Juliana Abbey said earnestly, "Of course I'd marry him, let him take back all that capital, and then exchange it for a beautiful diamond ring to wear on your finger, my child. Having a great husband to manage the business, not having to work hard to earn money yourself, and just enjoying a wonderful life—that's something no woman should refuse. If my husband had been like that with your boyfriend, I wouldn't have considered becoming a lawyer."
"Mr. Song, please have a seat." Lam Kong, his face still bearing the lingering bruises, gestured for Song Tianyao and Yao Chunxiao to enter, saying to his gentle lover, "Go and make tea for Mr. Song and the others."
"No need, I wanted to have a late-night snack, so I came here to ask you to have one with me." Song Tianyao placed the several kinds of braised dishes and a jar of Double-Steamed Wine he was carrying on the table.
Lam Kong was handsome and a womanizer. At a young age, he had already kept many lovers. This tenement building in Sai Wan was one of his mistresses. The woman he kept was a beautiful but poor boat girl. She was traditional and simple-minded. She didn't compete with other women for his affections, nor did she spend money extravagantly. So Lam Kong sometimes felt that this woman was more understanding. After being discharged from the hospital after his injury, he simply stayed here to recuperate.
The woman didn't dare look at Yao Chunxiao's face, and obediently went to the kitchen to boil water and make tea. Lam Kong arranged several kinds of braised dishes, and took bowls, chopsticks and wine cups. He wanted to greet Yao Chunxiao, but didn't know how to start.
"Just call me Uncle Xiao." Yao Chunxiao didn't sit down, but walked to the kitchen doorway, leaned against the door frame, and glanced at the woman making tea in the kitchen.
"Yan Hung has already taken the position of Detective Chief Inspector chief in Yau Ma Tei. His previous position Senior Detective Sergeant in Mong Kok is yours now." Song Tianyao poured himself a glass of wine. "Once your injuries have healed sufficiently, you can take up the post."
"Thank you, Mr. Song. If it weren't for Mr. Song, I'd probably still be a plainclothes officer." Lam Kong said politely, but there was no sign of relief on his face.
Song Tianyao would never personally arrange a meeting with her in the dead of night over such a trivial matter as his promotion from Sergeant to Senior Detective Sergeant. The arrogance she felt when she first met Song Tianyao had long since vanished with the passage of time she had spent with Song Tianyao.
Song Tianyao picked up his wine glass, took a small sip, then picked up a slice of lotus root and said, "Do you remember you said that the Lin Family once sent someone to the police station to look for you?"
"Of course I remember." Lam Kong didn't touch the chopsticks or the wine glass, but placed his hands properly on his knees as he spoke to Song Tianyao.
Song Tianyao held his wine glass and nodded slowly, pausing for a moment. "In other words, other police officers also knew that the Lin Family went to see you. Even if they didn't know why the Lin Family was looking for you, they should have some vague recollection of someone seeing you that day."
"Several of my men know this; they should all remember the Uniformed Branch of the officers on duty at the police station entrance."
"Who from the Lin Family went to the police station to see you?"
Lam Kong shook his head and recalled the events of that day, "I don't remember. I've never seen him before. He was a middle-aged man, no more than forty years old, unremarkable in appearance, not a very conspicuous person. We talked in my office. He wanted me to do something for the Lin Family. He didn't mention what kind of work, only that I should think carefully about which one, Mr. Song. Song or the Lin Family, is more reliable. If I choose wrong, I'll regret it."
Song Tianyao took a photo out of his pocket and handed it to Lam Kong.
Lam Kong took it and examined it carefully before looking at Song Tianyao.
"The Lin Family tried to get you to give false testimony to frame me. Tonight, I'll return the favor. Whether it's with money or loyalty, I'll make the officers who saw that Lin Family that day believe that the person they saw coming to the police station to see you is named Lin Xiao qia, the person in the photo. Now call the Police Force Political Department and say that you were injured and recuperating, and recently saw the news in the newspaper and have important clues to provide." Song Tianyao said, putting a slice of lotus root he was holding with his chopsticks into his mouth.
Lam Kong stared into Song Tianyao's eyes. "What clue?"
"Lin Xiao qia wants you to work for the mainland. If you agree, he'll pay for your promotion."
"Clatter." The broad bean Lam Kong Gang had just picked up fell onto the table. He stared blankly at Song Tianyao for a moment before nervously saying, "Mr. Song... Mr. Song, I... no one will believe me, and I don't want to get too involved in these things. It'll cost me my promotion... I..."
"Scared?" Song Tianyao picked up his glass and handed it to Lam Kong, who hadn't touched it yet, and clinked glasses with it. "Even if you weren't involved in this kind of thing, you would never have become the Police Department Chief. Even if you bribed the Foreign Devil with a mountain of gold, you would only remain Liu Fu's current position as Chief Chinese Detective Chief Inspector of Chief Chinese Detective Chief Inspector. That position won't be affected. However, you really won't have the chance to join the Political Department or the Training School in the future."
Lam Kong wiped away the sweat that had suddenly appeared on his forehead, exhaled, and quickly picked up his glass, taking a sip before continuing, "I'm afraid of being expelled from the Police Force..."
"No, the Britain can't even manage the whole of Hong Kong themselves. Even people like Lui Lok and Yan Hung, who worked as police officers during the Japanese occupation, are still serving the British Empire now, aren't they? Besides, you didn't actually take a bribe, and you even reported Lin Xiao qia," Song Tianyao said to Lam Kong.
"Then what should I do?"
"You just need to say that you received Hong Kong dollars 100,000 from Lin Xiao qia that day, and that you are now preparing to hand it over."
"Only 100,000 yuan?"
"Do you want the Foreign Devil to know that you, a mere Sergeant, are taking more money than the chief superintendent? I only spent a little over 800,000 HKD to bribe the Police Department Chief, but it cost over a million HKD to get Lai Man-yau to the position of Chief Detective Chief Inspector of Hong Kong Island. We can't let the Foreign Devil's appetites get too big; if they do, they'll only become more demanding. 100,000 HKD—in the eyes of the Foreign Devil, for a Sergeant to take that much is already quite a lot."
"They want me to prepare 100,000 in cash..."
Before Lam Kong could finish speaking, Song Tianyao took out a pre-prepared 100,000 yuan bank draft from his pocket and pushed it in front of Lam Kong: "Tell the Foreign Devil, this is what Lin Xiao qia gave you back then, and you didn't touch it."
"I didn't even know I had 100,000 yuan in deposits at this money exchange... A money exchange in Macau?" Lam Kong picked up the draft and examined it, then looked up at Song Tianyao: "The Lin Family gave me a draft that I need to withdraw money in Macau?"