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

Three days later, the sky cleared up.

The entrance to St. Teresa's Hospital.

A black Rolls-Royce Phantom slowly pulled up to the side of the road, attracting the attention of passersby. The car door opened, and Lu Chen got out to greet a middle-aged man dressed in a retro Tang suit, who, although thin, was in good spirits.

"Brother Long, congratulations on being discharged from the hospital."

Lu Chen smiled and offered him a cigar, but then thought for a moment and took it back. "Your lungs are fine now, but you still need to take care of them. You can just watch me smoke this."

The visitor was none other than the soul of Kowloon Walled City – Tornado.

After undergoing a harrowing surgery to remove a tumor from his lung, this once-powerful figure now has a rosier complexion and clearer eyes than before.

"Ah Chen, thanks to you this time."

Tornado took a deep breath of the free air, looked at the young man in front of him, and said with emotion, "If it weren't for you helping me contact a doctor, and the best doctor at that, I probably would have lost my life in that cage in the Walled City."

"Brother Long is joking. We don't talk about money between us."

Lu Chen helped Long Juanfeng into the car. "Let's go back to Youyi Village. Xin Yi and Luo Jun are already waiting to welcome you back."

……

Kowloon Tong, Yau Yat Tsuen Villas.

The villa was unusually lively today.

Two huge barbecue grills were set up in the garden, the charcoal fire was burning brightly, and the sizzling lamb chops and chicken wings were emitting an enticing aroma.

Besides Xin Yi and Chen Luojun, whom Lu Chen was familiar with, there were two new faces.

A man with long, arrogant hair, a thick gold chain around his neck, and a nonchalant expression—that was Tiger Brother's right-hand man and his beloved disciple, Twelfth Young Master.

The other one appeared rather taciturn, wearing a mask and with messy hair, squatting beside the barbecue grill, intently brushing honey onto chicken wings with movements as precise as if performing surgery. That was the barefoot doctor from the walled city—Four-Zai.

Although Lu Chen's involvement has completely altered the original movie's plot, the gears of fate have still brought these four young people together.

"Boss!"

"Brother Long!"

Seeing Lu Chen help Long Juanfeng into the courtyard, the four people immediately stopped what they were doing and rushed over to greet him.

"Good! Good! Everyone's here!"

Tornado looked at the four energetic young men and couldn't stop smiling. Especially when he saw Chen Luojun, the son of his old friend, who had grown even more robust and whose eyes were no longer as lost as when he first arrived, he felt even more relieved.

"Ah Chen, let me introduce you."

As the ringleader of Tornado, Shin-yat knew the rules best. He immediately pulled his two new friends over and said, "This is Twelve Young Master, who hangs out with Tiger in Temple Street. His knife skills are unparalleled. This is Four, the miracle doctor in our walled city, and also a boxing expert."

"Hello, Lu Sheng!"

The Twelfth Young Master abandoned his usual carefree attitude and greeted the man respectfully. Although he looked like a playboy, he was very shrewd and knew who this man was. He was a big shot who even Di Qiu and his own boss, Tiger, had to give face to, so naturally he wouldn't be presumptuous.

"Hello Mr. Lu, thank you for inviting me." Si Zai, who was not good at socializing, greeted him in a low voice.

"We're all brothers, don't be so polite."

Lu Chen smiled and patted the two on the shoulder, "Since you're here, eat and play to your heart's content."

Just then, Ruan Mei came out of the house carrying a plate of sliced ​​fruit. She was wearing a pale yellow dress today, and her hair was simply tied up, making her look gentle and charming.

"Ah Chen, are all the guests here?" Ruan Mei asked with a smile.

"Everyone's here." Lu Chen took Ruan Mei's hand and introduced her to everyone, "This is my girlfriend, Ruan Mei."

"Hello, sister-in-law!"

The four young men shouted in unison, their voices so loud that they startled Ruan Mei.

"Oh dear, what do you mean by 'sister-in-law'..." Ruan Mei blushed, a little embarrassed, but still greeted them generously, "Please sit down, please sit down, don't stand. Try these, these are cherries I just bought from the fruit market."

Tornado looked at Ruan Mei, a hint of admiration flashing in his eyes.

"Ah Chen, is this the Ruan Mei you mentioned to me before? You are really lucky. This girl looks like she is a good homemaker."

As he spoke, Tornado pulled a thick red envelope from his pocket and handed it to Ruan Mei. "Ah Mei, this is a gift from your uncle for our first formal meeting. If Ah Chen ever dares to bully you, come to the walled city and I'll stand up for you."

"Oh dear, how could I possibly accept this..." Ruan Mei blushed and instinctively tried to decline.

"It's from Brother Long, so just accept it," Lu Chen said with a smile. "It's a blessing from an elder."

"Thank you, Brother Long!" Ruan Mei happily accepted it, and she was quite pleased to receive the approval from Lu Chen's elders.

The courtyard was filled with laughter and joy for the rest of the time.

Grandma Ruan happily joined in, smiling as she helped marinate the beef. Xin Yi was in charge of looking cool, Twelve Young Master was in charge of being silly, Si Zai was in charge of eating quietly, and Chen Luojun was still the most diligent one, busy running around.

This warm and cozy atmosphere made Long Juanfeng, a man who had spent his entire life in the world of swords and shadows, feel more relaxed than ever before.

……

After several rounds of drinks and five courses of food,

Seeing that the group of young people were still drinking, Lu Chen gave Long Juanfeng a wink.

"Brother Long, would you like to sit in the study? I've gotten some good tea."

"Okay." Tornado understood, wiped his hands, and followed Lu Chen into the villa.

Second-floor study.

Isolated from the noise downstairs, this place is exceptionally quiet.

Lu Chen brewed a pot of aged Pu'er tea and poured a cup for Tornado.

"Chen, what's the matter that you have to come up here to say?" Tornado took a sip of tea and asked bluntly.

"Nothing can be hidden from Brother Long," Lu Chen put down the teapot, his expression turning serious. "I'm doing this for Brother Qiu's sake."

When Di Qiu was mentioned, Long Juanfeng's originally relaxed brows furrowed slightly.

Di Qiu, one of his best brothers in the stronghold, was also a pitiful man tormented by hatred for half his life. Years ago, Di Qiu's wife and children were killed by the murderer Chen Zhan, an event that became a permanent knot in Di Qiu's heart.

"I know that Brother Qiu has been looking for Chen Zhan's son, Luo Jun."

Lu Chen lowered his voice, "Although I've already sent away the smuggler who brought Chen Luojun into Hong Kong, and now that the big boss is dead, no one will know Luojun's secret anymore... But Brother Qiu's obsession runs too deep. His whole family was killed back then, and he's determined to find someone to pay for that blood debt. Now that he can't find Chen Zhan's son, this resentment is bottled up inside him, and his body will eventually give out."

"I'm worried about this too." Tornado sighed. "Brother Qiu is too stubborn. I've advised him to let go, but he... can't let go."

"Therefore, we need to help him resolve this inner conflict. Di Qiu hates Chen Zhan because Chen Zhan killed his wife and children. But Chen Zhan wasn't the only one who killed Di Qiu's wife and children... In other words, Chen Zhan was just the knife; the one who truly wielded the knife was Lei Zhendong, who fought with you for control of the stronghold back then."

"Every wrong has its perpetrator, and every debt its debtor. If we can find Lei Zhendong and make him pay for his crimes in blood, I believe that at least half of Qiu Ge's resentment will dissipate. Then you and Hu Ge can persuade him together, and Qiu Ge might be able to let go of his obsession."

“Lei Zhendong? That’s certainly a good outlet for his anger, but Lei Zhendong vanished after his defeat back then,” Tornado shook his head. “For the past ten years or so, Di Qiu has searched all over Hong Kong Island, but he hasn’t found a single clue.”

"I found it."

Lu Chen uttered four words calmly.

"What?!" Tornado suddenly stood up, spilling tea all over his hand.

Lu Chen calmly took out a document and pushed it in front of Tornado.

"I know this is a needle in a haystack. But I have an advantage: I not only look at Hong Kong Island, but also at the outside world."

Lu Chen pointed to a photo on the document, which was a profile of an elderly man taken at a gang gathering in Taiwan.

"The surname Lei is already quite rare. I had someone check the gang information in Taiwan and found something interesting."

"You mean..." Tornado's pupils suddenly contracted.

"Lei Gong, the leader of the Sanlian Gang, the second largest gang in Taiwan."

Lu Chen pointed to the photo on the document. "I checked. Lei Zhendong is Lei Gong's cousin. Back then, he lost the turf war in Kowloon, and Lei Gong sent people to bring him back to Taiwan, where he changed his name and identity. Now, he's hiding in a villa in Tainan, under the protection of the Sanlian Gang, living the life of a de facto ruler."

After seeing Xiao Zhuang and Xiao Ma, Lu Chen understood that in this merged world, many similar characters would be connected, and these seemingly coincidental connections were often the truth.

"The Triads..."

Tornado gasped as he looked at the information in the document.

That's a behemoth, even more troublesome than the triads on Hong Kong Island, because they also have connections with the legitimate world.

"No wonder Di Qiu has been searching for so many years without success; it turns out he has such a powerful backer protecting him!" Tornado's eyes became complicated. "If that's really the case, then Di Qiu's desire for revenge... is as difficult as ascending to heaven."

"It is indeed difficult, but I have a way," Lu Chen sat back in his chair, his eyes deep. "Brother Long, tell Di Qiu this news. Then tell him what I said..."

……

the next night.

Kowloon Walled City, a private room in a Chaozhou restaurant known only to the old neighborhood, is also the place where people of Tornado's generation like to gather in private.

On the table were a braised platter, frozen crab, and several bottles of brandy.

Tornado, Diqiu, and Tiger sat together at a welcome dinner hosted by their "Iron Triangle" for Tornado.

After a few rounds of drinks, the conversation started, but the atmosphere remained somewhat somber. After all, Di Qiu looked bitter and resentful when he drank too much, which was quite distressing to see.

"Ah Qiu, I have good news for you," Tornado put down his wine glass, took out the document from his pocket, and pushed it in front of Di Qiu. "The person you've been looking for for over ten years has been found."

Di Qiu's hand trembled violently, spilling the wine from his glass. He stared intently at Tornado: "Who? Chen Zhan's son?"

"No."

Tornado shook his head and said in a deep voice, "It's Lei Zhendong."

Upon hearing this name, a surge of overwhelming hatred instantly erupted in Di Qiu's eyes. Even Tiger, standing next to him, couldn't help but touch his blind eye—it had been blinded by Lei Zhendong's orders to his men years ago.

"Where is he?" Di Qiu's voice seemed to be squeezed out from between his teeth.

"Taiwan".

Tornado pointed to the document, "He is Lei Gong's cousin, the leader of the Sanlian Gang, and he is currently in a villa in Tainan."

Di Qiu grabbed the document and flipped through it page by page, his breathing becoming more and more rapid and his face becoming more and more ferocious.

"Oh...oh! So he hid in Taiwan! No wonder I couldn't find him anywhere in Hong Kong!"

Di Qiu slammed the documents on the table, stood up, and was about to leave when he shouted, "I'm going to Taiwan! I'm going to chop him up!"

"stop!"

Tiger grabbed him, "Are you crazy? That's the Sanlian Gang! The second largest gang in Taiwan! That's their territory, they have thousands, even tens of thousands of men, and they have connections in the legitimate world. If you just go there like that, you'll be riddled with bullets before you even see Lei Zhendong!"

"So what?!" Di Qiu roared, his eyes red. "Are you just going to let it go like this? Are you going to let me get revenge for my wife and children?!"

"It wasn't said that it wouldn't be reported."

Tornado stood up, pressed down on Di Qiu's shoulder, and made him sit down again. "Brother Qiu, revenge doesn't require you to go and die. We want the result, not the process."

"I have connections."

Tornado lowered his voice, "I know a newly emerged top-tier assassin organization. As long as the money's right, they'll take any job. They can even kill the ultimate boss of the Triads."

"I'll pay any price! I'd give anything to see Lei Zhendong's head, even if it means losing everything!"

"Don't worry, your business is our business too," Tornado poured Di Qiu a full glass of wine. "I'll take care of contacting the assassin, but Qiu, I have a request, and I hope you can grant it."

Tornado looked at his old friend of decades, his eyes sincere and solemn: "Ah Qiu, Lei Zhendong was the mastermind behind everything back then. Although Chen Zhan did take action, he was only following Lei Zhendong's orders. If he's dead, you'll have avenged half of your grudge. For so many years, you've trapped yourself in hatred, living a life that's neither human nor ghost. If the mastermind is brought to justice, then this feud should finally be put to rest."

He paused, his tone softening, with a hint of pleading: "I hope the day Lei Zhendong dies will be the day you, Di Qiu, are reborn. I'm not advising you to give up searching for Chen Zhan's child, nor am I asking you to forgive anyone. I just want you... to try to let go and look up at the road ahead."

Di Qiu gripped the wine glass tightly, his knuckles turning white from the excessive force, and the veins on the back of his hand bulging, as if he might crush the glass in his hand at any moment.

He instinctively wanted to refuse; after all, that obsession had been gnawing at him like a venomous snake for over a decade, seeping into his very bones. How could he, Di Qiu, a man without descendants, allow Chen Zhan, the son of a murderer, to live peacefully in this world?!

However, when he raised his head, his gaze fell on Tornado's pale and weak face, which had just undergone surgery, and then swept over Tiger, the leader of the gang, who was wearing sunglasses and had only one eye left, but was still looking at him with concern.

The words were on the tip of my tongue, but I just couldn't say them.

He thought of the price his two old brothers had paid for him back then and now, and he also thought of Chen Zhan's son, whom he had been searching for for almost twenty years, and who was still nowhere to be found, like searching for a needle in a haystack... The fierceness in Di Qiu's eyes finally wavered.

Perhaps, this really is fate.

"it is good."

Di Qiu took a deep breath, tilted his head back, and downed the strong liquor in one gulp. The spicy liquid seemed to have snapped a string in his heart.

"As long as Lei Zhendong is dead, as long as I see his head..."

"I will try to let go of the past."

Upon hearing this, Tornado and Tiger exchanged a glance, both seeing the relief in each other's eyes.

"good!"

Tiger laughed loudly, raised his glass, and shouted, "For revenge! For my brothers!"

"Cheers!"

The three wine glasses collided heavily in mid-air.

An invisible hand from afar finally turned the gears of fate, which were headed for destruction, back onto the right track.