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

DOA Company, second floor tactical training room.

The heavy oak door was slowly pushed open, and Lu Chen stepped inside.

The sounds of fighting in the training ground abruptly ceased. Fourth Brother Xie Yuan and Xiao Zhuang came forward, while the two figures who had just been fiercely clashing in the center of the field quickly separated, each taking a step back, their eyes warily and sharply fixed on the young behind-the-scenes boss.

Lu Chen's gaze swept over the two of them, a hint of surprise, which he had already anticipated, flashing in his eyes.

Lu Chen stood at the door, not in a hurry to go in. His gaze passed through the wide training field and landed on the two figures in the center of the field who had just separated.

The one on the left was wearing a faded gray work jacket, loose-fitting jeans, and ordinary canvas shoes. He wasn't tall, and his appearance was quite ordinary, even somewhat honest and simple. When he smiled, he revealed a set of white teeth, looking exactly like a construction worker who had just come to Hong Kong from the mainland.

But Lu Chen keenly noticed that although the young man's hands were rough, they were extremely steady, with thick calluses on his knuckles—marks left from long-term gun handling and high-intensity combat training. He stood there, his muscles seemingly relaxed, but in reality, he was like a fully drawn bow, ready to unleash a fatal blow at any moment.

The figure on the right is completely different. He wears a black hoodie pulled low, obscuring half his face. He is lean and muscular, as if all the fat in his body has been burned away, leaving only tightly knit muscle fibers like steel bars. Most striking is his posture—his left and right feet seem slightly unbalanced, but this does not affect his sense of balance. Instead, it gives him a strange, aggressive stance, like a venomous snake ready to pounce on its prey.

When he raised his head, the light in his eyes was wild, it was madness, it was a desperate gamble after being driven to the brink.

"Boss, let me introduce you."

Fourth Brother Xie Yuan, with a cigar dangling from his lips and a smug look on his face, walked over and pointed at the honest-looking young man, saying, "This is Xiao Fu. I poached him from a guy called Dog Brother. This kid used to be in the army, and his skills are unparalleled. He could take on ten men by himself."

"Hello, boss! My name is Li Fu, but everyone calls me Xiao Fu."

The young man rubbed his hands nervously, bowed to Lu Chen, and said in heavily accented Cantonese, "Fourth Brother said this place provides meals and the salary is high, so I came."

Looking at the face that resembled Jet Li's, Lu Chen chuckled inwardly. Sure enough, it was that kind-hearted rookie assassin from "The King of Killers".

"Xiao Fu," Lu Chen nodded with a smile, "you used to hang out with a guy called 'Brother Dog'?"

"Yes...yes." Xiao Fu scratched his head sheepishly. "But Brother Gou always says I'm not cut out to be an assassin. I originally wanted to become an assassin to make some quick money to build a house for my mother, but..."

"So every time you go to kill someone, it ends up being a rescue, right?" Lu Chen chuckled as he picked up the conversation.

Xiao Fu's face instantly turned red to the roots of his neck, and he awkwardly rubbed his hands: "I... I just feel that some people don't deserve to die, and I can't bring myself to do it."

"That's what I value in him," Fourth Brother chimed in. "Top-notch skills, excellent marksmanship, and most importantly, he has principles. Boss, this is a diamond in the rough."

A rare smile appeared on Xiao Zhuang's usually cold face: "As an assassin, you still have a long way to go, but as a human being, you're quite good."

Lu Chen gave his fourth brother an approving look, then turned his gaze to the gloomy man in black on the other side.

"And what about this one?"

Before the fourth brother could speak, the man in black took a step forward, his right leg slightly limping, but his speed was astounding. He clasped his hands in a fist salute, his voice hoarse as if sanded on sandpaper:

"Feng Yuxiu".

These three simple words carry a chilling undertone.

"Kung Fu Jungle," a martial arts fanatic who distinguishes between superiors and inferiors and decides life and death!

"Mr. Feng came to us himself," Fourth Brother explained. "He's been spreading rumors in the underworld that he'll take any job for money. I had Xiao Zhuang test his skills..."

Fourth Brother glanced at Xiao Zhuang beside him.

Xiao Zhuang nodded, his expression grave: "Very strong. In close combat, I wouldn't last twenty moves against him. His punches, kicks, and grappling techniques are all deadly, and... he has a madness about him."

"I need money."

Feng Yuxiu's answer was concise and powerful: "My wife, Shen Xue, has cancer. The doctor said she needs chemotherapy, imported drugs, and it will cost a lot of money! As long as you give me the money to save her, her life is yours."

The current Feng Yuxiu has not yet become the madman who slaughtered his way through the martial arts world in his pursuit of "the best in the world." At this moment, he still has attachments in his heart, and Shen Xue is still his anchor, firmly nailing his humanity to the edge of the cliff.

"Fourth Brother said that this place has the best resources in all of Hong Kong Island, as well as the strongest opponents." Feng Yuxiu raised his head, his wolf-like eyes fixed on Lu Chen. "I only ask for two things: save my wife and make me stronger."

"Don't worry." Lu Chen walked up to the two of them, his aura suddenly changing. He was no longer the gentle businessman from before, but a sharp blade drawn from its sheath, its edge fully revealed.

"Xiao Fu, you want to build a house for your hometown and give your mother a better life; Feng Yuxiu, you want to save your wife and prolong her life. I can give you both of these things."

A kind-hearted top bodyguard, a killing machine with the skills of a martial arts fanatic. Add to that the calm and elegant Xiao Zhuang, and the fourth brother who oversees everything.

The organization he envisioned finally took shape.

"Welcome to the team."

Lu Chen walked between the two men, and instead of acting like a boss, he extended his hand.

Xiao Fu was flattered and shook hands with surprisingly strong grip; Feng Yuxiu hesitated for a moment before extending his calloused hand, which was icy cold to the touch.

"Now that everyone's here, we need to establish some rules and arrangements."

Lu Chen looked around, his gaze sweeping over Fourth Brother, Xiao Zhuang, Xiao Fu, and Feng Yuxiu. "From today onwards, I will establish an assassin organization affiliated with DOA. This organization will operate in the shadows and be responsible for resolving some of the problems for the Jiahe Group. At the same time, we can also take on external orders, but there are bottom lines to what we can do."

Lu Chen's voice echoed in the empty training field:

"We will not kill women and children, we will not kill the loyal and good, we will not kill the innocent. Our swords will only be wielded against those beasts, drug lords, war criminals, and scum who cannot be punished by law! I'll name this organization—The Winery."

"A winery?" Fourth Brother paused for a moment, then chuckled. "Boss, what a strange name! Are we going to switch to selling alcohol?"

A mysterious smile played on Lu Chen's lips. As a transmigrator, this was perhaps his way of paying homage to his past life as a perpetual elementary school student.

"Alcohol can both enhance the mood and harm the body," Lu Chen explained calmly. "Just like us, we are both a nightmare for some and a cure for others."

"In this organization, everyone uses a type of liquor as a code name."

Lu Chen turned and pointed to Xiao Zhuang, who was dressed in a black trench coat and had a cool and composed demeanor:

"Xiao Zhuang, you are a top-notch assassin—calm, efficient, and ruthless. Your codename is—Gin."

Although Xiao Zhuang didn't understand why, he thought the name was quite interesting and nodded slightly.

Then, Lu Chen looked at his fourth brother, who was shrewd and resourceful, and in charge of intelligence and coordination:

"Fourth Brother, you are the organization's chief steward, responsible for intelligence gathering and logistical support. You need to be like rum, the base spirit that blends everything. Your code name is—Rum."

Fourth Brother flicked his cigar ash and chuckled, "Sounds good, strong enough."

Lu Chen then looked at Xiao Fu, who was honest but possessed explosive power:

"Little Fu, you usually seem mild-mannered, but once you unleash your power, it's incredibly fierce, like tequila. Your code name is—Tequila."

"Dragon... what kind of Dragon Orchid?" Xiao Fu scratched his head. "I don't know anything about alcohol, but whatever the boss says goes!"

Finally, Lu Chen's gaze fell on the gloomy Feng Yuxiu:

"Feng Yuxiu, you are a precise and deadly dagger, with a solitary and sharp personality. Your code name is—Korn."

"I don't care what I'm called," Feng Yuxiu said coldly. "I only care about when I work and when I get paid."

"Good, that's straightforward."

Lu Chen clapped his hands. "Now that the distillery is established, it needs to start doing business. We've already chosen our first target."

"Who?" Fourth Brother asked.

Lu Chen walked to the whiteboard by the wall, picked up a pen, and wrote down a name:

Tsukamoto.

Lu Chen coldly read out the name, "A Japanese man, a Class A war criminal during World War II, an executioner who massacred countless Chinese in Southeast Asia. After the war, he escaped trial by using the gold he plundered, and transformed himself into a major conglomerate, establishing the 'Tsukamoto Group'."

When Lu Chen saw Xiao Fu, he thought of that damned old man in the movie, and that was their first target.

Upon hearing the words "war criminal," Xiao Fu, a former soldier, instantly hardened his fists, his naivety vanished, and replaced by the fury of a soldier.

"That old man has lived far too long."

Lu Chen pointed to the photo. "According to reliable intelligence, this old ghost has become superstitious about feng shui due to his advanced age. He comes to Hong Kong Island every year at a fixed time to inspect the branch office and, incidentally, to consult a master to prolong his life. You can gather the specific information yourselves. I need to know when he will come to Hong Kong Island next."

"I want him to die on Hong Kong Island."

Lu Chen's gaze was as sharp as a knife. "And it was at the moment when he was most proud and thought he was safest."

"I'll take this job," Xiao Fu said first, his tone chilling and completely different from his previous naivety. "I'll kill this beast without hesitation."

"Count me in," Feng Yuxiu said, twirling his wine glass. "His bodyguards are perfect for practice."

"Gin, you're in charge of devising the sniping plan and the retreat route; Rum, I need you to get his detailed itinerary and security arrangements." Lu Chen assigned tasks methodically, "It's both to rid the people of a scourge and to uphold justice; it's also to enhance the reputation of our 'Distillery'."

At this point, Lu Chen paused, a shrewd businessman's glint in his eyes, "Of course, I won't do a losing business. I'll have Jiahe prepare the funds so that once news of Tsukamoto's death spreads, the Tsukamoto Group's stock price will inevitably plummet. After his death, we'll short-sell him heavily in the financial markets, devour his corpse, and make a fortune!"

"Understood!" Fourth Brother's eyes lit up. "To kill someone, you must first destroy their spirit, and then you want their money too. Boss, this is a brilliant move!"

After assigning the tasks, Lu Chen gestured to his fourth brother to take out two pre-filled checks from his briefcase and hand them to Xiao Fu and Feng Yuxiu respectively.

"Here is HK$500,000, one bill for each of you, as a resettlement allowance."

"Five hundred thousand?!"

Xiao Fu held the check, his hands trembling. He used to only get tens of thousands of yuan for killing someone (though he never actually succeeded), and even then, the middleman would take a cut. He'd never seen so much money before!

"This...this is too much! I haven't even started working yet!"

"Take it." Lu Chen patted his shoulder. "Send it back to your hometown to build a big house for your mother, and save the rest to get married."

Feng Yuxiu looked at the check in his hand, his eyes instantly reddening. This 500,000 yuan was, to him now, Shen Xue's life.

"Thank you..." Feng Yuxiu didn't waste any more words, he just bowed deeply to Lu Chen, "Boss, I will definitely get Tsukamoto's head back for you. If I can't get it back, I'll give you my head."

"What would I do with your head? I want you back alive; your wife is waiting for you to take care of her."

Lu Chen waved his hand. "Alright, everyone disperse. Rum will provide you with intelligence and equipment. You guys need to work together well. Especially Feng Yuxiu, take your sister-in-law to the Sanatorium & Hospital. I've already made arrangements there."

"yes!"

【Ding--】

[Key plot character detected: Xiao Fu]

[Checking in at the movie "The King of Killers"]

[Check-in successful!]

[Reward: +1 Free Attribute Points]

【Ding--】

[Key plot character detected: Feng Yuxiu]

[Checking in at the movie "Kung Fu Jungle"]

[Check-in successful!]

[Reward: +1 Free Attribute Points]

"System, add points."

He quickly processed the information in his mind, adding those two points to agility.

Agility: Lv5 (Swift as a Rabbit)

[Evaluation: Congratulations on finally overcoming your clumsiness! You've now reached the reaction level of a boxing master or magician. While you can't yet perform amazing feats like catching a blade barehanded, in unexpected situations, your body can react faster than your brain to make the correct evasive maneuvers.]

A warm current instantly flowed through his body, and Lu Chen felt that his movements were more agile and his energy was more abundant.

Watching Xiao Fu and Feng Yuxiu's departing figures, Lu Chen knew that these two sharp knives had already begun to submit to his will.

In the vast training ground, only Lu Chen, Fourth Brother, and Xiao Zhuang remained.

"Boss, that was a brilliant move, a perfect blend of kindness and severity," Fourth Brother exclaimed sincerely. "With these two fresh faces, plus Xiao Zhuang, our distillery's fighting strength is now top-notch!"

"Not enough."

Lu Chen shook his head, lit a cigarette, and said, "The world is a dangerous place; we need to keep bringing in fresh blood."

Since it's been given the name of a distillery, it should at least be on par with the Black Organization in terms of scale.

"Boss, there's one more thing," Fourth Brother said, taking a business card out of his pocket and handing it to Lu Chen. "There's been news about that person named 'Wu Xin' that you asked me to keep an eye on."

"Oh?" Lu Chen's eyes lit up upon hearing this.

The business card was simple, with the name of an antique shop printed on it – "Xinji Antiques", and the address was in Macau.

Wu Xin.

A key supporting character in the movie "Project Gutenberg" is ostensibly an antique dealer, but is actually a top-notch lithography master. In the film, it is precisely because of his lithography skills that "The Painter" can print super-sized US dollars that even a banknote detector cannot distinguish.

"He lives in Macau, runs a small shop, business is barely scraping by," Fourth Brother said. "But that's how it is with antique shops, three years without business, then one big sale feeds you for three years!"

Lu Chen looked at the business card, a meaningful smile playing on his lips.

"You have a point, but they don't make a living from antiques."