Chapter 2: Fighting for a Breath of Air! (New Release, Please Support)

At 1:00 AM, the defense line collapsed completely. Thousands of refugees surged across Boundary Street. The British police superintendent, fuming with frustration, drove home, and the officers on the beat were soon ordered to clock out and call it a night.

After offering a few words of comfort to his jittery subordinates, Lin Tiansheng took off his raincoat, drove back to the Tsuen Wan Police Station, washed up in the shower, and returned to the barracks to rest.

Unlike the younger, single officers, most policemen did not live in the barracks. As a sergeant, Lin Tiansheng was fortunate enough to have a room to himself for the time being.

Avoiding the usual commotion, he slept soundly until daybreak. The next morning, just as the workday began, there was a knock at his door.

Lin Tiansheng rubbed his bleary eyes, rolled out of bed, slipped on his flip-flops, pulled on a pair of baggy shorts, and opened the door to find three officers in suits standing there. "Well, well, checking up on me first thing in the morning? Does the Internal Investigation Division have nothing better to do?"

"Ah Sheng, it's me." Huang Qixian stood with his hands in his pockets, his badge pinned to his chest. His hair was slicked back neatly, though his sideburns were dusted with frost and his hair was streaked with gray.

"Uncle Xian?" Lin Tiansheng widened his eyes, leaning in with a playful expression. "Suit and tie? I almost didn't recognize you. You're working for Internal Investigation now?"

Huang Qixian smiled. "Back when I was driving for Brother Le, I wore suits and ties just the same. Got a moment to chat?"

"Sure. Let me change. Looking disheveled is a crime in itself." Lin Tiansheng slammed the door shut with a mocking smirk. "A perfect fit for you, Sir Huang, working for Internal Investigation."

One of the officers standing beside the inspector snapped, "What did you say? You looking for trouble? Apologize to Sir Huang."

Everyone in the department knew that Huang Qixian had risen to the rank of Senior Inspector by exposing his superior, Lui Lok, winning the favor of the British and joining the "Experience Faction."

In 1977, following the Governor's amnesty decree, the Criminal Investigation Department was disbanded. The former "detectives" and "senior detectives" of each district were demoted to "sergeants" and "senior sergeants." The Chinese chief detectives were reclassified as "station sergeants," and only a handful, those favored by the British, were promoted to "inspectors" and given a raise in rank.

However, the CID had previously held the power to pull officers from various squads to work on cases, granting them cross-district authority—a position of low rank but immense power. After the dissolution, the newly titled sergeants and inspectors were confined to specific jurisdictions and departments, their authority severely curtailed. Meanwhile, the British began recruiting officers from the public, holding special examinations that granted successful applicants the rank of probationary inspector immediately upon entry.

Today, the force was dominated by highly educated elites and those who had trained in London, leaving the old guard behind. These remnants of the old era were derisively called the "Experience Faction," a jab implying they were mere trash who had climbed the ladder to inspector based solely on seniority and experience.

***

Huang Qixian ignored the jab. He leaned against the doorframe, his smile unwavering. "This is an informal hearing, no need to change. You don't mind if I come in and sit for a bit, do you?"

"It's a police barrack, what's to mind? Come on in." Lin Tiansheng opened the door and turned to pull up a folding stool.

Huang Qixian left his men outside, carefully closed the door, and sat down. "Ah Sheng, you stirred up such a huge mess last night. Why didn't you give Uncle Deng a heads-up?"

Lin Tiansheng reached into his pocket, pulled out a pack of soggy cigarettes, grimaced, and tossed it into the trash.

"Uncle Deng is the Commissioner of Police, not my father. Do I have to report every little thing to him?"

Huang Qixian pulled out a box of Marlboros, offered one, and smiled. "You used to only smoke Cuban cigars. Are American cigarettes not good enough?"

Lin Tiansheng took the cigarette. "Thanks. I'm only fit for Kent these days; Marlboro is too high-end. If I started smoking Cuban cigars again, the ICAC would launch another 'disparity between wealth and income' investigation."

Huang Qixian flicked his lighter and nodded slightly. "True enough. Eating, drinking, whoring, gambling—it’s all about status. Once you lose your status, even the 'Five Poisons' detective has to turn into a good boy."

"Uncle Deng wants to see you."

Lin Tiansheng pinched the cigarette butt and exhaled slowly. "Tell him to go to hell."

"Uncle Deng is a Justice of the Peace. He can easily shut the Britishers' mouths and get the syndicates to cooperate. If you stage a grand performance, you’re guaranteed to make a name for yourself."

"All your old brothers are willing to come out and support you." Huang Qixian’s eyes were full of expectation. "Brother Le’s political legacy is all in your hands. Use it well—otherwise, Uncle Deng wouldn't have kept sending people to find you."

If Lin Tiansheng didn't step up to lead, his old brothers were destined to scatter. It wasn't just because Brother Le had handpicked him; it was because Brother Le had left something in his possession. Without that "bargaining chip," it would be difficult for the remnants of the old guard to even survive, let alone reclaim their former glory.

Lin Tiansheng replied, "Uncle Deng is just a mascot, hosting the Heung Yee Kuk for Brother Le, managing the New Territories syndicates, and playing the peacemaker. Does he really think he can meddle in the police force?"

"Time and again he comes for me, wanting me to be his dog! I'm sorry, but Brother Le once said: if you’re going to walk this path, you aim to be the best of the best!"

"Are you helping Uncle Deng, or are you helping me? Brother Xian, make that clear."

Huang Qixian sighed. "Look, of course I'm helping you. But without Uncle Deng to balance the British, it’ll be impossible for you to climb back up."

***

Lin Tiansheng said, "If I do the same thing, why do it for Uncle Deng instead of myself? Because I spent three years guarding the reservoir, and I’ve figured it out."

"The old ways—colluding with the gentry and the syndicates, putting on a grand show—those don't work anymore. If I want to take back what was lost, I need a new approach. What I did last night was a test of strength, to see who is willing to support me, who is willing to help me."

Huang Qixian asked, "What new approach?"

"Be a good cop, do good work, and earn the support of the citizens. That’s the only way to stand firm," Lin Tiansheng said. "The times have changed, but Uncle Deng’s crowd hasn't, and the British crowd is just full of pretense."

"We’re going to play for real. Solve major cases, catch the most vicious criminals, and clean up the triads on the streets. If we prove more capable than the English-speaking officers, even the ICAC commissioners will have to bow their heads before us."

Working in Internal Investigation, Huang Qixian knew that two years after the initial conflict between the police and the ICAC, corruption had returned and was intensifying, only now it was more covert and low-profile. The result of replacing one group with another was simply that a new group was now collecting the bribes. The spoils had merely shifted to the hands of the elite officers; nothing else had changed. The Governor was far from satisfied with the state of the force and had repeatedly brought up the issue of integrity in official settings.

After ruminating on Lin Tiansheng’s idea, it did seem superior, but it required ten or a hundred times more skill and talent than merely clinging to gentry or colluding with syndicates.

One path was the righteous road; the other was a crooked one. A more pressing question followed. Huang Qixian asked, "If you do it this way, how do you collect your cut?"

"Without profit, nobody will help you do anything."

Lin Tiansheng replied, "My return to the scene isn't about fame, money, or women anymore. I want to reclaim my dignity and prove myself. I will take back what I lost! Our kind—we are extraordinary!"

"I believe the brothers who have 'died' once feel the same as I do; we all have a fire in our hearts that needs to be let out."