Captured By The Cold Detective (BL)-Chapter 499: XIU, Blight Of The Nation

As per the initial arrangement, the transaction was scheduled to take place three days later in international waters.

This was by no means an ordinary transaction— thousands of grams of Golden Sand were at stake, with a price tag that could easily reach into the billions. Naturally, the Interpol would not squander such a brilliant opportunity to set up an ambush, determined to seize such a lucrative and exorbitantly-priced narcotic.

On the very day of their phone call, Marius deliberately tipped off Myanmar’s anti-drug enforcement officers about the impending major deal, and the next day, a special investigation team was formed to target the locations where these kinds of transactions usually went down, all in an effort to seize the illicit substance and thwart the exchange.

In the midst of the ensuing chaos, Marius took advantage of the situation to use the police’s pursuit as an excuse to change the game. He explained how the authorities had been hot on his trail and it would be difficult for him to move such a massive quantity of drugs in a short span of time. As a result, the main deal was pushed back by five days. This breathing room allowed Marius to prepare the firearms he needed and modify the boat he was going to use later on.

As the global news coverage intensified, reports began to circulate that the other party involved in the transaction was none other than Xuanlong. When these details reached the national news channel, XIU received yet another backlash, for his name had become synonymous with Xuanlong. Whenever Xuanlong was mentioned in the news, then XIU would always be the first person who came to mind.

Everyone completely forgot that XIU was not even the leader of Xuanlong in the first place.

Seizing on this rising tide, the police rode the momentum to further tarnish XIU’s reputation. They portrayed him as a ruthless drug dealer who was obsessed with wealth and power. Even though a few voices attempted to speak up for him – presumably the people whom he had saved before – their positive remarks were swiftly drowned in a deluge of negative comments from the other netizens. Even those who dared to voice support for him would be hounded by an onslaught of criticism until they dared not make an appearance anymore.

In the end, the title bestowed upon him by citizens – the Uncrowned Hero of Justice – had become a laughing joke.

Black materials surfaced one after another, yet their authenticity remained unproved. They had only curses and blame to offer, casting him as a blight on the nation, yet ironically they did not even know what he looked like. It was as though venting their frustrations against him granted a spiritual satisfaction, as though the entire country had united for the very first time against an evil force.

Everything seemed to align perfectly with the police’s plan.

On the other hand, He Juan, who was in the limelight and the target of over ten thousand daily curses, couldn’t care less about what was happening.

His entire focus was locked onto He Xie’s recovery and well-being. Following their huge fight in the funeral parlor, He Xie had given him a call when the night began its descent on the very same day, asking for his address.

He Juan was simply ecstatic that his little brother was still willing to talk to him. For fear that he would worsen He Xie’s mood, he dared not ask where the young man had gone and simply provided the address of the condominium he had stayed in for one night before. Naturally, he had arranged for a cleaning service and the necessary furniture to be set up. And thus when He Xie arrived, he did not even realize that the place had been vacant, presuming it had been He Juan’s residence all along.

The two brothers decided to order take out and share an awkward dinner, with He Juan trying to make small talk while He Xie only responded with one or two word sentences. It was apparent that he still couldn’t bring himself to get along with He Juan like he usually did.

If this situation went on, He Juan had been prepared to forgo his plan to tag along with Marius and infiltrate the transaction. But fortunately, He Xie’s gloomy state was broken the morning of the fourth day as he took the initiative to greet He Juan, "...Good morning, Ge." Even though he did not meet He Juan’s eyes when he said so, the simple gesture was more than enough to uplift He Juan’s spirits for the entire day.

The brothers’ relationship slowly began to mend, yet none of them brought up Xia Weisheng, as if he was a pandora box that could bring about malevolence and ruin.

One evening during dinner, He Xie finally broached the topic with an awkward look, "You... don’t have to go to work?" He Juan had been here with him the whole time and never left. Even quick runs to the convenience store downstairs for necessities had turned into a walk for two.

Alas, He Juan couldn’t possibly admit that he was concerned over He Xie’s mental state and feared that the young man would harbor some impulsive thoughts following Xia Weisheng’s death, so he could only lie and say, "En, the company is not too busy these days."

He Xie took one look at him and whispered, "Liar."

He Juan was rendered speechless. Was it so easy to see through him now? 𝗳𝗿𝐞𝕖𝘄𝗲𝕓𝗻𝚘𝚟𝕖𝐥.𝚌𝕠𝕞

However, He Xie did not elaborate further; instead, he made a request, "Ge, I want to go back to Guangnan. To the place where A–Sheng and I lived." This was the first time he had ever mentioned Xia Weisheng since the day they visited the funeral parlor and He Juan couldn’t help but observe him more intently. Despite the lingering traces of sorrow in his eyes which might take months or even years to fade, he looked much calmer and more composed now. Just like the young man He Juan was accustomed to.

Still, He Juan couldn’t be rest assured to leave He Xie alone, especially at a time like this. He began, "Okay, then I will—"

"No need," He Xie cut him off, having guessed what he was about to say. "I know I have overreacted that day and made you worried, but trust me, Ge." He raised his eyelids and forced a smile on his face. Though faint, it was still genuine nonetheless. "I am not as fragile as you think. I can take care of myself and... I need some time alone. Also, don’t lie to me that your company is not busy. I’ve seen the lights on under your door in the middle of the night. And do you think I can’t hear your phone buzzing all day?"

He Juan scratched his cheeks with a sheepish look. It turned out that putting his phone on vibrate alone was not enough; he should have silenced it altogether instead.

Perhaps perceiving He Juan’s unease, He Xie finally struck a compromise, "You can take care of your business first and come see me after you’re done, how about it? I’ve also got a store to manage..." he paused and took a deep breath, his tone tinged with bitterness. "It’s the clothing store A–Sheng and I set up. I don’t want all of our hard work to go to waste just like that. I want to keep running it, Ge."

In the wake of Xia Weisheng’s passing, He Juan had investigated the reason why the two of them were in Yuyang, which was a few stations away from the city they lived in. It turned out that they were here to deliver their first order. A pair of highschool sweethearts, newly graduated with limitless future awaiting them, yet in the end they had to be forcibly separated by the scythe of death. He Juan’s heart ached terribly for his little brother’s loss. Alas, hearing his intent to continue operating the store brought a measure of relief to He Juan as well. At least, He Xie would have something to do, an activity that kept him occupied all day rather than being consumed by sorrow.

The young man continued, "Also... I’m sorry, Ge, for accusing you of prioritizing your job over me. I know that you have been working hard to raise me and make sure that I never lacked for anything. I... I shouldn’t have said those words to you..." he whispered, the shame and guilt on his face evident.

He Juan couldn’t help the way his eyes reddened when he heard his little brother’s words. He could not actually describe what he was feeling. He was happy that He Xie could understand him, that’s for sure. Yet beneath it was also a profound sorrow, for he knew that he was the one who had compelled He Xie to grow this way, to mature earlier than he should have. As painful as it might be, he almost wished He Xie had thrown tantrums and screamed at him, giving voice to his grievance and frustration, so he would be able to rectify his mistakes. So he would not only realize them once everything was too late.

But deep down he knew that He Xie would never act that way. His little brother was too kind and gentle to demand anything more from He Juan. The instance from before had been a mere lapse of control, and He Xie already seemed to regret it very much.

He Juan brought the corner of his lips up. "Okay," he responded. "Take care on your way back, and don’t forget to text me when you arrive."

Truth to be told, this arrangement suited He Juan as well, given that traveling between cities was currently a bit inconvenient for him with the amount of patrols and inspections set up on every station and toll booth. Plus, he could also seize the opportunity to make sure that Luo Xuan would not pose a threat to Marius. The transaction, if he counted the time it took to reach the location, would take two days at most, and he would be able to return to He Xie after that. Then...

"Let’s live together," He Juan suggested, catching the other off guard. "Whether you want to stay in your old house or not, it doesn’t matter. Ge will just buy a house nearby. Or if you want a change in scenery, just tell me, okay? I will see if I can purchase a good property there."

He Xie snorted, not quite believing his words because he was very aware of his elder brother’s workaholic nature. "Sure, once you’re done with your business here."

"Alright," He Juan grinned. "You’ve got a deal."

The next morning, He Juan drove his brother to the nearest train station and watched him blend into the bustling crowd. Only once he had fully disappeared from sight did He Juan give his subordinate a call, "Proceed with the plan. Let’s head to Myanmar now."

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A/N: Hi everyone! Just wanna give a heads-up that I will take two days break and return on 2nd Sept, because the following scenes after this will be a little - no, actually very hard to write QAQ - both technically and mentally. I’d like to ask for your understanding if I’m a little slow later on because I want to deliver nothing but the best >< thank you so much for being here with me until now <3<3

and yes, I’m sure you can sense it. We’re getting very, very close to the end of this volume :)