Courtyard House: First, kill the hypocrites, leave none alive.

Hong Kong Island, Tsim Sha Tsui.

The curtains in the suite on the eighth floor of that upscale hotel were drawn tightly shut, letting in no light at all.

Only a floor lamp was lit in the room, casting a dim yellow light on the large sofa. On the coffee table sat an opened bottle of whiskey and two glasses, most of the whiskey already gone, the air thick with the mixed smell of alcohol and tobacco.

William sat on the sofa, his tie loosened, and the top two buttons of his shirt undone, revealing the reddened skin on his neck.

He was holding a glass of wine, the amber liquid swirling in it, a few drops spilling out and soaking into his trousers, but he didn't notice.

His once ever-smiling face now looked droopy, his eyes were sunken, his lips were dry, and stubble was growing on his chin, making him look ten years older.

Xie Wanying sat opposite him, wearing a dark green cheongsam with a perfectly low neckline, her hair pulled up high, and light makeup on her face, her eyes showing just the right amount of concern.

She was also holding a glass of wine, but she didn't drink it; she just held it, her fingers slowly stroking the rim of the glass.

William tilted his head back and gulped down the rest of the liquor in his glass. The strong liquor burned his throat, but he didn't even flinch. He slammed the empty glass down on the coffee table, the glass bottom hitting the wooden surface with a dull thud.

"Ms. Xie."

He spoke, his voice hoarse like sandpaper scraping against sheet metal, and looked up at Xie Wanying, his eyes bloodshot.

"What should I do? If we can't find those guns, I'll be fired."

Xie Wanying looked at him, her finger pausing on the rim of the cup.

She knew William couldn't bear to leave Hong Kong Island.

Back in England, he was just an ordinary policeman, earning a fixed salary, living in a small apartment, patrolling the rainy streets of London, and nobody bothered to even glance at him.

But on Hong Kong Island, he was British, a senior police officer, living in a hotel suite, drinking whiskey, and everyone bowed and called him "Mr. William".

With women, money, power, and a glamorous world, who would be willing to leave?

She put down her wine glass, leaned forward slightly, and lowered her voice: "Mr. William, it seems you need to find some scapegoats."

William was taken aback.

He looked at Xie Wanying, at her face that appeared exceptionally gentle in the dim light, her eyes gleaming faintly.

His mind raced, and then he understood.

Scapegoat – No need to find the real culprit, just someone to confess.

"Ms. Xie, you mean...?"

His voice was a little dry.

Xie Wanying leaned back on the sofa, picked up her wine glass, and took a sip.

The whiskey was strong, burning her throat, but she didn't show it on her face. She just slowly swallowed it and put the glass back on the coffee table.

"Mr. William, think about it, does it matter who stole those guns? What the higher-ups want isn't the real culprit, but an explanation."

William's eyes lit up.

He remembered his boss's ashen face, the order to solve the case within a limited time, and his colleagues who were waiting to see him make a fool of himself.

They don't care about the truth; all they care about is someone taking responsibility.

"Ms. Xie, you're right."

He leaned forward, placed his hands on his knees, and his eyes regained their light.

"But where can we find a scapegoat?"

Xie Wanying smiled.

The smile was brief, fleeting in the light. She picked up her glass and took another sip; this time it wasn't as strong, and she tasted a faint sweetness on her tongue.

"Mr. William, there are so many scoundrels in Hong Kong. If you just grab a few and throw them at the authorities, who knows if they're genuine?"

William was stunned, then he laughed too.

The smile slowly spread from the corners of his mouth, and the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes smoothed out.

He reached for the wine bottle on the coffee table, poured himself a glass, and raised it to Xie Wanying.

"Ms. Xie, you are truly my lucky star."

Xie Wanying also raised her glass and clinked it with his. The two drank it down in one gulp.

William leaned back on the sofa, let out a long sigh, placed the empty glass on the coffee table, leaned back, stared at the ceiling for a few seconds, then sat up straight and frowned.

"But if we just arrest a few thugs, will the higher-ups believe us?"

Xie Wanying looked at him and tapped her fingers lightly twice on the sofa armrest.

"Then find a few influential people. Those local thugs at the docks, those black market brokers—any one of them has a dirty past. Smuggle a few guns into their homes, catch them red-handed, what can the higher-ups say then?"

William's eyes grew brighter and brighter.

He thought of the thugs at the dock who collected protection money, the brokers in Temple Street who dealt in stolen goods, and the small fry who were always on the police's radar but could never be caught.

Pick a few out at random and interrogate them relentlessly; they'll confess eventually.

"Ms. Xie, you're amazing."

He reached out, picked up the wine bottle, and was about to pour more wine.

Xie Wanying raised her hand to stop him.

"Mr. William, please drink less. Business is more important."

William paused for a moment, looked at the wine bottle in his hand, then at Xie Wanying, then smiled and put the bottle back.

"Yes, business comes first."

He stood up, straightened his collar, retied his tie, and resumed his English gentlemanly demeanor, though his face still bore the flush of alcohol.

He walked to the door and glanced back at Xie Wanying.

"Ms. Xie, wait for my good news."

He pushed open the door, strode out, and his footsteps gradually faded into the distance in the corridor.

The door closed behind her, leaving Xie Wanying alone in the room.

She leaned back on the sofa, looking at the ceiling, a slight smile playing on her lips.

The smile was brief, fleeting in the dim light. She picked up the half-finished glass of whiskey on the coffee table and sipped it slowly.

William found a scapegoat, delivered on his promise, and kept his position.

From now on, he will owe her a favor.

In Hong Kong Island, personal connections are more effective than money.

She stood up, walked to the window, and pulled back the curtains a crack.

Outside, the night view of Victoria Harbour unfolds, with twinkling lights reflected on the water like scattered gold dust.

She looked at the lights, her face expressionless.

Three days later, Yau Ma Tei Police Station.

The detective's office door was closed, and the curtains were drawn.

William sat behind his desk, several statements laid out in front of him, and several evidence bags next to him containing several handguns. The serial numbers had been filed off, but the ballistics reports were underneath them, clearly written in black and white.

The door was pushed open, and Lei Luo walked in.

He was dressed in a crisp police uniform, his face expressionless, standing in front of his desk, looking at William.

"Mr. William, you wanted to see me?"

William looked up, a smile on his face, a smile full of smugness.

He passed those statements over to them.

"Detective Lei, the case is solved. The gun thieves have been caught. It was the men at the docks who did it, intending to sell it to warlords in Southeast Asia. They were caught red-handed, and their confessions are complete."

Lei Luo looked down at the statements, turning the pages one by one.

Dock thugs, black market brokers, illegal immigrants—he'd never heard of any of those names.

He put down his statement and looked at William.

"Mr. William, these people..."

William interrupted him. "What? Detective Lei has questions?"

Lei Luo paused for a second, then shook his head.

"No. Thank you for your hard work, Mr. William."

William smiled and leaned back in his chair.

"Detective Lei, you also contributed a lot to solving this case so quickly. I will report to my superiors."

Lei Luo's face remained expressionless; he simply nodded.

"Mr. William, you're too kind. I'll head out now."

He turned and walked out of the office, closing the door behind him.

In the corridor, Lei Luo stood by the window, looking at the gray sky below.

A faint smile appeared on his lips, but it was fleeting, disappearing as soon as it was reflected in the windowpane.