Victoria Harbour.
The tranquil waters lapped against a massive cruise ship. Under the cloak of night, the vessel resembled a swan resting between sea and sky, elegant and noble.
In fact, whether the cruise ship was elegant was unknown, but its nobility was certain.
This was currently Hong Kong's largest and most luxurious cruise ship.
Its construction cost alone had reached tens of billions.
The amenities on board rivaled those of a five-star hotel, even featuring a presidential suite.
Inside the cabins, there was a transparent room designed for viewing the underwater scenery.
It was said that someone once offered a sky-high price of eight hundred thousand for a single night in this room.
Unfortunately, the owner of the cruise ship remained unyielding, absolutely refusing to allow anyone other than the owner to enter this room.
Speculation ran rampant among the populace, with everyone trying to guess who this magnate owner might be.
Until this moment, the truth was finally revealed.
It was none other than Mr. Huo!
Mr. Huo, who had always been perceived as frugal and self-disciplined, had surprisingly commissioned the most luxurious and extravagant cruise ship in all of Hong Kong, a stark contrast to his usual image!
And at this very moment, Mr. Huo was seated in that transparent viewing room, watching fish swim past the window.
Suddenly, the colorful school of fish became agitated as if startled by something.
Their formation instantly became chaotic.
One by one, the fish thrashed their tails, fleeing in haste.
But alas, they were ultimately too weak. Ten tail flicks from them covered less distance than a single flick from the colossal creature behind them.
As the colossus opened its jaws, the entire school was instantly swallowed.
The colossal creature, still unsatisfied, slowly turned its icy gaze, finally settling on Mr. Huo within the room.
As if intending to swallow Mr. Huo as well!
Upon witnessing this, Mr. Huo smiled.
"In the sea, you are the overlord; all fish must look up to you."
"But in my eyes, you are nothing."
"You dare look at me like that, and I can only send you to your demise!"
With that, Mr. Huo abruptly pressed a switch.
With a *shriek*, a harpoon shot out from the bottom of the cruise ship, instantly piercing the colossal creature's body.
The colossal creature writhed in its death throes, but ultimately, its entire body was impaled. It could only sink slowly towards the seabed.
The oozing blood dyed the seawater red, and within moments, a swarm of small fish were drawn to feed.
Within minutes, only a skeletal frame remained of the colossal creature.
"Interesting, truly interesting."
"This is human nature! When you are powerful enough, the weak, like these fish, can only fear you, flee from you, and avoid being devoured by you; but when you are injured, they swarm you, devouring you until nothing is left."
"Therefore, no matter how powerful the enemy, just tear open a wound on them. The remaining 'fish' will spontaneously attack and gnaw them to bits."
"So, Mr. Ying Chen, where is your wound?"
*Knock, knock, knock.*
A knock sounded from outside the door.
"Mr. Huo, all the guests on the list have arrived. Except..."
"The eldest son of the Li family."
Mr. Huo set down his wine glass, stood up, and opened the door.
"The eldest son of the Li family? Heh heh, he indeed needs to be a little late. After all, none of the Li family members are easy to deal with; they can't be handled in a short time."
"Similarly, if he cannot handle those people, he will not be qualified to set foot on my cruise ship."
"And he will not be qualified to attend this gathering."
With that said, Mr. Huo waved his hand.
"Let's go. We'll go meet the others first."
"Yes." The butler bowed.
He led the way towards the cruise ship's banquet hall.
Meanwhile, inside the banquet hall, over a dozen people were seated upright. There was no lively scene of clinking glasses and feasting as one might have expected.
Instead, it was exceptionally solemn and silent.
It was clear that those invited knew the purpose of this gathering.
"Mr. Huo has arrived!"
"Mr. Huo has arrived!"
From afar, upon seeing Mr. Huo enter, everyone immediately rose to their feet.
Mr. Huo, however, waved to them, signaling everyone to be seated.
"The reason for gathering everyone here is simple; it is to fulfill the promise made on Jiulong Mountain peak."
"At that time, I promised Mr. Ying that I would give him an explanation."
"Therefore, I would like to hear everyone's opinion on how this matter should be settled?"
Upon hearing Mr. Huo's words, everyone immediately showed expressions of disdain.
"Mr. Huo, you are actually planning to give that brat an explanation? In my opinion, just find an excuse to fob him off!"
"Exactly! Li Fengcheng is dead, and he's already taken five hundred billion. What more explanation does he want? He's clearly just taking advantage of the situation! I absolutely refuse to give him any explanation! We don't owe him anything!"
"He killed our richest man in Hong Kong, and we should be the ones demanding an explanation from him, not the other way around. It's laughable! I also absolutely refuse!"
Mr. Huo remained impassive, observing the reactions of those present.
A faint smile gradually appeared at the corner of his lips.
It was clear that this was the outcome he had desired!
"By the way, speaking of Mr. Li's death, I must solemnly clarify one matter here."
As Mr. Huo spoke, he clapped his hands.
Following Mr. Huo's applause, a person entered from the doorway.
Upon seeing this individual, everyone's expression changed drastically.
"Officer Lin!"
This person was none other than Officer Lin!
Officer Lin, shedding the dejected demeanor he had displayed on Kowloon Mountain, had reverted to his former imperious and composed self, the great figure of the capital.
He nodded slightly at everyone and waved a greeting.
"I believe Officer Lin needs no further introduction; everyone knows him. And the reason I invited Officer Lin is because I have discovered something!"
"Mr. Li's death actually had nothing to do with Officer Lin!"
Mr. Huo stated at this point.
This declaration caused an immediate uproar throughout the hall.
Everyone had clearly witnessed Mr. Li Fengcheng's death.
It was Officer Lin who had strangled Mr. Li Fengcheng to death!
Although they still couldn't comprehend Officer Lin's motives, seeing was believing. Regardless of whether they understood, they were inclined to trust their own eyes.
Mr. Huo's sudden assertion that "Mr. Li Fengcheng's death had nothing to do with Officer Lin" left everyone utterly bewildered.
Seeing the confusion on everyone's faces, Mr. Huo smiled slightly and continued, "Everyone knows that in the realm of Xuanmen, there is a concept of 'spiritual possession.' Skilled feng shui masters can artificially create such possessions, affecting a person's brain and misleading them into irrational actions."
"Officer Lin was subjected to this very situation at the time!"
"On the surface, it appeared as if Officer Lin had killed Mr. Li, but in reality, it was Ying Chen controlling Officer Lin to kill Mr. Li!"
"Therefore, not only is Mr. Li's death unrelated to Officer Lin, but Officer Lin was also implicated and bore the blame! He is also a victim!"
"So that's how it is!" Everyone wore expressions of sudden enlightenment.
"I knew it! Officer Lin has always been a gentleman; how could he have committed murder? I thought there was something fishy about it at the time!"
"Exactly! I never believed Officer Lin was the murderer. I was even thinking of contacting the most renowned legal team overseas to help Officer Lin clear his name! But now it's fine, it's no longer necessary!"
"Congratulations to Officer Lin for having his name cleared! However, Officer Lin bore such a heavy burden; does he intend to let it go just like that?"
A glint of ferocity flashed in Officer Lin's eyes as he replied, "Of course not! I represent the image of Hong Kong. My humiliation is Hong Kong's humiliation!"
"Therefore, anyone who humiliates me must pay the price, so as to kill the chicken to scare the monkeys and set an example for others!"
*Clap, clap, clap!*
Hearty applause instantly filled the venue.
Everyone supported Officer Lin's stance!
Mr. Huo sighed and deliberately said, "Officer Lin, this puts me in a difficult position! After all, I had already promised Mr. Ying that I would give him a satisfactory explanation."
"Doesn't this put me in a bind, caught between a rock and a hard place?"
Officer Lin snorted, "While I am very grateful to Mr. Huo for clearing my name, there is absolutely no room for negotiation on this matter! I am determined to seek justice!"
"Alternatively, you can ask others for their opinions. See if they share my views!"
Upon hearing this, everyone present stood up in unison: "We support Officer Lin!"
"Mr. Huo, you are our backbone. Everyone else can yield, but you cannot! That fellow surnamed Ying has pushed us around to this extent, and you still want to give him an explanation? You are truly... truly disappointing us!"
"Mr. Huo, I have always respected you. However, regarding your actions today, I must take the liberty of saying this! Your actions can be summed up in two words: appeasement! If this were wartime, you would be court-martialed for undermining morale!"
"Mr. Huo, stand tall! We are all behind you, so what are you afraid of? Do not let the reputation of the century-old Huo family be ruined by you!"
The crowd's words were impassioned, all directed in accusation at Mr. Huo.
Mr. Huo's expression instantly darkened.
He appeared extremely displeased.
He lowered his head, remaining silent.
Just as everyone thought Mr. Huo was about to become enraged, they saw him suddenly raise his head: "Fine! Since you all say so, then I, Huo Sheng, am not a coward! My ancestors made their fortune through sheer backbone and became the foremost family in Hong Kong! As a descendant of the Huo family, how can I disgrace our family's legacy?"
"It's not that I, Huo Sheng, lack backbone; it's not that I cannot stand tall! I was merely afraid that you would be harmed as a result! Since none of you are afraid, what reason do I have to be afraid?"
"I announce: The so-called explanation is entirely null and void!"
"Instead, we must, on behalf of Officer Lin, on behalf of the deceased Mr. Li, and on behalf of all of Hong Kong, demand an explanation from that fellow surnamed Ying!"
*Boom!*
As Mr. Huo's words fell, the entire hall erupted in a frenzy.
Excitement was evident on everyone's faces and in their eyes.
"Demand justice, demand an explanation!"
"A debt must be repaid, a life must be paid for a life!"
Slogans one after another echoed in the banquet hall.
Listening to the indignant shouts of the crowd, Mr. Huo and Officer Lin exchanged glances.
A barely perceptible smile appeared on their faces.
This scene was precisely what they had conspired on!
The intention was to deliberately incite the crowd's anger and guide them to direct their hostility towards Ying Chen!
And next, Officer Lin could legitimately mobilize Hong Kong's security forces to issue a warrant for Ying Chen's arrest!
No matter how capable Ying Chen was, he was merely a commoner.
And throughout history, regardless of the dynasty, era, or year, commoners had no power to resist the state machinery!
They could only be crushed into dust by the massive apparatus of the state!
This time, Ying Chen was doomed!
Completely beyond hope of recovery!