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

The joys and sorrows of people are not all the same. Just as Jiahe was triumphant because of returning to the future, some people were struggling in the midst of a storm.

Wan Chai, Police Headquarters Building, Major Crimes Unit Office Area

At three o'clock in the afternoon, thunder rumbled outside the window, but the atmosphere inside the office area was even more oppressive and gloomy than the weather outside.

Qiu Gang'ao sat alone at his workstation in the corner.

The once spirited and confident young inspector, hailed as a "rising star," now resembled a patient whose soul had been drained. His white shirt was wrinkled, his tie hung loosely around his neck, his stubble hadn't been shaved for days, and his eyes were sunken and filled with alarming bloodshot veins.

"Buzz..."

A sudden, intense ringing sound pierced his eardrums, as if a thousand cicadas were screaming in his head.

Qiu Gang'ao closed his eyes in agony, clutching his temples tightly with both hands, his fingernails digging deep into his scalp. Several empty aspirin bottles lay scattered on the table.

A full week has passed since that damned "night of the chicken's sudden death".

This week felt like the longest century of hell for Qiu Gang'ao. He was suspended from his duties and placed under investigation the day after he fled the hospital in a sorry state amidst a media frenzy.

His former colleagues, who used to greet him with smiles and eager to introduce their own sisters to him, now avoid him like the plague. The whispers in the break room and the strange looks in the corridor feel like countless needles pricking his back.

What chilled him to the bone was Situ Jie's attitude.

The boss who patted him on the shoulder the night before the interrogation and assured him, "I'll take responsibility if anything happens" and "Your superiors will protect you even if the sky falls," seemed to have vanished into thin air during that week.

Qiu Gang'ao had tried countless times to storm into Situ Jie's top-floor office to demand an explanation, but each time he was turned away by the secretary with the excuse that "Director Situ is in a meeting" or "Director Situ is reporting to the department head." Finally, he managed to corner Situ Jie in the parking lot. The boss who had once promised him a promotion merely glanced at him coldly through the bulletproof car window, then ordered the driver to speed away as if avoiding a mangy dog.

At that moment, Qiu Gang'ao's heart turned ice-cold.

He looked at his hands, which were still trembling slightly—hands stained with the suspect's blood and the filth of being betrayed by his own people.

"Brother Ao..."

At this moment, several of his subordinates who had been following him—Ah Hua, Bao Zhu, Ah Quan, and the young master—cautiously surrounded him.

Their faces were equally grim. As members of the team that participated in the interrogation that night, although they had not been suspended for the time being, they had been marginalized and even used as negative examples by other teams.

"Brother Ao, have something to eat." Baozhu handed over a cold pineapple bun, her eyes full of worry. "You haven't eaten much for two days. Your health is important."

Qiu Gang'ao shook his head, about to say something.

"Bang!"

The door to the Major Crimes Unit's office was pushed open very roughly by two serious-looking Department of Justice staff members dressed in black uniforms.

The entire office area fell silent instantly, and everyone's eyes were focused on the doorway.

The two men walked straight to Qiu Gang'ao's workstation and expressionlessly took out a document stamped with a bright red seal from their briefcase.

"Inspector Qiu Gang'ao," the head staff member said coldly, "Regarding the case of the death of suspect Wang Adi (Shengji's real name) in custody, the Department of Justice, after investigation, believes that the evidence is conclusive and is now formally indicting you."

"This is a court summons. The hearing will be held at 9:00 AM next Wednesday in the High Court's First Trial Chamber. Please appear in court on time."

"Smack."

The thin piece of paper was tossed onto Qiu Gang'ao's table, which was covered with medicine bottles.

Although it was just a piece of paper, at that moment it felt incredibly heavy, like a mountain that crushed the last straw on Qiu Gang'ao's spine.

public prosecution!

This is not an internal disciplinary action, nor is it dismissal; it is a criminal prosecution!

This means that the police leadership has completely severed ties with him! In order to quell public anger and to give the Governor and the media an explanation, they did not hesitate to push this "rising star" out as a scapegoat! Once convicted, he will not only face disgrace but also a long prison sentence!

"Fuck your prosecution!!"

Upon hearing this result, the pent-up frustration in the menthol capsules finally exploded!

He lunged forward, grabbed the staff member by the collar, and roared with bloodshot eyes, "What do you office workers know?! Brother Ao did this to save people! To save that damned Huo Zhaotang! To protect the reputation of the police force! Now that the person is rescued, you're turning your backs on him?! Have you no shame?!"

"Let go! Do you want to attack judicial personnel?!" The Department of Justice staff member was no pushover either, grabbing the menthol capsule and shouting sternly.

"Ah Hua! Young Master! Throw them out!" Burst Beads didn't care at all, and the other brothers also surrounded them, all filled with righteous indignation. It looked like a full-blown fight was about to break out in the Serious Crimes Unit's office.

"stop!"

Just as the situation was about to spiral out of control, a hoarse, tired, yet still authoritative voice rang out.

Qiu Gang'ao slowly stood up.

He reached out and pressed down hard on the trembling fist of the bouncy bead, prying his fingers apart little by little.

"Brother Ao! This isn't fair!!" Bursting Beads was almost in tears. "We were ordered to do this! Why should you take the blame alone?!"

"I told you to stop."

Qiu Gang'ao's voice was soft, but it carried a serious tone.

He turned his head, and his eyes, which were once full of sharpness and a sense of justice, now seemed like a stagnant pool, unfathomable.

Qiu Gang'ao picked up the summons on the table, looked at the bright red official seal on it, and a bitter, extremely ironic smile curled at the corner of his mouth.

"Fairness? There is never fairness among those scoundrels," Qiu Gang'ao said, his eyes as cold as ice as he looked at the staff member. "Tell the Department of Justice that I will be there on time."

After saying that, he slumped back into his chair, carefully folded the summons, and put it into his inner pocket, as if he were keeping a one-way ticket to hell.

His brothers around him watched, each one gritting their teeth, yet utterly powerless. A sense of desolation, of being betrayed by the system, permeated the hearts of everyone present.

They risked their lives for the higher-ups, only to be discarded like trash in the end.

at the same time.

While Qiu Gang'ao was licking his wounds alone in a corner of the Major Crimes Unit.

At the other end of the police headquarters building, in the Criminal Intelligence Bureau's (CIB) listening command room, a scene of extremely tense and excited activity unfolded.

"Sir! We have a signal!"

One of the monitoring operators abruptly ripped off his headset and shouted excitedly, "The rats we're looking for have finally shown themselves!"

On a huge electronic map screen, a red dot is flashing wildly among the dense buildings in the Kwun Tong district of Kowloon.

Since the battle at Kwai Chung Wharf, Da Dong He Yaodong, along with his remaining two brothers, Ba Zhong and Fei Gu, went into hiding, seemingly vanishing into thin air. But this time, the police force really went all out. To wash away the shame, Han Yili mobilized all the "spies" the police had planted in the underworld.

Finally, just half an hour ago, an informant who specialized in the black market for medical services sent back a message: three men with mainland accents, reeking of gunpowder, had bought large quantities of anti-inflammatory drugs and painkillers from his clinic. After the police showed him the sketches, they confirmed that it was indeed Da Dong and his two companions!

"Has the location been locked?" the intelligence chief asked anxiously.

"Locked on!" The monitor's fingers flew across the keyboard. "Kwun Tong District, Yu Man Square Building! This is an extremely old tenement building with a complex structure and extremely high population density."

"According to the informant, these three men are hiding in a shared apartment on the 7th floor of Building B. They are armed with heavy weapons and are extremely dangerous!"

Confirmed!

The Da Dong gang has been found!

……

"Bang!"

The conference room door was slammed shut.

The long conference table was filled with the true power core of the police force.

Commissioner of Police Han Yili sat at the head of the table. To his left was the Director of Operations, and to his right was Senior Superintendent Situ Jie, who, although he had retained his position, was still walking on thin ice, as well as senior commanders of various police districts.

"Found it?" Han Yili asked in a low voice, holding the intelligence briefing that had just been delivered.

"Yes, Chief," Superintendent Wong, who was in charge of the case, stood up and reported, "It's in Yu Man Square, Kwun Tong. Da Dong is hiding inside with two remaining soldiers. Our men have already placed the perimeter of that building under surveillance."

"Good! Very good!"

Han Yili slammed his hand on the table, a ruthless glint flashing in his eyes.

He's been having a really tough time these past few weeks!

The robbers who robbed the jewelry store have not yet been found, and the video of the fat police sergeant "begging for mercy" is being played on TV every day. In addition, there are cases of torture leading to death... Complaints from citizens are flooding into the police station like snowflakes. The Governor of Hong Kong even satirized him to his face as a "soft-footed crab general" at a breakfast meeting.

The image of the Hong Kong Island Police Force has plummeted to its lowest point in history! Now, the gang of ruthless criminals led by Tai Tung has finally shown up, which is simply God's best chance to turn things around! Although Yip Kwok-foon is still at large, it doesn't matter. As long as the former number one ruthless criminal Tai Tung is dealt with, it will be a great achievement—at least it can save face.

"We must turn this operation into a resounding victory!" Han Yili stood up, pacing back and forth in front of a huge map of Hong Kong, waving his arms and speaking with fervor, "We must use this anti-bandit operation to completely wash away the shame of the police force! We must tell all the citizens of Hong Kong, we must tell the Governor, that we, the Royal Hong Kong Police Force, are not cowards! We are still a disciplined force with fighting capabilities!"

"I'm going to riddle those guys from Da Dong with bullets in front of all the people of Hong Kong!"

However, despite the enthusiastic applause, Han Yili's passionate speech did not achieve the desired effect.

The head of the operations department frowned and poured cold water on the situation with extreme rationality: "Chief, the problem is how to achieve the desired effect? ​​The public's trust in us has reached rock bottom. Simply catching Da Dong probably won't be enough."

Superintendent Wong chimed in, "Yes, Commissioner, we need a plan to maximize the impact of our publicity!"

Upon hearing this, Han Yili gradually calmed down. He understood that his subordinate was right; capturing Da Dong was simple. The Flying Tigers could simply launch a massive attack, and the enemy would have no way to resist.

The problem is, how do we promote it?

Just when these high-ranking officials were at a loss and looking at each other in bewilderment.

From a corner of the conference room, a clear and resolute female voice rang out: "Director, perhaps... we can try a different approach."

Everyone looked in the direction of the sound.

At the end of the long table sat a female police officer with a fitted uniform, neat short hair, and a pretty face.

Unlike the other officers in charge of operations, she didn't exude a murderous aura; instead, she possessed the calm and shrewdness of an intellectual. In front of her were several neatly arranged data analysis reports on recent media trends.

She is Fang Jiexia, a senior inspector of the Police Public Relations Branch (PPRB), and currently the youngest head of the police's press office.

In the eyes of the police leadership, who glorify violence, the Public Relations Branch has always been a marginal department that only issues press releases and organizes social events. But today, the female head of this marginal department displayed an aura of complete control.

"Inspector Fang?" Han Yili frowned, seemingly surprised by the woman's interruption. "What suggestions do you have?"

Fang Jiexia stood up calmly, her gaze sweeping over all the big shots with flowers on their epaulets, her eyes showing no fear whatsoever.

"Sirs, the current predicament is not essentially a military issue, but a trust issue."

Fang Jiexia's voice was as calm as a scalpel, precisely dissecting the police force's problems: "What angers the citizens is not that we can't catch the thieves, but that we show weakness, incompetence, and embarrassment in front of the cameras."

"Why was the scene of the sheriff kneeling so impactful? Because it was an 'image.' In this age of television media, the image is the truth, the image is everything."

She walked to the huge floor-to-ceiling window, pointed to the brightly lit Victoria Harbour outside, turned to look at Han Yili, and a confident and ambitious smile appeared on her lips:

"Since we lost on the 'screen,' we must win on the 'screen,' and this operation..." A sharp glint flashed in Fang Jiexia's eyes, the excitement of a hunter seeing his prey. "This is an excellent, once-in-a-lifetime stage."

"...Could it be that you still want to push back your 'show' plan?" Her superior, Superintendent Li, seemed to have thought of something, and frowned slightly. "The one you brought up when the uniformed police surrendered last time?"

Fang Jiexia took a deep breath and slowly raised her right hand.

"Yes, Commissioner, Superintendent Li, I have a plan to broadcast this entire operation live! Let all the citizens of Hong Kong sit in front of their televisions and watch with their own eyes how we fight bravely. A plan to turn this originally risky anti-bandit operation into a meticulously planned 'reality show' where only victory is allowed and defeat is not an option."

"We want to make this operation a textbook example—a major event."

The entire audience was stunned upon hearing this.

Turning a bloody and unpredictable gunfight into a show? This woman's idea is absolutely insane!

But seeing Fang Jiexia's determined and confident gaze, Han Yili seemed to become interested and leaned forward slightly.

"Go on," Han Yili said, staring intently at her.

Fang Jiexia smiled slightly, walked to the map, picked up a red marker, and heavily circled the Kwun Tong residential building that represented the hideout of the ruthless bandits.

At this moment, a media and public relations drama concerning the fate of the police force and Fang Jiexia's personal ambitions officially began.