Chapter Summaries

Zhou Quan reported that the secret Tomb Tiger Operations had dismantled an international criminal organization in Hong Kong and uncovered files on child soldiers and infiltrated agents. Wong Bing Yiu approved Zhou Quan’s plans to share the files with Mainland authorities and target the training camps, then praised him as the future head of the Police Force; Zhou Quan asked what Wong had wanted to discuss.

• Zhou Quan told Wong Bing Yiu that Tomb Tiger Operations had ended successfully, with Ah Sing dismantling the organization’s Mong Kok headquarters and its Hong Kong members arrested.
• Zhou Quan reported that Ah Nin and the Intelligence Group had seized classified files detailing child soldier camps and agents secretly embedded in law enforcement agencies worldwide.
• Zhou Quan said he had ordered the files sealed, launched plans for transnational raids on the camps, and contacted Director Hao about handing the files to Mainland authorities.
• Wong Bing Yiu endorsed Zhou Quan’s handling of the operation and said the Police Force would benefit from acting against the camps while the Mainland received the intelligence files.
• Wong Bing Yiu praised Zhou Quan as the right person to lead the Police Force, and Zhou Quan redirected the conversation to the matter Wong had wanted to discuss.

Wong Bing Yiu told Zhou Quan that several senior Police Force officials were considering early retirement, creating major vacancies in the force’s core management. He invited Zhou Quan to recommend successors, and the chapter ended with Wong Bing Yiu urging him to state his plans directly.

• Wong Bing Yiu told Zhou Quan that Tsang Yuk-ming planned to take early retirement and that several other senior officers were considering it too.
• Wong Bing Yiu explained that the departures would leave key Police Force management posts vacant and asked Zhou Quan for suggestions.
• Zhou Quan considered the promotion opportunity for his subordinates and named Kwan Man Chin, Lok Kai-cheung, and Mok Kam-chuen as qualified candidates.
• Zhou Quan left the final appointment decisions to Wong Bing Yiu, who laughed at his caution and told him to share his plans openly.

Wong Bing Yiu and Zhou Quan discussed how upcoming retirements would let them reshape the Police Force core management, with Zhou Quan laying out a succession plan. The chapter ended with Wong Bing Yiu asking what Zhou Quan intended to do with Kwan Man Chin and Lok Kai-cheung.

• Several senior Police Force officials prepared to retire, creating openings for junior officers and an opportunity for Zhou Quan to strengthen his influence.
• Zhou Quan proposed that Lee Man-bun succeed Tsang Yuk-ming as Deputy Commissioner in charge of Operations, with Chow Sing Sing moving into Lee’s former post.
• Zhou Quan planned for Luo Danian to become National Security Department Director and Kong Chi Lap to take Luo’s current position.
• Wong Bing Yiu understood Zhou Quan’s personnel plans and asked whether Kwan Man Chin and Lok Kai-cheung would also be transferred out of the National Security Department.

Zhou Quan planned a major Police Force reshuffle, placing trusted officers in key departments and preparing promotions across the National Security Department. He ended by deciding to promote all the department’s Group Commanders and post those without vacancies elsewhere.

• Zhou Quan proposed promoting Lau Kit-fai to head the Finance Division and transferring Yin Xiaofeng to lead the Personnel Division.
• Zhou Quan planned to transfer Hon Hau-chung to the Operations Department and promote Lok Kai-cheung to assist Ho, positioning Lok to lead Criminal Operations later.
• Zhou Quan planned to promote Kwan Man Chin to the Regulatory Department under Tsang Heung-wing, with the aim of placing him in charge of the Monitoring Department.
• Zhou Quan proposed moving Mok Kam-chuen into Assistant Commissioner Ko’s position in the Operations Department’s Support Department.
• Zhou Quan decided to reshuffle the National Security Department, promoting all its Group Commanders and posting those without available positions to other departments.

Wong Bing Yiu and Zhou Quan discussed changes to the Police Force’s senior management and agreed to postpone them until after the National Security Department’s transnational operation. Zhou Quan left to prepare the operation while Wong Bing Yiu began drafting a report for the Hong Kong Government’s top boss.

• Wong Bing Yiu agreed in principle to Zhou Quan’s proposed promotions and personnel changes, while noting that changes to the Police Force’s core management required discussion with the Hong Kong Government.
• Zhou Quan suggested shelving the changes until the National Security Department completed its joint transnational operation, so its achievements would strengthen the case for promotions.
• Wong Bing Yiu agreed to revisit the appointments after the operation and joked that Deputy Commissioner Tsang and the other senior officers would need to keep working hard.
• Zhou Quan said he would make detailed operational arrangements, then left Wong Bing Yiu’s office after teasing him with a formal salute.
• Wong Bing Yiu began preparing written material for his report to the Hong Kong Government’s top boss.

Zhou Quan revised the transnational operation against child soldier training camps, ordering Lok Kai-cheung to lead while Kong Chi Lap assembled elite teams to participate and Chow Sing Sing remained in support. He clarified that their personnel were there to make an appearance and provide intelligence support and tactical guidance, not lead the fighting.

• Zhou Quan summoned Chow Sing Sing, Kong Chi Lap, and Lok Kai-cheung to discuss changes to the operation.
• Zhou Quan kept Lok Kai-cheung in charge, assigned Kong Chi Lap to assemble elite teams to participate in every camp raid, and told Chow Sing Sing to provide support if needed.
• Zhou Quan warned that the operation could affect the careers of the three men and himself, prompting them to pledge they would complete the mission.
• Zhou Quan stressed that the operation’s success was certain and instructed his men to avoid reckless fighting while abroad.
• Chow Sing Sing compared their role to army overseers, and Zhou Quan corrected him by describing it as intelligence support and tactical guidance.

The National Security Department’s joint operation against child soldier training camps began, while Zhou Quan welcomed Song An, head of the National Security Second Bureau, to receive the agent dossiers. After verifying Song An’s official authorization, Zhou Quan retrieved the prepared document envelope for the handover.

• Kong Chi Lap and Lok Kai-cheung led Hong Kong Island teams to support law enforcement operations in the Asia-Pacific Region and Europe without taking command.
• Zhou Quan and Chow Sing Sing stayed on Hong Kong Island as the multinational operation proceeded.
• Song An arrived quietly at the Police Force’s Tai Kwun and met Zhou Quan to receive the agent dossiers.
• Song An presented an official document authorizing him to collect the dossiers, and Zhou Quan carefully verified it.
• Zhou Quan took a thick kraft-paper document envelope from the safe beneath his desk.

Zhou Quan and Song An agreed on how to handle the intelligence agents’ records and the criminals captured by the Hong Kong Island Police Force. Song An accepted Zhou Quan’s plan to transfer the key suspects to Yuezhou for secret national-security proceedings.

• Zhou Quan gave Song An the agent records, explaining that the originals were sealed in the National Security Department’s S-class archive and that he could not destroy the Police Force’s copies without authorization.
• Song An examined the records, praised Zhou Quan’s work, and said he had been instructed to defer to the Hong Kong Island Police Force on matters beyond custody of the records.
• Zhou Quan proposed transferring Mr. Dong and other key criminals to Yuezhou because Hong Kong Island law could impose only life imprisonment and a secret trial could protect Jing Jinxian’s identity.
• Song An agreed to arrange strict national-security proceedings and asked Zhou Quan to escort the suspects to Lo Wu Port for handover.

Zhou Quan met Song An, the National Security Second Bureau director, and arranged for the principal suspects in Tomb Tiger Operations to be transferred to the Mainland for trial. Song An then declined an offer to rest on Hong Kong Island and prepared to return home with his colleagues.

• Zhou Quan called Chow Sing Sing to his office and introduced him to Song An, who had arrived from the National Security Second Bureau.
• Zhou Quan and Song An exchanged courtesies and discussed their mutual respect before Chow Sing Sing arrived.
• Zhou Quan ordered Chow Sing Sing to prepare the suspects’ statements and escort them to the Lo Wu checkpoint for transfer to Song An’s colleagues.
• Chow Sing Sing confirmed that the suspects’ information and statements were ready and offered to lead the escort.
• Song An said his visit was complete and asked to travel with the suspect transfer, then declined Zhou Quan’s invitation to stay and rest.

Song An left Hong Kong Island after Zhou Quan arranged for Chow Sing Sing to escort him and his team to the Lo Wu border crossing. Over lunch, Zhou Quan asked Chow Sing Sing about the arms-market fugitive Red Thief after connecting Song An’s assistant, Yuan Xiaowen, to the case.

• Song An firmly declined Zhou Quan’s attempts to keep him in Hong Kong, and Zhou arranged for Chow Sing Sing to see him off in the Police Force’s assigned car.
• Chow Sing Sing escorted Song An and his team safely to the Lo Wu border crossing, while mainland national security officers took custody of the criminals.
• Chow Sing Sing reported the operation’s success to Zhou Quan over lunch at Tai Kwun.
• Zhou Quan asked Chow Sing Sing what intelligence he had on Red Thief, an Asia-Pacific fugitive known in the international arms market.
• Zhou Quan connected Song An’s visit with his assistant Yuan Xiaowen and suspected their presence was tied to Red Thief.

Chow Sing Sing reported that Red Thief had disappeared from view and left no recent traces on Hong Kong Island. Zhou Quan ordered the National Security Department to tighten personnel screening and prepare for threats, while hinting that Chow would soon transfer to the Operations Department.

• Chow Sing Sing told Zhou Quan that Red Thief had been inactive internationally and had no known recent presence on Hong Kong Island.
• Zhou Quan warned that Red Thief or other hostile organizations could target Hong Kong Island and stressed the National Security Department’s counterespionage and security duties.
• Zhou Quan assigned the department’s upcoming personnel assessments and screening work to Ah Nin, with Luo Danian and Sergeant Guan handling it.
• Zhou Quan hinted that Chow Sing Sing would soon move to the Operations Department and advised him to give younger men more responsibility.

Chow Sing Sing agreed to support Wong Bing Yiu’s planned reshuffle of the National Security Department, while the department’s successful transnational operations helped secure approval for the wider Police Force changes. At a management meeting, Wong announced that the Third-generation Communications Command System had passed acceptance testing and would begin operating the next day.

• Chow Sing Sing understood that Wong Bing Yiu was preparing a major management reshuffle and resolved to bring whichever department he transferred to under Wong’s command.
• Nearly two months later, the Transnational Operations teams led by Kong Chi Lap and Lok Kai-cheung returned safely to Hong Kong Island.
• After the Police Force publicized the teams’ success, Wong Bing Yiu submitted the personnel reshuffle for approval, and the Hong Kong Government approved it without changes.
• Wong convened a Police Force Management Meeting and announced that the Third-generation Communications Command System had passed acceptance testing and would be used from the next day.
• Wong urged officers to use the new technology without neglecting loyalty and service, while Choi Yuen-kei and Zhou Quan looked on as the management applauded.

Wong Bing Yiu announced the honourable retirements of Tsang Yuk-ming and several senior officers, then named their replacements in the Police Force core management. The appointments strengthened Sir Kwan’s influence, and further senior superintendent-level changes were set to follow after the meeting.

• Wong Bing Yiu announced that Tsang Yuk-ming, Sir Zhan, Sir Cao, Madam ACP Ko, and other senior officers had received approval for early honourable retirement.
• Tsang Yuk-ming gave the command “All personnel, salute!” in his native tongue, and the officers saluted their subordinates before the auditorium applauded their service.
• Wong Bing Yiu announced promotions and transfers, including Lee Man-bun as Deputy Commissioner, Chow Sing Sing as Operations Department director, and Luo Danian as National Security Department director.
• Senior superintendents recognized that the appointments strengthened Sir Kwan’s control over the Police Force, though they raised no objections to the changes.
• Wong Bing Yiu said the Personnel Division would issue further senior superintendent-level adjustments after the meeting and directed those promoted or transferred to take up their posts within the coming days.

After the Police Force’s veteran leaders retired, Zhou Quan convened a farewell meeting for his trusted National Security Department subordinates and announced their promotions and transfers. He left Luo Danian to lead the department as he prepared to focus on the Police Force as a whole.

• Wong Bing Yiu led Police Force management in seeing Tsang Yuk-ming and the other retiring veterans out of Police Force Headquarters.
• Zhou Quan asked Chow Sing Sing to gather the National Security Department’s trusted officers for a management meeting before their transfers.
• Zhou Quan congratulated the officers on their promotions and announced Chow Sing Sing’s transfer to the Operations Department, along with other senior officers’ new posts.
• Zhou Quan handed the appointment documents to Luo Danian, designating him to chair the meeting and lead the National Security Department system.
• Luo Danian read out the appointments of He Wenzhan, Chan Kwok-wah, and Lau Bo-keung as department heads who would remain in National Security.
• Luo Danian announced that Gei Siu-kwan, Chung Kam-ming, Chan Sau-yan, and Kung Ka-pui would transfer to Criminal Operations, with Chung Kam-ming tasked with establishing the Cyber Security and Technology Crime Investigation Bureau.

Zhou Quan finalized a major Police Force reshuffle, promoting and assigning his trusted officers across several departments. After the meeting, Luo Danian took responsibility for the National Security Department while Chow Sing Sing and the other transferred officers prepared to begin their new posts.

• Luo Danian announced Chan Wing Yan’s promotion and transfer to head Mobile Unit Headquarters, and Duan Xiangren’s promotion and transfer to head the Consultation Systems Department.
• Zhou Quan arranged for Yu Suqiu to head the Internal Investigations Branch and appointed newly promoted officers to command various action and investigation groups.
• Luo Danian finished reading the appointments, and Zhou Quan told the younger management to work with their superiors and prove themselves.
• Zhou Quan assigned Luo Danian responsibility for the National Security Department’s remaining personnel plans and adjourned the meeting.
• Luo Danian saluted Zhou Quan as he left, while Chow Sing Sing led the transferred officers out to take up their new posts.

With Typhoon Haishen approaching Hong Kong Island, Zhou Quan convened a special disaster preparedness meeting centered on national security. The department heads gathered at Tai Kwun as the Observatory prepared to issue the No. 8 Gale or Storm Signal.

• After receiving the Observatory’s warning about Typhoon Haishen, Zhou Quan called a meeting of the Disciplined Services at Tai Kwun.
• Zhou Quan informed Lok Ming-wah, who agreed to attend as the Security Bureau’s representative while its head was stranded outside Hong Kong Island.
• The department heads arrived at Tai Kwun’s Conference Room early despite the heavy rain.
• Zhou Quan took the head seat, Lok Ming-wah sat opposite him, and Commissioner of Customs Chan Wing-kan stood out among the other department heads.

Zhou Quan led a disaster preparedness meeting after the Observatory warned that Typhoon Haishen would trigger a No. 8 storm signal. With Lok Ming-wah’s support, he ordered the Police Force to raise its alert status and proposed raising Hong Kong Island’s response level, then sent the attendees back to prepare.

• Zhou Quan told the meeting that the Observatory would soon raise Typhoon Haishen’s warning to a No. 8 Gale or Storm Signal.
• Lok Ming-wah said the other Disciplined Services would fully cooperate with the Police Force under Zhou Quan’s direction.
• Zhou Quan proposed raising the Police Force to Level Two Alert, extending shifts, canceling frontline leave, and deploying two-thirds of its personnel.
• Zhou Quan said he would recommend raising Hong Kong Island’s response level to serious, and Lok Ming-wah pledged to report in support to the Executive Council.
• The attendees saluted and agreed to support the decisions, and Zhou Quan dismissed them to begin preparations.

After Super Typhoon Haishen changed course and spared Hong Kong Island, Zhou Quan held a closed-door meeting to review the Police Force’s response and follow-up work. The meeting turned to an arms-smuggling seizure by Customs, and Luo Danian warned that Customs might have landed in serious trouble.

• Haishen veered away from Hong Kong Island and headed toward Japan, while government departments continued post-typhoon duties.
• Zhou Quan chaired a core management meeting with Lee Man-bun, Choi Yuen-kei, and six Senior Assistant Commissioners.
• Lee Man-bun reported that the Marine Police and Anti-Narcotics Squad had cracked several drug-transportation cases, while Choi Yuen-kei said the Police Force had returned to normal operations.
• Chow Sing Sing reported that Customs had intercepted a smuggling freighter near Diu Chung Chau, where a foreigner and eight others had died from gunshot wounds and a large cache of arms and military equipment had been seized.
• Luo Danian warned that Customs might have landed in serious trouble over the seizure.

Luo Danian reported that the arms seized by Customs likely came from a shipment stolen in Thailand and was tied to international arms broker Doctor Luo. Zhou Quan avoided forcing Customs to surrender the case, instead preparing the Police Force to intervene if Customs proved unable to handle it.

• Luo Danian told Zhou Quan that a Thai Customs turncoat had been bribed by Doctor Luo, an arms broker with an extensive international network.
• Luo Danian said the weapons aboard the ship seized by Customs were likely stolen from the Thai military the previous month.
• Zhou Quan noted that Customs had not reported the case and appeared determined to handle it alone, though its limited resources might not match the threat.
• Zhou Quan ordered Ah Sing, Ah Nin, and Ah Yun to form a Joint Task Force and directed Ah Yan to secure the North District dangerous goods warehouse with covert SDU support nearby.
• Zhou Quan tasked NS with monitoring Doctor Luo and CIB with prioritizing a zoo in North New Territories, while keeping the Police Force ready to take over if Customs failed.

Kong Chi Lap and the Police Force prepared an ambush against a mercenary squad targeting the North District hazardous materials warehouse after Customs kept its arms seizure secret. The Police Force tracked fifteen armed suspects and suspected Customs insiders had helped them bring weapons into Hong Kong.

• Customs seized an arms-smuggling vessel but failed to notify the Police Force or request assistance guarding the hazardous materials warehouse.
• Zhou Quan arranged covert security preparations while Customs stored the seized weapons and coordinated an investigation with Thai officials.
• Kong Chi Lap, He Wenzhan, Chan Wing Yan, and Kung Ka-pui assembled at Fanling Training Base to oversee the coming operation.
• Kung Ka-pui reported that the Police Force had tracked fifteen suspects and identified a dump truck, a pickup truck, and a transport helicopter.
• Kong Chi Lap suspected that corrupt Customs personnel had helped the well-equipped mercenaries smuggle weapons into Hong Kong.