The Leading Chinese Officer

Principal Ye covered his mouth and nose with his right hand, looking at Wong Chi Shing with amusement in his eyes.

Using Zhou Quan's connections to make Wong Chi Shing hit a wall had been Principal Ye's intention all along.

After all, the man's conduct was rather disreputable.

He was always showing up at the Police Academy to scrounge around. Luring and coaxing promising cadets into serving as undercover officers was bad enough.

What angered Principal Ye most was that Wong Chi Shing didn't even value those promising cadets.

Fortunately, Zhou Quan had powerful connections, and Principal Ye knew Wong Chi Shing couldn't possibly recruit him as an undercover officer.

If it had been any other outstanding cadet, Principal Ye wouldn't have called him in to meet Wong Chi Shing at all.

As for Zhou Quan's junior schoolmate, Chan Wing Yan, his case was an exception.

Because of Chan Wing Yan's identity and background, there was no way he could graduate from the Police Academy openly.

If he wanted to keep being a police officer, going undercover was his only option.

Principal Ye fought back a laugh and shifted his gaze to Zhou Quan.

He raised a hand and gave a small wave, saying, unable to suppress his amusement, "15827, you can go back now!"

After all, Zhou Quan hadn't yet graduated from the Police Academy, so he was still a junior.

It wouldn't do to leave Wong Chi Shing awkwardly hanging there in front of his junior schoolmate.

The principal and Big Sir had spoken, so Zhou Quan naturally didn't hesitate or delay.

"Yes, sir!"

He stamped his feet, stood at attention, saluted, then turned and left the office, returning to the Shooting Range to continue training.

After Zhou Quan's footsteps faded away, Wong Chi Shing slumped in his chair.

"Sir Ye! Sir! Principal Ye!"

He looked at Principal Ye with a wounded expression and said, rather crossly, "That young man has powerful connections. Why didn't you tell me beforehand?"

Principal Ye gave Wong Chi Shing an innocent look, but he could no longer hide the smile at the corners of his mouth.

"Every time you come to my office, you ask for top-performing cadets and newcomers with spotless backgrounds."

"Tell me, is 15827 impressive enough? Is his background clean enough?"

"I've sent so many promising cadets your way. What do you still have to complain about?"

As he spoke, the expression on Principal Ye's face shifted from amusement to seriousness.

That string of reproaches made it clear to Wong Chi Shing where his former superior's dissatisfaction lay.

Wong Chi Shing also understood that he had been too rough and heavy-handed in the way he deployed undercover officers.

But there was no helping it. The triads and criminal gangs on Hong Kong Island were simply too rampant.

Ever since the Iron Lady's fall in 1982, the foreigners in charge had started letting Hong Kong Island descend into chaos.

Especially after the date of Hong Kong Island's return to the Motherland was officially confirmed in late 1984.

The foreigners among the Police Force's senior ranks turned a blind eye to the increasingly rampant triads and criminal gangs.

Only after a Chinese man from Hong Kong Island was elected Number One of the Police Force this term did the force finally resolve to clean up the city's law and order.

In such extraordinary times, extraordinary measures were needed.

Compared with painstakingly gathering evidence against the triads and criminal gangs through normal means, sending undercover officers into their ranks was undoubtedly quicker and easier.

It was precisely because triads and criminal gangs kept appearing that Wong Chi Shing had done everything he could to squeeze every ounce of strength out of the undercover officers under his command.

On a personal level, Wong Chi Shing felt he owed the Undercover Police Officers for their sacrifices.

But when it came to fighting crime, he believed he had a clear conscience.

Seeing the shifting colors on Wong Chi Shing's face, Principal Ye couldn't help letting out a long sigh.

"Ah Shing, I know Undercover Police Officers are an indispensable part of the Police Force."

He patted Wong Chi Shing on the shoulder and offered a heartfelt warning.

"Those Undercover Police Officers gave up their lives for the Police Force. Those of us who are their superiors ought to give a little more thought to them."

"I've been retired from the front line for years. How you senior officers in the Police Force handle things isn't really my place to comment on."

"But those young people came from under my tutelage. How could I bear to watch them end up dead or crippled?"

"Ah Shing, take care of yourself from now on."

Wong Chi Shing listened quietly to his former superior. After a dozen seconds of silence, he finally nodded slowly.

"Sir Ye, thank you for your guidance. I understand."

After steadying the complicated thoughts in his heart, Wong Chi Shing narrowed his eyes slightly and changed the subject.

"Sir Ye, what kind of family background does that Wai Jai have?"

Though he was deliberately changing the subject, Wong Chi Shing was genuinely curious about Zhou Quan's connections.

"What kind of family background? To put it bluntly, Chun comes from a Police Family."

Glancing at Wong Chi Shing, Principal Ye scoffed. "If you try to lure Chun into becoming an undercover officer, and his family finds out, they might transfer you to desk duty first, then send you straight into retirement."

Wong Chi Shing looked even more curious and hurriedly pressed him. "Sir Ye, 15827's parents are...?"

A trace of reminiscence passed through Principal Ye's eyes as he said with a sigh, "His parents were already Inspectors in the Police Force ten years ago. But later, they both died in the line of duty."

Wong Chi Shing had been watching Principal Ye closely, and he immediately caught the look of remembrance.

It seemed Sir Ye had known 15827's parents.

Suddenly, Wong Chi Shing's pupils contracted, and a storm rose in his heart.

His former superior had also moved to the second line around that same time, after some incident.

Among the Inspector couples who had known him, had powerful connections, and ultimately both died in the line of duty, there was only one pair.

"Sir Ye, do you mean the Lee Family's eldest daughter and her husband, who died in the line of duty?"

Wong Chi Shing swallowed, almost unconsciously, and looked at Principal Ye in disbelief.

Principal Ye gave a slight nod. Though he said nothing, he confirmed Wong Chi Shing's guess.

"No wonder. No wonder!"

After slowly absorbing the shock deep inside him, Wong Chi Shing couldn't help giving a wry smile.

The Lee Family in the Police Force was an influence that could not be ignored.

After the Detective Sergeant Era ended and the foreigners opened up the promotion ladder to Chinese officers,

the first Chinese officer of Commissioned Rank had been none other than the Lee Family patriarch, Lee Shu-tong.

From Superintendent to Assistant Commissioner of Police, old Mr. Lee had always been the leading Chinese officer in the Police Force.

If Chinese officers in the Police Force hadn't clashed with the foreigners after the negotiations confirming Hong Kong Island's return ended,

the present-day old Mr. Lee Shu-tong might even have taken a turn as Number One of the Police Force.