Chapter Twelve: Fairness Must Be Earned Through One's Own Efforts!

Inside the police interrogation room.

Yang Sheng sat with his hands cuffed behind the chair, a posture that made him involuntarily arch his back, looking upward.

Lok was twirling a pen in his hand, scrutinizing Yang Sheng from head to toe, clicking his tongue in admiration. “Kid, you’re something else—bold and ruthless. You punched Nanshan Tiger Yao Hui’s heart to a pulp, and you cut off Luo Rong’s head. Those underlings at Yinglian Society? You bled them one by one with a bayonet, several nearly died of hemorrhagic shock—barely saved.”

“Sir, I don’t understand what you’re talking about,” Yang Sheng said innocently, shaking his head.

Lok tossed the pen aside, leaned close to Yang Sheng with a fierce glare. “Kid, don’t play games with me! We know exactly what you did! What were you and your five buddies doing at Fulong Building in the middle of the night? Were you a gang of thugs working a night shift?”

Yang Sheng replied calmly, “Even gangsters want to be good citizens sometimes. Until my lawyer arrives, I won’t say a word. If you know everything already, why bother interrogating me here? Just bring the evidence and arrest me.”

Lok’s expression darkened with anger. He grabbed two magazines, stacked them, and slammed them hard onto Yang Sheng’s chest.

With a dull thud, Yang Sheng grunted and hunched over.

“Kid! Do you really think we can’t touch you? Even with those lousy lawyers you hired? Before your lawyers bail you out, I have a hundred ways to make you confess to peeping on the neighbor’s auntie when you were a kid!”

Yang Sheng lifted his head, flashing a brilliant smile. For some reason, Lok shivered involuntarily at that smile.

“Sir, haven’t you eaten enough? Put some muscle into it. Want to go grab some barbecue pork rice first and come back to hit me?”

Just then, the interrogation room door opened and Sergeant Chen stepped in.

He glanced at the magazines beneath Yang Sheng’s feet and frowned. “How many times have I told you, no cheap tricks. Out. Give me the keys—I’ll handle the interrogation.”

Lok, somewhat displeased, handed over the keys and obediently left, closing the door behind him.

Sergeant Chen unclipped Yang Sheng’s handcuffs and handed him a cup of hot coffee before sitting opposite him.

“Let me introduce myself—Senior Inspector Chen Wenyao of the Organized Crime and Triad Investigation Unit. Apologies for what just happened; that was my subordinate’s ignorance.”

Yang Sheng twisted his wrists and took a sip of coffee. “The last officer was a bit hot-headed. He should drink more chrysanthemum tea to cool down.”

Chen Wenyao ignored the jest and spoke evenly, “Young man, I’ll be straight with you. We’re not here for you. From the start, our target has been Luo Rong, not you. Luo Rong has been trafficking all kinds of counterfeit goods for years. He’s been reported countless times and has long been under police surveillance.”

“We wanted to seize all the evidence of Luo Rong’s supply and distribution channels in one go, which is why we’ve waited until now. But when we stormed the building, we found no purchase orders for counterfeit goods, and the safe was emptied. Your actions scared the Yinglian Society people so badly they wouldn’t have gone back for those items. The evidence must be in your hands.”

“If you’re willing to hand over this evidence, we won’t trouble you anymore. Your boss, Uncle Chang, was right—the Yinglian Society members won’t break the code and point fingers at you for killing Yao Hui and Luo Rong. But don’t think that lacking evidence and witnesses means we can’t get to you. It’s easy enough for us to trouble gangsters like you.”

“This case is huge; several major corporations are pressuring the police, and I’m under pressure from above. If you don’t hand over the evidence, let’s see who outlasts whom. From what I know of your boss, He Wenchang, even if you can hold out, your big boss won’t last long. Luo Rong has done many heinous things over the years. By handing over this evidence, we can nail Luo Rong and expose him completely. You’d be doing a good deed.”

Yang Sheng fell silent for a moment.

He wasn’t afraid of brash bullies like Lok, but Sergeant Chen, though gentle and soft-spoken, was an extremely formidable opponent—relentless until he achieved his goal.

With a task to complete, there was no need to waste time here.

When he took the contents from Luo Rong’s safe, there was quite a bit of money but also some documents—likely the evidence Chen Wenyao sought.

After a pause, Yang Sheng said, “I don’t know what evidence you’re talking about, Sergeant Chen. But I believe those things can’t just disappear. Perhaps some kind-hearted citizen will find them and turn them in to the police in the coming days.”

A smile appeared on Chen Wenyao’s face.

“I like dealing with sharp kids like you. When your lawyer from Hong Sheng Lian arrives, you can leave. After the ‘kind-hearted citizen’ delivers the evidence to the station, we won’t bother you again.”

Yang Sheng stretched lazily. “So can I wait outside? The interrogation room smells awful.”

Chen Wenyao nodded. “Be my guest.”

After a moment, Chen suddenly said, “Young man, you’re tough and smart—not like most gang thugs. My advice: it’s best not to get involved in gangs and find a chance to leave Hong Sheng Lian and do something legitimate.”

Yang Sheng, about to leave, stopped and turned back with a slightly mocking smile.

“No one is born evil. Sergeant Chen, do you think those gangsters are naturally bad? They once wanted to go to school and work decent jobs. No gangster dreams from childhood of joining a gang to become a thug likely to be killed someday.”

“But this world gives them no chance. Refuse to join a gang and you get bullied. Even parking jobs require gang connections.”

“If this world truly gave good people a chance, Chai Hongtu wouldn’t have become the Yinglian Society’s kingpin, and Rongsheng Restaurant wouldn’t have branches all over Hong Kong.”

“Who’s to blame? Their own lack of effort or the British bastards and heartless tycoons who refuse to treat Chinese people as human?”

“Don’t blame me for speaking harshly, Sergeant. You police don’t protect the grassroots—they protect the rich.”

Chen Wenyao remained silent.

Yang Sheng continued, “Luo Rong’s dirty dealings go far beyond selling fakes. How many lives were ruined by his usury? How many were forced into prostitution? But none of these caught your attention because the rich don’t borrow from Luo Rong, and their daughters won’t be sold to Po Lan Street for solicitation.”

“Luo Rong’s stupidity lies in his arrogance—he thought one gang, the White Paper Fan, was on the same level as the rich. He dared to meddle in finance and counterfeit goods, trying to snatch food from the mouths of the wealthy.”

Chen Wenyao said nothing until Yang Sheng pushed open the interrogation room door to leave.

“I believe fairness and justice still exist in this world. Even if not now, they will come someday. I was once an undercover gang member and a thug myself; I know them better than you do.”

“To me, as long as there’s righteousness in the heart, one can act without regard for rules or methods. I don’t care why Luo Rong was targeted, but if given the chance, I will nail him—on any charge.”

“Young man, you’re capable and clever. You can mix with gangs, but don’t do those wicked deeds. If one day you follow Luo Rong’s path, I will nail you too.”

Yang Sheng chuckled lightly and left.

“Fairness? Sergeant Chen, you’re mistaken. It doesn’t exist now nor will it ever. You may be a good cop, and you can give fairness to one or ten people, but not to everyone.”

If fairness truly existed, Yang Sheng wouldn’t be here. He’d be saving lives in a hospital, spending time with his parents, and being pushed to get married.

Chai Hongtu didn’t receive fairness and so took up the knife, founding the Yinglian Society and becoming a formidable figure.

Yang Sheng, denied fairness, also took up the knife to exact revenge.

Chen Wenyao is a good cop, but his platitudes mean nothing to someone like Yang Sheng, never given a chance at fairness.

As Yang Sheng exited the interrogation room, foreigner Wen was just released from another room, grimacing with his handsome face distorted like a clown.

“Damn it! I just said a few words, and those cops pounded me with punches. I’m going to file a complaint!”

Wen’s chatter was more than just a few words. Yang Sheng patted his shoulder.

“If you complain, be ready to spend the night in the station. By the way, when I asked you to find the tri-pronged dagger, who helped me get it?”

Tonight’s events were suspicious; the police arrived too suddenly, as if they knew in advance they would move against Luo Rong and were lying in wait.

Gangs don’t attract imperial attention; Luo Rong’s men rarely report to the police, and even if they did later, the police wouldn’t arrive this fast.

Moreover, it was strange how precisely the police found all six of them.

Wen scratched his head. “Dilu found it. He’s careful and sharp—good to entrust small tasks like this.”

At that moment, Dilu and others were released as well. Yang Sheng’s gaze toward Dilu grew strange, thoughtful.