Under Zhou Quan's influence, the Cold War Incident had long since become an illusion.
Perhaps the Police Force might launch an operation codenamed Cold War in the future.
But the two could never be of the same nature.
Still, no matter how deeply Zhou Quan entrenched himself within the Police Force, the passage of time remained unaffected.
If Choi Yuen-kei had successfully become the Police Force's second highest-ranking leader after the handover, he would certainly have been stepping down as Number One around this time.
After all, the Hong Kong Government had expressly stipulated a retirement age!
Not even the Hong Kong Government’s top official could violate it, let alone the Police Force Number One.
According to the course of the Cold War Incident, Tsang Heung-wing had succeeded Choi Yuen-kei after his honourable retirement.
Lee Man-bun and Lau Kit-fai had taken charge of the Police Force's Action Group and Management Group respectively.
Yet not long after Tsang Heung-wing became the Police Force Number One, with at least two years remaining before his mandatory retirement, he had applied for early retirement.
At that point, the Cold War Incident had yet to reach its full climax.
The failure of the Police Force's Cold War Operations alone was nowhere near enough to make a Police Force Number One resign to accept responsibility.
Even an early retirement could not have been the wish of the Hong Kong Government, much less the senior leadership in Mainland China.
Although Tsang Heung-wing's influence within the Police Force during the Cold War Incident could not possibly have matched Zhou Quan's current influence.
Ultimately, the Police Force Number One was still the Force's highest-ranking leader.
Moreover, judging by his support for Lau Kit-fai, he and Choi Yuen-kei in the Cold War Incident had been on entirely different paths.
Voluntarily