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

Sham Shui Po, safe house in a tenement building.

Under the dim light, the air seemed to freeze. Two cold gun barrels remained firmly pointed at Chen Jun's vitals, but the man being pointed at maintained an astonishing calmness.

"Sir, I think you've mistaken me for someone else."

Chen Jun raised his hands, his eyes wary, but his tone was calm. "I'm just an ordinary hitman, now running a small business. If you're after money, there are a few thousand yuan in cash in the drawer. If you're seeking revenge, I don't think we have any connection."

"An ordinary assassin?"

Lu Chen chuckled softly, swirling the wine in his glass as if he had heard a funny joke.

"Chen Jun, a former member of the Flying Tigers, resigned three years ago in anger because he couldn't stand the corruption of his foreign superiors and the incompetence of the higher-ups. He is currently an inspector and shooting instructor in the West Kowloon Major Crimes Unit. His true identity is a super assassin codenamed 'Seraphim,' revered in the industry as the King of Assassins." Lu Chen's voice was not loud, but every word was precious, like a scalpel, precisely peeling away Chen Jun's disguise.

"As for why you wanted to kill Tsukamoto tonight..." Lu Chen took a sip of red wine, his eyes sharp, "It's for Uncle Liang, isn't it? That old man whose entire family was killed by Tsukamoto back then, he entrusted you with expired military scrip—"

"Who exactly are you?" Upon hearing the name "Uncle Liang," a crack finally appeared on Chen Jun's usually placid face, and he couldn't help but interrupt Lu Chen's narration.

Chen Jun stopped arguing, his eyes instantly sharpening, his muscles tensing like a cheetah ready to pounce. He knew that since the other side had investigated this far, there was no point in arguing anymore.

Who I am is not important; what matters is that we are on the same path.

Lu Chen put down his wine glass, leaned forward slightly, and the oppressive aura of a superior instantly spread out.

"I admire you, Inspector Chan. Your skills, your marksmanship, and your... heart that's willing to shed blood for justice."

"But I also feel sorry for you." Lu Chen sighed. "How many Tsukamotos can you kill all by yourself with just a gun? Can you eradicate all the evil in this world? Can you stand up against those chaebols and foreigners who use the law as a shield?"

Chen Jun fell silent; this was the deepest sense of powerlessness in his heart. Kill one Tsukamoto, and there will be countless more.

Join us.

Lu Chen extended an olive branch, "You saw it yourself, those two assassins who cooperated with you in the building just now—Tequila and Cohen—are my men."

"You?" Chen Jun sneered. "A criminal organization with professional assassins? What makes you think we're on the same side? You kill for money, I kill for justice."

"Yeah?"

Lu Chen stood up, walked to Chen Jun, and looked him straight in the eye. At this moment, his [Affinity Lv5] and [Charm Lv5] gave him a convincing aura of leadership.

Lu Chen's voice became deep and infectious, as if possessing a convincing magic: "In this Hong Kong Island ruled by foreigners, in this world where money reigns supreme, justice is a luxury. I hate those high and mighty foreigners, and I also hate those Japanese devils like Tsukamoto who bully us Chinese. But I know even more clearly that to uphold justice, passion alone is not enough. You need power, you need a sword strong enough to cut through all shackles."

"I founded the 'distillery' not to make money; I'm not interested in money."

Lu Chen's words were half true and half false, but the ruthlessness in his eyes was real. "I'm going to establish a rule in the underworld. That is—any evil that the law can't touch, the distillery will handle; any darkness that justice can't illuminate, the distillery will shine."

These words were spoken with righteous indignation, yet they also revealed the domineering aura of a tyrant.

Looking at the mysterious man in front of him, Chen Jun could feel the power and vision in the other man's words. It was a kind of demeanor that far surpassed that of a so-called "gangster boss." His originally hardened defenses began to crack.

Lu Chen's words were seven parts true and three parts false.

His nationalistic sentiments and hatred of foreigners are genuine, but his original intention in founding the distillery was not so pure. He also wanted to establish his own underground organization and possess his own sharp knife.

【Ding--】

[Key plot character detected: Chen Jun]

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

[Check-in successful!]

[Reward: +1 Free Attribute Points]

The system notification sounded at just the right moment.

Lu Chen's heart stirred.

"System, add to Intelligence."

boom!

The instant the points were added, Lu Chen felt as if his brain had experienced a nuclear explosion.

[Intelligence: Lv9 (Super Brain)]

[Evaluation: Congratulations! Your brain is just one step away from the theoretical limits of human intelligence. Your thinking speed is now more than three times that of an average person. You can deduce someone's psychological state ten seconds from a tiny shift in their gaze; you can see the big players' cards in a chaotic stock market chart. The world, in your eyes, has become a series of deconstructable data points; you are the Laplace's demon of our time.]

An unprecedented sense of clarity filled Lu Chen's mind.

When he looked at Chen Jun again, he felt that he had completely changed.

The twitching of Chen Jun's eye muscles, the frequency of his breathing, the dilation and contraction of his pupils... all these tiny details were magnified and analyzed infinitely in Lu Chen's eyes.

He hesitated, weighing the pros and cons; his disappointment with the police force had reached a breaking point. He needed an outlet, and he needed strong support. He didn't fully trust me, but he resonated with the concept of the "distillery."

Lu Chen instantly understood everything.

Chen Jun is like a pot of water that's been boiled to 99 degrees Celsius, just waiting for the final touch of fire. But that touch can't be rushed, or it will explode.

"Join the brewery, and you'll no longer be a lone wolf."

Lu Chen pressed his advantage, his voice striking directly at Chen Jun's weak point: "We will provide top-notch intelligence support, the finest weaponry and equipment, and... perfect cleanup."

"During the day you can still be your Inspector Chan, but at night you will have the best intelligence network in Hong Kong, the most professional logistical support, and... a group of like-minded madmen."

After saying this, Lu Chen didn't press the matter further.

He knew that with Chen Jun's personality, pushing him too hard would backfire.

"Ah Sheng, Ah Yi, put your guns away."

Lu Chen waved his hand.

Without hesitation, Tian Yangsheng and Tian Yangyi put away their pistols and retreated behind Lu Chen.

Chen Jun was stunned for a moment, clearly not expecting the other party to release control so easily.

I'll give you time to think about it.

Lu Chen pulled a black card from his pocket without any markings. It only had an address on it. "This is a safe house in Kowloon. Come find me anytime you've thought things through."

He turned and walked towards the door, but stopped just before his hand touched the doorknob. He turned back and gave Chen Jun a mysterious smile.

"I believe you will come."

"Because we can all smell... the smell of a storm."

The door closed.

Chen Jun stood alone in the living room, staring at the black card on the table, motionless for a long time.

Deep within his heart, that solid, isolated island began to falter.

……

After leaving Sham Shui Po and confirming there were no tails behind, the black Rolls-Royce drove through the rain and back to Kowloon Tong.

Another village, villas.

When Lu Chen pushed open the door, the wind and rain outside were instantly shut out, replaced by warm light and the faint fragrance of gardenias.

A floor lamp casts a soft glow on the sofa in the living room.

Ruan Mei was curled up on the sofa, covered with a thin blanket, clutching a large book tightly in her hand, asleep with her head tilted to one side. A trace of fatigue was on her delicate face, clearly she had been waiting for Lu Chen until now.

Upon seeing this scene, the murderous aura that Lu Chen had acquired in the martial arts world vanished instantly.

Lu Chen reached out and carefully picked her up, blanket and all.

"Hmm... Ah Chen? You're back?"

Ruan Mei woke up groggily and, seeing Lu Chen's face, instinctively smiled with relief. She wrapped her arms around his neck and nuzzled him like a kitten. "Why are you so late... I heated up some soup for you..."

"I'm not drinking anymore, it's too late."

Lu Chen kissed her forehead, his voice so gentle it could melt your heart, "Be good, go back to your room and sleep."

"Oh...did you take a shower? Don't leave your clothes lying around, I need to wash them tomorrow..."

"Understood, housekeeper."

Lu Chen carried her into the bedroom and gently placed her on the bed.

Then, he went into the bathroom and let the hot water wash over his body, washing away the smoke and fatigue.

That night, Lu Chen held Ruan Mei in his arms and slept exceptionally well.

……

The next morning.

Sunlight pierced through the clouds, awakening this financial capital.

But Hong Kong Island today is destined to be anything but peaceful.

The front pages of major newspapers were dominated by the same explosive news—

The head of the Tsukamoto Group was brutally shot in the head in Central last night!

Seraphs Return? The Mysterious Assassin Organization "The Distillery" Emerges!

A $100 Million Revenge Fund is Launched! Martial Law Declared Throughout Hong Kong!

The entire island of Hong Kong was in an uproar. Tsukamoto, a zaibatsu who controlled a vast business empire, had been slaughtered like a chicken despite having top-level security.

What shook the financial world even more was the Tsukamoto Group's stock price.

Due to the sudden death of its leader and the potential internal power struggle, the Tsukamoto Group's stock price on the Tokyo Stock Exchange and the Hong Kong Stock Exchange collapsed immediately upon opening and continued to plummet.

DOA Headquarters.

Lu Chen sat in his office, listening to Cheng Yiyan's excited report over the phone.

"Boss! Huge harvest!"

Cheng Yiyan's voice trembled with a fervor for money. "The ten million yuan principal we used two weeks ago, plus the options with ten times leverage for short selling, just exploded at the opening today! The stock price dropped a full 7%! And it's still falling!"

"Based on the current decline, our return has already exceeded 2000%! The number in our investment account has surpassed 200 million!"

Lu Chen calmly took a sip of coffee: "Close half the position to lock in profits. Hold the other half. Tsukamoto is dead, but his crazy grandson is here; this stock will continue to fall."

"Yes, boss!"

……

Meanwhile, at Kai Tak Airport.

A private jet bearing the Tsukamoto logo forcibly opened up a flight path and landed.

The hatch opened, and a young man dressed in black mourning clothes and wearing sunglasses walked out, surrounded by a group of menacing bodyguards.

Eiji Tsukamoto.

Tsukamoto no Oki's grandson is also a complete madman.

He took off his sunglasses, revealing a bloodthirsty glint in his sinister eyes.

"Grandpa..." Tsukamoto Eiji stared at the distant Central skyline, gritting his teeth and growling, "Whoever killed you, I'll tear them to pieces!"

"Notify the legal team to immediately activate the $100 million revenge fund!"

"I'm going to bring all the assassins in the world to Hong Kong Island! I'm going to turn this place upside down!"

With Eiji Tsukamoto's order, the "Revenge Fund," which caused countless bloodshed in the movie "King of Killers," was officially launched.

One hundred million US dollars.

This huge sum of money was like a giant piece of bloody meat, instantly thrown into an ocean full of sharks.

Mercenaries from Southeast Asia, professional assassins from Europe, bounty hunters from the Americas... countless outlaws lurking around the world at this moment have all turned their attention to Hong Kong Island.

In an instant, the winds and clouds surged.

War is imminent.