The Hunter's Path: Starting as a constable, ascend to the Old Ones.

Chapter 141 Interview: Someone as charismatic as you can't hide.

"Inspector Zhou, when did you infiltrate Adam Smith International School? Did the police anticipate the kidnapping before the terrorist attack?"

In the ATV Police News studio, the spotlight shone on Stephen Chow, who sat upright in the interview area, his back ramrod straight, trying to maintain a serious expression.

Across from her, reporter Le Huizhen held a microphone, her eyes bright, her questions sharp and direct, displaying the keen insight characteristic of a journalist.

Upon hearing the question, Stephen Chow remained completely calm, having already prepared a plan. He cleared his throat and, unusually seriously, began to speak eloquently: "As early as when the terrorists entered Hong Kong Island, the police launched a full-scale manhunt. Through meticulous intelligence analysis and tracking of clues, we ultimately determined that their target was most likely Adam Smith International School. To prevent any potential problems, the police deployed elite officers to guard the school, while I was secretly infiltrated undercover in a special identity, forming a two-pronged, overt and covert defense strategy—"

This statement was official and comprehensive, attributing all the credit to the police leadership while cleverly glossing over the details of the specific operation. This has been a long-standing practice for the police force in maintaining its public image, showcasing the team's strength while avoiding the leakage of sensitive information.

As soon as he finished speaking, Zhou Xingxing's gaze involuntarily drifted to Lu Ming outside the studio window, his eyes carrying a hint of barely perceptible guilt.

In fact, the undercover operation had nothing to do with the police leadership.

The real mastermind and driving force behind it all is Lu Ming.

Without his accurate judgment and decisive decision-making, the outcome of this kidnapping case might have been completely different.

However, such unauthorized dispatch of undercover agents must never be made public. Firstly, it violates police procedures and is tantamount to illegal operation; secondly, it is tantamount to slapping the face of the police leadership, making them appear derelict in their duties.

Therefore, as early as the meeting at the rescue site, Lu Ming took the initiative to give credit to the director, while choosing to retire gracefully and keep his achievements hidden.

Lu Ming stood outside the window, hands in his pockets, his posture upright. When he saw Zhou Xingxing's gaze, the corners of his mouth turned up slightly, revealing a reassuring smile. He nodded gently to let him continue without worry.

He didn't care about the credit at all, since he had already decided to leave the police force, and any honors were just fleeting clouds to him.

At this moment, his mindset is just as Mencius said: "What good are ten thousand bushels of grain to me?"

In fact, the person Yue Huizhen originally wanted to interview was Lu Ming.

After all, Lu Ming's performance in the two kidnapping cases was nothing short of heroic, making him a well-deserved police hero and attracting a great deal of public attention.

However, Lu Ming is in the critical period of his resignation approval process. He is just waiting for the public opinion to calm down before officially leaving the police force. Naturally, he is unwilling to accept interviews and add to the heat, so as not to cause any further trouble.

However, in order to repay the favor that Lok Wai-ching had done, he specially brought in Stephen Chow, who had shone brightly in the kidnapping case and was also very popular with the public.

After the kidnapping case was over, Stephen Chow was reinstated and resumed his job as a traffic police officer.

However, the Commissioner promised that once he was promoted to Deputy Commander of the Headquarters, he would transfer Chow Sing-sing back to the Major Crimes Unit and promote him. The police senior leadership was well aware of this and tacitly approved of the Commissioner's attempt to "win people's hearts."

With Lu Ming about to leave, the director needs to cultivate his own team, and the capable Zhou Xingxing is a good "replacement" for Lu Ming. He hopes to cultivate a pillar of the organization as outstanding as Lu Ming.

Lu Ming guessed what the director was thinking, and couldn't help but laugh when he thought of Zhou Xingxing's unreliable nature.

With a troublemaker like Chan Ka-kui and an unserious Stephen Chow, these two clowns together are sure to give the Commissioner and Uncle Biu plenty of headaches in the future.

But that's a story for another time, and it has nothing to do with him.

These past two days, Stephen Chow has been riding high, walking with a swagger, telling everyone he meets that his day has come. He's making a big splash at the police headquarters, and everyone knows that he's about to be given an important position by his superiors. Moreover, because of his appearance in the kidnapping case, he has a fantastic image among the public and is definitely the next rising star in the police force.

Lu Ming gave him the interview slot precisely because he valued his popularity, as a way of repaying Le Huizhen's favor.

Although Yue Huizhen once said that she helped to repay the life-saving grace, Lu Ming was never one to take advantage of kindness.

At first, when Yue Huizhen heard that Lu Ming was going to arrange an interview, she was overjoyed, thinking that she would finally get her wish.

When she learned that the interviewee was not Lu Ming, her face immediately fell, looking like a wilted eggplant.

What she really wanted to interview was Lu Ming. This idea had been lingering in her mind for a long time, but Lu Ming had always refused her with various reasons.

Now that I finally had a chance, it turned out to be a disappointment. I can't be more disappointed.

When Stephen Chow received Lu Ming's call, he was overjoyed and almost jumped for joy.

He quickly washed his face with water, rummaged through his drawers to find the few cosmetics he had left, squeezed them all out like toothpaste, fiddled with them in front of the mirror for a long time, and then happily ran to the TV station.

The interview went exceptionally smoothly. For interviews like this that concern the police force's image, a prepared script is usually prepared in advance. Chow Sing-sing only needs to memorize the content and then express it naturally.

However, given his carefree personality, even though he had memorized the script, he still managed to be serious and funny in front of the camera, occasionally throwing out a few witty remarks, which made the interview surprisingly effective.

"Great, that's the effect!"

News Department's top producer, Idiot Li, couldn't stop laughing as he watched the surveillance footage.

Although we didn't get to interview the most popular Lu Ming, Stephen Chow's distinctive personal style was a pleasant surprise.

"Mr. Chow, thank you so much for accepting the interview. The results exceeded our expectations. The production team praised you for being a natural performer in front of the camera, saying that if you were to enter the entertainment industry, you would definitely become a big star."

After the interview, Lok Wai-ching praised Stephen Chow for his excellent interview performance, saying that he was not at all shy in front of the camera and had a very distinctive personal style. She said that Stephen Chow has the potential to become a big star.

Stephen Chow proudly tossed his hair and said with feigned distress, "Oh, Miss Yue, you really have a discerning eye. Someone as outstanding as me can't be hidden even if I wanted to; I'm the center of attention wherever I go."

Lu Ming joked from the side, "Zhou sir, no wonder your former superiors all said you were a real character. Now it's clear that the reputation is well-deserved."

"Hehe, Sir Lu, you flatter me. I think you are the real master who doesn't show off. You gave me such a good opportunity to become famous. You are simply my second parents!" Zhou Xingxing said with a grateful expression and exaggerated tone.

He resigned from the police force in a fit of anger, and it was Lu Ming who gave him money to go undercover, which gave him a chance to turn things around. Now he has given up the opportunity to be interviewed by ATV. He will never forget this kindness.

If the occasion weren't so inappropriate, he would have loved to kneel down and shout, "Father, I'll take care of you in your old age and see you off when you die!" No amount of words could express his gratitude for such a life-saving grace.

To be honest, given Stephen Chow's personality, he might actually do something like acknowledging someone's father on the spot.

Lu Ming smiled calmly: "I don't need this kind of fame."

The fame he referred to was his public profile.

In fact, he plans to become a bounty hunter in the future, which requires industry recognition and credibility in order to attract big business, but this recognition does not need to be obtained by appearing on television.

Excessive exposure can actually become an obstacle. As the saying goes, "One fears becoming famous, just as a pig fears growing fat." For someone who may be walking in the shadows in the future, too much fame will do more harm than good and will only increase the risks of his actions.

"Inspector Lu, you're mistaken. Someone as charismatic as you is like a firefly in the dark, so bright and outstanding—you can't hide it," Zhou Xingxing remarked.

Lu Ming never sought public exposure, but as one major case after another was solved, fame naturally fell upon him like a crown, making him a police hero in the hearts of the people.

Lok Wai-ching nodded repeatedly in agreement: "Inspector Luk, Inspector Chow is right. You can't hide it. You might as well accept the facts and accept our ATV interview. I swear to God, with your current fame and resume, as long as you appear on TV, you will immediately become a sensation throughout Hong Kong Island. It will also greatly benefit your career. Look at your Commissioner, he is already a star in the police force. As long as he doesn't make any mistakes, promotion and wealth are only a matter of time."

"I don't need these." Lu Ming remained unmoved, shaking his head with a smile.

Lok Wai-ching and Chow Sing-sing were unaware that he had effectively resigned from the police force; they thought he simply didn't like being in the public eye.

"What a pity—" A hint of disappointment flashed in Yue Huizhen's eyes, but she secretly made up her mind: You can refuse on your own.

Absolutely, but if the police give an order, you can't disobey, can you?

She planned to use her outstanding performance in the kidnapping news to get her father, Lok Tak-cheung, to apply to the police for an interview with Luk Ming.

Given her father's connections, the police force will most likely give her face.

Moreover, it is only part of the job to have a star police officer like Lu Ming appear on television to promote the image of the police force; the only problem before was Lu Ming's resistance.

As a police officer, he cannot refuse any order given by the police force.

Thinking of this, Le Huizhen felt a surge of joy, as if she could already see Lu Ming obediently accepting the interview.

What she didn't know was that the police force could no longer control Lu Ming.

"Dad, are you there?"

In the chairman's office of Asia Television, Lok Wai-ching didn't have her secretary announce her arrival, but cautiously knocked on the door and peeked inside.

The office was luxuriously and elegantly decorated. Behind the ebony desk sat a middle-aged man with glasses and meticulously combed hair, Le Dechang, the chairman of Far East Group and ATV.

When Le Dechang saw someone push the door open without greeting him, his brows furrowed instantly, his expression turning cold and authoritative. But upon recognizing the person...

When he saw that it was Yue Huizhen, his serious face instantly melted, revealing a doting smile: "Oh, it's Ah Zhen. What brings you here today? This isn't like you."

Upon seeing Le Dechang, Yue Huizhen immediately regained her capable demeanor, holding a report and reporting like an ordinary employee: "Chairman, I've come to report to you on the recent work achievements of the news department."

"Your news department has done a great job lately, especially the reporting on this kidnapping case. The comparison of the command effectiveness of the two cases was a novel perspective, which caused ATV News' ratings to soar. This time you also interviewed the heroic police officer. It's clear that you've put in a lot of effort," Le Dechang praised without reservation, his eyes full of approval for his daughter.

Le Huizhen blushed slightly. In fact, this achievement was entirely due to Lu Ming's guidance. In comparison, it was Lu Ming's suggestion to handle the two kidnapping cases, and Zhou Xingxing was also invited by Lu Ming. She just followed the procedures step by step.

"Ah Zhen, you've performed exceptionally well lately. What kind of reward would you like?" Just then, Le Dechang changed the subject and asked meaningfully.

When Lok Wai-ching heard Lok Tak-cheung bring it up, she was secretly pleased, but her face remained impassive: "I don't want any reward. I just want to do my job well. In the next phase, our news department is preparing to interview Inspector Luk Ming, who played a key role in the two kidnapping cases. I hope you can help me apply for an interview invitation from the police force."

"Lu Ming, Officer Lu?"

Le Dechang seemed to be deep in thought, then suddenly said out of the blue, "Are you interested in him? He is indeed a promising young man, and you two are a good match."

"W-what?" Caught off guard, Yue Huizhen felt a surge of panic and embarrassment at being seen through, but she was, after all, a newcomer.

Having worked on the front lines, Wen quickly regained his composure and said without batting an eye, "Chairman, you're joking. I was just doing my job."

"Alright, I was just asking casually, don't be nervous." Le Dechang smiled gently. "Regarding the interview with Inspector Lu, I think it's feasible, I'll help you apply for it."

A hint of joy flashed in Yue Huizhen's eyes, but she maintained her professional composure: "Chairwoman, if there's nothing else, I'll go back to work now."

"Hmm." Le Dechang nodded, and as she turned to leave, he suddenly said, "Ah Zhen, New Year's Day is just a week away. My daughter and I haven't had a meal together in a long time. If you have time, why don't you bring Mr. Lu home to visit?"

Lok Wai-ching stiffened for a moment, then hurried away as if fleeing, leaving behind only the words, "We'll talk about it later!"

Watching his daughter's disheveled figure, Le Dechang's gentle expression turned solemn. He tapped the table lightly with his fingers, lost in thought. He remembered that the information showed that Lu Ming had a girlfriend.

After thinking for a moment, he picked up the phone: "Hello, this is Lok Tak-cheung. I would like to trouble you to help me schedule an interview with Inspector Luk Ming from the Central Police Station."

"Hmm, Inspector Lu is currently on a secret mission and it's inconvenient for him to be interviewed? Okay, I understand. Let's have dinner together sometime."

On a secret mission?

Le Dechang sensed something strange inside. Lu Ming, this heroic police officer who had just made a name for himself, was even briefly...

Without rest, immediately carrying out a secret mission—it all sounds strange.

After a moment's thought, he picked up the phone again and dialed, "Help me contact the Commissioner of the Central Police Station."

Before long, he had a friendly conversation with the director.

The police chief is now a star in the police force, with a bright future ahead of him; everyone can see that he has a promising future.

It was a good thing for Le Dechang to make friends with him early on.