Chapter 9: Saying Goodbye to Jiang Yongyan

Chapter 9: Seeing Off Jiang Yongyan

Jian Ruochen understood.

It wasn’t that the restaurant was unprofessional—Guan Yingjun was deliberately testing him.

Guan Yingjun took the corkscrew, opened the red wine, and poured it into the decanter.

The rich aroma of wine spread, a silent provocation.

Jian Ruochen teased, "Detective Guan, you’ve gone to such lengths just to give me a bit of insider information."

He stood up, removed his jacket and the insulated vest underneath, and hung them on the standing coat rack in the corner of the private room. Then he walked over to Li Zhangyu, who looked troubled, and asked, "Teacher Li, would you like me to help you with that?"

"Alright," Li Zhangyu replied softly.

So attentive, so likable.

Even when being tested, he remained composed and knew to prioritize caring for his elder.

Jian Ruochen put on gloves and meticulously picked the meat clean from the bone until it was completely bare. Finally, he inserted the end of the metal teaspoon into the gap, gently pried it open, and revealed the marrow inside.

He removed the soiled gloves, wiped the spoon end clean with a napkin, placed it next to the marrow, and slid the plate over to Li Zhangyu. "Teacher Li, it’s done. Please be careful, it’s hot."

Li Zhangyu thanked him graciously.

Guan Yingjun was momentarily stunned, his breath catching.

He had thought that after Li Zhangyu watched Jian Ruochen’s interrogation footage and read his statement, even if he wasn’t wary, he would at least be suspicious.

Unexpectedly, after Jian Ruochen’s display, Li Zhangyu was so satisfied that he seemed ready to take him on as his first protégé.

Jian Ruochen smiled, poured three glasses of wine, raised one, and said to Guan Yingjun, "Detective Guan, thank you for showing the footage to Teacher Li and introducing me to such a wonderful mentor. Also, thank you for planning to tell me Jiang Yongyan’s information. I know the police must follow the rules."

"You’re the head of the Major Crimes Unit and must set an example. I won’t put you in a difficult position."

As he spoke, he clinked his glass against the one in front of Guan Yingjun. "A toast to you."

The glasses chimed softly.

Jian Ruochen tilted his head back and downed it in one gulp.

His slender neck arched backward, his delicate Adam’s apple bobbing. When he lowered his head again, a faint flush spread across his cheeks, and his silver-white hair swayed slightly, a few strands falling over his shoulders.

His mischievous amber eyes shimmered under the light, captivating and impossible to look away from.

Guan Yingjun looked away, took a sip of wine, and said, "No problem."

Li Zhangyu focused on eating his meat, feigning ignorance of the subtle tension.

After all, someone needed to rein in Guan Yingjun’s stubborn temper.

Guan Yingjun urged, "Eat up. It won’t taste as good once it cools down."

Jian Ruochen put on gloves and started working on the bone.

It wasn’t his money, after all. Back when he lived in the compound and ate communal meals, he’d done the same.

As expected of Huangji, the lamb bone was tender and flavorful, incredibly delicious.

Guan Yingjun scrutinized Jian Ruochen’s features intently—his tense cheekbones, puffed-out cheeks, neat teeth, and lips reddened from eating. He found no trace of stiffness or surgical alteration.

Lively, natural, and uniquely beautiful.

He really hadn’t had work done?

Could someone truly be so good-looking they seemed unreal?

Guan Yingjun straightened up slightly, watching more intently.

Jian Ruochen took a bite of meat, then reached for the seasoning shaker nearby to sprinkle chili and sugar on the bone. He happily dipped it in vinegar or a bit of the red wine he’d poured into a small dish.

His taste was quite unusual, enough to make anyone frown.

Li Zhangyu chuckled. "People who enjoy trying new flavors are usually the type who seek excitement."

Jian Ruochen nodded. "Yes, yes, Teacher, you’re absolutely right."

By now, Li Zhangyu was mostly full, and the more he looked at Jian Ruochen, the more satisfied he felt.

He ate heartily, was a sweet-talker and observant, clever, mentally tough, and could even handle Guan Yingjun.

He was practically tailor-made for the role of Criminal Psychological Consultant in the Major Crimes Unit!

One was like a son to him, the other a promising junior—they would be working together in the future. Li Zhangyu didn’t want their relationship to be too strained, so he smoothed things over. "Yingjun, I heard the case at Hong Kong University is related to the Lu family?"

Guan Yingjun nodded. "A little."

A slight smile crinkled the corners of his eyes. "My informant said that after Jiang Yongyan’s scandal broke, it was Lu Qian who paid off the media camped outside the police station. At the time, the reporters outside Sham Shui Po Police Station came in waves, organized and disciplined. I suspect some media companies caught wind of Lu Qian’s payments and decided to exploit the situation."

Jian Ruochen, the one "exploiting the situation," kept his head down and focused on eating his noodles while they were hot.

Guan Yingjun turned his attention away from Jian Ruochen and continued, "The strange thing is, even though it was Lu Qian who paid, the media almost unanimously claimed the money came from Jiang Mingshan and heavily sensationalized the topic."

Lu Qian had paid to suppress the news about Jiang Yongyan not to protect him but to prevent the case from escalating and implicating Tianquandu Entertainment City.

But now, with the media sensationalizing the story, not only was Lu Qian’s plan ruined and his money wasted, but he might also suspect Jiang Mingshan was behind the reports.

After all, Jiang Mingshan was known for seeking fame and often bribed the media to burnish his reputation.

Li Zhangyu clapped in appreciation. "The Jiang and Lu families have always been close allies. This could drive a wedge between them. If these media outlets are truly organized and disciplined, the mastermind behind them must be far-sighted and highly intelligent."

In recent years, Hong Kong’s crime rate had been extremely high. Whenever a case or shootout occurred, the media would heavily criticize the police’s incompetence. Under such pressure from public opinion, the public had begun to grow resentful of the Police Force.

Most media outlets served as mouthpieces for wealthy conglomerates and influential families. The sudden appearance of one slightly sympathetic to the police was an opportunity to see if we can work with them.

Guan Yingjun said, "When these media people came to collect the money, they sported different company logos and were highly cautious. My informant hasn’t been able to track them yet."

Remembering his role as peacemaker, Li Zhangyu turned to Jian Ruochen. "What about you, Ruochen? Any thoughts?"

Jian Ruochen ate quickly and had already finished his noodles. He was now wiping his hands.

He said softly, "Teacher, just call me Xiao Chen."

The name "Ruochen" always reminded him of Jiang Hanyu’s coquettish calls of "Brother Ruochen."

"The police indeed need their own mouthpiece. Right now, the public doesn’t trust the official police gazette. We need a mainstream media outlet to serve as a breakthrough for trust."

Jian Ruochen felt the towel didn’t clean his hands thoroughly—his fingertips were still a bit greasy. He stood up and said, "I’m going to the restroom. Please take your time."

Li Changyu: "Go on."

Jian Ruochen opened the door and walked out. Distant sounds of a waiter giving directions and soft thank-yous could be heard from outside.

After listening for a moment, Li Changyu mused, "Yingjun, Jian Ruochen is truly gifted. At just nineteen, he possesses such keen insight and judgment. Given time, he will undoubtedly go far."

Guan Yingjun scoffed. "Uncle Li, I'm just worried his ambitions aren't with the police force."

Li Changyu replied, "Time tells all. I know you trust no one but your own judgment. But in life, you get what you give. He helped Officer Chen solve the Hong Kong University case and, in doing so, caught Jiang Yongyan, whom you’ve long wanted to apprehend. He’s already done you two great favors."

Guan Yingjun grunted in acknowledgment.

Jian Ruochen was indeed clever, with interrogation skills that were uncanny, and he had been a huge help. But skilled undercover agents often use their achievements as proof of loyalty—he had done the same in the past. To trust someone completely based solely on that would be way too naive.

Seeing that Guan Yingjun remained unconvinced, Li Changyu fell silent.

Jian Ruochen returned from washing his hands.

As he opened the door, an awkward silence greeted him.

Li Changyu sat to the side with his arms crossed, eyelids drooping and lips pressed tightly together, clearly annoyed.

Jian Ruochen blinked and cut through the silence, "Detective Guan, now that the meal is over, shouldn’t we discuss Jiang Yongyan’s case?"

"Alright," Guan Yingjun stated matter-of-factly. "Jiang Yongyan believed you would eventually return to the Jiang family and replace Jiang Hanyu as the true heir. He is in love with Jiang Hanyu and didn’t want to see his beloved upset, so he came up with a plan to make you disappear."

Guan Yingjun paused before continuing, "However, based on Jiang Yongyan’s confession, if this plan had succeeded, Jiang Hanyu would have been the main beneficiary. I find it hard to believe Jiang Hanyu was completely unaware."

A quick smile flickered across Jian Ruochen’s lips.

Detective Guan’s caution and suspicion applied to everyone equally. Interesting.

"Is Jiang Yongyan’s confession sufficient for a conviction?"

Guan Yingjun replied, "Yes. Since you assisted in solving the case, I will arrange for a letter of commendation to be sent to your school. You can use this opportunity to change your major."

Jian Ruochen was thrilled.

He had just arrived and already managed to put Jiang Yongyan behind bars.

Another notch on his belt.

Guan Yingjun raised his glass and said, "Jiang Yongyan was Jiang Mingshan’s right-hand man, knew countless secrets. His capture is crucial to the entire West Kowloon Regional Police Headquarters. Thank you for your cooperation."

He finished the wine in his glass and was about to say more when the private room door was knocked.

Guan Yingjun bit back his words and said, "Come in."

A waiter entered holding an envelope, glanced around the room, and settled his gaze on Jian Ruochen. "There’s a letter for you."

Jian Ruochen stood up to receive it. "What is it?"

He opened it to find an ornate invitation inside. On the cover, cut-out Chinese characters in bold black font from a newspaper were pasted neatly: "A gift."

What kind of gift?

*Beep beep beep.*

Guan Yingjun’s work pager went off.

He listened for a moment before turning to Jian Ruochen with a grave expression. "Something’s happened. A patrol officer has died at the Sham Shui Po Police Station."

Jian Ruochen was puzzled. "Why are you telling me?"

Guan Yingjun replied, "The deceased is the patrol officer who discovered Feng Jiaming’s body."

Jian Ruochen’s face went pale.

Could it be that Jiang Yongyan’s hired killer plot wasn’t over?

But how was that possible?

Jiang Yongyan had already been brought to justice, and the entire case’s chain of evidence was solid. Was there someone else behind Jiang Yongyan?

Jian Ruochen slowly turned the envelope in his hand toward Guan Yingjun. "I just received this."

The bold black characters on the invitation cover were pasted in perfectly measured spacing, each character aligned as if meticulously calculated.

The ink was eerily dark.

Silence filled the private room.

The previously relaxed atmosphere completely evaporated.