Attention from the North

Chapter 74 Attention from the North (Third update, please subscribe)

At the same time, at the Xu family mansion.

Xinji was an old-established triad, registered in 1921 under the name of a certain Chamber of Commerce. On the surface, it was a comprador business, but in reality, it was a gambling den, and it started by collecting land.

Xu Qian, the ancestor of the Xinji Group, was the founder of the group. In 1953, he was deported by foreigners to Taiwan, and the organization was in disarray for a time.

Afterwards, the current leader, Xu Yan, also known in the underworld as Old Xu, revived the group.

At this moment, the three Xu brothers, Xu Yan, Xu Qiang, and Xu Sheng, are gathered in the mansion's chess and card room, discussing important matters.

"Brother, that 'Tiger of Wan Chai' under your command has gone on such a big spree this time, won't it get us, the Xu family, targeted by the police?"

As Xu Qiang spoke, he handed Xu Yan a glass of medicinal wine.

"Yes, our Xu family has always been a target of criticism. Back then, when Old Dou was sent to Taiwan by the foreigners, it was only with great difficulty that you were able to rebuild the Xinji brand."

"With only two years left until 97, I think the New Journal should keep a low profile during this period."

Xu Sheng echoed.

He and his tenth brother, Xu Qiang, had been making a fortune running a film company in recent years and really didn't want to be affected by the affairs of the underworld.

Xu Yan took the glass and sipped it: "Ah Xing was a bit impulsive, sending people directly to the hospital to attack. I've already advised him to stay out of the spotlight for a while; he should be fine."

He paused, put down his wine glass, looked at his two younger brothers, and said solemnly, "Actually, everyone knows that in two years, the winds will change. Ah Sheng is right, our Xu family has reached a critical juncture where we need to transform and move forward—"

A hall, a conference room.

Upon hearing the leader's question, Captain Shi nodded: "According to the intelligence I've gathered, Old Xu, the new reporter, does indeed have plans to gradually transition into a different role—"

He gave a detailed explanation of the new secretary's recent situation to the leaders present.

Another leader nodded, pondered for a moment, took the cigarette pack from the table, lit one, and said, "We should definitely try our best to win over those who can be promoted."

This action seemed to have flipped a switch, and everyone in the conference room started puffing on cigarettes.

The director exhaled a smoke ring and tapped the table: "Alright, we'll discuss Xinji's matter later. Captain Shi, you can continue."

"OK."

The squad leader nodded and continued his report: "Hung Hing is more dispersed, claiming to have leaders in 12 districts. They are known for their many gangsters and have a strong presence in local housing estates in Kowloon, Kwun Tong, and Tuen Mun."

"Finally, there's Tung Ying, whose first leader was Big Nose Lam. They started in North Point and in recent years have mainly expanded into the New Territories North areas such as Yuen Long and Tin Shui Wai."

At this point, Captain Shi picked up a slide and handed it to the meeting secretary.

The secretary turned off the lights and projected the image onto the screen using a projector. Captain Shi walked to the screen and introduced, "Based on cross-verification of information from multiple sources, there are no fewer than a hundred active triad organizations of all sizes throughout Hong Kong. The number of officially registered gangsters, also known as '49ers,' is conservatively estimated to be between 120,000 and 150,000."

"If we include those on the periphery of the 'blue lantern' (referring to the police presence on Hong Kong Island) or those associated with them, the number is likely even higher. On average, one in every few dozen Hong Kong Island residents may have a direct or indirect connection to a triad organization."

The director exclaimed, "Comrades, this is truly shocking!"

"The director is right," Shi said, emphasizing his words.

"These Hong Kong Island triads have long since gone beyond the traditional meanings of collecting protection money, running gambling dens, and so on. They are involved in organized cross-border smuggling, drug manufacturing and distribution, loan sharking, controlling the sex industry, international crime, and other serious crimes."

"In fact, some high-ranking members of triads involved in prostitution, gambling, and drugs have, through wealth accumulation and various means, transformed themselves into so-called Justices of the Peace and philanthropists, establishing complex networks of relationships with some law enforcement officers and political and business figures."

1

Next, the Shek Squad leader gave a detailed presentation to the group on the various impacts that triad members have had on the lives of people on Hong Kong Island, including but not limited to: robbery, theft, assault, intimidation, land grabbing, and street violence.

The expressions of the attendees grew increasingly serious.

One leader couldn't help but ask, "Foreigners—cough cough, I mean, is the British just going to let things drift like this?"

The director chuckled lightly: "Everyone knows they only have a little over two years left, and they're still frantically planting spies and making money; they can't manage it all—"

Upon hearing this, everyone burst into mocking laughter.

Captain Shi continued, "That's right, there are loopholes in Hong Kong's legal system. It's difficult to gather evidence and to convict people, so many big shots can easily get away with it."

"Some media outlets and community organizations have vested interests and engage in selective reporting, leaving ordinary citizens angry but afraid to speak out, or believing that this is a characteristic of Hong Kong Island —"

"More importantly, as the Director-General said, in the final years before their withdrawal, the British deliberately made certain arrangements at multiple levels, including the police force, the judiciary, and the legislature, which led to many problems becoming deeply entrenched and even planting the seeds for future problems. Capable Chinese cadres—yes, many of them mid-level officers in the police force over there—were suppressed."

Silence fell over the meeting room again, as everyone understood the heavy meaning behind Captain Shi's words.

The commissioner paused for a moment before speaking again: "Chief Shek, tell us your views on the Hong Kong Island Police Force, especially the younger generation of Chinese officers. After all, this is the group we need to rely on and unite with in the future."

The Shi branch clearly gave this matter a lot of thought: "The situation within the police force is complex, with many factions. There are those who are genuinely committed to doing their jobs and maintaining public order, as well as those who are just going through the motions or even colluding with others."

"Within the upper echelons, there are various forces intertwined, including pro-British factions, fence-sitters, localists, and our own potential allies."

However, as you, Director, have consistently emphasized, we must focus on the future and on young people.

At this point, he emphasized, "During my time in Hong Kong, I also noticed some promising young Chinese police officers within the force. One of them has been particularly outstanding recently."

"Oh? Tell me about it." The director became interested.

"The Organized Crime and Triad Bureau, also known as the 0th Division. There's a newly appointed Inspector in Group B there named Shen Shaofeng. He's very young, has only been in the police force for a short time, but has been promoted very quickly. He's the honorary baton holder of the 1993 Inspector Class."

The Shi detachment pulled up a new slideshow with Shen Shaofeng's resume and photo.

"Just before I returned, he had led a team to solve a major case."

"Is this the case from Yuen Long last night?" A deputy director next to him interjected, clearly also following the news.

"Yes. Last night, a fierce gunfight and explosion occurred at a car repair shop in Yuen Long. Shen Shaofeng led a team that killed seven internationally wanted criminals who were armed with heavy weapons and attempted to hijack a convoy and steal evidence. Shen Shaofeng himself was also injured in the operation and hospitalized."

Captain Shi's tone was full of admiration: "And this is the second major case he has cracked recently that has shocked the entire city. Just recently, he led and finally dismantled the powerful Ni family drug trafficking group, which had been entrenched in Tsim Sha Tsui for many years, seizing countless drugs and illicit funds."

"I've heard of the Ni family too. They're a long-established drug lord family in Hong Kong, with deep roots."

The director nodded: "This young Shen is quite interesting. Both cases were tough nuts to crack, involving both international and local powerful figures. The fact that he managed to handle them requires not only ability but also decisiveness. Have you investigated his background?"

The Shi branch was fully aware of this: "The background is relatively clean. He grew up in an orphanage, has no complicated overseas connections, had excellent grades during his time at the police academy, has relatively simple interpersonal relationships, and no improper dealings with local traditional communities have been found so far."

"Most importantly, he is decisive in his actions, and his prestige has risen rapidly within the 0 Division, especially among young inspectors and junior officers."

"In last night's case, he reportedly took the lead and continued to command even after being wounded, which earned him a good reputation among the general public."

The director pondered for a moment and said, "Young, capable, courageous, with a relatively clean background, not too much historical baggage, and able to produce tangible results."

"Yes, he is indeed a promising talent worth paying attention to and nurturing. Of course, in addition to ability, political stance, overall perspective, and whether he is truly loyal to the country, these all require a longer period of observation and testing."

The deputy director chimed in at the opportune moment: "Yes, he's a promising talent. We definitely need to pay attention to him and nurture him. Moreover, his rise reflects the desire of some young people within the Hong Kong Island Police Force to change the status quo."

He paused, tapped the table with his knuckles, and emphasized, "Personally, I believe that if we want to cultivate a group of truly patriotic, capable, and responsible backbone members within the Hong Kong Island Police Force in the future, then young cadres like Shen Shaofeng should be the key targets for contact and evaluation."

A leader interjected, "Chief Yang Jianhua of the Interpol Bureau has acquaintances in the Hong Kong Island Police Force. She happens to have an exchange mission to the Hong Kong Island branch of Interpol in a few days. Should we have her make some contact with Inspector Shen?"

The director rested his chin on his hand, thought for a moment, and said, "We can try, but we need to be careful about the methods we use."

Mary Hospital, intensive care unit.

"Senior sister, what are your thoughts on the Xu family?"

Shen Shaofeng was drinking soup while leaning against the hospital bed, which had been adjusted to a 45-degree angle, when he suddenly asked Le Huizhen a question.

Lok Wai-ching paused for a moment, then raised her pretty eyebrows: "Oh, the Xu family from the New Journal?"

"Yes, it's the Xu family."

"Hey, Shen Sir, you're the legendary nemesis of the Zero Division, and you're asking me about this kind of triad-related issue?"

""

Shen Shaofeng tilted his head back and finished his soup, then handed the lid back to Yue Huizhen: "I'm not asking about Xinji, I just want to ask about the Xu family. Hmm—for example, the film company founded by the Xu brothers, they're practically your media industry colleagues, aren't they?"

Le Huizhen took the lid of the kettle, wiped it with a tissue, and screwed it back onto the kettle.

With a disdainful expression, she said, "Hmph, who's in the same industry as him? Even the old man selling newspapers on the street knows that the rise of that film company must be due to the help of the New Journalists. They might even be using film production to launder money."

At this point, considering her current situation, she suddenly had a flash of inspiration and remembered a previous case.

"Hey, junior brother, you guys have zero records, are you planning to start a new one?"

Before Shen Shaofeng could deny it, she blinked and made a face: "Don't try to fool me. A certain underworld boss surnamed Huang was shot and killed in the hospital. I heard that the source of the trouble was a dispute caused by a certain actress being slapped at a nightclub—"

"Everyone's saying the killer is some kind of Chen, a manager under the New Bureau, right?"

Shen Shaofeng was surprised by Yue Huizhen's excellent information network. He gently shook his head: "I certainly can't tell you the specific details of the investigation, but—"