Chapter 26: Recovering the Stolen Goods

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Lin Tiansheng took the business card and asked, “What made you think of getting into luxury homes?”

Lai Chung-ying stirred his coffee and answered calmly, “The commissions are much better. We still take five percent per deal, but five percent of a five-million-dollar property is ten times five percent of a five-hundred-thousand-dollar one.”

“There are already plenty of agencies handling ordinary homes. It is not too late to enter the market, but luxury-property transactions are still largely untapped.”

“In the old days, the traditional thing for the big bosses was to buy land themselves, build grand mansions, and pass them down through the family. But in recent years, there have been more white-collar elites and new stock-market millionaires, while the governor has also tightened restrictions on land sales.”

“The new rich cannot afford to build grand mansions, so they are more inclined to buy luxury apartments and homes with mountain or sea views. The market is growing. And with my old connections and friends, it is easier for me to find clients than it is for ordinary people.”

Compared with those who had been poor all their lives, the greatest resource possessed by people who had once been rich was their network of wealthy contacts.

With a little brains as well, so long as they did not fall behind the times and were shameless enough to fight their way back, they had a much easier path to prosperity than the poor. That was why there were so many bosses who managed to make a comeback, but so few losers who rose from nothing.

Lin Tiansheng nodded. He had to admit that Lai Chung-ying had a point. With an appreciative look, he said, “I’ll leave the company in your hands. Apart from submitting the accounts once a month, you needn’t report every detail of the business.”

“You can make the decisions yourself.”

Confidence touched Lai Chung-ying’s lips. “Thank you for trusting me, Young Master Shing. The company is not very busy for now. A brief report will not take much time.”

“You’ve only just been released from prison. It won’t be easy to get in touch with your old friends in the business world, will it?” Lin Tiansheng asked.

Lai Chung-ying smiled. “If they refuse to see me, I’ll go and corner them. I’ll bow, kneel, and kowtow. Whatever game they like to play, I’ll play it with them until they’re satisfied.”

“They’re nothing more than drinking companions and old associates. Once they’ve had their fun, they’ll have to show me some face and buy a property. Otherwise, they’ll lose face if word gets around.”

“If you want to turn your life around, you have to suffer a little.”

Back in Stanley Prison, he had cleaned the library every day, read the newspapers, and studied, all so he would not be cast aside by the times. After making so much effort, how could he be afraid of losing face when his opportunity had finally arrived?

If he could turn his dignity into money, then at least his years of living had not been wasted.

Lin Tiansheng gave a slight nod. “You’re quite capable. I didn’t choose the wrong man.”

“I can’t compare with you, Young Master Shing. I heard on the radio at noon that there was a major robbery in Mong Kok, and that West Kowloon Major Crimes made a great contribution. You faced a hail of bullets. You weren’t hurt, were you?” Lai Chung-ying asked with concern.

“I was lucky. I should be promoted after a while. If you run into any trouble, remember to come to me.” Lin Tiansheng did not hesitate to display his influence. As expected, Lai Chung-ying’s confidence soared, and his respect deepened.

“Congratulations, Young Master Shing. May you ride straight to victory and rise to a higher position.”

“Don’t celebrate too early. I’m leaving.”

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Lai Chung-ying rose and inclined himself slightly, watching Young Master Shing leave through the revolving doors.

Unlike Brother Lok, who had risen through crooked and illicit means, Young Master Shing had chosen the legitimate path in order to make money. Although every business eventually came down to the strength of one’s connections, the legitimate world and the underworld were fundamentally different.

Back then, in order to cling to Brother Lok, he had taken a perfectly respectable company and turned it toward illicit dealings and money laundering. Now, under Young Master Shing, he was doing legitimate business after getting out of prison.

The contrast made Lai Chung-ying feel as though the world had been turned upside down and the times had completely changed.

Perhaps following Young Master Shing really would lead somewhere.

Lin Tiansheng was equally satisfied with “Car-Wash Lai,” who knew how to identify gaps, adapt to changes in the market, and make strategic adjustments.

Seven o’clock that evening.

Temple Street, Red Cotton Dai Pai Dong.

The owner of the food stall was known as Red Sister. Cotton was her daughter’s name, and the stall was famous for its fried crab and seafood. Located in a busy district, it was considered one of the better-known dai pai dongs in the city.

Every day, the tables outside the restaurant were packed, with customers already lining up before opening.

Ma Delong, Liu Yida, and Gao Zicong, who had only just been discharged from the hospital, followed Lin Tiansheng into the food stall.

It was both a celebration of Ah Cong’s recovery and a victory banquet for the morning’s operation, so Lin Tiansheng had deliberately chosen a good restaurant to treat his three men.

As soon as Ma Delong entered, he saw that every table was occupied. His eyes swept across the room before settling on a group of hooligans with earrings, tattooed arms, and dyed blond hair. He pulled out his identification, walked over, flashed it briefly, then placed a hand on the shoulder of the loudest one and leaned down.

“Having a good time, boys?”

The blond hooligan, dressed in denim, slapped the table and sprang to his feet. “Fuck your mother!”

But the instant he caught sight of the Major Crimes identification, he froze. His expression turned ugly.

“Officer, is eating a meal against the law too?”

“No. Eating while on duty is perfectly reasonable. I only hope you’re here to eat and not working. Don’t let me find anything on you when I search you.” Ma Delong looked the hooligan up and down.

The hooligan sniffed, his face sour with bad luck, and slapped the table. “Let’s go!”

“Don’t get in the officer’s way while he’s working.”

Lin Tiansheng walked over with a smile. “Old Ma, your eyes are sharp.”

Ma Delong replied, “The way he keeps sniffing, you can tell he’s a junkie from ten yards away. And the girl beside him reeks of cheap sex. They’ve clearly made some money and come out to enjoy themselves. There’s nothing on him, though—I’ll write my name backward if there is.”

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Gao Zicong pulled out a chair for the boss and invited him to sit. Pinching a cigarette between his fingers, he called out, “Waiter, clear the table!”

Once everyone was seated and the dishes began arriving, Lin Tiansheng raised a glass to his brothers. During the casual conversation, he asked, “Old Ma, any leads on that doctor-dissection case?”

Ma Delong shook his head. “Not yet, Brother Shing.”

“Set it aside for now. Inspector Pei has handed us the job of recovering the stolen goods from the Mong Kok goldsmith robbery.” Lin Tiansheng gnawed on a crab claw.

The crunching sound made Ma Delong’s teeth ache. He admired his boss’s iron jaws and steel teeth.

Gao Zicong, fresh out of the hospital, looked puzzled. “Didn’t Brother Shing take down all the robbers? Why do we still have to recover the loot?”

He had been wounded heroically during the Big East case and had received thirty-five thousand dollars in dirty money for free. While recovering, he had been somewhat pleased with himself. He felt that after leaving the hospital, his position would be no lower than Old Ma’s and that Brother Shing would think highly of him.

He had not expected a sudden goldsmith robbery to give Ma Delong, Liu Yida, He Li, and the others fresh credit, allowing them to steal the limelight from the entire unit.

The battle during the goldsmith robbery had been far more thrilling than the beach ambush, and it had completely crushed Gao Zicong’s arrogance.

Lin Tiansheng said, “The robbers had already transferred the gold while fleeing. According to the owner of Wing Hing Goldsmiths, the stolen gold ornaments and jewelry were worth a total of eight million seven hundred thousand dollars.”

“That’s not very much.” Liu Yida had been drinking, and his tone was grand.

Old Ma raised his brows in astonishment. “Eight million seven hundred thousand isn’t much? It’s not as if every thief can pocket ten million or more.”

“Li Xudong robbed the Royal Gold Exchange two years ago. These eight-plus million dollars’ worth of goods went missing only yesterday—they’re fresh off the market. If we recover them, how do you think the owner of Wing Hing will thank us?”

Lin Tiansheng set down the crab shell and spoke up. “Justice, duty, ideals! Who taught you to mention money every other sentence?”

“Heh, heh.” Ma Delong gave two sheepish laughs and lowered his head to drink.

“Think about how we’re going to recover the loot.” Lin Tiansheng paused, then continued, “After all, the money Boss To gives us will be completely clean. We can spend it however we like.”

A business owner could not simply hand money directly to the police, of course. But there were countless ways to show gratitude: establishing a charitable foundation, finding some pretext to give friends “pocket money,” setting up a social award and presenting the prize money to people who had already been chosen in advance... It was all perfectly reasonable and legal, with procedural propriety intact.