Futile Devices Scans

The Boss lay on the bed and enjoyed a thoroughly satisfying “cigarette.” Best Actor He sucked and stroked him so skillfully that he nearly drew out his soul along with it.

After finishing one “cigarette,” Best Actor He continued feeling him up and tried to sample something else, only for the Boss to haul him upright by the ear. Xia Liu Yi swiftly pulled up both layers of his trousers. Best Actor He looked deeply regretful as he lowered his gaze toward the frustrated He Chu Si.

Elio’s Notes: For clarity, Liu Yi’s c**k is Xia Liu Er while Chu San’s is He Chu Si. We’re like counting 1, 2, 3, 4 here with Yi, Er, San, Si.

Xia Liu Yi felt even more dejected than he did. He would not have minded battling He Chu San for another three hundred rounds—no, three hundred was excessive; three more would have been about right—and he desperately wanted to hold He Chu San and sleep comfortably beside him. Rationally, however, he knew he could not allow the other man to remain any longer. Looking at He Chu San’s woebegone expression, he sighed helplessly. “Lie down.”

“Huh?” He Chu San did not react immediately.

Xia Liu Yi caught him by the collar and shoved him onto the bed. With rough movements, he pulled down He Chu San’s trousers and pushed his shirt up to his chest. Staring at the rigid erection before him, he allowed himself exactly one brief second of mental preparation. Before he could truly prepare himself, he hardened his resolve, lowered his head, and took it into his mouth.

The stimulation was almost too much for He Chu San. His face immediately flushed scarlet. Gripping the bedsheet in helpless panic, he trembled with every suck and sweep of Xia Liu Yi’s tongue, the faint muscles of his lower abdomen tightening into quivering lines.

After floating through the clouds for some time, he finally could no longer endure it. Panting, he called softly, “Brother Liu Yi.” Xia Liu Yi looked up at him while still holding him in his mouth. The sight of those eyes drew a low growl from He Chu San, and he abruptly climaxed.

Xia Liu Yi had not expected the brat to finish so quickly. He choked, turned aside, and coughed and spat for a while.

Once He Chu San recovered, he embraced Xia Liu Yi from behind. Sniffling, he said nothing and merely rubbed his face against the back of Xia Liu Yi’s shoulder. Xia Liu Yi turned to look and saw that the brat’s eyes were slightly red and faintly glistening.

“Brother Liu Yi, you didn’t have to do that,” He Chu San said, both moved and distressed.

Xia Liu Yi pulled his head closer and affectionately rested their foreheads together. He then got up, went next door, and rinsed his mouth. When he returned to the bedroom, He Chu San had sensibly straightened his shirt and trousers and was sitting obediently on the edge of the bed, waiting for him.

Xia Liu Yi sat beside him, and they leaned together and kissed for a while longer.

“When can I come and see you again?” He Chu San asked.

“Don’t come again,” Xia Liu Yi said. When He Chu San’s eyes dimmed, he kissed him once more and coaxed, “Silly boy. Once everything is settled, I’ll go home immediately.”

He Chu San nodded expectantly, then looked Xia Liu Yi up and down. Seeing the blue and red bruises across his body, he said with concern, “Qin Hao hit you that hard? You’re his Boss.”

Xia Liu Yi snorted with laughter. “He doesn’t look any better!”

“That’s true. When I first saw him earlier, I thought the marks on his body were love bites. I was genuinely heartbroken.” He Chu San lowered his head sorrowfully, then raised it again with a wounded expression—only to find Xia Liu Yi watching his performance calmly.

“The director hasn’t called cut yet. Keep acting,” Xia Liu Yi said.

He Chu San broke into a wicked grin.

Their brief period of tenderness came to an end. Xia Liu Yi escorted He Chu San all the way to the front door. Clinging reluctantly to the doorframe, He Chu San said, “Next Saturday, Dad and Auntie Wu are holding their wedding banquet at Kan Hei Restaurant. Can you make some time to come? Dad is quite concerned about you. Every now and then, he asks how your teeth are doing. My younger sister wants to meet you too…”

Xia Liu Yi gave a noncommittal grunt. “We’ll see.”

“Don’t bring an expensive gift. A small token is enough,” He Chu San continued nagging. “The most important thing is that you come and congratulate him. It’s his happy day.”

“I’ll try.” Xia Liu Yi remained noncommittal and firmly shoved him outside. If he did not get He Chu San out immediately, he feared he would drag him back upstairs and kiss him another three hundred times.

After saying goodbye, Xia Liu Yi hurriedly shut the front door. He leaned against it in a daze for a while before abruptly slapping himself hard across the face.

He was frightened by how completely he had lost control and surrendered himself to tenderness. Azure Dragon and Xiao Man had not yet been avenged. What right did he have to love someone or indulge in pleasure? He would be leaving for Thailand the following week. Golden Maitreya was a terrifying opponent. How could Xia Liu Yi allow himself to become distracted and lower his guard at a time like this?

His broad palm was still pressed against his cheek when the front door was suddenly unlocked from outside. Xia Liu Yi turned alertly and saw He Chu San rush back inside, panting heavily.

“What are—mmph!”

Before Xia Liu Yi could finish speaking, He Chu San rushed forward, pinned him against the door, and swept his tongue wildly through his mouth. After thoroughly exploring every corner, He Chu San complained indignantly, “I regretted it the moment I got into the car. I don’t want to pretend to be some tolerant, understanding, long-suffering legal wife! It’s bad enough that you won’t come home, but you’re secretly living with another man behind my back! He’s handsome, he practices boxing with you, and he can openly live in the same house as you, while I’m treated like a secret lover and thrown out after staying only a little while. I’m dying of jealousy!”

“You little bastard! I already let you ‘smoke.’ What more do you want?!” Xia Liu Yi cursed fiercely even as he wrapped his arms around him.

“I want to live here.”

“No!”

“Then make him leave.”

“…” Xia Liu Yi fell silent.

He pulled He Chu San more tightly into his arms and sighed. “I’ll tell him to pack his things and move out immediately. Will that satisfy you?”

“And you absolutely have to attend Dad’s wedding. I have something very important to tell you.”

“You can’t tell me now?”

“No. I have to tell you then.”

“Fine, fine. I’ll come. All right? Are you satisfied now?”

Satisfied at last, He Chu San pressed his face against Xia Liu Yi’s temple and rubbed affectionately against him, shamelessly acting spoiled against his lover. “I’m sorry, Brother Liu Yi. I don’t want to be this jealous either. I thought I could be reasonable. I’m normally the most reasonable person in the world, but I like you so much that I don’t have any strength left to be reasonable.”

The tips of Xia Liu Yi’s ears softened at those words, and his entire heart nearly melted into a bowl of almond cream. Even if He Chu San became as irrational as a shrew screaming abuse in the street, Xia Liu Yi would still marry him with a heart full of springtime affection—then take him home and slowly beat some sense into him.

“Being in love is terrifying,” He Chu San sighed.

Holding him tightly, Xia Liu Yi secretly released the same sigh inside his heart. It truly is.

The two gay men tormented by love remained silently wrapped around each other for a long while, both filled with emotion. Only then did Xia Liu Yi finally awaken from his lovesick daze. Making a painful decision, he mercilessly shoved He Chu San out the door once again. He had surely had enough sentimentality by now. He could get the hell out!

Xia Liu Yi closed the door and locked it for good measure. His weathered face burning, he leaned against the door, slowly slid downward, and crouched on the floor. He plunged both hands into his hair and tugged hard several times. Feeling thoroughly depraved, he became so dejected that he no longer possessed the energy to slap himself again.

Love truly was terrifying!

…

Qin Hao stood in a corner of the garden and watched He Chu San leave the village house for the second time and drive away. Rather than going directly inside, Qin Hao returned to the training room and performed a series of stretches that required little exertion.

Before long, A’Nan entered and expressed himself as tactfully as possible. “Brother Hao, the Boss has arranged for you to stay in another nearby house for the next few days. You should come over on time every day and continue practicing with him.”

Qin Hao asked A’Nan bluntly, “Was that Mr. He the Boss’s boyfriend?”

A’Nan’s eyes widened and his mouth fell open. Although the bodyguards had all seen the truth for themselves, none of them had ever dared openly state the Boss’s wife’s identity. Yet Qin Hao had simply said it aloud. After stammering for a long time, he managed, “Ahem, he… you… ahem. You absolutely, absolutely, absolutely cannot tell anyone. Most importantly, absolutely, absolutely, absolutely do not ask the Boss that question directly.”

“I won’t,” Qin Hao said. “I only asked you.”

“Uh… why?”

“Because you look incapable of hiding anything.”

“…” A’Nan stared at him.

Before leaving the training room, Qin Hao patted the despairing A’Nan on the shoulder and seriously consoled him. “I meant that as praise for your good character, Brother Nan.”

“…” Brother Nan did not feel consoled in the slightest.

Qin Hao moved out of the Boss’s village house that very night. The change brought him some relief. Living with the Boss day and night placed him under enormous pressure and made certain actions inconvenient. However, it also caused him some trouble, because it left him even less able to determine the reason behind the Boss’s recent unusual behavior. Xia Liu Yi had only told him that he would soon be assigned an important task and instructed him to remain vigilant and strengthen his body.

Late that night, now living alone, Qin Hao was free to move about. He took a car across the harbor to Master Qiao’s territory on Hong Kong Island—to a disco operated by the He Yi Society.

Inside the disco, the night’s excitement was at its peak. Moving to the pounding beat of the music, Qin Hao passed through the wildly swaying crowd and approached a small table in a corner.

A man wearing sunglasses was already seated there. He wore ripped jeans and a short black vest that exposed the fierce tattoos covering both arms. His facial contours looked as though they had been carved with a blade, giving him an exceptionally cool and handsome appearance. A pretty girl passing by noticed his looks and boldly pressed herself against him to flirt, only for him to push her aside casually. The girl was displeased but did not dare continue provoking him. She twisted her slender waist and stalked away with an offended complaint.

Qin Hao passed her and sat at the table.

The man looked up. When he saw Qin Hao, the hard downward curve of his mouth relaxed slightly. He removed his sunglasses, revealing a pair of eyes so black they seemed bottomless. Although his expression remained stern and solemn, the gaze he directed toward Qin Hao was filled with concern.

“How is the situation?” Xie Jia Hua asked.

Senior Inspector Xie Jia Hua of the Major Crimes Unit had already successfully dismantled the Sha Family Gang, the He Sheng Society, and several other triad organizations. Based on his own investigation of Xia Liu Yi and the descriptions provided by A’Biao, an undercover officer who had once served as Xia Liu Yi’s bodyguard, Xie Jia Hua had personally selected and molded Qin Hao for this undercover role. A resemblance to Azure Dragon, a difficult past, a steady personality, intelligent conduct, excellent fighting skills, loyalty, and devotion to brotherhood—every trait he had instructed Qin Hao to display was tailored to Xia Liu Yi’s preferences for trusted subordinates.

More unusually, Qin Hao’s tragic past, his parents, and his half-sister were all real rather than fabricated by the police. Qin Hao’s mother had died when he was young. He came to Hong Kong to seek refuge with his biological father but had a terrible relationship with both his father and stepmother. After ending up on the streets, he had nearly become a genuine gangster, but Xie Jia Hua fortunately guided him away from that path. With Xie Jia Hua’s help, Qin Hao fulfilled his personal ambition and entered the police academy. He was later chosen for undercover work and successfully infiltrated the enemy, helping the police dismantle Old Five’s criminal organization on Temple Street. Afterward, he appeared to flee back to Thailand, but in reality, he was sent to the United States for two years of advanced training. Upon returning to Hong Kong, he accepted another undercover assignment—this time infiltrating Xiao Qi Hall.

His surname was Qin and his given name was Hao. He used his genuine name, while even his biological father, stepmother, and younger sister knew nothing of his identity as a police officer. In the eyes of his family and everyone else, he had always been an uneducated, good-for-nothing gangster. No matter how thoroughly the underworld investigated him, they would find no flaw.

Qin Hao ordered two bottles of beer from a passing bartender. Amid the deafening music, he and Xie Jia Hua drank and talked in the corner, looking like two gangsters who had come to enjoy themselves. They blended completely into the background of the frenzied crowd, ordinary and unremarkable.

“Xia Liu Yi trusts me greatly,” Qin Hao said. “Recently, he even allowed me to move into his home and practice boxing with him from morning until night.”

“Why is he training?” Xie Jia Hua immediately detected something unusual.

“I suspect he intends to go somewhere dangerous and carry out an important task—something that cannot be resolved through money or influence and may even require him to fight personally. Since it lies beyond the limits of his authority, it may involve another society, or perhaps his supplier and backer in Thailand.”

“You only recently joined the society. He couldn’t possibly take you to meet that contact.”

“I thought the same. However, Xia Liu Yi has behaved with greater restraint in recent years and maintains close relations with the other He-affiliated factions. He hasn’t formed a serious blood feud with anyone and is unlikely to enter a major conflict with another society. For now, I cannot determine his true objective. I’ll report again after investigating further.”

“Good.”

“There is another suspicious matter. Xia Liu Yi has recently been under continuous surveillance. To avoid those watching him, he moved out of the apartment he shared with his boyfriend and returned to the village house.”

Xie Jia Hua’s attention shifted slightly away from the main issue. “His boyfriend?”

“He Chu San, the man mentioned in your files. They are actually lovers.”

Xie Jia Hua frowned. Although Lu Guang Ming had hinted at this before, and although he had long known that Xia Liu Yi and He Chu San shared an unusual relationship, he had never believed they were genuinely lovers. Xia Liu Yi showed no obvious indication that he liked men, while He Chu San was a respectable young man who understood boundaries and did not seem like someone who would become entangled in bed with an underworld boss. Xie Jia Hua found it completely unreasonable. “Xia Liu Yi likes men?”

“Yes.”

“Then does he have feelings for you…?”

“He has no interest in me. In fact, he somewhat dislikes that I resemble Azure Dragon. Xia Liu Yi is extremely cautious about this relationship and protects He Chu San very well.”

“How deeply is He Chu San involved in his affairs? Has he entered Xiao Qi Hall’s inner circle?”

“He Chu San is nominally Xiao Qi Hall’s investment adviser, but in practice, he only provides investment advice regarding property, shares, and funds. He holds no genuine authority and does not participate in underworld affairs. Xiao Qi Hall’s central power rests with Xia Liu Yi and Cui Dong Dong. The two are exceptionally close and trust each other completely. Ma Ru Long ranks directly below them and is popular among the brothers, but he remains an underling who obeys their orders absolutely. Xia Liu Yi has already pushed the elders entirely out of power. Xiao Qi Hall has undergone two internal purges in recent years, eliminating every splinter faction. Everyone remaining belongs directly to Xia Liu Yi. His position as Dragon Head is secure, and I haven’t found a point of entry yet.”

The two continued speaking quietly for a while. At last, Qin Hao asked Xie Jia Hua, “If Xia Liu Yi really takes me to Thailand to meet his backer, should we contact Interpol and the Thai police to conduct an arrest?”

“Not yet,” Xie Jia Hua said steadily. “We need to let the line run longer to catch the larger fish. If he’s arrested in Thailand, we won’t control the operation, and Cui Dong Dong will remain in Hong Kong as deputy hall master. Xiao Qi Hall still won’t collapse. Our final objective is to dismantle the entire criminal organization and capture all of them in a single sweep. Remain patient. Take your time and gain his complete trust.”

“Understood.”

After completing his report, Qin Hao stood to leave. Suddenly remembering something, he bent down and spoke close to Xie Jia Hua’s ear. “Brother Jia Hua, if something happens to me, you must immediately move my younger sister somewhere safe and protect her. I’m entrusting her to you.”

“I understand. Don’t worry.”

“Thank you, Brother Jia Hua.”

Xie Jia Hua gripped his shoulder and gave it a pat. “No. I should be thanking you. Protect yourself. Don’t exceed your limits. Your safety is the most important thing.”

“Understood.”

…

Qin Hao hurried away. Xie Jia Hua remained alone and slowly finished the remaining half bottle of beer. Without warning, he smashed the empty bottle hard against the corner of the table. Turning, he strode several steps and pressed the jagged glass against the throat of a young man seated at another small table nearby. Grabbing the young man by the collar, he slammed him down against the tabletop.

The narrow-eyed young man was also dressed like a gangster out for a night’s entertainment. Smiling, he raised both hands in surrender. With his cheek pressed against the table, he looked up at Xie Jia Hua. “Brother Jia Hua, your gangster performance is very convincing. Are you planning to fight me here too? There’s no need. I surrender immediately.”

“You’ve finished watching the show. Why haven’t you gotten lost?” Xie Jia Hua asked coldly.

“Brother Jia Hua rarely performs. Surely I’m allowed to offer a few comments after the curtain falls? Was that your new source just now? You seem very close.”

“None of your business, Lu Guang Ming. I will never lend you one of my operatives. And don’t appear in front of me again!”

He released Lu Guang Ming and turned away. Raising his voice behind him, Lu Guang Ming called, “Hey, how can you turn your back on someone so completely? Don’t forget—the hospital expenses from my last admission are going on your tab!”

Xie Jia Hua stopped abruptly and looked back without expression. “How much do you want?”

Lu Guang Ming narrowed his eyes in a smile. “Give me your home address. I’ll mail you the bill.”

“Mail it to my office if you’ve got the nerve.”

Lu Guang Ming called loudly, “After sleeping with me, surely Inspector Xie already knows whether I’ve got the nerve—or the equipment?”

Xie Jia Hua rushed back and covered his mouth. Lu Guang Ming made several muffled sounds before breaking free. Still smiling mischievously, he continued running his mouth. “I ran into that nurse on the street yesterday. She still felt so sorry for me. She even quietly asked whether the police had caught the man who sodomized me yet…”

“Shut up!” Xie Jia Hua roared.

Lu Guang Ming mimed pulling a zipper across his lips and blinked cunningly. “Your home address?”

“Get lost!”

“Then I’ll really send it to your office?”

“Get lost!”

…

Lu Guang Ming returned home late that night and went directly into his darkroom. Working through the night, he developed the photographs secretly taken with the spy camera, which was only half the size of his palm. He cut out the image of Xie Jia Hua’s “source” and examined it beneath the light for a long time, confirming that he had never seen the man before.

From a concealed compartment in the corner of the room, he removed a small wooden box engraved with the word “Pandora.” Inside were a brick phone and a stack of documents.

After searching through them, he selected one file and dialed a number written inside.

The phone rang for a long time before someone answered. A rough voice shouted, “Are you sick?! Who’s calling in the middle of the night?”

Lowering his voice, Lu Guang Ming adopted the eerie, gravelly tone commonly used by criminal masterminds in police dramas. “Who I am is unimportant. What matters is that from 1990 until now, you have concealed criminal evidence for Wui Fat Finance Company and accepted a total of HK$2,856,000 in bribes. That figure is correct, isn’t it?”

The other man’s voice became startled and cautious. “Who are you? What do you want?”

“At nine tomorrow morning, a photograph will arrive at your office. You will have twenty-four hours to use your authority to identify the person in that photograph. Otherwise, a formal report will be mailed to the ICAC.”

After ending the call, Lu Guang Ming carefully gathered the photograph and all the documents, returned them to the hidden compartment, and went to the bathroom to wash. While showering, he noticed a faint sting on his neck. He stepped closer to the mirror, wiped the steam from the glass, and raised his chin to examine the shallow bloody line across his throat—the beer bottle had scratched him.

“How heartless, Brother Jia Hua,” he said to the mirror, smiling with crescent-shaped eyes.

Still wet, he left the bathroom. The room was cold and empty, containing almost nothing beyond the necessary furniture. The curtains remained tightly closed, keeping out all daylight. The sheets and quilt covers were a heavy gray-black. Lu Guang Ming sank into them, curled himself into a ball, and fell asleep.

…

Twenty-four hours later, he received a single thin file: Qin Hao, unemployed, Thai Chinese, formerly imprisoned for five months for intentional assault, and currently serving Xiao Qi Hall after his release.

He appeared to be an entirely ordinary low-level gangster.

Lu Guang Ming considered the information for a moment, opened his telephone directory, and dialed a number on the landline.

“Hello? Officer Zhang? Hello, this is Xiao Lu from the ICAC. We met at Chief Qiu’s retirement party… Hahaha, yes, that’s me! Inspector Zhang’s memory is every bit as good as your tolerance for alcohol! Hahaha… I do need your help with something. It concerns a prisoner who was held at your facility earlier this year. I’d like to check the list of men who shared his cell…”

After a long conversation, he repeatedly expressed his thanks and ended the call. Looking once more at Qin Hao’s photograph and file, he revealed a cunning smile.

“Caught you, Brother Jia Hua.”