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

Nine o'clock in the morning.

Central, Connaught Road Central.

The black Rolls-Royce drove smoothly on the expressway leading to Central.

Lu Chen sat in the back seat, listening to Tian Yangsheng's concise report.

"Boss, everything's been arranged with Ahua. Crow escaped back to Yuen Long with serious injuries and probably won't dare to set foot in Mong Kok for a while. All the injured brothers have been sent to the hospital and are being given the best medicine. Although Ahua's arm was slashed, no bones were broken, and he'll be fine in a month or two. Now, all the gangsters in Mong Kok avoid Hung Hing's flags."

"very good."

Lu Chen's eyes gleamed with satisfaction. "Tell Ahua that the million-dollar bonus will arrive this afternoon. Also, instruct him to cover all medical expenses for the injured brothers, and give each of them an extra allowance for nutrition. Those who risked their lives alongside us will not be allowed to bleed and weep."

"Understood, I'll keep an eye on it."

The thorn in Mong Kok has been completely removed, and Ah Wah's knife has been honed to its sharpest edge. The next step is to consolidate territory and grow steadily.

……

Top floor, Chairman's office.

Pushing open the heavy mahogany door, a faint aroma of coffee wafts out.

"Mr. Lu, your coffee. Blue Mountain No. 1, no sugar, two spoonfuls of milk."

Hu Huizhong (the "Overlord Flower") stood beside her desk, wearing a well-tailored beige business suit and holding an exquisite bone china cup.

After a week of "training," this once arrogant and domineering policewoman has become increasingly proficient in her secretarial duties. At least on the surface, she has perfectly integrated into the role.

However, when Lu Chen took the coffee, his fingers "inadvertently" brushed lightly across her palm.

The domineering woman shuddered, nearly spilling her coffee. She abruptly pulled her hand back, looked up at Lu Chen angrily, only to meet his gaze, which held a half-smile.

"Secretary Hu, your hands are a bit rough," Lu Chen said, taking a sip of coffee. "Don't you take care of them? Or... is this just the unique texture of hands that handle guns?"

The Queen of the Night's pupils contracted slightly, and alarm bells rang in her mind.

Did he discover something?

"Mr. Lu, you're too kind," Ba Wanghua took a deep breath, suppressing her inner turmoil, and forced a professional smile. "I just enjoy cooking, maybe I sharpened the knife. If you have no other instructions, I'll take my leave."

"Don't rush off," Lu Chen put down his cup, pointed to his collar, and said, "Help me tie this tie. I slept in the car for a while, and it's a little loose."

"you……"

The tyrant gritted her teeth, looking at the man who treated her like a servant.

I'm a senior inspector! I'm here undercover to gather evidence of your crimes! Not to tie your tie!

But looking at Lu Chen's shameless attitude of "I won't work if you don't tie the knot," she could only curse Lu Chen a thousand times in her heart before walking up to him in her high heels.

The two were standing very close.

The domineering woman reached out and straightened his collar. Because of the height difference, she had to stand on her tiptoes slightly. This position made her almost press herself against Lu Chen's chest. The man's masculine scent, a mixture of cologne and a faint smell of tobacco, forcefully filled her nostrils, making her heart race uncontrollably.

"Secretary Hu, your heart is beating fast." Lu Chen looked down at her long eyelashes, which were trembling slightly with nervousness, and whispered in her ear, "Are you nervous? Or... are you expecting something?"

"Mr. Lu!"

The tyrant suddenly tightened her tie and pulled hard, almost strangling Lu Chen to death.

She took two steps back, her cheeks flushed, her eyes filled with shame and indignation: "My tie is tied! Mr. Cheng is still waiting outside, I've let him in!"

After saying that, she turned and rushed towards the door as if fleeing, her steps somewhat unsteady.

Watching her disheveled figure, Lu Chen touched the tie around his neck, a pleased smile curving his lips.

This prawn is getting more and more interesting.

A moment later, Cheng Yiyan walked in with a briefcase in hand and a beaming smile.

"Boss, great news!" Cheng Yiyan walked to his desk, excitedly pulling a stack of documents from his bag. "We've made progress on the arcade machine manufacturer you asked me to keep an eye on!"

"Oh? Which one?"

"Wai Shing Electronics Factory is located in the Kwun Tong Industrial Area."

Cheng Yiyan reported, "This factory has a good foundation. Half a year ago, it imported a state-of-the-art circuit board production line from Germany. It was originally an OEM manufacturer. But the boss was all talk and no action. He insisted on making arcade games himself, but he couldn't get the latest game licenses from the US. So he could only produce some old games from a few years ago, like a knock-off of 'Space Invaders.' Now he has a lot of inventory piling up, his cash flow has dried up, and he's in a hurry to sell it."

"Very good, Lao Cheng. Acquiring Weicheng Electronics is our ticket to enter the game industry." Lu Chen tapped his fingers lightly on the table, quickly calculating in his mind.

His entry into the arcade market at this critical juncture was not a spur-of-the-moment decision, but a well-thought-out strategic move.

As a time traveler, he knew all too well what video games meant in the future.

Ten years ago, Nolan Bushnell, the genius at Atari, created the first truly commercial arcade game—Pong. Although it only had two white lines and a dot, resembling a rudimentary ice hockey game, it unexpectedly became a huge hit in bars, ushering in the era of commercial arcade games. Then, in 1978, the Japanese brought about the first qualitative leap with Space Invaders. With its heart-pounding background music, progressive levels, increasing difficulty, and leaderboards… these designs transformed the game from simply "playing a game" into "I want to complete it," "I want to be on the leaderboard." It turned arcade games into a competition, an addictive and engaging experience. That year in Japan, it's said that even 100-yen coins were exhausted, leading to a nationwide coin shortage.

Then came Pac-Man in 1980, with its iconic, one-slice pizza and distinctive characters, drawing women and children into arcades with its non-violent gameplay. It transformed arcade games from a subculture into a national symbol. Now, in 1982, arcade games had completed their evolution from "circuit boards" to "programmable rules" and then to "character culture," poised to enter a golden age of diverse development! At that time, Hong Kong Island was filled with outdated machines with black-and-white screens—a huge market gap.

"Right now, Hong Kong's arcade market is still stuck in the primitive era of black and white screens. What I want to do is bring a colorful future. I want to use arcades to accumulate technology, intellectual property, and players. And then..." Lu Chen's fingers clenched tightly, "...using that as a springboard, we'll enter the future home console market. I want children all over the world to grow up playing our Golden Harvest games!"

Cheng Yiyan was thrilled by Lu Chen's grand description. Although he didn't understand Atari or Pac-Man, he knew that any business that the boss had his eye on was a gold mine.

"Boss, don't worry!" Cheng Yiyan patted his chest and assured him, "The owner of Weicheng Electronics is as anxious as a cat on a hot tin roof right now, with the bank pressing for payment every day. I'll negotiate, and I guarantee I'll drive the price down to the floor! I'm confident I can get the factory and equipment for 20 million!"

"Don't put too much pressure on them. Remember not to create panic or cause a brain drain. We need skilled workers and technicians," Lu Chen waved his hand. "I'm leaving this entirely to you. I won't get involved."

"Huh? Boss, you're not going?" Cheng Yiyan was taken aback.

"Old Cheng, Golden Harvest's operations are getting bigger and bigger, and I can't do everything myself," Lu Chen walked over, patted Cheng Yiyan on the shoulder, and said earnestly, "You are my right-hand man. You need to learn to handle these acquisitions independently. In the future, Golden Harvest's territory will expand to a level you can't even imagine. I need a business leader who can keep things under control, not just an executor who just follows orders."

Hearing these words, Cheng Yiyan's eyes reddened slightly, and a feeling of "a scholar will die for one who understands him" welled up in her heart.

"Boss...don't worry! I'll make sure it's done perfectly for you!"

"Go ahead, I'll be waiting for your good news."

After seeing off the spirited Cheng Yiyan, the office fell silent again.

Lu Chen was not idle.

Having the hardware facilities is only the first step; the soul of an arcade game is the game itself.

Golden Harvest doesn't have its own game development team yet. The fastest way to quickly capture the market is to buy!

He picked up the encrypted phone on the table and dialed an overseas long-distance call.

"Beep...beep..."

After a few rings, the call was connected.

"Hello, BOSS?" A gentle, intellectual, yet somewhat aloof female voice came from the other end of the phone, with the faint sound of the shamisen, a traditional Japanese instrument, in the background.

"Miss Vermouth, are you settling in well over there?"

"It's great. The cherry blossoms here are in bloom, they're beautiful," Ruan Wen said with a hint of a smile. "Moreover, the financial markets here are even crazier than I imagined. They really like those 'super dollars,' and I've already quietly acquired shares in several unicorn companies through a few offshore accounts."

"Thank you for your hard work," Lu Chen said after a few pleasantries, then got down to business. "Vermouth, I have a new mission for you."

"you say."

"I need you to help me make contact with a company," Lu Chen paused, then uttered a name that would dominate the gaming industry for decades to come: "Nintendo."

"Nintendo?" Ruan Wen had clearly heard of the name. "The company that started with playing karuta (Japanese playing cards) and is now venturing into the gaming market?"

"That's right, you probably know," Lu Chen explained, "They just released an arcade game called Donkey Kong last year, and it's making a killing all over the world. I need you to talk to their president, Hiroshi Yamauchi."

"First, I want to buy the exclusive distribution rights and production license for 'King Kong' in Hong Kong and Southeast Asia. I can offer a higher price, but it must be an exclusive distribution."

"Secondly," a hint of ambition flashed in Lu Chen's eyes, "we'll secretly acquire their stock, as much as possible, without attracting attention. After watching their games, I have a feeling that this company's stock price will at least increase a hundredfold in the future."

"A hundred times?!" Even the usually composed Ruan Wen exclaimed in surprise, "Boss, are you sure?"

"When have I ever misjudged?" Lu Chen said confidently with a smile. "The IP value of that gorilla and that big-nosed carpenter will be comparable to Disney's Mickey Mouse."

"Yes, I understand," Ruan Wen said without further questioning. "I'll go arrange the manpower to prepare for the negotiations. However, I heard that Yamauchi Hiroshi is a stubborn old man who may only be willing to sell complete machines and not to sell an exclusive agency."

"It's okay, just throw money at him," Lu Chen said calmly. "If he still doesn't agree, then it means we haven't thrown enough money. Throw 'super dollars' at him until he's completely bewildered."

"clear!"

After hanging up the phone, Lu Chen walked to the window and looked out at the bustling Victoria Harbour.

The arcade machine manufacturer is in place, and game licensing is on the way.

Once the production lines at Wai Shing Electronics start running, once the catchy background music from "King Kong" fills every arcade on Hong Kong Island...

At that time, the prototype of the Golden Harvest entertainment empire was officially established.

"Video games..." Lu Chen's fingers lightly traced the glass, as if sketching a blueprint for the future. "This is a rare, highly profitable, and legal business."