Chapter 31: A Ragtag Troupe

"Ah Sheng."

Just as Lin Tiansheng stepped out of the police station, he heard someone calling him. He turned to see Huang Qixian, who flicked away his cigarette butt and walked over, saying, "Uncle Deng just called. He wants to see you."

"That’s the third or fourth time now."

Lin Tiansheng looked slightly surprised. With his hands in his pockets and a grim look on his face, he replied, "Uncle Xian, the New Territories is too remote; I can’t be bothered to go. Isn't it enough for a local landlord to enjoy his life in the countryside? Why must he spend every day trying to manage affairs in West Kowloon?"

The Deng clan was the leader of the five major families in the New Territories. Their head, Deng Yuchang, had served on the Heung Yee Kuk for years and owned more land than anyone else in the region, earning him the title of the "Emperor of the New Territories." However, the New Territories was barren and lacked development, offering little in the way of easy money. While the local gentry occupied village lands, they always sought to extend their reach into Kowloon and Hong Kong Island, vying for power against the foreign firms. Consequently, they never hesitated to cooperate with those in power within the Chinese community. Whether it was Liu Fu, Lui Lok, Han Sen, or Yan Xiong, all of them became honored guests of the gentry group upon rising to power.

Huang Qixian sighed, "After the police inspectors fled, some triad bosses, corrupt cops, and 'brothers' were saved by Uncle Deng. Once those corrupt cops got out of prison, they joined the triads and became spokesmen for the Deng family. A significant portion of those who remained in the police force have also leaned toward Uncle Deng."

"Uncle Deng lacks your golden reputation to fully take over the influence left by Brother Lok."

Lin Tiansheng replied, "Uncle Xian, if I can't afford to provoke him, can't I at least avoid him? We were all on the same side before; can't we just keep our distance?"

"You can't, Ah Sheng. When you’re a boss, there’s no such thing as 'being on the same side' anymore," Huang Qixian advised earnestly. "If you turn down Uncle Deng again, be careful—something might happen."

Lin Tiansheng nodded, "Understood. Thanks for the warning."

"We’re family, after all." Huang Qixian raised his fist and lightly tapped Lin’s chest, a smile spreading across his furrowed face.

At noon, after driving back to the Wing Cheong Building, Lin Tiansheng brought two takeout boxes upstairs. He noticed that the floor and the tabletop had been cleaned again, and he felt a flicker of surprise.

*Less than four hours since I left, and the cleaning is already done?*

He glanced at his Citizen watch, suspecting that Li Shaifeng lived nearby on Shanghai Street, or perhaps even in the Wing Cheong Building itself. He had specifically bought two boxes of rice to see if he might run into her. It wasn't about auditing the inheritance, but rather a genuine sense of gratitude for her efforts. According to the calculations in the *Women's Journal*, a weekly cleaning service would cost at least 2,000 Hong Kong dollars—more than his entire monthly salary.

To receive such service for free and enjoy the benefits without paying a cent, buying a box of rice as a verbal gesture of thanks was only natural. Seeing the 500 Hong Kong dollars he had left on the table untouched, Lin Tiansheng felt that the "Five Poisons Inspector" of the past had been a bit cold-blooded. He didn't like the idea of hitting women; it didn't sit right with him—not at all.

Lin Tiansheng crossed his legs and opened a can of iced cola. The thought of the woman vanished from his mind as he began to contemplate how to deal with Uncle Deng. Currently, Uncle Deng had turned the tables, standing over the remnants of the old guard, with a significant number of veteran officers already working for him. Despite never having met face-to-face, they were now on opposing sides in the struggle for influence. Unless he bowed his head and played the subordinate, they were destined to be enemies.

*The enemy is strong and I am weak. I need to stir the water and make Uncle Deng hesitant to act.*

Deng Yuchang might be an emperor in the New Territories, but in Hong Kong and Kowloon—and within the police force—he was far from all-powerful. Since Lin had no intention of developing in the New Territories, there were plenty of ways to stir the pot.

Zhong Zhihui knocked on the door and entered, bringing with him a faint scent of perfume.

Lin Tiansheng chuckled, "Just sent your girlfriend off?"

"What girlfriend? Just a bed partner, Boss." Zhong Zhihui changed his shoes and looked around the room, sighing, "A thousand-square-foot box of a room, no sea view, no mountain view. But it’s kept clean—did you hire a maid?"

In the past, the Boss wouldn't have even glanced at a place like this.

Lin Tiansheng shook his head, "Hire a maid at my rank? Do you want the ICAC to find incriminating evidence when they come knocking? I just finished my promotion exam today, and Uncle Xian said Uncle Deng wants to see me again."

"Let's talk it over. See if there’s a way to guard against him."

Among the five brothers, Zhong Zhihui was not only the most educated and brilliant but also worked in the Intelligence Unit, giving him access to a wealth of information. When it came to discussing matters, Lin Tiansheng might bypass Zhang Jinrong, Chen Anquan, or Deng Gengyun, but he always consulted Zhong Zhihui.

After explaining the background and his concerns, Zhong Zhihui listened with narrowed eyes. He raised his cola and said, "Congratulations, Boss, on your promotion to Inspector."

"Deng Yuchang, that old fossil—his best piece on the board is Ji Zhengjie, a Senior Inspector in the East Kowloon Regional Crime Unit."

A good piece isn't necessarily a powerful one. Thanks to the uniform, the "local emperor" had many methods that he couldn't easily employ. The gentry group could easily crush a triad or a regular businessman, but they would never easily challenge public authority. Because they, too, were a part of that authority, operating on the fringes rather than within the rules, they were easily crushed if caught in the vortex.

Chaos, turnover, and reshuffling—none of these were what they wanted.

There weren't many pieces suitable for dealing with Lin Tiansheng, and Ji Zhengjie, who worked in the same Regional Crime Unit, was undoubtedly a key card. If the player wanted to outrank him, they would definitely play that card.

Lin Tiansheng recalled, "Ji Zhengjie? Never heard of him."

Zhong Zhihui explained, "He used to follow Han Sen. Han Sen had a good relationship with Uncle Deng, and that lot defected the fastest. Back in '75, when Ji Zhengjie was an inspector in the New Territories South, Uncle Deng spent a great deal of effort to protect him. His boss, 'Robin,' is actually Uncle Deng's biggest card..."

"Hmm... East Kowloon Regional Crime Unit. Forget about him. To kill a snake, strike at its vitals; to capture bandits, capture the king first. Getting into a tug-of-war with Ji Zhengjie is a guaranteed loss. We must drag Uncle Deng into the water." Lin Tiansheng asked, "Do we have a grudge with Huzi Yong?"

"You want to mess with the 14K?" Zhong Zhihui nodded thoughtfully. "I have a plan that can both drag Deng Yuchang into the mud and unite the other old brothers. At the end of the day, this fight is about power! It would be best to kill two birds with one stone, but it requires you, Boss, to play your part in the performance."

"The performance must be spectacular."

The 14K had over 100,000 members and dozens of cliques, with excellent relations with the New Territories gentry. This was because most of their members were hoodlums from the New Territories, and their main territory was in the New Territories and Kowloon. Huzi Yong was the leader of the 'Yi' clique, with territory in Yau Tsim Mong, thousands of followers, and immense power. Without even needing evidence, one could link him to the New Territories crowd.

Moreover, aside from the core 'Xiao' clique, the larger the 14K faction, the less they respected the leader's authority. As long as one had the ability to handle the clique leader, there was no need to fear the leader, "Ge Shaoxiong," interfering.

Lin Tiansheng gripped his soda can, his expression shifting to one of realization. He laughed, "Damn it, to get ahead, you really have to be an actor."

Zhong Zhihui replied helplessly, "No choice. The world is just a makeshift stage; either you fool me, or I fool you. Life is a grand theater, and everyone is a good actor. Whoever performs the best gets the spotlight."

Lin Tiansheng nodded slightly, "You direct, I'll act. Just make sure the extras are well-arranged." When it came to power struggles, Zhong Zhihui was the expert.

"That’s a given," Zhong Zhihui said with a relaxed smile.

Poor Huzi Yong—his mistress had been kidnapped as a sacrificial flag, and before he could even figure out who did it, he was already being targeted by a group of vicious cops.

In Mong Kok, at the Golden Palace Bathhouse, a sturdy young man with a thick beard, currently soaking his feet, suddenly sneezed. He muttered unhappily, "What the hell? Who's cursing me behind my back?"