SDT 38

Chapter 38 Whatever

Lu Kongyun parked his car in the basement and took the elevator home. He was still thinking about the figure he’d seen in the rearview mirror. It felt like he’d missed something, but he couldn’t figure out what. While thinking about it, he casually gathered the clothes that needed washing and tossed them into the laundry basket.

There was a small shelf next to it. On it were two things he’d taken out when he sent the suit to the dry cleaner.

One was a key. He’d taken it from under the mat at Yu Xiaowen’s door when he went to his house last time. As an Omega, Yu Xiaowen had actually left the key to his home with an Alpha. As a policeman, he had no sense of security. So Lu Kongyun hadn’t let the key stay in that unsafe place.

The other item was a contract Yu Xiaowen had written for him.

To the doctor, to fulfill his last wish, that is, to end the blackmail relationship.

… wish.

He silently repeated the word in his head.

He picked it up and looked carefully at the writing.

After a moment, he put the two things into the junk drawer in the living room.

The day after he returned from training camp, Dr. Lu quickly slipped back into his usual routine. Now, he just had to remember that there was one last order he had to carry out. Other than that, everything seemed completely normal. It felt like he was getting closer to his old normal.

His search history on his phone and computer had grown, with several entries related to Country C, Jiang City, and Wangjiang Bridge.

He’d notice hotel ads and pay extra attention to their star ratings and reviews.

Or when he overheard two interns whispering in the lab about their trip to Jiang City, he’d stop working and listen.

“It’s incredibly cold there this season. I’m telling you, I almost died there last time. As someone from Country S, if you go there without a travel guide, you’ll really learn your lesson,” one said in an exaggerated tone.

This wasn’t Lu Kongyun’s first trip to Jiang City, but before, he’d always had an assistant to help him prepare. He’d never had to worry about anything. This time, though, there was no assistant.

He suddenly realized there was a reason he kept searching for travel terms and hotels. His subconscious was reminding him that he couldn’t rely on a crime-solving machine who could survive on cheap inhibitor patches and instant noodles.

He opened his office memo app and entered three alternative hotels.

Then he opened another memo titled Travel Notes and Scenic Spot Guide Links.

Then a third titled To Be Purchased.

He went to an online shopping site and searched for “down jacket.” He bought one similar to Yu Xiaowen’s, along with cotton shoes, gloves, a hat, and a scarf. He already had most of those, but he bought them again anyway.

Transnational illegal biochemical organizations were deeply entrenched, their criminal networks spanning multiple countries. Most of the new goods they brought in this time originated from the biopharmaceutical giant M. The criminals had obtained a large quantity of drugs illegally, including not only those banned in China but also many that hadn’t yet passed clinical trials or drug regulatory review in M. These drugs were highly dangerous.

If they escaped into the public, they would quickly spread through society, posing a huge threat to safety. So they had to be stopped at all costs. Thanks to the joint efforts of all parties, the police had now identified the key targets.

After the recent death of an anti-narcotics officer, the criminals could no longer stay within S Country network. They were forced to find new partners and routes.

Earlier this month, police intercepted reliable intel that the group’s overseas division was preparing a rendezvous for mid-month.

The officer’s death suggested the criminals had access to inside information from the anti-narcotics brigade. Assigning other members to continue the mission would carry a high risk of failure.

But since the criminals were now forced to choose a new contact, they were unsure who it would be. If an equally experienced officer from the Criminal Investigation Team could replace the contact and intercept the target first, the enemy would likely not detect the operation.

In the Third Squad of the Major Crime Division, there was a single officer in his forties named Old Wang. He had extensive experience, and his hometown was in the southern mountains of S Country, right along the criminals’ likely escape route. He knew the terrain better than anyone, so the task was given to him.

Apart from his superiors, only his captain, Yu Xiaowen, knew about it.

So, the rest of the team, completely unaware, couldn’t understand why this bachelor, about to get married and celebrate his happiest day, looked so gloomy and depressed.

Old Wang even went to talk to Yu Xiaowen privately, upset. Captain Yu patted him on the shoulder and whispered something to him. Old Wang looked aggrieved, nearly wiping away tears.

Xu Jie, watching from the corner, gritted his teeth. “Old Deng still hasn’t given up on my master. He’s about to get married… shameless!”

During lunch break that day, Yu Xiaowen sat in a daze.

Two colleagues were watching a short crime drama online, whispering.

A: “It’s over, it’s over, the mission’s gonna fall on him.”

B: “Yeah, he’s doomed. Whenever a cop says he’s getting married, retiring, or becoming a father, something happens on his next mission.”

A: “Such a stupid show. Badly directed, too. Makes us look unlucky. No wonder none of us can find a partner. Look at Old Wang, so old before he found someone willing to take him in. How sad.”

B: “Unlucky? But it’s true. This job’s not human work. We’re always the ones taking the hit. Didn’t you see that undercover anti-narcotics cop who died tragically a few days ago? And two years ago, when armed elements fought in the streets? The soldiers were in full gear, but what about us? It’s always the cops who die. Captain Yu got shot through the heart and survived by a miracle.”

A: “Stop talking nonsense. Who deserves to die? You didn’t see people losing arms and legs on the battlefield.”

B: “Anyway, there’s another big operation coming soon. You’ll see.”

The video’s preview started playing, dramatic music blaring:

“Old Wang, open your eyes! You said you’d take care of me forever, why’d you leave first, Old Wang! We were supposed to take wedding photos tomorrow, Old Wang!”

Yu Xiaowen groaned and covered his face. “Aren’t you tired of work? I finally get a break, and you’re watching a work documentary? It’s too loud. Turn it off.”

The colleagues exchanged glances and shut it down.

That night, after work, Yu Xiaowen went home and lay in bed. He felt his chest burning like fire. He didn’t take any medicine. He’d built up a tolerance to painkillers, so unless it was unbearable, he didn’t bother.

He thought, if it were his old self, he’d have taken Old Wang’s place in this undercover mission without hesitation. Old Wang was his teammate, and he was the captain. Old Wang was about to get married. He was alone, with nothing to lose.

But facing death, he’d become timid. Selfish. Deeply selfish.

He still wanted to travel with the person he’d blackmailed.

Faced with his fallen colleagues and the greater good, he couldn’t bring himself to speak.

In truth, he’d already prepared himself mentally, thinking that since his life was nearing its end, he was best suited for a dangerous mission. Even if something happened, it would serve a purpose. He’d thought it all through.

But selfishness always finds an excuse at the last moment.

He wanted to spend more time with his secret crush, to collect a few more happy memories before he died.

I still have one last order.

Since the future was already uncertain, he longed to see Jiang City…

Yu Xiaowen was gravely ill. His nervous system was producing psychotropic analgesics, a mix of rumor and imagination. On Wangjiang Bridge, snow covered everything in white. Beneath it, the river shimmered. A tourist ferry glowed with pink and blue neon as it passed under the bridge, and the snow reflected the colors. Fireworks bloomed in the sky.

By the river stood Wangchun Garden, where winter jasmine bloomed. Its flowers were pale, not as bright as cranberries, but in the freezing snow, when people bundled up in padded coats, they still bloomed. It looked like a dream.

Snowflakes spun like tiny crystals and landed on him.

He felt dizzy, his body cold.

It was cold. He just pretended he was in Jiang City.

In Jiang City, there was also an unhappy face beside him.

He wanted to sink into that cold body warmth.

His phone vibrated, and the fantasy world faded. He forced his swollen eyelids open and saw the glow of the screen. It was his victim, calling for their daily task.

He reached out, swiped, and pulled the blanket over himself.

“Hello?” the other said.

“Yeah.” Even though they’d just met yesterday, Yu Xiaowen said, “Long time no see, Doctor Lu.”

The other paused. “Do you mean you want to see me?”

“Huh?” Yu Xiaowen wrapped himself tighter in the blanket. “I don’t mean anything. Didn’t I tell you? I just have one last order. Nothing else.”

After a moment, the other asked, “Are you asleep?”

Yu Xiaowen said, “No… almost. Almost asleep.”

“Then goodnight, sweetheart.”

That was part of the daily routine.

Yu Xiaowen’s lips trembled. His brain heated up senselessly.

He repeated, “Then.”

The other said, “What?”

“You said one extra word.”

There was silence for a few seconds.

Then the other said, “So it doesn’t count? Do you want me to say it again?”

Yu Xiaowen couldn’t help laughing. He clutched his chest, trying to ease the pain, and stared at the ceiling. “You didn’t tell me, but have you ever been to Jiang City? Tell me about it.”

The other thought for a while. “The architecture in Country C is mostly solemn, not as bright as Manjing. My hotel wasn’t far from the river. The river’s wide. There’s a ferry in the morning, and fog. And it’s cold. As someone from Country S, going there without preparation will teach you a lesson.”

“Yu Xiaowen, have you done your homework? You’re not counting on me, are you?”

Yu Xiaowen said, “Hey, Doctor Lu, if I told you you don’t have to go, you’d be super happy, right?”

Silence.

“Hello?”

“Anything goes,” the other said coldly. “Then what’s your last order? Are you giving up?”

Yu Xiaowen stared at the ceiling. The snow, Wangjiang Bridge, the ferry, and the always-grumpy Doctor Lu beside him, all appeared again in his mind.

“I still want to go,” he said.

The other said nothing.

After a moment, Yu Xiaowen added, “But I want to go in the next two days. I’m free, so I’ll go early and come back early. Just three or four days. It shouldn’t be hard for you, a director, to take a few days off, right?”

“I can’t leave these days. I have work to handle,” the other said flatly. “End of the month at the earliest. Didn’t I tell you?”

But… me.

Yu Xiaowen sniffed and changed his tone to something commanding. He laughed. “But I’m blackmailing you, so you have to follow my schedule. Of course, I can go whenever I want. Don’t you remember what I said? I’m your biggest meeting. So I’ll go in the next two days, got it? Otherwise… you don’t have to go… cough.”

He finished coughing, then snorted twice to cover it up.

The other let out a long breath.

“Yu Xiaowen, you’re not this reckless at work, are you?”

“Hm?”

“You only treat me like this? Is it because I’m too easy? Is it satisfying to watch me get all messed up? You’re the first person in my life to make me this miserable, and I swear you’ll be the last. I’ve had enough.”

“…”

The other’s tone wavered. “Since you’re leaving soon, and since you said you’ll never see me again, can you stop interfering in my life? Stop ruining my schedule. I’m already in trouble…”

He slurred a little, then fell silent. “If you don’t want to part peacefully, we can end it right here. Upload whatever videos or secrets you’ve got. It’s up to you.”

He waited, but Yu Xiaowen said nothing. So he hung up.

Yu Xiaowen paused. After a while, he tucked his phone under the blanket and, breathing unevenly, typed: Why are you angry? Did something go wrong at work?

No reply.

Since you’ve been really busy lately, I’ll be nice. I’ll make the last mission order, how about that?

Last order: meet tomorrow night for a local tour of Guava Beach, then say goodbye properly.

Opportunities are fleeting, so press 1 to accept. Limited-time promotion.

But the other never replied.