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

Tseung Kwan O, Harbour View.

This is a highly secluded private restaurant that can only be booked by regular customers. It is located halfway up the mountain and offers a panoramic view of the sea through its floor-to-ceiling windows.

The atmosphere in the innermost "Emperor's Hall" private room was relaxed yet lively.

Lu Chen, dressed in a casual white turtleneck sweater with a gray cashmere coat over it, sat in the main seat, holding a cup of aged Pu'er tea, chatting and laughing with Jiang Tiansheng sitting next to him.

"Mr. Lu, I'm also benefiting from your influence!" Jiang Tiansheng was clearly in a good mood today, his face glowing. "Now the whole underworld is saying that I, Jiang Tiansheng, have a keen eye for talent and promoted this formidable man, Ah Hua. As a result, Hung Hing's influence has surpassed that of Tung Sing. That old man Camel, I heard, has been so angry these past few days that his high blood pressure has flared up, and he's been smashing cups at home."

"That's thanks to Chiang's excellent leadership," Lu Chen said with a faint smile, not taking credit for it. "Ah Hua is a member of Hung Hing, so the glory naturally belongs to Hung Hing."

Just then, the door to the private room was pushed open.

"Boss! Mr. Jiang!" Ahua walked in. His left arm was still in a sling around his neck, but his complexion had improved considerably. His dark blue suit jacket was draped over his shoulders, giving him a more imposing presence.

Behind him followed two completely different people.

The one on the left, looking excited and wearing a slightly oversized suit, was muttering to himself even before he entered the room; it was Fly.

The one on the right is thin, with gloomy eyes and a band-aid on his forehead. He's nervously fiddling with a coin in his hand—it's an airplane.

"You're here? Have a seat." Lu Chen pointed to the seat opposite him.

"Thank you, Boss."

Ahua led the two to their seats. Fly plopped down and immediately started glancing at the Moutai liquor on the table, while Airplane seemed a bit reserved, sitting up straight with only half of his buttocks on the table.

"Ahua, how's your injury?" Jiang Tiansheng asked with concern.

"Thank you for your concern, Mr. Jiang. The doctor said I'm recovering very well and the stitches will be removed in another two weeks," Ahua replied respectfully.

"That's good. You did a great job this time, you've made the gang proud." Jiang Tiansheng nodded approvingly, then his gaze fell on the airplane. "Is this the... the little brother who bit off someone's ear?"

"Yes, Mr. Jiang, I'm calling for Airplane!"

The plane jerked to its feet and answered loudly. Having spent so long working his way up from the bottom, this was the first time he'd been so close to the boss; he was so excited his face turned red.

"Sit down, sit down, don't be so tense." Jiang Tiansheng waved his hand with a smile. "You're ruthless and powerful. Ahua mentioned you to me, saying you're a sharp knife. Work hard for Ahua, and climbing the ranks won't be a problem in the future."

"Thank you, Mr. Jiang! Thank you, Mr. Lu!" The plane was so excited that it was incoherent.

Upon hearing this, Lu Chen looked at Jiang Tiansheng with a strange expression: "As expected of Ah Le's counterpart, he starts making empty promises as soon as he sees an airplane."

Just then, the long-lost notification sound rang in Lu Chen's mind.

【Ding--】

[Key plot character detected: Airplane]

[Checking in at the movie "Election"]

[Check-in successful.]

[Reward: +1 Free Attribute Point]

Lu Chen chose to add this to the system space.

[Attribute points successfully allocated.]

[Private Space: Lv5; Current Space Size: 16 cubic meters.]

[Evaluation: Congratulations! Your personal space has evolved from a "car trunk" to a "mini-container." You can carry the entire equipment of a standard infantry platoon, or a Mini Cooper with its side mirrors removed. In this space, time stands still, and items never decay. Customs and security checks are a joke to you; you are a walking, talking smuggling tunnel.]

"Here, pick up your chopsticks."

Lu Chen raised his glass, a gentle smile on his face.

After several rounds of drinks and five courses of food,

The atmosphere was just right.

Lu Chen put down his chopsticks and wiped his mouth with a napkin. This action made everyone present stop and realize that the important matter had arrived.

"Ah Hua," Lu Chen looked at Ah Hua, "borrowing the men from Jiahe Security this time is a temporary measure. If you're going to be guarding Mong Kok in the future, you can't always rely on outside help. After all, the brothers from the security company aren't involved in the underworld; there are some dirty and tiring jobs that they're not comfortable doing."

"Understood." Ahua nodded. "I'm also considering expanding enrollment."

"Yes. Recruiting should be fast, but also of high quality," Lu Chen advised. "Don't recruit drug addicts, but find more like Fei Ji. If you want to establish your authority in Mong Kok, you must have a team that is completely yours and obeys your orders."

"If you don't have enough money, just tell me, and I'll lend it to you."

"Don't worry, boss, there's income from the land, we can afford it," Ahua said confidently.

"Alright then," Lu Chen nodded, then turned his gaze to Wu Ying, who was gnawing on a large lobster with his mouth dripping with oil. "Wu Ying."

"Huh? Ugh!" The fly was startled and quickly swallowed the lobster meat in its mouth, almost choking. "Boss! I'm here!"

Seeing his comical expression, Lu Chen smiled and asked, "Are you full?"

"I'm full! So full! I've never eaten anything this good in my life!" Fly chuckled, looking completely satisfied.

"Now that you've eaten, it's time to get back to work," Lu Chen said, tapping his fingers lightly on the table. "I have something for you to do."

"Huh? Me?"

The fly pointed to its own nose, flattered and overwhelmed: "Boss! You finally remembered me! I'm very useful! Besides being a fighter... well, not really a fighter, I'm quick-witted! I want to be the boss, I want to lead a group of followers! Are you sending me to chop people up? Or to collect debts?"

Looking at the fly's face, which was full of "meme potential," Lu Chen couldn't help but chuckle.

This guy was a tragic figure in "As Tears Go By," losing his life for the sake of saving face. But in this world, since he's chosen to live this way, he might as well try a different approach.

Lu Chen shook his head: "It's okay. Everyone has their own strengths. I believe even a piece of toilet paper or a pair of underwear has its own use. Leave the chopping to the plane. I want you to handle the distribution."

"Distribution?" Fly was stunned, his face falling. "Boss, I'm bad at math..."

"You don't need to do the accounting."

Lu Chen took out a colorful poster from his briefcase and spread it out on the table.

On the poster, a pixelated gorilla stands on scaffolding, holding a wooden bucket, with a tiny figure wearing red overalls below it.

"This is..." Jiang Tiansheng also curiously came over.

"Arcade games," Lu Chen said casually, "the first batch of 'King Kong' arcade machines from Jiahe Electronics Factory will be off the production line tomorrow."

He looked at Fly, his eyes sharpening: "Fly, I want you to fill three streets in Mong Kok with this arcade machine within three days. Whether it's bars, nightclubs, billiard halls, barbershops, convenience stores, or herbal tea shops—wherever there are young people, you have to put one there!"

"Huh?" Fly scratched his head, looking puzzled. "Boss, I've played those arcade machines before. They're all those black and white pool games, so boring. You have to insert coins, who would play them?"

"You're brainless," Lu Chen laughed and scolded. "The reason I brought this up is because this machine is different. It's called 'King Kong.' I guarantee that when this thing comes out, all the young people on Hong Kong Island will go crazy. What I want you to do is not to set up a stall on the street and sell the machine."

Lu Chen held up one finger and pointed towards Mong Kok. "I want you to be in charge of the distribution in Mong Kok. Ah Wah is currently in charge of three streets, where there are dozens of bars, hundreds of tea restaurants, barbershops, and convenience stores. You need to go to each one and talk to them, and get those owners to agree to put one of our arcade machines in their shops."

Fly curled his lip: "Those bosses are cunning and shrewd. Taking up space and wasting electricity, they definitely won't do it."

"So, I'll give you leverage," Lu Chen's eyes flashed with a shrewd business acumen. "Tell those bosses: First, as long as they're willing to install and protect our machine, their monthly security fees to 'Hero Security' will be reduced by 20%! Second, of all the coins this machine earns, I'll give them 10% as site fees and electricity costs!"

For small businesses, monthly security fees are a significant expense. Now, by simply setting up one machine, they can get a 20% discount and even share the profits? Who would refuse such a good deal?

This not only solves the problem of difficult product distribution, but also binds merchants and machines together. For that 20% security fee and 10% profit, the shop owner will definitely maintain it with all his might; anyone who dares to damage it will be dealt with by the owner!

Fly slapped his thigh upon hearing this, "Holy crap! Boss, this isn't doing business, it's practically giving out welfare! If we can't close this deal, I'll change my name to something else!"

Don't get too excited yet.

Lu Chen poured cold water on his enthusiasm, saying, "The terms are good, but they won't be easy to implement. Some stubborn bosses might not accept them, and some thugs might cause trouble. You'll need to take people and go door-to-door, negotiating with each one. You need to show them the benefits, and also let them know whose business this is."

"Can you do a good job?" Lu Chen stared into the fly's eyes.

"Yes! Absolutely!" Fly stood ramrod straight, patting his bony chest. "Don't worry, boss! This is my specialty! I may not have much else, but I'm thick-skinned and a smooth talker! I guarantee that every hole-in-the-wall restaurant in Mong Kok will have our arcade machines installed! I'm going to turn Mong Kok into a gaming hub!"

"Okay," Lu Chen nodded in satisfaction. "Go ahead. If you handle this well, I'll put you in charge of the arcade business. From now on, you'll be the 'Arcade King' of Hong Kong Island."

"Arcade King...hehe, what a prestigious title!" Fly was so pleased with himself that snot bubbles were practically oozing out of his nose.

Lu Chen turned to Ahua: "Give this kid a few men, so he doesn't get hacked to death in the street. Although he's a chatterbox and unreliable, sometimes he's more useful than those with knives in this kind of street life."

"Understood, boss." Ahua nodded, a hint of helpless affection in his eyes as he looked at Fly. After all, he was his underling, and he was happy that Fly had something worthwhile to do.

At this moment, Jiang Tiansheng, who had been silent until now, couldn't help but ask curiously, "Mr. Lu, with such great benefits, including reduced security fees and profit sharing... can this arcade really make a lot of money?"

In his view, each machine only accepts one yuan in coins per use, so even if dozens of people use it a day, it would only amount to a few dozen yuan. Considering the additional discount on security fees, it doesn't seem worthwhile.

"Mr. Jiang, it's precisely because it only costs one dollar each time that this cheap and simple pleasure is more addictive," Lu Chen smiled mysteriously. "A machine costs several thousand dollars, and one coin costs one dollar. If a game is fun enough, a young person can easily put in fifty coins in an hour."

"And in Mong Kok, there are hundreds of thousands of idle young people."

"Of course, this is just the first step," Lu Chen drew a large circle on the table with his finger, "From now on, we won't just put machines in other people's stores. We're going to open a dedicated store—'Game Center'."

"A space of several hundred square meters, with two hundred machines, open 24 hours a day. Lighting, air conditioning, service... that will be another money pit for young people besides bars."

"Mr. Jiang, are you interested in joining us?" Lu Chen extended an olive branch. "Just like we agreed before, after the pilot program in Mong Kok is successful, we'll expand it to Hung Hing's other territories. I'll provide the equipment, the technology, and be responsible for maintenance. Hung Hing will provide the venue and manpower to manage it."

"Profits will be split 50/50."

Jiang Tiansheng quickly calculated in his mind that territory and manpower were not a problem for them. If what Lu Chen said was true, it was simply a matter of sitting back and splitting the profits! Moreover, it was a legitimate business, so there was no need to worry about being arrested by the police!

Seeing Lu Chen's confident tone, Jiang Tiansheng's doubts dissipated. This young man had already created too many miracles; what reason did he have not to keep up?

"Alright!" Jiang Tiansheng raised his glass. "Since Mr. Lu is so confident, I'll play along! I'm also very much looking forward to seeing if this so-called 'arcade game' can really turn into a money-printing machine!"

"Cheers."

Lu Chen raised his glass, and the glasses clinked together with a crisp sound.

Outside the window, the night in Tseung Kwan O is deep.

Three days from now, countless colorful screens flashing "Insert Coin" will light up the streets of Mong Kok. The golden age of video games will begin tomorrow, with a small-time hoodlum named Fly personally ushering in the new era.