Captured By The Cold Detective (BL)-Chapter 428: New Intels
That very same night, after He Juan had dropped Mu Yuze off at the house and bid him goodbye, he drove to the address Marius had sent earlier. He was amazed to find that despite the short notice, the man had still managed to secure a luxurious villa near the suburbs, complete with tight security and a 24/7 protection system.
"M? Little Miss Ye?" He Juan entered the grand villa and called out in a hushed tone, careful not to wake the sleeping children. "Where are you?"
"Here."
He Juan looked up to find Marius leaning over the railing of the second floor, beckoning to him with a smile. "Up here, XIU. The second room on the left."
Upon entering the room that was supposed to be the office, He Juan caught sight of numerous boxes still scattered on the floor, which had yet to be unpacked. These boxes held confidential documents pertaining to the inhumane experiments they had managed to gather so far. It was clear that Marius and the others had left in a haste, leaving no time to organize the documents.
"You’re here," Ye Qiu greeted him with a nod. "I’m sorry to impose on you when it’s supposed to be your vacation time, XIU."
"Look at what kind of nonsense you are saying again," He Juan clicked his tongue and assumed a displeased look. He clasped Marius’ shoulder and went to stand beside him, facing the board where they had pinned up the new intels. "I have told you, Little Miss Ye. Ever since you agreed to lead us to the secret facilities, we have become partners. And we won’t stop until we eradicate this madness from its core. So, there’s no need to stand on ceremony with me. Or us, to be exact. Am I right, M?" He turned to Marius for support, a mirthful grin gracing his lips.
Marius could not help but stifle a chuckle, his gaze teasing and fond as he looked at Ye Qiu. "You know that’s just how Miss Ye is. She’s so upright and principled that it makes me feel sloppy in return."
Ye Qiu shot him a quiet glare, before she quickly averted her gaze. A faint blush colored her cheeks as she muttered under her breath, "Nonsense."
He Juan watched the interaction between them with a grin that resembled a Cheshire cat. He had no idea when it started, but Ye Qiu seemed to harbor a tiny crush on Marius, this refined and princely figure who was always there to teach her how to control her pheromones. It was so damn obvious that only a blind would miss it.
Marius’ genteel demeanor notwithstanding, He Juan could attest that he was truly ruthless when it came to matters of the heart. And the fact that he did not push her away and still kept her by his side until now, must have meant something.
It was entertaining to watch them dance around each other. On one hand, Marius was too much of a gentleman to make a move, especially after the mishap during their first meeting. On the other hand, Ye Qiu would become a nervous and blushing wreck around the man.
He Juan secretly bet in his heart on who would lose control and confess their feelings first.
So what if they were both Alphas? At the end of the day, they were still humans who could not control their heart’s desire. It was already hard for Marius to shoulder the responsibility of being the leader of Morningstar Clan as well as the drug lord of Myanmar, so He Juan wished that he could have someone whom he could rely on.
Alas, this matter was not something he could meddle in. As a friend and partner, all he should do was stand by the sidelines and watch their relationship blossom into something more.
Clearing his throat, he decided to set aside his random thoughts for the time being and turned his gaze to the board in front of them. "So, care to tell me where this intel comes from?"
"These are sent to my men stationed in Yuyang early in the morning," Marius explained as He Juan continued to scan the board, scrutinizing each photograph that had been secretly taken. With a single glance, he immediately recognized it as a research facility, for the structure of the building was similar to the ones they had raided over the past year. "The package is clean; no sender name, address, fingerprints — nothing. But whoever sent it knew what they were doing."
He Juan nodded thoughtfully and added, "They must have been undercover for at least several months to obtain these photos. Look at these two," he pointed to the photos. "One was taken in winter, and the other in spring. If their goal was to provide us with evidence to convince us, then they have succeeded."
"So you’re saying," Ye Qiu furrowed her brows. "The sender only intends to tip us off, but doesn’t want to be directly involved in the actual operation? Why?"
He Juan shook his head to indicate that he was none the wiser. But then recalling something, he chuckled darkly, "Actually, what I’m more curious about is how they managed to send this package to you. How were they certain that they had gotten the right person? How did they even know that we’re working on getting rid of these facilities?"
The three of them exchanged glances before reaching the same conclusion, "Someone has been tailing us and paying close attention to our activities."
Ye Qiu’s expression darkened in apprehension. "Are they enemies? If not, why would they go through such a roundabout way to deliver this information to us? And more importantly, how did they come to know about this facility that even I have no idea about?"
"That’s certainly a puzzling question, Little Miss Ye. We have been careless. It seems like we are not the only ones who had eyes on the secret experiment," He Juan’s lips curled into a chilling smile. He then turned to Marius and asked, "Have you found out anything about the sender, M?"
Smiling, Marius gestured for them to wait as he went to rummage through one of the boxes. "Aha!" He pulled out a stack of photos from a hidden corner and pinned them to the board. "This is the clearest photo I managed to obtain. Take a look and see if you recognize him?"
The photo showed a side profile of a man captured from surveillance footage. He was dressed in a set of inconspicuous clothing, wearing a mask and a hat pulled low to conceal his face as he navigated through a crowded street. He Juan couldn’t help but marvel at Marius’ ability to track down such a person. However, his attention was soon drawn to the man’s features.
A nagging doubt crept into his heart. He looked... familiar, somehow. But where had he seen him before? 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝒆𝒘𝙚𝓫𝙣𝙤𝒗𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢
Ye Qiu stepped closer and squinted her eyes, then she shook her head. "I have not seen him before."
"Me neither," Marius echoed her response.
"I have," He Juan said, earning him a surprised look from the two others. He raked his fingers through his hair and barked out a furious laugh. "Haha, Mo Feng, this bastard. After causing a great ruckus on New Year’s Day last year, he finally has the gall to show himself again. What? Did he have a change of heart and decided to play the good Samaritan?"
He proceeded to explain to the two others about the hunted traitor of Xuanlong, with whom he had a grudge against.
Two years ago, someone had set up a bomb in the Queen of Spades and cost him two of his most trusted subordinates. No, they were not only subordinates for him – but his friends, brothers and family.
Until now, He Juan could still remember the vow he uttered in front of the dying Ma Ping. Blood would be repaid by blood, and life would be repaid by life.
Mo Feng had fled under the suspicion of colluding with Blue Lotus and killing two of He Juan’s men. Not only that, he had also set off numerous bombs on Xuanlong’s properties which resulted in heavy damage and casualties, so how could he dare to appear in front of He Juan again?!
"No wonder..." Marius murmured under his breath. Upon receiving He Juan’s inquiring look, he cleared his throat and explained, "Actually, the sender left a note along with these photos. He is willing to meet us and exchange information... on one condition."
He grimaced and sent He Juan an apologetic look. "The condition is that we are not allowed to kill him, especially you, XIU."
