Simultaneous Transmigration: From Douluo Continent to the Pinnacle

Chapter 31 The Development of Hong Kong Variety Shows

Hong Kong variety shows.

Causeway Bay.

As the twilight descended, neon signs lit up one after another, turning Nathan Road into a flowing river of color.

The aroma of curry fish balls wafts from the food stalls in Yau Ma Tei, mingling with the salty sea breeze blowing from the pier, yet it cannot suppress the faint smell of smoke in the dark alleys and corners of the streets.

Here, every floor tile is soaked in the stench of money and also hides traces of blood that haven't dried yet.

Countless people, clutching crumpled Hong Kong dollars, are scrambling to gain a foothold in this incredibly valuable land.

Few remember that beneath the glitz and glamour of Causeway Bay lies a foundation built with brutal force.

Wealth without the backing of violence is nothing more than a golden bell hanging around the neck of a fat sheep, which will sooner or later attract hungry wolves.

Lin Yao stood on the second-floor terrace of the Causeway Bay branch. The cigarette between his fingers burned down to the filter, making his fingertips slightly numb before he came to his senses.

The scorching sensation from the two consecutive superpositions of divine power still lingered in his body. He looked down at his palms; the old scars on his knuckles had long since faded, replaced by a hard texture that could crush bricks when he unleashed his power.

Now, he has the stamina to run three laps around Victoria Harbour without taking a breath, and even if his arm is slashed, the wound can scab over overnight.

This may be the pinnacle that no human being in this world has ever reached.

Six months ago, Lin Yao, an undercover agent, was just an insignificant thug under Liang Kun's command, collecting protection money with his gang members at the night market. He was at most a bit better at fighting than ordinary gangsters, and he had to grit his teeth and endure the beatings.

But everything changed after connecting with other versions of myself in other worlds.

The last time the Luen Wo Tong gang in Tsim Sha Tsui came to seize territory, he single-handedly defeated more than a dozen of their elite men. He can still clearly recall the dull thud of his fist hitting human bones.

It was that battle that propelled him from a low-level thug to a top-ranking member under Liang Kun's command.

The hierarchy of triads on Hong Kong Island has always been strict, with four ranks below the head of the triad: Red Stick, White Paper Fan, Straw Sandal, and 49.

Red Sticks, also known as "426," are the backbone of a gang's fighting force. Without a few lives on their hands and a few hard-fought battles, they simply cannot hold onto this position.

Lin Yao replaced the simple-minded and foolish Qiang from the original story and became the most capable fighter by Liang Kun's side.

He clearly remembered the day he was officially appointed. Handsome Kun personally tied a red ribbon around his neck, his gold teeth gleaming under the lights: "Ah Yao, from now on, you'll be in charge of looking after the brothels in Causeway Bay for me!"

At that time, Leung Kwan was worried about not having anyone to use.

As the leader of the Causeway Bay branch of Hung Hing, he appears to be all-powerful, but in reality, his only capable fighter is Silly Qiang. When faced with thorny territorial disputes, he has to personally take up a machete and fight.

This would be both beneath a leader's dignity and dangerous, so Lin Yao's appearance was undoubtedly a timely help for Liang Kun.

The former are daring and aggressive, always at the forefront when facing tough opponents and vying for territory.

Double Flower Red Sticks are qualified to recruit underlings. Lin Yao only took half a month to recruit more than thirty capable gangsters.

They also regained control of several venues that Liang Kun had previously scattered elsewhere, and their influence sprang up like mushrooms after rain.

When the time was right, Lin Yao made his move.

By giving Huang Zhicheng advance notice, it was learned that Liang Kun was recently selling large quantities of drugs at the pier.

Huang Zhicheng had long wanted to get rid of Liang Kun and had always treated Lin Yao as a beast of burden. After receiving the news, he did not consider his safety and concealment and immediately led a team to intercept him.

That night, the container area at the dock was pitch black, with only a few emergency lights casting a faint glow.

Liang Kun and his five core henchmen were making a transaction inside the container when Huang Zhicheng suddenly rushed in with more than twenty police officers. The beams of flashlights swept wildly in the darkness, and shouts and gunshots rang out instantly.

"Boom!"

Flames shot into the sky, and the heat wave made the shipping containers shake.

The next day, newspaper headlines were all about the explosion: "Hung Hing triad leader, Ugly Kwan, was surrounded while selling drugs, a shootout with police led to an explosion, and all members died."

"Superintendent Wong Chi-shing died in the line of duty, a heavy loss to the police force."

Lin Yao sat in the tea restaurant, looking at the black and white photos of Liang Kun and Huang Zhicheng in the newspaper, and slowly scooped up a spoonful of pineapple bun.

The sweet, creamy butter melted in his mouth, and he had only one thought in his mind: comfort.

One of them was a shill, and the other treated him like a beast of burden. The deaths of these two people helped him finally gain a foothold in Causeway Bay.

As he put down the newspaper, two other news items caught his eye.

One story is about police officer Chan Ka-kui—this young man in police uniform with a resolute gaze, when arresting drug kingpin Chu Tao, didn't touch the millions of Hong Kong dollars on the table, and even pinned Chu Tao to the table on the spot.

The report stated that Chan Ka-kui was a role model for the police force and worthy of emulation by all officers.

Another news item is even more interesting: Hong Kong tycoon Robinson, dissatisfied with the actions of his son-in-law Lau Yiu-cho, secretly hired someone to assassinate him.

The assassination attempt failed, and he was arrested by the police on charges of attempted murder and imprisoned in Stanley Prison.

Lin Yao tapped his fingers lightly on the newspaper, a glint of shrewdness flashing in his eyes.

He clearly remembered that Chan Ka-kui was the protagonist of the "Police Story" series, and since he appeared, the other characters in the movie must also exist.

Especially the main villain in "Police Story 3"—that ruthless drug lord, who was ultimately betrayed by his own wife, had all his assets transferred to a Swiss bank, and the account number and password were even shown in close-up in the movie.

He used to be a little unclear about that string of numbers, but since the power of the heavens was superimposed, his mental strength has improved and his memory has become amazing.

Those details that I couldn't remember before are now as clear as if they were engraved in my mind.

I can even recall a scene from the movie: Cai Ba's wife holding a piece of paper with the account number "3386776" and the password "1270wku" written on it.

That's a whopping 330 million US dollars.

But now is not the time. The plot of Police Story 1 has only just begun, and there are still several years before the third installment. Who knows if Chai Ba's wife has transferred the money yet?

If we rush into an investigation, we might alert the enemy, which would be counterproductive.

Lin Yao suppressed his thoughts and turned his gaze back to the news about Robinson Crusoe.

Compared to the distant $300 million, the HK$300 million bearer bonds that Robinson Crusoe hid are the easiest thing to get his hands on right now.

He remembered clearly that in the original movie, Robinson Crusoe, fearing that Liu Yaozu would embezzle his property, had long since hidden the bonds.

It was hidden in a very clever place, right under the sand tank of Liu Yaozu's pet lizard in Liu Yaozu's villa.

That evening, Lin Yao changed into a black night suit, his face covered with a mask, and he swept across the rooftops of Causeway Bay like a dark shadow.

Liu Yaozu's villa is located halfway up the mountain, and the security is not bad. There are two security guards patrolling at the gate, and there are also surveillance cameras installed in the yard.

But these were no obstacles for Lin Yao at all.

He avoided blind spots in the surveillance, climbed over the two-meter-high wall, and landed as lightly as a leaf.

The lights were on in the villa, and the sound of a television could be faintly heard coming from the living room.

Lin Yao clung to the wall and quietly slipped to the second-floor terrace, then slid down the drainpipe to the first-floor garden.

The pet room was in the corner of the garden, with only a small light on. Gently pushing open the slightly ajar door, I saw the lizard in the glass tank sleeping on the sand.

Without hesitation, Lin Yao put on gloves and carefully sifted through the sand in the sandbox. Before long, his fingers touched something hard—a sealed metal box.

He opened the tin box, and sure enough, there was a thick stack of bonds inside. Each bond had a large face value, totaling exactly three hundred million Hong Kong dollars.

After obtaining the bonds, Lin Yao returned the way he came, the whole process taking less than ten minutes, and the people in the villa did not notice anything.

The next day, he used the alias of an "overseas Chinese" to register an investment company in Hong Kong Island, and then took the bonds to the bank to cash them out.

By the time Chiang Tin-sang and the other leaders of Hung Hing realized what was happening, Lin Yao had already used the money to quietly consolidate the chaotic Causeway Bay forces that had emerged after Leung Kwan's death.

Some of the thugs who originally followed Liang Kun were recruited by other gangs, while others were defeated in street brawls.

Lin Yao was different. He offered good treatment; following him meant food, money, and you wouldn't be easily bullied.

Before long, most of the venues in Causeway Bay fell into his hands.

Jiang Tiansheng met Lin Yao at the Hung Hing headquarters.

In the office, Jiang Tiansheng sat on a leather sofa, toying with Buddhist prayer beads in his hand, scrutinizing the young man in front of him.

He knew that Lin Yao's "alternate identity" was very wealthy, but he couldn't figure out the other party's background.

How did an overseas Chinese suddenly gain the power to control Causeway Bay?

But Lin Yao was very disciplined. He never missed a penny of the money he was supposed to give to Hung Hing, and he even offered to help Hung Hing manage its business in Causeway Bay.

After careful consideration, Jiang Tiansheng finally decided: "Ah Yao, the position of leader of the Causeway Bay branch will remain vacant for now. You will serve as acting leader for now, and we will see how you perform in the future."

Lin Yao bowed in agreement, but his mind was already planning his next move.

With HK$300 million as seed money, the first thing Lin Yao wanted to do was to establish his own violent organization—a security company.

Soon, Lin Yao acquired a security company on the verge of bankruptcy and renamed it "Starry Sky Security".

Then, they set their sights on one person: Li Jie, Longwei's bodyguard.

Li Jie was originally a demolition expert from the mainland. He was skilled and knew how to defuse bombs. However, due to a mission failure, he watched his wife and children being killed by a bomb. Disheartened, he resigned and later moved to Hong Kong Island, where he became the bodyguard and stunt double for the star Lung Wai.

Lin Yao knew that Li Jie had been searching for the "Doctor," the murderer who killed his wife and children years ago, and this was precisely the bargaining chip he could use to win Li Jie over.

Lin Yao met Li Jie for the first time on the set of Longwei's movie.

At the time, Li Jie was wearing a costume and helping Long Wei complete a stunt where he jumped from a height. When he landed, he was as steady as a tree with its roots firmly planted.

Lin Yao walked over and offered him a cigarette: "Master Li, I'm Lin Yao from Xingchen Security. I'd like to ask you for a favor."

Li Jie glanced at him but didn't take the cigarette: "I have a job now."

"I know you're looking for a 'doctor'."

Lin Yao's voice was soft, yet it was like a pebble thrown into Li Jie's heart.

Li Jie froze instantly, turning sharply to look at Lin Yao, his eyes filled with shock and wariness: "How did you know?"

"Not only do I know, I can also tell you his whereabouts."

Lin Yao smiled.

"If you work for me for two years, I guarantee you'll be able to find a doctor after that."

Li Jie remained silent for a long time, his knuckles turning white from the force, wanting to test the waters. However, Lin Yao patted him on the shoulder instead.

Feeling the powerful force on his shoulder, Li Jie's expression changed, realizing that the person in front of him was much stronger than himself.

There was no way to use force to take him down, and then we had to ask where the information came from.

In addition, after searching for a "doctor" for so many years without any clues, Lin Yao in front of him now gave him hope.

Finally, Li Jie nodded: "Okay, I promise you."

After recruiting Li Jie, Lin Yao gave him his first mission: to return to the mainland and recruit retired veterans.

Compared to the gangsters on Hong Kong Island, those veterans who had been on the battlefield were more disciplined and better at fighting.

Li Jie had extensive connections in the military and quickly made contact with a group of retired veterans.

Lin Yao offered very generous terms: a monthly salary of HK$3,000, including room and board, and the salary could be increased if one had special skills.

This salary wasn't high in Hong Kong, but it was a considerable sum in mainland China at the same time.

Many veterans came from impoverished families, and upon hearing this condition, even if they had some doubts, they agreed almost without hesitation.

In just one month, Li Jie recruited 300 veterans and even gave them an advance of one month's salary so they could settle their families.

When Li Jie arrived in Hong Kong Island with three hundred veterans, Lin Yao personally went to the Star Security training base.

The training base is located in the suburbs and is a converted abandoned factory. It has a cement floor and various training equipment.

Two hundred veterans, dressed in uniform camouflage, stood on the training ground, their postures as upright as a forest. Even after a long journey, their eyes still shone with the sharpness of soldiers.

"Hello, boss!"

At Li Jie's introduction, the veterans saluted Lin Yao in unison, their voices so loud they seemed to vibrate the air.

Lin Yao stepped forward, his gaze sweeping over every face—some of these people had scars on their faces, some were missing a finger, all were heroes who had fought their way out of the battlefield.

"Thank you all for your hard work."

Lin Yao's voice was filled with respect.

"You are all heroes who have retired from the battlefield, and each of you is outstanding. But for the sake of future management, I need to select some captains and instructors from among you."

The veterans' eyes lit up instantly, filled with anticipation.

"There are a total of 300 people in you. Divide them into 30 teams of 10 people each, and select 30 team leaders. Their monthly salary will be doubled."

Lin Yao paused for a moment, then nodded to the several accounting staff he had recruited behind him.

These people immediately took out several large suitcases from behind them, and when they opened them, they were full of Hong Kong dollars.

With this financial backing, Lin Yao continued, his words carrying even more weight in the ears of those present: "The instructors need to either have strong combat skills or special abilities. In addition to Instructor Li, we will select six more instructors, each with a monthly salary of ten thousand Hong Kong dollars."

Upon hearing this, a collective gasp arose in the training ground as people looked at the real gold and silver before them.

Everything is true. I originally thought that a monthly salary of three thousand Hong Kong dollars was already very high, but I didn't expect that the captain and instructors' salaries were even higher.

Even if we don't mention HK$10,000, HK$6000 a month would be enough for them to build an extremely luxurious house in their hometown.

"The selection rules are very simple."

Lin Yao's gaze swept over the crowd.

"Those skilled in sniping, demolition, and bomb disposal will compete in terms of technique; the rest will compete in one-on-one matches, with the top six in winning percentage becoming instructors and those ranked seventh to thirty-sixth becoming team captains."

In the military, strength has always been respected, and no one objects to this rule.

The selection process began quickly, and the training ground instantly became lively.

The veterans competed bare-handed, their movements crisp and clean, without any unnecessary flourishes; every punch and kick carried the ferocity honed on the battlefield.

On the other side, a veteran skilled in sniping held a simulated gun and fired at a distant target, hitting it almost every time.

Veteran soldiers skilled in explosives demonstrated bomb disposal techniques in a safe area, their skillful techniques dazzling the eye.

Lin Yao stood to the side, carefully observing everyone.

His eyes lit up slightly when he saw two familiar faces.

One of them is Li Fuyi and Li Jie's cousin. He looks about 70% like Li Jie, especially the expression in his eyes and brows, which are like they were made from the same mold.

However, Li Fu now had a faint scar on his face, which added to his fierce appearance.

Lin Yao remembered that Li Fu was the protagonist of "King of Assassins," with excellent skills and knowledge of assassination techniques.

The other is Wang Jianjun—he looks very much like Chang Wei, is tall, and has muscles as solid as iron. In a fight, he can knock his opponent to the ground with a single punch, and his eyes are full of ruthlessness.

Lin Yao recognized him as the villain in "The Bodyguard from Zhongnanhai". He had become an assassin after being discharged from the army because he couldn't find a job. Now, he had been recruited by Lin Yao in advance, which changed his fate.

More than an hour later, the selection results were announced.

Li Fu and Wang Jianjun, thanks to their outstanding skills, became two of the six instructors.

The other four instructors are skilled in sniping, bomb disposal, AK-47 with a wrench, and can manufacture powerful bombs given enough materials.

Each of them has a unique skill.

At the same time, all thirty team captains were selected; they were all veterans who had performed well in the competition.

Lin Yao handed out the money directly, and these people were all relieved to have the money in their pockets, their faces beaming with smiles.

Looking at these veterans who were full of energy and spirit after receiving the money, he pondered his future plans.

With these people, Star Security had sufficient violent support, which prevented it from revealing too much of its strength and allowed it to truly establish itself in Hong Kong.

We'll develop slowly and stealthily. Once we have enough manpower, we can also check if there are any gods, demons, or supernatural beings in this Hong Kong variety show world. We'll take it slow.