Chapter 894: Chapter 836: Duel (Part 2)
“Director Ding, since I’ve decided to proceed with this matter, do you think I haven’t investigated it thoroughly beforehand? In this world, there’s no such thing as a free lunch that falls from the sky, neither for the Hongxing Gang nor for us.” Liu Hun looked seriously at Ding Wen and said slowly.
As these words were spoken, Ding Wen’s expression subtly changed. Since he met Liu Hun, he almost always called him Uncle, but now with a “Director Ding,” it was clearly a reminder not to get too carried away.
Liu Hun could place him in this position, but he could just as easily bring him down, highlighting the terrifying aspect of Liu Hun’s identity.
When it comes to officials, how many of them are truly clean? Both Liu Hun and Ding Wen understood this well.
After a moment of silence, Ding Wen resumed a smile and said to Liu Hun, “Yes, yes, Liu Hun, your reprimand is right. Scum like these should all be captured.”
“In an hour, the De Yun Society and the Hongxing Gang will conduct a drug deal at the Baihe Wharf. The Hongxing Gang intends to start dabbling in the drug business.” Liu Hun calmly informed Ding Wen.
“Hiss, most of the Hongxing Gang’s underlings are youths. If they get involved in drugs, wouldn’t that…” As Ding Wen spoke to this point, his face became exceedingly grim.
Although his rise to power this time came through unsavory means orchestrated by Liu Hun, Liu Hun had favored him from the start because of his sense of justice.
Liu Hun admitted he was selfish, willing to sacrifice others’ interests for his own, yet he had an innate aversion to deeds that went against nature and humanity.
“So I need you to go back and gather all the officers in the precinct. Remember, it has to be an undercover operation. At the time, I’ll have some people mixed in to assist.” Liu Hun, seeing the slightly angry expression on Ding Wen’s face, said with satisfaction.
“But in that case, if they notice anything, won’t that spell trouble for us? These two forces may seem straightforward on the surface, but we can’t afford to offend either, and if they go berserk, I’m concerned about the future safety of my officers.” As an experienced policeman, Ding Wen’s mind was meticulous, and with just one sentence from Liu Hun, he could foresee many potential outcomes.
“After the transaction is complete, all we need to do is seize the drugs. The rest is none of our concern.” Liu Hun replied.
“Liu Hun, are you suggesting we let them fight each other? Sowing distrust?” Ding Wen swiftly caught on, his eyes flashing with excitement as he spoke to Liu Hun.
Ding Wen was reluctant to see any of his subordinates injured, especially since he had just taken office. Yet, he couldn’t refuse Liu Hun’s request.
This approach seemed the most satisfactory to him, helping Liu Hun without causing trouble for the police department.
However, the next moment, a thought struck Ding Wen, and he looked at Liu Hun with a hint of shock, asking, “Liu Hun, is your target not just the Hongxing Gang?”
“Besides the Hongxing Gang and the De Yun Society, there’s also the Huabei Pharmaceutical Group. This place, Huaihai, has been chaotic for too many years. It’s time to sort it out.” Liu Hun took a deep breath and said in a low voice.
This time, Ding Wen was utterly stunned. The mere thought of Liu Hun targeting just the Hongxing Gang was astonishing enough, but now that De Yun Society and Huabei Pharmaceutical Group were involved, no one knew the extent of Liu Hun’s ambitions.
“Don’t you have other partners to help?” After a moment’s hesitation, Ding Wen finally posed the question to Liu Hun that he’d been holding back.
“This matter can only be described as an assessment. If I succeed, your future will also be a bright path. If I fail, you can remain securely in your position.” Liu Hun understood Ding Wen’s concerns, but there were things he couldn’t fully disclose to Ding Wen.
Leaving things ambiguous isn’t always a bad thing.
The assessment was not of the Dragon Sect, but rather by Elder Zhang, Elder Chen, and Elder Wen.
Liu Hun, at present, vaguely sensed why these elders from the three major families had taken such an interest in him at the beginning…
“Alright, I’ll go prepare immediately. See you at Baihe Wharf in half an hour.” Ding Wen gritted his teeth and finally agreed to Liu Hun’s plan.
As soon as Ding Wen left, Wenhua entered from the side room, looking at Liu Hun with a worried expression, and asked, “Brother Tian, is this guy really reliable?”
“Back when I first reviewed those files, it was Zheng Wuming who first caught my eye, but his insatiable greed might lead to complications. Ding Wen, however, is different. For years, he’s been oppressed by Zheng Wuming, and meeting me now presents an opportunity for him. If he succeeds, as I just said, his future path will be a bright sunset boulevard. But if he fails, he won’t lose anything; the most crucial point is that he’s not a bad person and has a conscience.” Liu Hun explained slowly to Wenhua.
Though he hadn’t fully trusted Wenhua yet, since they were all going to collaborate long-term, revealing some things early on didn’t matter.
Looking up, Liu Hun saw Wenhua’s furrowed brows and shook his head, sighed, “Do you know why you were defeated so badly when you went up against me this time?”
Wenhua was stunned, not expecting Liu Hun to suddenly ask this question.
“That’s because you’re brash, lacking restraint. A good weapon gains its true value not from sharpness but from resilience; this is precisely what you’re missing. Among the various forces, yours is the weakest, not because you’re not smart enough, but because you lack the wisdom of conduct; why did Huabei Pharmaceutical become the leader?” Liu Hun looked at Wenhua and continued.
“Because they have money.” Wenhua instinctively replied.
“That’s right, but money is just one aspect. What’s most important is they understand how to conduct themselves. After all these years in Huaihai, have you ever heard ordinary people, their employees, or subordinates say anything bad about the company?! So, being overly assertive isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but in our line of work, it is. Before doing business, you have to learn to be a man. Today’s words count as your first lesson following me; if you want to go higher, you have to first improve yourself.” After speaking, Liu Hun closed his eyes gently, leaning back in the chair to ponder the next step.
On the contrary, Wenhua, after Liu Hun’s discourse, looked slightly bewildered as he thought over everything in his mind.
Nature knows some truths can’t be comprehended by Wenhua overnight. Today’s words were just a reminder; how much he could grasp was entirely up to his own abilities.