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

At six o'clock in the morning, in a wooden house area along Kowloon Bay.

The sea breeze, carrying a salty, damp smell, seeped into the shacks through the cracks in the rusty corrugated iron. This was the shadowy side of Hong Kong Island's prosperity—a shack. There was no air conditioning, no private toilet, and even tap water had to be obtained by queuing at the street pipes.

The cramped room was cluttered with miscellaneous items, yet it was tidied up meticulously, giving this seemingly dilapidated home a warm and inviting feel. At this moment, Ruan Mei stood in front of a mirror no bigger than the palm of her hand, her expression as serious as if she were preparing for a battle.

The bed was covered with clothes. Although there weren't many, and most of them were old styles, each piece was clean and neatly folded.

"Amei, today is your first day working at a big company, so dress smartly." Grandma lay on her recliner, her eyes behind her reading glasses filled with concern and pride.

"Don't worry, Grandma! I have my battle armor!"

Ruan Mei turned around, revealing a bright smile. She carefully rummaged through the bottom of the cardboard box that was being used as a wardrobe and pulled out a plastic bag.

She opened the bag, and inside was a dark blue business suit. Three years ago, when she was still working as a clerk in a factory, she had bought it at the "insider discount price" because it was leftover stock from a factory that was doing OEM work for a foreign client. Although it was described as damaged, it was really just a few loose stitches on the lining of the cuffs, which were barely noticeable.

Even so, those few dozen yuan made her feel the pinch for several nights. But now, it seems like the investment was absolutely worth it!

When Ruan Mei put on that little suit, the girl in the mirror instantly changed.

The somewhat rustic factory girl was gone, replaced by a slender, elegant career woman. Although she wore no expensive jewelry, her fair and radiant face, free of makeup, and her large, clear eyes were her best adornments.

"I'm off! Grandma, remember to take your medicine. I've cooked lunch; it's in the pot. Just heat it up and you can eat!"

Ruan Mei slung her slightly faded canvas bag over her shoulder and, like a female warrior heading to the battlefield, walked out of the shed with high spirits.

……

For Ruan Mei, the journey to Central was a carefully planned "battle".

Although the young and handsome boss said he would reimburse the travel expenses, taking a taxi was absolutely out of the question!

Ruan Mei's thought process went like this: It's the boss's business if he's generous, but as an employee, what if he thinks I don't know how to manage money if I'm extravagant on my first day? And... what if the reimbursement process is slow? That's my hard-earned money!

"Taking the bus and then the subway will only cost a few dollars. Although the money saved won't go into my own pocket, it's still helping the company save money, which is an employee's duty!" Ruan Mei thought to herself, and her steps became even lighter.

Ruan Mei clutched the coins she had saved in her pocket, feeling that the sunshine today was exceptionally bright.

At 8:50 a.m. sharp, Ruan Mei stood downstairs at the Golden Harvest Building in Central.

Looking up at the towering skyscraper and at the smartly dressed white-collar workers around her, their high heels clicking in the breeze, Ruan Mei instinctively shrank back. She felt like an ugly duckling who had wandered into a flock of swans, and nervously gripped the strap of her canvas bag.

"Go Nguyen Mai! You're the best!"

Ruan Mei took a deep breath, gripped the strap of her canvas bag tightly, straightened her back, and followed the flow of people into the lobby.

The elevator doors opened; it was the 28th floor.

"bite--"

Upon entering, one is greeted by the four large, gold-plated characters "Jiahe International" and the highly designed company logo. The reception area is spacious and bright, with a floor so polished it could be used as a mirror, and two huge money trees thriving in the greenery.

"Hello, are you... Ms. Ruan Mei?"

Before Ruan Mei could even speak, the receptionist, dressed in her finest attire, greeted her warmly with a smile as radiant as if she were seeing a long-lost sister.

"Ah? It's...it's me." Ruan Mei was somewhat flattered, and before she could finish introducing herself, she said, "I'm new here..."

"Yes, yes! Mr. Zeng already gave the instructions!" Without another word, the receptionist grabbed Ruan Mei's hand and pulled her inside. "Come, come, please come in! Oh, Ms. Ruan, your skin is so beautiful, how do you take care of it? Mr. Lu's office is at the very back, let me take you there!"

Ruan Mei was so overwhelmed by this enthusiasm that she could only mechanically follow along.

By this time, Jiahe International was no longer the makeshift operation with only a few people.

Having achieved a resounding victory in shorting Hang Seng Bank, the company was well-funded and expanded its staff to nearly 100 people, even renting out the upstairs office space.

In the open-plan office area, phones rang incessantly. Traders in shirts and vests roared out quotes at multi-screen computers, while administrative staff hurried by carrying folders—a scene of busy yet professional activity.

"This was originally just one floor, but last week Manager Cheng made a big splash and rented the entire upstairs as well," the receptionist said proudly. "Now, Jiahe is a rising star in Central, and I heard they're going to expand soon!"

Ruan Mei was astonished. This was a big company! It seemed that the 1,000 yuan raise was guaranteed!

"We've arrived. This is Chairman Lu's office."

The receptionist led Ruan Mei to a heavy mahogany door, knocked gently, and when no one answered, pushed open the door to the adjacent conference room. "It seems Chairman Lu went to the design department. Please wait inside for a moment while I get you a cup of coffee."

"No need, no need! Plain water is fine! Coffee is too expensive!" Ruan Mei blurted out subconsciously.

The receptionist paused for a moment, then laughed and said, "Ms. Ruan, you're so funny. The company's coffee and tea are free and unlimited."

"Free...free?" Ruan Mei's eyes lit up instantly.

Good heavens! What kind of amazing company is this?

……

Meanwhile, upstairs in the clothing design department.

This is the newly opened battlefield of Jiahe.

The spacious studio had no partitions, only a dozen or so huge drawing tables. At this moment, a dozen young men and women were sitting together, their eyes sparkling as they stared intently at Lu Chen, who was standing in front of the whiteboard.

These people were all recent graduates recruited by Cheng Yiyan from various colleges and universities, according to Lu Chen's requirements.

Lu Chen had his own reasons for not wanting experienced veterans or established designers.

The seasoned veterans are rigid in their thinking, full of craftsmanship, and find it difficult to accept cutting-edge ideas. On the other hand, these young people who are fresh out of school, although their skills are still immature, are like blank canvases, full of vitality and malleability, making them the perfect candidates to instill in Lu Chen the fashionable aesthetics that transcend the times in his mind.

Lu Chen wasn't wearing a suit jacket, but a simple white shirt with the cuffs rolled up. He was holding a marker and sketching lines on the whiteboard.

"Forget all that fancy lace and ruffles you learned about in school."

Lu Chen's voice was clear and powerful, carrying a kind of advanced confidence.

"Hong Kong Island is currently experiencing a turning point in its aesthetics. People are beginning to tire of the nouveau riche style of extravagance and are starting to yearn for a more sophisticated kind of luxury."

He drew a minimalist trench coat sketch on the whiteboard. The lines were smooth and there were no superfluous decorations, yet it exuded a high-end feel.

"Less is More".

Lu Chen turned around and glanced at the young designers.

"What we call Garreau isn't just selling clothes, it's selling 'quiet luxury.' We use the finest fabrics to create the simplest cuts."

Relying on his memories of fashion trends from his previous life, as well as the powerful inductive ability brought by his [Intelligence Lv8], Lu Chen broke down the fashion concepts of the next thirty years and fed them to these fledgling young people.

From Armani's power suits to minimalist, austere styles, and deconstructivist tailoring...

These recent college graduates had never heard of such things before. They were all dumbfounded, looking at Lu Chen as if he were a fashion godfather, worshipping him to the point of prostration.

"The boss is amazing..." a bespectacled young man couldn't help but exclaim. "These ideas feel like they're a decade ahead of their time, even compared to fashion shows in France!"

"Alright, enough with the flattery. That's all for today's lesson." Lu Chen put down his marker. "You have three days to each submit three sketches."

Amid applause and cheers, Lu Chen walked out of the design department with a satisfied smile on his lips.

The core team is now in place.

……

When Lu Chen returned to his office, he immediately saw Ruan Mei sitting on the sofa, fidgeting.

Like a primary school student, she placed her hands neatly on her knees, her back straight, her eyes fixed on the water glass in front of her, not daring to drink too much water.

Upon hearing the door open, Ruan Mei reacted as if pricked by a needle, jumping up so dramatically that she almost knocked over her water glass.

"Chairman Lu... Chairman Lu! You're back!" Ruan Mei bowed nervously, her face tense.

Lu Chen couldn't help but laugh when he saw her looking so alarmed.

"Sit down, don't be so tense." Lu Chen walked behind the desk and sat down, casually loosening his tie. "Am I a tiger? Do you think I can eat you?"

"No...no..." Ruan Mei blushed and sat down somewhat embarrassedly, but only dared to sit on half of her bottom. "I'm afraid...afraid of embarrassing you. After all, this is Central..."

"What's wrong with Central? People in Central also have two eyes and one mouth."

Lu Chen smiled and shook his head: "How was it? Did the receptionist show you around? Are you getting used to the environment here?"

Lu Chen didn't start by talking about work, but instead chatted casually in a gentle tone, as if they were having a casual conversation.

"It's alright... but..." Ruan Mei looked at the luxurious office, which was several times larger than her home, and swallowed. "It's just that this place is too big, and the carpet is too soft. I don't dare to put any weight on it when I walk, for fear of breaking it."

"Carpets are meant to be stepped on; if they get damaged, just replace them," Lu Chen said with a smile and a shake of his head.

"That won't do! How much would that cost!" Ruan Mei retorted instinctively, then realized she was talking to the boss, quickly covered her mouth, and blinked her big eyes.

Lu Chen laughed heartily: "Alright, alright, we'll listen to you, we'll be careful with our stepping."

Under his guidance, Ruan Mei gradually relaxed. She discovered that this young boss wasn't as scary as she had imagined; on the contrary... he was quite easy to talk to.

"Chairman Lu, um..." After chatting for a few minutes, Ruan Mei finally mustered up the courage to ask the question that concerned her most, "You said yesterday that I'm... a liaison officer. So what exactly will I be doing? Everyone here seems so busy, do I also need to...?"

Lu Chen looked at her big eyes, which were full of curiosity (actually, she was afraid of having her wages docked if she didn't work), and found it a little funny.

The claim of him being a liaison officer is pure fabrication.

The Yongfa Textile Factory is unlikely to undergo major changes for the time being. With Factory Director Huang overseeing things and the finance team sent by Cheng Yiyan, there's no need for a dedicated liaison officer. Any issues can be resolved with a phone call or a fax.

and……

Lu Chen looked at Ruan Mei's pretty but noticeably pale face and sighed inwardly.

He knew the girl had a congenital heart condition and couldn't handle strenuous activity or stress. Forcing her to work overtime every day like a white-collar financial elite in Central would be harming her.

Before answering, Lu Chen casually asked, "By the way, you mentioned you live quite far away? Which housing estate is it? Have you gotten on the waiting list for public housing?"

Mentioning this, Ruan Mei sighed and shook her head dejectedly: "Not yet. I'm currently living in a temporary shantytown in Ngau Tau Kok. The conditions are a bit poor, but it's cheap. I submitted my public housing application two years ago, and still haven't heard anything. I heard there are tens of thousands of people ahead of me in the queue..."

Hearing this, Lu Chen felt a slight joy in his heart.

She hasn't been allocated public housing yet and is still living in a wooden shantytown, which means she hasn't moved into Heng On Estate, a place full of stories, which also means that she hasn't met Fong Chin-bo yet!

This "most beautiful thrifty girl" is still single.

"Nice!"

Lu Chen snapped his fingers in his mind. The plot hadn't even started yet, so there was still time for everything.

Since Fang Zhanbo is not around, Lu Chen will take it upon himself to protect this little Jew.

"Chairman Lu? Chairman Lu?"

Seeing Lu Chen staring at her blankly, Ruan Mei touched her face somewhat embarrassedly. "Is there something on my face?"

"Oh, no." Lu Chen snapped out of his reverie and lowered his gaze. "I was thinking about your work arrangements."

When work was mentioned, Ruan Mei immediately perked up, straightening her back: "Chairman Lu, just give the order! I'll do anything! Whether it's delivering documents or doing accounting, I can handle it!"

She's now preoccupied with the 1,000 yuan raise, feeling she has to work harder to justify the salary, otherwise it'll be a burden.

Looking at her, who seemed ready to charge into battle at any moment, Lu Chen felt somewhat helpless.

The reason Lu Chen transferred her here was purely because he wanted to keep her under his nose and take care of her (to cultivate a relationship). There was no real work involved.

But this definitely can't be said directly. Ruan Mei has a strong sense of self-respect. If she knew that she was just drawing a salary without working, she would definitely feel like she was being treated like dirt, and might even turn around and run away.

"Ahem." Lu Chen cleared his throat, adopting a serious expression. "It's like this. The factory was recently acquired and is in a period of restructuring; business hasn't fully expanded yet. So, there aren't any documents you need to run around for at the moment."

"Huh?" Ruan Mei's face fell instantly. "No work to do? Then... then I'm just getting paid for nothing?"

"Who said there's no work to do?" Lu Chen tapped the table. "As my temporary liaison, your job is very flexible. Before the factory gets busy, I have two very important tasks for you."

Lu Chen had already figured out what Ruan Mei should do next.

"What mission?" Ruan Mei's eyes lit up.

"First," Lu Chen looked around his spacious office, pointing to the bookshelves and decorations, "I have a problem; I'm a clean freak. I don't trust the cleaning ladies outside to clean it; I'm afraid they'll mess up my files. So, from now on, the cleaning and tidying of this office will be your responsibility. This is a top-secret area; only you can handle it."

"Cleaning?" Ruan Mei was taken aback for a moment, then breathed a sigh of relief. This was something she was good at!

"No problem! Don't worry, Mr. Lu, I guarantee I'll clean your office so thoroughly that not even a fly can stand on it!" Ruan Mei patted her chest and assured him.

"And another thing," Lu Chen held up a second finger, "As a liaison officer, you'll definitely be traveling frequently between the factories in Central and Kwun Tong. The company has a spare car, and to improve efficiency, I'd like you to drive it to deliver documents. So, the company has decided to send you to driving school."

"Learn...learn to drive?!" Ruan Mei's eyes widened, as if she had heard something unbelievable.

"Yes, you'll be taking your driver's license test," Lu Chen said seriously. "Starting today, you'll spend your mornings organizing documents and cleaning at the company, and your afternoons practicing driving at the driving school. The company will cover all registration and tuition fees."

Ruan Mei's little brain was a bit slow to catch up.

"Chairman Lu... this... this is too much of an expense!" Ruan Mei said with a touch of heartache. "Actually, taking the bus is much faster..."

"This is job skills training; it's an investment by the company." Lu Chen put on a stern face, deliberately trying to scare her. "What? Don't you want to learn? This is a necessary condition for becoming a full-time employee."

"I'll study! I'll study!" Ruan Mei immediately surrendered upon hearing that it was related to her becoming a full-time employee. "Since the company is paying for it... then I'll study! I'll definitely study hard and try to pass on the first try, so the company doesn't waste the retake fee!"

"Alright, let's get started now." Lu Chen pointed to the feather duster next to him. "Let's start with the bookshelves."

"Yes, sir!"

Without saying a word, Ruan Mei picked up a feather duster, rolled up her sleeves, and started cleaning with great enthusiasm, like a fully charged little motor.

She cleaned very carefully, leaving no corner untouched, and even the ornaments on Lu Chen's desk were polished to a shine.

Lu Chen sat behind his desk, holding a document in his hand, but his gaze involuntarily followed the slender figure busy in the room.

Sunlight bathed Ruan Mei, gilding her with a golden hue. She hummed an unknown tune, a contented smile spreading across her face.

That was a smile full of hope for life.

……

Outside the office, through the gaps in the blinds.

Two furtive heads were huddled together, peeking through the gap.

"Tsk tsk tsk, look at this, Brother Qiao." Cheng Yiyan pushed up his glasses, a mischievous grin on his face. "Our boss is serious this time. Making a young lady mop the floor while he watches—what do you call that? That's called 'a beautiful woman adding fragrance to one's sleeves'!"

"What do you mean by 'a beautiful woman adding fragrance to one's life'? This is called 'nurturing a child,' you know?" Zeng Jianqiao chuckled, rubbing his chin lewdly. "I knew the boss was acting strange. Look at the way he's looking at that girl, and he's even making her learn to drive? He's clearly planning to give her a car in the future, isn't he?"

"But this girl is really good. She's hardworking and a pleasure to be around," Cheng Yiyan remarked. "She's much better than those flashy, cheap women who spend all their time thinking about how to snag a rich husband."

"Of course, how could Brother Lu have such poor judgment?" Zeng Jianqiao patted Cheng Yiyan on the shoulder. "Let's go, stop looking. If the boss finds out we're eavesdropping here, we'll probably be sent to Africa to sell textiles."

The two exchanged a glance, revealing smiles that only men could understand, and left arm in arm.

Inside the office, Ruan Mei finished wiping the table, straightened up, wiped her sweat, and turned her head to meet Lu Chen's gentle gaze.

The moment their eyes met, a long-lost mechanical notification sound rang in Lu Chen's mind.

【Ding--】

[Key plot character detected: Ruan Mei]

[Checking in at the Hong Kong drama "The Greed of Man"]

[Check-in successful!]

[Reward: +1 Free Attribute Points]

Lu Chen's heart stirred slightly. Looking at the lively and vibrant girl in front of him, whose eyes were full of hope for the future, he did not hesitate. With a thought, he added this precious attribute point to [Perception].

In the treacherous world of Hong Kong variety shows, in addition to having the intelligence to break through the impasse and the strength to protect oneself, one also needs a keen sense of danger and opportunity.

In an instant, a cool breeze flowed through his eyes and ears, as if an invisible membrane had been peeled away from his senses. Lu Chen felt the world become clearer and more three-dimensional than ever before.

He could clearly hear the low, lewd laughter of Cheng Yiyan and Zeng Jianqiao as they left through the blinds, see the trail of a bird flying hundreds of meters away, and even when his gaze fell on Ruan Mei again, he could keenly catch a tiny bead of sweat slowly sliding down her temple, and the sound of her heart beating slightly faster due to tension and labor—"thump, thump."

Perception: Lv4 (Insightful Insight)

[Evaluation: Your five senses have undergone a qualitative leap. You are aware of every rustle of grass and the slightest emotional fluctuation. You are now a natural observer and a highly dangerous hunter.]

"Are you tired? Have some water and rest for a bit." Lu Chen pointed to the fruit plate on the coffee table. "Have some fruit, it's free."

"Free?" Ruan Mei's eyes lit up. She picked up an apple. "Then...then I won't be polite! This apple is huge! It'd probably cost two yuan each at the market!"

"Snap!"

The crisp sound of biting into an apple rang out.

Looking at her chubby cheeks, like a greedy little hamster, Lu Chen couldn't help but laugh out loud.

At this moment, the hustle and bustle of Central seemed to be shut out.

Only this girl, who was happy to save two yuan, became the most vivid sight in Lu Chen's eyes.