Reborn in Hong Kong Island, I can see loyalty

Ye Haoxuan confronted Akun, his gaze quickly sweeping across the oil paintings in the exhibition hall. He suddenly noticed that the paint layers of a still life painting were unusually thick, and there were traces of un-dried Belgian imported paint on the edge of the canvas—just like the collection method of Shiguang Gallery.

“Ah Jie has been subdued. Don’t put up any futile resistance.” His tone was icy. “We’ll find out about the parts you hid behind the canvas and the money laundering team’s clues sooner or later.”

Ah Kun's eyes flashed, and he suddenly pulled the trigger. The bullet grazed Ye Haoxuan's ear and hit the wall, sending up debris.

Seeing this, Yang Liqing, ignoring the discomfort in his arm, rushed forward and bumped into Akun's shoulder.

Ah Kun lost his balance and dropped his pistol. Ye Haoxuan seized the opportunity to step forward, pinned him against the easel, and locked the handcuffs instantly.

"Hiss—" Yang Liqing's forearm was grazed by the edge of the easel, and he gasped in pain.

Ye Haoxuan turned to look at her, his brows furrowing. He gently lifted the gauze to check, and only breathed a sigh of relief when he saw there was no bleeding. His tone was a mixture of reproach and concern:

"I told you to prioritize self-preservation, so why are you fighting so desperately?"

Yang Liqing smiled and shook his head: "It's alright, as long as we can catch him."

Ye Haoxuan glanced at the book. Her intimacy level with him had increased by 1 point, reaching 82, and her loyalty level had reached 97. These values ​​represented a deep-rooted bond of companionship and protection, far surpassing the ordinary superior-subordinate relationship.

Song Zijie led the police officers in, separated Ah Jie and Ah Kun and took them aside, and then began searching the art studio.

Yang Liqing walked up to the still life painting, tapped the canvas, and said in a muffled voice, "Team Leader Ye, there's something in here."

Ye Haoxuan walked over and pried open the picture frame with a screwdriver. Sure enough, there were several packets of compressed drugs and a batch of military parts hidden inside, just like the way Shiguang Gallery hid its goods.

"Ah Kun, tell me honestly, where is the money laundering team located? What are the exact coordinates of Lin Huai Le's rubber factory in Phnom Penh?"

Ye Haoxuan crouched down, staring into A-Kun's eyes, his tone icy. A-Kun pursed his lips and remained silent, his eyes full of resistance, clearly intending to fight to the bitter end.

Seeing this, Yang Liqing stepped forward and pointed to the paint on the canvas:

"Do you think keeping quiet will work? We've already found out that this Belgian imported paint is sold in only three stores on Hong Kong Island. Besides Time Gallery, your name is on the buyer records of two other stores. As long as we follow the paint trail, we'll eventually find the money laundering team's hideout."

These words precisely hit Ah Kun's concerns.

He remained silent for a long time before finally speaking, his voice hoarse:

"The money laundering team is in an antique shop in Causeway Bay. The owner is called Ah Chung, who is a distant relative of Lin Huai Le. As for the coordinates of the Phnom Penh rubber factory, I only have encrypted files, which are hidden in a safe on the second floor of the art studio. The password is Lin Huai Le's birthday."

Ye Haoxuan's eyes narrowed, and he said to Song Zijie:

"Take two people to the second floor to find the safe, retrieve the encrypted documents, and immediately send them back to the police station for the technical department to decrypt. Also, notify the Causeway Bay Police Station to send officers to raid the antique shop, arrest Ah Chung, and shut down the money laundering operation."

"Received!" Song Zijie accepted the order and rushed upstairs.

Yang Liqing leaned against the easel, looking at Akun and Ajie who were being held captive in the corner, feeling a sense of accomplishment.

Her loyalty to Ye Haoxuan increased by 1 point, reaching 98, and her intimacy level also rose to 83—this bond had long been a tacit understanding where they could entrust each other with their backs.

As dawn broke and the morning light streamed through the studio windows, it dispelled the chill of the early morning.

Song Zijie came down from the second floor with the encrypted file, a look of joy on his face:

"Brother Xuan, we found it! There's also a list of arms buyers in the safe, with many local gangsters on it."

Ye Haoxuan took the document, his fingertips tracing the encrypted pattern, his gaze deep and thoughtful.

With Lao Gui (Old Ghost) arrested, Ah Kun and Ah Jie (Ah Jie) arrested, and smuggling and money laundering dens exposed one after another, Lin Huai Le's influence in Hong Kong Island has been largely eradicated, but the rubber factory in Phnom Penh remains the biggest hidden danger.

He turned to look at Yang Liqing beside him. Her forearm was wrapped in gauze, but her eyes were still bright and determined.

“Next, it’s time for the antique shops in Causeway Bay,” Ye Haoxuan said softly, his tone filled with unwavering certainty.

Yang Liqing nodded. "Yes, I'll do whatever you say."

Ye Haoxuan turned to Song Zijie and instructed, "Have someone take Ah Kun and Ah Jie back to the police station for custody. Send two officers to stay in the studio until the technical department comes to conduct a thorough investigation, especially of the oil paintings and painting tools. Don't miss any traces of paint residue."

Song Zijie nodded and handed Ye Haoxuan the encrypted file and the list of buyers.

Ye Haoxuan took it, his fingertips tracing the yellowed paper—the writing on it was done with special ink that would smudge easily if one wasn't careful, clearly a common tactic used by Lin Huai Le's remnants.

"Have someone expedite the delivery of these two documents back to the police station."

Ye Haoxuan folded the document and stuffed it into the inside pocket of his police uniform. He then handed the list to the officer next to him. “Hand over the encrypted document to the technical department to crack it. Focus on finding the coordinates of the rubber factory in Phnom Penh. Give the list to Chen Jiaju and have him verify the gangsters’ identities one by one. Set up surveillance in advance to prevent these people from fleeing at the first sign of trouble.”

"Yes, sir!" the officer replied, clutching the list as he quickly walked out of the art studio.

As morning light streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows, it bathed the oil paintings in the exhibition hall in warm hues. The pungent smell of turpentine was gradually dissipated by the morning breeze, leaving only the strange lingering scent of gunpowder and paint in the air.

Yang Liqing raised his hand and pressed the gauze on his forearm again. The force from bumping into Akun and hitting the easel was still throbbing, but he showed no fear. His eyes remained fixed on Ye Haoxuan, waiting for his next move.

Ye Haoxuan frowned slightly as he looked at her struggling to stay upright, and took the first-aid kit from Song Zijie's hand:

“Come here, let’s change the gauze. It rubbed against the easel earlier, and if it gets infected with paint chips, it will delay our trip to Causeway Bay.”

He pulled over a wooden chair and sat down, gesturing for Yang Liqing to bend over. With practiced ease, he removed the old gauze—the wound was only slightly red and there was no bleeding—and he was finally relieved.

As the cool alcohol wipe touched her skin, Yang Liqing subconsciously pulled her arm away, only to hear Ye Haoxuan's voice become extremely gentle:

"Bear with it, thorough disinfection will help you heal faster." The pressure from her fingertips was just right, the new gauze wrapped tightly but not too tight.

Yang Liqing's intimacy with Ye Haoxuan increased by 1 point, reaching 84, and his loyalty also rose to 99, just one step away from the maximum value.

This bond is no longer a simple trust between superiors and subordinates; it is a trust etched into our bones after navigating numerous perilous situations together.

"Team Leader Ye, should we let the Causeway Bay Police Station know first?" Song Zijie walked over with his mobile phone and asked in a low voice, "Let them find out the surrounding roads of 'Zhi Gu Xuan' in advance, so that we don't have to make arrangements at the last minute and alert them."

Ye Haoxuan nodded, took the mobile phone, pressed the number, and said in a steady tone:

"Have two plainclothes officers from the Causeway Bay Police Station stake out Jardine Street and keep a close eye on people coming and going from Chi Koo Heen. Don't make any rash moves. We'll go meet them as soon as we finish dealing with the art studio. Also, keep an eye on the narrow alley behind the antique shop. Ah Chung is a distant relative of Lam Wai Lok. He's meticulous and will most likely have a backup plan."

After hanging up, he handed the mobile phone back to Song Zijie, then turned to look at Yang Liqing, who had already stood up straight, her eyes still bright:

"Can we go? Let's go to Causeway Bay first. The sooner we get Ah Chung under control, the fewer variables there will be, and we can also seize the money laundering ledgers as soon as possible."

Yang Liqing stretched his forearm, his smile confident:

“No problem, a minor injury won’t matter. Besides, I just noticed that in addition to the Belgian brand, there are some rare mineral pigments in the studio. Maybe there will be similar traces in Zhiguxuan, which can help us find the hidden compartment faster.”

A hint of approval flashed in Ye Haoxuan's eyes, and he gently patted her shoulder:

"Alright, I'll rely on your observation skills. Let's go and meet this Ah Zhong."

Song Zijie had already arranged a car. The three of them quickly walked out of the studio. The morning light spread across Queen's Road West, casting their shadows straight as they sped off towards Causeway Bay.

"Yes, sir!" the officer replied, clutching the list as he quickly walked out of the art studio.