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

Frankfurt, December 10.

In April, Germany is still chilly despite the warming weather, and the wind along the Spree River still carries a hint of early spring coolness.

At 10 a.m., a silver-white Gulfstream private jet slowly taxied onto the tarmac. There were no airline markings on the fuselage, only the Lu family's mark on the tail.

As the car was parked and the cabin door opened, Tian Yangsheng was the first to walk down the gangway to confirm safety, followed by Lu Chen leading Ba Wanghua and Cheng Yiyan down the gangway.

At the VIP exit, a European woman in a beige trench coat had been waiting for some time.

She was about forty years old, tall, with short, golden-brown hair and well-defined features, exuding a classic Western European elite air. Seeing Lu Chen emerge, the woman strode forward, her steps brisk, her high heels clicking crisply on the tiled floor.

Susan is the head of the High Table Group's European division. Since Sofia entrusted her with full authority over European affairs, Susan has rapidly integrated underground resources at both ends of the European continent with astonishing efficiency and an iron fist, further expanding the High Table's reach in Europe.

"Sir," Susan said respectfully, her fluent Chinese flowing smoothly, "You must have had a long journey."

"Susan," Lu Chen said with a smile, shaking her hand. "Long time no see. You look great."

"Thank you for your concern, sir," Susan said, gesturing for him to proceed. "The car is ready. Shall we head to the estate first?"

"Okay." Lu Chen nodded, and then the group passed through the VIP passage and, escorted by high-table security guards, got into the row of black Mercedes-Benz sedans, which headed towards the southwest suburbs.

Outside the car window, Berlin was slowly thawing from the chilly spring air. The trees along the road were just sprouting new buds, and in the distance, one could occasionally see the outlines of a few buildings that had been weathered by war and time.

This city, which has been divided for nearly forty years, still exudes a peculiar atmosphere of being both dilapidated and growing, like a jigsaw puzzle being pieced back together, with the gaps between the fragments still clearly visible.

……

About half an hour later, the convoy came to a stop in front of the wrought iron gate of a manor.

Built on a gentle slope, the manor's dark gray stone main building is covered with ivy, and the driveway in front is lined with neatly trimmed linden trees. From the terrace of the main building, one can see the lush greenery along the Havel River and the occasional church spires, like a classical oil painting carefully framed.

"Please come in, sir," Susan said, pushing open the main building door. "The study is on the second floor, and all the documents are ready."

The study is in a typical Baroque style, with oak bookshelves on three sides and a floor-to-ceiling window on one side. A large map of Berlin is spread on the long table, with several areas circled with markers of different colors.

"How's the fundraising going?" Lu Chen sat down in the leather chair behind his desk and looked up at the two of them.

"Don't worry, boss," Cheng Yiyan pushed up his gold-rimmed glasses, took out a document from his briefcase, and opened to the first page. "The initial two billion US dollars have been received and are deposited in several special accounts at the Bavarian State Bank and the German Commercial Bank, held in the name of 'Bavarian Development GmbH'."

Susan opened the documents in front of her: "The High Table has prepared three billion US dollars, which will be injected through a shell company in Luxembourg."

"Very good," Lu Chen turned his gaze to the map of Berlin and tapped Potsdamer Platz with his finger. "According to the established plan, after the funds are invested, we will focus on acquiring land on the west side of Potsdamer Platz, near Checkpoint Charlie, and around the industrial area in southern West Berlin."

The areas that Lu Chen pointed out were all located on the front lines of the Cold War. In East Berlin, few people were willing to touch them, and in West Berlin, land prices plummeted due to their proximity to the border.

But Lu Chen knew very well that it was now 89, the Berlin Wall was about to fall, and it was inevitable that Berlin would once again become the capital of a unified Germany.

Once the borders are open, Potsdamer Platz will transform from a "blind spot of the Cold War" into the "geographical center of a unified Germany." At that time, every inch of these now-deserted lands will become gold.

Of course, more importantly, Jiahe Real Estate and High Table Real Estate can also take this opportunity to make a name for themselves and break into the German and even the whole European real estate market.

"Understood!" Lu Chen had already analyzed these strategic visions for the two of them beforehand, so Cheng Yiyan and Susan were both excited and said there were no problems.

"Very good, what about the shell company?"

Susan capped her pen: "It's done. We've registered a subsidiary in Hamburg and a subsidiary in Frankfurt, and under the guise of 'assisting East German industrial technological transformation,' we've signed framework agreements with some officials from the East German Ministry of Machine Building and the Ministry of Light Industry through intermediaries."

She turned to a page of a document: "Currently, we have two main core assets locked in. First, Jena Optics, whose lenses and precision measurement technology are among the best in the world. Second, Radboud Machine Works, whose Planeta brand has a deep expertise in printing machinery."

Cheng Yiyan added from the side, "The current window of opportunity is very favorable. In order to earn foreign exchange, East Germany has begun to relax its foreign cooperation policy this year, allowing West German companies to enter under the guise of technological cooperation. However, most people are still hesitant to act, fearing political risks."

"If others don't dare to eat it, we will," Lu Chen stood up, walked to the window, and looked at the outline of Berlin's city center obscured by clouds in the distance. "If we really wait until next year, we might not even be able to drink soup."

Although Cheng Yiyan was somewhat curious as to why his boss was so certain that East and West Germany would merge next year, he had no doubt about Lu Chen's judgment—after all, after so many years of miraculous experiences, Cheng Yiyan's blind worship of Lu Chen had reached the point that he would believe Lu Chen without hesitation even if he said that water could be turned into gasoline.

Lu Chen was unaware of the many thoughts running through his mind. After gazing at the soon-to-be-discontinued view in the distance for a while, he turned to Cheng Yiyan and said, "For the next period of time, you will stay in Berlin and work with Susan to push this matter forward. There is only one requirement—sign the contracts that need to be signed, complete the procedures that need to be completed, and don't give anyone any leverage during this sensitive period."

Cheng Yiyan nodded emphatically: "Understood."

Lu Chen walked back to the table and tapped his finger again on Potsdamer Platz: "Also, we need to control the pace of land acquisitions and avoid driving up prices all at once. Use different shell companies to buy in a dispersed manner to maintain market stability. We can consolidate the land next autumn."

"yes!"

Hearing the resolute answers from his two proud subordinates, Lu Chen sat back down in his chair with satisfaction, picked up the cup of coffee on the table, took a sip, and then turned to Susan: "By the way, you said on the phone yesterday that there was some progress in Eastern Europe?"

"Yes," Susan's expression softened slightly, and her tone became more cautious, "There is indeed a problem I need to report to you."

"speak."

"The High Table's underground infiltration efforts in Eastern Europe have recently encountered resistance and interference... not from official sources, but from another organization."

Lu Chen raised an eyebrow slightly: "Oh? What organization is so bold?"

Susan shook her head: "Strictly speaking, they're not exactly hostile to us. Their approach is more like—showing off their strength, letting us know they exist, and then waiting for the right price to go."

At this point, Susan took a deep breath and lowered her voice even further: "They are a Gypsy gang in Belarus, their name is—"

"Rosingerom".