With his hands clasped in front of his belt, Zhou Quan strolled along Canton Road with two Plainclothes Officers.
As he patrolled, he quietly thought about what was going to happen that night.
From what Zhou Quan knew, his PTU team would get caught up in trouble because an Anti-Triad Unit sergeant had lost his gun.
It would involve a bloody feud between triad factions, as well as the four armed robbers who had held up an armored car that morning.
After a series of twists and turns, the Anti-Triad Unit sergeant would recover his service pistol and, together with He Wenzhan and the other PTU officers, shoot the four robbers dead.
Zhou Quan did not care what happened to the Anti-Triad Unit sergeant who had lost his gun. He only cared about the two triad bosses involved in the gunfight and the four armed robbers.
These were genuine merits, and they were practically being delivered right to his door.
All Zhou Quan had to do was take his men and wait for the opportunity to fall into his lap. He would earn both merits.
The two triad bosses were one thing. After all, triad gangs were rampant across Hong Kong Island, with groups of every size and kind mixed together.
Triad bosses who had to personally take part in a feud and gunfight were nothing more than small fry.
Compared with major organizations like Wo Shing League, Hung Hing, and Sun Yee On, which flew the banners of Hung Mun and the Heaven and Earth Society, those two small gangs were insignificant.
But even a sparrow was still meat. Shooting two triad bosses dead in a street gunfight would be enough to add a line to Zhou Quan's record of merit.
Once such merits accumulated, they would be more than enough to help Zhou Quan earn a promotion and a raise.
As for the four armed robbers, they were an even greater fortune.
Foreign currency worth eighteen million Hong Kong dollars was already no small sum.
What was more, a uniformed officer had been killed in the armored-car robbery.
Whether to crack down on crime or to earn a promotion and a raise, Zhou Quan could not afford to let this opportunity pass.
With his mind preoccupied, Zhou Quan's expression was calm, and he said nothing as he patrolled.
That put some pressure on the two Plainclothes Officers accompanying him.
They sensibly followed behind Zhou Quan, staying alert for any crimes on the street.
"Crackle!"
Suddenly, the Motorola radio on Zhou Quan's shoulder crackled with static.
"Assistant Superintendent, WPC26316 calling, over!"
Shao Meiqi's voice brought Zhou Quan out of his thoughts.
A glint flashed in his eyes. He knew the night's big show was about to begin.
"Received. Go ahead!"
He raised a hand to press the radio's PTT button and spoke in a clear voice.
"Reporting, sir. One of our own has been injured in the back alley of the Lee Kwan Building. The injured officer is a sergeant from the Tsim Sha Tsui Division Major Crimes Unit."
Shao Meiqi's crisp voice came through the radio into Zhou Quan's ear.
"Received. I'm on my way."
Zhou Quan replied over the radio, then called to the two Plainclothes Officers beside him, "Our destination is the Lee Kwan Building. Double time!"
"Yes, sir!"
The two Plainclothes Officers answered and hurried after Zhou Quan toward their destination.
About ten minutes later, Zhou Quan arrived with his men at the back alley of the Lee Kwan Building.
"Sir!"
Seeing their Assistant Superintendent arrive, an officer stationed at the alley entrance quickly pointed toward the bend at the far end. "Wenzhan and Meiqi are both inside."
"Secure this area. Don't let anyone uninvolved get close."
Zhou Quan gave a slight nod and an order, then headed straight into the alley.
An Anti-Triad Unit sergeant had been beaten all over and had also lost his service weapon.
It would be best if this did not get out.
"How's that? I just fell and got beaten up until I looked like this. Is that good enough?"
As soon as he entered the alley, Zhou Quan heard a defiant, blustering excuse.
Looking up, he saw He Wenzhan and Shao Meiqi standing in front of a fat man whose wounds had just been bandaged.
He was dressed in civilian clothes with a standard Police Force tactical vest over them, and he sat on a plastic crate.
There was no doubt that this was the Anti-Triad Unit sergeant who had lost his service weapon.
"Mate, are your injuries serious? Do you need me to call an ambulance?"
As he walked over, Zhou Quan asked in a casual tone.
By then, everyone in the alley had seen him.
"Sir!"
Zhou Quan's team members saluted in unison, and the plainclothes sergeant hurriedly stood up too.
Seeing Zhou Quan in his white uniform shirt, how could he not know his rank? How would he dare keep sitting there and putting on airs?
"Good evening, sir!"
The fat man ignored his injuries, quickly came to attention in front of Zhou Quan, and raised a hand in salute.
He greeted him with a grin. "I'm Sergeant PC7646 Lam Tong from the Tsim Sha Tsui Anti-Triad Unit. You can call me Fat Sha or Fat Tong, sir."
A sergeant was also commonly called a "sa-jin." And since Lam Tong was indeed rather fat, he had earned the nicknames Fat Sha and Fat Tong.
"Sergeant Lam, those injuries look pretty bad. Don't tell me some Gou Hok Jai robbed you?"
Zhou Quan knowingly gave Fat Sha a once-over and did not call him by his nickname.
The smile on Fat Sha's face faltered. Being robbed was one thing, but he had definitely been beaten up.
Facing a senior officer of Inspector rank, Fat Sha no longer dared to keep making excuses.
"Sir, you're joking. Some gang's Gou Hok Jai came after me. I know those bastards. I can handle it myself."
Fat Sha leaned forward slightly and explained with an awkward grin.
"As long as you know what you're doing, Sergeant Lam. I won't make a record of this, so you don't lose face."
Zhou Quan smiled and nodded, accepting Fat Sha's explanation. He had no intention of making an issue of such a small matter.
Not having the incident recorded would not exactly make Fat Sha feel as if he had escaped death, but it certainly let him breathe a long sigh of relief.
"Thank you, sir!"
Fat Sha gave him a somewhat ingratiating smile and quickly took his leave. "I'll head back and deal with this now. I won't keep you from your shift, sir."
As he finished speaking, Fat Tong bent over and prepared to leave.
But just as he took a step, Zhou Quan's voice stopped him in his tracks.
"Wait, Sergeant Lam!"
Zhou Quan glanced at Fat Sha's open tactical vest and asked in a calm voice, "Where's the service pistol at your waist?"
By then, He Wenzhan, Shao Meiqi, and the others had also noticed that the holster at Fat Sha's waist was completely empty.
For a police officer to lose a service weapon was an extremely serious dereliction of duty. He could be taken to court.
If it led to serious consequences, he could even be sentenced to prison.
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