Hong Kong Film Intelligence King

Chapter 368 Confusing
“I thought Chan Tai-pan would say that Standard Chartered Bank was a suspect.”

James asked earnestly,

"Now, in Hong Kong, only Standard Chartered can compete with HSBC, right?"

Chen Taotao smiled and said:
"This is different."

"Our first priority is to apprehend this group of counterfeiters. If the financial order is disrupted, HSBC will also suffer significant losses."

"As for competition..."

"HSBC's biggest rival has always been itself."

James gave a thumbs up and said:
"Master Chen's insight is brilliant."

"So, this is your opinion?"

Chen Taotao nodded:

"Yes, if the other party is forging Hong Kong dollars or Hong Kong pounds, the first thing to check will definitely be banks with Hong Kong backgrounds, namely HSBC and Standard Chartered."

"Unfortunately, the other party was counterfeiting US dollars."

"Whether it's HSBC or Standard Chartered, it's not easy to find the real US dollar base."

James pressed on, asking:

"It's not easy, but there's a chance you'll get your hands on one, right?"

Chen Taotao nodded:

"of course."

"As a currency issuing institution, we will communicate."

"HSBC actually has the base plate for the US dollar."

James's mouth dropped open:

"what?"

Chen Taotao shrugged:

"This is not surprising, after all, HSBC has the right to issue Hong Kong dollars."

"Having the US dollar as a basis does not mean we want the money; it's just a way to learn from and draw inspiration from it."

“I just looked at the case file, and the original of the counterfeit banknote that was seized was quite clear.”

"It shouldn't be the same substrate that our bank owns."

Chen Taotao explained,

“Once a base plate is manufactured and put into use, it has a certain service life.”

"Once the product exceeds its lifespan, the yield rate will decrease."

"In terms of the product itself, the handwriting is blurry, and various details are confused, making it look fake at first glance."

"This is the foundation that we at HSBC own."

James seemed to be deep in thought.

"So, the criminal group didn't use the base material for very long?"

Chen Taotao nodded:

"Or, the base plate is genuine, and it wasn't used for very long."

"Or, that base plate was artificially remade."

"Whether it's one of these two points or the other, they both point to one type of person—US dollar experts!"

"Generally speaking, this type of person is most common in banks."

"Relatively speaking, only American banks have conducted the most in-depth research on this."

James' eyes lit up:
"Understood!"

"Thank you so much, Mr. Chen, for taking the time out of your busy schedule to answer my question."

Chen Taotao laughed:
"You are doing this for the sake of Hong Kong's financial order, it's what you should do."

James took his leave and did not return to his office. Instead, he went to the U.S. Consulate in Banshan.

Smith was extremely surprised:
"You found a clue so quickly?"

James shook his head, a strange smile appearing on his face.
"You think you can just dump this case on me? Looks like you can't do that!"

Smith asked, puzzled:

"What does it mean?"

James chuckled:
"I think it would be better if you were to investigate this case."

He then recounted the intelligence he had obtained from Chen Taotao.

Smith was stunned:

"Wait, you're saying this group of criminals is very likely backed by banks with US capital?"

James nodded slowly:
"That's right!"

Smith murmured:

"It shouldn't be!"

James shrugged:
"Whether it should or not, it is logically correct."

Smith frowned deeply:
"It's really troublesome!"

He stood up and said,

"Come on, let's go take a look."

James said in astonishment:

"Where to go?"

Smith said coldly:

"The two banks in Hong Kong that are backed by American capital are Citibank and Citibank."

“I had informed them beforehand.”

"They should know this kind of thing; someone must have misled me."

"Let's visit two banks."

James was startled:
"Wait, are you sure we're really going to do this?"

Smith countered:

"What else do you want?"

James smiled wryly:

“That’s a bank.”

"When Shen Daban was around, he could even influence the governor's opinion. Are you sure the two of us can withstand the pressure from the bank?"

Smith rolled his eyes and said:
"Don't overthink it, we're not going there for them."

"We just wanted to ask about something."

James looked at him with a skeptical expression:
"Don't mess with me!"

"Those financial capitalists are not to be trifled with."

Smith said impatiently:
"Rich people are not to be trifled with."

"Let's go!"

So James didn't even get a cup of tea before he hurriedly followed Smith to Citibank.

The Citibank executives were very polite:
"We do have a template here, but that's for learning purposes."

"This printing plate has never been used for printing."

"Of course, this base plate is already blurred and can no longer be used."

Smith asked politely:

"Can we take a look?"

The Citibank executive smiled and said:
"of course can!"

Press the table bell, and someone will naturally come with the blank.

Even Smith and James, two laymen, could see that this base plate was no longer usable.

"Is this the only blank plate your bank has?" Smith pressed.

Citibank executives shrug:

"of course."

“We are not a dollar-based hair salon, so we don’t need a clearer template.”

Smith then inquired about the case, and the Citibank executive said:
"I remember this incident; it was about six months ago when highly realistic counterfeit banknotes suddenly appeared."

"According to our internal testing, only experts specializing in counterfeit banknote identification can distinguish them."

Smith's mouth dropped open:

"what?"

"But that's not what you said when I asked you before."

The Citibank executive smiled and said:
"We can't exactly say that someone in Hong Kong has developed counterfeit banknotes that are indistinguishable from the real thing, can we?"

"That would be a devastating blow to the global reputation of the US dollar."

"We submitted the report early this morning."

"As for whether to change the anti-counterfeiting measures, that's a matter for higher-ups, not for me."

He pondered for a moment and then said,
"However, in my experience, the guy who made the plates is a real expert."

"It's absolutely impossible to create something like this without working experience in the banking system."

Smith seemed to be deep in thought.

James pressed on, asking:

"So, it's almost certain that the other party is someone from the bank?"

Citibank executive shook his head:
"I'm certain the other party is a seasoned industry expert, but whether they work for a bank is hard to say."

"Anyway, we don't have anyone like that in our bank."

Smith asked one last question:
"Then, could you provide us with a list?"

The Citibank executive smiled and said:
"I'm sorry, I can't!"

Smith shrugged, didn't insist, and left with James.

Back in the car, James asked:

"You seem to have a clue?"

Smith asked:
What do you think of him?

James thought for a moment and said:
"Calm and composed, unhurried, and full of confidence."

Smith nodded slightly:
"So, it's not him?"

James shook his head:

"I dare not say!"

Smith sighed:
"Yeah, it's hard to say."

"Let's go, let's go take a look at Universal Book."

Since it was still early, the two went to Citibank again, but this time they were treated worse than at Citibank, and even their answers were the same as at Citibank.

In other words, the two of them had absolutely no information.

Smith's brow was so furrowed it could trap a fly:

How do we investigate this?

James replied:
"I think we've both gone down the wrong path."

Smith was extremely surprised:
"Do you have an idea?"

James shook his head:

"no!"

Smith said dejectedly:

"So you're saying we've gone down the wrong path?"

James asked seriously:
Are we both police detectives?

Smith shook his head.

James smiled and said:

"Yeah!"

"We're both special agents; this isn't our forte."

"I think we need a real great detective to help solve this case."

Smith suddenly slapped himself:

"I must have been stupid!"

"That's right, you need to find experts to solve cases."

This time it was Smith's turn to go with James, and the two went to the Kowloon Police Headquarters to meet Chief Superintendent Chan Kwok-chung.

Chen Guozhong listened quietly to the case, then suddenly asked:

Where was the counterfeit money discovered?

Smith blurted out:

Citibank.

Chen Guozhong smiled and said:

"So, besides Citibank, have any other banks detected counterfeit money?"

Smith's expression changed. Chen Guozhong said calmly:

"Logically speaking, if Citibank can detect something, other banks can also detect it."

"Of course, we cannot rule out the possibility that staff made a mistake and the test failed to detect it."

"However, this possibility is very small."

"In this way, we have an example."

Why is it a Citibank report?

James was startled:
"Brother Zhong, are you saying that Citibank is crying wolf?"

Chen Guozhong shook his head:

"What I mean is, Citibank should be fine."

James didn't understand.

Chen Guozhong shrugged:

What kind of counterfeit banknotes can't be detected by bank inspection technology?

"It's real money!"

"If even the bank can't tell the difference, what else could it be but a real banknote?"

"Even if other banks discover the existence of such counterfeit banknotes afterward, they will still consider them to be genuine."

"Anyway, the bank didn't detect it in the first place, right?"

"Logically speaking, all banks in Hong Kong would follow suit and quietly make a fortune."

"But there are two exceptions."

James didn't react for a moment, but Smith already understood:
“Citibank and Citibank.”

James said in astonishment:

"why?"

Smith gritted his teeth and said:

"They have this responsibility!"

James immediately realized that both banks were primarily owned by American capital, and counterfeit money would be very damaging to them.

Chen Guozhong smiled and said:

"Citibank has fulfilled its obligations, but what about the other bank?"

"I don't believe Citibank can distinguish counterfeit money, let alone Citibank."

"It's haunted!"

Smith snorted coldly:

"Investigate them!"

Chen Guozhong calmly looked at Smith:
"Banks are different from others, especially since the other party is mainly American capital."

"You need to figure out the relationships behind it."

Smith paused slightly, then gritted his teeth and said:
"If this were in the United States, it would be a very difficult process to investigate Citibank."

"But in Hong Kong, they have no say in the matter."

"Even if the head office in the local area finds out, they will only say that I did a good job investigating."

Chen Guozhong shrugged:

"As long as you can handle their relationship, that's fine."

"I don't want to be investigating and then suddenly get a call from above, wasting my time."

Smith solemnly stated:

"Don't worry, Mr. Chen, such a thing will absolutely not happen."

Chen Guozhong nodded slightly:
"Then, this case is handed over to us. You have the right to attend the hearings until the case is closed, or you may provide some assistance as appropriate."

"The initiative to investigate the case lies with us, not with you."

"Is that acceptable?"

James looked at Smith, as if to say, "You decide."

This case originally belonged to Smith, so of course Smith should make the decision.

Smith took a deep breath and said:

"Mr. Chen, don't worry, you'll take the initiative in the investigation."

"I only have one request: please solve the case as soon as possible."

"If you need any help, just go and do it."

"James and I will provide you with the maximum assistance."

James looked at Smith speechlessly:
"You guy..."

Smith put his arm around James and said:

"Good brother, you have to help me."

James was helpless:
"Alright, alright, I'll help you."

"Brother Zhong, don't worry, just go ahead and investigate. I'll take care of the relevant resources."

Chen Guozhong looked at them with a smile:

"That would be best."

He stood up and said,

"This case is very likely to involve the bank. I need to see Ado. Excuse me."

Smith stared at James in astonishment:
"No, Chen just left like that, leaving us here?"

"Don't you care about our feelings at all?"

James stared blankly at Smith:
"What face does Brother Zhong need to consider for you?"

Smith whispered:

"I'm the intelligence chief for the Ugly Country in Asia. Isn't he afraid of us?"

James rolled his eyes:

"You seem to have forgotten who Brother Zhong is."

"He is a core member of Brother Dao's team and one of the billionaires."

"In Hong Kong, do you think people need to be afraid of you?"

"Is it the other way around?"

Snapped!
Smith gently patted his face:

"I forgot!"

He looked somewhat dazed.

"No, he's a billionaire, shouldn't he be enjoying life? Why is he still working as a policeman?"

James said calmly:

"That's what makes Brother Zhong so admirable."

“They are not short of money, yet they still work in this position.”

"Just a few months ago, he was frequently leading teams on the front lines."

"If you could check his resume, you would know how dangerous his life is."

Smith secretly breathed a sigh of relief:
"so far so good!"

"I didn't offend him just now."

James said speechlessly:

"I thought you weren't afraid."

Smith smiled wryly:

"Am I crazy to compare myself to rich people?"

"Who knows if this rich person will suddenly become my boss the next second?"

"Even if he doesn't become my boss, he's still a local bigwig in Hong Kong."

"Isn't it easy for you to make me look foolish?"

James nodded slightly:
"You see things very clearly!"

The two quickly left Chen Guozhong's office. After all, the owner wasn't home, and they couldn't stay there too long, lest they cause a misunderstanding that would be difficult to explain.

James said to Smith:
"You can rest assured that this matter is in Zhong Ge's hands."

"With Brother Zhong in charge, this matter is almost certain to be resolved."

Smith said in astonishment:

"You think so highly of Chen Guozhong?"

James shrugs:

"You don't know him. He's a famous and ruthless detective in Hong Kong, with an exceptionally high case-solving rate."

"Furthermore, even if he encounters difficulties, Brother Zhong can activate his abilities."

Smith pressed on:

"What ability?"

James asked:
What abilities does Iron Man possess?

Smith drooled with envy:
"The power of money!"

James sighed:
"Envious? I wish I had that ability too!"

Smith sighed heavily.

It's great to be rich; he wants to be rich too.

The wealthy Chen Guozhong arrived at Wang Dao's office, and Wang Dao sighed:
"Brother Zhong, seeing you so relaxed really annoys me."

Chen Guozhong smiled and said:
"Our jobs are different; you can't envy them."

Wang Dao gave him a disapproving look and quickly lowered his head to review the documents.

Chen Guozhong asked:
"Are you aware of the counterfeit money issue?"

Wang Dao answered while working:

"I know!"

Chen Guozhong asked in surprise:

"Knowing this, why did you still push this case onto me?"

Wang Dao answered calmly and unhurriedly:

“This case was entrusted to James by Smith, and I cannot tell them directly that I know the background of this case.”

“If I really did that, Smith would definitely be watching me 24/7.”

"Besides, these two aren't you, so why should I give them credit for nothing?"

Chen Guozhong nodded repeatedly:
"Makes sense!"

"So what's the story behind this case?"

The kingly way disagrees:

"Nothing special."

"It was just a bank executive who wanted to make some extra money. He gathered people and created a high-definition template."

"This person sells goods very slowly and only deals with regular customers."

"That's why he was never arrested."

"The exposure of Citibank was an accident."

Chen Guozhong asked:
"You mean it was done by one of the managers at Citibank?"

Wang Dao shook his head:
“I never said that it was done by Citibank.”

Chen Guozhong was taken aback:
"Is it Citibank crying 'stop thief' if it's not Citibank?"

Wang Dao laughed:

"No."

"It's Standard Chartered!"

Chen Guozhong was taken aback:
"How could it be Standard Chartered Bank?"

Wang Dao smiled and said:
"Everyone would assume that the people who made these counterfeit US dollars were bank executives from American capital."

"Then the real criminals go unpunished."

"This kind of logic is quite normal, isn't it?"

Chen Guozhong nodded slowly:
"Makes sense."

Wang Dao also said:

"The cooperation between the U.S. and Chongqing is deeper than we imagined."

"It's very rare for Standard Chartered executives to have any knowledge of dollar manufacturing technology."

"However, you should definitely check Citibank first."

Chen Guozhong asked, puzzled:

"Now that we know the real culprit, why not just focus our investigation on him directly? Why go through all this trouble?"

Wang Dao smiled and said:
"I'm giving you credit!"

(End of this chapter)