RLTT CH 4

Chapter 4: Coffee and the Exchange Plan for Survival

Due to the unpredictable work schedule of the Major Crimes Unit, Wei Jiaxi never managed to develop a proper sleep routine. The alarm clock was what woke him up the next morning.

He hadn’t slept well last night—partly because he wasn’t used to the new bed. As he dragged himself out of bed, Wei Jiaxi felt a profound sense of reluctance to face the day. But there was a meeting scheduled this morning, so he couldn’t afford to sleep in. Rubbing his eyes and sporting a bedhead, he stumbled into the bathroom.

Half a minute later, his head popped out of the bathroom door, a toothbrush still in his mouth.

He noticed Yun Shaofeng was already awake, neatly dressed, and standing on the balcony, quietly gazing outside with a thoughtful expression.

When Yun Shaofeng saw Wei Jiaxi, he turned and walked to the kitchen counter, wearing a polite smile. “Good morning. Can I use this?” He gestured toward the coffee machine.

Wei Jiaxi nodded, speaking with his toothbrush still in his mouth, “Mm, sure. That’s mine.” Foam slid down his chin as he spoke, and he quickly wiped it away with his hand before disappearing back into the bathroom to finish brushing his teeth. In the background, he heard the faint whirring sound of the coffee machine.

When he emerged from the bathroom again, Wei Jiaxi saw Yun Shaofeng sitting by the counter with a steaming cup of coffee in front of him, along with a small jug of milk and a sugar bowl. Yun Shaofeng looked up and smiled again but didn’t say much this time.

Compared to the past, Yun Shaofeng smiled much more now, but Wei Jiaxi always felt that his smiles carried no emotion—neither joy nor sadness. It was as if smiling was just a reflex, like breathing, devoid of any meaning or feeling.

“It seems like bringing this little machine here was the right call. Turns out I’m not the only one who enjoys coffee,” Wei Jiaxi said as he walked to the counter. He opened a cabinet, pulled out a thermos, and reached for the coffee machine to brew another cup for himself.

“This one’s for you,” Yun Shaofeng noticed his movement and quickly pushed the coffee cup toward him.

Wei Jiaxi paused, slightly surprised. “…Did you already finish yours?”

“No, I don’t drink coffee.” Yun Shaofeng shook his head. “I just… like the smell of it.”

Wei Jiaxi froze for a moment, then set the thermos down on the counter. The clink of stainless steel against the stone surface was crisp and clear.

“Isn’t that a bit strange? Haha,” Yun Shaofeng chuckled awkwardly. “If it bothers you, you can just make your own coffee in the future.”

“No, it’s not strange at all,” Wei Jiaxi quickly explained. “It’s just that… I used to have a friend who was the same way. He didn’t like drinking coffee but loved its aroma. He’d often brew a cup and then make me drink it instead.”

Wei Jiaxi sat down on a bar stool, added a splash of milk to the coffee, and watched as the deep black liquid turned soft and creamy. Picking up a spoon, he gave the cup two and a half gentle stirs before lifting it to nose level. “It does smell really good,” he said. The tolerable warmth of the coffee seeped through the porcelain, gradually spreading to his fingertips and then to the palm of his hand.

Across from him, Yun Shaofeng leaned forward slightly, closing his eyes as he took a deep inhale. The aroma of the freshly brewed coffee lacked the smoky bitterness of chain coffee shops, offering instead a mild and subtle bitterness that slowly awakened his senses.

For a brief moment, Yun Shaofeng was immersed in the bittersweet and mature scent. Wei Jiaxi, on the other hand, watched him tenderly, charmed by how much he resembled a curious kitten.

After a while, their eyes met, and they both smiled.

Wei Jiaxi finished his coffee in three or four sips. Seeing that Yun Shaofeng’s smile finally carried a hint of genuine warmth, he felt a sense of relief. Meanwhile, Yun Shaofeng couldn’t help but notice the slight blush on Wei Jiaxi’s cheeks, his curiosity about him growing even more.

***

CBD ^[1]Police Headquarters, Conference Room

Wei Jiaxi pushed open the door, allowing Yun Shaofeng to step into the conference room. Inside, several high-ranking police officials were already waiting.

Yang Zhen was the first to stand, extending his hand to Yun Shaofeng as he introduced himself. “Mr. Yun, hello. I am Yang, the superintendent of the CBD Division.”

“Hello, Superintendent Yang,” Yun Shaofeng replied politely, shaking his hand.

Yang continued, “These are my colleagues: Officer Chen from the Organized Crime Bureau^[2], Officer Cheng from the Criminal Intelligence Bureau^[3], and Madam Ma from Narcotics Bureau^[4].”

Yun Shaofeng nodded in acknowledgment at the three officers seated nearby.

Wei Jiaxi was somewhat familiar with the group. He recognized Officer Chen from the Organized Crime Bureau, though they weren’t close. Officer Cheng Jiesen from the Criminal Intelligence Bureau had previously tried to recruit Wei Jiaxi to his team, but Wei had declined after some consideration. As for Madam Ma… she was notoriously known as the “Ice Queen” of the department, now glaring at him with an expressionless face. Wei Jiaxi felt a bit guilty; after all, he had meddled in one of her department’s operations at the airport before.

The group sat around the conference table in a circle as Yang Zhen distributed a document to each person.

“I believe everyone here is somewhat familiar with the mission, but for clarity, I will provide a summary,” Yang began as he turned on the projector. Documents and images related to the mission popped up on the screen.

“This operation is named the ‘Exchange Student Program.’ Mr. Yun Shaofeng is our primary protection target under the witness protection program against the Red Alliance triad. Our main suspect is this man—Wei Jiayi.”

The screen displayed a candid photo of a man who appeared to be around thirty-five years old, bearing a slight resemblance to Wei Jiaxi.

Wei Jiaxi’s eyes narrowed as he stared at the screen, his brows furrowing deeply.

“Wei Jiayi is a prominent leader of the Red Alliance triad. Over the years, the Red Alliance has expanded into numerous illegal businesses, including prostitution, gambling, drug trafficking, human smuggling, and fraud. They’ve been a key target for our police force,” Yang continued. “In recent years, their activities have become more rampant, but gathering concrete evidence against them has proven increasingly difficult.”

Yang Zhen paused briefly before continuing, “Six months ago, a murder occurred in Vancouver. The victim was a Chinese national holding a Special Administrative Region identity card and Canadian residency, with ties to local gangs. After an investigation by the Canadian police, Wei Jiayi emerged as the prime suspect, while Mr. Yun Shaofeng was the sole eyewitness.

“Before the Canadian police could apprehend him, Wei Jiayi fled. We believe he escaped back to the Special Administrative Region. The case has since been handed over to our police force for further action. Even after his return, Wei Jiayi leveraged his local connections to threaten Mr. Yun’s safety.”

All eyes turned to Yun Shaofeng.

Yun nodded slightly and said, “I was attacked once or twice while in Vancouver. Afterward, I was placed under the protection of the local police for a while before being sent back to the SAR^[5].”

Yang Zhen nodded and continued, “While the case is still in the suspect pursuit phase, our prosecutors and legal experts have pointed out that the Red Alliance’s extensive and well-funded legal team will likely exploit every loophole to delay judicial proceedings if we do not act swiftly. Therefore, the prosecutors suggest we prepare all necessary evidence and witnesses in advance so we can move quickly once Wei Jiayi is apprehended. That’s why Mr. Yun was brought in earlier. From here, his protection will be handled by the Witness Protection Unit (WPU).”

“No problem,” Wei Jiaxi replied confidently.

Yang Zhen nodded before turning to the Organized Crime Bureau. “Now, I’d like Officer Chen to provide an overview of the Red Alliance’s background.”

“Of course. As everyone knows, the Red Alliance is one of the four major triad organizations in the Special Administrative Region. Unlike the others, the Red Alliance is a hereditary organization, with Wei Jiayi as its current leader,” Officer Chen began, pulling up another document.

“Beyond the Red Alliance, the other three major groups are Xin Qing, Xin Zhaicheng, and the group colloquially known as ‘A Club’ (Avalon). Xin Qing and Xin Zhaicheng evolved from local organizations established during the early days of the region, while A Club has colonial roots. What sets the Red Alliance apart is its distinct characteristic—its ties to mainland ‘Red’ forces,” Chen explained, pausing for emphasis.

“The background of the Red Alliance’s young master, Wei Jiayi, is particularly complex. His father, Wei Junlin, is a second-generation official who was forced to relocate to the SAR after the Liberation. However, Wei Jiayi’s mother is the niece of a high-ranking member of A Club, giving him access to resources from both organizations.”

“Recently, there have been rumors of conflict between Wei Jiayi and the leader of Xin Qing, Xi Ye. The Red Alliance has taken advantage of this by seizing several territories from Xin Qing, including street-level operations they previously avoided, growing larger in the process,” Officer Cheng Jiesen added, shaking his head with a concerned expression.

“Indeed. Our Narcotics Bureau has intercepted a significant number of low-cost synthetic drugs in former Xin Qing territories recently,” Madam Ma chimed in. “The distributors are all unfamiliar faces, making it clear that the Red Alliance is expanding aggressively.”

“The situation we’re facing is actually very complex. In addition to the murder case, it involves the Triads, drug production and trafficking, and illegal activities such as human trafficking and fraud in Canada, where evidence may be provided,” Yang Zhen summarized. “We may not have sufficient evidence to charge Wei Jiayi with all these crimes at once, but as long as we successfully capture him, any one of these charges would be enough to imprison him for decades. Once he’s behind bars, we’ll have a chance to dismantle Red Alliance. Therefore…”

Yang Zhen turned to look at Wei Jiaxi and Yun Shaofeng. “Mr. Yun is a great help to us. Inspector Wei, your mission is crucial. You must succeed. Failure is not an option.”

Hearing this, Yun Shaofeng couldn’t help but feel a little nervous. He stole a glance at Wei Jiaxi, feeling slightly uneasy.

Wei Jiaxi, however, did not look at him. Instead, he met Yang Zhen’s gaze with a firm and fearless expression. Though still seated, his back was straight, his posture tense, and his demeanor serious. He nodded and responded resolutely, “Yes, sir.”

Yun Shaofeng stared at his profile, and a sudden, fleeting pang of pain shot through his heart—an elusive feeling, difficult to grasp.

After the meeting, the three officers from other departments rushed back to work. Yang Zhen stood at the door of the conference room, greeted Wei Jiaxi, and was about to leave as well.

At that moment, Yun Shaofeng approached him, tilting his head and asking softly, “Inspector Yang, may I ask you a few questions?”

Yang Zhen was momentarily stunned. He quickly glanced at Wei Jiaxi, who had consciously taken two steps back, hands in his pockets, head lowered. Yang Zhen maintained his professional demeanor and replied, “Of course, Mr. Yun. What would you like to ask?”

“I wanted to ask…” Yun Shaofeng hesitated for a moment, his speech halting. “Have we… met before?”

“Cough! Cough! Cough!” Yang Zhen choked on his own saliva and coughed violently for half a minute.

Seeing his reaction, Yun Shaofeng felt a little embarrassed. “Uh… Inspector Yang, you probably know about what happened to me before I left the Special Region… So I don’t remember many people or things from back then. But you seem a bit familiar to me.”

Yang Zhen nervously glanced at Wei Jiaxi again, noticing his pursed lips, tensed jaw, and slightly narrowed eyes. His sharp gaze was as intimidating as having a gun pointed at him. Yang Zhen forced a bitter laugh and replied, “Ha… Ha… Well, you know, the Special Region isn’t very big. Maybe we just happened to share a table at Dim sum^[6] sometime. Haha…”

Realizing Yang Zhen’s unease, Yun Shaofeng smiled apologetically. “Sorry, I might have been too abrupt. Maybe it’s just my imagination. Please don’t take it to heart, Inspector Yang.”

“No, no… I don’t mind at all…” Yang Zhen shook his head vigorously, trying to appear as accommodating as possible. Then he pointed toward Wei Jiaxi. “Inspector Wei, shouldn’t you be taking Mr. Yun to lunch now?”

Hearing this, Yun Shaofeng turned toward Wei Jiaxi, who remained expressionless. He stood slightly sideways, seemingly uninterested in their conversation. Yun Shaofeng spoke softly, “Let me use the restroom first, and then we can go.”

Wei Jiaxi nodded, watching him disappear into the restroom before turning to Yang Zhen. His gaze had turned sharp enough to kill.

“It has nothing to do with me!” Yang Zhen dared not raise his voice, repeatedly mouthing the words “It has nothing to do with me,” paired with exaggerated gestures, practically begging for mercy.

Wei Jiaxi glared at him coldly, stepped forward, and mimicked a punch.

“Brother, it really has nothing to do with me!” Yang Zhen held back a laugh while putting on a pitiful expression. “I have no idea why he remembers me and not you. That’s your own wife—”

“Shh! Shut up!” Wei Jiaxi grabbed his arm and reached out to cover his mouth.

“What wife?”

At that moment, a tall, elegant woman in a tailored suit with cascading long hair walked in.

To be Continued…