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

Outside the gates of the High Court on Queensway, the rainy season in Hong Kong continues to rage.

The rain, like gray curtains, shrouded everything in a hazy and oppressive atmosphere. Zhang Chongbang, who had just finished his closed-door trial, walked out alone through the heavy oak door.

He wasn't using an umbrella.

The icy raindrops pelted his face and hair without obstruction, trickling down his neck and into his collar, bringing a chilling sensation. But he seemed oblivious, mechanically taking steps, his leather shoes making a hollow "plop, plop" sound on the puddled steps.

"A'ao... I'm sorry."

Zhang Chongbang silently repeated these weak and powerless words to himself, but then another voice rang in his mind: "No, you're not wrong. He's wrong. He killed someone. You're a policeman, you're just telling the truth."

This excruciating pain of self-destruction made him feel dizzy.

Just then.

"Beep—"

A deep, arrogant car horn pierced through the rain.

A black Jaguar sedan stopped precisely in front of Zhang Chongbang. The window slowly rolled down, revealing Senior Superintendent Situ Jie's well-maintained face, yet one that exuded an air of hypocrisy.

"Get in the car."

Situ Jie didn't look at him, but stared at the windshield wipers in front of him, his tone as indifferent as if he were commanding a stray dog.

Zhang Chongbang paused. He looked at the luxury car, a symbol of the power of the police force's top brass, and a strong sense of disgust welled up inside him.

But he still opened the car door and got in.

Inside the carriage, the leather seats exuded an expensive fragrance, and the air conditioning was on full blast, warm and dry, as if it were a different time and space from the damp and cold world outside.

Situ Jie instructed the driver, "Go to the Peninsula Hotel first."

Then, the soundproof glass rose up, separating the driver's seat from the back seat and creating an absolutely private space for conversation.

"Thank you for your hard work just now," Situ Jie said, taking a bottle of Evian mineral water from the car refrigerator and handing it to Zhang Chongbang with that fake smile on his face. "Today's court hearing went smoothly. Although there were some twists and turns, the result was good. The police force's reputation was preserved, and Mr. Huo was satisfied as well."

Zhang Chongbang didn't take any water; he gripped his soaked knees tightly with both hands, his knuckles turning white.

"Sir," Zhang Chongbang's voice was hoarse, tinged with suppressed anger, "A'ao... has been sentenced to three years."

"I know." Situ Jie unscrewed the bottle cap, took an elegant sip of water, as if discussing the weather, "Three years is only a year. For a young man who committed such a serious mistake at such a sensitive time, this is already considered leniency. If I hadn't pulled strings behind the scenes to suppress the murder charges against him, he would be facing life imprisonment now."

"Make a mistake?" Zhang Chongbang turned his head sharply, staring intently into Situ Jie's eyes. "That night in the command room, it was clearly you who hinted to him..."

"Zhang sir," Situ Jie interrupted him, his tone instantly turning icy, "There are some things that weren't said in court, so there's no need to say them now."

"You need to understand this principle," Situ Jie said earnestly, leaning back in his chair and looking at the blurry street scene outside the window. "The police force is a large ship, and each of us is a part of that ship. When a part rusts, gets dirty, or even begins to endanger the safety of the entire ship, we must remove it and throw it away."

"Qiu Gang'ao is indeed a talented person, but he is too arrogant and too ruthless. He will stop at nothing to solve cases. I only said to go ahead and do it, and he actually dared to beat the criminal to death! It's only a matter of time before this kind of person destroys himself."

Situ Jie turned to look at Zhang Chongbang, his gaze softening like that of a wise elder: "But you're different. Chongbang, you follow the rules, you know your limits, you know right from wrong. You did a great job this time. I know you feel guilty towards A'ao, that you betrayed your brother. But remember, it wasn't you who betrayed him."

Situ Jie reached out to pat Zhang Chongbang on the shoulder, but Zhang Chongbang instinctively dodged it.

Situ Jie's hand froze in mid-air, but he wasn't angry. He simply withdrew it calmly and continued, "He's the one who got dirty. He's the one who crossed that line. He can't drag the entire Major Crimes Unit, you, and me down with him just because he made a mistake."

"The best way is for him to take the blame alone, so that everyone can be at peace and the police force can be clean."

Hearing these high-sounding words, Zhang Chongbang felt a strong sense of nausea.

But he couldn't refute it.

Because these words were exactly what Situ Jie had said to him privately a few days ago.

That night, in Situ Jie's office.

There were no threats, no bribes. Situ Jie simply poured him a cup of tea and then asked him a question:

"Zhang Chongbang, if one day you had to choose between 'brotherhood' and 'the rule of law in the police force,' which would you choose?"

That night, Zhang Chongbang remained silent for a long time.

Ultimately, he chose the latter.

He told himself that he was acting for justice, to uphold the dignity of the law. It's wrong for the police to kill someone, even in the name of saving a life; vigilante justice is unacceptable. This is a matter of principle.

Therefore, he agreed to Situ Jie's request. In court, he would "tell the truth"—that is, only say what he saw and not make any speculative defenses for Qiu Gang'ao.

But... is it really just because of principles?

At this moment, sitting in his luxury car, watching the rain rushing past the window, a crack appeared in a corner deep within Zhang Chongbang's heart, a corner he had always deliberately sealed away.

What flowed from that crevice was not the light of justice, but a black venom called "jealousy".

Yes, jealousy.

Within the police force, everyone called him and Qiu Gang'ao the "Twin Stars." They were the best partners and the future of the police force.

But only Zhang Chongbang himself knew that these two stars were never equally bright.

Qiu Gang'ao is too dazzling.

That man was always at the forefront, always had a way of dealing with the most difficult criminals, and always earned the appreciation of his superiors and the support of his brothers. Ahua, Baozhu, Gongzi... the way his subordinates looked at Qiu Gang'ao was the kind of worship that made them willing to die for him.

And what about Zhang Chongbang?

He was always the one following behind, providing support. He was rule-abiding, cautious, and adhered to so-called procedural justice, but was often criticized by his colleagues for being "rigid" and "inflexible" due to his inefficiency.

In countless late nights, Zhang Chongbang had asked himself:

On what grounds?

Why can Qiu Gang'ao ignore the rules and solve cases repeatedly? Why can he be called a hero for breaking the rules, while I, who uphold the bottom line, am regarded as mediocre?

This secretive, dark, and even somewhat despicable thought, like a seed, had already taken root and sprouted in his heart.

This "killing" incident was like a timely rain, allowing this seed to grow into a towering tree in an instant.

When he learned that Qiu Gang'ao had committed a serious crime, his first reaction was not worry, but a kind of pleasure that made him feel ashamed.

See it.

You finally messed up.

Your "aesthetics of violence" and your "theory of loyalty" will ultimately not work.

Only I, Zhang Chongbang, am right.

So, at the moment he agreed to Situ Jie's request, besides the so-called "adherence to principles," did Zhang Chongbang also subconsciously harbor a slight desire to see Qiu Gang'ao, who had always been superior to him, fall from his pedestal?

"He's already tainted; he can't drag us down with him."

This statement was not only Situ Jie's excuse, but also Zhang Chongbang's lifeline for self-hypnosis at this moment.

"Yes...he was wrong...he started it..."

Zhang Chongbang frantically repeated this sentence in his mind, trying to fill the huge void in his heart with it.

"Chongbang? What are you thinking about?" Situ Jie's voice pulled him back to reality. "I've booked a table at the Peninsula Hotel tonight and invited a few officers from the Operations Department. It's a get-together for you, and also a way to ward off bad luck. From now on, we'll need your help with the Major Crimes Unit."

This is a blatant gesture of goodwill, and also a transfer of power.

With Qiu Gang'ao gone, the top spot in the Major Crimes Unit naturally belongs to Zhang Chongbang.

This should have been the moment he had been dreaming of.

But at this moment, looking at Situ Jie's calculating face, Zhang Chongbang could no longer suppress the nausea churning in his stomach.

He knew he was despicable, but he wasn't so despicable as to drink and make friends with scum like this who used his subordinates like toilet paper.

"parking."

Zhang Chongbang suddenly said.

"What?" Situ Jie was stunned for a moment.

"I said stop the car!"

Zhang Chongbang suddenly raised his voice, startling the driver in front who slammed on the brakes. The car slid several meters through the rain before coming to a stop.

"I do not feel well."

Zhang Chongbang didn't look at Situ Jie; his hand was already gripping the car door handle. "I appreciate the officer's kindness, but all I want to do right now is go home."

Situ Jie looked at him, the gentleness in his eyes vanishing instantly, replaced by an offensive and chilling look.

"Zhang Chongbang, are you rejecting me?"

"No."

Zhang Chongbang pushed open the car door, and the cold wind and rain outside rushed in, instantly clearing his muddled mind.

He turned around, looked at Situ Jie sitting in the shadows, and said, word by word:

"I just feel... my conscience isn't so dirty that I can eat this meal."

After saying that, he got out of the car without looking back and slammed the door shut.

"Bang!"

This loud noise was like a declaration of a break.

The black jaguar paused briefly in the rain, then roared angrily, splashing up a puddle of mud before speeding away.

Zhang Chongbang was left alone, standing on the empty street, letting the heavy rain soak him to the bone.

He looked up at the gray sky.

Rainwater streamed down his cheeks and into his mouth; it tasted salty and bitter.

"Gemini..."

He muttered to himself, a bitter smile that looked more like a grimace than a cry.

From today onwards, these three words will become history.

……

8 PM.

Zhang Chongbang, his body soaked through, returned to his apartment in Sha Tin.

I pushed open the door, and the room was lit by a warm yellow light. The faint aroma of food wafted in the air—the smell of home.

"Honey? You're back?"

Hearing the door open, his wife, Lan Keying, came out of the kitchen wearing an apron, only to find her husband soaking wet and looking like he'd lost his soul.

"Oh my god! How did you get so wet? Didn't you bring an umbrella?" Lan Keying quickly grabbed a dry towel and helped him dry his hair while saying with concern, "Go take a hot shower, don't catch a cold. I made your favorite soup."

Zhang Chongbang let his wife manipulate him, his whole body stiff like a puppet.

"Honey... what's wrong?"

Lan Keying sensed something was wrong with her husband. Normally, no matter how tired Zhang Chongbang was from work, he would always give her a hug when he got home. But today, the chill emanating from him seemed to come from his very bones.

"Has...that case been decided?"

Lan Keying asked cautiously. She knew that these few days were the days when Qiu Gang'ao's case would be sentenced, and she also knew that her husband was under tremendous pressure because of it.

"Um."

Zhang Chongbang lowered his head, his voice so hoarse it was almost inaudible, "Sentenced to three years."

"Three years..." Lan Keying sighed, gently hugged her husband's waist, and softly comforted him, "Don't be sad. Everyone has to be responsible for their own actions. A'ao... after all, he killed someone. You've already done your best."

"Try your best?"

Upon hearing those two words, Zhang Chongbang's body trembled violently.

Did he do his best?

Did he really try his best?

If it weren't for that sliver of jealousy, if it weren't for that moment of self-preservation, if he had stood up in court to testify against Situ Jie... would the outcome have been different?

"Wife..." Zhang Chongbang suddenly reached out and hugged his wife tightly.

He held on so tightly, as if it were his only support in the world, or as if only in this way could he fill the leaky hole in his chest.

"I...I was right, wasn't I?"

Zhang Chongbang buried his head in the crook of his wife's neck, his voice trembling like a child who had done something wrong and was desperately seeking approval: "I'm a policeman... I can't lie... I can't protect criminals... even if they're my brothers... I'm right, aren't I?"

Lan Keying was stunned for a moment. She sensed her husband's vulnerability and the panic that followed the collapse of some kind of belief.

Although she didn't know exactly what had happened, out of wifely instinct, she could only gently pat his back and softly say, "Of course, you've always been an upright man. You're right, Bang. Don't overthink it."

"I was right...I was right..."

Zhang Chongbang muttered to himself, repeating the sentence over and over again.

But tears streamed down his face uncontrollably, soaking his wife's clothes.

In this warm home, in the arms of his loving wife.

Zhang Chongbang felt an unprecedented chill.

He knew that Zhang Chongbang, the once upright and incorruptible "righteous police officer" who could not tolerate any wrongdoing, was half dead the moment he walked out of the courtroom today.

The other half will live forever in the enormous lie of "I am right," spending the rest of their lives trying to mend the mirror called "conscience" that has been completely shattered.

On the back of the mirror.

Qiu Gang'ao, whom he had personally pushed into the abyss, was now coldly watching him from the darkness of Stanley Prison, filled with hatred.

The twin stars have fallen.

But the real night has only just begun.