"That's right, I framed Qiao Tan."
"It really was you!"
Zhang Ziheng hadn't expected Gao Fei to be so straightforward, not even bothering to defend himself.
He frowned, his voice tinged with cold anger, and rebuked, "Do you know how many casualties there were in the big fight between Xin Yi and He Sheng He tonight? How many places the two syndicates trashed in the city?"
"How many?"
Gao Fei responded honestly.
It wasn't that he wanted to provoke, but he genuinely wanted to know.
"Including seriously and lightly injured, there were nearly seventy people. Nearly forty died. The two syndicates trashed over twenty places. The police station's phone hasn't stopped ringing all night! Do you know what a huge mess you've caused?"
Zhang Ziheng gritted his teeth on the last sentence.
In past election years, candidates would dig up dirt on each other, expose each other's dirty dealings, and create all sorts of conflicts.
However, this usually only started towards the end of the election.
As for conflicts between syndicates, they typically erupted for about a week towards the end of the election when the leaders chose sides to support.
This was an unwritten rule of the election.
But now, it was only early November, and Gao Fei had single-handedly ignited the conflict.
In one night, the casualties of two syndicates alone exceeded a hundred.
It was no wonder Zhang Ziheng was so furious.
"You stirred up trouble at the beginning of the month. If this continues for a month, how many people will die? Have you even thought about it?"
He gnashed his teeth and reprimanded, feeling an urge to lash out.
But Gao Fei's next words greatly diminished his anger.
"Uncle Zhang, they aren't ordinary citizens who are injured or dead, they are all underworld thugs. Don't get angry over those scumbags, it's not worth it. Besides, isn't this essentially clearing out syndicate members? If they wipe each other out in a month, wouldn't that be even better, saving us the trouble of doing it ourselves? Moreover, tonight's conflict also proves one thing: the candidates in this election have intricate ties to the syndicates."
Zhang Ziheng was stunned by this statement.
That's right, they were all criminals who should have been in jail long ago. Why was he getting angry over them? If they could all be wiped out in a month, it would indeed save him a lot of trouble. Furthermore, with him around, wouldn't he make the rules? And tonight's conflict did prove Gao Fei's last statement was not false. The candidates in this election truly had unspoken, secret relationships with the syndicates.
After a brief period of reflection, Zhang Ziheng's anger had mostly subsided.
"Why did you want to instigate the conflict between An Hebin and Qiao Tan, and those photos? Where did you get them?"
He was very curious why Gao Fei had chosen to start the war between the two of them first. Moreover, such transactional photos would never normally be leaked. Where did this kid get them?
Noticing Zhang Ziheng's questioning gaze, Gao Fei stated directly, "The transactional photos, and the information about An Hebin and Qiao Tan supporting the syndicates, were anonymously sent to me."
As he spoke, he took out a file bag from his bag, nearly five centimeters thick.
"Uncle Zhang, this file contains all the evidence regarding An Hebin and Qiao Tan's support for the syndicates, as well as their corrupt dealings behind closed doors."
Zhang Ziheng glanced surprisingly at the file bag and Gao Fei. As the person in charge, the evidence sender had not approached him directly but had instead passed it through Gao Fei. There seemed to be many layers to this.
Zhang Ziheng's gaze suddenly became incredibly deep, his eyes seeming to pierce through one's soul.
Gao Fei, still feigning calmness, felt a prickle of unease under his scrutiny. Because this evidence hadn't been sent anonymously at all; it had been given to him by He Donggong through Huo Dongcheng. The implication was simple: He Donggong was extending an olive branch.
The atmosphere in the room grew somewhat oppressive. Zhang Ziheng suddenly asked, "Xiao Gao, who do you lean towards in this election?"
Gao Fei made no unnecessary movements, narrowing his eyes as he replied, "Uncle Zhang, it would be a lie to say I don't lean towards anyone. After all, my relationship with Huo Dongcheng is quite close, so I would instinctively want He Donggong to come to power. However, this is Hong Kong's election, and I wouldn't dare overstep. I'll follow your arrangements."
This answer gradually calmed Zhang Ziheng's sharp gaze. He decided not to delve further into the anonymously sent evidence. Gao Fei's words had already revealed its origin. Zhang Ziheng took the file bag and began to examine its contents. After reading only a third, his calm expression gradually became serious, and finally, he was filled with rage.
Bang!
A dull thud. The five-centimeter-thick file was slammed heavily onto the table by Zhang Ziheng. He lit a cigarette and looked at Gao Fei, who was drinking tea beside him, and asked, "You've stirred up this mess now, hoping to arrange for people to come to Hong Kong, haven't you?"
"That's right. And I also want to take advantage of the chaos to eliminate Bailian Sheng, who is leading the charge against Gaoyue Films!"
Gao Fei hid nothing, directly stating his intentions.
Zhang Ziheng took a deep puff of his cigarette, pondered for a moment, and then chuckled, "You're quite honest. Since you want to fish in troubled waters, then let's make Hong Kong even more chaotic."
"You mean?"
"Let all the syndicates in Hong Kong go wild! The more of these vermin that die, the better!"
Hearing this, Gao Fei could clearly sense the killing intent in Zhang Ziheng's tone. He hadn't expected Zhang Ziheng, after reviewing only part of the evidence, to call for chaos across all syndicates in Hong Kong. To be honest, he hadn't actually seen the evidence He Donggong had given him. Since it could infuriate Zhang Ziheng so much, it was likely that what An Hebin and Qiao Tan had done had completely crossed his bottom line.
"After establishing a foothold in Hong Kong, what do you plan to do next?"
"I haven't thought that far ahead yet. I plan to take it one step at a time."
Zhang Ziheng glanced sideways at Gao Fei and said meaningfully, "If you can resolve the syndicate issue within two years, you'll likely catch the eye of those in higher positions."
Gao Fei's hand holding the teacup trembled. He grinned and didn't respond.
...
The next day.
The new film "God of Gamblers" passed the online movie review in the mainland, but due to a conflict of values, it couldn't be released in theaters. Gao Fei had expected this outcome. He didn't have immediate plans for online distribution, as theatrical releases offered higher box office profits. Therefore, he proceeded with his original plan: authorizing the film to Gaoyue Films for release in Hong Kong. The theatrical partners were the same seven companies as before. Since they had collaborated previously and all seven company heads were allies, all partnership negotiations were concluded within a day. As Xu Yuejin was temporarily unable to appear in person, contracts were signed via video conference and fax. The release date for "God of Gamblers" was set for November 10th.
At ten o'clock in the evening.
After Zhang Ziheng's decision the previous night, it meant that a major storm was about to sweep through Hong Kong. Gao Fei, as the designated "anti-gang minister," returned to Shenzhen with Jin Qiqi after finalizing the film distribution. His primary objective now was to infiltrate Hong Kong amidst the chaos, allowing Guo Yue and Xu Yuejin to establish a firm foothold.
The Xin Ming Hotel was considered the cleanest of Chen Guoyao's various gray-area businesses. In the hotel restaurant, in a private room, Gao Fei was listening to Xu Yuejin detail their plan to infiltrate Hong Kong when his phone suddenly rang. He glanced at the incoming number, gestured for them to remain silent, and then answered the call.
As soon as he connected, he heard Huo Dongcheng's incredulous voice saying, "Mr. Gao, you only stirred up the internal conflict between An Hebin and Qiao Tan yesterday, and tonight, the entire Hong Kong syndicate scene has descended into chaos."
"Descended into chaos?"
"That's right. To put it simply, all thirty-one syndicates are now in a complete mess!"
Hearing Huo Dongcheng's reply, Gao Fei was stunned. Zhang Ziheng had only said last night that Hong Kong would be thrown into chaos. He had thought it would take some time. To his surprise, Zhang Shu's words had come true overnight; the speed of action was astonishing.
Huo Dongcheng coughed on the other end of the line and tentatively asked, "Mr. Gao, my brother asked me to inquire if you secretly planned tonight's widespread chaos?"
"To cause all the syndicates in Hong Kong to fall into disarray, do you think I have that kind of capability?" Gao Fei gave a wry smile. He had somehow become the fall guy. Before Huo Dongcheng could reply, he continued, "Tell me specifically, how did it all erupt?"
"It's roughly like this..."
About three hours ago.
Xin Yi and He Sheng He were locked in a fierce battle due to the conflict between the two candidates. The other three major syndicates, Yi He, Da Quan, and 18K, had planned to watch from the sidelines. However, unexpectedly, the leaders and hall masters of these three syndicates, who were just watching the show, were all shot.
The first to be shot was 18K. Their leader, Xu Qing, and eight hall masters were attacked by unknown gunmen simultaneously in different locations. Xu Qing survived but was severely injured and fell into a coma. Two hall masters died from the gunshots.
Next was Yi He. Their leader, Chen Wuyan, and six hall masters were also attacked by unfamiliar gunmen at the same time. Chen Wuyan was relatively fortunate, only sustaining two shots to the shoulder blade and one to the thigh due to the presence of bodyguards. However, three of the six hall masters died from the gunfire.
Finally, it was Da Quan's turn. Their leader, Zhou Fu, and five hall masters were similarly attacked by multiple unknown gunmen. Zhou Fu narrowly escaped death, with the gunshot wound to his arm being minor, but the shot to his back was life-threatening. Furthermore, of Da Quan's five hall masters, only one remained.
News of the leaders and hall masters of the three major syndicates being attacked sent shockwaves throughout Hong Kong. After all, it was the leaders and hall masters who were targeted. The three syndicates immediately dispatched men throughout Hong Kong to search for the sudden appearance of these gunmen. The final discovery was that the dozens of gunmen who attacked them were from different syndicates. Additionally, five were from Xin Yi and He Sheng He, who were currently engaged in a heated battle. Once the identities of the attacking gunmen were clarified, Hong Kong was completely thrown into chaos. All thirty-one syndicates entered an all-out brawl mode that very night.
"Mr. Gao, that's roughly what happened!"
After listening to Huo Dongcheng's general description, Gao Fei couldn't help but secretly marvel at Zhang Ziheng's decisiveness and iron-fisted methods. With one move, he targeted the top brass of the three major syndicates and directly dragged all the syndicates in Hong Kong into the fray, creating a chaotic situation. Gao Fei knew it was time for Guo Yue and the others to make their move.
After hanging up the phone, he directly dialed Guo Yue's number.
"Hello, boss!"
"How are the arrangements for the people?"
"Half of them have already arrived in Guangdong Province, and by now, they should be nearing Shenzhen!"
"Tonight, you and Ah Jin will enter Hong Kong directly. Tomorrow morning, I want to hear news of Bailian Sheng's leader's death."