Chapter 66
After Zhuang Zhuohua cleared the area, Iris, still unable to satisfy her gossip cravings, sat down on the small terrace, completely wasting the sea view she could see. She sighed, and before she could speak again, Zhuang Zhuoyuan leaned over and put his arm around her: "What's wrong? Really no appetite?"
Iris didn't speak, but pouted and poked his chest repeatedly.
Zhuang Zhuoyuan let her be willful and waited a while before teasing her: "If you keep poking, I'll be laughed at again today."
"Hey!" Iris broke free from his embrace and scolded, "You bad man!"
"You're willing to talk now?" Zhuang Zhuoyuan leaned in to kiss her. Pregnant women's tempers can change drastically from time to time, and Zhuang Zhuoyuan had tried everything, but this was the most effective. Their lips touched lightly a few times, and Iris deepened the kiss. Before long, she was happy: "I want to go eat soy milk and glutinous rice balls."
There wasn't enough time to spend with her today, so Zhuang Zhuoyuan asked, "Should I buy it for you tomorrow morning?"
Iris shook her head: "I don't want to eat tomorrow."
"Shall we have someone buy it later?" She could then take another nap.
Iris shook her head again. "Take me out, honey," she said softly, shaking his arm.
"So you wanted to eat alone." Zhuang Zhuoyuan complained, but his actions betrayed him. He immediately called Derek and asked him to come and drive Jennie's usual car later.
Having just finished arguing and having Tangyuan share breakfast with her, Iris exclaimed in surprise that there was a car at home. She rarely drove it herself, so if she couldn't remember, she had nothing to say. Zhuang Zhuohua went to the garage every day; she couldn't possibly have forgotten about this one. Even if she was embarrassed to use it, she could push Zhuang Zhuoyuan over and use his car in an emergency. Iris was annoyed that it had taken her so long to realize this; it was obvious that Zhuang Zhuohua was also going easy on Zhan Hantao. She smacked her forehead: "Oh dear, I'm so stupid."
"So you're still fixated on the outcome?" Zhuang Zhuoyuan quickly finished his two breakfasts and prepared to take the trays downstairs. Iris, helped up by him, still nodded: "Of course, didn't you see how adorable my sister is when she's in love? I want to watch her a little longer."
She was in high spirits. As she went down the stairs, Zhuang Zhuoyuan hurriedly told her to be careful and walk slowly. When Zhang Ma heard the two talking, she hurriedly came over to take the plate and said to them, "Miss Zhuang and Mr. Zhan just went out. I heard that there was a case and they had to rush over. They asked me to tell Miss and Mr. Zhan."
Iris immediately shrugged, letting out a regretful "Oh." The O-Team case might require the Flying Tigers to be deployed again, so Zhuang Zhuoyuan definitely wouldn't be able to take her to breakfast this morning. His understanding wife patted Zhuang Sir's shoulder, urging him to leave: "Alright, you should go to work. I'll wait for Derek to take me. Drive carefully, and be careful on missions too."
Before he could finish speaking, a message notification sounded. Zhuang Zhuoyuan responded, quickly gave his wife a goodbye kiss, and rushed out the door. As the car sped out the door, Iris sighed, her spirits dampened. After thinking for a moment, she sent Derek a text message saying "Change takeout," then turned and went upstairs to rest.
The incident occurred at a bank, where three robbers took customers and bank staff hostage. After the SDU's assault team dealt with the robbers outside, they continued their search and found a female employee with a bomb strapped to her body in an office. News reports stated that the employee was successfully rescued by the Flying Tigers and was unharmed. However, at the same time, another cell phone mysteriously exploded in the underground parking garage of the same building.
"It is understood that the victim was Gu Desheng, the bank's financial director..."
Iris had no interest in listening to what was being said on TV anymore; the words "cell phone explosion" alone were enough to worry her. She got out of bed and retrieved the file on Chong Cheuk-wah's ex-fiancé, Chin Fu-pong, from a hidden compartment in the bookshelf, her brow still furrowed. How many people in Hong Kong could make a bomb with a cell phone? She couldn't help but connect today's case to Chin Fu-pong's. And if even an outsider with only prior knowledge could do this, what about Chong Cheuk-wah?
Derek hummed a song as he knocked on the door. Iris closed the folder and told him to wait on the terrace. A piece of paper with a phone number on it fluttered down as she moved. She picked it up but decided not to use it for now, at least not until the case was solved.
While eating breakfast, Iris was editing a message for Ben and didn't pay attention to Derek. By the time Iris finished, he had been gazing at the scenery by the railing for quite some time. So she teased, "Why do you look like you've just been released from prison? Didn't you go out and have some fun after work?"
"She even dares to mention happy hour," Derek glanced at her sideways. She shouldn't have bothered trying to mend her relationship with that Ding Huihui. Now, this annoying flight attendant is constantly harassing him at various bars as soon as she returns to Hong Kong, making him feel like a rat in the street, constantly hiding and stalking, which is incredibly unpleasant. Derek complained for what felt like the umpteenth time, "Iris, that woman doesn't understand human language."
"Perhaps you could find a girlfriend?" After what happened with Zhuang Zhuoyuan, Iris guessed that Ding Huihui wouldn't repeat the same mistake. However, Derek thought the exact opposite. With such a cautionary tale right before his eyes, he didn't believe Ding Huihui would give up on her target so easily. She was beautiful, but her personality wasn't endearing, at least not for him. Derek had no intention of clinging to a parasitic flower: "Hey, Iris, don't forget that she indirectly caused you to spend ten days in the hospital."
Iris raised an eyebrow: "Why don't you get married too?"
Derek completely ignored her.
Aunt Zhang brought over another tray of fruit. Iris ate half a bowl of cherry tomatoes, and when she and Derek were alone on the terrace again, she spoke up again: "Why don't you go into seclusion and make a few small bombs?"
"What?" Derek thought he had misheard, and for a moment even wondered if his protected person had been switched. He was speechless at the mission order: "Miss, you're a police officer's family member!"
That's why this requirement exists. Iris sighed, "I just found out that the Flying Tigers also have to defuse bombs on missions. Just make a few models and let Yuan practice. I'm really worried that one day he'll be sent as the arrow and will have to cut wires. Sigh, this job is really tough."
Derek was just about to complain about how difficult this job was. He was expected to "casually" manufacture a few small practice toys. If it were that easy, he'd be a toy developer and boss, not stuck here. And to make matters worse, his "unscrupulous boss," Iris, tried to manipulate him: "Derek, I believe you can do it, don't I?"
Derek said no. But the next second, his answer became "No problem," because Iris said that making a small toy would guarantee a minimum of ten thousand dollars in wages. He immediately felt that his dream of becoming a millionaire through this work was within reach. And with all that effort, he wouldn't be far from his goal of ten million. Iris just wanted to complain that with Derek's abilities, if he didn't spend money like water, a hundred million in assets shouldn't be a problem. However, she felt that he should do less of that kind of work that risked his life, and it would be best if he just treated her as a long-term meal ticket and earned a reasonable amount, like he was now.
On this same day, unrest also raged in the surrounding village. Ding Youtian had been arrested, and the land issue was being handled by a lawyer hired by Yu Xueli. Logically, Deng Fuqi and his mother should have finally had some peace, but things didn't turn out that way. Having lost their only son, the village chief, in a fit of rage, blamed everything on the Deng family. Life was already difficult for the widow and her son in the village, and now, with the added ostracism, Deng Fuqi was almost always injured when he left and returned home. Whether it was pranks and tricks or direct harm, the village thugs who used to follow Ding Youtian displayed all sorts of malice. But Deng Fuqi was oblivious to the consequences; whenever someone called for his help or asked him to demonstrate his police charm, he would rush to their aid.
It was under these circumstances that Chicken, a gangster who had been arrested by Chong Cheuk-wah before and was now hiding in a walled village after committing another crime, saw an opportunity and found inspiration to avenge himself and his boss who was in jail. He kidnapped Qi Ma to blackmail Deng Fuqi, making the simple-minded boy take a real gun to kill Chong Cheuk-wah, euphemistically calling it intimidation.
In the story, Chicken portrays Chong Cheuk-wah as a vain and corrupt police officer. With just a few words, he tricks Tang Fook-kei into helping him "purge" the police force. Coupled with the threat to Cheuk-ma's life, Tang Fook-kei obediently becomes the scapegoat.
Gathering her team and conducting surveillance, Zhuang Zhuohua was extremely busy with the bomb case on the day of the operation. Zhan Hantao and she split up; he took her to a secondary school to consult with Zhan Qiwei, an expert in electronic engineering, while he went to collect similar cases from home and abroad for reference. Zhan Qiwei was a former university professor who later became a secondary school teacher, supposedly to give back to his alma mater. This explanation inevitably raised suspicions, but since it was irrelevant to the case, Zhuang Zhuohua didn't ask further. After asking a few questions, she got into Ben's car, which was passing by, and they left together.
Ben remembered Iris's warning; even if she hadn't said anything, he still cared about Zhuang Zhuohua. Given the connection to Qian Fubang's death, Ben was worried that Zhuang Zhuohua might go insane again. After reporting on the investigation's progress, he didn't dare say more and cautiously advised Zhuang Zhuohua, "Madam, how about I take you home to rest? You haven't rested for a day and a night; Iris has called me several times."
She had received quite a few text messages from Zhuang Zhuoyuan and Iris, but Zhuang Zhuohua hadn't replied to any of them and still wanted to refuse. However, just as she had agreed with Ben, Iris called immediately, forcing Zhuang Zhuohua to change her mind.
Iris didn't push Zhuang Zhuohua too much. She knew that in Zhuang Zhuohua's current state, she wouldn't be able to rest peacefully even if she went home. It would be better to let her eat in the office and take a nap for an hour or two.
They agreed to meet in the parking lot downstairs. When Ben drove in, Iris and Derek were already waiting there. Upon seeing their target arrive, Derek stopped sketching the toy and went around to open the door for her. Iris grabbed her thermos, and just as one leg touched the ground, Derek suddenly pulled her back. He swiftly led her into the car, crouching down to protect her while keeping an eye on the outside.
Just moments ago, a van sped towards them. Derek, sensing something was wrong, immediately took action. Sure enough, as he was protecting Iris, a short, masked man got out of the van, quickly fired a shot at Zhuang Zhuohua, and then drove off in two different directions.
"Gunshots? Sister!" Iris struggled to her feet, but Derek couldn't stop her. He could only call for backup from the shadows while simultaneously protecting her even more closely. One downside of coming to Hong Kong was that they couldn't openly carry guns. Derek was unarmed and genuinely worried about hidden attacks.
Fortunately, it was just that one group. They retreated quickly, and even when the bullets missed their targets, they didn't linger, abandoning the gunman and running away. Zhuang Zhuohua looked at Ben, who had tackled her to the ground, her heart filled with anxiety. The bullet had struck her squarely in the chest, and blood gushed out, quickly staining her clothes. The gun had clearly been pointed at her, but Zhuang Zhuohua never imagined that Fang Yongbin would rush out to take the bullet for her.
Iris rushed over and, seeing the situation, immediately called for an ambulance. The blood was still flowing, so she dared not move Ben's body too much, carefully supporting him to help Zhuang Zhuohua get up. By the time she finished, her face was streaked with tears. Zhuang Zhuohua quickly hugged Iris, then covered her eyes and told Derek to take her aside, while she stayed behind to give Ben basic first aid. Fortunately, the ambulance arrived quickly, and Ben was taken to the hospital immediately.
Outside the operating room, the three of them gave brief statements. Chong Cheuk-wah was worried about Ben's condition the whole way, while also trying to comfort Iris. Although Iris hadn't directly witnessed the shooting, the aftermath was enough to have a huge impact on her. Iris was brave, but that was relative to strangers; family and friends were always her Achilles' heel. For example, Xiao Fu's death had left her depressed for a long time.
"Sister, will Ben die?" Unable to avoid imagining this outcome, Iris's voice trembled with tears. Zhuang Zhuohua hugged her tightly, giving her strength while also praying for Fang Yongbin: "No, Ben will definitely overcome this and be safe and sound."
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