Staring silently at the stairwell where Lam Tong had disappeared, Zhou Quan's face was as dark as water as he sank into thought.
Now that Lam Tong's lead had gone cold, he could just find another one.
Did he really think that without Butcher Lin, Zhou Quan would have to eat pigs with the hair still on?
Those four bandits who robbed other criminals at Warehouse No. 3 were as good as his. Not even Jesus could save them.
He couldn't send people to follow Lam Tong directly, and he was just as unwilling to involve other departments of the Police Force.
As far as official channels went, he could no longer easily find out where those four bandits were.
In that case, he would start with the underworld.
Although Zhou Quan had only recently joined the Police Force, he didn't have any informants of his own yet.
But given his position and authority, he could still get those Gou Hok Jai to do what he wanted.
Anyone who ran a Black Hotel was bound to have ties to Gou Hok Jai and triads.
He planned to start there and find Lam Tong's hideout directly.
"Finished eating?"
Zhou Quan looked up at the men around him, who had nearly finished their meal, and said in a low voice, "Then let's get to work. We're going to raid the Big Rich Nightclub on Jordan Road."
"Yes, sir!"
All the officers immediately stood up, saluted in unison, and answered.
As they went downstairs, one officer came up beside Zhou Quan and asked in a low voice, "Assistant Superintendent, the Big Tycoon is Wo Sing Wo's turf. Won't this cause trouble?"
Wo Sing Wo was currently one of the top triads on Hong Kong Island. It was said to have more than fifty thousand Gou Hok Jai under its banner.
Its influence was so vast that it covered almost the whole of Hong Kong and Kowloon.
It wielded especially strong influence in places like Tsuen Wan and North Point.
Although the Big Rich Nightclub Zhou Quan had just mentioned wasn't one of Wo Sing Wo's branch locations, it was definitely an important business.
That was because the nightclub was backed by Tai Po Black, Wo Sing Wo's boss in Tai Po District.
Though Yau Ma Tei was some distance from Tai Po District and wasn't Tai Po Black's turf, Yau Tsim Mong was the second most prosperous area on Hong Kong Island after Central, so it naturally attracted the covetous attention of many triads.
Within Yau Tsim Mong, Tsim Sha Tsui was undoubtedly the most prosperous area.
But for that very reason, Tsim Sha Tsui was a chaotic mix of people, and the competition there was far too fierce.
Tai Po Black didn't have the clout to establish himself in Tsim Sha Tsui.
So the nightclubs and finance companies he used to make money had settled for opening in Yau Ma Tei instead.
"Since when have PTU raids had to take Gou Hok Jai's feelings into account?"
Zhou Quan glanced at the officer, but didn't explain further.
"Just do what the Assistant Superintendent says. Follow orders!"
At that moment, He Wenzhan also rebuked the officer, clearly exasperated.
"Yes, sir!"
The officer quickly stood at attention and saluted, then hurried out of Kowloon Cafe.
"I'll go get the van!"
Once everyone had boarded, the Riot Van set off at the fastest patrol speed.
A little over twenty minutes later, it arrived in front of the Big Tycoon Nightclub on Jordan Road.
By Zhou Quan's standards, the Big Rich Nightclub's decor was rather tacky. Blinding neon lights flashed all over the place, inside and out.
But in Hong Kong at the time, that was the fashionable style.
The steady stream of people coming and going from the nightclub made that clear.
No wonder the triads across Hong Kong Island were scrambling to get a foothold in Yau Tsim Mong.
It truly was one of the most prosperous areas in all of Hong Kong Island.
As soon as the Gou Hok Jai at the nightclub entrance, who were responsible for parking cars and keeping watch, saw Zhou Quan and the other PTU officers arrive, one of them immediately ran inside.
There was no point in trying to stop Zhou Quan and his men.
After all, this was a fully armed PTU squad, and every man had a gun at his waist.
Zhou Quan didn't have his men stop the Gou Hok Jai. He simply led them straight into the nightclub.
The noisy music that could be heard from outside was even louder and more grating inside.
"Turn on the lights! Turn off the music!"
"Everyone, stand to one side! Take out your ID cards!"
After entering the nightclub's dance hall, He Wenzhan and Shao Meiqi immediately led their men through the usual raid procedure.
"Officers, is there some kind of misunderstanding?"
Before long, a manager in a suit came hurrying over from the back of the nightclub.
He was called a manager, but in truth he was just a Gou Hok Jai dressed like a respectable person, albeit one with a higher standing.
He hurried over to He Wenzhan and Shao Meiqi, ingratiating himself with a broad smile. "Brother Zhan, Sister Qi, we run a completely legitimate business here."
As the person directly in charge of the nightclub, he knew all the officers who regularly patrolled Jordan Road.
He was especially familiar with He Wenzhan and Shao Meiqi, the leaders of the recently notorious Second Squad, First Group of the PTU.
But no matter how obsequious he was, He Wenzhan and Shao Meiqi kept their faces cold and continued checking the customers' ID cards without a word.
"Have everyone here clear out!"
Just as the Gou Hok Jai in charge of the nightclub had no idea what to do, a calm voice slowly rang out.
"We're closed for the day!"
The Gou Hok Jai in charge was already furious because his business had been disrupted. When he heard those words, he could no longer hold back his anger.
"Who's running their mouth?"
He abruptly turned around and roared toward the voice.
But in the next instant, all the color drained from his face.
Zhou Quan was walking over with both hands resting on his belt buckle, his expression calm.
"Inspector Zhou, what brings you here today? What could have made you come down in person?"
The Gou Hok Jai hurried over, bowing and scraping as he tried to flatter him.
The PTU Assistant Superintendent known as the West Kowloon Gun God—who among the Gou Hok Jai making a living in West Kowloon hadn't heard of him?
Even if they'd never met Zhou Quan in person, they'd already committed his face to memory through various channels.
His fearsome reputation had been forged by the deaths of four bandits. Those Gou Hok Jai didn't want to fall into the hands of this fearsome officer.
"I said we're closed for the day."
Zhou Quan gave the Gou Hok Jai, who was dressed like a respectable man, a cool glance and asked in a low voice, "Do you have a problem with that?"
After taking the lives of four bandits, Zhou Quan's presence had undergone a qualitative change.
It might sound a little mysterious, but someone who had seen blood and someone who hadn't had entirely different airs.
Now, with his swordlike brows slightly furrowed, the Gou Hok Jai dressed like a respectable man couldn't help shivering.
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