Chapter Summaries

Zhou Quan had the captured assassin tortured until she agreed to cooperate, then identified her as Fina Becky, a member of the Madam M organization. Becky revealed that Madam M had received a US$500,000 contract to kill Zhou Quan and was likely still at large after abandoning their Yuen Long hideout.

• Zhou Quan ordered Chow Sing Sing to use water torture on the captured assassin, and she agreed to answer their questions.
• The assassin gave her name as Fina Becky, and Yeung Kam Wing identified her as Fina Nissen, a wanted member of the Madam M assassin organization.
• Zhou Quan asked Becky whether the shooter was Madam M, and Becky confirmed that someone in the Netherlands had offered Madam M US$500,000 to kill him.
• Becky said she had been smuggled into Hong Kong Island from Vietnam, that someone had met Madam M after she arrived, and that their Yuen Long village house had probably been abandoned.

Zhou Quan reviewed the failed searches for Madam M and considered whether Sun Yee On figures Wu Ya and Smiling Tiger had helped arrange the assassination attempt against him. He ordered Chow Sing Sing to gather evidence and secretly arrest them for questioning.

• Chow Sing Sing reported that Madam M had abandoned her Yuen Long hideout, while He Wenzhan said the bulletproof Land Rover had been burned and carried cloned plates.
• Lau Bo-keung reported no useful leads from Customs or the airport, and Chan Wing Yan said Ah Lok was investigating migrant smugglers and other gangs.
• Chan Wing Yan reported that Chiang Tin-sang had been killed in the Netherlands and that Wu Ya and Smiling Tiger were suspected of involvement.
• Zhou Quan suspected that the Aether Society had masterminded the attempt on his life, with Wu Ya and Smiling Tiger as accomplices.
• Zhou Quan ordered Chow Sing Sing to collect evidence against Wu Ya and Smiling Tiger, secretly arrest them, and take them to Safe House No. 6 for interrogation.

Yang Jianhua asked Zhou Quan to help investigate several athletic teenage girls abducted in Yuezhou and possibly trafficked to Hong Kong Island. Zhou Quan accepted the case, suspecting the girls were linked to Madam M’s assassin organization, and began preparing to search for them.

• Lau Kit-fai and Yang Jianhua visited Zhou Quan, who reassured them he had escaped the assassination attempt unharmed.
• Yang Jianhua explained that Yuezhou police believed several abducted girls with athletic talent had been smuggled to Hong Kong Island.
• Zhou Quan connected the disappearances to Madam M’s practice of training assassins by abducting gifted girls.
• Zhou Quan promised to investigate the missing girls and use his connections to help reunite them with their families.
• Yang Jianhua left the case file with Zhou Quan, and Lau Kit-fai offered to escort her.

Zhou Quan ordered a hunt for the Yuezhou girls’ smuggler and had Wu Ya and Smiling Tiger secretly arrested after learning they were tied to the trafficking. He sent them for interrogation at the Security Department’s safe house, intending to hand them over to the Motherland, and waited for the results.

• Zhou Quan ordered Chow Sing Sing to activate TUI and contact Lam Wai Lok to identify who had smuggled the Yuezhou girls into Hong Kong Island.
• The Security Department, TUI, and Lam Wai Lok’s Wo Sing Wo learned that Smiling Tiger Ng Chi-wai had arranged the smuggling and taken the girls away.
• Zhou Quan sent Chow Sing Sing and He Wenzhan to arrest Smiling Tiger and Wu Ya separately, then confronted them at Safe House Six.
• Zhou Quan told Chow Sing Sing and He Wenzhan to interrogate the two men without wasting towels on water torture.
• Chow Sing Sing and He Wenzhan dragged Smiling Tiger and Wu Ya into separate rooms as Zhou Quan brewed tea and waited for their confessions.

After interrogations revealed Madam M’s safehouse and the location of the trafficked girls, Zhou Quan organized raids to rescue the girls and arrest the criminals. He Wenzhan’s forces surrounded Madam M’s compound, and she chose to surrender.

• Chow Sing Sing reported that Smiling Tiger had confessed to trafficking the girls with Madam M and that they were held at the Sun Yee On Ancestral Hall.
• He Wenzhan reported that the Aether Society had orchestrated the assassination attempt and that Madam M was hiding in Zhuxin Village, Yuen Long.
• Zhou Quan assigned Chow Sing Sing to rescue the girls, He Wenzhan to lead the raid on Madam M, and Chan Wing Yan and Ah Keung to arrest the listed criminals.
• He Wenzhan’s officers and the Flying Tigers surrounded Madam M’s compound and began their assault with rifle grenades.
• Madam M ordered her bodyguards to display a white flag and surrender, and He Wenzhan instructed them to come out with their hands raised.

Zhou Quan questioned Madam M after her capture, probing the structure of her assassin organization and whether someone else backed her. Madam M tried to conceal the truth, but Zhou Quan concluded that a bigger figure stood behind her.

• Madam M and her two bodyguards surrendered to Zhou Quan’s forces, and He Wenzhan escorted her to Safe House No. 6.
• Zhou Quan had the bodyguards taken to Tai Kwun and questioned Madam M about her female agents and possible collaborators.
• Madam M claimed Becky was her last trained agent and said Zhou Quan had also captured the new recruits she had selected.
• Zhou Quan read Madam M’s subtle expression and told her that it revealed the existence of another big fish behind her.

Zhou Quan persuaded Madam M to reveal that she worked for an international organization called Headquarters, led on the surface by Mr. Dong, and drew a portrait of him from her description. He arranged for Madam M’s safe transfer to Stanley Prison and returned to Tai Kwun to investigate Mr. Dong.

• Zhou Quan used psychological pressure to undermine Madam M’s hope of being rescued or extradited and promised her safe treatment if she cooperated.
• Madam M told Zhou Quan that she trained female agents for Headquarters, an organization that abducted children with unusual talents, and identified her superior as Mr. Dong.
• Madam M described Mr. Dong, and Zhou Quan drew a portrait that she confirmed was accurate.
• Zhou Quan ordered He Wenzhan to escort Madam M with a G4 team to Safe House Five and protect her until she entered Stanley Prison.
• Zhou Quan left Safe House No. 6 for Tai Kwun to investigate Mr. Dong’s records.

Zhou Quan suspected that Jing Jinxian’s background had been fabricated and that he was connected to the criminal organization behind Mr. Dong. After Chow Sing Sing reported the rescued girls were safe, Zhou ordered him to secretly investigate Cheng Tao and Jing Jinxian from childhood onward.

• Zhou Quan reviewed Cheng Tao’s and Jing Jinxian’s files and noted that Jing’s sparse records could conceal a false identity.
• Zhou recalled that Jing Jinxian had been abducted as a child and trained as an operative by the organization linked to Mr. Dong.
• Zhou decided to determine whether the Mr. Dong revealed by Madam M was connected to Jing Jinxian.
• Chow Sing Sing reported that the girls rescued from the Sun Yee On Ancestral Hall were safe and receiving care at Hong Kong Sanatorium & Hospital.
• Zhou praised Chow, then ordered him to launch a secret internal investigation into PC63760 Cheng Tao and PC98731 Jing Jinxian.

Zhou Quan ordered Chow Sing Sing to secretly investigate Cheng Tao and another Crouching Tiger officer, while he handled the fallout from the Sun Yee On sweep and the transfer of the rescued girls. He met Lau Kit-fai to coordinate with the Yuezhou police and ask for advice about promoting his trusted officers.

• Zhou Quan instructed Chow Sing Sing to investigate Cheng Tao’s orphanage records and gather DNA, blood type, and fingerprint evidence.
• Chow Sing Sing agreed to begin the investigation immediately and left Zhou Quan’s office.
• Zhou Quan signed charging documents for Sun Yee On accomplices and planned the girls’ handover to the Yuezhou Public Security Bureau.
• Zhou Quan met Lau Kit-fai, who had just spoken with Yang Jianhua about the handover, and invited him to discuss the case over coffee.
• Zhou Quan asked Lau Kit-fai for suggestions on putting Chow Sing Sing and the other officers forward for promotion.

Zhou Quan and Lau Kit-fai secured Lok Ming-wah's agreement to promote Chow Sing Sing and the other trusted officers in the Security Department's name. Lok then asked Zhou Quan to name commanders for the three remaining teams, and Zhou proposed three officers from West Kowloon.

• Lau Kit-fai agreed that Chow Sing Sing and the others deserved promotion and suggested they discuss the matter with Lok Ming-wah.
• Zhou Quan and Lau Kit-fai went to Lok Ming-wah's office and told him the assassination suspects had all been apprehended.
• Zhou Quan proposed promoting Chow Sing Sing and the others, and Lau Kit-fai endorsed the proposal.
• Lok Ming-wah agreed to issue the promotion paperwork and asked Zhou Quan who should command the other three teams.
• Zhou Quan named Kwan Man Chin, Luo Danian, and Lok Kai-cheung as his choices for the remaining team commanders.

Zhou Quan finalized his proposed commanders for the Security Department’s Action Groups with Lok Ming-wah’s approval, pending vetting. He then met Yuezhou representative Yang Jianhua, who agreed to take Wu Ya and Smiling Tiger back to the Motherland for punishment alongside the handover of the trafficked girls.

• Zhou Quan explained why Kwan Man Chin, Lok Kai-cheung, and Luo Danian were his preferred Action Group commanders.
• Lok Ming-wah approved Zhou Quan’s candidates in principle and instructed Lau Kit-fai to submit their applications after assessments and vetting.
• Zhou Quan and Lau Kit-fai left Lok Ming-wah’s office to receive Captain Yang Jianhua from the Yuezhou Public Security Bureau.
• Yang Jianhua agreed that the Yuezhou police would receive the trafficked girls at Boundary Street and accepted Zhou Quan’s proposal to hand Wu Ya and Smiling Tiger over for punishment.
• Yang Jianhua said she would pay for the bullets for the two executions as thanks for Kwan’s assistance.

Zhou Quan focused on completing his command structure and investigating undercover officer Jing Jinxian, whose fabricated background concealed his identity as Cheng Tao’s orphanage friend, Little Scrawny. He confronted Jing at a golf course, and Jing restrained himself from drawing his gun, leaving his fate in Zhou Quan’s hands.

• Chow Sing Sing, He Wenzhan, Chan Wing Yan, and Lau Bo-keung entered the promotion process, while Kwan Man Chin, Luo Danian, and Lok Kai-cheung underwent vetting.
• Chow Sing Sing’s investigation uncovered inconsistencies in Jing Jinxian’s background and confirmed through DNA testing that he was Cheng Tao’s orphanage friend, Little Scrawny.
• Zhou Quan arranged to meet Jing Jinxian at a Deep Water Bay golf course on the day Chow Sing Sing took his written examination.
• Zhou Quan called Jing Jinxian “Little Scrawny,” exposing that he knew Jing’s real identity.
• Jing Jinxian instinctively reached toward his concealed gun but stopped himself, and Zhou Quan praised him for making a wise choice.

Zhou Quan confronted Jing Jinxian with a portrait of Mr. Dong, prompting Jing to reveal his history as a kidnapped and trained agent for Headquarters. Zhou Quan recruited him as an undercover operative called Tomb Tiger, leaving Jing with a chance to choose a new future and a mission to rise within Sun Yee On.

• Zhou Quan showed Jing Jinxian a portrait of Mr. Dong and invited him to explain what he knew.
• Jing Jinxian revealed that Headquarters had abducted him as a child, trained him abroad, and sent him to infiltrate the Police Force; Mr. Dong was now his direct contact.
• Jing Jinxian offered to follow Zhou Quan's orders and work against Headquarters.
• Zhou Quan gave Jing Jinxian the codename Tomb Tiger and ordered him to contact Headquarters and use its resources to rise within Sun Yee On.
• Zhou Quan promised to protect Jing Jinxian with a secret file authorizing his undercover work and said he would handle Headquarters if it caused trouble on Hong Kong Island.

Jing Jinxian worked with Mr. Dong to infiltrate the Hong Kong Island Police Force while secretly helping Zhou Quan dismantle Sun Yee On. Zhou Quan prepared a joint operation with the Anti-Narcotics Squad and O Division, leaving the story as his colleagues came to his office.

• Jing Jinxian reported the criminal organization’s support and improved living arrangements to Zhou Quan, who told him to donate the money to the Motherland's Hope Project.
• Jing Jinxian’s handlers devised a plan to supply Sun Yee On with drugs so he could pass intelligence to the Police Force and help bring the organization down.
• Zhou Quan gave Jing Jinxian freedom to pursue the plan and decided to involve other Police Force departments in the operation against Sun Yee On.
• Zhou Quan called Superintendent Wong Man Tak and asked him to bring Ma Hiu Tin to his office to discuss the Anti-Narcotics Squad’s cooperation.
• Zhou Quan invited Brother Kwong from O Division to join the operation, and Brother Kwong immediately agreed to come.

Zhou Quan convened Kong Chi Lap, Wong Man Tak, and Ma Hiu Tin to plan a joint operation against Sun Yee On’s upcoming drug deals. He assigned junior commanders from Security, the Anti-Narcotics Squad, and O Division, leaving the operation ready to launch once intelligence arrived.

• Zhou Quan told Kong Chi Lap, Wong Man Tak, and Ma Hiu Tin that reliable intelligence pointed to Sun Yee On drug deals and proposed dismantling the syndicate.
• Wong Man Tak pledged the Anti-Narcotics Squad’s support, Kong Chi Lap committed his G Team, and Zhou Quan named He Wenzhan to lead the Security Department’s side.
• Zhou Quan asked Wong Man Tak to put Ma Hiu Tin in charge of the Anti-Narcotics Squad team, and Wong Man Tak readily agreed.
• Kong Chi Lap selected Li Qiang and He Tian to handle O Division’s part of the operation.
• Zhou Quan said the teams would launch as soon as the precise intelligence came through, and the officers raised their teacups in agreement.

Zhou Quan’s joint operation dismantled Sun Yee On, and he used the ensuing press conference to reveal Operation Crouching Tiger and warn Hong Kong Island’s gangsters. The chapter ended with his threat of armed retaliation against anyone who endangered undercover officers.

• The Security Department, O Division’s G Team, and the Narcotics Bureau’s Anti-Narcotics Squad arrested Sun Yee On’s prominent drug-trafficking bosses, while Lok Bing-yeun avoided drug charges but faced a Triad Society charge.
• Zhou Quan, Kong Chi Lap, and Wong Man Tak attended a press conference about Sun Yee On’s dismantling, where Zhou Quan dismissed the operation as ordinary Police Force work.
• Zhou Quan revealed that he had launched the secret Operation Crouching Tiger to place undercover officers inside criminal groups and said the plan was no longer truly secret.
• Zhou Quan warned Hong Kong Island’s gangsters that the Police Force had undercover officers throughout the underworld and that obeying the law was their only way out.
• Zhou Quan said Crouching Tiger officers were authorized to carry firearms and fight back if exposed, and he vowed to deploy the Security Department and elite units against anyone who tried to kill them.

After Jing Jinxian’s identity as a Crouching Tiger officer was revealed, Zhou Quan warned Hong Kong Island’s gangs not to target his agents, making them distrust their own recruits. Wo Sing Wo accepted the plan without concern, while Hung Hing’s new Dragon Head, Chiang Tin-yeung, contacted Zhou Quan to arrange a visit.

• Zhou Quan publicly revealed Jing Jinxian as a Crouching Tiger officer and threatened any gang that tried to harm his agents.
• Hong Kong Island’s gang leaders grew suspicious of their members, especially newcomers, as the Crouching Tiger Plan unsettled them.
• Lam Wai Lok accepted the plan, viewing its officers as auditors and welcoming the capable people Sir Kwan might place in Wo Sing Wo.
• After Chiang Tin-sang’s murder, Hung Hing invited Chiang Tin-yeung back from Thailand, and he took control as Dragon Head.
• Chiang Tin-yeung sent Kam Tsz Tai to contact Zhou Quan, who agreed to receive him at his office.

Chiang Tin-yeung met Zhou Quan to seek a chance to lead Hung Hing toward legitimate business, promising to follow Zhou’s rules. Zhou refused to offer special favors but told Chiang to prove his intentions through action, promising to nominate him for the Good Citizen Award if Hung Hing changed.

• Chiang Tin-yeung and Kam Tsz Tai arrived at Murray Building, where Lau Bo-keung brought them to Zhou Quan’s office.
• Chiang Tin-yeung respectfully told Zhou Quan he wanted to help keep Hong Kong Island safe and guide Hung Hing toward legitimate business.
• Zhou Quan said Hung Hing’s history of avoiding drugs was commendable but warned that promises alone would not earn the group favorable treatment.
• Chiang Tin-yeung vowed to show real changes in Hung Hing and said he would work toward earning the police-community cooperation banners Lam Wai Lok had received.
• Zhou Quan offered to nominate Chiang Tin-yeung for the Good Citizen Award if Hung Hing truly got onto the right path, then invited him to have tea.

At the Security Department’s regular operations meeting, Chow Sing Sing reported that Hong Kong Island’s major triad societies had been weakened or were cooperating with the police. Zhou Quan then turned to Superintendent Luo Danian for an update, leaving the meeting poised to hear his report.

• Zhou Quan called on Chow Sing Sing to report on T Squad’s work.
• Chow Sing Sing said Sun Yee On had collapsed and that Lam Wai Lok and Chiang Tin-yeung were cooperating with the police to reform their societies.
• Chow Sing Sing reported that Wo On Lok remained occupied with internal disputes while Sun Kee was declining and shifting toward legitimate businesses.
• Chow Sing Sing credited Lee Man-bun’s earlier crackdown with weakening Sun Kee and noted that Jackie Long was drawing attention as a star for a Heung family film company.
• Zhou Quan asked Superintendent Luo Danian whether he had news to report.

Luo Danian warned Zhou Quan that a terrorist group led by Doctor might target a jewelry exhibition at the Kum To Hotel in three days. Zhou Quan organized the Security Department to investigate the hotel, replace its private guards, and track down the terrorists before they could strike.

• Luo Danian told Zhou Quan about the upcoming exhibition of tsarist-era jewels and Interpol's warning that Doctor and his terrorists might have entered Hong Kong Island.
• Luo Danian suspected that Doctor's group was targeting the exhibition, and Kwan Man Chin confirmed that a private security company had been hired to protect it.
• Zhou Quan ordered the Intelligence Group to investigate the Kum To Hotel and G4 to secretly replace the exhibition's guards.
• Zhou Quan sent T Squad to trace the terrorists' entry routes and assigned C Group to serve as backup.
• Zhou Quan warned his officers that the terrorists must not cause an international incident, and the commanders and officers saluted in response.