Uncle Yuan knelt trembling on the ground, his entire body shaking as he recounted, in full detail, the events of years past—
“The man in the photograph is called ‘A Jie’, a sworn brother of Hao Wei. When Hao Wei was young, he once went to the Golden Triangle and saved a Thai man known as ‘King’—that man is now Golden Maitreya. Later, Hao Wei returned to Hong Kong and made his way through the jianghu. Over a decade later, he had already carved out a reputation. I, Old Ge, Old Qiu, and Prince Duan were all his subordinates.”
“In 1973, Golden Maitreya fled to Hong Kong after a military mutiny and sought refuge with Hao Wei. At that time, they also befriended a detective known as ‘A’Jie,’ and the three of them swore brotherhood. To commemorate the occasion, they took this photograph, each keeping a copy.”
“At the time, Hao Wei was known in the underworld for his ‘Three Nos’—no trafficking women, no dealing in ‘white powder’, and no killing. But principles came at a price—we were notoriously poor back then.”
“At the start of 1974, Hao Wei’s wife fell gravely ill and urgently needed money for surgery. With no way out, Golden Maitreya and A’Jie persuaded him to rob a bank. I was the only one who knew about it—I wanted to join, but Hao Wei refused, saying my wife was about to give birth and that I must not wade into such danger.”
“With A’Jie providing cover, the three of them successfully robbed a large sum of money. But afterward, A’Jie and Golden Maitreya killed a policeman to silence him. Hao Wei was furious at their actions. After dividing the money, they agreed to go their separate ways. Golden Maitreya returned to Thailand, A’Jie continued as a detective, and Hao Wei gathered us to found Xiao Qi Hall. Unfortunately, not long after the surgery, his wife still passed away.”
“Years later, Golden Maitreya lost a leg while rescuing the Golden Triangle drug lord Kun Zhang. In gratitude, Kun Zhang allowed him to oversee his ‘white powder’ trade in the Asia-Pacific region. Golden Maitreya sent men to Hong Kong to approach Hao Wei, hoping Xiao Qi Hall would act as his distributor. Hao Wei refused.”
“So Golden Maitreya came to me, asking me to kill Hao Wei and take over as Dragon Head.”
“At the time, word had already spread of a powerful Chief Inspector known as the ‘Old Shopkeeper’. It was said that any gang he favored would prosper, while those he disdained would be ruthlessly suppressed by the police. He also sent word to me—telling me to kill Hao Wei and that he would support me as Dragon Head.”
“I have always suspected that this ‘Old Shopkeeper’ was none other than A’Jie. Golden Maitreya must have found him and gained his backing as well.”
“But Hao Wei was deeply respected by everyone—I didn’t dare act, nor did I find the opportunity. In the end, it was the Old Shopkeeper and Golden Maitreya who arranged his assassination, disguising it as a traffic accident.”
“After Hao Wei’s death, we convened to choose a new leader. I didn’t dare put myself forward, fearing suspicion. Besides, the elders did not trust one another—we would never have agreed. So in the end, we unanimously installed the ‘Crown Prince’ Azure Dragon as a puppet.”
“Azure Dragon was young then and needed our support to stabilize his position. Among the elders, he trusted me the most. I persuaded him to cooperate with Golden Maitreya—his father’s ‘sworn brother.’ Azure Dragon agreed. We began selling ‘white powder,’ opening brothels and gambling dens, and paying tribute through the inspectors to the Old Shopkeeper. Xiao Qi Hall grew more and more powerful…”
“Four years ago, Azure Dragon discovered this old photograph hidden within the account books. He recognized ‘King’ as Golden Maitreya and found out that ‘A’Jie’ was in fact the current Deputy Commissioner—Xie Ying Jie. He suspected his father’s death was not so simple and came to me for answers…”
“But with his strength, Azure Dragon could never contend against the Old Shopkeeper and Golden Maitreya! Seeking revenge would only bring ruin—and at that time, he already had plans to ‘legitimize’ Xiao Qi Hall. I could not bear to see the organization destroyed in his hands!”
“So I informed Golden Maitreya—and also had Inspector Hua notify the Old Shopkeeper. The Old Shopkeeper ordered Azure Dragon’s assassination, and Golden Maitreya sent killers as well…”
“But Azure Dragon was always cautious—the assassins could not find an opening. I knew Xu Ying had long been dissatisfied and harbored ambitions of rebellion, so I encouraged him—just a few words, nothing more. It was he who grew treacherous! With the support of Fat Seven and Inspector Hua, they finally killed Azure Dragon…”
……
He Chu San pulled his car to the roadside.
Across the empty street stood the gates of a cemetery. Beyond them, a narrow path stretched into shadow, illuminated faintly by dim yellow streetlamps. Rows of stone angels stood atop the gravestones on either side, silently watching as He Chu San walked forward.
He ascended the stone steps at the end of the path and stopped before a grave on the hillside.
Lu Guang Ming stood there, head lowered, gazing at the photograph on the tombstone—a face that resembled his own by seventy percent. It was a double grave; beside it was the image of a gentle-looking woman.
He Chu San read the names engraved upon the stone: Lu Yong and Lu Liang Xiao Yan.
His investigation had been correct—this was the reason Lu Guang Ming relentlessly pursued Xiao Qi Hall.
“They are your parents?” He Chu San asked.
Lu Guang Ming kept his gaze on the tombstone. “My father was a police officer. When I was six, he died in a major bank robbery. My mother fell ill from grief and passed away soon after.”
“My condolences,” said He Chu San.
“Condolences are useless,” Lu Guang Ming replied. “Only uncovering the truth can bring justice to the dead.”
He turned, his earlier smile gone. “You said you have a photograph to show me?”
He Chu San took out the copied photograph from his briefcase and handed it over. Lu Guang Ming shone a flashlight on it—and his expression changed sharply.
“I’ve seen this before,” he said, his voice trembling. “A few years ago, someone brought an identical photograph to me. Not long after… that person was murdered, and the photograph vanished.”
His gaze turned wary. “Where did you get this? What’s on the back?”
He Chu San handed him another copy—the reverse side, bearing the words “Sworn Brotherhood”.
Lu Guang Ming studied it for a moment. “This is not the same one I saw—the writing on that one had been blacked out.”
“Where did you get it?” he asked again, gripping the photo tightly.
“From Xia Liu Yi,” He Chu San answered honestly. “This photograph seems connected to the death of Azure Dragon, the former Dragon Head of Xiao Qi Hall. Xia Liu Yi values it greatly. Investigator Lu, can you tell me who these people are?”
Lu Guang Ming pointed to the young man on the left. “Hao Wei—the first Dragon Head of Xiao Qi Hall, and Azure Dragon’s father.”
He then pointed to the Thai youth in the center. “This man—I could not determine his identity. Likely a foreigner who did not stay long in Hong Kong.”
Finally, he pointed to the third man—his expression darkening with hatred.
“This is my father’s superior officer. He was injured during the bank robbery. He came to pay respects when my father was buried.”
He Chu San pulled out another set of documents. On the first page was a newspaper clipping showing a dignified, uniformed middle-aged man of high rank.
“Can you confirm that this is the same person?” He Chu San asked. “The current Deputy Commissioner—Xie Ying Jie?”
“Of course I can,” Lu Guang Ming replied coldly. “Even if he were reduced to ashes, I would recognize him. After being ‘heroically wounded’ in that bank robbery, he was transferred to the Organized Crime and Triad Bureau (O Bureau), where he built a reputation suppressing gangs and earning countless merits. Step by step, he rose to Deputy Commissioner. Next year, he retires with honor.”
He paused, then eyed He Chu San suspiciously.
“Did Xia Liu Yi send you to find me?”
He Chusan shook his head. “Xia Liu Yi doesn’t know anything about this. You’ve investigated him—you should know his temperament. He would never cooperate with the ICAC, otherwise you wouldn’t have come looking for me. I took this photo secretly from him. I looked into the three people in it and found that they seem to be connected to your father’s death. I figured this photo must be important to you, so I asked you out. Investigator Lu, to be honest, your earlier guess was right—I am indeed in a relationship with Xia Liu Yi…”
He knew someone like Lu Guang Ming was deeply cautious, so he chose to lay everything bare to earn his trust. He explained in full how he obtained the photo, his conflict with Xia Liu Yi, and the results of his investigation—omitting only Xia Liu Yi’s injury and recovery in Thailand, merely saying that Xia Liu Yi had disappeared for a time without explanation before returning.
“…I care about him a great deal. I don’t want him to walk a road of no return, but he keeps everything from me. This photo seems tied to Azure Dragon’s death and a very important past. Xia Liu Yi refuses to tell me, but I want to know.”
Lu Guang Ming said, “This matter had nothing to do with you to begin with. You must have guessed how dangerous it is. Even so, you still want to know? Is Xia Liu Yi really that important to you?”
He Chu San met his gaze earnestly. “Investigator Lu, whether you believe me or not, I’m not with Xia Liu Yi to sink into the same mire as him. He isn’t a clean man, but selfishly, I still hope I can save him. No matter what, I have to know the truth. I think we can strike a new deal—you tell me everything about this photo, and why you’re after the Xiao Qi Hall leader’s ledger. In return, I’ll help you get what you want.”
Lu Guang Ming stared at him, pondering for a moment, then suddenly narrowed his eyes and smiled. “Mr. He, you’re quite an interesting man.”
“Fine. It won’t hurt to tell you.”
“After my parents died, I was sent to an orphanage. There was a volunteer named Jacky—he’d been helping there since middle school and always looked out for me. He knew about my father and had long been suspicious about the cause of his death. After graduating university, he joined the ICAC and began secretly investigating my father’s bank robbery case, as well as Xie Ying Jie’s corruption and bribery.
“Gradually, he discovered that every major triad bust that paved Xie Ying Jie’s rise was accompanied by a reshuffling of underworld forces—as if an unseen hand were stirring the jianghu, fanning the flames from behind the scenes. But he could never find concrete evidence that Xie Ying Jie was corrupt or manipulating both sides of the law.
“With no other options, he turned to Xie Ying Jie’s son—Xie Jia Hua, who had just joined the Major Crimes Unit at the time. He began approaching him…”
“One day, he came to me with a photo just like this and asked if I recognized anyone in it. I recognized Xie Ying Jie. He told me he’d found the photo in Xie Ying Jie’s home. One of the men in it was Hao Wei, the leader of the triad Xiao Qi Hall, who had died years earlier in a mysterious car accident. He suspected Hao Wei and the foreigner in the photo were the robbers from that bank heist, and that Xie Ying Jie had been their inside man.
“My father may have discovered their collusion and was silenced because of it. He also told me that there was someone pulling the strings in the underworld, known as the ‘Old Shopkeeper.’ He suspected that Xie Ying Jie was that man. He comforted me, saying he would find the evidence and bring the truth to light.”
“But just a few days later, Jacky was locked inside a factory freezer and frozen to death… The killer was never found. I saw his belongings—there was no photo. It must have been taken or destroyed. His death must be connected to Xie Ying Jie!”
“I swore I would uncover the truth behind my father and Jacky’s deaths and avenge them. I would personally arrest Xie Ying Jie, expose his true face, and make him pay in blood! Years later, I entered the ICAC and continued the investigation. But that old fox has been extremely cautious—he’s left almost no trace. Everything related to the ‘Old Shopkeeper’ was handled through a man called Inspector Hua. So I began digging into Inspector Hua. Just when I was about to find something, he died in gang conflict—supposedly tied to Xia Liu Yi and Fat Seven. From then on, all traces of the ‘Old Shopkeeper’ vanished.”
“I then shifted my focus to Xiao Qi Hall and Xia Liu Yi. I discovered that Xiao Qi Hall has a leader’s ‘ledger’ passed down through generations. If its records date back to Hao Wei’s founding of the hall, then it likely contains evidence of his dealings with Xie Ying Jie…”
……
Inside the abandoned factory.
After finishing his long account, Uncle Yuan’s throat had gone hoarse. He collapsed onto the ground, staring at the old photograph as tears traced down the deep lines of his face. With death closing in, fear and regret overwhelmed him.
“Did you have direct contact with the Old Shopkeeper?” Xia Liu Yi asked.
Uncle Yuan shook his head. “His identity is hidden. Someone like me isn’t worth his notice. I suspected he was Xie Ying Jie, but I could only reach him through Inspector Hua. After Hua died, I had no way to contact him.”
Xia Liu Yi bent down and picked up the photograph, staring at Xie Ying Jie’s face. No wonder it seemed familiar—he bore a striking resemblance to Xie Jia Hua from the Organized Crime Bureau. It was said Xie Jia Hua had a father who was a Deputy Commissioner. The two must be father and son.
He wondered how that righteous Senior Inspector would feel if he knew the infamous “Old Shopkeeper” of the underworld was his own father. What a cruel irony. Xia Liu Yi let out a cold scoff.
At that moment, he recalled the strange look Xu Ying had given Uncle Yuan before dying, and the words whispered in his ear—“I’ll make sure you never know how Azure Dragon died.” Everything became clear.
Xu Ying had already guessed that Uncle Yuan was the one pulling the strings. Uncle Yuan had used Xu Ying to kill Azure Dragon, then conveniently “cleansed the house” and elevated a younger, weaker, more controllable successor—him. Xu Ying had done all the dirty work only to make a wedding dress for someone else. How could he not hate him? And that hatred was likely even greater toward Xia Liu Yi than toward Uncle Yuan. Knowing he would die, Xu Ying chose to take the truth to the grave, leaving him to live forever in ignorance and hatred.
But neither Xu Ying nor Uncle Yuan had expected that the “young and weak” successor would grow at astonishing speed. In just a few years, he had wiped out the elders’ power, uncovered the truth, and dragged Uncle Yuan to the execution block.
Uncle Yuan, Inspector Hua, Golden Maitreya, the Old Shopkeeper—these bastards had hidden behind Xu Ying, colluded with one another to kill Azure Dragon and Xiao Man, then calmly used him, enjoyed the profits he handed over, and watched him serve them in ignorance. They must have mocked him endlessly.
But heaven has eyes. Now it was time for each of them to pay.
Xia Liu Yi steadied his breathing, suppressing the turmoil within, and put away the photograph. He looked down at Uncle Yuan. “Any last words?”
Desperation filled the man’s sunken eyes. “Xiao Liu… please… spare my family. They know nothing.”
Xia Liu Yi looked down at him, his face devoid of pity. “Did you spare Azure Dragon’s family?”
In that instant, absolute despair flooded Uncle Yuan’s eyes. He opened his mouth, trying to speak, but Xia Liu Yi raised his hand and fired.
“Bang—!”
Blood splattered.
……
“Bang—!”
The sharp report echoed through the cemetery. The two men instinctively ducked. He Chu San, still shaken, looked up to find that a nearby streetlamp had simply burst. Lu Guang Ming had instinctively shielded him, taking a shower of dust over his head and shoulders.
They scanned their surroundings warily before straightening.
“Thank you for risking yourself just now, Investigator Lu,” He Chu San said.
Lu Guang Ming, shaken by the false alarm, found his earlier solemn mood dissipating. He gave a small, self-deprecating smile. “Protecting civilians is my duty. Or did my performance last time make you doubt my professional ethics?”
“Your ethics are beyond question,” He Chu San replied. “Though your acting was a bit exaggerated. If I’d agreed to your deal back then, would you really have told me about the police informant?”
“I would’ve given you a fake one,” Lu Guang Ming said with a faint smile.
He Chu San chuckled. “As expected.”
“My acting really that bad?” Lu Guang Ming muttered, adding silently—Then why does he believe me every time?
“Investigator Lu,” He Chusan said seriously, “you mentioned earlier that Azure Dragon’s father, Hao Wei, died in a ‘mysterious car accident’?”
“I investigated it. The driver who hit him later ‘committed suicide’ out of fear of punishment. Most likely he was hired to kill Hao Wei and then silenced.”
“In that case… your father, your friend Jacky, Hao Wei—anyone who might have known the truth—met violent ends…” He Chu San pondered. “Do you think Azure Dragon’s death could also be connected to the two men in the photo?”
“I’ve considered that. On one hand, Azure Dragon was Hao Wei’s son—he may have been eliminated after uncovering the truth. On the other, I suspect the Old Shopkeeper used Azure Dragon’s death to reshuffle Hong Kong’s underworld.
“Before Azure Dragon died, the He Clan dominated the underworld—no other faction dared challenge them. That kind of monopoly would be unfavorable to the Old Shopkeeper. The stronger the He Clan grew, the harder they’d be to control. He needed another force to balance them.
“Azure Dragon was cautious and conservative. Under him, Xiao Qi Hall avoided conflict with the He Clan. But after Xia Liu Yi took over, he became bold, reckless, and aggressive in expansion, showing no restraint. The Old Shopkeeper likely saw this and chose to support him in secret.
“In recent years, Xiao Qi Hall has risen rapidly. Groups like the Sha Family Gang and He Sheng Society have fallen, leaving Xiao Qi Hall and the He Yi Society in a state of balance. I believe all of this is the result of the Old Shopkeeper’s manipulation.”
He Chu San lowered his gaze, deep in thought. All the fragments of memory and clues connected at last.
He understood the hidden truth behind Azure Dragon’s death—and the meaning behind Xia Liu Yi’s words in his nightmares: “I’ll kill them… avenge you.”
The people in that photograph were the murderers of Azure Dragon and his father.
If Xia Liu Yi had risked his life in Thailand to eliminate that Thai man, then after returning to Hong Kong, he would likely set his sights on Xie Ying Jie next.
But killing a Deputy Commissioner—what a cost, what consequences…
For revenge, Xia Liu Yi would not hesitate.
Would that reckless, unrestrained gangster even be prepared to die with his enemy?
A chill ran up He Chu San’s spine, flooding his mind. He clenched his fists.
You don’t value your life? Then I’ll break your claws and pull your fangs—I’ll take down your prey for you.
He steadied himself and spoke calmly, “Investigator Lu, thank you for your honesty. I understand your goal, but I think you’re heading in the wrong direction. Even if that ledger exists, and even if it records dealings between Xie Ying Jie and Hao Wei—Hao Wei is long dead. There’s no witness. A record alone would hardly stand in court.”
He looked at Lu Guang Ming, his dark eyes glinting like starlight over deep water.
“If you want Xie Ying Jie ruined and made to pay in blood… I have another way.”
Futile Devices Scans 
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