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

In Kowloon Walled City, a "Temporarily Closed" sign hung in a barbershop. All the curtains were drawn tightly, leaving only a dim desk lamp illuminating a piece of paper covered with numbers on the table.

"We've made contact."

Tornado put down the old-fashioned rotary phone, exhaled a smoke ring, and looked at the three young men in front of him with a complicated expression. "The other party is an old bastard who used to do business with the Vietnamese gang. He only cares about money, not people. We won't meet in person. The goods will be placed in an abandoned shipyard in Saigon. Money and goods will be settled in one transaction."

"Boss, are they reliable?" Xin Yi fiddled with the butterfly knife in his hand, his brows slightly furrowed.

"In this underworld, reputation is everything. If he dares to steal my goods, I can break him." Tornado's tone was calm, but the bloodthirsty aura he exuded sent chills down one's spine.

"The price list is here."

Tornado pointed to the note, "A Black Star is 30,000 each, an AK47 is 60,000, and a Remington M870—which you call a shotgun—is 60,000 each... Bullets are 100 each, no bargaining."

Lu Chen picked up the note and glanced at it, inwardly gasping. The price was practically robbery. Indeed, the arms industry was the most profitable.

"No need to choose." Lu Chen crumpled the note into a ball, threw it into the ashtray, and lit it. "We want three Remington rifles, plus ninety buckshot rounds."

"A shotgun?" Chen Luojun asked, puzzled. "Brother Lu, don't they always use AKs in the movies? Those have incredible firepower."

"What's the use of high firepower? Do you even know how to control recoil?"

Lu Chen rolled his eyes at him and patiently explained, "Which of the three of us has ever handled a real gun? The recoil of an AK is so strong that it can send bullets flying into the sky. Handguns require even more practice; beyond five meters, it's all about luck."

"But trolls are different."

Lu Chen made a gun-raising gesture, his eyes sharp. "At close range, one shot will cause area damage. There's no need to aim accurately; as long as the general direction is right, even gods would kneel. The place we're going to is confined; this is the true 'equalizer for all beings.'"

"That makes sense." Xin nodded. "In that kind of environment, only trolls reign supreme."

"A total of 180,000, plus the bullets, that's almost 200,000." Lu Chen pulled out two thick stacks of banknotes from his pocket, part of the first pot of gold he earned from Wu Rensong. "Brother Long, thank you for your help."

Tornado looked at the stack of money, said nothing, and silently accepted it.

"And this too." Lu Chen pulled out another list. "Three professional diving suits, and enough oxygen cylinders. Also, get three gas masks, the kind that can filter out chemical toxic gases."

"You're going to go swimming?" Tornado frowned.

"No, I want to go somewhere dirtier than the sea."

Lu Chen's gaze fell upon the dark night sky outside the window, as if piercing through the darkness to see the golden palace buried underground.

……

Two days later.

Happy Valley, Hong Kong Island Jockey Club.

Today is the start of the Queen Elizabeth II Cup. The entire racecourse is bustling with noise. Tens of thousands of gamblers wave their betting tickets, shouting and roaring, turning countless banknotes into worthless paper, and also accumulating into the breathtaking wealth in the vault.

According to normal procedures, these gambling winnings would eventually be sent to the Westerners on their home island to replenish the fading glory of the Union Jack.

However, beneath all this prosperity lies twenty meters underground.

In the dark, damp sewers, reeking of a nauseating stench, three ghostly figures lurked silently in the pipe niches amidst the overflowing sewage.

"vomit……"

Xin Yi couldn't help but gag. Despite wearing a gas mask, the psychological discomfort was still intense. "Chen, we've been lying here for four hours... are those two bastards coming or not?"

"Shhh."

Lu Chen made a shushing gesture. He was wearing a black, tight-fitting wetsuit with a tactical vest over it, and he was tightly gripping the Remington M870, which was wrapped in tarpaulin.

Although he wore a black hood that only revealed his eyes, there was no anxiety in his eyes, only the patience of a hunter.

According to the plot of "Full Alert," McQueen has escaped from prison. He is an extremely arrogant and obsessive person. He is determined to complete his unfinished plan—to rob the Jockey Club vault.

"I've seen the Jockey Club's architectural plans. There's a fatal flaw in the drainage system here. To save money, they didn't seal off the maintenance access leading directly beneath the vault. McQueen was also a civil engineering genius; he wouldn't have overlooked this loophole."

"It's here." Chen Luojun suddenly whispered. His hearing was excellent, and he could detect an unusual sound even amidst the rushing water.

In the distance, two faint beams of flashlight flickered in the dark water.

Then came the sound of paddling and the suppressed breathing of two men.

Lu Chen's heart clenched, and his adrenaline surged.

The one walking in front was lean and had a gloomy look in his eyes, carrying a heavy waterproof case—that was McQueen.

The man following behind was burly with a face full of scars, and he was holding a miniature submachine gun—that was "Old Gao," a notorious Taiwanese gangster.

"Everyone, check the security," Lu Chen ordered in a low voice. "We'll move after they blow up the vault. Remember, that Lao Gao is a desperate criminal. Don't waste words with him; just send him to his death."

"Received." Xin Yi and Chen Luojun responded in unison, simultaneously pulling back the bolts of their guns.

"Click."

The crisp sound of loading the gun was masked by the sound of flowing water.

McQueen and Old Gao below were completely unaware that in the darkness above them, three yellow birds were baring their deadly fangs.

McQueen stopped beneath a massive concrete dome. He pulled out a blueprint, compared it to the ceiling, and then pointed upwards.

Above is the core area of ​​the vault. The thinnest concrete layer here is the inspection port left from the original construction, which was simply sealed off later.

Old Gao nodded, took out a few pieces of C4 explosive from the waterproof box, skillfully stuck them into the gaps in the dome, and then inserted detonators.

"Get ready."

McQueen pressed the detonator.

"boom--!!!"

The muffled explosion echoed through the enclosed sewer, making Lu Chen's eardrums ache, and a large amount of dust and gravel fell down.

The once indestructible dome was instantly blasted open, leaving a hole one meter in diameter.

No alarm sounded.

Just as Lu Chen had predicted, McQueen was an electrical engineering genius, and he had long ago cut off the vibration sensors at the bottom of the vault.

"Walk!"

Old Gao threw out a grappling hook, hooked it onto the cave entrance, and climbed up first. McQueen followed closely behind.

"action!"

A cold glint flashed in Lu Chen's eyes.

Three figures, like arrows released from a bow, silently crept up along the rope.

……

Inside the vault.

"Click".

With a soft click, the heavy precast concrete slab overhead was slowly pushed aside, revealing a faint light. It was the glow of the emergency lights inside the vault, the glow of money itself!

Old Gao was the first to climb up, holding a miniature submachine gun in his hand, and cautiously scanned the area.

"Safe." Old Gao's deep voice came through.

Immediately afterwards, McQueen climbed up as well.

This is a temple of money. Rows of huge metal shelves are piled high with banknotes sealed in plastic. Red bulls (one thousand yuan) and orange bulls (five hundred yuan) are stacked like bricks, densely packed together, assaulting the eyes.

Old Gao's eyes turned red as he looked at the room full of money. He threw down his submachine gun, grabbed a waterproof bag, and started stuffing it into the bag.

"I'm rich! I'm rich! Damn, this life is worth it!"

Although McQueen was much calmer, he was still panting heavily as he carried the money.

Just then.

"Bang!"

A deafening explosion, like a thunderclap, shattered the vault!

Old Gao froze.

A gaping hole the size of a bowl appeared in his chest, a horrific wound inflicted by a Remington shotgun at close range. Countless lead bullets instantly tore apart his heart and lungs, even splattering a layer of crimson blood onto the pile of money behind him.

He didn't even have a chance to look back before collapsing to the ground like a piece of rotten wood, his Hong Kong dollars scattered all over the floor.

"Who?!"

McQueen turned around abruptly, his hand instinctively reaching for the pistol at his waist.

But two cold gun barrels were already pressed firmly against his forehead.

Xin Yi and Chen Luojun stood on either side, their dark gun barrels exuding an aura of death.

"If you don't want your head to explode, put your hands up."

Lu Chen emerged from the shadows, a still-smoking shotgun in his hand, his voice hoarse and low from deliberately lowering it. He stepped over Lao Gao's corpse without giving it a second glance, as if he had merely crushed a cockroach.

McQueen is a smart man.

Extremely intelligent.

His pupils contracted sharply as he stared at the three mysterious, fully armed men wearing black hoods.

"Who are you...?"

Who we are is not important.

Lu Chen walked up to McQueen, used the barrel of his gun to lift McQueen's chin, and said with a mocking look, "The important thing is, we're here to help you."

"Help me?" McQueen glanced at the corpse on the ground and sneered, "Is this what you call helping?"

Lu Chen pointed to the mountain of banknotes around them. "There's at least two billion here. McQueen, can you carry all this by yourself? Why don't you let us help you?"

"What do you want?" McQueen forced himself to calm down.

"Let's make a deal."

Chen held up one finger. "The police are on their way. Everyone knows you, McQueen, were going to rob a vault after your prison break. So, this case can only be your doing. You're the one to take the blame."

"On what grounds?"

"You're still alive, and you can even take millions of Hong Kong dollars and go abroad to live a carefree life."

Lu Chen's voice was icy cold, "We're just hitching a ride, we only want money, we won't kill. You take what you can, we'll take the rest. The police may issue a warrant for your arrest, but with money, you can go anywhere. But if you don't agree..."

Lu Chen tapped the trigger, producing a soft "click" sound.

"Then you'll have to go down and sell tea eggs now."

McQueen fell silent.

His mind raced. The other man was right; he had already killed someone. Stealing ten million would mean life imprisonment, and stealing one hundred million would also mean life imprisonment. As long as he could get out alive, what did it matter if he took the blame? Besides, this group was clearly prepared, ruthless, and definitely not to be trifled with.

"make a deal."

McQueen gritted his teeth and nodded, "That's good. Now I truly believe you won't kill me."

"Of course, because we need a scapegoat." Lu Chen smiled upon hearing this. "If you die, the police will suspect someone else. Only if you escape alive will the case be 'solved,' and only then will we be safe."

McQueen took a deep breath and picked up the waterproof bag from the ground: "Stop talking nonsense, fill it with money! I reckon the police will be surrounding it in about ten minutes!"

"That's right."

Lu Chen waved his hand, "Number Two, Number Three, get to work! Only take the large denominations!"

Four people, eight hands, began a frenzied looting spree.

Bundles of thousand-yuan bills were roughly stuffed into specially made waterproof bags. At that moment, money was no longer currency, but merely paper, a weight, a desire.

Each person carried two large bags, each weighing several tens of kilograms.

Just as Xin Yi and Chen Luojun were dragging their bags toward the cave entrance, Lu Chen deliberately lagged behind.

He glanced around the still-mountainous vault. What the four of them had taken was merely a drop in the ocean.

"It would be such a waste to let it go like this."

A glint of light flashed in Lu Chen's eyes.

A thought arose.

[Personal space, now open!]

Wherever his palm swept, the several large stacks of neatly arranged banknotes vanished into thin air as if by magic!

One cubic meter of space.

It doesn't sound like much, but if it's used to hold money...

That's an astronomical figure!

In almost three seconds, Lu Chen had filled the space to the brim, leaving not a single gap. A rough estimate suggested that the value inside far exceeded the total value of all the bags they were carrying!

After doing all this, Lu Chen quickly pulled out a simple timer device made from a lighter from his pocket, stuck it to a fire alarm sensor, then smashed the diving propulsion device that Lao Gao had left on the shore with the butt of his gun, and pulled the valve off McQueen's spare oxygen cylinder, before sliding down the rope into the sewer.

Just three minutes after they left.

The lighter started on time, and the high temperature instantly triggered the fire suppression system on top.

Because the vault was full of banknotes, what was sprayed was not water, but heptafluoropropane gas. Although this gas can extinguish fires, under high pressure, it would blow away all fingerprints, footprints, and even DNA traces at the scene.

In the sewer.

The four of them moved stealthily like water ghosts.

"The road splits at the fork ahead."

Lu Chen stopped and pointed to the pipe on the left. "McQueen, go that way. That's the exit to Victoria Harbour. Your ship should be there to meet you, right?"

McQueen nodded, giving Lu Chen a complicated look: "Who exactly are you people?"

"You can call us... 'scavengers'."

Until we meet again.

Without another word, McQueen, carrying two bags of money, plunged into the dark water.

【Ding--】

[Key plot character detected: McQueen]

[Checking in at "High Alert"]

[Check-in successful!]

[Reward: +1 Free Attribute Point]

"System, add this attribute to [Intelligence]."

As the situation becomes increasingly complex, brute force alone is no longer sufficient to control the overall situation. He needs a more powerful mind, faster reaction speed, and greater computing power to deduce the black-and-white storm that is about to sweep across Hong Kong Island.

[Command confirmed. Enhancing...]

[Intelligence: Lv7 (Perfect Calculation)]

[Evaluation: Your brain has evolved into a sophisticated biological computer. You not only have a photographic memory, but you can also instantly grasp the logical chain from countless fragments of complex information. Your understanding of people's hearts and your ability to deduce the course of events have reached a master level. Now, even when facing a cunning fox, you can see right through them.]

An unprecedented feeling of coolness instantly swept over the cerebral cortex.

Lu Chen opened his eyes and felt that the world in front of him had become clearer. The entire sewer was even automatically transformed into a three-dimensional map in his mind.

Watching McQueen disappear, Xin Yi finally couldn't help but ask, "Chen, do you want us to...?"

"Don't worry, he's a smart man. He knows what to say and what not to say. Besides, he's never seen our faces." Lu Chen took off his mask, revealing a face covered in sweat. "Moreover, as long as he's alive, the police will always be watching him. We're just ghosts in this city."

"Let's go! To the New Territories!"

……

Three o'clock in the morning.

The New Territories, a desolate reed marshland.

"Splash—"

Three figures emerged from the water, breathing in the fresh air in large gulps.

They dragged their heavy bags and trudged ashore, one step at a time.

Xin ripped off his mask, lay sprawled on the muddy ground, looked at the starry sky, and suddenly burst into laughter.

"Hahahaha! That's awesome! That's fucking awesome!"

He patted the bag beside him, which was filled with banknotes. "I've never seen so much money in my life! Ah Chen, you're crazy! But... I like it!"

Chen Luojun also sat on the ground, smiling憨厚ly. Although he was exhausted, his eyes were full of light.

Lu Chen leaned against a dead tree and lit a cigarette.

The sensation of nicotine entering his lungs gradually relaxed his tense nerves. He touched his pocket, feeling the heavy "billions in assets" in his personal space, and a satisfied smile appeared on his lips.

"Change your clothes, burn the wetsuit."

Lu Chen's voice was frighteningly calm. "Change the money into a regular woven bag. The three of us will split up and take the back path back to the walled city."

"Everyone, please keep a low profile and avoid attracting attention, understand?"

"Don't worry, Chen." Xin sat up, his eyes shining brightly. "We know it's just one last push."

Lu Chen smiled but didn't say anything.

A faint glimmer of dawn appeared on the eastern horizon.

A new day has begun.

For the Hong Kong Island police, this was a day of shame – the Jockey Club vault was robbed, and the ruthless criminals escaped.

But for Lu Chen, for Jiahe Group, and for the young people of Kowloon Walled City.

This is the first day of the legendary voyage.