Chapter 67: Such a Loud Slap

Chapter 67: What a Slap in the Face

Jian Ruochen looked at Ding Gao, "Get me a map of the Kowloon district."

Ding Gao was taken aback. "Why do you need a Kowloon map for drug trafficking evidence? I think it's more reliable to directly check the financial records and ledgers. Transaction records are stronger than anything else."

Jian Ruochen said, "Inspector Liu from the Independent Commission Against Corruption has been searching for the account books for five years and found nothing. I suspect it might not be a matter of his professional competence, but rather that Lu Qian never kept records."

As he spoke, he walked over to Sizheng Liu and, using his body as cover, discreetly pointed at the small package of vegetarian roast goose in the corner.

Sizheng Liu immediately understood and stealthily handed him another piece.

Jian Ruochen took it and hid it in his palm, his expression unchanged. "Do you remember Jiang Hanyu's bone marrow transplant? I suspect the girl who donated bone marrow to Jiang Hanyu was coerced."

Seeing Ding Gao still hesitating, Guan Yingjun walked to the filing cabinet, personally retrieved a map from the top, and handed it over. "I'll explain it to them. You go ahead."

"Alright." Jian Ruochen took the map and casually clipped a red marker pen along its edge. "Who can go get statements from the drug manufacturers we brought back?"

Zhang Xingzong shot up eagerly. "I'll go, I'll go."

Guan Yingjun glanced at him and turned back. "Bi Wanwan, you go with Zhang Xingzong."

Bi Wanwan: "Yes, sir."

Jian Ruochen raised an eyebrow slightly.

Detective Guan’s ability to balance workplace dynamics was quite impressive—no wonder he could keep this group of diverse personalities in Team A in check.

He walked to the interrogation room, map in hand, and paused to observe Lu Qian’s expression through the one-way glass.

The man frowned, but there was not a hint of concern on his face. He sat with his legs crossed, a cigarette in hand, looking completely at ease.

The lawyer beside Lu Qian was flipping through documents, his eyes unfocused, fingers clenched.

Jian Ruochen lowered his eyes and waited until Lu Qian finished his cigarette, then turned on the ventilation fan to let it air out for five minutes before entering the room.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Lu." Jian Ruochen gave a thin smile, placing his hands on the edge of the table and looming over Lu Qian.

This kind of person was a tough nut to crack.

Because Lu Qian knew full well that if he told the truth, he would lose everything.

He was a shrewd businessman who knew how to choose what was most advantageous for himself.

Lu Qian smiled. "Good afternoon."

He spread his hands. "Ask whatever you want. I’ll tell you everything I know."

Outside, all hell must be breaking loose.

But it didn’t matter—Jiang Hanyu was good at damage control and would surely keep the shareholders in check. The most important thing now was to either walk free or receive a lighter sentence.

As long as he stayed alive, Old Man Lu had plenty of ways to get him out.

At worst, he could wait seven years. Once released, he’d be back on top.

As long as he stayed alive.

Where there’s life, there’s hope.

Lu Qian leaned against the cold back of the interrogation chair. "I know you want to nail me, but you’ll have to see if your Police Headquarters has what it takes."

Outside the interrogation room.

Chen Jincai, observing Lu Qian’s demeanor through the one-way glass, clenched his fists.

The nerve of him! So cocky!

Guan Yingjun folded his arms and walked to the door.

After a moment’s thought, he still didn’t enter.

When interrogating Lu Qian, Jian Ruochen alone was better off than having others present.

Inside the interrogation room.

Jian Ruochen chuckled softly.

He turned, pulled over a whiteboard, unfolded the map, and secured its four corners with magnets.

Lu Qian’s gaze fell on Jian Ruochen.

The young man’s low ponytail swayed slightly with his movements, the ends grazing the base of his spine.

The knit sweater hugged his waist as he leaned forward, subtly hinting at the curve of his spine.

A pure black, one-inch-wide belt cinched the waist of his high-waisted light blue jeans.

His legs beneath were long and straight, healthier than before, filled out a bit.

The belt was fastened tightly, neatly, making one want to undo it and see more.

Lu Qian squinted a little.

The old Jian Ruochen had never evoked such feelings.

But now?

His personality was unpredictable, sharp and unpredictable, exceptionally intelligent.

One moment he could be taking down a drug lord, the next he could be working with the police to arrest him.

Totally hard to read.

Jian Ruochen finished setting up the map and glanced back at Lu Qian with a slight smile.

Lu Qian faltered for a second, then felt his heart begin to race.

What did that mean? Was he flirting?

Soon, his heart slammed as Jian Ruochen spoke—

"Lu Qian, was the mainland girl who donated bone marrow to Jiang Hanyu doing it willingly?"

Lu Qian’s breath hitched.

He had been steeling himself for questions about drugs and never expected Jian Ruochen to ask about this!

"What do you mean? Of course she wanted to. She was my friend," Lu Qian said, straightening up, his eyes locked on Jian Ruochen’s face.

Jian Ruochen shook his head.

He's lying.

It seems the girl was indeed not there willingly.

The rapid sequence of defensiveness and guilt on Lu Qian's face was the best proof.

The STN journalist still hasn’t reported back any news, so it seems Jiang Hanyu refused the interview.

So cautious...

Indeed, like attracts like.

"Where is the donor?" Jian Ruochen asked in a calm, almost casual tone. "Located somewhere in Kowloon?"

He removed the marker's cap and pointed at a spot. "Is it here?"

Pier 8.

The place where Jian Ruochen in the book was dumped.

Criminals usually operate within their psychological comfort zone.

Pier 8 is under the Lu family's control, so it’s natural for Lu Qian to feel secure there.

Lu Qian glanced at it and exhaled slightly.

Wrong location.

Jian Ruochen’s question was so abrupt and his tone so confident that Lu Qian had thought the police had gotten some intel.

Apparently not—it was just a bluff.

What could they possibly achieve by this kind of questioning?

Lu Qian lowered his eyes and curled his lips disdainfully. Someone as slight and pretty-looking as Jian Ruochen was only suited for being a bed partner. What great things could the police accomplish by sending someone like this to interrogate him?

Reading Lu Qian’s expression, Jian Ruochen understood.

Seems like he guessed wrong about the location.

But just now, Lu Qian’s eyes had moved across Stonecutters Island and Tsim Sha Tsui, landing on the other side of Victoria Harbour, near the British Hong Kong government headquarters.

Fortunately, the map was sufficiently detailed and large.

As a result, the east and west sides were clearly separated. Conventionally speaking, the areas Lu Qian’s gaze passed over likely held something suspicious.

But Lu Qian had a natural talent for criminal activity.

Could he have deliberately avoided looking at the hiding spot? Was his earlier movement meant to mislead?

Probably not. Lu Qian had no knowledge of psychology.

The internet wasn’t widely available yet, and specialized knowledge wasn’t widely shared. Knowledge of criminal psychology was held exclusively by Teacher Li alone. There was no reason for Lu Qian to use reverse psychology based on criminal psychology to fool the police.

So he would instinctively confirm the hiding spot.

These thoughts raced through his mind in an instant.

Jian Ruochen rapped the whiteboard with the end of his marker. "Mr. Lu, look."

He used a red pen to draw a curved arc on the whiteboard, beginning at Pier 8, passing through the eastern coast of Tsim Sha Tsui, and landing near the British Hong Kong government headquarters.

All of these were the points where Lu Qian’s eyes had just rested.

As he sketched, he monitored the locations on the map with his peripheral vision, his gaze locked on Lu Qian, not missing a single microexpression.

These eyes didn’t work well under harsh sunlight or bright lights, but they were naturally adapted to low-light conditions.

The interrogation room was ideal.

These eyes were perfect for observing people’s expressions in an interrogation room!

Outside the interrogation room.

Chen Jincai clenched his fists, his breath held.

He felt flushed all over, sweat forming on his back.

Microexpressions last only split-seconds, fleeting and requiring exceptional visual acuity to catch.

Chen Jincai detected no change in Lu Qian’s expression from before, only noticing that his muscles had tightened and he seemed very nervous.

Chen Jincai murmured, "No wonder Jian Ruochen’s marksmanship is so good. He really has a talent for this."

He's got a natural gift.

Guan Yingjun said, "Yes, absolutely."

Chen Jincai: ?

As the squad leader, shouldn’t he be somewhat more humble?

Before he could respond, he heard Jian Ruochen speak inside the interrogation room: "It seems you didn’t hide the donor on the peninsula."

As he spoke, Jian Ruochen circled the area from the University of Hong Kong to the British Hong Kong government headquarters. With a flick of the red pen, he drew an egg-shaped circle on the map.

Lu Qian’s breathing grew rapid.

Beside him, the lawyer, who hadn’t found a chance to interject, was close to panicking.

When he took the case, he was only told it was a misdemeanor drug production charge—nothing about illegal organ trafficking!

Before coming, he had everything figured out.

He never goes into battle unprepared. As long as he insisted it was only production without intent to distribute, it wouldn’t be a big deal.

When he saw such a young officer like Jian Ruochen walk in, he was almost delighted.

Young people are emotionally unstable and easily manipulated.

He never expected that before he could even say a word, the Kowloon Regional Police would already be on the verge of uncovering evidence for a new charge!

No, the reason for the arrest was drug manufacturing—why was the interrogation completely unrelated to drugs?

The lawyer scratched his head, wanting to speak but not knowing what to say.

What could he even say?

UK law might turn a blind eye to drug trafficking, but it has zero tolerance for organ trafficking and keeping human slaves.

British law places great emphasis on human rights.

Should've never taken this job...

·

Jian Ruochen ignored Lu Qian’s killer look and just stared thoughtfully at the circle on the whiteboard.

Jiang Hanyu was recovering at Hong Kong International Hospital, right across from Hong Kong University Hospital.

Given this, the donor probably wouldn’t be too far away. This area is prime real estate, and hiding someone wouldn’t be easy—especially with the cop-filled Lijin International Gardens and the Peak Villa District nearby...

He tapped the red pen absently against his palm.

Pulling shady stuff right under cops' noses fit Lu Qian’s style—he loved taking risks and hiding in plain sight...

Lu Qian finally started getting nervous as Jian Ruochen remained silent, his gaze fixed on Hong Kong University Hospital.

Pushing drugs and moving product? The Lu family had the power to protect him.

But keeping human slaves, conducting human experiments, and organ trafficking—if exposed, the British Hong Kong authorities he’d done business with would sacrifice him to save themselves.

He would be abandoned by those who once protected him!

As Jian Ruochen was deep in thought, a voice came from behind him. "Ruochen, let’s talk, man."

Lu Qian spoke, his voice hoarse, rough, and laced with urgency.

Jian Ruochen lifted his eyes but didn’t respond.

Lu Qian tried his best to stay relaxed.

He smiled. "I know you’re a big boss now, so you look down on old connections. But everyone knows how much you used to like me."

Outside the interrogation room.

Ji Bailou had just wrapped up at Tianquan Du and came in, only to hear this.

His heart tightened, and he immediately turned to Guan Yingjun.

Would his buddy be eating his heart out with jealousy?

Guan Yingjun’s lips were pressed into a thin line, his face a complete poker face as he stared intently into the interrogation room.

Ji Bailou: ...

His face was so blank, you couldn't tell a thing.

·

Inside the interrogation room.

Lu Qian leaned forward slightly. "Are you targeting me now because it's love turned to hate? Because I chose Jiang Hanyu over you?"

He paused. "You have to understand, I was in a critical fight for power back then. Jiang Hanyu held the inheritance, and you had nothing... I was between a rock and a hard place."

Jian Ruochen gave Lu Qian a thorough once-over.

The look made Lu Qian’s heart skip a beat.

Jian Ruochen was looking so goddamn good—even a simple white knit sweater looked stunning on him. He was all sharp edges but with this softness, cool on the outside but undoubtedly fire underneath.

He suddenly remembered Jian Ruochen in 1892, leaning against a man in black, clutching his stomach.

For a moment, he couldn't tell how much of his "between a rock and a hard place" was real or fake.

Putting business aside, Jian Ruochen...

Lu Qian clenched his hands. "Why don’t we talk properly, Boss Jian? Think about it—we’re in the same league."

He whispered like he was baiting a hook, "Hong Kong is a place to make money. We talk about feelings, laughter, and interests—talking about the law is just a buzzkill, isn’t it?"

Jian Ruochen let out a low laugh.

Getting scared now?

Guan Yingjun’s heart skipped a beat at the sound.

He knew the Jian Ruochen of now wouldn’t be swayed or deceived by Lu Qian.

But a voice in his head still whispered:

What if he walks away?

What if he suddenly changes and remembers old affections?

Guan Yingjun took a deep breath, his heart racing.

His eyes fixed on Jian Ruochen, who turned away cold, drew a circle on the map, and tapped the whiteboard with his pen. "That bone marrow donor girl—you hid her in Hong Kong International Hospital, didn’t you?"

"The transplanted marrow is of shady origins, yet the surgeon still went ahead with the operation. He’s not innocent either." Jian Ruochen glanced outside the interrogation room. "What do you think we’ll find if we move in on the place now?"

Lu Qian gripped his hands tightly, the mental game driving him right to the edge, almost to a breakdown.

Jian Ruochen looked at him and smiled. "Mr. Lu, you’re quite talented in business—clearing over a hundred mil without spending a cent. You’re real good at squeezing people dry. We are not the same class."

He believed in socialism.

Lu Qian heard the mockery in his words, and the last thread of his composure snapped.

He lashed out recklessly, "Do you think you’re any better? When you followed me around, trying to please me, spending 700 dollars on a knockoff bracelet just to get close to me—you were like a dog—"

Smack!

A sharp sound cut off Lu Qian’s words, followed by stinging pain on his cheek.

He had...

been slapped?

Lu Qian could only stare at Jian Ruochen in shock.

Jian Ruochen looked down on him.

That character from the books was so sincere, how could Lu Qian ever deserve him?

He thought of those people killed by Lu Qian, the families torn apart by drugs, and with the momentum of inertia, he slapped him again with the back of his hand.

Smack—

This slap was even louder.

So loud that Chen Jincai outside the interrogation room winced.

That sounded painful.

And it was delivered with the knuckles, solid and well-placed.

Guan Yingjun froze.

Then a slow smile spread across his lips.

Ji Bailou: "..."

Now he got it—Detective Guan must have been jealous earlier.

Inside the interrogation room.

The lawyer on the side stared in shock. "You—you!"

He finally found grounds to protest. "This is violent interrogation!"

Jian Ruochen said with a light laugh. "Violent interrogation? That term applies to the police, right? Only the police can conduct interrogations. I was just having a chat with Mr. Lu."

The lawyer was shocked. "You..."

Call this a chat?

"I'm not a police officer. I'm only nineteen, not old enough to be hired."

Jian Ruochen smiled kindly, his peach-blossom eyes devoid of any malice, yet making one feel as if they had fallen into hell. "Besides, Mr. Lu insulted me first. I already clarified our relationship at his engagement banquet. Now, spreading such lies in front of my colleagues has caused serious harm to my reputation."

The lawyer suddenly understood what the person in front of him intended to do.

Jian Ruochen glanced at the man whose pupils dilated in shock, pulled out the business card holder Luo Binwen had insistently shoved into his trouser pocket, and flipped through it. His movements were awkward and deliberate as he found a lawyer's business card.

He pulled it out, pinched it between his fingers, and tossed it dismissively.

The card landed in front of the lawyer. The name on it was none other than the famous Attorney Bai—a legend in Hong Kong legal circles!

There wasn't a case in Hong Kong he couldn't win. He was an actual legal prodigy.

Jian Ruochen said coolly, "I will sue Mr. Lu for defamation. Expect to hear from my lawyer."

The lawyer's hand shook violently.

What was this?

What kind of eighteenth circle of hell was this interrogation room?

Lu Qian got slapped twice and now was going to be sued?

How did the charges keep increasing?

Lu Qian finally came to his senses, clenching his fist, ready to retaliate.

Jian Ruochen warned coldly, "I advise you not to raise a hand against me, or I can add another charge."

He turned and walked out of the interrogation room, stopping short upon opening the door.

What a crowd?

Oh, right.

Lu Qian was the public enemy number one at the Kowloon Precinct.

Chen Jincai gave a thumbs-up. "Nice hit!"

He felt satisfied down to his bones!

Guan Yingjun said, "Let's go to Hong Kong International Hospital to save the victims. Knowing Lu Qian’s patterns, there's definitely more than one victim inside."

The man's voice was laced with amusement.

He raised a hand, intending to ruffle Jian Ruochen's hair, but ultimately let it drift sideways to rest on the young man's shoulder.

He gave it a light pat, then a firm squeeze.

Heat radiated from where he’d been touched. Jian Ruochen looked away.

Later, he would ride with Chen Jincai so he could secretly eat vegetarian roast goose.

That stuff had a strong smell. Detective Guan's nose was too sharp; he’d need to air himself out after eating.

...

Meanwhile.

Inside Hong Kong International Hospital.

Jiang Hanyu let a tear fall in front of the reporters gathered around the hospital bed.

"I... I didn’t know Mr. Lu would do this. If I had known, I would never have gone along with it."

A reporter pressed, "Then how did you suddenly find out now?"

Jiang Hanyu said softly, "My eldest brother couldn’t bear to see it continue and told me the truth. He said everyone shouldn’t be left in the dark."

Jiang Hanyu's voice broke, his eyes reddening. "I’ve failed that girl terribly. I will cover all her subsequent medical expenses and send her home."

The STN reporter, jostled in the crowd of journalists, was utterly disgusted by the person in front of her.

The beneficiary pleads ignorance?

She didn’t believe it!

The boss has a killer instinct—there was definitely a major scoop here!

She would find a way to get the truth out to the public!