BL Ch19

Dong Yongliang, like a duck with its neck being wrung, let out harsh squawks. Bai Zhao removed the napkin from his mouth, and he started yelling again, “No! Young Master! I’m sorry! I lied! I tasted it earlier and found it bland, so I adjusted the seasoning to make it the same!”

Yu Duqiu: “Oh? Then why don’t you taste it yourself?”

Dong Yongliang stammered, “I… I can…”

“Chef Dong, with your mental fortitude, you still think you can harm someone? Whoever bribed you didn’t choose their mole well.” Yu Duqiu stood up, grabbed Dong Yongliang’s chin, and forced his head up, nearly dislocating his cheekbone in the process. Dong Yongliang cried out in pain.

Yu Duqiu grabbed the fish with his bare hands, the sauce dripping onto the clean tablecloth, and made a motion to shove it into Dong Yongliang’s mouth like a savage. “Either swallow the whole fish with the bones, or confess. Your choice.”

This wasn’t a choice; it was a threat.

Ji Lin couldn’t stand this madness any longer. He walked over to Dong Yongliang and used a gentler interrogation method—showing his police badge.

“Chef Dong, please cooperate with the investigation.”

Dong Yongliang’s legs trembled. Having worked with Yu Duqiu for so many years, he knew well enough what consequences betrayal would bring. The dead eyes of the grouper seemed to tell him that everything was already lost; he could only accept his fate.

“Someone… gave me a sum of money…” Dong Yongliang wept bitterly, “They asked me to add a type of mushroom to the dish, but that mushroom isn’t deadly! Really! I didn’t mean to kill you, Young Master…”

Yu Duqiu tossed the fish aside, picked up a napkin, and meticulously wiped each of his fingers. “What kind of mushroom?”

Lu Qing’s expertise finally came in handy. He poked at the fish on the plate with the tip of his chopsticks, and after careful observation, he made a guess. “Are these the greenish-black granules?”

Everyone looked closely—sure enough, there were tiny greenish-black granules mixed in the steamed fish soy sauce with fermented black beans, mushroom bits, and Sichuan pepper. They were barely noticeable unless you looked closely, but when eating the fish, you’d dip it in the sauce, and the granules would stick to it, entering the stomach without anyone knowing. Even if you didn’t eat the granules, the toxins had likely already permeated the sauce.

“I’ll check the kitchen!” Lu Qing volunteered and returned after a few minutes with a red-and-yellow mushroom, which turned blue where his fingers had touched it.

Ji Lin was alarmed. “Why didn’t you wear gloves?! This thing changes color, it must be poisonous!”

Lu Qing rolled his eyes, finally getting a chance to retort, “You’re so ignorant, Ji. Don’t embarrass the department. This mushroom is called ‘blue-staining bolete,’ a type of boletus. It changes color when touched, hence the name. I ate it when I traveled to Yunnan. It’s common there, but expensive, over a hundred yuan per kilo.”

Ji Lin, who hesitated over buying beef for tens of yuan a kilo, would never eat something so expensive. He immediately took out his phone to look up information. “I’ve never been to Yunnan, and even if I did, I wouldn’t eat it. Any mushroom costing more than ten yuan a kilo is outrageous.”

Zhou Yi compared the granules on the plate with the mushroom on the table and confirmed, “It’s definitely the blue-staining bolete. I was stationed in Yunnan before. This mushroom is safe if cooked thoroughly at high temperatures. But cooked ones don’t look like this; these were added raw later.”

Lou Baoguo grew nervous. “What happens if eaten raw?”

Zhou Yi: “I’ve seen people get poisoned from improper cooking. Symptoms include dizziness, vomiting, diarrhea, or hallucinations, but I’ve never heard of it being fatal.”

Bai Zhao keenly caught a familiar term. “Hallucinations?”

Ji Lin just found something on his phone. “Whoa, ‘The toxin in blue-staining bolete is similar to LSD, a hallucinogen.’ This can’t be a coincidence!”

Lu Qing exclaimed, “The culprit has indeed targeted you, Mr. Yu!”

Yu Duqiu spread his hands helplessly. “What do you mean ‘targeted me’? The culprit never left, always watching me. But I never expected, Chef Dong, that you would be bribed. You’ve worked for me for eighteen years, how could you do this? I guess you thought that just by adding something to my food to make me dizzy and vomit, you could earn a quick buck. Too good to pass up, right?”

Dong Yongliang did think so. As a professional chef, he knew the properties of blue-staining bolete well. He knew that accidental ingestion wasn’t a big deal. The other party only wanted Yu Duqiu to be sick for a couple of days, unable to visit the professor as planned. He was confident he could earn that fifty thousand without being noticed, but he underestimated Yu Duqiu’s knowledge. Yu Duqiu, frequently traveling by private jet, was much more knowledgeable about in-flight catering.

Yu Duqiu picked up the blue-staining bolete, sniffed it gently, and lamented, “This is freshly harvested, air-freighted right after the June rainy season. It should be very tasty, what a waste.”

Ji Lin was speechless. “You’re still thinking about eating it? Shouldn’t you be asking who instructed him?”

“Isn’t it obvious?” Yu Duqiu’s gaze fell indifferently on Dong Yongliang, whose face was pressed against the tablecloth. “Chef Dong may have been momentarily greedy, but he’s been diligent over the years. He wouldn’t take orders from a stranger. It must be someone he knows, like… his family?”

Dong Yongliang’s arm was sore from being twisted. At his age, he was already tired from being pinned down for so long. But upon hearing this, he struggled again. “No! Young Master! It has nothing to do with my family! Please spare them! I’ll take responsibility for my mistake!”

Ji Lin’s expression was complex. “Why is he so afraid of you holding his family accountable? Did you… wipe out someone’s family before…”

“If you say one more word, I can sue you for defamation, Captain Ji.” Yu Duqiu dropped the mushroom and clapped his hands. “I’ve never done anything inhumane, but people are just afraid of me. What can I do?”

Dong Yongliang continued to plead, crying bitterly. “I’m sorry, Young Master… I shouldn’t have been so foolish… Please forgive me this once. I’ll resign immediately, just don’t send me to prison…”

Zhao Feihua clicked his tongue. “Living to such an old age only to lose your integrity in the end, how pitiful.”

Dong Yongliang cried even harder.

Zhou Yi and Lou Baoguo, who had worked with him for years and often called him “Old Dong” when they were hungry, and he would happily cook for them whenever he had time, were torn. They wanted to plead for him but couldn’t ignore Yu Duqiu’s safety.

Zhou Yi sighed heavily, “Old Dong, how could you be so foolish? Even if someone asked you to do it, you shouldn’t have. Besides, the Young Master pays you seven to eight hundred thousand a year, and you’re hardly ever at home. You live so comfortably and easily, earning money without even trying, isn’t that enough?”

Yu Duqiu chuckled, “You can’t say that. When it comes to money, no one thinks they have too much.”

Ji Lin said, “Since he won’t talk, let me interrogate him.”

Yu Duqiu raised his arm to stop him, “Forget it, I’m not hurt.”

Ji Lin was surprised, “You don’t plan to pursue this?”

“Right. Chef Dong, you can go.”

Dong Yongliang didn’t immediately grasp the meaning of these words and felt incredulous, but soon he was overwhelmed with gratitude. “Thank you, Young Master! Thank you—”

Lu Qing asked curiously, “Where could he go? We’re on a plane.”

Dong Yongliang’s joyous expression froze, his face turning deathly pale.

Yu Duqiu raised an eyebrow, smiling faintly, “He could just jump off here.”

Lu Qing was startled, “That’s impossible! That would be murder!”

Zhou Yi and Lou Baoguo quickly pleaded, “Young Master, that’s too much!”

Zhao Feihua grabbed Bai Zhao’s arm, “Stop holding Old Dong, grab that madman instead!”

Bai Zhao pushed him away, “He’s joking.”

“Can’t you all tell a joke? I’m such a serious person, why would I act recklessly?” Yu Duqiu leaned on Bai Zhao’s shoulder. Bai Zhao’s muscles from shoulder to arm were taut from holding Dong Yongliang, providing a firm support, “Only Bai Zhao understands me.”

“Where should we take him?”

“Tie him up and put him somewhere I can’t see him. I have more important things to do right now, no time to deal with him. Old Zhou, I’ll have to trouble you to take him back and let the police handle this.”

Zhou Yi, despite having a two-day flight, was happy to take care of his daughter. “Alright, I’ll arrange the return immediately.”

Ji Lin said, “I’ll notify the bureau, you can take him straight there.”

Yu Duqiu said, “Thanks.”

“You’re welcome. You follow the law so strictly, asking for police help. I have to assist you.”

“I originally wanted to investigate myself, use a bit of private justice, it would be faster.” Yu Duqiu smiled, “But with you and Miss Lu here, I can’t say that.”

“…Then just don’t say it!”

Bai Zhao, with his immense strength, dragged the 80-kilogram Dong Yongliang to the front cabin with one hand, and taped his mouth shut to prevent him from shouting.

Lu Qing put the remaining blue-staining boletes in an evidence bag and wanted to do the same with the fish. However, when he returned to the dining table, the fish was gone.

“Where’s the steamed fish?”

“Thrown away,” Yu Duqiu said nonchalantly.

Lu Qing instantly became frantic, “How could you throw it away! That was important evidence! Where’s the trash? I’ll dig it out.”

Ji Lin pulled her aside and whispered, “Just pack some mushrooms, haven’t you noticed? This guy is deliberately destroying evidence.”

Lu Qing was stunned, “Huh?”

Ji Lin explained carefully, “He has a cleanliness obsession, so why did he handle the fish with his bare hands earlier? Because he initially thought the problem was with the fish and wanted to dispose of it. Now that he realizes it’s the sauce, he threw the whole dish away… Dong Yongliang didn’t use poison, and no actual harm was done. He was just greedy for money and likely wasn’t involved in the previous three criminal cases. This matter can be big or small, depending on whether he forgives him or not. Obviously, he never intended to pursue it from the start.”

Lu Qing suddenly understood and was deeply moved, feeling ashamed for previously doubting his sanity. “Mr. Yu, if your chef knew you were getting him off the hook, he’d surely regret harming you.”

Yu Duqiu looked down at the ground, his long eyelashes hiding his emotions. He seemed to be contemplating something, then smiled, “Not necessarily. I was kind to him before too. When his family was sick, I gave him a year’s paid leave, and he was so grateful then. Yet now, he still betrayed me. It’s fortunate he only aimed for money and didn’t try to kill me. Considering his years of service, giving him a chance to reform isn’t too much.”

Ji Lin finally understood why this guy wasn’t afraid of trouble from the killers. So boldly pursuing a brain-machine interface project that others avoid like the plague.

Is there anything more addictive than money? Yu Duqiu, young and worth billions, lives among potential criminals constantly eyeing him. The scariest part is that these criminals might be the ones cooking delicious meals for him and taking care of him while plotting to exploit him.

Human nature is unpredictable, and greed knows no bounds. To Yu Duqiu, an overt killer might be less frightening than the schemes of those close to him.

Ji Lin looked at him for a long moment and said, “Since he intended to harm you, if you don’t want to pursue it, fine, one less thing for me to worry about. But if you don’t want to pursue it, why have us investigate? Are we just free labor?”

Yu Duqiu said, “I’m not pursuing Chef Dong, but I never said I wouldn’t pursue the one who bribed him. Even if I let him go, you would investigate anyway. Don’t lecture me, Captain Ji.”

Ji Lin clicked his tongue, “It’s really hard to find a flaw in you.”

Lu Qing was troubled, “But the most important evidence is gone… What if he denies everything when he gets to the bureau?”

Yu Duqiu said, “He doesn’t know the evidence is gone, he’s nervous. You can still interrogate him, use whatever means you need. If he really denies it, the plane’s surveillance has it all recorded. Just ask me, and you’ll have evidence.”

Lu Qing nodded, while Ji Lin circled the evidence bag with the blue-staining boletes, finding the whole situation increasingly strange.

It was the same type of tampering, so why didn’t the instigator use something more potent? They did have access to actual hallucinogens. Using a mildly toxic mushroom to make Yu Duqiu uncomfortable for a few days without achieving their goal seemed too mild, almost like child’s play. Could it be that after Yu Wencheng’s accidental fall to his death, they were afraid to use stronger hallucinogens?

Ji Lin touched his chin and shook his head, rejecting this speculation.

No, an instigator this cautious couldn’t be the same person who poisoned Yu Wencheng last time. The severity of the two incidents was on completely different levels. A criminal already burdened with a death wouldn’t fear poisoning someone again, especially with non-lethal toxins. It didn’t fit the criminal psychology.

Another question arose—according to Yu Duqiu, if the instigator was someone Dong Yongliang knew well and could contact at any time, why didn’t they instruct Dong Yongliang to tamper with the food domestically to prevent Yu Duqiu’s departure, instead of waiting until he was on the plane?

Unless… this had to be done on the plane to benefit the other party!

A flash of insight hit Ji Lin, and he suddenly looked towards the rear cabin.

At this moment, Bai Zhao returned from the front cabin and nodded towards the rear cabin, “The person sleeping in there, should we tie them up?”

Everyone else looked at him with bewildered eyes, suspecting he had been influenced by Yu Duqiu and gone mad.

The madman himself laughed even more joyfully, “You figured it out too?”

“Should we or shouldn’t we?”

“No need.”

“Reluctant?”

“Not at all. Just don’t alert them yet.”

“Alright.”

The two of them exchanged words seamlessly, completely ignoring the confused expressions of those around them.

Lou Baoguo whispered cautiously, afraid of guessing wrong, “Are they talking about Miss Du? What does she have to do with this?”

Zhao Feihua’s small eyes darted around, quickly realizing the issue, and he lowered his voice too, “The flight attendant went to deliver lunch earlier; she should have woken up, but Chef Dong was shouting for quite a while, and she didn’t come out.”

Lu Qing, infected by the tense atmosphere, also spoke nervously, “Could the person who instructed Chef Dong be…?”

Zhou Yi frowned, “No way. Miss Du loves the Young Master the most. How could she poison him?”

Bai Zhao suddenly interjected, “She doesn’t love him the most.”

Yu Duqiu casually picked up an unfinished breakfast roll from Lu Qing, tore open the packaging, and took a bite, chewing with puffed cheeks, “Mmm, indeed, she doesn’t. Lingya loves her own fantasies and obsessions. I’ve said many times I’m not her Prince Charming… Old Zhou, later, take Lingya back to my house and have Uncle Hong take care of her. She shouldn’t go anywhere until I return and handle this.”

Ji Lin objected, “I disagree. She’s highly suspicious, possibly connected to the previous cases. She needs to be taken to the station for questioning.”

Yu Duqiu finished the roll in two bites, clapped his hands, “If my fiancée is taken to the police station and the media finds out, my reputation will be tarnished, and this trip will be wasted. If you want to question her, wait until I annul the engagement. This isn’t a small matter. Give me three days to prepare. She won’t run away. Lingya is quite simple-minded, not very cunning. We can use these days to see if she contacts anyone, giving you new leads.”

“You businessmen are always calculating… Fine, I need to report this to my superiors. We’ll see what Commissioner Peng says.”

Zhou Yi was troubled, “Young Master, Miss Du probably won’t be willing to come with me.”

“I’ll talk to her. Her willingness doesn’t matter; mine does.”

Zhao Feihua muttered, “Such a dictator’s statement…”

Yu Duqiu heard this, pointed his finger at Zhao Feihua’s nose, “Finish your work before the plane lands. Less talk, more action.”

Then he turned his hand to touch Bai Zhao’s face, his expression changing to one of tender affection, “I always reward and punish clearly. This first cooperation went so smoothly, I’m very satisfied with your performance. Hungry? What would you like to eat? I’ll have the flight attendant make it as an apology. Earlier, I didn’t know if the other dishes were tainted, and I didn’t want to alert anyone, so I used you to scare everyone.”

Bai Zhao covered Yu Duqiu’s hand with his own, intertwining their fingers, his touch warm and rough, “So before you realized something was wrong with the fish, you genuinely served me food?”

Yu Duqiu was momentarily stunned, “I give you a high salary and benefits without a word, but you’re moved by a simple act of serving food?”

“It’s different.” Bai Zhao didn’t explain what was different, just squeezed Yu Duqiu’s hand, “Forget the apology. Just cook me a meal, anything will do, and I’ll forgive you.”