Chapter 966: The Situation Is Spinning Out of Control!

The next morning!

At the edge of the sky, the dark night was gradually receding, while a new force of life was quietly brewing.

The sun rose in the east, its rays filling the sky and bathing the earth, piercing through all the darkness.

No one knew how many people had vanished without a trace last night, just as no one knew how many dark underbellies lay hidden within Hong Kong Island, this international metropolis.

Early in the morning, the citizens of Hong Kong Island rose as early as ever, scrambling to grab a bite of breakfast before crowding onto public transportation to go to work.

Likewise, if their financial circumstances allowed, they would pause for a minute or two at their familiar newsstands to buy a copy of the same newspaper they’d been reading for years—or even decades.

Especially after yesterday’s incident, in which dozens of newspapers and magazines simultaneously exposed and condemned the collusion between the police and criminals, the public was eagerly awaiting any follow-up reports today.

If there were, that would naturally be a good thing.

But if not, that would be perfectly normal—after all, on this land, it has never been the ordinary people who call the shots.

However, when ordinary citizens saw the front-page headlines of today’s newspapers, they were once again shocked—there really was a follow-up, and it was explosive!

Compared to yesterday morning’s exposé of police-criminal collusion and yesterday afternoon’s revelations of triad crimes, today’s news was even more infuriating: it exposed the triads’ retaliation against major media outlets.

According to the reports, in just one night, 17 newspapers and 31 magazines were vandalized, and 6 were set on fire and destroyed.

In addition, some 40 to 50 employees of these newspapers and magazines were harassed and beaten, with 22 of them seriously injured and hospitalized.

Furthermore, the heads of two major newspapers were kidnapped, and the homes of several executives were splashed with red paint and had dead cats and dogs thrown at them as threats.

Compared to these gang reprisals, what angered the public even more was the police department’s response.

According to reports, after the victims called the police, the officers and detectives did not respond promptly; instead, they arrived only after the gang thugs had left the scene at their leisure.

Even more bizarrely, upon arrival, the police showed no interest in solving the case or apprehending the perpetrators, nor did they provide timely medical assistance to the injured; instead, they grilled the victims with relentless questioning.

When the newspaper staff member, who had been beaten and humiliated, spoke up to question and demand answers, he was actually verbally abused and beaten by the officers, and was even taken back to the police station on charges of obstructing official duties.

Most importantly, all of the above incidents were reported in great detail, backed up by photographs and evidence.

For example, in the report on the assault of the editor-in-chief of *Fengyue Weekly*, it not only identified the assailants as henchmen of the Green Union Gang, led by the gang’s Causeway Bay boss Hei Pi, but also included clear photographs of the attackers striking their victim and the victim covered in blood—as if the photographer had been right there at the scene…

But that’s not all—some newspapers have also exposed even more explosive news: Chief Inspector Lam Lok-lam of the Chinese Affairs Division held secret nighttime meetings with the leaders of the Mighty Tigers, the Green Union Gang, the Yamaguchi-gumi, the Southern Monkey Gang, and the Brothers Party.

According to reports, Lin Luolan met with these triad leaders at one of his secret residences yesterday evening, where they held a closed-door meeting for nearly an hour.

And less than half an hour after these secret talks ended, the triads’ retaliatory actions against the media began…

Once this series of retaliatory incidents was reported, the people of Hong Kong Island were outraged.

It’s too brazen—they’re completely lawless!

Keep in mind that the newspapers and magazines targeted by these reprisals all have powerful backers, yet even so, in the eyes of these triads, they are still nothing—to be smashed at will, to be beaten at will.

One can only imagine what it must be like for ordinary people to encounter these demons in their daily lives.

What’s more, just yesterday at noon, the police department publicly clarified that they have no ties to these triads, that they are committed to fighting crime, and that they are staunchly opposed to triad gangs.

Yet all signs now point to last night’s retaliatory actions—including beatings, vandalism, harassment, and kidnappings—being a “joint operation” led by the police and carried out by the gangs.

When evil runs rampant and the light of justice merges with the darkness, the public’s hearts are filled not only with sorrow and despair, but also with another emotion and another response: anger and resistance!

Soon, a large crowd gathered in front of the Hong Kong Island Police Headquarters. Waving various banners and chanting slogans, they demanded that the police provide an explanation for these reports.

What the British Hong Kong government and the Governor’s Office did not anticipate was that, before they could devise a response, television reporters arrived on the scene and broadcast the incident live.

Seeing others take the lead, the public’s fury seemed to find an outlet. Hordes of citizens surged toward the scene, and the police headquarters building was soon completely surrounded by an angry mob. Nearby traffic and all commercial activities were forced to a standstill; the situation had spiraled completely out of control…

……….

Police Headquarters. Conference Room!

“Smash!”

An exquisite teacup was smashed violently onto the floor, sending scalding tea, tea leaves, and shards of glass flying everywhere.

Immediately afterward, a furious roar echoed through the entire conference room: “You bastards! Is this how you operate? You can’t even keep your own whereabouts under wraps. You’re nothing but a bunch of idiots…”

Faced with Commissioner Maxley’s tirade, the dozen or so superintendents and inspectors in the conference room fell silent, not daring to breathe a word.

They knew their superior’s temper all too well; if he noticed them at a moment like this, they were sure to become his punching bags—regardless of whether they were Senior Superintendents or Chief Inspector Hua.

The wisest course of action at this moment was to lower their heads and play the ostrich; as long as they didn’t catch his eye, they’d have dodged a bullet.

But some people, even if they buried their heads in their pants, would still get noticed—like Lin Luolan, the “Green-Haired Turtle.”

“Chief Inspector Lin, you were given full authority over this matter, and you promised me you would handle it properly. But clearly, you’ve botched it. I demand an explanation!”

Feeling the uncontrollable fury in Maxley’s eyes, Lin Luolan knew he had to handle this well. Otherwise, the position of Chief Inspector of the General Bureau, which he had worked so hard to secure, might well go to someone else.

That would not only be a betrayal of his own hard work but also a disservice to his wife’s sacrifices.

After briefly gathering her thoughts, Lin Luolan immediately came up with a plan of action.

“Sir, I do bear primary responsibility for this matter. If higher-ups investigate, I am willing to take full responsibility for any consequences!”

Lin Luolan understood clearly that Maxley was confronting him at this moment precisely because he feared Lin would take the blame, which could jeopardize his own career.

Therefore, Lin Luolan took the initiative to shoulder the blame. With that pressure lifted, Maxley would no longer be his enemy; in fact, he might even do his best to protect him.

Sure enough, upon hearing Lin Luolan’s response, the tension on Maxley’s face immediately eased.

“Hmph, now is not the time to talk about responsibility. The immediate priority is how to disperse those riffraff. You must realize that Citibank and the Daiwa Club are right nearby. If we don’t handle this properly, it will quickly become international news, and we’ll both be fired. Do you understand?”

“I understand… I understand!”

Having been in the police force for so many years, Lin Luolan was well aware of just how dangerous the situation was.

If they couldn’t get the civilians outside to disperse, not only would he be in trouble, but Police Commissioner Maxley would be in deep trouble as well.

Knowing Maxley’s character, before his downfall, he would surely crush him completely, leaving him with no chance of recovery.

After all, that bastard had been cuckolding him for so many years; he was afraid that once he lost power, Lin Luolan would seek revenge.

With that in mind, he immediately said, “Sir, the only option now is to contact the leaders of those gangs again!”

Maysley frowned and said, “You want the gang members to disperse these lowlifes?”

Lin Luolan’s face immediately turned pale with fear as he said, “No… we can’t disperse them, or we’re all finished!”

“Doomed?”

“Sir, based on my years of experience, we’ve already fallen into a trap they’ve meticulously set for us. Using violence will only make us die faster… and more miserably!” Lin Luolan said, his face etched with despair.

Maxley was taken aback for a moment, then asked, “Explain your reasoning.”

Lin Luolan sighed and immediately began analyzing the current situation…

………