Chapter 87: Guan Yingjun Drives Wildly

Chapter 87: Guan Yingjun, the Reckless Driver

On the undeveloped path south of Zhongzhi Park, north of the Route 8 highway on Stonecutters Island.

Inside a white Toyota V20, Jiang Hanyu listened to the faint sound of police sirens in the distance, his gaze fixed on the phone lying smashed on the ground. He bent over to pick it up, fumbling to reinsert the battery that had been flung out, clicked the back cover shut, and restarted the device. He opened the contact list.

Jiang Yongyan, Jiang Mingshan, Lu Qian…

These familiar names and numbers would no longer connect.

Tears streamed down Jiang Hanyu’s face, falling uncontrollably onto the phone screen, blurring his vision. He wiped the screen with his sleeve, frantically scrolling down the list with trembling fingers.

At the engagement banquet, he had met many influential figures—surely someone could help him.

Ban Jiayu, Deputy Director of the Security Bureau—imprisoned.

The Department of Administration, the Legislative Council…

The further he scrolled, the colder Jiang Hanyu felt.

He suddenly realized that everyone he had met through Lu Qian was either Lu Qian’s associate or currently under police investigation due to their dealings with him.

Looking closer, the only person who might still answer his call was Lu Rong.

But calling him would be useless.

Lu Rong would only think about how to use him, how to squeeze every last bit of value out of him—he would never actually help.

Jiang Hanyu removed the SIM card from his phone and inserted a new one. He opened the trunk, moved a hidden compartment, and retrieved the stash of emergency Hong Kong dollars and gold stored inside, along with the fake passport his father had prepared.

His travel was restricted—he couldn’t take a flight or a ferry. But while public ferries were off-limits, private yachts might still be an option.

The fake passport could still be useful.

He stared at Jiang Mingshan’s photo for a moment, then closed the passport and tossed it aside, pulling out another one. He then grabbed the can of spare gasoline and poured it all over the car and the surrounding parking area.

With the entire Kowloon police force searching for him, he had to create a diversion—otherwise, there would be no hope of escape.

Jiang Hanyu rummaged through the storage compartment for emergency matches, struck one, and tossed it.

Flames burst to life, quickly spreading along the gasoline trail and engulfing the car.

Ten minutes later.

Boom—

The explosion of the Toyota echoed through Zhongzhi Park.

Three minutes later, at the West Kowloon Regional Crime Unit.

Lin Yazhi had no choice but to call Jian Ruochen and Guan Yingjun, who were in pursuit of Jiang Hanyu. "Three minutes ago, a car explosion occurred north of the Route 8 highway on Stonecutters Island, south of Zhongzhi Park. Casualties are still unknown."

"The fire department and the Major Crimes Unit have both dispatched teams to the scene. Group C and your Group A are both near the riverbank. Other units in the Major Crimes Unit are handling homicide cases and the like… Should I have Group Z assist under your command?"

Although designated with the last letter, Group Z was actually the tenth unit—a special operations team focused on vice and illegal activities. Months ago, they had clashed with Guan Yingjun after Group A took down the Platinum Club.

Guan Yingjun thought of He Chaoyong’s face and slightly protruding belly, hesitating for a moment. "...Have him send people to the traffic posts at major intersections in Sham Shui Po and Yau Tsim Mong to ask if any traffic officers have seen license plate A8456. If so, report the location."

Lin Yazhi said, "Okay."

She hung up.

Guan Yingjun unfolded a map and marked off several cross-harbor tunnels with a marker.

Jian Ruochen leaned in to look. "All three cross-harbor tunnels have checkpoints set up now. Jiang Hanyu is trapped on the Kowloon Peninsula. The police have also publicized his license plate number. I don’t think he’ll use a car anymore—it’s too easy to expose."

Jiang Hanyu, though lacking morals and not particularly clever, was no fool.

Cars were unusable.

Flights and ferries were out of the question…

What modes of transportation were left?

"Stowing away on a cargo ship?"

In the 1990s, many in Hong Kong saw business opportunities arising from the information gap between the mainland and Hong Kong. They would stow away on fishing boats or cargo ships operated by fishermen heading to the mainland to make money.

Profiting from price differences, engaging in lucrative trades, bringing gray market activities from Hong Kong to the mainland.

Having grown up in a family of Hong Kong merchants, Jiang Hanyu would likely know such routes.

The text on the map was too small—no matter how much he leaned in, he couldn’t read it clearly. Jian Ruochen had to extend his right hand, pressing it against Guan Yingjun’s thigh for support as he leaned most of his body weight over. With his left hand, he pointed at the piers in the upper left corner of the map. "If Jiang Hanyu made a U-turn at the tunnel entrance and drove back, it’s all docks—ten of them."

Half of Guan Yingjun’s attention was focused on the thigh the young man was using for support, the lower half of his body tensing up.

He lowered his gaze, his throat tightening unconsciously, then forced himself to divert the other half of his attention to the map.

Jian Ruochen hesitated for a moment, then his eyes fixed on a spot on the map, his finger pausing there. "Zhongzhi Park?"

Wasn’t that where the car explosion happened?

Could it be a coincidence?

Jian Ruochen’s fingers, still resting on Guan Yingjun’s thigh, curled slightly. "If Jiang Hanyu ditches the car and uses a private ferry, he’ll definitely pass through Zhongzhi Park!"

Guan Yingjun, tickled by the movement, wrapped one arm around Jian Ruochen to steady him and used his other hand to dial Group Z Inspector He Chaoyong.

He Chaoyong: "Hello?"

Guan Yingjun gripped both of Jian Ruochen’s wrists with one hand. "Inspector He, any news?"

"There is, but…" He Chaoyong hesitated.

Just as Guan Yingjun thought he was about to make excessive demands—

He Chaoyong chuckled. "Forget it. For Little God of Wealth’s sake, I’ll just tell you straight."

"The traffic officer at the Sham Shui Po intersection said he saw a Toyota with license plate A8456. He mentioned he took an extra look because he usually has an interest in vintage cars. This one had side mirrors mounted on the fenders, which appealed to his taste."

"The car headed northwest on Zhijiao Road."

After finishing, He Chaoyong added, "I’m telling you this for Little God of Wealth’s sake. We may be colleagues, but you’ve never done much for me. Jian Ruochen is different."

Guan Yingjun looked down at Jian Ruochen, "What did he do for you?"

Jian Ruochen blinked, "?"

He Chaoyong chuckled, "He probably doesn't even know himself. News about vice raids is very sensitive. No media outlet in Hong Kong is willing to run a feature on it—only STN was willing to do it... It's thanks to Jian Ruochen that the efforts of our Z Group were able to be seen by the people of Hong Kong. Otherwise..."

He sighed, "There's a lot of prejudice against anti-pornography work out there."

He Chaoyong gave a light "Hey" and said, "Alright, that's all I have. I won't hold you up. If you need anything else, just ask."

Guan Yingjun said, "Thanks for the hard work. I'll treat you to a meal another day."

He Chaoyong was about to respond politely when the line went dead.

He fell silent for a moment, then shook his head and laughed softly, "This Guan Yingjun..."

·

Guan Yingjun started the car and pulled out of the emergency lane. "Jiang Hanyu's car was heading northwest on Zhijiao Road. That direction leads straight to Zhongzhi Park. You guessed right."

Jian Ruochen asked, "So he rigged the car to explode to deliberately divert police resources?"

"Mm," Guan Yingjun replied. "West of Zhongzhi Park is the container terminal. Many cargo ships there help people arrange illegal crossings. Call Huang Youquan on my phone and ask him for today's ship departure times."

Jian Ruochen looked around the dashboard. "Where's your phone?"

Guan Yingjun said, "My pocket."

The car was moving fast, and they were in a hurry.

As Guan Yingjun let off the gas slightly while keeping his eyes on the road, Jian Ruochen immediately reached into his jacket pocket, pulled out the phone, found Huang Youquan's number, and dialed.

After three rings, Huang Youquan's sleepy voice came through the phone, "Hello?"

Jian Ruochen blinked, quickly deciding on how to address him. "Quan, it's Jian Ruochen."

"Oh, Sir Jian," Huang Youquan's drowsiness faded.

He glanced suspiciously at the caller ID, gaining a new understanding of the consultant's standing in Guan Yingjun's eyes. "Just call me by my full name. No need for 'Brother Quan.' So, does Detective Guan have instructions?"

"Yes. Detective Guan wants me to ask you about the cargo ship schedule at the container terminal today. Money's not a problem," Jian Ruochen said with a light laugh.

Informants. Even the most law-abiding ones might only be temporary. Dealing with such people required careful handling. They were sensitive and could easily be led astray by a single word from their contact, getting into serious trouble. Like Lin Zheng, an informant under Duan Ming.

Jian Ruochen said with a smile, "Name your price."

"Wow, so generous?" Huang Youquan sat down at his desk and began looking through some papers.

Rustling came through the receiver.

Jian Ruochen listened, then teased, "Yes, I'm paying this time, but don't get greedy. Asking for a hundred or two hundred million would be a bit much."

Huang Youquan's breath hitched. "How could it be that much? Ten or twenty thousand, max. It's not like this is the only job I'll ever do."

"Found it," he said, scanning the document. "Only Pier Eight has a departure scheduled for today."

Jian Ruochen asked, "What time?"

"6 PM."

"Thanks," Jian Ruochen said with a smile, glancing at his watch.

Only nine minutes until 6 PM.

Jian Ruochen said, "Meet us at Hong Kong University's main entrance the day after tomorrow. Detective Guan and I will treat you to lunch."

Huang Youquan said a quick thanks before hanging up.

Jian Ruochen put the phone back into Guan Yingjun's pocket. "Detective Guan, there's a cargo ship at Pier Eight departing at 6 PM. Any way to go faster?"

Guan Yingjun floored the accelerator. The engine growled, and the speedometer needle jumped straight to 150.

He said in a low voice, "Hold on."

The man's low, husky voice mixed with the engine's roar, exuding a unique kind of magnetism. His driving was wild, filled with an excited, almost predatory edge.

This wildness contrasted sharply with Guan Yingjun's calm, handsome demeanor and his calm, decisive approach to handling cases.

Jian Ruochen couldn't quite explain the appeal of this contrast.

But thinking back, when he hadn't known how to reasonably find the secret areas of Tianquandu Entertainment City in such a short time, Guan Yingjun's thin lips had moved slightly as he said "explosives." It was indeed both wild and handsome.

Jian Ruochen watched the scenery rapidly receding on both sides of the front window, his heart pounding.

The car was going too fast, and he was a bit nervous.

So he picked up the radio to distract himself. "Madam, Detective Guan and I are heading to Pier Eight at Stonecutters Island. Based on our assessment, Jiang Hanyu likely plans to use the cargo ship at Pier Eight for smuggling. Requesting backup."

Six minutes later, Guan Yingjun parked the car outside Pier Eight, and both got out.

The moment the car doors closed, the lights at Hong Kong's Stonecutters Island Pier Eight Container Terminal snapped on.

The bright yellow light illuminated the entire pier, making it twinkle like stars. In the distance, reflections on the water danced in the sunset glow like countless lanterns.

"Woo—"

Not far away, a ship's horn sounded, long and low like a distant horn, echoing across the open sea.

Jian Ruochen focused his gaze and immediately spotted the cargo ship docked at the pier, already raising anchor and loosening mooring ropes.

Unlike the high-capacity ships of 2030, this one carried only a few dozen containers.

Guan Yingjun rushed forward, holding up his badge. "CID! I suspect you're harboring a wanted suspect! Delay departure immediately!"

The old man below deck, responsible for untying the ropes, didn't stop working. He tilted his head as if hard of hearing. "What?"

The old man appeared relaxed on the surface, but his chin was tucked in, and his eyes darted around—clearly stalling.

Having seen plenty of smuggling, this kind of person likely profited from it and was probably trying to muddy the waters, thinking that once the ship sailed, the police would have no evidence and couldn't do anything to them.

Jian Ruochen said, "He's faking it; don't waste time on him."

He pulled Guan Yingjun by the arm and pointed at the boarding ladder. "The ship hasn't moved yet; let's jump across."

The old man gaped. "You two..."

Without another word exchanged, they rushed up the boarding ladder in quick strides. Guan Yingjun stepped over first, then held out his arms to Jian Ruochen. "Come."

Jian Ruochen took a deep breath, closed his eyes for a moment, took a few steps back, then made a running leap.

The man caught Jian Ruochen effortlessly, holding him steady before setting him down on the deck.

"You jumped farther than before," Guan Yingjun remarked as he drew his gun and chambered a round. "During the last ferry robbery, you were left hanging on the ship's rail and couldn't climb up."

Jian Ruochen's ear tips grew hot. "I don't remember that."

Guan Yingjun understood. "Alright. I must have remembered wrong."

Jian Ruochen: ...

That's not exactly subtle reassurance.

A faint smile tugged at Guan Yingjun's lips before he quickly composed himself, turning and walking to the wheelhouse. He knocked on the door and flashed his badge to the first mate who answered. "CID! Stop the ship immediately. I suspect you're harboring a criminal."

He raised his gun, his tone steady. "Stop the ship and cooperate with the investigation, or we'll charge you with obstructing justice!"

Jian Ruochen scanned the wheelhouse, then narrowed his eyes. He walked to the control panel, took out a handkerchief, and picked up a small glass bottle filled with gold beans. He shook it at the first mate. "Wow, gold beans? Where did these come from? Is there an exchange at sea that uses gold?"

He pressed, his voice low and demanding. "Where did you get these? Where is the person who gave them to you?"

The first mate raised his hands, sweat beading on his forehead. "Officer, let me explain—"

Guan Yingjun cut him off. "Stop the ship!"

As soon as he spoke, overlapping sirens blared across the pier.

Backup had arrived.

Jian Ruochen asked softly, "Sir, will you cooperate with the police and wait for commendation, or will you choose to sit in the defendant's seat and listen to the judge declare you guilty of obstructing justice?"

The first mate bowed nervously. "I'll stop, I'll stop... No, no, I'll bring her back to dock now. Welcome aboard for inspection, officers. I have no idea what's hidden here!"