Captured By The Cold Detective (BL)-Chapter 488: Heart And Soul Of Xuanlong
They agreed to meet in a teahouse, a half-hour drive away from the City Bureau.
The establishment offered private rooms to ensure the guests’ privacy, and it was often visited by celebrities or businessmen engaged in serious negotiations. He Juan himself had discussed a few dealings in this place which was a testament to how trustworthy it was. He just did not expect a police officer like Pei Yizhi to choose this place too, considering the sum of money required to secure a room.
When He Juan reached the entrance of the private room, he found that Yi Peizhi was already inside, stretching and yawning. He looked just like how an overworked person should be— glum countenance, thick dark circles below his eyes, and thin beard adorning his chin. His entire body radiated a careless and slovenly air. In the chill of the weather, he was bundled up in a thick coat like any other middle-aged man on the street.
In contrast, He Juan had seized the chance to freshen up before coming here, as he was unwilling to reveal even the slightest bit of weakness in front of others. Despite Yi Peizhi being an ally, he remained reluctant to expose any chinks in his armor, preferring to present himself in the most impeccable way.
Hence, aside from his slightly bloodshot eyes and faint shadows beneath them, one couldn’t detect anything amiss from him, let alone Yi Peizhi whom he had just met for the first time.
"XIU?" Yi Peizhi squinted his eyes when He Juan entered, his expression showing a little hint of surprise. His voice sounded a little raspy as he murmured, "You’re quite different from what I had pictured in my mind. You look—"
"—young," He Juan stole the word out of his mouth and offered the man a reserved smile. "I’ve been told that a lot." He removed his suit jacket and sat crossed-legs on the tatami mat, taking hold of the kettle with ease and pouring a cup of hot tea for each of them. "Thank you for making time to meet me on such short notice."
"Nah..." Yi Peizhi appeared a little awkward, seemingly not expecting that the big hooligan and the rumored devil from the underworld to be such a refined gentleman. He almost did not know where to put his hands. "The Bureau has been on fire since last night, and no one’s had a proper rest. It just so happened that I had a moment to spare when your subordinate called. Speaking of which, I never properly thanked you for your assistance with the newly implemented law. Consider this tea as a token of appreciation." He raised his cup, clinked it against He Juan’s, and downed it in one swift motion.
He Juan wanted to say that he should not drink tea like wine, but it was already too late. Helpless, he could only raise his own cup and responded, "The credit is not all mine. You have your responsibilities, and I have mine. Our interests happen to align, so it’s only right for us to work with each other."
Hearing that, a complicated look flashed through Yi Peizhi’s face. "About the headline news today..."
He Juan sipped on his tea gracefully and waited for the other person to continue. He was relieved that the topic had been broached by the other party, saving him the need to bring it up. Yi Peizhi furrowed his brow and cursed under his breath, "Damn it, I don’t actually know what’s going on either. I know it’s laughable for me to say this when I’m the Captain of the Violent Crime Division myself, but at the crack of dawn this morning, the director suddenly presented me with an authorized letter of joint investigation and asked me to cooperate. With that in hand, I have no choice but to go along for the time being."
He Juan concluded, "They have come prepared."
"Yes," Yi Peizhi sighed and rubbed his face roughly. "And I am utterly powerless to stop it. Our cooperation is supposed to be top secret, so I can’t even vouch for you. Moreover, the higher-ups have been looking for ways to bring Xuanlong down, and they seem to have concluded that the most effective route is through you..." he turned his gaze to He Juan. "...the heart and soul of Xuanlong."
In response to that, He Juan couldn’t help but laugh, utterly devoid of humor. Heart and soul of Xuanlong? Where on Earth does that come from? He knew that none of those words were true, considering the current state of Xuanlong which had grown more and more foreign to him. However, he would not divulge something like that to Yi Peizhi – an outsider.
"So you’re saying that... they saw this as a prime opportunity to bring me down?" He Juan finally delved into the core issues he had come to discuss. "No physical evidence or something else?"
Yi Peizhi snorted, "Evidence? All we have are those blurry videos in which you appeared for like one second on the corner of the screen. We can’t even tell for sure whether it’s really you. But does it even matter?
"You have grown too towering and mighty, XIU. Only the tallest tree has to suffer the harshest wind," Yi Peizhi continued. "Even the breakthrough in Omega society does nothing to tamper down the news. It doesn’t matter if you’re the real perpetrator or not. The police need a scapegoat and the citizens need someone to blame for the current mess, and it just happens that you’re suitable for both roles, with how controversial you have been. Have you been online? People are hurling curses at you left and right, blaming you for every single thing that has gone awry in the country’s affairs. They even brought up the chain explosions from last year’s New Year day. It’s like all their pent-up negativity has found an outlet in you, and that’s precisely what the higher-ups want to see."
He Juan lowered his gaze and chuckled, his fingers absentmindedly tracing the rim of the cup. "I’m glad there’s someone who can clearly see the bigger picture. Cooperating with you was the right decision. The momentum of the news is almost unstoppable now. Unless we create an even bigger stir, I reckon I will remain in the headlines."
Yi Peizhi immediately grasped the underlying meaning behind his words. He straightened up, his gaze sharpening, "You’ve got something up your sleeve?"
He Juan offered a knowing smile, "Something that might even... alert the Interpol. I guess it’s enough of a distraction?"
"Fuck, yes!" Yi Peizhi blurted out in a loud voice. Realizing that he had gotten too carried away, he cleared his throat and lowered his voice, though the excitement in his tone was palpable. "Of course, it’s more than enough! What kind of scandal are we talking about here? Don’t tell me... does it have something to do with the mutants in the news?"
As expected of the Violent Crime Unit’s Captain, his instinct was sharp and keen. Unfortunately, He Juan had no intention to divulge more, as he already obtained what he came here for. The police had gotten nothing on him, and the entire cooperation was bordering on a farce. He could finally be rest assured when he confirmed this. "You will find out when the time comes," he said and tossed a phone to the man. "Keep this. We will use it to communicate from now on. If you have any news, you can directly reach me there."
He Juan finished the last dregs of his lukewarm tea and rose to his feet, "I guess that’s enough for today. I still have matters to attend to, so please excuse me." He grabbed his jacket, slung it over his arm and walked to the door. But before he could leave, Yi Peizhi’s voice sounded behind him,
"You do know that the news is spreading unnaturally fast, right? It’s too quick and directed. It’s clear that someone is fanning the flames, and their ultimate target is most likely you. Do you have any ideas who that might be? Someone who’s powerful enough to have connections with the higher-ups in the city bureau?"
He Juan paused, a sliver of coldness flickering in his eyes. Of course he knew. Since the moment he saw the news for the first time, he already had an inkling about the person who was stirring up troubles behind the scenes. Of all the people in this world, only he dared to toy with He Juan like this.
He tilted his head sideways and showed a polite yet distant smile. "I appreciate the warning, Captain Yi. However, I believe that I can handle the situation on my own. Until next time." With those words, he turned his gaze to the front and exited the room.
As he was walking, He Juan’s mind churned with thoughts. The person who was the best at manipulating people’s hearts and guiding public opinion to the direction he wanted... there was only Ku Jin.
But here comes the question—
Was Ku Jin doing this just to mess with him or... was he moving on someone’s order?
