Chapter 138: Just Thinking About It Feels Good

Chapter 138: Just Thinking About It Is Satisfying

Though sharing a surname, Lu Rong proved far more elusive than Lu Qian.

He operated with extreme caution, never dabbling in drugs or prostitution.

The Preludin incident at Hong Kong University wasn't his direct doing; beyond his legitimate businesses, he merely pulled strings from the shadows.

His network was vast and deeply entrenched, with numerous followers, yet no prominent figures were visible, leaving West Kowloon in a state of utter frustration.

Jian Ruochen glanced back at his busy colleagues in Team A, unsure whether Li Feiquan's words stemmed from genuine gratitude for guidance or if he perceived Jian as young and easily manipulated.

He smiled, testing the waters: "Boss Fei, I'm not yet a formal police officer. Running an informant on my own would be a breach of regulations. If you wish to proceed with the informant program, you'll need to be officially attached to Detective Guan's unit."

Li Feiquan's face clouded with hesitation.

Consultant Jian clearly seemed like a generous boss who paid well and demanded little—as long as one remained loyal, a prosperous future was almost guaranteed.

However, Detective Guan was notoriously "frugal." Rumor had it he even expected informants to contribute to their own fees.

Huang Youquan had been with him for so long and still couldn't afford an apartment in Hong Kong.

"No can do," Li Feiquan declared, his only indulgence being money. "Sir Jian, Detective Guan pays too little. You wouldn't believe it, but since 1970, Hong Kong's housing prices have been rocketing. A thousand-square-foot apartment in Kowloon now costs 20 million HKD! My family of six needs at least a thousand square feet."

Though dubbed a "thousand-square-foot mansion," it was merely 80 to 90 square meters.

20 million HKD for 80 to 90 square meters, housing six people.

Li Feiquan sighed heavily. "The average monthly wage in Hong Kong is just over 300 HKD. Even if I earn 20,000-30,000 HKD a month to pay off the bank loan, how long will that take? Sir Jian, please let me work for you!"

Jian Ruochen simply smiled. "Rules are rules."

A perpetual smile graced his face—amiable, cheerful—rarely betraying such an unyielding resolve.

Li Feiquan knew there was no hope for a backdoor deal. He lowered his head, sighing again. In this world, why was money so hard to come by?

"Following official channels is for your own good. Only registered informants receive protection. The West Kowloon Regional Police Headquarters will look after your family, send your children to good schools, where they'll study alongside police officers' kids." Jian Ruochen picked up another unopened bottle of wine from the table, his arm dipping slightly as the sparkling wine cap struck the table's edge.

"Pshh—"

The cap popped off, and white foam gushed out.

Jian Ruochen filled Li Feiquan's used glass to the brim, then gestured fluidly with an open palm. "Boss Fei, please."

Li Feiquan sighed inwardly.

The way he poured the wine was neither subservient nor arrogant—effortless and bold.

It imbued the drinker with a sense of youthful audacity.

Li Feiquan downed it in one gulp. "I understand what you mean. Being a formal undercover informant can keep my children's records clean and free from worries."

But the pay was too low!

Jian Ruochen smiled, amused by Li Feiquan's face, all scrunched up in conflict.

It seemed he wasn't harboring ulterior motives; rather, the conditions simply didn't meet his expectations.

Recalling Li Feiquan's immediate show of loyalty upon hearing how to make money, Jian Ruochen understood. "You're not complaining about Brother Jun paying too little, are you? He and I are close. I can give him the money first, and he can add it to your pay."

Li Feiquan was stunned.

Brother Jun? Which brother? Whose brother?

Guan Yingjun?

Was Consultant Jian deliberately using that informal address to signal their close relationship?

Or was it something he only dared to use in private?

He wasn't falling for that trick.

"It seems you don't believe me," Jian Ruochen leaned back into the booth's sofa.

The music in the venue had subtly faded. The neon lights on the ceiling spun, their shifting patterns occasionally sweeping across, illuminating Jian Ruochen's face and making his eyes appear deep and perceptive, as if gleaming with golden insight in the darkness.

"It's fine if you don't believe me. The information I've given you is enough to make you rich. If all else fails, take out a loan and buy two or three apartments. In 30 years, they should be worth 20 times more. By then, you can sell and retire, effectively earning 400 million HKD in retirement money for free—enough for your descendants to spend." Jian Ruochen stood up, turning to leave. "I'll consider the informant matter unheard."

The essence of haggling, passed down through generations in China:

"Too expensive?"

"No problem, I'll take a look over there."

Then turn and walk away.

Within ten steps, someone will regret it.

Jian Ruochen had only taken three steps when Li Feiquan shouted, "I'll do it!"

So what if the pay might be a little low?

Compared to vague business leads, cold hard cash was far more tangible! Most importantly, his child was about to start elementary school.

After all these years, he understood the importance of connections and a good start.

Jian Ruochen turned back. "Oh? Not unhappy about Detective Guan's pay anymore?"

Li Feiquan rubbed his chin. "I don't understand stocks. I'll have a professional manager invest fully in your company's stocks. While the stocks are making money, I can work as an informant."

Jian Ruochen didn't press further, turning back to sit down. "Tell me about your leads. I can't just give you something for nothing, right, Boss Fei?"

Li Feiquan hurriedly said, "No, no, you're too kind. Just call me Little Fei. Actually..."

"Lu Rong has probably been money laundering recently."

In this era, cleaning dirty money or wealthy individuals laundering money was not uncommon.

It all depended on the legitimacy of the methods. Some wealthy people maintained a constant supply of "white-glove" operatives, laundering money through stocks or property speculation.

Housing prices were driven ever higher, and stocks soared and crashed with frenzied abandon.

This was a gray area—handled by the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC). The West Kowloon Major Crimes Unit couldn't investigate it.

But if it was laundered through illegal means like gambling, then the West Kowloon division could intervene.

Jian Ruochen's mind raced, though his expression remained unchanged. "Money laundering... He really doesn't have enough clean money on hand, not even to buy the land in Kowloon Walled City."

Li Feiquan: ...

As expected of Hong Kong's richest man, even his units of measurement for money differed from others'.

He spoke numbly, "Most of the businesses left by Lu Qian have been seized, and fines have been paid. The Lu family's assets are limited, and it's not easy to launder the deeply hidden ones."

Jian Ruochen: "Do you know why he's laundering money?"

Li Feiquan perked up. "This is precisely why I'm confident in offering myself as an informant! From what I know, he plans to invest in projects on the mainland. I have no idea what he's thinking."

The mainland, with its low prices and low consumer demand—people there hadn't even had their fill yet, living worse off than those in Hong Kong.

Why invest in the mainland instead of Hong Kong when you have money?

Jian Ruochen: "..."

Li Feiquan possessed some foresight, but not much.

Lu Rong's ultimate goal wasn't merely to profit from the mainland; he aimed to use these projects to forge connections there. After the handover and opening up, he intended to remain entrenched in Hong Kong as a well-connected local power.

He sought to curry favor with the mainland government through these projects, hoping that even if he made mistakes in the future, Hong Kong's courts might show leniency.

Jian Ruochen stood up and clapped Li Feiquan on the shoulder, saying gravely, "Good brother, as an informant, remember to tell me all about the projects Lu Rong wants to invest in."

He was planning to hijack them.

"As for other leads, wait for Detective Guan to discuss them with you. It will likely involve investigating his money laundering methods. Once the paperwork is done, we'll protect your family. Lu Rong is unpredictable and hard to deal with. If you ask me, it's better to send your child to a mainland state school. Think it over." Jian Ruochen patted his shoulder again and walked toward the corner of the bar.

Team A had already finished their work.

A long line of men and women crouched against the wall, heads in their hands. Some were still lost in the drug haze, their faces twisted.

Guan Yingjun said, "Zhang Xingzong, Sizheng Liu, drive these people back to the station. Process them for detention based on the quantities."

"These three acted as middlemen and sold drugs. Ding Gao and Huo Mingxuan, take them back. Document based on weight, take their statements, and prepare to prosecute."

"Cao Youfang, come with me."

Everyone chorused, "Yes, sir!"

Bi Wanwan sighed. "This Cao Youfang seems like a fool. We probably won't get any leads from him."

Even Oliver Keith, who had direct ties to Lu Rong, was set up and betrayed, only offering a tip about Preludin on Hong Kong University's campus being related to Lu Rong...

"Lu Rong has no flaws or leads at all... Are we really going to be chasing him for another decade?" Bi Wanwan wiped her face, looking troubled.

Jian Ruochen peeked at the line of suspects crouching against the wall, gauging that they were too far to hear, and cautiously said, "I secured an informant for Detective Guan. That Li Feiquan says he wants to be a dedicated informant for West Kowloon."

Bi Wanwan's troubled expression turned to doubt.

What happened?

How did it happen?

In the past, it took three to five days to persuade even a clever fringe gangster to become an informant.

Huang Youquan, who risked his life as a dedicated informant, took a month. And this only took a few minutes?

Zhang Xingzong thought of Detective Guan's worn wallet: "Can we afford it?"

This month's thirty grand already went to ordering meals for the students in the sealed building.

"Money's not a problem. I've got it." Jian Ruochen said seriously. "Li Feiquan says he can give us leads on Lu Rong."

Everyone's expressions turned solemn.

A lead!

Now, Consultant Jian's newly persuaded Li Feiquan was their only hope.

Song Xuyi felt a bitter taste in his mouth.

They had questioned everyone just now. Cao Youfang, such a coward, acted like he'd never heard of Lu Rong. A lead was abruptly cut off.

They were frustrated and had no other options.

But Jian Ruochen just talked with Li Feiquan in the booth for a while and got a lead plus an informant for free!

He really was getting old.

Old enough to rely on a junior for a bit of peace of mind.

Jian Ruochen was truly amazing. If someone like him couldn't soar, who could?

He was completely convinced, bowing in admiration.

Guan Yingjun stared intently at the person beside him. He had filled out his frame, somewhere between youth and young adulthood.

Like a green fruit half-ripened, his face had filled out a bit, as if juice would burst with a bite.

His heart raced, and he couldn't help but reach out and stroke Jian Ruochen's back, remembering how Jian Ruochen had coaxed him in the office earlier.

It wasn't that Jian Ruochen couldn't do without him; it was that he couldn't do without Jian Ruochen.

Jian Ruochen felt tickled and glanced at him. "Will you take him? I think Li Feiquan is quite sincere. He'll probably transfer this operation directly."

"If he doesn't, this place can't stay open anyway." Guan Yingjun said calmly. "In underworld terms, a venue raided by the cops loses its edge."

He patted Jian Ruochen's waist. "I'll go handle this. Don't be scared no matter what you hear later."

Jian Ruochen didn't understand. The deal was already made; what could possibly happen?

Ten minutes later.

A furious roar came from the innermost booth: "Damn you, Guan Yingjun! I worked hard to run this venue for over a decade, and you shut it down just like that! Dammit, I didn't break any laws! I'll take you on today!"

Jian Ruochen looked back and saw Li Feiquan forcefully lift the glass coffee table from the floor and overturn it.

The table hit the ground, shattering with a crash.

Jian Ruochen was taken aback and was silent for a moment. "Did it fall through again?"

It couldn't be, right? A done deal falling apart?

Bi Wanwan found this rare, stunned look particularly adorable and itched to pinch it, but considering Detective Guan was right up front, she resisted. "It's an act. A public falling-out is safer."

Jian Ruochen exhaled.

Damn, he still needed Li Feiquan to find out what projects Lu Rong was eyeing in mainland China.

Whatever Lu Rong took a liking to, he would buy it first.

Not only could he support the motherland's development, but he could also make Lu Rong so mad he’d limp away.

Just thinking about it felt damn good.