RLTT CH 12

Chapter 12: Yang Zhen and Wei Jiaxi – The Crossfire and Leave

“Shaofeng!” Wei Jiaxi leaned against the wall, one hand holding a gun while the other remained on Yun Shaofeng’s waist.

Yun Shaofeng straightened himself, turning within the crook of Wei Jiaxi’s arm and placing a hand on his elbow.

“Are you okay?”
“Are you hurt?”

The two spoke simultaneously and then froze in mutual surprise.

Wei Jiaxi carefully examined Yun Shaofeng, scanning him from head to toe with a serious gaze. Only after confirming there were no signs of injury did he let out a breath of relief.

Both of them turned their attention toward Li Anna. She was lying motionless on the ground.

Wei Jiaxi, still gripping his gun tightly with both hands, approached Li Anna. Looking down, he saw her eyes wide open, blood seeping from the corner of her mouth, and two gaping gunshot wounds in her chest. Fresh blood continued to pour out, but she was undoubtedly dead.

Wei Jiaxi was momentarily stunned. He hadn’t expected the two shots he fired in a moment of urgency to hit so accurately. Turning back to look at Yun Shaofeng, the latter frowned as he met his gaze.

“…Call 999,” Wei Jiaxi said with difficulty. Yun Shaofeng nodded, took out his phone, and dialed the emergency number.

“Hello? Uh, I’m near Queen Street, in the back kitchen of a tea restaurant. We need… an ambulance? And also the police. Someone… someone has been shot…” Yun Shaofeng spoke into the phone, his words halting and uncertain. He had never encountered such a situation before, and for a moment, he didn’t know how much to disclose. Should he mention a shootout between police and gang members? Or would Wei Jiaxi prefer him to keep it quiet?

Noticing Yun Shaofeng’s awkward demeanor and panicked tone, Wei Jiaxi sighed lightly, reached out, and took the phone from him. “Hello? This is Wei Jiaxi, an off-duty senior inspector with the WPU (Witness Protection Unit). There was a small crossfire at the scene. Please send an ambulance and alert the Major Crimes Unit.”

The deceased was a notorious gang leader, and the scene had dr*gs and suspected dr*g-making equipment. A case like this was bound to involve multiple departments.

Within less than twenty minutes, ambulances and the Major Crimes Unit arrived. Yang Zhen, along with MB’s head, also showed up.

The people from the Major Crimes Unit were Wei Jiaxi’s old colleagues, so when Yang Zhen walked into the cordoned-off area, he saw Mark-ge chatting amiably with Wei Jiaxi while taking his statement. Yun Shaofeng sat nearby, arms crossed and expressionless, while Zhongzi stood beside him, looking as if the sky was about to fall.

Wei Jiaxi gave Yang Zhen an apologetic look. Yang Zhen glared at him but said nothing, walking over to the forensic doctor examining the body.

“What’s the situation?” Yang Zhen asked.

“Inspector Yang you’re here too?” The forensic doctor pulled down his mask slightly and gave him a surprised look. “Preliminary judgment suggests the cause of death is the gunshot wounds to the chest. A detailed report will require a full autopsy.”

Yang Zhen nodded, glanced at Li Anna’s face, then turned back to Bother Mark. “The standoff between Hong Sheng and Xin Qing hasn’t ended yet. Neither O Team nor CIB can spare personnel to hand over the case to your Major Crimes Unit. However, I need you to seal off all information for at least a few hours to prevent a larger conflict on their side.”

“Yes, sir.” Brother Mark nodded, patted Wei Jiaxi on the shoulder, and went off to handle the next steps.

Yang Zhen scanned the entire scene, then raised his voice to address everyone. “Attention! I need all departments to complete evidence collection and have the body transported to the station morgue within an hour. We can’t give Hong Sheng’s people any chance or excuse to cause another conflict. Understand?”

“Yes, sir!”

Yang Zhen finally turned to look at Yun Shaofeng and Zhong Zai, who stood awkwardly nearby, and felt a headache coming on.

“Inspector Yang…” Wei Jiaxi stepped forward. “I think Shaofeng should leave as soon as possible and return to the safe house.”

“Both of you need to go to the station to give statements! Right now!” Yang Zhen snapped. “And you—turn in your firearm for ballistics testing^[1].”

Seeing that Yang Zhen was genuinely angry, Wei Jiaxi, knowing he was in the wrong, mentally prepared himself and said, “But if Shaofeng goes to the station and then back to the safe house, it’s too dangerous to go back and forth.”

“Oh, so you know it’s dangerous? If you knew that, why were you taking a witness around recklessly?” Yang Zhen placed his hands on his hips, scolding Wei Jiaxi angrily.

Nearby, Yun Shaofeng and Zhong Zai’s expressions changed simultaneously. They still hadn’t figured out how to explain Yun Shaofeng’s earlier disappearance.

Zhong Zai, bracing himself, stepped forward with a determined look, ready to confess: “Inspector Yang, actually—”

“Yes, yes, it’s my fault. Sorry, Sir,” Wei Jiaxi quickly interrupted, taking full responsibility. “I guarantee it won’t happen again. From now on, the witness’s safety will be my top priority.”

Zhong Zai froze, then looked gratefully at Wei Jiaxi.

Yun Shaofeng was also surprised that Wei Jiaxi would shoulder all the blame. He hurried over to Yang Zhen, intending to explain.

But Yang Zhen turned away just in time, addressing Yun Shaofeng. “Mr. Yun, how are you feeling? If you’re tired, we can arrange for you to return to the safe house first. However, I worry that going back now might lead Hong Sheng’s people to tail you and expose the safe house location. If you’re up for it, why not come to the station and give your statement first? According to protocol, we do need it.”

Yun Shaofeng’s gaze shifted past Yang Zhen’s shoulder to Wei Jiaxi.

Wei Jiaxi was also looking at him. But in the next moment, Wei Jiaxi only gave him a quick glance before turning and walking away with another officer.

Yun Shaofeng quickly responded to Yang Zhen, “Alright, I’ll go with you to give my statement.”
Having been entangled in this case for so long, Yun Shaofeng had become quite familiar with the process of recording statements. He swiftly finished his part. The officer taking his statement introduced herself as Confucius and mentioned that she used to work under Wei Jiaxi, which explained her cordial attitude toward him. Regarding the events that transpired in the kitchen, Yun Shaofeng truthfully told Confucius that he had slipped away on his own to look for Wei Jiaxi. Although he felt a bit guilty toward Zhong Zai, he didn’t want Wei Jiaxi to bear all the responsibility. After all, it was clearly his own mistake.

When Yun Shaofeng walked out of the small room, he ran into Wei Jiaxi, who had just come out of the opposite room, also finishing his statement.

The two stood in the corridor, feeling a bit awkward.

Yun Shaofeng noticed the gloomy expression on Wei Jiaxi’s face and tentatively asked, “Are you… alright?”

Wei Jiaxi had his hands in his pockets and shrugged. “Just recorded my statement for today. I handed in my gun, and my leave has been extended until I return in two days for further discussions.”

“Discussions? What kind of discussions?” Yun Shaofeng asked.

“I… shot and k!lled someone,” Wei Jiaxi said flatly. “Even if it’s justified self-defense or part of duty, whenever a police officer fires their weapon, even if they miss, they must file a report. Now that someone’s dead, there will definitely be more follow-up investigations, a lot of paperwork, and verbal reports to give.”

Yun Shaofeng immediately felt deeply guilty. “Sorry… it’s all because I was too impulsive today…”

“This has nothing to do with you.” Wei Jiaxi forced a weak smile to comfort him. “If you hadn’t been there today and it was just me, and Li Anna found me, she might have directly k!lled me and disposed of my body.”

Hearing this made Yun Shaofeng shiver in fear. He frowned and asked, “Why… why would it come to that? What on earth is going on?”

Wei Jiaxi opened his mouth as if to explain, but he merely let out a deep sigh without answering.

Yun Shaofeng stepped closer, his expression sincere. “I really want to know what happened. She’s Wei Jiayi’s mother, isn’t she? Why does she seem so hostile toward you?”

“…You really want to know?” Wei Jiaxi looked at him, slightly hesitant.

“I really do.” Yun Shaofeng nodded firmly.

Wei Jiaxi hesitated for a while and finally seemed about to speak when Zhong Zai inconveniently walked over. “Shaofeng, it’s time for us to go.”

Yun Shaofeng looked at him, then turned back to Wei Jiaxi. Seeing Zhong Zai arrive, Wei Jiaxi withdrew his intent to explain, shoved his hands back into his pockets, and prepared to leave. Yun Shaofeng hurriedly asked, “Where are you going tonight?”

“Since I’m on leave, I can only go back to my own place,” Wei Jiaxi said with some helplessness.

“Why don’t you come back with us?” Yun Shaofeng seemed unwilling to let him go alone, tilting his head and looking at him.

With that look—frowning slightly yet still smiling gently—probably no one in the entire police station could refuse him. Wei Jiaxi chuckled bitterly. “I’m not on duty now. I don’t have a reason to go up.”

“I’m inviting you,” Yun Shaofeng said decisively and turned to Zhong Zai. “If it’s my request, it’s fine, right?”

“…If it’s daytime, it wouldn’t be an issue. But since it’s nighttime, maybe… um, or…” Zhong Zai scratched his head, torn, and looked at Wei Jiaxi for help, his expression a mix of embarrassment and pleading.

“Tsk, let’s do it this way—let’s all go!” Yun Shaofeng uncharacteristically made the decision, placing his hands on the other two’s shoulders. The three of them lined up side by side and walked out together. “Let’s grab some drinks and chips. Tonight, we’ll have a feast!”

Because of the day’s dramatic events, the entire WPU was on high alert, wary of any mishap. So, when Yun Shaofeng dragged Wei Jiaxi and Zhong Zai enthusiastically into a supermarket, the backup team was caught completely off guard.

Technically, Wei Jiaxi wasn’t supposed to stay at the safe house overnight anymore. After all, his firearm had been confiscated. Though the safe house had spare handguns, any incident could become a major problem. While Wei Jiaxi was on leave, Zhong Zai and Eva were responsible for close protection. Since it was their first time handling such a task, they had initially hoped Wei Jiaxi would carry part of the burden. Now, with him sidelined, they were even more flustered.

However, in the past two weeks, Yun Shaofeng had gotten along well with the WPU team. He was easygoing and never caused trouble for his colleagues. And since Wei Jiaxi was “one of their own,” no one stopped Yun Shaofeng from bringing him back to the safe house. Yun Shaofeng thoughtfully bought everyone in the backup team a box of lemon tea, grinning as he handed them out. This act won over even the most skeptical among them.

Back at the safe house, Yun Shaofeng immediately opened a can of beer, handed it to Zhong Zai, and said, “It’s my fault today. I caused you trouble. This is for you.”

Zhong Zai was momentarily stunned but then smiled and said, “It’s fine. Actually, it’s also my negligence. I didn’t notice you sneaking off. But I’m on duty now, so I can’t drink.”

Yun Shaofeng nodded and took a sip himself.

Meanwhile, Wei Jiaxi bent down to grab a beer from the bag. He opened it and, noticing Zhong Zai’s hesitant expression, guessed what he wanted to say. “You can sleep in the bedroom tonight. I’ll pull out the sofa and sleep in the living room.”

“No, Senior Wei…” Zhong Zai lowered his voice, looking embarrassed. “Your leave ends tonight. You were supposed to stay here anyway, and I didn’t bring a change of clothes…”

Realizing this, Wei Jiaxi let out an “oh” and casually said, “Then just go home. I’ll handle things here tonight.”

“Wait… but you’re just coming off leave…” Zhongzai looked at him uncertainly.

Wei Jiaxi rolled his eyes, walked to the TV cabinet, crouched down, and retrieved a spare handgun hidden inside. He tucked it into his waistband, took another sip of beer, and said, “I’ve already cleared it with the team. There’s a backup vehicle downstairs tonight. Just let them know and head home. We’re all brothers—what’s there to worry about?”

“If needed, just tell them it’s my request,” Yun Shaofeng said while tearing open a bag of chips and munching away. “I want some peace and quiet tonight. Everyone else bothers me—except for Inspector Wei.”

Why did that sound so strange?

The three of them exchanged glances and burst out laughing.

In the end, Zhong Zai went home after reporting to his superiors that Yun Shaofeng had specifically requested only Wei Jiaxi’s protection. After some deliberation, the team agreed. Since Wei Jiaxi was technically only on leave—not suspended—and had a spare handgun, it was acceptable to let him handle the task alone if the witness insisted.

Finally, the safe house was left with just Yun Shaofeng and Wei Jiaxi.

As for the two female officers in the backup vehicle downstairs, who giggled quietly to themselves all night… the two upstairs were completely oblivious.

To be continued…