Chapter 27: The Severing of Justice

Waking up from a night of heavy drinking, Lin Tiansheng went downstairs and passed by a phone booth. He dialed Zhong Zhihui’s number. “Zhihui, are you at work?”

“Boss, I was working late last night and just woke up,” Zhong Zhihui yawned, still drowsy and lying in bed.

Feeling a bit embarrassed, Lin Tiansheng quickly said, “Yesterday’s robbery at the Mong Kok gold shop—need you to help trace who received that batch of goods.”

“I’ll find out as soon as possible.”

When it came to gathering intelligence and tracking people, the Criminal Intelligence Department was the best. Zhong Zhihui, a senior inspector and a team leader, had considerable resources at his disposal. He readily agreed, “Got it, boss. I’ll keep you posted.”

“Thanks.”

Lin Tiansheng vaguely heard a woman’s voice before Zhong abruptly ended the call. From memory, Zhong Zhihui was a notorious womanizer; he never lacked girlfriends. Working late last night—whether at the office or elsewhere—was uncertain.

With the remaining cash on him, Lin Tiansheng bought a Motorola brick phone at a street-side phone store in Jordan. After inserting a SIM card, he took a taxi back to the police station for work.

At his desk, he used the landline to call the paging station and left his new mobile number for Huang Qixian, Zhang Jinrong, and others.

Soon, several calls came in one after another.

Ma Delong noticed the big mobile phone on the desk and came over playfully. “Boss, you got a cell phone! So powerful!”

“Once you guys save up, get a phone too. Easier to stay in touch,” Lin Tiansheng hinted. Ma Delong, Gao Zicong, and Liu Yida understood immediately.

Normally in the Major Crimes Unit, pretending to be broke meant relying on pagers. But having a mobile phone made private communication much easier. With their small stash of savings, buying a cell phone was more than affordable.

Still, it felt a bit extravagant and flashy. The three were careful with their money and hadn’t dared buy one.

In the 1980s, pagers were still the mainstream communication device.

But since the boss said so, they would have to get one eventually.

“Boss, what’s the plan for this morning?” Ma Delong asked.

Lin Tiansheng, cigarette dangling from his lips, stood up. “A Rong gave me a number. We can try and fish for some information.”

“Got it.”

Zhang Jinrong was hospitalized from an injury and couldn’t use the name of the Dong Yifu Double Flower Red Stick gang to gather intel, but he could still pass on contacts.

The group drove the gray Toyota from the police station in plain clothes to the entrance of a pawnshop in Cheung Sha Wan.

Lin Tiansheng closed the car door, wearing a leopard-print shirt with the buttons undone, revealing a white T-shirt underneath. He wore sunglasses and struck a casual pose with hands on hips by the signboard. Raising his sunglasses, he spoke gravely, “Yifu Pawnshop, Dong Yifu’s place. Show some respect. Da Zai, A Cong, stay outside. Old Ma and I will go in.”

“Keep an eye out,” Old Ma instructed the constables as they hurried inside.

As Lin Tiansheng entered the shop, a clerk behind the counter immediately appeared. At first glance, his face darkened as he spread his arms wide. “Sorry, officers, the pawnshop is closed today. We’re not accepting anything.”

Ma Delong sneered, lifting the hem of his coat to reveal a holster. “Open for business. If you don’t deal with the police, what are you hiding?”

The clerk stood firm. “Whether we do business or not is our choice. It’s 1980, officer, you still want to strong-arm us?”

Lin Tiansheng sat in the master chair, crossing one leg as he toyed with his sunglasses. “I’m the boss of A Rong, here to talk to Wei Ge. Show some respect, yeah?”

“Respect!”

“Respect for the Wanchai District’s Five Poisons Detective. Who dares refuse?” At that moment, a tall middle-aged man with a shaved head stepped out from the back room. Wearing a jade pendant and a shirt, he fanned himself leisurely, eyes sizing them up. “Sheng Shao, still in Wanchai District?”

In the 1970s, Dong Yifu boasted over ten thousand members and was the leading gang of the Dongguan faction. Any major underworld society had to align with powerful police figures.

When Liu Fu served as Chief Chinese Detective, he especially favored fellow Dongguan natives, enabling Dong Yifu, Dong Fu He, Dong Ying She, Dong Lian She, and others to dominate Hong Kong. Later, with Chaoshan native Lü Le rising, gangs like Jing Yi, Yi Qun, and Sun Yee On flourished.

“Cheung Chau Kid” Han Sen, as Chief Chinese Detective in the New Territories, fully inherited the Dongguan gang’s influence. In the 1970s, a strong rivalry existed between the Dongguan faction and the Chaoshan faction. But Han Sen remained under Lü Le’s shadow, avoiding open conflict; relations between Dongguan and Chaoshan gangs stayed relatively friendly.

Moreover, all gangs bearing “He” in their names descended from the Triads founded by “Hei Gu Ren,” the Red Flag Fifth Brother of Tianbao Mountain. Societies with “Yi” in their names were sometimes Triads, sometimes the Green Gang, but without exception, “Yi” groups were proxies supported by corrupt police. The more discord they had, the more they preached “harmony above all;” the more unrighteous, the louder they cried “loyalty and righteousness.”

After police reforms, most “Yi” groups declined, with only Sun Yee On remaining famous. The second-generation leader “Four-Eyed Dragon” was young but highly ranked and Lü Le’s uncle by marriage, cementing their alliance.

As a key figure in Dong Yifu’s operations, Hua Liu Wei certainly knew Lin Tiansheng. Still, with Zhang Jinrong’s introduction and Lin’s personal visit, this was a different matter.

Sitting in the chair, Lin Tiansheng said gravely, “No longer in Wanchai. Transferred to West Kowloon Major Crimes. Cut the small talk. Who’s handling the stolen goods from Mong Kok’s Yongxin Gold Shop?”

“How much do you want? Name your price.”

Since he wasn’t paying out of pocket, Lin Tiansheng could call Tao, the owner of Yongxin, and get reimbursed whatever was necessary.

In the past, favors could settle such matters, but Hua Liu Wei was unwilling. Smiling, he said, “Money? I only make money from friends, not cops.”

“We’re all in the recycling and pawn business. If I sell you info today, what if someone sells me out tomorrow?”

Lin Tiansheng’s face hardened. “I said don’t waste words. Not knowing and knowing but staying silent are two different things.”

“The police superintendent and the Chinese detective are two different matters.”

“Everyone used to wear red shoes. I worked for the detective, that was natural. Now black and white stand opposed. Help you, I’d be cut down.”

Waving his fan, Hua Liu Wei sat beside him. “Unless, Sheng Shao is willing to do a small favor.”

“What favor?” Lin Tiansheng truly didn’t know how Zhang Jinrong had gathered this intel. Thinking it over, last time when Li Xudong’s goods were sold off for nothing, it was easy to ask about. But this batch was hot—worth over eight million—and the buyer hadn’t even gotten comfortable with it yet.

Paying a price was only natural.

Hua Liu Wei pulled out a bag of white powder from his pocket, placing it on the table with a beaming smile. “Got a batch to move. Sheng Shao help me out?”

“We all make money together. I’ll give Sheng Shao five percent.”

Lin Tiansheng put on his sunglasses and stood up without hesitation. “No problem. It’s a deal.”

He beckoned Ma Delong and left, leaving Hua Liu Wei sitting there, puzzled and uncertain.

Lin Tiansheng leaned against the Toyota’s door, took out a cigarette, and bit it between his lips. “There’s someone selling white powder inside. You’ve got one cigarette’s time.”

“Understood.”

Hearing this, Gao Zicong and Liu Yida immediately dashed into the shop.