Chapter Summaries

Zhou Quan had begun investigating the Nai Family, but Nai Kun was assassinated before he could move against them. With the five bosses gathered at a restaurant after the killing, Zhou Quan assembled his Anti-Triad Unit to assess the situation.

• Zhou Quan used his connections in the West Kowloon Major Crimes Unit to prepare an investigation of the Nai Family despite Wong Chi Shing's likely objections.
• Nai Kun was shot dead at his opera theater on December 14, just as the Nai Family's five bosses were due to hand over their takings.
• He Wenzhan alerted Zhou Quan, who returned to Tsim Sha Tsui Police Station and found the Anti-Triad Unit assembled.
• He Wenzhan reported that Nai Kun's death had been confirmed and that the five bosses had gathered at Kwok Wah's Hung Fuk Restaurant.
• Zhou Quan regretted that he had never faced Nai Kun, while knowing that Wong Chi Shing had arranged the assassination with Hon Sam's wife and that the gunman was Lau Kin-ming.

Zhou Quan learned that Nai Kun had been killed and brought the Anti-Triad Unit to Kun Kee, where Nai Wing-hau was confronting Wong Chi Shing and Lok Kai-cheung. Zhou Quan stepped in after Nai Wing-hau threatened Wong Chi Shing.

• Zhou Quan asked He Wenzhan about the surveillance team’s photographs and learned they were still being developed.
• Luk Koon-wah reported that Wong Chi Shing had left with the Major Crimes Unit and PTU support to conduct an operation.
• Zhou Quan ordered the Anti-Triad Unit to arm themselves and head to Kun Kee to meet Nai Wing-hau.
• At Kun Kee, Wong Chi Shing mocked Nai Wing-hau over Nai Kun’s death, and Nai Wing-hau rose to threaten him.
• Zhou Quan got out of his vehicle and challenged Nai Wing-hau for openly threatening police officers.

Zhou Quan and the Anti-Triad Unit force Nai Wing-hau’s men to surrender and order the Nai Family gathering to disperse. Nai Wing-hau suppresses his anger, but a short, fat figure suddenly runs in through the crowd.

• Zhou Quan orders the crowd to disperse, and He Wenzhan and Lau Bo-keung lead officers in forcing Nai Wing-hau’s lackeys to squat at gunpoint.
• Lok Kai-cheung is stunned by the Anti-Triad Unit’s forcefulness, while Wong Chi Shing regrets having crossed Zhou Quan and the Lee Faction.
• Nai Wing-hau apologizes to Zhou Quan, explaining that his father has died and that he lost control of his emotions.
• Zhou Quan tells Nai Wing-hau to go arrange his father’s funeral and immediately disperse the gathering.
• Nai Wing-hau struggles to contain his anger as a short, fat figure suddenly runs in through the crowd.

Zhou Quan confronted Nai Wing-hau and let him leave so he could arrange Nai Kun’s funeral, then began planning an operation against the Nai Family. Surveillance photographs identified Lau Kin-ming as the only outsider who had visited Nai Kun’s opera theater that night, and Zhou Quan studied the evidence.

• Hon Sam tried to intervene for Nai Wing-hau, but Zhou Quan ordered him to put his hands on his head and squat down.
• Nai Wing-hau swallowed his anger, apologized to Zhou Quan, and left with his men to attend to his father’s funeral arrangements.
• Zhou Quan decided to officially launch an operation against the Nai Family, then exchanged brief pleasantries with Lok Kai-cheung and Wong Chi Shing.
• Back at the Anti-Triad Unit office, Zhou Quan told He Wenzhan to contact the surveillance team and kept his officers waiting for results.
• He Wenzhan brought Zhou Quan photographs of Nai Kun’s opera theater, where Zhou identified Lau Kin-ming as the sole visitor apart from Nai Kun’s bodyguards and opera companions.

Zhou Quan realized he could use photographs of Lau Kin-ming’s visit to the opera club to make Nai Wing-hau suspect Hon Sam and destabilize the Nai Family. He called Lok Kai-cheung to arrange a meeting, hoping to get undercover officer Law Kai transferred to his unit.

• Zhou Quan concluded that the photographs could not prove Lau Kin-ming’s guilt but could lead Nai Wing-hau to suspect him and investigate his ties to Hon Sam’s wife.
• Zhou Quan planned to exploit Nai Wing-hau’s likely retaliation against Hon Sam to inflame distrust among the Nai Family’s remaining bosses and make it easier to gather evidence.
• Zhou Quan decided to ask Lok Kai-cheung to transfer Law Kai, an undercover officer close to Nai Wing-hau who had witnessed his dealings with the four bosses.
• Zhou Quan called Lok Kai-cheung and invited him to meet at the Beacon Hill golf course at ten the next morning, and Lok Kai-cheung agreed.

Zhou Quan invited Lok Kai-cheung to discuss using the Major Crimes Unit’s undercover officer inside the Nai Family to help bring the family to justice. Lok Kai-cheung initially refused, but Zhou’s plan left him conflicted as their conversation ended.

• Zhou Quan dismissed the Anti-Triad Unit officers and prepared to discuss his plan with Lok Kai-cheung.
• Wong Chi Shing urged Lok Kai-cheung to build a good relationship with Zhou Quan because of Zhou’s powerful backing and prospects.
• Lok Kai-cheung met Zhou Quan at the Beacon Hill golf course, where Zhou impressed him with a hole-in-one eagle.
• Zhou Quan asked to borrow Lok Kai-cheung’s undercover officer inside the Nai Family, and Lok Kai-cheung refused on grounds of secrecy and procedure.
• Zhou Quan explained that an insider’s cooperation could help bring down the Nai Family, leaving Lok Kai-cheung conflicted about the request.

Zhou Quan persuaded Lok Kai-cheung to hand over the undercover files on the Nai family and arrange a meeting with Law Kai. The two agreed to wait seven days, until Nai Kun’s funeral rites were over, before making contact.

• Lok Kai-cheung welcomed Zhou Quan’s involvement in the Nai family investigation but worried about the safety of his undercover informants.
• Zhou Quan said he could obtain the undercover files through Superintendent Yang Zi'an if Lok Kai-cheung refused to cooperate.
• Lok Kai-cheung agreed to share the files after Zhou Quan promised to protect the informants and support their promotions.
• Lok Kai-cheung revealed that Law Kai was his most successful undercover operative and Nai Wing-hau’s top bodyguard.
• Lok Kai-cheung arranged for Law Kai to meet Zhou Quan in seven days, after Nai Kun’s funeral rites had ended.

Zhou Quan and Lok Kai-cheung met undercover officer Law Kai on a rooftop and discussed his years infiltrating the Nai Family. Zhou Quan promised that a successful plan to bring the family down could earn Law Kai a promotion, and he proposed a Bath Star for his service.

• Zhou Quan and Lok Kai-cheung waited on the China-Hong Kong Building rooftop until Law Kai arrived and initially tried to leave after seeing Zhou Quan.
• Lok Kai-cheung assured Law Kai that Zhou Quan could be trusted, and Law Kai apologized for his caution before offering to help with the case.
• Law Kai explained that he had gone undercover in 1985 and had spent six years without promotion, while Lok Kai-cheung reminisced about their nearly ten years working together.
• Law Kai said the Nai Family was tightly organized and that he had found no direct evidence of its crimes despite serving as Nai Wing-hau's bodyguard.
• Zhou Quan said a current opportunity could bring the Nai Family to justice and promised to seek recognition for Law Kai, suggesting he deserved a Bath Star.

Zhou Quan recruited Law Kai to help expose the Nai Family’s secrets and promised to support his promotion after he returned to the Police Force. He outlined Operation Slacking Off, using the bosses’ rivalries and evidence linking Hon Sam to Lau Kin-ming to fracture the family, leaving Lok Kai-cheung and Law Kai shocked by the possibility that Hon Sam had arranged Nai Kun’s murder.

• Zhou Quan promised to back Law Kai’s promotion to probationary inspector, and Law Kai eagerly accepted his offer of support.
• Zhou Quan revealed Operation Slacking Off, a plan to provoke strife within the Nai Family and capture its members.
• Law Kai explained that Hon Sam remained loyal to Nai Wing-hau, while the other four bosses resented his control and were being coerced with secrets.
• Zhou Quan proposed exposing Gandhi’s smuggling losses and Kwok Wah’s affair to destabilize the Nai Family’s forces.
• Zhou Quan showed Lok Kai-cheung and Law Kai a photograph of Lau Kin-ming and said he was close to Hon Sam’s wife and had visited Nai Kun’s opera club on the night of the murder.
• Lok Kai-cheung asked whether Hon Sam was planting Lau Kin-ming in the Police Force and had sent him to kill Nai Kun.

Zhou Quan briefed Lok Kai-cheung on evidence linking Wong Chi Shing, Hon Sam’s wife, and Lau Kin-ming to Nai Kun’s murder, then tasked Law Kai with helping destabilize the Nai Family. Lok Kai-cheung agreed to keep Operation Slacking secret while remaining skeptical of the accusations against Wong.

• Zhou Quan told Lok Kai-cheung that Lau Kin-ming had secretly contacted Hon Sam’s wife and was the only outsider known to have visited Nai Kun’s opera club.
• Zhou Quan pointed out that Major Crimes Unit surveillance of Nai Kun had been reassigned on the night of the murder and that Wong Chi Shing had ties to Hon Sam’s wife.
• Zhou Quan said Wong and Hon Sam’s wife had met secretly before Nai Kun’s death, while Law Kai reported that Nai Wing-hau suspected Nai Kun’s bodyguards had taken bribes.
• Lok Kai-cheung concluded that Wong, Hon Sam’s wife, and Lau Kin-ming might have conspired to kill Nai Kun, but said he would remain skeptical until there was solid evidence.
• Lok Kai-cheung promised to keep Operation Slacking secret, and Zhou Quan instructed Law Kai to put photographs before Nai Wing-hau and foment conflict among Kwok Wah, Black Ghost, and Gandhi.
• Law Kai saluted and accepted Zhou Quan’s assignment, promising to return safely.

Zhou Quan continued preparing to dismantle the Nai Family while delegating its surveillance to his subordinates. On Christmas Eve, he reunited with his senior fellow pupils Oswald and Lai Wing-lim at a gathering of Lincoln College alumni.

• Law Kai returned to the Nai Family with Zhou Quan's assignment, while Zhou Quan and Lok Kai-cheung went back to Tsim Sha Tsui Police Station unnoticed.
• Zhou Quan divided the Anti-Triad Unit into three teams led by He Wenzhan, Luk Koon-wah, and Lau Bo-keung to watch the Nai Family's five bosses around the clock.
• Zhou Quan declined most drinks-party invitations but accepted Oswald's, since Oswald was his most senior fellow pupil.
• Zhou Quan arrived at Oswald's villa on Tai Ping Shan on Christmas Eve, where Oswald and Lai Wing-lim welcomed him.
• Zhou Quan, Oswald, and Lai Wing-lim went inside to join their assistants and pupils for a Christmas Eve dinner and alumni reunion.

At Christmas dinner, Oswald and Lai Wing-lim praised Zhou Quan’s police career and teased him about finding a wife. Oswald introduced the possibility of Zhou Quan getting to know his adopted daughter, Au Wing-yan, leaving the two blushing and the table laughing.

• Oswald toasted the group and reminded them to restrain themselves and observe propriety.
• Oswald regretted that Zhou Quan had joined the Police Force instead of pursuing law, while Lai Wing-lim predicted Zhou Quan could rise to the top of the force.
• Zhou Quan said he had joined to honor his parents and acknowledged that his grandfather and uncle made his career path easier.
• Oswald urged Zhou Quan to remember their teacher’s principles, and Zhou Quan promised he would.
• Lai Wing-lim teased Zhou Quan about marriage, then asked whether he liked Oswald’s adopted daughter, Au Wing-yan.
• Oswald suggested Zhou Quan and Au Wing-yan could get to know each other once she started university, and the group laughed as she blushed.

Zhou Quan coordinated a police operation to dismantle the Nai Family while Nai Wing-hau prepared to kill Hon Sam and his wife. The operation caught the family’s key figures, including Nai Wing-hau, and left them detained at Tsim Sha Tsui Police Station.

• Nai Wing-hau learned that Hon Sam’s wife had helped arrange Nai Kun’s murder and secretly planned to kill her and Hon Sam during Nai Kun’s fifth seventh-day memorial rites.
• Zhou Quan learned of Nai Wing-hau’s plan through Law Kai and arranged to expose the feuds among Gandhi, Kwok Wah, and Black Ghost while using a supposed drug deal to distract the police unit.
• On January 18, Nai Wing-hau left for Victoria Bay as the Major Crimes Unit followed his smokescreen and the three Nai Family bosses’ factions prepared to fight.
• Zhou Quan ordered more than a hundred officers from the Anti-Triad Unit, the Mobile Unit, and the Flying Tigers to arrest the Nai Family’s bosses and their men.
• The police arrested Gandhi, Kwok Wah, Black Ghost, Man Ching, Hon Sam and his wife, and Nai Wing-hau, then detained the family’s important figures at Tsim Sha Tsui Police Station.

Zhou Quan used the Nai Family’s threats against Gandhi’s family to persuade him to provide evidence against the gang. After Gandhi gave a partial account, Zhou moved on to Kwok Wah, who readily disclosed extensive evidence against the family.

• Zhou Quan told Gandhi that Nai Wing-hau had moved against Hon Sam and warned him that Kwok Wah and Black Ghost might target him and his family.
• Gandhi agreed to cooperate if Zhou protected his family and provided evidence against Kwok Wah, Black Ghost, Man Ching, Hon Sam, and Nai Wing-hau.
• Gandhi gave Zhou evidence about the others’ crimes, including shipment records and money-laundering ledgers, but concealed details of his own assets and offenses.
• Zhou instructed officers to collect Gandhi’s evidence, then confronted Kwok Wah with Gandhi’s statement.
• Kwok Wah immediately gave Zhou a detailed account of the evidence he held against other members of the Nai Family.

Zhou Quan arrested Nai Wing-hau after the Nai Family’s five bosses confessed and supplied evidence of his crimes. Wong Chi Shing was left facing investigation over his ties to the Triads and a videotape implicating him, as Yu Suqiu arrived.

• Zhou Quan entered the holding room and found Nai Wing-hau preparing to leave, confident that he had cleared himself.
• Zhou Quan revealed an arrest warrant and said the five bosses under the Nai Family had confessed, then ordered He Wenzhan and Lau Bo-keung to take Nai Wing-hau away.
• Nai Wing-hau realized the photographs and Law Kai’s role had been part of a police trap.
• Wong Chi Shing asked Lok Kai-cheung what was happening, and Lok warned him to look out for himself because the videotape implicated him.
• Yu Suqiu, head of the Yau Tsim District Internal Affairs Department, entered with uniformed officers, leaving Wong Chi Shing despondent.

After the operation against the Nai Family, Internal Affairs arrested Wong Chi Shing and took over the investigation into Lau Kin-ming. Zhou Quan promised to support Law Kai’s promotion and then met his uncle Wong Bing Yiu, who praised him for dismantling the Nai Family.

• Madam Yu led Internal Affairs officers to arrest Wong Chi Shing after the videotapes and testimony exposed his role in plotting Nai Kun’s assassination.
• Madam Yu asked Zhou Quan for the materials concerning Lau Kin-ming, and Zhou Quan ordered He Wenzhan and Lau Bo-keung to provide them.
• Lok Kai-cheung asked Zhou Quan to arrange Law Kai’s return and promotion, and Zhou Quan agreed to support him in the inspector selection process.
• Zhou Quan told Lok Kai-cheung he would bring the Anti-Triad Unit to Law Kai’s welcome-back party, then went to see Wong Bing Yiu.
• Wong Bing Yiu praised Zhou Quan for bringing down the Nai Family and called him a worthy successor.

Zhou Quan reflected on why he had joined the Police Force and reaffirmed his commitment to carrying the Lee Faction forward. Wong Bing Yiu revealed that a departing foreign commander could open a path to promotion, leaving Zhou Quan determined to help his uncle contend for assistant commissioner.

• Zhou Quan understood that the Lee Faction lacked a ready successor, which was why he had returned to Hong Kong Island and joined the Police Force despite promising prospects in law.
• Zhou Quan playfully told Wong Bing Yiu he would wait to take over his job, and Wong praised his work on the Nai Family case and planned for him to take a promotion exam midyear.
• Wong Bing Yiu hinted that a foreign commander in West Kowloon might return home early, creating a possible opening for Wong to become assistant commissioner and West Kowloon commander.
• Wong warned that foreign leaders would resist the growing influence of Chinese Police Officers, and Zhou Quan promised to help him secure the promotion by continuing to solve major cases.

Zhou Quan learned that Wong Bing Yiu’s service weapon had been stolen, threatening Wong’s bid for Assistant Commissioner. After CCTV footage pointed to students from Edinburgh College, Zhou Quan suspected the theft might involve someone he knew.

• Zhou Quan secured Wong Bing Yiu’s agreement to recommend Law Kai for the Inspector Selection Process, then focused on keeping the gangs in Yau Tsim District under control.
• Zhou Quan met Wong Bing Yiu in his office and learned that Wong’s Kindly Gun was missing.
• Wong Bing Yiu explained that he had left the gun on his desk during a school visit and had secretly launched an investigation.
• Wong Bing Yiu told Zhou Quan that CCTV footage showed students from Edinburgh College entering his office.
• Zhou Quan recalled a familiar face and wondered whether the suspected students included someone he knew.

Wong Bing Yiu asked Zhou Quan to support Chow Sing Sing and Cho Tat-wah in investigating the theft of his service pistol at Edinburgh College. Zhou Quan recognized the case’s links to arms smuggling and terrorism, then began preparing to pursue the wider conspiracy.

• Wong Bing Yiu told Zhou Quan that Chow Sing Sing and Cho Tat-wah were undercover at Edinburgh College and asked him to provide backup.
• Zhou Quan recalled that the stolen Kindly Gun would lead to arms smugglers and terrorists who had targeted Edinburgh College.
• Wong Bing Yiu gave Zhou Quan a pager with contact codes for Chow Sing Sing and Cho Tat-wah.
• Zhou Quan signaled Chow Sing Sing to arrange a meeting and ordered He Wenzhan to assemble the Anti-Triad Unit, with officers carrying their service pistols and those on leave recalled.

Zhou Quan prepared his Anti-Triad Unit and informant networks for an operation near Edinburgh College, then contacted Chow Sing Sing and arranged to meet him and Cho Tat-wah. He arrived at Cho Tat-wah’s flat, where Sing Sing was busy finishing homework.

• Zhou Quan ordered He Wenzhan, Lau Bo-keung, and Luk Koon-wah to keep their officers armed and reachable, and to monitor Yau Tsim District, especially King's Park Hill.
• Zhou Quan waited several hours for Chow Sing Sing to answer his 666 signal, then received a call from him in the evening.
• Chow Sing Sing explained that school had kept him from contacting Zhou Quan and revealed that he was staying with Cho Tat-wah at a flat on King's Park Road.
• Zhou Quan drove to Cho Tat-wah's building, where Cho introduced himself and explained that Chow Sing Sing was rushing to finish his homework.