Hong Kong Film Intelligence King

Chapter 244 James's Vow
Luo Ji stared at the small screen as if he had seen a ghost:
“Mr. Ni, you were right.”

"Hongtai's powder warehouse has really been found, and it has actually been handed over to Chen Guozhong."

"Does this mean that Leung Kwan and Chan Kwok Chung didn't collude?"

Compared to the slightly agitated Luo Ji, Ni Yongxiao was quite calm.

“Ah Ji, didn’t I tell you? This isn’t collusion; it’s just mutual benefit.”

“Ling Kun is firmly opposed to losing fans.”

I understand what he's thinking.

“Drugs will damage the ecosystem and cause Hong Kong to die slowly.”

“Brother Kun is in the business for the long term, not for quick money, so naturally he opposes these drug addicts.”

"Don't think that Liang Kun is full of justice. In reality, he is just protecting his own interests."

"Chen Guozhong is quite simple; he's just doing his job."

The two hit it off immediately.

Ni Yongxiao gently patted his thigh and said calmly,
“Leung Kwan is a man of principle; he treats his fellow practitioners with great respect.”

"I don't care if you leave my fanbase or not, as long as you don't leave my fanbase on my turf, no matter how badly you behave elsewhere, I'll pretend I don't see it."

Luo Ji was taken aback.

“Just like our Ni family, no matter what trouble the other five leaders cause in other places, they can always stay safe and sound with Liang Kun.”

"But if you dare to sell your cigarettes on his turf, you're in trouble."

"He doesn't care who your background is; sinking cement into the sea is the least of his worries."

Ni Yongxiao's mini-lessons continue.

"I suspect that Liang Kun has been eyeing Hong Tai for a long time."

Luo Ji asked, puzzled:
"Why didn't he make his move sooner?"

Ni Yongxiao smiled and said:
"Like I said before, Leung Kwan follows the rules."

Luo Ji's eyes widened, his expression practically screaming, "I don't understand."

"Hung Hing is at least a Hung-branded organization. Other Hung-branded triads, such as Hung Ying, Hung On, Hung Lok, Hung Tai, and Hung Yee, are top-tier second-rate triads, even though they are not as powerful as Hung Hing."

"Even if Hung Hing has the intention, it shouldn't attack its own fellow members like this."

"Of course, apart from Hong Tai, the other Hong-named triads don't take on any drugs."

“Brother Kun is the Grand Marshal of Hung Hing, and he considers things much like the leader of the gang.”

“He wouldn’t let anyone label the Hung triads as ‘fanboys’.”

“Hong Tai has long been a thorn in his side.”

Luo Ji murmured, "Impossible?"

"No?" Ni Yongxiao asked with a light laugh, "You don't really think that the powder warehouse was discovered by Chen Guozhong's men, do you?"

"A powder warehouse of 20 million!"

"What a great achievement!"

"Given Chen Guozhong's strong sense of justice and hatred for evil, if he had known earlier that Hongtai had such a large powder warehouse, do you think he would have tolerated it until now?"

Luo Jiren was numb:

"what?"

"Did Liang Kun reveal this to him?"

“Otherwise what?” Ni Yongxiao sighed. “Aji, remember this: never, ever underestimate Liang Kun.”

"You should know that the first battle he fought to make a name for himself after his release from prison was against our Ni family!"

That's right, Leung Kwan became famous very early, five or six years ago.

But five years can change a lot of things, and new people emerge one after another.

However, Liang Kun quickly returned to the mainstream of the underworld by successfully establishing a foothold in the Ni family.

They've planted their flag deep within Ni's territory, which is a fatal mistake.

Luo Ji frowned and said:
"Mr. Ni, aren't we being too friendly to Liang Kun?"

Ni Yongxiao looked at Luo Ji in disbelief:

"You want to warn Handsome Kun?"

To be honest, Luo Ji had long forgotten that he was an undercover agent and was simply considering the issue from the perspective of being Ni Yongxiao's confidant—that's what Lu Qichang had told him anyway.

"As you said before, the reason why Liang Kun was able to successfully establish his presence on the Ni family's territory is most likely because he caught Hei Gui and Guo Liang doing something wrong."

“Actually, Liang Kun’s strength is not that great.”

"Back then, you hadn't completely subdued the Ni family. Now that we've established a firm foothold, shouldn't we make the Ni family's voice heard?"

"Wang Jianjun is indeed impressive, but we're not bad either, are we?"

"They handle knives, after all; we handle guns."

Luo Ji was silent for a while before speaking.
“A large part of Liang Kun’s reputation was actually gained by stepping on our Ni family. Blackie and Guo Liang didn’t dare to resist, but we are different.”

Ni Yongxiao shook his head:

"This time, that time."

“If I had returned to the Ni family before Liang Kun, perhaps this matter could have been resolved.”

"Your intentions are good, but the timing is not right."

Luo Ji immediately shut up.

Ni Yongxiao looked at Luo Ji with curiosity:

"You changed your mind after I said that?"

Luo Ji spoke the truth:

“Mr. Ni, I haven’t changed my mind. But I’m just your bodyguard, your gun.”

What kind of mindset does a gun need?

The implication is that Ni Yongxiao's thinking is his ideology.

Ni Yongxiao patted Luo Ji on the shoulder:

"Aji, you're the only one I can trust now."

Luo Ji didn't understand:
“Ni Sheng, you also have your third uncle and the others to help you.”

Ni Yongxiao waved his hand:

"Alright, that's enough. Go to sleep early."

Luo Ji didn't ask any more questions, bid farewell to Ni Yongxiao, and went to his room to sleep.

Ni Yongxiao stared intently at his retreating figure, murmuring:

"Third uncle?"

"I can't believe it all either."

"...Even if it were you, I wouldn't dare to trust you completely!"

Luo Ji had been with him for five years, and he had never made a single mistake in doing anything he was told to do.

It couldn't be safer.

Even so, he dared not believe it entirely.

That's how it is when you're in a club.

Police station on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays; funeral home on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays.

I just don't know which pavilion it will be at tomorrow.

To rise to the top in a gang, one can only rely on their own strength, or in other words, their subordinates.

How should I choose, little brother?
Of course, you should choose one that has been with you for a long time and is reliable.

If a subordinate is about to rise to prominence, it will take a considerable amount of time to observe and assess them.

Even with trust, it takes time to gradually bring him to the core level.

Being able to fight isn't anything special.

Having talent is nothing special.

Being safe and avoiding mistakes is the most important thing.

So what if you can make money quickly?

There are plenty of cases where people are born to earn money but not to spend it.

If you accidentally promote an undercover agent, the sky will fall!

Luo Ji had indeed followed Ni Yongxiao for five years, and he hadn't made a single mistake, but who knew if he was a human or a ghost?
This is not due to Ni Yongxiao's caution.

This is the code of conduct for all the big shots in the underworld.

Therefore, Wang Dao is truly fortunate.

Otherwise, it would have taken him many years to dispel Liang Kun's doubts, let alone to enter the core level.

As for Wang Dao's income... he has an intelligence system, so he naturally knows whether the other party is a human or a ghost.

Ni Yongxiao lacked an intelligence system like Wang Dao's, so even though he now controlled the Ni family, he still walked on thin ice, trembling with fear.

"Give Young Kun a warning?"

Ni Yongxiao's mouth was full of bitterness; he wanted to give Liang Kun a warning.

He's probably giving Liang Kun a warning, and Liang Kun will retaliate in kind—as long as he ignites the Ni family, the Ni family will be finished without Liang Kun even lifting a finger!

Ni Yongxiao knew that Liang Kun must know who killed his father.

He also knew that Leung Kwan had dirt on Blackie and Kwok Leung.

What he found absurd was that he sensed Liang Kun also had leverage over Han Chen. Damn, Liang Kun had leverage over three of the five leaders, plus the guy who murdered his father; it was possible that Liang Kun had leverage over everyone in the Ni family.

In this situation, you're asking Ni Yongxiao to warn Liang Kun?

Stop it!
Ni Yongxiao is now afraid that Liang Kun still remembers that there is a Ni family in Yau Tsim Mong.

He just wants to be invisible to Leung Kwan right now.

If Leung Kwan is ever unhappy, Ni Wing-hau feels like he could catch a cold!

The Ni family is currently facing internal and external troubles, and they really don't want to add another enemy.

Liang Kun is no ordinary shorty; he's a legitimate businessman, a darling of the legitimate world, and a smart guy.

"Ah Ji is good, but his thinking is still stuck in the gangster world!"

Ni Yongxiao could only manage a wry smile.

He was now hesitant to trust his third uncle, and completely distrusted the five leaders under his command. Luo Ji was a guy he was willing to trust, but... that guy was clearly more suited to be a bodyguard.

"Forget it, why should I think about these things?"

"Let's deal with this foreigner James first."

"I suppose this guy must be feeling the pain!"

……

"Chen Guozhong keeps his word!" James, who was being watched on TV at the police station, was also on Ni Yongxiao's mind.

James's eyes lit up: "Twenty million worth of goods, haha, this guy's a detective!"

Looking at the time, he dialed Chen Guozhong's number:

"Ah Zhong, congratulations on cracking another major drug trafficking case. I will keep my word and recommend you for a promotion."

James couldn't wait to label Chen Guozhong as one of his own; he had already imagined how happy Chen Guozhong would be after receiving this call.

“Thank you, James,” Chen Guozhong’s reaction was unexpected; he acted rather indifferently.

James asked curiously, "Zhong, you're about to get promoted, aren't you happy?"

"I wonder what position you plan to recommend me for, James?" Chen Guozhong asked in return.

James immediately said, "You're a senior inspector now, I'll recommend you for promotion to chief inspector."

“Logically speaking, you’ve just been promoted and don’t have enough years of service,” James said with a smile. “But I’m from Chongqing, and my superiors will approve my qualifications.”

Once again, to his surprise, Chen Guozhong did not feel any joy: "The Chief Inspector?"

James frowned and said, "Zhong, are you dissatisfied with your low position? Promotions in the police station are very serious and strict. It will be very difficult for you to be recommended for a promotion in such a short time."

"I know your abilities, but the higher-ups don't."

"Take it one step at a time, don't be overly ambitious."

As James spoke, he began to adopt the air of a senior police superintendent.

"Is that so?" Chen Guozhong smiled and said, "Then you won't need to trouble yourself, James."

James was shocked: "Zhong, what do you mean by this?"

“I thought you valued me highly,” Chen Guozhong said in a very indifferent tone, “but I didn’t expect you to just recommend me to be a chief inspector.”

James looked as if he'd seen a ghost: "Chief Inspector, you're not satisfied at all?"

“Personally, I’m quite satisfied with the Chief Inspector, after all, he’s much better than my current Senior Inspector, at least he’ll get more firewood and water,” Chan Kwok-chung said calmly. “However, my superior, Superintendent Chan Yan-kin, has already recommended me for promotion to Superintendent.”

WTF ?!
James was stunned: "You're kidding, right?"

Chen Guozhong chuckled and said, "Do you think I'm joking?"

“I just met with Inspector Chan, and he told me personally that he would recommend me to the boss for the promotion test, the superintendent promotion test.”

"I appreciate your kindness."

"However, let's not mention recommending me for the position of chief inspector."

James' face turned bright red.

Great!
Chen Xinjian's shrewd move almost hurt his back.

James wanted nothing more than to find Chen Xinjian and slap him a few times. How could you treat someone like this?
They bypassed the chief inspector and directly promoted someone to superintendent?

Is there any precedent for this?
Yes, there are plenty!

Does Chen Guozhong have such ability?
Of course!

The problem is that Chen Xinjian's actions fooled James.

He had fully expected that recommending Chen Guozhong as chief inspector would earn him gratitude, but now, Chen Guozhong probably sees him as an enemy!
There was nothing they could do; James was from Chongqing and a senior superintendent in the Special Branch.

His nomination quota is higher than Chen Xinjian's.

If HR sees two recommendation applications at the same time, one from Chen Xinjian and the other from James, even though they are both recommending the same person.

But even a fool knows who this recommendation should be given to.

As a result, Chan Kwok-chung, who was clearly eligible for promotion to superintendent, was instead demoted to chief inspector.

Anyone would be cursing in that situation.
Is this Shi En?
This is creating an enemy!
Blocking someone's future is a deadly enmity.

James's lips curled into a bitter smile as he cursed Chen Xinjian inwardly. "A guy like you doesn't need to be in such a hurry to recruit trusted confidants, does he?"

Needless to say, as long as Chen Xinjian submits the letter of recommendation, Chen Guozhong will remember the other party's kindness, regardless of whether it works out or not.

If I were to submit the recommendation letter myself, regardless of whether it succeeds or not, Chen Guozhong would definitely hold a grudge against me.

How is this possible? !
“Ah Chung, you know I don’t know what happened before.” James’s heart was bleeding. “Since Inspector Chan is willing to recommend you for the position of superintendent, then I am naturally willing to lend you a hand.”

"Don't worry, Ah Zhong, I will definitely help you."

"I'll recommend it to you the day after tomorrow, no, tomorrow!"

Chen Guozhong was overjoyed: "James, you're not kidding me, are you?"

"Don't worry, I won't lie." James just wanted to get by for now; he needed to think of a good plan.

Honest man Chen Guozhong said, "I don't believe it."

“If you believe me, that’s good…” James suddenly realized, “What? You don’t believe me?!”

Chen Guozhong bluntly stated, "I've seen plenty of people from Chongqing go back on their word."

"How can you expect me to believe you?" James was furious.

Chen Guozhong said calmly, "This concerns my future. I want you to swear an oath to the God you believe in."

"You actually want me to swear an oath?" James roared. "Zhong, we've been through gunfire together, and you don't believe me? You want me to swear an oath?"

Chen Guozhong retorted, "You're trying to block my future, can't I make you swear an oath?"

"Damn Chen Xinjian!" James cursed under his breath. Why did you have to recommend him for superintendent? Wouldn't it have been better to recommend him for chief inspector?

James hesitated. If he swore an oath, wouldn't he lose Chen Guozhong's trust from then on?

If you truly believe in yourself, it can be resolved in a single sentence.

There's no need for oaths!

Just as he was hesitating, Chen Guozhong's words struck him like a bolt from the blue!
"So you didn't want to swear an oath, did you?" Chen Guozhong's voice was cold. "So you wanted to block my future, didn't you?"

"James, you need to think this through. If you do this, you'll lose my friendship!"

James was shocked. "I was just thinking about how to talk to you, and you said something so heartless?"

Is the future really that important?
Then James thought of himself. If it weren't for his future, would he have bothered to travel across half a planet?
The future is important!
That's all!
“Ah Zhong, we’re brothers who’ve been through thick and thin together. How could I possibly stand in your way?” James quickly put aside his distracting thoughts and said decisively, “I swear to God, I, James, will definitely recommend Chen Guozhong for the position of superintendent.”

James sighed inwardly. He had actually been forced to swear an oath. Would Chen Guozhong doubt him now?
However, Chen Guozhong asked, "What punishment will you suffer for breaking your oath?"

James almost lost his temper!
"I've already sworn an oath, why are you still asking me what punishment I should receive?"

Chen Guozhong's voice turned cold.
"So you don't want to talk about what punishment you'll receive. You really are planning to break your promise, aren't you? You really want to ruin my future, aren't you?"

James almost swore!
To hell with the future.

However, his future was still very important, so James had no choice but to say:

“I swear to God, I will definitely recommend my good brother Chan Kwok-chung for the position of superintendent. If I, James, break my promise, I will never be able to return to Chongqing for the rest of my life, and I will never be able to enter heaven when I die.”

Chen Guozhong smiled and said:

"James, you really are a good brother."

"Then let's work hard for our future."

James thought to himself that this guy was really pragmatic, but he was quite puzzled:
"For our future?"

Chen Guozhong said matter-of-factly:
"You must work hard for my future, because my future is related to your future."

“If I lose my future, you will never return to the Fog City in this lifetime, and you will go to hell after you die.”

James was immediately stunned:
"Wait a minute... something doesn't seem right, does it?"

Chen Guozhong calmly replied, "How could it be wrong?"

"That's all right!"

"Okay, James, I have to hang up now."

"My brothers worked really hard tonight, so I have to treat them to dinner."

"See you tomorrow!"

James hung up the phone in astonishment. Chen Guozhong just hung up on him like that?
Is something wrong?!
What's wrong?

After thinking for a long time, James suddenly realized—

For the sake of Chen Guozhong's mere career as a police superintendent, he not only staked his present but also his future!

"Damn Chen Xinjian!"

"Damn Chen Guozhong!"

"What a cunning fellow!"

James was on the verge of tears.

(End of this chapter)