Chapter 52: Extorting the Police Precinct

"Come in."

Ah Tsu pushed the door open and immediately caught sight of Lei Zhun, whose styling bore an uncanny resemblance to the Silver Horn King, leaving him briefly dazed.

How had he managed to change his entire look in just a short while?

"What is it?" Quiros asked with a displeased edge to his voice.

Ah Tsu glanced at Wang Yaotang, who maintained a calm expression. "Sir, outside... there are a lot of women, old folks, and children. They're crying and making a huge scene. The situation is..."

As he spoke, his face was a mix of bitter laughter and an unwillingness to recall the spectacle.

"Huh?"

Quiros and the others exchanged glances, momentarily at a loss for words.

Still, it was far better than the awkward atmosphere inside the interrogation room.

Quiros glanced at Lei Zhun’s swollen forehead, waved his hand to signal someone to take him for medical treatment, and then stepped outside.

Lei Zhun glared at Wang Yaotang with vicious and venomous eyes. Having suffered such a massive loss of face, he could easily imagine how he would become a laughingstock once the news spread.

Would the police force ever promote a joke?

To ruin a man's official career path was no different than killing his parents!

It was a battle to the death!

Wang Yaotang curled his lip. He could not afford to back down if he wanted to clear this hurdle today. Since the offense was already carved in stone...

Wong Ping-yee walked at the very tail end. As he passed by Wang Yaotang, he covered his mouth and lowered his voice, "Lei Zhun is petty. You're in for it, kid."

Wang Yaotang chuckled softly and said nothing.

Wang Kwong-cho's gaze met Wang Yaotang's, his eyes brimming with amusement. Impressive!

[You have achieved victory in the confrontation with the police officer.]
[In recognition of your heroic performance, your reputation has spread extensively. Prestige +150 gained.]
[Current Prestige: 1405/3075 (Jianghu Hero)]
...

The moment Quiros reached the hall, he was greeted by the wailing of adults, the howling of the elderly, and the crying of children. The clamor of over a hundred people blended together into a din that made his head throb.

Several police officers were leaning their entire weight against the front doors to keep them shut. Quiros merely stood on tiptoe to peer outside, and his scalp immediately began to tingle.

There were old and young alike, tears streaming down their dirt-streaked faces, dressed in rags, looking utterly destitute. Many of the children were even running around bare-bottomed...

He had already spotted a toddler relieving himself right on the spot!

FUCK!

What could the police possibly do with this crowd?

At the very back of the crowd, camera flashes were already beginning to go off...

***

"What's going on? What are they protesting about?" Quiros frowned, looking at Ah Tsu. "Wait, where is Officer James?"

Quiros was the head of the O-Unit in the Yau Ma Tei police district, while the district commander was Assistant Commissioner James.

"The commander wants you to handle this as quickly as possible," Ah Tsu said in a low voice. "These are all female workers from Wang Yaotang's garment factory. Their boss was arrested, and production has been temporarily halted. They claim that with no work, their entire families have nothing to eat, so they can only beg the police station to feed them, otherwise they'll starve to death."

"Absurd!" Quiros was furious. How could anyone run out of food after just a single day without work!

They had enough money to take transport to the police station to beg for food, but supposedly couldn't afford a meal, right?

Without even thinking, he knew this was the handiwork of Wang Yaotang's people, but...

Knowing was one thing. If triad members were causing trouble, they could be arrested on the spot. But a crowd of women, the elderly, and children... the moment any police officer laid a hand on them, they would instantly land on the front page of tomorrow's newspapers.

"Wong Ping-yee, do you actually have any evidence to charge Wang?" Quiros asked, knowing the answer all too well.

"We currently do not possess any evidence."

"Then release him immediately." Quiros waved his hand irritably.

***

"Damn it, did you grab the copper's balls or something? They're just letting you walk like this?" Mo Sai-chau asked in disbelief.

"Pfft." Wang Yaotang pointed at himself, then smiled and motioned toward old Tung and the others. "Me? I'm just a law-abiding businessman."

"Shark Kun is probably reporting your name to the King of Hell right now—'a law-abiding businessman,'" Mo Sai-chau muttered under his breath, cursing.

To say that the Tung Sing Syndicate didn't care at all about Shark Kun's death would be a lie. They had been heavily stepped on, and yet they still had to send red flowers and help carry the sedan chair for the other party; it was disgraceful just to speak of it.

However, the thought of seeking revenge was entirely absent.

Having stirred up such massive trouble, every other syndicate in the underworld was ready to despise Tung Sing to the bone.

Mo Sai-chau operated with a merchant's mindset: forget about the losses and focus on maximizing profits. That was why he had tried to rope Wang Yaotang in earlier. But seeing Wang Yaotang actually released scot-free, he simply couldn't find any inner balance.

We're all triad members here, so how come you get to sit in the holding cell longer than everyone else just to stroll right back out?!

The Wo Shing Yee members, on the other hand, were in high spirits, pointing at the Tung Sing crowd and roaring with laughter, prompting another round of verbal abuse between the two factions.

Only Dandy Shum sat quietly, his eyes shifting with deep thought.

***

"Brother Yiu." Seeing Wang Yaotang step out, Four-Eyes immediately rushed forward. "How is it? Are you alright?"

"What could possibly be wrong? Have them disperse." Wang Yaotang glanced back; the spectacle truly was an eyesore.

As for crossing the brazier, Four-Eyes had prepared pomelo-scented water well in advance. Wang Yaotang washed his face and hands, and had pomelo leaves whipped across his body to sweep away any bad luck before boarding the car.

On the way back, Four-Eyes asked, "Did the police ask us to hand anyone over?"

"Hand who over? Shark Kun crashed his car and it spontaneously combusted. What does that have to do with us?"

"Huh?" Four-Eyes looked somewhat incredulous that the police would let the matter drop so easily.

"The situation had already gotten too ugly. To pursue it further would only drag out more trouble. The police worked hard yesterday to project a positive image; they don't want any extra complications."

***

"What about Ah Chi and Ah Kit?"

"Let them relax in Macau for a few days." Wang Yaotang stretched lazily. "Book a hotel, take a bath, and change into a fresh set of clothes."

Having just been released, it wasn't wise to go straight home, as it might bring back bad luck.

Once he had properly cleaned up and freshened up, Wang Yaotang arrived at the Tsim Sha Tsui stronghold. Over two hundred junior members simultaneously bowed and shouted in unison, "Brother Yiu!"

The movement was neat and uniform, and the sheer volume caused a slight ringing in Wang Yaotang's ears.

He truly possessed the air of a triad boss now!

News of Wang Yaotang being promoted to Double-Flower Red Pole had leaked from the Yau Ma Tei police station last night. The junior members who had dined with him were naturally ecstatic; not only did a boss's promotion bring prestige to the entire crew, but he would inevitably take over more business in the future, ensuring everyone could make money.

Even the members of the stronghold who didn't strictly belong to Wang Yaotang's inner circle were having thoughts. By now, everyone knew that Wang Yaotang was the best at making money, and a newly promoted boss would certainly need to expand his manpower. They all spontaneously gathered around.

If the entrance of the police station hadn't been occupied by that mob of women and children, they would have gone straight there to welcome him.

Not far away, Yellow-Haired and Fine-Gong watched from a distance. "Damn it, the bastard's really strutting now. A Double-Flower Red Pole! Hell, can he even carry that weight?"

Previously, they were all just four-nines privates, yet belonging to the four major triads naturally placed them a cut above the rest. In the blink of an eye, a brother of theirs had been promoted to Double-Flower Red Pole, leaving them consumed by a mixture of envy, jealousy, and hatred so fierce it felt like their cells were tearing apart.

You hate to see your brothers struggle, but you fear them driving a Land Rover even more!

"Small-time triads promoting their own, humph, what a joke." The sourness in Fine-Gong's tone could be smelled by Wang Yaotang from dozens of yards away.

Wang Yaotang smiled and waved in acknowledgment, prompting Yellow-Haired and Fine-Gong to awkwardly wave back.

Stepping forward, Yellow-Haired smiled. "Brother Yiu is the boss of bosses, getting promoted to Double-Flower Red Pole right inside a police station. The only one in all of Hong Kong! Awesome!"

"God of Wealth Yiu, don't forget to pull your brothers up once you're rich and successful," Fine-Gong added.

"What God of Wealth Yiu?" Wang Yaotang blinked.

"Brother Yiu is so good at making money, pulling off big businesses that shake the underworld. You're practically the God of Wealth."

"Hahaha, sharp-witted, I like it!" Wang Yaotang laughed heartily. "I'm hosting a banquet tonight. Brother Yellow-Haired and Brother Fine-Gong, do me the honor of attending."

"Since the God of Wealth has spoken, who dares not go?" Yellow-Haired said with a sour note.

After exchanging a few more jokes, Wang Yaotang finally returned to the stronghold.

All the stronghold bosses had been arrested, the venues had been raided the previous night, and plenty of junior members had been hauled away by the coppers. All of these matters required Wang Yaotang's attention.

Once he had settled the stronghold's affairs and arranged for normal operations to resume that evening, Four-Eyes reported on the local situation.

The first few days had been about blazing a trail. Most people in Hong Kong were still unfamiliar with 'erotic apparel,' but after a few days, the reputation had steadily spread. That morning, when they delivered the goods to the newsstand vendors, the entire stock had sold out within a single morning.

Customers kept slipping away empty-handed, leaving the newsstand vendors feeling as though their hearts were bleeding as they continuously called to urge for restocks.

Some vendors had even gone so far as to storm Red Bean Garment's specialty store to grab merchandise by force, frightening the sales clerks into calling the police!