poorly and causing such a mess. If they were to hand over law enforcement power to Golden Harvest Security at this point, they would truly become a laughing stock.

"Hey, that's not right," Zhou Xingxing took a deep breath, and instantly forced a warm smile onto his face. "Aren't your wife and son also citizens of Hong Kong Island? Protecting the citizens of Hong Kong Island is the duty of our Flying Tigers! Don't worry, we will definitely rescue Mrs. Luk and Mr. Luk safely."

"No need, Inspector Zhou," Tian Yangyi said coldly, his tone calm and unwavering. "We, the people of Jiahe, will rescue them ourselves. There's no need to trouble the Flying Tigers brothers."

"You guys are coming?" Stephen Chow curled his lip. "It's no wonder, they have heavy firepower."

"Heavy firepower?" Tian Yangyong scoffed. "Acting like nobody else has any."

After saying that, he gestured with his chin to his men behind him. The elite members of Jiahe Security immediately and nimbly opened the trunk of the armored vehicle and dragged out several heavy metal boxes with a loud bang. The lids were lifted to reveal the dark gun barrels inside.

Stephen Chow's expression froze for a moment: "...Are you... smuggling weapons?"

"A full set of special firearms licenses," Tian Yangyong grinned, revealing a set of gleaming white teeth, "completely compliant and legal, thank you."

"Any other questions, Zhou sir? If not, could you please step aside? We need to get started."

"You!" Zhou Xingxing was shoved aside by Tian Yangyi, and he jumped up and down in anger. "I, Zhou Xingxing, have been a policeman for over ten years, and I've never heard of handing over an operation to a bunch of security guards. If word gets out, where will I put my face?"

"Put it wherever you want, we at Jiahe don't accept it anyway," Tian Yangyong retorted without turning his head.

"Throw away—"

"Zhou Sir!"

Just as Zhou Xingxing was about to have another outburst, Tian Yangyi coldly interrupted him.

He took out his phone, dialed a number, and then handed the phone to Yu Suqiu, the South District Director who had been silent the whole time.

The other person took the phone with some doubt, glanced at the caller ID, and immediately changed their expression. After answering, they held the phone to their ear and said, "Sir, this is Yu Suqiu."

A calm and authoritative voice came from the other end of the phone: "Hello, Madam Yu, this is Li Shutang."

"Director!"

"From now on, the Huangzhukeng case will be led by Jiahe Security, with the Flying Tigers providing full cooperation. Do you understand?"

"Yes, sir!" Yu Suqiu answered loudly, standing at attention.

She then handed the phone back to Tin Yeung Yi and turned to look at the bewildered Chow Sing Sing: "Inspector Lee has instructed that the operation be led by Golden Harvest Security, with the Flying Tigers providing full support."

"What?! Did he get it backwards?!" Zhou Xingxing's eyes widened. "Li Sir? Chief! Chief! Hello! Hello!"

However, the call had already ended, and all that could be heard from the receiver was a busy tone.

"Zhou sir," Yu Suqiu said expressionlessly, "this is an order."

"..." Zhou Xingxing opened his mouth, but couldn't say anything for a long time.

Just then, the Interpol officer in charge at the scene also answered a phone call. After listening for a few moments, his expression changed, and he nodded repeatedly, "Yes, yes, I understand."

After hanging up the phone, he looked at Zhou Xingxing with a wry smile: "Zhou sir, Qiu sir just spoke up too, demanding that we follow Jiahe Security's orders completely."

Stephen Chow's face turned completely green.

"I've been a policeman for so many years," he sighed, looking up at the sky, "and this is the first time I've seen a bodyguard company riding on the backs of the police and directing a case! Just how powerful are you, Jiahe Security? How come you have people everywhere?"

"A wise man submits to circumstances, Inspector Chow." Tin Yeung-yung patted him on the shoulder, grinning and revealing a set of white teeth.

"Hmph," Zhou Xingxing shook off his hand, "Don't be too happy yet. I hope you guys don't mess things up later, or we Flying Tigers will have to clean up your mess!"

Tian Yangyi, too lazy to deal with these two clowns, turned to look in the direction of the souvenir shop, a chilling glint flashing in his eyes: "The Ocean Restaurant is too close to the shop. To ensure the safety of Madam and Young Master to the greatest extent, let's take care of those four thugs first."

"Alpha Squad, come with me to reinforce the protection of Madam and Young Master." Tian Yangyi paused, then turned to Tian Yangyong, "Yong, you take Beta Squad and go in to take care of them all."

"No problem," Tian Yangyong stretched his thick neck, his spine making a crisp cracking sound. "Third Brother, don't worry, I guarantee zero mistakes and zero casualties."

As for the Flying Tigers—Zhou Xingxing gritted his teeth and accepted the sniper position.

"Okay," he set up his sniper rifle, glanced at the shop window through the scope, and said, "You guys take the lead, I'll take the aim. Just make sure you don't get in my line of fire."

……

Inside the shop, Roman and his companions were taking the time to rest and recuperate.

Calvi leaned against the wall, his face deathly pale, blood seeping from his right arm staining the cotton a dark red. Ivan sat casually beside the shipping container, silently wiping the barrel of his gun. Nov stood guard by the window, watching warily outside through the gap in the curtains.

Just then—

Suddenly, the deafening roar of a helicopter rotor echoed through the open sky outside.

The sound grew louder and louder as it approached.

"A helicopter!" Nov turned around abruptly, his face lighting up with elation. "Boss! The helicopter's here!"

Roman, of course, heard it too. He stood up, a rare hint of relief on his face: "Looks like they've backed down and are getting ready to leave—"

"Wait!" Calvi leaned against the wall to stand up, staggered to the window, pried open the blinds, and looked outside.

In an instant, the ecstasy on his face froze completely.

That wasn't a civilian helicopter meant for their escape; it was an armed helicopter.

The aircraft was painted with the logo of Jiahe Security, and the cabin door was wide open, revealing a dark gun barrel.

"It's the police! It's a Flying Tigers helicopter—" Calvi's shout had barely left his mouth—

boom!

A gunshot rang out.

Filled with resentment and anger, Stephen Chow steadily pulled the trigger from a distance of two hundred meters.

The bullet pierced through the gap in the blinds and precisely entered Calvi's temple.

Calvi's eyes were still open. He swayed, then fell straight to the ground like a felled tree.

"Calvi!"

Roman's expression changed drastically, and he suddenly reached out to grab the mother holding her child in the corner.

In his view, as long as there are hostages, there is still room for negotiation.

However, just as his fingers were about to touch the hem of his mother's clothes—

"boom!"

The roof ceiling was forcibly blasted open and blown away by a tremendous force, and several black tactical figures descended from the sky like ghosts.

"Splash!"

Almost at the same time, the glass windows were also smashed, and more than a dozen dark objects rolled in through the windows.

Instant Flashbang!

The next second, blinding light illuminated the entire store in a pure white light, accompanied by a pungent odor that quickly spread.

Roman felt everything go black, his stomach churned, and a wave of intense dizziness and nausea surged up. His knees buckled, and he collapsed to his knees, the submachine gun in his hand clattering to the ground.

"Cough cough cough... Ugh—"

He lay on the ground, retching violently, too weak to even lift his head.

Wearing gas masks, the Jiahe security guards stormed in simultaneously through the windows and skylights, their movements swift and clean. Someone kicked away the gun in front of Roman, while others pinned Ivan and Nov to the ground, their handcuffs snapping shut with a few quick, forceful clicks.

Tian Yangyong was the last to enter through the main entrance.

He kicked away the plush toy on the ground, walked up to Roman, squatted down, and looked at Roman, who was curled up on the ground and vomiting everywhere.

"Europeans," Tianyang Yong grinned, "the game is over."

Roman struggled to lift his head, his face covered in tears and vomit, his eyes filled with resentment, but he couldn't utter a single word.

"take away!"

……

On the other side, in an ocean-themed restaurant.

Tian Yangyi led eighteen tactical elites to the scene swiftly, silently filling in and reinforcing the original security perimeter. Then, he stood by the window, gazing calmly through the glass towards the souvenir shop.

Behind him, Ruan Mei and the other three sat comfortably in the safest, most secluded corner. Little Lu Qian nestled obediently in his mother's arms, while Jiajia gripped Lu Qian's hands tightly, her little face tense, as if she too knew something was wrong.

"Third Brother," Tian Yang'en asked in a low voice, "how's the situation over there?"

"Relax, with Ah Yong taking action, things should go smoothly."

Just then, Tian Yangyong's voice came through the walkie-talkie, brimming with undisguised smugness: "Third Brother, it's done! One man killed, and the Madam—"

"Madam is alright here," Tian Yangyi interrupted him, his voice finally softening. "Thank you for your hard work."

Tian Yangyi put away the communicator, turned around, and respectfully bowed slightly to Ruan Mei, who was sitting in a chair: "Madam, the danger has been completely eliminated."

Ruan Mei looked at him, opened her mouth, but ultimately only whispered, "Thank you."

"Please don't say that, it's our duty."

After all, Lu Chen was not only their mentor and benefactor, but their fate was also closely tied to the Lu family, so they naturally had to protect the Lu family at all costs.

After resting for a while, Ruan Mei and the other three walked out of the restaurant under the escort of bodyguards.

At the souvenir shop, most of the police tape had been removed, and the rescued hostages were being helped out one by one by police officers.

At the entrance, Uncle Li, the Lu family's doctor, arrived. He carried a silver-gray medical kit and, despite being sixty years old, walked with a brisk pace.

He quickly gave Ruan Mei and the other three a preliminary check-up. Fortunately, apart from Han Xiulan and Jiajia being a little frightened and unsettled, none of them were seriously injured.

"Don't worry, Madam, she's just been frightened. She'll be fine after a couple of days of rest." Uncle Li put away his stethoscope. "But just to be on the safe side, it's still best to go to the hospital for a thorough check-up, just to put your mind at ease."

Ruan Mei nodded, about to speak—

"Mom," Lu Qian suddenly tugged at her sleeve and pointed to a spot not far away, "that auntie seems to be feeling unwell."

Ruan Mei looked in the direction he was pointing.

Not far away, the young mother who had been kidnapped lay on the ground, her face pale.

Her four-year-old daughter squatted beside her, shaking her mother's arm vigorously, her voice trembling with tears: "Mommy! Mommy, wake up!"

But the mother remained lying on the ground, motionless and unresponsive.

Little Lu Qian looked up at Ruan Mei and asked, "Mom, could Uncle Li help me take a look?"

Ruan Mei followed his gaze and said without hesitation, "Uncle Li, thank you for your help."

"Yes, Madam, I'll go take a look." Uncle Li picked up his medical kit and walked over quickly.

He knelt down, opened the mother's eyelids, and listened to her pulse. His face darkened: "Heartbeat irregularity! Quick! She's about to give up!"

It's likely that she already had a heart condition, and the sudden, continuous stimulation caused the problem.

Without a second thought, he yanked open the medicine box and pulled out a portable defibrillator—an AED—from the bottom. As the Lu family's private doctor, he had carried this machine with him for three years, and today was the first time he had actually used it.

"Get out of the way!" Uncle Li shouted in a deep voice, tearing open the mother's collar and attaching the electrode pads.

As he spoke, he opened the medical kit and took out a portable AED: "Luckily, I have this with me."

"Scatter! Everyone scatter!" he shouted to the crowd as he attached electrodes to the mother. "Give her some space!"

"Beep—" The machine emitted a long beep.

An electric current shot through her chest cavity, and the mother's body jolted violently.

Once, twice.

"He has a heartbeat again." Uncle Li let out a long breath. "His life has been saved."

Xiao Luqian walked over at some point and squatted down next to the little girl.

"Don't be afraid," he whispered, "your mother is alright."

The little girl, her face covered in tears, looked up at him.

"Want some chocolate?" Xiao Luqian took a piece of chocolate out of his pocket, unwrapped it, and handed it to her: "Eating something sweet will make you less scared."

The little girl stared at him blankly, took the chocolate and put it in her mouth. Tears were still on her face, but she slowly stopped crying.

Just then, the police ambulance arrived. Yu Suqiu quickly asked the ambulance to take the hostage to the hospital. The hostage had been rescued safely, and she couldn't let him die at a time like this.

However, faced with Su Qiu's instructions, the paramedics looked at the traffic outside and felt somewhat troubled.

"Sir, it's rush hour now. Given the current traffic conditions, it will take at least forty minutes to get to the hospital."

Ruan Mei, who was standing next to him, thought for a moment and looked at Tian Yangyi: "Yangyi, let's use our helicopter to take them there. It's also a good opportunity for us to go to the hospital for a check-up."

"Yes, madam."

So, the group boarded Jiahe Security's helicopter and flew directly to Hong Kong Sanatorium & Hospital.

Inside the cabin, the little girl who had come with them grabbed Lu Qian's hand tightly as soon as they boarded the plane and refused to let go.

She was probably terrified and regarded the brother who gave her chocolate as her only support.

"Brother..." she called out softly, tilting her head back.

Jiajia, sitting beside her, pouted and asked, "Brother Qian, why is she holding onto you so tightly?"

"She's scared," Xiao Luqian said.

"I'm scared too!" Jiajia puffed out her chest. "I want to grab it too!"

"Okay, then you hold this side." Xiao Luqian stretched out his other hand to her.

Two little girls, each holding one of his hands. Han Xiulan, watching from the side, couldn't help but laugh out loud; the fear in her heart finally vanished, and Ruan Mei also smiled.

The helicopter took off, flew over Hong Kong Island at dusk, and landed at the Hong Kong Sanatorium & Hospital.

……

Hong Kong Sanatorium & Hospital.

Since the Lu family also holds a small stake in the hospital, the vice president arrived with his team as soon as they got off the plane, without Ruan Mei even having to give any instructions, and gave them the highest level of hospitality.

After a thorough examination, Ruan Mei and the other three were found to be unharmed. The young mother, thanks to Uncle Li's emergency treatment and the timely arrival of the helicopter, is now out of danger and has been moved to the intensive care unit for observation.

Just as Ruan Mei had Tian Yang'en settle the other party in, an elderly man with gray hair rushed over. He was wearing an old-fashioned gold-rimmed glasses and a faded Zhongshan suit, and looked like a scholar.

He was the little girl's maternal grandfather.

Upon learning that it was Ruan Mei and her colleagues who had saved her daughter and granddaughter, the old woman was overwhelmed with emotion, bowing repeatedly: "Thank you, Madam! Thank you so much! My daughter has always had a heart condition, and if it weren't for you today, my precious daughter wouldn't be alive..."

"You flatter me, sir," Ruan Mei waved her hand. "It was nothing."

"It wasn't just a small favor; it was a life-saving grace!"

The old man, still holding the little girl's hand, thanked everyone profusely, and no amount of persuasion could dissuade him.

Seeing that everything was settled at the hospital, Ruan Mei led everyone to prepare to leave.

"Brother Lu Qian!"

A clear shout suddenly came from behind.

Xiao Luqian turned around.

The little girl stood at the end of the corridor, her eyes bright, waving vigorously at him and shouting:

"My name is Au Wing-yan!"

Xiao Luqian paused for a moment, then waved back at her, "Got it!"

The setting sun shone through the window at the end of the corridor, casting long, long shadows of the two children.