Chapter 56: I Strongly Condemn on Behalf of Taxpayers

Chapter 56: On Behalf of the Taxpayers, I Strongly Condemn This

The bank card clattered softly to the floor.

The hall was so quiet one could hear a pin drop, broken only by the faint, trembling sobs of a little girl.

"Tap—"

The heel of a leather combat boot struck the marble tiles, a sound both menacing and oppressive.

Jian Ruochen stared at the approaching robber, instinctively holding his breath.

The robber's low, hoarse voice carried a mocking sneer, "Criminal Psychology Consultant? I know your type—experts who love negotiating and playing psychological games. 50 million. What do you want in exchange?"

Before the words even finished, the crisp sound of a gun being cocked echoed through the bank hall.

The cold muzzle pressed against his chin, forcing Jian Ruochen to lift his head and meet the robber's gaze.

The robber commanded, "Speak."

Jian Ruochen looked up, "50 million to buy the hostages' lives."

After saying this, he softened his tone, keeping his voice low enough for only one person to hear, "You want to create a major incident, don’t you? I can help you. Robbing Hong Kong's richest man of 50 million—is that big enough?"

The robber narrowed his eyes abruptly.

Had he figured out their real plan?

Jian Ruochen held his head high, calm and composed, "You won’t shoot. Your main goal isn’t money. I’ve seen the news—you’ve pulled four heists without a single casualty. You clearly know how to avoid crossing lines."

The robber swallowed hard.

Of course, they wouldn’t harm anyone.

Firing a shot would leave traces; bullet evidence is crucial for police investigations.

The fewer actions, the easier to escape.

Jian Ruochen smiled faintly, "50 million is an unexpected windfall for you. Could your boss give you that much?"

He couldn’t.

Jian Ruochen whispered persuasively, "When the media arrives, I’ll say Hong Kong's richest man was robbed of 50 million. All eyes will be on me. You’ll get extra money and complete your boss’s mission."

"Three years without a job, but this one will set you up for life."

As his words faded, the bank fell silent except for the ticking of the wall clock.

"Tick, tock."

The bank employees crouching under the counter whispered among themselves:

"How much longer until five minutes?"

"Another minute and a half."

"...This clock must be broken. Why is it moving so slowly?"

·

Jian Ruochen said, "There’s only a minute and a half left. Your golden escape window is almost over."

The five robbers froze.

How did he know about the golden escape time?

This wasn’t police thinking at all!

In the distance, police sirens blared through the streets.

Jian Ruochen gently lowered his chin, easing the gun muzzle downward.

He took a step back, creating space between them, and said calmly, "Loading the loot takes 30 seconds, but if you kill someone during the robbery, you’ll need another minute."

The robber gripped his gun tightly.

If they fired a shot, none of them would escape!

Jian Ruochen smiled, "So, will you shoot me now, give up 50 million, and prepare to be arrested and executed?"

"Or will you take the 50 million for the hostages and get out?"

The second-in-command breathed heavily, urging, "Boss, what are you waiting for? Take the money and go!"

The robber withdrew the gun, decocked it, and gave Jian Ruochen a deep look. "Let’s go!"

In 30 seconds, the five robbers scrambled out, carrying the sacks.

Once their figures disappeared beyond the revolving door, those crouching in the bank collapsed to the floor, their faces blank with post-crisis numbness.

Jian Ruochen immediately walked to the door and looked outside.

A gray van had just driven away.

License plate: AA1223.

Jian Ruochen turned back.

The little girl in the red dress finally dared to cry loudly, "Mommy, my hair hurts."

"Where does it hurt? Let me see." Jian Ruochen rushed over.

The girl’s scalp was slightly red and swollen but not bleeding.

Thank God.

This scene finally snapped everyone back to reality. The bank filled with cries and despairing wails.

"My savings from a whole year…"

"Damn them! That ring was my late husband’s keepsake."

"If only I’d come a day later, boo-hoo…"

Amid the chaotic, pained, and anxious sobs, the woman holding the little girl, her face streaked with tears, looked at Jian Ruochen and said, "Thank you, but… I don’t have 50 million to repay you…"

Jian Ruochen had lowered his voice during key parts of the exchange, so most people only heard him offering 50 million for the hostages—nothing else.

The woman held the little girl tightly, turning her to face Jian Ruochen. "Sweetie, my dear... stop crying, okay? Thank Big Brother."

The little girl sobbed with a baby voice, hiccupping, "Th-thank you, Big Brother."

Jian Ruochen crouched down, wiped the tears from the little girl's face, and turned to the woman. "Don't worry about it. That money has nothing to do with you. They had already targeted me; they wouldn't have taken you anyway."

Talking about buying hostages was just to fool the robbers—it shouldn't fool the victims or himself.

As they spoke, the police entered forcefully.

Almost simultaneously, reporters swarmed the scene.

Dressed in yellow vests with "press" printed on the reflective strips, they carried cameras and recording devices, filing in alongside the police.

Gong Yingjie led the charge with his gun drawn. As soon as he entered, he spotted the platinum-blond head among the crowd and Guan Yingjun by the door.

There was no sign of the robbers; clearly, they had escaped.

Gong Yingjie lowered his gun, scanned the area, and only holstered it after confirming the scene was safe.

As he turned, a camera lens was shoved in his face. "Sir, how do you feel arriving at the scene only to find the robbers have already escaped? Does the Organized Crime Investigation Division need to improve its response and deployment time?"

Jian Ruochen quickly stepped over, blocking the camera. "Sir Gong, the robbers' license plate is AA1223, a gray van. They left just 30 seconds ago and can't have gone far. Hurry and chase them."

Gong Yingjie nodded. "Then I'll leave the bank to you and Detective Guan."

Jian Ruochen: "Mm."

Gong Yingjie pushed aside the swarming microphones and cameras. "Sorry, make way. CID is working."

Guan Yingjun pinched his slightly trembling fingers and said to Gong Yingjie, "There were five robbers, with heights of 187 cm, 185 cm, 177 cm, 175 cm, and 170 cm."

"Their heels have fine yellow sand on them."

Guan Yingjun brushed his hand along the path the robbers had taken, pinched some sand between his thumb and forefinger, and brought it close to his eyes. "Not construction sand—finer grains. There are evenly sized white quartz particles and some limestone fragments. It's beach sand."

"They spent a long time at some beach before the robbery. That beach is likely near their hideout."

"After traveling, they still have this much sand on them, meaning the journey from their hideout to the bank was within 30 minutes, and they didn't change vehicles along the way."

"The robbers' hideout should be near the Tsim Sha Tsui waterfront."

Guan Yingjun stood up, lowered his gaze in recollection, and spoke rapidly. "The robbers used AK-47 automatic rifles. They looked like newly acquired equipment. Be careful."

Jian Ruochen glanced down at the ground.

Identifying locations from sand?

How bizarre?

He mimicked Guan Yingjun, rubbing a pinch of sand between his fingers. Perhaps he relied too much on criminal psychology, making his deductive and inductive reasoning weak.

A blade must be sharpened to stay sharp.

After filming Guan Yingjun's impressive deduction, the reporters turned to the still-sobbing little girl.

The media had a keen nose for news. They knew exactly how to grab attention. Even if Jian Ruochen helped a small newspaper create a ratings miracle, what did it matter?

Did the audience want to see someone calm and composed during a robbery?

No, they wanted human tragedy, conflict, and drama.

A reporter crouched in front of the little girl. "Sweetie, tell me why you're crying."

The little girl whimpered, "That bad guy grabbed my hair and it hurt so much..."

Jian Ruochen scanned the area and waved to a reporter nearby wearing a Starnet press badge. "Starnet News, over here."

A woman carrying a camera rushed over with a miniature stabilized gimbal.

Her pretty chestnut bob was tousled from running, her eyes shining. "Mr. Jian, what's the scoop?"

Jian Ruochen raised an eyebrow. "I was robbed of 50 million HKD."

Reporter: This news is neither big nor small—seems like it lacks appeal.

Jian Ruochen added, "I'm the owner of STN."

STN, short for Starnet.

Hong Kong's largest media company, with achievements everywhere, having launched many Hong Kong stars. News was just one of its branches.

Rumors said the owner of STN also owned the globally renowned Connaught Times Media Studios but remained mysterious and never appeared in public.

The reporter's hand holding the camera trembled violently!

Big news!

"You're the boss who had us trick Lu Qian out of money?"

"This part can't be aired..." Jian Ruochen smiled at the reporter. "I'm Hong Kong's richest person, right?"

The reporter was stunned. "The current richest person should be Mr. Gu Youming, right?"

Jian Ruochen mused, "How much is he worth?"

"Including his enterprises... probably over 20 billion HKD."

Jian Ruochen said, "Oh," then, "Well, he isn't anymore."

"Just report that Hong Kong's richest person, Mr. Jian Ruochen, was robbed of 50 million HKD at a Hong Kong bank, implying the West Kowloon Regional Police Station was too slow to respond."

The reporter was even more confused. "Aren't you working in West Kowloon... undercover?"

Jian Ruochen frowned reproachfully. "Do you even know how to do media?"

Sigh, the '90s—media still had too much conscience.

On the other side.

Guan Yingjun was helping Kowloon patrol officers maintain order and evacuate the crowd.

He also helped set up the police line.

His mind was blank.

Professor Li Zhangyu said he liked excitement...

So this is how much you like it?

Facing the robber's gun, you could actually offer yourself up.

The composed and confident Jian Ruochen was certainly eye-catching, but at that time...

Guan Yingjun applied a bit more force with both hands—snap—the police tape met its end.

Patrol officer: "...Detective Guan?"

Guan Yingjun grabbed both ends and quickly tied a knot. "Sorry, my mistake."

He raised a hand and patted the patrol officer's shoulder. "Good work."

With the scene mostly handled, Guan Yingjun strode over to Jian Ruochen's side.

The young man was speaking articulately to the camera: "Rough estimates put the robbers' haul at around 60 million HKD. I hope the Kowloon Regional Police can help us victims recover our losses."

Guan Yingjun paused mid-step. The reporter's expression was utterly stunned.

Jian Ruochen diligently fulfilled his promise: "As the owner of Starnet, experiencing something like this in Hong Kong highlights the inadequacies of public safety measures here. On behalf of taxpayers, I strongly condemn this!"

Wrapping up, he turned to the reporter. "How was that?"

The reporter gave a thumbs-up. "Very provocative. But with this approach... won’t the pressure on the police at West Kowloon handling this case be a bit too much?"

Jian Ruochen smiled. "A little pressure is good. Every robbery case has a golden three-hour window for solving it."

He waved at the reporter. "Alright, go file your report. I’m off to crack the case."

Reporter: What?

Is it the new trend to make things harder for yourself?

Jian Ruochen turned back, his gaze landing on Guan Yingjun. "Detective Guan, are you pulling overtime? If not, I’ll head to the Organized Crime Investigation Division alone."

"Earning side cash while on vacation shouldn’t count as betraying Team A, right?"

Guan Yingjun took a deep breath. "I’ll go with you."

He picked up the two empty suitcases. "Let’s go. We'll take my car."

The Toyota took off, its shadow vanishing before the Starnet reporter snapped out of it. "Ah! I forgot to ask for a business card!"

But the young boss doesn’t seem to have custom business cards...

Over on Gong Yingjie’s side, they returned with nothing to show.

The Organized Crime Investigation Division Team B at West Kowloon returned to the office, only to turn on the TV and see Jian Ruochen’s face, hearing his words to the camera.

The group fell silent for a moment, suddenly feeling the 5000 HKD afternoon tea they’d took earlier was sitting heavy in their stomachs.

"What does this mean?"

"This, ah..."

"Is this the consequence of crossing the Little God of Wealth?"

"Where was the bullying? Didn’t he win before?"

"That’s because he’s capable."

"If Jian Ruochen weren’t capable, wouldn’t he have been humiliated? Being angry makes sense."

"What grudge? He really lost 50 million HKD. This isn’t 5000 HKD—it’s normal to be angry."

As Gong Yingjie spoke, he laid out the robbers’ escape map on the whiteboard. "Enough with the TV. The media is watching us now. Let’s focus on solving the case and catch the golden three-hour window."

No sooner had he finished speaking than the office door knocked.

Gong Yingjie: "Come in."

Jian Ruochen turned the handle and entered, putting his hands together in apology. "Sorry, sorry. I’m here to work off my debt. The robbers’ goal wasn’t just robbery—they wanted to make a scene. I just played along with their narrative."

The officers of the Organized Crime Investigation Division exchanged glances and collectively uttered, "Huh?"

Jian Ruochen turned and pulled Guan Yingjun inside with a smile. "Detective Guan is here to work for you too."

"Oh, and the 50 million HKD was intentionally given to the robbers. Otherwise, stolen goods under 3 million HKD would only get them 10-20 years. With 50 million HKD, they could face a life sentence. That’ll look good on everyone’s record."

Jian Ruochen again smiled and clasped his hands together toward Gong Yingjie. "Wishing you prosperity in the New Year!"

Gong Yingjie: ...

Never thought of getting rich this way!

His expression eased up a bit. "We have to catch them first. We followed the trail but didn’t see the van with license plate AA1223 at Tsim Sha Tsui Promenade. Could Detective Guan have been mistaken?"

Guan Yingjun said, "It’s not a mistake. It must be your—"

Jian Ruochen stretched out his leg and kicked Guan Yingjun’s calf.

Now’s not the time to blame others.

Team A will inevitably need to collaborate with the Organized Crime Investigation Division. It’s essential to build good relations, at least not offend anyone.

Detective Guan clearly has people skills—why doesn’t he bother using them?

Jian Ruochen cut in: "They must have ways to cover their tracks. You’ve been tracking this group of robbers for a while, right? Do you have an escape route map? Let me take a look."

Gong Yingjie turned and put up five maps with magnets to the whiteboard. "How do you plan to locate their hideout? The golden window for solving a robbery is only three hours. Beyond that, the robbers might have already fenced the goods and transferred assets."

He checked his watch. "We have two and a half hours left."

Jian Ruochen took out a marker and tried to pull off the cap but failed. Just as Guan Yingjun was about to reach out, he saw Jian Ruochen bite the cap off.

He capped the red marker with the cap from another pen on its opposite end and swiftly drew the robbers’ five escape routes on a blank map.

Then he connected the routes to Tsim Sha Tsui Promenade, stood in front of the whiteboard, paused to think for a moment, and circled three overlapping points.

Using these three points as centers, he drew circles with a scale of 500 meters.

The overlapping area of the three circles was only a small patch, roughly 500 square meters.

And of that 500 square meters, 300 square meters precisely bordered a section of Tsim Sha Tsui Promenade.

Jian Ruochen pointed at it. "What kind of area is this? Residential buildings or what? Their hideout should be within this range."

He glanced at the untouched lunchboxes on the table. "Thanks to you having detailed escape route maps, otherwise I wouldn't have been able to use this method."

"Do you want to eat first or go after the robbers first?"

Gong Yingjie found it hard to believe. "It looks like you just drew a random circle."

It wasn’t that he didn’t trust it, but this approach felt a little too out there.

Was the Little God of Wealth really messing with him?

If they came up empty at this spot, the golden three-hour window would be completely wasted!

Jian Ruochen smiled. "Do you have another idea?"

He gave him an out. "We could also try your approach."

Gong Yingjie: "We'll eat when we get back... Team B, gear up! We move in one minute!"

Jian Ruochen turned to Detective Guan: "Shouldn’t we look into any unusual activity lately? Since the robbers wanted to make noise to throw us off their trail and divert police attention, it’s likely their boss has other plans."

Guan Yingjun raised his pager: "The message has already been sent to the informants."

At this moment, the vast network of informants were the eyes watching the Kowloon area.