Chapter 9

"Director, you called me," Lin Yue said as he walked forward.

The director pointed to the chair in front of the desk and said, "Sit."

Lin Yue glanced around, noticing that the director's office was very clean. The cabinets were neatly arranged with file folders containing case files. In the corner was a small shrine, and on the north wall was a framed photograph of the director with higher-ups. There were no trophies or certificates of honor in the room, making it seem very low-key, unlike the meeting room, the police officers' work hall, and the offices of Huang Landeng and Kun Tai.

"Tony, have you been working hard lately?"

Lin Yue shifted his gaze to the director's somewhat comical face, with its dark purple lips and uneven teeth. His facial skin was somewhat loose, with varying depths of pits and dents, suggesting that he hadn't taken good care of it during his youth, leading to a life where he had to rely on his abilities to survive.

"Quite tiring, but I can still manage."

"You've done well these past few years, and I'm very pleased." The director picked up his coffee and took a sip. "The mayor is very concerned about the gold Mr. Yan lost. We need to solve this case as soon as possible."

Lin Yue nodded. "I will work extra hard to find the gold as quickly as possible."

"How is Huang Landeng doing lately?"

"He's been very obedient."

Having taken full control of Tony's body and memories, Lin Yue knew a secret—the situation at the Chinatown police station was more complex than what was shown in the movies.

Not only were there factions led by Kun Tai and Huang Landeng, neutral officers who just did their jobs, but also informants planted by the director around these two. Tony was the most trusted of them all.

The Chinatown police station's jurisdiction was home to a large number of Chinese people who ran supermarkets, dealt in gold, and operated nightclubs and KTVs. Their businesses grew larger, and their wealth accumulated, making them a significant force that could not be ignored.

To better deal with the Chinese community, the police station had to recruit a group of Chinese officers to handle special cases. Huang Landeng was the best among them—why was the gold heist case assigned to him? Because the victim, Mr. Yan, was a very influential Chinese person. If the case were handed over to someone else, the big shots wouldn't be reassured, the mayor would be upset, and the director wouldn't be able to sleep well.

From the director's perspective, he needed Huang Landeng to deal with wealthy and influential Chinese people and Kun Tai to infiltrate the lives of the lower-class Chinese community. Only in this way could the Royal Police System maintain a stable and orderly operation in the Chinatown area.

On the other hand, the director was also worried that Huang Landeng might be bought by the underground business operators in Chinatown, becoming a shield for criminals within the police force, given their shared ancestry.

On the surface, Tony was Huang Landeng's assistant, but in secret, he was a pawn used by the director to monitor his subordinates.

This was the current state of the Chinatown police station.

"Tony, how many years have you been with me?" The director swiveled his chair and walked out from behind the dark red desk.

Lin Yue calculated. "About eight or nine years."

"It's been that long already..." The director sighed, walked over, and locked the door. "I'm getting old too. I'll be retiring in a little over a year."

Lin Yue remained silent.

"How is your mother's health? Has it improved recently?"

"Still the same."

Tony's mother was seriously ill, and the money he earned from the police station was all spent on medicine. This was shown in the movie when he held the boss of Night Shanghai, Ah Xiang, hostage. Many people believed he chose to take risks to treat his mother, conspiring with Song Pa and others to steal 101 kilograms of gold from four Chinatown gold shops.

The director returned to his desk, swiveled his chair to face the sunlight, and half of his face was bathed in the light coming from the window.

"Everyone has their own difficulties. Like me, my eldest son is no good and hasn't made much progress in the municipal administration. To get a promotion, he needs a large sum of money to grease the wheels. My youngest son is a hard worker and will finish his undergraduate studies at Chulalongkorn University this year. He plans to go to the United States for a master's degree next year, which also requires a large sum of money. My current job at the police station allows me to live comfortably, but what about after I retire? That pension won't be enough for much."

Lin Yue nodded slightly but did not respond, knowing that the director had a hidden agenda.

"Tony, over the years, I've always treated you well..." As he spoke, he opened a drawer and took out a card, pushing it toward Lin Yue.

The card had a handwritten phone number on it.

"This morning, I received a call from a stranger. He told me that if I could provide information to help them find the person who killed Song Pa and get their gold, they would give me half after the job is done."

The director stared at Lin Yue's face. "What's half of 101 kilograms of gold? Over two million dollars!"

"Director, what do you want me to do?" Lin Yue asked, looking at the card.

"The investigation of the gold heist is being handled by Huang Landeng's team. You just need to inform these people of the latest developments through this phone number and help them find the gold before Huang Landeng does." The director smiled. "After the job is done, I'll split the money with you."

He was satisfied with Lin Yue's response. To be honest, the most capable person in the police station was not Kun Tai or Huang Landeng, but Tony.

The director took a cigarette, lit it, and said, "I know you are very dissatisfied with Chinese businessmen like Mr. Yan, who exploit resources belonging to the indigenous people. This will not only be profitable but also weaken the arrogance of Chinese businessmen. Using their ill-gotten wealth to save your family, so you shouldn't have any psychological burden."

Lin Yue, having taken over Tony's memories, had a good understanding of the situation in Chinatown. The lower-class Chinese mostly survived through hard work and skills, while businessmen like Mr. Yan operated through power and money. Many Thais, including Tony himself, were particularly dissatisfied with this, believing that Chinese businessmen were responsible for the corruption in Thai society.

The director took a deep puff of his cigarette and continued, "Assisting the thieves in finding the gold first will benefit both of us. If things don't go smoothly and the gold ends up in Huang Landeng's hands, you can adapt and catch the thieves who contacted you by phone, saying that I sent you as an undercover agent to recover the gold and catch the thieves and buyers. After that, whether Huang Landeng or Kun Tai becomes the deputy director, the vacant position of police chief will be yours."

"Damn! Old foxes are indeed the smartest." Lin Yue sincerely admired in his heart.

The director in "Detective Chinatown" seemed like a silly guy who loved to play with balance scooters, but in fact, he was the darkest of them all.