"Oh?" I raised an eyebrow. "Sir, are you speaking to me on behalf of the police, or on your own behalf?"
He smiled and then extended his hand to me: “I’m sorry I haven’t introduced myself yet… Xavier Doug. I’m not a police officer, I’m a government agent, and my job is to coordinate the Vancouver riots.”
I nodded and shook hands with him. At that moment, Yang Wei suddenly sighed and smiled, "Mr. Doug? I didn't expect... you to be the famous Mr. Doug."
Doug paused for a moment, then smiled calmly: "It seems this beautiful lady has heard of me. You don't need to be so polite. I guess you're not referring to the famous Doug, but rather 'that famous big dog,' right?"
Yang smiled and did not deny it.
Big dog?
I couldn't help but chuckle. Indeed, Doug in English is just "DOG," which means dog.
“Chen Yang, this Mr. Doug is a very senior expert on gangster issues in Canada. He has served as a local prosecutor and held important positions in the government's special operations department. He enjoys a very high reputation in the industry throughout North America,” Yang Wei said with a slow smile.
Doug glanced at Yang Wei with a hint of surprise: "Oh, it seems you do know me quite well... Excuse my boldness, but beautiful lady, are you also one of Mr. Chen Yang's subordinates?"
“Yang Wei.” She smiled and extended her hand to Doug: “From the American ‘Clover Family,’ I am Chen Yang’s good friend.”
Doug raised an eyebrow, slightly moved: "The Clover family!"
His expression was somewhat complicated. He glanced around and said seriously, "Mr. Chen Yang, I would very much like to have an open and frank discussion with you. This is not the place to talk. If you don't object, my temporary office is upstairs..."
Part Two: The Road to Success, Chapter Thirty-Three: What a Clever Dog!
"It's a bit messy, but it was just tidied up this morning." Stepping into Doug's office, which was only about ten square meters, I noticed some dust on the blinds. I even wondered if it had originally been some kind of junk storage room.
Sure enough, just as I made that guess, Doug said calmly, "I like quiet. This room faces away from the street and is the quietest room on this floor. Before I moved in today, this was a warehouse for storing cleaning supplies."
He pointed to the chairs and laughed, "Luckily, these chairs are all very clean. Please have a seat."
Only Yang Wei and I went into the office; we left Hammer and Hansen outside. This was Doug's idea; he seemed to want to have a "good" talk with us.
However, I also gleaned some clues from the subtle hints in his words.
Doug only arrived in Vancouver today... His position is a temporary government special envoy, specifically responsible for coordinating and resolving this riot.
I just arrived today...
Then this guy is no ordinary person.
He only arrived today, yet he abandoned the entire room full of gang leaders and came to talk to me alone. Moreover, judging from his confident and composed demeanor, he seemed to know me quite well… The only explanation is that, although this incident was sudden, in a short period of time, this Doug has already gathered a large amount of intelligence and information, including knowledge about me!
It wasn't until later that I learned some information about Doug from Yang Wei.
This guy is practically a legend in all of Canada. His nickname is "Big Dog" because everyone thinks his nose is even more sensitive than a dog's! Especially when it comes to organized crime cases, he's practically a detective genius! He's handled nearly a hundred cases, big and small, with a 95% success rate!
He's more than just a brilliant detective; more than Sherlock Holmes—he's an expert in social relations. He excels at coordinating relationships and finding breakthroughs in chaotic and complex situations. This is because he holds degrees in social psychology and public relations, worked as a psychologist for two years, and briefly practiced law and negotiation skills, among other things…
"What I didn't expect was that the Mitsuba family would actually get involved in things in Vancouver." Doug was very polite to Yang Wei, but his tone carried a hint of probing.
"You don't need to be surprised. I'm not representing my family; I'm just a very good personal friend of Mr. Chen Yang. Of course, if anything happens, I will fully support Mr. Chen Yang in my personal capacity," Yang said with a smile.
Doug gave me a deep look, then smiled and walked to the side, bringing over two cups of coffee from the coffee machine. He chuckled, "I don't like having a secretary around, so I do everything myself." He handed me a disposable paper cup of coffee, sat down in front of me, his expression turning serious, and said solemnly, "Mr. Chen Yang, I would like to have an open and frank discussion with you about some current issues."
He pointed to the room and said, "You can rest assured that there are no listening devices here. Our conversation today was purely informal and will not be recorded."
Well, this guy is decent at interpersonal relationships; at least he doesn't put on airs like other officials.
I nodded. Doug's first words made a good impression on me. He smiled and said, "Norton is getting old."
"Mr. Norton has served the police force for over twenty years, with a distinguished record and extensive experience, having solved many major cases. Unfortunately, he's now getting old... and his actions have become more cautious." He chuckled, "Norton used to be known as 'Iron Face,' and his methods were indeed very assertive, living up to that title. But in the last two years, he's become somewhat too soft. Of course, we can't really blame him, given his age; he'll be retiring in a year and a half, and seeking stability before retirement is perfectly normal. However, this mindset has made his methods too weak, which is why the situation in Vancouver has escalated to this point."
Yang Wei and I exchanged a glance. Doug picked up his coffee, took a sip, and then looked at me: "Mr. Chen Yang, is your Mr. Fang still in the hospital?"
"Yes, and I also want to thank the police for providing him with protection," I said casually.
“Hmm.” Doug didn’t seem to care about my words and continued, “Before coming here, I carefully analyzed the course of events. Many people believe the large-scale gang riot started two days ago, but I think it started much earlier. The Big Circle is one of the most important forces in the Vancouver underworld, and everyone knows who Master Fang is. In the past, the Big Circle’s criminal records in the police files were enough to fill two archives. For such an organization to have its leader attacked, and considering what has happened since you took control of the Big Circle, it has really piqued my interest in you.”
"oh?"
Doug shrugged, a typical Western gesture, and looked very calm, as if he wasn't negotiating with me on behalf of the police, but just having a chat with a friend.
Undoubtedly, his stance was effective; at least it didn't provoke my dislike like Norton's did.
“You’re very young, Mr. Chen Yang,” Doug said with a smile. “I’ve studied many organizations; my job is to deal with organized crime. In all the cases I’ve reviewed, there are very few precedents of someone as young as you taking control of an organization, very, very few… And without exception, in all other cases where young leaders have taken power, the leader’s personality and age often determine the organization’s style of doing things… For example, the impulsiveness, recklessness, and intensity of young people… Especially in this case… After reviewing the details of the incident, I believe the Vancouver police’s biggest mistake was that they underestimated you.”
My expression remained unchanged.
"Well, from any perspective, Mr. Fang of your organization was attacked. As his temporary successor, given your age, your position, and the nature of your organization... I believe that, based on the normal course of events, the main actors in this riot should not be those Iranians, Arabs, or Indians in the meeting room... The ones who should be causing the most trouble are you and the Big Circle under your leadership! You have the most reason to cause a ruckus. But what puzzles me is your subsequent actions. You quickly unified the internal situation and then calmed your subordinates' emotions. You even gave up a lot of peripheral territory and restrained your men... The usually powerful Big Circle didn't fire a single shot or see a single person during this Vancouver underworld riot... This is really inconsistent with your age and the Big Circle's usual style of doing things."
"And then?" I asked with a laugh.
"Then, after very careful analysis, I came to two possibilities... which are also the only two possibilities I can think of at the moment." Doug's tone remained sincere.
I smiled, looking relaxed, and took out a cigarette: "Is that okay?"
“Oh, go ahead.” Doug shrugged.
I lit a cigarette and looked at him: "Please continue. I'm also very curious about the two possibilities you came up with at the end."
“Okay, the first possibility is…” Doug’s tone shifted, his eyes fixed on me, and he slowly said, “The assassination attempt on Master Fang in your organization was entirely your doing! Killing one’s own leader to climb the ranks is a common occurrence in organized crime, so it’s not unusual. If you did it yourself, then now that you’ve successfully taken over, you know that you are the culprit, so of course you won’t seek revenge on anyone else.”
I laughed, and Yang Wei laughed too. She pursed her lips and said, "Hmm, very good imagination."
Doug sighed: "Unfortunately, my guess has a fatal flaw. After the assassination failed, Mr. Fang did not die on the spot, but was hospitalized. During the days Mr. Fang was in the hospital, you had many opportunities to kill him, but he is still alive. Moreover... it seems that according to this logic, you should be more active now. I think if you were the one who assassinated Mr. Fang, then if you are smart, you should be at the forefront now and make everyone believe that the one who hurt Mr. Fang was Vietnamese... so that your position can be more secure."
I was still smiling: "Not bad... Luckily I'm not the murderer, otherwise, with your analytical skills, I'm afraid I would have been exposed."
“You’re too modest,” Doug chuckled, a sly glint in his eyes. “I’m actually quite impressed with you now… Since I’ve already largely ruled out the first possibility, the second possibility is now filling my mind…” He paused deliberately, observing my expression, before continuing, “Given your unusual behavior and your subordinates’ reactions, and considering your age and previous reputation, you don’t seem like someone who’s afraid of trouble. Your deliberate restraint and low profile under these circumstances would seem suspicious. And yet, at this most delicate moment, this commotion erupted… Mr. Chen Yang, isn’t this coincidence quite intriguing?”
He winked at me.
“I have a very interesting habit… when I start to doubt someone, I try to put myself in that person’s shoes and analyze what I would do if I were in that situation, what I would need most… this kind of analysis is very, very effective… and guess what I got after trying to put myself in your shoes and analyzing it?”
"What?" I asked calmly.
"Distract everyone, break the balance of power! And then... fish in troubled waters!" Doug said slowly, word by word, "This is the conclusion I've reached after thinking from your perspective for a long time!"
Snap! Snap! Snap! Snap...
I remained expressionless, then raised my hands and began to clap.
Part Two: The Road to Success, Chapter Thirty-Four: The Treacherous Politician
As it turns out, there are still many smart people in this world, and among the police, fools like Norton who only know how to put on airs and scare people are only a minority. Doug, on the other hand, is clearly a formidable and intelligent opponent.
Fortunately, although he revealed some of my secrets, his attitude did not seem to indicate that he was very hostile towards me.
After the applause, we stared at each other in silence, like a leopard and a seal locked in a silent confrontation. Then, after a long pause, simultaneously, we both smiled.
“Tell me your purpose.” I looked at him. “You invited me to your office today and told me all this. What do you want from me?”
Doug's eyes were bright. He smiled, revealing a set of very white teeth: "Mr. Chen Yang, you come from China. Your country has a famous saying, 'To take, one must first give!' I know that if you need my help, I must first offer some conditions to show my sincerity, right?"
I shrugged.
To be honest, although he is smart and can see through my intentions, I am not afraid of him. Moreover, if he were smart, he wouldn't be attacking me now, much less plotting against me or trying to harm me.
“I know, despite the commotion outside, those guys are just pathetic idiots,” Doug said slowly. “From a personal perspective, I think the more people like that die, the better it will be for purifying this world.”
"And what about me? Wouldn't doing business with a gangster like me go against your principles?" I laughed.
Doug shook his head and pursed his lips. "No, of course not." He appeared very frank. "You, me, and this Ms. Yang Wei all understand perfectly well. No matter how dedicated the police are or how strict the laws are, crime will never disappear. Even if our police work around the clock to combat organized crime, gangs will still continue to exist. Nothing is absolute. There is no absolute cleanliness or absolute darkness in this world. There will always be shadows beneath the light. As for organized crime, I prefer to use the word 'control' instead of 'crack down'."
I didn't say anything, I just looked at him.
"The police have always invested considerable manpower and resources in combating organized crime," Doug chuckled, almost self-deprecatingly. "I've been in this business for over a decade, and I consider myself very dedicated, as have many of my former partners. But over these past ten years, the world has progressed, society has progressed... and organized crime has progressed as well. I've never heard of any day when organized crime disappeared from the world. So, to completely eradicate organized crime, even God probably couldn't do it. And I, Doug, am just a devout believer in God. Naturally, I can't do it either. Therefore, I believe that only by controlling and guiding, keeping the harmful nature of organized crime within a certain range, is this goal more realistic."
He pointed at me and said, “For example, even without you, the Big Circle would probably elect another leader very quickly. If that newly elected leader is an idiot who leads everyone to take to the streets with guns, we’ll probably be busy again tomorrow! At least for now, whatever your purpose, you’ve managed to order your men to stay home. I thank you on behalf of the thousands of police officers patrolling outside.”
"So what about your sincerity? How do you plan to express it?" Yang Wei asked, a smile playing on her lips as she looked at Doug. "So, according to you, you're planning to coexist peacefully with the gangsters?" Her eyes flashed with venom. "I've never heard of cats and mice coexisting peacefully."
“You’re right.” Doug smiled. “I think the best policy for the police to deal with organized crime is to completely learn from the US government and use a carrot and stick approach. They should appease when necessary, but if the kids misbehave, they still need to be disciplined. But they also need to distinguish when to discipline and when not to.”
"For example?" Yang Wei seemed very interested in this Doug.
“For example…” Doug narrowed his eyes and sighed slowly, “Unfortunately, I came to Vancouver too late. If I had arrived two days ago, perhaps things wouldn’t be so bad.”
He pursed his lips and continued, "I told you, Norton is getting old. All he's thinking about now is how to retire safely, respectably, and peacefully, or, if all goes well, even get a medal before he leaves. That's why he seemed so hesitant at the beginning of this unrest. If I had arrived a few days earlier, I would have raised my big stick high in front of the first gang that dared to cause trouble! I would have extinguished the danger with the harshest, most swift measures! I've done my research; at the beginning, many organizations were actually observing, but the police seemed cowardly, which emboldened them. The police took a step back, and they took a step forward. This situation was very bad. If, at the beginning, we hadn't worried about saving face or public opinion, and had directly arrested all the most vocal individuals and given them a good beating, perhaps the situation would be very different now."
"So what now?" Yang Wei asked calmly as she picked up her coffee.
“Right now…right now, sticking to the gun won’t work. We need to throw out a carrot.” Doug smiled, but his eyes were on me. “How many gangs are there in Vancouver? How many people are there? How many police officers are there? Everyone’s emotions are running high. If we just suppress them, we’ll only end up with bloodshed. We can’t deal with the Chinese gangs, the Big Circle gangs, the Arabs, the Iranians, the Indians, the Vietnamese…we don’t have that much energy, and we don’t have that many police officers. So, I’ll pick one of them and relentlessly attack it until it’s crippled and doesn’t dare to show its face again! As for the others, we can either win them over, divide them, or intimidate them, but we can’t take action. It’s ridiculous that Norton is so foolish as to demand that the National Guard be called in to quell the riots. If that happens, I reckon he’ll probably be ousted from his seat next month!”
"But how can we trust you?" Yang Wei asked before I could speak, her words sharp: "You're a temporary special envoy... If you say one thing and do another... Hmph, I know many examples like that. You've been specially assigned to handle this matter, perhaps you'll deliberately cultivate a tough image and use high-pressure tactics to make the situation worse! I know you government officials, you'll do anything for the sake of government achievements... You could smash everything here to pieces, then walk away, and you'd have 'brilliant achievements,' going back to collect your medals, while poor Norton takes the blame anyway."
“I don’t deny that what you said makes a lot of sense,” Doug smiled. His eyes were sincere. “Indeed, many police officers do this: before leaving office, in order to gain political achievements, they deliberately incite gang riots, then carry out a large-scale crackdown, a few high-profile anti-gang operations, and then get the media to praise it… that’s their political achievement.” Then his expression turned solemn, and he said seriously, “But I won’t do that. I will express my sincerity!”
Yang Wei nodded, glanced at me, as if to say that she had finished asking her questions and was now leaving the rest to me.
What is your sincerity?
"First, what do you need?" Doug said slowly. "Vancouver isn't a big city, only two million people, yet it's home to too many gangs from different regions... Heh heh! I know the root of this whole mess lies in your feud with the Vietnamese. As for the others, they're just cannon fodder you dragged into this mess. Mr. Chen Yang, I can roughly guess what tactics you've been using these past few days, and I roughly understand your intentions... I think if nothing unexpected happens, you're preparing to take action against the Vietnamese, aren't you... Hmph, while we police are overwhelmed, you'll launch your attack. At that point, with everyone fighting and killing outside, no one will be watching you... right?"
I neither admitted nor denied it.
"So what happens after all this?" He looked at me. "How will this riot be resolved? Are you really going to wait until the authorities can't tolerate it anymore and mobilize forces to quell the riots, at which point all the influence in Vancouver will be wiped out? Your Big Circle will also lose its breeding ground!"
I glanced at my watch and said calmly, "Mr. Doug, my time is precious. If you continue to beat around the bush, I'm afraid my patience will run out. So I suggest you just tell me your plan directly."
“Alright, what I need isn’t short-term stability, it’s long-term stability in Vancouver!” Doug smiled. “I can help you deal with the Vietnamese. I can even give you some intelligence the police have. The Vietnamese are currently in hiding, but we still have some information about them… but in exchange…”
“What do you want?” I stood up and looked at Doug.
“I’m very greedy,” Doug said with a sly smile. “I want a lot… First, I want order restored to the streets of Vancouver within three days! Second, I demand that all gangs in Vancouver operate under police surveillance from now on! Third… I demand that your Big Circle take over some things, but only under the remote control of the police!”
After saying this, he slowly leaned back in his chair and said casually, "Mr. Norton probably won't live to see his retirement... Guess who will become the new head of the Vancouver police force after him?"
Holy crap! What insidious politicians!
Part Two: The Road to Success, Chapter Thirty-Five: The Cobra!
As we were leaving, Yang Wei asked me with a smile in the elevator, "How was it?"
I said casually, "I like this guy; at least he's a smart man."