In the blink of an eye, a week had passed.
All the upheaval within the Police Force had settled back into calm.
The new chiefs of the various departments had completed the Handover of Duties and begun carrying out their duties.
The Third Generation Communications Command System had also been fully rolled out on schedule.
With the Police Force's daily work settling down, Zhou Quan had thought he could enjoy a slightly more relaxed stretch.
Unfortunately, the weather refused to cooperate.
The Police Force had barely entered its new era before facing a severe crisis that could almost be called a disaster.
On Monday, less than half an hour after Zhou Quan arrived at his office, he received a disaster warning sent over by other Hong Kong Government departments.
It had nothing to do with terrorist attacks, major crimes, or other such incidents.
It was simply that nature was unpredictable, and the weather had taken a sudden turn.
With a slight frown, Zhou Quan looked up from the fax in his hand and turned toward the unbroken curtain of rain outside the window.
Hong Kong Island lay in the subtropics, where high temperatures and heavy rainfall were normal.
A downpour like the one before him, however, was rare.
From the previous Friday through to that day, Hong Kong Island had barely seen a moment of clear skies.
"This is Zhou Quan, National Security DCP of the Police Force. Please connect me to the heads of IMMD, CED, GFC, FSD, CAS, AMS, and the other departments."
Setting down the fax, Zhou Quan picked up the Internal Line telephone on his desk and called the information processing center at the Government Headquarters Building directly.
"It is now 0815. At 0910, I will convene a Hong Kong Island National Security Meeting at Police