Hong Kong film: Refusing to go undercover, the policeman's path to becoming the richest man.

Chapter 46 New and Old Feuds

Before long, a forklift arrived, steadily lifted the cement buckets onto the dump truck, and roared away into the distance.

Luo Zhiming looked down at Richard: "You killed Suanbao, now it's your turn."

Richard struggled violently: "No! No!"

"You can't kill me! I'm a high-ranking police superintendent in the Special Branch! I'm from John Bull!"

"If you touch me, the entire police force will investigate to the very end!"

Luo Zhiming chuckled: "I'll dispose of the Buddha building materials, throw them into the ocean trench, and disappear from the face of the earth."

"Who knows if you're dead or alive? Maybe the higher-ups think you've run off with the money."

"What does this have to do with me?"

Richard waved his hands repeatedly: "No! That's not how it is!"

"I won't betray the club! And they won't believe I'd run away!"

"I'm just a nobody at John Bull, my roots are in Hong Kong!" he almost wailed. "Don't kill me! If you touch me, my colleagues will pay with their blood!"

Luo Zhiming sneered: "You think Xinliansheng is afraid of this?"

"Do you know how many years you get for murder?"

He hesitated for a moment, his gaze sharp as a knife: "But we're not afraid of going to jail—what we're afraid of is being trampled on and not fighting back."

"Without a gun, the maximum sentence is seven or eight years, and if you're lucky, it might be less than ten!"

"If it were a young person who did it, they might only need six or seven years to get out."

"You might not know this, but we have a rule in this business called drawing lots for life or death." He suddenly perked up, his tone turning serious as he slowly explained, "When the gang runs into a tough opponent, we have to take them out, as a warning to others."

"When a task falls to a certain hall master, he gathers his capable brothers and they draw lots together."

"The person who is selected, go and do the work."

"Finish your job and go to jail."

"When we first started out, nobody wanted to draw this lot, because if you were chosen, it was almost a death sentence."

"But these young people are different now. They get all hot-headed and think about killing a big shot and becoming famous overnight."

"They're all scrambling to draw lots, eager for their turn."

Luo Zhiming's eyes turned cold, like a blade slicing through the night.

Do you know how many people from Hong Kong Island go out and get involved in the underworld every year?

"Ten thousand!"

"Of these people, 70% will not live past a year."

"Two-tenths of them won't last five years."

"Even the remaining 50% won't survive more than ten years."

"Only five percent of people actually live to be over forty."

"And these five percent are the real power holders in the underworld today."

"My Xinliansheng is one of the top five gangs in the underworld. We have 20,000 core members on the Undersea Flower List alone, and another 30,000 on the outer Blue Lanterns."

"This doesn't even include overseas branches."

"I'm not greedy. Even if I only select one out of a hundred, I can still gather five hundred lives that aren't afraid to die!"

"One for one, that's fair!" He grinned, a chill creeping into his smile. "You guys are good at fighting? Fine, I'll concede, two for one of you."

"That means two hundred and fifty lives are waiting to be filled in."

"Does your team have 250 people?!"

Richard's face turned ashen.

At this rate, no matter how many people come, they won't be enough to kill.

But he himself knew very well where those two hundred and fifty people came from.

Let alone two hundred and fifty, we can't even gather fifty!

He desperately hoped that Luo Zhiming was just bluffing.

But he knew that every word the other person said was true.

This feeling is worse than being stabbed.

Luo Zhiming raised his hand and patted Richard's cheek, his smile twisted with malice: "Now, is there anything else you want to ask?"

"I'm a soft-hearted person, and I always want people to leave peacefully without any regrets."

Richard was in a state of confusion, but a sudden inspiration struck him, and he burst out laughing: "Luo Zhiming, stop acting and let me out."

Luo Zhiming laughed as well: "Looks like you're not a fool after all."

Richard finally breathed a sigh of relief: "If you really wanted to kill me, why bother waking me up? Wouldn't it have been cleaner to just fill the hole with cement and sink me into the sea?"

Luo Zhiming shrugged: "Don't you think it's more interesting to let you watch a show first, and then send you on your way?"

Richard's heart tightened, and he quickly waved his hand: "No, no, no, I really can't handle this feeling."

Lin Yaochang stood aside and glanced at Richard with a complicated expression: "In my opinion, you should go to the seabed with Ah Tian and keep the fish and shrimp company right now."

"Unfortunately, the current leader of Xinliansheng is A Luo." He turned to Luo Zhiming and said, "That foreigner is no pushover; be careful."

Luo Zhiming, however, looked relaxed: "Don't worry, if we run into any trouble, the first people I've buried will come looking for him."

.

Richard chuckled twice: "May you all live to be a hundred years old and enjoy boundless happiness."

Jin Ye coughed lightly: "Ah Chang, now that Ah Luo is in charge, why are we talking about those old things?"

"Let's go back."

Uncle Qian gave Richard a cold look: "Brother Chang, let's go."

Lin Yaochang nodded slightly, and the three old hands left side by side, leaving behind an empty construction site and a gust of wind.

Richard then dared to breathe heavily.

He suddenly realized something and asked in a low voice, "You—are you now the head of Xinliansheng?"

Luo Zhiming countered, "What's wrong with it?"

Richard smiled wryly: "Back then, Ah Tim and I discussed it, and we both felt that you were more dangerous than Suanbao."

Luo Zhiming's face darkened: "Don't mention this name again."

Otherwise, I'm afraid I'll lose control and chop you up on the spot.

Richard immediately shut up.

He wasn't particularly afraid that Luo Zhiming would harm him.

What he feared was Ho Ka-kui, who stood behind Lok Chi-ming—the one who was a formidable leader.

If you send someone to be the boss of another country, how can the other side possibly swallow this insult?

He understood this principle perfectly well.

Let's change the subject quickly.

"Ah Luo, the way Ah Tian and I cooperated in the past is how I will cooperate with you in the future."

Luo Zhiming held up one finger and gently shook it: "No."

Richard frowned: "So what do you want?"

Luo Zhiming slowly began, "I want to join the Golden Club."

Richard was both surprised and suspicious. Could the New Union be so vengeful? How long had they been watching him, digging up such a secret?

He then realized that he had seriously underestimated the power of these Hong Kong triads.

"Of course, Ah Tian is at least a well-known figure in the Golden Club."

Luo Zhiming sneered, "Who does he think he is? He doesn't even know what the club really does, yet he dares to call himself a member?"

"Do you think I'm as stupid as him?"

"You think you can fool me with just a few words?"

Richard's heart skipped a beat.

At this moment, he finally understood that Ah Tian's repeated claims that the biggest threat during the battle for leadership was Luo Zhiming were not an exaggeration.

Just by looking at this person's vision and perspective, he is far superior to someone like Ah Tian who relies on brute force to conquer the world.

"So what exactly do you want to do?"

Luo Zhiming said calmly, "It's very simple, I want to officially join the Golden Club."

"My 50,000 brothers at Xinliansheng can perfectly handle all club affairs."

"Don't even mention those small drug deals; those are just scraps."

"I can handle anything that requires manpower or setup."

"And this is exactly what the top management of the Golden Club lacks most."

"In this world, what's the most valuable thing?"

"Talent, resources!"

"One is hard to find, and the other is hard to control."

"It's true that the club has high entry requirements, but I have real strength in my hands. Why shouldn't I get a share?"

Richard gave a wry smile: "It's true that Ah Tian lost to you."

"I am ashamed of my own insight as someone like that."

"But I have to tell you the truth—it's not up to me to decide this."

Luo Zhiming remained unmoved: "Then let's find someone who can make the decision to talk."

"I don't want to be anyone's pawn anymore; I want to sit at the card table."

Richard gritted his teeth: "I have no choice but to report to the knight."

Luo Zhiming replied calmly, "I'll wait for your news."

Richard sighed, "The mission isn't complete, and the Sir might not want to see you."

Luo Zhiming's gaze was sharp as a knife: "Don't try to guess what other people are thinking. You're not a mind reader."

"Let me remind you, the title of Senior Superintendent in the Political Department sounds impressive, but in the eyes of the truly powerful, he's nothing more than a gofer."

"With just a word from someone, you can be transferred to guard the docks."

Richard was furious: "How are you any different from me?"

Luo Zhiming remained calm: "It's different."

Your power comes from the position you were given.

"My power comes from the following of 50,000 brothers of Xinliansheng."

"My position was earned through hard work and fighting."

"We're not even on the same level."

"If you took off this police uniform and walked down the street, how many people would even give you a second glance?"

hiss-

Richard gasped sharply.

He had never examined himself from this perspective.

He had always taken it for granted that he would be treated with respect wherever he went.

Ultimately, that respect was only for the title he held.

Once he leaves the police force, he is nothing.

In an instant, cold sweat soaked my back.

He repeatedly thought back to whether he had ever been disrespectful to the knight. After thinking for a long time, he finally felt a little relieved.

The old knight was a true top figure; not only himself, but even people like Qian Mu, Qian Ruian, and Su Jingwen treated him with utmost respect.

My own status is utterly insignificant.

But Luo Zhiming's words made him see the person in front of him more clearly.

It turns out I really underestimated this new leader of Xinliansheng.

Luo Zhiming clapped his hands: "You've been gone for too long, it's time to go back."

"If you don't show up soon, the higher-ups will think you've vanished into thin air."

Richard said sullenly, "If you hadn't detained me, I would have gone back long ago."

Luo Zhiming casually tossed out a sentence: "That's what you deserve."

Richard kept silent.

Luo Zhiming turned and ordered, "Huihuang, have one of your underlings escort him back."

Huihuang snapped his fingers, and someone immediately stepped forward to lead the way.

Before leaving, Luo Zhiming said in a deep voice, "Don't underestimate anyone, especially the police on Hong Kong Island."

"I've dealt with them before, and to be honest, they're much harder to deal with than the average gangster."

Richard remained silent.

Watching his figure disappear into the night, Huihuang frowned and asked, "Brother Luo, are we really going to cooperate with them?"

Luo Zhiming's eyes sharpened: "The score we've settled will have to be settled sooner or later."

Otherwise, we'll never sleep soundly.

"The people behind Richard won't let us off the hook."

"If we don't join forces, they can make things unbearable for Xinliansheng at any time."

"Only by completely eradicating their foundations can we truly breathe a sigh of relief!"

"Using yourself as bait is too risky!" Huihuang growled anxiously.

Luo Zhiming smiled faintly and shrugged: "How can we find out how many people are hiding behind them if we don't go in ourselves?"

"How can we obtain irrefutable evidence of their wrongdoing?"

Huihuang shook his head with a wry smile: "We're a triad society, but now we're doing what the police should be doing—infiltrating enemy territory."

"Gathering evidence is humiliating just thinking about it." But Luo Zhiming remained calm.

"No one is more suitable to do this than me."

Huihuang looked at him with extreme admiration, almost kneeling down to kowtow.

West Kowloon Headquarters, Meeting Room of Serious Crime Unit C.

The room was filled with people engrossed in their work, the atmosphere tense and strained.

Suddenly, a figure pushed open the door and entered, instantly putting everyone on high alert.

Ah Bang was the first to stand up, his eyes sharp: "The ICAC people are really persistent. Who are they investigating this time?"

""

Luo Ji, Chen Yongren, and Yang Jinrong also immediately stood up, lined up, and stared at each other menacingly.

There has been a long-standing feud between the police station and the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC).

At least in Group C's eyes, the two are mortal enemies.

Initially, ICAC Commissioner Lo specifically targeted Group A, completely dismantling the entire group. Later, Ho Chu led a counterattack, storming into the ICAC and taking one of Commissioner Lo's men away, whose whereabouts remain unknown, and no explanation has been given regarding his punishment.

This debt has been recorded for a long time.

Lu Zhilian stopped in his tracks, looking bewildered: "Was it your Inspector He who sent me? Didn't he tell you?"

Ah Bang was stunned: "Did Inspector Ho invite you here?"

Yang Jinrong reacted the fastest: "I'll go call Brother Chu."

Lu Zhilian did not argue, but simply stood quietly and waited.

A moment later, He Chu strode out, beaming, "Inspector Lu is here! Please come in!"

Lu Zhilian gave a helpless, wry smile: "Inspector He, since you invited me here, you should at least have informed me beforehand. It would be bad if the brothers misunderstood."

He Chu laughed heartily: "Don't you know what kind of reputation your ICAC has among the three departments and thirteen bureaus?"

"He's always inviting people out for coffee," which is making everyone uneasy.

"Who would willingly associate with you?"

"Whose fault is it that you're being treated this way today?"

Lu Zhilian shrugged: "I'm used to it."

He's really used to it.

The Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) is different from other departments.

It is not within the system of the Three Departments and Thirteen Bureaus of the Zhengfu government.

Strictly speaking, it is an anti-corruption agency directly under the Governor of Hong Kong, whose legitimacy is confirmed by the Legislative Council, and it is independent of all administrative departments on the island.

The investigators and directors of the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) are not civil servants, but are appointed on contract.

Because they have no connection with the system, they can investigate anyone without restraint—no one can escape their eyes except the Chief Executive.

The Chief Secretary for Administration, the Secretary for Justice, and the Financial Secretary are all on the watch list.

Of course, when foreigners were in power, they also did their fair share of favoritism towards their own people.

Fairness and justice? Just listen to them and forget about them.

It wasn't just the police department that hated them; the entire bureaucracy both feared and resented them.

Abang couldn't help but ask in a low voice, "Brother Chu, why did we have to invite him?"

He Chu lowered his voice: "This case we're handling is too big; we can't handle it on our own."

Ah Bang felt a chill run down his spine when he thought of the long list of names in the case file: high-ranking officials, lawyers, bank executives, conglomerate bosses, stockbrokers—none of them were minor figures. Their single major crime unit simply couldn't handle it.

A sense of unease crept into Lu Zhilian's heart: "Inspector He, you said you had good news for me, but judging from this, it's probably not anything good, is it?"

He Chu's lips curled into a slight smile: "I'll give you credit; it'll be enough for you to be promoted to chief investigation director."

Lu Zhilian immediately became alert: "Getting that position isn't that easy. How much merit would you have to make?"

He Chu said solemnly, "Is this enough, a tremendous achievement?"

Lu Zhilian smiled wryly: "Unless another case like Commissioner Luo's comes along, it's going to be difficult."

Snapped!

He Chu snapped his fingers and nodded with a smile: "Congratulations, you got it right."

Lu Zhilian's expression immediately changed: "Is it too late for me to turn around and leave now?"

He Chu looked at him with a smile: "What do you think?"

Lu Zhilian sighed and shook his head resignedly: "I knew it wouldn't be that simple."

But when he finished flipping through the file, his face turned completely ashen.

"I knew things weren't simple, but I didn't expect them to be this serious."

"Su Jingwen?"

"How could it be him?"

He Chu retorted, "Why can't it be him?"

Lu Zhilian's voice was deep: "Under the current system, the Commissioner of the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) must be a foreigner, and it is impossible for one of us Chinese to be appointed."

""

"Two deputy commissioners will be appointed below them—one foreigner and one Chinese."

7

"And Su Jingwen is the highest-ranking Chinese in the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC)."