Deeds mattered, not intentions, whatever Situ Jie's true thoughts might have been.
But his actions at that moment clearly provided a measure of assurance for Cheung Tak Biu and the others' operation.
The document Situ Jie had pushed across had been prepared before he convened the operational meeting.
It bore his signature, along with his personal and official seals.
Without question, Situ Jie had tied himself closely to the follow-up operation in this kidnapping case.
If the operation went smoothly, Situ Jie would not only lose nothing, but also establish a connection with a figure of considerable standing in Hong Kong Island's business community.
But if something unexpected really did happen during the operation, Situ Jie would certainly have to bear responsibility.
Yet for him personally, that might well turn out to be a blessing in disguise.
Situ Jie might also have come from the West Kowloon Region and served under Zhou Quan.
But in fact, when Zhou Quan worked at the grassroots level of the Police Force, his main focus had been anti-triad and narcotics work.
Ordinary criminal cases were almost all handled independently by the Regional Major Crimes Unit.
Where did that leave Situ Jie, who had served as a Chief Inspector in the Uniform Branch?
His relationship with Zhou Quan had been limited to that of superior and subordinate, with occasional support for Zhou Quan's operations.
Even when he participated in an operation, his role had been confined to its outermost perimeter.
Zhou Quan's operations had always been on a grand scale, with the Mobile Unit and the Flying Tigers serving as his main assault forces.
The Uniform Branch had largely been responsible only for setting up police cordons.
Precisely for that reason, Situ Jie could barely be considered one of Zhou Quan's former subordinates in name.