Chapter 99: Thank You for Coming to Me

Chapter 99: Thank You for Being By My Side

As soon as Bi Wanwan finished speaking, Zhang Xingzong, seated beside her, slowly widened his eyes, his gaze stiffly darting toward Detective Guan.

Before he could glimpse Detective Guan's expression, he quickly looked away, nudged Bi Wanwan's knee with his leg, and whispered, "Quick, find a way to change the subject."

Detective Guan absolutely loathed those "a few words before dinner" speeches!

Bi Wanwan shot him a sidelong glance and chuckled dryly, "Just wait."

Jian Ruochen turned to look at Guan Yingjun. The yellow lanterns swaying by the window of the private room on the second floor of the boat illuminated his eyes, making them gleam.

He smiled and turned his head slightly, "Detective Guan, everyone wants to hear you speak. Could you please humor us?"

Guan Yingjun picked up his teacup and tapped it lightly on the glass turntable. "Last year, a newcomer joined our team, bringing us fresh leads. Together, we cracked cases that had been followed for years. Without him, the Lu Qian case might still be stalled."

The team members nodded repeatedly.

"That's right, that's right. Lu Qian was incredibly reckless, exploiting his connections to get away with anything! It was infuriating!"

"His intelligence network was vast, and he was paranoid, always making a quick escape. If it weren't for Jian Ruochen securing the crucial evidence..."

The more they pondered, the clearer Jian Ruochen's pivotal role in the entire case became.

Without him, the Major Crimes Unit might still be blundering around Hong Kong like headless flies!

A wave of melancholy washed over Song Xuyi.

It was hard not to admit he was getting old.

Guan Yingjun raised his cup and said, "Thank you, Consultant Jian, for choosing Team A."

The others raised their glasses in agreement, "Thank you, thank you~"

Jian Ruochen had expected Guan Yingjun to offer a perfunctory remark or two, but he hadn't anticipated such solemnity. He topped off his wine and clinked glasses with everyone.

"In the new year, I hope you all, my seniors, will be patient and supportive. I'm still new to this field."

The clinking of glasses filled the air. Amid the gentle chimes, Guan Yingjun whispered, just loud enough for Jian Ruochen to hear, "Thank you for joining me."

Jian Ruochen paused mid-sip, squinted his eyes, and said, "Mere words of thanks won't suffice, Detective Guan."

Song Xuyi didn't overhear the private conversation between Consultant Jian and Detective Guan. His mind was still replaying "seniors, please be patient." He felt even more melancholic and drained his glass in one gulp.

Sadness welled up from his heart.

He was old, less effective than the younger generation, and even his eloquence couldn't compare to those who had lived fewer years.

Oh, heavens...

Bitter wine burned his throat and pained his heart—this was the taste of being left behind~

The group chatted for a while longer at the table. By the time the cold dishes were nearly finished, the kitchen began serving the hot dishes one after another.

As soon as the mapo tofu, drenched in bright red sauce, was brought out, the spicy aroma of oil immediately filled the air.

Bi Wanwan's face changed, "This dish... couldn't we have chosen mildly spicy?"

Guan Yingjun said, "This *is* mildly spicy."

Jian Ruochen's face also changed.

Although he was a native Cantonese, after spending four years in Northeast China, he could actually handle spice quite well.

What was the point of mapo tofu if it was mild?

Besides, mapo tofu wasn't even that spicy to begin with.

Under everyone's surprised looks, he calmly used a serving spoon to scoop a large portion onto his rice and said, "Let me try it for you first."

The soft tofu was finely diced, but even in one-centimeter cubes, it was clear how tender the tofu mixed with minced meat and red oil was.

Jian Ruochen took a bite, and his eyes lit up.

Such an authentic mainland dish!

That's spicy!

A gentle breeze swayed the lanterns on the boat. Jian Ruochen suddenly remembered that it was his previous body that could handle spice, not his current one. He froze for a moment.

It had been a while since he felt homesick.

Jian Ruochen sucked in a breath, his voice hoarse, "It's still a bit spicy."

Zhang Xingzong was itching to try, "I'm so curious, I want a taste too."

The table was filled with unfamiliar dishes.

After trying everything, everyone poured some plain water into their soup bowls.

Too spicy? Rinse it.

Too salty? Rinse it.

Too sweet? Rinse it.

It was delicious, but the flavors were just too intense.

After everyone had eaten and drunk their fill, Guan Yingjun paid with meal vouchers and used the remaining balance to pack up two dishes that Jian Ruochen had eaten the most. He carried them as he lingered at the back of the group.

Side by side with Jian Ruochen, they left the boat with the others.

Just as they reached the entrance, a waiter hurried out and stopped them.

He handed over an exquisitely wrapped rectangular package and asked, "Which one of you is Mr. Jian?"

Jian Ruochen turned around, "That's me."

"A lady asked me to pass this gift to you. She said it's to congratulate you on solving another extraordinary case," the waiter said, extending the gift package.

Jian Ruochen stared at it, his mind flashing through dangerous items like bombs, acid, tear gas, and incendiary devices. He didn't immediately reach for it.

Guan Yingjun took it instead and nodded to the waiter, "Thank you."

The waiter scratched his head shyly and turned back to the cabin.

The two continued walking side by side down the wooden boarding plank, their heels making soft tapping sounds.

Jian Ruochen said, "There are only two women who know we're dining on the boat: your aunt, Officer Chen, and Superintendent Lin, who gave us the meal tickets. Neither of them are the type to send personal gifts."

Guan Yingjun replied, "Indeed."

He added softly, "But I didn't smell any irritating odors like gas, so it probably isn't dangerous."

Jian Ruochen: ...

Oh, right. Forgot Detective Guan has a bloodhound's nose.

He can detect that from such a distance?

"Shall we open it?" Guan Yingjun asked.

Jian Ruochen gave an "Mm."

The other detectives waiting nearby gradually crowded around, staring at the red and gold wrapping paper and the gift box tied with a silver ribbon.

Song Xuyi exclaimed in awe, "This wrapping paper costs 2000 a sheet!"

Jian Ruochen was stunned, "How much? You're kidding!"

He thought 2000 a bowl for congee was already the peak of Hong Kong's prices.

Never imagined there'd be 2000-a-sheet wrapping paper!

Unbelievable.

Jian Ruochen murmured, "That's insane."

What kind of prices are these? No wonder it's a cheap thriller.

Song Xuyi leaned back, "You think it's pricey too?"

"My money doesn't grow on trees..." Jian Ruochen trailed off.

Actually, his money kinda did come from nowhere.

The two looked at each other for a moment. Meanwhile, beside them, Guan Yingjun "rrrip" ripped open the 2000-dollar exquisite wrapping paper.

He then took out a key, cut through the transparent tape sealing the box, and popped it open, revealing the contents to everyone.

A weird black box.

It didn’t look like a normal gift at all.

Guan Yingjun frowned, the weird nagging feeling in his heart instantly fading away.

He pulled out a brand-new rubber glove, bit the edge to put it on, picked up the box, and looked it over. "It's a videotape."

Bi Wanwan crossed her arms, "Whoa..."

Videotapes are a very sensitive item for police.

Threats, evidence, calls for help.

It could all be contained in this small cassette.

Before playing it, no one knows what it is.

Jian Ruochen glanced around, seeing everyone was pumped, and suggested, "Wanna watch the tape before we bail?"

Zhang Xingzong was all for it, "Let's do it!"

Jian Ruochen turned to look at Guan Yingjun.

He saw him take out a folded evidence bag, square-shaped, and place the videotape inside.

Guan Yingjun said, "Alright, let's go. Back to the station. We'll watch it before calling it a night."

Jian Ruochen called his bodyguards to bring two cars, driving his colleagues back to the West Kowloon Regional Crime Unit.

·

It had been two weeks since he last came.

While he was away, he didn't really notice.

But with the office lights on and sitting in the chair behind the desk, he felt a weird mix of feelings, like catching up with an old buddy after a long time apart.

Jian Ruochen patted the armrest and looked up at the TV.

Guan Yingjun popped in the videotape and switched to the right input.

A yellowish-gray image appeared on the screen, showing the muzzle of a cop in uniform's gun and Lu Qian's pale, calm face.

Everyone immediately straightened up.

Such sensitive content...

Bi Wanwan murmured, "Crap. Detective Guan, pause it. I'll go grab a DVD recorder to avoid ruining the tape."

Some videotapes can only be played once and get ruined afterward.

Everyone was so caught in the excitement earlier that they forgot.

Guan Yingjun pressed the pause button.

A "click" echoed in the office.

"It's not pausing. Go get the recorder now. Get what you can."

As he spoke, Guan Yingjun looked down at the person sitting at his desk. "How much can you remember?"

Jian Ruochen had photographic memory skills. If even he couldn't retain much...

"I'll try," Jian Ruochen said, keeping his eyes glued to the TV.

On the screen, three loaded up cops in uniform stood straight.

Their uniforms were identical, their movements in sync.

From the looks of it, the camera must've been mounted on a fourth cop in uniform.

The gun muzzle didn’t appear in the frame, meaning the camera wasn’t attached to the officer’s chest but rather on the gun itself, maybe on the side of the barrel.

Soon, the camera tilted up a bit.

Holy crap, the gun muzzle was rising!

Jian Ruochen couldn't help but grip the chair's armrests tightly.

He wanted Lu Qian to face justice.

A thousand tons of drugs—even riddling him with bullets wouldn't be enough to satisfy the rage.

But that didn't mean he wanted to see a tape recording Lu Qian's execution leaked from the execution site!

This tape captured the uniformed officers carrying out the execution. If any of Lu Qian's remaining henchmen saw the video and identified the uniformed officers who performed the execution...

They might seek revenge!

Jian Ruochen glanced at Lu Qian's attire, then looked away, quickly noting the belts and shoes of the three uniformed officers in the footage.

When uniforms are identical, the way belts and shoelaces are tied is the easiest way to tell people apart—

"Bang!"

Four simultaneous gunshots suddenly rang out.

A burst of blood splattered onto the sand.

Guan Yingjun's fingers twitched, wanting to block Jian Ruochen's view, but he raised his hand halfway and only rested it on the edge of the desk for a moment before lowering it again, instead grasping Jian Ruochen's hand.

On the TV screen, the camera angle dropped.

Bi Wanwan, holding a camera, got there as fast as she could but only managed to record the fourth uniformed officer's shoes.

In the next instant, a burning smell came from the recorder.

Followed by a spark.

"The tape burned!" Bi Wanwan put down the recorder and rushed forward to salvage the tape, but before she could touch it, Zhang Xingzong pushed her aside. "I'll do it!"

He used a pen to pry open the VCR compartment, managing to salvage the tape's shell. He juggled it between his hands like a hot potato before finally half-dropping, half-placing it on his desk.

But only the shell remained.

Zhang Xingzong sighed, "What's our move?"

Could Jian Ruochen remember the information from the footage?

Guan Yingjun was silent for a few seconds. "What was the intention of the person who recorded this? To threaten us, to tell us they would target the uniformed officers? Or simply daring us to find them?"

"Let's hope it's not the former," Zhang Xingzong said solemnly.

Jian Ruochen didn't speak. Instead, he pulled out a few sheets of A4 paper and started sketching, recording the ways the four individuals tied their belts and shoelaces as he had seen.

"Those uniformed officers used three different methods to tie their shoelaces. The first two used the crisscross method, the third used the serpentine method, and the fourth, who was recording, used the straight-bar method."

He pointed at the paper. "The fourth is the most obvious because the shoelaces don't cross on the surface, and the ends are hidden neatly."

Bi Wanwan leaned in, comparing the drawings with the recording.

Though she had only recorded the last one, it was enough to confirm the accuracy of the sketches.

"Amazing! In such a short time, you could actually see how they tied their shoelaces!"

What would they do without Jian Ruochen?

Guan Yingjun said, "Bi Wanwan, get these copied. After that, report this matter to Superintendent Lin."

Bi Wanwan's face still showed a flush from drinking, but her voice was steady: "Yes, sir!"

"Regardless of the reason someone sent us this tape, we must contact the operations team to protect those uniformed officers before anyone else finds them and seeks revenge."

Guan Yingjun pinched the bridge of his nose and looked at Song Xuyi, speaking softly, "Contact Liu Qishang from the Independent Commission Against Corruption and inform him about this."

Uniformed officers recording—completely ridiculous.

Someone higher up must have given the order.

Corruption and bribery are undoubtedly involved.

Guan Yingjun issued commands methodically: "Ding Gao, you take the lead in investigating the tape. See if you can find any clues from its origin or manufacturer."

He paused before adding, "Everyone, pace yourselves. If you're tired, take a break first. Don't push yourselves too hard. Superintendent Lin will have other teams assist."

"Yes, sir!"

Jian Ruochen was getting tired. He had just yawned and was about to rest his head on the desk for a while before moving.

As soon as he laid his head down, Guan Yingjun's phone rang insistently, as if requiring immediate attention.

Guan Yingjun answered.

On the other end of the line, Senior Inspector Yang Ningyu from the Explosives Division boomed:

"Detective Guan, there's been an explosion at Building 13, Banshan Elegant Residence near the University of Hong Kong. We've preliminarily determined it was an intentional gas explosion! We need you here now!"