Reborn in Hong Kong Island, I can see loyalty

The warm light of the Shiguang Gallery reflected the still-dry bloodstains on the ground. Ye Haoxuan pulled out gauze from the first aid kit and gestured for Yang Liqing to sit down.

He carefully avoided the edge of the wound with his fingertips, his movements even more meticulous than after the capture at the fishing port, deliberately using less force when swabbing the skin with the iodine swab:

"Bear with it. The wound is shallow, but it's been contaminated with paint and dust, so it needs to be thoroughly disinfected."

Yang Liqing sat down obediently, his forearms slightly tense, but his gaze was fixed on Ye Haoxuan's focused profile.

The light outlined the lines of his jaw, softening his sharpness from the interrogation and giving him a gentler appearance.

She could clearly sense that this quiet concern had increased their intimacy level by 2 points, reaching 78, and her trust in him had deepened.

“Team Leader Ye, if you had been a step slower, the contact might have rushed out.” Yang Liqing said softly, trying to hide the slight numbness in his arm. “I didn’t expect him to be so impatient, actually drawing his knife and forcing his way in.”

Ye Haoxuan finished wrapping the gauze, tied a neat knot, and looked up with approval in his eyes:

“You reacted very quickly when you stepped in front of him. An average veteran officer might not have been so decisive.”

He paused, lightly tapping the edge of the gauze with his fingertip to confirm its secureness. "But next time, be careful and prioritize your own safety. We can pursue the clues again, but we can't let anyone get hurt."

The concern in those words was direct and genuine, and Yang Liqing's cheeks flushed slightly as she nodded vigorously.

“I’ve got it. I’ll definitely act within my capabilities next time.” She could feel that as this recognition took hold, her loyalty to Ye Haoxuan quietly increased by 1 point, reaching 94—this number was no longer just “obedience,” but a firm determination to risk everything together.

At this moment, Stephen Chow walked in, holding a piece of canvas that had been taken from a cubicle, with small military parts still stuck to it.

"Brother Xuan, all the parts have been retrieved, and the technical department is already packing them up. Also, I've had the contact person and the gallery owner detained separately. Should we interrogate the contact person on the spot right now?"

Ye Haoxuan stood up and glanced at the scattered art supplies in the cubicle:

“Okay, we’ll conduct the trial in the gallery’s front hall. Liqing, you stay here too and help me verify the details—you’re familiar with paints and canvases, so you might be able to get more clues about Scarface’s remnants out of him.”

The contact was led to a chair in the front hall, his handcuffs locked to the table leg, his face frighteningly grim.

Ye Haoxuan pulled up a chair and sat opposite him, slamming the bag of drugs and the list of weapons on the table, his voice devoid of any emotion:

"His name, his relationship with Lam Wai-lok, and the exact location of the Scarface remnant's studio in Central."

The contact remained silent, his lips pursed, but his eyes unconsciously drifted towards the bag of drugs, and his Adam's apple bobbed.

Seeing this, Yang Liqing stepped forward and pointed to the words "art studio transit station" on the list:

“You don’t need to fight back. We’ve already found out that Scarface’s remnants are using imported Belgian paint to hide parts on canvases, and this kind of paint is only sold in a handful of places on Hong Kong Island. If you don’t talk, we’ll find the studio in Central sooner or later, and then you won’t even have a chance to get a reduced sentence through meritorious service.”

These words precisely hit the contact person's concerns.

He remained silent for half a minute before finally speaking, his voice hoarse:

“My name is Ah Li, and I’m one of Lin Huai Le’s men in Phnom Penh. I’m here in Hong Kong to meet with Lao Gui and take the parts off the canvas. Scarface’s name is Ah Jie. He’s going to ‘Qing Lan Studio’ in Central, near Queen’s Road West. The owner of that studio is also one of Brother Le’s men, and he specializes in hiding contraband for them.”

Ye Haoxuan's eyes narrowed: "How did Lao Gui contact the owner of Qinglan Art Studio? When did they agree to hand over the remaining parts?"

“Old Gui contacts the studio every day at 2 a.m. using an encrypted walkie-talkie,” Ali said, head down. “The handover is scheduled for tomorrow morning in the alley behind the studio. Old Gui will bring money there to collect the last batch of parts.”

Ye Haoxuan winked at Zhou Xingxing, who immediately pulled out his mobile phone and dialed Song Zijie's number.

"Zijie, check the Qinglan Art Studio on Queen's Road West in Central. Once you confirm the location, immediately send someone to stake it out. Also, keep a close eye on the encrypted walkie-talkie frequency at 2 a.m. and make sure to lock down Lao Gui's communication with the studio."

Ye Haoxuan stood up: "Xingxing, you stay at the gallery and arrange for people to keep an eye on Ali and the gallery owner. After the technical department finishes its on-site investigation, bring them back to the police station together. I'll take Liqing to Yau Ma Tei and raid Chengxin Hardware Store before Lao Gui notices."

The two walked along the narrow alley toward the hardware store. Dusk had fallen, and the neon lights of Yau Ma Tei Old Street lit up one after another. The red and green lights reflected on the stone pavement, mixed with the smell of rust wafting from the hardware store and the aroma of fish balls sold by vendors, revealing a hidden danger beneath the lively atmosphere.

Yang Liqing followed Ye Haoxuan, his steps becoming more steady, no longer as tense as during the first arrest.

"Team Leader Ye, since Old Ghost is the old contact, could he have hidden something in a secret compartment in the hardware store?"

Yang Liqing asked in a low voice, "A Lang said he has a smuggling list, which might be hidden in the shop."

Ye Haoxuan nodded, his gaze sweeping over the pile of water pipes at the entrance of the hardware store, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes:

"Highly likely. Old Ghost has been around for so many years, he must have a backup plan. When we raid later, you should focus on checking behind the counters and shelves, looking for loose planks or unusual gaps—your keen observation skills make you better at finding these hidden places than we are."

Feeling warmed by this trust, Yang Liqing's loyalty level quietly increased by 1 point, reaching 95.

She nodded vigorously: "I understand, I will investigate carefully and not overlook any suspicious points."

At this moment, the police officers lying in ambush at the entrance of the hardware store gave a hand signal, indicating that Lao Gui was still in the store, looking down at the accounts.

Ye Haoxuan raised his hand to signal the police officers to surround the store, while he led Yang Liqing around to the front entrance and suddenly pushed open the glass door of the hardware store.

"Police! Don't move!"

Old Gui trembled with fright, and the abacus in his hand fell to the ground with a "clatter," scattering the beads all over the floor.

He instinctively tried to crawl under the counter, but Ye Haoxuan grabbed him by the back of his collar and pressed him against the counter.

“Boss Wang, stop hiding. We’ve been looking for you for a long time.” Ye Haoxuan’s voice was icy. “Ali has already confessed. We know everything about your smuggling deal with Lin Huaile and the handover of Qinglan Art Studio.”

Old Gui's face turned deathly pale as he struggled to shout, "I didn't! Don't frame me! I'm just a hardware store owner, I don't know any Lin Huai Le!"

Yang Liqing ignored his excuses and went to the counter to examine it carefully.

The counter surface was covered with screws and wrenches, seemingly messy, but one piece of wood was a slightly lighter color than the surrounding area, and had fine scratches on its edges.

She reached out and tapped the wooden board; the sound was hollow. She immediately said to Ye Haoxuan, "Team Leader Ye, there's a hidden compartment here!"

Ye Haoxuan raised his hand and pressed down on Lao Gui's shoulder, signaling the police officers to take him aside. He then took the screwdriver handed to him by Yang Liqing and pried open the wooden board.

Hidden in the secret compartment was a black leather case. Upon opening it, one found an encrypted walkie-talkie, a stack of smuggling lists, and several wads of cash—the proceeds from the sale of arms.

"What is this?" Ye Haoxuan picked up the list and waved it at Lao Gui. "It clearly records the buyers of the arms and the delivery time, as well as your financial transactions with Lin Huaile. You still want to deny it?"

Upon seeing the list, Old Gui completely collapsed, slumping to the ground, all his previous shrewdness gone.

“I’ll tell you…I’ll tell you…Lin Huai Le made me do all of this. He gave me a cut and made me act as his middleman for arms and illicit funds. I was forced into it by him…”

Ye Haoxuan crouched down and stared into his eyes: "Who is the owner of Qinglan Art Studio? Besides A-Jie and A-Li, does Lin Huai-Le have any other accomplices in Hong Kong?"

“The studio owner is called Ah Kun, and he’s a confidant of Lin Huai Le,” Old Ghost said, panting. “There are two other groups in Hong Kong, one responsible for smuggling and the other for money laundering, but I don’t know their exact locations. Ah Kun handles all of them directly. I’m just a transit point; I really don’t know anything else.”