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

March 4th, Saturday, a sunny day.

Sunlight streamed obliquely through the windows of a new apartment building in Yau Ma Tei, falling on a steaming glass of milk on the edge of the dining table, casting a thin, golden band of light across the dark surface.

Mao Mao sat at the dining table. Today, her mother made mixed noodles. Bright red chili oil was drizzled on the crisp green cucumber strips, which looked so appetizing.

However, Mao Mao had no time to savor the food. He was slurping the noodles into his mouth at an astonishing speed, chewing them a couple of times before swallowing them, his cheeks bulging out like a hamster hoarding food.

Chen Weijie sat opposite him, holding a cup of coffee and flipping through today's Ming Pao newspaper. Watching his son wolf down his food, he put down the newspaper, reached out and patted his head: "Eat slowly, no rush."

With his mouth full of noodles, Mao Mao mumbled, "No! We have to get in line early, or we'll be waiting outside!"

Chen Weijie smiled helplessly: "It won't make a difference if you drink a minute or two. Drink your milk first, don't choke."

"Ugh... Dad, you're so out of touch!" Mao Mao swallowed with difficulty, then picked up his milk cup and gulped down a big mouthful. Wiping his mouth, his tone was full of youthful energy. "Today is the release day of the JF2! I bet if you're late, you won't even be able to squeeze through the door, let alone buy a machine!"

JF2, short for "Goldwyn Interactive Entertainment's Second Generation Home Game Console", is a new generation game console launched by Golden Harvest Entertainment after JF1.

After five years of technological accumulation and R&D investment, JF2 has achieved a leapfrog improvement in hardware performance—the CPU frequency is three times higher than the previous generation, the memory capacity is expanded to eight times, and more importantly, it is the first to adopt Jiahe's self-developed 3D graphics acceleration chip, which can present true 3D polygonal images, completely bidding farewell to the era of the previous generation of consoles that relied on 2D scrolls and pixel blocks to simulate a sense of three-dimensionality.

As early as the beginning of January this year, Golden Harvest Entertainment launched the first trailer for JF2, GG, on television stations, newspapers, bus stops, and subway light boxes in major cities around the world.

In the scene, a silver-gray console slowly rotates against a pure white background. The camera then switches to the 3D Mushroom Kingdom from Super Mario 64, where players can freely run, jump, and rotate the camera. This is followed by a full battle animation from Pokémon Diamond, ending with the words: "JF2 - More than just a game, it's another world."

Then, in mid-February, Jiahe Interactive Entertainment held the global launch event for JF2 at the Jiahe Building, unveiling five flagship titles that instantly ignited the passion of tens of millions of players worldwide.

As the home base of Golden Harvest, Hong Kong Island naturally has the highest expectations.

Chen Weijie looked into his son's bright eyes, shook his head, and said nothing more. He folded the newspaper and placed it on the table, then stood up and picked up his coat hanging on the back of the chair: "Okay, okay, I'll listen to you. We'll leave after we finish eating."

"I've been ready for a long time!" Mao Mao jumped up from his chair, grabbed the stack of New Year's money he had prepared on the table, stuffed it into his pocket, and then rushed towards the front door like a gust of wind.

……

At 10 a.m., Chen Weijie drove his Toyota sedan south along Nathan Road and turned into the newly built Golden Harvest Plaza in Wan Chai.

This massive shopping plaza, a project that officially opened at the end of last year by Golden Harvest Properties, occupies an entire block in the heart of Wan Chai.

Unlike the traditional department store layout on Hong Kong Island, Golden Harvest Plaza adopted a new commercial model personally approved by Lu Chen from the very beginning of its design – the entire building is divided into two sections, A and B, connected by a transparent glass corridor.

Block A features top international luxury brands and high-end boutique retail, while Block B caters to the mass consumer market, bringing together flagship stores for various fashion apparel, lifestyle products, and electronics. The basement level is designed as a food street that brings together established local Hong Kong brands and global cuisine, attracting a constant flow of people from morning till night.

This multi-functional layout, combining shopping malls above and dining below, was unprecedented on Hong Kong Island at the time. In just three or four months since its opening, Golden Harvest Plaza has quickly replaced some of the older shopping malls in Causeway Bay and Tsim Sha Tsui, becoming one of the most popular weekend destinations for young people on Hong Kong Island.

But for Mao Mao at this moment, none of this mattered. The car had barely stopped in the underground parking space when he unbuckled his seatbelt. He eagerly pushed open the door and got out, shouting back as he ran, "Dad! I'm going upstairs to queue! Lock the car and hurry up!"

"Slow down!" Chen Weijie shouted from behind, watching his son's figure disappear into the elevator in a flash. Helplessly, he locked the car and followed at a leisurely pace.

However, when Chen Weijie took the elevator to the Jiahe Interactive Entertainment flagship store on the second floor, he was surprised to find that Mao Mao was right.

Jiahe Plaza had only been open for three minutes, but a long queue had already formed in front of Jiahe Interactive Entertainment, stretching all the way to the end of the corridor.

Everyone in the line wore the same expression—fanatical excitement, yet tinged with a hint of anxious unease, as if they were afraid the shelves would be emptied by the time it was their turn.

Looking at the long queue, Chen Weijie couldn't help but think to himself, "Impressive!" The last time he'd seen such a long line was three years ago when the Longteng mobile phone was launched. Back then, he queued for almost two hours to get his phone and nearly missed a customer meeting that afternoon.

The scene before us is even worse than it was three years ago.

"Luckily, we're not too late," Chen Weijie patted Mao Mao on the shoulder, frankly admitting his misjudgment. "If we had listened to me and come half an hour later, we probably wouldn't have been able to squeeze into the corridor on this floor today."

"I told you so!" Mao Mao proudly raised his chin.

The father and son stood side by side in the crowd, inching forward with the flow of people. After about forty minutes, they finally reached the store entrance.

The store was larger than Mao Mao had imagined. One wall was covered with dark gray metallic finishes and several large screens were embedded in the wall, playing JF2 game trailers in rotation.

In the center of the store is a display stand with several JF2 consoles that are already powered on, and the screens are running demos of Super Mario 64 and Pokémon Diamond and Pearl.

Several children were gathered around the display stand, watching intently. One little boy held a controller in his hand, and on the screen, a plumber in red overalls was nimbly jumping and moving through a three-dimensional castle. The view could be rotated at will, leaving the adults and children watching in awe.

Behind the counter stood a young cashier, wearing a red and white Jiahe Interactive Entertainment work T-shirt with a badge that read "JF2 Launch Sale" pinned to her chest. Her smile was polite and professional: "Hello, what would you like to order?"

Mao Mao took a deep breath, placed the stack of New Year's money, which was already crumpled at the edges, on the counter, then looked up and recited the list he had recited countless times: "I want a JF2, a Pokémon Diamond game, and a Super Mario 64 game."

After listening to his words, the cashier looked down and typed something on the keyboard. The inventory page on the screen scrolled a few lines, and then she looked up, her smile tinged with apology: "I'm sorry, young man, we still have JF2 consoles in stock, but the two games you requested are currently sold out."

The anticipation on Mao Mao's face froze instantly.

He paused, blinked, as if he hadn't heard clearly: "...Sold out? Isn't today only the first day of release?"

"Yes," the cashier explained patiently, "but these two games are Golden Harvest's flagship products, and they receive a lot of attention. Almost everyone who buys JF2 also takes these two home, and some people even buy multiple copies, so they've already sold out."

Mao Mao's mouth was slightly open, as if he wanted to say something but didn't know how to start. He turned to look at Chen Weijie, who was standing behind him with his arms crossed, his expression somewhere between apologetic and amused.

"Then...when can we restock?" Mao Mao pressed.

"It's not certain yet," the cashier said, "but we can register you. Please leave your name and contact number, and we'll notify you as soon as the game arrives."

Mao Mao thought for a moment, nodded, took the pen from the cashier, and wrote his name and his father's phone number on a small card in a crooked manner.

"So...does the store have any other games available for purchase?"

"The other three flagship titles released by Golden Harvest are currently in stock," the cashier said, pointing to the brand-new promotional posters on the wall behind the counter. "Take a look and see if any of them interest you."

Mao Mao raised her head in the direction she was pointing.

The first poster on the left features a steampunk-style cityscape at night—giant gears rise from a smoky steel city, while a blond youth carrying a greatsword stands atop the hill, overlooking the brightly lit slums below. The upper left corner of the poster displays the words "Final Fantasy VII," followed by smaller print: "Jointly published by Square × Golden Harvest Entertainment."

"Final Fantasy..." Momo stroked his chin.

He had heard from his classmates that it was an RPG series made by a Japanese game company, and that the first few installments sold exceptionally well. Later, the company was acquired by Golden Harvest and became a subsidiary of Golden Harvest.

He stared at the metallic cover, a strange sense of attraction stirring within him. But he didn't make a decision immediately; his gaze quickly shifted to the second poster beside it.

It was a scene from a tropical jungle—a young woman in a dark green tank top and khaki hot pants was climbing on a moss-covered rock face, gripping a climbing rope in her hand. Her curvaceous figure was clearly outlined by the backlight of the setting sun. A silver pistol was tucked into her waistband, and her sharp gaze was fixed on the distant ruins.

"tomb Raider".

Mao Mao, a teenager in the throes of puberty, had never seen anything like this before. His little face flushed red instantly, his gaze lingered on the poster for two seconds, then looked away, then looked back.

"Then... then give me a copy of Tomb Raider!" Mao Mao stammered, his voice noticeably lower than before.

Chen Weijie peeked over from behind, glanced at the poster, and frowned: "The female protagonist of this game... isn't she dressed a bit too scantily? Won't she set a bad example for children?"

The cashier quickly explained with a smile, "Sir, please don't worry. This is an action-adventure game that focuses on puzzle-solving and exploration. The storyline is also very deep, it's not that kind of... well, type. And the poster also indicates a PG-13 rating, it's a legitimate game perfectly suitable for teenagers."

Chen Weijie hummed in agreement, glanced at the poster again, and said nothing more.

Seeing that his father didn't object, Mao Mao secretly breathed a sigh of relief and then turned his gaze to the third poster.

The third poster looks the most mysterious. It depicts a gloomy ancient castle, its outer walls covered with withered vines. Moonlight filters through gaps in the clouds, casting a dim glow on the broken windows and rusted iron gates. Behind the window in the very center of the castle, the vague outline of a pale, indistinct figure can be seen.

The poster features four dark red words at the top: "Resident Evil," and below that, in smaller print: "WARNING: This game contains horror elements and may not be suitable for all ages."

"This one..." The cashier glanced at it in the same direction as him and said softly, "It's a horror shooting game. Players take on the role of a police officer who enters a mansion to investigate a mysterious disappearance. It might be a little scary."

Upon hearing the word "terrifying," Mao Mao immediately perked up. He had always prided himself on being "extremely brave" at school, and the scarier something was, the more he wanted to try it.

"What are you afraid of! I want one too!" he said decisively, waving his hand.

So, Mao Mao ordered one copy of each of the three games—Final Fantasy VII, Tomb Raider, and Resident Evil—since he had just celebrated the New Year and had received a generous amount of lucky money.

……

On the way back, Chen Weijie was driving ahead. Looking through the rearview mirror at his son, who was sitting in the back seat clutching his JF2 game console and practically jumping out of his seat with excitement, he couldn't help but smile and remind him, "Kid, playing games is fine, but you need to balance work and rest. You can't let it interfere with your studies."

"Don't worry, Dad," Mao Mao nodded happily, confidently stating, "I got first place in the class on the last test! I definitely won't fall behind!"

"Okay, remember what you said today." Chen Weijie smiled gently and said no more.

It was already noon when they got home. Chen Weijie parked the car, took the keys and walked ahead, with Mao Mao following behind him carrying a paper bag. They crossed the living room without stopping for a moment and went straight to their room.

His room wasn't big, but it faced south and had good natural light. Against the wall was a desk, next to which was a 14-inch color TV that Chen Weijie had rewarded him with. The screen wasn't large, but it was enough for playing games.

On the shelf next to the TV, the JF1 host that had brought him countless joys had been removed, with its cables neatly stacked to one side, like an old soldier who had completed his historical mission and officially retired with honor.

Mao Mao then took the JF2 host out of the paper bag, opened the box, and revealed the silver-gray host itself. The body lines were much more rounded than the square shape of its predecessor, and the front only had a simple round power button, exuding a sense of avant-garde technology.

Following the diagrams in the instruction manual, he connected the power cord, video cable, and controller in sequence, and only after confirming that everything was correct did he press the power button.

The host computer emitted a deep startup sound, and the gold logo of Jiahe Interactive Entertainment appeared on the screen, followed by a short logo animation. Immediately afterwards, the system interface popped up, with a gradient dark blue background and clearly arranged menus, as simple as a small computer.

Mao Mao hesitated for about three seconds between the three game disc boxes, and then his gaze unconsciously drifted to the middle one—Tomb Raider.

On the cover, Laura stands on the edge of a cliff, her silhouette outlined in the backlight, the wind blowing her hair and the hem of her clothes.

Mao Mao flipped it over and glanced at the description on the back: "Follow explorer Laura Crawford on a cross-border archaeological adventure..."

With a blush on her face, Mao Mao carefully took out the disc and put it into the JF2 disc drive.

For the next few hours, the only sounds in Mao Mao's bedroom were footsteps coming from the TV speakers, panting as she climbed, and the occasional gunshots and ambient sounds.

Initially, he was indeed drawn to the sexy and eye-catching image of the female lead on the poster, but after actually playing the game, Mao Mao was instantly captivated by the unparalleled action experience and the captivating epic storyline.

He guided Laura through dense forests, up cliffs, and into flooded underground caves, lighting torches deep within ancient stone temples to illuminate the faded murals on the walls.

He didn't notice that the sunlight outside the window gradually changed from the brightness of midday to the softness of the afternoon, and then from the softness to the slanting orange-red. Nor did he notice that Chen Weijie stood at the door for a while, looked at him for a few seconds, and then smiled, shook his head, and left.

Then came Mom's loud voice calling from the living room: "Mao Mao, come out for dinner!"

"Here it comes!" Mao Mao snapped out of his daze and glanced at the clock on the wall—it was already 6:30! He gasped, reluctantly saved his game progress, and then rubbed his sore neck as he headed towards the restaurant.

Tonight's dinner was also plentiful, but Mao Mao still had no appetite for it. She quickly finished the food in her bowl and ran back to her little world.

He had intended to continue playing Tomb Raider, but as he sat down, his elbow accidentally brushed against the unopened box of Resident Evil on the edge of the desk.

The eerie castle on the box looked particularly strange and silent under the light of the bedroom lamp.

Mao Mao picked up the disc case, turned it over and looked at the back. The description only had two lines: "A special forces unit, while tracking their missing comrade, accidentally entered a dark mansion. Little did they know what kind of nightmare awaited them inside."

He hesitated for a moment, then pulled the Resident Evil disc out of the box and inserted it into the JF2's CD player. He wanted to see for himself just how scary this game could be.

As the disc drive spins, the screen slowly dims, followed by a high-quality opening CG sequence.

On a rainy night, a jeep drove along a winding mountain road, its headlights illuminating the wet road ahead.

Then, the music began—a deep, eerie cello sound, as if something was approaching from the shadows, or as if the entire mansion was slowly opening its eyes in the night.