Chapter 4: The Four Great Sergeants

Lin Tiansheng held a cigar, sniffing it lightly before his nose, smiling as he said, “Then no need to be so formal—I’ll just call you ‘Prawn.’”

Pi Zhibang was momentarily stunned, offering a dry laugh, “If Master Sheng is pleased, calling me ‘Little Prawn’ is fine by me.”

“Not daring, Pi Sir. I only have a single star on my shoulder; how could I compare to your two?” He placed the cigar back in its box. “Haven’t smoked cigars for many years—just can’t muster the interest. Sorry about that.”

Pi Zhibang nodded slightly, his gaze softening considerably. “Talking to me like this… If you hadn’t spoken up for me back then, Brother Lok would’ve chopped me into bits and fed me to the dogs long ago.”

“Though I’m a few years older, I’ve always looked up to Master Sheng as an idol. Even after three years in the trenches, your charisma hasn’t waned. Coming back to the scene with such a bang and making a big splash—truly impressive!”

“Those are old stories; no need to dwell on them. What dangerous cases does the Major Crimes Unit have now?” Lin Tiansheng asked.

Pi Zhibang grew serious. “Piece of cake. There’s a gang called the Big Circle Gang, led by a man named Ko Zhenxiong. He makes his money through human trafficking and goes by the nickname ‘Snake Boss Xiong.’”

“There’s intel that tomorrow night he’ll smuggle several mainland fugitives into Hong Kong for a major operation. Take them down, and you’ll secure your place in the Major Crimes Unit.”

“How many people?” Lin Tiansheng inquired.

“At least six, armed with all kinds of firearms,” Pi Zhibang replied.

“Highly dangerous individuals,” Lin Tiansheng remarked.

“For Master Sheng, it’s just a matter of taking out a few Big Circle thugs—simple business,” Pi Zhibang said. A native of Weihai, Shandong, and former police chief of Chai Wan district, Pi Zhibang’s sister married a British police superintendent as a concubine, which protected him from any retribution during the police corruption scandals. Thanks to his education at Emperor’s College, he steadily rose through the ranks to become a Senior Inspector with a bright future.

Though not particularly outstanding personally, he knew how to keep his bearings and had good rapport. The British officers in the force favored the Shandong faction to balance out the Chaozhou and Dongguan factions. After police reforms, he was trusted by the British.

Yet in recent years, the old-school detectives no longer grouped strictly by birthplace—they began banding together based on tenure, old versus new, regardless of region.

Lin Tiansheng asked, “Good. To match the firepower of the Big Circle Gang, how many officers are you assigning to me?”

Pi Zhibang spread his hands. “Not a single one. I’m setting a trap for the British officers, not trying to help you make a big score! Even if I gave you a few mediocre ones, that’d be generous. Want elite reinforcements? Maybe you should ask the Special Duties Unit.”

Lin Tiansheng frowned, tapping the table. “Are you taking me for a deity? Going in solo, one man against the entire gang?”

Pi Zhibang’s round face flickered with a sly grin. He clicked his cigarette holder and hinted, “Though I can’t assign you manpower, after your protests, I can arrange for a few ‘losers’ to help you out.”

It was all part of paving the way for him.

Lin Tiansheng understood and laughed heartily. “What a grand spectacle! Who else can I call back? Certainly Gengyun, Zhihui, and those other boys from the trenches.”

“No problem. You handle the recruitment; I’ll handle the paperwork,” Pi Zhibang said, his eyes crinkling with a smile.

Under the Five Poisons Captain were four notorious detectives, infamous for indulgence in food, drink, women, and gambling—well-known corrupt cops in the underworld.

The gourmand: Deng Gengyun, former detective of Wan Chai Criminal Investigation Department, six-time champion in police martial arts competitions, nicknamed ‘Crazy Kid.’

The heavy drinker: Zhang Jinrong, former detective of Wan Chai CID, former leader of the district’s gang faction, nephew of the Wan Chai kingpin Chen Tai, a henchman of the East Yifu triad, nicknamed ‘Crazy Man,’ once a trusted lieutenant of the Five Poisons Captain who managed street gangs and colluded with organized crime.

The womanizer: Zhong Zhihui, former detective of Wan Chai CID, whose mother was once a celebrated hostess at the Eastern Dance Hall, grew up in Malan, handsome and fluent in six languages—Chinese, Japanese, English, French, German, and Russian—nicknamed ‘Top Scholar.’

The gambler: Chen Anquan, former detective of Wan Chai CID, a native of Shandong from a family of police officers. His father died heroically in the ‘Bloody Police Wheel Incident.’ He graduated top of his class at police academy with perfect scores, won the Silver Whistle Award and the Royal Police shooting championship, earning the nickname ‘Chicken Head.’

(The Silver Chicken Head is a nickname for the Silver Whistle Award in the police academy, given to only one student per class. The recipient is called the ‘Chicken Head,’ while others are ‘rookies,’ a term derived from the phrase ‘chicken head and phoenix tail.’)

With their backgrounds, status, and skills, these four should have become district chiefs or even regional commanders. But even their bosses ended up guarding the trenches.

The fate of the underlings was grim.

To build power, one must first gather people. Though the ‘Four Great Detectives’ bore many flaws, they were the most useful—and indispensable.

The former Lin Tiansheng had a bad temper and poor conduct but was fiercely loyal and charismatic. He had done favors for each of the Four Great Detectives.

He also knew how to manage upwards, showing ‘favor’ to bosses and indebting them.

For example, during the police corruption purge, he spent much money and effort to help more than ten detectives’ families escape Hong Kong Island.

That was why Huang Qixian and Pi Zhibang were willing to help him—it was inevitable.

But three years had passed, and the world had changed drastically. The Five Poisons Captain’s reputation declined day by day. The old faction grew weaker, and every step forward was fraught with difficulty.

Even the Four Great Detectives had their own troubles, and it was uncertain whether they would still follow him. So Lin Tiansheng didn’t plan to call all four at once.

His remaining reputation was worth leveraging. Transferring his three-year subordinates from the trenches and inviting one veteran detective back to assist should suffice.

After all, this was only a capture mission. Though dangerous, he had twenty-five years of military experience, was skilled in tactics, and confident in leading men to handle a band of criminals.

Once he proved himself and stabilized his position in the Major Crimes Unit, he could invite the remaining detectives out. In officialdom, asking brothers for help and leading brothers to prominence are two different things. The former risks being overshadowed; the latter is genuine goodwill, maintaining one’s leadership.

…

Chen Sheng held his teacup absentmindedly, staring at the head officer’s office. When Lin Tiansheng emerged, he smiled and approached, saying, “Detective Lin, the table has been cleared, the one by the window has good lighting.”

Lin Tiansheng noticed Chen Sheng’s extra attentiveness and smiled, nodding. “Thank you, Chen Sir. I’ll gather the team. Please prepare a few more seats.”

Chen Sheng gladly agreed. “No problem. More people is always better. Shall I take you to the armory?”

Though Chen Sheng outranked Lin Tiansheng by one grade, in the police force, experience and rank were equally important. Pi Sir openly valued them, so those under them had to show double respect.

“Thank you.” Lin Tiansheng smiled warmly, chatting amiably with Chen Sheng as they walked. After signing the paperwork and receiving his issued firearm, he inspected it thoroughly. Then, he took two magazines and called the Chengmen trench post, specifically requesting the transfer of Ma Delong, He Li, Gao Zicong, and Liu Yida—four officers.

On Hong Kong Island, district police stations set up posts at important locations, functioning like precincts for officers to rest and conduct patrols.

The entire Chengmen post had sixteen officers; transferring five at once was a significant upheaval.

Gao Zicong received the notice with a grim expression. “Going to Major Crimes Unit—isn’t that a death sentence?”

Liu Yida’s face was stern. “What’s there to fear? Getting out of the trenches is a good thing—getting out is good.”

In the locker room, veteran officer Ma Delong removed his leather boots, dumping the grass that had gathered inside. He said coldly, “If it’s not to die with Brother Sheng, then it’s fine. But Brother Sheng called us out by name—who’d want to run away?”

“Blessing, not curse. What’s meant to be will be. Trust Brother Sheng.”