Chapter 45: Racing Against Time with Lu Qian

Chapter 45: Racing Against Time (Regarding Lu Qian)

Winter in Hong Kong is brief; by mid-January, temperatures had already risen to around 20 degrees Celsius.

Just after two p.m.

Jian Ruochen finished a quick shower, changed clothes, and sat on the living room sofa having afternoon snacks while blow-drying his hair.

The warm air blowing on his head relieved the stiffness in his shoulders.

Behind him, Luo Binwen wielded the hairdryer, asking over the noise, "Young Master, what are your requirements for a partner?"

Jian Ruochen, with a mouthful of French toast, looked slightly dazed. "No particular requirements... just a good person."

Luo Binwen was exasperated. How could there be no requirements?

His young master was perfect in every way, except for his tendency to like cheap men, which was truly worrisome.

Luo Binwen chose his words carefully, "Men, you see, first develop feelings, then a sense of responsibility. But without responsibility, they aren't real men. Lu Qian is exactly that type."

"Mhm," Jian Ruochen agreed.

Luo Binwen continued, "Lu Qian may appear to be a man, but psychologically, he’s already castrated."

Jian Ruochen: "..."

"Mhm."

Butler Luo, damn, that's sharp.

He must have watched a lot of Hong Kong dramas in his spare time.

Jian Ruochen speared a second piece of French toast with a small silver fork.

These bite-sized snacks were made from toast with the crusts cut off, prepared by Luo Binwen in various flavors.

The previous one was cream cheese, the next might be bacon and lettuce.

Eating them was like opening a mystery box—quite novel.

Enjoying delicious food while listening to someone bad-mouth Lu Qian was also a novel experience.

Luo Binwen went on tirelessly, "A sense of responsibility comes first, and second, they must be wealthy."

Jian Ruochen paused mid-chew.

Earlier, he was openly criticizing Lu Qian, but now, was he subtly referring to Detective Guan?

Detective Guan had only given him a ride home and hadn’t even openly expressed his feelings. Uncle Luo was so alarmed he was becoming paranoid.

Luo Binwen was giving a warning, "Only wealthy men can choose true love over money. Otherwise, money will always be their top priority."

Jian Ruochen’s mouth tingled slightly. Upon closer taste, he realized this piece of French toast contained pepper-seasoned pan-fried meat.

How novel.

He turned around with a smile, resting his chin on the back of the sofa to look at Butler Luo. "I understand, but right now, who in all of Hong Kong is wealthier than I am?"

Luo Binwen was speechless.

He suddenly felt that his tone just now was like that of a villainous mother-in-law in a Hong Kong drama trying to persuade someone to break up.

"Uncle Luo, you're just like my dad." Jian Ruochen had never experienced much concrete paternal love in this life.

His parents' comrades-in-arms certainly loved him too, but that was just the care of elders, not the feeling of a father.

Jian Ruochen looked up and asked half-jokingly, "Uncle Luo, would you like to be my godfather?"

Luo Binwen looked startled and instinctively reached to touch his pocket watch.

If Jian Ruochen had even a trace of Jiang Mingshan in him, he wouldn't care for the Young Master as much as he does now.

The Young Master looks...

so much like his mother.

Luo Binwen's usual composure completely slipped away.

For a moment, he didn't know how to respond.

"Ding-dong—"

The doorbell rang. Jian Ruochen's eyes curved into a smile as he turned, jumped off the sofa, and shuffled in his slippers to the foyer.

He knew Guan Yingjun would come to pick him up today.

Teacher Li was right—Detective Guan was stubborn; once he set his mind on something, he would never give up.

The servant in charge of the foyer opened the door.

Jian Ruochen leaned against the wooden cabinet in the foyer and looked outside. He said politely, "Thank you for driving me home yesterday."

Guan Yingjun: "You're welcome. It was the least I could do."

Unsure of Jian Ruochen's attitude, he scanned the room behind him and noticed the flowers arranged in a vase.

The flowers hadn't been thrown away, which meant Jian Ruochen had given him a chance.

But they were placed in the foyer, not in private spaces like the bedroom or study.

This meant Jian Ruochen had given him a chance, but not a big one.

The flowers were probably placed there just for him to see.

Guan Yingjun averted his eyes and looked down, noticing Jian Ruochen bending over to put on his shoes.

The young man was wearing a light blue hoodie and light gray cropped casual pants. As he bent down to tie his sneakers, a slender, pale ankle was exposed.

Pale and pretty.

Guan Yingjun's fingers curled slightly, clenching briefly.

Jian Ruochen straightened up. "Alright, let's go to the police station."

As he spoke, he remembered Butler Luo behind him, turning back to say, "If you feel uncomfortable, just treat it as a joke."

Luo Binwen snapped out of his reverie, looked at Guan Yingjun at the door, frowned with worry, and nearly crumpled the hair dryer in his hand in frustration.

Upon closer look, this young man was quite good-looking, with a good build and height—exactly the type the young master would like.

It seemed the young master had a preference for those who appeared polite on the surface but had a hint of lawlessness deep down.

Luo Binwen opened his mouth and said, "Should I drive you to the police station from now on?"

Jian Ruochen replied, "Aren't you going to help me manage the company? I won’t be following the professional managers to negotiate with people."

Butler Luo was paid a butler’s salary but did the work of a consultant, nutritionist, and chauffeur.

Luo Binwen took two steps forward but ultimately stopped.

He was indeed busy. Hong Kong was a mixed bag of people, and ordinary drivers could easily be bought off. Hiring one for others might be fine, but not for the young master.

That was why he had never hired a driver for the young master.

Strangers could be corrupted for money, capable of doing anything.

Given that, it was safer to leave it to the police.

He needed to bring the driver from the English estate over.

Luo Binwen gritted his teeth and said, "Go ahead. Have a safe trip."

Jian Ruochen waved goodbye to the butler, then shoved his hands into the kangaroo pocket of his hoodie, following Guan Yingjun into the car on their way to the West Kowloon Region Police Station.

They took the elevator upstairs, and as soon as they entered the office of Major Case Team A, Jian Ruochen was surrounded by enthusiastic team members.

Zhang Xingzong held a bowl of takeout dessert soup; even before getting close, the sweet aroma of milk tea and soybean pudding was noticeable.

Jian Ruochen glanced over, "What’s this?"

"It’s a recent trend, Hong Kong-style tofu pudding milk tea."

Zhang Xingzong said, hanging the plastic bag on Jian Ruochen’s wrist, "You like trying new flavors, right? We kept an eye out during our visits. This is pretty new, isn’t it?"

"And this, pearl meatballs." Bi Wanwan also handed over something wrapped in brown oil paper.

Jian Ruochen opened it and took a look—a white ball that smelled distinctly of meat. "Did you buy this during the visits too?"

Bi Wanwan gave a nod.

She looked somewhat tired, but there was a smile between her brows. "This round of visits was more efficient than ever before."

"Yeah, all thanks to Consultant Jian."

Sizheng Liu also handed over some unique snacks he’d brought along the way. "Before, we had no money. Whenever we wanted information during visits, we had to soft-soap and wheedle. And since it’s a commercial area, people there believe time is money—they wouldn’t spare half a word for us."

Ding Gao added, "It’s different now. Now we have money."

After Jian Ruochen joined, performance bonuses poured in like snow.

Team A was definitely the best-funded in the entire West Kowloon Major Crimes Unit.

"With more money, we have more funds for investigations. During visits, we can bring small gifts when making house calls. Even when we have to soft-soap and wheedle, the public’s attitude is much better~" Zhang Xingzong said, his eyes narrowing with happiness.

Jian Ruochen silently took a bite of the savory glutinous rice ball.

So before the 1997 handover, Hong Kong police had to bring small gifts during visits.

It wasn’t like that on the mainland. By 2030, the legal system was well-established, and even elementary school students could report poppy flowers to the police.

During case visits, the surrounding public were extremely cooperative.

His senior almost got disciplined during his internship for staying at a civilian’s home to eat a hearty bowl of meat noodles.

It was an enthusiasm that was hard to resist.

Guan Yingjun also brought out some snacks from the office and placed them on the conference table. "Alright, let’s begin the meeting."

Zhang Xingzong grabbed a pack of fries and sat to Jian Ruochen’s left, whispering, "After you came, Detective Guan has become more human. Before, no matter how hungry we were, he never allowed us to eat while discussing cases."

Jian Ruochen paused, "Did Detective Guan tell you guys that I like trying new flavors?"

Zhang Xingzong scratched his head, "He brought it up briefly before we started the visits."

Jian Ruochen examined the glutinous rice ball in his hand, thinking Guan Yingjun indeed had the skill to leave undercover work behind and retire successfully.

If he used this approach on a drug lord, the drug lord would surely be won over.

After all, it wasn’t direct flattery but rather letting others know about preferences through others to make someone happy.

It was very tactful.

A strategy that allowed flexibility.

If used during undercover work, the drug lord would definitely think this person was a valuable and promising talent.

Jian Ruochen chewed on the glutinous rice ball while listening to the report.

Bi Wanwan held a notebook and stood up, saying, "Since we don’t know the killer’s name, I’ll refer to him as A Ji for now."

"A Ji usually only works at noon, and most evenings he’s not around. Some residents reported that after selling steamed rice at noon, he leaves before 3 or 5 p.m., and no one knows where he goes. He doesn’t return until midnight."

"Among the people I visited, there was a local who often spends nights at arcades playing slot machines. He claimed to have noticed A Ji 'slaughtering pigs' around 4 or 5 in the morning."

"Slaughtering pigs" was actually a euphemism for killing people.

Zhang Xingzong, eating fries, asked, "How did he know A Ji was 'slaughtering pigs'? Isn’t his slaughterhouse underground?"

Bi Wanwan took out a photo and attached it to the whiteboard with a magnet.

It showed a filthy sewer ditch, full of sludge, the stench of foul water almost seeming to seep from the photo.

Bi Wanwan explained, "This ditch connects to A Ji’s slaughterhouse. That local, returning home around 4 or 5 a.m., saw blood-tinged water floating out from the ditch, which is how he realized A Ji was 'slaughtering pigs' at that hour."

Guan Yingjun, sitting to Jian Ruochen’s right, tapped his pen on the draft paper. "Any news from Forensics? Have the missing bones been found?"

"No." Bi Wanwan flipped a page in her notebook and produced another photo.

It showed a female corpse hanging from the slaughterhouse ceiling, half of her body gone, seminal stains between her legs, her head drooping to reveal internal organs and bones, bloody and horrifying.

The detectives showed no reaction.

Bi Wanwan continued, "So far, this is the only corpse with half of its bones intact. The forensic examiner speculated the perpetrator committed sexual assault based on the traces on her body."

Jian Ruochen wolfed down the rice ball and asked, "Have you questioned A Ji already?"

Zhang Xingzong sighed, "We asked, but he wouldn't say a word."

"Oh, by the way." Zhang Xingzong pulled out a newspaper. "Today's noon edition—some media already know we caught Ah Ji. Not sure when this photo was taken."

The front page featured a blurry photo of the fat man, handcuffed and flanked by Zhang Xingzong and Liu Sizheng.

Ah Ji’s distinctive physique made him easily recognizable. Anyone familiar with him would know who it was at a glance.

Guan Yingjun frowned, picking up the newspaper for a closer look. "Was this taken at the back door? Didn’t you notice any camera flash?"

"No flash, Sir Guan. Reporters these days are cunning," Zhang Xingzong shrugged.

"That’s not right…" Jian Ruochen moved closer, studying the image. "This angle… isn’t this from the security room?"

Someone in the security room took the photo and gave it to reporters? Why?

Crap.

Guan Yingjun’s expression tightened. "If Ah Ji really has ties to the factory and was distributing metal lunchboxes through special channels, he likely has some connection to Lu Qian. Otherwise, how would Ah Ji know the factory was selling metal lunchboxes?"

Jian Ruochen understood right away. "Someone is using this photo to send a message to Lu Qian?"

The newspaper’s implication was clear:

—The person who knows the factory’s location has been caught. Handle it quickly!

There’s an undercover agent in West Kowloon too.

Guan Yingjun wiped his hands, pulled out his phone, and called downstairs to administration: "Who was on duty at the back gate guard post yesterday? Copy the shift schedule and bring it to Major Case Team A."

…

Lu Residence.

After reading the newspaper, Lu Qian’s face darkened. He threw the newspaper angrily at a maid.

"Damn cops!" He glared at the trembling maid. "What are you still standing there for? Get out!"

Lu Qian stood silently for a moment, then picked up the receiver from the landline and dialed a number.

He said in a low voice, "Shut down the lunchbox factory and the drug production site. All workers take the goods and relocate to the fallback spot. Don’t get caught by the police… If anyone is arrested, you get to them before the cops do. No loose ends."

"The goods? Take everything you can. Things are tight now—resources are scarce. Don’t waste any."

·

Meanwhile, in West Kowloon.

Jian Ruochen didn’t have time to eat the bubble tea tofu.

It was too late.

Given Lu Qian’s cautious nature, he would’ve taken action the moment he saw the news.

They had to get the factory location out of Ah Ji before Lu Qian’s people fled.

Now it was a race against time!

Jian Ruochen quickly gathered all usable photos and evidence, organized them quickly. "Hurry, bring Ah Ji to the interrogation room!"

Someone as careful as Lu Qian rarely slips up.

If they let this chance slip, who knows how long it’d be before they got another lead on him?

They had to act quickly.