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

Milan's night is extravagant yet dangerous.

In the study of the presidential suite, Lu Chen held a receiver in his hand, leaning lazily against the back of a leather chair, while gently swirling a glass of amber brandy in his other hand.

"Yes, Deputy Director Mario, I am Lu Chen."

Lu Chen said in fluent English, with a tone of familiarity like that of an old friend, "I was deeply impressed by your insights into Eastern culture at the last cocktail party."

On the other end of the phone, Mario, the deputy chief of the Milan Police Department, clearly remembered this generous Eastern tycoon vividly, his tone as warm as if he were seeing a long-lost brother: "Oh! Dear Lu! It's an honor to receive your call. Is there anything I can do for you?"

"It's a small matter that's bothering me so late at night," Lu Chen said casually. "One of the new spokespeople my company hired seems to have gotten into some trouble. As you know, some of the 'private lending' organizations in Milan calculate interest rates rather illogically."

"Private lending?" Mario, being a shrewd person, immediately picked up on the implication. "You mean loan sharks? Damn it, those vampires are always ruining Milan's security! Who is it? I'll definitely get justice for that lady!"

"The 'Red Scorpion' gang in this area," Lu Chen said, naming the gang Sofia had mentioned earlier. "That girl owed them about 500 million lira (about $500,000). But I heard they're now demanding 2 billion."

"Absurd! This is robbery!" Mario exclaimed in surprise. Of course, how much of his anger stemmed from a sense of justice and how much from currying favor with Lu Chen's background is unknown.

"I think so too," Lu Chen smiled. "So I hope you can uphold justice. I'll pay back the girl's money, in full. But the interest must be calculated according to normal lending standards. Also, I heard that the house the girl mortgaged to them was illegally seized, and I want it back."

"No problem! This is completely legal and reasonable!" Mario patted his chest and assured them, "If these thugs don't know what's good for them, I'll have my men go to their place every day for 'coffee'!"

Normally, the police wouldn't bother with this kind of gang-related loan sharking, especially since there might even be some illicit dealings involved. But now that this mysterious tycoon from the East has spoken up, the situation has changed.

"Thank you for your trouble. In gratitude for maintaining order and justice in Milan, Jiahe Group is willing to pay a consultation fee to your 'Security Consultation Studio'... approximately 200 million lira (about US$200,000)."

There was a three-second silence on the other end of the phone, followed by Robert's righteous and resolute voice:

"Lu! You're too kind! Combating illegal loan sharks and protecting citizens' property is our duty as police officers! We've been keeping an eye on that Red Scorpion gang for a while now! They dared to extort your employee; it's utterly lawless! Don't worry, within half an hour, I'll have someone personally deliver the IOU and the deed to the house that girl was using as collateral to your hotel lobby!"

After hanging up the phone, Lu Chen handed the $100,000 check to Tian Yangsheng, who was waiting beside him.

"Ah Sheng, go downstairs and wait. After you get the IOU and the property deed, give this check to that deputy director's confidant. Remember, be discreet."

"Understood." Tian Yangsheng took the check, his eyes completely unmoved.

In his view, while solving problems with money is not as satisfying, it is certainly much more efficient than using bullets.

In less than forty minutes, all the documents were on Lu Chen's desk.

The loan shark's IOU that had driven Sophia to desperation and nearly forced her into prostitution was now just a worthless piece of paper in Lu Chen's hands. The property deed for the old apartment in Chinatown had also returned to a state of "safety."

Lu Chen glanced at the documents and casually locked them in the deepest part of the safe.

He didn't intend to give it to Sofia right now.

"It's easy to add flowers to brocade, but difficult to provide charcoal in the snow. But if you provide charcoal in the snow and then give her a mink coat to keep her warm, she will remember this kindness for a lifetime."

Lu Chen locked the documents in the safe. He would wait, until Sophia shone on the catwalk, most eager to prove herself, before giving her this "freedom" as a gift. At that moment, this future muse would be completely devoted to him.

……

The next three days were hell for Sofia.

Lu Chen did not let Sophia be spoiled just because she was the "chosen one." On the contrary, he spent a lot of money to hire Milan's best etiquette teacher and catwalk coach to subject Sophia to inhumane and grueling training.

"Straighten your back! Chin up! Eyes! I want that 'you're all trash' look, not the kind that tells you to go fight!"

"Hips! The hips should sway, but not in a vulgar way! It has to be sophisticated! Sophisticated, you know?"

The Four Seasons Hotel's gym was temporarily converted into a training room. Sofia, wearing her 12-centimeter stilettos, walked back and forth on them hundreds of times every day. When her heels were blistered, she would put on band-aids and keep walking; when her calves cramped, she would ask Tian Yang'en to massage them and continue training.

She never complained.

Because she knew that the check for five hundred thousand US dollars was still in Lu Chen's hands. And also because…

Whenever she was so tired that she wanted to give up, she only needed to look up to see Lu Chen sitting on the sofa not far away, holding documents in his hand, but his gaze always fixed on her. There was no pity in that gaze, but expectation and trust.

You can do it.

Although Lu Chen didn't speak, Sophia understood his expression.

"You want me to admit defeat? No way!" Sofia's stubbornness was completely unleashed. She gritted her teeth and repeated the tedious movements over and over again. From the initial swaying to the later graceful steps, she was like a rough diamond being rapidly polished to shine.

During these three days, Lu Chen was not idle either.

Besides supervising training and socializing, he also assigned Tian Yangyi a special task.

"Ayi, take these two portraits."

Lu Chen handed two sketches to Tian Yangyi. They were sketches he had drawn from memory of the two male protagonists from "Wheels on Meals"—Thomas and David.

"These two guys probably run a food truck in a square somewhere in Milan. A yellow, modified bread truck, maybe named 'Moby Dick' or something like that," Lu Chen recalled the details of the plot. "They're very skilled, especially the one with the big nose, he's a real fighter. The slightly shorter one has amazing legwork."

"There's one more person." Lu Chen took out another portrait, which depicted the somewhat bald, slightly dim-witted private detective, Mao Bi. "This person should work at a private detective agency and be friends with those two."

"Boss, are you trying to recruit them?" Tian Yangyi glanced at the portrait and memorized the features.

"Yes." Lu Chen nodded. "These three are all talented individuals. Although they seem carefree, their skills and street smarts are top-notch. If we can recruit them, it will be much easier to handle things in Italy in the future."

More importantly, these three people are key characters in the storyline, and finding them means you'll get more attribute points.

"Don't worry, boss. As long as they're in Milan, I can dig them out."

"Go ahead. Be careful with your approach; these people respond better to gentle persuasion than force," Lu Chen instructed.

"Understood!" Tian Yangyi didn't ask any more questions, put away the portrait, and turned to leave.

……

Three days passed in the blink of an eye.

The opening day of the Milan International Fashion Awards (MIFA) has finally arrived.

On this day, Milan seemed to have transformed into a floating fashion runway. Countless luxury cars blocked the streets, and spotlights illuminated the night sky as if it were daytime. Fashion editors, buyers, and celebrities from all over the world gathered to witness the season's trends.

Backstage.

This is a completely different world from the glamorous front desk.

Narrow, crowded, and noisy. The air was thick with the mixed smells of hairspray, styling gel, perfume, and sweat. Models ran around in their lingerie, makeup artists yelled and brandished their brushes, and designers were still hysterically arguing over a single button at the last minute.

However, the atmosphere in the exclusive lounge of Jiahe Group was unusually... heavy.

Sofia sat in front of the vanity mirror, looking at herself in the mirror, her palms sweaty.

The stylist has finished the final work.

Her hair was styled into a classically beautiful high bun, revealing her long, swan-like neck. Her makeup was exquisite and aloof, with deep red lip gloss making her look both dangerous and alluring.

She was already wearing the "Dark Forest" dress, the perfect cut of which accentuated her figure, and the dark green shimmering light was faintly visible under the lamplight.

She was beautiful, breathtakingly beautiful.

But she was also panicked.

This is MIFA, a competition even the most fashion-illiterate Italians know about. Sitting in the audience are the world's most discerning fashion editors, the most acerbic critics, and the supposedly difficult president, Antonio.

"W-what should I do..." Sofia's fingers, gripping the hem of her skirt, turned slightly white, and her voice trembled slightly. "There are so many people outside... I just peeked out, and they're all cameras... What if I fall? What if I go to the wrong place?"

This was, after all, her first time walking the runway, and it was such a prestigious international show right off the bat. Even someone with the strongest mental fortitude would break down under that kind of pressure.

"Oh dear, ptooey! Children say the darndest things, children say the darndest things!"

Ruan Mei paced anxiously beside her, holding a glass of warm water. She wanted to hand it to Sophia but was afraid of smudging her lipstick. "Sophia, don't overthink it! You've been practicing so well these past few days, even the coach praised you as a genius! Just think of everyone sitting down there as ordinary cabbages..."

"Cabbage..." Sofia gave a wry smile, "What kind of cabbage can move?"

"Then let's just pretend they're...pigeons!" Ruan Mei racked her brains for a solution. "Just pretend they're all pigeons waiting for you to scatter corn kernels!"

Sofia took a deep breath and tried to hypnotize herself according to Ruan Mei's instructions, but her heart was still pounding like a drum.

She turned her head and looked at herself in the mirror.

Can that girl who once fled in a sorry state on the street to escape loan sharks really carry off this priceless dress?

Does she really deserve it?

If I mess it up, will that man be disappointed?

She didn't want to mess things up.

It wasn't just about the $500,000; it was also because... I didn't want to see the disappointment in that man's eyes.

"Thump."

The door to the lounge was pushed open.

The noise rushed in instantly, only to be shut out as the door closed.

Lu Chen walked in.

Today he was wearing a black tuxedo with a perfectly tied bow tie, looking handsome and dashing with an imposing presence.

As soon as he entered the room, Lu Chen keenly sensed the tense atmosphere.

"What's wrong?" Lu Chen walked behind Sophia and looked at her in the mirror. "Our Queen, are you worried that the flashbulbs will be too bright and blind those mortals?"

Sophia looked at Lu Chen in the mirror and forced a smile: "Boss, please stop joking. I... my legs are a little weak."

"Legs weak?" Lu Chen raised an eyebrow. "This doesn't seem like the Sophia who dared to confront loan sharks and bargain with me."

He waved his hand, signaling Ruan Mei and the makeup artist to go out first.

Only the two of them remained in the room.

Lu Chen bent down, resting his hands on the back of the chair, his face close to Sophia's ear. The faint scent of his cologne enveloped her, carrying a reassuring calmness.

"Look at me," Lu Chen said softly.

Sofia looked up and met his gaze in the mirror.

"Do you know why I chose you?" Lu Chen looked into her eyes, "It's not just because you're pretty, but because you have a certain spirit."

"A kind of spirit that's like rolling around in the mud, yet still looking up at the stars."

Lu Chen reached out and gently tidied the stray hairs by her ear.

"Those judges and celebrities outside are used to seeing flowers in a greenhouse. What they need is a wild rose with thorns. And you are that rose."

"Don't think about how to walk the runway, don't think about whether you'll fall."

Lu Chen's voice was deep and magnetic, like a hypnotic voice.

"You only need to remember one thing: you are Sofia. You crawled out of hell, and now you're going to conquer heaven."

"This garment is not a constraint, it is your armor. Wear it, and you will be the sole queen tonight."

As Sofia listened to his words and looked into his eyes that seemed to see through everything, her previously panicked heartbeat miraculously calmed down.

That familiar wildness, belonging to street survivors, returned to her body.

Yes.

She's not afraid of death, not even of loan sharks, so why would she be afraid of taking a walk?

She is Sofia.

She is a woman destined to live a wonderful life.

Sofia took a deep breath and slowly stood up.

At that moment, her eyes changed. The previous trepidation and unease vanished, replaced by an arrogant and aloof demeanor that seemed to look down upon the world.

She turned her head slightly and smiled at Lu Chen in the mirror.

"Boss, get the checks ready."

Lu Chen smiled.

He extended his hand, palm up, in an inviting gesture.

"Sophia, are you ready for the world's flashing cameras?"

Sofia placed her hand in Lu Chen's palm, feeling the warm yet strong touch. It wasn't just body heat; it was support, a source of confidence that allowed her to face the world head-on.

She straightened her back, and the girl who used to roam the streets and live a humble life just to survive was completely gone.

Instead, a runway queen is about to conquer Milan and the fashion world.

"Always be prepared."

Suddenly, music started playing outside the door.

That was the opening theme of the MIFA show—exhilarating, grand, and full of a desire to conquer.

"Let's go." Lu Chen took her hand and led her towards the door leading to the light. "Go and create your own glory."