Captured By The Cold Detective (BL)-Chapter 498: Two Can Play The Game
He Juan’s thumb instinctively moved to the green button, only to halt midway. Marius was not the type to call without a reason. They had not even contacted each other since the day Marius’ name was exposed to the FBI, knowing that they each had their own matters to tend to. So why would Marius be reaching out to him now?
Had he, by any chance, come to know about the shocking and despicable act He Juan had almost committed earlier?
He Juan checked the time and saw that almost ten minutes had passed since he left the villa. That was more than enough time for Ye Qiu to call Marius and let him know what had happened. Of course, Ye Qiu would turn to seek Marius for help, after all they were...
Oh God, Ye Qiu was the woman Marius adored, the person he cherished and held in high regard. He had even asked He Juan to take care of her when he was away, and just now He Juan had almost...!
He Juan squeezed his eyes shut as a pang of guilt stabbed into his heart. There was no way Marius would forgive him if he were to know. This was not about a classic reason of ’hoes before bros’ or something like that, but purely an Alpha’s possessive and territorial side speaking. It was in their nature to become hostile towards anyone who posed a threat to what they considered theirs, especially if it was another Alpha.
More so when it was a superior Alpha like He Juan.
Taking a deep breath, He Juan tried to quell the suffocation on his chest to no avail, and a wry smile formed on his lips. Forget it, this was something he had to face sooner or later. He had to own up to his mistakes rather than running away like a coward again. With a determined exhale, he steeled himself and picked up the call right before it went to voicemail.
"Hello, XIU? Why did you take so long to answer? Is everything alright on your end?"
A sickening wave of relief flooded his chest upon hearing that Marius’ tone was no different than normal. Still the same gentleness, still the same warmth. Did it mean Ye Qiu had not called him, after all? He Juan licked his dry lips and willed himself to speak in the most casual tone, though inwardly he was testing the waters. "Sorry, I was dealing with something just now. What’s wrong, M? Do you need something?"
He had expected Marius to ask about Ye Qiu, or at least inquire about the latest developments in the police’s pursuit, thus he was utterly caught off guard when Marius said with a tone that held unusual tension, "I came across something strange, so I can’t help but consult you first. Pardon me for asking, XIU, but have you accidentally shared any information about Golden Sand in passing to your men or anyone from Xuanlong?"
He Juan was startled, and in an instant all the tangled thoughts in his mind vanished to be replaced by a foreboding sensation that gripped his chest. "Xuanlong? No, never. I have and would never discuss Golden Sand with anyone, especially with my men or anyone from Xuanlong. Did something happen?"
A prolonged silence hung in the air, and He Juan did not even realize he was holding his breath until Marius dropped a bomb on him. "A potential buyer has reached out to me with the intention of purchasing a huge quantity of Golden Sand. Their terms are highly favorable and to be honest, difficult to refuse."
He Juan’s heart lurched and his eyes widened in utter disbelief. Don’t tell him...
"The buyer is Xuanlong," Marius revealed, and in that moment, He Juan felt as if the ground had crumbled beneath him and he was sinking to the dark abyss below. His heart chilled with dread.
Amidst the ringing in his ears, he heard his own voice stammering, his tone filled with bewilderment. "I... I didn’t... I have never heard of this before." He had been managing Xuanlong in Luo Xuan’s absence, so logically speaking, every transaction that was done under the name of Xuanlong needed to go through him. But this? He had no prior knowledge of this major deal whatsoever. Either the Xuanlong contacting Marius was a fake one, or there was only one person... one person who could directly bypass He Juan’s authority...
Marius’ response only served to consolidate his doubt. "I suspected as much," he hummed. "Rather than the organization itself, I have a hunch that it’s your Boss who reached out to me."
He Juan let out a shaky exhale, feeling as if someone had punched him in the gut. He raked his fingers through his hair, and a soundless laugh escaped his lips, tinged with mockery and bitterness. He should have known. He should have known that Luo Xuan was not the kind of person who did something in a half-assed manner. The moment he exposed Marius’ identity to the Interpol, he must have been planning for this. He had already raised the blade, ready to strike, just waiting for the right time to let it fall...
"It’s a trap," He Juan’s voice came out more like a hiss, anger simmering within every fiber of his being. What did Luo Xuan take him as? As if using the organization fund for his private research was not enough, he still wanted to use it as a trapping net for Marius? For his best friend and good brother? "M, it’s a fucking trap! The Interpol is going to be there to ambush you! You must not go through with this deal!"
He Juan put the phone on speaker as he shifted the gearstick, "Wait for me a bit. I’m heading to the headquarters now and—"
"I have already agreed."
"What?!" The car, which had only moved half a meter forward, came to an abrupt stop as He Juan stepped on the brake. He snapped his gaze to the phone in thick incredulity, unable to believe what he was hearing. He felt like he was spiraling into madness, and worse Marius did not sound flustered at all! If even He Juan could see through the trap, why couldn’t Marius? And yet he still went ahead and—
"Calm down, XIU," Marius’ composed tone interrupted his racing thoughts, yanking him back to the present. "Don’t confront them. It will be even better if you keep acting like you know nothing."
He Juan very seldom cursed in Marius’ presence, but this time the words slipped out of his lips involuntarily. "What the fuck, M?!"
"Listen to me," Marius tried to persuade him. "I know it’s a trap. Of course, I know. And I’m fairly certain they have also predicted this. If I back out now, I’d be falling right into their hands. If they want to set up a trap for me, then the two can play the game."
Marius’ confident and assured demeanor struck him speechless. "You... have a plan?"
"Of course I do," the blue-eyed man chuckled. "I am never one to sit back and accept it when someone provokes me. If they are going against me, the least I can do is play their game, right?"
This was the main difference between He Juan and Marius. While He Juan would always try to seek the most peaceful way out and make compromises, Marius never shied away from a challenge. He was bold, fearless and capable. He knew his own strengths very well and continuously strived to push his limits. It was this very quality that kept him securely in the position as the head of the Morningstar Clan and the drug lord of Myanmar.
He was Marius Morningstar, after all. If Luo Xuan believed that he could be brought down by this, he had severely underestimated the man.
He Juan had a hundred percent trust in Marius’ capability, but it still did not prevent him from getting a headache. One was the Boss he had sworn allegiance to, while the other was someone he had taken as a brother. Just how did they end up at this point?
Pinching his brows, he ultimately acquiesced to Marius’ approach for now and asked, "So, what plan do you have in mind?"
