chsdbacks Chapter 49 Killing someone, but also destroying their spirit—how terrifying!
Chapter 49 Killing someone, but also destroying their spirit—how terrifying!
Seeing the puzzled looks on his two superiors' faces, Shen Shaofeng explained:
"Ni Yongxiao is different from ordinary gangsters; he's more like a businessman desperately trying to squeeze into high society."
"Over the years, he has been maintaining his drug business while simultaneously investing heavily in real estate and finance, befriending celebrities, and doing charity work in an attempt to whitewash the Ni family's reputation."
Li Wenbin nodded slightly: "We all understand that, so what?"
"Therefore, to attack Ni Yongxiao, we must first attack what he cares about most: the so-called legitimate businessman image he has painstakingly built up."
"Once this image collapses, his network of connections in both political and business circles will be shaken, banks will tighten lending, partners will turn their backs on him, and the Ni family's seemingly luxurious ship will sink rapidly."
"Be more specific," Wan Xihua said, a thoughtful expression on her face.
Shen Shaofeng held up two fingers: "Going back to the second step I mentioned earlier, I have already convinced Han Chen. He will arrange for Toastmaster Dillow and Sha Qiang and his gang to cause trouble and create conflict in their territory in Tsim Sha Tsui under the guise of Prince, Axe Jun, Old Ghost Huang and the others wearing red shoes, and the Ni family wanting to avenge Brother Chen."
Both the police and the triads on Hong Kong Island worship Guan Gong, but the difference is that the Guan Gong statue in the police force wears red shoes, while the one in the triads wears black shoes.
"Wearing red shoes" is underworld slang, referring to members of a triad who disregard code of honor and inform on others to the police.
Li Wenbin immediately understood: "Are you suggesting that we attribute the recent crackdowns on the three major leaders under the Ni family to the informants from Hung Hing, Sun Kee, and Lao Wan, the big bosses of Tsim Sha Tsui? Won't this provoke them to launch a major attack, harming innocent bystanders?"
No, it won't.
Shen Shaofeng shook his finger: "Prince and his gang aren't fools; they won't easily launch a full-scale war. But small-scale skirmishes are inevitable. If for several days in a row, incidents keep happening in saunas, nightclubs, and mahjong parlors in Tsim Sha Tsui, and gangsters are frequently fighting on the streets, the public and the media's attention will be drawn to it."
He took a drag of his cigarette and looked at Wan Xihua: "Madam, what do you think the news will report on it?"
Wan Hei-wah smiled and replied, "It's nothing more than headlines like 'Tsim Sha Tsui Triad War, Deteriorating Security,' 'The Ni Family's Conflict with Three Major Triads Escalates,' and 'Shocking! Ni Yongxiao's Older Father Did Such a Thing Back Then.'"
"Shaofeng, that's a brilliant move! Public opinion will then point the finger at Ni Yongxiao, and all his efforts to whitewash his image over the past few years will have been in vain. The public will remember that his father, Ni Kun, was always a major drug lord..."
Li Wenbin suddenly realized: "If there is chaos in Tsim Sha Tsui, our police will be under great pressure and will definitely have to take action to suppress it."
"At that time, our Organized Crime and Triad Bureau (OCTB) can unite with various departments to conduct an indiscriminate sweep of all the establishments of Ni's, Hung Hing, Sun Kee, and Lao Wan in Tsim Sha Tsui. We'll check licenses, arrest people, audit accounts, check fire safety, check taxes—in short, we'll investigate them thoroughly."
Shen Shaofeng, with a cigarette dangling from his mouth, held up two fingers again:
"The boss is right, there are two advantages to doing this."
"First, we want to show the outside world our police force's determination to crack down on triads and make up for the negative impact of the Wong Chi Shing incident. Our Organized Crime and Triad Bureau (OCTB) can also share some credit for the anti-triad efforts in West Kowloon and do them a favor."
"Secondly, since the matter was instigated by people under the Ni family, Ni Yongxiao will definitely try to quell the situation and prevent it from escalating. For example, he might use his connections, hold a reconciliation banquet, or even offer concessions to the other three major triads to seek peace."
Wan Xihua became increasingly excited as he thought about it, and continued, "His shady businesses have been continuously wiped out by us, so his business can't continue, and his cash flow will dry up. But at the same time, he's spending money to appease the anger of the three major triads, to pay bail for his underlings, to provide resettlement fees for those who were killed or injured, and to manage relationships with various parties, etc. Where does the money come from?"
"In the end, we can only rely on our most profitable business—flour."
Shen Shaofeng knew he had to make sure the leaders felt involved in his workplace strategies, and seeing that the two had finished adding their points, he nodded and said:
"That's right, but Ni Laosan is in our hands. Ni Yongxiao's most trusted person is gone, and we need to find someone to replace this third uncle to handle the urgent flour business. Blackie, Wen Zheng, Ni Yongxiao definitely doesn't trust him, so who else is around him?"
Li Wenbin and Wan Xihua exclaimed in unison, "Chen Yongren!"
After getting to know him for a while, Shen Shaofeng was convinced that apart from being ambitious and sometimes crossing the line, this person didn't have any major flaws—in Shen Shaofeng's view, this might even be a strength.
Since the other party couldn't possibly be a corrupt cop, Shen Shaofeng reported Luo Ji and Chen Yongren's situation to his direct superior, just in case any unexpected situations arose.
"Yes, Chen Yongren, the closest blood relative to Ni Yongxiao. Ni Yongxiao has been grooming him and keeping him by his side recently. With Uncle San absent and in urgent need of manpower, Ni Yongxiao is very likely to let Chen Yongren temporarily take over part of the drug business."
"So, the third step."
Shen Shaofeng raised his third finger.
"After the second step of the crackdown, Ni Yongxiao's reputation in the legitimate world has been severely damaged. We have applied to have his communications and residence wiretapped and monitored, and the likelihood of the court approving the application will greatly increase. With the help of the two undercover agents around him, we may be able to find direct evidence that he is in contact with the Thai side and directing drug transactions."
The office fell silent for a moment as Li Wenbin and Wan Xihua digested Shen Shaofeng's audacious plan.
This young O-Division inspector's series of moves brought Ni Yongxiao to the brink of collapse in both the underworld and legitimate society. His hard-earned achievements crumbled, and in the end, he discovered that the one who betrayed him was none other than his most cherished family member...
To kill someone and then destroy their spirit—how terrifying!
Wan Xihua pondered for a moment, then looked at Shen Shaofeng: "How confident are you that you can persuade Chen Yongren? After all, he is Ni Yongxiao's brother."
"I will speak with him personally later. Huang Zhicheng is dead, and he is now a lost soul. I will give him new hope, a hope that the Ni family can be wiped out, and that he, Ni Kun's illegitimate son, can live an upright life again."
After hearing Shen Shaofeng's answer, Wan Xihua remained silent, indicating that she acquiesced to the plan.
Li Wenbin stood up, placing his hands on the desk: "I agree to this plan, but there are a few conditions."
"First, it's fine to incite gangsters to cause trouble, but once ordinary citizens are involved, our police must resolutely stop it."
"Secondly, dealing with the Ni family must be based on reason and evidence, and the procedures must be legal. We cannot give them any chance to turn things around."
"Third, Chen Yongren, Luo Ji's safety is of paramount importance. Shaofeng, you are personally in charge. You must not let anything happen to our undercover brothers."
"Finally, the entire operation was carried out by Shaofeng, while the two of us were responsible for contacting other departments and providing follow-up support. The details were kept strictly confidential and were known only to the three of us."
"Yes, Sir!"
Shen Shaofeng and Wan Xihua stood up at the same time and solemnly replied.
"Shaofeng."
Li Wenbin walked up to Shen Shaofeng and patted him on the shoulder: "Go ahead and do it. If anything goes wrong, I'll take responsibility."
"Thank you, boss." Shen Shaofeng nodded emphatically.