OBS Chapter 85 Prevention and Control
Chapter 85 Prevention and Control
Chapter 85 Prevention and Control
The following day, Tai Tam Bay.
The sea breeze, carrying the continuous waves, crashes against the black rocks on the shore.
At this moment, the tranquility of this private property has been shattered by the roar of various machines.
Several large trucks bearing the "Jiahe" brand were parked on the side of the road, and workers were carrying heavy building materials and filming equipment toward the edge of the cliff.
Ridley Scott waved blueprints around his hand, gesturing to several set builders, clearly searching for the best foundation for the "回"-shaped maze.
Meanwhile, in a villa not far from the filming location, Bruce Lee and Chin Han were having tea with the Luo brothers.
The cousins met for the first time, chatted casually, and the atmosphere was quite harmonious.
Luo Dehao, holding today's Hong Kong Economic Journal, grinned from ear to ear: "Brother Qin, the Hong Kong Antenna Index broke through the HK$30 mark as soon as the market opened today!"
"Right now, Crippled Ho is probably in Godber's office, bragging about his success!"
Luo Decheng looked at his brother, who was shouting incoherently, and shook his head helplessly. He then said to Qin Han meaningfully, "Mr. Qin, this 'golden cicada shedding its shell' move was brilliant, but—"
"Have you figured out how you're going to handle this tomorrow?"
Tomorrow, the truth about Hong Kong Antenna will be revealed on the front page of Ming Pao, and a stock price collapse is inevitable.
The happier Godber is today after receiving a bribe from Crippled Ho, the more miserable he will be tomorrow.
But once Godber is in trouble, that drug dealer who lives on the edge might not follow the rules anymore.
If he goes berserk, no one will benefit from it.
In the United States, Qin Han could use the Pentagon's deterrent power to suppress the Mafia, but in Hong Kong in 1973, the situation was quite different.
This place is famously a "police-gangster duo," where the lines between the underworld and the legitimate world are extremely blurred.
Trying to suppress Limpy Ho by calling the police might result in him being sold out the moment he enters the police station. To ensure safety here, we must address the root cause.
Upon hearing this, Bruce Lee looked at Qin Han in surprise: Yesterday, he didn't tell him about all the complicated things behind the scenes.
"Ah Han, what's going on?"
"It's nothing, Master, don't worry. Since Young Master Luo has said so, he must already have a plan."
Looking at the future head of the Luo family, Qin Han knew perfectly well: "In my opinion, reasoning with these people who live on the edge is useless."
.
"There are only two ways to stop him from biting: either make him afraid of you, or make him genuinely consider you one of his own."
"What brilliant idea did Young Master Luo prepare for me?"
A hint of admiration flashed in Luo Decheng's eyes. This young man understood things very quickly.
He lowered his voice and said in a volume that only a few people could hear, "Governor MacLehose has just issued a secret order."
"London has approved the establishment of a new anti-corruption department, separate from the police force, in this round of internal restructuring."
Mentioning the future "Lianhe Zaobao" (Integrity Commission), a solemn expression appeared on his face: "This is a complete reshuffle. A large group of 'old guard,' including Ng Sik-ho, are on the purge list."
"Also, I have an even more explosive piece of news for you."
Young Master Luo leaned close to Qin Han's ear and whispered, "Wu Xihao's sworn brothers, the four most famous detectives in Hong Kong—are already preparing their escape route."
"As far as I know, Lü Yue has already bought his plane ticket to the United States and will be leaving in the next day or two."
This is the true gift of gratitude from the Luo family, a weighty "pledge of allegiance".
Taking this information—enough to shake up the entire Hong Kong underworld—to Crippled Ho is far more important than those millions in cash—it concerns his life and fortune.
As long as this news can make Limpy Ho believe that he can escape this round of purges through the Luo family, it will be enough to keep him in check in the short term.
Once the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) is officially established, with all sorts of problems arising, this triad boss's fate will naturally remain unchanged.
"Thanks, Young Master Luo." Qin Han stood up. "The film crew just started work, and it'll take a while to set up the tents. I need to take care of some personal business."
Bruce Lee stood up with some concern: "Han, should I call a few martial arts instructors to come with you?"
"No need." Qin Han pointed to the bustling construction site in the distance: "We can't do without you here. Besides, fewer people going there will make the information seem more reliable."
Kowloon Walled City, Yee On Street.
The Xihao Seafood Restaurant was still bustling with activity.
Qin Han stepped through the gate alone, and several henchmen who were picking their teeth at the entrance immediately surrounded him.
"Oh, isn't this Mr. Qin?" The leader of the henchmen blocked his way with a forced smile. "Brother Hao is in a good mood today, listening to music upstairs. He doesn't want to see any guests."
Qin Han took a folded piece of paper out of his pocket and stuffed it into the henchman's hand: "Take this up to him and tell him I'll wait for him downstairs for five minutes. If he doesn't show up in five minutes, I'm leaving."
The henchman glanced at the note suspiciously, then, not daring to delay, turned and ran upstairs.
Less than two minutes later, heavy footsteps echoed down the stairs, and Limpy Ho, leaning on his cane, appeared at the top.
He was wearing a dark red Tang suit today, and his face was glowing; he certainly seemed to be in a good mood.
"Brother Qin! You've come at the perfect time! I was just looking for you! This morning when I went to deliver a gift, that foreigner Ge Bai actually smiled at me, which was quite rare!"
"Those stocks have turned into cash again, piled up in my basement. Ugh! What a headache! Hahahaha!"
Qin Han didn't laugh, but quietly looked at the ruthless warlord who was about to face disaster: "Brother Hao, you read my note, didn't you?"
The smile on Limpy Ho's face vanished. He waved his hand, and the henchmen around him immediately retreated, pulling down the roller shutter door as they did so.
The once noisy hall instantly fell silent.
He limped up to Qin Han, his cloudy yet fierce eyes fixed on him: "Brother Qin, I was in a good mood today, but what do you mean by 'the building is about to collapse'? Do you think I, Wu Xihao, am easy to scare?"
"Scare me?" Qin Han chuckled, pulled out a chair and sat down. "Brother Hao, you and several chief detectives are sworn brothers, your friendship is deeper than the sea."
"But if even your sworn brother is going on a long trip without informing you—shouldn't you think about what that means?"
Limpy Ho's grip on his cane tightened suddenly: "Bullshit!"
He roared, spitting as he spoke: "Lü Le and I are brothers who've been through thick and thin together! Back when he was targeted by those foreigners, I led my men to stand up for him! Would he go without telling me where he's going?"
"Really?" Qin Han's eyes held a hint of pity. "Then why don't you give him a call now? Just ask him what the beaches of California are like?"
This abrupt and nonsensical remark struck Limpy Ho hard.
Lü Yue has indeed been acting strangely lately.
I used to meet him every few days for tea and cards, but for the past two weeks, I haven't seen him at all, and when I call him, he just hangs up quickly.
Limpy Ho's breathing became heavy. He turned around abruptly, grabbed the telephone on the counter, and dialed the dial.
The call went through, but it rang for a long time before being answered.
"Hey? Ah-Hao?" The familiar voice came through the receiver, and the surroundings seemed a bit noisy.
"Brother Le! It's me! Are you free tonight? I just got a batch of top-quality abalone, want to come and try some?" Limpy Ho tried his best to make his voice sound normal.
There was a few seconds of silence on the other end of the phone: "Uh—Ah Hao, I'm afraid it won't work tonight. There's something going on at home. Um, I have some relatives coming from the countryside, and I'm busy settling them in."
"Relatives?" Crippled Ho's temples throbbed. "Brother Le, we're brothers, aren't we? Bring your relatives along! By the way, I heard the stock market's been doing well lately, I was thinking—"
"Ah Hao!" Lu Le suddenly interrupted him, his tone becoming somewhat urgent: "We'll talk about the stock market later."
"Um—I might have to go to the US in a couple of days. My child got accepted into a school there, and I need to go with them to check it out."
"Going to America? So soon?" Limpy Ho's heart sank.
"Yeah, the school over there is pressuring us. Okay, I'm busy packing here—I'll hang up now!"
"Click." The phone was hung up, and Limpy Ho's hand holding the receiver froze in mid-air.
America? Children going to school?
Screw it! Lu Yue's child is only three years old, what school is he supposed to go to?
"Bang!" He slammed the telephone to the ground, smashing it to pieces.
The once-powerful figure braced himself against the counter, his chest heaving violently, a mixture of anger at being betrayed and fear of the unknown.
Qin Han's voice rang out softly: "Brother Hao, all four chief detectives are running away. Do you think the situation in Hong Kong can still be the same as before?"
Limpy Ho slowly turned around, his once arrogant face now showing a hint of defeat.
Looking at Qin Han, this young man, who else besides the Luo family could know about Lü Le's top-secret movements earlier than him?
He took a cigarette out of his pocket and put it in his mouth, but because his hands were shaking, he couldn't even light it with a lighter.
"Brother Qin—did Young Master Luo send you to give me a hand?"
Qin Han did not deny it. He walked up to Limpy Hao, took his lighter, and lit his cigarette with a "snap".
The flickering flames illuminated his young yet composed face: "The entire upper echelons of Hong Kong are about to be reshuffled. There will be new rules and new dealers."
"At this critical juncture, if we still cling to the old almanac and think that we can run rampant with that little bit of black money, our demise is not far away."
Limpy Hao took a deep drag on his cigarette, knowing full well that Qin Han was telling the truth.
Even someone like Lui Lok, who has connections in both the legitimate and criminal worlds, is running away. If I, a "lao family" who relies on their protection, still foolishly stay in the same place, then I can only wait to be used as a sacrifice by the newly appointed "honest officials".
"call----"
He exhaled a thick cloud of smoke, as if to expel all the pent-up frustration from his chest.
He raised his head, and his gaze towards Qin Han completely changed: "Brother Qin, I, Wu Xihao, will remember this favor."
"Go back and thank Young Master Luo for me. Tell him that although I, Limpy Hao, am a rough man, I also know what it means to be pragmatic."
"In the next few days, I will arrange for my men to clean up the mess, those who should be dismissed will be dismissed, and those who should be hidden will be hidden."
Qin Han felt relieved; at least, the tiger's claws wouldn't be aimed at him for the time being.
Once the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) is officially established, and with the help of the Law family's methods, Godber's downfall is a foregone conclusion.
With this biggest protective umbrella falling, Limpy Ho's attempts to remedy the situation were nothing but self-deception.
"Brother Hao, you're too kind. We're all brothers, it's only right." He said meaningfully, "Soon, the higher-ups will start taking action. If anything seems amiss during this time, remember to stall."
""