Chapter 41: The Major Arms Case

Lin Tianheng rubbed his fingers and set down his spoon. It was well-prepared, following traditional Hong Kong culinary craft, yet sipping such soup gave him rather peculiar feelings.

The reputation of the "Five Poisons Detective"—great for calling upon sworn brothers and fighting for a career, but when it came to romance...

Was this right?

Lin Tianheng laughed despite himself, counting out five hundred dollars from his wallet. "I didn't plan on borrowing money. This is for you, take it as pocket money."

Li Shaifeng's eyes widened in sheer disbelief.

"Take it. I've been transferred to the Serious Crimes Unit; I earn a bit more than before."

"Th-thank you." Li Shaifeng hesitated for a moment, but accepted it quickly, clearly wanting the money very much. Lin Tianheng understood now. The cash left on the table last time hadn't been ignored because she didn't want it; she simply hadn't dared to touch it.

"How is your father's business doing?"

Lin Tianheng asked casually.

Li Shaifeng replied, "Not too well, I suppose. Last year I still had eight hundred for living expenses."

"Oh, well, if you need money for school fees and clothes, just give me a call." Lin Tianheng didn't care to shoulder every single burden, but when it came to small amounts of cash, he wasn't stingy.

Officially, Li Shaifeng was his mistress. Whether he slept with her or not was his own business, but the necessary expenses had to be paid; otherwise, word would get out and make him lose face.

Before long, opportunities for acting roles would likely find their way to her. Having a celebrity mistress brought prestige, and it could also help build connections within the entertainment industry.

That, too, was a lucrative path.

"Thank you, Young Master Sheng... Then how should I come over to clean up in the future?" Li Shaifeng was very concerned about this issue. Lin Tianheng took out a piece of paper, wrote down his phone number, and handed it over. "Call me in advance and make an appointment before coming to the place."

"Just call me Brother Sheng. Living in an old thousand-square-foot unit, driving a Chevrolet that gets stuck in traffic every time we go out, and yet calling me 'Young Master Sheng' at every turn—it makes anyone blush just hearing it."

A look of surprise flickered in Li Shaifeng's eyes. The Lin Tianheng she knew not only indulged in every vice—drinking, gambling, and whoring—but also cared fiercely about his pride, and was rarely this approachable.

"I understand."

Lin Tianheng nodded. "Put your studies first. Sit down and eat together; I'll send you back to school afterwards."

"Thank you."

Once Lin Tianheng was fully fed, he deliberately picked up the ashtray, walked over to the windowsill, and lit a cigarette. He glanced back at Li Shaifeng, who was clearing the dishes in the kitchen, a smile playing at the corners of his mouth. Traditional women truly had their traditional advantages; they might not speak eloquently, but they knew how to get things done.

Not to mention that Li Shaifeng was strikingly beautiful. Having danced for years, she possessed a graceful figure, and one look at her waist-to-hip ratio told you she could crush a man to death between her thighs.

"Tsk tsk, I really want to ask her to do a split and show me those legs first." Lin Tianheng pinched the cigarette butt, an amused, wicked streak crossing his mind.

A man, after all, thought much and did little. There would be plenty of opportunities to see splits in the future; there was no need to rush.

Driving Li Shaifeng to the school gates, he didn't forget to instruct her, "If anything happens at school, you can also call and find me."

"Understood, Brother Sheng." Li Shaifeng lowered her head as she got out of the car and walked through the school gates. When she looked back, the car had already driven off into the empty street. Given the management of Jiguang Academy, scenes of hoodlums harassing students or triad members flirting with girls were entirely out of the question.

After all, private schools held independent administrative rights. While not elite aristocratic academies, they still carried a distinct "aristocratic flavor." Disobeying school rules or disrespecting discipline led straight to expulsion. It was a completely different world from the government-run village primary schools in the New Territories.

"Damn it, that bastard before me had it way too good." Lin Tianheng rested his hand on the steering wheel, letting the evening breeze blow over him as he clicked his tongue in reflection.

As he turned the matter over in his mind, most of his memories involved his predecessor's utter disdain for Li Shaifeng. Firstly, his predecessor had played around with far too many women, and his absolute favorite happened to be the "mixed-race daughter" of a gweilo councilor from Central, engaging in marathon sessions of passion every single day.

Secondly, when Ah Feng first came to him, his predecessor had suddenly suffered massive upheaval, leaving him perpetually irritated. Sometimes he would take out his frustration on Ah Feng, beating her with a leather belt and treating her like a bringer of bad luck.

Lin Tianheng couldn't help but chuckle. "Since you didn't appreciate her, I'll enjoy the blessing in your stead, mate."

Since he had transmigrated, grudges had to be settled, the blame had to be borne, a career had to be built, and women naturally had to be enjoyed too.

...

The following morning, Lin Tianheng cooked a bowl of handmade "Wanchai Ferry" wonton noodles. After filling his stomach, he drove straight to the Sham Shui Po Police Station. Right as he arrived, he bumped into Chen Sheng escorting Bearded Yong to hand him over to the Correctional Services officers.

"Spit." Bearded Yong's complexion was weathered and haggard, and even in handcuffs, he didn't forget to spit towards Lin Tianheng. With the Correctional Services personnel present, aside from giving him a forceful shove, Chen Sheng didn't do anything else.

With the statements provided by Chui Sai and Li Yaoyang, the charge of leading a triad organization was inescapable. However, the charge of assaulting a police officer might not necessarily stick to Bearded Yong; Chui Sai would likely be the one taking the fall.

The exact outcome would depend on Bearded Yong's maneuvers after being transferred to Lai Chi Kok. Still, keeping his mouth firmly shut had bought him a brief respite.

Lin Tianheng completely ignored Bearded Yong's saliva. A mere clown putting on a show wasn't worth wasting another breath on, as it would only lower his own standards. Officers who had already started their shifts greeted him as he passed by: "Morning, Inspector Lin."

"Morning!"

Hearing the commotion outside, Pi Zhibang pushed open his window, let out a whistle, and raised his chin. "Ah Sheng, come in for a second."

Lin Tianheng entered the office. The Venetian blinds were left open, and he stood at attention, saluted, and shouted, "Good morning, sir!"

Pi Zhibang chuckled twice, leaning back in his chair with an expression of pure enjoyment. He cleared his throat and said, "Let me tell you something. Inspector Kiu had people rummage through several filing cabinets and picked out a great case for you."

"Let's have a look first."

A two-finger-thick dossier wrapped in a yellow kraft paper envelope was tossed onto the desk. Lin Tianheng stepped forward, picked up the file, untied the string, and began by reading the brief overview on the first two pages. To his surprise, it was an arms smuggling case.

Among all the cases falling within the jurisdiction of the Serious Crimes Unit, arms smuggling was undoubtedly the most extreme and dangerous. After all, during routine smuggling, armed robbery, or murder cases, investigating officers held the advantage in firepower; at the very worst, they could stall, block roads, and call for backup. But in arms smuggling cases, criminals possessed weapons of massive lethality, operated in large numbers, and usually committed their crimes in remote locations like docks and warehouses.

The moment investigating officers showed the slightest flaw and startled the prey, the criminals could instantly grab their hardware and open fire. Having an AK-47 in everyone's hands was merely the appetizer, accompanied by a full array of detonators and explosives.

A single container of weaponry started at least at four to five million Hong Kong dollars, escorted by a dozen or twenty core triad members. In the past, such cases were personally overseen by squads dispatched directly from the Headquarters Criminal Division.

Lin Tianheng desperately wanted to say this wasn't the kind of case he wanted! But he lacked the qualifications to refuse. He could only accept the case and feign an air of breezy indifference: "It's a big case, Inspector Pi. If I handle it well, what's in it for me?"

Pi Zhibang wore a感慨 (sentimental/reflective) expression as he spoke, "I know, you definitely wanted to investigate from the perspective of homicides and smuggling, step by step grasping the tail of the Teng family—that would be the easiest way, right?"

"But the old patriarch of the Teng family isn't some fool who only eats dry rice. He realized you've turned on them! Not only did he bring in East Kowloon Chief Superintendent Robin to pressure us in West Kowloon to step aside and take over the assault on an officer case, but he also pulled in the gweilo."

"Those gweilos have always had it in for you. It was only thanks to Inspector Kiu stepping up and arguing forcefully that we managed to retain the right to investigate the assault on the police. At the same time, to appease the gweilo, you've been assigned a case where you're liable to get your whole family killed."

"This arms smuggling case involving the Yee Tze Wo faction of the Wo Sing Wo—do you dare to take it on?"