Assault - Chapter 2
Warning: [NSFW 18+] The following content is intended for mature audiences and may contain sexual themes, gore, violent and/or strong language. Discretion is advised.
Chapter 2
Luck really does just drop straight from the sky.
Nan Tian had no way to properly thank his late father. He had walked straight into the aftermath of a gang shootout that even Special Investigations agents rarely witnessed, single-handedly taken down an armed assailant, and saved a man who was breathtakingly handsome.
Just as he believed his streak of luck had peaked, another piece of good news hit him over the head.
Officer 1520 of Zone C's Traffic Division had acted decisively and heroically at the crime scene, earning the admiration of his superiors. The head of the Special Investigations Unit was impressed by the young officer's enthusiasm.
"Officer 1520 of Zone C's Traffic Division, you are to immediately report to the Special Investigations Unit!"
The moment he received the transfer order, Nan Tian was overwhelmed with gratitude he nearly dropped to his knees to kowtow to his late father. My dear dad, I won't fail you. I'll become an elite officer, crush crime, and defend justice!
Nan Tian sped to the Special Investigations Unit as fast as he could. Upon arrival, he immediately delivered a sharp, textbook-perfect salute. "Sir! Officer Nan Tian, badge number 1520 of Zone C's Traffic Division, reporting for duty!"
"The new guy's here? Come in. Drop the 'sir'—we're all on the same team. From now on, just call me Chief."
"Everyone, come over and meet him. This is Nan Tian. He's the one who took down the gunman yesterday."
"Xiao Fen, he's a newbie. Show him the ropes and get him familiar with the cases we're working on."
"Yes, Chief!" Nan Tian answered, barely containing his excitement as his gaze sweeps around the room.
At last, he had been transferred to the Special Investigations Unit. He had known all along he wasn't destined to remain in the dull Traffic Division forever. He was his father's son. Since childhood, he had sworn to become the enforcer of justice—not a king of parking tickets.
The other team members were welcoming, and Xiao Fen gave him a substantial stack of files to review as part of his orientation.
"Don't panic, you're not expected to memorize everything immediately," Xiao Fen said with a friendly grin as he slid a file out from the pile and passed it over. "Start here. He's the primary suspect of a case we're investigating right now. Get familiar with his background first."
"The primary suspect? Alright, I'll take a look." Nan Tian flipped open the file. The moment his eyes landed on the photo on the first page, his vision went white and he nearly toppled out of his chair.
"Hey—what happened?" Xiao Fen asked, seeing his face go pale.
"N-Nothing..." Nan Tian forced himself upright, wiping the cold sweat from his forehead. "This suspect... he looks... oddly respectable..."
"Not bad-looking, right? Gold-rimmed glasses and all. But Mo Wenzhi's a wolf in sheep's clothing. His father use to run smuggling operations across Southeast Asia. After making enough money, he pretended to clean up his act. This kid just came back from studying in Europe. On the surface, he's taken over his father's Hongxing Group—but we believe he's secretly taken over the smuggling business as well. Ever since his return, smuggling activity has surged. Xiao Fen glanced at him. "Nan Tian, are you listening? You looked distracted."
"Y-Yes..."
You're new, so as your senior, I've got to warn you. This guy is extremely cunning. So far, we haven't gotten any solid evidence of him personally being involved, and with his good looks, he's excellent at playing innocent. Plenty of idiots have been completely fooled into thinking he's a model citizen. You need to stay alert and keep your guard up, got it?"
"Got it..." Nan Tian replied weakly. Just that... it already a little too late.
The Special Investigations Unit had clearly put a lot of effort into this guy, but so far, nothing has come from it. So the moment the topic of this cunning suspect was mentioned, Xiao Fen's indignation flared. "Hmph! A lowlife like him—I'll personally put him on handcuffs, mark my words.If we ever find him at a crime scene, I'll first slam him over my shoulder, punch that handsome face a few times, hogtie him, and haul him to the station,"
"R-Right..."
If they found out this Mo Wenzhi guy was at the crime scene yesterday, and I personally escorted him out with the sirens blaring all the way to safety... they'd absolutely kill me...
Beads of sweat, the size of soybeans, dotted Nan Tian's forehead. Oh heavens, Dad, are you behind this? I swear, I'll go pay my respects on your death anniversary next year and burn some joss paper, alright?
Just as he was nervously praying to his late father, a sudden shout from behind nearly made Nan Tian leap out of his chair.
"Nan Tian!"
"Here!"
"We have a meeting."
With just one call, every member of the Special Investigations Unit temporarily dropped what they were doing and gathered for a meeting.
"The higher-ups have decided to step up the crackdown on smuggling in City A. In addition, we've also received several leads. The recent gang shootouts were very likely caused by disputes over smuggling profits between rival gangs."
"Looks like we've got work to do!"
Ah Yan, who had been with the Special Investigations Unit for three years, rubbed his hands in anticipation. "Chief, are we still kicking things off with the Mo family?"
"Of course." The chief gave a firm nod. "Our sources say a new figure has emerged in the underworld—someone going by the name of 'Prince'. A large number of recent smuggling operations are being orchestrated by him from behind the scenes."
Xiao Fen scoffed. "I'd bet that this so-called 'Prince' is none other than that hypocritical scumbag, Mo Wenzhi."
"We've spent a lot of manpower on him and still haven't caught the slightest slip-up from him," Uncle(1) Biao analyzed calmly. "Could it be that we're chasing the wrong lead? Maybe Mo Wenzhi really did just come back to take over Hongxing Group—and has nothing to do with his father's former underworld business."
"No way." Xiao Fen shook his head firmly. "The surge in smuggling, the appearance of this 'Prince', the gang shootouts—every single one of them started after he came back. You're telling me he's innocent? I'm not buying it."
"The only way to secure solid evidence is to have someone on the inside."
"We'll go with the undercover strategy again—working from within while the rest move from the outside."
The room fell into an uneasy silence.
Already feeling guilty, Nan Tian suddenly found himself the center of everyone's attention. "Why are you all looking at me like that?"
"If not you, then who? You're the only new face here."
No... way...
"Nan Tian, you're new and haven't had any contact with them yet—you're the best candidate to go undercover."
"Eh?"
"This important mission is all yours. Give it your best, Nan Tian! Chief says you;ve got potential!"
"But..."
"Is something troubling you?"
The only problem is... I've not only met that Mo Wenzhi, I even got all cozy with him for a little while. If I confess this now, the consequences would be worse than if my cover as an undercover officer were blown. Dad, you heartless man! You're too cruel—just because I didn't visit you on your death anniversary, you... damn this so-called "perfect luck" of mine!
"Nan Tian, this shouldn't be an issue, right?"
Of course there's a problem... but I can't tell you!
"No problem..." Nan Tian's back was slick with cold sweat as he managed a stiff, forced smile.
"Then it's settled." The chief's voice was firm, yet he gave Nan Tian a reassuring pat. "Don't worry, take it slow. You'll first enter Hongxing Group as a low-level employee. You just need to keep a low profile, observe Mo Wenzhi's movements, and report back to us if anything happens. Avoid direct contact with Mo Wenzhi unless absolutely necessary."
"Chief, you can count on me." Nan Tian nodded. There's no way I'm facing him head on—even if it kills me.
Perched on the forty-eighth floor, the chairman's office of Hongxing Group was nothing short of opulent.
Chen Mingjun, who had returned from Europe alongside Mo Wenzhi and now served as the Executive Vice President of Hongxing Group, appeared at the doorway in the fashionably tailored trench coat. "Care to talk about your romantic little encounter yesterday?"
At the mention of yesterday's interesting encounter, Mo Wenzhi calmly put down his phone and arched a brow. "Go on."
"Ahem." Chen Mingjun glanced down at the file in his hand and began reading. "Zone C's Traffic Division, badge number 1520. Name: Nan Tian. Twenty-three years old. Both his grandfather and father were police officers. Five days ago, he was transferred to the Special Investigations Unit after decisively and heroically shooting an armed suspect at a crime scene." He lowered the document and looked at Mo Wenzhi with a teasing glint in his eyes. "Not bad-looking, I suppose—but nowhere near as handsome as me. Are you sure he fits your standards? I remember you've always been picky. You wouldn't even consider someone who isn't exceptionally handsome."
"Don't be so quick to judge before he takes off his clothes."
"He's a cop, and now he's in the Special Investigations Unit. Don't tell me you're planning to hit on him at the police station?"
"No need. He delivered himself to my doorstep." Mo Wenzhi picked up a file from his desk, a faintly sinister smile appears on his lips. "Does the photo on this job application look a little familiar to you?"
"Oh." Chen Mingjun studied the awkwardly smiling photo and smirked. "Undercover, huh? They certainly are attentive when it comes to you."
"Of course. I'm a law-abiding citizen." Mo Wenzhi said lightly. His eyes narrowed, as if savoring the thought of something, and fell into brief contemplation before gently pressing the intercom button. "Jenny, have the new employee from the printing department, Chen Zheng, come up here. Tell him he'll be meeting the Executive Vice President as the chairman isn't in today."
The candles were lit, the knife and fork set, and the main corse will soon arrive. In his mind, he replayed the moment the young officer draped his jacket over his shoulders—that excited yet carefully restrained look of admiration in his eyes.
Footnotes:
- Calling someone 'uncle' in Chinese culture doesn't always mean familial relations. Adding 'uncle' in front of the person's name can be used to respectfully address someone who is in the same generation as your parents.
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