The Hunter's Path: Starting as a constable, ascend to the Old Ones.

"Ah Ming, did Inspector Wong make things difficult for you by keeping you here?"

When Lu Ming came out of Huang Bingyao's office, Uncle Biao and Chen Jiaju, who were waiting for him outside, both looked at him with concern.

Lu Ming said with a smile, "Inspector Huang appreciates me a lot. He praised me for being shrewd and capable, and is preparing to recommend me to participate in this year's probationary inspector exam."

It's worth mentioning that whether you can take the probationary inspector exam has nothing to do with your rank. Even if you are just an ordinary police officer, as long as you are recommended by your superiors, you can still take the probationary inspector exam. And if you pass the exam, you can skip the intermediate ranks such as sergeant and police station sergeant and be promoted directly to probationary inspector.

"Could Fatty Huang really be that kind?"

Uncle Biao glanced at Lu Ming suspiciously. As a seasoned veteran in the police force, he was very familiar with Huang Bingyao's personality; calling him a chameleon wouldn't be an exaggeration.

Is someone leaving Lu Ming alone simply to express their appreciation for him?

That's impossible.

He immediately dismissed the idea, secretly thinking that Huang Bingyao must have privately told Lu Ming some confidential matters.

Moreover, the examination slots for probationary inspectors are highly coveted by the major police districts. The fact that Huang Bingyao was willing to offer them as a condition to win over Lu Ming shows that he was going all out, indicating that the matter he entrusted to Lu Ming was definitely not simple.

Of course, he wouldn't delve into the secrets inside, lest he get himself into trouble.

He simply pretended not to know.

"Does Inspector Wong want to recommend you for this year's probationary inspector exam?"

Chan Ka-kui looked miserable. He had worked diligently at the Central Police Station for so many years, but he was still stuck at the rank of police sergeant. Luk Ming had only been a policeman for a short time, and his rank was about to surpass his.

This made him extremely upset.

It's not that I'm jealous of Lu Ming, it's just...

Sigh, what a worry.

He sighed inwardly.

……

Upon returning to the Major Crimes Unit, Lu Ming and his two colleagues immediately ordered the unit to halt the investigation, claiming that the case had been taken over by the General Administration's Major Crimes Unit due to its serious nature.

The officers from the Major Crimes Unit mistakenly believed that the so-called "serious nature" referred to the murder of their undercover agent, Wang Li, which enraged their superiors, who then assigned the Major Crimes Unit to take over the case.

They suspected that this guy named Wang Li was probably an undercover agent sent out by headquarters, which was why headquarters was paying so much attention to him.

Uncle Biao looked at the disbanded Major Crimes Unit, then at Lu Ming and Chen Jiaju, and said earnestly, "Jiaju, Ah Ming, you... don't cause trouble for the police station. Think twice before you act."

He knew that, given Chan Ka-kui's personality, it was impossible for him to truly let go of this case. Even if he was strictly forbidden from interfering, he would still secretly investigate it behind the scenes.

Especially after learning that Da Fei was not only involved in Wang Li's murder case, but also in arms dealing and terrorists... given Chen Jiaju's meticulous nature, he would not stop until he had brought this whole group to justice.

Lu Ming was originally someone he trusted completely, but he knew that Lu Ming was likely given a major secret mission by Huang Bingyao, and this secret mission was very likely related to Da Fei's arms case.

In other words, neither of their two best officers at the Central Police Station would give up on a thorough investigation into the Tai Fei arms case and the series of subsequent events.

Of course, it would be great if he could perform meritorious service, but... looking at Chen Jiaju, who was known for both performing meritorious service and causing trouble, he suddenly had a headache.

Chen Jiaju said earnestly, "Uncle Biao, we're not children, we won't cause you any trouble."

"..."

You're the most unreliable person to say that.

You, Chan Ka-kui, have repeatedly assured the police station, but when have you ever truly corrected your behavior?

Uncle Biao thought to himself.

"Uncle Biao, I know what I'm doing."

Lu Ming said this.

……

"Ah Ming, from which angle do you plan to begin investigating Da Fei?"

Chen Jiaju and Lu Ming came out of the police station and discussed the direction of the investigation into the case.

"Wang Li is an undercover agent sent out by the General Administration. His mission is to find out the location of the batch of weapons in Da Fei's possession. So I plan to investigate the people Wang Li has been in contact with recently and find a breakthrough from them."

When Lu Ming thought of the people Wang Li had been in contact with, the image of Cao Dahua, a cowardly and opportunistic tiger in the Major Crimes Unit, immediately came to mind. If his memory served him right, he remembered that Wang Li had secretly met with Cao Dahua before his death and told Cao Dahua the location where the weapons were hidden.

However, Cao Dahua kept it a secret because he was afraid of dying.

In this way, his goal became very clear.

All we need to do is get Cao Dahua to reveal the location of the weapons cache.

Huang Bingyao's sidearm was mixed in with this batch of weapons.

"This is indeed a good direction for the investigation," Chen Jiaju said excitedly. "I will follow Dafei, and if there is an opportunity, I will install a listening device in Dafei's office to try to keep track of Dafei's every move at all times."

"Let's split up!"

"Walk."

Chen Jiaju, being a restless person, would never actually obey orders to abandon the investigation of Dafei's case. Upon learning that this arms case involved a terrorist attack that threatened the safety of the entire Hong Kong Island, he could not possibly turn a blind eye.

Just as the director often criticizes him for having a serious sense of individual heroism, it is his character to knowingly walk into danger.

This is also the biggest headache for the director and Uncle Biao.

……

"Cao Dahua, an employee of St. Yuk Keung Secondary School, works as a cleaner at the school. He lives a frugal life, suffers from severe Parkinson's syndrome, and has a son named Zhou Xingxing."

"Zhou Xingxing, a freshman at St. Yuqiang Middle School, is the son of Cao Dahua, a cleaner at the school. His academic performance was originally terrible, but recently, with the help of his teachers, his grades have improved."

Lu Ming held Cao Dahua and Zhou Xingxing's basic information in his hand. Looking at the photos and introductions of the two "acquaintances" in the information, he couldn't help but smile knowingly.

"It's time to meet these two."

He put the documents away, stepped on the gas, and headed straight for the address recorded in the documents.

Like Wang Li, Cao Dahua and Zhou Xingxing were also undercover agents sent out by Huang Bingyao. However, unlike Wang Li, who was specifically tasked with tracking and investigating the Da Fei arms case, Cao Dahua and Zhou Xingxing's mission was to retrieve Huang Bingyao's lost service pistol.

Zhou Xingxing was originally the captain of the Flying Tigers elite squad, but during a simulated exercise, he acted arbitrarily, resulting in the death of all his team members. He was deemed unqualified by the instructor and almost got kicked out of the squad.

Cao Dahua, on the other hand, was an incompetent undercover agent.

Huang Bingyao chose these two "useless" individuals because they wouldn't attract attention, which is why he sent them undercover at St. Yuk Keung Secondary School to secretly investigate the missing service pistol.

It must be said that Wong Bing-yiu's plan was very reasonable. He had Chow Sing-sing disguise himself as a student and infiltrate the group of students who were the most suspicious, while he had Tsao Ta-wah infiltrate the school to provide support and conduct a secret investigation.

A two-pronged approach.

The plan had been very well thought out.

But Huang Bingyao never expected that Zhou Xingxing, whose grades were so bad that he almost couldn't even get into school, would end up doing his homework at the General Headquarters and even asking him to help solve a love triangle problem. Huang Bingyao was so angry that he almost smashed Zhou Xingxing's head with a scissor kick.

Cao Dahua is a complete scoundrel. After being an undercover agent for so many years, he hasn't collected a single piece of useful intelligence and can't be relied on at all.

Huang Bingyao was at his wit's end, so he thought of sending Lu Ming, a police elite who had solved many strange cases, to investigate secretly, while promising him a spot in the probationary inspector exam as a bribe and hush money.

……

"Help!"

When Lu Ming drove to Cao Dahua and Zhou Xingxing's residence, he heard a cry for help before he even got out of the car. He frowned, opened his holster, and activated Eagle Eye with a glint in his eyes.

The situation within a hundred meters came into his view.

In a dimly lit alley, three thugs wielding baseball bats are beating a man who has been covered in a black plastic bag.

Street fight!?

Puzzled, Lu Ming raised his .38 rifle and shouted a warning: "Police, don't move!"

Without understanding the situation, he dared not fire his gun recklessly.

Of course, he carefully examined the three gangsters, and his keen intuition did not detect any danger from them, proving that the three gangsters were not carrying any firearms.

"They're cops, get out of here!"

The three gangsters were taken aback when they saw Lu Ming appear. They didn't dare to linger and immediately fled.

"Sir, help! Someone's trying to kill me! Help!"

After the three thugs slipped away, the man with the black plastic bag on his head wandered around like a headless fly, eventually crashing headfirst into the hood of a car parked by the roadside, desperately trying to pry the black plastic bag off his head.

Judging from his appearance, he was none other than Cao Dahua, whom Lu Ming was looking for.

"Uncle Da, what happened?"

Just then, a smart woman with short hair, who was in a bad mood, came out from the small courtyard next door. When she saw Cao Dahua crashing into the front of the car in a disheveled state, she immediately turned pale and went forward to help him up.

"Teacher He, please let me explain. That packet of stuff really was bubble gum... Uncle Da, who did it?"

Zhou Xingxing, who lived under the same roof as Cao Dahua, rushed out in a panic. When he saw Cao Dahua with a black plastic bag over his head and his face covered in bruises, he frowned and looked at Lu Ming, who had just put away his gun. "Did you do this? You're asking for it!"

"Teacher He, help my dad back, I'll deal with him."

Like Bruce Lee, Stephen Chow touched his nose and said, "Kid, you dare to cause us trouble? You've bitten off more than you can chew. Let me tell you the truth, I'm a 7th Dan in Taekwondo."

"Ah Xing, be careful."

"Don't worry, Teacher He. I could take on ten of those weaklings."

In front of the woman he loves, Stephen Chow stands tall and proud, like a rooster stepping into a gladiatorial arena, trying his best to make himself look majestic and domineering.

He Min helped Cao Dahua back, and Cao Dahua, baring his teeth, shouted, "Ah Xing, it's a misunderstanding, it's a misunderstanding..."

"Dad, don't be afraid, I'll get revenge for you."

Zhou Xingxing yelled "Ah-da!" and lunged at Lu Ming with a powerful leap. Lu Ming, seeing this elite Flying Tigers officer, drew his gun again without a word, shouting, "Police officer, don't move!"

"Eh? Eh? Eh!"

Stephen Chow slammed on the brakes, raising his hands high, "Officer, this is a misunderstanding."

Cao Dahua covered his eyes, not wanting to see.

"police!?"

He Min was also stunned for a moment, but when she saw the police ID that Lu Ming took out, she breathed a sigh of relief and hurriedly stepped forward to explain, "Officer, this must be a misunderstanding. Ah Xing didn't mean to attack you."

"Yes, yes, sir, Ah Xing was just too concerned about me, that's why he misunderstood." Cao Dahua, his face bruised and swollen from being beaten, forced a smile and said, "Ah Xing is still a student, sir, you're a magnanimous person, don't hold it against him."

"Are you Cao Dahua?"

Lu Ming's gaze swept over Zhou Xingxing, He Min, and Cao Dahua before finally settling on Cao Dahua. He proceeded directly with the questioning procedure, "I am a police officer from the Major Crimes Unit of the Central Police Station, PC9848, Sergeant Lu Ming. I suspect you are involved in a murder case. Please come with me."

"You're Inspector Lu, the one who killed the notorious thief Ji Zhengxiong?!"

He Min looked at Lu Ming with some surprise. Although Lu Ming had made the headlines two or three times, to be honest, he was not a big star. Most people might think he looked familiar, but it would be difficult to recognize him.

Stephen Chow and Tsao Ta-hua exchanged a glance. Oh, they're on the same side.

"Wait, Inspector Lu, are you saying my father is involved in a murder case?"

Stephen Chow's eyes widened in disbelief. Could a coward like Tsao Ta-hua be involved in a murder case?

Cao Dahua's eyes flickered, feeling somewhat guilty and dejected. He already understood why Lu Ming had come to his door. Wang Li was his old classmate. They had studied together at the police academy, but unexpectedly, during their studies, the entire class was selected by Huang Bingyao to go undercover.

Over the years, most of his old classmates have died, leaving only him and Wang Li.

As a result, he had just met Wang Li when Wang Li was killed by Da Fei.

The world is impermanent.

Of the many spirited students in the class back then, he was the only one left; everyone else was now living a life of luxury on his altar.

The reason he's been able to live for so long is simply because he "hides" his life.

As long as you don't stand out, you won't be targeted.

"Living a life of idleness and waiting to die" is the best way to describe him.

Perhaps out of remorse towards Tsao Ta-wah and his gang, Wong Bing-yiu never asked Tsao Ta-wah to provide any useful information, and simply continued to support him with police funds.

In a bustling metropolis like Hong Kong Island where land is incredibly valuable, the fact that Tsao Ta-hua lives in a house with a small courtyard shows that he has been living a very comfortable life all these years.

However, now that Huang Bingyao is nearing retirement, if Cao Dahua doesn't achieve something, his original funding may be cut off when the next leader takes office, and he will really have to sweep the floors at Sheng Yuqiang Middle School for the rest of his life.

"According to witnesses, Cao Dahua had spoken with the deceased Wang Li in the bar, and shortly after they parted, Wang Li was murdered in the toilet. It cannot be ruled out that he is the murderer. According to regulations, I must take him back for questioning."

Lu Ming gave a businesslike explanation.

"Sir, I'm innocent! Old Wang is my old friend. We used to have morning tea together all the time. We were just chatting normally. How could I possibly kill him?"

Cao Dahua protested his innocence.

He Min said anxiously, "Inspector Lu, Uncle Da isn't the kind of person who kills people."

"Yeah, look at my dad, how pathetic he is. Look at his hands that are shaking like he has Parkinson's, look at his belly full of fat, and look at his frail body. He doesn't look like a murderer at all. He can't even kill a chicken."

Stephen Chow quickly defended Tsao Ta-hua.

"A murderer doesn't have the words 'murderer' tattooed on his forehead. Whether Cao Dahua is the murderer needs to be confirmed through our investigation."

Lu Ming said calmly, "Gentlemen, I'm just following the investigation procedure by bringing Cao Dahua back to the police station for questioning and investigation. If he really isn't the murderer, our police station will clear his name."

"Ah Xing, Teacher He, there's no need to say more. I'll go with Inspector Lu. The innocent will clear themselves. I didn't kill anyone, what do I have to be afraid of?"

Cao Dahua spoke frankly, but while speaking, he kept giving Zhou Xingxing meaningful glances, urging Zhou Xingxing to quickly call Huang Bingyao to come and bail him out.

He wasn't afraid of simple questioning, but he was terrified that the man in front of him would torture him and force him to confess to murder in order to appease his superiors. If that happened, he wouldn't even know where to turn for help.

As a seasoned undercover agent, he knew all too well that the police in Hong Kong these days were capable of forcing people to confess.

A single, intense confrontation could immediately awaken your memories of murder.

If all else fails, try another round of force.

If you don't confess, we'll beat you until you do.

That's just how reality is.