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

At 2 p.m., the office building gradually quieted down. Most of the law firm employees were still taking their lunch break, and only the occasional ring of a telephone could be heard from an office in the corridor, which was then blocked by a door.

Jian Aowei stood in front of the coat rack, changed out of the dark gray three-piece suit he had worn that morning, and put on a neatly tailored navy blue casual suit jacket. He didn't wear a tie, and the top button of his shirt collar was undone.

He straightened his collar in front of the mirror, then picked up the brown paper bag on his desk. The bag was tightly closed, bulging and exuding a unique, mellow aroma of dried meat.

Jian Aowei carried his things out of the office and walked to his assistant's workstation. Ah Ling was organizing next week's case files. When she saw him come out, she put down the documents in her hand and looked up.

"Boss, you're leaving already?"

"Okay," Jane Aowei nodded. "I probably won't be going back to the law firm this afternoon. If any clients or cases need to contact me, please arrange another time for me."

Ah Ling nodded and quickly jotted down a note in her notebook: "What about the routine meeting tomorrow morning, boss?"

"The same as always." Jian Aowei waved to her and turned to walk towards the elevator.

Downstairs, a collector's edition Mercedes-Benz sedan was parked quietly by the roadside. The car had rounded lines, and the front had the solid and steady feel unique to the 1970s. The paint was in excellent condition, gleaming with a soft sheen in the afternoon sun.

Jian Aowei opened the driver's side door, casually placed the brown paper bag on the back seat, and turned the key to start the engine.

The old Mercedes-Benz emitted a deep, steady roar as it passed through the Cross-Harbour Tunnel in Hung Hom and headed towards Hong Kong Sanatorium & Hospital along Princess Road.

The November sun on Hong Kong Island isn't as scorching as in summer; it shines obliquely through the car window, casting a warm, golden glow on the steering wheel.

Jian Aowei slowed down the car and turned onto the auxiliary road in front of the hospital. He could see two figures standing under the pillars outside the gate in the distance.

Li Xin'er wore a light gray trench coat today. Although her face still looked somewhat pale from her illness, she seemed much better than a week ago, and her lips had regained some color. She carried a canvas bag in her left hand and held Ou Yong'en's hand with her right.

Ou Yongen wore a light pink and white cotton jacket, with the hood pulled low over her head, obscuring most of her face.

She kept her head down, staring at the gaps between the floor tiles in front of her toes, and remained motionless.

Jian Aowei parked the car, got out, and walked over: "Sister-in-law, have you been waiting long?"

"No, we just arrived a little while ago." Li Xin'er smiled at him.

Jian Aowei nodded, then squatted down, bringing his gaze level with Ou Yongen's: "Yongen."

Ou Yongen did not react at all, and remained blankly with her head down.

"Yong'en, your godfather has come to see you." Jian Aowei repeated in a soft voice, and the little girl seemed to realize what was happening and slowly raised her head.

Her eyes were open, but her gaze was unfocused, landing on his face without any direction. After several seconds, she softly and indistinctly called out, "...Godfather."

Jian Aowei's heart sank.

He stood up and looked at Li Xin'er, lowering his voice slightly: "The same as always?"

Li Xin'er gave a wry smile, gently stroking her daughter's hand with her fingers: "It's similar to last week. The doctor said her condition can't be rushed; it needs time and guidance. These past few days, I've tried talking to her; sometimes she responds, sometimes..."

Jian Aowei remained silent for a while, looking at Ou Yongen's head that had been lowered again, and felt as if something had stabbed him in the heart.

He recalled the little girl from a few months ago who had chased pigeons in the park, sweating profusely, her laughter so clear it could shake the leaves. Looking at the little girl standing in front of the hospital, her whole being seemed devoid of life, he felt a tightness in his chest.

"How about... I go to the Lu family myself?" he said. "You take Yong'en back to rest first."

This book was first published on 2009.com, providing you with a reading experience free of errors and disordered chapters.

Li Xin'er shook her head, her tone gentle yet firm: "Brother Jian, I must thank you in person for saving my life. Besides, the doctor said that Yong'en needs to be exposed to new environments and can't stay cooped up indoors all the time."

She glanced down at her daughter: "Taking her out for a walk might do her a good thing."

Jian Aowei looked at her, knowing his sister-in-law's temperament; she looked gentle, but was stubborn at heart. So he didn't try to persuade her any further, and nodded: "Then get in the car, I'll drive."

"it is good."

Jian Aowei returned to the driver's seat and glanced at the back seat through the rearview mirror—Ou Yongen was sitting by the window, her face still slightly lowered, her gaze fixed on the ground outside the window, seemingly looking at something.

"Yong En, let's go."

The car started and drove away from the hospital entrance, merging into the traffic on Pok Fu Lam Road.

……

At 3 p.m. sharp, the dark blue Mercedes slowly ascended the winding mountain road of Victoria Peak and finally stopped in front of the wrought iron gate of the Luk Family Manor.

After the security guard at the entrance confirmed his purpose through the internal intercom system, the heavy iron gate slowly slid open to both sides. Jian Aowei drove along the gravel-paved driveway, around the fountain and the central jacaranda tree, and stopped in the open space in front of the main building.

Before he could even turn off the engine, the glass door of the main building had already been pushed open from the inside.

Lu Chen walked at the front, wearing a light gray thin sweater. Ruan Mei followed beside him, wearing a moon-white knitted sweater, her long hair tied back, looking gentle and dignified.

Xiao Luqian stood in the middle of them, wearing a dark blue down vest, and was standing on tiptoe, looking out. Cola and Sprite were squatting at his feet, sticking out their tongues curiously.

Jian Aowei got out of the car and went around to the back seat to open the door for Li Xin'er. Li Xin'er leaned out halfway and then bent down to take Ou Yong'en's hand.

Ou Yongen remained the same, head down, slowly shuffling out of the car. One hand was being held by Li Xin'er, while the other hung at her side, her fingertips slightly curled.

However, the moment her feet touched the ground, her gaze inadvertently lifted and fell on Lu Qian at the door from a few meters away—an unexpected event occurred!

"Brother Qian!"

A crisp, powerful sound suddenly rang out. Ou Yongen's eyes suddenly lit up, like a flame that had been trapped beneath the water for a long time suddenly bursting to the surface.

She suddenly broke free from Li Xin'er's hand, took off running towards the steps.

Lu Qian had just stepped down one of the stairs when she bumped into him. Ou Yong'en rushed over and hugged his arm, looking up and calling out again, "Brother Qian!"

Li Xin'er was stunned. She stood there, staring blankly at her daughter's suddenly revitalized figure, her eyes instantly reddening.

She turned her head sharply and met Jian Aowei's gaze, who happened to be looking over at the same time. Both of them had an overwhelming sense of surprise and excitement in their eyes.

It's been a week, and this is the first time Ou Yongen has taken the initiative to greet people, the first time she's run around, and the first time she's shown such a lively expression.

Lu Qian was pushed back half a step by Ou Yongen's hug. After regaining his balance, he looked down at the little girl in his arms and grinned, "Yongen, you're here too!"

"Mmm!" Ou Yongen nodded vigorously. Her hood was knocked askew by her earlier movement, revealing her slightly flushed face underneath, which was flushed with excitement.

Lu Chen stood on the steps, glanced at Ou Yong'en, then at Jian Aowei and Li Xin'er's expressions, and roughly understood the situation. He didn't ask any further questions, but simply stepped aside to clear the doorway, smiling and extending his hand to Jian Aowei: "Mr. Jian, welcome, welcome."

Jian Aowei snapped out of his daze, suppressed his inner turmoil, and quickly stepped forward to shake Lu Chen's hand: "Mr. Lu, I'm sorry to bother you."

As he spoke, he handed the brown paper bag to Lu Chen: "It's just a small gift, nothing special. It contains some old-established delicacies from Yau Ma Tei, such as 'Fire Eyes,' 'Windy Goose,' and 'Dried Scallops.' The taste is absolutely superb."

Lu Chen glanced at the bag, smiled, and said, "Mr. Jian, you're too kind. It just so happens that Amei has been researching new ways to make soup recently, so I won't stand on ceremony."

Lu Chen then nodded to Li Xin'er: "Ms. Li, are you feeling better?"

"I'm much better, thank you for your concern, Mr. Lu," Li Xin'er nodded hurriedly, her eyes still a little red. "If it weren't for Mrs. Lu and Dr. Li that day..."

"It was nothing," Ruan Mei said gently from the side. "Please don't be shy, come in and sit down."

While the adults were exchanging pleasantries, Lu Qian had already pulled Ou Yong'en's hand and led her into the house. Ou Yong'en followed obediently beside him, her steps much lighter, her little braids swaying behind her head.

Cola and Sprite followed behind them. Cola went over and sniffed Ou Yongen's trouser leg. Ou Yongen looked down and actually reached out his little hand to gently touch Cola's head. Cola immediately wagged his tail happily.

Jian Aowei stood in the entrance hall, watching Ou Yongen's small figure disappear around the corner of the corridor. The tension that had been building up for a whole week finally eased.

……

In the living room, a ray of bright afternoon sunlight streamed through the huge floor-to-ceiling windows. Freshly brewed fragrant tea and several plates of exquisite snacks were laid out on the sofa area. After Li Xin'er sat down, she called over Ou Yong'en, who had been clinging to Xiao Luqian.

"Yong'en, come here," Li Xin'er knelt down, supporting her daughter's shoulders, and made her stand facing Mr. and Mrs. Ruan Mei. "Thank Mr. and Mrs. Lu with Mommy. Do you remember, it was Mrs. Lu and Brother Lu Qian who saved us that day? Come on, bow."

As instructed, Ou Yong'en bent down her small body and obediently bowed to Ruan Mei and Lu Chen. Her voice was still soft, but much clearer than before: "Thank you, Uncle Lu, thank you, Aunt Lu... thank you, Brother Lu Qian."

Ruan Mei smiled and waved her hand, "It's nothing, no need to thank me. The child being alright is more important than anything else."

After thanking him, Ou Yongen straightened up, but her eyes, as if they were nails, couldn't help but glance at Xiao Luqian, who was not far away, her eyes sparkling.

Seeing this, Li Xin'er couldn't help but smile and gently patted her daughter's back: "Go on, go play with your brother."

Ou Yongen's eyes lit up as Lu Qian stood up and waved to her, "Yongen, come on, I'll take you to the backyard to see the horses!"

"Wow, Arima?"

"Yes! Its name is Hongyu, and it's very well-behaved!"

Ruan Mei watched their backs disappear through the door before turning to Li Xin'er, her voice lowered: "Ms. Li, there's something I'd like to ask—Yong En, is she…?"

She didn't finish speaking, but Li Xin'er already understood what she meant.

Li Xin'er sighed softly: "I've seen the doctor. He said the trauma that day was too great, causing severe psychological trauma and even leading to autistic tendencies."

"Mrs. Lu," Li Xin'er looked up, her eyes slightly red, her tone earnest, "I know this request is abrupt, but just now, just now was the first time in a week that Yong'en laughed and ran like a normal child. I dare to ask you for a favor, could you…"

Li Xin'er didn't finish her sentence, but Ruan Mei already understood what she meant.

She was conflicted—as Lu Qian's mother, she naturally hoped that her son's friends would all be healthy and lively children. But looking at Ou Yong'en's face, which lit up again after seeing Lu Qian, she couldn't bear to refuse.

"...As long as Qianzai doesn't mind, let Yongen come and play with him often," Ruan Mei finally softened and gently held Li Xin'er's hand. "There are professional psychologists in the manor, and the two children being together might help her."

Li Xin'er's eyes immediately reddened: "Mrs. Lu, you have such a kind heart..."

"Don't say that," Ruan Mei patted the back of her hand. "We're both mothers, I understand how you feel."

On the other side, in the living room, Lu Chen and Jian Aowei each held a cup of tea and had been chatting for a while. The conversation ranged from interesting stories in the legal profession to recent changes in Hong Kong. The two chatted back and forth, and the atmosphere gradually relaxed.

Just then, a very soft notification sound suddenly rang in Lu Chen's mind, and then a line of semi-transparent text appeared in his vision.

【Ding--】

[Key plot character detected: Jian Aowei]

[Checking in at the movie "Cold War"]

[Check-in successful.]

[Reward: +1 Free Attribute Point]

However, Lu Chen didn't care about that for the time being; he was thinking about something else.

In the previous timeline of "Cold War," Jian Aowei was undoubtedly a patriot. He respected rules but also knew how to be flexible; he had principles but wasn't rigid. More importantly, in today's Hong Kong judiciary, he can be considered the youngest and most respected figure.

If we can bring him into our camp, the future of this "New Hong Kong Island" game will be much easier.

With this thought in mind, Lu Chen decided to take this opportunity to test the other party's ideas.

He put down his teacup and looked at Jian Aowei: "Mr. Jian, if I may ask, what are your thoughts on the election process for the Chief Executive after 1997?"