RLTT CH 16

Chapter 16: Conference Room · Police ID · Suspension

After that night, Wei Jiaxi was given a week off. During this week, he didn’t visit the safe house again and stayed at his own home. Zhong Zai sent him an SMS, mentioning that Yun Shaofeng had asked about his condition several times, but Wei Jiaxi only responded with mundane details, avoiding anything related to Yun Shaofeng.

He was genuinely upset.

He felt he hadn’t done anything during this period to upset Yun Shaofeng. That night, it was Yun Shaofeng who initiated everything. Even if he was drunk and later regretted it when he sobered up, this attitude was unacceptable. What did this mean? Treating him like a toy? Use and discard?

Moreover, while Yun Shaofeng might be able to brush it off, Wei Jiaxi sleeping with him was a violation of police regulations and could easily get him fired. It’s not that he thought Yun Shaofeng would spread the word, but he had indeed taken a huge risk to accompany him that night.

The more Wei Jiaxi thought about it, the angrier he became. He felt like he had offered his heart to the moon, only for the moon to drown in the gutter^[1].

So, he locked himself at home, doing nothing but lying in bed all day, covering his face with a pillow, and sulking over how much he had lost.

Yet, during this week, the two times he indulged himself, his mind was still filled with Yun Shaofeng’s smile—it was impossible to chase away.

A week later, Yang Zhen called Wei Jiaxi, informing him to return to headquarters, as the higher-ups wanted to see him.

What had to come would always come. Wei Jiaxi knew that the incident of him shooting and k!lling LicAnna couldn’t be resolved so easily.

For once, Wei Jiaxi put on a proper suit and tie, fully prepared, with none of his usual playful demeanor. With a serious expression, he headed to the meeting.

Upon entering the conference room, seated in the center was the Senior Superintendent of the Central District, surnamed Wu. Wei Jiaxi had only seen him during district-wide meetings. Yang Zhen sat beside Superintendent Wu, while on the other side was their WPU head, Zhang, whose rank was just one level higher than Wei Jiaxi’s but still his superior. Wei Jiaxi had only met him a few times during briefings for the current mission.

Wei Jiaxi solemnly knocked on the door of the conference room, stood at attention, saluted, and reported his badge number before being permitted to sit.

“Thank you, sir!” He took the seat in the middle, his peripheral vision catching sight of a row of people seated along the wall as observers: Madam Ma from Narcotics Bureau, Cheng Jiesen from Criminal Intelligence Bureau, Brother Mark from Serious Crimes Unit, and Chen from the Organized Crime Bureau—all present. However, Wei Jiaxi kept his eyes straight ahead, focusing only on the floor, listening intently to the instructions from his superiors.

“Officer Wei, you must already know why you’ve been summoned here today. Last week, in the back kitchen of a restaurant located on Queen’s Street, you discharged your firearm while off duty, k!lling a British-Chinese woman, Li Anna, on the spot. The autopsy and ballistic tests have confirmed this, and you should have already reviewed the report. Do you have any questions regarding this matter?”

“No, sir!” Wei Jiaxi responded without hesitation.

“Good,” Superintendent Wu nodded. “I’ve already reviewed the relevant testimonies and coordinated with the prosecution. Given that there’s substantial circumstantial evidence indicating the deceased was involved in triad activities, dr*g manufacturing, and trafficking, as well as sufficient evidence collected by colleagues from Narcotics Bureau and Major Crimes Unit proving that the kitchen was a covert dr*g manufacturing facility, Madam Ma might have something to add?”

Seated at the side, Madam Ma nodded at Superintendent Wubefore turning to Wei Jiaxi, her expression as icy as ever. “I want to say, thank you. Although the process was a bit complicated, in the end, you helped us uncover this dr*g manufacturing site, contributing to our Narcotics Bureau’s work.”

Wei Jiaxi was slightly stunned before he nodded back in acknowledgment. “Just doing my duty.”

“Although there are still many procedural steps to complete, along with the testimony from the ‘exchange student’ witness, we can prove that your shooting was an act of reasonable self-defense. I believe you won’t ultimately face murder charges in this matter. However,” Superintendent Wu continued, glancing down at the file on the table, “given your highly unusual background and upbringing, the police force deems it necessary to conduct a thorough and in-depth evaluation of you.”

Wei Jiaxi’s expression dimmed. Though he had expected this, he couldn’t help feeling dejected.

“Why were you, on that day, at that time, present at that restaurant?”

“Why did you, while off duty, have private contact with the witness?”

“Why did you fire two shots, k!lling the deceased, who had past family and personal disputes with you?”

“Do you still maintain contact with triad members, and did you use information obtained through unofficial channels without reporting it through proper police procedures?”

“Did your personal relationship with the witness influence your judgment and professionalism as an officer?”

“Did personal grievances drive you to use your firearm not as a warning or protective measure, but possibly out of subconscious revenge?”

The Senior Superintendent’s questions were calm and precise, each striking like a hammer on Wei Jiaxi’s mind and chest.

Sitting nearby and listening intently, Cheng Jiehen seemed to falter slightly, sitting up straighter as he interjected, “Sir, on that day—”

“On that day, I heard from an old acquaintance, a former triad member, that a major conflict had erupted between Hongsheng and Xin Qing. I guessed that the dr*g factory might be left undefended, so I decided to investigate for evidence,” Wei Jiaxi cut in before Cheng Jiesen could continue. “As for the factory’s location, I obtained the information… from sources outside the police force.”

“So, you’re admitting that you’ve had private contact with triad members?” Superintendent Wu’s tone turned sterner, his hands clasped on the table.

“…Yes. Sorry, sir.” Wei Jiaxi reluctantly admitted, “But I absolutely did nothing that would harm the interests of the police force or society.”

Cheng Jiesen’s expression grew tense as he listened to the conversation. Superintendent Wu glanced down and flipped through a couple of pages in the file.
“What do you have to say about your actions with the protected witness?” he asked.

Wei Jiaxi’s tone dropped, tinged with regret. “There were indeed mistakes in how I handled the witness, which put them in a dangerous situation… I will carefully reflect on my actions.”

“Actually, I was the one who initially recommended Inspector Wei for this program,” Yang Zhen, seated beside Superintendent Wu, leaned slightly forward. “Given the witness’s unique health condition, I thought it would be more appropriate for Inspector Wei, due to their personal acquaintance.”

Superintendent Wu nodded thoughtfully before turning to Senior Zhang on his other side. “What’s your view on this?”

Senior Zhang considered for a moment before responding, “Most WPU members are part-time cadres, so temporarily assigning Inspector Wei seemed reasonable under the circumstances. However, the situation has since grown more complex.”

Sighing, Superintendent Wu directed his gaze back to Wei Jiaxi. “What about the two gunshots? Do you have anything to add?”

“No, Sir,” Wei Jiaxi shook his head firmly. “I have a clear conscience.”

“Alright, then I’ll summarize.” Superintendent Wu closed the file slowly. “In this series of events, some of your actions went beyond your authority, and you should be held accountable. Due to the case’s complexity, today’s meeting alone is insufficient to reach a conclusion. The reports submitted by the forensic department, the investigative teams handling the shooting case, and other units such as the NB and Major Crimes Division are all preliminary. A detailed internal hearing will be needed to determine the extent of your responsibility.

“At present, it is inappropriate for you to continue overseeing the ‘Exchange Student’ program. Furthermore, Wei Jiayi’s legal team is already preparing a lawsuit against you. As your colleagues, we will try to support you as much as possible. However, during the internal hearing process, your police credentials will be temporarily revoked.”

Although he had anticipated this outcome, Wei Jiaxi still felt a wave of disappointment upon hearing it stated so plainly.

“Please hand over your police badge now.”

“Yes, Sir,” Wei Jiaxi exhaled silently, retrieving the badge from the pocket on his chest. He stood up mechanically and placed it on the table.

Yang Zhen quietly slipped the badge into an envelope, his gaze heavy with sadness as he looked at Wei Jiaxi.

“You can rest assured that the force will treat every officer fairly,” Superintendent Wu said with a nod. “Dismissed.”

As Wei Jiaxi made to leave the room, Cheng Jiesen stopped him. “Inspector Wei… Thank you for earlier.”

Wei Jiaxi glanced at him, his expression subdued. “No need to thank me. Hongsheng won’t be easy to deal with. Let me know if you need help.”

“You have my word. Even during your hearing, CIB will continue its work and always consider you one of us,” Cheng Jiesen said, patting him on the shoulder. “And if you ever need help, just say the word.”

Wei Jiaxi forced a small smile. “I doubt it’ll come to that. I used to be on duty and knew to keep my distance. Now… I’ll just take a different street if I see them coming. What else can I do—wait to be fired?”

“Internal hearings aren’t exactly confidential,” Cheng Jiesen remarked, looking worried. “I’m afraid Wei Jiayi might come after you because of Li Anna.”

“There’s no need to worry,” Wei Jiaxi said with a faint, cold smile. “He will come after me. But if I were the type to let them do whatever they wanted, I wouldn’t even be standing here now. Before, I was a cop, and there was a line drawn between us. Now…”

“Jiaxi…” Cheng Jiesen detected the edge in his tone and gazed at him with concern.

“Relax. Our goals are aligned,” Wei Jiaxi reassured him. “You want to catch Wei Jiayi? I’ll help you.”

Wei Jiaxi was the last to leave the meeting room, looking utterly dejected. Waiting in the hallway were Yun Shaofeng and Zhong Zai.

The moment Yun Shaofeng saw him, he hurried forward but stopped short of speaking. Instead, Zhong Zai gestured toward Wei Jiaxi and explained, “Shaofeng insisted on coming. He heard the meeting would conclude today and wanted to see how things turned out for you.”

Wei Jiaxi gave a polite nod to Zhong Zai but brushed past them without much reaction, intending to leave.

Yun Shaofeng reached out and gently grabbed his arm, stopping him in his tracks.

Wei Jiaxi stood silently without turning around.

Zhong Zai, sensing the awkwardness, asked in a low voice, “Senior Wei, so… what’s the situation now?”

Rolling his eyes, Wei Jiaxi replied, “I handed over my badge. Waiting for the internal hearing.”

“Ah? So you’re suspended for now?” Zhong Zai’s eyes widened.

“Jiaxi…” Yun Shaofeng’s expression was one of shock and guilt as he took another step closer, still holding Wei Jiaxi’s arm.

Closing his eyes briefly in exhaustion, Wei Jiaxi turned to Zhong Zai and said, “Let me have a word with him.”

Zhong Zai nodded, stepping aside to let them reenter the meeting room before closing the door and standing guard outside.

“The hearing is routine procedure,” Wei Jiaxi began, hands in his pockets and his tone calm. “Mainly because of my prior personal conflicts with the deceased, so I’ve been suspended to avoid any conflict of interest. It has nothing to do with you. Don’t blame yourself.”

“But it’s still my impulsiveness that caused all this…” Yun Shaofeng said, his voice laced with remorse.

“If you feel like you owe me an apology, or want to make amends, you’ve already done enough that night,” Wei Jiaxi replied, shaking his head. His expression didn’t waver. “We’re even now.”

“I’m sorry… I was in the wrong that night too,” Yun Shaofeng sighed, his brows furrowed with regret.

“Forget it. What’s done is done. And we’re both men,” Wei Jiaxi shrugged. “If anything, you’re the one who got the short end of the stick^[2].”

“No, I don’t feel that way,” Yun Shaofeng said hastily. “Besides… I still hope we can be friends.”

Wei Jiaxi narrowed his eyes at him. “I’ve handed over my badge. I have no reason to stay close to you anymore—neither the ability nor the right to continue protecting you.”

Yun Shaofeng tried to protest, but Wei Jiaxi cut him off. “Your identity is still extremely important. Someone was m*rdered, and only you standing up as a witness can bring justice and take down that bastard Wei Jiayi.

“Shaofeng, you’re a… really, really good person. I truly admi—appreciate you. But you need to snap out of it now.”

With that, Wei Jiaxi turned and walked away without looking back.

He was heartbroken—not only because he couldn’t stay by Yun Shaofeng’s side, but also because of Shaofeng’s continued self-isolation.

If Shaofeng didn’t want to talk about that night or pursue a relationship beyond friendship, then Wei Jiaxi would rather keep his distance.

Wei Jiaxi knew his presence brought more danger than happiness to Yun Shaofeng.

To be continued…