allendalepharm Chapter 25: The ICAC Invites You for Coffee?
Chapter 25: The ICAC Invites You for Coffee?
Lu Qichang was leaning close to He Chu, whispering about the strange things happening in the next group: "Uncle Tian's group is really acting strangely."
"The big gold watches on the wrists of Toupi and Zeizaiming were so shiny they almost blinded people."
"I had my doubts and suspicions..."
He Chu gently shook his head.
"One should not suspect one's comrades-in-arms without reason."
Lu Qichang forced a bitter smile:
"I know exactly what's going on, that's why I'm only telling you. I wouldn't have revealed a single word to anyone else."
He Chu frowned and said:
"Is the officer aware of this matter, sir?"
Lu Qichang gently shook his head:
"It seems they are completely unaware."
He Chu's brows furrowed even more deeply:
"In that case, I don't recommend that you tell the big boss about this."
Lu Qichang lowered his voice and said in a low voice:
"The Huang Zhicheng incident already put us in a very passive position. If Uncle Tian's group causes any more trouble, we'll really be in deep trouble."
"If it really comes to that, not only will we be unable to explain to the big boss, but we won't even be able to get through to the higher-ups."
He Chu, however, remained steadfast in upholding his principles.
"Brother Chang, our police force has its own regulations and rules."
"Or... why don't you find an opportunity to talk to Uncle Tian alone?"
Lu Qichang's expression instantly became uncertain.
This kind of job—revealing colleagues' secrets and exposing internal affairs—is a thankless and thankless task in any circle.
But Lu Qichang knew in his heart that he had no selfish motives in thinking this way.
Uncle Tian leads the Major Crimes Unit A, which is the top-tier team in the entire Major Crimes Unit.
If he really falls from grace, it will be a devastating blow to the entire West Kowloon Major Crimes Unit.
If a problem is found, the Ministry of the Interior will definitely use this as an excuse to thoroughly investigate and clean up the entire West Kowloon Headquarters from top to bottom.
He Chu softened his tone and offered his suggestion:
"Uncle Tian is a senior member of the police force. If the two of you sit down and have a good chat, I don't think there will be any problems."
Lu Qichang sighed helplessly:
"Let's take it one step at a time. I need to find the right opportunity first!"
As the two were talking, the office door was suddenly pushed open.
Three men in sharp suits walked in. The one in front pulled out an arrest warrant and said in a deep voice:
"Inspector Ho Chu, I am Shek Suen, the Investigation Officer of the Independent Commission Against Corruption. We have a case that requires your assistance in our investigation."
Lu Qichang and He Chu were stunned on the spot. They quickly exchanged a glance, their eyes filled with disbelief and absurdity.
Lu Qichang abruptly stood up, strode over to Shi Xuan, his face as black as the bottom of a pot, and coldly questioned:
"Why is your ICAC ignoring the criminals outside and instead coming to our Major Crimes Unit to try and take away our Deputy Captain of Team C?"
"Shouldn't you give me a plausible explanation for this?"
Luo Ji, Chen Yongren, and Yang Jinrong moved silently, completely blocking the office door.
The three people from the ICAC were immediately surrounded in the middle of the office.
Shi Xuan's face instantly darkened, and he said coldly:
"I'm sorry, the details of the case are confidential and I cannot disclose them."
"We kindly request that Inspector Ho cooperate with us and come with us. Please do not damage the cooperative relationship between the police force and the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) due to personal reasons."
Lu Qichang was about to explode on the spot, but He Chu reached out and gently patted his shoulder.
"Inspector Lu, don't be impulsive, I'll handle this."
Lu Qichang let out a heavy, cold snort and cursed:
"A bunch of good-for-nothing bastards who have nothing better to do than eat and drink."
Shi Xuanquan pretended not to hear those words and didn't even lift his eyelids.
Seeing He Chu step forward, a smug look immediately appeared on his face, and he said:
"Inspector Ho, you're a reasonable person. You wouldn't want to ruin the relationship between the police force and the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) because of a moment of anger, would you?"
He Chu scoffed upon hearing this and said:
"Don't try to pin such a big accusation on me."
"If we're really talking about affecting the relationship between the police and the anti-corruption commission, the one who started it wasn't me, it was you, Director Shi, wasn't it?"
Shi Xuan's face darkened instantly, and he asked in a cold voice:
"Inspector Ho, what exactly do you mean by that?"
He Chu leisurely took out a lighter, lit a Marlboro, and, while puffing out smoke, slowly asked:
"You've come here with such fanfare to investigate me, does that mean you've already concluded that I've committed a crime?"
Without a second thought, Shi Xuan immediately and decisively spoke:
"Of course!"
Upon hearing this, Lu Qichang, Luo Ji, Chen Yongren, and Yang Jinrong all glared at the three ICAC officers, their eyes filled with anger.
He Chu raised his hand and waved it gently, then said:
"Let me guess what kind of case this is... According to you, this case is definitely not a criminal case, since the power to investigate criminal cases is in the hands of us police."
Shi Xuan's face immediately showed impatience, and he interrupted coldly:
"What exactly are you trying to say? Stop beating around the bush!"
He Chu completely ignored his words and continued speaking to herself.
"Since it's not a criminal case, it's naturally not a civil case either. After all, with the Correctional Services Department and the courts there, there's no need for your ICAC to get involved in this kind of thing."
"After much thought and consideration, it seems like only economic cases remain?"
"Accepting bribes?"
"Or is it embezzlement?!"
Shi Xuan immediately raised his voice and shouted sternly:
"What? Are you admitting it yourself?"
"Guards, take him away!"
The smile on He Chu's face vanished instantly, his expression turning as cold as ice. His sharp, wolf-like eyes swept over them, and the three ICAC officers felt a chill run down their spines. They all took a step back, their hands involuntarily reaching for their sidearms at their waists.
This is the office of Major Crimes Unit C, where all the officers present are hardened veterans who have lived on the edge of death. How could they tolerate such arrogance on their turf?
Luo Ji suddenly took a step forward, the dark muzzle of his gun pressed directly against Shi Xuan's forehead, and shouted sharply:
"Try moving your weapon!"
Shi Xuan froze on the spot, not daring to even breathe.
He quickly glanced around out of the corner of his eye and was shocked to find that his two men had also had guns pointed at their heads.
Shi Xuan was instantly terrified and cried out in shock:
"What...what exactly do you want?"
Looking at his appearance, Luo Ji curled up a cold smile.
Shi Xuan felt a chill run from the soles of his feet straight to the top of his head, and his whole body felt cold.
He had handled countless cases with the ICAC, but never before had he misjudged the situation so badly, ending up in such a sorry state.
He Chu seemed completely oblivious to the tense atmosphere before him, still leaning against the table, leisurely puffing on his cigarette.
"Even if it is a case of economic corruption, it certainly falls under the jurisdiction of your Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC), but the supervisory power of our police force ultimately remains in the hands of our police station."
"Have you notified the police's Internal Affairs Investigation Division about this? Are they aware of it?"
Shi Xuan froze on the spot, his face turning deathly pale.
He Chu turned his head to look at Lu Qichang beside him and said:
"Inspector Lu, I think you could make a call now and ask your colleagues in the Internal Affairs Investigation Department."
"Our deputy captain from Major Crimes Unit C is going to be invited in for coffee by the ICAC to ask them if they knew anything about it."
"If they claim to know, then please explain clearly which law I, He Chu, have broken and which case I am involved in."
At this point, his tone finally turned completely cold.
"This is the West Kowloon Police Headquarters, not your Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) territory."
"Even if our police officers have made a mistake, it's not your ICAC's place to barge in and arrest them without prior notice."
He Chu took a step forward, staring at Shi Xuan, whose face was deathly pale, with a half-smile.
"You just kept saying I would damage the relationship between the police and the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC). Well then, I'd like to ask, when you brought your men here, which senior officer in our station did you inform them of the situation or give them any instructions?"
"Inspector Lu and I are discussing important case details in the office."
"And who gave you the authority to barge into our Major Crimes Unit's office?"
Shi Xuan's face flushed red and then turned pale, then bluish-black, and he was filled with remorse and inwardly groaned.
This is a complete disaster!
He really didn't expect that He Chu would be so troublesome and difficult to deal with!
Normally, when he uses this combination of soft and hard tactics, no matter who the other person is, they will succumb to the pressure and obediently follow him back to the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC).
But when it came to He Chu, this method was completely useless; he simply didn't fall for it!
What surprised him even more was that the members of the Major Crimes Unit C were all fearless and ruthless. How could they dare to point their guns directly at the ICAC investigators?
Just as Shi Xuan was about to open his mouth to argue, he heard He Chu speak again, slowly saying:
"Judging from your appearance, you haven't even followed the most basic legal procedures. The legendary ICAC elites, known for their decisiveness, would never do something so unruly."
"You know, the ICAC is specifically there to catch those who break the rules and violate the law. How come you've broken the rules yourself and started doing things without any order?"
Shi Xuan's heart skipped a beat, and he thought to himself, "This is bad."
He Chu had already turned his head and said to Lu Qichang in a deep voice:
"Inspector Luk, I strongly suspect that these people are imposters of ICAC officers, deliberately trying to tarnish the ICAC's reputation."
"Furthermore, it was a deliberate attempt to provoke trouble and sow discord between the police force and the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC)."
Lu Qichang immediately clapped his hands and gave a stern order:
"Luo Ji, did you hear that? Handcuff them immediately and take them all to the interrogation room!"
"Give these distinguished guests a good welcome and make sure you find out exactly who they are and what their intentions are."
Shi Xuan immediately cried out:
"Officer Luk! We really are official investigators from the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC)! Our credentials are genuine!"
Lu Qichang's eyes flashed fiercely, and he gritted his teeth, saying menacingly:
"Are all ICAC officers as undisciplined and lawless as you?"
He Chu, standing to the side, spoke up at the opportune moment, slowly adding:
"As the saying goes, different strokes for different folks. Even the ICAC, which is known for its strict discipline, can't guarantee that there won't be a few bad apples who don't follow the rules."
"I think we should contact the senior officer directly about this matter, or report it to the head of headquarters."
"They can break the rules and act recklessly, but we police officers still have to follow the regulations to some extent."
"Please ask the senior management of the ICAC to come forward and ask them whether this person who deliberately undermines the relationship between the police and the ICAC and does not follow the rules was actually sent by the ICAC."
Shi Xuan's face was ashen. He knew in his heart that he was completely finished this time! The ICAC had built up so much face over the years, and today he, Shi Xuan, had completely disgraced it!
Is the order to arrest He Chu real or fake?
It's absolutely true!
However, due to a fatal procedural flaw, Shih Hsuan not only failed to bring the person back to the ICAC, but was also detained himself and held in the interrogation room for a full hour.
The people in Group C didn't do anything else; they just locked them up in the interrogation room.
They confiscated all their communication devices and removed their sidearms.
Apart from these two things, no other actions were taken.
But it is precisely these two seemingly simple actions that have made all the attitudes and issues crystal clear.
Shi Xuan sat in the chair in the interrogation room, his face changing color constantly, sometimes pale and sometimes flushed.
He felt incredibly ashamed; he had truly and utterly disgraced the ICAC this time.
Looking across the entire ICAC, who else can handle cases as miserably and tragically as they do?
But now he has no way to deal with it. It's his own fault for not being careful in his actions and not even following the most basic legal procedures. Even if they lock him up here, it's considered a lenient punishment!
Shih Hsuan could imagine with his eyes closed that even if he returned to the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) safely this time, his superiors would definitely not give him the slightest bit of a friendly look.
The reason is simple: procedural justice!
You made a fatal mistake in your procedure, while the other party was in the right and followed the rules throughout the entire process. Even if you wanted to find fault with them, you wouldn't have any grounds to stand on.
How much power does the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) wield?
Of course it's big!
Since he gained a foothold by cracking down on corruption within the police force, his power has indeed grown increasingly stronger over the years.
The problem is that the Hong Kong Police Force is not an ordinary disciplined force. They also wield considerable legal power and are not pushovers to be bullied at will.
An hour later, He Chu pushed open the door to the interrogation room and walked in, a faint smile on his face, and said:
"The matter has been verified. Your identities are genuine, and so is the mission."
"Alright, let's go. I'll go with you to the ICAC for a cup of tea."
Shi Xuan followed He Chu out of the interrogation room, and as soon as he looked up, he was surprised to see Superintendent Chen standing outside.
Superintendent Chen's face was as black as the bottom of a pot. He looked at Shi Xuan and said sternly:
"Your handling of this case completely disregarded legal procedures, severely damaging the cooperative relationship between the police force and the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC). I will definitely file a formal complaint with your ICAC leadership!"
Shi Xuan's face was equally ashen. He felt absurd; he had just said that line today, and it was all too familiar!
Superintendent Chen paused, then continued in a cold voice:
"Inspector Ho is a key detective in our West Kowloon Police Force. Since joining the force, he has solved numerous extraordinary cases and made outstanding contributions. I don't know why your ICAC is targeting him like this."
"Our police chief has personally instructed me to accompany you throughout the entire interrogation process."
"If I find out that you're maliciously framing and slandering me, you'll all be in deep trouble!"
Shi Xuan gritted his teeth and replied in a hard tone:
"Our Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) never wrongs an innocent person when handling cases."
Hearing this, He Chu chuckled twice and said:
"Oh? Really? I seem to recall that the court just handed down a verdict in a case a couple of days ago, and the people involved were from your ICAC, weren't they?"
"Two investigators from your ICAC were sentenced to imprisonment for illegally coercing a suspect into giving a confession."
Shi Xuan was instantly rendered speechless, feeling only bad luck and cursing himself for being so unlucky to run into such a critical moment!
He Chu continued speaking slowly, his tone full of amusement.
"I initially thought this was just an isolated case, after all, the ICAC has maintained a pretty good reputation over the years, but now it seems..."
He Chu shook his head slightly at this point and didn't continue.
Shi Xuan's face flushed red and then turned pale, displaying a variety of colors, making him look extremely unsightly.
He sighed inwardly, knowing that after this incident, the ICAC's reputation was completely ruined throughout the West Kowloon Headquarters.
Even if he lost the face, he couldn't lose his spirit. He immediately let out a heavy snort and said, forcing himself to speak:
"Officer Ho, our Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) never casually invites people back to assist in investigations."
"Now, please come with us to the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) to formally assist with the investigation."
He Chu raised an eyebrow and asked:
"You have to tell me first, what kind of case is it?"
"Otherwise, how can I cooperate with your investigation if I'm completely in the dark?"
"Besides, we both know in our hearts that our identities are different."
Shi Xuan instantly flew into a rage and demanded in a stern voice:
"What's the difference? Do you think you're above the law?"
He Chu's expression remained quite calm as he spoke in a light tone:
"I am a full-fledged inspector of the Hong Kong Police Force, and also an active inspector of the West Kowloon Regional Crime Unit."
Upon hearing this, Shi Xuan immediately sneered and said:
There are a total of eighteen police districts in Hong Kong, and each district has countless inspectors.
"What, are you the only one who's special?"
The implication of these words couldn't be clearer: the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) dares to investigate any inspector, regardless of which police district or which police prefecture!
He Chu remained calm and spoke in a composed manner:
"You're right, I am indeed very special."
Shi Xuan's brows furrowed instantly, and he asked sternly:
"What exactly are you up to here?"
He Chu turned his head to look at Superintendent Chen beside him and said:
"Superintendent Chan, it seems that the professional competence of ICAC investigators these days is really not that great."
"How could they not have noticed such crucial and sensitive information at all?"
"I even doubt how they got into the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC)."
Shi Xuan finally couldn't hold back any longer and burst out on the spot:
"What are you spouting all this sarcasm about? Just say what you mean!"
Superintendent Chen glanced at him sideways and said coldly:
"Inspector Ho is telling you something you still don't understand."
He is an active-duty inspector in the police force.
"He is the youngest inspector in the entire West Kowloon Headquarters and even the entire Hong Kong Police Force. Since joining the force, he has made numerous outstanding contributions and has a distinguished record."
"They are core personnel who are the focus of our police force's senior management and are receiving special attention and training."
Upon hearing this, Shi Xuan froze on the spot again, his mind going blank.
It was only at this moment that he suddenly realized that He Chu had only been out of police academy for a year and a half.
At this time, while most new recruits were still wearing military uniforms and guarding the streets, he had already become an undercover inspector in the Major Crimes Unit!
Moreover, he is a core member of the West Kowloon Regional Crime Unit, holding numerous major cases in his hands.
Shi Xuan's heart skipped a beat, and he thought to himself, "Oh no, I've really stirred up a hornet's nest this time."
He Chu spoke again, his tone calm:
"Of course I can cooperate with your ICAC investigation."
"But I've been barged in here for no reason and accused of a crime. Who will compensate me for my reputation?"
"Besides, the ICAC hasn't exactly built a good reputation over the years!"