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

The following morning, on Broadcast Drive.

This small hill in Kowloon Tong has a more resounding name among Hong Kong Island residents – "Wutaishan". All three television stations and two radio stations in Hong Kong are located here, with a dense array of antennas resembling a steel jungle, transmitting invisible radio waves into the sky day and night, weaving the joys and sorrows of the city.

The air seemed to be filled with the sour smell of film developing solution, the bitterness of cheap coffee, and that restless atmosphere called "fame and fortune".

A jet-black Rolls-Royce, like an elegant steel behemoth, silently pierced the morning mist and slowly drove into 81 Broadcast Drive—the gate of Asia Television.

The security captain, who had been waiting at the door, straightened up instantly as if electrified when he saw the pure silver "Flying Goddess" emblem on the front of the car. He abruptly brought his heels together, the heels of his shoes striking the ground with a crisp "snap," and gave a salute even more formal than when he met the Commissioner of Police.

The car door opened, and a shiny, custom-made leather shoe stepped onto the ground.

Lu Chen stepped out of the car and casually straightened his impeccably tailored Garreau haute couture suit. The morning sunlight filtered through the leaves, casting a soft golden glow on him.

After last night's skill upgrades, Gundam's Lv6 [Charm] and [Affinity] created a wonderful chemical reaction within him. It was a feeling that was hard to describe in words; it possessed both the imposing authority of a superior that made people afraid to look him in the eye, and a magnetic field that made people feel like they were bathed in a spring breeze and couldn't help but want to get close to him.

He looked up at the somewhat old building in front of him.

Although the golden signboard of "Asia Television" has been hung on the exterior wall, shining brightly in the sunlight, the interior of the building still exudes a sense of antiquity from the 1970s. The mottled walls and the slightly dim corridors all tell of the predicament of its predecessor, "Rediffusion Television," struggling to survive under the suppression of TVB.

However, this is only temporary.

Lu Chen's lips curled slightly upward, a glint of ambition flashing in his eyes. In his plan, this place would soon become a trendsetter for popular culture across Asia, a massive fortress for exporting ideology.

"Good morning, boss!"

The receptionist was eating a pineapple bun with her head down when she suddenly looked up and saw Lu Chen. She was so shocked that she dropped the bun on the table with a "splat," her cheeks flushed red, and she stammered a greeting.

Good morning, boss!

"Hello, Mr. Lu!"

Directors, script supervisors, stuntmen, and even cleaning ladies passing by stopped what they were doing the moment they saw Lu Chen. Their eyes held not only awe for this newly minted media mogul, but also an inexplicable fervor and adoration.

The young new boss's recent series of drastic measures—taking over ATV, injecting capital for restructuring, and having forward-thinking ideas—have become legendary in this stagnant company.

Lu Chen smiled, his gaze sweeping over everyone, and he nodded slightly in greeting.

Everyone whose gaze swept over him felt their heart skip a beat, as if they had received tremendous encouragement, and couldn't wait to return to their workstations and work through the night.

This is the terrifying power of Lv6 [Everyone Loves You] and [The One Who Gets All the Hope].

Lu Chen walked straight to the chairman's office at the end of the corridor.

He pushed open the heavy mahogany door, and a faint scent of sandalwood wafted out. He walked to the large desk and sat down, the leather chair making a slight creaking sound.

I had barely sat down when there was a rapid knocking on the office door.

"Enter."

Huang Xizhao, the current general manager of ATV, pushed open the door and entered. He was carrying a thick stack of documents, which even reached above his chin.

This veteran, who has been in the television industry for decades, had unmistakable dark circles under his eyes, and his hair was a mess, like a bird's nest, clearly indicating he hadn't slept all night. But his eyes were frighteningly bright, and he was in an unusually excited state, as if he had just been injected with two pounds of chicken blood.

"Boss, it's done! It's all done!"

Huang Xizhao slammed the stack of documents down neatly in front of Lu Chen with a "bang," her voice trembling with excitement. "These are the detailed program proposals that the planning department worked overnight to produce based on your previous ideas. 'Today's Talk,' 'Chinese Paladin,' 'Blazing Teens'... we've meticulously reviewed and analyzed every single proposal!"

He took a deep breath, placed his hands on the table, and stared intently at Lu Chen: "Boss, I've been in the television industry for twenty years, and I bet you, once your programs air, they'll absolutely halve TVB's ratings! No, they'll cripple them!"

Lu Chen calmly picked up the top document and quickly flipped through it. He read at an extremely fast pace, and the sound of the pages turning was particularly clear in the quiet office.

It must be said that Huang Xizhao is indeed a talented person; he truly loves the television industry. Lu Chen had only provided a framework and concept from the future, but Huang Xizhao was able to lead his team to quickly fill in the details, even taking into account the social environment and technological limitations of 1982, and making some extremely down-to-earth adjustments.

"Who are you planning to hire for this Li Xiaoyao character?" Lu Chen asked, pointing to a line of text on the document.

"We plan to scout for new talent from acting training classes, or hold an open audition," Huang Xizhao immediately replied. "According to your requirements, they need to be handsome, have a youthful vibe, and be the kind of guy who can make young girls scream at first glance."

"Very good." Lu Chen nodded in satisfaction and picked up the proposal for "Today's Talk" again.

This was originally a legal education program, but with Lu Chen's concept and Huang Xizhao's polishing, it was transformed into a highly suspenseful "documentary drama".

"Use cinematic techniques to reenact the case, and explain the legal provisions in a storytelling tone." Lu Chen looked at this annotation on the proposal and smiled, "Old Huang, you really understand the audience's psychology."

"It's all thanks to your excellent guidance, boss." Huang Xizhao chuckled, offering a rare compliment. "These days, audiences are tired of preaching and just want something exciting. If we break down real murder and ethical cases and explain them in detail, and then find some young actors to reenact the cases, it will definitely be more entertaining than any TV drama."

Lu Chen closed the last document, "Fireball Teens," and tapped his fingers lightly on the table, making a rhythmic "tap-tap" sound.

"Good, remember to execute quickly."

Lu Chen raised his head, his gaze becoming profound: "The Hong Kong television industry is still in its infancy. In my opinion, TVB's so-called high-rated programs are full of stagnation, just the same old tricks. What we need to do is not to catch up with them, but to redefine what 'television program' means."

"Understood!" Huang Xizhao nodded emphatically, feeling a fire burning in his chest.

"However, Lao Huang, just making TV shows isn't enough."

Lu Chen suddenly changed the subject, leaning back comfortably in his leather chair. His gaze drifted through the huge floor-to-ceiling windows to the bustling cityscape of Kowloon Tong, a forest of steel and concrete.

Lu Chen's voice became somewhat unsteady: "Old Huang, have you calculated how much effective broadcast time our TV station has in a day?"

Huang Xizhao paused for a moment, then answered honestly, "Aside from the morning and evening news, evening dramas and variety shows, most of the daytime... is basically spent rebroadcasting old dramas, or some short programs that teach people how to cook, arrange flowers, or knit. The ratings... are abysmal, basically in the single digits."

"That's a waste of resources, a terrible squandering of natural resources."

Lu Chen stood up and walked to the floor-to-ceiling window.

Across the street, the somewhat bulky six-story building is clearly visible – 77 Broadcast Drive, the headquarters of TVB (Television Broadcasts Limited).

That place is Run Run Shaw's kingdom, and it is currently the undisputed hegemon of Hong Kong's television industry.

"From 2 PM to 6 PM, Monday to Friday, this time is known in the industry as 'garbage time,'" Lu Chen said slowly, his back to Huang Xizhao, watching the flow of people coming and going from the TVB building across the street. "Most people are either at work or at school, so the ratings are low, and the hosts aren't interested... So why don't we change our approach and make our own show?"

"Uh... ah?" Huang Xizhao thought he had misheard, scratched his messy hair, and looked completely bewildered.

"From now on, Monday to Friday, from 10:00 to 11:00 AM and from 5:00 to 6:00 PM, do not air reruns of dramas," Lu Chen said decisively. "Create a brand new TV shopping program for me—'ATV Home Shopping'!"

"TV...shopping?" Huang Xizhao murmured to himself, as if a flash of lightning had struck his mind, and he had grasped that fleeting inspiration.

"That's right. At this time, the people watching TV are probably middle-aged and elderly people or housewives preparing to cook. They are usually the audience for this kind of program. If we show them some clothes, shoes, kitchenware, and other household items on TV at this time, which are not only more functional and stylish, but also cheaper than in stores and delivered directly to their doorsteps, what do you think will happen?"

Lu Chen walked back to his desk, picked up a pen, and forcefully wrote two large words on a piece of white paper.

Great value!

Sense of urgency

"This program doesn't need to be highly artistic, nor does it need to have exquisite composition." Lu Chen's pen scratched across the paper. "There are only these two core points."

"We can leverage ATV's platform advantages to directly contact manufacturers and obtain the lowest first-hand sources. Clothes, shoes, bags, gold and silver jewelry, even wine, cosmetics, kitchenware, children's toys... we sell anything a family needs!"

Lu Chen's voice seemed to possess a certain magic, slowly unfolding a business blueprint unlike anything Huang Xizhao had ever seen before:

"The host doesn't need to be a top celebrity, nor do they need to be exceptionally beautiful, but they must have excellent eloquence and a strong ability to captivate. They need to be the kind of 'housewife killer'! They need to make the housewives sitting in front of the TV feel that if they don't pick up the phone to order now, they're losing a fortune, and they're letting their whole family down!"

Seeing Huang Xizhao's still somewhat bewildered expression, Lu Chen sighed.

"It seems you need a more visual demonstration."

Lu Chen cleared his throat, unbuttoned one button on his suit jacket, and casually picked up the crystal ashtray on the table that he used to show off.

In that instant, his demeanor changed.

That aloof tycoon aura vanished instantly, replaced by an intense, sincere, even slightly hysterical enthusiasm. He seemed to have been possessed by the livestreaming hosts of later generations, his eyes gleaming with the light of "seeking benefits for his family."

Facing a non-existent camera, he began his performance with great emotion:

"Good afternoon, ladies! Ladies! I'm your old friend, Chen!"

"Today! I'm not doing this for anything else, but to benefit our ATV viewers! Look what I'm holding in my hand! This isn't ordinary glass, it's Royal Craft Crystal from the Czech Republic! Normally, one of these would cost three thousand dollars at Lane Crawford in Central! And you have to queue up and pre-order!"

Lu Chen's voice was full of ups and downs, and his expressions were so exaggerated that every pore on his body seemed to be acting.

He slammed his hand on the table with a loud bang, startling Huang Xizhao.

"But today! Now that I'm standing here, I can't let my family suffer! I won't make a single penny, and neither will the manufacturer; we're just here to make friends!"

"Not three or four thousand, not one or two thousand! Not even 998!"

Lu Chen stretched out five fingers, clenched them forcefully in the air, and roared:

"Only 398! Yes, you heard right, only 398! Bring home a Royal Crystal! It'll look impressive in the living room, and it'll be a thoughtful gift for your husband!"

"And that's not all!"

Lu Chen's speech suddenly quickened, creating a suffocating sense of urgency:

"The first 100 callers will receive a beautiful silk handkerchief worth 200 yuan! Buy one get one free! Free shipping to your door!"

He even imitated the rapid countdown sound effect, shouting into the air while looking at his watch:

"Director! How many sets are left? What? Only fifty sets left? Everyone, act fast! This is a loss-making venture! The phone lines are about to explode with calls! Hurry, hurry, hurry!"

"Three! Two! One! Connect to the link... oh no, call the hotline!"

The performance has ended.

Lu Chen instantly suppressed his manic expression, calmly put down the ashtray, straightened his tie, and sat back down in his executive chair, reverting to his aloof tycoon demeanor.

The entire office was deathly silent.

Huang Xizhao's mouth dropped open, his chin almost hitting his feet. He stared wide-eyed at Lu Chen as if he were looking at an alien, completely stunned by this new and impactful performance style.

This highly inflammatory language, this layered psychological suggestion, this atmosphere that makes it seem like not buying is a crime...

In the early 1980s, when information was relatively limited, the people were still quite simple and honest, and people were still reciting rhymes like "Ruyi Loquat Syrup, good for stopping coughs and clearing phlegm"...

This is practically a nuclear weapon-level dimensional reduction attack targeting a specific group of people!

"My God..." Huang Xizhao's throat went dry, and he swallowed hard. "This is too... too..."

He wanted to say "That's shameless!" or "That's outrageous!" but the words caught in his throat as he looked at Lu Chen and finally uttered a heartfelt exclamation: "What a genius!"

Lu Chen picked up his teacup, gently blew away the foam, and spoke in a calm tone as if he were talking about a trivial matter, "We have to charge a commission fee, and it has to be the most expensive in Hong Kong. In addition, we take a 30% cut from every item sold through our hotline."

"Thirty percent?!" Huang Xizhao gasped. "Will the manufacturer agree to that?"

"They'll be begging us to agree," Lu Chen sneered. "When they see that they can sell their entire year's worth of sales in just one hour, they'll be willing to give us 50%, let alone 30%."

"Moreover, this is only the initial stage."

Lu Chen put down his teacup, his fingertips lightly tapping the table. "In the future, we can find our own manufacturers and put our 'ATV Preferred' brand on everything, from dish soap to rice cookers, from underwear to gold chains. The profit margin will be truly frighteningly high."

The citizens of Hong Kong Island today have not yet experienced the information bombardment of the next few decades, nor have they been brainwashed by live streaming. This marketing model, which directly targets the human desire for bargains and utilizes the "anchoring effect" and "scarcity effect," is a game-changer in this era.

"Buy, buy, buy!"

These three words will become the main theme of garbage collection on Hong Kong Island for a long time to come.

"Also, I want to remind you of something."

Lu Chen's expression suddenly turned serious, his deep eyes fixed on Huang Xizhao. "I've already had the patents and copyrights registered in Europe and America for the program planning models, processes, and even the countdown screen designs and script templates."

"That stingy old man Shao will definitely be envious when he sees us making money. He'll definitely want to copy us, since TVB is best at this kind of thing."

Lu Chen's lips curled into a cruel smile: "When the time comes, if TVB dares to plagiarize, even if it's just one aspect, I'll sue them until they're completely broke! I'll make sure TVB pays me half their fortune before they even make a profit!"

Huang Xizhao took a deep breath, and the look in his eyes when he looked at Lu Chen was no longer just admiration, but rather as if he were looking at a living God of Wealth, and a ruthless God of Wealth wielding a sharp sword.

With a boss like this, how can ATV not prosper? How can we not trample TVB underfoot?

"Boss, don't worry! I'll arrange it right away! I'll personally oversee the product selection, and I'll even try them out myself. We absolutely cannot tarnish ATV's reputation." Huang Xizhao made a solemn pledge.

"Go for it, go for it."

After Huang Xizhao left, the office returned to tranquility.

Lu Chen stood back in front of the floor-to-ceiling window, hands in his pockets, looking down at the broadcasting station below.

His gaze crossed the road and refocused on the six-story building in the distance—the headquarters of TVB.

That was Run Run Shaw's territory.

Not long ago, financial news broke that Shao Laoliu continued to increase his shareholding, becoming the second largest shareholder after the Li family, and officially taking office as the chairman of the board of directors of TVB.

According to the original historical trajectory, the glorious era of television belonging to Run Run Shaw, the star-studded, Asia-dominating wireless dynasty, should have begun at this time.

But now, Lu Chen has arrived.

This butterfly from the future has just flapped its wings and is about to unleash a storm in Hong Kong.

"Old Shao, now that I'm here, you can forget about sitting comfortably in the top spot of Hong Kong's television industry." Lu Chen muttered to himself, looking at the station logo fluttering in the wind on the roof of the building across the street. "I hope your heart is strong enough to withstand the surprises to come."

Under his leadership, ATV will no longer be the "second-hand channel" that was always overshadowed and could only occasionally turn things around with period dramas. He has already launched his three major initiatives, but this is just the beginning. His ultimate goal is to make ATV the highest-rated television station in Hong Kong, extending its influence to Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, and even the entire Southeast Asia!

As for the other one – CTV (Commercial Television).

Lu Chen's gaze swept over another somewhat desolate building in the distance, a hint of disdain flashing in his eyes.

Although CTV is still struggling and trying to make a last-ditch effort, the bizarre clause that was forcibly inserted when the license was issued, which requires "eight hours of educational programs to be broadcast during prime time," is like a knot tied around the neck, tightening the more one struggles.

Even God couldn't save it, let alone a few shareholders who were short of money and food.

Lu Chen only needs to wait quietly until the day Jiayi collapses, then he can take over its vast film library and its talented but homeless screenwriters, directors, and actors like a vulture.