Bangkok, Thailand. Suvarnabhumi International Airport.
A chartered business aircraft belonging to the Hong Kong Island Police Force slowly descended before finally taxiing onto a dedicated apron.
As the boarding stairs were lowered, five off-road vehicles bearing Thai Police Headquarters livery, along with a bus in the same livery, pulled up before the aircraft's cabin door.
A police major general in a gray-blue uniform, with maroon-backed rank epaulets bearing a Buddha Light Tower and two eight-pointed stars, led the Thai Police Headquarters reception party forward.
The aircraft's cabin door slowly opened, and the members of the Hong Kong Island Police Force's transnational operations team, led by He Wenzhan, descended the stairs in an orderly fashion.
"Hi, Sir He, my dear old friend! Long time no see!"
The instant he saw He Wenzhan, an exceptionally bright smile spread across the Thai police major general's face.
"Mr. Withaya, it's been a long time. How have you been?"
Senior Superintendent He, the normally stern and unsmiling terror, also curved his lips into a friendly smile.
Before he had even finished descending the stairs, he took the initiative to extend his hand.
Back when he had accompanied his boss on the Hong Kong-Thai Joint Anti-Drug Operations, the police major general before him had been the Thai side's operational liaison with the Hong Kong Island Police Force.
At the time, however, Mr. Withaya had merely been the chief of the Chiang Rai Province Police Station, wearing the epaulets of a police colonel.
As for Mr. Phongsaphat, the Thai police major general who had coordinated face-to-face with Zhou Quan back then...
He had since been promoted to police general and appointed chief of Thai Police Headquarters, becoming the highest-ranking official in the entire Thai police system.
Withaya, once a police colonel, had also broken through the barrier