Kwan Man Chin and Zhou Quan talked about what had happened at the Police Station over the past few days as they walked to the door of Kong Chi Lap's office.
"Knock! Knock, knock!"
Although the office door was open, Zhou Quan still politely raised a hand and knocked.
"Come in!"
Kong Chi Lap was bent over his desk handling official business. Without looking up, he spoke.
It wasn't until Zhou Quan and Kwan Man Chin's footsteps drew closer that he calmly looked over at them.
"Chun and Wenzhan, you're here!"
A slight smile tugged at Kong Chi Lap's lips as he greeted them.
Then he turned his attention to Zhou Quan and asked with concern, "How are you? Has this week off helped you feel a lot better?"
Compared with Kwan Man Chin, Zhou Quan clearly mattered more to Kong Chi Lap.
"Thanks for asking, Lap. You know I minored in psychology. I'm pretty good at regulating my own emotions."
Zhou Quan grinned. He didn't stand on ceremony with Kong Chi Lap.
"Have a seat. Let's talk!"
Kong Chi Lap gave a slight nod, stood up, and personally led Zhou Quan and Kwan Man Chin over to the sofas.
"Chun, did Wenzhan tell you about how your men are doing?"
Once all three had sat down, Kong Chi Lap's expression grew more serious.
"Man Chin told me."
Zhou Quan nodded, sitting perfectly upright.
"I know this sudden incident was just an accident."
Kong Chi Lap considered his words before saying earnestly, "The Big Sirs upstairs know, and the Number One knows too.
"The Police Force's management can all understand what happened, so your men won't be punished for it."
"But this incident did have a serious impact. It's shaken the public's trust in the Police Force a little."
As he spoke, Kong Chi Lap turned to Kwan Man Chin.
"I'm not worried about Wenzhan. After all, he doesn't need to take part in street patrols directly."
His gaze returned to Zhou Quan, and he continued, "But you, Chun, will need to be more careful.
"You'll be leading your team on patrol at the front line. People out there may point fingers at you, so be prepared for that."
At any time, rumors and gossip were invisible weapons that could hurt people.
Zhou Quan came from a distinguished family and was exceptionally capable himself.
Apart from his parents having died in the line of duty, he had never faced any setbacks.
That was why Kong Chi Lap was worried that the rumors might affect Zhou Quan. He had called him in especially to offer some reassurance.
"Don't worry, Lap!"
Zhou Quan smiled in response to Kong Chi Lap's concern.
He was determined to reach commissioned rank before returning to his home country. How could a setback like this affect his state of mind?
What's more, after looking into things, Zhou Quan had already formed a rough idea of what had happened to his men.
He still needed his men to corroborate his suspicions before he could know the specifics.
"As long as you know what you're doing, Chun. Your men should be finished answering questions by now. You two can get back to work."
Kong Chi Lap checked the time on his watch and didn't keep Zhou Quan and Kwan Man Chin any longer.
"Goodbye, sir!"
They stood up together and saluted, then walked out of the office side by side.
When they returned to their team's work area, they happened to run into He Wenzhan, Shao Meiqi, and the other officers coming back.
"Man Chin, I'm going to take care of some things within the team."
Zhou Quan slowed his steps a little and smiled at Kwan Man Chin.
"Go ahead, Chun. I won't keep you."
Kwan Man Chin shrugged, signaling that Zhou Quan could go on his own.
Then he returned to his glass-walled office.
"Everyone, come with me to the conference room."
Zhou Quan's gaze swept over his men's faces as he issued a series of instructions in a low voice.
"Ah Zhan, go get the case file for yesterday's Warehouse No. 3 Case."
"Ah Mei, get a copy of the videotape that was shown on TV this morning."
Their Assistant Superintendent had just returned from leave, and now he had to worry about their situation.
A hint of embarrassment crossed the faces of He Wenzhan, Shao Meiqi, and the others.
"Yes, sir!"
But none of them hesitated or slacked off.
Within minutes, everything Zhou Quan needed had been laid out in their team's conference room, where they assigned tasks.
"Let's watch the footage first!"
Zhou Quan gestured for Shao Meiqi to connect the projector and play the tape on the screen.
It was his first time seeing the footage, but He Wenzhan, Shao Meiqi, and the other officers had already watched it once.
Compared with the recording someone had deliberately put on TV, this copy, taken directly from inside the Police Station, was undoubtedly clearer.
When the footage ended, Zhou Quan couldn't help but sneer.
"Two AKs, two Black Stars, and a four-man team. That's practically become the standard setup for Hong Kong Island's armed robbers."
He turned to look at the men behind him, his expression softening a little.
"This has already been classified as a sudden incident. The Police Force won't hold it against you."
After reassuring his men, Zhou Quan said in a low voice, "The footage clearly shows the Mazda that forced the Riot Van to stop.
"Judging by the way the car was swerving all over the road, I suspect the driver was drunk."
As he spoke, Zhou Quan looked at the two plainclothes officers on his team.
"You two, check the car's license plate and find its driver.
"Arrest him for taking part in a robbery, dangerous driving, obstructing police duty, and the like."
The man had dared to force a patrol car to stop. Zhou Quan clearly wasn't going to let him get away with it.
The charge of taking part in a robbery might not stick, but the charges of dangerous driving and obstructing police duty would.
No matter how good a lawyer the man hired, Zhou Quan could make those charges stick.
At the very least, Zhou Quan would ask the court for the maximum penalty: a lifetime driving ban and five years at Stanley to study.
"Yes, sir!"
The two plainclothes officers immediately stood up, saluted, and answered.
Zhou Quan waved them off, signaling for the two younger men to go get to work.
Then he picked up the case summary He Wenzhan had brought and began reading it carefully.
When he saw a familiar name among the officers who had handled yesterday's Warehouse No. 3 Case, in addition to the officers from his own team, his memories of the case immediately came back into sharper focus.
Lam Tong of the Tsim Sha Tsui Major Crimes Unit. The appearance of that name undoubtedly confirmed Zhou Quan's suspicions.
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