Chapter 964: Police-Criminal Collusion Ignites Public Outrage!

The people of Hong Kong Island had a habit of reading newspapers and books. This habit was not a sign of a thriving culture, but rather a reluctant choice made by the common people under colonial rule.

Under British colonial rule, the indigenous people of Hong Kong were treated as second-class citizens, subject to strict controls in every aspect of life.

This discrimination did not merely occur in daily life; it was even blatantly enshrined in the law by the colonizers.

For example, the British colonial government imposed a curfew, restricting the movement of Chinese people at night under the pretext of “rampant theft,” and forcibly ordered them to “carry lanterns” when going out at night “for identification purposes”—this was a blatant equating of “thieves” with “Chinese people.”

Furthermore, in legal terms, Chinese residents on Hong Kong Island were once prohibited from using public facilities—including the grandstands at the racecourse—alongside the colonizers.

Even after the end of World War II, Chinese residents in Hong Kong were still barred from entering the homes, clubs, and certain entertainment venues of foreigners—a blatant display of racial discrimination.

Under these circumstances, reading newspapers and books became one of the few “freedoms” available to the people. It was only within the ocean of words that the people of Hong Kong could freely indulge in their fantasies of revenge and justice, and contemplate matters of home, country, and the greater good of the nation.

Precisely for this reason, Hong Kong’s modern cultural and entertainment industries flourished more than other sectors, with martial arts novels and film and television productions experiencing rapid growth.

Newspapers and magazines of all sizes are as numerous as the hairs on a cow’s back; even the most unscrupulous tabloids find a place to survive here.

However, early this morning, when ordinary people went to the newsstands as usual to pick out newspapers and magazines, they were surprised to discover

The front-page headlines of most newspapers were reporting on collusion between the police and triad organizations, complete with photographs as evidence.

The public was immediately shocked.

It’s important to note that such incidents hadn’t occurred in many years. Ever since “Inspector Five Hundred Million” Lei Lo dominated Hong Kong Island, media outlets and newspapers had been warned—and even cracked down on.

To survive on Hong Kong Island, one absolutely could not report negative news about police superintendents or the Chief Chinese Inspector; otherwise, one would face the consequences.

Since then, the media in Hong Kong Island had adhered to a strict rule: they could report on the Governor’s Office and the British colonial government, but they were forbidden from criticizing the police force or its senior officers.

But today, that rule has been broken.

Stunned, the public rushed to buy newspapers, eager to find out which triad the police force was colluding with and which hero had exposed the scandal.

They didn’t realize it until they saw it, and once they did, the public’s anger flared up.

The triad was bullying ordinary truck drivers—not only beating them but also smashing their vehicles. It was simply too much.

After all, truck drivers are just ordinary people struggling at the bottom of society, and behind every one of them is a family that needs to be supported. When the gang bullies these ordinary people, it affects not only the drivers themselves but also severely impacts their families.

Life is hard enough as it is, and it’s even tougher for ordinary people. The actions of the Tiger Hall are undoubtedly pushing the public’s patience to the limit.

The police, who are supposed to punish evil and uphold justice, not only turned a blind eye to this but actually abetted the gang—a move that further enraged the public.

Overnight, people all over Hong Kong Island were discussing the incident, with almost unanimous criticism and condemnation directed at the police and the Tiger Hall.

However, the public’s anger posed no real threat to the colonial authorities, and the matter did not attract the police department’s attention.

After all, the police had encountered similar incidents frequently over the years; their usual approach was to ignore them and wait for the commotion to die down on its own.

What did the public’s anger amount to? Nothing more than the impotent rage of small-time people—it didn’t stop the colonizers from feasting on abalone and lobster or indulging in their lavish, hedonistic lifestyles.

But this time, the situation far exceeded the expectations of Lin Luolan and the others. Just as they were watching the situation unfold, they realized something was amiss.

As more and more ordinary people discussed the matter, police officers on patrol were also subjected to public criticism.

More importantly, that morning, the news programs on several Hong Kong television stations were reporting on the incident without restraint; they even aired a video clip lasting several minutes during their broadcasts.

The footage showed police officers arriving at the scene in a huff. Upon discovering that the area was filled with members of the Tiger Hall, they asked a few brief questions before simply walking away.

It didn’t take long for people to recognize that the individual negotiating with the police was none other than the “Double Flower Red Stick” of the Tiger Hall. Once this footage was exposed, the anger of the people on Hong Kong Island flared even more intensely.

As television stations reported on the incident, the situation threatened to spiral out of control!

Lin Luolan realized something was amiss and immediately reported the situation to the Governor’s Office.

It’s worth noting that they had already contacted the TV station beforehand, instructing them not to report on this matter under any circumstances.

However, while the station executives had agreed to the request, they turned around and collectively went against their word—a turn of events that was certainly intriguing.

Upon receiving Lin Luolan’s report, the Governor’s Office also realized something was amiss; it was highly likely that someone was fanning the flames behind the scenes.

But before they could react, the wealthy elite of Hong Kong Island began flooding the Governor’s Office and the police headquarters with calls, inquiring about the situation—this put immense pressure on the Governor.

Fearing it would trigger an uncontrollable uproar, the Governor’s Office immediately contacted the police headquarters, ordering them to quell the matter immediately.

The Police Headquarters responded immediately, holding an emergency press conference at 11:00 a.m. to address public concerns regarding alleged police-criminal collusion.

According to their statement, the incident was purely a misunderstanding. They claimed that the police had received a report from the public the previous day about a mass brawl on the Grand Bridge, and officers had immediately been dispatched to the scene.

However, when officers arrived at the scene, they found that the assailants had already fled, leaving behind only dozens of injured victims on the verge of death. Given the severity of their injuries and the arrival of their relatives and friends, the police allowed them to go to the hospital for treatment first, with the intention of summoning them for questioning once their conditions were stabilized.

Although there were some procedural flaws in the handling of this incident, it was not a case of collusion between the police and criminals, as maliciously speculated by the media.

After deliberation, the police department has decided to issue a written warning to Officer Liu, who responded to the scene at the time.

At the same time, a police department spokesperson kindly reminded major newspapers, magazines, and television stations to base their reports on facts; otherwise, they would be in violation of Hong Kong Island law.

Furthermore, the police department called on the other party involved in the brawl at the Grand Bridge to voluntarily turn themselves in to the police immediately upon seeing this announcement, in order to seek lenient treatment…

However, the police department’s clarification did not achieve the desired effect, as the majority of the public did not buy their explanation.

After all, the video footage clearly showed that those who arrived at the scene early were not the relatives of the injured, but rather henchmen from the “Mighty Tigers” gang. Under these circumstances, according to standard procedure, the police officers should have taken all of them back to the station for questioning and investigation.

To simply release them like that—no one would believe there was no foul play involved.

Consequently, the situation did not calm down following the police department’s clarification; on the contrary, it showed signs of escalating.

In light of this, the Governor’s Office immediately instructed the police to launch an investigation into the brawl, ensuring that the other party involved was identified and brought to justice, thereby clearing the police of any wrongdoing.

However, before the police could crack the case, the situation took a new turn…

……….