Hong Kong Film Intelligence King

Chapter 263 A Magical Day for Team Stone

Shi Bao has been in a daze for the past two days.

He felt very conflicted.

Recruiting henchmen in Hong Kong is really easy. Chen Yongren set up his flag, made a few phone calls to a few familiar underlings, and then more than a thousand people gathered.

It didn't take an hour in total.

Chen Yongren explained, "These people are the other big shots in the gang, like blue lanterns."

Of course, Shi Bao knew what Blue Lantern was; it was a club intern!

He just hadn't expected there to be so many interns in Mong Kok.

"A lot? In Mong Kok, which building doesn't have hundreds of blue lanterns?"

Shi Bao was very surprised. Is making blue lanterns really that good?
"Blue Lantern doesn't have a fixed supply of firewood and water. They can only earn some money for transportation and tea when the gang is drying their horses. Our Hung Hing, or more accurately, Mong Kok, is special."

"You heard it during Dao-ge's meeting: everyone in our Blue Lanterns club has a job."

"As long as that blue lantern is willing to work with us, he won't have to worry about food and drink for a month."

"I wouldn't say I'm rich, but I can definitely earn enough to cover my own expenses. As long as I don't spend money recklessly, I can even save some money at the end of the month."

"This attracted a lot of blue lanterns."

"It's just that Lao Dingkun and Da Lao Dao are rather lazy, or rather, they don't care that much about managing the gang, and they don't hold the incense hall very often."

"Otherwise, who knows how many people would join our gang."

Chen Yongren was very proud.

Stone Leopard frowned and asked:

"What about the other clubs?"

Chen Yongren curled his lip:

"Those who are out in the game are pragmatic, and Blue Lantern is even more pragmatic."

"Follow whoever offers the most benefits."

"Among the surrounding gangs, we offer the best treatment. Otherwise, why would they come here?"

Stone Leopard instinctively asked:
"Could these guys have spies from other gangs among them?"

Chen Yongren nodded:

"There definitely is!"

Stone Leopard asked, puzzled:
"Then why are you still accepting it?"

Chen Yongren laughed and said:
"This requires us to carefully distinguish between them."

"It takes quite a while for a blue lantern to become a red lantern."

"Don't use your experience as an example; you're an exception."

"If the big boss trusts you, then there's no need for investigation."

"In fact, the most crucial step in turning a blue lantern into a red lantern is gaining the trust of the big boss!"

Stone Leopard nodded slowly.

He always had a strange feeling, as if he had no secrets from Wang Dao.

This is impossible, but the feeling is quite strong.

Once everyone had arrived, Chen Yongren busied himself with making arrangements, and it was at this moment that Shi Bao's role became apparent.

After all, Shi Bao is from Team Shi, and he has proper management experience.

In some ways, triads value the authority of their leaders even more than police stations. With just a few casual instructions, he could arrange over a thousand people in an orderly manner.

Chen Yongren was stunned:

"Brother Leopard, you actually have such talent. No wonder the big boss wants me to learn from you."

"You absolutely have to teach me."

Stone Leopard was happy to teach him:

"It's very simple. You have a general framework in mind, and then you treat people as a module within it and fill it in slowly."

Chen Yongren asked, puzzled:

What if it's not suitable?

Shi Bao bluntly stated:
"Adjust it gradually."

"Think about it, we don't know these people at all, so let's assume they all meet the requirements."

"Just assign them tasks, and check back in a week. By then, everyone's abilities will be on display."

"Even if there are mistakes, what kind of mistakes can one make?"

"They want to become the red lanterns, and they will inevitably demonstrate their abilities."

“Talented people will stand out, and you can take your time to select them.”

“What is unsuitable will naturally become apparent.”

Chen Yongren suddenly realized what was happening, and he was overjoyed:

"Let's go, it's getting late, let's go home."

Stone Leopard asked in bewilderment:
"Going home? Not staying at the shop anymore?"

Chen Yongren rolled his eyes:

"This is a shop, not a home."

"gone!"

So that day, Shi Bao followed Chen Yongren to his home.

The stone leopard was stunned.

Do gangsters live in such nice houses?
A large, single-level apartment of nearly 1,000 square meters!
In 1981, material resources were not abundant, and even in Guangdong, it was rare to find such a large single-story building.

Most importantly, this is a huge single-level apartment with an unbeatable ocean view.

"How about it? This is a house that the big boss rewarded me with." Chen Yongren was very proud, but then he regretted it. "Ah Bao, you're too late. Otherwise, you would have had a house like this too."

Stone Leopard was even more bewildered:
"Oh, there's one for me too?"

Chen Yongren solemnly said:

"Of course, the boss takes great care of his younger brother."

"I am truly fortunate to be the younger brother of the big boss."

"However, all of these houses have been allocated. If you want one, you'll probably have to wait for the next batch."

"However, you'll still get a share of the thousand-square-foot mansion."

Stone Leopard didn't believe it:

"How can I get a house right after joining?"

Chen Yongren casually said:

"There's precedent for this!"

“That’s how it was for me before. The big boss doesn’t just give houses to people casually, but since they are his close confidants, they still get the houses they’re entitled to even if they haven’t made any great contributions.”

“Like me, I used to own an 800-square-foot mansion.”

"It's also in Repulse Bay, but that building is in a better location than this one."

"Of course, if you have a 10,000-square-foot mansion, who would still live in a 1,000-square-foot mansion, right?"

Shi Bao was completely speechless, and after a long while, he managed to utter a sentence:
"Are these kinds of benefits common in Hong Kong after you've made connections with a powerful figure?"

Chen Yongren said speechlessly:

"What are you thinking about?"

"Someone like our boss is one of a kind."

"Even among the big shots in our club, there aren't many who have the big-spending style of the big shots and the top bosses."

"Take Han Bin for example, he's the big boss of Kwai Tsing. He's in the smuggling business and has a lot of influence."

"But he didn't equip his base with such features."

"Generally speaking, the big boss divides up territories for the younger ones, and everything has to be done by themselves."

Shi Bao nodded. That's more like it. I almost thought all the research I did before coming here was for nothing.

"However, the big boss and Master Ding said that doing it this way is wrong."

"The big brother protects the little brother, and the little brother supports the big brother. That's what brothers should do."

“Let me tell you, our boss suffered some injustice when he was in power, so he didn’t want us younger brothers to suffer the same injustice, which is why he changed his way of doing things.”

Shi Bao immediately became interested: "What grievances did Lao Ding suffer back then?"

Chen Yongren then recounted what had happened back then, leaving Shi Bao completely bewildered:
"What? You've just been given an empty title, and you have to do everything yourself?"

Chen Yongren shrugged:

"Fortifications, that's basically how all the triads in Hong Kong operate."

"Old Ding, that's how the Crown Prince and the others all got through it."

Stone Leopard suddenly realized:
"No wonder Lao Ding harbors resentment!"

Chen Yongren then said:
"However, some people are the confidants of the leaders or the bosses. When they take office, they don't need to be cannon fodder."

"Some positions are vacant in the leadership of the triad branches. Since the triad elections are being held, there's no need to act as a support role."

Stone Leopard nodded slowly and said:

"I've just arrived in Hong Kong and I'm eager to learn about it. Is there a way for me to quickly get to know it?"

Chen Yongren asked:
Which part of Hong Kong do you want to know about?

Shi Bao smiled wryly:
"Clubs, of course!"

Chen Yongren thought for a moment and said:
"Let's go see a movie then."

Stone Leopard's eyes widened:
"Huh? Going to see a movie?"

Chen Yongren explained:

"Our company recently produced a movie called 'The Emperor's Disciple,' which is based on a true story."

"Perfect, everything you're concerned about is in there!"

Stone Leopard checks the time:

"Is this time suitable?"

Chen Yongren disagreed:
"It's only ten o'clock, just the time when nightlife starts."

So the two of them went to the nearest movie theater.

Goodness, I almost couldn't get a ticket.

Chen Yongren sighed:
"I knew this movie was popular before, but I didn't expect it to be this popular."

"No wonder it was able to achieve a box office of 15 million in such a short time."

Stone Leopard exclaimed in surprise:
"Did our company film this ourselves?"

Chen Yongren nodded:

"Yes, I also put in a lot of effort."

Back then, Wang Dao threw Chen Yongren into the film crew and put him through a lot of trouble in order to train him.

No one else in the company truly understood this movie better than him.

Chen Yongren bought soda and popcorn, and then took Shi Bao into the movie theater.

Shi Bao watched the movie intently, while Chen Yongren explained it to him from the side.

When he saw Ahe asking Gu Shouzhong to explain the numbers to him, he said:
"The police have toned it down now, but before, they were truly corrupt cops, and the police and criminals were in cahoots." "More than ten years ago, Lei Luo led the police to protect drug dealers, which was truly a sad sight."

Shi Bao nodded slowly; he knew this history better than Chen Yongren.

When he saw the three triads, Lung Fei, Ah Wo, and Hung Hing, fighting each other, Shi Bao frowned and said:
"Is it that crazy?"

"You dare to do this in broad daylight?"

Chen Yongren shrugged:

"It is generally not allowed."

"The police will crack down on this kind of behavior severely."

Stone Leopard said in astonishment:
"What does it mean?"

"Do we have to report to the police station when we do things?"

His implication was practically that the police station was in cahoots with gangsters and criminals.

Chen Yongren misunderstood, and he explained:
"The police station is not capable of taking down all the triads in Hong Kong."

"After all, there are too many people in the triads. There are four or five million triad members in Hong Kong. But there are only 30,000 frontline police officers in the police stations."

"Most importantly, Hong Kong's prisons can only hold 30,000 people when they are fully occupied!"

Stone Leopard fell silent.

"However, while the police station may not be able to wipe out all the gangs, it is more than capable of targeting a single gang."

“No ordinary gang would ignore the orders of the police station.”

"When two clubs are having a fight, they usually don't choose the daytime, they only choose the nighttime."

"We also need to avoid crowded places and not disturb ordinary citizens."

"As for gang violence, the police don't care how many people are injured or killed."

Shi Bao nodded silently; this was a helpless move by his Hong Kong counterparts.

When police resources are insufficient, compromises have to be made to some extent.

The police don't care how many gangsters die, as long as ordinary Hong Kong citizens are not harmed.

With this in mind, Shi Bao's impression of his Hong Kong counterparts changed considerably.

"As for the scenes in the movie, whether it's Long Fei or A He, they are all drug dealers."

“Powder vendors are the most unscrupulous.”

"Naturally, it comes about as wildly as possible."

"The Gu family has been bullied so badly that they've lost their temper."

Stone Leopard did say something fair:

"If we don't fight back fiercely when others are bullying us at our doorstep, we'll have no place in this world."

Chen Yongren disagreed:
"They acted too impulsively."

Shi Bao gave Chen Yongren a curious look:
"what will you do?"

Chen Yongren thought for a moment and said:
“Long Fei and A He may seem to have no weaknesses, but their weaknesses are actually quite obvious.”

Shi Bao was taken aback:
"You mean?"

Chen Yongren sneered:

"Pink Warehouse!"

"For those who sell drugs, their drug bank is their lifeline. Destroying the drug bank destroys their source of income."

"Another benefit is that it will drive them crazy."

"Once a person goes crazy, they will do things that are not rational."

"That's when the flaws will be revealed."

Stone Leopard seemed to be deep in thought:
"It seems you've done some research specifically on people who sell their products."

Chen Yongren grinned:
"There was a time when I wanted someone to die every single moment!"

Shi Bao immediately understood that Chen Yongren was referring to Ni Kun.

The other party's hatred for Ni Kun was etched deep in their blood.

Stone Leopard quickly changed the subject:
"Isn't this Inspector Leung too rigid in his approach?"

Chen Yongren was taken aback:
"Old-fashioned?"

His expression was somewhat strange.
"I thought you were saying he was cold-hearted."

Stone Leopard shook his head:
"No, that's not it. Inspector Leung clearly understands human relationships, but he just doesn't know how to be flexible."

"By rigidly adhering to the regulations of the police station, we were instead outmaneuvered by the gangsters."

Chen Yongren's mouth dropped open:

"Oh, you can understand it that way?"

Stone Leopard thought for a moment and said:

"This is not Leung Sir's fault, it's the fault of his superiors, the foreigners."

"The task the foreigners gave him was simply to quell the conflict between three gangs; they never even considered eradicating the gangs. No matter how capable Inspector Leung was, he couldn't do anything about it."

Chen Yongren said blankly:

"That's actually the case."

Shi Bao pointed to the big screen and said:
"Is this the finale now?"

"Look how ridiculous this is, Inspector Leung brought the riot police just to separate the two triads' members..."

"If I were Inspector Leung, with such a weapon at my disposal, why would I need to mediate a fight?"

"Wouldn't it be better if I just arrested you all?"

"To catch the thief, first catch the king!"

"With both leaders gone, you can do whatever you want with your allies, it doesn't matter how many people die!"

"My riot police will come out when you're tired of fighting."

Chen Yongren was dumbfounded:
"Ah Leopard, you're so cunning!"

Stone Leopard said speechlessly:
"What do you call insidious?"

"That's called tactics!"

"If I were Gu Xiaoyu, I wouldn't have a big duel with Long Fei. How dare he, a mere fan, fight me?"

"I'll just send in some knife-wielders to kill him."

"They've sent assassins to kill your family, and you're still acting all refined and gentlemanly, like a chivalrous knight-errant, exchanging blows?"

"Does Long Fei even deserve the treatment of a chivalrous knight?"

Chen Yongren thought it made sense.

Stone Leopard shook his head again after seeing the ending:
"Look, Inspector Leung has actually been made a scapegoat."

"Those foreigners are really cunning."

Chen Yongren whispered:

"This was specially written by the big boss."

Shi Bao raised an eyebrow.

Chen Yongren chuckled:
"The big boss told me personally that firstly, foreigners are really scum, and we should give them a good dressing down."

"Another point is that, since this is a movie funded by the club, we need to glorify the club a bit."

Shi Bao suddenly realized:

"I understand. In this kind of operation, the undercover agents sent into the gang should either die on the spot, defect directly, or be ostracized after returning to the police station?"

Chen Yongren gave a thumbs up:

"That's right!"

Shi Bao smiled, but inwardly thought Wang Dao was truly treacherous.

If such a movie were made, ordinary people would think that being an undercover cop in the police force has no future.

In reality, cops who successfully infiltrate triads, earn merit, and return to the force level up very quickly.

The fact that you were willing to go undercover shows that you have the ability and courage.

He will definitely be highly valued by the police station.

Shi Bao shook his head and smiled as he watched the finale:
"Aside from the not-so-good ending, the movie was quite enjoyable."

Chen Yongren shrugged:

"Well, this is the reality of our Hong Kong triads."

"If you quit being a fan, you won't be well-liked anywhere unless all the members of that group quit."

"The Hung Hing in the movie is a family-run business, and the change of leadership is very peaceful."

"In fact, in some gangs, when it comes to choosing a leader, it's a real battle of wits!"

Stone Leopard nodded slowly:

"Okay, I basically understand."

"Ah Ren, thank you."

Chen Yongren disagreed:
"We're good brothers, aren't we?"

Shi Bao solemnly said:
"Brothers."

He thought to himself, "Sorry, I'm not your good brother."

Just as the two were about to go get something to eat, Chen Yongren's phone rang. It was Wang Dao calling:
"Ah Ren, there are still a few thousand-square-foot rooms left in that building. Let Ah Bao choose one himself."

When Chen Yongren explained the situation, Shi Baoren was stunned. What? They really gave him a house?

Shi Bao took the phone and said:

"Boss, I haven't done anything, so it's unacceptable for me to accept this house like this."

Wang Dao smiled and said:

"Who said you haven't accomplished anything?"

"Ah Bao, it's a great achievement that you came to Hong Kong and found me!"

Shi Bao's heart skipped a beat; that feeling of being seen through returned.

"Remember, you only have three months to familiarize yourself with everything in Hong Kong."

"Just tell Ah-Ren where you want to get familiar with."

"Three months from now, or maybe less than three months, I will send you back to be our pioneer."

"Don't live your life like Ah Ren, drifting aimlessly. He still doesn't have any goals in life."

“You’re different; your goals should be very clear.”

Shi Bao was sweating profusely.
"Brother Dao, I don't understand what you're saying."

Wang Dao remained smiling.

"It doesn't matter if you don't understand, just memorize it."

"Remember this: we are patriotic, our roots are in the mainland, and we are sworn enemies with foreigners!"

"Still don't understand?"

"Then recite this to me five hundred times before you go to sleep, so that when you get back and someone asks you, you don't relay the wrong message."

I've definitely been exposed!
(End of this chapter)