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

Chapter 6 Top Ten Thieves
The next morning, at eight o'clock.

Ma Delong, He Li, Gao Zicong, and Liu Yida, four officers in Shui Tong uniforms, were already in their positions at the Serious Crimes Unit. When Lin Tiansheng arrived, he immediately stood up, saluted, and called out, "Lin sir, Sheng ge!"

"Good morning." Lin Tiansheng smiled and nodded, looking at the four of them and saying, "You all look quite well. Come on, let me take you to get your guns."

"Yes, sir!" Although the four were somewhat apprehensive about being transferred to the Major Crimes Unit, their expressions brightened upon hearing that they were to be given guns. In the world of police work, having a gun or not makes all the difference.

Chen Sheng, carrying breakfast, arrived at the office area and greeted Lin Tiansheng with a smile: "Good morning, Lin sir."

The entire Major Crimes Unit knew about Lin Tiansheng's background, but most people kept their distance, neither offending nor flattering him, and remained silent observers.

Of the four officers, only Chan Sing was particularly enthusiastic, purely out of respect for Inspector Pi.

When the five men returned from the gun room, Zhang Jinrong, dressed in a black leather jacket over a white knit sweater, finally arrived late.

In October, a cool breeze swept through Hong Kong Island, and the weather was slightly chilly, making the combination of a jacket and inner shirt a common sight. However, Cheung Kam-wing's leather jacket was meticulously groomed to a gleaming shine, and he wore motorcycle gloves, had a clean-shaven beard, and sported a slicked-back hairstyle, making him quite flamboyant. This clashed sharply with the simple shirts of the Serious Crimes Unit officers, attracting many admiring glances.

Lin Tiansheng introduced Ma Delong and the other three: "Senior Sergeant Zhang Jinrong, he used to work for me in Wan Chai."

"Zhang sir!" The four men quickly bowed and shook hands, their expressions polite.

Eating, drinking, whoring, gambling, and prostitution—these are the four cardinal virtues of a sergeant.

Anyone who knows Sheng Ge (Brother Sheng) knows this already.

"Brother Sheng told me you guys are 'shrimp soldiers and crab generals' transferred from the reservoir. We'll be working together from now on, so please look after each other," Zhang Jinrong said politely, taking off his gloves, sitting down in a chair, and glancing at the gun holsters on their waists. Ma Delong, He Li, and the others weren't annoyed by the nickname. In Hong Kong, nicknames are a cultural practice; using nicknames sometimes indicates closeness. With Zhang Jinrong's seniority, he was qualified to give them nicknames; whether anyone would accept them later was another matter.

After exchanging pleasantries, Zhang Jinrong said in a low voice, "Boss, I've heard rumors that the person who crossed the sea with Snake Brother Xiong is no ordinary person. His name is 'Li Xudong,' also known as Da Dong, one of the top ten most wanted criminals in the Big Circle Gang."

Young police officer Gao Zicong couldn't contain himself and exclaimed, "Li Xudong, who robbed Royal Watch Shop and stole a 13 million yuan luxury watch?"

Since the 1940s, Swiss watches have become popular in Hong Kong Island, and many wealthy people started their businesses by selling second-hand luxury watches and repair shops.

Meanwhile, items such as watches, gold, and jewelry, being lightweight, high-priced, and easy to sell, were particularly favored by the Hong Kong and Guangdong soldiers.

Yang Shoucheng, the owner of the famous Royal Entertainment Group, started his business in the watch industry in his early years. He made his fortune by acquiring the agency rights for luxury watch brands such as Omega, Rolex, and Cartier. Later, he also ventured into jewelry and invested in film and television, becoming a rising star in the Hong Kong entertainment circle.

In recent years, numerous armed robberies targeting jewelry, gold, and watch shops have occurred in various districts. Among them, "Li Xudong" is the most notorious, carrying a HK$100,000 reward from the police.

Lin Tiansheng could clearly smell the alcohol on Zhang Jinrong, but he didn't say anything. Zhang Jinrong managed to extract information that even the police hadn't obtained in one night, which showed his considerable ability. He really chose the right person.

Judging from Pi Zhibang's performance, it's unlikely that he would be framed; it's probably because even the intelligence department didn't know that "Li Xudong" would cross the sea.

After all, with police reform, the law and the underworld are no longer on the same side.

Many things that aren't top secret in the underworld go unheard of by the police. Besides, Li Xudong's crossing the sea is definitely a closely guarded secret; only someone with immense influence could get wind of it.

Every circle has its own rules.

Zhang Jinrong's old-fashioned ways reassured people in the underworld, and his status as a Double Flower Red Stick still gave him some face.
"It's him. Snake Brother Xiong is his boss. He's in charge of selling stolen goods and running away. However, I don't have the time and place they went ashore."

Lin Tiansheng said, "I have people in the intelligence department. They may not be able to find out about the affairs of the martial arts world, but they can do some behind-the-scenes work."

Zhang Jinrong laughed and said, "It seems that not all those elected in the police reform are useless."

Ma Delong, with a hint of worry, said, "Inspector Lin, Li Xudong is one of the top ten thieves. Should we ask him to send another team to support him?" Lin Tiansheng remained unfazed: "I will write a report and apply for rifles and bulletproof vests, but sending more people is impossible. It's not that I don't agree, it's that the higher-ups won't agree."

"If you ask, the answer is insufficient police force. Solve it yourself. If you don't believe me, go knock on Inspector Pi's door."

Ma Delong turned around and saw more than a dozen workers waiting at their workstations. He swallowed hard and suppressed his unease.

Zhang Jinrong pulled out a square flask from his jacket, unscrewed the lid, took a sip of whiskey, his eyes were cloudy, and said perfunctorily, "What Ten Kings of Thieves? It sounds impressive, but they're just thugs with guns, henchmen who do things for the bosses."

"It's not about how much you grab, or how powerful you are. It's like having sex with a woman; if you shake it the fastest, you're considered virile!"

"Fast, really just fast."

Lin Tiansheng put his hands on the shoulders of the two police officers and laughed, "Don't worry, Lao Ma, Acong, I only have a few of you guys. If you all die, what's the point of being in the Major Crimes Unit?"

"I'll arrange tonight's operation. I'll die before you."

Ma Delong and his three men immediately saluted and obeyed the order: "Yes, sir!"

The "Top Ten Thieves" simply refers to the ten most notorious bandits with the most "bonuses" on their bodies. The amount of money they committed only represents their ability to commit crimes, not their fighting prowess.

Of course, such negligence would lead to significant losses, but overestimating one's opponent is equally wrong. Based on the number of people Li Xudong has committed crimes with in the past, six to eight people does not represent a significant advantage.

The police force, even the officers at Shui Reservoir, have all received paramilitary training. Li Xudong himself, however, is merely a "bandit" with no military experience, so he likely cannot recruit veterans to his ranks.

After Zhang Jinrong finished his report, he smoked a cigarette, pulled the big boss aside, and whispered, "Brother Sheng, this news costs me 20,000 yuan. It's an expensive loan with a 90% interest rate and a 13% return, charging me 3% interest per day."

Lin Tiansheng sighed and said, "I understand. Put it on my tab."

To cultivate one's own power, one still needs money and a source of income; simply earning a fixed salary will only make one a wage earner. However, Lin Tiansheng's gaze shifted, and he reached into Zhang Jinrong's jacket pocket, fumbling around as he asked, "How much is left? Hand it over; I need it."

Zhang Jinrong said awkwardly, "That's all, that's all."

Finally, Lin Tiansheng pulled out a small stack of Hong Kong dollars and said, "Is that all?"

"That's all," Zhang Jinrong sighed.

Lin Tiansheng counted the bills, totaling 3,600 yuan. He took out one bill and handed it back to Zhang Jinrong: "Take this to buy food. Give the gun requisition report on the table to Pi Zhibang. We need rifles for tonight's operation."

"Mantis shrimp?" Zhang Jinrong's eyes widened.

“They’re from our boss’s place, so show them some respect. I have some things to take care of first, I’ll be back this afternoon.” Lin Tiansheng, with the money in his pocket, walked out of the police station, hailed a taxi, and said, “Driver, Sham Shui Po, Electrical Street.”

If there is no time for training and no way to mobilize personnel, the way to immediately improve the combat effectiveness of the "shrimp soldiers and crab generals" in the pond is to start with equipment.

The bandits arrived in Hong Kong at night, so it would be best if they had night-fighting equipment. Finding equipment was out of the question. With his military skills, if he could find parts in the electronics market, making a red dot sight by hand wouldn't be too difficult.

Because it's a disposable piece of equipment, durability, high precision, and battery life aren't important. As long as the core components are available, the appearance and accessories can be a bit rough.

Spend a little money to achieve great things and increase your chances of success. Can aesthetics put food on the table?

(End of this chapter)