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

The air conditioning at The Landmark in Central was blasting.

Lu Chen walked ahead with a leisurely pace, like a king surveying his territory. Ruan Mei followed behind, clutching her notebook tightly, like a young maid who had just entered the Grand View Garden and hadn't quite come to her senses yet.

For Ruan Mei, the entire afternoon that followed was an ordeal that put her heart to the test.

Lu Chen, with her in tow, swept through several of Hong Kong Island's most upscale shopping landmarks, including Landmark, Harbour City, and Pacific Place, like a whirlwind. His goal was clear: only the most expensive locations, only the largest shops, and only the fastest move-in.

"This location is great, right opposite the escalator, with the highest foot traffic. I'll rent it."

"That two-story shop in Harbour City is excellent. Although it's not vacant yet, I'll offer double the rent to get the current tenant to move out within a month. You can go and negotiate."

"I want to use the side hall of Pacific Place as my flagship showroom. I told their manager that, in addition to the rent, I would be responsible for renovating all the carpets and lighting in that area."

Every time Lu Chen pointed out the flaws in the landscape, Ruan Mei's heart would clench painfully.

The small notebook in her hand was filled with numbers. There were so many zeros in the rent that it made her dizzy. Every time she signed a deposit, she felt like she was cutting off a piece of her own flesh.

"Chairman Lu... Chairman Lu..."

It has to be said that Ruan Mei has a knack for math. After a quick calculation, she whispered a reminder, "Aren't we...aren't we being too impulsive? We haven't even opened yet and we've already expanded so much. Just these three shops alone will cost two million in rent each month! Two million! If we don't sell at least three thousand pieces of clothing a year, we won't even cover the rent!"

Looking at her adorable expression, as if she wanted to swallow the two million whole, Lu Chen couldn't help but laugh.

"Ah Mei, doing business isn't about addition and subtraction, it's about multiplication."

Lu Chen patiently explained to her: "What you see is two million in rent, but what I see is the brand premium brought by these three locations. If our store were in Sham Shui Po, our clothes could only sell for two hundred dollars. But if we open here, next to LV and Chanel, our clothes can sell for twenty thousand dollars. That's the importance of 'location'."

"But... but what if we can't sell them?" Ruan Mei was still worried. After all, the boss was really the best person she had ever met, and she didn't want him to lose money.

"There's no 'what if'." Lu Chen's eyes gleamed with confidence. "Because I'll make every woman in Hong Kong feel that they can't go out in public without wearing a Garreau."

Looking at Lu Chen's confident and high-spirited expression, Ruan Mei couldn't help but bite her lip.

"Mr. Lu, you're always like this...it's unfairly handsome."

……

Evening, Jiahe International Headquarters.

Zeng Jianqiao was urgently summoned back to the company by a telegram. When he pushed open the door to Lu Chen's office, he immediately saw the design sketches covering the entire desk.

Those sketches weren't for clothes, but for interior design.

"Brother Lu, what's wrong? Why are you in such a hurry?" Zeng Jianqiao saw Lu Chen writing furiously at his desk as soon as he entered the room.

"Brother Zeng, come and take a look at this."

Zeng Jianqiao picked up the blueprints, glanced at them, and his eyes widened in amazement.

The drawings depicted a style of interior design he had never seen before.

In this era, the decoration of luxury stores in Hong Kong was generally still in the stage of "golden splendor", with the aim of covering the walls with gold leaf and blinding customers with crystal chandeliers.

But these paintings by Lu Chen...

Large areas of white space, a cool black, white and gray color scheme, minimalist brass lines, and an artistic layout of spotlights.

Instead of cluttered shelves, clothes are sparsely hung on the walls like works of art, each with its own independent display space. The floor is not a gaudy floral carpet, but a single piece of imported marble or textured ceramic.

"This...this isn't a boutique, it's more like an art gallery!" Zeng Jianqiao exclaimed. "But the style...it's too cold, isn't it?"

"That's it." Lu Chen snapped his fingers. "That's exactly the feeling I want. I want customers to be so comfortable walking in that they don't dare to speak loudly or touch things indiscriminately. That sense of distance is the soul of luxury goods."

Lu Chen pointed to several details on the drawing: "Here, we need to use the top-grade Italian marble; here, the lighting should be warm-toned spotlights to create a theatrical effect; and the fitting room, I want it to be large, and the mirror should be a specially made mirror that makes you look slimmer and fairer."

"Brother Zeng, use your connections to find me the best renovation team in all of Hong Kong Island. Money is no object, but I have only one requirement: a perfect recreation. I want all these shops open within two months."

Zeng Jianqiao looked at the blueprints, gritted his teeth, and said, "Yes! As long as the money is right, I'll have the foremen sleep on the construction site to get it done for you!"

……

After arranging the renovation, Lu Chen didn't rest.

As he said, with the hardware foundation in place, the next step is the "software" – brand awareness.

For a brand-new brand to quickly rise to the ranks of top luxury brands, simply telling a story isn't enough; it also needs substantial "hard currency." In this era of relatively limited information, the fastest way to quickly gain recognition is to "export to the domestic market."

Go abroad to get a gilded makeover and come back.

Lu Chen took out an invitation letter entirely in English from the drawer. He had spent a lot of money and gone through several layers of connections to buy it.

"MIFA International Fashion Awards".

Lu Chen looked at the gold lettering on the invitation and a slight smile appeared on his lips.

Although Italy was known as the Jerusalem of fashion in this era, its status as a long-established fashion center in Europe is undeniable.

Most importantly, compared to the extremely high threshold of the Paris Fashion Week, the current Italian Fashion Week is more commercialized. As long as it is managed properly, winning a commercial award is not difficult. Moreover, the protagonist also has some ambitions for the highest honor, the Golden Needle Award.

"Once they come back with a gilded plating, Garreau will no longer be the 'Jiahe Textile Factory' brand, but a royal brand that has 'returned in glory'."

Lu Chen made up his mind and turned to look at Ruan Mei, who was tidying up the tea set.

"Amei".

"Huh? Chairman Lu?" Ruan Mei stopped what she was doing and looked up in a daze.

"Go back and pack your things," Lu Chen said casually. "Come on a business trip with me in a couple of days."

"Business trip?" Ruan Mei was taken aback. "Where to? Macau?"

"No." Lu Chen shook his head, a hint of a smile in his eyes. "I'll go to Italy."

"Italy...Italy?!"

Ruan Mei nearly dropped her teacup. Her eyes widened as if she'd heard an alien language. "Foreign? That...that one from Roman Holiday?"

"Yes, it's Italy." Lu Chen stood up, walked over to her, and looked at her shocked expression. "Our brand is going there to participate in Fashion Week. I need a meticulous assistant to help me manage the schedule and, incidentally, keep an eye on my spending."

"But..." Ruan Mei instinctively wanted to refuse.

Going abroad! That's such a distant prospect. The airfare alone would cost tens of thousands, right? Besides, she's never traveled far before, and her foreign language skills are only so-so. What if she embarrasses her boss?

more importantly……

Ruan Mei's eyes dimmed slightly, and she unconsciously pressed her hand to her chest.

There, there is a heart that is not healthy.

During this time, as she spent more and more time with Lu Chen, her heart, which had been as still as water, inevitably began to ripple. Lu Chen's excellence, demeanor, and the occasional gentleness he revealed were like a poison, attracting her.

She found herself falling in love with this man.

But she didn't dare to like him.

She knew about her condition—a congenital heart defect—and doctors said she might not live past thirty. She was like someone carrying a time bomb, ready to collapse at any moment.

She didn't want to hold anyone back, especially a man with such a promising future like Lu Chen. She wasn't good enough for him, and she didn't want to be a burden to him.

"Chairman Lu... I think I won't go." Ruan Mei lowered her head, her voice somewhat dejected. "My foreign language skills aren't good, and I'm not very worldly. Besides... besides, the plane tickets are too expensive. I'll just stay at the company and look after your home."

Lu Chen looked at her lowered eyelids, her long eyelashes trembling slightly.

With his Perception Level 4, he could clearly capture her emotional fluctuations in that instant—inferiority, longing, helplessness, and a deep sense of fear.

This silly girl.

Lu Chen sighed inwardly; he could roughly guess what she was thinking.

"Amei".

Lu Chen's voice suddenly softened, losing its usual commanding authority and becoming more like that of a friendly older brother.

He didn't expose her intentions, but instead said in a different way: "You've worked very hard this past month, helping me organize the office and also successfully passing your driver's license test. Consider this a company perk for you, let's take you out to relax."

"Besides..." Lu Chen deliberately put on a serious face and said in a joking tone, "If you don't go, I'll definitely buy random things there, and I might accidentally get scammed by those foreigners. What if I spend millions? Are you willing to do that?"

"Millions... scammed?"

Ruan Mei's ears perked up instantly.

"Yeah, I heard there are a lot of bad people over there, and I'm not good at bargaining." Lu Chen sighed deliberately, "If you weren't there to keep an eye on things, I probably would have lost a fortune on this trip."

"Oh? That won't do!"

Upon hearing that Lu Chen was going to spend money recklessly, Ruan Mei's "frugal girl" radar instantly activated, and her previous sadness and inferiority were instantly suppressed by her instinct to save money.

Ruan Mei stamped her feet anxiously, "I'll go! I'll go keep an eye on you! I absolutely can't let you waste money!"

Seeing her willing to "sacrifice her life" to save money, Lu Chen laughed.

"Then it's settled. The process manager will take care of the passports and visas; you just need to pack your bags. Remember to ask the clothing department to help you find a few nice dresses; they'll be useful for the occasions we're going to."

Looking at Lu Chen's warm smile, Ruan Mei felt much of the gloom in her heart dissipate.

Since you can't refuse, then... just enjoy it.

Even if it's just a short trip, even if it's just being his assistant, at least when I look back, it will be a memorable experience.

"Yes!" Ruan Mei nodded vigorously, and a smile returned to her face.

……

After seeing Ruan Mei off, Lu Chen did not go home immediately.

When traveling to Europe, safety is the top priority.

Europe is not peaceful right now, especially with numerous robberies and gang activities targeting Chinese people. Besides, he's now quite wealthy, and a wise man avoids dangerous situations; he definitely needs a few capable bodyguards when he goes out.

Although Song Zihao and Xiao Ma are skilled in martial arts, they are not professionals in this field. Moreover, they have a more important mission in Hong Kong: to investigate money laundering channels and guard against a counterattack from Wang Jiu's remaining gang.

Lu Chen thought for a moment, then picked up the phone on the table and dialed Xiao Ma's number.

"Hey, Mark."

"Boss, what's the order?" Little Ma's voice was as cheerful as ever, with the sound of a car engine seemingly coming from the background.

"I'm going to Europe and I need a few bodyguards," Lu Chen said bluntly. "Not the kind who just put on a show, but real experts who have seen blood, know counter-surveillance, and are good marksmen. Ideally, they should be retired special forces soldiers or mercenaries."

"Go to Europe?" Little Ma was taken aback for a moment, then said seriously, "Boss, leave this to me. I've been in the underworld for so many years, I still have some reliable connections. Give me two days, and I guarantee I'll assemble a team for you."

"Money is not a problem," Lu Chen said calmly. "500,000 yuan per person for settling in, plus a daily allowance of 10,000 yuan during the mission. If injured or... that will be calculated separately."

"Wow! Boss, you're really generous!" Little Ma whistled. "At this price, I can dig up the entire Flying Tigers for you!"

"I want the best," Lu Chen instructed, "especially a clean background and a tight-lipped mouth. I'll give you two days. And if things go well, you'll get double the salary when you come back."

"No problem! Just you wait and see, boss! I'll bring my men to see you in two days!"

After hanging up the phone, Lu Chen walked to the window and looked at the lights of thousands of homes that had already been lit outside.

The battle at Wharf Holdings is brewing in the shadows. Wang Jiu's threat has been eliminated, and the prototype of a clothing empire is being built.

Now, it's time to take his little assistant to that passionate country, to gild Golden Harvest's future with the most dazzling gold, and incidentally...

Lu Chen pictured Ruan Mei's pretty face, which could be both happy and angry.

"And incidentally, have a relationship."