The Chief Detective Inspector is dead. I'm now the top police officer in Hong Kong!

Chapter 103 Low-Class Thing (44 votes needed)
Zhihui replied, "We'll start production next week. Including sampling and ordering, the goods will be available on the streets within a month."

Lin Tiansheng chuckled, "As expected of a big shot, when he comes out to make money, he understands the theory of efficiency."

“Wenbiao originally had a counterfeit clothing factory, but he quickly switched to making leather bags. That master craftsman took 150,000 yuan from us as informants and also received 30,000 yuan a month from Wenbiao. After working for half a year, he could buy an apartment in Kowloon again,” Zhihui said with a smile.

"Well done, just wait to reap the rewards." Lin Tiansheng hung up the phone, already imagining Pan Disheng's expression when he saw the counterfeit backpack.

At that time, the big boss surnamed Pan will be his strongest ally in dealing with Xinji.

Business owners hold unique value in the Hong Kong government's efforts to consolidate power; no matter who is in charge, no one wants to offend them. Historically, the earliest triad societies were essentially watchdogs kept by these powerful business owners. They were a product of Chinese capital resisting foreign firms, struggling for survival, and mutual support among the lower classes.

Now, the big bosses have long abandoned the triads and are cooperating with the Hong Kong government. As long as they are willing to spend money, the police force will be their guardian dogs!
When it comes to gangsters and thugs, it's like sweeping away fallen leaves in autumn—it's a matter of a single word.

However, this was limited to the lower levels. Back when the Criminal Investigation Department was in power, even big bosses from all walks of life had to give them face. The leaders of triads like Sun Kee, Wo Shing Wo, and the Number Gang also frequently interacted with these big bosses.

Lin Tiansheng drove back to Shanghai Street, parked his car on the side of the road, rolled down the window, and saw a silver Rolls-Royce parked at the entrance of the Rongchang Building.

Yang Sihai, with his hair slicked back and legs crossed, sat on a bench by the roadside, smoking a cigar and intently reading the newspaper.

Five of Lao Fu's thugs, dressed in suits, stood around.

Lin Tiansheng got out of the car, slammed the door shut, and shouted loudly, "Brother Sihai, it's not even dark yet, why are you bringing people to block my doorstep?"

"Inspector Lin, it's getting dark. Are you going to let me take over Shanghai Street?" Yang Sihai exhaled smoke, put down his newspaper, and revealed his angular face.

"Save your breath. You're dividing the street into daytime and nighttime duties? People will laugh their heads off. Get your guy in the car, don't make pedestrians take detours," Lin Tiansheng said.

Yang Sihai gave him a wink, and he actually told his underling to get in the car. He folded up the newspaper, stood up, and said, "Would you do me the honor of having a meal with me?"

"Thank you for inviting me to dinner, even though you didn't come to the West Kowloon headquarters," Lin Tiansheng said with a smile. But actually, it was quite normal for the Organized Crime and Triad Bureau (OCTB) to meet with triad bosses; he could easily make up an excuse about gathering information.

Gangsters aren't afraid of the police; wearing red shoes is a euphemism used when betraying the gang's interests. In normal times, however, the gang leaders are happy to see people maintain good relations with the police.

“I won’t bother you with your work unless it’s absolutely necessary,” Yang Sihai said.

Lin Tiansheng shook his head and declined: "Forget it, let's talk now. I'm in a hurry to see a movie tonight."

Yang Sihai shrugged and said, "If Young Master Sheng won't do me the honor, then forget it. I didn't come to see you for anything important, I just wanted to ask when Old Fu is going to start his whitewashing?"

"You should be paid for what you do."

If Lin Tiansheng hadn't come knocking, Yang Sihai would have been content developing his business in Tsuen Wan, avoiding the pitfalls of offending other triads. While he secured territory, he also made enemies and risked being reopened for investigation by the Organized Crime and Triad Bureau (OCTB). His underlings might be happy, but the interests of the higher-ups don't necessarily align with those of the lower-ups.

They said they'd help him clear his name, so for every task, there had to be payment. They delayed until the Lunar New Year to visit him, thinking they were being very considerate.

Lao Fu must take another step on the road to clearing his name; otherwise, don't expect him to do anything else.

Lin Tiansheng nodded slightly, already prepared, and pointed to the stairwell: "Let's talk inside." "Oh, looks like I'm quite important." Yang Sihai chuckled self-deprecatingly, following Lin Tiansheng upstairs into the living room. Lin Tiansheng made two cups of instant noodles, placed them on the table, and smiled: "Eat this, you don't mind, do you?"

Because Fu Yixing's power required immediate benefits, he didn't call on Lao Fu to take action in the matter of dealing with Xinji, but instead devised the plan himself.

Send Lao Fu in to storm in, and then take advantage of the chaos in the triads to wipe out the Tiger of Mong Kok—that would be quick, of course. But afterwards, how would we compensate Lao Fu for his losses, and how would we repay the favor?

Only by gaining more control over Lao Fu can one dare to exert more power, and every bit of power must be exchanged for equivalent benefits.

Yang Sihai, dressed in designer clothes, sat hunched over, holding a cup of noodles in both hands and eating heartily, slurping the noodles as he said, "It would be even better with a braised egg."

"Excuse me, the last one is in my bowl." Lin Tiansheng pointed to the cup, where a braised egg was indeed floating.

"You bastard," Yang Sihai cursed.

Lin Tiansheng smiled and got back to the main topic, saying, "TVB has a new producer named Wang Jing, who is the son of the famous director Wang Tianlin. Have you seen 'The King of Gamblers'? He directed it."

"How about it?" Yang Sihai, clearly out of touch, joked, "You want me to make a movie?"

The 1970s marked the nascent stage of Hong Kong cinema, primarily dominated by Shaw Brothers martial arts films. By 1981, it was just entering a period of rapid development, and even Win's Entertainment hadn't been established yet. While triads recognized the potential profits in filmmaking, their focus was primarily on ticket scalping and securing theater distribution rights.

They frequently vandalize cinemas and film sets, engage in cutthroat competition for film companies, and haven't even entertained the idea of ​​becoming "cultured people." Let alone coercing celebrities into film production or investing in movies, they haven't even invented methods for money laundering through box office revenue.

Lin Tiansheng's promise to help him clear his name wasn't just empty talk; it involved using a forward-thinking approach to gradually pull him back from the brink.

At this point, Lin Tiansheng frankly said, "Yes, making money by making movies is a way to clean up the shady business and then whitewash it. Once Lao Fu's main businesses are all legitimate, he'll be able to go straight when he wants to. Do you expect me to give you a Justice of the Peace title or directly promote you to a municipal councilor?"

"Nonsense, I'm not the governor."

Yang Sihai was stunned for a moment, then smiled wryly and said, "I thought you would introduce me to a big boss and have me work for him."

To clean up one's act and go legitimate, one must turn one's shady ways into the legitimate business—this is a consensus among those in the underworld. The Ma brothers, Lao Fu's predecessors, were no exception.

But people in the underworld don't do honest work, so subconsciously they crave the patronage of a big boss. What if you introduce a nobody to him, supposedly to make a movie, but the film loses money?
Lin Tiansheng said, "Big bosses have too many people and too much money to count. They have good connections, but they wouldn't give them to you even if you offered them to a dog. But Wang Jing is different. He's a second-generation filmmaker, but his net worth is average. He lacks investors and has just started to make a name for himself. His chances of making money are very high. Other people may not even break even when they make a movie, but if he makes one, he'll only make money and never lose money."

Yang Sihai said incredulously, "Such a talented person, why don't you go and recruit him yourself, and leave him for me?"

Lin Tiansheng chuckled: "I know you don't trust me, but if we invest together and lose money, we'll each bear half. Isn't that loyal enough?"

Yang Sihai hesitated, his expression skeptical: "I trust you, but Lao Fu's brothers might not."

Lin Tiansheng put down his cup of noodles, lit a cigarette, and said lightly, "The money earned from film investment belongs to people like us. Do those gangsters like Lao Fu even deserve it?"

"You're only fit to launder money using movie box office revenue, you despicable bastard!"

(End of this chapter)