Chapter 20: Guan Yingjun Actually Let Someone into His Office?

Chapter 20: Guan Yingjun Actually Let Someone Into His Office?

Jian Ruochen was slender; Guan Yingjun could easily lift him with one hand.

He cradled Jian Ruochen's waist and hips, letting the young man's upper body rest against his shoulder. With his other hand, he ended the call, tossed the plastic bag from his wrist into a bin, and headed towards his car, parked by the night market at the pier.

Guan Yingjun placed Jian Ruochen in the passenger seat. Just as he was about to withdraw his hand, Jian Ruochen clutched his arm.

He mumbled, "The stove we bought arrived. Lao San, let's grill rice cakes. Go to the balcony and get some frozen pears."

Guan Yingjun paused, bewildered.

Frozen pears?

Who was Lao San?

He leaned over to fasten Jian Ruochen's seatbelt. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Jian Ruochen smack his lips, release his arm, and murmur drowsily, "This stove is so hot."

Guan Yingjun didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

His body temperature had always been a bit higher than average, and even more so after drinking. Ever since meeting Jian Ruochen, he’d often felt restless and agitated, a feeling neither cigarettes nor cold water could quell.

Suddenly, an image flashed through his mind: Jian Ruochen sleeping unguarded on his black trench coat, pure yet strangely captivating.

Guan Yingjun frowned, pulled open the driver's door, and just before getting in, a clear, crisp voice seemed to echo in his ears: "Detective Guan, don't drink and drive."

He froze, turning to look.

Jian Ruochen hadn't said a word; he was fast asleep.

Guan Yingjun slammed the door and went to find a designated driver. After a few steps, he felt uneasy and returned to lock the car. Only then did he head into the shipyard night market and enlist a seemingly reliable person.

He paid fifty dollars for the man to drive them to the West Kowloon Regional Police Headquarters.

...

Jian Ruochen woke up, his eyes momentarily dazzled by the overhead fluorescent lights.

He was disoriented for a moment before his vision gradually focused, taking in the office furnishings.

Why was he in Guan Yingjun's office?

Had Guan Yingjun come back to work overtime?

Jian Ruochen roughly ran his hand through his hair and reached for the doorknob.

As he opened it, he heard Guan Yingjun's icy voice: "The police force isn't a company. There's no such thing as 'case poaching.' This case doesn't belong to your team, nor is it personally assigned to you. Why can't I solve it?"

Jian Ruochen peeked out.

The man facing Guan Yingjun was so enraged his chest heaved, panting heavily. He gritted his teeth and said, "Guan Yingjun, our team members endured the freezing wind, working day and night on interviews, going undercover at the Platinum Club. We've been investigating this case for over a month. Everyone's energy was focused on it. Several of my team members slept in the office every day, not going home for half a month. And you've just thrown all our hard work down the drain!"

He slammed the table and demanded, "Is this your attitude now?"

Guan Yingjun, recalling Jian Ruochen's manner of speaking, rephrased his own words into something similar: "It's just a vice case. There are no murderers involved. If Z Team couldn't solve it for so long, do you think it's bad luck or incompetence?"

Jian Ruochen: ...

How could he say that to a colleague? Wasn't that just asking for trouble?

Inspector He Chaoyong of Z Team clenched his fists, held back for a moment, then finally couldn't resist swinging at Guan Yingjun.

Zhang Xingzong, standing nearby, quickly grabbed Inspector He by the waist and pulled him back: "Stop, stop! You can't beat him! If he hurts you, we'll get docked pay."

Inspector He grew even angrier. "Let go!"

The commotion in Team A attracted attention from other teams, who peeked into the hallway.

This couldn't go on.

Jian Ruochen stepped forward, feigning ignorance. "So noisy, what's going on?"

At the same time, the sound of high heels clicking against the floor grew closer.

Someone entered Team A's office.

The newcomer wore oval, half-rimmed gold-framed glasses, stiletto heels, and had long hair that fell to her waist. Her presence was commanding.

The head of Z Team snapped a salute. "Madam!"

There was no trace of the rage that had consumed him moments earlier.

Guan Yingjun casually said, "Superintendent Lin."

Noticing the newly awakened Jian Ruochen, he added, "This is Inspector He Chaoyong from Z Team. This is Senior Superintendent Lin Yazhi from the Criminal Investigation Department."

Jian Ruochen: "Good evening to you both."

A Senior Superintendent ranks above an Inspector but below a Chief Superintendent, generally responsible for coordinating and overseeing a department's investigative teams.

Solving another team's case could be taken lightly or seriously, but if a superior got involved, it was different.

Jian Ruochen stepped forward, tugged at Guan Yingjun's sleeve, signaling him to stay quiet, and said to Inspector He, "Inspector He, don't be so upset. How about I order coffee for everyone from downstairs? Let's sit down and talk things through."

Lin Yazhi looked at Jian Ruochen.

In just a few days, the biracial young man's exploits had spread throughout the police station.

Officers at Regional Police Headquarters had their own informants and were well-informed.

By now, everyone had learned about how Jian Ruochen helped Chen Yunchuan solve a case at the Sham Shui Po Police Station. Rumor had it he even shelled out big money to assist Guan Yingjun in gathering evidence of criminal activity at the Platinum Club.

Now, everyone in the Major Crimes Unit envied Guan Yingjun.

It was no wonder.

Jian Ruochen spoke so pleasantly and operated so smoothly. Not just Inspectors, but even higher-ups like Superintendent Lin herself felt envious.

Did Guan Yingjun save the planet in a past life?

You can't hit someone who's being so nice.

He Chaoyong looked at Jian Ruochen's face and was momentarily speechless, like a balloon with the air suddenly let out.

Jian Ruochen pulled Guan Yingjun away, turning back and saying, "Then I'll borrow Detective Guan for a moment. I'm not sure about everyone's preferences, but Detective Guan’s memory is sharp and should know."

As he spoke, he released the sleeve he was holding.

Guan Yingjun knew it was his cue and said to Superintendent Lin, "Right."

Lin Yazhi: ...

Right my ass!

Smooth move, cutting the ground from under her.

With one person suddenly gone from the confrontation, the anger couldn't be sustained, and her plan to punish both sides fell through.

Lin Yazhi and He Chaoyong exchanged a look.

Lin Yazhi pointed at He Chaoyong, "You're the one stirring up trouble, aren't you? You deliberately took this to Superintendent Feng, knowing full well he wouldn't dare handle it and would definitely tell me..."

Jian Ruochen pulled Guan Yingjun into the office and closed the door, muffling Lin Yazhi’s scolding.

As long as it wasn't Team A being reprimanded, it was fine. Otherwise, the incident of snatching the case would become the talk of the precinct for a while, which wouldn’t be good for Team A's credibility.

Now, the chatter would probably turn to He Chaoyong’s failed attempt to cause trouble.

He breathed a sigh of relief, pulled out his phone to order, "Make all the coffees Americanos, with creamer and sugar on the side so everyone can adjust to their taste... How many people are in the Major Crimes Unit?"

Guan Yingjun said, "A hundred and fifty-three."

Without looking up, Jian Ruochen ordered 160 cups from the person on the line.

Guan Yingjun: "You’re splurging?"

Jian Ruochen glanced at him, "Although the entire Team A benefits from this case, it was actually me who grabbed it. Everyone knows that perfectly well."

Should we let other teams start watching out for Team A from now on?

Solving cases relies on information flow; being isolated is not a good thing.

Guan Yingjun said indifferently, "If Z Team can't solve the case themselves, they can't stop others from solving it? There's no such logic in the world. This department runs on results."

Jian Ruochen let out an "oh," his tone all business and cold, "Then should Inspector Guan go out and fight Inspector He, then deal with Superintendent Lin on his own, and finally, because he spoke too bluntly and angered his superior, have his pay and performance bonuses cut, hand over the already closed case, and lose the entire team's bonus?"

Guan Yingjun went quiet for a beat, opened his desk drawer, and counted out five 1000-dollar bills, "Put the coffee on my tab."

Compared to the potential losses from handling it himself, Jian Ruochen had deftly resolved the situation with just 5000 dollars, swapping it for nearly a million in bonuses and performance merits.

Team A really needed Jian Ruochen.

Guan Yingjun muttered, "Don't call me Inspector Guan."

He couldn't stand Jian Ruochen saying those three words.

The coffee arrived soon after, with the server dutifully following uniformed officers to distribute it to every office.

When it reached Team A, Jian Ruochen stepped up to pay for the coffee, pastries, and snacks, then personally tipped the delivery person 200 dollars for making multiple trips.

Lin Yazhi, having scolded He Chaoyong for a while, was already thirsty. As soon as she got her coffee, she tore open a creamer packet, added it, and took two big swigs.

He Chaoyong and Lin Yazhi both received burgers and desserts.

It's hard to bite the hand that feeds you.

He Chaoyong, with his belly full and a takeaway, almost forgot why he had come to Team A in the first place.

He looked at the smiling Jian Ruochen and grumbled—why couldn’t such a great person be in their team?

How did Guan Yingjun get so damn lucky?

Lin Yazhi noticed his expression and said with a smirk, "The evidence Detective Guan’s sitting on is worth 5 million. Jian Ruochen bought it. He's now a consultant for Team A, and his salary comes from Inspector Guan's account. If you want this credit, asking me won’t do you any good. Ask him if he's willing to give you the evidence."

He Chaoyong was shocked. What kind of evidence is worth 5 million?

Then he was stunned—what kind of relationship would lead someone to hand over evidence worth 5 million?

He Chaoyong's rage-filled head gradually cleared, and he finally remembered that Jian Ruochen had initially come out of Guan Yingjun's office.

Everyone in the Major Crimes Unit knew Guan Yingjun had trust issues—he only allowed visitors into his office when he was alone inside.

A situation like this, where he was outside but comfortable leaving someone inside, had never happened before!

He Chaoyong was completely thrown.

He had even considered poaching Jian Ruochen just moments ago.

Yeah, like that was gonna happen.

But Jian Ruochen was the real deal.

The Major Crimes Unit was always strapped for cash, and stealing each other’s cases was common.

In the past, Team A only knew how to snatch cases but couldn’t handle the aftermath. In similar situations, they would not only be criticized but also have their rewards halved. This time, however, they got all the credit.

Jian Ruochen wasn’t just a consultant—he was the God of Wealth.

Guan Yingjun asked, "You done making a scene?"

He Chaoyong tch’d, brushing him off, and had the nerve to walk up to Jian Ruochen, "Would you like to join our team? Our team has a great atmosphere, more people, more fun, and sufficient pay—way better than Team A. Whatever Detective Guan is paying you, I’ll double it."

Guan Yingjun didn’t expect He Chaoyong to dare poach right in front of him.

For once, he felt uncertain and glanced sideways at Jian Ruochen.

Jian Ruochen: ...

What does Detective Guan give him?

Two chicken legs, two chicken wings, 20 skewers, and a strong beer.

Jian Ruochen turned to Guan Yingjun, "How much are you giving me?"

"Half of my salary. If I get a bonus, I’ll give you half of that too."

Lin Yazhi: "Fine, I’ll note it down. I’ll give your team an extra envelope later. Salaries will follow the usual procedure—deposited into Team A’s general account. You do the math yourself."

Jian Ruochen leaned over and asked He Chaoyong, "Now, do you still want to double that?"

He Chaoyong: ...

They were both Senior Inspectors, with salaries on the same level. If Guan Yingjun was giving half, doubling that would mean He Chaoyong would be broke.

He Chaoyong clenched his teeth, "No," he said.

He wanted to leave, but Lin Yazhi stopped him, "Think you can just walk away after making a scene? You were about to hit someone earlier, weren’t you? Go write a 2,000-word self-criticism and read it during Monday’s morning assembly."

He Chaoyong flushed red and muttered in agreement.

Lin Yazhi turned and shot a look at Guan Yingjun, "And you! Enjoy taking over other people’s cases, do you? Then go handle the Ferry Heist Case!"

He Chaoyong perked up.

A major cold case!

If it remained unsolved for long, he couldn’t imagine how much face Guan Yingjun would lose.

Guan Yingjun’s eyes lit up.

Lin Yazhi thought: …

Well, that backfired.

She knew she couldn’t control Guan Yingjun, whose uncle was the commissioner of the Police Force. This time, with Jian Ruochen smoothing things over, a big issue was minimized and a small one resolved. It saved a lot of trouble.

Lin Yazhi reached out and ruffled Jian Ruochen’s head, "Study hard. After you graduate, I’ll write you a recommendation letter. You can come back to our precinct and be a police officer."

Jian Ruochen bobbed his head.

Lin Yazhi’s heart melted.

A natural-born cop—emotionally stable, soothing, skilled in interrogation and getting information out of people.

Witnesses and suspects alike couldn’t hide anything from him.

And he was handsome, making people warm up to him immediately.

Lin Yazhi took her little cake and left the way she came.

He Chaoyong had mostly cooled off; just thinking about Guan Yingjun crashing and burning in the heist case made him happy.

He sipped his extra-sweet coffee and headed back to the Group Z office.

Mmm~ so sweet.

Once everyone was gone, Zhang Xingzong and Ding Gao moaned in dismay, "The Ferry Heist Case involves a complicated cast of characters and takes place at sea—what are we going to do?"

Ding Gao muttered, "Gains come with losses, gains come with losses…"

Bi Wanwan ran her hands through her hair, and three strands came out.

She noticed the smile on Guan Yingjun’s lips, "Detective Guan, what are you smiling about?"

Guan Yingjun looked at the still-bewildered Jian Ruochen, "The Ferry Heist is related to Lu Qian."

Jian Ruochen’s eyes lit up too.

Guan Yingjun smiled, "The last ferry bound for the mainland was a week ago. Ferries run once a month, mostly carrying businessmen looking to trade between the mainland and Hong Kong."

"Hong Kong merchants traveling—lots of lucrative opportunities. I’ve always wondered how Lu Qian kept Tianquan operating legally for so long under police surveillance and investigation, so I asked an informant to look into it."

"They told me Lu Qian is collaborating with mainland criminals. Although I haven’t found out exactly what they’re collaborating on, when the heist happened recently, I had a hunch."

Jian Ruochen chimed in, "Lu Qian has experienced how easy it is to gain without working—he’ll probably do it again!"

No wonder Guan Yingjun said those things during dinner!

Bi Wanwan tugged at her hair again, "Lu Qian is the eldest son of the Lu family. He’s very cautious. How can we catch him red-handed on the ferry?"

Jian Ruochen thought about it. The original novel had covered this.

It described Lu Qian accompanying Jiang Hanyu to the hospital for a blood transfusion and then going home for New Year’s Day.

The original text vividly depicted the beautiful snowscape of New Year’s and Jiang Hanyu crying in the snow, missing his father.

Pretty absurd—snow in a place like Hong Kong?

Typical of those melodramatic, over-the-top dime novels from back in the day.

Even after all this time, the pretentious writing still made his scalp crawl.

Jian Ruochen said calmly, "Lu Qian probably won’t go. But Jiang Mingshan will. Because of Jiang Yongyan’s situation, Jiang Mingshan owes Lu Qian a favor."

Jiang Mingshan was inherently greedy. He desperately wanted to cling to the Lu family tree and was eyeing the illicit money trail, wanting a piece of the action.

Ding Gao was puzzled, "How are you so sure?"

Jian Ruochen hummed in agreement, "He’s my biological father."

Ding Gao’s mind instantly filled with messy, tragic stories of wealthy families. The brilliant young consultant before him suddenly transformed into a pitiful rich kid tormented by a scumbag dad.

He said dryly, "Oh."

Sure enough.

On the other side, at a KTV, Jiang Mingshan, with a male companion on his left and a female companion on his right, heard about Lu Qian’s involvement in the major heist and immediately got an idea.

Amid the thumping music, he raised his glass to Lu Qian, "Since President Lu is staying to spend New Year’s Day with my Hanyu, I’ll handle the ferry operation in two weeks as an apology to you."

Lu Qian glanced at him, arms around companions on both sides, and smirked disdainfully.

If it weren’t for Jiang Hanyu, he wouldn’t bother with someone like this.

He raised his glass, "Fine, I’ll provide you with my crew. This drink is to wish President Jiang a successful start."

Jiang Mingshan drained his glass in one gulp.

He was fairly drunk and slurred, "I know Xiao Han needs blood. I’ll make sure Jian Ruochen boards the ferry and vanishes without a trace, at your disposal."

Lu Qian raised an eyebrow, "He’s your son too. Does that not bother you?"

Jiang Mingshan didn’t hesitate for a second, "Nonsense."

His eyes glinted with calculation, "I’ve done my homework. His British butler is away from Hong Kong temporarily. I’ll deliver him to you—use him to sustain Jiang Hanyu. His billion-dollar fortune will be mine."

A son who couldn’t be used for marriage connections, or secure the Lu family connection.

Better dead and useful.