Hong Kong variety show: The mastermind behind the scenes is emerging.

April 17, 1982, 12 PM.

Deep Water Bay, Bao Family Villa.

Standing before the large French windows, Bao Chuanwang stood with his hands behind his back, looking at the scenery outside with a furrowed brow.

Behind him, in the sofa area, Chen Jiaju, the head of the task force, was leading several capable assistants—Da Zui, Huo Xing, and others—unfolding a huge blueprint for the Harbour City building.

"Sir Bao, please rest assured."

Chen Jiaju straightened up, patted his chest, and his face was full of unwavering determination. "Our police force has established a top-level task force. From now on, we will provide comprehensive three-level protection and surveillance for your residence, company, and family 24 hours a day."

"Our police intelligence network is fully operational. We plan to start with the explosives and will soon be able to identify the bombers."

No sooner had Chan Ka-kui finished speaking than Big Mouth chimed in from the side, "Yeah, Sir Bao! Our Ka-kui is a super cop in the police force. With him around, there's absolutely no problem!"

However, when Bao turned around, the expression on his face did not ease much because of his bold words.

Just then.

"Da, da, da."

The heavy mahogany door was pushed open. A steady, powerful, and uniform sound of leather shoes striking the ground abruptly interrupted Chen Jiaju's report.

Chen Jiaju subconsciously turned around; it was his beastly intuition honed from years of frontline criminal investigation work—a dangerous creature was approaching.

A dozen or so men, dressed in well-tailored black tactical suits, wearing sunglasses and transparent air-tube earpieces, filed in.

The leader had a buzz cut, and although his eyes were hidden behind sunglasses, the bloodthirsty aura emanating from his very bones made Chen Jiaju's hair stand on end instantly.

Nature nourishes life.

Behind him were Tian Yangyi, Tian Yangyong, and the elite of Jiahe Security.

"You are..." Chen Jiaju paused for a moment, his hand instinctively reaching for the .38 pistol at his waist.

Tian Yangsheng didn't even turn his head, as if the group of police officers were just air.

He walked straight up to the shipping magnate, bowed slightly, took off his sunglasses, and revealed a pair of emotionless eyes.

"Sir Bao, Mr. Lu sent us to report to you."

Tian Yangsheng's voice wasn't loud, but it carried a metallic quality: "The Jiahe Security Special Operations Team is at your disposal at any time."

"Good! Good! Good!"

Upon seeing these people, Bao Chuanwang's usually tense face finally broke into a long-lost smile.

That's true peace of mind.

He had heard that this group of people had led the charge in and out of the Fugui Maru and the Jundu Hotel seven times that night; they were all ruthless characters who treated bandits like dirt.

"Lu Sheng is indeed a man of his word!" Bao Chuanwang exclaimed, then turned to look at Chen Jiaju, his tone becoming subtle.

"Ka-Kui, let me introduce you. These are the elites from Golden Harvest Security, specially sent by Mr. Lu to protect me. They will assist you with the security work from now on."

"assist?"

Upon hearing this, Chen Jiaju's brows furrowed instantly.

His pride as a police officer and his super cop's self-esteem made it impossible for him to accept this arrangement.

"Sir Bao, investigating cases and protecting citizens is the duty of a police officer." Chen Jiaju stepped forward, staring at Tian Yangsheng. "They... are just private bodyguards. Forgive my bluntness, but professional criminal cases are better left to us professionals. Too many people will only complicate matters, and what if confidential information is leaked..."

"major?"

Tian Yangsheng suddenly turned his head and coldly interrupted Chen Jiaju.

He looked Chen Jiaju up and down, a contemptuous smile curving his lips.

"You mean, like that night at the Cointreau Hotel, where dozens of Flying Tigers were eating boxed lunches downstairs while watching the hostages being killed—that kind of 'professional' behavior?"

"you--!!"

These words struck a nerve with the police force. Mars and Big Mouth behind Chan Ka-kui turned red with anger, and Chan Ka-kui's eyes widened in fury, his temper flaring instantly.

"What? You don't accept it?"

Standing next to Tian Yangsheng, the youngest brother, Tian Yangyong, sneered, crossed his arms, and stepped forward. "If we hadn't come, that Niu Bijian probably wouldn't have even been able to piece together a complete corpse. The police? Hmph, forget it, they're more suited to cleaning up the mess."

"What did you say?! Say it again if you dare!" Chen Jiaju roared, taking a step in front of Tian Yangyong, their noses almost touching.

The atmosphere instantly became tense, and the air was thick with the smell of gunpowder.

It looked like the two sides were about to fight here.

"Enough!!"

The shipping magnate slammed his hand on the table, his imposing presence instantly silencing the crowd.

"What kind of time is this! Still fighting amongst yourselves?!" The shipping magnate's face darkened as his gaze swept over the two groups. "We're all trying to maintain stability in Hong Kong, all trying to catch that deranged bomber! We haven't even caught him yet and we're already arguing?! There's a saying: 'It doesn't matter if a cat is black or white, as long as it catches mice, it's a good cat!'"

"Officer Chen!" Bao Chuanwang looked at Chen Jiaju, "Your police have your channels and technology. Do your best to solve the case. Jiahe will not hinder your law enforcement."

"Tian Yangsheng!" The shipping magnate Bao then looked at the group of men in black. "You are my insurance agents. I hope you can cooperate with the police, instead of sabotaging each other!"

"I don't want to see any internal strife! Understand?!"

Faced with the shipping magnate's fury, Chan Ka-kui took a deep breath and forcibly suppressed the anger in his heart.

"Understood, Sir John Paul."

Chen Jiaju gritted his teeth and nodded, then turned and stared intently at Tian Yangsheng, his eyes filled with a competitive spirit.

"Alright, since it's about helping out, then please go ahead."

Chen Jiaju straightened his police uniform and said coldly, "But let me make this clear first: if our police catch the bomber first, I hope you people from Golden Harvest won't lose face."

"Let's go!"

After saying that, Chen Jiaju waved his hand and led his men away from the reception area in a huff.

Watching the police leave, Tian Yangsheng put his sunglasses back on, his disdain deepening.

"Arrest them?" Tian Yangsheng muttered to himself, "By the time you get here, it'll be too late."

……

After leaving the villa, Tian Yangsheng did not search for intelligence on the streets like the police did, nor did he check any phone records.

He got directly into a black bulletproof Mercedes.

"Big brother, where are we going now?" Ah Hu, who was driving, asked.

"The boss has given me a message."

Tian Yangsheng pulled out a neatly folded piece of paper from his pocket, which contained only a name and an address.

That was a "secret guide" that Lu Chen had given him before they set off, using his memories from his previous life and the "drinkhouse's" vast intelligence network.

Target: Ahui (arms dealer).

Address: Kwai Chung Ferry Pier, Container Area 44, Blue Container.

In any era, information is the most deadly weapon. While the police were still struggling to trace the source of explosives throughout Hong Kong, Lu Chen had already given him his code name and even a sketch.

"The bomber codenamed Polar Bear bought his explosives from this Ahui."

Tian Yangsheng glanced at the darkening sky outside the window, a cruel glint in his eyes. "The distillery's intelligence indicates that this guy made his home in the container terminal to avoid his enemies and the police. He's got three burrows, but unfortunately, he ran into a hunter."

"Notify the third and fourth brothers to change their equipment."

"Tonight, let's 'visit' this Mr. Ahui."

……

It's late at night, 11 p.m.

Kwai Chung Container Terminal.

This is Hong Kong's busiest logistics hub, and also its most chaotic lawless zone. Tens of thousands of containers are stacked like building blocks to form steel mazes, and huge gantry cranes stand like monsters in the night.

The sea breeze howled, drowning out all the subtle sounds.

Deep inside container area 44, a faint light shines from a blue container sandwiched between two other containers.

This place has been illegally converted into a makeshift dwelling, and it even has private electricity and air conditioning.

"Brother Hui...you're so mean..."

From inside the container came a series of soft, breathy moans that would make anyone blush.

Arms dealer Ahui was lying naked on the bed, a heavily made-up delinquent girl in his arms, dreaming of making a fortune. He had just sold that batch of explosives to Polar Bear for a high price, making a huge profit, and was planning to gamble it all in Macau in a couple of days.

"Heh heh, you call this bad? I'll show you something even worse later..."

Ah Hui grinned lewdly, just about to turn over.

Sudden.

"laugh--"

A very faint sound, like a leaking valve, was heard.

That was the sound of a high-pressure pneumatic shear cutting off the door lock.

Before Ahui could react...

"Bang!!"

The container's metal door was violently kicked open.

Several black figures rushed in like ghosts. They wore tactical balaclavas and carried MP5 submachine guns with powerful tactical flashlights.

"ah--!!"

The woman on the bed let out a scream.

"Shut up!"

A man in black (Tian Yangyi) stepped forward and swiftly chopped the woman on the back of the neck. The woman's eyes rolled back, and she instantly fainted.

Ah Hui was terrified and instinctively reached for the Black Star pistol under his pillow.

"Whoosh!"

A sharp tactical dagger flew past his scalp and embedded itself deeply in the pillow, pinning his outstretched wrist to the cuff.

"Move again, and next time I'll poke your eyeball."

A cold voice boomed in the cramped space.

Tian Yangsheng slowly walked in, took off his tactical gloves, and looked down at the naked, trembling arms dealer.

"Put on your pants."

Tian Yangsheng kicked a pair of underwear on the ground. "Come with us."

"Who...who are you? Police officers? I...I want to see a lawyer!" Ah Hui shouted, trembling.

"lawyer?"

Tian Yangsheng laughed, a laugh that chilled one to the bone. "Sorry, the place we're going to is beyond the reach of the law."

"take away!"

……

Half an hour later.

An abandoned car repair shop in the New Territories.

This is a temporary outpost of DOA, a place specifically used to "deal with" such disobedient targets.

Ahui was bound hand and foot and hung from an iron beam, his toes barely touching the ground. A black cloth bag was over his head, and the surroundings were deathly silent except for the sound of water dripping on the ground.

"Splash!"

A bucket of ice water was poured over his head.

Ahui suddenly woke up and started coughing violently.

The hood was ripped off.

The bright spotlight shone directly into his eyes, making it impossible for him to see the people around him; he could only feel a few cold gazes.

"Speak."

Tian Yangsheng's voice came from the darkness, "Where is the polar bear?"

"What polar bear? I don't know! I'm just a pimp! You've arrested the wrong person!" Ah Hui was still being stubborn. This was the usual practice in the underworld; confessing meant certain death.

"have no idea?"

Tian Yangsheng wasn't angry; he simply nodded to Tian Yangyi beside him.

Tian Yangyi picked up a thick telephone directory and stuck it to Ahui's chest.

Then, he raised a heavy iron hammer.

Upon seeing this, Ahui's pupils dilated instantly. As a seasoned veteran, he naturally knew what this was.

This is a special interrogation technique used by secret agents—"hitting a cow from across a mountain."

If you cushion the blow with a thick book, the skin won't be scratched or even bruised when the hammer strikes. But the immense impact will directly damage internal organs, causing excruciating pain, yet the person won't die, and no medical examination will reveal the injury.

"No...no..."

"Bang!!"

"Ugh—!!!!!"

Ahui let out a scream that sounded inhuman. The excruciating pain, as if his internal organs were shifting, made his eyes roll back instantly, and his whole body arched up like a shrimp.

"I'll talk... I'll talk..."

With just one blow, Ahui broke down. He was just a greedy middleman; he had never suffered like this before.

"It's not enough. I'm afraid you'll lie and waste everyone's time," Tian Yangsheng shook his head. "Besides, I haven't had enough fun yet."

He pointed to a large iron barrel next to him, which was used to store water.

"Let him wake up."

"Splash!"

Ahui was pushed headfirst into a bucket of water.

"Gurgle..."

Suffocation, despair, my lungs felt like they were going to explode.

Thirty seconds, lift it up.

Where are the polar bears?

"Gurgle..."

One minute, then.

"Who?"

After repeating this three times, Ahui collapsed on the ground like a lump of mud, tears and snot streaming down his face, his body convulsing violently.

"Yau Ma Tei!" Ah Fai cried out, his voice hoarse. "He owns a underground billiards house in Yau Ma Tei! That's his property! He and his men go there all the time!"

"The exact location!"

"In the back alley of Temple Street, in the basement of 'Rongfa Billiards Hall'! Stop! Please stop! I'll confess everything!"

"very good."

Having gotten the answer he wanted, Tian Yangsheng stood up and patted the water off his hands.

"take away."

Ahui was stunned for a moment: "Take me...take me where? To the police?"

"police?"

Tian Yangsheng glanced at his watch, a mocking smile playing on his lips.

"The police are probably still checking your household registration information."

"Take this kid back to base and lock him up for two days."

Tian Yangsheng instructed Tian Yangyong, "Don't let that Inspector Chen find any clues too soon. If the police arrive, things will get complicated."

"After we've dealt with Polar Bear and his gang, we'll dump him at the police station entrance as a 'consolation prize' for Inspector Chen."

"Understood, boss."

Tian Yangyong picked up Ahui and stuffed him into a huge canvas bag.

The container fell silent again, with only the lingering smells of blood and gunpowder in the air.

At that very moment, Chan Ka-kui was leading his brothers from the Serious Crimes Unit, searching high and low in Hong Kong's black market, completely unaware that the key witness had already been "hijacked".