Inspector Xie Jia Hua was a man whose inner and outer selves were one and the same—what he said, he carried out. When he declared he did not wish to see you again, he truly meant to lay down a galaxy between the two of you, one that would never again be crossed.
Over the following week, Lu Guang Ming made three furtive trips to the police station during his off-hours, yet failed each time to slip into Inspector Xie’s office. Xie Jia Hua had distributed Investigator Lu’s photograph along with a packet of cotton, repeatedly instructing his subordinates: upon sighting this man, they were to stuff their ears with cotton at once—no matter what nonsense he spouted—and promptly bundle him up and throw him out of the station.
Naturally, there were times when the cotton was not firmly in place. One bold and thick-skinned young officer went to ask their superior, “Boss, that guy surnamed Lu says you slept with him and didn’t take responsibility—true or not?”
Xie Jia Hua was reviewing case files, not even lifting his head, replying coolly, “What do you think?”
“Of course it’s utter nonsense! Our boss is the reincarnation of Lord Guan, upright and righteous—how could he ever do such a despicable thing! The ICAC is best at framing good people, especially that fellow surnamed Lu—smiling like a black-hearted fox, you can tell at a glance he’s up to no good! He must’ve tried to extract information from you and failed, so now he’s slandering you everywhere to ruin your reputation! What kind of lard-brained, blind fool of a big sweet potato would ever sleep with him?!”
“……” A lard-brained, blind fool of a big sweet potato.
“Heh heh, Boss, right?”
“Taxpayers pay your salary to be a policeman, not to flatter me! Get out there and patrol!”
That “big sweet potato” went to the training room after work and pummeled a punching bag for a full hour.
Left hook, right hook, straight punch—then clutching the bag and delivering a barrage of knee strikes.
After venting, drenched in sweat, he walked into the locker room to shower. The man in the mirror bore a stern, upright visage and a cold, severe expression. Once his clothes were removed, a body carved as though by blade and axe was revealed—lean, powerful, yet elegant, with two smooth Adonis lines slashing down toward his abdomen. Even so cool and striking in form, when he looked at himself in the mirror, he still seemed like a foolish, big sweet potato.
Xie Jia Hua slapped himself viciously across the face, then gloomily washed and changed, driving home in low spirits. Midway through the journey, the second phone hidden in his car drawer suddenly rang—at last lifting his mood.
He glanced at the message, immediately pulled over, changed into a triad-style outfit inside the car, and hurried off toward the red-light district.
……
Lu Guang Ming sat in a corner chair of the disco, nearly bursting out laughing.
After searching high and low to no avail, success came without effort. Inspector Xie had laid down a galaxy to keep them apart, yet heaven had instead built them a magpie bridge. He had come today to a disco under the He Yi Society to tail a high-ranking official suspected of involvement with Master Qiao. Though he lost the target, he instead ran into Xie Jia Hua, who had come here to meet an informant.
Lu Guang Ming bent over the table, covering his mouth as he thumped it repeatedly, nearly wanting to set off a string of firecrackers in celebration.
From his vantage point, Xie Jia Hua appeared exceedingly close with the informant—not only speaking face-to-face in hushed tones, but even giving the man an intimate pat on the shoulder when they parted. Was this really something that Inspector Xie—who kept others at arm’s length—would do? How extraordinary.
Lu Guang Ming could not help but study the informant a few more times. Aside from being a genuinely handsome young man comparable to a celebrity, nothing particularly unusual stood out.
After the informant left, Xie Jia Hua sat alone, drinking beer. Watching him in his triad attire, Lu Guang Ming found it immensely amusing. Inspector Xie wore sunglasses, ripped jeans, and a black vest, with fierce-looking tattoos exposed on both arms—though they looked suspiciously like cheap street decals sold ten for a coin. He appeared fierce and cold, yet was oddly adorable.
Before Lu Guang Ming could finish his inward musings, Xie Jia Hua drained his beer, smashed the bottle, and lunged forward—he had already discovered his presence!
Grinning, Lu Guang Ming was grabbed by the collar and slammed onto the table. The two ended up in a position resembling an embrace, one above the other. Rolling his eyes, Lu Guang Ming mimicked the informant’s earlier address and called out, “Brother Jia Hua, your triad act is quite convincing. Planning to fight me here? No need, no need—I surrender.”
“Show’s over. Why aren’t you gone yet?”
“Such a rare performance from Brother Jia Hua—I ought to give some closing remarks, shouldn’t I? That man just now—your new informant? You seemed quite close.”
“That’s none of your business, Lu Guang Ming. My informants will never be lent to you. And don’t you dare appear before me again!”
“Oh? Turning your face and denying everything already? Don’t forget—the hospital bills from my last stay should be charged to you!”
“How much do you want?”
“Give me your home address. I’ll mail you the bill.”
“If you have the guts, send it to my office.”
“We’ve already slept together—whether I’ve got guts or not, wouldn’t Inspector Xie know? Yesterday I ran into that nurse again—she still felt so sorry for me. She even secretly asked whether the police had caught that sodomist yet…”
“Shut up!”
“Your home address?”
“Get lost!”
“Then I’ll really send it to your office?”
“Get lost!”
……
Lu Guang Ming cheerfully “got lost” from the disco, his mood greatly improved. He realized that every time he saw Xie Jia Hua, he felt happy, unable to stop the corners of his lips from lifting. Inspector Xie was both serious and adorable—tease him a little and he would bristle instantly. Ever since sleeping with him, even when he wanted to strike, he lacked justification, unable to bring himself to lash out. It was so endearing it made one’s blood vessels burst.
Though Xie Jia Hua always stabbed him in the heart upon sight, what did that matter? Who didn’t feel a sting upon seeing him? He was never born to be liked.
Back home, Lu Guang Ming rummaged through his “Pandora’s little box”—a collection of corruption-related intelligence he had privately gathered over the years, lacking either definitive evidence or formal case filings. From within, he selected a certain Officer Wang, against whom sufficient evidence had recently been gathered for formal arrest, and used him as leverage to probe the identity of Xie Jia Hua’s informant.
Afterward, he washed up, touched the shallow cut on his neck—accidentally inflicted earlier by Xie Jia Hua with a beer bottle—and, damp and bare, climbed into bed and fell asleep.
……
The next day, he obtained the informant’s identity. As expected, the man was not a true triad member, but an undercover police agent planted by Xie Jia Hua within Xiao Qi Hall. With this confirmed, a new plan formed in his mind. Revealing the agent’s identity was out of the question—but using it as leverage to coerce the hall’s sister-in-law was entirely feasible.
According to his investigations, the sister-in-law of Xiao Qi Hall—He Chu San—was like a pure white lotus rising unstained from the mud, personally untouched by vice, yet deeply devoted to his husband, the Big Boss, Xia Liu Yi. What he desired most was for Xia Liu Yi to go legitimate, and what he feared most was for him to come to harm. Using the “undercover identity that could cost Xia Liu Yi his life” to lure He Chu San into stealing the Hall’s account books would be an excellent strategy.
Choosing an auspicious day, he visited He Chu San’s office and spun his tale. Though he appeared righteous on the surface, it was clear that deep down, he was wavering. Smiling, he left his office, then reunited with his colleagues to formally arrest the very Officer Wang he had used.
When Officer Wang was arrested, he flew into a rage, pointing at the ICAC officers and shouting, “Someone among you set me up! Someone made a deal with me and used me!”
Narrowing his eyes, Lu Guang Ming curved his lips into a smile. “Inspector Wang, without evidence, please refrain from slandering ICAC personnel. Walk the night road often enough, and sooner or later you’ll encounter ghosts. Who told you to make a deal with the devil?”
He had always claimed himself not a hypocrite, but a true villain—a devil filled with schemes, willing to use any means necessary. If anyone praised him as such, he would gladly accept it.
And that very night, the devil met his retribution. Several of Officer Wang’s subordinates, seeking justice for their superior, ambushed him in an alley below his apartment building—slipping a trash bin over his head and delivering a brutal beating…
Xie Jia Hua once again worked late into the night, driving home with a yawn. Midway through his journey, a dispatch came over the radio: a citizen had reported a fight on XX Road, and officers nearby were to respond.
Happening to be in the vicinity, Xie Jia Hua acknowledged the call and turned his car toward the scene. Amid foul-smelling garbage and smeared blood, he found Lu Guang Ming—his face covered in blood, filthy and disheveled.
The officers who had beaten Lu Guang Ming had already melted into the night. They wore plain clothes, and the darkness concealed their identities.
Lu Guang Ming sat amid the trash heap, calmly wiping the blood from his face. Unable to bear the sight, Xie Jia Hua grabbed his arm, pulling him to his feet, and handed him his own handkerchief.
As Lu Guang Ming wiped the blood with it, his eyes curved into a sly grin. “Inspector Xie, this time I didn’t show up before you of my own accord.”
“Shut up!” Xie Jia Hua snapped irritably. “Where are you hurt? Do you need me to call an ambulance?”
Smiling, Lu Guang Ming pulled out half a bloodstained brick from his coat pocket and casually tossed it aside. “Save the consultation fee—I can’t afford it. Besides, not all this blood is mine. Anyone who dares trouble me—do you think I’d let them off easily?”
Futile Devices Scans 
Leave a comment