Hong Kong variety show: Hung Hing, are you contributing to society?

The news that Lam Yiu-tung assisted the police in arresting armed robbers was not only widely discussed among members of all kinds of triads in Hong Kong, but also became the most dramatic topic of conversation.

It sparked a somewhat absurd discussion in ordinary citizens' morning tea shops and office buildings—when did gangsters become the vanguard of maintaining public order?

Police Headquarters' Organized Crime and Triad Bureau (OCTB) is no exception.

However, this was completely different from the atmosphere within the gang where people enjoyed watching the drama unfold and even secretly felt that "Ah Dong is a powerful guy, even the police have to give him a favor."

Within Organisation (O) organization, especially at high-level meetings.

This incident is not a commendable example of police-community cooperation; rather, it serves as an invisible pillar of shame, firmly nailing the reputation of the Organized Crime and Triad Bureau (OCTB) and the entire Hong Kong Island Police Force to it.

On the same afternoon.

Inside a meeting room in the police headquarters building, overlooking part of the city view but with a somber atmosphere.

The oval conference table was filled with senior police officers in white shirts with gleaming epaulets, but the Commissioner of Police, who was respectfully addressed as "Number One," had a face as gloomy as the rain clouds outside the window.

He slammed a stack of newspapers and magazines onto the clean table with a loud "thud," startling several officers who were daydreaming into straightening up immediately.

"Look at this! What does it say here? 'Young and Dangerous Gangsters are Brave, Ruthless Criminals are Bringed to Justice, Police are Slow, What Can the Citizens Do?'"

"A New Era of Outlaws? The Heroic Deeds of Gang Members and the Police's Embarrassment!" When did our police force fall so low that it needs a gangster to help maintain order, or even rely on them to catch ruthless criminals?!

Where does the Organized Crime and Triad Bureau's (OCTB) annual budget go? Their equipment and training are nowhere near as good as a single henchman of a Fit guy in Wan Chai?

The leader's voice wasn't loud, but it carried an undeniable authority and suppressed anger; every word struck the hearts of the attendees like a whip.

Hong Kong Island practices electoral politics, and the image of the police force is directly related to the government's credibility. They must pay attention to their image in the eyes of the public at all times and accept ubiquitous media and public supervision.

Any flaw, however small, will be magnified infinitely, let alone news like this that is almost a slap in the face.

In the corner, a middle-aged man with a slightly wrinkled suit, messy hair, and heavy eye bags was taking a nap during this brief respite from the oppressive atmosphere.

He is Inspector Wong Chi-shing, a group leader in the anti-triad unit.

Given his rank, he wouldn't normally be qualified to attend a meeting of this caliber. However, because this incident directly involved gang forces, he was included in the meeting and is currently meeting with Zhou Gong.

A senior superintendent in charge of public relations whispered a suggestion: "Chief, the problem is that those news channels are reporting things recklessly and deliberately exaggerating for ratings... I can talk to a few media outlets we know and ask them to tone it down..."

"Shut up!" The leader abruptly interrupted a voice that was trying to ease the tension.

His sharp gaze swept over them, carrying a hint of disappointment: "Say hello? Don't you even know what kind of people work in the news?"

If we go and greet them now, wouldn't that just make us look even more insecure and lacking in confidence? Wouldn't that confirm that we have no ability? Haven't we already lost face enough already?

He took a deep breath, his tone tinged with helplessness and sarcasm, "That's how the police force is; good news doesn't travel far, but bad news spreads like wildfire. Ten cases we solve with our lives on the line can't compare to one 'negative news story' like this!"

His gaze swept around the conference room, finally settling on a figure in the corner who seemed out of place with the serious atmosphere around him.

"Huang Zhicheng!"

Huang Zhicheng was fast asleep and showed no reaction.

Sitting next to him was his friend and colleague, Senior Inspector Lu Qichang of the Criminal Intelligence Bureau.

Seeing this, Lu Qichang quickly nudged him with his elbow.

Huang Zhicheng jolted awake, abruptly raising his head. His eyes were still somewhat dazed, and he instinctively replied, "Huh? What is it, Boss?"

The leader, barely suppressing his displeasure, glared at him: "That guy from Causeway Bay, what's his name, Ah Tung? Lin Yaodong! This whole thing started because of him. You, the anti-triad unit, will be the focus of his investigation, along with the Hung Hing triad behind him! I need to know if he's a true saint or a wolf in sheep's clothing! I'm giving you three months. I want to see substantial progress, understand?"

Huang Zhicheng instantly snapped to attention, stood up immediately, and shouted, "Yes, sir! I guarantee the mission will be accomplished!"

His voice was loud and clear, trying to dispel the embarrassment of having just dozed off.

After the leader announced the meeting was adjourned, everyone left with varying expressions.

Huang Zhicheng rubbed his throbbing temples. As soon as he returned to his somewhat crowded office, which was piled high with documents, a dedicated civilian police officer placed a thick stack of files on his desk.

"Inspector Wong, here is the preliminary information you requested regarding all active triads in the Wan Chai district."

"OK." Huang Zhicheng sat down, lit a cigarette, took a deep drag, and then opened the heavy folder.

Amidst the swirling smoke, he squinted at the list of clubs on the directory page:

"Changyi Society, Wo Lien Sheng, Tung Sing, Chang Lok Gang, Hung Hing, Hung Lok..."

The densely packed names made him click his tongue in surprise.

"Damn it! So many monsters and demons have taken over this tiny Wan Chai. It's a small temple with a lot of evil spirits."

He muttered a curse under his breath and began to quickly browse the page.

His goal was clear, and he quickly found the document marked "Hung Hing" among a pile of materials and pulled it out separately.

Turning to the inside pages, the first thing you see is an overview of the Hung Hing Society, followed by its various district branches.

He went directly to the Wan Chai district section.

"The person in charge, Boss B... key members under his command: Chan Ho-nam, Chicken, Forgot... Lam Yiu-tung..."

His gaze lingered on the name "Lin Yaodong" for a moment, his fingers tapping lightly on the table, lost in thought.

Just then, there was a knock on the office door.

"Go in." Huang Zhicheng said without even looking up.

The door was pushed open, and Lu Qichang walked in.

He closed the door behind him and sat down opposite Huang Zhicheng's desk.

Seeing Huang Zhicheng carefully examining the information about the Hung Hing Causeway Bay branch, he asked, "Zhicheng, are you really going to take action against Lin Yaodong?"

Huang Zhicheng smiled and said, "Judging from your tone, it's like he can't be touched."

Lu Qichang sighed: "I followed Boss B's power for a while, so I know a bit about his two henchmen."

"Oh?" Huang Zhicheng looked up, flicked the ash into the ashtray, and said, "Ah Chang, do you know anything about this Lin Yaodong? Tell me about it, it'll save me the trouble of going through all the information."

Because this was a directive from the top leader and the task was urgent, Lu Qichang abandoned his usual casualness and went straight to the point.

"This Lam Yiu-tung is quite different from Chan Ho-nam. Chan Ho-nam was mentored by Boss B; he was a model citizen, brave and resourceful, loyal, and a traditional gangster who rose to power. But this Lam Yiu-tung..."

Lu Qichang paused, seemingly organizing his thoughts, "He only rose to prominence in the last few years under Boss B, very quickly, but his rise was quite... unconventional."

Lu Qichang leaned forward and lowered his voice: "From what I understand, Lin Yaodong almost never participates in ordinary things like collecting protection money, guarding venues, or fighting."

At least, rarely on the surface... but he manages to keep the venues he's in charge of running smoothly.

His men rarely caused trouble.

On the contrary, he was enthusiastic about organizing various community activities, such as delivering rice and oil to elderly people living alone during holidays, sponsoring community youth basketball games, and reportedly even sponsoring several impoverished students to attend school.

As Huang Zhicheng listened, his brows furrowed deeper and deeper, his face clearly showing an expression that said, "Are you kidding me?"

Lu Qichang continued, "What's even more outrageous is that on several occasions, our men patrolling the area witnessed him and his men distributing leaflets with 'fire prevention and theft prevention' warnings in the bustling downtown area of ​​Causeway Bay, and even..."

I also saw him once personally help an elderly woman with mobility issues cross the street, his attitude was very respectful and patient.

"Hey, Ah-Chang!" Huang Zhicheng finally couldn't help but interrupt Lu Qichang, a ridiculous smile on his face, as he stubbed out his cigarette.

"Are you sure you've got the right people in the picture? We're discussing a triad gang, the Red Pole thugs of Hung Hing! You're talking about someone who's practically one of the Ten Outstanding Youths of the Year, a living saint, okay?"

Huang Zhicheng asked himself if even he, a policeman in uniform, could be as "helpful" as Lin Yaodong, as Lu Qichang described him, in his daily life.

Lu Qichang was not surprised by Huang Zhicheng's reaction. He smiled helplessly, but his tone was very certain: "Acheng, when I first heard this, I also found it unbelievable, and even suspected that it was just a coincidence of names or that someone was deliberately creating hype."

So, I specifically retrieved the patrol records from that period and also privately asked several veteran officers on duty in Causeway Bay, including the elderly woman who was helped across the street. She later went to the neighborhood committee to praise "that good young man." I can confirm that everything I've said is true.

As Luk Kai-cheung recalled, he said, "I heard a guy from the Wan Chai Police Station mention that they arrested Lam Yiu-tung once because of a brawl, and guess what happened?"

Huang Zhicheng: "What's wrong?"