Chapter 21: Jiang Mingshan Is Finished

Chapter 21 Jiang Mingshan Is Finished

It was already late at night when Jian Ruochen stepped out of the West Kowloon Regional Police Station.

He tightened his down jacket, staring blankly at the neon lights in the distance, feeling disoriented, unsure of what day or even what era it was.

What day is it today?

Should I go back to school tomorrow?

Ah, this university...

I was about to graduate, and now I have to do it all over again.

Guan Yingjun drove the car out of the garage. "Let's go, I'll take you home first."

"Didn't you drink?"

"Just that little bit? It's long gone from my system." Guan Yingjun turned the steering wheel. "There's no law against driving after drinking, is there?"

Jian Ruochen searched his memory.

Hong Kong's new drunk driving regulations were introduced in 1999, and it was only 1992 now—still a long way to go.

He initially wanted to let it slide, but his instinct to follow the rules, hardwired into his DNA, took over. "Let's take a taxi. I'll arrange a driver for the Major Crimes Unit later. It'll be safer for special situations in the future."

Not wanting to upset him, Guan Yingjun parked the car again and swiped his ID card to exit the police station. "I don't have that much spare money."

His money was needed to support informants scattered across West Kowloon.

He also had to occasionally spend on car repairs, cleaning, and celebratory meals for the team.

With a monthly salary of 40,000 Hong Kong dollars, he was left with at most 20,000 by the end of the month.

Now, even that 20,000 had to be spent on supporting the Major Crimes Unit's consultant, Jian Ruochen.

Not a single cent remained.

By the time Guan Yingjun finished calculating, he had already hailed a taxi.

He said calmly, "I'll take you first. Where do you live?"

"At the mountain top villa in Lijin International Garden." Jian Ruochen leaned his head against the window, nestled in the back seat, lazily replying, "You don't need to worry about money. Now that I'm here, Team A won't be short on funds."

"Money only has value when it's spent to create value. Otherwise, it's just worthless paper." Jian Ruochen's hair fluttered in the wind.

His porcelain-white profile glowed under the passing streetlights, his eyes, hinting at light gold, brimming with confidence and determination—bright, shimmering, and unusually captivating.

Guan Yingjun chuckled. "No wonder Zhang Xingzong calls you the God of Wealth. You're not just the God of Wealth—you're practically a money-scattering deity."

"I spend 100,000 US dollars a day just to keep my savings from snowballing out of control."

Jian Ruochen teased him, "Don't you want me to spend it on Team A? Detective Guan, you might want to think carefully. I'm sure many teams in the West Kowloon Major Crimes Unit would want me."

His tone was filled with smug confidence.

Guan Yingjun didn't know what to do with him. Jian Ruochen had been strategizing since the first case. He first demonstrated his abilities to Chen Yunchuan, then seized the opportunity to transfer departments and become Li Zhangyu's student, solving the patrol officer case.

Then, he splurged a fortune at the Platinum Club, taking advantage of Team Z's challenge to order coffee for everyone in the Major Crimes Unit.

Now, the whole of West Kowloon knew of Jian Ruochen's capabilities.

He executed his plans seamlessly, seizing every opportunity.

Riding the momentum, he soared.

Guan Yingjun asked the taxi driver to stop at the entrance of the mountain top villa and said, "Do whatever you want. Spend as much as you want. I'll back you up and make sure no one in the team takes your generosity for granted."

Jian Ruochen opened the car door and leaned in. "Detective Guan, after knowing you for so long, this is the most attractive thing you've ever said."

Guan Yingjun uncomfortably averted his gaze.

This mouth...

He's always ready with a smooth line for everyone.

He tapped the front seat, signaling the taxi driver to leave. "I'm off. Contact me by phone if anything comes up."

The little red taxi sped away.

Jian Ruochen went home, dozed off in the bathtub for a while, and suddenly opened his eyes.

Wait, Guan Yingjun doesn't have my phone number.

He picked up his pager and sent a string of numbers followed by three words: "Phone number."

The next day.

Jian Ruochen entered the classroom just as the first class bell rang.

Only the front row seats were left. He walked over and sat down, answered "Here" during roll call, and then opened the forensic anthropology book he had brought.

Jian Ruochen was now a celebrity. All the medical department professors knew about his transfer. Seeing him read books from other subjects, they turned a blind eye.

After all, it was only the last week of the semester.

December 23.

On the last day of school.

Jian Ruochen ran into Jiang Hanyu, whom he hadn't seen in a while, at the school gate.

Jiang Hanyu was the designated heartthrob in the original story. Even standing still, people would approach him for his phone number, but he always waved them off.

Jiang Hanyu was sensitive to cold and usually wore gloves, but today he didn't. When he waved his hand, the bracelet on his wrist shimmered brightly.

The bracelet looked familiar—it seemed to be a matching pair with Lu Qian's, the same one the original owner had scrimped and saved for three months to buy a knockoff of.

Jian Ruochen averted his gaze. The bracelet was deliberately worn to show him.

Trying to test whether he still had feelings for Lu Qian?

Jian Ruochen kept a straight face and raised his hand to hail a taxi.

Jiang Hanyu grew anxious and hurried over. "Brother!"

Jian Ruochen turned around. "What is it?"

Jiang Hanyu lifted his hand to brush back his hair, once again revealing the bracelet.

He said, "Brother, Lu Qian and I are officially engaged. The engagement party is on Christmas Eve. Will you come? You’ll bless us, right?"

Jian Ruochen: "Absolutely, blessings. Lock it down."

Hope you two end up in jail together as a couple.

Jiang Hanyu was speechless.

The words sounded sincere at first, but upon closer thought, there was a hint of sarcasm.

He couldn’t quite put his finger on what was off, so he handed over two invitations, his tone cheerful, "Brother Lu Qian ordered a two-meter-tall cake. I’ll save the top piece for you."

Jian Ruochen glanced down at the invitations.

If there had been only one, he wouldn’t have taken it. But there were two.

Two… meaning he could bring someone.

The Jiang family’s ancestral home was labyrinthine, housing a staggering number of confidential documents, the most direct evidence of their crimes being the account books.

If he could get his hands on the Jiang family’s account books…

Jian Ruochen reached out and took them, saying sincerely, "Thank you for inviting me. May you and Lu Qian be together through thick and thin."

Jiang Hanyu was creeped out.

If it were the old Jian Ruochen, he would have had a meltdown upon seeing the invitation, then burst into tears.

But now…

Jian Ruochen ignored Jiang Hanyu, raised his hand to hail a taxi, "Driver, to the West Kowloon Regional Police Headquarters."

Just before the car drove off, Jian Ruochen heard a faint question drift to his ears: "Do you really not like Lu Qian at all? You’re not pretending, are you?"

Why would he need to pretend not to like Lu Qian?

That’s asking a bit much of an honest person.

The taxi soon arrived at the Regional Police Headquarters.

Jian Ruochen headed straight for Detective Guan’s office.

During this period, everyone in Unit A had been scouring the case files of the ferry heist, hoping to find a clear breakthrough.

Thanks to the coffee Jian Ruochen had bought for the entire Major Crimes Unit a few days earlier, everyone was now cool with Unit A. Several of the case files had been passed along by other teams.

Though the people delivering the files always craned their necks, scanning the office as if looking for someone, but when asked who, they wouldn’t say.

They came with high spirits and left disappointed.

When Jian Ruochen stepped into the Unit A office, it hit Bi Wanwan.

Who were those people looking for?

Jian Ruochen, of course!

Who would send gifts for no reason?

So they had their eyes on their little cash cow.

They were trying to poach him!

No wonder those delivering the files were either pretty young women or buff young men.

Hah, using charm offensives!

But with Jian Ruochen’s looks, he’s the real catch. Who in the entire police station could even compare?

Bi Wanwan touched her own face.

If she looked like that, she’d spend three minutes every morning complimenting herself in the mirror.

"Madam?" Jian Ruochen touched his face. "Is there something on my face?"

Bi Wanwan chuckled. "No. Detective Guan is inside. Head on in."

"Oh." Jian Ruochen, a little confused, opened the door to Detective Guan’s office.

He skipped the guest chair but instead came around to Detective Guan’s side and held up what was in his hand. "Check this out."

Detective Guan took a closer look—it was Jiang Hanyu and Lu Qian’s engagement invitation.

The engagement party was to be held at the Jiang family’s ancestral home, Jiang Ting Manor.

"Why are there two?"

"Probably to humiliate me," Jian Ruochen said, handing one to Detective Guan. "Rich people love these mind games—giving two tickets to hint that I should bring a date. If I don’t, it’ll look like I’m unpopular, without even a date to accompany me."

Detective Guan raised an eyebrow. "Couldn’t it be a female companion? Bi Wanwan could go."

"Are you crazy?" Jian Ruochen perched on the edge of Detective Guan’s desk. "Given how everyone knew I was obsessed with Lu Qian, of course I’m choosing you to go with me."

He paused, then leaned in closer. "Do you know why I’m bringing you?"

Detective Guan’s heart skipped a beat, his breath hitched slightly.

His mind flashed back to Jian Ruochen leaning against the car door, saying, "Detective Guan, you’re most charming when you say things like that."

He closed his eyes, shaking off the thought, feeling annoyed. Was Jian Ruochen a little love-struck fool?

Flirts with everyone he meets, loving whoever he flirted with.

Jian Ruochen whispered in his ear, "You’ve done undercover work, and you’re an accountant—you know how to read account books. Let’s sneak into the Jiang family and steal their account books."

For a moment, Detective Guan’s mind went blank.

Why was Jian Ruochen bringing him?

Steal what?

He had always been someone who would stop at nothing for the truth. After joining the force, he’d faced plenty of criticism and had only recently managed to somewhat reign in the old habits from his undercover days.

And now here was someone even more unpredictable than him.

Detective Guan took a deep breath, saying slowly, "That’s theft."

Jian Ruochen gave a shy smile. "Have you forgotten? I’m Jiang Mingshan’s real son. If the real son is walking around his own home and happens to walk off with the account books, how can that be called stealing?"

He lingered on the word "found" with a meaningful tone.

"Besides, you gotta be adaptable," Jian Ruochen deftly opened Guan Yingjun's desk drawer and took out the recorder. "Since you even have a recorder, you must have a hidden camera too, right? Working undercover—you must have gear like this, right? Even if we don’t take it, we can still take pictures..."

Guan Yingjun was tempted.

This plan appealed to him greatly.

Getting evidence was the priority; everything else was secondary.

Jian Ruochen slyly pocketed the recorder and closed the drawer. "When the time comes, I’ll create a big distraction downstairs, and you can quietly go up. The study is on the second floor, with a celadon vase at the door."

In the original text, Jiang Hanyu had once broken that vase before entering the study.

Guan Yingjun was fully on board.

The ledger was too tempting—it could directly prove the Jiangs were evading taxes.

Everyone in Hong Kong knew the Jiangs were evading taxes; they just couldn’t find the evidence.

But with the ledger, things would be straightforward.

Guan Yingjun’s heart raced. It had been so long since he returned from the CIB, and this was the first time he’d felt the thrill of being undercover again.

Jian Ruochen extended his hand. "Partners?"

Guan Yingjun shook it. "Pleasure working together."

They shared a look before releasing each other’s hand.

Jian Ruochen asked, "Is the info on the big heist sorted? The ship sets sail in a week."

Guan Yingjun replied, "Not yet. There are too many moving parts, and Team A is short-staffed. It’ll take three more days."

He bit his tongue, then blurted, "Why aren’t you sitting on the chair?"

"Heh heh." Jian Ruochen dodged the question.

He couldn’t exactly say it was to distract Guan Yingjun and make his recorder disappear!

This was misdirection—this was magic!

He slid off the desk. "Tomorrow is the 24th. Detective Guan, be prepared! I’ll go outside and help you sort the case files!"

As he spoke, Jian Ruochen walked out of the office, his voice trailing off.

Guan Yingjun lowered his gaze, lost in thought for a moment, then pulled open the drawer where the recorder was kept. The item was gone—clearly "vanished."

Guan Yingjun: "..."

He walked to the safe in the corner of the office.

The first layer contained team expenses and some pending bonuses.

The second layer was stacked with surveillance gear. He pulled out a brand-new recorder, installed batteries, turned it on, placed it back in the drawer, and closed it.

He immediately felt much more secure.

On the 23rd, Jian Ruochen helped his future colleagues in the Major Crimes Unit organize files and information related to the big heist.

At noon on the 24th, Luo Binwen, who had suddenly returned to the country, appeared at the West Kowloon Regional Crime Unit and brought Team A a luxurious lunch.

After pulling all-nighters for a week, Team A feasted on Australian lobsters and fresh-squeezed juice, practically crying over the spread.

In the afternoon of the 24th, after learning that Jian Ruochen was attending Jiang Hanyu’s engagement banquet, Luo Binwen plopped him into a massage chair for a spa treatment.

Only after buffing Jian Ruochen’s skin till it glowed like a peeled boiled egg, dressing him in a luxurious designer suit, styling his hair, and adorning him with expensive jade cufflinks did he finally release the half-dazed man and send him to the entrance of Jiangting Mansion.

Guan Yingjun was waiting not far away.

He stood in the shadows, dressed in a black suit, nearly invisible unless one looked closely.

Jian Ruochen walked over. Guan Yingjun glanced down at him. The person before him was dressed to the nines, wearing a crisp navy suit paired with emerald cufflinks.

With bright lips and perfect teeth, his face still held a hint of bewilderment, as if he was still a little out of it. His hair was tied into a low ponytail, the ends curled and cascading to one side like silver silk.

Even the hair tie was studded with diamonds, its tail hidden within his hair, shimmering like scattered stars under the light.

At first glance, it didn’t stand out, but the longer one looked, the more obvious it became how fancy the whole getup was.

Guan Yingjun offered his arm. "Your hand."

Jian Ruochen took his arm.

The moment his fingers touched the firm forearm, he was pulled forward, closing the gap between them in an instant.

Jian Ruochen looked up, their eyes meeting. Guan Yingjun stared at his almost glowing face, momentarily spellbound, and whispered, "Don’t stand too far; it’ll seem like we don’t know each other."

Jian Ruochen nodded. "Oh."

This script felt quite interesting.

"What’s our relationship now?"

Guan Yingjun lowered his gaze. "What do you want it to be?"

Jian Ruochen, slightly excited, said, "Then you’re my new sugar— mmph!"

His mouth was covered.

"Okay, that’s enough," Guan Yingjun said, his head in the clouds.

Such a pretty face, such a smart mouth.

The two walked arm in arm into Jiangting Mansion.

Jian Ruochen noticed Guan Yingjun seemed even more familiar with the place than he was. "How do you know the way to the banquet hall?"

"After we discussed it yesterday, I had an informant pose as a server to case the place," Guan Yingjun replied softly, his voice clear and audible.

Such a pro undercover.

No wonder he made it out in one piece.

They reached the banquet hall and entered through a side door with the usher. The first thing that caught their eye was a huge champagne tower.

Jian Ruochen watched for a moment, muttered, "If I accidentally knock it over later, do you think it’ll cause enough of a scene?"

Guan Yingjun immediately tightened his arm, gripping Jian Ruochen’s hand, and steered him firmly away from the glasses. "Your mere presence is already making a big enough scene."

Jian Ruochen looked exceptionally beautiful today, like a god who’d descended to the mortal world.

When they entered, the entire banquet hall fell silent for a moment, every eye in the room was on him.

White hair, amber eyes, of mixed heritage.

Wasn’t this Jiang Mingshan’s child from outside the family? He didn’t seem like a hopeless romantic at all.

Would a true hopeless romantic bring their current partner to an engagement party?

Could the rumors about the Jiang family be false?

Everyone exchanged knowing glances.

Jiang Mingshan was new money, with no old-money background, all about money, no loyalty.

Old-money dynasties in Hong Kong looked down on such "upstarts," but his business prowess made him someone they had to play nice with.

Outwardly, everyone was cordial, but behind the scenes, they mocked Jiang Mingshan’s absurd behavior.

He wrote off one son completely and treated the other as a pawn, pawning him off to the Lu family’s eldest son in an attempt to climb the social ladder.

Meanwhile, he himself was still trying for more sons with different people, hopping from bed to bed—utterly ridiculous.

Now, Jian Ruochen was dressed formally and elegantly; even those emerald cufflinks had to be worth at least a million.

The Jiang family had no way of getting their hands on such items.

Was Jiang Mingshan using the rumors to make Jiang Hanyu look good?

Then this mixed-race young man was an innocent bystander caught in the crossfire.

Many young heirs from established families looked at Jian Ruochen with interest, wanting to befriend him.

But not wanting to offend Lu Qian and the tough-looking guy acting like a guard dog by Jian Ruochen’s side, no one approached.

Jiang Hanyu stood upstairs, watching everything unfold below.

Jian Ruochen led Guan Yingjun to the buffet table to grab some food before sitting down in the lounge area. The two were sitting shoulder-to-shoulder, almost whispering like they were sharing secrets.

The detective, who’d always given him the cold shoulder, even leaned down to take the silver fork Jian Ruochen was using to spear a cherry tomato and ate it.

Jiang Hanyu almost ground his teeth to powder.

Was this why Jian Ruochen was over Lu Qian?

What was so great about this policeman?

His salary was so low he might not even put food on the table.

Lu Qian was the best catch someone of Jian Ruochen’s standing could hope for!

Was he blind? If Jian Ruochen had no feelings left for Lu Qian, how could he ever keep him in check?

After eating the tomato, Guan Yingjun leaned close to Jian Ruochen’s ear and whispered, "Someone’s watching us. Keep eating, don’t look around."

Jian Ruochen just said ‘Mm-hmm’ and scarfed down a mini cake.

Say what you will about the Jiangs, their chef knew what he was doing.

As he ate, he murmured, "The staircase to the upper floor is in the corridor behind the hall. Make a beeline for the vase once you’re up there."

"Got it," Guan Yingjun replied, glancing at his watch.

The ceremony was about to begin.

Guan Yingjun stood up, placed his empty cup on a passing waiter’s tray, and said, "I’m going to the bathroom."

The server immediately responded, "Right this way, sir."

Their eyes met one last time as they passed each other.

Jian Ruochen looked away and looked toward the person standing on the platform.

"Mr. Lu has now taken the Lu family business to the next level. We’ve secured the land in Kowloon and are planning an unprecedented development…" Jiang Mingshan, beaming with pride, raised his glass and boasted about Lu Qian’s achievements. "Today is my son’s engagement party. As a father…"

Jiang Mingshan began making it all about himself again.

After a five-minute speech, Jiang Hanyu and Lu Qian finally got around to exchanging rings.

Jian Ruochen glanced toward the second floor.

No movement.

His heart was hammering fiercely, almost leaping out of his throat.

Please, no surprises. Please, no surprises.

Against his hopes, his wish went unfulfilled.

In a daze, Jian Ruochen heard a light, piercing voice say, "Today, on this important day of my life, my brother has also brought his partner to the engagement party."

"Brother, could you come up and offer me a blessing? I hope our relationship can remain as close as before."

All eyes followed Jiang Hanyu’s words and landed on Jian Ruochen.

Jian Ruochen’s palms were sweating as he heard Jiang Hanyu ask, "Oh, brother, where’s your boyfriend?"

"Wasn’t he just with you when you were eating cake earlier?"

Boom. Boom.

Jian Ruochen’s heart hammered twice, spiking to 120 beats per minute in an instant.

Outwardly calm, he stepped onto the stage, discreetly turning on his voice recorder, and said with a smile, "I tried to feed him cake, but he refused. Men can be a little moody sometimes. Xiao Han, doesn’t your man have his moments too?"

Jiang Hanyu was thrown by how calmly he clapped back.

He lowered his head shyly, his voice barely a whisper. "Lu Qian doesn’t."

Jian Ruochen took the microphone.

The smartest in the Jiang family wasn’t Jiang Mingshan or Jiang Yongyan—it was Jiang Hanyu.

Nearby, Jiang Mingshan, growing suspicious of Guan Yingjun’s prolonged absence, was getting wary.

He turned to leave.

Jian Ruochen spoke into the microphone, "Mr. Jiang. Xiao Han."

The young man's clear, flowing voice gently swept across the venue, drawing everyone's attention to the names called out.

Jiang Mingshan couldn't leave now.

Jian Ruochen said, "First, I'd like to extend my blessings to Mr. Jiang Hanyu and Mr. Lu Qian, wishing them a lifetime of love and partnership."

"Actually, everyone has misunderstood, and Xiao Han has too. I am not Mr. Jiang's son, nor have I ever been into Mr. Lu. I hope such rumors will cease from now on, as they are damaging to both my reputation and Mr. Lu's."

The guests below the stage were amused by his confident and straightforward tone, responding with warm laughter.

"The love between Mr. Jiang Hanyu and Mr. Lu Qian is a beautiful love story. My name shouldn't be inserted into it, as that would only make it seem absurd and untrue."

Lu Qian gazed at Jian Ruochen, who seemed like a completely different person today, his eyes lingering on the faint glimmer of starlight in his hair.

Jian Ruochen was so stunning today it was almost dazzling.

He seemed to have gained a little weight, as if determined to reject his former self and shed the identity tied to someone else’s name.

How could anyone be so determined?

Jian Ruochen smiled and looked at Jiang Hanyu, "Lu Qian isn't my type, Xiao Han. Given how close we are, you know that."

He held the microphone up to Jiang Hanyu's mouth.

If Jiang Hanyu denied it now, he would be wrecking his own engagement party.

He had no choice but to say, "Yes."

Jian Ruochen continued, "Mr. Lu Qian, before today, I'd seen you less than twice. It's impossible for me to have bothered you, right?"

Lu Qian’s face twitched. "Mm."

His breathing was slightly rushed but soon steadied.

Jian Ruochen turned back to the guests and quipped, "You see, innocence is a man's best asset. Let's congratulate them on their unwavering devotion and wish them a happy life together."

This unexpected turn of events thoroughly entertained the audience.

Jian Ruochen executed it flawlessly, leaving no room for criticism.

Those baseless rumors had never had any evidence, and now the subject of the rumors was clearing them up while wearing high-end fashion that even the Jiang family couldn’t get.

How could they not believe him?

Those emerald cufflinks might seem merely expensive at first glance, but upon closer inspection, they were exclusive to British royalty and nobility.

How could a nouveau riche like Jiang Mingshan ever have the right to touch such things?

None among their circle could wear those cufflinks.

This suggested Jian Ruochen might even have a British title!

Jian Ruochen said, "Let's raise a glass to Mr. Jiang Hanyu's love!"

The guests obligingly took a sip.

"Oh, by the way." Jian Ruochen turned to the grim-faced Jiang Mingshan and asked, "Mr. Jiang Mingshan, when my mother ran away from home, she came to Hong Kong and gave birth to me. Although I truly don't know who my biological father is, it probably isn't you, since we don't look alike. Today, could you clear this up right here?"

At this point, if Jiang Mingshan insisted on claiming him as his son, it wouldn’t be believable.

Jiang Hanyu and Lu Qian had already made their positions clear.

If Jiang Mingshan acknowledged Jian Ruochen as his child now, he would publicly humiliate the Lu family.

He didn't dare.

Jian Ruochen held the microphone, waiting for Jiang Mingshan to speak. Ten seconds later, the middle-aged man forced out a single word: "Fine."

He looked at the audience and said, "Mr. Jian Ruochen... and I indeed share no blood relation."

Jian Ruochen felt a wave of relief and let out a genuine laugh.

He never imagined that while being put on the spot, he could cover for Guan Yingjun, and in doing so, publicly shake off the parasite trying to bind him with blood ties.

Three birds with one stone.

The past was all rumors.

This moment was a new beginning.

Jiang Mingshan stared at Jian Ruochen's smiling face and suddenly felt a spike of anger toward Jiang Hanyu.

Why did he have to call him up on stage?

How did it benefit the Jiang family to have Jian Ruochen clarify their relationship?

Jian Ruochen had become clever. He couldn't be allowed to stick around.

Jiang Mingshan masked the anger in his eyes, curling his lips into a smile. "To apologize to Mr. Jian, I invite him to join me on a cruise. On the afternoon of December 30th, a cruise ship heading toward the mainland will set sail. It has everything for eating, drinking, and entertainment. Once we reach the mainland, I'll host Mr. Jian for a proper tour. I hope you'll honor us with your presence."

"Certainly."

He was planning to go anyway.

Jian Ruochen placed the microphone back and only as he stepped off the stage did he realize his back was drenched in sweat.

He had done his best. If Guan Yingjun didn't show up soon, not even a god could help.

Jian Ruochen was a bit annoyed.

Wasn't he a highly regarded undercover agent? How could his field skills be so lacking?

He counted the seconds, watching as Jiang Mingshan went upstairs with a grim expression, and immediately felt a pang of worry for Guan Yingjun.

The pager wasn't silenced; he couldn't send messages recklessly.

It could easily expose someone.

All he could do was wait.

Twenty seconds later, from around the corner, the attendant who had earlier escorted Guan Yingjun away returned with him.

Guan Yingjun's hair was slightly disheveled, as if he had been running outside.

Jian Ruochen asked quietly, "How did it go?"

Guan Yingjun looked at the glistening sweat on Jian Ruochen's neck and knew he had bought *me* a lot of time.

He opened his suit jacket and took out a rose from the inner pocket, "I went to pick a flower for you."

The waiter, cringing, sassily interjected, "After this gentleman went to the bathroom, he saw the garden outside. Remembering he had upset you earlier, he climbed *through* the window to pick a flower!"

Those who wanted to flirt with Jian Ruochen stopped in their tracks.

Many people recognized Guan Yingjun's face—he was a detective.

Paired with someone like Jian Ruochen, who might have a noble title, it was like a real-life Romeo and Juliet.

But younger folks probably just loved this kind of romantic gesture.

Jian Ruochen raised the flower to smell it, looking delighted.

He hooked his arm through Guan Yingjun's, picked up a glass of champagne, and raised a toast from across the room, "Please excuse us, everyone. I have things to take care of, so I’ll take my leave~"

He tilted his head back and downed the drink in one go.

Utterly effortless.

The crowd wore mixed expressions.

Jian Ruochen and Jiang Hanyu were completely different types.

In comparison, Jiang Hanyu’s demeanor was utterly petty, nothing like as poised and graceful as Jian Ruochen.

If things weren’t as clarified today, then Lu Qian must truly be blind.

Jian Ruochen, arm in arm with Guan Yingjun, headed straight for the private car.

Once inside, he let out a long sigh of relief.

He unbuttoned his clothes, took off the tight suit jacket, and removed his hair accessory. "How'd it go? Want to see the results?"

Guan Yingjun lifted his shirt and produced two ledgers hidden in his waistband.

Jian Ruochen stared in disbelief, "Didn’t you say you were just taking photos?"

Guan Yingjun used his thumb to flip through the pages quickly, "They’re too thick to get good photos of. So I just took them..."

He caught himself mid-sentence, "...just swiped them. I’ve looked through them all; these two are the most problematic. They’re ironclad evidence."

Jian Ruochen placed the ledgers on his lap and flipped through them. Seeing the densely packed text, he couldn’t understand how Guan Yingjun had spotted something wrong in such a short time.

He patted the front seat, "Uncle Luo, step on the gas."

If Jiang Mingshan realized something was off, it’d be hard to get away.

"I just cut ties with Jiang Mingshan. Officially, I’m not his son anymore. I can’t be the one holding this now."

Jian Ruochen ceremoniously handed the ledgers back into Guan Yingjun’s arms, muttering, "This was all you. I know nothing about it."

Guan Yingjun: ...

So he’s shifting the blame just like that?

The private car sped off in a flash, racing back to the hilltop villa.

The two compared notes.

Guan Yingjun listened to the recording, unable to hide his astonishment, "So this is how you stalled for me?"

"Yep," Jian Ruochen said matter-of-factly, "Pretty good, right? Hitting three birds with one stone. I’m going to spread this recording around, warm things up for you."

Guan Yingjun: "Warm things up for what?"

Jian Ruochen: "Didn’t you find evidence of Jiang Mingshan’s tax evasion? We can’t just take care of this under the radar. That wouldn’t have much impact on him."

Guan Yingjun mused, "You want to use public opinion to create a chain reaction?"

"Exactly," Jian Ruochen thought it was impressive that Guan Yingjun could grasp the idea.

Public opinion these days was still quite simple, mostly focused on vague gossip, nowhere near as complex as the opinion wars of later years.

Having seen the thrill of opinion wars, looking back at the public discourse of 1992 was like going from Star Wars to Barney.

Jian Ruochen said, "I’ll make copies of the recording in the next couple of days and sell it to the media so they can make a huge story out of it."

"You collaborate with the tax authorities and have Jiang Mingshan’s tax-evading businesses seized during this time. I'll handle the rest, and you probably won’t have time anyway."

Sure enough.

Over the next few days, Detective Guan was slammed with work.

By the time he had a moment to breathe, the outside world was already ablaze with news of "President Jiang Mistakenly Acknowledges the Wrong Son."

Gossip about the rich and powerful always spreads the fastest.

Zhang Xingzong, confused by the mix of true and false information, dazedly sought out Detective Guan and asked, "Detective Guan, did Jian Ruochen and Lu Qian break up because you cut in?"

Detective Guan: ?

What nonsense is this?

Bi Wanwan also came over, "I heard you gave him 99 roses to cheer him up?"

Detective Guan: ?

How'd the tabloids turn one rose into ninety-nine?

Besides, it was for a mission, just a cover—since when was it about cheering someone up?

Ding Gao sidled over conspiratorially, "Detective Guan, what I heard is: Lu Qian pursued Jian Ruochen relentlessly but failed, so he settled for Jiang Hanyu, whose eyes are kinda similar. Is that right?"

Detective Guan: ...

He slammed the case file down on his desk, "Don't you people have real work to do? Have you finished summarizing the suspect information for the major robbery case?"

After scolding them, he still went to an outdoor newsstand to buy a newspaper and unfolded it to read the related reports.

None of the things his team mentioned were there; the focus was entirely on Jiang Mingshan.

Detective Guan faintly sensed Jian Ruochen’s intention: to use the opportunity when public attention was fully on Jiang Mingshan to break the news of his tax evasion all at once.

With this kind of momentum, the scrutiny on Jiang Mingshan would grow exponentially, and public discussion would intensify.

Jian Ruochen is scarily sharp and clever in this regard.

He could even predict the public's reaction to every piece of news released.

Guan Yingjun tossed the newspaper he’d finished reading into the trash and headed back to the station to keep working the case.

·

January 1st, New Year's Day.

The 7th day after Jiang Hanyu's engagement.

Guan Yingjun led a lightning raid, collaborating with the tax department to shut down two companies under Jiang Mingshan's name.

As agreed, the tax department quickly prepared a public announcement after the seizure, demonstrating unprecedented determination and speed.

While the tax department was drafting the public notice,

the nine members of Team A of the West Kowloon Region Serious Crime Unit stood around awkwardly at the port dock.

Everyone was in plain clothes, lightly disguised, thinking they didn’t look like cops anymore.

Unexpectedly, as soon as they arrived at the dock, a fisherman snapped, "Cops, scram! You're stepping on my fish!"

Ding Gao bowed and scraped, "Sorry, sorry, my apologies, uncle."

Zhang Xingzong could barely watch, "You're not a police officer right now!"

Guan Yingjun tsked, "This isn’t gonna work."

Jian Ruochen thought for a moment and said, "I’ve got an idea."

He took the deerskin strap watch from his wrist and put it on Guan Yingjun, then ran to a nearby novelty store to buy a few metal dog chains and tags, distributing them to everyone. "Put ’em on."

Everyone was confused.

Jian Ruochen added, "Unbutton your shirts, leave them open."

Guan Yingjun understood—they were to pose as fellow thugs.

He pulled up the collar of his trench, put a fake gold necklace around his neck, lit a cigarette, then crouched down to untie his neatly laced shoes and tied them messily.

When he stood up again, his righteous vibe had turned thuggish.

Everyone started messing with their looks. Out of the nine, seven transformed from police officers into thugs.

Bi Wanwan didn't get assigned a role, "What about me?"

Jian Ruochen said, "Just like that, you already look like a boss lady."

Bi Wanwan asked again, "What about you?"

Everyone's eyes turned to Jian Ruochen.

He didn’t look like a gangster or a police officer.

What did he look like?

Zhang Xingzong, recalling the 800 gossip articles he’d recently read, clapped his hands and exclaimed, "Isn’t he just the little lover by the boss's side?"

Jian Ruochen was speechless.

Honestly, the script wasn’t bad, but he doubted Guan Yingjun could pull it off.

Playing an innocent police officer was type-casting.

Playing a boss was still within his undercover skills.

But playing a boss with a lover was a bit too much for such a straight-laced guy.

As expected, Guan Yingjun was definitely gonna refuse.

Jian Ruochen looked at Guan Yingjun.

He took a drag off his cigarette, lifted his chin, and said, "It could work."

His tone was exactly the same as when he agreed to Jian Ruochen ordering ten buns all at once.

Guan Yingjun narrowed his eyes, raised an arm, and said, "Come here."

He got into character pretty quickly.

Jian Ruochen walked over, "What is it?"

Guan Yingjun, cigarette in mouth, eyes half-closed, reached out and messed up Jian Ruochen's low ponytail. After staring for a moment, he sighed, "You’re dressed too clean."

It made him look kinda pervy.

Guan Yingjun said, "This’ll do, let’s move."

The people on the boat would probably find it strange—why were there more fellow thugs boarding? Maybe they could even lure out their top guy to negotiate.

Beside Ding Gao, the usually silent Sizheng Liu whispered, "New brains work better. We're old, we’re not as quick-thinking."

Ding Gao said, "True."

Someone sighed, "Actually, Jian Ruochen shouldn’t have come. He can’t fight; he could slow us down."

Zhang Xingzong said, "Show some respect to my God of Wealth."

Jian Ruochen smiled. The team made it onboard and found their cabins just as the ferry sounded its horn and started moving.

The horn was low and distant, drifting over the sea like a battle cry.

Jian Ruochen had booked first-class tickets. Jiang Mingshan was not far from them, making eavesdropping and other ops easier.

Zhang Xingzong was touching everything in sight, his tone dreamy, "I’ve never fought such a well-funded op."

He clasped his hands toward Jian Ruochen, "God of Wealth, bless me with a fortune next year."

The ferry lurched suddenly as it pulled up anchor.

Jian Ruochen switched on the radio placed on the first-class cabin table, tuning it to Star Network Entertainment. The host’s dry, serious tone came through:

"Recently, Jiangxing Electronic Technology and Jiangyou Construction Engineering Co., Ltd., under Jiangting Group CEO Jiang Mingshan, were involved in a major tax evasion scandal totaling 1 billion."

"More in the report below—"

Jian Ruochen switched the channel again.

Inside, the voice of an entertainment gossip host was filled with indignation: "Are you saying Jiang Mingshan forced you to drink, or else he would sexually assault you?"

"He made me drink all 50 shots of bomb shots—how could I possibly finish that many? He's a scumbag."

Everyone was stunned. "Doesn’t Jiang Mingshan control the media? Most of Hong Kong's media is in the Lu family’s hands. Why did this break so quickly, and why didn’t anyone suppress it?"

Jian Ruochen smiled. "Because this time it’s from my family's media. They can’t suppress it."

Zhang Xingzong exclaimed in disbelief, "Yours? Starnet is also yours? You’re insanely rich."

Jian Ruochen chuckled.

Jiang Mingshan cared most about his reputation and face.

After today, all of that would be gone.

Tax evasion alone was enough to get Jiang Mingshan sentenced.

Not to mention dealing with the impending ferry heist case.

He's done for.