radicalducati Chapter 27 The ICAC's Real Goal
Chapter 27 The ICAC's Real Goal
Shi Xuan, his face beaming with smiles, bowed respectfully as he escorted He Chu to the door.
"Inspector Ho, it's a misunderstanding, it's all a misunderstanding from beginning to end."
He Chu, his face full of anger, shouted:
"Can this really be explained away as a misunderstanding?"
"Stock market manipulation? How could you even fabricate such an outrageous charge?"
"It would be more believable if I said I accepted a bribe of 30 million taels of silver!"
Lu Zhilian, standing to the side, quickly spoke up to smooth things over:
"Inspector Shi was too eager to get things done... Inspector He, please rest assured, we will definitely publish a statement in the newspaper to apologize to you."
He felt bitter; the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) had completely lost face this time.
Lu Zhilian glared at Shi Xuan. If he had known it was such a lousy case, he would never have let Shi Xuan lead his men to force their way into the West Kowloon Headquarters.
The relationship between the police and the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) was already tense, and Shih Xuan just had to force his way in without going through a crucial procedure. Wasn't this just pure nonsense?
The Independent Commission Against Corruption's (ICAC) reputation, built up over many years, has now been completely ruined.
He Chu gave a heavy, cold snort and said:
"Our boss specifically instructed us on this before we came."
"You've been in the wrong from beginning to end in this whole affair."
"While my personal reputation is important, the reputation of your Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) is of paramount importance."
"Have one of your specialists call our top leader personally. Let the higher-ups on both sides resolve this matter themselves."
Lu Zhilian was overjoyed:
"Inspector Ho is truly a magnanimous man!"
Upon hearing this, Shi Xuan also breathed a long sigh of relief.
Lu Zhilian reached out and gently pushed him.
"Inspector Shi, hurry up and thank Inspector He."
Shi Xuan quickly bowed and said:
"Thank you for your kindness, Inspector Ho."
He Chu let out another cold snort:
"If our boss hadn't given prior instructions, do you think I would have let this go so easily?"
The two ICAC officers didn't dare utter a single word of rebuttal.
He Chu composed himself and said with a serious expression:
"But then again, being investigated by you all isn't all bad."
"You've checked my bank account, and you've probably checked everyone's bank accounts in our group, right?"
Lu Zhilian turned to look at Shi Xuan, who dared not hide anything and told the truth.
"We've checked everything."
"We've checked the bank accounts of everyone in your Group C—you're all rich!"
He Chu spoke calmly:
"We are all law enforcement officers, and we would never do anything that violates the law."
"We paid every penny of the stamp duty on every single profit we made in the stock market."
"Every transaction has clear and verifiable documentation."
Shi Xuan nodded repeatedly in a hurry:
"That's right!"
He Chu waved his hand and said:
"Unless there's nothing else, then we'll meet again—or better yet, it's best if we never see each other again!"
"I'm honestly starting to get scared of the way your Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) operates!"
Lu Zhilian and Shi Xuan exchanged a glance, their faces filled with bitter smiles.
He Chu opened the car door and got in; the car drove off in the blink of an eye.
Shi Xuan turned to Lu Zhilian, his face full of shame, and said:
"Inspector Lu, I am truly ashamed of what happened this time."
Lu Zhilian waved his hand and sighed:
"Learn from this mistake and remember it for the future."
"Such a foolish thing to do..."
He shook his head helplessly, and after a long while, he slowly spoke.
"How exactly did this case get approved and assigned to you?"
Shi Xuan himself was also completely bewildered, and said with a blank expression:
"It was personally issued to me by the commissioner."
Lu Zhilian's brows furrowed instantly:
"Isn't he focused entirely on fighting the traitor Dong to the death?"
"How come you have the time to bother with such a bizarre case?"
"Besides, if there really is suspicion of stock market manipulation, we can only start investigating after Hang Seng issues official approval documents, right?"
Shi Xuan shook his head, looking completely bewildered.
"Who knows what's going on inside!"
Something suddenly flashed through his mind.
"I heard the commissioner mention before that the case involving the traitor Dong happens to be from the West Kowloon Regional Crime Unit."
Upon hearing this, Lu Zhilian curled his lip in disdain:
"With Group C's resources, would they even care about such a paltry sum?"
Shi Xuan's expression instantly turned serious:
"Not from Group C, I heard they're from Group A."
Lu Zhilian suddenly stared intently at Shi Xuan, a look that sent chills down Shi Xuan's spine.
"Inspector Lu, why are you looking at me like that?"
Lu Zhilian spoke in a deep and meaningful tone:
"Inspector Shek, good luck to you—please don't let the Commissioner send you to the West Kowloon Headquarters again."
Shi Xuan's mouth went dry instantly, and his heart tightened:
"That can't be, can it? I was the one who handled that case before."
For a moment, his mind was in turmoil, filled with complicated thoughts.
He Chu returned safely to Group C's office area.
The group members immediately surrounded him, asking him all sorts of questions.
He Chu waved to the crowd:
"What fault can they find with the money I make in the stock market through honest and fair means?"
"By the way, from now on, not only will I be free of any trouble, but you will all be free of any trouble either."
"We are all clean and there is absolutely no problem with us."
Lu Qichang spoke with a look of astonishment:
"Is the ICAC here this time because of the money we made in the stock market?"
He Chu nodded and said:
"That's right!"
"However, to be fair, we made this money honestly and cleanly, and they can't find a single fault with it."
"I'll take this opportunity to properly register this money for you."
Lu Qichang spat on the spot.
"We paid the full amount of stamp duty, so why do we need them to file a record for us?"
Despite saying that, a smile couldn't be hidden on his face.
Everyone present breathed a long sigh of relief.
Even the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) personally verified the legitimacy of the money's origin, so no one will dare to gossip about it anymore.
This is fantastic news!
He Chu then continued:
"I need to go to the office of the senior officer and the boss. I have something important to report to them."
Lu Qichang smiled and said:
"How about we treat you to a meal after get off work tonight to welcome you back?"
He Chu immediately clapped his hands and said:
"That's a good idea."
He subtly winked at Lu Qichang, who, though confused, followed him out.
He Chu lowered his voice and said:
"I just heard some important news from the ICAC."
Lu Qichang frowned and said:
"What important news?"
He Chu lowered his voice and said slowly:
"Someone is secretly targeting the people in Group A."
Ok? !
Lu Qichang's brows furrowed tightly in an instant:
"Is someone targeting Group A?"
"Who is it?"
He Chu looked around to make sure no one was watching before slowly uttering a name:
"Traitor Dong!"
Lu Qichang's face instantly darkened, turning as black as the bottom of a pot:
"It was this guy?!"
Upon seeing this, He Chu quickly pressed for an answer:
"Just who exactly is this traitor Dong?"
Lu Qichang's face was extremely grim.
"He's just a short, scrawny guy who grew up on the streets."
"You must know Lü Bu from the Three Kingdoms period, right?"
He Chu looked on in surprise upon hearing this:
"Could this guy be as exceptionally skilled as Lü Bu?"
Lu Qichang sneered with a face full of disdain:
"He doesn't possess even a fraction of Lü Bu's true abilities."
"Lu Bu was a notorious traitor who served three masters, and this traitor Dong is exactly the same kind of person as him."
"He served four different big shots, but in the end, they all betrayed him and joined their rivals."
"Otherwise, how would he have earned the nickname 'Traitor Dong'?"
"However, this kid does have some shady skills, which makes him highly regarded by those big shots in the underworld."
"And that's precisely why..."
"This guy is not someone to be trifled with."
After a moment's pause, a wry smile appeared on Lu Qichang's face.
"No matter how capable the traitor Dong is, he's still just a short, street-smart scoundrel. He's not that great in any other way."
He leaned forward and lowered his voice even further.
"He is Uncle Tian's brother-in-law."
He Chu was stunned for a moment.
"Uncle Tian's brother-in-law?"
Lu Qichang's face remained expressionless as he slowly spoke:
"When Uncle Tian's wife passed away, her biggest worry was this younger brother. Before she died, she specifically instructed Uncle Tian to take good care of him and discipline him."
He Chu scoffed disdainfully upon hearing this.
"How can we manage him in this state?"
He then asked again.
"What exactly is this traitor Dong up to?"
Lu Qichang spoke with a livid face:
"Selling face powder!"
He Chu's body suddenly stiffened, and his fists clenched tightly in an instant:
"Why bother with this kind of trash!"
Anyone who dares to get involved in drug trafficking has a completely black heart.
He suddenly turned to look at Lu Qichang.
"Inspector Lu, you told me before..."
"Have Scalp and Thief Ming from Group A been dressing up in gold and silver and looking much more extravagant lately?"
Lu Qichang nodded with a worried expression.
A glint of light flashed in He Chu's eyes:
"We can't wait any longer; we have to go see the boss right away."
Lu Qichang quickly stepped forward and said:
"You already have an idea?"
He Chu nodded slightly:
"Yes, just follow my lead when the time comes."
Lu Qichang's heart, which had been hanging in suspense, instantly settled down.
Although He Chu is young, he makes accurate and steady decisions, and is the real backbone and strategist of Group C.
With him making the decisions ahead, Lu Qichang felt much more relaxed.
As soon as the two men entered Huang Bingyao's office, the boss actually stood up from his chair:
"Good lad, you've really made me proud this time!"