Chapter 27

Outside the Shenzhen-Hong Kong Public Security Bureau, the forsythia along the road bloomed a brilliant golden color, and the apricot trees and red-leaf plum trees were also decorated with gentle snow-pink petals.

The handsome men and beautiful women who had been wearing black and gray down jackets for a whole winter couldn't wait to change into fashionable spring clothes. Many couples or young parents with their children took pictures leisurely under the flowers, but Zhao Yiqing, who preferred to "play among flowers", rarely lacked this leisure time.

Lu Chengtian was hospitalized, but the case progressed into deep water. For the first time, Zhao Yiqing experienced what it meant to be extremely busy.

There was no progress in the interrogation of Luo Hua, but the detention period had expired, so he was forced to release him. He sent his men to monitor Luo Hua's whereabouts and visited Luo Hua's relatives and acquaintances in large numbers.

After the explosion, both Lin Xian and Lin Xian seemed to have disappeared from the face of the earth. The white Toyota minivan that took Lin Xian away from the scene turned out to be a □□, and Lin Xian's cell phone could not be reached at all.

Who planted the bomb under the car? Neither the dashcam nor the surveillance camera across from the KTV captured it.

Lin Xian's Qi Tiao and Ba Tong also disappeared due to the disruption caused by the Nancheng Branch.

The only "noteworthy" things were the six kilograms of blue flame and ten kilograms of galan incense they seized from the transaction, as well as the white jade ring that fell next to the unconscious Lu Detachment, which was engraved with a pattern of thorny roses wrapped around an anchor.

But Zhao Yiqing confiscated the ring and did not report it as evidence.

When reporting the work progress to Guo Jingan, Young Master Zhao looked serious for the first time. He lowered his head, looking at his nose and thinking about his heart, as if he was carefully appreciating the miniature rockery on Director Guo's desk.

"Yiqing, thank you for your hard work while Chengtian has been in the hospital. But we have to hurry up with the case. Although the public's attention has shifted to school bullying due to the involvement of the media, it is ultimately related to drugs. This time the drug dealers were so bold as to plant a bomb under our bus, and Chengtian was injured. The provincial and ministerial leaders are paying close attention, and I am also under a lot of pressure. If you need support from the Criminal Investigation Detachment, please let me know at any time and I will coordinate." Guo Jing'an took a sip of tea, and there seemed to be a few more white hairs on his temples.

"Thank you Director Guo for your understanding and concern. The brothers and sisters in the Criminal Investigation Detachment are also supporting us. Otherwise, we wouldn't be able to handle the drug control work with just the limited manpower we have..." Zhao Yiqing's social mask was perfected. Thinking that the work progress was not good enough, he relied on nice words to make up for it. He didn't notice Lu Chengtian pushing the door in.

Seeing Lu Chengtian, who had been discharged from the hospital against doctor's orders and still had a bandage on his head, Guo Jing'an's forehead twitched. "Didn't I give you a month's sick leave, kid? Get back to the hospital and lie down right now."

Lu Chengtian patted Zhao Yiqing's shoulder lightly, ignoring the small earthquake in his pupils. With a face full of unshaved green stubble, he said lightly: "I'm almost well now. It's better to get out and move around than lie in the hospital."

Two days before he was hospitalized, Ma Qiang, who was beaten black and blue by people from the Nancheng Branch, lived next door to him. His old mother brought him three meals a day, and Lu Chengtian was also force-fed on time.

After staying there for two days, Ma Qiang jumped back to the bureau to work, but his mother still insisted on bringing food to Lu Chengtian, muttering, "The boy is thin, eat more."

Lu Chengtian glanced at the lines of his abdominal muscles that were gradually fading like weathered stone sculptures and politely declined the offer.

When he learned from Zhao Yiqing that the car that took Lin Xian away was from a ***, he could no longer lie down. He pulled out the infusion needle and rushed to the Municipal Bureau. His lips were pale at this moment, and he felt a little dizzy when he went upstairs.

Guo Jing'an's brows furrowed, and he was about to say something when Lu Chengtian changed the subject: "Director Guo, our operation at Yulong KTV was disrupted by the Nancheng Branch under the pretext of cracking down on pornography and illegal publications. I believe we have reason to suspect they are involved with a drug trafficking ring."

Zhao Yiqing wasn't without suspicions, but since it involved an internal employee, he was known for his tact and was always cautious. When Lu Chengtian put it bluntly, he felt relieved.

Guo Jing'an said, "I heard Huang Bin is already writing a self-criticism. They were wrong this time, but do you have any solid evidence to prove they were wrong?"

"Why did they raid the prostitution ring just when the drug dealers escaped? Not only did they fail to catch the drug dealers, but they also raided our own people? Our people had already revealed their identities at that time, but his men had no scruples when beating people. If he didn't have someone supporting him from above, how could he have the courage?" Lu Chengtian's brows were stern.

"We are the police, we need evidence. These are just your speculations, they don't prove anything." Guo Jing'an said.

Lu Chengtian was about to retort, but Guo Jing'an waved his hand, signaling him to stop. "I know everything. Since you don't want to rest, then continue investigating the case with Yiqing. Take care of yourself and don't overwork yourself. Go ahead."

He and Zhao Yiqing looked at each other, and left the director's office one after another.

After entering his office, Zhao Yiqing locked the door behind him, considerately made a cup of cappuccino for Lu Chengtian, handed it to him, and then got to the point: "Do you think there is something wrong with Director Guo's attitude? The South City Branch is obviously messing with us, but he doesn't seem to want to mention it anymore."

Lu Chengtian lowered his head and took a sip of the fine foam on his coffee, his eyes cold. "What he said is not without reason. We really have no evidence. Raising suspicions rashly like this will easily cause internal discord."

"That old bastard Huang Bin is really an ugly guy who often causes trouble. I'm worried that maybe they got instructions from the higher-ups to sweep away Huang..." Zhao Yiqing fell silent because Lu Chengtian raised his index finger to his lips, signaling him to stop talking.

He leaned against the desk with his legs crossed, and looked at Lu Chengtian who was sitting on the sofa. Both of them felt a chill.

Lu Chengtian suddenly realized that Lin Xian had said something to Qi Tiao and Ba Tong, and secretly showed them something, which caused the two to flee in panic. Just as they were about to arrest them, people from the Nancheng Branch suddenly arrived at Yulong KTV to crack down on pornography and illegal activities, claiming they had received a tip that someone was engaged in illegal activities.

If you say this is a coincidence, no fool would believe it.

He quickly opened the memo on his phone and typed a line on it: Bomb under bus, suspected insider. After confirming that Zhao Yiqing had read it, he quickly pressed the delete key.

Zhao Yiqing understood, typing a few lines with his fingers. "I think so too. Since Lin Xian hadn't confirmed our true identities, there's no way they had time to plant the bomb under the car. The surveillance didn't capture it, so it must have been installed before then." Deleted it, too.

Both of them felt a chill. This safe office in the city bureau seemed to be full of invisible eyes and ears.

Lu Chengtian lowered his head and thought, but was interrupted by Zhao Yiqing's action.

He opened the drawer of his desk and pulled out a sealed bag containing evidence. He handed it to Lu Chengtian and whispered in his ear, "This was found next to you after the explosion. If it's not yours, then it belongs to Editor-in-Chief Lin."

When mentioning the three words "Editor-in-Chief Lin", Zhao Yiqing looked at Lin Xian with a subtle look.

When Lu Chengtian took the sealed bag from Zhao Yiqing, he felt his heartbeat quicken. The thing was clearly very light, but it felt indescribably heavy in his hand.

It was a white jade ring that was half blackened, and you could vaguely see the pattern engraved on it - a thorny rose wrapped around an anchor.

Could it be that the ring Lin Xian had taken out of his pocket and shown to Qi Tiao and Ba Tong when he turned around was this? If so, then it must be a symbol of high-ranking members of the drug cartel, because when Qi Tiao and Ba Tong saw it, their attitudes immediately became respectful.

But the fact that Lin Xian had this thing on him only showed that he was deeply involved with the drug cartel. He stroked the anchor and suddenly thought of Tun Qin's last words before his death: "He is the captain's man."

The line seemed to be becoming clearer and clearer. The top leader of the drug cartel was the "Captain," and Lin Xian, deeply trusted by the "Captain," was definitely not low in the cartel, at least much higher than the fake Lin Xian. Otherwise, Qi Tiao and Ba Tong wouldn't have abandoned their big brother and run away.

So what did Lin Xian say to them that made them give up the deal and their big brother and run away?

Lu Chengtian immediately decided to find Lin Xian first and find out everything.

Zhao Yiqing was in the bathroom pretending to be "Brother Biao" and fighting with Lin Xian in a battle of wits and courage. He had no idea what was happening outside and had no way of getting any clues about the ring.

Lu Chengtian was playing with his ring when he suddenly looked up at Zhao Yiqing and said in the same barely perceptible whisper, "Why didn't you hand over the things you found at the crime scene to the Physical Evidence Department for registration?"

"How do I know if this is your token of love?" Zhao Yiqing sneered, his expression unusually serious. "That drug dealer named Lin Xian calls Editor-in-Chief Lin Brother Xian. What do you think of this?"

Lu Chengtian said nothing.

Zhao Yiqing said quietly, "I know you have feelings for him, but if he's really involved in drugs, and you're so close to him, I'm afraid you'll have to be suspended and investigated."

"I know. Thanks."

Lu Chengtian put the ring into his jacket pocket and resumed his normal voice: "I have to go out for something. You can do whatever you want with the Criminal Investigation Detachment. Just say I said it."

Under Zhao Yiqing's complicated gaze, Lu Chengtian pushed the door and left.

·

The Honghua community is very lively during the day, with elderly people taking their children for a walk and middle-aged people collecting waste in their own yards.

Cats and dogs were running around in the green bushes. A calico kitten was lingering around Lu Chengtian's feet, rubbing against his trouser legs, begging for petting and food.

The sun was gentle, softening the cat's dirty fur. Lu Chengtian stopped and, as if afraid of disturbing it, slowly squatted down, almost slowing down his breathing.

He had never raised an animal before, so he touched the cat without knowing why. The cat dodged in disgust, then walked away into the bushes with its tail wagging.

Lu Chengtian sneered. He suddenly felt that cats were very much like Lin Xian. Elegant, calm, always in control, and eager to get close to people, but they would stay away when they were sincere.

The neighbors all opened their windows to ventilate and air out their blankets, but the windows on Lin Xian's balcony were all shut. For some reason, Lu Chengtian felt that this old house held more traces of his life than his finely decorated apartment at Guanhu No. 1.

Standing in front of the old security door, he knocked a few times. Unsurprisingly, no one responded, just like he had called Lin Xian a hundred times, and it was always a cold female voice saying, "The number you dialed is turned off."

The experienced "lock-picking king" Lu Zhitie looked around guiltily, then took out the iron wire he had prepared long ago, twisted it a few times, and opened the old door lock in just a few seconds.

The room hadn't been ventilated for a long time, and there was a faint smell of tobacco, mixed with the lingering scent of sandalwood from Lin Xian. On the sofa lay a few sample issues of "Mirror View" and Lin Xian's revised manuscripts, along with a miscellaneous collection of books on psychology, sociology, history, and other subjects. Books were also scattered on the coffee table, and a few cigarette butts lay scattered in the ashtray.

Lu Chengtian cleaned out the ashtray and neatly arranged his books and manuscripts, stacking them aside. Suddenly, a cowhide book with frayed corners caught his eye. The cover was printed in gold-stamped letters with the words "Shenzhen-Hong Kong Public Security Bureau, Nancheng Branch."

Driven by intuition, he stopped what he was doing, sat on the sofa, and opened his yellowed notebook.

The penmanship on the title page has faded slightly, but the font is vigorous and powerful. It says "Lin Zhengfeng" and is signed in June 2010.

Then, he saw the work record of a policeman named Lin Zhengfeng fifteen years ago.

This is the notebook of an undercover narcotics officer.

At the request of the organization, Lin Zhengfeng went to Myanmar to carry out a very dangerous and long-term mission. He not only had to dig out the big drug lord lurking in Myanmar, but also found the "ghost" hidden within the police.

Most of the time, he had to pretend to be a "henchman," squatting in the wild grass and mosquito-infested wilderness, delivering or receiving goods, and acting as a loyal thug and punching bag. Injuries were commonplace. Once, while secretly cooperating with border police on a mission, he fell into the turbulent Longjiang River and narrowly escaped death.

His "big brother" is the leader of Myanmar's largest drug trafficking group, the Snake Gang, codenamed "Snake".

On that page of notes, Lin Zhengfeng carefully drew the logo of the "Spirit Snake Gang", and Lu Chengtian's pupils suddenly shrank.

While fighting with Tunqin, the other party took out a dull black dagger from his boot. The pattern on it was exactly the same as the one in the note, a cobra with its lower body coiled and its head raised high.

Tun Qin is a member of the Spirit Snake Gang. Could it be that he killed Lin Xian because of the poison maker's formula he got, as Lin Xian said?

Lu Chengtian quickly pieced together the chain of evidence - while Lin Xian was undercover in Myanmar, he came into contact with the Spirit Snake Gang, and the drug maker gave him the drug formula for some unknown reason. He returned to China with the formula and joined a drug trafficking group within Shenzhen and Hong Kong. The betrayed "Spirit Snake" wanted to get rid of him as soon as possible.

Tun Qin killed him right after "Blue Flame" had surfaced in Shenzhen-Hong Kong City. Could it be that he brought back the formula for Blue Flame? Galanxiang, a substitute for Blue Flame, has almost identical ingredients, so it must be a modified version of the same formula.

But why did he do that?

Lu Chengtian continued flipping through his notes. A few pages were stained with blood, likely from Lin Zhenfeng's injuries. He tore off a bloody blank corner and put it in his jacket pocket.

The notes that followed became shorter and more sloppy, and it seemed that Lin Zhenfeng could only record the most important things in a hurry.

Turning to 2014, Lin Zhengfeng recorded something unrelated to work: "I saw Ah Xian's report online and learned that he has become a well-known investigative reporter. I was very relieved. I just hope to complete my mission as soon as possible and return home to be reunited with my wife and children. They only know that I am carrying out a secret mission abroad. If they knew I was in a drug den in Myanmar, they would probably be very worried. Three of my comrades died on my last mission. I must complete their unfinished work, so that they can rest in peace and bring justice to the thousands of families harmed by drugs."

The writing on this page was blurred in places, leaving uneven marks. Lin Zhengfeng wrote these words in tears.

The subsequent records were very brief, recording missions he had carried out, some successful, some extremely dangerous. He nearly lost the trust of the spirit snake and had his right hand severed, but fortunately, at the critical moment, a Burmese informant named "Old White" saved him.

The last diary entry was in June 2017. It contained only a short sentence: Walter White warned that something was wrong with the top police officers.

Here, the entire diary comes to an abrupt end.

From June 2010 to June 2017, for a full eight years, he left his wife and children and lived a dangerous life in Myanmar. He assisted the police in disrupting more than 200 drug transactions and seized more than one ton of drugs. Now he has almost disappeared from the police system and no one mentions his name anymore.

Lu Chengtian's heart was beating wildly and his eyes were filled with tears.

It turns out that Lin Xian's father was an undercover police officer at the South City Police Station. No wonder his father wasn't listed in Lin Xian's household registration. So what did his mother do? Why hadn't he ever mentioned her?

Eight years ago, Lin Xian left the bankrupt Latest News newspaper and went undercover in Myanmar. He claimed to be an investigative reporter, but was he actually searching for his father and fulfilling his father's unfinished wish?

Perhaps nine years ago, the Lin Xian he saw was in the last happy time of his life.

Now, he can't eat meat and has to take antidepressants. He looks so frail that he looks like he could be blown away by the wind at any time. The scars left by the electronic shackles on his wrists cannot be erased... What has he been through in the past eight years?

Yes, why hadn't I ever thought about why Lin Xian never mentioned his family? Although he always played both sides and presented himself as a gentleman, perhaps he was carrying a heavy secret that no one could tell, walking on the edge of light and shadow like a string that could snap at any moment?

Closing the notebook, Lu Chengtian took a deep breath.

Unknowingly, several hours passed, and the setting sun shone on the corner of the coffee table and fell on Lu Chengtian's knees.

He stood up and walked towards the half-open bedroom.