Chapter 2
Shenzhen-Hong Kong Public Security Bureau, Technical Investigation Office.
Luo Xiaohei, a beautiful 2D girl with long golden hair, bit a lollipop and typed on the keyboard with a bitter and resentful look, while feeling a cold wind behind her.
The cold air came from Director Guo and "Ghost-Seeing" Lu Chengtian.
"It's solved! 1 minute and 29 seconds, defeating 99.9% of the technical reconnaissance personnel!" After deciphering the complicated password on the USB flash drive, Luo Xiaohei breathed a sigh of relief and made a "V" gesture to himself.
Everyone's attention immediately focused on the screen. I don't know what device recorded the footage, but the quality had a moving quality reminiscent of the 1980s and 1990s.
Even so, everyone could see clearly that the scene showed a space like an underground warehouse, with rough cement walls and floors. Several people were stuffing sealed bags into the cut open fish stomachs, and then throwing the fish into foam boxes.
"Enlarge these people's faces, crop them out, and sharpen them." Director Guo said.
Luo Xiaohei quickly made a folder of "criminal suspect's headshots" and continued to play the surveillance footage.
At this moment, two figures entered the frame. One was wearing a white suit, while the other was wearing a shirt and sweater vest, both looking quite suave.
Without needing his leader's instructions, Luo Xiaohei skillfully zoomed in, enlarged, and sharpened the image. One person's profile was clearly visible, while the other's was blocked by the person beside him, revealing only a slender, white neck and an ear.
Looking at the profile of the man in the white suit in front of him, Lu Chengtian felt a little familiar, as if he had seen him somewhere.
"Zhou Xinzhang." Zhao Yiqing, who had been silent all this time, suddenly spoke.
"who?"
"The man in the white suit in front is Zhou Xinzhang, the eldest son of the major shareholder of the Zhou Group. I met him at the dinner party." Zhao Yiqing rested his hands on the desk behind him, with his long legs crossed in front of him. He wore silver-gray trousers and a shirt of the same color, shiny leather shoes, and a faint scent of woody perfume on his body. He looked completely out of tune with the "country bumpkins" around him.
The only person who could suppress his flamboyant aura was Captain Lu, who was widely considered a star with his looks. Lu Chengtian, dressed in black, had a slender figure, and his jet-black, clean hair made his complexion appear even colder and paler.
He glanced at Zhao Yiqing with an expression of understanding - Zhao Yiqing was the youngest son of Zhao Ziyun, the richest man in the neighboring Lianhua City. He gave up the family business and insisted on becoming a drug enforcement officer. It was not surprising that he met some second-generation people at a drinking party.
"No wonder, I seemed to have seen him somewhere. This person is often in the news. He loves to do charity, especially donating to orphanages." Ma Qiang slapped his head and suddenly remembered.
Luo Xiaohei listened silently, and without waiting for his leader's instructions, he started typing on the keyboard - Zhou Xinzhang's household registration was checked clearly.
Zhou Xinzhang, 40, holds a Master's degree in Finance from London Business School. He is the eldest son of the major shareholder of the Zhou Group, owning a 20% stake and a candidate for future leadership. His wife, Qin Shuhui, is the daughter of a prominent leader in Shenzhen and Hong Kong; they met at London Business School. Zhou Xinzhang is a passionate philanthropist, particularly fond of visiting orphanages. However, he remains childless and has not been involved in any romantic scandals.
"There isn't even a single bit of negative information about him on the internet. He must be either very good at pretending or very cunning." Luo Xiaohei sighed.
"Just a beast in human clothing." Master Zhao, who knew the inside story, scoffed. "But, it seems we can't arrest him based on this video alone, right?"
"First, send someone to keep an eye on his movements, closely monitor his phone and bank statements, and see who he interacts with on a daily basis." Guo Jing'an said.
"Yes, Director Guo."
Everyone responded, except Lu Chengtian, who remained silent. Guo Jing'an glanced at him and saw that he was staring intently at the frozen surveillance footage, his eyes seemingly drawn to something.
"What are you looking at, boy?"
Lu Chengtian was looking at the person next to Zhou Xinzhang who had never shown his face from beginning to end.
There was a small cinnabar mole on the side of the man's neck.
"Him?" The memory of that stormy night nine years ago suddenly came pouring down on him like a torrential downpour, catching him off guard.
Nine years ago, a torrential downpour hit. Lu Chengtian, a sophomore in high school, rushed home soaked to the skin, but his mother was nowhere to be found. When she wasn't high, she would quietly lean against the headboard, waiting for him to come home and cook.
He searched the small, messy home and found his mother with wide-open eyes in the closed closet.
The needle in her hand failed to penetrate the hardened blood vessels, and the tip was strangely bent. Blood scabs remained on her fingernails. Behind the wardrobe door were countless bloody scratches from fingernails.
He didn't scream, but his insides felt like they were exploding in his chest. After a moment of fear, a piece of his heart quietly shattered—no one would scream at him late at night, put a needle in his neck, and threaten him to give up his grandmother's bankbook.
The only relative in this world is gone.
Before he could move his mother's cold body to the bed, a group of debt collectors banged on the door frantically, and lightning illuminated their hideous faces.
He fled all the way to the gate of Chengtian Temple in the torrential rain and fell. The iron rod hit the boy's growing bones with a dull sound.
He thought his dark life would end on that rainy night when he was 17 years old.
But the sticks suddenly stopped.
Through his swollen eyelids, he saw a tall man knock several debt collectors to the ground. The man walked towards him like a god, carrying him all the way to the hospital.
He smelled the calming scent of sandalwood on him, and at the moment when the lightning illuminated the sky and the earth, he saw the small, bright red mole on the right side of his neck.
"He is so handsome." This was the last thought in the young Lu Chengtian's mind before he fell into coma.
Later, he learned that the man's name was Lin Xian, a well-known investigative reporter in his twenties who happened to be on a business trip to his county. That night, after finishing his interview, Lin Xian wanted to visit the thousand-year-old Chengtian Temple and unexpectedly saved him along the way.
Lin Xian stayed with him in the hospital for a week. At night, he would fall asleep and wake up to see Lin Xian typing away in the darkness, his fingers darting, the soft glow of his laptop screen illuminating his gentle, handsome face. He slept peacefully amidst the clacking of the keyboard.
A week later, Lin Xian accompanied him through the hospital discharge procedures, quietly paid his medical bills, and secretly placed a 50,000 yuan bankbook in his schoolbag. Perhaps fearing he might want to repay her kindness, Lin Xian didn't even tell him his phone number or home address.
On the day of departure, we were still at the foot of the Chengtian Temple Pagoda, but the sun was shining brightly, just like Lin Xian's clean and bright smile.
The man, a head taller than him, leaned over slightly and placed an amulet he had obtained from Chengtian Temple on his wrist. The man's wrist exuded a reassuring scent of sandalwood, and the small red mole on the side of his neck stood out against his fair skin.
The ebony amulet pressed tightly against the boy's thin chest, carrying the warmth of Lin Xian's fingertips, like a small flame, lighting up the damp and dark wilderness in the boy's heart.
"Xiao Lu, you have to run away from the darkness. I believe you can do it."
Those words still echoed in his ears, inspiring him to get into the Public University, leave his dilapidated hometown, come to Shenzhen and Hong Kong, and become a criminal policeman.
Lu Chengtian subconsciously reached out and touched the ebony amulet on his chest that was covered with patina over the years. The familiar scent of sandalwood seemed to linger around his nose again, as if still carrying the tempting warmth of his fingertips.
Immersed in memories, he didn't hear Guo Jingan calling him several times.
"What are you daydreaming about?" Director Guo reached out and patted his head, which brought him back to his senses.
Glancing once more at the side of his neck with the small, bright red mole on the screen, he dismissed his suspicions. No matter what, it couldn't possibly be him.
Zhao Yiqing had been observing his reaction the entire time. Seeing that he had finally come to his senses, he finally spoke up and suggested, "This video is incoherent, so we shouldn't alert them. I can host a dinner for Zhou Xinzhang and his brother Zhou Mubai, and Captain Lu can come along. We can just treat them to friendships as peers and test them out first. What do you think, Director Guo?"
Guo Jing was silent for a moment, then said, "Okay, but be sure not to alert the enemy."
Lu Chengtian remained silent.
Zhao Yiqing patted his shoulder and said, "Don't worry. I won't ask the Criminal Investigation Detachment to work for our Narcotics Control Detachment for nothing. I'll treat Captain Lu to a meal later."
Outside the white building of Jingguan magazine, there was a lot of traffic, it was the rush hour.
A slender figure emerged from the building and was stopped by a young woman in a sweatshirt and jeans. The girl, holding a pen and notebook, appeared to ask the man a question. The man listened patiently for a moment, then said something, which the girl quickly and diligently took down. After a while, the man said something else, which made the girl burst into laughter, and then the two separated.
The man wore a dark gray sweater, a black cashmere coat, and thin-framed glasses. In a season when everyone wore down jackets, he looked especially frail, like a male model in a fashion magazine. As he neared the curb, he pulled out a lighter and cigarette case. The flame illuminated his cool glasses, making his well-toned face look remarkably youthful.
He held a cigarette between his slender fingers, his head lowered slightly, the curve of his neck slender and elegant. Soon, he coughed violently, trembling slightly like a piece of exquisite porcelain, and the small red mole on the side of his neck became even more vivid.
He was about to pick up his cigarette to take another drag when someone snatched it away. A deep voice rang out in his ear: "Your injury hasn't healed yet. Please be more restrained."
The man smiled, a hint of sarcasm in his voice. He looked down at the inconspicuous black metal band on his wrist, which looked like a sports bracelet. The ugly scar on the inside was faintly visible.
"Stop crying wolf. Let's go, Mr. Zhou." He unnoticedly avoided the tall mixed-race man in a dark blue suit in front of him, walked to the Mercedes-Benz S680 on the side of the road, opened the passenger door and got in.
Zhou Mubai followed suit and considerately fastened the seatbelt for the man, who looked extremely exhausted and had already closed his eyes. He exuded a faint perfume, like cedar and vetiver, but the man in the passenger seat seemed oblivious to the sentiment and didn't even raise his eyelids. It wasn't until Zhou Mubai "accidentally" touched the wound on his right shoulder that he frowned slightly.
"Does it still hurt?" Zhou Mubai leaned over as if he was fastening his seatbelt, reached out and pinched the man's pointed chin, and placed a kiss next to the small red mole.
The man turned his head away, not wanting to pay attention until the kiss deepened and he felt a slight sting on his neck. He then pushed Zhou Mubai away and said, "There are so many people coming and going, what are you crazy about?"
Zhou Mubai's breathing was a little unstable. The tip of his nose brushed against his ear. His deep green pupils looked straight at him, rubbing the shocking fresh marks on his fair neck. He said in a hoarse voice, "Don't worry. The sound insulation and privacy of the glass in this car are very good. I just couldn't control my emotions for a moment."
Amid the horns of the vehicles behind him urging him to drive, Zhou Mubai finally returned to the driving position. With a low roar of the engine, he rushed into the turbulent traffic at dusk.
The man next to him didn't say a word and seemed to have fallen asleep.
The dusk melted the skyline into gold, winding across the panoramic glass curtain wall. The formally dressed foreman bowed and pushed open the bronze door, an amber halo falling into Lu Chengtian's dark eyes.
The elegantly dressed waiters' light footsteps skittered across the wool carpet, crystal cups reflected a fine glint of light, and the fragrance of Peruvian palo santo blended perfectly with the deep notes of the cello.
Zhao Yiqing skillfully flipped through the menu with a gold-stamped cowhide cover, told the foreman to rush the dishes, and then he bent down like a gentleman and made a "please" gesture to Lu Chengtian.
Lu Chengtian: "Ma Qiang and the others are right. If you don't go back to inherit the family business, you're out of your mind."
Judging by his upbringing, Lu Chengtian's life path can be described as "poverty to the core." Inside one of Shenzhen and Hong Kong's premier revolving restaurants, dressed in simple black, he looked ready to execute a criminal or attend a funeral, a stark contrast to the atmosphere where every air molecule burned with RMB. Yet, he sat calmly, gazing down at the bustling traffic beneath the glass curtain wall.
The light of the setting sun made his profile look even more handsome and profound. Zhao Yiqing looked at him and his breathing slowed down involuntarily. The waiter passing by couldn't help but take another look at this cold yet calm young man who was as sharp as a sword drawn from its sheath.
Some people dare to speak loudly only when they are surrounded by people and are decorated with splendor, but people like Lu Chengtian are always himself no matter where he goes.
It was not until two belated guests entered that the calmness on his face shattered like thin ice.
The first man to enter was a tall, handsome mixed-race man, his amber-green eyes as sharp as a snake, yet his smile was perfectly composed. He wore a custom-made dark blue, handmade cashmere-and-silk suit and shook hands with the equally dandy Zhao Yiqing in a gentlemanly manner.
"Mr. Zhao, you've lost weight again. It seems like being a drug enforcement officer is not easy."
"Of course, that's not as good as Mr. Zhou's." Zhao Yiqing's peach blossom eyes flickered as he put his arm around Lu Chengtian's shoulder and said, "Let me introduce Mr. Zhou to you. This is Lu Chengtian, the deputy chief of the Criminal Investigation Brigade of the Municipal Bureau. He's young, but he's already won four third-class merits and one second-class merit. He's also the dream lover of our policewoman."
Zhou Mubai extended his hand and shook his. "So you're from the Lu Detachment. I've heard a lot about you, but I didn't expect you to be so young and handsome. Nice to meet you."
Lu Chengtian just nodded calmly, and his eyes fell on the man behind Zhou Mubai.
The moment his eyes met Lu Chengtian's, the man's brown pupils hidden behind the lenses seemed to light up, he curled the corners of his lips politely, and then quickly and calmly moved his eyes to Zhao Yiqing.
Zhao Yiqing also noticed the young man behind Zhou Mubai and asked, "Isn't the young master coming today? Who is this?"
Zhou Mubai put his arm around the waist of the man beside him and said with a smile, "Thank you, Captain Zhao, for the invitation. I'm truly sorry, but my brother has an important project to discuss tonight and asked me to pass on a message. He will definitely invite you two officers back another day. I brought a friend with me, and I'd like to introduce you to them."
"This is Lin Xian, the editor-in-chief of the in-depth reporting department of Mirror View magazine."
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