Chapter 32: Take Everything You Can

"Give me a search!" Lin Yu waved his hand, "Load all the valuable items onto the trucks!"

Two hundred soldiers rushed into the Health Union Association headquarters like wolves and tigers. These normally well‑trained troops were now nothing but a band of bandits.

Bang!

Clatter!

In the first‑floor lobby, the counter and safe were smashed open, and cash, gold bars, and silver notes poured out with a clatter. A few soldiers clutched money boxes, smiling like flowers.

"Boss! There's good stuff here!" a special‑operations soldier shouted as he burst from the rear‑yard warehouse, "Several cases of French red wine and whiskey!"

"Load the trucks!" Lin Yu's eyes lit up. These Easterners really know how to enjoy themselves, stockpiling so much foreign liquor.

The second‑floor casino yielded an even richer haul. The chips and cash on the gambling tables, not yet collected, all became the soldiers' spoils.

Ha ha, we're rich!

That must be over a hundred thousand dollars, right?

Quick, load quickly, don't let anyone snatch them!

The soldiers shoved money into their own pockets one after another, fearing they'd be too slow.

In the third‑floor president's office, the safe was blown open with a shotgun. Inside were not only a huge amount of cash but also many gold bars and jewels.

"What the hell are all these things?" a soldier said, picking up a string of pearls, "How much is this worth?"

"Never mind the price, load it up first!" his companion was already stuffing gold bars into burlap sacks.

In the rear‑yard warehouse, a dozen soldiers were moving foreign liquor and cigarettes. These were high‑end goods smuggled by the Health Union Association from the Eastern Concession, worth several tens of thousands of dollars on their own.

"Boss!" Zhou Wei came running, excited, "We've already seized several hundred thousand dollars in cash, plus a large amount of gold bars and jewels!"

"Very good!" Lin Yu nodded with satisfaction, "Load everything onto the trucks; nothing may be left behind!"

Outside, a dozen trucks were already parked. The soldiers lined up, moving the plunder onto the vehicles.

Cash, gold bars, jewels, foreign liquor, cigarettes… Over the years the Health Union Association has ruled Shen City with a fist, extorting plenty of wealth. Now it all belongs cheap to the Fourth Bureau.

"Boss," Zhou Wei suddenly remembered something, "Should we report these items?"

"Report what?!" Lin Yu gave him a cold stare, "These are what we earned with our lives!"

The Police Bureau officers just stood outside, watching helplessly as the Fourth Bureau's soldiers brazenly robbed.

"This… this…" Chief Inspector swallowed hard.

In Shen City, Easterners have always been untouchable. They not only have a thousand‑strong soldier unit in the Eastern Concession, but also station a regiment and two battalions outside the city. It is this strength that has let them dominate Shen City for so many years.

But now the Fourth Bureau's men actually dared to bloodily sweep the Health Union Association headquarters and openly rob them! It's practically a slap in the face of the Easterners!

"Move aside, move aside!" a soldier lugging a crate impatiently pushed the blocking officer aside, "What are you doing here? Looking for death?"

The officer scrambled to the side, not daring to even fart. With only their batons, they were no different from air before these fully armed soldiers.

"Boss, should we…" a police officer whispered.

"Shut up!" Chief Inspector glared at him, "If you want to die, I won't stop you!"

They could only watch helplessly as crate after crate of loot was loaded onto the trucks. Cash, gold bars, jewels, foreign liquor… the wealth extorted by the Health Union Association over the years had now become the Fourth Bureau's spoils.

"This will cause a huge mess…" Chief Inspector muttered bitterly.

But what could they do? Even if they reported to superiors, what could the superiors do? These soldiers' equipment is even finer than the Easterners'! It's obvious they have a powerful backer!

The officers could only pretend not to see, standing silently aside. In this era of might, they truly are just dispensable ornaments.

"Clear everything! Nothing may be left!" Lin Yu commanded from the doorway.

The soldiers moved like a swarm of locusts, sweeping the entire Health Union Association headquarters clean.

All the mahogany furniture, antique vases, crystal chandeliers in the first‑floor lobby were taken down and loaded. Even the wall scrolls and bronze bells were not spared.

The second‑floor casino's tables, chip racks, sofas and coffee tables were all carried out. Those gold‑inlaid, silver‑set ornaments were rushed into the soldiers' pockets.

In the third‑floor office, the expensive mahogany desk, leather sofa, and Persian carpet were all moved onto the trucks without a single piece left behind.

"Boss, you also want these broken tables?" a soldier hoisting a plain desk asked.

"Move!" Lin Yu didn't blink, "They can't even use them as stools!"

The rear‑yard warehouse's goods had long been cleared, even the shelves were taken down. The lights and wires were ripped out completely.

They spent a full two hours moving; a dozen trucks were packed to the brim. When the last piece of furniture was lifted onto a truck, the massive three‑story western‑style building had become an empty shell.

Except for the bare wall plaster, nothing remained.

Lin Yu surveyed the empty hall, nodded with satisfaction, "Let's go!"

The convoy rolled back to the Fourth Bureau in grand splendor. Along the way, the onlookers were left gaping.

Is this still the Action Bureau? It's clearly a band of organized, disciplined bandits!

But no one dared say anything. The one who could bring down the Health Union Association isn't someone ordinary citizens can offend.

Lin Yu sat in the vehicle, a cold smile curling at his mouth. Today's operation not only dealt with the arrogant Easterners but also netted a windfall.

"Merde! This is outright robbery!"

Chief Inspector Arse of the Xiafei Road police station was red‑faced with anger, roaring in broken Chinese, "What do they think we are? Air? This is the French Concession! It's French Empire territory!"

Deputy Chief Inspector Liu Kang stood nearby, wiping cold sweat from his forehead, "Chief Arse, you also saw… the Fourth Bureau's men's equipment…"

"Of course I saw it!" Arse slammed the table hard, "Lee‑Enfield rifles! Winchester shotguns! Are they the Action Bureau or an army?"

"Just an army…" Liu Kang said wryly, "With our old revolvers and batons, we're not even enough to fit into their teeth."

"We can't just let it go!" Arse gritted his teeth, "They looted the Health Union Association headquarters in broad daylight, right before us! They didn't spare even tables, chairs, or stools! This is blatant banditry!"

Liu Kang hesitated. It's true it's banditry, but they have that strength! Even if we report it, what can the higher‑ups do?

"I'll call Commander Qin right now!" Arse stood up, "This kind of lawlessness must be punished! Who does Lin Yu think he is, running around in the French Concession?"

Liu Kang sighed inwardly. Commander Qin? He's probably as powerless against Director Lin as anyone.

Anyone who can field such fine equipment must have a deep, unfathomable background.

"Chief Arse," Liu Kang said cautiously, "Should we… just observe for now?"

"—Watching?" A'ersi widened his eyes, "—Are you kidding? This is a matter of principle! It concerns the French Empire's prestige!"

Liu Kang fell silent. He knew clearly that this matter would not end so simply.

The Easterners' Health Union Association was seized, the French Concession's authority was challenged. Director Lin, it seems, will have to face a huge storm.

Yet for some reason, he always felt that Director Lin simply didn't care about any of this...