The sedan sped swiftly out of the parking lot, merging onto the grand avenue. Within the car, the three occupants were each lost in their own ponderings, heavy as stone, and long did no one speak.
After a few minutes, Xie Jia Hua brought the car to a halt by the roadside. Turning to Lu Guang Ming, he said, “I am heading to the police station, not home. You may take a taxi from here.”
Lu Guang Ming nodded and stepped out without further protest. Yet he had scarcely gone a few steps before Xie Jia Hua’s hand gripped him from behind. Surprised, Lu Guang Ming turned to face him.
“Inspector Xie, do you still have matters to discuss?”
Xie Jia Hua hesitated, then spoke after a pause. “I’ve recently uncovered some matters of old, and I finally understand why you have long been entangled with me. Your father perished twenty years ago in a bank heist, at which time my father was his partner. You suspect my father of embezzlement, perhaps thinking his actions caused your father’s demise. Though I had a strained relationship with him, I watched him toil over investigations and uphold justice from my youth—never once swaying for personal gain. I trust his character. Perhaps that event twenty years past was not as you imagine.”
Lu Guang Ming’s expression darkened, a tempest of anger flickering across his brow. “My father has been dead for twenty years! Jia Qi has been gone ten years! And because you choose to trust your father, you would let them die in vain?!”
Xie Jia Hua’s features hardened as well. “What do you mean? You imply Jia Qi’s death is linked to him?”
Lu Guang Ming’s cold laugh was like steel. “Have you never questioned it?”
The words struck Xie Jia Hua like thunder. Fleeting fragments of memory flashed through his mind, leaving him chilled to the bone.
“Impossible… impossible…” he muttered, shaking his head, disbelief written in every tremor. “You call Jia Qi ‘brother’? You truly knew him?”
Lu Guang Ming shrugged off his hand, rage propelling him forward, yet Xie Jia Hua’s grip held fast.
“I will investigate these matters, I swear I will!” Xie Jia Hua said urgently. “But do not act recklessly! He is Deputy Commissioner of Police, beyond your reach!”
Lu Guang Ming struggled, yet Xie Jia Hua held him firmly. “I do this for your own good! Do you understand?”
“I need no assistance, Inspector Xie!” Lu Guang Ming spat, breaking free.
……
In the back of the sedan, Qin Hao’s heart twisted as he saw Xie Jia Hua return, hands covering his face—previously struck on the left cheek by his father, yet now the swelling rose upon the right.
Xie Jia Hua seated himself behind the wheel, brow furrowed. Qin Hao asked from the rear, “Are you hurt?”
“What?”
“Your lip—it’s bleeding.”
Xie Jia Hua snapped the rearview mirror down, wiped at his mouth, and tentatively pressed at the swollen cheek, wincing in pain.
“What happened?” Qin Hao asked.
“Nothing,” Xie Jia Hua sighed. “I struck him earlier, and he just returned the favor.”
“Have you… slept with him?”
Xie Jia Hua froze mid-motion.
“I thought you didn’t like men,” Qin Hao continued.
Xie Jia Hua snapped the mirror back into place. “It is not as you imagine. He and I are not lovers.”
“But you care for him deeply.”
Xie Jia Hua remained silent. Did he care for Lu Guang Ming? Even he did not know.
“I wish I had known you liked men sooner,” Qin Hao said.
Still Xie Jia Hua spoke nothing. After a while, he said, “A’Hao, you are my most cherished brother. That will never change.”
“Mm, I understand.”
“I am sorry.”
“It’s alright. I understand.”
……
As dusk settled, the Xiao Qi Hall headquarters. He Chu San stood by the floor-to-ceiling window, expression cold, receiving a call. Though his words carried utmost respect, his eyes betrayed a different emotion, scanning the neon-lit Victoria Harbor beyond. With one hand, he traced characters upon the glass.
“Brother Qiao, your satisfaction is my honor. Very well, we shall speak again.”
He hung up. Moments later, a knock sounded at the door.
“Enter.”
Kevin closed the door behind him, stepping forward to report quietly, “Mr. He, Boss Xiao Ma has led men into the village house you are currently in, and a contingent also went to your apartment.”
“Any injuries?”
“Only superficial, nothing serious. Following your orders, everyone feigned resistance briefly, then let them in.”
“Did they discover anything?”
“No. Yet they left a message: if the Big Boss is not surrendered, Mr. He will not be treated politely.”
He Chu San smiled faintly, murmuring, “Ah, Xiao Ma, so loyal and sincere… Liu Yi is fortunate to have a brother like him. Very well, in a few days, I shall return his Big Boss to him.”
Kevin’s voice trembled slightly. “Mr. He, truly in a few days you will ‘act’?”
“What? Something unprepared?”
“No, no… only… Mr. He, that is perilous! Do we truly proceed?”
He Chu San patted the anxious Kevin’s shoulder, his expression calm. “Do not fret, all will be well. But before that, there is a matter long overdue…”
He thought of his father, delayed these many weeks since the day he uncovered his affair. A frown of worry creased his brow as he massaged his temples. “Tonight, before I depart, I must settle family matters. Prepare the car—I shall return to see Father.”
……
Twenty minutes later, He Chu San, flanked by a retinue of bodyguards, entered the sedan. The grand motorcade surged toward Kowloon City. This young, wise, and composed Acting Hall Master sat upright in the rear, hands upon his knees, his visage stern and resolute, the very aura of wind-swept desolation upon the Yi River.
The car stopped beneath his father’s Tang-style residence. Kevin alighted from the passenger seat, respectfully opening the door.
Silence reigned within.
Kevin leaned in, calling softly, “Mr. He?”
“Wait… I need a moment.”
Straightening, Kevin shooed the curious bodyguards aside with a glance.
After a further pause, He Chu San said, “Kevin, perhaps you could fetch me a bottle of wine?”
Kevin bowed, whispering, “Mr. He, whether you show your head or hide it, both are perilous.”
“I understand,” He Chu San replied, “yet my legs weaken and my stomach aches.”
“Shall we return tonight, then?”
“No, no… we are here now.”
Inside, rustling as he lingered a moment, He Chu San stretched forth a trembling hand. “Support me.”
Kevin assisted him to the staircase, yet He Chu San waved him off from ascending further. Pale, gripping the stair, he instructed, “Take the others further away. Father strikes loudly; do not let them hear.”
“Yes, Mr. He. Take care of yourself.” Kevin stepped back.
He Chu San climbed the stairs slowly, a wry smile creeping to his lips. How curious, to fear Father so! Yet Father cannot strike him to death… still, he trembles. Perhaps because he knows Father is a man who allows no impurity in his sight; perhaps because he is virtuous, disciplined, and keeps honor and propriety at heart; perhaps because he has labored for decades in a corrupt world to raise him clean and upright, pouring sweat and soul alike; perhaps because he knows he has wounded Father’s heart deeply.
Though he has never meant to harm him, rebellion came late, accumulated for years, striking Father grievously. His heart ached at the thought. He cannot betray his own feelings. He loves Xia Liu Yi, and he loves Father; he cannot lose either. He must gain Father’s approval, his blessing.
Passing through this long and winding path of the heart, He Chu San arrived at his home. Taking a deep breath, he knocked. Each second of waiting stretched into eternity, until he saw Xin Xin’s astonished face behind the door.
He stepped inside, finding Father seated in the living room, smoking and watching television. In that instant, he exhaled, a true release.
Mr. He, having waited half a month with the muted smoke of his pipe, showed no surprise. He rose, holding the pipe, his face cold upon his son. Mrs. Wu, mending clothes, also quickly stood.
Before the assembled family, He Chu San knelt to Mr. He, eyes steady, voice trembling with tension, “Father, I have words I wish to speak to you.”
……
Kevin stood by the roadside, gazing from afar at the third-floor window of the tenement building. A warm yellow light burned steadily within—no silhouettes, no flicker, no change in brightness. At such a distance, not a single sound could be heard from inside.
The night wind whispered through the roadside trees, rustling leaf and branch. A scrap of paper in the middle of the street was caught by a small whirlwind, lifted and dropped, lifted and dropped again. In a shadowed corner, a scrawny stray dog padded into view, casting him a few furtive glances before trotting off once more.
Kevin lit a cigarette, smoking as he stared fixedly at that window.
The moon shifted, the stars wheeled, and the night deepened. Kevin lowered his head and ground out yet another cigarette beneath his shoe—he had long since lost count. When he looked up again, he saw He Chu San stepping out of the tenement building. He signaled for the bodyguards to remain where they were and hurried forward to meet him.
“Mr. He!”
He Chu San looked weary, yet at ease. Faint red marks lingered upon his face. Kevin stepped forward, intending to support him, but He Chu San waved him off.
“Mr. He, are you alright?”
“I’m fine. Just took a slap.”
“And the Old Master He?”
“I’ve said all that needed saying. Give him some time.” He Chu San paused, then added, “Have men watch over them in secret. If the situation turns dire, send them away at once.”
“Yes. Rest assured, Mr. He—I will protect them.”
The night wind coursed through the streets, lifting the young man’s fringe and revealing a face slightly pale from the cold. He Chu San glanced at him, then down at the pile of cigarette butts scattered across the ground.
“You’ve been waiting here the whole time? Why not wait in the car?”
Kevin lowered his gaze. “It’s nothing… I was worried you might need me.”
He Chu San studied the faintly shy, awkward smile on his face. For a fleeting moment, something stirred within him—an astonishment. Keen-minded and perceptive, he instantly caught the subtle, hidden emotion buried beneath the young man’s demeanor.
Years ago… had he not walked this very same path?
“Kevin,” he said gently, “you—”
Kevin stepped back, interrupting him for the first time. “Mr. He, please don’t misunderstand. Back then, you saved both my mother’s life and mine. I’ve always been grateful, always hoped I might see you again in this lifetime. I never thought I truly would. And now, you’ve taken me away from Master Qiao, taught me to walk the right path, to earn an honest living instead of being a street thug. You’ve even entrusted me with your plans… placed your full trust in me. I… I don’t know how to repay you. Even if it means giving my life, I would. I have no other intentions—I only want to serve you with all my strength. I’m your personal assistant. Waiting for you outside… that’s only my duty.”
The torrent of words left He Chu San momentarily speechless. Looking at Kevin’s earnest expression, it almost seemed as though he himself had overthought matters.
He Chu San did not pursue it further—such feelings, improper as they were, should be cut off entirely, not examined.
“I’m sorry. I misunderstood.”
“No, it’s not your fault. The night is cold—please, get in the car.”
“…Alright.”
……
A few days later.
Xiao Ma leaned his head against the car window, a cigarette dangling from his lips. He stared ahead blankly, cracking his knuckles in a nervous rhythm—crack, crack.
Months ago, he and Jade Guanyin had fallen from a cliff, saved only by a thousand-year-old tree that caught them. Carrying her grievously wounded body, he escaped the forest—only for Ksitigarbha to survive as well and attempt an ambush. Xiao Ma ultimately slew him, but not without cost—he suffered a deep slash from shoulder to waist.
He and Jade Guanyin, both gravely injured, found refuge with one of her friends. They survived the brink of death, then withdrew to the countryside to recuperate. Their days were spent in bickering and idle peace—until news of upheaval within Xiao Qi Hall reached them.
Cui Dong Dong dead. Xia Liu Yi missing.
He rushed back to Hong Kong at once.
In the ten days since his return, he had been investigating He Chu San. Though lacking evidence, he was certain that every recent upheaval traced back to that seemingly harmless scholar.
From the very first day they met, Xiao Ma had sensed something off about him—especially the way He Chu San looked at Xia Liu Yi. To Xiao Ma, it was the gaze of a man who wished to claim another entirely, body and soul.
That meek exterior hid a blackened heart.
An investment consultant? That could never satisfy his ambition.
No—what he wanted was the Dragon Throne of Xiao Qi Hall. What he wanted… was to lock Xia Liu Yi away like a treasure in a golden cage.
At the thought, Xiao Ma ground his teeth in fury.
“This bastard didn’t just usurp power—he’s humiliating the boss! He even got Dong Dong killed! Unforgivable!”
He crushed his cigarette against the window, ash scattering across his trousers, uncaring.
“How long has he been inside?” he demanded.
“Five hours,” replied Tiger Head from the driver’s seat.
“Damn it!” Xiao Ma cursed. “Went in at six this morning for five hours, came out once in the afternoon, now he’s back in for another five—it’s past one in the morning! What the hell is he doing in there, printing counterfeit money?!”
“That bastard works nonstop,” Tiger Head said. “Gym every couple of days. Met Master Qiao twice.”
“That old dog…” Xiao Ma spat. “Whenever he’s involved, nothing good comes of it. Should’ve convinced the boss to kill him back then! Who’s going to get food? I’m starving! You hungry?”
The two bodyguards in the back nodded frantically.
“Then go!”
They scrambled out and soon returned with instant noodles. The car filled with the sound of slurping—until one of them suddenly froze, cheeks puffed, eyes bulging toward the window.
Xiao Ma looked up and slapped Tiger Head. “Stop eating! He’s coming out!”
At that moment, He Chu San’s convoy emerged from the underground parking lot. Now acting as proxy leader, his security was formidable—three escort vehicles, and hulking foreign bodyguards, each built like iron towers. Even Xiao Ma and Tiger Head seemed slight in comparison.
They had trailed him for days, yet found no opportunity to strike.
Xiao Ma’s car, disguised as a taxi, followed at a distance. The convoy drove straight back to Xia Liu Yi’s village house in Kowloon.
“He comes here every day?” Xiao Ma asked.
“Yes. Never returns to his Tsim Sha Tsui apartment.”
“Strange…”
A week ago, Xiao Ma had searched this place top to bottom—nothing. The apartment too—nothing.
Where had he hidden the boss?
“Has he ever left at night?”
“No. Once he’s inside, he stays till morning.”
“The back door?”
“There’s no back door!”
“The house has one!” Xiao Ma smacked him. “Can’t he climb out himself?!”
Tiger Head blinked. “Oh…”
“Use your brain!”
……
Inside the village house, foreign guards surrounded the building. Even the corners of the living room were watched.
He Chu San stood in the kitchen in a suit—yet wore an apron, hands dusted white with flour, calmly kneading dough.
Kevin entered with a mobile phone. “Mr. He, everything is arranged.”
“Mm.” He Chu San shaped a bun. “Where’s Xiao Ma?”
Kevin hesitated. “He has men watching the back tonight.”
He Chu San lowered his head, continuing his work. “Then it’s time. Tomorrow.”
“Mr. He… must it be this way? Master Qiao already trusts you—he said you’re ‘useful.’”
He Chu San patiently filled the bun with minced meat.
“Finding me useful is not the same as trusting me. Until he holds my life and leverage in his hand… he won’t feel secure.”
“And if he doesn’t act?”
“He will. I make him money. He won’t discard a ‘golden goose.’”
Kevin fell silent.
He Chu San smiled faintly. “Don’t worry. I’ll endure. Look—my first bun.”
Kevin nodded, though unease lingered.
“Go rest. Tomorrow will be busy.”
“And you?”
He Chu San shaped another bun, smiling softly.
“I’m making a meal for my man. I’ve locked him up for over ten days… I should at least coax him a little.”
……
At dawn, He Chu San stood before the mirror, hair slicked back, gaze steady.
He packed mushroom chicken congee, garnished it with care, added buns, then carried the food box out.
Kevin followed. Their eyes met.
“Do what you can,” He Chu San said, patting his shoulder.
“I will. Take care.”
He Chu San nodded and slipped out the back, climbing the wall as before.
His gaze flicked toward where Xiao Ma’s watchers hid.
Then, deliberately, he walked a path meant to be seen—
straight toward the neighboring house.
Futile Devices Scans 
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