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

Chapter 9 Kill the fat fish, become brothers!

"Go, go, go! Don't separate, follow Brother Sheng." Zhang Jinrong held a gun in his hand and, with He Li and Liu Yida, followed closely behind Lin Tiansheng, occasionally pulling the trigger to clear obstacles for Brother Sheng in front.

Although five bandits fled in different directions, Zhang Jinrong refused to scatter his men, prioritizing the protection of his boss.

Lin Tiansheng deliberately slowed down, hanging behind the fugitive, not chasing him too hard to avoid unnecessary casualties, like a big cat toying with its prey.

After all, it was jungle terrain, and even with his ample combat experience, he couldn't afford to be careless and had to use the safest method.

Because you only have one life!
Half an hour later, Ko Chun-hung was exhausted and slumped down in front of a rock, panting heavily. He raised his hands and said, "I'm not running away anymore, I'm not running away anymore, officer, come and arrest me."

In Hong Kong Island, the death penalty has become a mere formality, with no sentences handed down for fourteen years. It's common knowledge that the foreign chief justice is an abolitionist, and surrendering when all hope of escape is lost is not shameful.

For smuggling people across borders, the maximum sentence is at most ten years in prison, not even life imprisonment.

Lin Tiansheng hid behind a tree, shining a red dot on Ke Zhenxiong's chest, and said loudly, "Hands behind your head, squat down on the rock, lower your head, and don't raise it."

"Got it, got it, got it." Ko Chen-hsiung cursed the cunning policeman under his breath, obediently complied, and squatted down on the rock. Following the red dots on Ko Chen-hsiung's body, the number increased from one to five.

Seeing that he knew what was good for him, Lin Tiansheng ordered, "Arong, go up."

"Yes, sir."

From the shadows on the left, Zhang Jinrong darted out, gun raised, and charged towards Ke Zhenxiong. Giving Ke Zhenxiong no chance to explain, he slammed the gun into the back of his head.

"Depend on."

Ko Chen-hsiung clutched his head, screamed, and collapsed in the woods. Two officers remained on guard with their guns. Lin Tien-sheng, holding his gun, stepped forward and whispered, "What are you yelling about!"

"Ko Chun-hung, Big Circle Gang, Cantonese Association, nicknamed Snake B." The Big Circle Gang is a loose organization composed of mainland gangsters who came to Hong Kong Island for refuge after the 1960s. It does have a nominal leader, but its various hometown associations operate autonomously, and can be considered similar to the Wo-kei group.

"Where's Da Dong?!"

Lin Tiansheng pinched his jawbone, shone a flashlight on it, and found that it was indeed Ke Zhenxiong from the photo.

Ko Chen-hsiung replied with difficulty, "You just took care of him, buddy."

"Oh, is that the unlucky guy in the yellow T-shirt and green backpack?" Lin Tiansheng said with a smile.

"Yes, yes." Ke Zhenxiong nodded obediently, very compliant.

Zhang Jinrong approached the boss and whispered, "Boss, there's a fat fish here. Should we rip him off?"

"What killing? We're recovering stolen goods." Lin Tiansheng stared at Ke Zhenxiong, narrowing his eyes, a strange look on his face.

In society, the underlying logic of the survival of the fittest has never changed. To get by, you need money and connections. In the 1980s, there were plenty of opportunities to make money, and if you were willing to work hard, there were plenty of opportunities to get ahead. But if you wanted to be completely clean and follow due process, then don't even think about climbing the ladder, because justice, procedure, and law are shackles placed on the lower class, cages for the incompetent, and fetters for the mediocre. Without breaking free from these mental constraints, don't even think about getting ahead.

Perhaps pure justice and fair laws exist in the world, but the Hong Kong of the 1980s simply doesn't exist. To gather a group of brothers and become the true leader of the remnants of the gang, one not only needs to be daring but also needs a way to make money.

Just like when Brother Lok established the underground order, set up four major bookmakers, took control of the underworld's wealth, and immediately became the number one person in Hong Kong.

Money talks! Money is power!
That's why he refused the support of the Justices of the Peace in the New Territories. Using other people's money only makes you their dog.

With the perspective passed down from later generations, it wouldn't be difficult to open up avenues for wealth in the 1980s and support a group of cronies. To lead his brothers to progress, he needed to expand and strengthen these avenues, combining power and wealth in a balanced way.

How to acquire one's first pot of gold is a true test of one's skills. Given the situation and pressure Lin Tiansheng faces, taking risks with the limited power he has left has become the only option.

Zhang Jinrong didn't think that much. Catching a valuable fish and then ripping it off is the proper quality of every criminal investigation department "investigator," isn't it?
Ten or twenty years ago, everyone played the same game. Ten or twenty years later, everyone is still playing the same game, only the people at the table have changed time and time again.

He pulled out a dagger from beside his leg, grinned maliciously, and stepped forward, saying, "Good job recovering stolen goods. The boss knows how to talk. Snake B, you've made a lot of dirty money helping Big Dong dispose of stolen goods and sell them, haven't you?"

"You're going to Stanley Prison soon, and you'll have nowhere to spend your money. Hand it over, and I'll spend it for you. I can even ask your colleagues to take care of you."

Ma Delong, He Li, and Liu Yida stared wide-eyed, their faces filled with shock.

Ko Chen-hsiung was terrified and completely lost his composure. His teeth chattered as he pleaded, "Boss, I only earn a small commission. All the money was taken by Li Hsu-tung. Every time we do something, my underlings have to pay a settlement fee and also give money to the gang. We don't have any money."

"Hold!"

Zhang Jinrong grabbed Ke Zhenxiong's left ear, cut it off without hesitation, and threw it on the ground: "You have no money? You want to work in Stanley without money and still want to eat public food? Damn it, I don't support idlers."

Ko Chen-hsiung was filled with sorrow, crying out that he had the worst luck ever—he'd run into a gang of corrupt cops. Damn it, no wonder they were so brave; they were working for him!

He would be willing to spend money to save his life if it meant paying, but he was afraid of being silenced. He covered the wound on his ear with his hand and said, "Five million, I have five million."

"Just let me into Stanley, and I'll have someone hand me over to you, okay? Take me back to the police station, take me back to the police station, or I'd rather die than hand me over."

Zhang Jinrong spat: "Fuck your mother, you're quite clever."

Upon hearing the figure of five million, Ma Delong unconsciously swallowed, exchanging glances with He Li and Liu Yida. No one stepped forward to dissuade him. But fearing trouble if he didn't say something, Ma Delong finally spoke up: "Brother Sheng, this isn't according to the rules, isn't it?"

“You’re a veteran police officer. Even if you’re dismissed, how much are you worth? If you don’t talk about what happened today, nothing will happen.” Lin Tiansheng’s eyes were deep as he swept over the three people in front of him. “Don’t forget, Ah Cong injured his leg and will be in a wheelchair for the rest of his life. That will cost a lot of money.”

"The foreigner's allowance, after deducting rent, isn't even enough to afford a pork chop rice. I don't want my brother to get into trouble and end up with nothing!"

These words immediately silenced Ma Delong and the other two, and the way they looked at Lin Tiansheng was no longer the same as before.

Ma Delong was impressed, He Li admired, and Liu Yida was completely convinced.

At this moment, Lin Tiansheng was not only trying to make his first fortune, but also subtly implying that they should pledge their loyalty.

Building a power group means constructing your own interest group. An interest group must first have interests, and secondly, it must be a group. The former is the source of wealth, and the latter is trust and unity. When you are weak and powerless, the simplest and fastest way is to kill together and eat together!
Establishing a foothold in the police force through solving cases and making meritorious contributions does not mean one must follow the rules and become self-tamed. Respecting the law of the jungle is the first step to becoming strong.

Driven by the dual reasons of wanting to benefit his colleagues and making a windfall, Ma Delong and his two companions demonstrated through their actions that they accepted the offer, took the money, and became true members of the group.

Zhang Jinrong held the knife in his hand and slashed it in front of Ke Zhenxiong's eyes, threatening, "Where's the deposit? If you don't come up with some money, I'll know if you've been lying to me."

"Five million, I want to see half of it!"

(End of this chapter)