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

Chapter 47 New Gangster Strategies and the Covert Battle Against Corruption

"If something happens to him, it won't just be one building collapsing, it will be the entire mountain crumbling!"

He Chu sneered, "If the upper beam is crooked, the lower beam will be crooked too. Commissioner Luo himself is a mess, how can the deputy commissioner he invited possibly be upright?"

"I can't even trust that foreign deputy commissioner anymore."

Lu Zhilian smiled wryly: "Besides Su Jingwen, two other chief investigators are also involved—"

"This is no small matter."

""

"And this is just what we uncovered within our own ICAC."

"Look further up, there are over twenty members of the Legislative Council, several government officials, bank executives, and even other important figures—it's a total haul!" He Chu scoffed, "and the very top of the list."

He clapped his hands, his tone flippant yet serious: "Inspector Lu, I don't have time to lie to you."

"This achievement should be enough for you to be promoted to head of the investigation department, right?"

Lu Zhilian said in a low voice, "—Let's think about how not to get ourselves involved first."

He Chu laughed loudly: "I knew I hadn't misjudged you!"

Lu Zhilian couldn't help but ask, "You really trust me that much? Aren't you afraid I'll tell on you?"

He Chu shrugged and smiled: "You still don't understand me."

"I'm a bit too capable."

Lu Zhilian raised an eyebrow: "For example?"

He Chu said calmly, "For example, recognizing people."

"I can see right through a person's thoughts."

Lu Zhilian frowned: "Fortune telling?"

"No, no," He Chu shook his head. "I mean, I know a little bit about psychology."

"I can clearly distinguish people's thoughts."

"You were watching the whole time when I led the team to arrest Commissioner Luo."

"You're not trying to find an opportunity to save him, but rather you're afraid that I'll clash with the ICAC officers and cause chaos."

"You work for the ICAC not to please those foreigners, but for the sake of your own principles."

He paused, looking directly at the other person: "So, you would never hand over the case file to Su Jingwen."

Lu Zhilian gave a wry smile: "Do you know what I'm thinking right now?"

He Chu raised an eyebrow: "Perhaps... you agree with me?"

Lu Zhilian said seriously, "Luckily we're not in the same system, otherwise I would have submitted my resignation immediately."

"A mind-reading expert like you is disliked everywhere!"

He Chu laughed heartily: "That would be terrible! You're already unpopular, and if you learn to analyze criminal psychology, won't even fewer people dare to approach you?"

Lu Zhilian's heart skipped a beat: "You even know that?"

He Chu just smiled and shrugged.

Lu Zhilian immediately picked up the documents and turned to leave.

I can't stay in Group C's office any longer, it's too creepy!

Before leaving, he politely nodded goodbye to each of the officers in the room, just as he always did.

Ah Bang was taken aback: "This ICAC officer, Inspector Luk, is quite polite."

Luo Ji smiled and said, "The ICAC is already disliked by many. If they also have a rigid attitude, who would want to deal with them?"

"Investigators are human too; they need friends and a bit of humanity."

"But Brother Chu really pulled a fast one this time, managing to find an accomplice within the ICAC!"

He Chu said in a low voice, "You need to be prepared. This case is too big for our family to handle."

The two exchanged a smile: "Understood!"

"We are never fighting alone."

Everyone knows that it's virtually impossible for the police force alone to uncover the truth of this matter.

Unless you have solid evidence, you can't bring down the network behind it.

At this point, for the Chanyu to still try to act heroically is simply courting death.

He Chu spoke frankly: "The case is too big, so it has to be handled by a third party."

"Only by getting all departments involved can we truly break the deadlock."

He asked bluntly, "Can we investigate this thoroughly on our own?"

"sure."

"But doing that would violate our principles."

"The person who takes all the credit is the most hated."

Everyone nodded in agreement.

The logic is simple; it's just a choice between taking and giving up.

But many people never get it right in their entire lives.

These two words are easy to write, but extremely difficult to do.

The people in Group C were not surprised by He Chu's actions, because he had always done so.

Just like their secret fund.

Logically speaking, He Chu could have easily profited privately without anyone knowing.

But he insisted on taking it out and setting it up as a collective benefit, so that every brother could benefit from it.

Their team could crack such a major case even if they worked themselves to the bone, but it would be time-consuming, labor-intensive, and take a long time.

Group C cannot possibly devote all its manpower to this one case involving a criminal gang.

Every month, major cases are rampant in West Kowloon; each one is a matter of utmost urgency.

Fighting to the bitter end is a complete waste of police resources.

Chen Yongren frowned and asked, "Can we really rely on the ICAC alone?"

He Chu said solemnly, "Of course, we can't rely solely on the ICAC."

"Sir Lee's group involves the political, business, police, anti-corruption departments, and even the underworld—it's all involved."

"If we fight alone, and are not careful, they will retaliate with some underhanded means."

Chen Yongren was taken aback: "Shady methods? What do you mean?"

He Chu smiled faintly: "Don't you understand?"

"If word gets out of our operation, those foreign leaders in the Political Department can immediately put pressure on the Internal Affairs Section, halt our work, and initiate an internal investigation —"

Chen Yongren frowned: "Does this trick really work?"

He Chu chuckled: "You think that's all?"

"Suspending him from his post is just the first step; the real scheme is yet to come."

"Anyone from the gang they control can jump out and transfer hundreds of thousands or millions into our accounts."

"The ICAC received a report right away, and we had to go out for coffee."

"Where did the money come from? They need to explain that clearly!"

"Can't explain it clearly? Then the suspension period will naturally be extended."

Chen Yongren's expression changed drastically: "That's too ruthless!"

He Chu, however, didn't take it seriously: "Is this ruthless? This is just the beginning."

Chen Yongren's eyes widened: "There's something even worse?"

He Chu nodded: "Of course."

"Their goal isn't to hold us off for a while, but to kick us out of the police force completely."

"To put it bluntly, they want us to leave—either resign voluntarily or get out with a criminal record."

Chen Yongren suddenly stood up: "You want us to take the blame? How can you do that!"

He Chu shrugged: "What else?"

Luo Ji, Abang, and Yang Jinrong all fell silent, their faces grim.

Originally, he was just listening to He Chu analyze the situation for Chen Yongren, but he didn't expect that as he listened, he would break out in a cold sweat.

Chen Yongren pressed on, asking, "How could such a thing possibly happen?"

He Chu sneered: "With so many resources at their disposal, it wouldn't be difficult for them to frame you."

"As soon as someone in the case inadvertently" leaks a hint to the media, the news of the case immediately spreads throughout Hong Kong Island."

"Qian Mu from the Security Bureau is our direct superior. He makes a phone call to the top leader, and the pressure comes in."

"At that point, even General Manager Huang won't be able to protect us."

"His police registration was revoked, he's under investigation, and it's one step at a time."

"Arrange for a few more outlaws from the triads to go to the Special Branch or ICAC's Su Jingwen to turn themselves in, insisting that we were the ones who ordered it."

"The script was already written; even if you had ten mouths, you couldn't argue with it!"

Chen Yongren's forehead was beaded with sweat, and his voice trembled: "How can you not be able to explain yourself? We didn't do it at all, why should we admit it?"

He Chu shook his head slightly: "Arresting people, interrogating them, prosecuting them, convicting them—every step is under their control, and the entire process is seamless."

"Can you overturn the verdict?"

"Law enforcement is based on evidence, but what if the evidence they provide is flawless—how do you defend yourself against that?"

hiss-

Everyone gasped in shock.

Chen Yongren's lips turned pale: "Isn't this forcing someone to confess?"

He Chu slowly said, "No, this is not torture to extract a confession, it is an openly fabricated frame."

"You are clearly innocent, yet you cannot defend yourself."

"Even if you did nothing wrong, everything at the scene clearly tells you—you are the murderer."

He stared intently at Chen Yongren, a slight smile playing on his lips: "Now, do you still think our police force can handle this alone?"

Chen Yongren shook his head frantically.

He Chu's tone softened: "Actually, it's not entirely impossible."

However, this requires extreme secrecy, exceptional execution capabilities, and absolutely no room for error; it is extremely time-consuming and carries extremely high risks.

"I will not gamble with the reputation of the West Kowloon Headquarters and the lives of each and every one of you."

The way everyone looked at He Chu was now full of trust and respect.

Ah Bang suddenly spoke up: "Now I finally understand why Lu Zhilian only took away the ICAC-related files and case summaries."

"He probably knew all along that this case couldn't be investigated by one department alone."

Yang Jinrong adjusted his glasses and calmly added, "What Brother Chu just said was about our group, but if you think about it carefully, you'll realize it's not true."

"It's not just us; any law enforcement team would fall into the same trap if they went deep into enemy territory alone."

"Lu Zhilian can't investigate alone, and the Security Bureau is equally helpless —"

"Only by having multiple departments act in unison can the entire group be uprooted before the other side can react."

Chen Yongren wiped his sweat, his voice still a little weak: "Brother Chu, what about the gang?"

He Chu finally smiled slightly: "I have good news for you."

"Our colleague Luo Zhiming has now established himself in Xinliansheng and become the person in charge."

"Following my instructions, he has managed to get close to the inner circle of the Golden Club!"

Chen Yongren's pupils shrank, his face filled with shock—he never expected that He Chu could arrange the chess pieces to such an extent!

Ah Bang couldn't help but slap the table and laugh loudly: "Officer Ho, I think our chance to make a name for ourselves is just around the corner!"

Everyone present nodded in agreement, and their morale was boosted.

The somewhat somber atmosphere in Group C was instantly ignited.

Although what He Chu said was only speculation, none of the people here were ordinary police officers.

Both Luo Ji and Chen Yongren had worked their way up to the bottom and witnessed the ruthlessness and cruelty of the underworld.

They knew in their hearts that this matter was probably true, and that what was involved behind the scenes might be deeper and more terrifying than what appeared on the surface.

Just thinking about that undercurrent that has been entrenched for years, accumulating countless sums of money, connections, and power, sends chills down everyone's spine.

Once word gets out and the Golden Club finds out, their counterattack will be like a raging storm, and they will be powerless to resist.

No one dared to be careless; the entire team immediately threw themselves into the case analysis, racing against time.

He Chu saw this and nodded slightly.

These guys are in good shape.

He gestured to Luo Ji: "Brother Ji, I'm going out for a bit. Call me if anything happens."

Luo Ji responded, paused, and then added, "Be careful."

He Chu waved his hand and turned to leave.

He had just received a text message from Luo Zhiming, whose tone was urgent and demanded an immediate meeting.

Even though Luo Zhiming is now in charge of Xinliansheng, He Chu still dares not relax his vigilance in the slightest.

After all, no matter how his identity changes, he is still an undercover agent.

The news of Luo Zhiming's rise to power had only recently occurred and had not yet spread throughout the underworld.

If you suddenly hold a celebration banquet one day, there will definitely be police cars blocking the door the next day. They will be taken to the police station for "tea" for at least 24 hours, and if you're unlucky, it will be 48 hours.

This is an unwritten rule in Hong Kong: no matter how many henchmen you have, never forget who is truly in charge!

Over the years, which triad leader didn't rise to power this way? Without exception.

Even if nothing happens on the day of the incident, you still have to make the trip the next day as usual.

It's not just New Union Society; almost all leaders of large triads who get promoted or become Red Pole members have to go through this process.

In the novel *Water Margin*, this is called the "warning stick"—it's a way to intimidate you and teach you the rules.

As for those small gangs and factions, will they also be invited to "visit"?

Think more.

There are at least several thousand organizations of all sorts on Hong Kong Island, the vast majority of which are completely shady and are even "focused on" by the police.

They don't even have the qualifications.

They could just send two patrol officers to give a verbal warning and call it a day.

Conversely, those who are taken away by the police in public to "assist in the investigation" are actually influential figures, which to some extent is also a certification of their status in the underworld.

Saving face is a very important issue.

Although He Chu is a policeman, he has to be extremely careful about showing his face in such a place.

He easily found his way to the room where Luo Zhiming was hiding, casually took a toothpick from his pocket, and gently flicked the lock open.

Luo Zhiming looked helpless: "Brother Chu, Inspector He, Ah Chu—I'm in my own room, can't you please knock properly?"

He Chu shook his head: "Habit becomes second nature."

"When you finally become a full-fledged police officer, I'll definitely come to visit you in a sharp suit."

Luo Zhiming rolled his eyes, speechless.

He Jiaju quickly tried to smooth things over: "Brother Luo, don't mind him. Brother Chu did this for our safety."

Luo Zhiming snorted coldly, too lazy to bother with it.

He Chu cut to the chase: "Why did you call me in such a hurry? What's wrong?"

Luo Zhiming put away his joking expression: "Three things."

"The first thing, Ah Tian made me pour a concrete into a pillar in front of Richard."

He Chu waved his hand: "You're an undercover agent, so you have the right to adapt to changing circumstances."

"If you're really in a life-or-death situation, taking down one or two drug dealers to save your life isn't a big deal."

Upon hearing this, a smile appeared on He Jiaju's face.

He knew that He Chu didn't care about A Tian's life or death at all.

This put his mind at ease.

Inspector Ho is indeed reliable.

Luo Zhiming himself was not surprised.

He had been classmates with He Chu for a year, and he knew He Chu's temperament better than anyone else.

"The second and third things are actually the same thing."

"Following your plan, I revealed my intention to join the Golden Club to Richard."

But instead, he urged me to ship the goods as soon as possible, saying that a big project was about to start and he urgently needed working capital.

"Money is the admission ticket."

He Chu's eyes flickered slightly as he fell into thought.

Luo Zhiming asked, "What should I do now?"

He Chu raised an eyebrow: "You wouldn't happen to—not want to touch drugs, would you?"

Luo Zhiming cursed, "Only a fool would want to touch this thing!"

He smiled bitterly: "But the problem is, if I don't sell goods, I won't have any income. How can I prove my loyalty? How can I demonstrate my strength?"

If you can't get into the Gold Club, everything else is pointless.

He Chu remained silent for a moment, then a glint of light flashed in his eyes: "Isn't Sir Li and the others just after profit?"

"Then this will make things easier."

Luo Zhiming was taken aback: "What do you mean?"

He Chu smiled slightly: "Why don't you just resell that batch of goods to someone else at the market price?"

Luo Zhiming frowned: "If I really wanted to traffic drugs, would I need to come to you? I could just have my subordinates handle it. Why go through all this trouble?"

He Chu's eyes darted around, and he already had a plan in mind.

"Is it really worth bothering with this?"

"Actually, you don't need to take action yourself, nor do you need to use Xinliansheng's people."

He Jiaju's eyes widened: "Brother Chu, is there really such a good thing?"

He Chu snorted lightly: "Someone else can't do this."

"But it would be perfect if Sir Lee and his corrupt cops were to handle it." "Of course, this is only a temporary measure. If we use it too much, people will die. They'll turn on us faster than you can flip a book. It's not worth it."