Chapter 969: The Enemy Strikes!

Downtown. Far East Stock Exchange!

It was 10 a.m., and the exchange was in the midst of a busy morning.

Even though the shockwaves from the Hong Kong stock market crash had yet to subside and the market was in a bear phase, there were still a large number of investors on the lookout for opportunities.

After all, the biggest difference between a bear market and a bull market isn’t whether you can make money, but whether you can make it without lifting a finger.

During a bull market, the entire market is on the rise, so anyone who isn’t a fool can make money—it’s simply a matter of how much.

It’s not that you can’t make money in a bear market—it’s just not as easy as in a bull market. For many experienced investors, a bear market can still be profitable.

Just as investors were scouting for opportunities, a group of people suddenly appeared at the exchange’s entrance, instantly drawing the attention of everyone inside.

The group was simply too extravagant: four heavily armed security guards led the way, followed by several bodyguards in suits, with another four security guards bringing up the rear.

And all these heavily armed guards were there solely to serve the person in the very center.

Such a grand display was rare even on Hong Kong Island, a place teeming with the wealthy and powerful.

Suddenly, an observant bystander gasped, “It’s Mr. Li from Starry Sky!”

Hearing the exclamation, everyone around stopped what they were doing. Like startled giraffes, they all craned their necks to look toward the entrance.

Soon, more people recognized Li Yi and began waving at him, greeting him as if they’d spotted a superstar.

In fact, in the eyes of Hong Kong investors, Li Yi was indeed a star—no, more accurately, an idol!

Over the past two years, Li Yi and his Star Investment Company had achieved outstanding results, becoming a legend in Hong Kong’s investment world—his status akin to that of Warren Buffett decades from now.

All investors in Hong Kong viewed Li Yi as their role model and hoped that one day they too could become overnight millionaires like him.

Seeing this, Li Yi didn’t put on airs; he immediately waved to the crowd in the lobby, triggering another wave of screams and cheers.

This massive outburst of cheering also caught the attention of the big investors in the surrounding VIP lounges, who quickly sent people out to investigate.

Upon learning that Li Yi had appeared at the Far East Stock Exchange, those major investors grew increasingly nervous.

Many of them had come specifically for Li Yi and the Chinese Chamber of Commerce, but at the same time, they had analyzed his past track record and were filled with apprehension toward him.

Otherwise, they wouldn’t have allowed those triad organizations to resort to underhanded tactics behind the scenes, all with the aim of keeping Li Yi too busy to focus on anything else.

But what they never could have imagined was that, despite the combined efforts of so many organizations, they still failed to stop Li Yi. This formidable man had reappeared at the stock exchange once again.

Upstairs, Li Futao was frowning as he studied the documents in his hands. Hearing the loud cheers coming from downstairs, he immediately called out toward the door, “Xinghua…”

The office door swung open, and Zhou Xinghua stepped inside. “Boss, you called for me?”

“What’s happening downstairs? Why is it so noisy?” Li Futiao asked.

“I’ve already sent someone down to check. We should have an update soon…”

Just then, a sharply dressed woman hurried up the stairs and approached Zhou Xinghua, whispering a few words in his ear.

“Boss, Mr. Li from Xingchen Company has arrived with his team. They’re the ones causing all the commotion downstairs!” Zhou Xinghua reported.

Upon hearing this, Li Futiao immediately asked, “Brother Li Yi is here. Is he looking for me, or…”

“Mr. Li is likely here to discuss an investment. He’s already arrived at VIP Room 9 with his team!” the female secretary replied.

“Xinghua, hurry up and bring them up here. I have something I need to discuss with Brother Li Yi…”

Before Zhou Xinghua could speak, Li Futiao added, “I’ll go down myself!”

With that, amid the stunned and bewildered expressions of those present, he strode down the stairs.

Seeing this, Zhou Xinghua and the others immediately followed him…

As for Li Yi, upon arriving at VIP Room 9, he pushed open the door and saw Pang Feiyan, Yang Qian, Liang He, and the others in the middle of a meeting.

Judging by the furrowed brows on their faces, it seemed they were facing some kind of trouble.

When Pang Feiyan and the others saw that it was none other than the big boss, Li Yi, who had entered, they immediately stopped, stood up, and came over to greet him.

Seeing this, Li Yi said, “Everyone, please sit down. No need to stand!”

At Li Yi’s command, they all returned to their seats, but left the head seat for him.

“What’s the current situation? Have those bastards made their move yet?”

The main reason Li Yi had come to the Far East Stock Exchange was that most of the Chinese Chamber of Commerce’s listed companies were traded here, including Li Ka-shing’s Cheung Kong Holdings, “Ship King” Bao’s Global Shipping, and the Li family’s Henderson Land Development, among others.

The reason so many Chinese companies chose the Far East Stock Exchange over the other three exchanges was entirely due to Li Futao’s support for Chinese businesses; many companies were only able to go public and raise capital with his help.

Now that those overseas financial conglomerates wanted to attack the Chinese Chamber of Commerce, they naturally started with the Far East Stock Exchange.

No sooner had he finished speaking than Pang Feiyan immediately replied, “They’ve already made their move, though the scale isn’t very large—it’s likely just a probing attack.”

“How do you plan to respond?” Li Yi asked again.

Pang Feiyan immediately said, “Half an hour ago, an account suddenly started snapping up Wharf Holdings shares, but the Bao family acted quickly to drive the stock price up significantly. Within a very short time, Wharf Holdings’ price had risen by 20%.”

“Under these circumstances, those people decisively abandoned their plan to snap up Wharf Holdings shares and cashed out all the shares they had previously acquired at the peak, making a small profit!”

Li Yi’s lips curled slightly upward, and he immediately said, “Such petty tricks—how dare they show off their skills in front of a master!”

“Do you know which companies those people are from…?”

Before he could finish, there was a loud “whoosh” as the VIP room door swung open.

Immediately afterward, Li Yi saw Li Futiao stride in, accompanied by Zhou Xinghua and others.

Standing before Li Yi, Li Futiao immediately said with a smile, “I thought you weren’t going out these days. What brings you here?”

Li Yi smiled and replied, “We have an old saying up north: ‘If you hear the cicadas chirping, it’s time to start farming.’ They’re just a few small fry—just deal with them. Do you really think I’d be too scared to step outside because of them?”

Hearing this, Li Futiao was secretly startled.

The top ten most wanted killers in Southeast Asia had all arrived—were they really just a few small fry?

“Brother Li Yi, what exactly did you mean by ‘take care of them’ just now?” Li Futao asked in a low voice.

“Exactly what I said!”

“All… all of them?”

Li Yi nodded and said, “Anyone who dared to show their face has indeed been taken care of, but we can’t rule out the possibility of some who are well-hidden, or others who might show up later!”

No sooner had he finished speaking than Zhang Ziqiang suddenly interjected from the side, “There won’t be any more. The bounty on Brother Yi’s head has already been withdrawn!”

Whoa!

At those words, Li Futao couldn’t help but suck in a sharp breath.

To have a bounty removed from the list—that would require immense influence. At the very least, it was something the Li family, with all their resources, could never have pulled off.

But when he thought about the forces backing Li Yi, Li Futiao felt reassured.

After all, this was a man who had defeated the world’s five major gangsters—someone who could even defeat the U.S. in battle. Let alone some shadowy organization lurking in the shadows; it might have already been infiltrated by those Red agents long ago.

With that in mind, Li Futiao immediately said, “So, the threat from those assassins has been neutralized!”

“It should be neutralized. Even if there are a few stragglers left, it doesn’t matter—with Qiangzi and the others here, my personal safety should be fine!” Li Yi said.

“That’s good. Now we can focus on dealing with those business tycoons!” Li Futiao said.

“Oh, Old Li, who exactly are you referring to as ‘business tycoons’? Those overseas conglomerates?” Li Yi asked with interest.

“Hmm, according to intelligence from our sources, nearly three billion US dollars poured into certain linked accounts just yesterday alone.”

Li Futiao continued, “Although they’ve been very discreet—spreading the funds across hundreds of accounts and using local companies’ accounts—they still can’t completely evade our surveillance. The only thing we don’t know right now is which company they’re targeting…”

Just then, a young man rushed in and whispered a few words to Pang Feiyan.

Pang Feiyan then quickly walked over to Li Yi and said solemnly, “Boss, they’ve made their move. The target is Li’s Hengye Real Estate…”

………

Victoria Peak. Cloudtop No. 1!

Putting down the phone, the corners of Li Yi’s mouth turned up slightly, and the same expression as the “Crooked-Mouthed Dragon King” appeared on his face.

Just moments ago, he had received a call from Li Futiao, who had briefed him on the police station’s reaction and their countermeasures.

Learning that that bastard Lin Luolan was actually planning to team up with the heads of those gangs to stage a “sacrifice the pawn to save the king” act—a play of “sacrificing family for the greater good”—Li Yi felt that while the guy had a bit of quick wit, it was merely petty cleverness, not true wisdom!

He had been thinking about finding an opportunity to wipe out those arrogant and tyrannical gangs all at once, but he never expected this guy to be so cooperative—it was truly a case of the right opportunity coming at just the right time.

Anyone unaware of the situation might even think this guy was an undercover agent I’d planted on their side!

With that in mind, Li Yi immediately picked up the phone, intending to call Old Huang and have him come over.

However, before he could even dial the number, Zhang Ziqiang’s voice came from outside the door: “Brother Yi, General Manager Huang, Captain Yang, and Captain Yan are here. They’re waiting for you downstairs!”

Li Yi immediately hung up the phone and strode out.

When he reached the lobby, he indeed saw Huang Lixing, Yang Wenguang, Yan Guangming, and the others in the living room.

Seeing him come downstairs, they all stood up immediately.

Li Yi smiled and said, “Talk about speaking of the devil—I was just about to call you guys!”

Old Huang immediately laughed and said, “That’s what you call a meeting of minds!”

Li Yi’s mouth twitched slightly as he said, “Old Huang, that’s a pretty suggestive thing to say. Aren’t you afraid Sister-in-law Chu Hong won’t let you into bed?”

“Hahaha…”

After the laughter died down, Yan Guangming said, “Mr. Li, we’re here primarily to brief you on last night’s operation!”

“Alright!”

“Last night, with the cooperation of the National Security Bureau, we launched simultaneous mop-up operations against seven groups of assassins and five mercenary squads whose whereabouts we had identified. The entire operation went very smoothly. We killed a total of 17 assassins and 28 mercenaries. One of our men sustained minor injuries, but we suffered no casualties!” said Yan Guangming.

“Excellent. We’ve cleaned up all traces. No loose ends left, right?” Li Yi asked.

“Everything has been completely cleared up. No one knows how these people vanished, and it’s impossible for them to trace it back to us!” Yan Guangming said with certainty.

“Hmm. We must continue to strengthen surveillance to prevent new assassins and mercenaries from infiltrating Hong Kong Island. At the same time, we must enhance protection for the leaders and key personnel of all departments at Starry Sky Corporation, in case those bastards resort to desperate measures when they can’t find me!” Li Yi ordered.

“Yes, sir!”

“How’s the investigation and infiltration of those triads coming along? If we were to close in now, what are our chances of success?” Li Yi asked again.

Yang Wenguang replied immediately, “We’re almost there, but we haven’t yet verified the home addresses of some key triad members. While we’re confident we can completely destroy those triads if we move now, we can’t guarantee we’ll catch every single key member in the net!”

No sooner had he finished speaking than Huang Lixing interjected, “Brother Li Yi, those gangs are all quite powerful, and their leaders are all seasoned veterans. At this critical juncture, they’re bound to be on their guard. I suggest we make more thorough preparations before closing in. What do you think?”

However, Li Yi shook his head and said, “No, we must close in tonight!”

“Why?”

Li Yi smiled and said, “I just received word that the police department, in order to appease the angry public, has decided to have the gang leaders put on a show with them. If things go as expected, the gang leaders and key members will soon be taken into custody by the police.”

Hearing this, Huang Lixing, Yang Wenguang, and the others immediately understood Li Yi’s plan. He intended to turn the tables on them—to launch a surprise attack on the syndicates while their leaders were absent.

It must be noted that these gangs were all quite powerful, and with backing from influential figures, they would undoubtedly put up a desperate fight if attacked.

But without their leaders on hand to command them, the foot soldiers would be nothing more than a disorganized mob, incapable of mounting any real resistance.

Faced with a surprise attack, the outcome was a foregone conclusion.

“Brother Li Yi, is this information accurate? Could it be a trap set by the enemy?” Huang Lixing asked immediately.

“It came from Old Li—it should be true!” Li Yi replied.

No sooner had he finished speaking than Yan Guangming interjected, “Even if it’s false intelligence, it doesn’t matter. At worst, a surprise attack will turn into a full-scale assault—the process will be a bit tougher, but the outcome won’t change.”

Li Yi smiled and said, “That’s encouraging to hear, but we still need to draw up a battle plan. We’ll try to resolve this quietly while minimizing our own casualties!”

“Yes, sir. We’ll get the job done!”

Just then, Huang Lixing suddenly spoke up: “Brother Li Yi, when we take on the Yamaguchi-gumi, can I lead the team myself?”

Li Yi naturally understood that he wanted to avenge the more than twenty brothers who had been brutally killed a couple of days ago, but considering his current position, he shook his head and said, “Old Huang, I can have the brothers on the operation leave the captives with you to deal with as you see fit, but leading the team yourself is out of the question.”

Seeing that Huang Lixing still wanted to say something, Li Yi added, “Old Huang, you must remember: you are no longer the head of the Qinglong Society. You are the Deputy General Manager of Starry Sky Corporation, the Deputy General Manager of Aegis Security, and my partner. There’s no need for you to get involved in these matters anymore.”

“I understand. Then I won’t lead the team myself. However, the captains of those two cargo ships, along with everyone else involved in that incident, must be handed over to me for punishment!”

Huang Lixing continued, “If possible, I’d like Yamada, the head of the Yamaguchi-gumi, handed over to me as well. I intend to use his head to honor the memory of my brothers.”

“Alright!”

Li Yi then turned to Yan Guangming and said, “Team Leader Yan, I’m leaving this matter in your hands. Make sure Old Huang’s demands are met!”

“Yes!”

Li Yi immediately added, “I don’t care how you do it, but I want those gangs to vanish completely from Hong Kong Island by the end of tonight.”

“Yes, we guarantee the mission will be completed!” Yang Wenguang and Yan Guangming said in unison, their voices firm.

At that moment, Huang Lixing spoke up again: “Brother Li Yi, what do you think will happen to Yamada and Meng Lin once they’re released from the police station if we really take down those gangs?”

Before Li Yi could answer, Yan Guangming cut in, “What else could they do? They’d definitely turn tail and run the moment they’re out!”

Li Yi immediately replied, “Exactly. That’s why we still need to station people to keep a close eye on the police station, to make sure those ringleaders can’t escape!”

“They can’t get away. We have people in the police station’s task force; we’ll know the moment there’s any major move over there!” Yang Wenguang said.

“That’s good!”

Just then, Huang Lixing suddenly chuckled and said, “If this goes through, it’s going to be a real riot. Those gang bosses were just playing along with those police corrupt officials—once they get out and find their homes have been ransacked, hahaha…”

The others laughed along with him.

After the banter, Li Yi immediately said, “Alright, you guys go back and get ready. As soon as we confirm that Yamada and the others have been ‘arrested,’ we’ll make our move tonight.”

“Yes!”

With that, Huang Lixing and the others hurriedly left Cloud Peak No. 1.

After watching them leave, Li Yi turned to Zhang Ziqiang beside him and said, “Get the car ready. We’re going to take care of the rest of the enemies too!”

“Yes…”

………

The meeting at the police station was still underway!

Lin Luolan took a deep breath and said, “Maysri, everyone, if my guess is correct, a significant portion of the people outside are employees of Starry Sky Corporation, or family members of employees affiliated with the Chinese Chamber of Commerce…”

Before she could finish, McSri said through gritted teeth, “Are you saying that yellow-skinned monkey surnamed Li masterminded this?”

“It should be!”

“Bastard! He dares to storm the police station. I’ll send men to arrest him right now…”

Before McSri could finish, Lin Luolan shook her head and said, “McSri, that won’t work. It’ll only make the situation worse and leave us with even less room to maneuver!”

“What do you mean by that?” Maxri said coldly.

“Maysri, don’t you find this whole situation rather strange? Those newspapers and magazines used to keep their distance from our police station—how could they suddenly band together to expose our dirty secrets?”

Lin Luolan continued, “And then there’s the evidence against the various gangs. Many of these cases happened years ago. Even if we wanted to investigate them, it would take a tremendous amount of effort—and we might not even find anything. How is it possible that they’ve suddenly been reported with such concrete evidence?”

“And then there’s this: last night, the gang members clearly smashed those newspapers and magazines to smithereens. How did they manage to get all those papers and magazines printed and published by dawn?”

Lin Luolan’s barrage of questions left all the high-ranking police officials, including Maxley, completely dumbfounded.

Before anyone could answer, Lin Luolan spoke again: “Clearly, there’s an invisible hand pulling the strings behind all this, and the owner of that hand goes by the surname Li—as in Li Yi!”

Maxley immediately asked, “How did that yellow-skinned monkey pull that off?”

“If I’m not mistaken, that mainland guy has already secretly taken control of the vast majority of the media on Hong Kong Island. Only then would those newspapers and magazines dare to defy our intimidation and keep reporting things that are detrimental to us!”

Lin Luolan continued, “As for the incriminating evidence against the triads, it’s highly likely that an insider leaked it to Li Yi…”

“Are you saying there’s a mole within the syndicate?” Maxley said in a low voice.

“Exactly. It’s impossible for an outsider to obtain such detailed evidence in such a short time—it must have come from their own ranks!” Lin Luolan said.

No one asked why someone from within the gang would help Li Yi. After all, while those henchmen and foot soldiers might pay lip service to “brotherhood,” in reality, they were all small-time figures from the bottom of society—or even outright thugs.

People like that didn’t join gangs for loyalty, but for survival—to put it bluntly, for money.

And money was the one thing Li Yi had in abundance; even a tiny fraction of what slipped through his fingers would be enough for an ordinary person to live comfortably for a lifetime.

If the evidence of the gang’s crimes could lead to the life they’ve always dreamed of, I imagine plenty of people would be lining up for it.

After all, if there were any way out, who would want to live a life of constant danger, with their head on the chopping block?

After a brief pause, Maxley spoke again: “So, that means that yellow-skinned monkey knows everything we’ve been up to these past few days!”

“That’s right. In fact…”

“Even what? Speak up!” Maxley said through gritted teeth.

Lin Luolan’s voice was dark yet filled with terror as she said, “I even suspect that mainland guy anticipated our reactions all along—he deliberately led us to act this way!”

Whoa!

Hearing this, not just Maxley, but everyone in the conference room couldn’t help but suck in a sharp breath.

If what Lin Luolan said was true, that man was truly terrifying.

Maysley was also startled by Lin Luolan’s words. While others might not know why the people in London were targeting that “yellow-skinned monkey,” he certainly did.

After all, his father had accompanied that man to the capital, witnessed him fall on the steps with his own eyes, and naturally understood the inside story.

Thinking of how Li Yi didn’t even respect the Prime Minister, Maxley knew they’d truly hit a brick wall this time. One misstep, and he could become the target of their retaliation—or even… a scapegoat!

With that in mind, he immediately turned to Lin Luolan and asked, “You mentioned contacting those gang leaders earlier. What did you mean by that?”

Lin Luolan replied without hesitation, “We need them to put on a show with us!”

“A charade?”

“Exactly. The main reason the public is surrounding the police station right now is that they believe we’re doing nothing and suspect us of colluding with the gangs. As long as we can prove our innocence to the public, the problem will be solved!”

Lin Luolan continued, “And the most effective way to prove our innocence is to arrest those gang leaders, so the public can see our police station’s determination to punish evil and uphold justice.”

“Of course, we can’t actually arrest them. If we did, the triads wouldn’t be able to explain it to their members, and the powers behind them would retaliate against us. So we’ll just have to get those triad members to cooperate with us in putting on a show!”

Maxley nodded and then asked, “But how do we wrap things up after we’ve arrested them?”

“That’s simple. We’re just going through the motions. Once the crowd outside has dispersed, we’ll find a plausible excuse to release them. Then we’ll tell them to keep a low profile, and the whole thing will blow over easily!” Lin Luolan said.

“Right, the most urgent thing right now is to get the crowd outside to disperse first…”

Just then, a female police officer pushed open the door and hurried in. She approached Maxley and whispered a few words to him.

After hearing what the female officer had to say, Maxley’s expression changed drastically.

He immediately stood up and said, “Inspector Charris just called. He said we must resolve this matter within 12 hours; otherwise, he won’t hesitate to bring in a new team to manage police affairs!”

At those words, the expressions of everyone present changed drastically.

They had climbed to their current positions through untold hardships, and in some cases, had even exhausted their entire family’s resources.

Now, behind each of them stood a large number of people who relied on their status and influence to do business and make a living. If they were removed from their posts, the consequences would extend far beyond themselves.

Maxley glanced at Lin Luolan and said, “Detective Lin, you’ll contact the syndicate on my behalf immediately and inform them of our plan, ensuring they cooperate.”

“At the same time, tell them that if they cooperate, I, Maxley, owe them a favor. If they refuse to cooperate, don’t blame us for sending in the Flying Tigers to deal with them!”

“Yes, sir!”

Maysley then turned to the others and continued, “I know that behind each of you lie different interests. Whether you represent a family, a syndicate, or some other faction, I hope that at this critical moment, none of you will hinder the police department’s efforts.”

“If I find out that anyone dares to turn traitor and hinder the police at this critical moment, don’t blame me for setting aside any sense of camaraderie and coming down hard on them!”

Faced with Maxley’s threat, everyone present rushed to pledge their loyalty.

For a moment, the conference room was flooded with flattery, and sycophantic remarks flew thick and fast.

Although Maxley usually enjoyed hearing such flattery, the situation was now dire, and he naturally had no time for it.

He immediately ordered someone to go out and calm the crowd, while simultaneously instructing Lin Luolan to apprehend the suspect as quickly as possible.

However, what they didn’t know was that just as the police team set out, Li Yi, who was at the Tai Ping Shan Villa, had already received the news…

………..

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…

………

Hong Kong Island!

The sudden and fierce public outcry caught the Governor’s Office and the police off guard, completely disrupting their previous plans regarding Li Yi.

But they weren’t fools; they quickly realized that someone was fanning the flames behind the scenes.

And that person was most likely Li Yi himself, along with the Chinese Chamber of Commerce backing him.

After all, the way this situation had unfolded was downright bizarre!

Based on past experience, let alone cases of police-criminal collusion, even more serious incidents would never ignite public outrage this quickly—after all, information takes time to spread.

But with this incident, both the speed of its exposure and the intensity of the public debate far exceeded their expectations.

More importantly, major media outlets and magazines—which had previously remained silent in the face of the police department—suddenly turned against them en masse, as if their reverence for the police had vanished overnight.

No one would believe that there wasn’t someone orchestrating and intervening behind the scenes.

At this moment, the Governor ordered the police department to step forward and issue a clarification, while also demanding that the police and various financial conglomerates act swiftly to completely crush Li Yi and the forces behind him.

Although they knew this would be no easy task, given the orders from London, the Governor had no choice but to bite the bullet and go all in.

However, no sooner had his orders been issued than he received more bad news before they could be carried out—the media had just dropped another bombshell on BB Xi TR!

That afternoon, more than a dozen newspapers and magazines once again ran front-page headlines detailing the criminal activities of several triad societies, including the Tiger Hall. These included, but were not limited to, extorting businesses, illegally collecting protection money, kidnapping and blackmail, robbery and murder, as well as rape and forcing women into prostitution.

If that were all, Lin Luolan and the others wouldn’t have been afraid.

However, what they hadn’t anticipated was that along with the evidence of these gang crimes, a massive amount of evidence exposing police inaction and collusion between the police and criminals was also exposed.

This evidence was accompanied by photographs and was extremely detailed; even photos of several Chief Inspectors, their families, and triad bosses drinking and socializing together—and in some cases, directly accepting money and gifts—were published.

Upon seeing these reports, Lin Luolan and his men panicked; this was clearly a move designed to crush them.

They were well aware of their purpose and role. Despite their swagger and prestige among the general public, in the eyes of the Westerners, they were nothing more than dogs—dogs that could be discarded at any moment.

If public sentiment spiraled out of control and began to undermine the foreigners’ rule over Hong Kong Island, then whether they were Chief Inspector or ordinary officers, they’d all have to pack their bags and get the hell out.

For a moment, Lin Luolan and the others were completely panicked!

With these revelations coming to light, the police department’s morning clarification turned into a laughingstock, and what little reputation and credibility they had left were completely ruined.

The Governor’s Office now realized the gravity of the situation. If this matter wasn’t resolved, it might even trigger a massive riot like the one from over a decade ago.

If such an event were to occur, his tenure as Governor would truly be over.

More importantly, the current international landscape was no longer what it had been a decade or so ago. If a riot like the one from back then were to break out on Hong Kong Island, the mainland might well seize the opportunity to reclaim the British Empire’s last remaining cash cow in the East.

In that case, not only would he lose his job as Governor, but he would also go down in history as a traitor to the British Empire.

In light of this, the Governor’s Office immediately pressured several senior officials at the Police Headquarters, ordering them to resolve the matter at all costs and quell the mounting public outcry.

Police Commissioner Maxley immediately convened a meeting with several senior officials and the Chief Chinese Inspector to discuss a response strategy.

After careful analysis, they concluded that their current predicament stemmed not only from behind-the-scenes agitators but, more crucially, from their loss of control over the media.

If the media had remained as compliant as before—with no, or only a few, media outlets or magazines reporting on the incident—the situation would never have escalated to this point.

Therefore, the immediate priority was to bring the media under control and cut off the channels through which these negative reports were spreading.

And to control these media outlets, they would have to resort to drastic measures.

Subsequently, the police department immediately sent a secret message to those triad groups, instructing them to step in and intimidate the media outlets—whether through murder, arson, kidnapping, or threats—to ensure they were silenced.

With orders from the police station, the gangs sprang into action.

As soon as night fell, large numbers of gang members appeared on the streets and launched their intimidation campaign against the media outlets.

They beat up newspaper staff who had reported negative stories about the police station and the triads, vandalized the facilities and equipment of newspapers and magazines, and didn’t even spare those unscrupulous gossip tabloids.

For a time, the entire Hong Kong Island was overrun with the rampaging figures of these gang thugs.

Under these circumstances, the police station’s phones were flooded with calls. But what was particularly telling was that every time a report was made, the officers would arrive late; by the time they showed up, the gang thugs had long since dispersed.

What’s even more infuriating is that when these police officers and detectives finally showed up, instead of arresting the violent thugs, they interrogated and warned the victims—clearly taking one side and neglecting their duties!

However, just as the police thought everything was going according to their script, they had no idea that the entire incident had been secretly filmed—and would eventually become powerful evidence used to bring them to justice…

……….

It was late at night, and all was quiet!

While the police were scrambling to control public opinion, the National Security Bureau was closing in on the assassin organizations.

In a hotel room in the city, a young man and woman, both dressed in tight-fitting, short-sleeved outfits, were discussing something.

Just then, the doorbell suddenly rang.

The two immediately stopped talking, their expressions turning wary.

Then, they both drew their handguns. The woman chose a vantage point and took cover, while the man slowly moved toward the door.

He didn’t rush to speak, but first peered through the peephole to assess the situation outside.

Through the peephole, the man saw only a waitress in her twenties standing outside, looking flustered.

The man’s expression softened slightly. He gave the woman behind him an “OK” gesture and opened the door.

Then, speaking fluent English, he asked, “Is there something I can help you with?”

“First of all, I’m truly sorry. A water pipe on the floor above has burst and is leaking. To repair it, we’ll need to temporarily use the bathroom in your room. To avoid disturbing your rest, we’d like to move you to another room.”

The attendant continued, “To express our sincere apologies, we will upgrade your room to a deluxe suite. We hope you’ll accept our apology!”

The man looked closely at the female attendant in front of him and said, “Please wait a moment; I need to discuss this with my wife!”

With that, the man closed the door.

Immediately afterward, he hurried to the bathroom and began inspecting it closely.

Sure enough, he heard a commotion coming from upstairs, and there were indeed signs of a leak near the bathroom pipes.

The man immediately explained the situation to his wife, and the two ultimately decided to accept the hotel’s “apology” and switch rooms.

They then packed their few belongings and followed the female attendant to their new room.

However, just as the two were about to enter the new room and close the door, they noticed that the previously harmless and polite female attendant suddenly had a sleek, silenced pistol in her hand, the muzzle pointed directly at them.

Before they could react, she pulled the trigger.

In the blink of an eye, the “dynamic duo” who had terrorized Southeast Asia fell lifeless in this obscure hotel room on Hong Kong Island.

After confirming their deaths, the waitress immediately signaled to someone in the distance.

Immediately afterward, several burly men carrying suitcases and tools strode over. They first stuffed the two bodies into large shipping crates, then quickly cleaned the floor.

In less than two minutes, the scene was cleaned up, and the men quickly left, dragging their suitcases behind them!

Tonight, incidents like this are unfolding in multiple locations across Hong Kong Island…

……….

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…

……….

Huang Lixing led Tie Ying and the others away from Cloud Peak No. 1 with a satisfied air, while Li Yi, feeling refreshed, prepared to head to the company to arrange the follow-up matters.

This crisis wasn’t limited to the police and the gangs; their enemies intended to crush them completely from every angle. The gangs were merely a distraction, and the police were just a minor nuisance.

Their real trump card lay in the business realm. After all, relying solely on these underhanded tactics could at most severely cripple Starry Sky Corporation and the Chinese Chamber of Commerce—it wouldn’t eliminate them entirely.

So, barring any surprises, those overseas conglomerates are already lying in wait, biding their time.

Precisely for this reason, although Li Yi had a plan to deal with the triad and the police, he still dared not let his guard down.

However, just as Li Yi had finished getting ready to leave, the home phone suddenly rang urgently.

As soon as he picked up the receiver, he heard the familiar voice of Li Futiao on the other end: “Brother Li Yi, where are you right now?”

“At home. You timed this call perfectly—if you’d called a minute later, I would’ve already been out the door!” Li Yi said with a laugh.

“Try not to go out for the next few days. And if you do have to go out, make sure to bring as many people with you as possible!” Li Fuzhao warned.

“Oh, so someone’s planning to take me out?” Li Yi asked.

“Yes. I just received word that all five of Southeast Asia’s top assassin organizations have recently arrived in Hong Kong in secret. At the same time, a bounty for your assassination has appeared on overseas bounties lists. I suspect these assassins are all after you!” Li Futiao said.

Hearing this, Li Yi furrowed his brow, then glanced at Zhang Ziqiang beside him.

Seeing him give him an “OK” gesture, Li Yi felt reassured and asked with interest, “Old Li, how much is the bounty for my head?”

“Twenty million US dollars!” Li Futao said solemnly.

They say where there’s a will, there’s a way. Twenty million US dollars converts to nearly two hundred million Hong Kong dollars—a staggering bounty that would be enough to tempt even the most desperate outlaws to take the risk.

However, Li Yi on the other end of the line looked displeased as he said, “Is my head worth only that much? That’s an insult, isn’t it?”

Li Futao’s face twitched involuntarily. Was that… really the point?

“Brother Li Yi, you must take this seriously. Your bounty has already shot up to third place on the bounty list. Who knows how many assassins and mercenaries will be after you!” Li Futao said.

Although Li Yi was dying to ask who the two guys at the top of the bounty list were and what their bounties were, hearing the concern in Li Fuzhao’s voice, he decided not to bring up such trivial matters.

After a moment’s thought, Li Yi said solemnly, “Old Li, you don’t need to worry about my safety. How are things going with the Merchants’ Guild?”

“I held a meeting with the members yesterday. We successfully completed the vetting process for new members and also discussed the threats and challenges the Guild currently faces.”

“And the result?”

Li Futiao replied immediately, “The result is that all the members are firmly committed to standing with you through thick and thin; not a single one chose to withdraw.”

Although Li Yi had anticipated this outcome, he still breathed a huge sigh of relief when Li Futao actually said it.

The reason Li Yi believed the members of the Chinese Chamber of Commerce were willing to stand with him through thick and thin was, on the one hand, because he had helped them make a lot of money in the past; if they withdrew now, they would never have such opportunities again.

On the other hand, these members had all made investments on the mainland—ranging from a few million to over 100 million yuan.

If they chose to betray him now, their investments there would inevitably be affected.

So, in any case, the Chamber members would not choose to withdraw or betray him while the situation remained unclear.

Of course, if he failed to handle the impending crisis properly, the outcome would be uncertain.

After all, merchants prioritize profit; when their interests are threatened, anything is possible.

“Good. As long as we remain united internally, we have nothing to fear from any challenge!” Li Yi said.

“Yes, and since we know foreign forces are involved this time, our Chamber members have raised 50 billion Hong Kong dollars to support you—ready to be deployed at your command!” Li Futao added.

If Li Yi had merely breathed a sigh of relief a moment ago, he was now deeply moved.

After all, the Chinese Chamber of Commerce currently had only 32 full members. Divided among them, 50 billion Hong Kong dollars amounted to over 1.5 billion per person.

That these members were willing to put up such a massive sum to support him was certainly a testament to their belief in his abilities and potential, but who could deny that personal affection played a part as well!

In any case, Li Yi had to honor this gesture of goodwill!

“Old Li, tell everyone that this money is an investment from all of you. I’ll give you all a surprise!” Li Yi said.

“Alright!”

Li Futao then added, “By the way, Brother Li Yi, I see today’s newspapers are all covering the police station and the Tiger Hall incident. Is that your doing?”

“Hmm. You heard about what happened at the Wan Chai Pier last night, Old Li. Thirty-two of Brother Huang’s men died. We can’t just pretend this never happened—someone has to take responsibility for this!” Li Yi said coldly.

“I understand. I can’t help you with much else, but the Li family still has some clout around here. If you need anything, just ask!” Li Futao said.

“Alright, if I really need it, I won’t hesitate to ask!”

Li Futao gave a nod and continued, “I’ve made some progress on the investigation into the Xini Group you asked me to look into, but some details are still being verified. I’ll let you know as soon as I have concrete information!”

“Alright…”

The two then discussed the current situation for a while, finally ending the call just before ten o’clock.

After hanging up, Li Yi looked at Zhang Ziqiang and asked, “Do the higher-ups know about the assassins and mercenaries gathering in Hong Kong to take my life? And what measures have they taken?”

Zhang Ziqiang replied immediately, “Our intelligence department picked up on this the day before yesterday and has already reported it to State Security. Director Zhou has not only reinforced our team but is also addressing the issue at its root!”

“How are they addressing it at the source?” Li Yi asked, a hint of curiosity in his voice.

“First, we’re contacting the mission-posting platforms through our secret channels to have them remove the bounty on your head. It’s a bit tricky, but it’ll solve the problem once and for all!”

Zhang Ziqiang continued, “Second, we’ll find a way to round up the assassin organizations and mercenaries planning to take you out in one fell swoop. This will make all the assassins back down. At the very least, it’ll force the mission platform to reassess the difficulty of the task and reduce the number of people taking it on!”

“Third, we’ll track down the person who posted the bounty and force them to withdraw it…”

Before he could finish, Li Yi frowned and asked, “Are these plans of yours actually reliable?”

“Huh?”

Seeing the look of confusion on Zhang Ziqiang’s face, Li Yi immediately said, “I thought those platforms that post these missions were highly secretive—most people can’t even get in touch with them. And even if they did, they wouldn’t betray their clients’ information. Of all your plans, I’m afraid only the second one might actually work!”

Zhang Ziqiang paused briefly, then said, “Brother Yi, you’re underestimating the power of the State Security Bureau—or rather, you know nothing about our country’s covert operations!”

“Uh… I really don’t know much about it!” Li Yi admitted honestly.

“Brother Yi, while I can’t reveal too much information to you, I can tell you this: China is a no-go zone for mercenaries and assassins. That’s not just an empty threat—it’s a reality we’ve carved out with the blood and skulls of our enemies!”

Zhang Ziqiang then declared with authority, “No one is allowed to run amok on our turf. One comes, we kill one; two come, we kill a pair. And our turf naturally includes Hong Kong Island!”

Seeing Zhang Ziqiang’s resolute expression, Li Yi instinctively nodded in agreement.

“I understand. But can we head out now?” Li Yi asked.

“We can, but it’s best not to go out today!” Zhang Ziqiang replied.

“Why?”

“The higher-ups have already pinpointed the locations of quite a few rats and are preparing to take care of them first. Unless it’s an absolute emergency, you’d be better off staying inside.”

Changing the subject, Zhang Ziqiang continued, “Of course, if you really have an urgent matter that requires you to go out, don’t worry—we’ll make sure you’re safe, Brother Yi!”

Li Yi thought for a moment. Not wanting to cause trouble for others, he immediately canceled his plans for the day.

However, although Li Yi had gone quiet, the outside world was thrown into complete chaos by his schemes. A hidden undercurrent swept through Hong Kong Island, which was already on the brink of turmoil, making the situation even more unpredictable…

Downtown Police Station!

The first thing Lin Luolan did after returning to the police station was call home to check on his family’s safety, while also ordering an investigation into the source of the series of explosions.

The call to his home connected quickly. After confirming that his family had not been disturbed, he let out a long sigh of relief.

Although his wife had turned his head into the vast grasslands of Hulunbuir, he harbored no resentment toward her.

They say that to make ends meet, a man has to put up with a bit of green on his head.

Although he had been “cuckolded,” it had also led to his promotion. Thanks to his wife’s hard work, he had climbed his way up from a lowly police officer to the position of Chief Inspector.

Although Chief Inspector Zong Hua’s power had been significantly curtailed in recent years, it was nowhere near the influence wielded by Lei Luo, Yan Xiong, Han Sen, and Lan Gang in their heyday.

It must be noted that at the height of their power, the Four Great Inspectors not only monopolized Hong Kong Island’s opium dens, gambling dens, and brothels, but also “legalized” police corruption—even standardizing transactions and fees, much like running a business.

What’s more, Lei Lo, the leader of the Four Great Inspectors, dared to openly defy the ruling Westerners—something far beyond the capabilities of the current Lin Luolan.

However, thanks to the foundation laid by those predecessors, many systems had already been firmly established. Leveraging his position as Chief of the Chinese Division, Lin Luolan collected monthly “tributes” amounting to no less than one million Hong Kong dollars.

Even after setting aside a portion for those higher up, what remained in his hands was still a substantial sum—enough to allow him to turn a blind eye to the “green” on his own head.

In fact, he was even a bit worried that if anything were to happen to his wife, it was still uncertain whether he could hold onto his position as Chief Inspector of the Chinese Division.

Just as he was breathing a sigh of relief, the detective in charge of investigating the downtown explosion returned.

Before the investigator could speak, Lin Luolan impatiently asked, “Have you figured it out yet? Where did the explosion occur?”

“Boss, there was no explosion!” the detective replied, trembling with fear.

It was no wonder the detective looked so nervous; once he’d uncovered the truth, he realized his boss had been duped by that mainland guy.

Knowing his boss’s temper, he was certain she’d explode on the spot upon learning this—and he’d be the one to take the brunt of her anger.

“What do you mean? If there was no explosion, where did that noise come from earlier?” Lin Luolan asked in a low, stern voice.

“According to our investigation, those noises came from a nearby film studio. They’re shooting a war scene tonight with explosion sequences, so… so…”

Before he could finish, Lin Luolan said through gritted teeth, “So we were tricked?”

“Yes…”

However, the expected roar of fury never came. Instead, Lin Luolan stood there motionless, a pensive look on his face.

After a long moment, his right-hand man, Yang Youlong, asked cautiously, “Boss, should we storm back in and capture that mainland guy?”

“Smack!”

His answer was a slap across the face, followed by Lin Luolan’s loud shout: “Even a fool would tell you that your dead-brained idiot doesn’t make any sense… Do you want to get me killed, you son of a bitch?!”

Although Li Yi hadn’t laid a hand on his family this time, that didn’t mean he wasn’t capable of it. Why did the crew’s explosion sound go off at that exact moment, and not at any other time?

On top of that, Li Yi’s earlier words kept ringing in his ears.

Clearly, the other side had already figured out his family’s situation. If he didn’t know when to back down, he probably wouldn’t be so lucky next time.

Fei Long was stunned by the slap from his boss and immediately said with a hint of grievance, “Boss, are we just going to let this slide?”

Lin Luolan paused briefly before replying, “We certainly can’t just let it go, but our mission for today is complete. There’s no need to complicate matters further.”

“Besides, that mainland guy didn’t really gain anything today. I only got slapped, but they lost dozens of men. Given his temperament, he certainly won’t let this go. We just need to wait quietly for our chance.”

“Once they fall into my hands, I’ll make them pay a hundredfold for today’s humiliation!”

As he spoke, a hint of madness flashed across Lin Luolan’s sinister face…

……….

The next morning!

After waking up from the soft, comfortable bed in Cloud Peak No. 1, Li Yi got dressed and went downstairs, where Huang Lixing was already waiting for him.

Seeing Li Yi come downstairs, Huang Lixing burst out laughing: “Brother Li Yi, you really are a master. I’m truly in awe of you… truly in awe!”

“Oh, so it looks like the media exposure worked?” Li Yi asked with a smile.

“Hahaha, it’s not just effective—it’s absolutely fantastic!”

With that, Huang Lixing pushed a thick stack of newspapers and magazines toward Li Yi and continued, “I never would’ve thought that in just one night, so many papers and magazines would cover this story. Now everyone knows about the collusion between the police station and the Tiger Hall, and how they’ve been preying on the people. That scumbag Lin is in for a world of trouble now!”

Li Yi nodded, a crooked grin—just like the Dragon King’s—spreading across his face. Then he said calmly, “This is just the beginning. The best is yet to come!”

After returning yesterday, he immediately called his brother-in-law and Yan Guangming, instructing them to have the photos taken that day developed right away and handed over to the media and magazines controlled by the Chinese Chamber of Commerce. He told them to write articles based on these “facts” and work around the clock to get the story out.

I’m confident that this wave of coverage will have a massive impact on both the police department and the Tiger Hall.

After all, collusion between officials and criminals is already infuriating and repulsive enough, not to mention that these gangster-like organizations are now bullying those poor truck drivers—it’s simply an outrage that defies all sense of justice and is bound to spark public outrage.

“Brother Li Yi, do you have any other tricks up your sleeve?” Huang Lixing asked excitedly.

“Barring any surprises, the police department will hold a press conference shortly to deny any connection with the Tiger Hall. They might even find a scapegoat to take the fall and, while they’re at it, threaten the various media outlets!”

Li Yi continued, “But this afternoon, various media outlets will expose the crimes of those triad gangs—oppressing ordinary citizens, monopolizing the market, forcing people to buy and sell goods against their will, and coercing women into prostitution—as well as the police department’s inaction in the face of these criminal acts, once again igniting the fury of the people of Hong Kong Island!”

“That evening, the newspapers and magazines that exposed the triads’ crimes will face retaliation from unknown forces—printing presses will be smashed, and reporters and writers will be beaten. Once the news breaks, it will spark a massive demonstration of tens of thousands across Hong Kong, and the reputations of both the police and those triads will be completely ruined…”

Before Li Yi could finish, Huang Lixing, standing beside him, couldn’t help but gasp in shock.

He could tell that this was not only Li Yi’s reasonable deduction but also his deliberate plan.

Even if any unexpected complications arose along the way, he would ensure the situation unfolded in this direction.

And if things did indeed take that turn, it wouldn’t just be Lin Luolan and those triad groups who would be in trouble.

After all, if a massive demonstration involving tens of thousands of people were to break out, the Hong Kong government wouldn’t be able to hide in the background like a timid turtle; they’d have to give the public an explanation.

They certainly couldn’t take action against the police force—after all, it was their “favorite son,” and they still relied on those officers and agents to do their bidding.

So, the final outcome would inevitably be to lay the blame squarely on those triad organizations.

This would not only drag the Governor’s Office out of the shadows and into the spotlight, but it would also easily drive a wedge into their already loose alliance—perhaps even causing it to fall apart entirely.

I must say, this strategy of using wolves to devour tigers is truly masterful!

“Brilliant… absolutely brilliant!”

Then Huang Lixing spoke again: “Brother Li Yi, what can I do to help?”

“Prepare for battle!”

Hearing Li Yi’s words, Huang Lixing was shaken once more.

He had a vague feeling that his own perspective might be a bit too narrow. With Brother Li Yi pulling off such a massive operation, it seemed this wasn’t just about taking down a few thug gangs…

………..

“Stop!”

As he spoke, Li Yi walked slowly up to Lin Luolan and said, looking at him, “Detective Lin, I advise you not to do this!”

“Mr. Li, I also advise you not to get involved in this matter, or else…”

Lin Luolan didn’t finish his sentence, but the threat in his words was clear to everyone.

“Detective Lin, do you know that the last person who threatened me is now six feet under!” Li Yi said calmly.

Hearing this, a flicker of panic flashed across Lin Luolan’s face.

If anyone else had said that, he would have slapped them across the face on the spot, but since it was Li Yi speaking, he really had to carefully consider the consequences.

Others might not know the truth about that chaotic battle a few months ago, but as Chief Inspector of the General Chinese Division, Lin Luolan was well aware of the details.

Back then, that fool Gusta, relying on the strength of the mercenaries and assassins he’d brought from Europe—and with the local powerhouse, the South Monkey Gang, backing him—had tried to take out Li Yi by unconventional means after losing a business battle.

But what he never could have imagined was that in just one night, the South Monkey Gang—which had just been promoted to a first-class syndicate—was wiped out by Li Yi’s Shield Security Company. The gang’s leader, deputy leader, and twelve chapter heads were all slaughtered overnight.

Furthermore, the eight assassins and 19 mercenaries that Gusta had brought over from Europe were also completely wiped out—most were killed, and a small number were captured.

In that battle, Li Yi’s men effortlessly wiped out the South Monkey Gang and Gusta’s forces without alerting the police or other gangs. Over a hundred were secretly executed, and more than a thousand members of the South Monkey Gang were taken into custody by Shield Security.

As for the mastermind, Gusta, not only was he arrested, but under pressure from the other side, he was forced to pay compensation and received a prison sentence; he is currently serving time in prison.

Now that Li Yi had brought up this old matter, even Lin Luolan, as Chief Inspector of the Chinese Division, had to exercise caution.

But considering the power behind him, Lin Luolan silently steeled herself, then fixed her gaze on Li Yi and said, “Mr. Li, we are not thugs like the South Monkey Gang. We represent the government. Do you intend to oppose the government?”

Li Yi snorted derisively. “It’s nothing but a colonial puppet government. It doesn’t represent the six million people of Hong Kong Island, let alone justice. What’s there to fear in opposing it?”

“Mr. Li, you must understand: even a mighty dragon cannot overpower a local snake. I’m determined to arrest these people today!” Lin Luolan reaffirmed her stance.

“A strong dragon can’t overpower a local snake?”

Li Yi chuckled and said, “I wonder if Inspector Lin has ever heard this saying!”

“What saying?”

“A fierce dragon doesn’t cross the river!”

As he spoke, the smile on Li Yi’s face had completely vanished, and the chill in his eyes sent a shiver down the spine of even Lin Luolan, the seasoned Chief Inspector of the General Chinese Division.

“So what if they’re the ‘Fierce Dragons’? Don’t try to scare me. I, Lin Luolan, am no Gusta, and the Hong Kong Island Police Station is no South Monkey Gang…”

No sooner had she finished speaking than a series of muffled explosions suddenly rang out from the distant city. The deafening roar and tremors were so intense that even Lin Luolan, Li Yi, and the others, who were in the far suburbs, could hear them clearly.

Just as Lin Luolan was wondering what on earth was happening, Li Yi suddenly chuckled and said, “Inspector Lin, it looks like there’s been an explosion in the city. I just wonder if those blasts came from your own house?”

Hearing this, Lin Luolan’s face turned pale. She pointed at Li Yi and said, “Mainlander… Hong Kong is a society governed by the rule of law. Don’t go causing trouble…”

“Smack!”

His reply was a resounding slap!

The one who struck him was none other than Li Yi!

He stared at Lin Luolan’s swollen right cheek and said coldly, “You’re talking about the rule of law now? What were you doing just a moment ago?”

“Do you have any idea that it’s precisely because of you and those bastards out there causing trouble that dozens of living, breathing people lost their lives at sea? Why didn’t you talk about the rule of law back then!”

Feeling Li Yi’s overwhelming intensity, coupled with his concern for his family’s safety, Lin Luolan—who had been so arrogant just moments ago—was now completely cowed.

“Mr. Li, it’s a misunderstanding… all a misunderstanding… please don’t act on impulse…”

Li Yi walked up to Lin Luolan, patted his chubby face with his palm, and said, “You should count yourself lucky that you have a baby who’s just weaned at home. Otherwise, given what you’ve done today, your family would have heard at least a couple of gunshots.”

While Lin Luolan breathed a sigh of relief, cold sweat still broke out on his back.

The fact that he even knew his child had just been weaned meant he’d clearly already figured out everything about his family. The only reason he hadn’t laid a hand on him was because the child was present—he’d been moved by pity for the baby.

“Mr. Li… I…”

“I, Li Yi, am a man of principles. I originally intended to coexist peacefully with you and engage within the bounds of the rules. But you have shown no honor in combat, insisting on using these underhanded tactics. Since that is the case, we’ll see this through to the end!”

Li Yi continued, “Go back and tell the master behind you: never bully honest people. An honest person harbors a Buddha within their heart, and that Buddha keeps the demon in check. If you topple the Buddha, you’ll have to face the demon head-on!”

“Tell him the war has begun. Let them prepare to face the punishment of the devil!”

As if in response to Li Yi’s words, a series of thunderous explosions once again echoed from the distant city.

Feeling the murderous intent in Li Yi’s words and hearing the continuous explosions in the distance, Lin Luolan was so terrified she nearly wet herself.

Originally, according to their plan, even if Huang Lixing’s men dared to resist, they would merely rely on their numbers to shout a few threats; once the police drew their guns, they would have to back down meekly.

They believed that once Huang Lixing was in custody, they could calmly gather evidence of his crimes and easily cut off one of Li Yi’s arms.

However, what they never could have imagined was that Li Yi had not only personally intervened in the matter but had also reacted so swiftly and fiercely.

Without knowing the specific situation in the city, he dared not make a move at all.

Clearing his throat and swallowing a few times, Lin Luolan said cautiously, “Mr. Li, Mr. Huang, we apologize for the disturbance today. I will personally apologize to both of you later. Goodbye!”

With that, Lin Luolan immediately led his hundred or so officers away from Wan Chai Pier in a hurry, looking like a pack of stray dogs.

Seeing them like this, the Green Dragon Society’s henchmen immediately erupted into loud cheers, as if they’d just won a battle.

After watching Lin Luolan and the others leave, Huang Lixing turned to Li Yi and said, “Brother, you aren’t really planning to stir up trouble in the city, are you? Don’t be impulsive—those bastards have countless eyes on you right now…”

Before Huang Lixing could finish, Li Yi smiled and said, “Am I that stupid?”

“So you didn’t have the security company step in… but where did those explosions in the city come from? They were so frequent and loud,” Huang Lixing asked, puzzled.

“Heh, couldn’t it just be a film crew shooting an explosion scene?” Li Yi said with a smile.

“A film crew… an explosion scene?”

Hearing Li Yi’s answer, Huang Lixing was completely dumbfounded.

“I actually had this special trick planned for that foreigner at the Governor’s Mansion, but I ended up using it on Lin Luolan early. What a waste!” Li Yi said.

Huang Lixing paused for a moment, then asked, “When that guy goes back and realizes he’s been tricked, won’t he come after you?”

“He doesn’t have the guts!”

Li Yi continued, “Besides, I won’t give him that chance. Starting tomorrow, he’ll be as helpless as a clay Buddha—he won’t even be able to save himself!”

“Brother Li Yi, are you really planning to go to war with those bastards right now?” Huang Lixing asked.

Li Yi glanced at the coast guard patrol boats still cruising on the distant sea, narrowed his eyes, and said, “I used to think that even when using underhanded tactics, one should maintain a basic sense of decency. That’s why, when we ambushed those troublemaking henchmen from the Tiger Hall, I specifically ordered my men not to kill them.”

“But it seems I was too naive. Since they’re the ones who broke the rules first, don’t blame me!”

“Brother, what are you planning to do? Is there anything I can do to help?” Huang Lixing asked.

“Old Huang, all you need to do is comfort the families of the brothers who died this time. Leave the rest to me!”

Then Li Yi added, “I promise that this time, not only will those bastards pay for their crimes with their blood, but I’ll make sure they’re completely driven out of Hong Kong!”

“Alright, I trust you!”

“Hmm…”

…………

Wan Chai Pier. Main Entrance!

As Li Yi and Huang Lixing emerged from inside, Chief Inspector Lin Luolan across from them fell silent. His narrow eyes fixed intently on Li Yi, his gaze brimming with mockery.

Li Yi didn’t recognize him, but he recognized Li Yi—in fact, he owed his promotion to Chief Inspector of Chinese Affairs to Li Yi.

The last time Li Yi had set a trap for the Hong Kong Island Marine Police, it resulted in the seizure of 21 marine police vessels, sparking a massive diplomatic crisis. In the aftermath, London held them accountable, and a large number of local officials—including the Governor, the former Commissioner of Police, and the Chief Chinese Inspector—were dismissed.

It was at that time that Lin Luolan was promoted to the position of Chief Chinese Inspector of the Longjiu District.

After his promotion to Chief Inspector of Chinese Affairs, he had intended to build good relationships with Chinese business tycoons like Li Futao and He Dongying, and even hoped to establish a connection with Li Yi under the pretext of expressing gratitude.

In the end, Li Futao, He Dongying, as well as the “King of Chartering” and the Huo family, looked down on him as a Chief Chinese Inspector who had risen to power through his wife. Furthermore, relations between the Chinese Merchants’ Association and the Governor’s Office were already strained, and since every Chief Chinese Inspector had historically been a lackey of the Governor’s Office, no one wanted to be associated with him.

Consequently, his repeated requests for an audience were rejected, ultimately causing Lin Luolan to develop a deep-seated hatred not only for him but also for Li Yi, Huang Lixing, and their associates.

As Lin Luolan looked at Li Yi, Li Yi was also sizing up this Chief Chinese Inspector, whose reputation struck fear into both the underworld and the authorities across Hong Kong.

To be honest, Li Yi’s first impression was one of profound disappointment.

In his imagination, the Chief Chinese Inspector who commanded respect across Hong Kong might not be as strikingly handsome as “Chung” in *Chasing the Dragon*, but he should at least be a formidable figure.

However, the spherical figure before him—standing less than 5’3” and weighing no less than 200 pounds—was a far cry from the image of the Chief Inspector Li Yi had in his mind; in fact, it didn’t even come close.

This guy’s appearance was truly an eyesore; calling him a “dog-skin inspector” was an understatement—he was clearly Wu Dalang reincarnated.

Compared to Li Yi’s subtle distaste, Huang Lixing was far more direct, wearing his contempt right on his face.

“Lin Sri, why aren’t you at home with your wife at this hour? Instead, you’re barging into my territory to spew insults. Are you just looking for trouble?”

Before Lin Luolan could say a word, Huang Lixing shouted again, “Oh, right—I forgot. Your wife is probably at Chávez’s place at this hour, so she can’t be with you!”

As soon as the words left his mouth, the henchmen behind Huang Lixing burst into laughter.

Across from him, Lin Luolan’s expression darkened instantly. The fact that his wife was Chávez’s mistress had long been an open secret on Hong Kong Island, and his rise to the position of Chief Inspector of Chinese Affairs was inseparable from his wife’s “sacrifice.”

But having this fact stated so bluntly left Lin Luolan feeling utterly humiliated. He immediately shouted, “Go eat shit, Huang! Get your men out of the way right now, or you’ll be obstructing official business, and every last one of you will be arrested!”

“Arrest us? I’m so scared!”

Then Huang Lixing spoke again: “You green-haired turtle surnamed Lin, with just these minions by your side, you dare to barge into our Green Dragon Society? Do you really think I was raised to be scared of anything?”

Lin Luolan ignored Huang Lixing and turned to Li Yi, saying, “Mr. Li, it’s a pleasure to meet you. I know your connection to the Qinglong Society. You’d better talk some sense into that Huang fellow. Otherwise, if a fight breaks out, there’s no telling who might get hurt—and it’ll definitely be you, Mr. Li!”

Li Yi glanced at him and said coolly, “Are you threatening me?”

“That wasn’t my intention—just a friendly reminder!” Lin Luolan said haughtily.

“Then I thank you for the warning!”

Then Li Yi added, “In return, I’ll offer Inspector Lin a word of advice: the area between your eyebrows is dark. You may be in for some bloodshed!”

“Hahaha, I’m a detective—I don’t believe in that sort of thing!” Lin Luolan said with a laugh.

“Is that so? Then we’ll just have to wait and see!” Li Yi said, his tone still flat.

Hearing this, Lin Luolan’s expression instantly turned cold. She then pulled a document bearing an official seal from her pocket and shouted at the Qinglong Society members, “You are suspected of illegal smuggling. We are now conducting a search of this premises. Here is the search warrant. Please cooperate!”

“What if I refuse to cooperate?”

As Huang Lixing spoke, the Green Dragon Society henchmen on the scene immediately stepped forward, pumping their fists to back him up.

But Lin Luolan was clearly undeterred; she was determined to search the Wan Chai Pier.

Without hesitation, he shouted to the hundred or so officers behind him, “All units, enter the pier immediately to conduct a search. If there is any resistance, you have permission to open fire.”

“All units, draw your weapons…”

At Lin Luolan’s command, the officers behind him drew their guns, their barrels trained on Huang Lixing and his men.

Zhang Ziqiang, Zhou Wen, and the others responsible for protecting Li Yi also drew their guns and immediately shielded Li Yi behind them.

The tension in the area escalated instantly, creating a situation on the verge of an explosion…

“Stop!”

Just then, Li Yi spoke up: “Let them search!”

Huang Lixing clenched his teeth, but ultimately relented, ordering his henchmen beside him, “Move aside… all of you, move aside. Let them search!”

At Huang Lixing’s command, the hundreds of henchmen at the entrance retreated, clearing a narrow path.

Seeing this, Lin Luolan immediately waved her hand and said triumphantly to the police officers beside her, “Enter the dock immediately and conduct a thorough search.”

“Yes, ma’am…”

Subsequently, a large contingent of officers pushed through the crowd and headed toward the interior of the pier, conducting a thorough search of the entire facility. Even Lin Luolan eventually followed them inside.

Watching the smug Lin Luolan walk into the Wan Chai Pier, Huang Lixing ground his back teeth to dust.

Though he’d been through thick and thin over the decades—enduring every kind of hardship and facing every humiliating obstacle—this was the first time he’d ever encountered such a frustrating situation.

“Brother Li Yi…”

Before Huang Lixing could finish his sentence, Li Yi raised his hand to silence him. He then walked over to Yan Guangming and whispered a few words in his ear.

Immediately afterward, Yan Guangming hurriedly left with a few people in tow.

Since they weren’t members of the Qinglong Society, the police officers stationed at the entrance didn’t stop them.

Once Yan Guangming and his group had left, Li Yi led Huang Lixing toward the interior of the dock.

After entering the port, Lin Luolan and the others didn’t head to the docks or the office area; instead, they went straight for several warehouses on the right side of Matoupu.

However, when they opened the warehouse, they were surprised to find that, apart from some rice, flour, and cooking oil, there were no other goods in the vast warehouse.

Upon hearing the report from her officers, Lin Luolan immediately furrowed her brow; this was completely at odds with the intelligence they had received.

More importantly, if they failed to take Huang Lixing in for questioning this time, knowing the man as he did, they would inevitably face a full-scale retaliation from the Green Dragon Society.

Although she, as Chief Inspector of the Chinese Division, wasn’t afraid, her subordinates might well be.

Furious and alarmed, Lin Luolan immediately barked, “Search more thoroughly! You’d better find what I’m looking for!”

Under the intense search of over a hundred officers, who were practically digging up the ground, the floating shipping containers were soon discovered.

Lin Luolan immediately ordered a recovery operation, and soon two refrigerators with damaged packaging were hauled out of the water.

Upon seeing the items brought ashore, Lin Luolan burst into laughter as Li Yi and Huang Lixing walked in: “Mr. Huang, I never expected you’d be so ruthless—sinking your smuggled goods into the sea. That takes some guts…”

Before she could finish, Huang Lixing replied with an innocent expression, “Ms. Lin, what are you talking about? I don’t understand!”

“Mr. Huang, do you see these things? This is the evidence of your smuggling. Are you still going to deny it?” Lin Luolan shouted.

“Evidence… what a joke. Were these items seized from our warehouse at the dock?” Huang Lixing retorted.

“No, but they were salvaged from your port. It’s obvious you sank them into the sea because you were worried the stolen goods would be discovered during a search!” Lin Luolan retorted.

“That’s all just nonsense you’ve concocted in your green-haired brain. In reality, these items simply fell into the sea from a cargo ship that made an unscheduled stop this afternoon—they have absolutely nothing to do with us!” Huang Lixing shouted.

“Do you think you can get away with this? Let me tell you, that’s not going to happen. Everyone here is going back for questioning today!”

Lin Luolan then shouted, “Guards, arrest them all! Don’t let a single one get away!”

“You dare?”

Just as tensions were running high, Li Yi made his move…

………..

When Li Yi and his group arrived at the Wan Chai Pier, the area was brightly lit but in complete chaos.

A large contingent of police officers had gathered around the perimeter of the pier, facing off against Huang Lixing’s men. Tensions were high, and the atmosphere was charged.

For these triad thugs, who had dealt with cops for years, they had little respect for the officers and felt no psychological burden about facing them off.

It was the police officers, on the other hand, who—though representing the government and “justice”—dared not overstep their bounds.

After all, the job belongs to the government, the credit goes to their superiors, and only their own lives are their own.

After all, they were facing a group of desperate criminals—people who, when pushed to the limit, were capable of anything.

Precisely because of this, although tensions were running high, neither side dared to strike first.

Meanwhile, the waters not far from the pier were equally chaotic, filled with coast guard patrol boats and even helicopters.

But what caught everyone’s attention most was a towering column of flames in the distance.

A closer look revealed a large ship engulfed in raging flames.

As soon as the convoy arrived, they were stopped by police officers on the perimeter, who stated that the police station was conducting an investigation and that unauthorized personnel needed to stay away.

But this was clearly not a matter requiring Li Yi’s personal intervention; after negotiations by Yan Guangming, Yang Wenguang, and others, the officers had no choice but to let them through.

In the heart of the dock area, Li Yi encountered Huang Lixing, his face contorted with anger.

Seeing Li Yi and the others approach, Huang Lixing seemed to have found a pillar of strength and immediately stepped forward to greet them.

“Brother Li Yi, you’re here! Those bastards have really gone too far…”

Before he could finish, Li Yi immediately calmed him down: “Old Huang, don’t get so worked up. What exactly happened? Why are there so many police officers out there, along with those Coast Guard patrol boats? What are they doing here?”

Huang Lixing replied immediately, “We had a shipment coming in from Hong Kong tonight. We’ve been running this route for over a decade, and the crew members on this boat are seasoned veterans—there shouldn’t have been any mishaps.”

“But just half an hour ago, I suddenly received a report that our fleet had collided with another vessel in the outer harbor. I initially thought it wasn’t a big deal, but when I arrived, I found out that one of our two ships had sunk and the other was on fire.”

“And just as I was about to dispatch a fleet to rescue the survivors, a Coast Guard vessel suddenly appeared nearby. Not only did they use law enforcement as an excuse to protect the vessel responsible for the collision, but they also obstructed our rescue efforts. Although we managed to save five or six of our men, many more… many more…”

Li Yi immediately asked in a grave tone, “How many of our men died?”

“So far, eight bodies have been recovered. The fate of the remaining twenty-four is unknown, and given the current situation, it looks like they’re in grave danger!” Huang Lixing said in a somber tone.

Most of those remaining at the Wan Chai pier were veteran members of the Blue Dragon Society who had originally followed Huang Lixing; some had even been with him for over a decade or two, such as Iron Eagle and Ah Hai.

These men were either too old or had sustained injuries; their physical condition couldn’t match that of the younger generation, so they couldn’t join Shield Security. Consequently, they’d stayed behind to help Huang Lixing manage the shipping business.

Huang Lixing had deep affection for these brothers, and he never expected to lose so many of them all at once—how could he not be furious?

Upon hearing that so many had been killed, injured, or gone missing all at once, Li Yi’s heart couldn’t help but sink.

He knew full well that this incident was actually aimed at Star Investment and him, Li Yi; Huang Lixing and the fleet brothers were merely caught in the crossfire.

Although he had anticipated that those politicians would stop at nothing once they took action, he never imagined they would be this ruthless. This was only the beginning, yet they had already killed so many people—it was utterly heartless, worse than animals.

With that in mind, Li Yi said in a grave tone, “One ship sinking and another catching fire—this clearly can’t be an accident. It must have been deliberate.”

“Right, it definitely wasn’t an accident. Our ships have been specially modified—not only are they fast, but they’re equipped with anti-collision structures at both ends. For an ordinary vessel, let alone sinking it, it’d be a miracle if it came out unscathed!” Huang Lixing said.

“Do you know anything about the ships involved? They can’t be ordinary vessels!” Li Yi asked.

“According to the brothers we rescued, the ships that rammed them were the Kongo and the Maruyama, both transport vessels belonging to the Yamaguchi-gumi. These two ships are the mainstays of the Yamaguchi-gumi’s shipping fleet, and their performance is superior to that of our two ships!” Huang Lixing said.

Yakuza!

Upon hearing the name of this organization, a cold smile flickered across Li Yi’s lips. Just as he had expected.

“Then what’s the deal with those police officers outside?”

“They just arrived as well. The moment they showed up, they claimed to have received a tip-off that we were running a smuggling operation here and demanded to inspect our dock, but I had my men stop them!” Huang Lixing said.

“Do they have a search warrant?”

“No, they said it’s on its way!”

Li Yi paused to think for a moment, then asked, “Is there any unsold merchandise left in the warehouse?”

“Yes, but not much—just over two hundred televisions and more than three hundred refrigerators…”

Before he could finish, Li Yi cut him off: “Have your men immediately dump all that cargo into the sea, then pull everyone back and let them inspect!”

Although Huang Lixing felt a bit reluctant, he knew Li Yi’s capabilities, so he didn’t hesitate and immediately ordered his men to carry out Li Yi’s command.

After issuing the order, Huang Lixing remarked, “It’s not much. Even if they find it and ask questions, it shouldn’t be a big deal…”

“No, they don’t care about the quantity—they just want an excuse to come after you!”

Li Yi continued, “As long as they find anything—even just one or two items—their surprise inspection today will be deemed legitimate and lawful. Then we’ll be left with no recourse, forced to swallow our grievances in silence.”

“Damn it all to hell, someone’s stolen my wallet!”

After blurting out that classic Hong Kong curse, Huang Lixing said, “Brother Li Yi, those items are all in shipping crates. It’ll take a while for them to sink to the bottom of the sea. There’s a chance the cops might fish them out…”

“Let them fish them out. As long as they aren’t found in our warehouse, we’ve got nothing to fear. Who’s to know these things fell into the sea from that unlucky ship!” Li Yi said nonchalantly.

Hearing this, Huang Lixing’s eyes lit up instantly.

Then, speaking firmly to Ah Hai beside him, he said, “Pass the word: tell them the stuff in the sea has nothing to do with us—it fell off someone else’s ship!”

“Yes…”

Just then, a henchman rushed in from outside and said, “Boss, Inspector Lin is here. Iron Eagle can’t hold out any longer!”

Huang Lixing frowned and immediately said to Li Yi, “That bastard Lin Luolan is here. I’ve got to go meet him!”

Li Yi immediately replied, “I’ll go with you. I’m their real target!”

Huang Lixing hesitated slightly, but then nodded and said, “Alright, let’s go together!”

With that, the two of them walked out toward the dock.

Just as they reached the entrance, they heard a slightly effeminate voice cursing from a distance: “You uneven-legged, lopsided, big-and-small-sided, you stinking bitch, you shit-eating dog…”

This barrage of insults was too much to bear—not just for the henchmen at the entrance, but even for Li Yi, who had just arrived.

However, just as Li Yi was about to speak up, he heard Huang Lixing had already started cursing: “Go eat shit, you… Fuck you, you dead-end scum! I swear I’ll rip the shit out of your skull…”

As Huang Lixing’s voice rang out from behind, the thugs facing off in front immediately parted to make a path.

Pushing through the crowd, Li Yi finally got a look at who exactly was spewing such filth across from him…

………

Mighty Tiger Hall Headquarters!

“Crack!”

An exquisite red wine glass was smashed violently onto the floor, shattering into a thousand pieces in an instant.

“Bunch of losers, a bunch of losers. With dozens of them, they couldn’t even hold off the enemy for half an hour. They deserve to get beaten…”

Hearing Boss Meng Lin’s roar, his henchmen and underlings fell silent, not daring to breathe a word, afraid of catching the boss’s attention and becoming his punching bags.

Meng Lin felt as if a ball of fire was burning inside him. He had originally followed the orders of the big shot behind the scenes to force the people from Shield Security to make a move.

But he never could have imagined that those bastards would play both sides—pretending to back down and leave in public, while secretly sending men to ambush his henchmen and beat them like dogs.

When he learned that not a single one of the henchmen he’d sent to harass the New Territories warehouse had returned unscathed—and that the attackers were merely a group of angry “drivers”—Meng Lin had no idea how he was going to explain this to his boss.

Now, not only had their men been beaten, but they’d been left for dead.

It had only been a few hours, and already the leaders of several rival gangs in the area had called to mock him, making Meng Lin feel an urge to go out and hack them to pieces himself.

Losing face didn’t matter much; what truly terrified Meng Lin was the thought that if the boss behind him felt he couldn’t even handle such a minor matter, he might just be replaced.

Once that man decided he was no longer of any use, Meng Lin feared he would not escape death.

After all, five years ago, he had watched with his own eyes as his boss was thrown into the river by that big shot, which was how he’d gotten the chance to take over the Tiger Hall.

So, he didn’t want to follow in his predecessor’s footsteps…

After venting his anger for quite a while, the enraged Meng Lin finally calmed down.

He lit a cigar and turned to Uncle Wen, one of the senior members standing nearby. “Uncle Wen, what do you think we should do now?”

Uncle Wen paused to think for a moment, then replied, “It’s obvious—those drivers were definitely imposters from Shield Security. Ordinary drivers might have brute strength, but they couldn’t possibly possess such formidable combat skills.”

“But even if we know that, we can’t go after them for revenge…”

Before he could finish, Longzi, his eyes red and neck stiff, snapped, “Why can’t we take revenge? Does the Tiger Hall really fear them? If you’re too scared, Uncle Wen, I, Longzi, will lead the charge!”

“Shut up! Do you think if you go over there now, someone won’t be collecting your bodies tomorrow?”

Uncle Wen continued, “Judging by the current situation, Shield Security has likely already caught on to something. They might even have a trap set up for us right now.”

“Don’t forget they’re a legitimate security firm—they’re armed. As long as they have a valid reason, they can open fire at will. If we charge in headlong, you know what the consequences will be.”

At those words, Meng Lin, Longzi, Ah Bao, and the others all fell silent.

With Uncle Wen’s reminder, they finally realized that the other side wasn’t a gang like them—they were a legitimate company.

When they were in the wrong, they certainly wouldn’t want to clash head-on with them. Once the other side had a reason to open fire, they wouldn’t hold back.

“So are we just going to take this loss?” Meng Lin frowned.

“Of course not, but there’s no need for us to be the ones to stick our necks out!” Uncle Wen said.

“So what do you suggest?”

“Call Lin Sri immediately. Exaggerate the casualties as much as possible, then have him order the other gangs to step in. I’m sure Lin Sri will be happy to do it—after all, there’s no need to have his own men do this kind of suicide mission!” Uncle Wen said.

“You mean the South Monkey Gang?”

“Not just them. The Yamaguchi-gumi, the Brothers Party, and the Green Alliance—they’re all outsiders. They’re the ones who should be used as cannon fodder!” Uncle Wen said.

“Hahaha, I get it!”

Then Meng Lin’s laughter subsided, and he continued, “But we can’t just let this slide. While we shouldn’t provoke those mainlanders, we won’t let them off easy either.”

“Longzi, starting tomorrow, you personally lead a team to the Dahua Building Materials Market to harass those merchants and truck drivers. Anyone who dares deliver materials to the New Territories Warehouse construction site—beat the crap out of them!”

“Yes…”

……….

Victoria Peak. Cloudtop No. 1!

While Meng Lin was nearly bursting with frustration at the Tiger Hall headquarters, Li Yi was at his own villa, listening to reports from his brother-in-law Yang Wenguang and Operations Director Yan Guangming.

After the meeting at noon, the various departments of Shield Security sprang into action. Following Li Yi’s instructions, they withdrew personnel where necessary, gathered intelligence where needed, and mobilized equipment as required.

The company, which usually seemed unremarkable, suddenly appeared as if some mysterious program had been activated; all departments worked in close coordination, functioning like a precision instrument.

After several hours of adjustments and deployments, all preparations were complete.

After listening to the reports from Yang Wenguang and Yan Guangming, Li Yi immediately asked, “So, does that mean all our personnel and equipment are in place?”

“Yes, everything is in place. If we choose to, we can wipe out those thug gangs at any moment—even the Governor’s Office…”

Before he could finish, Li Yi raised his hand to stop Yan Guangming, then said sternly, “Minister Yan, we are a legitimate company, not a gang or a criminal organization, nor are we an anti-government militia. It’s best to avoid making statements with such obvious political undertones!”

Yan Guangming realized he had misspoken and immediately replied, “Yes, I won’t do that again!”

Li Yi nodded and continued, “Some things can be said but not done; some things can be done but not said; and some things can neither be said nor done. You must strike the right balance!”

“Yes!”

At that moment, Yang Wenguang spoke up: “This matter has already caught the attention of the State Security Bureau. Director Yang contacted us this afternoon and asked us to seek your opinion on whether the Bureau should send personnel to assist us.”

“No need. It hasn’t come to that yet!”

Li Yi continued, “As for the current situation, our opponents have never been those small gangs, so don’t take them too seriously.”

“Yes, sir!”

“By the way, what’s the situation at the New Territories warehouse?” Li Yi asked again.

“We’ve set up an ambush there and are just waiting for those bastards from the Tiger Hall to take the bait. But they haven’t made a move yet—I wonder if they’re waiting until tonight to act!” Yan Guangming said.

Li Yi shook his head. “Those guys probably won’t seek revenge. There’s a level-headed person in that small gang!”

“Huh?”

Seeing the skeptical expressions on their faces, Li Yi explained calmly, “The Tiger Hall is clearly provoking us. They just want to escalate the situation so the police get involved.”

“So if they really wanted revenge, they wouldn’t care whether it was day or night—in fact, daytime would be more advantageous for them right now. Since they didn’t come to retaliate during the day, that means they won’t come at night either!”

“So does that mean we wasted half the afternoon preparing for nothing?” Yan Guangming asked.

“It doesn’t matter. This kind of thing is like picking red dates—you swing the pole a couple of times first, whether there are dates or not!” Li Yi said with a smile.

“So what do we do now? Just wait for them to make their move?” Yang Wenguang asked.

“No need for that. Sitting around waiting to die isn’t our style. Speed up the investigation into Hong Kong’s media outlets, magazines, and those unscrupulous tabloids. We must find out exactly who controls each one and figure out how to seize control ourselves!” Li Yi said in a grave tone.

“Yes!”

“At the same time, have the intelligence department gather evidence of criminal activity from those syndicates for future use!” Li Yi added.

“Yes…”

Just as they were speaking, the phone beside them suddenly rang urgently.

As soon as Li Yi picked up the phone, he heard Huang Lixing’s anxious voice coming through the receiver: “Brother Li Yi, something terrible has happened—our ship was rammed and sunk, and more than twenty of our brothers are dead!”

Hearing this, Li Yi’s expression darkened. He immediately reassured Old Huang with a few words, then set off for Wan Chai Pier with Yang Wenguang, Yan Guangming, and the others…

……….