When the report arrived from the Harbor City police, it confirmed what they had suspected when they recovered Huo Jiayou’s body from the sea: he had died after his vital organs had been harvested.
“These people are absolutely ruthless,” Xia Ling frowned. “They don’t just traffic people; now they traffic human organs too! But the place where we found Huo Jiayou wasn’t far offshore, so they most likely carried out the operation at sea. If we hadn’t found him, his body would have been eaten by fish or decomposed in the ocean until he disappeared from the world without a trace. No one would ever have known what he’d gone through.”
“Performing surgery at sea is discreet enough,” Kong Qinmao nodded, “but it still requires surgical equipment, medical personnel, patients, and post-operative care. An ordinary vessel couldn’t support an operation like that. Whoever’s behind this has a powerful organization.”
“And considering they’ve been transporting people overseas all this time, they must have a well-established shipping network,” Ling Yue added. “We suspected they had accomplices in China before. Now it looks like those accomplices are probably the ones providing transportation.”
“Xin Rong worked for Taiyi Shipping,” Xia Ling looked up. “Taiyi is one of the biggest companies in the maritime transport industry, and Xin Rong knew Li Cheng and Qu Mingzhe. Could Taiyi be involved?”
However, Zhang Tianhua shook his head thoughtfully, answering, “No matter how capable Xin Rong was, he was still just a senior executive. If this was really happening through Taiyi, there’s no way he could have hidden it from the company’s upper management. If Taiyi is involved, Xin Rong was probably just the liaison. The people higher up are the ones who really participated.”
“If Taiyi really is involved,” Kong Qinmao sighed, “that’ll be one tough nut to crack.”
“Could this be connected to the deaths of Xin Rong, Li Cheng, and Ju Jiezhen?” Ling Yue asked.
“So someone silenced Xin Rong,” Kong Qinmao guessed, “and Li Cheng and Ju Jiezhen got caught in it too?”
While everyone was discussing the case, Old Wei, the security guard downstairs, called the office. “Officer Xia,” he said, “Grandma Liao and Liao Wenwen are at the entrance asking to see you.”
Xia Ling immediately headed downstairs. Grandma Liao had already learned what had happened to her granddaughter, and the older woman seemed to have aged years overnight. There was noticeably more gray in her hair, and the exhaustion on her face had deepened.
As soon as she saw Xia Ling, she said helplessly, “Officer Xia, I’m so sorry… Wenwen keeps insisting on seeing her father. I can’t calm her down anymore. She’s been crying so much the neighbors have started complaining. I really don’t know what else to do. Could you please let her see her father?”
Looking at the sweat covering both grandmother and granddaughter after their trip, Xia Ling said gently, “Please come inside and rest in the lobby first. I’ll go ask my supervisor.”
Back upstairs, she reported to Han Huaixiao: “Captain Han, Wenwen wants to see her father. Grandma Liao couldn’t persuade her otherwise, so she brought her here.”
Family visits weren’t permitted during detention, but still, Han Huaixiao said, “I’ll go down and speak with them.”
However, not long after he went downstairs, Old Wei called again.
“A young woman named Xin You is here with an elderly couple. They say they’re looking for Captain Han. Should I let them in?”
“What’s with today?!” Xia Ling blinked. “Everyone picked the same day to come… Let them in.”
Downstairs, Han Huaixiao saw Grandma Liao and Liao Wenwen sitting quietly in a corner. Being in an unfamiliar environment had made the girl anxious, and she clung tightly to her grandmother.
He walked over at an unhurried pace, introducing himself, “Hello. I’m Han Huaixiao, captain of the Major Crimes Unit.”
“Captain Han, hello!” Grandma Liao hurriedly stood up, and Han Huaixiao motioned for her to sit again.
“Officer Xia already told me why you’ve come. I’m truly sorry, but we still can’t allow Wenwen to visit her father.”
“I understand,” Grandma Liao said with a weary smile. “But she has been making such a fuss that I had no choice but to bring her here and try our luck.” Then, she looked at her granddaughter before asking quietly, “Captain Han… why has Wenwen’s father been detained? When will he be able to come home?”
“An investigation requires evidence,” Han Huaixiao replied. “There are still questions we haven’t answered, but we’ll do everything we can to find the truth as quickly as possible.”
“Wenwen has had such a hard life,” Grandma Liao stroked her granddaughter’s hair. “Her mother… she’s worse than an animal. To treat her own daughter like that…” Her voice trembled. “I’m old now. Her father is all she has left. I justhope you’ll uncover the truth soon and let him come home.”
“Your son killed my son, and you still expect him to come home?! Dream on!”
The furious shout cut through the lobby. Han Huaixiao turned and saw Xin You standing with two older people beside her. Judging by their resemblance, they had to be Xin Rong’s parents.
The elderly couple’s faces were twisted with anger as they charged toward Grandma Liao and Wenwen, but Han Huaixiao immediately stepped between them.
“Please calm down. We can talk this through.”
Xin Rong’s mother ignored him completely, reaching past him to claw at Grandma Liao.
“My son’s dead! Your son shouldn’t get to live either! He couldn’t control his own wife; she seduced my son, then your family murdered him! Every one of you deserves to die!”
Han Huaixiao blocked her outstretched hand, but with both hands occupied, he couldn’t stop Liao Wenwen. Terrified by the chaos, she let out a piercing scream and slammed her head against the wall.
Just as she was about to hit it a second time, Xin You rushed over and wrapped her arms around the girl.
“Wenwen, don’t do this. You’ll frighten your grandma… It’s okay. It’s okay now. Don’t be afraid…”
Xia Ling had come downstairs right after finishing her phone call, worried Han Huaixiao might not be able to handle both families alone. She was still a step too late.
She hurried over, intending to pull Wenwen away, only to discover that the girl, whose strength usually became frightening whenever she was overstimulated, had actually calmed down in Xin You’s embrace.
Surprised, Xia Ling quickly moved to separate Grandma Liao from Xin Rong’s parents.
“The case is still under investigation,” she said. “We don’t know who the murderer is yet. Please calm down.”
“If it wasn’t her son, then who else could it be?!” Xin Rong’s father glared furiously. “He killed my son because he couldn’t stand his wife seducing him! It’s that simple! Yet your Major Crimes Unit keeps dragging the investigation out. Some Major Crimes Unit you are, you bunch of useless fools! Living off taxpayers’ money while protecting murderers! It’s a disgrace to the entire public security and judicial system!”
Xia Ling instantly flared up and was about to snap back when Han Huaixiao caught her arm.
“If we wanted to protect someone,” he looked coldly at the old man, “it would be much easier not to investigate at all. Why would we bother spending all this time looking into the case?”
The old man was left speechless.
“You… You’re the captain of the Major Crimes Unit, and this is how you speak to a victim’s family?!”
Han Huaixiao replied evenly, “Officer number XXXXXXX. That’s my badge number. Feel free to file a complaint.”
“…”
“What’s going on here?”
Yan Zheng suddenly appeared, and Xia Ling immediately explained, “Chief Yan, they accused Captain Han of protecting a murderer! They even said we’re a disgrace to the public security and judicial system!”
Yan Zheng’s expression darkened for an instant before returning to normal. Without another word, he politely invited Xin Rong’s parents into another reception room.
But before leaving, Xin Rong’s mother shot Xin You a venomous glare, mumbling, “You ungrateful little ingrate! Your father treated you so well, and you’re helping his enemies!”
Xin You remained silent, not even looking at her. Still fuming, Xin Rong’s mother followed Yan Zheng away.
Comforted by Xin You, Liao Wenwen had finally calmed down and quietly leaned against her grandmother again.
Han Huaixiao turned to Xia Ling, saying, “Arrange for someone to take them home.”
Once everyone else had left, only Han Huaixiao and Xin You remained.
“Have some water,” he said, pouring her a glass.
Xin You accepted it and held the cup in both hands. “Thank you.”
“You know Liao Wenwen?” Han Huaixiao looked at her.
“No,” Xin You answered.
“Really? Then why did you call her Wenwen just now?”
“I heard her grandmother say ‘Wenwen’s father’ outside the door,” Xin You replied calmly. “There wasn’t anyone else here she could have been referring to.”
With that, Han Huaixiao watched her for a moment before changing the subject: “Xin You, why did you take a part-time job at a bar before your father died?”
A little water sloshed over the rim of the cup in her hands and onto the back of her hand. Unhurried, she set the cup down, took a tissue from her crossbody bag, and wiped the water away.
“A lot of university students have part-time jobs. I’d never had one before, so I wanted to try it. It wasn’t as interesting as I expected, so I quit after half a month.”
“Why a bar?” Han Huaixiao asked. “You don’t seem like someone who enjoys noisy places.”
“The bar is noisy,” Xin You admitted, “but you meet all kinds of people there. Working in that environment lets you quickly gain experience dealing with different people.”
“Captain Han… are you investigating me?” She looked at him.
“I am.” He met her gaze. “But you don’t seem surprised.”
“I wasn’t biologically related to my father. After he died, I became the biggest beneficiary of his estate. It’s only natural for you to investigate me.”
“Did you drive your grandparents here today?”
“No. I don’t have a driver’s license. We took a taxi.”
“I still have work to do,” Han Huaixiao nodded. “Stay here and wait for them. They should be coming down soon.”
“All right.”
As Han Huaixiao reached the door, Xin You suddenly called after him.
“Captain Han.”
“Yes?”
“Do many people say things like that about you?” She looked at him quietly, and Han Huaixiao immediately understood she was referring to Xin Rong’s father. “They treat you that badly?”
However, Han Huaixiao didn’t answer. Instead, he asked, “Do you think we’re the kind of people he says we are?”
“I don’t think so,” Xin You lowered her head with a faint, self-deprecating smile. “But my own judgment is easy to get wrong. My instincts have failed me again and again.”
There was obviously something beneath those words, so Han Huaixiao asked, “For example?”
“It’s nothing,” She only shook her head. “Just a passing thought.”
In the end, Han Huaixiao took out a slip of paper, wrote down a phone number, and handed it to her.
“If you have another passing thought, give me a call.”
Xin You accepted it, but still asked, “Aren’t you worried I’ll misunderstand your intentions?”
“I’m gay,” Han Huaixiao answered evenly. “And there’s someone I like.”
With that, Xin You stared at the paper in silence for a long moment before saying softly, “Captain Han… I look forward to the day you uncover the truth.”
Han Huaixiao gave her a small nod before returning to the Major Crimes office, but the moment he walked in, he said to Xia Ling, “Xin You knows Liao Wenwen. Find out how they met.”
“They don’t seem like they’d ever cross paths, yet they know each other?” Xia Liang looked surprised.
“I clearly heard her call ‘Wenwen’ just now.”
“Got it. I’ll look into it.”
Han Huaixiao was about to return to his office when Kong Qinmao stopped him.
“Captain Han, last time you asked me to investigate whether Li Cheng and Xin Rong had any unusual… preferences. I talked to Manager Liu.”
“He said he’d never seen Li Cheng fool around with the young men or women at the club. At first he thought Li Cheng might be impotent. But on two occasions, he saw Li Cheng bring in women much older than himself.”
“So it turns out he wasn’t interested in younger people at all. He liked older, married women.”
Ling Yue, who had been listening nearby, immediately chimed in: “That’s… still a pretty usual taste. That would explain why Ju Jiezhen had Li Cheng’s semen on her body, while Liao Wenwen didn’t. But then why was Xin Rong also interested in Ju Jiezhen?”
“No idea,” Kong Qinmao spread his hands. “Xin Rong had a terrible temper at work, but nobody seemed to know he was seeing someone. Everyone thought he was devoted to his late wife.”
“But I found out that Xin You’s mother, Tang Lan, died of liver cancer. From diagnosis to death, it was only three months. During those three months, she was basically hospitalized the entire time.”
“The doctors and nurses all said Xin Rong showed up fewer than five times.”
“What about Xin You?” Han Huaixiao frowned. “Did she take care of her mother?”
“Not really. She rarely visited too. The doctors said hired caregivers mostly looked after Tang Lan. But they did say that every time Xin You came, Tang Lan would scold her.”
“What did she scold her for?”
“I… didn’t ask in detail.” Kong Qinmao scratched his head awkwardly.
“Go back to the hospital right now,” Han Huaixiao instructed. “Find out exactly what happened between Xin You and Tang Lan while Tang Lan was hospitalized.”
“Understood.”
“Wen Yu,” Han Huaixiao continued, “pull up all the chat records between Xin Rong and Xin You. See if anything stands out.”
“On it.”
After giving his instructions, Han Huaixiao glanced around the office, asking, “Where’s Xia Hang? I haven’t seen him.”
Ever since realizing Xia Hang was very likely Han Huaixiao’s ex-boyfriend, Ling Yue had been dying to confirm it. Finally seeing an opportunity, he blurted out, “Captain Han, why are you so concerned about Brother Hang?”
“Do you have that much free time?” Han Huaixiao looked at him.
“I’m not free,” Ling Yue protested, “but my curiosity is about to explode. Captain Han… that ex-boyfriend you mentioned before… was it Brother Hang?”
Han Huaixiao glanced around the office. Everyone else’s ears were obviously perked up as well, so the corner of his mouth curved into a smile.
“You want to know?”
“Very much!” Ling Yue nodded so hard his head almost bounced.
“If you want to know,” Han Huaixiao turned and walked toward his office, “go ask Brother Hang.” With that, he disappeared inside and immediately called Xia Hang.
“Where are you?”
“Over at the Narcotics Division.”
“What are you doing over there?” Han Huaixiao frowned.
“Didn’t Brother He find traces of a new type of drug in Xin Rong and the others? The Narcotics Division followed up and uncovered something suspicious. Chief Yan asked me to come take a look.”
“You can take a look,” Han Huaixiao said, “but don’t get involved in the Narcotics Division’s investigation.”
“…Okay.”
“When you’re done, come back immediately.”
The Narcotics Division’s conference room was filled with the glow of the large display screen. On the left were the known categories and chemical compositions of existing drugs. On the right was the chemical profile of the new synthetic drug detected in Xin Rong, Ju Jiezhen, and Li Cheng.
Yan Hong, captain of the Narcotics Division, saw Yan Zheng enter and reported, “Chief Yan, based on our investigation and information from our informants, this new drug has only recently entered Lang City. It’s still circulating within a very limited network.”
“Where is it coming from?” Yan Zheng asked.
“The Golden Triangle,” Yan Hong replied. “That’s the most reliable intelligence we have.”
Yan Zheng’s gaze drifted briefly toward Xia Hang before he said casually, “Wasn’t the Sheng Jun Group, the largest drug syndicate in the Golden Triangle, dismantled? Other than Sheng Jun, who else would have the capability to develop a new drug?”
“Before Sheng Jun fell,” Yan Hong answered, “he controlled most of the Golden Triangle’s drug market. After his downfall, all the smaller traffickers and various factions started eyeing the territory he left behind. Among them, the fastest to move and the strongest is He Qi.”
“Isn’t He Qi primarily involved in casinos and the entertainment business?”
“No matter how profitable gambling and entertainment are,” Yan Hong said, “they can’t compare to drugs.”
“Keep a close watch on him,” Yan Zheng nodded. “While this drug is still only circulating on a small scale, cut it off at the source.”
“Understood.”
After leaving the Narcotics Division, Yan Zheng brought Xia Hang back to his office. As usual, he sat down at the tea table and calmly began brewing tea. Once the tea was ready, he poured Xia Hang a cup before speaking.
“Do you know why I had you come to the Narcotics Division just now?”
“I have a rough idea.”
“Xia Hang, let me be direct,” Yan Zheng looked at him. “Although you didn’t tell me the details before, I can more or less guess what kind of work you used to do. Based on your experience, who do you think developed this new drug? Is it really He Qi?”
Xia Hang met his gaze. He knew the elderly man before him was far more formidable than he appeared, for no one reached Yan Zheng’s position by luck. He might spend his days leisurely drinking tea in his office, but very little escaped his notice.
After considering his words, Xia Hang replied, “As far as I know, He Qi planted people around Sheng Jun long ago. He’s wanted a share of the drug market for years. Now that Sheng Jun is gone and such a huge market has opened up, there’s no way he wouldn’t be tempted. Since he’s already in the entertainment business, he has an existing distribution network. As long as he can secure a supplier, opening up the market wouldn’t be difficult.”
Yan Zheng asked, “Does He Qi have the ability to secure a supplier?”
“He does,” Xia Hang answered. “But not for this particular new drug. I don’t think he’s capable of obtaining it yet.”
“With Sheng Jun gone,” Yan Zheng continued, “who else in the Golden Triangle still has the capability to develop and manufacture a brand-new drug?”
At that, Xia Hang shook his head. A vague suspicion surfaced in his mind as he remembered one of Sheng Jun’s research facilities in North America. But without confirmation from his former superiors, he couldn’t tell Yan Zheng. If the police acted on incomplete information, they could easily disrupt an ongoing operation.
Therefore, Yan Zheng let the subject drop. “Forget it. Let’s talk about something else. You’ve moved into Captain Han’s place, right? Settling in okay?”
“I’ve moved in. I’m getting used to it.”
Seeing how calm he looked, Yan Zheng couldn’t resist asking, “So… you and Han Huaixiao really used to date?”
Xia Hang’s composure instantly shattered. For one of the few times, genuine panic appeared on his face as he mumbled, “…How did you know?”
“Han Huaixiao told me before you transferred here.” Yan Zheng chuckled.
“…”
“…What exactly did he say?” Curiosity finally overcame Xia Hang, but Yan Zheng only smiled like an old fox.
“Did you want to transfer to our bureau… because of him?”
“Um… Director Yan, I still have work to do.” Without waiting for another question, Xia Hang fled in obvious embarrassment, leaving behind only a “I’ll be going now!”
Watching his retreating figure, Yan Zheng smiled contentedly and leisurely brewed himself another pot of tea.
As for Xia Hang, after finally escaping Yan Zheng’s relentless questioning, he returned to the Major Crimes office. But he had barely sat down and poured himself a cup of water when Ling Yue leaned over.
“Brother Hang… are you Captain Han’s ex-boyfriend?”
Xia Hang nearly sprayed the mouthful of water straight into his windpipe. He coughed so violently it sounded like his lungs were coming out.
How did Ling Yue know?!
Chief Yan didn’t seem like the gossiping type… But before he could figure it out, Ling Yue dropped another bomb.
“And you’re the one who dumped Captain Han, right?”
“W-Who… t-told… you…?!” Xia Hang coughed even harder.
“Did you forget what we do?” Ling Yue grinned. “We’re criminal investigators. We’re experts at separating truth from lies and following the clues.”
Xia Hang silently reviewed everything he’d done.
Where exactly had I slipped up?!
“So?” Ling Yue continued pressing him. “Is it true or not?”
Seizing the first opportunity, Xia Hang slipped away once more, mumbling, “My stomach hurts…”
“I’m going to the restroom!”
Poor Ling Yue scratched his head and turned to Wen Yu, asking, “…What does that mean? Is it yes or no?”
“…Whether he’s an ex-boyfriend isn’t the important part.” Wen Yu looked past him. “The important part is whether he can become the current boyfriend.”
“Right, Captain Han?”
“…”
“With interrogation skills like yours,” Han Huaixiao glanced at Ling Yue, “don’t tell people you trained under me.”
“You heard what I asked Brother Hang just now?” Ling Yue blinked.
“I heard enough,” Han Huaixiao coldly answered. “Get back to work; Qinmao has news.”
“What did Brother Mao find?”
At that, Han Huaixiao switched his phone to speaker, and Kong Qinmao began reporting.
“I went back to the hospital and asked the doctors and nurses who treated Tang Lan what she usually scolded Xin You about. Most of them couldn’t remember the exact words; they only remembered that every time Xin You visited, Tang Lan would curse at her.”
“So I tracked down the caregiver who looked after Tang Lan back then. She took care of her for several months and remembered her very clearly.”
“The caregiver said it was heartbreaking. She had never seen a mother curse her own daughter that viciously, but the girl never talked back. She’d just stand there and let herself be scolded.”
“However, there was only one time she answered back, and the caregiver still remembers their conversation. Especially the part when Tang Lan sneered and said, and I quote, ‘If I hadn’t taken you out of that orphanage, you’d probably still be sleeping in a crowded dormitory, eating cabbage and radishes, and getting looked down on every day! You little bitch, what right do you have to keep giving me attitude?!’
‘If I could choose again, I’d rather have starved to death in that orphanage than be taken away by you!’ Xin You answered. ‘Every bit of suffering in my life came from you. If you hadn’t given birth to me… if you hadn’t taken me out of the orphanage… would I have become the person I am today?! I hate you, I hate you so much! You have no idea how happy I was when I found out you had cancer!’
“…”
“Just what on earth did Tang Lan do to make Xin You hate her this much?” Kong Qinmao sighed.
Ling Yue was about to speak when Wen Yu murmured to herself while staring at her computer: “If I were Xin You… I wouldn’t just hate her.”
“I’d want to kill her.”
Ling Yue looked at her monitor. Displayed on it were the chat records between Xin Rong and Xin You that Wen Yu had just recovered, but before he could finish reading them, He Zhengye walked in.
“The stuff Xia Hang bought from the bar,” he said. “The test results are back.”
“And?” Han Huaixiao looked up.
“The chemical composition matches the substances we found in Ju Jiezhen, Xin Rong, and Li Cheng.” He Zhengye handed him the report. “It also matches what was found in the pills from the box we’ve recovered at the scene.”
After reading the report, Han Huaixiao looked once more at the chat history on Wen Yu’s screen. He stared at it for a long moment before speaking in a grave voice: “Ling Yue… arrest…”
But an unfamiliar phone number interrupted him. Glancing at the caller ID, he answered.
“Captain Han… you said that if I ever wanted to talk again, I could call you. Does that still count?”
“It does.”
“It’s no fun talking over the phone. Would you like to come hear it in person?”
“Where?” Han Huaixiao asked simply.
“It’s a place with a pretty nice view, but it might put your professional ethics to the test. Do you want to think it over first?”
“No need.”
“Then come. I’ll be waiting.”
………………………………….
T.N: Oh no… my guess is as follows: Tang Lan manages to snatch a very rich, important man with a good job, and she’s willing to do anything to keep him. However, Xin Rong happens to have “special interests” like all the bastards in this story… So eager to keep him, Tang Lan remembers she has an abandoned 12-year-old daughter in some orphanage. Therefore, she goes and picks up the girl, and basically offers her to her husband. I will not get into details about that, but I can only imagine she saw it as “saving” both the girl and her marriage, and Xin You should have been grateful for the opportunity anyway. So yeah, I already felt Xin You’s relationship with her step-bastard-father was creepy when she claimed to be the one to arrange his room and clothes in a very OCD manner, so it all clicks now. They were, in fact, in a “relationship”. She’s been groomed, and she hates both her mother and Xin Rong for it. So I can see her snapping eventually, and it also makes sense why she knows Liao Wenwen and feels for her so strongly, for I suspect Liao Wenwen was “offered” to Xin Rong by her own mother as well. So both the girls are Xin Rong’s victims, so maybe they conspired to get all the bastards involved killed. I’m not yet willing to eliminate Liao Wenwen as a suspect; I believe she’s more capable than she lets others know. What do you think?
………………………………..
![You’re Causing Chaos Again [e-sports]](https://novels.space/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/1sMqC2JNjIep8Ov.jpg "You’re Causing Chaos Again [e-sports]")
