Chapter Summaries

Zhou Quan left his twins’ family celebration after receiving notice of an emergency Police Force meeting, prompted by footage of a sergeant surrendering to criminals during a police operation. He reached Tai Kwun with intelligence that the suspected Big Circle Gang members had killed one accomplice and fled in a stolen ambulance.

• Zhou Quan and Au Wing-yan celebrated their twins Changle and Chang'an turning one month old with their family.
• Zhou Quan received notice of an emergency meeting and left for Tai Kwun.
• Luo Danian told Zhou Quan that a sergeant had surrendered to criminals during a West Kowloon Major Crimes Unit operation in Tai Kok Tsui, and that footage had caused a public trust crisis.
• Zhou Quan ordered the Operations Division to report for duty and instructed his team to gather leads and locate the gang.
• Chow Sing Sing told Zhou Quan that the five suspected Big Circle Gang members had killed one accomplice and that the other four escaped in an ambulance with license plate A428.

Zhou Quan attended an emergency Police Force meeting after a sudden incident put the force under public scrutiny. With the commissioner away and Management DCP Wong summoned to answer questions before the Legislative Council, Zhou Quan presented an operational plan and promised the Criminal Operations Division would solve the case within forty-eight hours.

• Zhou Quan and Chow Sing Sing arrived at Tai Kwun for an emergency meeting chaired by Management DCP Wong.
• DCP Wong explained that the commissioner was away and the Secretary for Security had ordered him to answer Legislative Council questions about the incident.
• Senior Assistant Commissioners Cao and Zhan offered general assurances, but DCP Wong dismissed their answers as impractical.
• Zhou Quan presented intelligence gathered by the Criminal Operations Division and promised the case would be solved within forty-eight hours.
• Zhou Quan proposed rebuilding public trust by swiftly arresting the criminals responsible for damaging the Police Force's image.

At an emergency meeting, Zhou Quan’s proposal to let Sir Kwan take over the case won broad support, but Fong Kit Ha challenged it with a plan to use media spectacle. Zhou Quan questioned her judgment and suspected she was emboldened by DCP Wong, whose personal interest in her was revealed.

• DCP Wong praised Zhou Quan’s analysis and invited the other officers to comment on the case.
• The operational department heads supported Zhou Quan’s proposal to have Sir Kwan and the Criminal Operations Division take over the investigation.
• Fong Kit Ha argued that the Police Force should stage a public-facing operation to restore its image through the media.
• Yeung Siu-fai rebuked Fong Kit Ha, but Zhou Quan stopped him and criticized the danger her proposal posed to officers and civilians.
• Zhou Quan considered Fong Kit Ha’s connection to DCP Wong and recognized that DCP Wong was her powerful backer who wanted to pursue her.

At an emergency Police Force meeting, Zhou Quan challenged Fong Kit Ha’s proposal to publicize live police operations, arguing it would endanger officers and civilians. He rebuked her for speaking beyond her experience, leaving her shaken and unable to respond.

• Zhou Quan stated that police publicity had to be backed by operational strength and demanded answers from Fong Kit Ha about the risks of broadcasting live crime-fighting operations.
• Zhou Quan warned that criminals could exploit public broadcasts, endanger frontline officers, or take civilians hostage, then slammed his palm on the table and asked whether Fong Kit Ha could bear responsibility.
• DCP Wong and the other senior officers stayed silent as Fong Kit Ha turned pale and trembled under Zhou Quan’s questioning.
• Zhou Quan reminded Fong Kit Ha that she served in the Criminal Intelligence Bureau, not Public Relations, and said she was not ready to consider issues from a broader perspective.
• Zhou Quan told Fong Kit Ha to stop trying to run before she could walk and ask herself whether she was a genius.

Zhou Quan rebuked Fong Kit Ha for her ill-conceived proposal, then took command of the case by classifying it as a national security matter. He assigned departments to a joint operation and arranged for tactical footage and publicity support to help restore the Police Force’s credibility.

• Zhou Quan criticized Fong Kit Ha for failing to understand her duties and risking the safety of officers and the public, and she apologized and acknowledged her mistake.
• DCP Wong defended Fong Kit Ha’s inexperience and encouraged her to seek guidance from Zhou Quan, who accepted her formal apology.
• Zhou Quan declared the case a national security matter and announced that the National Security Department was taking over.
• DCP Wong accepted Zhou Quan’s command, and Zhou Quan ordered the Criminal Operations Division to work with West Kowloon District.
• Zhou Quan required frontline officers to use tactical cameras and asked ACP Ko to help present the Police Force favorably after the operation; she agreed.

Zhou Quan secured ACP Ko’s cooperation and left the emergency meeting to direct the Criminal Operations Division’s response. The division began gathering intelligence on the suspects’ whereabouts, but their exact location remained unknown after they moved from an earlier hideout.

• Zhou Quan asked ACP Ko to publicize the Police Force’s performance and help calm public opinion, and she agreed to cooperate.
• Zhou Quan and Chow Sing Sing left the emergency meeting, and Zhou ordered the Criminal Operations Division’s commanders to report to the Operations Command Centre.
• Luo Danian put the division into Emergency Work Mode, and Zhou began briefing his officers on the operation.
• He Wenzhan reported that Wo Sing Wo had identified the general area where the suspects were hiding and was narrowing down their location.
• Chan Kwok-wah reported that Inspector Cheung Chi-hang had found one of the targets’ hideouts, but the suspects had already moved.

Zhou Quan ordered Luo Danian to lead an operation against suspected robbers believed to be hiding in Sham Shui Po, with the goal of restoring the Police Force’s credibility. Luo deployed National Security Department teams and arranged a joint operation with West Kowloon District, leaving the forces preparing to investigate the suspects.

• Chan Kwok-wah told Zhou Quan that an informant had found two suspicious, armed men staying in an unregistered room at Tak Bo Building.
• Zhou Quan ordered Luo Danian to lead the operation and instructed officers to record the entire action as proof of the National Security Department’s strength.
• Luo Danian sent He Wenzhan and T Group to assemble, ordered Chan Kwok-wah’s Paparazzi to conduct undercover reconnaissance, and placed Gei Siu-kwan’s group on standby.
• Luo Danian contacted So Tsz On and requested that West Kowloon Operations Department join the operation and use the National Security Department’s communications system for unified command.

Luo Danian took command of the search for Chen Yiyuan’s gang and coordinated the National Security Department’s teams with local police and informants. After locating the suspects in Tak Bo Building, He Wenzhan led a coordinated raid that left the criminals under police control.

• Luo Danian ordered Cheung Chi-hang’s Major Crimes Unit to stand by while Criminal Operations Division Group Two took over the search.
• He Wenzhan moved T Group to Sham Shui Po Police Station as Chan Kwok-wah’s Intelligence Group discreetly searched the suspected area with help from Lam Wai Lok’s Wo Sing Wo.
• Chan Kwok-wah reported spotting Zhang Long, and Luo Danian ordered surveillance until the gang’s hideout was confirmed as flat 908 on the ninth floor of Tak Bo Building, Block C.
• The Paparazzi men identified two other suspicious targets as hitmen wanted on the Mainland, and Luo Danian ordered the operation to begin.
• He Wenzhan and Yeung Kam Wing led teams into position, then breached the flat from above and at the door, taking control of the scene and preventing the criminals from escaping or resisting.

He Wenzhan’s elite team swiftly arrested Chen Yiyuan and the other criminals, while the Intelligence Group also apprehended two wanted assassins. After the operation succeeded, Luo Danian reported back to Zhou Quan, who ordered the recorded footage checked and sent to Public Relations so the Police Force could restore its image.

• He Wenzhan’s team stormed the room and shot through both hands of Chen Yiyuan and the three other criminals, leaving them unable to fight back.
• He Wenzhan restrained Chen Yiyuan and reported that the scene was secure, while the Intelligence Group reported capturing two assassins at the second target.
• Luo Danian ordered the teams to clear the scene and withdraw after confirming the operation had been settled.
• Luo Danian reported the operation’s success to Zhou Quan in his office.
• Zhou Quan told Luo Danian to check the Special Camera footage and send it to the Public Relations Department if there were no problems.

Zhou Quan reported that the National Security Department had arrested all the criminals within six hours, and DCP Wong praised the operation and offered to recommend Luo Danian for recognition. The chapter ended with Zhou Quan assuring DCP Wong that the department would provide a complete account to the Police Force and the public.

• Luo Danian agreed to have the Intelligence Group review the operation footage and prepare it for public release.
• Zhou Quan called DCP Wong and reported that the National Security Department and West Kowloon District had arrested all the criminals under Luo Danian's command.
• DCP Wong praised the swift operation and offered to recommend Luo Danian for recognition to Number One and Mr. Dong.
• Zhou Quan thanked DCP Wong for supporting Luo Danian, and the two exchanged cordial remarks.
• DCP Wong said he would arrange an emergency press conference, and Zhou Quan promised the operation's returning officers would deliver a complete result.

Zhou Quan arranged for Luo Danian to represent the National Security Department at a press conference, using the operation to build his subordinate’s public standing. Luo Danian returned to the Criminal Operations Division to wait for He Wenzhan and Chan Kwok-wah before coordinating the event with the Public Relations Department.

• Zhou Quan told Luo Danian to put on his uniform and prepare to represent the Police Force at the press conference.
• Zhou Quan planned to use public exposure to strengthen his trusted subordinates’ influence and future prospects in the Police Force.
• Luo Danian assured Zhou Quan he would present the National Security Department well.
• Luo Danian went to the Criminal Operations Division instead of changing immediately, expecting He Wenzhan and possibly Chan Kwok-wah to join him at the press conference.

Luo Danian and Leung Tsz Mei reviewed footage of He Wenzhan’s raid and prepared to use it to rebuild public confidence in the Police Force. Impressed by the T Group’s speed and effectiveness, Leung said the footage would make the upcoming press conference a success.

• Luo Danian and Leung Tsz Mei agreed that He Wenzhan would join them at the press conference, while Chan Kwok-wah would stay out of the spotlight.
• He Wenzhan returned to Tai Kwun with footage of the operation, and the officers watched it with video specialists.
• Leung Tsz Mei praised He Wenzhan’s T Group after seeing them incapacitate all four criminals within seconds.
• Luo Danian asked whether the footage could restore public trust, and Leung confidently said it could raise confidence in the Police Force.
• Luo Danian and Leung Tsz Mei approved the footage for publicity, overlooking the final scene of He Wenzhan standing on Chen Yiyuan.

Televised footage of He Wenzhan’s team taking down the criminals restored public confidence in the Police Force. After returning to Hong Kong Island, Number One held a ceremony at Tai Kwun and praised the National Security Department’s response, leaving its officers’ performance publicly recognized.

• Hong Kong Island’s evening news showed He Wenzhan and T Group swiftly disarming the criminals, impressing viewers and reassuring the public.
• Li Ju’s past experience as a hostage and his support for the Police Force underscored his trust in Sir Kwan’s elite officers.
• Number One convened a commendation ceremony at Tai Kwun after returning to Hong Kong Island with the Police Force’s visiting delegation.
• Number One acknowledged the Uniform Branch sergeant’s surrender had hurt the Police Force’s reputation, then praised Zhou Quan and the National Security Department for quickly defeating the criminals and restoring that reputation.
• The officers attending the ceremony applauded Number One’s praise of their colleagues.

At a Police Force ceremony, Luo Danian, He Wenzhan, and Chan Kwok-wah received Commissioner’s Commendations for their work on the September 5 Case. Later, Zhou Quan received the Gold Bauhinia Star at Government House, leaving him recognized as Assistant Commissioner Zhou Quan, G.B.S.

• Number One praised Luo Danian, He Wenzhan, and Chan Kwok-wah for their roles in the September 5 Case and invited them to receive commendations.
• Number One presented the three officers with Commissioner’s Commendations and Flower Chicken Ropes.
• Kwan Man Chin and the Internal Investigations Branch were set to handle further rewards for the Criminal Operations Division officers who took part in the operation.
• At the Government House investiture ceremony, Mr. Dong presented Sir Hui with a Gold Bauhinia Star.
• Mr. Dong personally pinned a Gold Bauhinia Star on Zhou Quan, who saluted and left the stage.

Zhou Quan, Number One, and several of Zhou Quan’s trusted officers received honours at the Government House investiture ceremony, making the Police Force the ceremony’s biggest winner. They returned to Tai Kwun wearing their new medal ribbons and resumed work, just as a damaging incident arose within the Police Force.

• Zhou Quan received the Gold Bauhinia Star and the Hong Kong Island Police Force Medal for Distinguished Service.
• Chow Sing Sing, Luo Danian, Kwan Man Chin, Lok Kai-cheung, He Wenzhan, Chan Wing Yan, and Lau Bo-keung received the Hong Kong Island Police Force Medal of Honour.
• Number One received the Gold Bauhinia Star, the Hong Kong Island Police Force Medal for Distinguished Service, and the highest grade of the Disciplined Services Long Service Medal.
• The Police Force returned from the investiture ceremony with more honoured personnel than any other government department or disciplined service.
• Number One, Zhou Quan, and the other honourees put on their medal ribbons and returned to Tai Kwun for their final shifts of the year.
• Another incident with a severely damaging impact occurred within the Police Force.

Zhou Quan’s National Security Department investigated the escape of Zhuo Wenwei, a police negotiator suspected of killing Inspector Cheung Wing-ka, after Zhuo fled custody and forced his way into North Point Police Station. Kwan Man Chin reported evidence that Cheung had been investigating fraud in the Police Force Welfare Fund and that Zhuo could not have been at the scene in time to kill him.

• Chan Kwok-wah briefed Zhou Quan that Zhuo Wenwei had escaped Central Police Station and entered North Point Police Station during a pursuit.
• Chow Sing Sing and Luo Danian argued that Zhuo’s actions suggested he might have been falsely accused.
• Kwan Man Chin reported that Cheung Wing-ka had secretly investigated personnel suspected of defrauding the Police Force Welfare Fund.
• Kwan Man Chin said Cheung’s superior, Lee Chun-kit, might have been connected to the case and that Zhuo could have been framed to cover up the killing.
• Kwan Man Chin cited the Emergency Unit Riot Van’s report and Zhuo’s movements to conclude that Zhuo arrived after Cheung’s time of death and could not have killed him.

After learning that Chief Inspector Cheuk Man-wai had been framed and was in danger, Zhou Quan ordered an internal investigation and a sweeping cleanup of the Hong Kong Island Regional Headquarters. He also prepared to replace the officers pursuing Cheuk Man-wai with forces under his own command and intervene at North Point Police Station.

• Kwan Man Chin reported that Cheuk Man-wai was a scapegoat and that someone in the Hong Kong Island Regional Headquarters wanted him dead.
• Zhou Quan ordered Kwan Man Chin to investigate everyone involved in Cheuk Man-wai's case and clean up the entire Hong Kong Island Regional Headquarters.
• Kwan Man Chin and the Internal Investigations Branch officers left to begin the investigation.
• Zhou Quan ordered Ah Sing to assemble T Squad and mobilize available personnel, setting 1830 as the time to gather outside North Point Police Station.
• Chow Sing Sing and the officers remaining in the Conference Room acknowledged Zhou Quan's orders, while Chan Wing Yan prepared to join T Squad.

Zhou Quan arrived at North Point Police Station with Criminal Operations Division officers and a Flying Tigers Action Group as a hostage operation was underway. After gunfire erupted inside the station, he suspected the assault on Zhuo Wenwei had endangered the hostages and continued toward the temporary command centre.

• Zhou Quan mobilised a convoy of Criminal Operations Division personnel, while a Flying Tigers Action Group led by Ling Jing flew from Fanling.
• The convoy and helicopter contingent reached North Point Police Station, where E Company had established a cordon and officers had formed a defensive line.
• Zhou Quan ordered most of his officers to deploy around the station and took the senior officers and T Squad into the temporary command centre.
• Gunfire erupted inside the station, and Zhou Quan's subordinates raised their weapons to protect him.
• Zhou Quan judged that the assault on Zhuo Wenwei was irresponsible because he held hostages, and suspected the operation's motives; he ordered his men aside and proceeded to the command centre.

Zhou Quan arrived at the North Point Police Station hostage crisis and took command from DCP Lam Ka-cheung, citing National Security Department leads involving Chief Inspector Zhuo Wenwei. As Zhou prepared to confront the officers managing the operation, a man in a bulletproof vest burst into the command center and demanded to know what had happened.

• Zhou Quan greeted DCP Lam Ka-cheung and Tsang Heung-wing, then announced that the National Security Department had uncovered leads about Zhuo Wenwei and that he intended to take over the operation.
• Lam Ka-cheung agreed to hand the case to Zhou Quan, relieved to let him handle the politically sensitive crisis.
• Zhou Quan entered the command center with his men and surveyed the plainclothes officers who had been directing the operation.
• A man wearing a bulletproof vest over a checked shirt burst through the steel security door and angrily demanded an explanation, asking whether anyone had considered his safety or the hostages'.

Zhou Quan challenged the officers responsible for the failed operation at North Point Police Station and took command of the hostage crisis. After finding the officers appeared relatively clean, he ordered Tse Ka-chun to connect him with Zhuo Wenwei.

• Tse Ka-chun entered the command center demanding an explanation for the gunfire and then introduced himself to Zhou Quan.
• Lee Chi-pan said the officers had launched an assault after Tse Ka-chun distracted Zhuo Wenwei, and Zhou Quan condemned their attempt to resolve the hostage incident with bloodshed.
• Zhou Quan questioned the officers’ decision to attack before Zhuo Wenwei’s case had been properly resolved and reminded them that he had once been their colleague.
• Zhou Quan took operational command at 18:43, with Deputy Commissioner Lam Ka-cheung and Tsang Heung-wing accepting his authority.
• Zhou Quan ordered that he be connected to Zhuo Wenwei, and Tse Ka-chun began dialing the direct line to the Internal Investigations Branch.