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

Salty, fishy seawater.

This was Lu Chen's first sensation after regaining consciousness.

Then came the stinging sensation of rough sand rubbing against my cheeks, and the almost dizzying heat from the blazing sun overhead.

"Splash—"

The sound of the waves crashing against the shore was like heavy drumbeats, striking his eardrums again and again.

Lu Chen choked on a mouthful of bitter seawater, and the violent coughing made his whole body convulse like a curled-up shrimp. His lungs felt like they were on fire, and every breath was accompanied by a tearing pain.

"I'm not dead?"

He struggled to prop himself up, his fingers digging deep into the damp sand. The realistic sensation made him feel somewhat dazed.

One second he was in a cold rented room in Shanghai, being taken away by a faulty blue light machine; the next second he was lying on a desolate beach, soaking wet and in a sorry state.

This is neither a hospital nor hell.

Lu Chen raised his head blankly. Before him stretched a murky sea, with distant, faintly visible rolling green hills and scattered fishing boats. The sunlight stung his eyes, but he could still clearly see that this was definitely not the Huangpu River.

Just as Lu Chen was still processing the fact that he seemed to have transmigrated, a cold, mechanical voice suddenly rang in his mind:

【Ding--】

[Host's vital signs detected as stable; time travel complete.]

[Scanning the current world plane... Data synchronization in progress... Implanting the basic worldview of this plane...]

Before he could finish speaking, a sharp headache struck without warning, as if a red-hot iron rod was violently stirring his brain, forcibly stuffing countless unfamiliar pieces of information into his skull.

"Ugh—!"

Lu Chen clutched his head, letting out a low growl of pain. Countless fragments of common sense about this era and this place flooded into his brain like a burst dam.

After a long while, the pain subsided like a receding tide.

Lu Chen was panting heavily, his eyes filled with shock.

"1981... Hong Kong Island... I've actually traveled to this place?"

As the memories merged, Lu Chen murmured the location and time he was in, his pupils suddenly contracting.

As a seasoned Hong Kong film enthusiast, he was extremely sensitive to this particular time.

On October 23, 1980, the Hong Kong British government officially abolished the "base policy" that had been in place for many years. Before that, as long as illegal immigrants successfully entered the urban area (south of Boundary Street), they could obtain legal residency, which is commonly known as "getting an identity card".

But it is now 1981.

The policy door has been completely closed. The current policy is "immediate arrest and deportation"—any illegal immigrant, once caught, will be immediately deported without exception.

"In other words, I am now a completely undocumented person."

Lu Chen gave a wry smile, but there was little fear in it. He looked down at his reflection in the puddle. It seemed that due to the time travel, he had been rejuvenated by a few years, and now he looked only twenty-one or twenty-two years old.

He stood up and stretched his aching limbs. Although his body was very weak, he felt an unprecedented vitality surging within him.

This is Hong Kong Island in 1981!

That golden age that would take place in the next twenty years would become the leader of the Four Asian Tigers, the Hollywood of the East, and give birth to countless tycoons, superstars, and villains!

This place is chaotic and barbaric, filled with gray areas due to unique historical reasons.

"I possess a prophetic ability that transcends this era by forty years. I know the turning points of every financial crisis, I know the trends in land prices, I know which stocks will rebound..."

Lu Chen took a deep breath of the salty sea breeze. Although he was only wearing a casual sweatshirt and sweatpants, he felt better than ever before.

"So what if I start as an undocumented immigrant? In this era of unbridled growth, with the knowledge in my mind, I'll rise to the top sooner or later. Since God has given me a second chance at life, I absolutely refuse to live like a dog again!"

Moreover, he was an orphan in his original world, without parents or a girlfriend, so he had no ties after transmigrating.

Just as he was brimming with ambition and preparing to plan for the future, a cold, emotionless mechanical voice suddenly rang out from the depths of his mind.

[Ding—World plane scan complete.]

Welcome to the "Hong Kong Variety Show Integration World".

The "Movie Check-in System" is officially launched.

Lu Chen was stunned, and then a huge surge of joy welled up in his heart.

Wait a minute... "Hong Kong-style integrated world"?

"It's not just a simple parallel historical world?" Lu Chen asked anxiously in his mind, "Is it a movie world with characters like Chen Haonan, Han Chen, and Li Wenbin?"

[Answer to host: That's right. This world is a parallel universe that merges the backgrounds of multiple classic movies, including but not limited to Hong Kong films, Hollywood movies... The movie plots, characters, and forces that the host is familiar with all actually exist, but due to the merging of worlds, the timeline and event details may be slightly adjusted.]

Lu Chen couldn't help but clench his fists, his nails digging deep into his palms.

If it were a simple historical time travel, he would still need to carefully navigate the treacherous waters of capitalism to survive. But if it's a Hong Kong variety show world…

That's like walking into your own backyard!

He knows this place too well! He knows who is loyal, who is treacherous, who took over after the boss died, and who is the mole in the police force!

This will be his biggest cheat, an "omniscient perspective" that is even more terrifying than the system itself.

[System Description: When the host interacts with popular movie characters for more than 10 minutes consecutively, a "check-in" will be triggered, granting attribute points. Special Note: There is a reward cap for each movie. The system only recognizes the first two main characters the host interacts with; subsequent characters are invalid. (That is, a maximum of 2 attribute points can be obtained per movie.)]

[System activation detected for the first time; a "New Player Gift Pack" will be issued.]

[Enable?]

"Activate! Activate immediately!" Lu Chen said without hesitation.

[Congratulations, host, you have gained: +1 Free Attribute Points]

"That's it?" Lu Chen was taken aback. "Not even an AK47 with unlimited ammo or a hundred million US dollars?"

[Note: This system aims to assist the host's growth, not to directly grant invincible abilities. Please use every attribute point wisely.]

Lu Chen pursed his lips, but quickly calmed down. Indeed, it's better to teach someone how to fish than to give them a fish. In this perilous world, personal strength is fundamental.

At this moment, a pale blue, semi-transparent light screen appeared before his eyes.

[Host's personal attribute panel is now enabled]

[Name: Lu Chen]

Age: 21

[Identity: Undocumented immigrant]

[Status: Weak (urgently needs food and water)]

[Basic Attributes] (Note: The average level for a normal adult male is Lv2, and the human limit is Lv10)

Stamina: Lv2 (With an average physique and the wear and tear from a long journey, your stamina is only slightly better than Lin Daiyu's; you'll be out of breath after just a few steps.)

[Strength: Lv1 (A typical weakling. Forget about taking on ten people, even a random thug could easily beat you to a pulp.)]

Agility: Lv2 (Average reaction time; may not be able to outrun a police dog, or even a certain agile fat person, when escaping)

[Perception: Lv3 (You have a natural intuition for danger, which may be the reason you're able to survive in the workplace in 2024)]

[Intelligence: Lv3 (Highly educated, fairly intelligent. Clear logical thinking, but not yet cunning or scheming)]

[Charm: Lv3 (Well-proportioned features, somewhat handsome. If he were to groom himself, he could have the potential to be a gigolo in this day and age)]

【Affinity: Lv3 (Looks harmless, easily puts people at ease; this is a natural camouflage)】

[Personal Space: Lv1 (1 cubic meter in size)]

Available free attribute points: 1 point

Looking at the appalling panel, Lu Chen stroked his chin.

"Power level 1... that's incredibly weak. If I were to encounter a robber, I'd have no choice but to kneel down and beg them not to hit me in the face. But having a portable space, a standard feature of transmigrators, is a good thing; at least dealing with some shady money will be much easier now."

His gaze lingered between "strength" and "intelligence".

His current situation is very dangerous. He is an undocumented immigrant, penniless, and in this unfamiliar place, he could be arrested and deported by the police at any time, or captured by local gangs to work as a laborer or even to reclaim land from the sea.

Increase your strength? Or become a level 2 ordinary person?

"No." Lu Chen quickly rejected the idea. "There are too many people in this world who can fight. Chen Haonan can fight, Red Stick can fight, Gold Medal Killer can fight. Having more strength would at most change my situation from being instantly killed by thugs to being knocked down by them in two moves. It wouldn't solve my fundamental survival problem."

"I want to survive, and to live well, not with my fists, but with my brains."

In the complex world of Hong Kong variety shows, whether it's triad infighting or police-gangster battles, those who truly have the last laugh are always the ones who use their brains. Jiang Tiansheng relies on his brain, Han Chen relies on his brain, and Ni Yongxiao relies on his brain even more.

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

[Command confirmed. Enhancing...]

There was no dazzling golden light as I had imagined, nor was there any discomfort.

Lu Chen felt a cool breeze rush into his mind, like drinking an ice-cold Sprite on a hot summer day—refreshing and invigorating.

My previously confused mind instantly became crystal clear.

The stinging sensation from merging memories has disappeared.

The mental sluggishness caused by long-term sleep deprivation also disappeared.

The world before his eyes seemed to have become clearer. This was not an improvement in his eyesight, but a leap in his information processing ability.

Looking at the distant waves, he no longer just felt that they were "noisy," but quickly analyzed the direction of the tides; he recalled the fragments of memory he had just seen, and the details that were originally blurry were now vivid in his mind, and he could even recall some of the knowledge points of advanced mathematics he had learned in college.

Thinking speed has increased, logical reasoning ability has improved, and even emotions have become more controllable.

[Intelligence: Lv4 (Exceptionally Intelligent)]

[Evaluation: Your brain surpasses that of most ordinary people. You possess quick thinking, enhanced memory, and the ability to rapidly find the optimal solution in chaotic situations. You are a natural-born strategist.]

"This feeling...is really nice."

Lu Chen closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and then suddenly opened them. The confusion in his eyes had completely disappeared, replaced by a hunter's calm and calculating demeanor.

"Next, we'll make a plan."

Lu Chen's brain was working at lightning speed, as if it had been given a cheat code.

"First, there's the issue of identity. Obtaining an ID card through legitimate channels is now impossible unless I have a lot of money to bribe someone or perform a major service and get a pardon. Those two paths are currently blocked. So I have to try my luck in a place that doesn't require an ID card, and then sort out my identity."

"Secondly, survival funds. I'm penniless right now, and my stomach is growling with hunger. Going to the city to work illegally? That's too risky; the Organized Crime and Triad Bureau and uniformed police patrol very strictly."

"Third, and most importantly, I need to get involved in the storyline. Only by getting involved in the storyline can I gain more points and grow stronger like a snowball."

The three conditions converge in the brain and ultimately point to a single coordinate.

Lu Chen raised his head, his gaze passing over the desolate coastline and looking towards the gray, hazy horizon in the distance.

In that direction, there is a city within a city, like an isolated island.

It was dirty, crowded, and dark, known as the "city of sin" and a "no man's land." But in Lu Chen's eyes, it was the best sanctuary for novices, the intersection of countless Hong Kong film plots, and a gold mine waiting to be mined.

Kowloon Walled City!

There are no laws there, only rules.

It was a melting pot of all sorts of people, including fugitives, drug addicts, unlicensed dentists, and illegal workshops.

That was a forbidden zone that even the Organized Crime and Triad Bureau (OCTB) dared not easily set foot in.

Moreover, Lu Chen clearly remembered that at this time, many "hidden masters" in Hong Kong movies were hiding in Kowloon Walled City. More importantly, many people there had extensive connections, and with a bit of luck, they could resolve their illegal residency issues.

"Go to Kowloon Walled City. Settle down first, make some money, and get an identity..."

Lu Chen's lips curled into a playful smile. "Let's see if we can bump into that 'famous' Doll Qiang, or... the three A-Zha brothers before they went crazy?"

He didn't know the specific route, but he knew the general direction.

Lu Chen bent down and picked up a piece of driftwood from the beach that was fairly handy to use as a walking stick. He then washed his face in the shallow water, removing the salt and dirt, revealing his pale but angular face.

Looking at the young man's reflection in the water, Lu Chen straightened his slightly wrinkled hoodie.

Even when mired in mud, one must maintain dignity. This is the self-cultivation he possesses as a future behind-the-scenes big boss.

Goodbye, Lu Chen, the corporate slave of 202X.

He turned around, with his back to the sea, and took his first step toward that bizarre and dazzling city.

Although his steps were still a little unsteady, his back was straight, like a newly forged sword, ready to pierce through the gloomy sky.

That year, Chan Ho-nam was still being bullied on the basketball court.

That year, Han Chen was still dutifully relying on the Ni family for a living.

That year, the notorious thief had not yet begun his earth-shattering heist.

That year, Li Huanggua had not yet bought half of Britain.

"Gentlemen, officers, brothers in the underworld..."

Lu Chen gazed at the distant city skyline, a glint of ambition flashing in his eyes, and muttered to himself:

"I am coming."

"Are you ready for a reshuffle?"