Xie Jia Hua hurriedly got out of the car and strode quickly into the hospital. His jurisdiction belonged to the West Kowloon Region; the cases today had all occurred within the Hong Kong Island Region, technically outside his authority. But upon hearing that the Hung Hom Tunnel barrier breach case involved Xia Liu Yi, he rushed over without delay.
The moment he entered the hospital grounds, he saw the entire facility under lockdown. Officers were tense, questioning patients and medical staff one by one. Xie Jia Hua flashed his credentials and made his way up to the fifth-floor ward area. Several Forensics Division personnel were still collecting evidence. Superintendent Huang of the Hong Kong Island Region, who was overseeing the case, was speaking quietly with his subordinates. Spotting Xie Jia Hua approaching, he called out, “A’Ward! What brings you here?”
“Superintendent Huang, I heard that the boss of Xiao Qi Hall, Xia Liu Yi, is involved. I’ve been investigating Xiao Qi Hall for over two years—I know him well. Perhaps I can be of help.”
Superintendent Huang handed him a pair of gloves, and the two entered the ward together. The two police corpses—one from the chair and one from beneath the blanket—had already been removed, leaving only the chalk outlines marking their positions. The bloodstains on the floor had yet to dry. Superintendent Huang said heavily, “Xia Liu Yi killed two officers guarding him and escaped. Preliminary forensic examination indicates that the one in the chair died of mechanical asphyxiation, while the other suffered blunt force trauma to the head, resulting in fatal cranial injury.”
Xie Jia Hua put on shoe covers and stepped into the scene, carefully examining the surroundings. He faintly felt something was off about the positions of the two officers—one seated, one lying. If the officer on the chair had been attacked first, why was he facing toward Xia Liu Yi’s bed when he died, with no obvious signs of resistance? If he had been attacked later, how could he remain seated calmly while the other two fought so violently?
“Come take a look here,” Superintendent Huang said, leading him downstairs to the Intensive Care Unit. Outside the ward door lay a pool of blood, similarly marked with a body outline.
“You know Qin Hao, right? He was transferred from your unit not long ago.” Superintendent Huang took a large bag of evidence from a subordinate and handed it to Xie Jia Hua. Inside was Qin Hao’s photograph. “These are the personal belongings he left behind in the parking lot. The other officer on duty with him had his throat slit by a sharp weapon, and both Qin Hao and the patient involved in the case have disappeared.”
Xie Jia Hua’s heart tightened. “What’s your view?”
“A’Ward, I must ask you this carefully—has Qin Hao ever shown any improper behavior in the past?”
“No. I trust his character absolutely.”
Superintendent Huang cast him a complicated look. “But I heard that he was previously assigned as an undercover agent under Xia Liu Yi, and due to a serious mistake on his part, the entire operation failed.”
“The responsibility for that case lies with me. As his superior, I made errors in judgment and direction. I’ve already been demoted for it.”
Superintendent Huang sighed. “A’Ward, I served under your father and watched you grow up. You’re just like him—meticulous and upright. I trust your ability. I hope your trust… isn’t misplaced either.”
Xie Jia Hua understood the implication. Qin Hao had once fought alongside Xia Liu Yi through life and death; the undercover operation had failed, and now he had disappeared together with Xia Liu Yi after the killing of police officers—it was difficult not to question his loyalty to the force. Xie Jia Hua frowned deeply but said nothing. Words were useless—only by finding Qin Hao and evidence could he prove his innocence.
“As for those two car explosion cases, we also suspect they’re related to a gang firefight involving Xia Liu Yi. There are already twenty-six dead, identities still unconfirmed…” Superintendent Huang continued. Before he could finish, his phone rang. “What? Something happened at the ICAC?!”
“What happened?!” Xie Jia Hua suddenly recalled Lu Guang Ming, who had left his home two days earlier. A chill ran through him.
……
Superintendent Huang left part of his team to secure the scene and hurried off with several subordinates and Xie Jia Hua to an ICAC office in the western district of Hong Kong Island. It was rush hour; traffic was heavily congested. Even with sirens blaring, it still took nearly half an hour to reach the site.
A dense crowd had already gathered downstairs—onlookers and reporters alike. Within the cordon, firefighters had extinguished the remaining flames and were entering to investigate. The arriving police officers, however, were blocked at the building entrance by ICAC personnel who had rushed over upon hearing the news. More than a dozen people clustered together, arguing fiercely.
“What’s going on?! What happened?!” Superintendent Huang pushed his way in.
“Sir! They won’t let us in to investigate!”
“Our people are missing! The office has been burned! Who has the capability and motive to do this?! We investigate police corruption every day—who knows if this wasn’t done by your police?! Are you going in to investigate or to destroy evidence?!”
“Damn it! What nonsense are you spouting?!”
“What are you doing?! You’re going to start hitting people in front of reporters?!”
Both sides began shoving each other. Years of pent-up resentment erupted in an instant—verbal clashes quickly escalated into physical fighting right in front of the press. Superintendent Huang shouted, “Stop!”, but even his glasses were knocked to the ground! Xie Jia Hua hurried forward to steady him. Beyond the cordon, camera flashes flickered nonstop—the headlines for tomorrow’s papers would be explosive.
“Stop!” another roar suddenly sounded from outside the brawl. But both sides were too caught up in the fight to heed it. Then a gunshot split the air—
“Bang—!”
Everyone froze.
A tall, imposing figure pushed through the crowd and strode into the center of the conflict, barking at the police side, “What are you arguing for?! What are you fighting for?!”
The officers, chastened, lowered their heads and stepped back, standing at attention as they saluted. “Sir!”
The man turned to the ICAC side. “I am Deputy Commissioner Xie Ying Jie. Who is in charge here?”
The ICAC personnel hesitated, exchanging glances. One finally answered, “Our Chief Investigator Xu is missing. Superiors from other districts are on their way.”
“Do you know what the missing team was doing?”
“No. Some of us were on leave, others are administrative staff—we left on time. There should have been a few people still on duty in the office.”
Xie Ying Jie glanced at the crowd of onlookers in the distance and said sternly, “You all see the situation—it’s extremely serious! Today has been full of major incidents across Hong Kong Island, already causing widespread public concern. If at a time like this the police and ICAC turn on each other, it will severely damage public confidence, cause citywide panic, and shake the foundation of public safety. Is that what you want?”
The ICAC personnel wavered, shaking their heads slightly. Xie Ying Jie softened his tone. “Only the police have the capacity to thoroughly investigate this case. Number One has assigned me to personally oversee today’s series of incidents. My colleagues and I will do everything in our power. Of course, you are welcome to join the investigation—we will coordinate with your superiors. The police and ICAC are one family, both serving the people of Hong Kong. Please rest assured—I will give you, and the public, an answer.”
His righteous and composed speech calmed the situation, moving everyone present.
Everyone—except Xie Jia Hua.
Suppressing the anxiety in his heart, he gripped his mobile phone, repeatedly dialing Lu Guang Ming’s number. All he got was a dead tone.
Then he suddenly noticed his father’s slight limp when he walked in—his left sock stained faintly with blood. What kind of injury would cause that? It didn’t look like an ordinary sprain. A realization stirred—things were not as simple as they appeared… though they already seemed complicated enough.
A firefighter in charge hurried over with a radio. “Who’s in charge from the police? There are three bodies inside the fire scene!”
Xie Jia Hua’s expression changed instantly. He turned and rushed into the building. Several ICAC personnel followed in panic but were stopped by officers. “What are you doing?! You can’t just go in and contaminate the scene!” “Didn’t your people just go in too?!” The argument flared up again behind them, but Xie Jia Hua had already disappeared into the stairwell.
He rushed to the office floor, putting on a mask and gloves while turning on his flashlight. Smoke still lingered thickly in the dark corridor. Several firefighters in protective gear and gas masks stood inside the room; beams of light shone directly onto his face.
Xie Jia Hua pulled out his police ID. “I am Inspector Xie Jia Hua of the Organized Crime and Triad Bureau!”
They withdrew their lights. Xie Jia Hua slipped on shoe covers and stepped inside. A nauseating stench of charred flesh filled the air, impossible to block even with a mask. Under the beam of his flashlight, three burned corpses lay sprawled on the ground, their melted flesh fused with the floor.
Forcing himself to endure the smell, he stepped forward and carefully examined their necks and chests—there was no sign of any necklace. But Lu Guang Ming should have been wearing Tang Jia Qi’s spirit tablet pendant.
The taut string in his heart loosened slightly.
He then pried open their mouths and noses to inspect—there was no soot inside. Their sprawled positions were unlike those who died in a fire, who typically curled up; all three also showed signs of skull fractures, consistent with ballistic trauma. These people had died before the fire began—this was no accidental blaze, but deliberate murder.
A wave of oxygen deprivation dizziness and violent nausea hit him. Staggering, he exited into the corridor. Before he could catch his breath—
Smack!
His face was struck sharply to one side.
“Disobeying orders and acting on your own! Do you still have any sense of being an inspector?!” Xie Ying Jie roared, having just settled the dispute and arrived in haste. Behind him were Superintendent Huang, several officers, and an ICAC investigator assisting the case.
Xie Jia Hua removed his mask. A red mark had already appeared on his face where he had been struck. Ignoring Xie Ying Jie, he turned to the ICAC officer and asked, “Excluding you here and the three inside, how many people were assigned to this office in total?”
The ICAC officer’s face was pale. “About forty to fifty.”
“The vehicles? How many are missing?”
“We checked the parking lot earlier—two cars were driven away. But some colleagues have private cars, and sometimes they rent vehicles for cover.”
Xie Jia Hua said nothing more. Expressionless, he cast a glance at his father, then turned and walked downstairs alone.
Xie Ying Jie watched his departing figure, his gaze turning cold.
Futile Devices Scans 
Leave a comment