Jonathan, my dear cousin, could you not gasp so dramatically when you speak? You’re going to scare our delicate little hearts!
You really ought to pay more attention and brush up on your Chinese, man. ‘Settling for second best’ isn’t what you think it means! If you try to catch a shark but end up with a hairtail, that’s settling for second best. But you? You didn’t get a shark, true, but you caught a Ninja Turtle! Who’s cooler, a Ninja Turtle or a shark? That’s a whole debate I won’t get into. But anyway, switching from jewelry to entertainment? That’s definitely not ‘settling for second best!’
Do you know how big a chunk of the Chinese entertainment industry is based in Hong Kong? Do you know how much Hong Kong’s entertainment sector makes every year?!
What? You don’t know?
Honestly, I don’t know either—but it’s definitely not what you call ‘second best!’
But seriously, how did you manage to get a grip on the entertainment industry? Maybe thirty years ago, sure, but now the scene’s wild and full of rival factions. Even if you ignore the money side, just looking at how things run, it’s nearly impossible to dominate. Plus, Hong Kong entertainment has always been tangled up with all sorts of shady business—so shady you could paint a Chinese landscape with it. This ‘domination’ of yours, is it just surface-level glitz? Are you secretly the sucker who got roped in?
“Honestly, it was just a fluke. Normally, there’s no way we could’ve pulled it off, but then a bunch of big things happened all at once. Scandals, exposés, all sorts of headline-grabbing drama in a short time. The real game-changer was the Entertainment Tycoons Massacre Case.”
“Entertainment Tycoons Massacre Case?” Jack Young perked up, paying close attention.
“Yeah, it happened about a week after The Queen left—a huge scandal at the time,” Jonathan Black explained. “You know how Hong Kong’s entertainment scene has a handful of big bosses who basically run the show. With them around, there’s no way we could’ve taken over so fast. But overnight, those bosses were wiped out—clean sweep, not even a dog or chicken left.”
He pulled out his phone and tossed it to Jack Young. Jack glanced at the screen—it was photos from the crime scene. “I got these from inside the police department, all unedited and real. They’re so shocking, nobody dares to make them public.”
Jack Young flipped through the photos, face serious. The crime scenes were truly horrific—even a seasoned cop might puke at first glance. The bodies were all chopped up, bits and pieces scattered throughout the fancy villa. Honestly, it looked a lot like Wind Wushang’s handiwork after a massacre.
Jonathan Black continued, “It wasn’t just those big bosses who died—lots of other major players in entertainment got taken out too. Suddenly, every investor was scared stiff, and the staff were like stray dogs, terrified for their lives. All those rival factions started huddling together, but plenty of agencies just canceled everything. Basically, the entertainment world got hit with a sudden deep freeze. I didn’t expect much, but after working the angles, I actually pulled it off—did you spot anything in those photos?”
Jack Young put down the phone and nodded, “These people were all killed by the same person. The killer used some kind of iron claw weapon—strong, fast, and clearly enjoyed torture. See here? That old guy was impaled through the gut with one hand, then chopped up like a potato with the other. No doubt, this was the work of a Chosen One. Looks like revenge.”
“Entertainment’s got plenty of skeletons, and some folks hold grudges. If someone suddenly got superpowers and went for revenge, it’s not that unlikely,” Jonathan Black looked up, “So, is this killer stronger than you, or The Queen?”
“Never met them in person, so I can’t say for sure.” Jack Young tossed the phone back to Jonathan. “Just judging from these photos, the methods are shocking but not particularly sophisticated—about on par with your buddy’s ‘Old Veteran.’”
The Green Tyrant Old Veteran—Jack used to treat him like a boss fight, but now he’s just a mid-level thug in Jack’s eyes. Jonathan didn’t really know how strong Jack was these days, but from Jack’s calm look, he realized one thing: the killer wasn’t even worth Jack’s attention. “Then why so serious? Worried about the fallout? Relax, Eternal Night Holdings may have benefited most from the massacre, but we had nothing to do with it. The cops have investigated us tons of times and finally cleared our name.”
“I’m not worried about the case itself—I trust you’ll handle it perfectly. What I care about are the consequences.” Jack Young mused, “A Chosen One killing celebrities so brazenly—I’m worried about the uproar and public reaction. By the way, has the existence of Chosen Ones gone public yet?”
“Nope. There’s some rumors out there, but not even half-believed. Nine out of ten people scoff at the idea of ‘Chosen Ones,’ and the last one isn’t a true believer either. Every country in the world is pretending nothing’s up, suppressing all the talk. Even that massacre was chalked up as a regular revenge killing.”
“Hmm.” Jonathan’s explanation was good news, in a way. If Chosen Ones were exposed, society would’ve gone nuts ages ago. Ethan Zhuo once said, when humans face mysterious, powerful forces, their attitude swings to extremes—either total hatred or total worship. If Chosen Ones were proven real, society would be in chaos.
“Heard anything about secret departments hunting Chosen Ones?” Jack Young had read tons of urban fantasy novels—there’s always some mad scientist or military hotshot chasing down superhumans. What worried Jack most wasn’t himself, but his family.
(Irrelevant system message skipped)
“Nope, at least I can guarantee there’s nothing like that in Hong Kong. Actually, the tension between countries is way higher than anything between normal folks and Chosen Ones. The international situation is super delicate—looks calm, but there’s chaos underneath. No one dares to be the first to hunt Chosen Ones on a big scale. If a country did that, it’d basically be pushing all the superpowered people straight into enemy hands. Who’d be that dumb?”
Jonathan Black summed it up: “I’m not a Chosen One myself, so I don’t know everything. I’m sure there are organizations sniffing around, but right now it’s a super delicate balance, hasn’t affected regular people yet. Who knows how long this balance will last—I’m just doing my best to hold my ground.”
Then the two chatted for a long time, mostly about the development of Eternal Night Holdings.
Today’s September 7th, a month and three days since Jill Young left this world. In that time, besides entertainment, Jonathan Black grabbed two more territories. First, shipping—especially maritime transport. Prime Integrity Corp. started with shipping, and with some muscle, they quickly took over. Now, nearly every ship leaving the port—cargo or passenger—carries the Eternal Night Holdings brand. You could say they’ve pretty much dominated the sea routes.
The second territory is real estate. Hong Kong’s real estate scene is cutthroat—brutal competition, insane costs. The big players divided up the pie ages ago, so it’s tough to break in. Jonathan pulled out all the stops and only got his foot halfway in the door, still miles from domination. Instead of fighting for commercial streets or residential buildings, he invested in public welfare properties. In that area, he’s already made a name for himself.
Add in all the other odds and ends, and Eternal Night Holdings is basically the top dog in Hong Kong. From the time Jill Young got back from Steelbull City until now, it’s been a short ride to such success—makes you wanna say, ‘That’s my cousin alright!’
“Impressive progress, but honestly, it’s a bit flashy.” Jack Young shared his thoughts: “Hong Kong’s political and cultural scene is unique, which gave you the chance for explosive growth. But you’re way too conspicuous, and you’re tugging at a lot of interests. Pressure from ordinary people is one thing, but when the government starts watching, you’ve gotta find a way to ease that.”
“Yeah, you’re right,” Jonathan nodded. “Got any ideas?”
“Not really my area, but if you’ve got money, spread it around—just make sure it goes to the right places. Hit Hong Kong, the mainland, and overseas all at once. If you’ve got power and help solve problems for the country, invest and spend, you’ll win plenty of goodwill.” Jack Young thought for a moment. “Hong Kong’s double non-resident issue is a big deal lately—start there and build a reputation. If you play it right, the governor takes the blame, but you get praised by both Hong Kong and the mainland. Plus, you’ve got the whole entertainment megaphone—don’t let it go to waste.”
“Makes sense, guess it’s time to keep spreading the cash.” Jonathan nodded, then shook his head. “But there’s one thing you always get wrong.”
“What’s that?”
“It’s not just ‘my’ influence—it’s ‘our’ influence. Eternal Night Holdings isn’t just my company, so don’t think you’re off the hook. Of our three main business divisions, my name’s only on the shipping side. You, as a senior director, are actually in charge of the entertainment sector.”
“Huh?!” Jack Young, usually calm and collected, finally looked genuinely bamboozled. “Back in middle school I somehow ended up as the health monitor, thought that’d be the last time—now I’m randomly the boss again? I’m not even here, and you made me the boss?”
“With power, anything’s possible. Just leave it to Bobby Brooks—he’ll handle it, no problem.” Jonathan Black gave Jack a pat on the shoulder. “Anyway, we’ve got brains for strategy, but we’re short on starting capital. So from now on, all the storms in entertainment are yours to weather.”
“Weather your own storms, man! I’ve got zero interest in running this. But when it comes to money, I can definitely help out.”
Jonathan Black was puzzled. “What do you mean?”
Jack Young threw an arm around Jonathan’s shoulder, grinning brightly. “Need gold? Just say the word, how many tons do you want?”
Cousin, do you really think you’re rich?