When Bai Yutong and the rest of the S.C.I. team found out that they were going to do a joint investigation with another police department, they weren’t very happy.
“Why do we have to work with them?” Bai Yutong grumbled after Bao Heizei briefed them about the joint investigation. Zhan Yao huffed.
“Why else? Bao Sir said so” he replied. Bai Yutong tsked.
“You know how I feel about doing joint investigations” he grumbled.
“It’s not like I wanted this either” a voice called out, making Bai Yutong, Zhan Yao, and the rest of the S.C.I. team turn to see a tall man with light skin, brown eyes, and short black hair dressed in a white dress shirt overlaid with a black suit vest, black leather jacket, black pants, and black combat boots and a tall man with light skin, brown eyes, and dark brown hair dressed in a white mandarin collared dress shirt, white suit jacket, white pants, and brown shoes overlaid with a white trench coat step into the department, Bao Heizei following behind them.
“Bai Sir, Dr. Zhan, this is Dr. Chen Yuzhi and Chief Jiang Yuelou from the Jing City Police Department. You two will be working together on this case” he stated. Bai Yutong and Zhan Yao nodded as Bao Heizei pointed at Bai Yutong.
“Play nice” he ordered before he turned and walked out. Bai Yutong huffed before he looked at Jiang Yuelou and Chen Yuzhi.
“Jing City…that’s not in Hong Kong, is it?” he asked. Chen Yuzhi shook his head.
“No, we’re from the mainland” he answered. Bai Yutong nodded.
“I see…what the hell are you doing over in our neck of the woods then?” he demanded, causing Zhan Yao to shoot him a look.
“Bai Yutong” he murmured. Jiang Yuelou tsked.
“Like I said, it’s not like I wanted this either, it’s just that my boss said that there was a case over here and that I needed to look into it” he snapped, making Chen Yuzhi look over at him.
“Jiang Yuelou” he hissed. Zhan Yao huffed before he looked at Chen Yuzhi.
“I don’t think Gongsun has started the autopsy yet…would you like to see the body?” he asked. Chen Yuzhi nodded.
“If you don’t mind” he replied. Zhan Yao then motioned for him to follow him as they headed towards Gongsun’s lab, Bai Yutong and Jiang Yuelou still glaring daggers at one another.
“Bai Yutong, stop being five and get over here” Zhan Yao called out, making the S.C.I. team snicker softly under their breaths. Bai Yutong turned and shot them all glares, immediately silencing them, before he turned and headed over to where Zhan Yao and Chen Yuzhi were standing outside of Gongsun’s lab, Jiang Yuelou following after him. As they walked away, the S.C.I. looked at one another.
“It’s like looking in a fucking mirror” Zhao Fu murmured.
“More like a fucking carbon copy” Wang Shao corrected.
“The same color scheme and everything, just reversed” Ma Han agreed.
“Bai Sir and Chief Jiang even have the same fiery personalities” Bai Chi mused.
“Hey!” a voice suddenly shouted, making everyone flinch and look over to see Bai Yutong sticking his head out of Gongsun’s lab.
“We can hear everything you’re saying. Now is not the time to be discussing Dr. Zhan, myself, or the other two” he snapped. Everyone dipped their heads in apology.
“Sorry Bai Sir” they apologized as they turned back to their work while Bai Yutong stuck his head back into Gongsun’s lab.
~*~*~*~*~*~
Inside Gongsun’s lab, Zhan Yao motioned to Chen Yuzhi and Jiang Yuelou.
“Gongsun. This is Dr. Chen Yuzhi and Chief Jiang Yuelou from Jing City. They’re going to be working with us on this case” Zhan Yao explained. S.C.I.’s forensic pathologist, Gongsun Zhe, hummed before he dipped his head.
“Gongsun Zhe” he greeted. Chen Yuzhi dipped his head in return.
“Chen Yuzhi” he replied before he motioned to the body.
“Have you started the autopsy yet?” he asked. Gongsun shook his head.
“Not yet” he answered. Chen Yuzhi hummed before he motioned to the body again.
“May I?” he asked. Gongsun nodded again before he pulled back the tarp covering the body, revealing a teenager, no older than sixteen. Bai Yutong and Jiang Yuelou both let out growls of anger while Zhan Yao had to shut his eyes, he didn’t do very well with cases that had to deal with kids. Chen Yuzhi took a deep breath before he stepped forward and began looking over the teen, noting the blue lips and fingernails as well as the bluish-purple tinge of the skin as well as the white froth that was at the corner of the teen’s mouth.
“Opium overdose” he murmured before he sighed heavily.
“Jiang Yuelou” he called out, Jiang Yuelou immediately walking over to him.
“Hmm” he replied. Chen Yuzhi motioned to the teen.
“They died of an opium overdose. Or some sort of opioid overdose” he murmured as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a pair of gloves, slipping them on before he reached out and opened the teen’s closed eyes, revealing pinpoint pupils.
“One of the signs of an opioid overdose” he explained.
“What are you two whispering about?” Bai Yutong demanded, making Chen Yuzhi and Jiang Yuelou turn to look at him before Chen Yuzhi sighed.
“This child died of an opioid overdose. Come see” he instructed, motioning Zhan Yao and Bai Yutong over. Both men walked over and stood around the body as Chen Yuzhi motioned to the teen’s eyes.
“Pinpoint pupils. A tell-tale sign of opioid overdose” he explained. He then pointed to the body’s blue lips before holding up the body’s hand, revealing blue tinged fingertips.
“Other symptoms of an overdose is blue tinged lips and blue fingertips. Their skin is also a blueish-purple and there’s a slight foam around their mouth, meaning that in their last moments, they were probably choking on their own saliva or fluids” he explained. Zhan Yao and Bai Yutong frowned.
“How do you know all this?” Zhan Yao asked. Chen Yuzhi smiled slightly.
“I’m a doctor. I’ve seen many an opioid overdose in Jing City. Lots of gangs there” he explained. Jiang Yuelou then frowned and crossed.
“But there hasn’t been any recent drug activity that we know of in Jing City, especially since the drug crack down. Are the gangs here bad?” he asked, looking at Zhan Yao and Bai Yutong. Bai Yutong hummed.
“They are…but we haven’t heard of any of them doing anything like drug trafficking lately” he replied. Jiang Yuelou hummed as well before he pulled out his phone and dialed a number, putting it on speaker.
“Hello?” a voice answered.
“Zhan-xiong” Jiang Yuelou greeted.
“Jiang-xiong. What do I owe this pleasure?” the voice on the other line, Zhan Junbai, asked. Jiang Yuelou huffed.
“You’ve got eyes and ears all over Jing City. Have you heard anything about any recent opium dens or opioids going on the market?” he asked. Zhan Junbai hummed.
“You know I control the black-market Jiang-xiong, if there was anything, I’d be the first to know. So no, I haven’t heard anything recently about any opium or opioid dens” he answered.
“What about in Hong Kong?” Chen Yuzhi asked.
“Hong Kong? Lu Ka Si was the last person to run the drug trade in Hong Kong but he’s dead, remember?” Zhan Junbai replied.
“Could some of his followers slipped away and picked things back up?” Jiang Yuelou inquired. Zhan Junbai hummed.
“It’s possible. Since opium has many drugs derived from it, I would start looking into triads that are known to traffic drugs, mainly opioids or any derivative of opium, and go from there” he stated before he paused.
“Why are you calling me anyways? Especially about this matter?” he asked.
“We have a sixteen-year-old who died of an opioid overdose” Bai Yutong stated.
“Who’s that?” Zhan Junbai asked.
“Sergeant Bai Yutong and Dr. Zhan Yao of S.C.I.” Bai Yutong answered.
“Pleasure. Executive Zhan Junbai, Minister of Finance” Zhan Junbai greeted before he cleared his throat.
“I may still have a contact in Hong Kong who can assist you in what you’re looking for. I’ll give him a call” he stated. Jiang Yuelou smiled.
“You’re a lifesaver, Zhan-xiong” he thanked. Zhan Junbai chuckled.
“I know” he replied before he hung up. Once he had hung up, Jiang Yuelou pocketed his phone as Bai Yutong looked at him.
“Your Minister of Finance…controls the black market?” he asked, raising an eyebrow. Chen Yuzhi chuckled.
“It’s a very long story but we’re grateful he’s on our side of the law” he explained. Bai Yutong hummed as Zhan Yao crossed his arms.
“Do you think Zhao Jue is involved with this?” he mused. Bai Yutong, Jiang Yuelou, and Chen Yuzhi all looked at him, Jiang Yuelou and Chen Yuzhi looking at him in confusion while Bai Yutong frowned.
“Who’s Zhao Jue?” Jiang Yuelou asked. Bai Yutong snarled.
“A fucking psychopath” he murmured. Zhan Yao smacked his arm, shooting him a look before he looked over at Chen Yuzhi and Jiang Yuelou.
“A very intelligent man who has the power to manipulate people using hypnosis” he explained. Chen Yuzhi frowned.
“Why do you think he’s involved?” he asked. Bai Yutong tsked.
“Because any case we had normally involved him somehow” he grumbled before he looked over at Zhan Yao.
“But you know that Zhao Jue doesn’t hurt children…this would be out of character for him” he reminded. Zhan Yao huffed.
“Nothing out of character for this monster” he murmured. Bai Yutong hummed before he shrugged.
“I suppose we can pay him a visit” he mused as he looked over at Jiang Yuelou and Chen Yuzhi.
“Care to join us?” he asked. Chen Yuzhi and Jiang Yuelou nodded as Bai Yutong smirked.
“Great. Follow us” he declared as he turned and headed out of the lab, Zhan Yao at his heels. Jiang Yuelou and Chen Yuzhi then followed after them, Chen Yuzhi stopping to bow to Gongsun before he quickly exited the lab. Gongsun dipped his head to him before he watched them leave, making sure they were out of his lab before he looked down at the body.
“Time to get to work” he murmured.
~*~*~*~*~*~
After the four men left the S.C.I. department, they all piled into Bai Yutong’s Lamborghini before heading off to Zhao Jue’s studio.
“Do you think this Zhao Jue will be angry if we show up unannounced?” Chen Yuzhi asked. Bai Yutong scoffed.
“That psycho loves to see Zhan Yao so I’m sure this is just going to thrill him” he growled. Jiang Yuelou frowned.
“Why does he love Zhan Yao so much?” he asked. Zhan Yao sighed.
“He thinks I’m his prodigy…I’m really not, I just so happen to use hypnosis like he does. I don’t, however, do the sick and twisted things he’s done to people” he growled. Jiang Yuelou and Chen Yuzhi nodded slowly, not quite sure what they were going to expect when they met this Zhao Jue. However, they soon arrived at Zhao Jue’s studio and the four of them got out, heading up the stairs to the studio, Zhan Yao opening the door before stepping inside. Bai Yutong followed after him, Jiang Yuelou and Chen Yuzhi following after him, the four men heading inside. As they looked around, Jiang Yuelou let out a low whistle.
“Now this is impressive” he murmured. Zhan Yao huffed.
“Be careful, Zhao Jue’s hypnosis is very strong and rather persuasive” he stated. Jiang Yuelou hummed, just as a laugh echoed throughout the studio, making everyone look up to see a short older man with light wrinkled skin, brown eyes, and salt and pepper hair and goatee dressed in white robes walking down the winding staircase, looking almost fondly at Zhan Yao.
“Oh Xiao Yao…it’s been a while. What brings you to my humble studio?” he asked. Zhan Yao made a face of disgust as the man looked over and noticed Chen Yuzhi and Jiang Yuelou.
“And you brought friends” he mused.
“Don’t touch them” Zhan Yao growled, sending the man a warning look. The man huffed before he crossed his arms.
“What can I do for you today?” he asked.
“Have you heard anything from the criminal underworld or anything about drugs, particularly opioids, going around different triads?” Bai Yutong inquired. The man looked over at him and frowned.
“Now why would I involve myself in a nasty business like that?” he asked.
“Because it’s you, Zhao Jue” Zhan Yao growled. The man, Zhao Jue, hummed.
“I haven’t heard anything, no. But if it’s drugs, why don’t you start with the triads? I’m sure they’re involved somehow” he mused. Bai Yutong huffed.
“I’m sure they are, but we had to come check with you first because you’re always involved some way or another” he growled. Zhao Jue chuckled and hummed.
“Yes, well, normally I am, but this time, I’m not” he assured. Zhan Yao huffed.
“You better not be, or we’ll lock your ass back up in that prison faster than you can blink” he snarled. Zhao Jue chuckled again.
“I’d like to see you try, Xiao Yao” he cooed, reaching out to pat Zhan Yao’s face when Zhan Yao smacked his hand away.
“Let’s go” he growled as he turned away. Bai Yutong nodded and quickly followed after him, Jiang Yuelou and Chen Yuzhi following after him, both men sending a wary look towards Zhao Jue before they continued after Zhan Yao and Bai Yutong. As they walked away, Zhao Jue hummed.
“An almost carbon copy…how fun” he purred.
~*~*~*~*~*~
“You see why we call him a fucking psycho?” Bai Yutong growled as they all piled into his Lamborghini, Jiang Yuelou and Chen Yuzhi getting in first since the car only had two doors.
“Yes” Chen Yuzhi answered. Jiang Yuelou then huffed.
“Is he always like that?” he inquired. Zhan Yao shuddered as he got in and shut the door.
“He’s normally not touchy, but yes” he answered as Bai Yutong turned on the car and drove away from Zhao Jue’s studio.
“So, where to first?” Zhan Yao asked, looking over at Bai Yutong. Bai Yutong hummed.
“Shouldn’t we try to meet up with that contact your friend said might be here?” he asked, glancing back at Jiang Yuelou. Jiang Yuelou hummed.
“Probably” he agreed, just as his phone buzzed, causing him to pull it out of his pocket and look at it.
“Junbai just texted and said his contact will meet us at at a café called Between Coffee” he stated. Bai Yutong hummed.
“Alright, let’s head there then” he declared before he stepped on the gas, speeding towards the café.
~*~*~*~*~*~
When they arrived at the café, Jiang Yuelou smirked when he saw a familiar face.
“Sun Heying” he greeted. The man, Sun Heying, smiled and shook his hand.
“Chief Jiang” he replied before he looked over at Bai Yutong and Zhan Yao.
“They are—” he started.
“Sergeant Bai Yutong and Dr. Zhan Yao of S.C.I. We’re doing a joint investigation with them” Jiang Yuelou explained. Sun Heying hummed.
“I see. Well, Executive Zhan said you’re possibly looking to see if the triads are involved with this?” he asked. Bai Yutong nodded.
“We think they are, we just need to know who to start with” he explained. Sun Heying hummed and crossed his arms.
“Well, if I had to guess, your best options would be to start with the 14K and the Sun Yee On. They’re the biggest triads in Hong Kong and are always trying to get a leg up on their competition so my best guess would be to start with them and see how it goes” he stated.
“Who do we start with first?” Zhan Yao asked. Sun Heying was quiet, thinking.
“I’d start with the Sun Yee On. They’re the bigger of the two groups and might be more willing to talk” he replied. Bai Yutong nodded.
“Alright, thanks” he thanked. Sun Heying nodded as Jiang Yuelou clapped him on the arm.
“Thanks again” he thanked. Sun Heying nodded again.
“Anytime” he replied. Jiang Yuelou smirked before the four men turned and headed back to Bai Yutong’s car, all of them getting in before they sped off to the Sun Yee On’s headquarters.
~*~*~*~*~*~
When they arrived, Jiang Yuelou and Chen Yuzhi frowned.
“Are they going to even let us in? I know the gangs back home aren’t particularly fond of cops” Chen Yuzhi murmured. Bai Yutong hummed.
“Most triads will cooperate with law enforcement, but only if they have to. As long as we’re only asking questions then we won’t have any problems” he explained. Jiang Yuelou and Chen Yuzhi nodded as the four of them headed into the mansion that served as the Sun Yee On’s headquarters.
“Bai Sir! What do we owe this pleasure?” a voice boomed, making Bai Yutong, Zhan Yao, Jiang Yuelou, and Chen Yuzhi look up to see the Sun Yee On’s leader, Heung Chin, walking towards them.
“Heung Chin. Since you’re known in the underworld as a bit of a drug trafficker, you wouldn’t happen to be involved in any, say, illegal opioid distributions now, would you?” Bai Yutong asked. Heung Chin looked at him before he laughed.
“Bai Sir, I can assure you, while we do traffic drugs, we haven’t trafficked any opioids recently” he assured. Zhan Yao narrowed his eyes.
“And how do we know that for sure?” he asked. Heung Chin laughed again.
“Well, you don’t! You’re just going to have to take my word for it” he replied. Jiang Yuelou then stepped forward and crossed his arms.
“Do you know San Ye?” he asked. Heung Chin’s eyes widened.
“San Ye! How is that bastard doing? He’s been rather quiet lately; I hope he’s doing okay. His trade route is going to get snatched up if he doesn’t get back on the wagon” he stated. Chen Yuzhi frowned.
“Who’s going to snatch it up?” he asked. Heung Chin shrugged.
“Well, anybody, really. But mainly the 14K. They’ve been hovering around the docks as of late, trying to get the best quality goods” he explained as he looked at the four men.
“You know the 14K, besides being drug traffickers, are human traffickers, right?” he stated. Jiang Yuelou, Chen Yuzhi, Bai Yutong, and Zhan Yao froze before Bai Yutong quickly whipped out his phone and dialed a number before placing it to his ear.
“Gongsun. You’ve done the autopsy already, right?” he demanded when the lines connected.
“Yes, why?” Gongsun asked.
“Did you find anything in the postmortem?” Bai Yutong asked. Gongsun hummed.
“There were some small, ruptured baggies of heroin found in the decedents stomach, which probably caused the drug overdose” he stated. Bai Yutong pinched the bridge of his nose and took a deep breath before he sighed.
“Anything else?” he asked.
“I’m still waiting for the toxicology results, but I should have them back soon. But Dr. Chen was right, this was an opioid overdose. The victim might have been a drug mule” Gongsun stated. Bai Yutong was quiet before he let out a breath.
“Alright, thanks” he murmured, hanging up the call before he looked over at the others.
“What did Gongsun say?” Chen Yuzhi asked.
“He found small, ruptured baggies of heroin in the stomach, meaning that our victim was probably a drug mule” Bai Yutong explained. Zhan Yao’s eyes widened while Jiang Yuelou let out a growl and Chen Yuzhi just hung his head.
“The one thing about us, Bai Sir, is that we don’t use drug mules in our drug trafficking, but the 14K do” Heung Chin stated.
“And yet you’re known for murder. What makes you think we’re going to believe what you say?” Zhan Yao growled. Heung Chin chuckled and made to step towards him, but Bai Yutong stepped in front of him, glaring.
“Don’t even think about it” he snarled. Heung Chin raised his hands in surrender as he looked at him.
“Like I said, you should check out the 14K. I’m sure they’ll have what you want to know” he stated. Bai Yutong nodded.
“We’ll do that” he growled before he grabbed Zhan Yao’s wrist and dragged him away, Jiang Yuelou and Chen Yuzhi following after them as Heung Chin watched them leave with a small smile on his face.
~*~*~*~*~*~
“What a fucking creep” Jiang Yuelou growled as they all got back into Bai Yutong’s car.
“Normally they’re not like that…at least he’s usually not” Zhan Yao murmured. Chen Yuzhi frowned.
“How do you know?” he asked. Bai Yutong sighed.
“We had a case a while back where someone was killing off the triad leaders…it was weird. They were very compliant with us, so we assumed that they would be this time” he explained. Jiang Yuelou huffed.
“He seemed to be…until you started talking about the drug mules. Then he got weird” he growled. Zhan Yao sighed.
“Most triad leaders are like that, unfortunately” he murmured. Chen Yuzhi huffed.
“Good thing the ones back home aren’t” he mused. Jiang Yuelou barked out a laugh.
“They’re not like that because they know that Zhan Junbai will have their asses on a platter” he reminded. Bai Yutong then looked in the rearview mirror at them.
“By the way, who is this San Ye that you were talking about?” he asked. Chen Yuzhi and Jiang Yuelou looked at him before Jiang Yuelou smiled.
“Oh, San Ye is Zhan Junbai. That’s his underworld name, I suppose” he explained. Zhan Yao and Bai Yutong blinked in confusion before Zhan Yao turned to look back at them.
“Again, your minister of finance…is a drug lord?” he asked. Chen Yuzhi shook his head.
“Not just a drug lord, the biggest drug lord in Jing City. Any triad wants to gain access or sell any drugs or make any trades, they have to go through him” he explained. Bai Yutong shook his head.
“What the fuck…” he whispered. Jiang Yuelou sighed.
“It’s a long story but he’s gotten out of the drug game. Mainly for the sake of his husband” he explained. Zhan Yao frowned.
“His husband?” he repeated. Chen Yuzhi nodded.
“Yu Tangchun, a famous opera singer. Yu Tangchun went with him one day to view an incoming shipment and a rival drug boss thought that it would be funny to take Yu Tangchun hostage in exchange for the shipment. Let’s just say, it didn’t end well for the man. But, the thought and fear of losing Yu Tangchun was too much, so he decided to give up being the kingpin, so to say” he explained, Jiang Yuelou nodding in agreement.
“He still oversees shipments if they come in, but he has no ties to any of the gangs or any of the groups that run them. If they get out of hand, however, he will step in and take care of them if necessary. He’s very useful when we need to make an arrest or bring down a drug den” he added. Bai Yutong huffed.
“Jing City seems wild…” he murmured. Jiang Yuelou shrugged.
“Maybe, but it’s home” he replied, just as they arrived at the 14K’s headquarters.
“Do all triad leaders seem to make their mansion’s their headquarters?” Jiang Yuelou murmured as they got out of the car. Chen Yuzhi huffed.
“Yuelou, Zhan Junbai’s mansion is his headquarters so yes, it’s safe to say that all triads run their operations out of their boss’s mansion” he stated. Bai Yutong chuckled.
“You wouldn’t be too far off” he mused, just as a pained cry rang out. The four men looked at each other before they rushed into the mansion, soon coming upon a man repeatedly hitting and beating a woman. Chen Yuzhi’s eyes widened and he looked over at Jiang Yuelou, noticing the look in his eyes and the way his fist slowly began to close into fists.
“Oh no” he whispered before he reached out and grabbed his arm.
“Jiang Yuelou. Jiang Yuelou, don’t” he begged, causing Zhan Yao and Bai Yutong to look over in confusion.
“Dr. Chen, what—” Bai Yutong started when Jiang Yuelou wrenched his arm out of Chen Yuzhi’s grasp and stormed over to the man, who was holding the woman, who was down on her knees, by her hair, his fist raised above his head like he was ready to strike.
“Hey!” he shouted, making the man look over at him, just as he punched him in the face, causing him to stumble and fall as well as let go of the woman’s hair. The woman quickly scrambled away as the man pushed himself to his feet, glaring at Jiang Yuelou.
“Why you—” he started, raising his fist to punch Jiang Yuelou in the face when Chen Yuzhi ran forward and stepped in front of Jiang Yuelou, taking the punch for him. The punch was so strong that it sent the young doctor to the floor with a pained groan, causing Zhan Yao and Bai Yutong to gasp as Jiang Yuelou glared at the man.
“You—” he started before he launched himself at the man, both men wrestling around on the floor, throwing punches at one another. Bai Yutong and Zhan Yao, meanwhile, just stood there, not exactly sure what to do, since they weren’t used to such a visceral reaction like the one Jiang Yuelou had. While Jiang Yuelou and the man were wrestling around on the ground, Chen Yuzhi let out a soft groan before he slowly pushed himself to his feet, clutching at his head before he looked at Jiang Yuelou and the man fighting and wrestling one another. His eyes widened and he quickly reached into his pocket, pulling out a small leather roll case, which he then opened to reveal small acupuncture needles. He then took one out before rolling up the case, shoving it back into his pocket before he ran over to the man, who now had Jiang Yuelou pinned underneath him, and stabbed the acupuncture needle in his neck, watching as the man slowly became limp. He then carefully grabbed him and placed him on the ground, allowing Jiang Yuelou to push himself to feet and let out a huff.
“Thanks, Yuzhi” he thanked. Chen Yuzhi nodded before he looked over at the woman, who was trembling and looking at them with wide eyes. He then sighed and walked over to her, smiling gently.
“It’s okay, I’m a doctor. Do you mind if I look at your injuries?” he asked, his voice calm and soothing. The woman sniffled and shook her head, making Chen Yuzhi smile wider before he reached out and carefully helped her to her feet before looking over at Jiang Yuelou, Bai Yutong, and Zhan Yao.
“I’m going to look after her. You deal with him” he instructed, motioning to the man unconscious on the floor. The three men nodded as Chen Yuzhi led the young woman away and once he was gone, Bai Yutong looked over at Jiang Yuelou.
“Mind telling us what that was all about?” he asked. Jiang Yuelou looked back at him before he huffed mirthlessly.
“Ah…I don’t like domestic abuse. My father was an opium addict and abused both me and my mother and even sold my mother to people as a prostitute so that he could get money for opium. So…whenever I see men abusing women…I uh…I snap” he explained. Zhan Yao and Bai Yutong looked at him with wide eyes before they both dipped their head.
“We’re sorry, we didn’t know” Zhan Yao murmured. Jiang Yuelou waved his hand.
“It’s fine, it’s not something I normally like to talk about” he replied before he looked down at the man.
“Let’s get this sonovabitch handcuffed to a chair somewhere so we can get him to talk” he declared. Bai Yutong and Zhan Yao nodded before the three of them walked over to the man and carefully picked him up, since they all knew enough about acupuncture needles that you didn’t want to mess with them too much or they would move out of the nerve or muscle and instead paralyze the person, which definitely wasn’t what they wanted.
~*~*~*~*~*~
While they were moving the man to a chair to handcuff him, Chen Yuzhi guided the woman to a nearby room, sitting her down in a chair before he knelt before her.
“Are you alright?” he asked. The woman sniffled and whimpered, causing Chen Yuzhi to reach into his pocket and pull out a handkerchief, handing it to her.
“Here, dry your eyes” he murmured. The woman took the handkerchief with shaking hands and gently dried her eyes as Chen Yuzhi looked at her.
“What’s your name?” he asked. The woman looked back at him before she sniffled.
“Xiao Mei” she answered. Chen Yuzhi nodded, smiling softly.
“Xiao Mei. I’m Dr. Chen Yuzhi” he greeted. Xiao Mei sniffled again as she looked at him.
“What are you doing here?” she whimpered. Chen Yuzhi sighed.
“Well, we came here to ask the leader of the 14K some questions. Would that man who was beating you happen to be the leader?” he asked gently. Xiao Mei nodded.
“He’s my husband” she sobbed. Chen Yuzhi took a deep breath, slowly curling his hands into fists, before he looked at her.
“Has he hit you before?” he inquired. Xiao Mei nodded again.
“Many times. It just keeps getting worse” she sobbed. Chen Yuzhi took another deep breath before he looked at her and smiled.
“Xiao Mei, don’t worry. We’ll put him away for good. You won’t have to be afraid of him anymore” he assured. Xiao Mei frowned.
“Are you sure? He’s a very powerful man” she argued. Chen Yuzhi laughed and shook his head.
“Not more powerful than those three men out there” he assured before he stood to his feet.
“I’m going to go join them. You just stay here and rest, okay? I’ll come back to check on you before we leave” he assured. Xiao Mei looked at him with big eyes.
“You promise?” she asked. Chen Yuzhi smiled.
“I promise” he assured. Xiao Mei looked at him before she nodded, Chen Yuzhi smiling again before he turned and headed out of the room, closing the door behind him before he headed off to find Bai Yutong, Zhan Yao, and Jiang Yuelou.
~*~*~*~*~*~
Back in the living room, the man Chen Yuzhi had knocked unconscious slowly began to wake up, blinking his eyes blearily as he slowly raised his head to find Bai Yutong, Zhan Yao, Jiang Yuelou, and Chen Yuzhi (who had just joined them) all glaring at him.
“You best start talking, buddy, or I might just let my friend here go to town on you” Bai Yutong snarled, motioning to Jiang Yuelou, who just cracked his knuckles. The man tsked before he looked at Bai Yutong.
“What do you want?” he demanded.
“What do you know about the recent opioid distribution going around here in Hong Kong? Word is you’re the one’s doing the distributing” Zhan Yao stated. The man scoffed.
“Like hell I am” he replied. Jiang Yuelou growled.
“So, you know nothing about drug mules then?” he snarled. The man gave him a look.
“Of course not” he snapped. Chen Yuzhi hummed.
“And yet the 14K is known for its human and drug trafficking…I’m surprised you know nothing about this” he mused. The man huffed.
“Of course I know nothing about this because I’m not in charge of the drug trade that goes on here in Hong Kong. San Ye’s in charge” he declared. Jiang Yuelou and Chen Yuzhi frowned.
“But that’s impossible” Jiang Yuelou exclaimed. The man gave him a look.
“I’m telling the truth, San Ye is in charge of the drug trade and trafficking here. If anyone knows anything about any opioids or drug mules, it would be him” he stated. Bai Yutong, Zhan Yao, Jiang Yuelou, and Chen Yuzhi all frowned before Bai Yutong reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone, pulling up the phone of the dead teen before showing it to the man.
“So you don’t know who this is?” he asked. The man looked at the photo before he shook his head.
“No idea. Again, you wanna know anything about drugs, ask San Ye” he declared. The four men were quiet before Chen Yuzhi pointed at him.
“We can still arrest you for domestic abuse” he snarled before he looked over at Bai Yutong and Zhan Yao.
“We can, can’t we?” he asked. Bai Yutong shrugged.
“Sure. I just need to call in for backup, but we can lock his ass up no fucking problem” he sneered. The man snarled and lunged at the four men, but they just stepped back away from him before Chen Yuzhi walked around him and stuck the needle he had taken out of the man’s neck back into his neck, watching as the man’s head slumped forward. Once the man was asleep, he looked up at Bai Yutong, Zhan Yao, and Jiang Yuelou.
“That should buy us some time for backup to get here” he declared. Bai Yutong nodded and pulled out his phone, stepping away to make the call for backup as Zhan Yao looked over at Chen Yuzhi and Jiang Yuelou.
“Are you two alright? You both took quite the beating” he mused. Chen Yuzhi waved his hand.
“I’m fine” he assured before he looked over at Jiang Yuelou.
“Are you alright, Yuelou?” he asked. Jiang Yuelou nodded.
“Just fine. Might take some aspirin later, just so that I can sleep” he answered. Zhan Yao hummed before he crossed his arms and looked at Jiang Yuelou.
“Didn’t you say that this Zhan Junbai was out of the drug game?” he asked. Jiang Yuelou nodded.
“I did” he replied. Zhan Yao frowned.
“Then why would he say that he’s in it when we all clearly know he’s not?” he inquired, motioning to the unconscious man. Chen Yuzhi and Jiang Yuelou were quiet before Chen Yuzhi hummed.
“Maybe there’s someone parading around as San Ye” he mused. Jiang Yuelou hummed.
“Maybe…but why? What would they gain?” he wondered.
“Well, you said this San Ye was rather powerful in Jing City, right?” Zhan Yao asked. Chen Yuzhi and Jiang Yuelou nodded making Zhan Yao hum.
“Then that’s probably what it is. This person wants power and everything that comes with it. If he knows the status the name “San Ye” holds, it might be why he’s using it” he mused, just as Bai Yutong walked back over to them.
“Backup should be here soon” he declared. Zhan Yao nodded.
“Good, good” he agreed, just as Jiang Yuelou frowned.
“Where do you think we can find this San Ye?” he mused.
“You can find him at the docks” a voice called out, making Chen Yuzhi, Jiang Yuelou, Zhan Yao, and Bai Yutong look over to see Xiao Mei walking towards them, her hair and makeup fixed so that it didn’t look like she was abused.
“Xiao Mei” Chen Yuzhi greeted. Xiao Mei smiled weakly at him before she looked at the others.
“I overheard my husband talking with some of his men and he said that there was supposed to be a large incoming shipment of drugs tonight. If you’re looking for San Ye, he’ll probably be there” she explained. Bai Yutong nodded before he looked at her.
“Police will be arriving soon to take him away. Do you need to go to a hospital? Just to get looked at?” he asked. Xiao Mei frowned before she looked over at Chen Yuzhi, who nodded in encouragement. She then looked at Bai Yutong before she smiled weakly.
“Maybe” she answered. Bai Yutong nodded.
“Okay, we’ll make sure one of the officers takes you” he assured, just as a group of uniformed officers entered the mansion.
“Bai Sir!” the officers exclaimed as they ran over to him. Bai Yutong looked over at them before he motioned to the unconscious man.
“Two of you take him to the squad car” he ordered before motioning to Xiao Mei.
“Two of you take her to the hospital to get checked out” he ordered. The officers nodded, two of the officers walking over to the unconscious man, uncuffing him from the chair.
“Oh, wait a moment” Chen Yuzhi called out as he walked over to the man and plucked his acupuncture needle from his neck.
“I’ll take that, thank you” he declared. The officers nodded before they began to drag the man away while two other officers walked over to Xiao Mei and motioned for her to follow them to their squad car. Once they were gone, Bai Yutong looked at Zhan Yao, Jiang Yuelou, and Chen Yuzhi.
“Let’s head back to S.C.I. and we can figure out what to do from there” he declared. Jiang Yuelou, Chen Yuzhi, and Zhan Yao nodded and soon the four men were heading back to Bai Yutong’s car to head back to S.C.I.
~*~*~*~*~*~
When they returned to S.C.I., Bai Yutong looked over at Jiang Yuelou and Chen Yuzhi.
“You two should go see Gongsun for some ice and some aspirin. Join us when you’ve gotten checked out” he ordered. Jiang Yuelou huffed and opened his mouth to protest, but Chen Yuzhi just smiled before he grabbed Jiang Yuelou by the arm and dragged him off towards Gongsun’s lab. While they were heading towards the lab, Bai Chi looked over at Bai Yutong and Zhan Yao.
“Dr. Zhan, Bai Sir…how’s the investigation going?” he asked. Ma Han nodded.
“Yeah, it’s like you’ve completely forgotten about us” she pouted. Bai Yutong tsked.
“We haven’t forgotten about you, what are you talking about?” he scolded as Wang Shao looked at them.
“So, did we figure out who killed our teen?” he asked. Zhan Yao nodded.
“A heroin overdose. Gongsun thinks they were a drug mule since he found baggies of heroin in their stomach” he explained. The S.C.I. team all made noises of horror, just as Gongsun’s lab open and Jiang Yuelou and Chen Yuzhi stepped out.
“According to the leader of the 14K, he said that there’s a man named San Ye running the drug operation here in Hong Kong” Bai Yutong continued as Jiang Yuelou pulled out his phone.
“Speaking of San Ye, I’m going to give Zhan Junbai a call and see if he can give us some insight onto who this person might be” he declared. Bai Yutong nodded.
“Good idea” he agreed. Jiang Yuelou then dialed Zhan Junbai’s number before putting the call on speaker so that everyone could hear.
“Hello?” Zhan Junbai answered.
“Zhan-xiong” Jiang Yuelou greeted. Zhan Junbai chuckled.
“Two calls in one day…how very unlike you, Jiang-xiong” he teased. Jiang Yuelou rolled his eyes.
“Not now, Zhan-xiong. We were told a little while ago by the leader of the 14K that “San Ye” is in charge of the drug trade here in Hong Kong. You know nothing about that, right?” he asked. Zhan Junbai scoffed.
“If I did, I’d be down there supervising it myself. You know I don’t like going through middlemen” he replied.
“Then who is this “San Ye” that’s parading around and in charge of the drug trade?” Zhao Fu asked. Zhan Junbai hummed.
“If I had to guess, it’s probably someone who was either under Lu Ka Si or used to work for Jinma Hall” he mused. Chen Yuzhi frowned.
“But that’s not possible, Jinma Hall doesn’t exist anymore. We got rid of it” he argued. Zhan Junbai laughed.
“Still innocent as ever, Dr. Chen. It’s true that Jinma Hall is no more but that doesn’t mean that there aren’t still members out there that might have slipped under your radar. So this person might be someone picking up the gauntlet to try and rule the Hong Kong drug trade” he explained.
“Do you have any idea who they might be?” Zhan Yao inquired. Zhan Junbai hummed.
“Unfortunately not” he replied.
“Do you know why they’re doing this?” Jiang Ling asked.
“For the money and power. If they are using the name “San Ye” then they are probably searching for some sort of fame as well” Zhan Junbai answered.
“Wonderful” Bai Yutong grumbled.
“Anything else?” Zhan Junbai inquired.
“No, thank you Zhan-xiong. You’ve been very helpful” Jiang Yuelou thanked. Zhan Junbai chuckled.
“Anytime” he replied before he hung up. After he hung up, Bai Yutong sighed.
“What’s our plan of action?” he asked. Jiang Yuelou looked over at him.
“We go down to the docks, obviously” he replied. Bai Yutong shot him a glare.
“I know that” he snapped. Jiang Yuelou glared this time.
“Then why would you even ask?” he demanded. Bai Yutong snarled.
“You—” he started.
“Enough!” Zhan Yao and Chen Yuzhi barked, causing Jiang Yuelou and Bai Yutong to turn and look at their respective partners. Zhan Yao then glared at both men.
“Fighting and arguing is going to get us nowhere. If we’re going to do this drug take down, we need to work together so you both need to get your heads out of your asses” he snapped. Bai Yutong’s mouth opened in shock and Jiang Yuelou just blinked, stunned, as Chen Yuzhi huffed.
“Bai Sir, I know we’re in your territory, but we also have knowledge of taking down and stopping drug trades. Like Zhan Yao said, we need to work together if we’re going to stop this San Ye” he explained. Bai Yutong looked at him before he sighed and looked over at Jiang Yuelou.
“Fine. Since you have more experience, what do you suggest we do?” he asked. Jiang Yuelou hummed before he smiled.
“How do you feel about disguises?” he asked. Bai Yutong and Zhan Yao looked at him in confusion.
“Disguises?” they repeated. Jiang Yuelou nodded.
“If the 14K’s leader’s wife said that San Ye is going to be at the docks, most of the people there are probably going to be triad members who are helping him out. To blend in, we need to dress like triad members” he explained. Zhan Yao and Bai Yutong looked at one another before they looked back at him.
“Alright, we’ll give it a try, I guess” Bai Yutong agreed before he looked over at the S.C.I. team.
“Be prepared to be backup if this goes south” he ordered. The S.C.I. team nodded as Bai Yutong sighed.
“Let’s go get changed then” he declared.
~*~*~*~*~*~
After getting changed into ridiculous looking suits, Bai Yutong, Zhan Yao, Jiang Yuelou, and Chen Yuzhi arrived at the docks, noting a large group of triad members already there.
“What is it with triad members and tacky suits?” Bai Yutong grumbled as they got out of the Lamborghini, which they parked some feet away so that they wouldn’t be spotted, since Bai Yutong’s car was rather known throughout Hong Kong.
“It must just be a thing” Zhan Yao murmured as they headed over to the group.
“Try not to say anything and just stay in the back until we get a good visual of who San Ye is supposed to be” Jiang Yuelou murmured. Zhan Yao, Bai Yutong, and Chen Yuzhi nodded in agreement as they all quietly stood in the back of the group, waiting for “San Ye” to arrive. They didn’t have to wait very long for soon a man flanked by two other men arrived and walked over to the group, causing Bai Yutong’s eyes to widen.
“Wait a minute, isn’t that—” he started.
“Sun Heying” Jiang Yuelou growled. Zhan Yao frowned.
“What should we do?” he whispered. Chen Yuzhi hummed.
“We should wait until we see him opening up one of the boxes…most drug lords want to test to make sure that the drugs they’re getting is what they paid for…once we see the drugs, then we can move in” he replied, making Jiang Yuelou and Bai Yutong look over at him appreciatively.
“Are you sure you’re a doctor and not some undercover cop?” Bai Yutong asked. Chen Yuzhi laughed.
“Ah, no, I really am a doctor…I just hang around the police station a bit too much” he murmured as Jiang Yuelou gave him a fond smile. They then turned their attention back to Sun Heying and the other triad members, watching and waiting for Sun Heying to open one of the containers that came off the boat. As they watched, Sun Heying opened one of the shipping containers and stepped inside, staying inside for a few moments before stepping back out and nodding to one of the triad members.
“Now?” Bai Yutong asked. Jiang Yuelou nodded.
“Now” he replied before he stepped forward.
“Sun Heying!” he called out, making Sun Heying turn towards them as the group of triad members parted to reveal them. The minute he saw them, his eyes widened and he took off running.
“Stop!” Bai Yutong shouted, he and Jiang Yuelou immediately heading after him.
“Get them!” a triad member shouted, pointing to Jiang Yuelou and Bai Yutong but before they could go after them, Chen Yuzhi and Zhan Yao stepped in front of them.
“Not on our watch” Zhan Yao growled before he punched a triad member in the face, Chen Yuzhi kicking another one in the balls. When those two men went down, a few of the triad members pulled out their guns and pointed it at Zhan Yao and Chen Yuzhi, causing their eyes to widen before they looked at one another.
“Run?” Chen Yuzhi asked. Zhan Yao nodded.
“Run” he agreed. Both men nodded to each other before they turned and ran off, the triad members running after them.
“Split up!” Zhan Yao shouted, Chen Yuzhi nodding in agreement before they split up, also splitting up the group of triad members.
~*~*~*~*~*~
While Zhan Yao and Chen Yuzhi were leading the triad members away, Bai Yutong and Jiang Yuelou were still running after Sun Heying, both men hot on his heels.
“Don’t think you’re getting away, Heying!” Jiang Yuelou shouted as he and Bai Yutong continued to chase him. As they were running, Sun Heying pulled a gun out of his holster and turned, firing it at Bai Yutong and Jiang Yuelou, both men ducking out of the way to avoid getting hit before they continued on, Jiang Yuelou and Bai Yutong pulling out their guns as well, both men firing back at Sun Heying. Sun Heying, however, was fast and dodged the bullets but Bai Yutong and Jiang Yuelou kept firing, hoping that one of them would get lucky at hit him in either the leg or the back so they could take him down. Thankfully, Bai Yutong was able to clip Sun Heying in the back of the calf, sending him to the ground with a pained cry. Jiang Yuelou then ran forward and tackled him, pressing a knee to his back to keep him pinned as he grabbed Sun Heying’s hands and handcuffed them behind him.
“I told you you weren’t getting away” he snarled. Sun Heying struggled in his grasp, but Jiang Yuelou just pushed off of him before yanking him to his feet, giving him a shake.
“You really shouldn’t have tried to run” he growled as he tugged Sun Heying towards Bai Yutong, giving him a smirk when he got close.
“Nice shot” he praised. Bai Yutong shrugged.
“Didn’t get second in the academy for nothing” he replied. Jiang Yuelou tsked before he motioned with his head towards the docks.
“Shall we?” he asked. Bai Yutong nodded.
“Let’s” he agreed. Both men then headed back to the docks and when they arrived, the S.C.I. team were waiting for them, along with Chen Yuzhi and Zhan Yao.
“Bai Sir!” the S.C.I. team exclaimed. Bai Yutong nodded to them before he motioned to Sun Heying.
“Take him back to S.C.I.” he ordered. Wang Shao and Zhao Fu nodded, taking Sun Heying from Jiang Yuelou’s custody before dragging him over to a squad car so that they could take him back to S.C.I. for interrogations. While they were taking Sun Heying away, Jiang Yuelou walked over to Chen Yuzhi and cupped his face in his hand.
“Are you okay? Are you hurt?” he asked. Chen Yuzhi smiled and shook his head.
“I’m okay” he assured as Bai Yutong gave Zhan Yao a once over.
“Cat?” he asked. Zhan Yao rolled his eyes.
“I’m fine, Mouse. You’d know if I was hurt” he replied. Bai Yutong huffed.
“The last time you said you were fine; you were actually clipped by a bullet and none of us even fucking realized it until you collapsed!” he exclaimed. Zhan Yao huffed.
“I’m fine, Yutong” he assured. Bai Yutong hummed before he reached out and grasped Zhan Yao’s arm.
“If you’re not, you tell me” he murmured. Zhan Yao nodded.
“I will” he promised. Bai Yutong nodded before he looked over at Chen Yuzhi and Jiang Yuelou, both of whom were looking back at him.
“Let’s go interrogate this sonovabitch” he growled.
~*~*~*~*~*~
When they returned to S.C.I., Bai Yutong, Zhan Yao, Chen Yuzhi, and Jiang Yuelou all headed down to the interrogation room, where Sun Heying was handcuffed to the interrogation room chair.
“And to think you were a friend” Jiang Yuelou sneered as he looked at Sun Heying, who just chuckled.
“You were always a naïve one, Chief Jiang” he replied.
“Why were you smuggling drugs into Hong Kong? Especially using drug mules?” Bai Yutong demanded. Sun Heying shrugged.
“Why not? Everyone has to make a living somehow, don’t they?” he replied. Zhan Yao snarled.
“You’re a monster” he murmured. Sun Heying laughed.
“Am I? I’m no different than these triads or Zhan Junbai. What makes me a monster yet not them or him?” he asked. Chen Yuzhi huffed.
“At least Zhan Junbai acknowledge that he was a monster and stopped” he snapped. Sun Heying glared at him.
“You actually believe that crap? That Zhan Junbai no longer is San Ye? Please, that’s ridiculous. He still is San Ye and will always be San Ye. I just thought that if I pose as him for a while…he’ll come back and take over” he explained. Bai Yutong, Zhan Yao, Chen Yuzhi, and Jiang Yuelou all looked at him in disgust.
“So you used innocent people as drug mules to grab Zhan Junbai’s attention?” Jiang Yuelou snarled. Sun Heying nodded.
“It’s the only way” he agreed. Zhan Yao snarled as he glared at Sun Heying.
“Was it only you who was behind the drug trafficking? Or are there others?” he demanded. Sun Heying smirked.
“It was just me” he declared. Zhan Yao narrowed his eyes.
“I don’t believe you” he growled before he turned to look at Bai Yutong, Jiang Yuelou, and Chen Yuzhi.
“Get out” he ordered. Chen Yuzhi and Jiang Yuelou frowned as Bai Yutong narrowed his eyes.
“Cat. You’re not—” he started.
“I have to. I have to know if it’s just him or if there are others involved because if there are others…I want them dead” Zhan Yao snarled. Bai Yutong looked at him before he sighed.
“Alright” he agreed before he looked at Jiang Yuelou and Chen Yuzhi.
“Come on” he ordered, motioning for them to follow him out of the room, leaving Zhan Yao alone with Sun Heying. Once they were outside, Chen Yuzhi looked at Bai Yutong.
“What is he doing?” he asked.
“Hypnosis” Bai Yutong answered. Jiang Yuelou frowned.
“Is that even a legal police procedure?” he inquired. Bai Yutong shook his head.
“No, not really. It’s not recognized as one but we use it from time to time to get answers. Besides Zhan Yao, the only other person to use hypnosis is Zhao Jue, which is why I don’t like Zhan Yao using it. I’m afraid he’s going to become more like Zhao Jue every time” he explained. Chen Yuzhi and Jiang Yuelou nodded before Chen Yuzhi smiled.
“I don’t think you have anything to worry about, Bai Sir. We’ve met Zhao Jue…and I don’t think Zhan Yao will turn into him. I really don’t. Besides, he has you, doesn’t he? You’ll stop him if he goes too far” he assured. Bai Yutong smiled slightly, just as the interrogation room door opened and Zhan Yao stepped out, making the others look at him.
“Well? Are there any others?” Jiang Yuelou asked. Zhan Yao shook his head.
“No…no, it’s just him, thankfully” he replied. Bai Yutong, Jiang Yuelou, and Chen Yuzhi all let out sighs of relief before Bai Yutong crossed his arms.
“Well, what do we want to do with him?” he asked, looking over at Jiang Yuelou.
“He is your man” he reminded.
“But he was caught on your terf” Jiang Yuelou countered. Zhan Yao sighed.
“Let’s just split the paperwork. We both caught him, we’ll both get credit for it. Once we write the reports, have Executive Zhan do whatever he likes with him, since he was informant. That work?” he asked, looking at Bai Yutong and Jiang Yuelou. Bai Yutong and Jiang Yuelou looked at him before Bai Yutong smirked.
“Good idea, Cat” he praised. Zhan Yao smirked.
“I do have a PhD, Mouse” he reminded. Bai Yutong rolled his eyes and waved his hand.
“Details” he replied, making Jiang Yuelou and Chen Yuzhi smile. Zhan Yao then looked over at them.
“Shall we head upstairs?” he asked. The three men nodded and soon the four of them were heading upstairs to the S.C.I. department.
~*~*~*~*~*~
When they reached upstairs, Bai Yutong quickly briefed the S.C.I. team about the plan before he turned and looked over at Jiang Yuelou.
“Well…I guess this is goodbye then” he stated. Jiang Yuelou smirked.
“I guess so” he agreed. Bai Yutong then held out his hand.
“Thanks for your help” he thanked. Jiang Yuelou smiled and reached out, shaking his hand.
“You’re welcome” he replied as Chen Yuzhi shook Zhan Yao’s hands.
“If you ever want to know more about psychology, don’t hesitate to call, Dr. Chen. I’ll be more than happy to talk to someone who actually enjoys listening to my psychology lectures” Zhan Yao declared, giving Bai Yutong a look. Bai Yutong rolled his eyes as Chen Yuzhi laughed and nodded.
“If I have any questions, I’ll call. Thank you, Dr. Zhan” he replied. Zhan Yao smiled and nodded as Chen Yuzhi looked over at Jiang Yuelou.
“Should we go? Keying’s going to be mad that we’re late for dinner” he stated. Jiang Yuelou made a face.
“We should probably go” he agreed before he looked at Bai Yutong and Zhan Yao.
“Don’t hesitate to drop by if you’re ever in Jing City” he offered before he and Chen Yuzhi bowed, Zhan Yao and Bai Yutong bowing in return before Jiang Yuelou and Chen Yuzhi turned and headed out of the department, Zhan Yao, Bai Yutong, and the rest of S.C.I. watching them leave.
“Do you think we’ll ever work with them again, Bai Sir?” Ma Han asked. Bai Yutong hummed.
“Maybe…maybe one day” he answered before he huffed.
“Though hopefully not anytime soon” he murmured. Zhan Yao chuckled.
“You can just say that you liked working with them, Yutong, there’s no harm in that” he teased. Bai Yutong gave him a side glare before he reached out and pinched his arm, making him cry out.
“Hush you” he murmured. Zhan Yao tsked as he rubbed his arm, a small smile on his face. Meanwhile, as Jiang Yuelou and Chen Yuzhi were taking a taxi to the train station, Chen Yuzhi looked over at Jiang Yuelou.
“Do you think we’ll ever see them again?” he asked. Jiang Yuelou huffed.
“If we do, it’ll be too soon” he murmured. Chen Yuzhi just chuffed and rolled his eyes as he smiled softly to himself. He knew Jiang Yuelou enjoyed working with Bai Yutong and Zhan Yao just as much as he did, even though they had a bit of a rocky start. But that’s how most friendships formed though, right?
