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

From the night Tsukamoto died tragically, the air throughout Hong Kong Island was filled with a suffocating stench of blood.

Over the next three days, the customs records at Kai Tak Airport were filled with countless "tourists" whose identities were highlighted in red. Some were dressed in suits, some carried guitar cases, and some were even dressed as priests or tourists, but the indifference to life deep in their eyes was the same color.

……

Kowloon, funeral home.

The funeral hall for the Tsukamoto Group was decorated in an extremely luxurious manner, with white mourning couplets fluttering in the wind.

However, the atmosphere inside the mourning hall was not sorrowful; instead, it was filled with a tense, almost hostile atmosphere. Several Tsukamoto Group elders and directors, led by Tsukamoto's son, were coldly staring at the young man standing before the coffin—Tsukamoto Eiji.

"Eiji, Father just passed away, and the group's stock price has plummeted. Now is not the time to set up some kind of revenge fund."

Masao Tsukamoto, Eiji's father, was the first to speak, sternly tapping his walking stick, "You should immediately return to Tokyo and stabilize the situation, instead of going crazy here! As for revenge, leave that to those assassins."

"Yes, Young Master Ying, we've already called the police. We trust the Hong Kong police..."

"Shut up."

With his back to everyone, Eiji Tsukamoto spoke in a low voice, which carried a chilling undertone.

He slowly turned around, holding an exquisite urn in his hands. Inside was Tsukamoto, who had just been cremated.

"Grandpa died, and instead of feeling sad, you're worried about the stock price?"

Eiji Tsukamoto took off his sunglasses, his bloodshot eyes staring intently at everyone present, a neurotic smile curling at the corner of his mouth. "Grandpa loved me the most when he was alive. He said that the Tsukamoto family always seeks revenge."

"You..." Tsukamoto Masao was startled by his gaze and subconsciously took a step back.

"You think I'm not qualified to lead the group? You think I'm just a madman who only knows how to kill?" Tsukamoto Eiji chuckled, then suddenly made a move that sent chills down everyone's spines.

He opened the lid of the urn, reached in and grabbed a handful of grayish-white ashes, and without any hesitation, stuffed them directly into his mouth!

"Click...click..."

His teeth chewed on the unburnt fragments of bone, producing a sickening grinding sound. Ashes mixed with saliva dripped from the corners of his mouth, but he seemed to be savoring some delicacy, his face showing an intoxicated and frenzied expression.

The funeral hall was deathly silent. All the directors, bodyguards, and even seasoned underworld figures were nauseated by the scene, their stomachs churning with disgust, and they felt a deep sense of fear.

madman!

He's a complete madman!

"Gulp."

Eiji Tsukamoto swallowed the ashes in his mouth, licked his lips with his scarlet tongue, and his eyes became fanatical and ferocious:

"Now, Grandpa and I have become one."

"Once I avenge my grandfather, I will be the sole king of the Tsukamoto Group!"

"Anyone else have a problem with this?!"

He looked around, and no one dared to meet his gaze.

"very good."

Eiji Tsukamoto wiped his hands and sneered, "Go and inform Martin to convene an assassin conference. I want the whole world to know that anyone who dares to touch the Tsukamoto family will pay a hundredfold price!"

……

West Kowloon Serious Crimes Unit.

The atmosphere in the meeting room was equally somber.

"Currently, there are more than 200 suspicious individuals entering the country, all of whom are frequent targets on Interpol's wanted lists."

The superintendent pointed to the wall covered with photos, his brow furrowed. "We've received a strict order from above: Hong Kong Island must not be turned into a battlefield. This operation is codenamed 'Operation Rat Catcher,' and it's being carried out jointly by the Major Crimes Unit and the Organized Crime and Triad Bureau."

"Inspector Chen."

The superintendent's gaze fell on a man sitting in the corner. "You're the police force's ace, so you'll be leading the special operations team for this operation. Monitor these assassins 24/7. If you spot any signs of a shootout, you're authorized to make the arrests immediately!"

Chen Jun stood up, saluted, and said calmly, "Yes, Sir!"

No one knew that this highly anticipated leader of the action team was one of the targets these assassins were looking for—the Seraph.

After leaving the conference room, Chen Jun went to the restroom and splashed cold water on his face.

Looking at himself in the mirror, he remembered what the masked mystery man (Lu Chen) had said:

"Can you, alone with just a gun, eradicate all the evil in this world?"

"Oh……"

Chen Jun gave a wry smile; the situation was indeed somewhat tricky. He had to monitor the killer as a police officer, evade pursuit as a target, and figure out a way to take down this group of scum in one fell swoop.

"The distillery..." Chen Jun muttered to himself, "I hope you really are as good as he says."

……

three days later.

Conference room on the top floor of Tsukamoto Building, Tsim Sha Tsui.

In front of the huge floor-to-ceiling window, the spot that used to belong to Tsukamoto the old man is now occupied by Tsukamoto Eiji.

The long conference table was filled with all sorts of people. There were bald, tattooed men, cold-blooded killers in trench coats, and middle-aged women dressed like housewives.

A dangerous atmosphere filled the air, and everyone was sizing up potential competitors.

"Everyone."

Martin, the accountant in charge of the revenge fund, dressed in a smart suit and wearing gold-rimmed glasses, stepped forward. Facing this room full of desperate criminals, Martin, despite his pride in his courage, still felt immense pressure.

"Welcome everyone to this assassin tournament," Martin pushed up his glasses, trying to maintain a blank expression. "The rules are clear to everyone: the entrance fee is five million, which serves as both a deposit and a way to filter out those incompetent individuals."

Just then, the conference room door was pushed open.

Two men in bespoke suits walked in.

The man walking in front had an extraordinary air about him, with a warm, fake smile on his face, while the man behind him was as cold as ice, with eyes as sharp as an eagle.

"Hey, looks like we're not late." Fourth Brother pulled a check from his pocket and casually tossed it on the table. "Five million, admission fee."

The assassins present all turned their heads in surprise. Xiao Zhuang's name was well-known in the Hong Kong assassin community, and they hadn't expected him to come as well.

"Welcome." Martin put away the check and gestured for the two to sit down.

"After verification, we have confirmed that there are three objectives for this mission."

Martin turned on the projector, and three images appeared on the screen. One was a masked "Seraph," and the other two were blurry figures reconstructed from the building's surveillance footage—Xiao Fu and Feng Yuxiu.

"Seraph, and these two assassins who claim to be members of the 'Drinkhouse'."

Martin pointed at the screen, "According to Mr. Eiji Tsukamoto's request, we can only take the one hundred million dollars if we bring back the heads of all three men. If they are killed separately, the money will be divided proportionally."

"winery?"

The assassins below whispered among themselves. The name was unfamiliar to them, but that did not diminish their determination to kill.

"Everyone dies eventually." The bald man playing with the grenade grinned. "I'll take care of these three men's lives."

Sitting in the corner, Kosho (Gin) merely glanced at him coldly without saying a word. His mission today wasn't to kill, but to act as the boss's eyes, keeping an eye on this rabble.

After the meeting, the assassins dispersed with their intelligence, each with a greedy glint in their eyes. A hunt targeting the three had officially begun. But who would be the hunter and who would be the prey remained to be seen.

……

Late at night, in the underground parking lot of the Tsukamoto Building.

Martin, carrying his briefcase, hummed a little tune as he walked towards his Mercedes-Benz.

As a fund manager, he didn't really care who killed whom; he only cared about the transaction fees and the margin deposits paid by the assassins—it was a sure-fire way to make money. Of course, it would be even better if someone could take out that little Japanese devil, Eiji.

"Click".

Just as he took out his car keys to open the door, a hand wearing a black tactical glove silently pressed down on his car door.

Martin froze, instinctively reaching for his gun.

But another hand had already grabbed his throat and slammed him against the car window.

The person who arrived was Xiao Fu.

"Don't move, I don't want to kill anyone." Little Fu grinned, revealing a set of white teeth that couldn't be hidden by his hood, but the barrel of the gun in his other hand was already pressed against Martin's chin. "Get in the car."

Martin was a smart man, but also a coward. He immediately raised his hands and obediently sat in the back seat.

The man wearing the black hood (Xiao Fu) followed him in and sat down. He didn't hurt him, but instead handed him a mobile phone that was still on a call.

"catch."

Martin took the phone with trembling hands and held it to his ear.

"Feed?"

Good evening, Mr. Martin.

On the other end of the phone came a voice that had been altered with a voice changer and had a somewhat elegant quality.

"Who are you?" Martin asked, trying to remain calm.

"Who I am is not important; what matters is that I can help you earn more money and save your life."

Lu Chen's voice exuded a confident air of control. "I know you're a manager with principles, and I also know you actually really dislike that madman Tsukamoto. You work for him only for money and reputation."

"What do you want?"

"I want to make a deal with you."

Lu Chen continued, "I will provide you with the information those assassins want—the hideouts of the Seraph and the Blacksmith Assassins, guaranteed to be accurate. You can sell this information to Tsukamoto Eiji, or to those headless assassins."

"The intelligence fee is yours, and you'll also get a share of the $100 million afterwards."

Martin hesitated for a moment, but his businessman's instincts kicked in, and he quickly began to weigh the pros and cons: "Then what do I need to do?"

"It's simple, just listen to me," Lu Chen's voice turned cold. "Follow the script I gave you, release the intelligence, and lure those mad dogs to the place I designate."

"Martin, you're a smart man. Eiji Tsukamoto is a madman. If he eventually finds he can't kill the murderer, do you think he'll let you, the one in charge of the money, off the hook? Only by cooperating with me can you escape this vortex unscathed."

Martin was silent for a few seconds. He looked at Franklin, who was holding a gun, and then thought about Eiji Tsukamoto, the pervert who ate ashes.

This is not a multiple-choice question at all.

"Deal." Martin took a deep breath. "What do you want me to do?"

"Very good," Lu Chen smiled upon hearing this. "Now, release some information: the source of the military scrip in Tsukamoto's stomach has been found. Those military scrip were previously in the hands of an old man named 'Uncle Liang,' who also commissioned them to kill Tsukamoto."

"Tell them that the Seraphim and the people from the distillery are hiding in that old man Liang's hometown—an abandoned village house on Lantau Island. I'll send the address to your pager."

"Understood." A glint of light flashed in Martin's eyes. "I'll make this story very convincing, and in an hour, all the assassins on Hong Kong Island will know about it."

"You really are a smart person."

Lu Chen hung up the phone.

Inside the carriage, Franklin put away his pistol and even straightened Martin's collar.

"Mr. Martin, it's a pleasure doing business with you."

Xiao Fu smiled憨厚ly, then pushed open the door and got out of the car, his figure quickly disappearing into the shadows of the parking lot.

Martin slumped in his seat, wiping the cold sweat from his forehead.

He looked at the mobile phone in his hand, then at the gloomy sky outside the window.

He knew that from this moment on, the rules of the game for the entire Revenge Fund had changed.

The "drinkhouse owner" hiding behind the scenes is the real dealer in this game. Eiji Tsukamoto and the assassins are merely sacrifices about to be placed on the altar.

Lantau Island...

Martin muttered to himself, then started the car, a smile playing on his lips.

If you're going to sell intelligence, you have to get a good price for it.

……

Half an hour later.

A "top secret" message is quietly circulating among assassins.

"Found it! Target found!"

"On Lantau Island!"

"At that old devil Liang Bo's house!"

Upon hearing the news, Eiji Tsukamoto, who had just returned to the hotel and was still tasting the ashes, jumped up instantly.

Lantau Island? Great! Excellent!

Eiji Tsukamoto grabbed the katana from the table, his eyes gleaming with a manic light. "Notify everyone! Set off immediately! I want to skin them alive with my own hands!"

at the same time.

The assassins hidden everywhere—the bald guy who plays with grenades, the black guy who throws knives, the serious-looking priest—all moved at the first sign of trouble.

Dozens of vehicles, under the cover of night, like a pack of hyenas that had smelled blood, marched in a mighty procession toward that remote island.

……

Kowloon, DOA Command Center.

Lu Chen stood in front of the huge floor-to-ceiling window, looking at the dim yellow lights outside.

"Boss, the fish have all taken the bait," Fourth Brother reported to his supervisor after hanging up the phone.

"very good."

Lu Chen swirled the wine in his glass, his eyes deep and unfathomable.

"Has the area on Lantau Island been cleared out?"

"It's been cleared out long ago. There isn't even a stray dog ​​in that village house except for our people." Tian Yangsheng stepped out of the shadows and wiped the Tang sword in his hand.

"That's good."

Lu Chen tilted his head back and drank the red wine in one gulp, then slammed the glass heavily on the table.

"Notify the people at the winery."

"Tonight, I will use the blood of these assassins to gild the 'Drinkhouse' brand with the most dazzling gold!"