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

April 13, Warsaw.

A piece of news quickly spread throughout the European art and intelligence circles: Poland's most prestigious Silver Moon Ballet Company, at the invitation of the West Berlin Philharmonic Association, will hold a three-day exchange performance at the West Berlin Theatre on Kurfürstendamm Street from April 19th, with the program being Tchaikovsky's classic ballet "Swan Lake".

The official press release was elegantly worded, emphasizing that it was a "cultural dialogue across the Iron Curtain." But those in the underworld familiar with the dance company knew that Roskarom's sudden arrival in West Germany was definitely not just a simple artistic exchange.

But regardless of the undercurrents and intrigues, the news that the renowned Silver Moon Dance Company was coming to Berlin still caused a huge sensation.

As soon as the news spread, tickets for the three days at the West Berlin Theatre sold out quickly, and those self-proclaimed elegant political and business figures obtained admission through various channels.

April 19th, evening.

The streetlights on both sides of Kurfürstendamm had just come on, and the area in front of the West Berlin Theatre was already packed with luxury cars. BMWs, Rolls-Royces, Porsches, and occasionally a few classic cars that looked like they were custom-made by long-established families.

The dignitaries, dressed in dark suits or evening gowns, walked in twos and threes down the red carpet into the theater, accompanied by ladies and socialites draped in fur or silk shawls.

Second floor, VIP room number one.

This is a semi-open private box, with a view of the entire stage through the carved railings. Inside, there is a round table covered with a white cloth, on which sits a bottle of decanted Bordeaux red wine and several crystal goblets.

Lu Chen and Susan sat on the sofa in the front row, exchanging pleasantries while holding wine glasses, watching the audience below slowly fill up.

Besides them, there were two subordinates sitting at the back in the private room.

One of them was Susan, who was wearing a dark gray suit with a silver brooch at the collar and holding a slender, dark cane.

The other was a woman who was somewhat unfamiliar to them.

The woman was very tall, at least 1.75 meters, with long black hair cascading over her shoulders. She had deep-set features and a unique sharpness in her eyes and brows.

Her name is Xena Onato, Maggie's former protégé in the KGB. She later faked her death with Maggie to escape Lubyanka and became Maggie's personal bodyguard and Maggie's most trusted knife.

"I've long heard of Mr. Lu's reputation," Maggie said, slightly turning the crystal goblet in her hand, her grey-green eyes scrutinizing Lu Chen. "Meeting him today, he is indeed as promising as the legends say."

Lu Chen raised his wine glass to her, his smile gentle and profound: "Director Maggie, you flatter me. It is my honor to have the renowned 'Silver Moon Dance Company' from Europe grace us with their presence."

"Mr. Lu, you're too kind. It's just a little bit of empty fame." Maggie smiled, but there was no warmth in her eyes.

Just as the two were exchanging perfunctory pleasantries, the stage lights suddenly dimmed, and the performance officially began.

The sound of the orchestra tuning echoed in the air for a few seconds, then the conductor's baton fell, and Tchaikovsky's familiar overture began to play.

The deep red curtain slowly opened, and a cool, moonlight-like blue-white light illuminated the stage. A group of dancers dressed in white gauze dresses were tiptoeing and moving slowly in the center of the stage.

The first act's swan dance was elegant and restrained. After watching for a while, Lu Chen's face showed a hint of appreciation: "The Silver Moon Dance Company's strength is indeed outstanding. Just their basic skills alone are enough for the local dance companies in West Berlin to practice for another ten years."

"I am very pleased that Mr. Lu recognizes our professional capabilities. When it comes to ballet, Silver Moon has never disappointed us."

Lu Chen put the wine glass back on the table, leaned back into the soft sofa, and looked at the white swan dancing alone on the stage: "I just wonder... if her other abilities are this good too."

Maggie glanced at him, a slight smile playing on her lips. Her tone was neither too strong nor too weak, but it carried a hint of barbed words: "I thought that the High Table had already witnessed our strength a couple of days ago."

Upon hearing these almost provocative words, Susan's eyes turned cold as she stood behind, but Lu Chen remained unperturbed, calmly picking up his wine glass and taking a sip.

"Really?" Lu Chen smiled at her, a hint of mockery in his eyes. "I feel like it's you who can't see clearly."

Maggie's brow twitched almost imperceptibly. Looking at the other person's confident expression, for some reason, a bad feeling rose in her heart.

Just then, her phone, which was in her handbag, suddenly vibrated.

Maggie's pupils contracted slightly. Without the slightest hesitation, she decisively reached into her bag, pulled out her phone, and pressed the answer button.

"Feed?"

"Director! The theater—" came the deputy's voice on the other end of the phone, urgent and chaotic, with a series of dull thuds and footsteps in the background. "Someone's broken in! A lot! They've surrounded the theater! It's the High Table—"

"boom!"

Before he could finish speaking, a loud bang came from the other end of the phone, and then the deputy's voice stopped abruptly.

After about three or four seconds, an unfamiliar male voice came through the receiver: "Ms. Maggie, you don't need to worry. We treated your men very 'gently,' we only temporarily restricted their freedom of movement. Now—please pass on a message to my boss that the mission is complete."

"Beep, beep, beep."

The phone was disconnected.

Maggie held her phone in silence for a long time, her knuckles turning slightly white from the pressure.

On the stage outside the window, the second act of Swan Lake has begun, with the Black Swan spinning on the stage amidst soaring and urgent music.

Finally, Maggie slowly put down her phone, turned her gaze to Lu Chen, and said in a tone as cold as ice: "The High Table is really something, managing to extend its reach into Poland."

Xina, standing behind her, instantly realized something, her expression changed drastically, and she almost instinctively lunged forward, her hand already reaching for her waist.

However, before her hand could even touch anything, a silver light was already at her throat.

Susan had already stood up at some point, holding her cane horizontally with a silver-gray blade protruding from the tip, pressed firmly against Xina's neck.

"Don't move," Susan said calmly. "Take one more step, and I guarantee you won't see the sun rise tomorrow."

Xina's body froze on the spot.

Maggie glanced at the standoff between Susan and Xena, and raised her hand: "Xena, step back."

Xena gritted her teeth, glared at Susan, then slowly withdrew her hand and returned to her original position. Seeing this, Susan also sheathed her sword and placed her cane back at her side, as if nothing had happened.

Lu Chen picked up his glass, took another sip, and said with a calm and unhurried tone, "I've said it before, no one can offend the High Table Group and then act like nothing happened."

Maggie looked at Lu Chen for a long while, then suddenly seemed to let out a sigh of relief and gave a resigned laugh: "Now that things have come to this, we've accepted it... So, what do you want?"

Lu Chen put down his wine glass, crossed his hands on his knees, leaned forward slightly, and looked at Maggie.

"Cooperation is possible, but—"

Lu Chen paused, then spoke each word with an air of unyielding authority:

There are three conditions.