Captured By The Cold Detective (BL)-Chapter 533: Early Retirement?
When He Juan came to again, the sky outside had turned completely dark.
For a while, he felt utterly disoriented as he took in the unfamiliar room before him, unable to piece together his fragmented memory. It wasn’t until he tried to move and a sharp throb of pain seared through his back that he abruptly recalled what had transpired.
Ah, that’s right. He had asked Jia Molei to remove his tattoo for him. The doctor must have drugged him in the end, seeing how he managed to stay unconscious even as he was moved to another room.
A soft click sounded before the door swung open, and He Juan turned to find Chen Youzhi standing on the doorway. "You’re awake, Boss? Doctor Jia said that you would regain consciousness around this time. Are you hungry? There’s some porridge in the kitchen. Or should I call Doctor Jia for you? He’s disinfecting the sterile room right now."
He Juan shook his head quietly, the corner of his lips curving into a faint smile when he detected the obvious concern in Chen Youzhi’s tone. "It’s okay, I’m fine," he assured, though it earned him a disapproving frown from the other.
He Juan was not lying. Despite the agonizing pain and extreme discomfort, his heart felt oddly... light and carefree, now that he no longer had the tattoo on his back. It was like he had broken free from the chains that had bound him, injecting him with boundless energy to commence his next plan.
"Pass me a shirt," he told Chen Youzhi, and the man swiftly retrieved the ironed black shirt from the couch, which had no doubt been prepared beforehand. He hovered around anxiously as He Juan struggled to put it in, and eventually, he couldn’t resist offering his assistance,
"Do you need some help, Boss?"
He Juan merely let out a light scoff in response and slipped his hand into the sleeve, straightening the shirt and buttoning it, using the silence to fill the answer. Perhaps because this was not the first time, He Juan found himself adjusting much quicker than he had expected. Besides, if he were to ask Chen Youzhi’s help for such a simple thing, where would he put his dignity as an Alpha? He said none of those things to Chen Youzhi though. Instead, he inquired, "About the thing I asked you to prepare, have you done it?"
Chen Youzhi’s pupils dilated in shock. "Boss, you..."
He Juan found his phone on the nightstand, fully charged. He did not even need to think to know who had done it for him. He walked over to Chen Youzhi and patted his shoulder in gratitude. "The plan has to be moved forward," he said. "I don’t have much time left."
For what? Chen Youzhi wanted to ask. Why do you look as if you’re in a hurry? What are you planning to do?
Alas, he knew that hoping to get some answers from He Juan’s mouth was more difficult than witnessing a field of flowers flourishing in the peak of winter, thus he could only swallow the questions back to his stomach and sighed, "Everything is ready."
"Good," He Juan sent a message through his phone before slipping it into his pocket. "We will meet everyone in an hour."
***
Late into the night, He Juan stood before Xuanlong’s headquarters, staring up at the building that had become extremely familiar to him over the past decade. It was the fruit he had nurtured for years, a symbol of his labor and devotion, but now when he looked at it again, all he could feel was profound disgust and repulsion. For this was no longer the Xuanlong he knew.
Suppressing the bile that rose in his throat, he walked through the main doors, Chen Youzhi trailing behind him. They entered the elevator and ascended to the third floor, heading toward the auditorium hall.
He remembered; this was the very place where he had sworn allegiance to Luo Xuan, vowing that he would dedicate himself to assisting and supporting Luo Xuan’s vision.
This was where it all started, and now, it was also where it all ended.
As they entered the hall, hundreds of eyes turned toward him, and the attendees bowed in unison. Almost all of the people who had worked alongside him were here, and He Juan offered them a nod in return as he made his way to the front stage. The air was silent, tense, and sizzling with some kind of anticipation.
He Juan took his place at the podium, sweeping his gaze over everyone’s present before he spoke into the microphone. "Thank you all for coming on such short notice," he began, his tone measured. "I really appreciate it, even though I’m afraid that I have to deliver some shocking news. From now on, Xuanlong is no more."
That bomb dropped out of nowhere, and everyone could only stare at him in shock, still processing what they had just heard.
He Juan continued anyway, "Xuanlong has thrived because of the collective effort and dedication of all of you. As a token of appreciation, all assets and funds held by Xuanlong will be divided equally among its members. Our legal department is working on the details as I speak, and you will receive official notices in the coming days. I repeat, from now on, Xuanlong is no more."
As if a switch was flipped, the atmosphere exploded in an instant as everyone clamored for answers. The questions varied, but the gist was more or less the same: Why? Why so sudden? What had brought forth this change?
He Juan, however, chose not to delve further into the details. It was not the kind of explanation he could address in one or two sentences, and he had no intention of discussing it with anyone. He concluded his short and mind-boggling speech with, "Let me express my deepest gratitude to each of you for your unwavering dedication and hard work."
Then he stepped down from the podium, faced the crowd and bowed ninety degrees as a sign of respect. In an instant, all the noises died down and only a hushed silence remained.
"Boss—" Chen Youzhi rushed forward to help him up, but He Juan gestured for him to stop. He straightened up, ignored the piercing pain on his body, and walked out of this place without looking back. Of course, some people chased after him, demanding an explanation. They were none other than his closest subordinates, Huang Zhiyan included.
"Boss! What the hell..."
"Can you explain it to us?!"
"Yeah, where did this come from? Is it because Xuanlong is going bankrupt?!"
He Juan stopped in his tracks and let out a wistful sigh, "There’s simply no need for Xuanlong to exist anymore, if it only brings harm to others."
His vague explanation only left the men more baffled than ever.
"Old Chen!" Huang Zhiyan turned to Chen Youzhi, the only one who usually did not hesitate to speak his mind. "Don’t you have anything to say about this?! Also, what happened to your face?!"
To everyone’s surprise, Chen Youzhi merely lowered his gaze and shook his head this time, which was very uncharacteristically himself. The others were rendered utterly speechless, and one of them stuttered, "B–But... what about the Big Boss? Has he—"
"He will know when the time comes," He Juan replied with a resolute tone. Though when he does, he will find that Xuanlong is no more than a shell company, he added inwardly.
The men exchanged glances, realizing that their protests would have no impact on He Juan’s decision. This was not something which could be done within a night, meaning that He Juan must have been preparing himself for this moment for quite some time, and nothing would deter him now. However...
"Does it mean I no longer have to follow you, Boss? One of the men muttered in a loss. "Then what should I do now?"
Now that they no longer had to work, they only felt confused and disoriented about their futures.
"You can do anything you want," He Juan’s eyes softened as he told them. What he did not say was that he had also liquidated every asset under his name and divided them equally among these men. Even Chen Youzhi had no idea about this at all. That huge sum of money should be enough to last them until old days as long as they did not squander it carelessly. "Fishing, gardening, farming— you can take it easy and rest. Wash your hands off the underworld, and live an honest life. But before that..."
He Juan pinched his brows in exhaustion. "I need all of you to go abroad to lay low for a while. This matter will surely get in the headline news soon, and I don’t want you to get dragged into this mess. I will have to ask you to endure this for a while, at least until the news dies down."
The group’s initial shock and uncertainty quickly transformed into excitement and optimism. Huang Zhiyan stepped forward and flashed a wide grin, "Is that a free vacation you’re talking about, Boss?"
"Ah, I’ve never been overseas. I’ve always wanted to do it at least once in my life!"
"Fishing, gardening and farming, huh? They sound really good. It will be our early retirement, don’t you think so?"
"Just in time, I’ve gotten tired of punching and fighting people left and right."
He Juan watched his subordinates eagerly discuss their potential new lives with smiles on their faces, the tension of moments ago fading away. He took advantage of the lively atmosphere to slip away from the group and walked out of the building. The biting cold hit him immediately, causing him to shiver as he made his way through the snow-covered ground toward his car.
Faint crunching sounds reverberated in the air with each step he took, with another series following close behind him.
It was not until he reached the car that Chen Youzhi finally deigned to break the silence. Unlike the others, his brows were pinched into a deep frown. "Is that what you are going to do, Boss? An early retirement?"
A quiet puff of laughter escaped He Juan’s lips. "Yes, you could say that." He turned to face Chen Youzhi, a playful glint in his eyes, "You should consider it too. With your skills, you can do so many things. Open a restaurant, start a handmade craft business..."
Chen Youzhi interrupted him with a helpless look lest He Juan would go on and on without stopping, "I will think about it."
"Good," He Juan offered him a smile. "Don’t involve yourself in the underworld again, Chen’er. From now on, live the life you’ve always dreamed of. I’m sure you can make it happen."
