Facts proved that the culinary skills of the Deputy Hall Master of Xiaoqi Hall were only a tiny bit better than those of the Dragon Head boss—so tiny it was practically zero. Half an hour later, several underworld figures sat around the table, facing a few plates of charred, unidentifiable objects, eating the cake they had brought themselves and drinking beer while chatting merrily. Only He Chusan stood alone by the grill, sighing as he brushed oil onto the few surviving sausages.
After finishing with the sauce, he crouched down to pick up the book Xia Liuyi had earlier kicked aside, flipped a few pages, and resumed reading.
He hadn’t gotten through two lines before the book was stomped into the sand. “On second thought, I shouldn’t have burned the book—I should’ve burned you.”
“If you burn me, there’ll be no one left to grill the sausages,” He Chusan said with a smile.
Xia Liuyi kicked him lightly and crouched beside him, stuffing a piece of cake into his mouth.
“Mmm, it’s good.”
“Xiao Luo made it.”
“Do you like it? I can learn and make it for you.”
“Forget it.” Ever since suffering another tooth replacement this past Children’s Day, Xia Liuyi had grown nauseated at the sight of cake.
“Then I’ll bake cookies. Do you like cookies?”
“Mm.”
“Cookies are better than cake. You should eat more hard food to grind your teeth—stop eating only soft things.”
“Get lost.”
Under the blue sky, white clouds, sea, and sandy shore, two grown men crouched behind a smoke-filled grill, clinging together and flirting shamelessly—when suddenly the smell of burning hit their noses. Both sprang up in alarm.
“The sausages are burnt too?! Are we even getting anything to eat today, Boss?!” Cui Dongdong shouted.
“Shut up!”
……
This band of triads burned and grilled, grilled and burned, eating half-charred, half-raw barbecue all afternoon. The beach was left in utter chaos—tableware strewn everywhere, leftover sauces and ingredients spilled across the sand. Then they began waving beer bottles and charging into the sea, laughing uproariously as they splashed and chased each other. Xiao Ma grabbed Scarhead by the head and shoved him into the water, only for Scarhead to arch his back and send Xiao Ma tumbling in instead. Cui Dongdong and the little songstress watched from the side, cheering loudly.
Only He Chusan remained behind, carrying a large sack, crouching dutifully as he cleaned up the mess.
Xia Liuyi strolled over, cigarette in his mouth, bare feet covered in sand. “Stop cleaning—just leave it.”
“Almost done,” He Chusan replied.
Xia Liuyi crouched beside him, picked up an empty beer bottle, and pretended to smash it over his head. “Damn it, putting on an act—like you’re the only one with civic virtue!”
“Clean Hong Kong—it’s everyone’s responsibility,” Student He lectured, wagging his head, and conveniently took the bottle from his hand and tossed it into the garbage bag.
Xia Liuyi smacked him lightly on the head with his bare hand. “Cut the crap! Will it kill you to finish later? Come watch the sunset with me!”
“You can watch it from here too,” He Chusan chuckled, grabbing his hand along the way.
Xia Liuyi’s face warmed. He instinctively tried to shake him off—but failed to shake off the person.
The sun dipped low, painting the horizon in blood-red brilliance. A sea hawk screeched as it glided across the sky, skimming the restless waves. He Chusan set down the garbage bag, bathed in the crimson glow, and leaned closer with a smile.
Xia Liuyi stepped back with his movement, his gaze flicking toward the row of bodyguards standing not far away.
He Chusan glanced back at them—and suddenly his expression changed drastically. Pointing into the distance, he shouted, “Police!”
The bodyguards all turned at once—
—and in that instant, Actor He swiftly snatched the cigarette from Xia Liuyi’s mouth and planted a loud kiss on his lips!
“……”
“Thud!”
By the time the bodyguards turned back, all they saw was He Chusan curled up on the sand clutching his stomach, laughing while grimacing in pain as he tried to get up. Xia Liuyi, meanwhile, had already stormed far away in fury, shaking his sore bare foot as he walked.
“Come take a photo!” Cui Dongdong called out under the setting sun. “Hurry—the sun’s going down!”
Xia Liuyi took a few steps forward, then glanced back at He Chusan still dawdling on the sand. He turned around, grabbed him roughly, and dragged him along toward Cui Dongdong. Seizing the chance, He Chusan clung to him as the two jostled their way into frame. Cui Dongdong had already wrapped an arm around Xiao Luo, while Scarhead deliberately picked the least conspicuous spot. A bodyguard lifted a large camera.
“Boss, Big Sister, Mr. He, Miss Luo, Brother Ma, Brother Scar—everyone look at the camera. I’ll count to three, then shout the slogan…”
“One, two, three—”
“Get rich!” they all shouted in unison. Xiao Ma suddenly darted forward, shoving his head right between his boss and He Chusan, grinning broadly as he yelled.
Click! The moment was captured forever.
……
At dusk, Xia Liuyi drove He Chusan back to his rented tenement building in Sai Wan.
He Chusan got out of the car and leaned on the window, inviting him, “It’s still early—want to come up for a bit?”
“I’ve got business to discuss tonight.”
“Then I’ll come find you next week?”
“Mm.”
“What do you feel like eating? I’ll bring ingredients.”
From the car behind, Xiao Ma poked his head out impatiently, glanced at He Chusan bending over the window talking to Xia Liuyi, then slumped back irritably. “Damn it, are they done yet?”
“They’re a young couple saying goodbye—what’s the rush?” Cui Dongdong said from his car.
“Boss Dongdong, don’t call them a ‘couple’—it’s creepy! That He brat really looks like a damn gay—keep him away from the boss!”
“……” You only just noticed? Straight man?
Ten minutes later, the very “gay” He Chusan stood alone by the roadside, watching Xia Liuyi’s convoy disappear around the corner. Touching his lips, still savoring the moment, he let out a soft sigh and turned to head upstairs.
Taking a flashlight from his briefcase, he had just climbed to the second floor when something felt off.
There was a scent in the air.
Familiar. Very familiar. And ominous.
Yet he couldn’t quite place it.
He hesitated, stopping in his tracks, quietly taking a deep breath. Just as he was about to turn and run—
two burly men suddenly appeared and slammed him against the wall!
Before he could cry out, a wad of cloth was stuffed into his mouth. In the struggle, his hands and feet were bound. Darkness engulfed him as his body was hoisted sideways into the air!
“Mmmph—mmph—!” he struggled desperately in the dark. Only then did he realize what that smell was—
—the familiar scent of a sack!
Only this time, the ones who had “invited” him were certainly not doing so to have him write a script.
……
At the foot of the mountain stretched a somber expanse of gray tombstones, a forest of graves facing the sea. Beneath the dim yellow glow of scattered lights, a solitary figure walked forward. The angels carved upon the stone markers lining both sides of the path watched him climb the steps with hollow eyes.
At the very end stood an old gravestone. Before it, a man with a cold expression waited. Hearing the approaching footsteps, he turned his head.
Lu Guangming approached with a bouquet in his arms. “As expected—you’re here.”
Xie Jiahua silently watched him come closer.
Lu Guangming bent to place the flowers down, then lowered his head and made the sign of the cross before turning back. “Why didn’t you answer my calls?”
Xie Jiahua stared at him expressionlessly as he feigned innocence. Lu Guangming bared his teeth awkwardly for a moment, realizing the act wouldn’t hold, and quickly dropped the pained expression, replacing it with a grin. “What? Found something out?”
“You grew up in an orphanage. You have no familial relation to Tang Jiaqi. He isn’t your cousin at all.”
Lu Guangming narrowed his eyes, smiling like a fox. “Sorry about that—I apologize. You’re just too hard to approach. I mentioned Tang Jiaqi to lower your guard. Didn’t we end up having quite a pleasant conversation?”
Xie Jiahua suddenly raised his hand and slapped him across the face!
“You used a dead man to extract information—don’t you find yourself despicable and shameless?!”
Lu Guangming’s head snapped to the side. He flexed his jaw slightly, then turned back, still smiling as if nothing had happened. “Don’t be angry. I brought you a great gift today. Didn’t you want to bring down Xia Liuyi?”
He pulled a roll of film from his pocket and handed it over.
Xie Jiahua’s expression remained icy. He did not take it. Their brief encounters had already filled him with extreme distaste for Lu Guangming—his words, his conduct—everything. He did not trust this so-called “gift.”
Patiently, Lu Guangming continued, “I found it at the home of Xia Liuyi’s ‘friend’—the same place you captured him.”
Xie Jiahua remained silent.
“This ‘friend’ of his—surely you know about their relationship. Quite interesting, really. He’s a clean-cut white-collar worker, yet privately keeps very close ties with Xia Liuyi. And the photos he secretly took—every angle imaginable. Practically a private photo collection. Looks like he’s deeply devoted to Xia Liuyi.”
In truth, Xie Jiahua had long known from A-Biao’s report that two years ago, He Chusan had saved Xia Liuyi, and the two shared an unusual bond. It was precisely through that connection that Xia Liuyi had been captured at He Chusan’s residence. He simply watched Lu Guangming coldly, waiting to hear what else he had to say.
Lu Guangming squinted and smiled. “Inspector Xie, to bring down these triads, you don’t need to dirty your own hands. Sit atop the mountain and watch the tigers fight—once both sides are wounded, you sweep them all up in one net. Isn’t that much more convenient?”
Xie Jiahua frowned. “What did you do?”
“I found a way to inform Master Qiao of the He Yi Society about the relationship between those two. I heard he suffered a loss when competing with Xia Liuyi over Fat Seven’s territory and has been looking for a chance to retaliate…”
Before he could finish, another slap landed across his face!
Tilting his head, Lu Guangming stared for a moment at a weathered memorial portrait by the roadside. Then, stiffly, he turned back—only to find Xie Jiahua already walking far away.
He raised a hand to wipe the blood from the corner of his mouth, muttering with a frown, “Why is it always the same side?”
After pondering for a moment, he grew even more aggrieved and shouted toward Xie Jiahua’s back, “Hey! What was that one for?!”
……
He Chusan woke in a room flooded with harsh light. His head swam for a while before he could make out his surroundings. It looked like an abandoned warehouse, the air thick with the heavy stench of gasoline. His hands and feet were tightly bound, and several thugs pinned him face-down to the ground. Opposite him sat a man in his forties, his face pale with illness, wearing a faint, inscrutable smile.
“How long have you been following Xia Liuyi?” Master Qiao asked. His voice was hoarse and strange, as though his throat had once been slit.
An ordinary person, after such an ordeal, would either have wet themselves in terror or be trembling uncontrollably. But this clean-faced young man merely rolled his eyes around to take in the surroundings, then looked up at him before answering with innocent honesty, “I haven’t followed him.”
Master Qiao tilted his chin. A henchman behind He Chusan immediately brought a club down on his head! He Chusan groaned, trembling as he clenched his teeth. A line of blood ran down from his forehead, dripping along his cheek onto the ground.
“I’ve heard your relationship with him is rather… unusual,” Master Qiao continued with a half-smile. “Didn’t expect Xia Liuyi to have that kind of taste.”
He Chusan took a breath and struggled to explain, “I really haven’t been with him. If I had, I’d have moved in with him long ago. Why would I still be living alone in that rundown place and get caught by you?”
Master Qiao curled his lips. “Indeed. Xia Liuyi treats you so poorly—even I feel sorry for you.”
He lifted a hand. A subordinate behind him brought out a mobile phone, dialed a number, and handed it over.
After several rings, Xia Liuyi’s impatient voice came through, clearly interrupted mid-discussion. “Hello?”
“This is Qiao Xing.”
Xia Liuyi’s tone immediately steadied. “Master Qiao.”
“Twin-Blade Xia,” Master Qiao called him by his underworld title. “Long time no see.”
“What brings you to me so late, Master Qiao?”
“I’ve caught someone. I hear he has some connection to you—but he refuses to admit it. So I thought I’d ask you personally.”
As he spoke, he nodded toward He Chusan again. The henchman struck him hard across the shoulder! He Chusan gritted his teeth to suppress a cry, but when the man stomped on the wound, he finally let out a scream.
Master Qiao brought the phone back to his ear, smiling faintly. “Well then, you—”
Beep—
Only the busy tone answered. Xia Liuyi had already hung up.
Master Qiao froze for a moment, then pulled the phone away to look at it before frowning and handing it back. His subordinate redialed, listened briefly, and said uncertainly, “Seems like it’s switched off.”
“……”
The group of triads, who had never before encountered such treatment from a hostage’s associate, exchanged bewildered glances. After a long silence, Master Qiao suddenly laughed.
He stood and walked over to He Chusan, lifting his chin with his cane, studying his blood-streaked face. “Interesting. Either you truly have nothing to do with him—or you are extremely important to him.”
He Chusan himself didn’t know what had happened on Xia Liuyi’s side, but after a brief moment of shared shock, he quickly caught on. Forced to tilt his head back and face this mysterious “Master Qiao,” he immediately slipped into full actor mode, improvising on the spot to save himself.
“Ahem… actually, our relationship isn’t what you think. I’m his financial advisor.”
Master Qiao watched him with a half-smile, neither believing nor disbelieving, waiting for him to continue.
He Chusan swallowed and pressed on, “Yes, we’ve known each other for a long time. We both used to live in Jiaolong Walled City. I was the only university student there. He once hired me to write scripts. Later I joined an investment firm, but we still kept in touch privately—I provide him with accounting advice… ahem, basically I handle his books.”
“Oh?”
“You can verify it. My name is He Chusan, investment consultant at Xinda Company. I ranked first in performance this quarter. Xia Liuyi trusts my abilities a lot—he often has me handle his accounts. I’m also very familiar with his Deputy Hall Master, Cui Dongdong—she’s bought many financial products from me. Just last month she made over three million…”
He spun an elaborate tale with convincing confidence, then shifted to emphasizing his own importance. “Really—look at me. Do I look like someone who sells himself? I’m a grown man, tall, thick-skinned—if Xia Liuyi liked men, he’d go for those delicate little types. If he hung up on you, he’s probably discussing things with Cui Dongdong right now. I know quite a bit about their financial matters—he values my life.”
Master Qiao studied him with suspicion. Actor He didn’t even blink while lying, his eyes bright with earnest sincerity, filled with pleading honesty. “If you don’t believe me, just wait. At the latest, by tomorrow, he’ll call you to negotiate terms.”
Master Qiao smiled faintly. His cane suddenly pressed hard against He Chusan’s throat, forcing the air from his lungs. “Fine. I’ll wait until tomorrow. If Xia Liuyi doesn’t call—you can prepare to be dumped into the sea.”
He waved a hand. Several thugs dragged He Chusan up, his toes barely touching the ground, and hauled him into a nearby dark room, locking the door behind him.
On this side, He Chusan writhed on the cold floor like a caterpillar, struggling helplessly. On the other side, in a nightclub in Tsim Sha Tsui, Xia Liuyi sat on a sofa, his face dark and silent.
The subordinates who had been discussing business with him had just witnessed him crushing the mobile phone in his hand like a brick while listening to the call. Though they didn’t know what had happened, none dared to breathe too loudly or ask a single question.
They had never seen their boss like this—his face pale with a sickly green hue, his eyes vicious as though he wanted to devour someone alive. A chilling killing intent filled the room, sending cold sweat down their backs.
After a long while, Xia Liuyi scattered the shattered pieces of the phone onto the floor and said expressionlessly:
“Get Cui Dongdong here.”
Futile Devices Scans 
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