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

On January 2nd, Hong Kong Island slowly awoke in the morning light.

In an old tenement building area in Yau Ma Tei, the roller shutters of the tea restaurants along the street creak as they roll up, and the owners place baskets of steamed dishes into the steamer. Steam escapes from the gaps, mingling with the aroma of shrimp dumplings and siu mai, spreading in the cool air.

However, the atmosphere at breakfast today was quite different from usual.

Old Liu, the newsstand owner, unfolded a stack of newly delivered newspapers, but before he could even arrange them neatly, he was surrounded by several early-rising uncles.

"Old Liu, has today's Ming Pao been delivered yet?!"

"We're here, we're here. What's the rush? Here—" Old Liu handed over the newspaper, wiped his hands, and said, "Today's front page is all about Baishiying. Take a look for yourselves."

Several middle-aged men quickly handed over the money, then huddled together, eagerly reading today's front page—"Major Riot Erupts in Baishichuan Private Camp on New Year's Eve, Hundreds of Refugees Rush Out of Camp and Confront Police."

Below the title is a striking black-and-white photo of the scene: barbed wire lying askew on the ground, and a blurry, surging crowd, like a large blob of boiling ink.

"Wow, is it that serious?!"

"Last night I told my wife it was just a minor squabble."

"Small-scale skirmishes?" A middle-aged man in a padded coat approached, pointing to the newspaper headline, "Look closely, some refugees have even reached Sha Tin town!"

A bald man next to him sighed, "I told you long ago that Baishi Camp was a powder keg. With so many people living there and locked up inside all day, it would be strange if nothing happened."

"Hey—anyone can be a hindsight expert," another middle-aged man wearing glasses chimed in, pointing to the picture in the newspaper. "What I'm worried about now is that these refugees who escaped will wander into other cities. If they end up in our area, that would be a real problem."

"Don't worry," Old Liu, the newsstand owner, chimed in from the side, skillfully arranging the newspapers as he spoke. "Look, it says here that the police arrested quite a few last night, and they're still chasing the rest. The police force isn't to be trifled with."

"That's true. Since Li Shutang became the Commissioner of Police, the efficiency of our Hong Kong Island police in handling cases has indeed improved a lot. This time, we will definitely be able to bring all those bastards to justice."

"Sigh... I hope so."

Several middle-aged men huddled together, muttering curses and gossips under their breath, before shaking their heads and going off to buy breakfast.

Of course, this wasn't the only place where discussions took place.

In an office building elevator in the Southern District of Hong Kong Island, several young people dressed in white shirts and dark trousers huddled together, looking at the Hong Kong Economic Journal in one of their hands.

"The commotion at Baishiying last night was really excessive," a young man with parted hair pushed up his gold-rimmed glasses and said. "I could hear sirens at home last night, they were deafening and didn't stop for a long time."

"Don't you live in Repulse Bay?!" a short colleague next to me exclaimed in surprise. "That's almost half of Hong Kong Island!"

"It feels like the whole of Hong Kong Island was alarmed," the man with the parted hair said. "And did you see that? The newspapers say that hundreds of refugees rushed out at the same time, as if it had been pre-arranged."

"Someone must be instigating this," the tall man who had been standing silently in the corner suddenly spoke up, his tone certain. "Refugees may cause trouble in the past, but they never dare to go this far. They even breached the barbed wire fence and dared to fight the police head-on. I don't believe there wasn't someone pushing them from behind."

"Who do you think could have done it?" the short man asked curiously in a low voice.

The tall man shrugged. "I don't know about that, but I'm more curious about how the police are going to handle this. Hundreds of people rushed out; just the chase alone will keep them busy. If these fugitives commit another major crime, the police will completely lose face..."

"Anyway, it's none of our business. We should still worry about the quarterly report this afternoon." The man with the parted hair gave a wry smile and took a sip of his coffee.

"Sigh...that's true, what a hard life."

With a "ding," the elevator doors slowly opened on the eighth floor.

The three filed out, their hurried footsteps fading into the distance along the empty corridor, soon drowned out by the incessant ringing of telephones in the office.

……

Sha Tin, Chinese University of Hong Kong Island.

Because it shares the same district as Baishiying, the campus was already packed with students exchanging the latest news even though the New Year's Day holiday was not yet over.

In the dormitory of the mechanical engineering graduate students, several male students, who rarely get up early, were listening intently to the morning news on the radio.

"...The riot in Baishichuan continues to escalate. As of now, police have arrested approximately 190 escaped refugees, but dozens of dangerous individuals remain at large. Police urge the public to report any suspicious persons immediately by calling the 999 hotline..."

"Is it really that exaggerated?" A short-haired boy tapped the table with his pen, his tone full of disbelief. "I was writing my thesis in my dorm last night and had no idea that something this big had happened outside."

"You've been writing papers until you're deaf and your eyes are blurry for a while now," his roommate rolled his eyes at him, turned the radio volume down, picked up the newspaper on the table and read it carefully again. "But to be honest, this incident has really shaken things up. I heard that even major overseas media outlets have started reporting on it."

"The key question is, where are those dozens of desperate criminals who escaped hiding now?" another boy wearing a hat asked worriedly, leaning back in his chair. "If they manage to make their way to Sha Tin town and commit robberies, things will get really interesting."

"Didn't the police say they were in pursuit?"

"Chasing them down is one thing, but whether we can catch them all is another," the short-haired boy folded the newspaper. "Do you really think the police force has eyes and ears everywhere?"

"Then why don't you just stay in the dorm and help me write my thesis?"

"Fine then, I'd rather be robbed and raped by South Vietnamese refugees."

Just as the group was joking and laughing, the news on the radio switched to the next topic—a spokesperson for the Jiahe Group expressed deep regret over the White Rock Camp riot and stated that they would fully cooperate with the police in their pursuit.

At this moment, twelve hours have passed since the Pak Shek Camp riot. News, newspapers, radio, street gossip... the heated discussion about this riot is sweeping across every corner of Hong Kong Island at an alarming speed.

Meanwhile, at a press conference about the future of Hong Kong Island, the sword hanging in the air was slowly falling toward its true destination.

……

At 3:00 PM, at the Hong Kong Island Police Headquarters, in the press conference hall.

The hall, which can accommodate more than 100 people, was packed to capacity. The press section was full, and even the back rows and aisle sides were filled with media reporters holding long lenses and microphones.

The flashes of cameras were frequent and intense, like a storm, and the sound of shutters was like the chirping of cicadas on a summer night, mixed with the sounds of papers turning over, hushed conversations, and the tapping of keyboards on the Longteng laptops.

Li Shutang stood behind the podium, wearing a dark gray police uniform, the flowers on his epaulets gleaming coldly under the flash of the cameras.

The press conference then officially began, with Li Shutang giving a calm and concise account of the sudden incident that occurred the previous night.

"Around 8 p.m. last night, a large-scale riot broke out in the Baishichuan civilian camp. Preliminary investigations indicate that the riot was instigated by insiders. Some refugees lost control and broke through the barbed wire fence, resulting in physical clashes with on-site guards and subsequent police reinforcements. As of now, most of the escaped refugees have been recaptured and are under further interrogation."

As the presentation ended, the sound of camera shutters clicking louder filled the hall.

A young female reporter wearing glasses was the first to raise her hand.

"Officer Lee, have any people died in the conflict?"

"There were no deaths," Li Shutang said. "All the injured have been sent to the hospital and are currently in stable condition."

Immediately afterward, a male reporter from the back row raised his hand and asked, "Officer Li, there are reports that supplies to Baishi Camp were delayed without reason on New Year's Eve. Is this the direct cause of the refugees' emotional outburst?"

"Whether the supply of materials is delayed or which department is responsible is not within the scope of this press conference," said Li Shutang. "The Police Force's responsibility is to maintain public order and handle public emergencies. For questions regarding the transportation of materials, please contact the Correctional Services Department."

Then, a senior reporter in a dark suit was called upon to stand up: "Director Li, last night's incident exposed a major oversight in the government's refugee management. Did the police force have any prior warnings about the situation within the camp? Was there any dereliction of duty on the part of anyone?"

Li Shutang replied calmly, "The police force has been closely monitoring the situation within the camp, but unfortunately, the situation changed extremely rapidly last night, exceeding the scope of routine warnings. However, the public can rest assured that the police force will thoroughly investigate the relevant responsibilities and will not tolerate any wrongdoing."

Just then, a middle-aged man with blond hair and blue eyes in the front row raised his hand. He had a BBC press pass hanging around his neck and a telephoto lens mounted on his shoulder, gleaming coldly under the lights.

Li Shutang glanced at him and nodded slightly: "Please speak."

The BBC reporter stood up, his tone undisguisedly sarcastic and aggressive: "Inspector Lee, the riots at the Pak Shek Ship private sector have caused widespread panic and property damage, and have even negatively impacted Hong Kong Island's economy. As the Commissioner of Police for Hong Kong Island, do you think you should bear responsibility for this?"

Instantly, the once bustling news hall fell into a deathly silence. The sound of camera shutters stopped, the rustling of papers stopped, and everyone's eyes were on Li Shutang on the podium.

Li Shutang frowned as he looked at the aggressive foreign reporter and slowly uttered three words: "Come out here."

The BBC reporter was taken aback, thinking he had misheard, but Li Shutang repeated, "Come out and stand in the aisle."

After much hesitation, the reporter finally mustered the courage to step out of his seat and stand in the aisle, facing Li Shutang on the podium.

"Ask the same question again," Li Shutang said.

The reporter swallowed hard, his voice lower than before: "Mr. Li... as the Commissioner of Police, do you believe you bear responsibility for the Pak Shek Camp riot?"

After asking the question a second time, Li Shutang did not rush to answer.

He narrowed his eyes slightly, staring intently at the BBC reporter until a fine layer of cold sweat appeared on the other's forehead and his eyes began to dart away and evade, before slowly speaking:

"I understand what you want me to say, but I am even more aware that as the Commissioner of Police, my responsibility is to protect the safety of the citizens of Hong Kong Island."

As Li Shutang spoke, his gaze swept across the entire hall, landing on the faces of every reporter.

"...Therefore, I hereby promise that the police force will find the mastermind behind this incident and bring all the fleeing refugees to justice within thirty-six hours!"

"If I cannot do this—then I will personally submit my resignation to the Governor-General's Office the day after tomorrow morning and resign in disgrace!"

Before he finished speaking, he stood up abruptly, giving no reporters a chance to ask further questions. He put on his coat and strode out of the press conference hall!

The reporters in the room stood there stunned for a while before they reacted and rushed to chase after him, but Li Shutang had already disappeared at the end of the corridor.

What should have been a heated debate ended abruptly with a resounding promise and a dashing figure turning away.