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

September 1983, 5, noon.

A rare thunderstorm had just swept through Hong Kong, but it did nothing to extinguish the raging public outrage that was boiling like a volcano in the city.

Government House, Governor's Office.

The air in this spacious office, covered with heavy Persian carpets and adorned with portraits of the Queen, felt oppressively heavy, as if frozen in place.

"Da da da da da!!!"

The extremely piercing and explosive sound of AK-47 fire echoed continuously in the quiet office, emanating from the imported Sony large-screen TV opposite the desk.

On the television screen, a special news report from Asia Television (ATV) was playing. Although the picture was somewhat shaky, it clearly showed the war-like street robbery that had taken place yesterday morning on Wu Hua Street in Kwun Tong.

A burly bandit wearing a black hood stood imposingly in the center of the bustling commercial street. He held a Soviet-made AK-47 assault rifle steadily in both hands, the muzzle spitting terrifying flames as he recklessly opened fire on dozens of Royal Police officers who had come to provide backup.

On the other side of the screen, those usually arrogant and domineering uniformed police officers, holding pitiful .38 revolvers, looked like a flock of chicks being herded by eagles, huddled up behind police cars and roadside private vehicles in a very sorry state, without even the courage to stick their heads out and fight back.

On the television, the magnetic voice of ATV news anchor was providing simultaneous commentary:

"...A gang of six ruthless robbers, armed with fully automatic military rifles, carried out an extremely brazen robbery of a jewelry store in the commercial street in broad daylight. The police arrived at the scene immediately after receiving the report, but were immediately suppressed by the robbers' extremely fierce firepower."

"During this process, the ruthless robbers not only used AK-47s but also military-grade fragmentation grenades. Police attempted to launch several assaults, but were repeatedly repelled by the robbers' fierce firepower, suffering heavy losses each time. Only after all five jewelry stores were completely looted did the robbers swagger away. The Royal Hong Kong Police Force, representing the highest level of military force in Hong Kong, was utterly helpless and completely overwhelmed throughout the operation!"

The scene then cuts to the aftermath of the robbery, a scene of utter chaos with broken glass and gleaming bullet casings scattered everywhere.

"According to preliminary police estimates, the total loss of gold and jewelry from the five robbed gold shops amounts to as much as HK$10 million!"

"Before getting into their car and fleeing, the robbers went so far as to throw two grenades at the police roadblocks!"

As the anchor began his commentary, two deafening explosions rang out on the television, overturning two police vehicles and setting them ablaze.

"These two grenades directly resulted in the immediate deaths of two police officers inside the vehicle, and serious injuries to six police officers and two innocent bystanders! Meanwhile, the six robbers escaped unharmed, fleeing the scene with ten million dollars worth of stolen goods in full view of everyone!"

"This is an extremely heinous and inhumane robbery! The robbers opened fire, indiscriminately killing innocent people, resulting in a total of nine deaths and more than twenty injuries! We strongly condemn this atrocity and urge the police force to solve the case as soon as possible, bring justice to the victims, and restore a safe living environment for the citizens of Hong Kong!"

"This is Asia Television, bringing you exclusive reports from the front lines."

The ATV news program had just finished airing when the camera cut to TVB's news channel.

Compared to ATV's focus on the live events, TVB's commentators were more incisive, directly targeting Government House:

"In recent years, Hong Kong's security situation has become increasingly serious! From the bomb crisis at the Grand Hotel to the Harbour City explosion, to last month's shocking kidnapping of the richest man's son for a billion dollars, and now the AK robbery on Wu Hua Street!"

"The criminals' firepower is getting increasingly fierce, while the police's performance is becoming increasingly weak! This has left five million Hong Kong citizens living in extreme fear!"

"As the largest city in the Far East, and a world-class financial and commercial center on par with London and New York! How can this city develop with such poor security? How can foreign investors feel secure investing here? Where exactly are the billions of dollars in security taxes paid by taxpayers each year going?!"

“Pah!”

A withered hand suddenly pressed the remote control, and the TV screen went black instantly.

The current Governor of Hong Kong, Edward Youde, a politician entrusted with the important task of stabilizing the situation in the negotiations for the return of Hong Kong to China by the Japanese Empire, had a livid face and the veins on his forehead were throbbing.

He gripped the remote control so tightly that his knuckles turned bluish-white from the excessive force.

He raised his head, his deep, furious eyes like two sharp swords, staring intently at a man standing in front of his desk—the Commissioner of Police of the Royal Hong Kong Island, "Number One" Han Yili.

At this moment, Han Yili, the highest-ranking officer in charge of more than 30,000 police officers in Hong Kong, was bowing his head, his hands behind his back, sweating profusely, his old face turning a deep purplish-red, like a schoolboy who had done something wrong, silently enduring the murderous gaze of the Governor of Hong Kong.

Dead silence.

The office was deathly silent, with only the ticking of the quartz clock on the wall.

A full minute passed.

"Han Yili".

Governor Youde finally spoke, his voice low but each word sounding like it was being squeezed out from between his teeth, carrying a chilling sense of oppression.

"I seriously doubt whether your police force still has the ability to maintain basic order in this city!"

"Sir, I..." Han Yili was about to explain.

"Shut up!"

Yu De slammed his hand on the table, making the teacups on it jump. "Last month! Li Chengjia's son was kidnapped on Deep Water Bay Road, and the Li family was extorted for a whopping 1 billion HKD in cash with a bomb! Your police didn't even catch a whiff of it, and you only found out about it through the news. To this day, you haven't recovered a single penny!"

"This incident has already made London extremely dissatisfied with me!" Youde became more and more agitated as he spoke, pointing at the blacked-out television set, his spittle almost spraying onto Han Yili's face. "And now! Today! A bunch of mainland gangsters whose backgrounds we don't even know, armed with Soviet AK-47s, robbed five jewelry stores in broad daylight, on the busiest street in Kwun Tong, right in front of hundreds of your police officers!"

"Robbery is one thing, but they beat you up so badly you had to hide under the car like rats! And they even filmed it!"

"A disgrace! This is a disgrace to the Japanese Empire! This is a blatant provocation against the Japanese Empire's Hong Kong government!!"

The current situation in Hong Kong is extremely delicate, and the negotiations between the two sides are at a critical juncture. If even the most basic public order cannot be maintained, how can he prove to the north at the negotiating table that Japan is no match for the Empire's governing capabilities?

"Han Yili, I don't care what methods you use! Whether you deploy the Flying Tigers or contact the intelligence department of the British forces stationed in Hong Kong!"

Yude extended a finger and pointed it firmly at Han Yili's nose, issuing his final ultimatum.

"Dig out those bastards who fired shots in the street! Live or dead, I want to see the results!"

"If you can't do this, or if ATV and TVB film this embarrassing scene again, you can forget about being the Commissioner of Police. Go back to Scotland and grow potatoes! Do you understand?!"

"Yes, sir! Understood! Mission accomplished!"

Han Yili straightened up abruptly, gave an extremely forceful military salute, and then slunk out of the office under the Governor's murderous gaze.

……

After half an hour.

Wan Chai, Police Headquarters Building.

"Bang!"

With a loud bang, Han Yili kicked open the door to the Major Crimes Unit's command center.

He slammed his general's cap on the conference table, unleashing all the pent-up frustration and anger he had suffered at the Governor's hands, like a volcanic eruption, onto the group of senior police superintendents in front of him.

"Useless! A bunch of good-for-nothings!" Han Yili's face flushed red as he pointed at his men and cursed, "When you're sweeping up brothels and taking bribes, you're all as cunning as monkeys! How come you all turn into cowards the moment you encounter ruthless thugs with real guns?!"

"We were beaten up in the street by a bunch of gangsters. Do you know how many times our headquarters' police and complaint hotlines were ringing off the hook this morning? The entire city of Hong Kong is laughing at us!"

"Investigate! Immediately mobilize all informants and undercover agents to turn the entire Hong Kong underworld upside down! Go to Temple Street, Kowloon Walled City, and raid those loan sharks and black market arms dealers! No matter where these gangsters are hiding, they must be dragged out!"

After berating for a full half hour, until his voice was hoarse, Han Yili finally waved his hand breathlessly: "Get out there and get to work! If you don't catch them, you can all wait to guard the pond!"

"Yes, Sir!"

A group of senior police officers, trembling with fear, fled the command center as if granted a pardon, and began to deploy a citywide sweep.

When only Han Yili remained in the command room, this hot-tempered leader slumped heavily into the large leather chair like a deflated balloon and let out a deep sigh.

He reached up and rubbed his throbbing temples, a deep sense of helplessness and powerlessness flashing in his eyes.

Despite his insults, he knew better than anyone else what was going on.

Want to catch this group of big-time gangsters? The chances are extremely slim.

From Dai Fuqiang to this mysterious gang of AK robbers, the Hong Kong underworld seems to have undergone an extremely terrifying mutation.

In the past, even among the four major families, gang warfare still adhered to unspoken rules. Even if someone committed a crime, they would leave room for maneuver and avoid a complete falling out with the police.

But these guys don't play by the rules at all. They're like a pack of wolves who feel no pain, ruthless, fierce, and extremely elusive. They disappear completely after a heist, leaving no trace.

Looking back at the major cases of the past year: the well-trained terrorists at the Cointreau Hotel, the Harbour City bomb extortion case, and the Li family's billion-dollar kidnapping case.

Each time, the police acted like slow-witted clowns, led by the nose by the perpetrators, handling the situation terribly and showing no real involvement whatsoever. In the end, the situation was only resolved through the intervention of Jiahe Security or the perpetrators' own retreat.

Now, these gangsters with AKs have become even more unscrupulous, practically defecating and urinating on the necks of the police!

"What's wrong with Hong Kong?" Han Yili muttered to himself, looking at the gloomy sky outside the window, a chill he had never felt before rising in his heart.

He had a feeling that this would definitely not be the last one.

The era of ruthless bandits has arrived.