Chapter 174 28

Chapter 174 28

"What? You mean he's figured out who you are?" He Lin's face darkened. "Are you sure it's safe? If there's any danger, I'll report to Captain Zheng today and have you pulled out."

Rong Qing lowered his voice and immediately flicked He Lin's forehead: "Why are you yelling? Trying to make sure everyone knows I'm compromised?"

He Lin, flustered with worry, rubbed his forehead and quietly settled down, leaning against Rong Qing's arm without another word.

Rong Qing couldn't stand seeing him like that. Taking a calming breath, he explained, "It's not to the point where he's seen through me. If he really had, he wouldn't have just set up this kind of test to try and force my hand."

He analyzed seriously: "Cha Xin probably isn't suspicious yet. Given the situation and Ruan Cong's combat skills, they both had guns. If they truly wanted my life, they could have easily taken it. So this matter should only involve Ruan Cong."

After hearing Rong Qing's words, He Lin finally relaxed. He chuckled lightly: "So just because Cha Xin took you for a yacht ride, all your suspicions are gone? That doesn't sound like you."

"You noticed it too?" Hearing He Lin say this, Rong Qing realized He Lin had also somewhat guessed Cha Xin's intentions today.

Now calm, He Lin also began to analyze: "Yeah, I noticed it back on the mountain. At that port, some of the boats were likely those operated by Cha Xin's close associates that night. Is he trying to curry favor? Is it sincere, or just to make you drop your guard?"

"Doesn't matter. I'm not here to make friends with him. Either way, it won't stop me from bringing him to justice." Rong Qing felt this answer was quite ordinary, but when he saw the bright, attentive gaze in He Lin's eyes, he suddenly felt a sense of profound distance, as if ages had passed.

Rong Qing continued: "Having us take the boat back was probably Cha Xin's idea. Without Cha Xin's approval, Ruan Cong, as he is now, doesn't have the authority to just take people onto the yacht. But he's sharp; he answered my questions skillfully."

The route from the temple visit to the small dock and then back by yacht was likely planned by Cha Xin in advance. Perhaps it was another display of his power and sincerity.

He Lin asked: "Speaking of Ruan Cong, since you suspect him, did you try to probe him earlier in the temple's meditation room?"

Rong Qing nodded, then said: "Analyzing interrogations isn't my strong suit, so He Lin, I need your help with this."

Next, Rong Qing recounted the afternoon conversation between Shen Xi and Ruan Cong in the temple's meditation room to He Lin, word for word.

As soon as he finished, He Lin couldn't help but laugh: "This Ruan Cong is quite good at playing the sympathy card and feigning helplessness, tsk tsk tsk."

Rong Qing frowned upon hearing this: "You think he's lying?"

"Not necessarily." He Lin shook his head, reached out to pull Rong Qing into his arms, buried his head in Rong Qing's neck and sniffed, his eyes infatuated, but his tone was so serious it was like giving a briefing to a superior in a meeting, almost as if he needed to project a slideshow on the wall.

"These days, while you've been dealing with them on the inside, the brothers on the outside haven't been idle either. We've almost thoroughly vetted all of Cha Xin's close associates. I personally investigated Ruan Cong, and what I found matches almost exactly what you just told me. So Ruan Cong probably isn't lying."

Hearing this, Rong Qing frowned in confusion, but He Lin quickly clarified: "The experiences are real, but the sequence of events might not be exactly as he described."

He Lin had Rong Qing adjust to a more comfortable position in his arms and began to recount what he had found: "It was also by a lucky break that I found a former manager from the underground fights from a long time ago. He offended Cha Xin and was kicked out of Pearl City. It took me quite a while to track him down. He told me that Ruan Cong was very outstanding back then, and many bosses wanted to buy him, but Ruan Cong refused to go with them. He preferred to keep fighting in the pits rather than accept any offer."

Rong Qing sat up from He Lin's embrace and looked at him: "You mean... Ruan Cong was waiting for Cha Xin all along?"

He Lin pulled him back again: "The lifesaver is real, the brother's killer is real too, but whether the favor came first or the hatred, probably only Ruan Cong himself knows."

Rong Qing quickly grasped the crux of the matter and analyzed along He Lin's line of thought: "If Ruan Cong's real goal is revenge, then he deliberately got close to Cha Xin back then. And after all these years of gaining Cha Xin's trust, why hasn't he made a move yet?"

He lowered his head in thought: "With Ruan Cong's skills and Cha Xin's trust in him, it wouldn't be hard to make a clean escape. What has he been waiting for all these years?"

"Revenge might have been his initial goal, but something must have happened later that changed his plans." He Lin thought for a moment and proposed several possibilities: "Perhaps Cha Xin has leverage over him. After all, his expressed desire to survive is genuine. He doesn't want to die; everything he's done is to live well."

"Or, compared to doing it himself, if he can get someone else to do it, that might be a good option too. For example, someone like Shen Xi, who seems frivolous but is actually ruthless."

Hearing this, Rong Qing felt there was some truth to it.

"If Ruan Cong were really as pitiful and conflicted as he claims, he definitely wouldn't share his inner thoughts with someone like Shen Xi." He Lin tapped Rong Qing's earlobe. "The reason he said it was none other than to recruit you. Shen Xi showed his ambition in front of him. Rather than offending one for the sake of another, it's better to hedge his bets."

Rong Qing frowned upon hearing this and wanted to retort, but He Lin interrupted: "After all, the idea that today's assassin was arranged by Ruan Cong is just your speculation. No matter how reasonable the analysis, it's useless without evidence. They even compensated you afterward. Even if you're unreasonable, you can't keep pushing it further."

Rong Qing pursed his lips and bit back his words.

"But there's another possibility." He Lin mysteriously pressed his lips close to Rong Qing's ear, his warm breath spraying on Rong Qing's neck, causing a tingling itch that made Rong Qing shudder slightly. "Your existence is hindering his plans; he really wants to get rid of you. But he can't do it openly, so he's trying to make you back off through other means. Seeing that it didn't work, he's now trying to win you over, hinting that he and Cha Xin aren't exactly united."

Rong Qing thought for a moment, recalling Ruan Cong's several tests and the last thing he said to him: "Don't think, don't listen, don't look, just do your duty."

Was that a hint for him?

It seemed like it, but also not. Rong Qing couldn't be sure.

He looked up and asked He Lin: "Are these all just guesses?"

"Yeah, I don't have evidence either." He Lin replied with a grin. "Didn't you ask me to help you analyze? Based on the actual situation, these are all the possibilities I can come up with."

He Lin paused, then added: "I want to remind you, Ruan Cong might be more cunning and calculating than we imagine. If Cha Xin is a fierce tiger, then Ruan Cong is probably a venomous snake waiting to strike, ready to jump out unexpectedly at any moment. Be careful with him."

Rong Qing deeply agreed with this. After several interactions with Ruan Cong, his view of him had become increasingly complex.

Even if today's analysis with He Lin might be overthinking, with the mission imminent, they absolutely couldn't let Ruan Cong interfere and disrupt the original plan.

Rong Qing quickly gave up agonizing over it: "I understand. I'll pay more attention to these things later. You also try to have someone keep an eye on Ruan Cong. He's very alert, so be careful."

He Lin nodded. Rong Qing went over the situation analyzed with He Lin today in his mind before asking: "How's the progress on your end? Time is tight. The transaction time agreed between Shen Xi and Cha Xin is almost here."

Last time, he managed to use some tricks to delay, but this time Cha Xin won't let them drag it out anymore.

As He Lin said, the officers outside have also been investigating. Besides secretly checking Cha Xin's close associates, the police have also been investigating and uncovering more of this crime syndicate's hideouts, understanding their assets and distribution channels.

The buyers cooperating with Cha Xin, private hospitals, and some factories and local compounds employing illegal labor have all been identified one by one.

Rong Qing listened carefully to He Lin's specific report and calmly said: "Currently, the best time to close the net is during the transaction, using our people to replace those being trafficked for a quick operation."

He played with a pair of dice he brought from the casino, rolling them casually in his palm: "I'll tell you some action plans and key points. After you leave, report them to Captain Zheng and have the SWAT units coordinate."

He Lin hummed in agreement. Rong Qing said in a low voice, detailing the plan.

After discussing the details, He Lin felt the meeting was over and started getting frisky again.

He could stay here tonight, and it seemed Rong Qing wasn't uncomfortable. It was a perfect night.

But Rong Qing frowned at the squirming He Lin and suddenly said: "But there's a very important problem..."

He Lin, holding Rong Qing improperly, rubbed his stubble against Rong Qing's neck. Rong Qing suddenly stopped playing with the dice, extended two fingers to press against He Lin's forehead, and pushed him back.

He Lin only stayed quiet for a second before moving from Rong Qing's left side to his right, kissing Rong Qing's ear and mumbling: "What?"

Rong Qing flinched but said seriously: "This cross-border operation involves many parties. Without the full cooperation of the J Country police, the operation will be extremely dangerous. Do you remember our action against that pyramid scheme last time?"

He Lin finally stopped his actions. He understood Rong Qing's meaning. The operation required many personnel, and the corruption in the J Country police is particularly severe. Even if the command has some determination, these human trafficking organizations definitely have various connections with the local police.

Rong Qing said seriously in a low voice: "So, to ensure the action plan is foolproof, you'd better communicate directly with the higher-ups of the J Country police to formulate the plan." He emphasized: "And preferably without a translator."

Those J Country traffickers learned Chinese for convenience in transactions, but very few higher-ups in the J Country police understand Chinese.

Although they have a translator, that translator is okay for daily communication but isn't cut out for technical police terminology and action plans. Especially for important plans that require back-and-forth revisions, a slight difference in meaning can lead to a huge error.

He Lin frowned slightly upon hearing this: "You don't mean..." He looked at Rong Qing incredulously, "for me to learn the local language now, do you?"

The language of J Country is a regional dialect.

To He Lin, it sounded like chirping, extremely difficult to learn.

Rong Qing shook his head: "There's no time for that. You don’t need to use Japanese; English will do. I’ve reviewed the materials with leadership earlier—several of the higher-ups here have good English."

"You… you can’t be serious, right?" He Lin turned his face to look directly into Rong Qing’s eyes. He noticed Rong Qing’s expression was serious, not at all like he was joking.

He Lin said with a hint of teasing: "Captain, although I was already the best English speaker in the Dragon Flame team back then, asking me to communicate combat plans with another country’s senior police officials in English is really asking too much of me."

Rong Qing wasn’t buying any of He Lin’s act, still serious and earnest: "If you know your level is poor, why didn’t you practice earlier? Put away all those messy thoughts in your head, use your time wisely—I’ll teach you."

He Lin felt a bit daunted just thinking about the difficulty.

Seeing through his hesitation, Rong Qing scoffed: "You’re the one who insisted on coming along. If it’s really too much, I can always get someone else who’s better at English."

He turned to look at He Lin: "As a playboy, having two lovers is pretty normal, right?"

Hearing this, He Lin sulkily nuzzled closer to Rong Qing’s neck: "Boss, didn’t you say you only liked me?"

Rong Qing mercilessly grabbed He Lin’s hair and pulled him away: "The boss only likes those who are clever and obedient."

After a brief standoff, He Lin was ultimately cornered by Rong Qing’s unwavering stare. Bracing himself, he agreed: "Fine, I’ll learn. As long as it pleases the boss, I can learn anything. You better teach me well."

The last few words somehow sounded through gritted teeth.