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

In Central, just two streets away from the Golden Harvest International Building, stands a standalone three-story old-style tenement building.

This place was originally a warehouse of an old trading company. Its exterior was mottled and dilapidated, and it was inconspicuous. Even the signboard had been eroded by the wind and rain, leaving only half of its frame. But two days ago, Lu Chen quietly bought it outright and used it as the temporary headquarters of "Jiahe Security Company".

At this moment, the air in the conference room on the third floor seemed to have solidified into solid cement, making it hard to breathe.

Neon lights from outside streamed in through the gaps in the blinds, casting interplay of light and shadow on the marble floor. The room was completely silent; even breathing was deliberately suppressed.

Tian Yangyi, Tian Yangzhi, Tian Yangen... Apart from Tian Yangen, the youngest of the seven, who was in Rome taking care of Ruan Mei, the other six of the seven Tian Yangs were like six silent statues, with their heads bowed, like a row of primary school students who had broken the law.

Tian Yangsheng, whose eyes were usually fierce like a wolf, now had a face full of shame and fear. The veins on his forehead throbbed slightly, and his fists were clenched tightly at his sides, his knuckles white from the excessive force.

"Boss, please punish me."

Tian Yangsheng's voice was hoarse, as if it had been sanded on sandpaper, with a slight tremor at the end, "This is a serious dereliction of duty on our part. As bodyguards, we allowed our employer to be exposed to such danger. If that dump truck hadn't been targeting President Cheng's car, but you..."

At this point, Tian Yangsheng abruptly closed his eyes, not daring to think any further.

That scene replayed in his mind like a nightmare—if this assassination was aimed at Lu Chen, and these key members happened to be assigned to handle the registration and site matters of the security company, resulting in Lu Chen being short-handed...

When that green dump truck, laden with scrap, roared toward them like a steel monster, Tian Yangsheng was standing in the building two blocks away. The moment he received the news, he felt his heart stop.

That feeling of powerlessness was more despairing than having a dozen guns pointed at his head on the battlefield.

The other five brothers were also flushed. Tian Yangyi gritted his teeth, pulled a dagger from his waist, gripped it in his other hand, and said in a deep voice, "Boss, according to the rules, dereliction of duty should result in the loss of a hand. We were too arrogant, thinking that no one would dare to act recklessly in a place like Central..."

Clang!

A crisp metallic clang interrupted Tian Yangyi's actions.

Lu Chen casually tossed the lighter in his hand onto the table. The sound was not loud, but it startled everyone present.

Lu Chen sat in the large leather boss's chair, toying with a freshly cut cigar in his hand. He didn't speak immediately, but instead calmly swept his deep eyes over the six people in front of him who looked as if they had lost their parents.

He could sense their fear.

It wasn't the fear of death, but the fear of "the collapse of faith." For these orphans who had no one to rely on in this world, Lu Chen was not just a boss, but a "head of the family" who gave them dignity, identity, and a future.

"Alright."

After a long silence, Lu Chen finally spoke, his tone as calm as if he were discussing the weather, "Lift your head up."

The six people shuddered and slowly raised their heads, but they still dared not look Lu Chen in the eye.

"I approved the establishment of the security company." Lu Chen lit a long match and slowly toasted his cigar. "It was my decision to split up the forces to run the security company. You were just following orders."

"But boss, the prerequisite for carrying out orders is ensuring your absolute safety!" Tian Yangsheng suddenly took a step forward, his eyes bloodshot. "Boss, your safety is paramount. No matter the reason, if our absence creates a vacuum in the defense perimeter, that's a capital offense."

If someone else had said these words, it might have sounded like a declaration of loyalty, but coming from Tian Yangsheng, Lu Chen only heard absolute loyalty.

Lu Chen looked at him, her gaze softening slightly.

"Ah Sheng, calm down."

Lu Chen took a puff of his cigar and exhaled a cloud of pale blue smoke that swirled under the light. "You realized it too, didn't you? That wasn't an assassination attempt."

Tian Yangsheng gritted his teeth and nodded, a violent glint flashing in his eyes: "It's a warning! The angle at which that car crashed into us was very tricky; the goal was to crush that Mercedes, not to kill anyone. And... they deliberately chose a time when President Cheng wasn't in the car."

"That's right."

Lu Chen stood up, walked to the window, and looked at the still brightly lit Central night view in the distance. "If it's about killing someone, a bullet is much more efficient than a dump truck. The other party made such a commotion, even going so far as to cause a car accident in the middle of the city, just to hear that one sound."

"This sound is meant to intimidate the tiger from the mountain."

Lu Chen's lips curled into a playful sneer. "Someone told me that he's watching me, that he can destroy my things at any time, and that he can threaten my safety at any time."

"Don't worry, boss. No matter which hand is behind this, I'll chop it off." Tian Yangsheng's tone was chilling, and the murderous aura he had been suppressing for a long time suddenly erupted. "Boss, let me investigate. As long as he's in Hong Kong, even if he hides in the sewers of Stanley Prison, I'll find him."

"We'll definitely investigate, but we can't just blindly stumble around like headless chickens." Lu Chen turned around and looked at everyone. "Is things on track with the security company?"

"The formalities have all been completed. The first batch of recruits mainly consists of retired British soldiers of Chinese descent and some members of the Big Circle Gang with clean records. They are currently undergoing short-term special training," Tian Yangyi replied.

"That's good," Lu Chen nodded, "The security company's work can't stop..."

Before Lu Chen could finish speaking, Tian Yangsheng interrupted decisively, "Boss, the priority now is your safety! Besides Enmei protecting Miss Ruan in Rome, the six of us must ensure that you have at least five people with you at all times! As for the security company, just send one person over each day to keep an eye on things. Your safety is the bottom line!"

This was the first time Tian Yangsheng had "disobeyed" Lu Chen's wishes, his tone so resolute that there was no room for negotiation.

Seeing their determined eyes, Lu Chen chuckled and waved his hand, "Alright, then it's your way. Send one person to 'supervise' each day, and the rest will stay by my side."

Upon hearing this, the six people finally relaxed a little.

Lu Chen nodded, then a glint of light flashed in his eyes. "As for the investigation... leave it to Fourth Brother and Mark. They're both seasoned veterans of Hong Kong, and they're better suited for this kind of background check than you are."

……

For the next two days, the interior of Jiahe International Building seemed to be shrouded in an invisible low pressure.

Although everything seemed normal on the surface, with the apparel and finance departments still incredibly busy, all the employees could sense that the security measures around the boss had suddenly increased several notches.

Normally, when Lu Chen travels, he only needs one car and two or three bodyguards.

Now, whenever Lu Chen leaves the office, he is always escorted by a black SUV in front and behind him, and he is always accompanied by five expressionless men with eyes like hawks. Their menacing aura makes many minor celebrities and reporters who want to get close to him shy away.

Lu Chen himself, however, remained unperturbed, sitting calmly on the sidelines.

He is waiting.

Waiting for news on the wind.

Finally, on the evening of the second day.

The setting sun painted Victoria Harbour a blood-red hue, and a gentle knock sounded on the office door.

"Please come in."

The door was pushed open, and the person who walked in was none other than "Fourth Brother," who had recently joined Lu Chen's ranks.

As a newly joined core member of the team, Fourth Brother desperately needed an opportunity to prove his worth. Rarely assigned tasks by his boss, he immediately mobilized all the connections he had built in the underworld, sifting through his network of relationships in both the legitimate and criminal worlds like a sieve.

"Boss, we've made progress."

Fourth Brother took off his sunglasses, revealing a pair of bloodshot but sharp eyes. He casually pulled a brown paper file bag from his pocket and placed it on Lu Chen's desk.

"Oh? Faster than I expected." Lu Chen raised an eyebrow, gesturing for his fourth brother to sit down. "Have some water, and tell me slowly."

Fourth Brother poured Lu Chen a cup of tea before respectfully saying, "Just as I expected, it was an 'acquaintance' who committed the crime."

"An acquaintance?" Lu Chen raised an eyebrow and picked up the file folder, opening it.

It contained only a few photos and a simple investigation report.

The man in the photo, holding a cigar, is embracing two glamorous women as they drink and chat in a nightclub.

The moment Lu Chen saw that face, his memory instantly returned, and a ridiculous smile curled at the corner of his lips. "So it's Wu Rensong...looks like you've finally realized who it is?"

"That's right, he's the sucker who got tricked into buying Brother Qiao's 'wasteland' by you." Fourth Brother pulled out a chair, sat down, and said with a smile.

"Holy crap, it was this bastard!" Cheng Yiyan was also called in at this moment, his tone filled with shock and disdain. "This guy is really slow-witted. We've been tricking him for three months, and he's only just realized it."

Lu Chen took advantage of the "information gap" to sell a piece of land, which was rumored to be connected to a subway line but whose plans had actually been changed, to Wu Rensong at a high price. Wu Rensong originally thought he had gotten a great deal and dreamed of doubling the value of the land.

As a result, the city government's planning map was finally released half a month ago. The subway was indeed going to be built, but it was three whole streets away from his land! Although it seemed like only a kilometer or two apart, the land prices were worlds apart! In addition, there were rumors of fluctuations in the real estate market recently, so his land was now stuck in his hands. The development costs were too high, and no one was willing to take it over. He was losing almost everything.

"In business, you have to accept the consequences of your gamble, and he set this up himself first," Lu Chen said calmly. "He signed the contract, he paid the money willingly, and the terms didn't guarantee a subway line. He was fooled, so who can he blame?"

"Yes, although this guy is a nouveau riche, he knows that once a contract is signed, it's signed in black and white. He's too ashamed to sue in court, and he doesn't dare to ask Zeng Jianqiao for it."

Fourth Brother picked up his coffee, took a sip, and continued, "But he couldn't swallow that insult. It was a loss of nearly ten million, which was like cutting off his own flesh for Chicken Sly Song."

"So he resorted to such underhanded tactics?" Cheng Yiyan stared at Wu Rensong in the photo, her teeth itching with anger. "He hit my car? Why didn't he just run me over there?"

"He wouldn't dare." Fourth Brother shook his head and pointed to a newspaper clipping on the table. "He saw the boss in the report of the Golden Needle Award ceremony. The current Lu Sheng is a golden brand in Hong Kong's fashion industry, a public figure. He would never dare to retaliate directly, not to mention he knows the boss's bodyguards are very capable and might not be able to get revenge."

"So, he chose to make an example of me," Lu Chen continued, his gaze icy. "He crashed into my subordinate's car, both to vent his anger from before and to show me that he has the ability to cause trouble. If I'm not mistaken, he's probably waiting for me to contact him, throw him a banquet to apologize, and ideally, return the money I swindled from him, right?"

"Boss is brilliant." Fourth Brother gave a thumbs up and said somewhat embarrassedly, "And he didn't hide it at all. While I was investigating, his people actually spread the word in the underworld, admitting that he did it! It's ridiculous that I initially thought it was fake news, but after verifying it from multiple sources, I confirmed that it was true."

Upon hearing this, the office fell into a brief silence.

"hehe……"

A soft laugh broke the silence.

Lu Chen crushed the cigar in his hand heavily in the ashtray, and the scarlet flame was extinguished in an instant, turning into a wisp of smoke.

"What does he take me for?"

Lu Chen stood up, straightened the buttons on his suit, his expression a half-smile, but his eyes held a chilling glint.

Wu Rensong, do you think I'm the kind of refined businessman who just sits in the office looking at reports?

Using underworld tactics to threaten me?

This is as ridiculous as taking a water gun and running up to a Tyrannosaurus Rex and shouting "Robbery!"

"Paying money to avoid disaster?"

In the dog-eat-dog world of Hong Kong variety shows, if you wear sheep's clothing for too long, even wolves will mistake you for a sheep.

"Since he wants to flex his muscles and resort to gangster tactics..."

Lu Chen turned around, picked up the phone on the table, and pressed a memory button. The number was directly connected to the security room downstairs.

"Beep—beep—"

The moment the call connected, Lu Chen's voice became deep and magnetic, like a whisper from hell, or a king's judgment: "Asheng, bring your brothers and come up here."

"Boss, how many people?" came Tian Yangsheng's suppressed excitement from the other end of the phone.

"all."

Lu Chen hung up the phone, looked at Cheng Yiyan, who was excited, and his fourth brother, who was looking expectant, and a cruel smile appeared on his lips.

"Since Boss Wu is so eager to have some tea, then we'll personally visit him and offer him a proper cup of tea."