Chapter 98: A Minor Trouble (Please Subscribe, Please Vote!)

The victim belonged to the Special Operations Division of the Nangang Police Station. It was clear that the Zhengyang Police Station had no intention of getting involved; apart from notifying the Nangang station to send someone over, they also reported the case to the Police Department.

Bai Shoutian, from the Nangang station’s Special Operations Division, arrived at the scene with his men. The area had already been cordoned off by the Zhengyang police, who, having identified the deceased, had taken no further action. This case was either for the Nangang station to investigate themselves or for the Police Department’s Special Operations Division to take over; it had little to do with the Zhengyang officers. Why borrow trouble? They simply secured the scene and waited for the others to arrive.

As soon as Bai Shoutian and his team arrived, the Zhengyang officers handed over the scene and withdrew completely.

After inspecting the scene, an officer reported, "Chief, Old Yuan had his throat slit. It happened so quickly he barely had time to react. The wound is clean and deep, right down to the bone; it doesn't look like a standard blade injury..."

Bai Shoutian smoked, his brow furrowed. Although Yuan Wenfu was technically one of his subordinates, he didn't report to him directly, and Yuan never disclosed his tasks or activities. Who knew what kind of person he had offended? To be killed in a red-light district—it was obvious the man had been murdered on his way home after a night of debauchery.

This was clearly no ordinary grudge. In all his years as a policeman, Bai had never encountered such a method of killing—not in Ice City, nor anywhere in Binjiang Province. Based on his long experience, the waters surrounding this case were deep, and he instinctively wanted nothing to do with it. He had lived comfortably for so many years precisely because he was an expert at avoiding harm and chasing profit.

"Has Assistant Jin arrived?"

"We've notified her; she should be on her way," replied Xie Zicheng, the leader of the tactical team and Bai’s trusted confidant.

"Don't touch anything at the scene. Wait until Assistant Jin gets here," Bai said, stubbing out his cigarette and grinding it into the dirt with his leather shoe. Dammit, not even the New Year could pass in peace. Bad luck!

"Understood."

It didn't take long for Jin Suying to arrive at the crime scene on Peach Blossom Lane. She had likely never seen such a bloody murder scene; after one glance, she turned pale, felt nauseated, and began to retch.

"Assistant Jin, here, drink some hot water to steady yourself. You’ll get used to it the more you see," Bai said, handing her a cup.

"Thank you." Jin Suying took the cup. She spent her days in an office and was unaccustomed to crime scenes. Even witnessing an execution by firing squad hadn't been as jarring as this. Yuan Wenfu's wide-eyed, dead stare felt… it was an indescribable sensation, as if he were staring directly at her, whispering: *Jin Suying, one day, you’ll end up just like me.*

"Old Yuan was with the Special High-Level Division. Since Mr. Kobata is away, you’ve been overseeing operations, Assistant Jin. His sudden murder must have an extraordinary cause. If this involves classified matters, please instruct me on whether I should, or even can, take on this case," Bai asked. Although he outranked her, he knew this woman was not to be trifled with.

"Is that even a question? Shouldn't you be investigating to find the killer?"

"Heh, Assistant Jin, perhaps you should call Mr. Akiyama for instructions first?" Bai wasn't about to act rashly.

"Chief Bai, tell me the situation first," Jin Suying said, regaining her composure.

"Yes, Assistant Jin. We’ve conducted a preliminary survey. The killer is extremely professional—not a single trace left behind. Nothing of value was missing from Old Yuan, so robbery is ruled out. A crime of passion is highly unlikely; Old Yuan was that sort of man, and the women he frequented were of a certain type, mere dalliances. That leaves only his work. Without orders from above, who would dare touch this?" Bai’s point was clear: he would only investigate if ordered, and he wouldn't invite trouble on his own. He didn't want to end up with a mess on his hands instead of earning merit.

Jin Suying wasn't stupid. She understood that Bai didn't want the case, but since Yuan Wenfu was technically his subordinate, he couldn't simply walk away. His presence was merely a formality; he had no intention of digging into the reason for Yuan's death.

The Special High-Level Division was nominally under the Special Operations Division, but they didn't answer to him. Why should he invite trouble for no reason? He was a cunning old fox—always stepping forward for benefits and retreating when there were none. No wonder Zhou Sen had tried to dodge the news with an "it's none of my business" attitude; they were all birds of a feather. If she hadn't come, this case wouldn't have fallen into her lap, but now that she was here, Bai could finally shift the burden. She had underestimated the situation.

...

Bad news travels fast. By the end of the morning, word of the murder on Peach Blossom Lane had spread across the Daowai district. It inevitably reached the Ningxiang Pavilion as well. A-Xiang had gone out to buy groceries early that morning and brought the news back to Bai Yulan. The mistress and her servant were still discussing it when Zhou Sen, Wu En, and Anna arrived at the pavilion with a cart full of goods.

"What is all this? You didn't tell me you were bringing this over," Bai Yulan said, walking out to inspect the cartload of items.

"I’ve set up a darkroom. The 'Sen' shop is too small to accommodate it, so I was hoping to use a room here," Zhou Sen explained.

"What's a darkroom?" A-Xiang asked curiously.

"A workspace for developing photographs," Zhou Sen replied. "You'll understand once I get it set up."

"And who is this young lady?" Bai Yulan asked, noticing Anna.

"Anna, my new secretary," Zhou Sen introduced.

Bai Yulan frowned, but in front of an outsider, she didn't press the matter. Hiring a secretary out of the blue—a woman, at that—did seem strange.

"A-Xiang, help unload the things," Bai Yulan ordered, turning and walking back to her room without looking back.

*Heh, the lady is jealous,* Zhou Sen thought.

After unloading and arranging everything, they realized this was only temporary; they would need to incorporate a better design when they renovated the teahouse.

"Anna, take a picture of me and Yulan."

"What for? I haven't even changed my clothes..." Bai Yulan protested as Zhou Sen pulled her into the courtyard.

"It doesn't matter, you're beautiful in anything," Zhou Sen coaxed.

"Smooth talker!"

"How do you know? Have you tasted it?"

"You're asking for it..."

*Click!*

Anna captured the playful banter, pressing the shutter at the perfect moment.

"A-Xiang, come over here. Let's take one with the three of us?"

"Me? With you?" A-Xiang asked, startled.

"Yes, hurry up!"

"Coming!" A-Xiang ran over, excited, and they took a group photo together.

"Boss Zhou, there’s only enough film for one or two more shots," Anna reminded him.

"Why don't you gather the rest of the girls from the pavilion and we'll take a group photo?" Zhou Sen suggested.

Bai Yulan was touched by the idea. It would be a nice memento for the women who had shared her hardships.

"You go ahead and take the photos. A-Xiang and I will head to the kitchen; we’ll just have a simple lunch," Zhou Sen said with a laugh. Bai Yulan nodded and went to call the others with Anna.

...

After lunch, Anna stayed for a while before Zhou Sen had Wu En take her away; her presence made some conversations difficult.

"I'll be away for a while in a few days," Zhou Sen said, resting his head on Bai Yulan’s lap.

"Mm."

"Aren't you going to ask where I'm going?"

"If you can't tell me, there's no point in asking. If you want to tell me, you will," Bai Yulan said calmly.

Her logic was flawless. She had him figured out.

"In that case, I won't say—" Before he could finish, he felt a sharp pinch at his waist—the woman's signature move.

"The Japanese have a rule: whenever a police officer is promoted, they must undergo one to three months of special training at the police academy. I was promoted to Assistant Police Lieutenant at the end of last year, so I have to attend a three-month intensive training program," Zhou Sen quickly explained.

"When do you leave?"

"I don't know yet. I'm waiting for notification, likely within the next few days," Zhou Sen said. "So, you'll have to keep an eye on the teahouse. I've already told you how to run it; just follow the plan."

"The renovation will take at least half a month, and then a trial period... it won't officially open for at least a month. I wanted to discuss which renovation company we should hire," Bai Yulan said.

"You know more about this than I do. You decide," Zhou Sen replied.

"And what about your secretary, Anna? How should I handle her?" Bai Yulan shifted the conversation.

"Don't worry about her. The secretary title just gives her a reasonable excuse to be by my side." Zhou Sen didn't want to explain further to avoid unnecessary trouble.

Bai Yulan nodded. She was a clever woman and understood that Anna’s background was likely unusual—probably connected to the Japanese. Everyone had secrets. Zhou Sen was a policeman working for the Japanese; he certainly had his, and she had hers, but they hadn't reached the point of confessing them to each other.

Zhou Sen’s mind was no longer on the teahouse. Yuan Wenfu's murder was a response to his "tip-off." But how was he supposed to get in touch with them now? There wouldn't be another engagement party. He hadn't expected such a swift response, leaving him no time to plan his next move. He had assumed the Soviet Consulate would realize their phone line was being tapped and take measures to ensure secure communication. It seemed they were on different wavelengths.

This was troublesome. Was he being forced to use *that* method? He was extremely reluctant, but it seemed to be his only option left.

*Damn it,* he thought, *might as well go for it. No point in wasting the natural talent of the original body.* It was one of his last resorts.