NFBE Chapter 1422 More friends, more paths; more enemies, more walls.
Chapter 1422 More friends, more paths; more enemies, more walls.
Robert had never seen Da Bao lose his temper like this before. He was so frightened that his face turned pale. He glared at Sir He and turned to leave, leaving Sir He alone in the office, staring blankly at the microphone in his hand.
He never expected that someone in Hong Kong would dare to treat him like this; it was simply outrageous.
He was taking a deep breath in his office when Councilor Zhou called. When Sir He heard this, he was shocked to learn that the police were so brazen that they had not only taken away Zhou Fusheng but also Zhou's mother. This was truly outrageous.
Sir He thought for a moment, then spoke into the microphone with a sinister look on his face.
“Take your lawyers, no, your top lawyers, take several of them, and go to the police station to protest and demand bail. Then we’ll organize another group of people to march and protest against the police’s tyrannical behavior.”
Councilor Zhou was delighted to hear this. Excellent! This was going to escalate things to a whole new level. He knew that Sir He was a master strategist who always thought three steps ahead, just like in chess. Every time he made a big fuss, he would reap enormous benefits. This time, he was the person involved, and he was sure to reap no small reward.
Councilor Zhou quickly made arrangements, and Sir Ho also made several phone calls. As a leader in Hong Kong's business community, organizing marches and strikes was a piece of cake for him.
This matter has already spread throughout Hong Kong's business community; let's see who is willing to back down.
……
An hour later, Councilor Zhou arrived at Huo Jiali's office with several lawyers. He brandished his walking stick, took the pipe from his mouth, and spoke arrogantly.
"Officer Huo, who gave you the authority to come to our house and arrest people? Aren't you being too arrogant?"
Huo Jiali ignored them and continued reviewing the documents on her own.
Several top lawyers immediately objected. They knew Huo Jiali and that she had once been Meng Qi's assistant. They wouldn't even consider a woman like her, even if she was a chief superintendent.
Hu Zhongxing, the senior lawyer from the Hu Zhao Li Liu Law Firm, stepped forward and spoke with equal arrogance.
"Huo Jiali, for the sake of us all being in the legal profession, I'd like to give you a piece of advice: don't go too far, or you'll be making an enemy of our collective."
Wang Wenqing, the top lawyer at Dynasty Law Firm, also said with a smile.
"My dear, as the saying goes, having more friends means having more paths to take, while having more enemies means having more walls to block your way. Always leave a way out for others, so you can meet again in the future..."
Huo Jiali said coldly.
"Seniors, do you know who was severely injured and disfigured by Zhou Fusheng?"
The lawyers looked at each other and shook their heads.
Huo Jiali stood up, walked around the desk, leaned against the edge of the desk, and looked at them coldly with her arms crossed.
"The person injured by Zhou Fusheng is named Huo Ting'en. Huo, the Huo in Huo Jiali's name, is my only younger brother!"
Upon hearing this, Councilor Zhou swayed slightly. He never imagined that his rebellious son had caused such a huge mess. He glanced at Hu Zhongxing, who, along with several lawyers, exchanged glances, all agreeing that this matter was far too difficult to handle.
But Sir Ho had already given them orders: this was a war without bloodshed between the government and the businessmen, a test to see who would back down first. If Sir Ho and the state legislators won, their influence in the legislature would increase immeasurably.
If they lose, they will pay a heavy price, a price they probably cannot afford.
Hu Zhongxing coughed.
“Miss Huo, the deed is done, and you can’t take Zhou Fusheng’s life. How about this, two million Hong Kong dollars, and we’ll call it quits. Councilor Zhou will send Zhou Fusheng abroad and not allow him to return for five years. Is that acceptable?”
They thought the terms were already extremely generous. If Huo Jiali weren't in that position, they would probably be lucky to come up with 100,000 or 200,000.
Huo Jiali turned around, took out a checkbook, added a number, and held it up.
"Esteemed seniors, I'll give you five million if you simply drop this matter, okay?"
Hu Zhongxing and the others' faces immediately turned ugly. Huo Jiali was slapping them in the face. You wanted to throw money at me? Well, I'll throw it back at you.
Huo Jiali said with a cold smile.
"Five million isn't enough? Okay, then ten million it is."
She held up the two checks and quietly looked at the lawyers.
Hu Zhongxing and the others were so surprised they couldn't close their mouths. They never expected Huo Jiali to be so rich, casually taking out five million or ten million at a time. The amount of money left them dizzy.
The two checks turned their money-spending spree into a joke, Councilor Zhou quickly remarked.
"Can I get bail for my son and mother?"
Huo Jiali shook her head.
"Can't……"
"what?"
Lawyers Hu Zhongxing and others were taken aback. How could they not be granted bail? He asked anxiously.
“According to Hong Kong law, it is permissible to grant bail to Zhou Fusheng and the old lady. Even as the Chief Superintendent, you have no right to obstruct it. Tell me, what conditions do you want for them to be granted bail?”
Huo Jiali shook her finger and said with a smile,
"No, their crimes are too serious, no one can be granted bail."
Hu Zhongxing said loudly with a stern face.
“Miss Huo, please don’t act impulsively. Even if the injured person is your brother, you cannot use this to settle personal scores. There are four top lawyers here, each of whom knows the law better than you. Which article of the law states that a citizen cannot be released on bail before being convicted?”
"At worst, the bail will be higher. Oh, or we can get all the Justices of the Peace in Hong Kong to act as guarantors for Chow Fook-sang. You can't stop us."
Seeing that Huo Jiali wouldn't budge no matter what he said, Zhou Wenming gritted his teeth and said.
“Hong Kong law stipulates that my son is free until the jury finds him guilty. If you obstruct him, I will ask the Legislative Council to impeach you.”
Huo Jiali stared at him and said disdainfully.
"What you said is all correct, but you are too arrogant and forgot to ask me one thing."
"what's up?"
"My rank of Chief Superintendent does not represent the police force."
Hu Zhongxing and the others were all surprised, and they looked at Huo Jiali with puzzlement.
“I represent the Security Department. I am the First Secretary and Liaison Officer to the Secretary for Security, overseeing all violations by the Police Force. I have the authority to remove any police officer, including the Deputy Commissioner of Administration.”
Hu Zhongxing remembered something, and his face turned pale. He called out in a trembling voice.
"What crime did you accuse Zhou Fusheng of?"
Huo Jiali secretly admired him. He was indeed a great lawyer, meticulous and cautious in everything he did, and able to draw inferences from one instance to another. He must have thought of something because of her identity as a security officer.
"Hu Zhongxing, you are indeed experienced. You know that if it is someone arrested by my Security Bureau, it will definitely be on charges of endangering public safety."