Chapter 341: Watching Him Build a Tall Building
"Master Jin, Brother Chang, the intelligence Mr. Lin gave us should be true, right?"
Inside Master Jin's mansion, Lok Chi-ming of Sun Luen Shing asked the two with lingering fear.
The three had accepted the invitation from Liang Kun of Hung Hing. However, the matters Lin Feng and Liang Kun told them were too significant. After discussing, the three decided to move to Master Jin's place to continue their talks.
Master Jin pointed to the check in his hand:
"Is this real or not?"
Lam Yiu-cheung smiled:
"This is a check personally signed by Mr. Lin."
"Not to mention he gave us a check; even if he just verbally promised us money."
"Then that money would be real."
Clap!
Master Jin clapped his hands forcefully.
"This is the power of Mr. Lin's reputation."
"Mr. Lin has no need to ruin his own reputation, does he?"
Lam Yiu-cheung and Lok Chi-ming both nodded.
Speaking of which, Lin Feng has been in the Triad for no less time than anyone present.
He followed Liang Kun into the Triad at seven, started his own ventures ten years later, and thirteen years after that, he had forged a golden reputation.
Any Triad member who was fortunate enough to receive a promise from Lin Feng never had to worry about him breaking his word.
In today's rapidly changing Triad world, such a reputation is almost unbelievable.
"So what do we do?" Lok Chi-ming asked anxiously.
"Stay out of trouble," Lam Yiu-cheung answered without hesitation.
During Liang Kun's banquet, Master Jin and Lok Chi-ming did most of the talking, while Lam Yiu-cheung remained mostly silent.
Firstly, it was his nature to be as silent as gold.
Secondly, it was to give Lok Chi-ming a chance to shine.
Master Jin is an elder of the Triad and the biggest name in Sun Luen Shing—even if Lok Chi-ming is the Dragon Head of Sun Luen Shing, most in the Triad know Sun Luen Shing because of Master Jin.
Fat Deng of Wo Luen Shing, Master Jin of Sun Luen Shing, and Master Shen of Wo Hing Shing all held similar prestige in the Triad.
If Lam Yiu-cheung had continued to speak at the banquet, where would Lok Chi-ming have had a chance to perform?
This was the shrewdness of a former Chairman.
Now it was different; this was Sun Luen Shing's internal affair. Lok Chi-ming was seeking their opinions, so Lam Yiu-cheung spoke freely.
"We were fortunate to participate in this big project, and now we've received a return."
"Honestly, with just this money, even if we don't expand and just stick to traditional business, we'll be doing great."
"Don't you agree?"
Lok Chi-ming nodded in agreement.
"Ah Chang is right." Master Jin rotated his jade gallstone. "We are lowlifess in society; they are legitimate big companies."
"The police might not do anything to big companies, and of course, they wouldn't dare."
"But they certainly wouldn't dare to do anything to us."
"We need to know our place and not compare ourselves to Tycoon Group."
"That's unrealistic."
"The Police Station would not hesitate to flatten our Triad, but they would never dare to flatten Tycoon Group."
"That's the difference."
"When you're out there, you need to be sharp, or you won't even know how you died."
Lam Yiu-cheung and Lok Chi-ming both nodded.
"Ah Lok, now is your time to establish your authority." Master Jin was in an exceptionally good mood.
Honestly, when Lam Yiu-cheung wanted Chuen Bo to take over, Master Jin disagreed.
However, the rules of Sun Luen Shing were set, and even if Master Jin was the Dragon Head Chairman before Lam Yiu-cheung, he could not change Lam Yiu-cheung's decision.
Who made him the decision-maker?
This was completely different from Wo Luen Shing.
The Chairman of Wo Luen Shing was just a mascot; who would listen to him?
The former Chairman of Sun Luen Shing had prestige, but that was all.
"Establish authority?" Lok Chi-ming was surprised!
"Ah Lok has already established his authority, hasn't he?" Lam Yiu-cheung was also puzzled.
"Are you talking about Lam Wai Lok's matter?" Master Jin shook his head. "That doesn't count."
"Ah Lok offered Lam Wai Lok's head to honor Chuen Bo Fai Wong; this was to ensure his legitimacy."
"For a Triad to endure, the most crucial thing is an orderly succession."
"After Chuen Bo, Ah Lok was pushed into the position. Only after sacrificing Lam Wai Lok's head did he secure the legitimacy of his ascension."
"And this fund and this news, that is the moment for Ah Lok to establish his authority."
The jade gallstone kept spinning in Master Jin's palm, and his eyes gleamed with wisdom.
"We are lowlifess in the Triad; we live for today with no guarantee of tomorrow."
"Few are sober-minded."
"Most just muddle through."
"I'm not criticizing our brothers; honestly, in this environment, muddling through is the norm."
"They also don't have the conditions to think long-term."
"And for the cohesion of the Triad, we can only give the lower-level brothers things to do."
At this point, Master Jin's expression darkened.
Lam Yiu-cheung also looked blank.
"That's not our fault, is it?" Lok Chi-ming couldn't help but retort. "If we don't artificially create enemies and conflicts, the Triad would have long since fallen apart."
"Our Sun Luen Shing has thirty thousand people; once these people leave the Triad, who knows what will happen."
Lok Chi-ming's voice also grew softer and softer.
Unless one reached the higher echelons of the Triad, one would simply not know that the bottom and top were two completely different worlds.
The bottom was filled with fighting and killing, living from hand to mouth.
The top, however, was full of laughter and harmony.
To put it bluntly, it was about artificially creating conflicts to eliminate a large number of people.
Anyway, these guys were not productive; even if they all died, few would grieve.
This was the Triad's ecosystem.
Lok Chi-ming cursed himself, 'It's only been a few days, and I'm already discussing the lives of the Triad's lower-level members with a 'gentleman avoids the kitchen' mentality. I've fallen!'
"We two have no way to solve this problem." Master Jin quickly recovered. "We can't, but you, Ah Lok, can."
"Me?!" Lok Chi-ming was greatly surprised. "Neither of you can, how can I?"
"Master Jin is right, we can't, but you can." Lam Yiu-cheung also chimed in to help. "Back in our time, all we thought about was how to keep Sun Luen Shing from collapsing."
Lam Yiu-cheung had the most authority to speak.
Sun Luen Shing grew to become one of the Top Ten under his leadership, but it was also under his leadership that it was targeted by Golden Club.
Especially over three years ago, when they were doing dirty work for Golden Club, they accidentally killed someone.
Actually, in Triad conflicts, one death is normal; no one would feel guilty.
After all, they are all Dwarf Mules; if they die, they die. Who would care or what then?
But no one can die during forced demolitions; this is an unspoken rule.
Triads can oppress ordinary people, but they cannot cause homicides.
Most importantly, the person who died at the time was a little girl.
This was a pain that Lam Yiu-cheung suppressed deep within his heart. He never expected that a most ordinary dirty job would result in a death, and of a little girl at that.
Of course, that matter was in the past.
No one would bring it up easily, unless they wanted to break ties.
"Things are very different now." Lam Yiu-cheung steadied himself. "You are on good terms with Hung Hing, and as long as we ensure they are our allies, we won't have to worry about the Triad collapsing."
The current Hung Hing has such strength.
Under Liang Kun's leadership, Hung Hing's fifteen hall masters are all famous figures in the Triad.
What's particularly rare is that Hung Hing's various hall masters have no major conflicts, not even minor frictions.
Everyone obeys Liang Kun's leadership and manages their own affairs.
They have people, they have money.
They are practically a hedgehog.
Liang Kun was already excellent before he became Hung Hing's Chairman. After he became Hung Hing's Dragon Head, he didn't even have a single enemy in the Triad.
This was also a strange occurrence.
Any Triad that wanted to cause trouble for Hung Hing might as well commit suicide!
"Most importantly, Hung Hing's focus is no longer on the Triad; they want to go legitimate."
"Ah Kun has foresight; they are already considering matters after the handover."
"This is a role model for us to learn from."
Lam Yiu-cheung felt an indescribable complexity. He was on good terms with Liang Kun; in the past, they could sit side by side, but now, even if Liang Kun wanted to, Lam Yiu-cheung himself would sit below him.
This wasn't demanded by Liang Kun, nor by anyone else; it was Lam Yiu-cheung's own choice.
The two were no longer on the same level.
If it weren't for Master Jin still being in Sun Luen Shing, they would have to be extremely careful when speaking to Hung Hing.
Their spheres of influence were completely different.
Take tonight's news, for instance; was this information that lowlifess of the Triad were qualified to receive?
That was something that the gentlemen of the Three Secretaries and Thirteen Bureaus should be considering.
The big things that the lowlifess of the Triad should consider are how to serve their bosses well and how to earn more money; that is the right path.
"That convenience store looks unassuming, but it's definitely a powerful tool," Lok Chi-ming said seriously. "I'm also planning to introduce these convenience stores in Sun Luen Shing's territory."
"Making money, investing, settling down brothers—killing multiple birds with one stone."
Lok Chi-ming couldn't understand how Hung Hing Triad, also a Triad, managed to come up with such an idea.
This completely set them apart from the other Triads.
While others were fighting for a few dollars, Hung Hing was already taking money from the pockets of various Triad halls.
And you gave it willingly!
It was a difference in class.
"The convenience store is your means of establishing authority," Master Jin said coldly. "Hong Kong is on the verge of chaos. If we want to survive, we cannot have internal strife."
"Eliminating dissidents is normal practice."
"Fai Wong, Chuen Bo, and Ah Tim are all gone. Our faction's strength is too weak."
"Ah Lok, now you need to cultivate your Five Tigers."
"Take advantage of this opportunity to build them up."
"With the profits from this project in hand, anyone who doesn't listen to you, get rid of them."
"Extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures."
"There must be absolutely no mercy."
"Master Jin is right." Lam Yiu-cheung understood his brother Lok Chi-ming best. "Ah Lok, I know you are righteous, but you absolutely cannot be soft-hearted towards certain people."
"Being kind to others is being cruel to yourself."
"Brother Chang, what are you saying?" Lok Chi-ming quickly said, "I'm going back now."
Lam Yiu-cheung patted Lok Chi-ming's shoulder and said gently,
"As a big brother, I was incompetent and left you a mess, but thankfully you've done better than me."
"From now on, I can retire peacefully."
"Brother Chang, I'll still need you and Master Jin to guide me a lot in the future," Lok Chi-ming quickly stated.
"Ah Lok, no need for formalities. Don't worry, as long as we two are alive, we will fully support you," Master Jin declared.
After Lok Chi-ming returned to his house, he lit a cigar and began to smoke.
He no longer lived in a pigeon coop.
Even if he wanted to live there, the Triad members wouldn't allow it.
Sun Luen Shing was, after all, one of the Top Ten Gangs. How could its dignified Leader live in a pigeon coop?
How would the brothers in the Triad see this? How would the big bosses of the underworld see this?
Oh, your Sun Luen Shing is doing so miserably?
The Dragon Head Chairman doesn't even have a big house?
Who would dare to associate with you?
So Lok Chi-ming moved, to a thousand-square-foot luxury home in the New Territories.
Lok Chi-ming was silent for a while before taking out his phone and making a call.
"Officer Cheng, let's talk."
"Ah Lok?" Inspector Cheng Guobin was stunned. He truly hadn't expected Lok Chi-ming to call him at this time.
So twenty minutes later, the two arrived at a certain beach.
Hong Kong is surrounded by the sea, so finding a random beach was the most convenient way to ensure no one was following them.
"I didn't expect you to call me." Inspector Cheng Guobin was very surprised. "If I didn't know your character, I would absolutely not come out at this hour."
It was already three in the morning.
Inspector Cheng Guobin was truly startled when he received the call.
"Tell me, what's going on?"
Inspector Cheng Guobin offered Lok Chi-ming a Marlboro. After all this time, his temper had mellowed considerably.
Especially after the Thunder Security branch was introduced in Tsim Sha Tsui, he felt somewhat idle.
Thunder Security was now gradually taking over Hung Hing Society's most important business—collecting protection fees.
This was the main source of income for all Triads.
However, conflicts arising from protection fees were endless.
There were also some tough merchants who refused to pay protection fees, but such people usually ended up in a bad way.
Thunder Security operated on an employment model, which was essentially the same—collecting protection fees—but merchants had a high acceptance rate.
This was equivalent to purchasing commercial insurance, and they basically wouldn't refuse.
So, wherever Thunder Security operated, other Triads dared not touch them.
The battle at Camel's funeral hall truly established Thunder Security's formidable reputation in the underworld.
Other Triads were not fools; everyone was just trying to make a living, not wanting to end up dead.
The hall master of Tsim Sha Tsui was Prince, a staunch supporter of the Mong Kok faction. After Thunder Security completed its expansion in Mong Kok, it first expanded into Tsim Sha Tsui and Portland Street—Yau Tsim Mong is a single entity!
So Inspector Cheng Guobin became completely idle. He had never imagined that the O's job at the Tsim Sha Tsui Police Station would be so easy.
With Thunder Security in charge, Tsim Sha Tsui, a battleground, was unusually peaceful.
If it weren't for a recent big case, Inspector Cheng Guobin would definitely have achieved a regular life of clocking in and out on time, just like other professions.
"Unless you're at the top, you really don't know that Triads and the Police Station actually have black-and-white agreements."
Lok Chi-ming sighed deeply.
"I'm not a high-ranking Police Station official, and I only recently learned about this." Inspector Cheng Guobin's expression was grim. Since Lo Chung-lun's murder, he had experienced no less than Lok Chi-ming.
Naturally, he had also learned many things he hadn't known before.
The Police Station and the Triads had an agreement.
And it was a big agreement.
As long as the Triads didn't do anything out of the ordinary, the Police Station always turned a blind eye.
Even if truly heinous incidents occurred, the Police Station would only punish the main culprits and never do anything extra.
This was the unspoken understanding!
After all, Hong Kong's prisons really couldn't hold that many people.
"I received news that after tomorrow or the day after, the Tycoon Group will hold a major strike."
"These people are all marching on the streets with the salaries given by Little Tycoon."
"Striking isn't their interest; it's their new job."
Inspector Cheng Guobin took a deep puff, wanting to say something, but ultimately held back.
"Aren't you curious?" Lok Chi-ming looked at Inspector Cheng Guobin strangely. "Don't you have anything you want to ask?"
"I'm waiting for you to finish." This was definitely not Inspector Cheng Guobin's original intention.
"...You're right, a normal strike, even if it causes a big commotion, doesn't matter." Lok Chi-ming sighed, "Unfortunately, this isn't a normal matter."
"You should know more about the Tycoon's affairs than I do."
"I don't know!" Inspector Cheng Guobin flatly denied. "To be honest, the authority to handle this matter is not with me, nor with Headquarters, nor even with the Security Bureau."
"London has issued a document, and someone else is handling this case."
"Forget it, I'll tell you the truth. George from the Political Department and Brigadier General Cunningham of the Garrison are jointly handling it, with full cooperation from the Governors Office."
"Right now, the identities of those people are top secret; I don't know their specific information at all."
"No wonder!" Lok Chi-ming suddenly realized. "No wonder these guys are doing such extreme things."
"Protests aren't extreme, are they?" Inspector Cheng Guobin's expression was unreadable.
"Normal protests and demonstrations are certainly not extreme," Lok Chi-ming sighed, "but this protest and demonstration is not normal."
"I received news that someone wants to create some provocative incidents during the protest."
"After all, I also came from the Police Station, so I specially came to warn you all."
"For example?" Inspector Cheng Guobin stared intently at Lok Chi-ming.
"For example, a few people dying or something like that." Lok Chi-ming didn't hide anything. The fact that he could call Inspector Cheng Guobin out meant he wasn't hiding anything.
"You guys are making a move?" Inspector Cheng Guobin's words startled Lok Chi-ming.
"Don't mess with me!" Lok Chi-ming quickly declared, "Sun Luen Shing will not participate in such things."
"If we were really going to do something like that, would I be crazy enough to come and tip you off?"
"During this time, I will strictly restrain everyone in Sun Luen Shing, and they will absolutely not go out on the streets casually."
Lok Chi-ming glared fiercely at Inspector Cheng Guobin, and suddenly his heart stirred, and an incredible thought popped into his mind,
"You're not surprised?"
"Did you already know about this?"
Lok Chi-ming subtly widened the distance between himself and Inspector Cheng Guobin.
"I'm not a mole!" Inspector Cheng Guobin raised his hands. "You're still as sharp as ever."
Lok Chi-ming sneered:
"If you're not a mole, how did you know about this?"
Inspector Cheng Guobin sighed,
"Headquarters sent a notification today. Since I am one of the three main figures at the Tsim Sha Tsui Police Station, I naturally have the right to know this information."
"I know a little more than you... Someone wants two of our officers to die."
Lok Chi-ming's expression changed drastically!
+++
Chapter 342: Resolutely Upholding Brother Kun's Leadership
"What?" Lok Chi-ming was greatly shaken. "The people behind this want to lay hands on the police? Are they crazy?"
One or two lowlifess dying is nothing.
Which day do people not die when they're involved in a Triad?
Do they really think this is some kind of legitimate business?
Besides a few tears from their immediate family, everyone else would probably be cheering.
However, the police are completely different; they are law enforcement officers.
If law enforcement officers die... things would get serious.
"Isn't that their intention?" Inspector Cheng Guobin's expression was indifferent. "Chief Huang gave the order: if there are indeed protests, and if those protests are on the West Kowloon Police Headquarters's territory..."
"All the brothers on the streets must be fully armed."
"We will resolutely not give those troublemakers any chance."
"It's just that there aren't any protests yet, so this order has only been relayed to the Chiefs of the various sub-stations and the officers of the O-Team."
"I am one of the few people in the Tsim Sha Tsui Police Station who knows about this."
"I just don't know where the trouble will break out."
Inspector Cheng Guobin started to get agitated again.
"Recently, it's really been a turbulent time. The Ni Family finally fell, and after Thunder Security moved in, I originally thought the Triads would quiet down a bit."
"Who would have thought that the Okamoto assassins would appear again?"
"Being a police officer isn't easy," Lok Chi-ming sympathized greatly. He remembered his days as an undercover agent. "Did I wake you up?"
"In today's world, what is easy to do?" Inspector Cheng Guobin said indifferently. "You didn't disturb me; I couldn't sleep and was just spacing out."
"It's not bad to take a walk in the early hours of the morning."
The two smiled at each other, feeling inexplicably closer.
"Is Ho Ka-Kui doing well?" Lok Chi-ming asked. Ho Ka-Kui was originally Chuen Bo's top enforcer, and he was also an undercover agent sent out by Inspector Cheng Guobin.
"He's alright." Inspector Cheng Guobin gave Lok Chi-ming a strange look. "You forced him back, which greatly stimulated the kid, and he swore that one day he would bring you back to the right path."
"Heh, that kid doesn't appreciate good intentions." Lok Chi-ming chuckled and shook his head.
"Being an undercover agent isn't easy. You could say you've allowed Ho Ka-Kui to retire successfully." Inspector Cheng Guobin nodded knowingly.
Ho Ka-Kui's identity wasn't a secret, at least not in Lok Chi-ming's eyes.
Lok Chi-ming couldn't turn back, so he wouldn't keep an undercover agent by his side.
Letting Ho Ka-Kui return to the Police Station was actually protecting him.
Everyone knew this deep down.
It's just that in Ho Ka-Kui's eyes, his mission wasn't a success.
So he had always held a grudge in his heart.
There was nothing to be done about such matters.
"You should tell Ho Ka-Kui to shift his focus," Lok Chi-ming thought for a moment, then decided to give Inspector Cheng Guobin a heads-up. "There's nothing good to keep an eye on with Sun Luen Shing."
"We're preparing to transform."
"Transform?" Inspector Cheng Guobin's expression froze. "What does that mean?"
"Sun Luen Shing is preparing to go legitimate." Lok Chi-ming didn't intend to hide it from him at all. Suddenly, he realized how convenient it was for the top echelons of the Triad to have a communication channel with the upper echelons of the Police Station.
It could largely avoid misunderstandings.
"I started as an undercover agent. Although I'm now involved with a Triad, I can't lead my brothers down a path of no return."
"Continuing to rush down this Triad path is a dead end."
"Even if we survive your pursuit, we definitely won't survive Hong Kong's return."
"Our Mainland has zero tolerance for Triads."
Inspector Cheng Guobin nodded:
"That's good then."
"If you can lead them back, it means you haven't forgotten your original intention."
"If you truly accomplish such a thing, your merits will be immeasurable."
"I will help you."
Inspector Cheng spoke very seriously.
"If there's anything I can help with, just say the word."
Lok Chi-ming shrugged:
"What's there to help with?"
"It's nothing more than rectifying the Triad and dealing with those disobedient fellows internally."
"You can't interfere with this kind of thing. Once the police interfere, the nature of it changes."
"People will say I'm colluding with the Triads."
"Let them say what they want." Inspector Cheng Guobin saw it clearly. "In this world, it's always the victor who writes history, judging heroes by their results."
"However... I respect your opinion."
"I'll have a good talk with Ho Ka-Kui and tell him to focus his attention on Hung Hing."
"Hung Hing? Prince?" Lok Chi-ming's expression grew even stranger. "Do you have a grudge against Ho Ka-Kui? Do you want to get him killed?"
"He's my trusted subordinate!" Inspector Cheng Guobin gave Lok Chi-ming a displeased look. "Would I set up my own trusted subordinate?"
"Your actions are setting him up." Lok Chi-ming sighed. "Do you think Sun Luen Shing's transformation is going so smoothly? Do you really think I, as the Chairman, can freely decide the path of the entire Triad?"
"Oh, right!" Inspector Cheng Guobin asked curiously, "How did you convince all the elders of Sun Luen Shing?"
"I didn't convince them," Lok Chi-ming replied faintly. "I just copied what successful people did."
"There's a large Triad in the jianghu that successfully transformed?" Inspector Cheng Guobin was very puzzled. "How come I don't know about it?"
"Hung Hing!" Lok Chi-ming looked at him amusedly. "Hung Hing is now firmly at the top of the Big Ten, it's just that Liang Kun doesn't have the ambition to dominate the jianghu, or rather, he knows his limits."
"Hung Hing has already reached the pinnacle of the jianghu. Perhaps it's lonely at the top, but Hung Hing wants to transform."
Inspector Cheng Guobin fell silent, taking a deep drag from his cigarette.
It's Hung Hing again!
Lin Feng is truly a ruthless man.
He simply doesn't give others any chance to strike.
To be honest, all the recent setbacks Inspector Cheng Guobin had experienced were because of Lin Feng.
It was also because of Lin Feng that his impression in Chief Huang's mind wasn't too good.
Similarly, it was because of Lin Feng that Inspector Cheng Guobin learned that there had always been a communication channel between the upper echelons of the Police Station and the upper echelons of the Triad.
"Hung Hing's transformation is very systematic. They are only interested in gray businesses and plan to abandon all black areas."
"A Triad is a place that highly values strength."
"The actions of the strong are worth emulating by others, though of course, the lunatics of Chung Yee Shun have different thought processes than normal people."
"Hung Hing's transformation is very successful. I need to go back and thoroughly study their actions."
"If all goes well, perhaps our Sun Luen Shing will also become a member of the righteous path."
"If you're doing this for Ho Ka-Kui's sake, just let him keep an eye on any Triad, but Hung Hing should be out of the question."
Inspector Cheng Guobin asked strangely, "Didn't you say Hung Hing is transforming? Why do you think their transformation will be very successful?"
"That's simple, I've seen their plan," Lok Chi-ming explained. "It's very systematic and highly actionable."
Inspector Cheng Guobin nodded silently.
"Alright, since you already know, I should go too." Lok Chi-ming waved goodbye.
Inspector Cheng Guobin thought for a moment and said:
"Your status is different now; you're the Chairman of Sun Luen Shing."
"If anything comes up, just give me a call. I don't think others would try to check your phone, right?"
Lok Chi-ming paused, nodded solemnly, and waved goodbye.
Inspector Cheng Guobin didn't leave immediately. He lit another Marlboro and suddenly missed Lo Chung-lun greatly.
"Ah Lun, your foresight was still the best."
"Although Ah Lok is in a Triad, his heart yearns for light."
"Amazing, in this regard, I am not as good as you!"
Inspector Cheng Guobin felt as if all the burdens on his shoulders had been lifted. He felt completely relaxed, looked at the sky, and quickly went back to rest.
Who knew if those guys would take to the streets to protest tomorrow?
He woke up with difficulty early the next morning, and he knew something had happened.
On his way to work, he actually got stuck in traffic!
Inspector Cheng Guobin's face immediately turned green.
He simply stopped taking the car, walked a long distance, and rushed to the Police Station.
"What's going on?" Inspector Cheng Guobin asked anxiously.
"People from the Tycoon Group are protesting," Ho Ka-Kui was completely unaware of the seriousness of the situation. "Quite a lot of people came out; the streets are full of crowds, probably one or two tens of thousands?"
"I almost got stuck when I came!"
"Traffic is jammed, I walked here!" Inspector Cheng Guobin said with a dark expression. "Where's Inspector Kwan?"
"Inspector Kwan arrived early this morning!" Ho Ka-Kui was very bewildered. It was just an ordinary protest, why was his direct superior so worried?
Inspector Cheng Guobin didn't have time to explain to him and quickly knocked on the door to Inspector Kwan's room:
"Officer, this is bad!"
"Something big has happened."
Inspector Kwan waved him to sit down,
"Speak slowly!"
"No time to be slow!" Inspector Cheng Guobin was very agitated. "The traffic was blocked when I came; the car moved less than five yards in ten minutes."
"I walked to the Police Station."
"I just left the car by the roadside."
"It's rush hour now; if we don't disperse them quickly, Hong Kong will descend into chaos!"
Inspector Kwan was greatly surprised:
"That is indeed a problem."
"It's more than that." Inspector Cheng Guobin's expression was serious, revealing his capable side. "I suspect they are deliberately blocking traffic."
"This will cause chaos throughout the city!"
"They might even… achieve their goal of applying pressure without the need for their arranged people to act."
Sir Guan's face changed drastically, and he immediately picked up the phone.
"What you said is very possible!"
"I'll report to Chief Huang right away."
The call was answered almost instantly. Sir Guan composed himself and quickly reported,
"Chief Huang, people from Tycoon Group are protesting on the streets. There's a protest march in Tsim Sha Tsui."
"Sir Cheng was blocked on his way to work, and he gave me an assessment…"
Sir Guan immediately recounted the situation.
Chief Huang's temper was particularly volatile:
"Sir Cheng's assessment is correct; these guys are doing exactly that."
"Not only in West Kowloon, but other parts of Hong Kong are also experiencing traffic congestion."
"You immediately arrange for people to go out, have the brothers fully armed…"
Sir Guan asked in surprise:
"Do you mean to deploy the riot police?"
"This is peak commuting hour. They're blocking other people's paths, not allowing others to go to work." Wong Bing-Yiu grew angrier as he spoke. "They're getting paid to block roads, but where will others get money if they can't go to work?"
"They're truly a bunch of bastards!"
"Less talk, deploy the riot police."
Sir Guan immediately hung up the phone and said to Inspector Cheng Guobin:
"Your concerns have come true!"
"Let the riot police be deployed. No matter what, we must clear up the situation in our territory."
Inspector Cheng Guobin nodded solemnly.
Following Wong Bing-Yiu's order, a large number of armed police were deployed, reducing the congestion.
But the situation hardly improved.
The people from Tycoon Group who could go out to protest were all receiving triple wages; protesting was their job.
These people were workers, not Triad members.
The police didn't dare to do anything out of line.
So, the situation remained in a stalemate.
"Damn it, what's wrong with the people from Tycoon Group? They've blocked all the traffic."
"I actually had to walk here. They're too bold!"
"Dragon Head, it's really not that I'm unpunctual; those guys are truly inhuman."
Brother Kei walked into the conference room, grumbling and seething with anger.
"Brother Kei, no need to rush, everyone is pretty much the same."
Liang Kun shrugged,
"The earliest one among us arrived only half an hour before you."
"Exactly, I thought I was going to be late, but it turns out I was the earliest." Chan Yiu smiled bitterly and shook his head.
"Huh, where's Ah Feng?" Brother Kei turned his head and looked around, realizing that Lin Feng was not present.
"Today's meeting has nothing to do with Ah Feng," Liang Kun explained. "However, Xiao Fu is here."
"Besides, what time is it now? How could he possibly be awake?"
Everyone laughed.
Everyone knew Lin Feng's routine; if it wasn't past noon, don't expect him to be awake.
"Dragon Head, everyone is here, we can start." Chan Yiu called out the names, found that everyone except Lin Feng was present, and then suggested.
"Today is special, I'll keep it brief. I called everyone here today mainly for two things." Liang Kun was even less verbose. "The first thing is about Tycoon Group."
"Tycoon Group paid some employees triple wages to go out and demonstrate."
"This is to put pressure on the Governors Office."
"We must not get involved in such matters. You must make it clear to the brothers below that this is not something we can meddle with."
"That's a clash among the higher-ups."
"So, let's not do anything unnecessary."
"We'll just close our doors and live our own small lives."
"Anyone who dares to get involved in this matter, I will not spare him. No matter who it is, they will all be thrown into international waters!"
Everyone nodded in unison, without any dissenting opinions.
"The Dragon Head is right, the people from Tycoon Group have gone crazy, daring to play such tricks in front of the Foreigner." Brother Kei sighed, "These people are going to suffer."
"Those people have forgotten how the Foreigner killed people more than twenty years ago."
"That was truly machine gun fire!"
"Brother Kei, you also said it was more than twenty years ago." Sister Thirteen said dismissively, "People nowadays wouldn't remember what happened back then."
"It's not that they don't remember, it's just that the Foreigner doesn't let them remember," Chan Yiu added faintly.
"I heard a rumor," Liang Kun began. "The person behind this wants to cause some deaths, either among the protesters or the police…"
Everyone's faces changed color.
Bang bang bang!
Liang Kun tapped on the table,
"I'll say it again, anyone who dares to get involved in this matter will be directly expelled and thrown into international waters!"
"I'm not joking!"
Everyone nodded in agreement.
No one was a fool; this was clearly a huge trap.
No one wanted to step into this huge trap.
For a moment, the atmosphere became somewhat solemn.
"Alright!" Liang Kun smiled, "This upsetting matter isn't today's topic, let's talk about something happy."
Everyone looked at each other, all puzzled.
"Ah Kun, most of us walked here. Just thinking about how long I'll have to walk back makes me feel upset."
"How can I be happy at all!"
Big D voiced everyone's thoughts.
"Big D, you are my brother!" Liang Kun looked at Big D with a chuckle, "I will definitely relieve your worries!"
Big D was unimpressed; he didn't believe Liang Kun could have any way to salvage his terrible mood.
Speaking of which, Big D hated those protesters to death.
Originally, after transferring to Hung Hing, he was his own master in Tsuen Wan, doing whatever he wanted, no longer having the nagging uncles saying this wasn't allowed and that wasn't allowed.
Big D couldn't be happier!
The taste of being the Chairman was truly exhilarating!
What made him even more comfortable was that Hung Hing also had a whitewashing plan; according to that plan, as long as one worked diligently, becoming a big businessman was not a dream.
That wasn't some empty promise, but a concrete plan.
Big D was happy every day after transferring to Hung Hing, until today.
If Liang Kun hadn't forbidden meddling in these matters, he might have already ordered someone to beat up those guys occupying Tsuen Wan and get it over with.
"Trust me, I will make you happy."
Liang Kun made a promise with a chuckle,
"Brother Yao, let's begin."
Everyone looked at each other, feeling bewildered.
Chan Yiu cleared his throat and stood up,
"Three days ago, Brother Feng told the Dragon Head about a big project. The Dragon Head is not one to keep good things to himself, so he informed all the halls about it."
"The brothers were also very united, raising a total of three hundred million hong kong dollars."
"On average, that's twenty million hong kong dollars per hall."
"This level of strength, other Triads in Hong Kong simply cannot achieve."
Everyone felt a shared sense of pride.
"Our Hung Hing hall masters are truly rich. In Sun Yee On, achieving this would be basically impossible," Axe Jun said truthfully.
"Exactly, among the nine Dragon Heads of Wo Luen Shing, I estimate only the deceased Lam Wai Lok could afford such money." Big D also nodded repeatedly.
They had all transferred over and were very clear about the situations in other halls.
But, why bring this up suddenly?
Everyone was stunned!
Chan Yiu's face was beaming,
"Now, this matter is concluded."
"Brother Feng has already distributed the profits from this project."
"The Dragon Head called this meeting to distribute money to us!"
Everyone was in an uproar.
It ended in three days?
That was too fast!
Even the most optimistic among them thought it would take a long time!
"How much did we earn?"
Big D couldn't help but ask.
Everyone pricked up their ears.
Chan Yiu looked at everyone with a grin, not rushing to speak.
"Brother Yao, you're asking for a beating like this," Chicken couldn't help but say.
Chan Yiu was startled and saw that several impatient guys indeed had fierce glints in their eyes. He couldn't help but roll his eyes—these uncouth fellows.
"Everyone's funds have doubled, but due to the previous agreement, the Dragon Head will take a cut."
"Which means, a capital of ten million earned nine million!"
"Congratulations, everyone!"
Chan Yiu didn't see the scene he had imagined for a while and was wondering why.
Suddenly, Big D shouted loudly:
"We've struck it rich!"
"Brother Kun, I will defend your leadership with my life. Anyone who disobeys you, I'll take care of them."