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

Wednesday, November 1983, 3.

A large number of cameras and microphones gathered in front of the High Court in Admiralty.

Compared to tragic heroes like Gao Tianli, those who are being tried here today are the epitome of the other extreme—greedy, insane, and lawless.

Dai Fuqiang (based on the real-life Zhang Ziqiang).

Nicknamed "The Tycoon".

The atmosphere inside the courtroom was solemn and oppressive.

In the dock, Dai Fuqiang wore an ill-fitting suit, but the clothes couldn't conceal the thuggish air that emanated from his very bones. Unlike the other prisoners who hung their heads in dejection, he held his head high, a cynical smile playing on his lips, his narrow eyes gleaming with an unsettling light, as if he weren't on trial but watching a monkey show that had nothing to do with him.

"Defendant Dai Fuqiang."

The judge adjusted his glasses, struck the gavel, and the sound echoed in the empty courtroom.

"By unanimous verdict of the jury, you are guilty of armed robbery of an armored truck at Kai Tak Airport on December 28, 1982, stealing cash and valuables totaling HK$12 million!"

"Given the enormous amount of money involved and the extremely heinous nature of the case, although no one has died, it has seriously endangered public safety."

"You are hereby sentenced to eighteen years in prison!"

boom--

An uproar erupted in the gallery. Reporters' flashbulbs went off wildly, trying to capture the expression on the man's face in the dock.

Eighteen years.

For a man in his early thirties, this almost means spending half his life behind the high walls of Stanley Prison. An ordinary person, upon hearing this number, would probably collapse to the ground, weeping uncontrollably.

however.

The man standing in the dock smiled.

He even stood up, gave the judge a slight bow, and spoke in a flippant tone:

"Your Honor, thank you for your hard work. But you can't just eat whatever you want, you can't go to jail however you want. Eighteen years? Ha..."

He turned around, his gaze sweeping across the gallery before finally settling on a witness trembling in a corner.

That look in his eyes was like a venomous snake flicking its tongue.

"Just kidding... I promise, I'll be out soon."

……

Let's rewind to three months ago.

Kowloon, Kai Tak Airport Cargo Terminal.

This is the busiest airport in all of Asia, with countless flights taking off and landing every day, and countless amounts of money and goods flowing through it. The roar of engines and the pungent smell of aviation kerosene are the constant melody here.

3 PM.

An armored truck carrying a huge amount of cash slowly drove out of the freight station's tunnel.

Three security guards were in the vehicle, including Chen Weiwen, who was in charge of escorting the prisoners.

"Ah Wen, you've got a lot of cargo this time. I'm envious of these boxes," joked the colleague driving the car.

"Stop dreaming and focus on driving. After this job, go back and spend Christmas with the kids." Chen Weiwen yawned, clutching his Remington shotgun.

Just then.

"squeak--!!"

A truck without license plates suddenly veered out from the side and crashed violently into the front of the armored truck. The massive impact caused the armored truck to stall instantly, and white smoke billowed from its front.

"Grab your weapons! It's a robbery!!"

The driver yelled.

However, before they could react...

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

Several gunshots rang out. The car windows shattered.

Three burly men wearing black hoods and carrying AK47s roughly opened the car door.

"Get out of the car! Cover your head! Lie down!!"

The robbers' shouts were mixed with a heavy Chaozhou accent.

The cold barrel of a gun was pressed against the back of Chen Weiwen and his colleagues' heads. Then they were roughly blindfolded, their hands were tied behind their backs, and they were pressed into the corner of the armored truck.

"Don't move! Anyone who dares to make a move, I'll fucking kill them!"

The robbers began frantically carrying away the metal boxes from the carriage.

The whole process should have been quick.

However, these robbers were clearly "newbies." During the move, they lost their grip on one of the heavy boxes, and it crashed to the ground with a loud thud.

The box broke open, and bundles of US dollars and Hong Kong dollars were scattered all over the ground.

"Damn! So clumsy!"

The leader of the robbers cursed.

Perhaps feeling stifled by the hood, perhaps relaxed with the situation under control, or perhaps wanting a cigarette to calm the nerves of their first big heist, the ringleader suddenly ripped off the hood.

He pulled a box of Marlboro cigarettes from his pocket, lit it, and took a deep breath.

Amidst the swirling smoke, a face with prominent cheekbones and a sinister gaze was revealed.

It was Dai Fuqiang.

This scene was witnessed by Chen Weiwen, who was standing nearby.

Because of the kidnappers' carelessness, Chen Weiwen's blindfold wasn't fastened tightly, and it loosened during the earlier movement. He subconsciously raised his head and, through that small gap, clearly saw Dai Fuqiang's face.

Eyes facing each other.

In that instant, Chen Weiwen felt his blood freeze.

What eyes they were!

Like a shark, like a hungry wolf, but unlike a human. There is no warmth inside, only indifference to life.

"Have you seen enough?"

Dai Fuqiang also noticed Chen Weiwen peeping. He exhaled a smoke ring, squatted down, and looked at the trembling Chen Weiwen.

He gently tapped the muzzle of his AK47 against Chen Weiwen's forehead.

"B-boss...I didn't see anything...I really didn't see anything..."

Chen Weiwen was so scared he peed himself. The stench of urine mixed with the smell of gasoline filled the air.

Upon seeing this, the two henchmen beside him immediately raised their guns: "Brother Qiang! This kid saw it! Kill him! Leave no survivors!"

Killing someone to silence them is standard practice.

Dai Fuqiang looked at Chen Weiwen's face, contorted with fear, and slowly tightened his grip on the trigger.

But at the last moment, he stopped.

Perhaps it was his first time committing a crime, and he still had a shred of humanity left in his heart; or perhaps it was his extremely arrogant personality that made him feel that killing such an ant would dirty his hands.

"Do you know?"

Dai Fuqiang suddenly laughed. He reached out and patted Chen Weiwen's cheek, the movement as gentle as if he were patting a pet dog.

"Your employee ID number is 9421."

"Your name is Chan Wai-man, and you live in Room 1204, Block 3, Tsui Ping Estate, Kwun Tong."

"You have a wife who works in a textile factory. You also have a son who is five years old and in the middle class at St. John's Kindergarten. Your wife picks him up every afternoon at 4:30."

boom--

Chen Weiwen's mind went blank.

How did he know?! How could he know so much?!

"Don't look at me like that." Dai Fuqiang stubbed out his cigarette on Chen Weiwen's hand, making a hissing sound. "In our line of work, it's all about knowing yourself and your enemy."

"I'm in a good mood today and don't want to see blood."

"but……"

Dai Fuqiang whispered in Chen Weiwen's ear, like a devil:

"If you dare say another word to the cop, believe me, I'll pick your son up from school."

"Did you understand?"

"I...I understand..." Chen Weiwen nodded frantically, tears and snot streaming down his face.

"very good."

Dai Fuqiang stood up, put his hood back on, waved his hand, and said, "Withdraw!"

……

However, Dai Fuqiang underestimated the police's determination and overestimated his own luck.

Through technical means and the recollections of several cash handlers, the police quickly identified several suspects, including Dai Fuqiang.

However, Dai Fuqiang was very cunning. He had already hidden the stolen money. The police conducted a thorough search of his home but found no physical evidence.

Therefore, the only breakthrough for the police is through eyewitness testimony.

That is, the cashier who saw Dai Fuqiang's face clearly—Chen Weiwen.

……

West Kowloon Police Station, Identification Room.

Outside the one-way glass, a row of suspects stood, with Dai Fuqiang in the middle, his number being 5.

Inside the glass, Chen Weiwen was trembling all over and covered in sweat.

"Mr. Chen, don't be afraid."

The major crimes unit inspector in charge of the case patted him on the shoulder. "This window is one-way; he can't see you. Just point out who stole your car that day, and we'll prosecute them immediately."

Chen Weiwen raised his head and looked at number 5.

Although separated by glass, he felt as if Dai Fuqiang's cold eyes were fixed on him through the mirror.

The words echoed in my mind: "Tsui Ping Estate... your wife... your son..."

"No...no..."

Chen Weiwen clutched his head, squatted on the ground, and broke down in tears, crying, "I can't recognize him... I really can't recognize him! Everyone was wearing hoods that day! I couldn't see their faces!"

"Mr. Chen!" the inspector exclaimed, pulling him up abruptly. "Don't play dumb! Your partner said the robber took off his hood and smoked! You were squatting right opposite him! How could you not see him?"

"I just couldn't see it! I'm nearsighted! I have astigmatism! I have night blindness, okay?!"

Chen Weiwen screamed hysterically, "So you police officers think you're so great just because you arrested someone? Can you protect me forever? What if he comes out and kills my whole family?!"

Seeing that Chen Weiwen was unyielding, the inspector's face darkened.

"Fine. Didn't see it, huh?" The inspector sneered, waving his hand. "Cuff him!"

"Huh? Sir! I'm the victim! Why are you handcuffing me?!" Chen Weiwen was dumbfounded and struggled desperately.

"Victim? I think you're an accomplice!" The inspector leaned close to Chen Weiwen's ear, his tone chilling. "Think about it, where did the robbers get their information on 170 million? Why did they take off their hoods right in front of you? Did you all plan this all along?"

"If you don't identify him, then you're an accomplice! That's robbery, and you'd face at least ten years in prison!"

"The choice is yours. Do you identify him and let him rot in jail, or do you go in yourself and let your wife and children be gossiped about behind their backs?"

This move is too cruel.

Chen Weiwen was just an ordinary person. He was afraid of retaliation from the robbers, but he was also afraid of going to jail.

"I...I..."

Chen Weiwen collapsed to the ground, tears and snot streaming down his face.

"I identify...I identify..."

"It's him! It's number 5! I'd recognize him even if he were ashes!"

……

Thus, based on Chen Weiwen's testimony, the prosecution formally filed a public prosecution against Dai Fuqiang.

Time has returned to the present.

In court, as the gavel fell, the eighteen-year sentence was finalized.

As Dai Fuqiang was being escorted by bailiffs, he stopped in his tracks as he passed Chen Weiwen.

Chen Weiwen was so frightened that he buried his head in his crotch and didn't dare to look at him at all.

"Mr. Chen".

Dai Fuqiang chuckled lightly, "Don't be afraid. I said I wouldn't kill you, and I won't."

"but……"

His voice suddenly lowered, so that only the two of them could hear it:

"Believe it or not, even if the evidence is irrefutable, I can make what you just said sound like bullshit."

"We'll see how things unfold!"

After saying that, Dai Fuqiang strode out of the courtroom with his head held high.