National Tide 1980.

March 1988, 3 was also an important day for 10K gangster Hung Han, who was serving his sentence in Hong Kong.

At 11:10 in the morning, he sat in the complainant's seat of the Hong Kong City's Supreme Criminal Court, waiting for the final court verdict to decide whether he would be free or return to prison.

Before announcing the verdict, the British judge, wearing a wig, had a grim look on his face.

He rolled up the sleeves of his black robe, as if he was going to severely punish Hong Hanyi who was standing in front of the judge's bench.

His expression was cold and ruthless in its majesty and arrogance.

However, beneath all these superficial phenomena, Hong Hanyi felt that the court was being mysterious.

Because he knew that Axia spent a lot of money on this appeal to overturn the verdict.

He didn't know the exact number, but he was willing to spend a huge amount of money to "rescue" him.

Not only are the lawyers hired from the largest law firm and the most famous legal team in Hong Kong, they are all British.

Even for some relevant personnel, Axia did the necessary "clearing and management".

For example, the original witnesses, the jury...

The serious judge in front of him was the most important part of it.

So don’t say that he was wronged in the first place. Even if he really did those things, it shouldn’t matter.

His only worry was that the British police boss who had sent him in would not let him go and would not let him out, and might do something behind his back to stop him.

But at the last moment, Hong Han was really relieved.

Because both the lawyer and Axia who was listening in the trial had a calm attitude and a firm gaze.

This confident posture speaks for itself.

Especially Axia, who not only showed excitement and anticipation while sitting in the audience, but also gave him a slightly smug smile.

Think about it again, the influential South China Morning Post in Hong Kong published an article this morning predicting that his appeal would be successful.

This made him feel even more at ease.

As expected, when the judge stood up and harshly criticized Hong Hanyi's history of crimes in the first half of his life, openly defining him as "the most corrupt element in Hong Kong society", he then glanced down at the pile of appraisal reports and testimonies of new witnesses submitted to the court by the lawyer.

The judge frowned and shrugged his shoulders, as if he had a belief that went against his original wishes. What he said below was all against his personal wishes and he had to say it in accordance with the fairness of the law.

"...However, in view of the latest supplementary evidence seen by the court, it is proved that there are major loopholes in the original evidence and testimony provided by the police officers. Since the Hongcheng police failed to provide further relevant evidence, a complete chain of evidence could not be formed. In view of the rigor of the law, I hereby announce that the original verdict is revoked due to insufficient evidence. Hong Han, who was originally sentenced to 20 years in prison for selling contraband in entertainment venues, was acquitted. This verdict took effect in court. Since Hong Han had been in prison for four years before, if Hong Han sued the Hongcheng police in the name of a wrongful case and appealed for compensation, he would need to submit an application and the High Court would handle the case separately."

As the judge's hammer fell, Hong Hanyi's legal team, Axia in the audience, and Hong Hanyi's younger brothers all cheered and stood up.

Everyone was in high spirits and smiling happily.

As for Hong Hanyi himself, a heartfelt feeling of joy surged from his heart to his throat, overflowing through the gaps between his clenched teeth, and he was eager to express it to the outside world.

"I'm free! I'm free!"

He stretched out his hands and had the handcuffs uncuffed by the bailiff beside him. He almost flew towards Axia and hugged her.

"Congratulations, Mr. Hong!" The lawyers from the legal team also came over to congratulate him.

"Thank you. You guys are awesome."

"It's my duty, Mr. Hong..."

There were countless congratulations around him, and Hong Han also reached out his hand to respond to the kindness, but he still did not let go of Axia at this time.

He was really excited and happy.

He was originally sentenced to sixteen years in prison, but it was written off just like that.

You know, although his treatment in prison was much better than that of ordinary prisoners, it was just as uncomfortable.

In particular, the British who captured him gave him special care.

So while in there, he had many disputes with the people who guarded him.

He knew very well who was the benefactor who saved him from the dire straits.

At this time, freedom is no longer an abstract word for him; it has become tangible, real, and a

Something to enjoy and feel.

Freedom means breathing fresh air, no one to disturb you, no need to queue for meals, and no need to listen to the phone ringing all the time.

It means hot showers, soap, and a luxurious and comfortable life. You no longer have to be on guard against someone stabbing you with a sharpened toothbrush, and you no longer have to worry about a rope strangling your neck in the middle of the night and killing you.

It means you have a name instead of a number.

It also means that he has regained his status and respect in the underworld, and can hold his head high, making those cowards who took advantage of you when you were in trouble tremble with fear and unable to sleep.

The most important thing is that he was finally reunited with his own flesh and blood, his daughter.

So when Hong Hanyi walked out of the court surrounded by Axia and the legal team, and faced the media reporters crowded at the court entrance, his face was full of smiles, and he stretched out two fingers towards the countless TV cameras, making a "V" sign of victory.

A rather famous photograph was taken, which appeared in that day's newspaper.

He didn't even think that this photo of his would play a certain role in Hong Kong movies.

In fact, it was because the judge's final performance in court was too perfect.

After the verdict was announced, the joy and happiness of Hong Hanyi's side was too obvious in contrast to the dejected, cold-eyed and disdainful expressions of the police agent and legal representative.

So even if Hong Hanyi was really wrongly imprisoned, he was indeed vindicated.

But his restoration of freedom today was still interpreted by many media as a failure of justice.

His joy was the complacency and arrogance of having successfully escaped legal sanctions and played with the law. This not only made this incident a landmark judicial event, but also led to similar plots in many Hong Kong police and gangster films.

That is, the bad guys were caught, but could not be convicted and were eventually acquitted.

After being released, the bad guys kept mocking the police for being incompetent, mocking the judiciary as nonsense, and mocking the news media as being played with.

But this doesn't matter to Hong Hanyi. He doesn't care what others think. He only cares about everything he has regained and wants to leave here as soon as possible to see his daughter.

What's more, he was still a little uncomfortable with the outside environment after suddenly gaining his freedom.

When I got on the car that came to pick me up, I saw the city's tall buildings, colorful streets, and colorful flowers. My eyes were almost unable to take it all in. I sighed with emotion, "It seems that the city has not changed, but it also seems to have changed. It is so prosperous, a hundred times better than what I remembered."

Ah Xia naturally understood his feelings, "Brother Taidi, you've suffered a lot in there. When we get home, you should first step over the fire basin and use pomelo leaves to get rid of the bad luck, then take a bath. We will also take you to a good meal. Oh, by the way, Xiao Zhima also wants you to take her to the movies. She has been very happy these two days and is looking forward to your return home today..."

Hong Hanyi was so happy that he couldn't stop smiling, but he was also more moved and couldn't help but hold Axia's hand.

"Ah Xia, thank you for your hard work. I didn't expect you to be so capable and get me out of there so quickly. You also take such good care of Xiao Zhima and my brothers outside..."

Little Sesame is the nickname that Hong Hanyi gives to his daughter.

He doesn't care much about money or girlfriend, but his daughter is the apple of his eye, and brotherhood is something he cannot give up.

These words are 100% sincere and heartfelt.

A Xia happily shook her head and was about to say something polite.

But before she could say anything, Shengzai, who was sitting in the front passenger seat, agreed and took the initiative to take credit for her.

"Brother Taidi, what you said is absolutely right. Sister Xia is really powerful. Ever since you got into trouble, our original territory has been divided up by those fellow disciples. We couldn't even keep our hometown in To Kwa Wan. Those disloyal guys said they were helping to manage us, but in fact they annexed us. Most of our people were spineless and willing to change their sects. Those who didn't want to be watchdogs for others had to run away to prevent others from seeking revenge. We were lucky. We followed Sister Xia all the way to Tokyo, Japan. Not only I didn't suffer much, but I lived a comfortable life. I had wine and meat every day, and I could play pachinko and take a sauna. The economy of Tokyo, Japan was booming. Sister Xia first opened a nightclub in Ginza, Tokyo, which was very profitable, and then used the money she earned to start a parking company. The parking fees in Tokyo are simply sky-high, and my brothers are now making a lot of money just from collecting rent every day. Big brother, I'm not praising Sister Xia, but this is the first time I know that it's so easy to make money in a legitimate business. It's more comfortable than when we opened an underground bank..."

These words were far beyond Hong Hanyi's imagination.

After all, he had no way of knowing the details of Axia's situation outside while he was inside.

Although I know that Axia is doing well, otherwise she wouldn't have the financial resources to rescue me, but I don't have time to find out the details.

He just wishfully thought that Axia must still be doing her old job outside.

Now he found out that Axia could actually make a fortune through legitimate business, which completely shocked him.

"Ah Xia, is what Ah Sheng said true? I didn't expect you to be so capable. It seems that it is really unfair for you to stay with me and help the club. You are obviously a business genius. If I had known earlier, I should not have just let you study in a junior college. I should have sent you to study in Australia. Oh, what a waste of talent..."

Ah Xia was so flattered by the praise that her face was about to burn. She hurriedly explained.

"Brother Teddy, don't listen to Ah Sheng's nonsense. He will brag about everything he knows for me."

"boast?"

Hong Hanyi looked at Shengzai's innocent and extremely surprised expression and couldn't help laughing.

"No way? I know Ah Sheng. He is a 'old-fashioned' person. He may be a little exaggerated, but he has never said nonsense. He is good at killing people, but he is not good at bragging. I can say so much for you today, it must be because I really admire you. Don't be modest. Frankly speaking, the fact that you can lead them to do the right thing proves that you have achieved results. Even I am very impressed by you..."

Shengzai laughed now, but Axia could not bear it any longer and quickly told the truth.

"Brother Teddy, you don't know that although I am doing well in Tokyo now, it is not my own ability. I have the help of a noble person."

"Noble?"

"Yes. He is Mr. Ning who was introduced to us by Mr. Zeng, the tie maker in Beijing. Do you remember what happened a few months before your accident?"

"Ah, I remember a very young and handsome man who wanted to exchange Japanese yen to open a restaurant in Tokyo. The amount he wanted to exchange in the mainland was quite a lot. Oh? Did you meet him in Japan later?"

"Yes. The restaurant he opened was very successful, a very high-end Chinese restaurant, and it made a lot of money. He also gave me very good advice and a lot of help. I am where I am today thanks to his help. In fact, our current business in Tokyo is run in partnership with him. Otherwise, I would not have been able to raise enough money to come to Hong Kong City to sue for you."

The more Axia spoke, the more excited she became. Her expression of genuine admiration reminded Hong Hanyi of the way she looked at him when he first met her.

"And do you know what his greatest strength is? It's his grasp of timing. Brother Teddy, I came to Hong Kong to save you this time because he reminded me that we had just experienced a stock market crash, and everyone needs money the most. People who lost money in the stock market need money to make up for their losses, and people who didn't lose money also need money to increase their positions and want to make a fortune. So now is the time when money is most powerful. As long as there is enough money for appeal, there is a high probability that they will help you overturn the verdict. As expected, money makes the world go round, and he was right. We took out 70 million Hong Kong dollars this time, not to mention getting some witnesses to change their testimonies, we even bribed the judge."

"What? 70 million Hong Kong dollars!" Hearing the specific number, even Hong Hanyi was no longer calm, "You actually spent so much money to save me!"

It's no wonder that he was so surprised. After all, what he left for Axia was not that much. If converted into US dollars, it would be almost 10 million US dollars.

To average out his sentence, it would cost $500,000 to buy basically one year of prison.

"Brother Teddy, don't worry. Our current parking company earns more than 2 billion yen a month in fees alone. Although we have to pay the bank loan interest, the remaining money is enough to fight this lawsuit for you."

"That's right, Brother Teddy. Your time is so precious. It can't be measured by this little money. As long as we can get you out earlier, we are willing to spend several times more money."

Although both Axia and Shengzai said so, it shows that they are currently very wealthy.

But Hong Han still felt that this favor was too great, especially the help to Mr. Ning, which he could not forget.

Although this person was not very close to him, he was considered a good person because he did not take advantage of Axia's misfortune.

Unexpectedly, he also helped Axia achieve success in her career. What he did for her is enough to make him a "benefactor."

No matter what, since he has received someone's favor, he must go to Tokyo once.

What's more, since Axia admires this person so much, he must thank her in person. This is basic courtesy.

However, of course all this had to be done after he had dealt with the affairs of Hong Kong City, and there was no rush to do it right away.

Thinking of this, he said, "Ah Xia, when we get back, please help me contact Mr. Ning and express my gratitude. Tell him that I, Hong Han, am very grateful for his help. I will always remember this kindness. But I have some things to deal with in Hongcheng. If it is convenient, I hope to thank him in person and meet him in a month."

Axia immediately understood what he said, but she couldn't help but feel a little worried.

"Brother Teddy, can you please stop taking the side door? We can actually get ashore. It took you so much effort to get out, and it took little Sesame so much effort to see you again..."

However, Hong Han is also a man of his own will. Although he was hurt, he would not be easily swayed by her once he made up his mind.

"Ah Xia, we are from the underworld, so we must repay kindness and revenge. Although I can't afford to offend the British who sent me to jail, I must pay a proper visit to those "fellow disciples" who divided our territory and ask for justice, right? Otherwise, how can I work here? Who will give me face? But don't worry, I don't want to repeat the same mistakes, and I won't make a big deal about the things in Hong Kong. As long as we get back what belongs to us, I will go to Tokyo with you to visit Mr. Ning, who saved me from more than ten years in prison. I want to thank him in person and ask him how to do the right thing..." (End of this chapter)