Chapter 186: How Can I Not Submit?

Chapter 186: Who Could Disagree?

"Where do you think his fixed base is?" Jian Ruochen lay on top of him, his chin resting on Guan Yingjun's sternum, bobbing slightly with each word.

Guan Yingjun had an excellent physique. Even while lying flat, the lines of his muscles were visible through his tank top—broad shoulders, a strong waist, looking very powerful.

Jian Ruochen admired him for a moment before murmuring softly, just before Guan Yingjun could speak, "I miss you so much."

Guan Yingjun was speechless. He never expected Jian Ruochen to steer the conversation back to this.

Work talk caught in his throat.

When it came to reading people, he had to admit defeat.

Jian Ruochen waited a moment, then looked up casually: "Well? Where do you think the fixed base is?"

"Somewhere between Tsim Bei Tsui and Lo Wu." As he spoke, Guan Yingjun gently stroked Jian Ruochen's smooth back.

Now they were in the hilltop villa, the house full of people—Uncle Luo even lived on the same floor as them.

Jian Ruochen was completely focused, immersed in contemplation.

The area from Tsim Bei Tsui to Lo Wu was the border between Hong Kong and Shenzhen, separated only by a stretch of water, with some parts even connected.

This entire area belonged to the New Territories.

The New Territories had many mountains and vast expanses of wilderness. The loop from Tsim Bei Tsui to Lo Wu offered a forward route into Shenzhen and a retreat route to Kowloon.

Further back, one could even take an unpatrolled water route, using a private boat to flee to Macau, then from Macau to the Philippines by boat.

It was an escape route that allowed for both offense and defense.

Ninth Brother, having operated in Causeway Bay for so many years, was quite clever.

Jian Ruochen rolled over, sliding off Guan Yingjun. He stared at the ceiling, squinting slightly, as if the map of Hong Kong unfolded before him.

Sandwiched between Tsim Bei Tsui and Lo Wu was San Tin, and a bit further out, the bridge he had invested in.

He didn't know how it was coming along now—probably not even the bridge piers were finished yet.

Between Tsim Bei Tsui and San Tin lay a nature reserve, an ideal place for drug traffickers to flee. Crossing the reserve on the Hong Kong side led directly to the mangrove bird reserve near Shenzhen. Though the path was difficult, it was by no means impassable.

If Ninth Brother intended to flee to the mainland, he would definitely take the nature reserve route to avoid customs surveillance.

But the nature reserve was full of dangers, and Ninth Brother was unwilling to dump what little product he had left. He surely wanted to sell it all before leaving. During this time...

Jian Ruochen turned over again, draping his legs over Guan Yingjun. "How have Ninth Brother's recent shipments been? Actually, I think he could easily find someone to take over his entire inventory, make a full profit at once, and then walk away clean. He's quite clever—he should know that if he doesn’t run now, he’ll never have another chance."

"The shipment volume is high. It seems he doesn’t want to sell all his goods to one person. He sells at most one carton at a time, never more. I think he’s testing someone, or putting on a show for some drug lord." Guan Yingjun’s hand slid down, resting on Jian Ruochen’s leg. He noticed that in summer, Jian Ruochen was like a snake—his hands and feet were warm, but his body and legs were cool to the touch.

A single touch was incredibly refreshing.

Jian Ruochen, annoyed by the heat of his hand, pushed the hot hand away like pulling up a radish. "Isn’t Ninth Brother’s supplier Lu Qian?"

"Yes, but he alone couldn’t possibly manage so many growers." Guan Yingjun murmured, his eyes slightly closed. "Our undercover informant in the village said the operation isn’t a small farmer model but centralized cultivation and distribution—like a production line buried deep in Hong Kong."

Jian Ruochen was also getting sleepy. "Yeah, we’ve already destroyed Lu Qian’s factory, but Ninth Brother still has his own. It’s really..."

Guan Yingjun waited a while but heard no continuation. He looked down and saw Jian Ruochen had fallen asleep on his shoulder.

The young man slept for a few seconds before jolting awake groggily, turning his head to kiss his shoulder, murmuring reassuringly: "Tomorrow we’ll go back to Bauhinia Apartments. There’s no one else there."

"Mm." No matter how many times it happened, Guan Yingjun was always surprised by Jian Ruochen’s direct attitude toward things like kissing.

He always managed shyness perfectly—alluring without being intimidating.

Guan Yingjun slid his fingers into Jian Ruochen’s hair, stroking it down a couple of times.

After a time apart, such moments were inevitable.

Jian Ruochen purred contentedly at the touch, but after two hums, as if too exhausted to stay awake, his head tilted and buried into the pillow, emitting soft snores.

Guan Yingjun laughed helplessly, positioned him properly, and the snores immediately stopped.

The air conditioning was set to the lowest, but it was still hot when they woke up the next day.

Both woke at 5:30 a.m., went for a morning workout, and had morning tea.

During morning tea, Luo Binwen’s gaze scanned them three times. He even went upstairs for about ten minutes for some unknown reason, returning with a glowing complexion and a very pleased expression. His attitude toward Guan Yingjun even became friendly.

Jian Ruochen pressed his lips together, hugged his godfather before leaving after morning tea, and whispered, "I won’t be back to the hilltop villa tonight. Don't expect me for dinner."

The smile on Luo Binwen’s face vanished instantly.

Jian Ruochen waved at him, got into Guan Yingjun’s car, then leaned out the window to wave at Luo Binwen again.

Luo Binwen forced a smile and waved back.

"Alright, fasten your seatbelt," Guan Yingjun said.

Jian Ruochen retracted his hand and complied. The moment the buckle clicked, Guan Yingjun shifted gears, stepped on the accelerator, reversed a short distance, then turned the steering wheel and sped out of the villa.

Totally wild.

Jian Ruochen quite liked this wild energy when he drove.

He rolled down the window, letting the cool morning summer breeze flood the car, messing up his hair, filling his ears with the rushing wind.

The Hong Kong Police Force was located in the Police Headquarters building at 1 Arsenal Street, Wan Chai, Hong Kong.

Guan Yingjun parked the car, tapped his ID card to open the door, and pulled Jian Ruochen inside. A wave of cool air immediately washed over them.

Jian Ruochen rubbed his arms.

Guan Yingjun said, "The first floor is the reception area and the Firearms Forensics Division. To preserve the freshness of victims' bodies, the air conditioning on the first and second floors is kept quite strong."

Jian Ruochen nodded.

Guan Yingjun pressed the elevator button and handed over a note, speaking softly: "These are the recent locations where Ninth Brother has been spotted. Your department upstairs probably isn’t fully set up yet, but with this information, you should be able to get to work."

Jian Ruochen took it and glanced at it. "You trust me that much?"

In Detective Guan’s eyes, was he that clever?

Guan Yingjun confirmed, then added, "The Organized Crime Investigation Division is on the 9th floor. Mr. Fang is waiting for you there. I have to get off at 8. You’ll have to go alone..."

The seventh and eighth floors were CIB's domain.

"Don’t worry, I’ll be fine. It’s not my first day on the job," Jian Ruochen interrupted.

Just then, the elevator chimed, signaling their arrival at the 8th floor.

Jian Ruochen ushered Guan Yingjun out. Outside, an officer getting hot water from the breakroom set down his cup and greeted, "Good morning, Detective Guan."

Guan Yingjun regained his footing and replied, "Morning."

His expression remained neutral, though he felt somewhat unaccustomed to working separately from Jian Ruochen. Even after six months, he still instinctively felt that Jian Ruochen should stay by his side—messing up his desk, lounging on the office sofa reading, drinking water, or snacking.

But Jian Ruochen was heading to the 9th floor.

The officer who greeted them was taken aback by Guan Yingjun's expression and instinctively glanced into the elevator. Just before the doors closed, he caught a glimpse of a pair of amber eyes curving slightly in a smile.

Jian Ruochen!

Did he come with Detective Guan?

Did Detective Guan actually recruit him to the Police Force?

Impressive!

Guan Yingjun's expression darkened slightly as he checked his watch. "Call everyone for a meeting at 8:30. Consultant Jian and I discussed some new ideas last night."

"Yes, sir!" The officer saluted, then hesitated and asked quietly, "Now that he's Consultant Jian, should we call him Inspector Jian or Sir Jian?"

"He has a six-month probation. Call him Sir Jian." Guan Yingjun frowned slightly and strode quickly toward his office.

9th Floor.

Fang Kaichang grinned when he saw Jian Ruochen, grinning from ear to ear. He opened his arms and gave him an enthusiastic hug. "I'm turning over Criminal Investigation Department Team A to you! I'm mainly overseeing the Flying Tigers now. The future of this Criminal Investigation Department rests on you young folks!"

As they embraced, Jian Ruochen glanced up and saw several familiar faces.

Zhang Xingzong, Sizheng Liu, Huo Mingxuan, and Bi Wanwan had all been promoted to the Police Force's Criminal Investigation Department.

Zhang Xingzong was grinning widely, utterly delighted.

That temple and the little god of wealth really came through—he’d actually been promoted!

Fang Kaichang introduced them: "Bi Wanwan has been promoted from Sergeant to Probationary Inspector. We recognized her coordination skills, so she’s been transferred from West Kowloon. Zhang Xingzong and Sizheng Liu are handling paperwork and have been promoted to Sergeants. As for Huo Mingxuan… Hmm… Let's see!"

He trailed off, unable to recall, then after a long pause suddenly said, "Wait, aren’t you supposed to report to CIB?"

Huo Mingxuan froze, glanced at his transfer order, and after a moment of silence, wiped his face. "Wrong department."

He’d been in CID for nearly a decade and was so used to it that he’d forgotten he was switching to intelligence.

Fang Kaichang checked his watch. "Hurry along. Don’t let Guan Yingjun scold you on your first day."

Huo Mingxuan hastily grabbed his bag and hurried out, disappearing from CID in a flash.

Fang Kaichang then introduced the five other officers in Team A, most of whom were newly promoted.

"Besides Team A, Teams B and C have quite a few British officers," Fang Kaichang cautioned. "When handling cases, strictly adhere to confidentiality protocols. Do not disclose any details of your assigned cases to Teams B or C."

"All case materials for Team A must be processed in Chinese, with no English backups. Understood?"

Everyone responded in unison, "Yes, sir!"

"I’m usually in the Flying Tigers' main office. Call me if there are problems, but only if Sir Jian can’t resolve them alone or with CIB's Detective Guan. Otherwise, don’t bother me."

As soon as Fang Kaichang finished speaking, Jian Ruochen felt the weight of responsibility. For the first time, he truly realized he was now trusted with his colleagues' careers and had become accountable for their lives.

The Police Force's CID was competitive; even a minor mistake could lead to suspension. With half a year left in his probation, if he botched his first case, he might remain a Probationary Inspector for a full year before promotion.

Jian Ruochen took a deep breath. Seeing Mr. Fang’s trusting expression, he knew his superior didn’t want hollow promises. Mr. Fang valued sincerity.

"I’ll work closely with everyone to catch Ninth Brother as soon as possible. If we encounter insurmountable problems, I won’t hesitate to seek your guidance. Team A will need your support," Jian Ruochen said calmly and confidently.

Fang Kaichang smiled, giving Jian Ruochen two final pats on the shoulder.

This young man had a truly bright future.

His response showed both determination and humility, assuring Fang Kaichang that Jian Ruochen wasn’t arrogant and knew when to seek help from seniors.

It had been a long time since he’d seen such a level-headed, perceptive young man who always knew the right thing to say.

Jian Ruochen watched Mr. Fang leave.

As the pantry elevator doors closed, Zhang Xingzong let out a huge sigh. "Wow, the Flying Tigers boss has quite the presence! His stare just now made my knees weak. Sir Jian, how aren’t you scared?"

"Everyone has two eyes and one mouth. Nothing to fear," Jian Ruochen replied with a smile, finding his desk. He glanced around and found it empty, with no case files organized.

Not wanting to waste the morning searching for materials, he pulled out a whiteboard. "The Ninth Brother drug trafficking case is now in our hands. Intelligence is handled by CIB. I’ve already gotten the latest updates yesterday, so let me go over it from the beginning."

The original Team A members immediately grabbed notebooks and found seats. However, the new members’ cooperation was only surface-level, their microexpressions hinting at reluctance.

Jian Ruochen didn’t wait for them.

He was no longer the 19-year-old who needed to assert authority—now, his accomplishments spoke for themselves, enough to earn respect through capability.

He uncapped a marker and began recounting the case, starting from the June haircut salon encounter with Ninth Brother last year, the suspicions that arose, Ninth Brother’s exposure, Guan Yingjun’s coordination with customs to issue port restrictions and warrants, and finally, the new theories discussed with Guan Yingjun last night.

Initially, the new team members were skeptical, but as the whiteboard filled with notes, as Jian Ruochen drew maps freehand of the terrain and transportation routes from Tsim Bei Tsui to Lo Wu, and as detailed information was systematically laid out, they began to realize just how impressive Jian Ruochen was.

So brilliant.

Anyone who saw him couldn’t help but feel respect rather than envy.

Jian Ruochen had deserved every bit of his success.

A Criminal Psychological Consultant with such strong analytical skills—just how advanced must his expertise in criminal psychology be?

Did he notice their slight reluctance the moment he stepped in?

"...Based on current findings, Ninth Brother is likely impatient to flee. He’ll either dump the remaining merchandise or find a buyer to profit before escaping to mainland China or the Philippines with the money."

Jian Ruochen drew a freehand map connecting Hong Kong, Macau, and Philippine routes. "If he’s heading to the Philippines, he’ll likely take this path."

Zhang Xingzong stared at the four whiteboards filled with information, utterly baffled. "Bi-jie, did we have to memorize world maps at the police academy?"

Consultant Jian’s professionalism was unbelievable.

Bi Wanwan rolled her eyes. "I think he probably already knew it. Remember how he counted footsteps during the ferry robbery case? You went to the academy—could you have done that?"

Zhang Xingzong: ...

Jian Ruochen gave these old friends a laid-back vibe that seemed to say, "Haha, finally done with school, no need to keep up appearances anymore."

"CIB probably anticipated Ninth Brother's escape route to the Philippines. Our people have been all over the sea these past few days, so Ninth Brother doesn't have the option to run that way. He’ll likely choose the mainland route instead," Sizheng Liu mused, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.

"Exactly." Jian Ruochen took a red marker and heavily circled the fishing port beneath the nature reserve, enclosing it. "This is a planned fishing port with terrain ideal for shelter from the wind and waterways that extend in all directions. I suspect he’ll hole up here."

"Based on the locations where he was spotted and where transactions took place, as uncovered by CIB, this fishing port also falls within his psychological safety zone."

As he spoke, Jian Ruochen pulled out the note Guan Yingjun had given him and, referencing the locations on it, drew another circle in blue.

There was an overlap between the blue and red circles.

A few new faces watched, and a chill ran down their spines.

If this kind of method were used on them, forget about their psychological safety zones—even the time capsules they buried as kids would probably be unearthed.

If someone like Jian Ruochen wanted to, most people would have no privacy left.

Them included.

Too formidable.

How could they not be in awe?