Chapter 113
There's a saying that "no story is complete without a coincidence," but in Iris's experience, this "coincidence" needs a "bridge" to build it. Derek has built such a beautiful structure today; she can't just stand there and wait. Fueled by the frustration of being pushed along, Iris gave her jerk of a cold shoulder the whole way. But as her anger flared, she began to understand Larine's feelings. Some things are simply a matter of time, and rushing things only makes her more annoying. Looking at Derek now, she saw a reflection of her past self, and upon further reflection, her anger subsided considerably.
However, she still warned him angrily, "If you treat me like this again, I'll tell AK on you!"
She opened the door with a grumble, and then, even more coincidentally, her husband was home, along with Zhan Hantao, who had a strange expression on his face. The two of them seemed guilty, as if they'd been caught in the act. Iris immediately sensed something was wrong. Thinking about how many times she'd turned the key, she immediately questioned Zhuang Zhuoyuan: "Why did you lock the door when you were home?"
She gave him a chance to confess and be lenient. When Zhuang Zhuoyuan saw Derek's little gestures behind him, he knew that Iris was not in a good mood at the moment, so he quickly pulled her aside and whispered to comfort her: "Wife, listen to me, I was planning to go back and report to you tonight."
Iris snorted: "Tonight? You're going to stay at home tonight? I thought you were settling down at CIB. You'll just send me a message saying you're working overtime and can't come back, and that'll be it."
"Honey, I was wrong. I promise it won't happen again. I'll definitely go see the meteor shower with you, okay? Nothing can stop me then." Ignoring the two other viewers still in the living room, Zhuang Zhuoyuan raised his hand and swore, hoping only that his wife's anger would subside and her expression would improve. Poor Zhuang Sir, he thought it was his fault for standing her up, completely unaware that his unreliable teammate Derek was also involved. He silently endured everything, and only when he saw that the other party had a reaction did he continue, telling Iris what he had prepared to say earlier: "The reason I can't go with you today is because I went to follow Zhong Wei'en."
Having read his wife's book so many times, Inspector Zhuang knew exactly how to begin. He even set up a pause for himself, and Iris's attention was indeed drawn in. Seeing that his wife was listening, Zhuang Zhuoyuan continued to lay the groundwork: "As for Ah Tao, he went to follow Inspector Pan."
Iris frowned slightly. Zhuang Zhuoyuan nodded in confirmation: "Pan Zilong." He continued, "We met here to exchange information."
"..."
“Okay, let’s get to the point.” Iris’s eyes were already showing impatience. Zhuang Zhuoyuan estimated that the “troublemaker” had been diverted enough attention, and briefly explained the situation: “Inspector Pan and Ah En have developed a rift. They both think the other wants to harm them, so Inspector Pan asked me to investigate Ah En. But I felt that neither side was trustworthy enough, so I asked Ah Tao to help me investigate Inspector Pan. The current results are that Ah En has a mental illness and needs medication to suppress it, and Inspector Pan has been in contact with people from the *** privately.”
What on earth is going on? Iris suddenly sensed something was wrong. According to Zhuang Zhuoyuan, if things continued like this, one of them would end up in jail sooner or later.
"This is the best-case scenario." At least going to prison would save their lives. Given the current situation, if no intervention is taken, Zhong Wei'en might risk his life, and Pan Zilong might lose his. Zhuang Zhuoyuan spoke to Iris first: "Wife, this matter involves the exposure of A'en's undercover identity back then. The forces behind it are very powerful and dangerous. Promise me you won't get involved, okay? I'm afraid I can't protect you and Tangyuan."
"Is it bigger than what happened to Hins Cheung back then?" Zhuang Zhuoyuan's serious expression when Tangyuan was mentioned frightened Iris.
Zhuang Zhuoyuan was silent for a moment, then nodded: "I'm afraid it's even more than that."
Iris immediately abandoned all thoughts of participating. If it were just her alone, she could still have the courage to deal with various emergencies and try her best to help her friends. But now she had Tangyuan as her weakness; her Tangyuan was still small and fragile, and she couldn't afford to take that risk.
"Then, I'll stay put and wait for your results. I'll try to help then, whether it's finding a doctor or a lawyer or something. I'll lend a hand then. Honey, you have to be careful, you absolutely have to be careful."
Iris is a woman of her word; when she's serious, Zhuang Zhuoyuan has nothing to worry about. However, there's now another person with a grave expression. Zhuang Zhuoyuan never liked seeing Iris worry about anything. He couldn't bear it, so he gently cupped Iris's cheeks in his hands, trying to convey some positive emotion to her: "Wife, don't worry. With you and Tangyuan here, I'll definitely protect myself. As for you and the baby, I told AK we'll send more people to protect you. Although the chances of this affecting you are slim, it's better to be safe than sorry."
"Mmm." The more detailed Zhuang Zhuoyuan's instructions, the more Iris wanted to cry. Her eyes red-rimmed, she buried her face in Zhuang Zhuoyuan's arms, her voice trembling with sadness: "Husband..."
"Everything will be okay." Zhuang Zhuoyuan kissed her forehead. He knew she still had many worries, and could only try his best to assure her: "The specific situation still needs to be verified. In any case, A-Tao and I will do our best to help them, okay?"
“On the premise that you and Tao can both ensure your safety.” At work, Zhuang Zhuoyuan was always a rational person; he had his own clear judgment, and Iris never doubted this. But recently, he had been reflecting on his past and re-evaluating his profession, and Iris worried that some small incident might cause him to hesitate. In dangerous moments, even the slightest hesitation could lead to fatal harm, so she couldn't help but remind him.
The implication was clear without further explanation. Zhuang Zhuoyuan nodded in agreement and reminded him, "Don't worry, A-Tao is with me too. They're still in the living room, okay?"
It wouldn't be good for the two of them to leave their guest waiting in the living room for too long, so Iris composed herself and followed Zhuang Zhuoyuan out of the kitchen. She didn't plan to stay any longer. With red eyes, she greeted Zhan Hantao and then took a box of writing materials from the study, asking Derek to carry it back to the car. She found a spare key and left it for Zhan Hantao, assuring them that they could use the house as a meeting place: "As for me, until you resolve this matter, I'll just go between home and school, maybe with an extra company, and I won't be running around anymore."
Zhan Hantao smiled in response. His words reassured Iris considerably. The trust built through their long-term relationship made almost everyone feel that no matter what difficulties they encountered, Zhan Sir could solve them.
Zhuang Zhuoyuan joked that his status was indeed inferior to Zhan Hantao's, given how quickly his wife left. The latter dismissed it as concern leading to confusion, patted his brother on the shoulder, and continued their unfinished conversation.
Zhuang Zhuoyuan had indeed concealed a large part of the truth from Iris. For example, after communicating with both sides, they currently trusted Zhong Wei'en more. Having shared information with Zhong Wei'en, it could be inferred that back then, Jin Ji killed Su Hong in order to seize the business of the gang leader Su Hong. He needed to find a scapegoat to escape, so he targeted someone close to Su Hong. At this time, Zhong Wei'en's unusual behavior quickly caught his attention. After roughly guessing Zhong Wei'en's identity, Jin Ji directly contacted the police officer Pan Zilong, who had been in contact with her. He used Pan Zilong's wife and daughter as leverage, forcing Pan Zilong to betray Zhong Wei'en, leading to the latter's exposure and being hunted by the gang.
After Zhong Weien was reinstated, she investigated why her identity was exposed. By searching for her former underlings and tracking Pan Zilong's movements, she gradually discovered the relationship between Pan Zilong and Jin Ji. That's why she kept pursuing Jin Ji relentlessly, trying to find clues about him in every related case.
Zhuang Zhuoyuan and Zhan Hantao went to great lengths to dispel most of Zhong Wei'en's suspicions about them, finally revealing Pan Zilong's purpose in summoning Zhuang Zhuoyuan. These clues were hard to obtain, but how to utilize them remained a challenge. Learning that Pan Zilong had noticed Zhong Wei'en's surveillance, the three decided to turn the tables. Zhuang Zhuoyuan would report Zhong Wei'en to Inspector Tan, alleging he had emotional problems and had allegedly taken medication improperly during the investigation. This would force Inspector Tan to suspend Zhong Wei'en, bringing his investigation of Pan Zilong from the shadows into the open.
The reason for Pan Zilong's renewed contact with the drug dealers remains unclear. However, information obtained by Zhuang Zhuoyuan from G-Force and others through the CIB and his personal connections suggests that Tian Xinxi's previous claim about a drug deal was not fabricated; a group of Colombian drug traffickers did indeed smuggle a large quantity of drugs into Hong Kong for a transaction. If this information is true, then the Flying Tigers will inevitably be involved in the operation, making Jin Ji's purpose in approaching Pan Zilong at this juncture quite obvious.
Following this line of thought, further reasoning becomes much simpler. Years ago, Pan Zilong was threatened because of his wife and daughter; he even divorced his wife and gave her custody of their daughter. However, when Iris went to practice shooting, she repeatedly saw Pan Zilong patiently teaching a young girl how to fire a gun. Zhuang Zhuoyuan, recalling this, specifically sent his family to investigate this girl named Chen Meimei. It was confirmed that she was indeed Pan Zilong's biological daughter, and for her safety, Pan Zilong had even made her take her mother's surname. This overt and covert concern clearly indicates that his wife and daughter still hold considerable importance in Pan Zilong's heart. Therefore, Jin Ji is very likely to continue using this to threaten Pan Zilong. If the reason is indeed this, then Pan Sir's problem will be much easier to solve.
Many details still need to be verified, but due to time constraints, their deployment must begin as soon as possible. Zhong Wei'en will directly intervene to disrupt Pan Zilong's emotions, while Zhan Hantao will secretly investigate Pan Zilong's true intentions within the Flying Tigers. Zhuang Zhuoyuan, besides acting as an undercover agent, will also need to obtain help from AK to protect Pan Zilong's wife and daughters. Once these steps are completed, they will react according to the situation. Anything can change, and they cannot predict the future; they can only hope that fate will favor the good.
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