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

Central, Wellington Street, "Tsui Wah Restaurant".

It was afternoon tea time, and the restaurant was bustling with activity. Waiters carried freshly baked pineapple buns through the aisles like acrobats.

In a booth by the window, Lu Chen slowly stirred the iced lemon tea in his cup. Across from him sat Cheng Yiyan, a man who had just emerged disheveled from an office building.

At this moment, Cheng Yiyan sat upright, his hands neatly placed on his knees—the standard posture of a job seeker. He occasionally pushed up his black-rimmed glasses that had slipped down his nose, his eyes revealing both nervousness and an undisguised longing.

"Mr. Lu, this is my resume."

Cheng Yiyan pulled a neatly folded document from his well-worn briefcase, handed it over with both hands, and spoke with the humility of a student who had just arrived in the city:

"Although I just came from Southeast Asia, I have a Level 1 Civil Engineering Certificate. Back there, I participated in the surveying of several large projects. Whether it's structural design or site supervision, I'm no problem! And... and I don't have high salary requirements, as long as it meets industry standards."

As he spoke, he observed Lu Chen's expression.

The young man in front of me was too affluent. His dark blue double-breasted suit, his shiny silk tie, and his calm demeanor even in the noisy tea restaurant all indicated that he was a "big shot" (a big boss).

Cheng Yiyan was stopped on the street by Lu Chen, who only said, "I think you're a talent, want to chat?" and he obediently followed him. For someone who had been turned down for half a month and only had a few dozen yuan left in his pocket, this was a lifeline.

Lu Chen took the resume and glanced at it casually.

Cheng Yiyan, 32 years old, civil engineer...

Who would have thought that behind this unremarkable resume lies the future chairman of the Jiawen Group, who would stir up the winds of Hong Kong and even trigger the financial tsunami?

Cheng Yiyan, the male protagonist of "Golden Finger", is the future head of Jiawen Group and the golden finger of many international tycoons in Hong Kong... However, none of this has anything to do with him now. Right now, he is just an unlucky guy who went bankrupt doing business in Southeast Asia and was forced to flee to Hong Kong to seek his fortune.

Lu Chen placed the resume on the table, smiled, and pushed the freshly served pork chop bun in front of Cheng Yiyan.

"Eat something first. Your lips are dry; you must have talked quite a bit during the interview, right?"

Cheng Yiyan paused for a moment, his Adam's apple bobbing. He was indeed hungry, but he dared not move, for fear of being impolite.

【Ding--】

[Key plot character detected: Cheng Yiyan]

[Checking in at the movie "Goldfinger"]

[Check-in successful!]

[Reward: +1 Free Attribute Point]

Lu Chen chose to allocate his attribute points to Intelligence, since the business world is like a battlefield, and the most important thing is to use your brain. As the points were successfully allocated, that cool, refreshing current surged through the depths of his brain once again, and the already clear world became even more transparent in his eyes.

[Intelligence: Lv5 (Exquisite Insight)]

[Evaluation: Your brain can now be described as intelligent. Whether it's learning or doing things, you'll be much faster than the average person. Among the masses, you might be called a genius, but don't be complacent, because in the face of a true genius, you're just a slightly smarter fool.]

"Eat up, I don't like hearing my stomach growl during an interview," Lu Chen joked.

Cheng Yiyan gave an embarrassed smile, picked up the pork chop bun, and took a big bite. After the delicious food entered his stomach, he seemed to come back to life, and his mind started working faster.

"Mr. Lu, which real estate company do you work for? If you're looking to develop land in the New Territories, you've come to the right place. I'm very skilled in terrain surveying..."

"I don't have a company," Lu Chen said casually, taking a sip of his iced lemon tea.

"Cough cough cough!"

Cheng Yiyan nearly choked. He stared wide-eyed at Lu Chen, "No...no company? Then you are...?"

"Just because I don't have a company now doesn't mean I won't in the future. Similarly, just because you're a down-on-your-luck engineer now doesn't mean you can't live in a luxury mansion on the hillside in the future."

Lu Chen leaned forward, his eyes, enhanced with Lv4 affinity, staring directly at Cheng Yiyan. His voice was low and slightly seductive:

"Cheng Yiyan, I've looked at your face. You're not destined to be a laborer. Sending you to a construction site to carry bricks or draw blueprints would be a waste of the talent God gave you. Your talent lies here—"

Lu Chen pointed to his head, then to his heart.

"It depends on your desire to win, and your willingness to gamble in order to win."

Cheng Yiyan stopped chewing. He slowly put down the pork chop bun in his hand, the humility in his eyes fading slightly, revealing a shrewd glint typical of a gambler. He was a smart man, even an exceptionally smart man; he understood.

"Mr. Lu, you're not here to recruit engineers." Cheng Yiyan wiped his mouth, his tone changing, no longer so timid. "Are you here to find a 'front man'? Or to find an assistant?"

"Find a partner."

Lu Chen snapped his fingers. "I have a project now. I don't need you to draw or do any manual labor. All I need you to do is act in a play with me. After it's done, I'll give you 10%, a minimum of 50,000 yuan, in cash."

fifty thousand!

Cheng Yiyan's pupils contracted sharply. In this day and age, 50,000 yuan was enough for him to build a small villa back in his hometown in Southeast Asia!

"I won't do anything illegal." Cheng Yiyan instinctively shrank back. "I need to get my ID card."

"Don't worry, it's legitimate business consulting," Lu Chen said with a smile. "We're helping a rich young master who's in a real bind to solve a small 'inventory backlog' problem. It's called doing good deeds."

"How can I help?"

"Help him sell a piece of wasteland that would otherwise just rot in his hands for a high price of nine million."

Cheng Yiyan gasped, looking at Lu Chen as if he were a madman: "Mr. Lu, are you kidding me? The real estate market is booming, but it's not this outrageous."

"And that's my specialty." Lu Chen stood up, straightened his collar, and said, "Let's go, my great engineer. Grab your briefcase. From now on, you're not a job seeker; you're my chief surveying consultant."

……

Half an hour later, in Central, downstairs from the branch office of "Tsang's Properties".

This is a somewhat old office building, nothing like the grand headquarters building. This is where the Zeng family houses "unnecessary people".

Cheng Yiyan followed behind Lu Chen, looking at the imposing figure in front of him, her heart pounding.

"Mr. Lu, are we really not required to make an appointment? This company is just a branch, but it's still affiliated with the Zeng family..."

"An appointment?" Lu Chen glanced back at him and chuckled. "You only need an appointment when you're asking for a favor. We're here to deliver money; do we need to knock when the God of Wealth is at our door?"

After saying that, Lu Chen strode into the lobby.

The receptionist was idly painting her nails when she heard footsteps. She was about to look up and say "No sales pitches please" when her eyes lit up.

A well-dressed young man with an extraordinary air walked over. His attire was clearly from a high-end brand, and his every move exuded the languid confidence of a well-bred young master. Behind him followed a middle-aged attendant carrying a briefcase, his face serious (actually, he was nervous).

This setup definitely indicates a major client!

"Miss...please inform Manager Zeng." Before Lu Chen could speak, Cheng Yiyan suddenly stepped forward.

This guy got into character quickly. Although his voice was still a little weak, he instinctively adopted the attitude of "I'm the boss's lackey," pushed up his glasses, and said in a slightly firmer tone: "My Mr. Lu wants to talk to Manager Zeng about that 'Golden Street' land. He only has ten minutes."

The receptionist was taken aback by the two men's airs, and even more surprised that they immediately mentioned "Golden Street".

Everyone in the company knows that the "Golden Street" project is Manager Zeng's biggest headache; anyone who mentions it gets yelled at. But these two are actually specifically asking to discuss it, and their aura...

"Okay! Please wait a moment, I'll call right away!" The receptionist didn't dare to delay and quickly dialed the internal line.

A moment later, she put down the phone and stood up respectfully: "Mr. Lu, Manager Zeng invites you to come up. It's on the top floor, just turn left."

Once inside the elevator, Cheng Yiyan let out a long sigh of relief and wiped the sweat from her brow: "Mr. Lu, did I do a good job just now?"

"Not bad." Lu Chen nodded approvingly. "You have great potential. When you go in later, just maintain this 'professional' aloofness. If there's anything technical, just ramble on about it, the more profound the better, make him dizzy with your nonsense."

……

Top floor manager's office.

As soon as the door was pushed open, a strong smell of smoke hit us.

Zeng Jianqiao was slumped in the leather boss's chair, his tie askew, his face greasy and颓废 (颓废 is a difficult word to translate directly, but it implies a state of listlessness, decadence, and apathy). The ashtrays on the table were piled up like a small mountain, and several bank payment reminders were scattered around him.

As a third-generation member of the Zeng family, and the youngest branch, he finally managed to become a branch manager, only to be swindled by his second uncle, who forced him to borrow money to buy a desolate piece of land in Yuen Long.

Only four million.

If he can sell it for four million, he can pay off his bank loan and even make a small profit.

But the reality is, no one is willing to buy that piece of land even for 3.5 million! There's no water, no electricity, no roads, and it's surrounded by weeds taller than a person—who would want to live there!

Who are you?

Zeng Jianqiao saw Lu Chen enter and asked him irritably. He now saw everyone as a creditor.

Lu Chen didn't answer immediately. Instead, he waved the smoke in front of him with disdain, walked straight to the sofa, sat down, and crossed his legs.

"Manager Zeng, it seems you're having a tough time."

Lu Chen smiled and spoke bluntly: "HSBC's interest is due next week, right? I heard your second uncle proposed at the family meeting that if you can't resolve the debt for that land by the end of this month, he will take back the management rights of this branch."

Zeng Jianqiao sat bolt upright, staring intently at Lu Chen: "Were you sent by my second uncle to gloat?"

"I'm here to save you."

Lu Chen flicked off non-existent dust. "Let me introduce myself. I'm Lu Chen. Someone who can help you turn that pile of mud into gold."

"Save me?" Zeng Jianqiao sneered, collapsing back into his seat. "Do you know what's going on with that land? The construction team ran away, the banks froze the accounts. I need four million to turn things around! Four million! You'll give it to me?"

"Four million?"

Lu Chen shook his head, held up one finger, and said, "You're too narrow-minded. Manager Zeng, you can't just focus on breaking even in business. I'm going to help you sell nine million worth."

"Cough cough cough!" Zeng Jianqiao looked at Lu Chen as if he were a madman. "Nine million? Friend, did you forget to take your medicine before you left home? You have to pay for the travel expenses to give away that place now, and you're selling it for nine million?"

That's why I came to find you.

Lu Chen's eyes suddenly sharpened, and his powerful aura of confidence instantly suppressed Zeng Jianqiao's mockery.

"Manager Zeng, there are no unsellable goods in this world, only goods that are mispriced. If you try to sell it as a 'house,' of course it won't be worth much. Because nobody wants to live in the middle of nowhere, naturally no developers will take it on."

"But if we're not selling it as a house, what are we selling it as?" Zeng Jianqiao was stunned by Lu Chen's imposing manner and asked subconsciously.

Lu Chen stood up, walked to Zeng Jianqiao's desk, placed his hands on the table, and looked down at him:

"Sell the 'future'."

"I have a complete package deal. All you need to do is cooperate with me in putting on a show and lend me some start-up capital to get the store up and running. Within a week, I guarantee you'll not only pay off your loan but also make a fortune."

At this point, Lu Chen paused, then held up one finger:

"However, I want a commission of one million. And that one million includes my planning fee, consulting fee, and... my hard-earned fee. Of course, you can refuse, and then wait to be put on the hot seat by your second uncle at the family board meeting next week, becoming the laughing stock of the entire Hong Kong Island."

A deathly silence fell over the office.

Zeng Jianqiao stared at Lu Chen, his breathing becoming rapid.

He has the nature of a gambler; otherwise, he wouldn't have impulsively borrowed money to buy land. Now he's been forced to the brink, with an abyss ahead and pursuers behind.

The young man before him, though seemingly arrogant, had a resolute gaze that made his despairing heart waver slightly.

"Are you... really confident?" Zeng Jianqiao's voice was a little hoarse.

"This is Mr. Cheng Yiyan." Lu Chen stepped aside to make way for Cheng Yiyan behind him. "He's a senior surveyor who just returned from Southeast Asia, and he's also my chief technical advisor. He's already surveyed the terrain. That piece of land, although it looks terrible now, has potential for improvement."

Cheng Yiyan immediately adjusted his glasses in compliance. Although he was panicking inside, he still nodded with a straight face and said in a deep voice, "That's right, Manager Zeng. Judging from the geological structure and future regional influence, the potential there... is huge."

Zeng Jianqiao glanced at Cheng Yiyan, who looked "professional," and then at Lu Chen, who was calm and composed.

Let's try anything, even if it seems hopeless!

"Fine!" Zeng Jianqiao slammed his hand on the table, his eyes bloodshot. "One million it is! As long as you can turn my life around, I'll give you the money! But I won't give you the money upfront, and I don't have any money right now, it's all in the fields..."

"I don't need you to give me a million right now."

Lu Chen smiled, a smile like a cunning fox. "You only need to give me an advance of 100,000 yuan for activity expenses. The remaining 900,000 yuan will be deducted from the house payment after the building is sold."

"One hundred thousand..." Zeng Jianqiao gritted his teeth, opened a drawer, and took out a checkbook. "Fine! I can scrape together one hundred thousand. But I'll have someone follow you the whole time, and I'm warning you, if you dare to mess with me, my Zeng family may not be one of the four great tycoons, but we're not exactly untouchable in the underworld!"

"Don't worry, we're after money, not death."

Lu Chen took the flimsy check, looked at the number on it, and flicked it with satisfaction.

The first step was successful.

With this 100,000 yuan, the real show is just beginning.

"So... Mr. Lu, what exactly is your plan?" Zeng Jianqiao, still unsure after signing the papers, couldn't help but ask, "That place doesn't even have roads, how are you going to trick people into buying there?"

Lu Chen carefully put the check into his pocket, turned around, looked out the window at the bustling Central district, and a mysterious smile appeared on his lips.

"Just because there's no road now doesn't mean there won't be one in the future, which is why I say we're selling the future... Have you ever heard of the 'subway effect'?"

"The subway?" Zeng Jianqiao looked completely bewildered. "That place has absolutely no connection to the subway!"

"Just because it's not there now doesn't mean it's not on the 'planning map'."

Lu Chen turned around and glanced at Cheng Yiyan. "Engineer Cheng, go back and prepare your paintbrush. We need to draw a... incredibly realistic blueprint for the subway network leading to the future."