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

Life in Kowloon Walled City was devoid of daylight, only endless gloom and a chaotic mix of neon lights.

But for Lu Chen, this gloomy week was more fulfilling than the brightest sunshine in Shanghai.

Ever since he made the deal with Tornado that day, he had been living in the attic of this old-fashioned barbershop. Although it was cramped and filled with the noisy hawking of vendors from the street below and the distant roar of planes taking off and landing, it was the safest place on the entire Kowloon Peninsula.

Because sitting downstairs is the pillar of Kowloon Walled City.

This week, Lu Chen was like a dry sponge, frantically absorbing all the moisture around him.

First is language.

In his past life, as a Hong Kong film enthusiast, he could understand about 70-80% of Cantonese, but when he actually spoke, it was all accented with a strong "outsider" flavor, making him sound like a foreigner. However, with the boost of his intelligence level 4, his language talent was developed to its fullest potential.

Every day he would sit in the tea restaurant downstairs, listening to the gangsters chatter, the old ladies cursing, and the radio broadcasts.

The brain is like a high-precision tape recorder, accurately capturing the beginning, development, transition, and context of every syllable, and the usage scenario of every slang term.

"Damn you," "Make the world," "Get the grass"...

In just three days, he was able to haggle with the old Kowloon woman selling fish balls in a perfect Kowloon accent, even mimicking her distinctive lazy pronunciation and interjections perfectly. The old woman even thought he was the nephew of some old neighbor who had just returned home, and she would always give him two extra fish balls.

Late on the fourth night, a figure was quietly brought into the barbershop by Xin Yi.

He was a young man with a stubborn look in his eyes and covered in wounds. He looked around warily, like a small animal that had just been separated from its pack.

Chen Luojun.

That lonely soul, burdened by the grudges of the previous generation, wanders this world.

When Tornado looked at the face that resembled that of an old friend, her eyes reddened slightly.

Seeing the two people from the movie, who were more like father and son than father and son, reunite ahead of schedule, Lu Chen was genuinely happy. After all, now that he had come to this world, he would definitely not let the original tragedy repeat itself.

【Ding--】

[Key plot character detected: Chen Luojun]

[Checking in at "Kowloon Walled City: Siege"]

[Check-in successful!]

[Reward: +1 Free Attribute Points]

Lu Chen already had an idea about this attribute. In this chaotic city, he had deeply experienced the weight of the words "human relationships and worldly wisdom." Here, sometimes a kind word is more useful than a knife.

"System, add some points to [Affinity]!"

As the attribute points were added, Lu Chen felt that there was no drastic change in his appearance, but when he looked in the mirror again, he felt that there was an indescribable meaning in his smile.

【Friendliness: Lv4 (Like a Spring Breeze)】

[Evaluation: You're no longer just an ordinary passerby. You exude a natural magnetic field that draws people in and makes them want to be close to you and trust you. In social situations, you're a natural icebreaker; at the negotiating table, you're an irresistible listener. Even the stray dog ​​downstairs can't help but wag its tail when it sees you.]

The effect of this skill is immediate.

For the next three days, Lu Chen thrived in this small town of only 0.026 square kilometers.

He could chat with that mysterious old man who always wore sunglasses and played the erhu for an entire afternoon, and even managed to elicit a romantic tale from the old man's youth in Shanghai; he could make that pork shop owner, who was initially wary of him, smile and pat him on the shoulder, calling him "brother," and even secretly tell him which gang of fennel shops was being heavily cracked down on recently; even Xin Yi, who had always been cold to him, was now willing to exchange a few pleasantries with him when he saw him, and would even offer Lu Chen a cigarette while they were smoking.

Lu Chen pieced together these fragmented pieces of information, and a network of underground intelligence in Kowloon Walled City and even the entire Kowloon Peninsula gradually took shape in his mind.

……

Seventh day.

The first rays of morning light filtered through the cracks and fell on the floor of the barbershop.

Tornado was still wearing that gray Tang suit, holding a kraft paper envelope in his hand, which he handed to Lu Chen.

"Here's what you wanted."

Lu Chen took the envelope, his fingers touching the hard card inside, and a huge weight was finally lifted from his heart.

Upon opening it, he found a brand-new Hong Kong Island identity card. His eyes were bright in the photo, and his name was still "Lu Chen," but his birthplace and background information had been meticulously altered. From this moment on, he was no longer an illegal immigrant who could be deported at any time, but a legal permanent resident of Hong Kong Island.

"Thank you, Brother Long," Lu Chen said sincerely.

Tornado waved his hand, turned around and took out another thick stack of banknotes from the drawer, slamming them directly onto the table.

"Here is ten thousand dollars."

Tornado looked at Lu Chen with a hint of appreciation and a touch of elder's concern in her eyes. "I know you've just arrived and are penniless. You can't go out into the world without money. This money isn't charity, it's gratitude. Thanks to you, I was able to bring Luo Jun back and prevent him from falling into the hands of the big boss."

HK$10,000.

In 1981, this was an enormous sum of money. At that time, the average worker's monthly salary was only a little over a thousand yuan, and ten thousand yuan was enough for an average family to live comfortably for a year.

Lu Chen looked at the stack of banknotes and didn't refuse. In this day and age, affectation is the least valuable thing.

He put away the money, his expression turning serious.

"Brother Long, I'll accept the money. I, Lu Chen, will remember this favor."

He paused, lowered his voice, leaned forward slightly, and looked sincerely at Tornado with his Lv4 affinity eyes.

"In return, I'll give you one last piece of advice."

"Go ahead," Tornado said, her smile fading.

"Be careful of that mad dog beside the big boss—Wang Jiu." Lu Chen's tone was light, but his words carried a chilling undertone. "That guy practices hard qigong; being invulnerable to swords and spears is secondary. What's most terrifying is his ambition. The big boss is ruthless, but he's a man of principle in the martial arts world. Wang Jiu is different; he's a ravenous wolf with no bottom line."

"I know the big boss has been keeping a close eye on the Walled City lately, which is making things a bit difficult for you, Brother Lung. But what if... his backyard catches fire?"

Lu Chen stopped there, a meaningful smile playing on his lips. "Sometimes, it's much easier to let the enemy's dogs bite the enemy than to do it yourself. Give the big boss a friendly hint, let him realize that Wang Jiu isn't following orders, and given Wang Jiu's ambition... Brother Long, you're so smart, you should understand what I mean."

Upon hearing this, Tornado's pupils contracted sharply.

He gave Lu Chen a deep look, as if for the first time he truly saw the depth of this young man's character.

This tactic of "using someone else's knife to kill" is ruthless and ingenious.

"Chenzi." Tornado was silent for a moment, then suddenly laughed, a laugh tinged with emotion. "Luckily, you're not my enemy. If you were to join a gang, you'd keep Jiang Tiansheng and the others up at night sooner or later."

"I don't join any clubs."

Lu Chen stood up and straightened his collar. Although his clothes were still worn out, his aura was completely different.

"The path I'm about to take is wider and more dangerous than that of the community."

……

Having said goodbye to the tornado and to Chen Luojun, who still didn't fully understand what had happened, Lu Chen walked out of Kowloon Walled City.

When he stepped out of the shadows and stood in the sunlight on Jia Bingda Road, he felt as if he had awakened from a dream of an old era and returned to the bustling world.

The ten thousand Hong Kong dollars he was clutching were so hot that his palms were sweating.

Without pausing, he flagged down a red taxi and headed straight for Central.

"Let's go to Landmark Plaza."

The driver glanced at the poorly dressed young man, who seemed to smell a bit sour, in the rearview mirror. A hint of disdain flashed in his eyes, but for the sake of money, he still stepped on the gas.

Half an hour later.

Lu Chen stood on the street in Central.

This place is a completely different world from Kowloon Walled City.

Skyscrapers rise from the ground, their glass curtain walls reflecting blinding sunlight. The streets are wide and clean, pedestrians hurry along, men in suits and ties, women in suits and high heels, the air thick with the smells of coffee, perfume, and money.

This is the heart of Asia's financial center, the pinnacle of fame and fortune.

Lu Chen looked down at the pair of worn-out canvas shoes on his feet and decided to use the hard-earned 10,000 yuan to exchange for a "front" that would allow him to go anywhere.

He walked straight into a high-end men's clothing store.

The sales assistant was chatting with her colleague when she saw Lu Chen come in. She frowned and was about to politely but distantly ask him to leave when Lu Chen beat her to it.

"Pick out the perfect suit for me. I don't care about the price, I only care about how it looks."

Lu Chen pulled the thick stack of banknotes out of his pocket and casually slapped it on the counter.

The large denomination banknotes, coupled with his calm and unhurried tone, and the air of someone who had long held a high position (actually, it was an act), instantly intimidated the sales assistant.

"Uh... okay, sir! This way please!"

The sales assistant's attitude did a complete 180-degree turn, immediately becoming incredibly enthusiastic.

The next hour was Lu Chen's transformative moment.

When he walked out of the fitting room wearing a dark blue double-breasted fine wool suit, a dark red silk tie, and shiny Oxford shoes, all the sales assistants in the store were stunned.

The person in the mirror was tall and straight, with broad shoulders and a narrow waist. The well-tailored suit perfectly accentuated his physique, transforming his original scholarly air into a refined yet sharp sense of elite sophistication.

Especially his eyes, deep and confident, as if he had everything under control.

Who could tell that just an hour ago, he was an undocumented immigrant who came from Kowloon City?

"Sir, this outfit is simply tailor-made for you!" the sales assistant exclaimed sincerely.

"Swipe card... oh no, pay the bill." Lu Chen almost let it slip, smiling as he pointed to the money on the counter.

This outfit, including leather shoes, a shirt, and a tie, cost him a total of HK$8,500.

I only had 1,500 yuan left in my pocket.

This is simply insane. In this day and age, eight thousand yuan can buy half a used car or start many small businesses. But he wore it all on his body.

But Lu Chen knew it was worth it.

In a society where people are respected for their clothes before they are respected for their character, this outfit is his battle armor, his stepping stone to open the door to high society.

He walked out of the clothing store and stood on the bustling street in Central. Looking at his transformed self reflected in the glass curtain wall, Lu Chen straightened his cuffs, feeling as if he had been elevated.

Now, everything is ready, except for a favorable "east wind".

He needs his first pot of gold. His very first pot of gold.

This 1,500 yuan is definitely not enough. He needs an opportunity, a chance to quickly monetize the movie plot in his mind.

Lu Chen wandered aimlessly along Queen's Road Central, his eyes scanning the surrounding crowd like radar.

Sudden.

He stopped at the entrance of an office building.

It was an old-fashioned commercial building with signs for several construction companies hanging at the entrance.

Just then, the revolving door was pushed open, and a slightly disheveled figure walked out.

He was a man around thirty years old.

Although he was wearing a suit, his tie was loose, his shirt collar was slightly open, he had a briefcase tucked under his arm, and a crumpled resume in his hand.

Even from several meters away, Lu Chen could feel the despondency and despair emanating from that person.

Clearly, this was a failed interview or a humiliating job search experience.

Lu Chen hadn't planned to get involved, but when he saw the person's profile, he froze in place.

That face...

"I searched high and low without finding it, but then it came to me effortlessly."

Lu Chen adjusted his posture and then gave a very friendly smile.

The opportunity has arrived!

He straightened his tie, strode forward, and walked towards the disheveled figure.

The man was walking with his head down, muttering angrily under his breath, "Damn it! Blind fools! When I'm rich, I'll buy your whole building and turn it into toilets!"

However, he knew this was just wishful thinking, and he didn't even dare to vent too loudly, for fear that someone with ulterior motives would hear and affect his next interview.

Just as he was about to bump into Lu Chen, Lu Chen gracefully stepped to the side and reached out his hand to block his path.

"What? Did those clueless people inside kick you out?"

Lu Chen's voice was gentle and magnetic, like a banter between old friends.

The man paused for a moment, then looked up and cautiously examined the well-dressed, distinguished-looking "rich young master" through his thick glasses.

"You are... I don't think I know you?"

"Who I am is not important. What's important is that I think you're talented, and I'd like to have a chat."

Lu Chen stretched out his hand, his gaze intense:

"Are you interested in talking to me about how to buy this building and turn it into a toilet?"