Technology invades the modern world

Chapter 211 Whose Hong Kong? (4k)

"Lawless!"

Li Ka-shing received the news from the Hong Kong police early the next morning.

Not only did the plan fail, but everyone from the inspectors who carried out the mission to Hugh Patton himself perished.

Even the reporters who went to take photos at the scene were not spared.

This left him terrified; if it weren't for something urgent, he would have gone to the scene.

If I had gone there, wouldn't I be a corpse in Shatoujiao right now?
Li Ka-shing was deeply shocked. "How dare they? How dare they!"

The fact that so many people could be wiped out at once clearly indicates that China intervened.

Making such a judgment is not difficult.

"But that makes sense, China has never been afraid of this."

But how did they get the information?
I made sure that only a few people knew about this operation beforehand; even I didn't know the exact handover address.

He felt even more apprehensive.

I feel like my organization's actions have been exposed to China.

"Will they come after me next?"

This was undoubtedly a major setback for him.

Having invested funds to execute the panda project, and with the death of Hugh Barton, a key figure in Jardine Matheson, the network of relationships would have to be rebuilt, regardless of whether Jardine Matheson sent someone from London or promoted an Englishman from Hong Kong.

Whether the new teacher will accept him is completely unknown.

After all, he was Hugh Barton's innermost confidant, and being an innermost confidant meant that gaining the trust of others would be extremely difficult.

If Hugh Barton is promoted, even if it's a lateral transfer, it's not a big deal. After all, he's still there, and he's still in the same position, so he has resources to exchange for.

But it is death, and in this way, that brings an end to debts and the complete disappearance of one's network of relationships and resources.

Li Ka-shing feels that he is having a run of bad luck, as his actions against Chinese capital have repeatedly failed.

The first time, he lost a third of his fortune; this time, the actual losses are much more severe.

He couldn't help but sigh inwardly. Why fight with the peasants? Wouldn't it be better to make money peacefully together?
They were completely unaware that this was their own problem, that they had started this conflict.

"Ding ding ding~ ding ding ding~"

The phone rang.

"it is good."

"Okay, I'll be there soon."

In his mansion, Li Ka-shing received a phone call from the Deputy Commissioner of Police of Hong Kong, who told him to go to No. 1 Arsenal Street, Central, Hong Kong Island as soon as possible.

This is the location of the Hong Kong Police Headquarters building, where key departments such as the Police Force, Operations Command Center, and Criminal Investigation are located.

Li Ka-shing sensed an unusually somber atmosphere as soon as he arrived at Arsenal Street in Central.

The entrance was filled with armored vehicles, mobile police command vehicles, and large trucks belonging to the special police force.

This is a sight that is rarely seen under normal circumstances.

(The entrance to the Central Police Station is filled with vehicles. Photo source: Sin Lok-ka, "150th Anniversary of the Royal Hong Kong Police Force 1844-1994")
(From the 50s onwards, mobile police command vehicles used in Hong Kong were equipped with various communication devices for on-site command and control.)
(From the 50s onwards, the police vehicles used in Hong Kong did not have doors installed on the body, so that police officers could get in and out of the vehicle quickly during duty.)
In an interrogation room, Edward Taylor sat opposite Li Ka-shing, waiting for him.

"Mr. Li, please have a seat."

Li Ka-shing himself didn't have that kind of fame, so it's impossible for Edward to remember him.

However, given that this is a major event that, once exposed, will cause a shock throughout Hong Kong, Li Ka-shing's information was placed on the desk of Commissioner of Police Edward Taylor late last night.

"Director Tai, hello." Li Ka-shing shook hands with the other party and sat down in a chair, looking as if he didn't know why he had been called there.

Edward Taylor's Chinese name was Tai Hua, which he later changed to Dai Leihua.

“Mr. Li, here is the detailed information, please take a look.” Edward handed him a thick report.

It was full of photos, all of them of corpses, the first one being of Hugh Patton.

The entire police station knew about this major event, but the superiors strictly ordered everyone not to leak the information or let the media know.

Before the Hong Kong government can clarify the facts and set a course of action, it must strictly control the flow of information.

Li Ka-shing should not have known about this publicly.

His acting was very convincing.

Tears welled up in Li Ka-shing's eyes. "Mr. Patton was a good man. I really can't believe who would do something so cruel!"

After reading it, he looked shocked and at a loss.

Edward didn't give him time to react and asked directly, "Alright, Mr. Li, you can go back and grieve slowly, but now, I need you to tell me as much detail as you know about the situation."

Why was Hugh Patton in Sha Tau Kok? And why were there reporters and a group of heavily armed police officers? Finally, there's your speculation about the killer in this murder case.

Li Ka-shing began to slowly recount his and Hugh Barton's case against Universal Electronics.

He was naturally not worried that Edward would be with Global Electronics.

The Commissioner of Police is connected to G? Impossible, Edward is English.

Before he could finish explaining the situation, someone knocked on the door, and a Chinese man in uniform walked in, whispered a few words in Edward's ear, and handed him a newspaper.

Li Ka-shing sat opposite him, and it was barely possible to make out that it was a copy of the Hundred Flowers Newspaper.

Edward's expression changed after reading it.

After Li Ka-shing finished explaining the situation, Edward stood up and smiled, "Okay, we understand. Thank you."

Before Li Ka-shing could say anything more, Edward was already preparing to leave.

He quickly replied, "I suspect it was done by the Chinese side."

Edward turned and handed him the newspaper. "Of course, this is a blatant provocation from China."

Li Ka-shing took a closer look and saw that the front page of the Baihua Daily prominently featured the following:

Mass deaths discovered in Sha Tau Kok

In addition to the report itself, a detailed list of the dead was also provided, including their names and identities.

The first one is: "Hugh Barton, the head of Jardine Matheson & Co."

Li Ka-shing took a deep breath.

Whether it was the fact that China started doing business, the fact that the other party was able to anticipate the enemy's moves and strike first, or the blatant provocation by the Hundred Flowers Society, everything was beyond his comprehension.

He sensed that the world was undergoing changes beyond his comprehension, changes that were slow yet resolute.

"Director Tai! You're right, these Chinese are blatantly provoking us! We have to teach them a lesson!" Li Ka-shing exclaimed indignantly after reading the report. Edward gave him a strange look: "Mr. Li, are you still not awake?"

Li Ka-shing was a little confused. You're an Englishman, and you don't even want revenge after Hugh Patton died? Are you a communist too?

He was a little scared.

Did the English and the Chinese get together?
That day, the entire Hong Kong public was in an uproar.

The Baihua Society was the first to report the story, and once it could no longer be covered up, major newspapers rushed to report it, leading to a flurry of speculation.

In Hong Kong, a tiny place, Inspector Li is considered a big shot, let alone Hugh Patton.

Public opinion simply cannot be suppressed.

As for why these people were in Sha Tau Kok, and who committed the murder, public opinion was in an uproar.

Baihua Society began to proactively release information, saying it was related to Huanqiu Electronics.

They released the truth directly as a rumor.

"Hey, did you know? It's said that Hugh Barton knew that Chinese goods were being shipped from Sha Tau Kok because Panda Electronics had taken their business, so he specially brought a group of police officers to catch them red-handed."

Unexpectedly, China learned of their plans beforehand, and without hesitation, wiped them all out.

“I’ve heard about it too. I’ve also heard that the most elite troops were deployed, and the Englishmen didn’t put up any resistance at all.”

"So, pandas really are from mainland China?"

"Of course! Haven't you noticed that the pandas sold on Nathan Road are of much higher quality than the fake pandas on the market?"

"Looks like I should go and show my support too. White people deserve to be slaughtered!"

Firstly, Hugh Barton's death left the operation against Panda Electronics leaderless, and no one dared to continue. You also didn't know how much inventory China actually had.

After all, the exchange is half-price, not free.

They also have to pay financial costs.

On the other hand, China's blatant actions made local Hong Kong newspapers dare not report negative news about Panda Electronics anymore. Encouraged by the news, the public supported Panda and had greater confidence in the company.

Two factors led to the disappearance of product replacements and a surge in sales.

That evening, Li Ka-shing hosted a banquet for Huang Qiren at his own hotel.

Compared to famous Chinese police officers, Huang Qiren is by no means well-known, but for wealthy Chinese, he is a more worthwhile person to win over than famous Chinese police officers.

Because he was the Commissioner of Police's aide-de-camp and personal assistant.

(Huang Qiren wrote a book called "Police Officer's Notes: The Days of the Hong Kong Police Force in the 1960s" after the millennium, published by Joint Publishing and distributed in Hong Kong.)
After getting drunk and confused, Li Ka-shing voiced his doubts from the morning, explaining why Edward said he wasn't sober when he suggested giving China a small lesson.

Huang Qiren laughed and said, "Mr. Li, you understand business and you understand the English, but you don't understand Hong Kong."

Hong Kong is indeed under English jurisdiction, but it is not entirely under English control.

China may not want to get involved, but that doesn't mean they can't.

If the British Hong Kong government really wanted to do whatever it wanted, then Zeng Zhaoke wouldn't have been released so easily four years ago.

Fifty years ago in Hong Kong, how could Zeng Zhaoke's case have been so easily dismissed?

Li Ka-shing suddenly realized that he understood the implication that the British Hong Kong government did not want to offend China.

Tsang Chiu-ko was a former Hong Kong police officer. The year Lin Ran came to Hong Kong, he was sent to Cambridge University for further studies by the Hong Kong British government. A year later, he returned to Hong Kong as an assistant superintendent. He was one of the few Chinese who were promoted to senior positions in the police force. He was subsequently arrested and sent to Lo Wu.

"Indeed, people like Hugh Barton, because they come from London, think that Hong Kong is the English people's Hong Kong, and can do whatever they want, and they boss the Chinese around."

In fact, we in the police force know very well that when we encounter people who are genuinely coming from the mainland to do a mission, we turn a blind eye if possible, and there's no need to make trouble for ourselves.

The longer I'm in the police force, the clearer this principle becomes.

After taking a sip of his drink, Huang Qiren continued, "Do we really not know about the ships that are floating on the sea, delivering all kinds of medicines, equipment, and even sensitive materials to the mainland?"
Are police trolleys No. 1, No. 4, No. 13, and No. 33 just for show?
The same principle applies: we don't need to make things too tense, and we don't need to create trouble for no reason. England is too far away, and China is too close.

Hugh Patton is dead, so what? You might think the death of an Englishman is a big deal, but in reality, as long as China doesn't publicly admit to doing it, it's fine.

Even if China publicly admits it, as long as London pretends not to acknowledge it, it will be fine.

Huang Qiren saw it very clearly.

The same conversation also took place inside the Nathan Road Hundred Flowers Society.

Edward and Zhou Nan sat facing each other.

However, they had tea instead of wine in front of them.

“Mr. Zhou, I didn’t expect China to send such a ruthless character as you.” Edward’s attitude was very polite, and he also didn’t take Hugh Barton’s death seriously.

Zhou Nan laughed and said, "Tai Sheng, I'm not some kind of ruthless character."

If you're referring to the Sha Tau Kok incident, that has nothing to do with me. If you want to know the truth, go ahead and investigate; I don't have a murderer here.

Edward smiled wryly and said, "Of course there's no murderer here. The murderer has already returned to Luohu. How could there be a murderer here?"

The problem is, you can command the murderer.

Zhou Nan stated bluntly, "You need evidence to say that."

Edward nodded, remaining silent: "Mr. Zhou, what do you want?"
Or, in the current situation, what should we do to restore balance between the two sides?

We have no intention of changing the status quo, but judging from your behavior, it is clear that you want to change it.

Zhou Nan said, "No, we also don't want to change the status quo; we just don't want to see people's small businesses affected."

The situation is difficult; it's not easy for Chinese people to make a living, and there are always people trying to cause trouble. We think we're all Chinese, so we'd like to lend a helping hand if we can.

Edward breathed a sigh of relief; as long as you don't want to take Hong Kong back.

Even if you really want to take it back, wait another year. I'm retiring and going back to London next year. After I'm back in London, you can do whatever you want.

"Don't worry, no one will interfere with the small businesses run by Chinese people," Edward assured him. "Whether it's Jardine Matheson or Swire, the Governor's Office will talk to them, and everyone will keep to themselves."

Zhou Nan nodded: "Okay."

If this is merely a delicate balance being achieved...

Then in August, after the American soldiers landed on a large scale in Baiyue.

When Panda Electronics' trucks brazenly appeared at the dock and began loading goods onto the American warship, neither Jardine Matheson nor Swire had any other thoughts.

The panda's business has expanded to America, so is it simultaneously opposing both China and America?

Let alone Hong Kong, even London wouldn't dare to do that.

As for Hugh Barton, it can only be said that he died in vain.

The Sha Tau Kok incident has become a case similar to the Tsang Chiu-ko case. Everyone knows who did it, but no one admits it. The police force, the Hong Kong government, and China have all denied that your speculations are the truth.

(End of this chapter)