"Name?"

"Li Yan."

"Where are you from?"

"Hebei."

"What brings you to Hong Kong?"

"Visiting relatives."

A military police officer, pen pinched between two fingers, glanced at the man across the table and scribbled something on paper swiftly.

"In your statement, you said they kidnapped you, but internal strife ensued, and then..."

The officer paused, his tone laced with disbelief.

"You killed all four of them by yourself?"

"Officer, it was self-defense."

The police officer scrutinized Li Yan.

"Do you know those men were from your hometown?"

"I knew. That's why I engaged them in conversation."

"Just a chat? You're saying you have nothing to do with their case? Do I look like a fool to you, Officer Sir?"

"Who can be sure about these things?"

"You!"

"Officer, think carefully."

The officer, who had half-risen, stared at the slightly closed eyes of Li Yan, then sat down angrily.

Not long after this man arrived at the station, calls from a law firm came in, with ambiguous attitudes from above, clearly someone was protecting him.

With no evidence linking this man named Li Yan to the case, and his bail fully paid, it was already quite a feat to keep him at the station for the night.

Remembering how this sickly-looking man killed four armed bandits with just a scalpel, the military police officer felt a chill run down his spine.

The door was pushed open by an elderly man holding a teacup, his hair mostly white.

"Sir Li," the military police officer stood up.

"You may leave. Close the door behind you."

Li Yao Guang waved his hand and sat opposite Li Yan, arching his eyebrows as he neatly stacked the papers on the table to one side.

"How was your night?"

"The tea was terrible. The sofa too narrow."

"This is a police station, what were you expecting, a hotel?"

Li Yao Guang gazed intently at the man before him.

"With just a scalpel, you wiped out the Big Circle Boys and Dragon City's Boxing Ring Fighters we were about to send the Riot Police Force after. You're so skilled, maybe you should consider reorganizing a special forces unit."

Li Yan remained silent, calmly looking at the old man.

"How long have you been in Hong Kong?"

"A month or two."

"How's it been?"

"Not bad, not feeling tired."

The old man smiled warmly, "My ancestry is from Xiamen, Fujian. I grew up in Hong Kong. My father pulled rickshaws in Yau Ma Tei, living a meager life, but he never dabbled in shady business or took shortcuts. When I applied to be a police officer, everyone paid the examiners for a favor, but he refused. I wore this uniform for seven years before I could shed it. Yet, I never thought he was wrong."

He stared at Li Yan, "No matter how down and out, it's no excuse for committing crimes."

Li Yan cracked a smile, "You should have said that to those dead souls. I haven't been in Hong Kong long, even the streetwalkers on Temple Street haven't seen me. But..."

His smile suddenly vanished, "Uncle, principles won't fill an empty stomach. If one day Hong Kong no longer has any Big Circle Boys, do you think it will be because they were persuaded by you? People are willing to gamble with their lives, and it's no pity if they die, but there's no need to stand on their corpses and make sanctimonious remarks, right?"

Li Yao Guang did not take offense, pausing for a moment before saying, “I’m now inclined to believe you’re not involved with them. Someone who thinks things through so clearly wouldn’t rob a bank.”

“Uncle, you do have good judgment.”

Li Yan quipped, though his thoughts drifted to the man who had died by his hand, the one who had spoken so indifferently about robbing a prison. Had he thought things through clearly enough?

Li Yao Guang continued, “After finishing this cup of tea, you can leave once the lawyer arrives. But tell me, how much do you make from Boxing in Dragon City?”

This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

“It’s certainly not as much as robbing a bank.”

“Higher risk, that’s why.”

“The risk is not small in the boxing ring either, and with my high expenses, I’m always stretched thin.”

“How about taking on an extra job?”

Li Yan blinked in surprise, “What are you talking about?”

Li Yao Guang’s tone remained steady, “I’m asking if you’re interested in becoming an Auxiliary Police?”

“Uncle, are you joking?”

Li Yao Guang extended his hand, offering Li Yan a business card.

“When you think I’m not joking, call this number.”

He glanced at his watch, “Time is almost up. You’re free to go.”

Li Yan hesitated for a moment before taking the business card from Li Yao Guang and stood up to leave.

“By the way, that group of Big Circle Boys stole a batch of antiques from the bank, which were meant for a Charity Auction. Most of them are now untraceable. Did you hear them mention anything when they took you hostage?”

Li Yan stopped in his tracks.

“Who knows? If it were me, I would have disposed of the stolen goods already. When it’s about money, who would carry such things around?”

Li Yao Guang nodded thoughtfully.

“So, the lighter ones might still be carried on their person?”

Bang!

Li Yan flung the door open and strode out.

The old man pondered for a long while before letting out a wry smile.

“Everyone’s dead, what’s the use in thinking about this now.”

…

You have obtained 2 fragments of the Ancient Novel Sinker Records.

You have officially commenced the Yanfu Incident!

The requirements of the event are as follows:

Awaken the lingering souls in the record book painted with the Guhuo Bird. Failure will result in the deduction of all points from this Yanfu Incident and the erasure of the Purchase Authority unlocked in this Yanfu Incident!

The location of the Fragmented Record Manuscript will be reported intermittently, with a valid range of five kilometers. Please check for updates in due time.

Please note that obtaining more fragments of the record book will yield higher returns!

Please note that all actions you take during this Yanfu Incident and their impacts will provide additional Purchase Authority and higher settlement rewards. The greater the impact of your actions, the higher the rewards! This principle applies to most Yanfu Incidents.

Remember the words when you first entered? Please cause a stir, Wandering Lord.

Fate plays tricks on us.

Li Yan couldn’t help but sigh as he quickly passed through the interrogation room and saw the Red Ghost waiting for him.

"What's the situation? Did the cops give you a hard time?"

Red Ghost remained his usual self, clad in a black leather jacket, his youthful face wearing a smile.

"I owe you one, Brother Red Ghost."

"It was Taisui's doing. Without his help, you wouldn't have been released so soon."

"Taisui knows about this?"

Li Yan was indeed curious about the Boxing Ring Taisui, a figure he had never met.

"Of course he knows. Who in the Nine Dragon City doesn't know about the Yama who single-handedly took down armed thugs? Everyone's treating you like a superhero."

"Don't joke with me. I almost lost my life, and I'm planning to go to the Tin Hau Temple to offer thanks to the gods. Also, how did you explain things to Judy?"

"It's all good now." Red Ghost patted his shoulder. "Judy paid your bail. You can explain it to her over dinner."

With that, he gestured with his mouth in a certain direction.

Li Yan followed his gaze.

Judy was sitting at her desk, across from the foreign lawyer who had arranged Li Yan's release.

It was Li Yan's first time seeing Judy in formal attire. She was dressed in a white-collar black sweater, topped with a hat, her wrist casually resting on her neck, listening intently to something. Her lips were pursed together, unconsciously curling up, exuding grace and poise.

Li Yan unconsciously touched his nose. Compared to the enchanting and radiant Judy he had seen that night, the calm woman in front of him, like a deep blue lake, indeed struck a chord within him.

"It doesn't seem right to dine with her right after stirring up trouble, does it?"

"Wow, she's worth billions, with long legs, a full chest, and a pretty face, practically throwing herself at you. What's with that tone? Like a Revolutionary Martyr heading to the execution ground!"

"No, listen to me..."

Judy had already finished the paperwork by then.

"That will be all, Charles. We'll be in touch if anything comes up."

Judy stood up, extended her soft, pale hand for a farewell, and after parting with the lawyer, she looked towards Red Ghost and Li Yan and walked over.

She sized up Li Yan, nodding in approval.

"The shirt looks good on you, it suits you, though it's a bit thin."

"The jacket got dirty, so I had to make do. I haven't had the chance to thank you, Sister Judy."

Li Yan licked his lips, his reply a bit dry.

Judy reached out to take Li Yan's arm.

"Come on, I'll take you to buy a new one."

Seizing the moment, Red Ghost said:

"Then I won't disturb the two of you."

Judy shot him a glance: "You're in such a hurry to find Taisui, I couldn't keep you here even if I wanted to."

Red Ghost chuckled and gave Li Yan a pat on the shoulder before taking his leave.

Judy murmured a complaint under her breath, which Li Yan only half-heard.

"I don't know what she sees in me...that's better than me."

"What did you just say, Judy?" Li Yan asked.

Judy turned around, her face breaking into a smile as she looked at Li Yan.

"I was saying, you can just call me Judy from now on."

Li Yan grinned awkwardly, momentarily at a loss for words.

"Shall we go?"

Judy tugged at Li Yan's arm, her eyes twinkling with a hint of mirth.

...

The vast dining room was occupied only by Li Yan and Judy, and the sound of the piano filled the room, playing Richard Clayderman's "Autumn Whisper."

"It's been a long time since I've bought a ready-made suit, but it looks pretty good on you."

Under the candlelight at the dinner table, Judy's gaze swept over Li Yan, her eyes holding a hidden...intensity?

Li Yan drank his wine in large gulps, ignoring the surprised look of the waiter. After a moment of contemplation, he suddenly looked up and asked, "Miss Judy, I'm actually quite curious, how much do you really know about me?"

Judy, cutting into a piece of black truffle steak without looking up, replied, "Which aspect are you referring to?"

"Let's put it this way, I can understand someone spending money to push a boxer into the ring, not caring about the cost. But I find it hard to comprehend why a woman would invite a murderous thug who just killed four people to dinner, and even go to the lengths of buying him an expensive suit."

Li Yan looked at his sleeve with a pang of distress; this suit cost as much as his ES Cell Strengthener.

Judy crossed her arms, resting her chin on the back of her hands, thinking for a while without directly answering Li Yan's question. Instead, she drained the glass of red wine.

"How about we play a game? We each ask the other a question. No lying, no refusing to answer, and no talking about unrelated things. If you break the rules, you drink a glass. Otherwise, the other person drinks."

"Sure," Li Yan agreed readily, as decisive as when he had agreed to He Andong's terms to release the hostages.

Judy was the first to ask a question.

"When Red Ghost first introduced me to you, he probably said something along the lines of Dragon City's Big Water Pipe, what were you thinking when you saw me?"

Li Yan's fingernail inadvertently scratched the table. The woman in front of him was not as domineering as she had been in Fuk Yee Mansion; in fact, she could be described as cunning.

So Li Yan decided to tell the truth.

"At that moment, I thought, this woman's worth billions. If I ever hit rock bottom, I could take the chance to kidnap her. Squeezing out a little ransom would be enough to live on for the rest of my life..."

**********

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