Even after he got home, Bai Xiao was still thinking over everything that had happened.
Just a little while ago, he had still been a fish stall clerk—so how had he suddenly become the man in charge of a dock?
Still, one thing was obvious: even though they had not known each other long, Uncle Dong trusted him a great deal.
And then there was that Mr. Lin, whom he had not even met yet.
Things were starting to get complicated.
Holding his phone, Bai Xiao hesitated for a moment before finally dialing Ch'en's number.
He had already agreed to be her informant, so what had happened today definitely needed to be reported.
For all he knew, Ch'en might even have someone watching him already, just to see whether he was being honest.
"Hello, Officer Ch'en?"
"Speak."
"I've taken over one of Mr. Lin's docks. A huge amount of daily necessities is being transported from there into the slums."
"...Wait right there!"
It sounded like Ch'en had been in the middle of a meeting. Bai Xiao heard a burst of footsteps on the other end, clearly indicating that she had walked somewhere private.
"Are you at the dock right now? Send me the address. I'm coming over immediately!"
"I've already left the dock," Bai Xiao replied. "I'm just informing you about it."
"What's the point of telling me now?" Ch'en's temper was obviously flaring. Lowering her voice, she snapped, "Cargo being shipped into the slums? Smuggling is smuggling. You say it's daily necessities—who's supposed to believe that?"
The Inspector could be quite intimidating when she got angry, but Bai Xiao was completely unmoved. He immediately shot back, "Whether you believe it or not is your business. I've already made myself very clear. If I wanted to lie to you, wouldn't it have been easier to hide this from you altogether? Why would I go out of my way to tell you?"
Ch'en fell silent for a moment on the other end of the line, clearly thinking something over.
"...Give me the address."
"I'm not giving it to you." Bai Xiao rejected her outright. "I'm seriously starting to doubt your competence as an Inspector! Uncle Dong just brought me to the dock, and if the Guard Department raids it right after that, they'll obviously suspect me. What, are you trying to get me killed?"
"You..."
Ch'en really wanted to hit back, but she found she could not refute that. If she led people there now, then Bai Xiao would definitely be suspected—or outright exposed.
"Enough with the 'you, you, you.' You just want to know what's being transported through that dock, right? Fine. Give me a few days and I'll find a chance to bring you there myself."
Bai Xiao was not polite in the slightest. Although he did not know Ch'en that well yet, he felt that with a strong-willed woman like her, trying to curry favor would only make him her subordinate. Only by pushing back could he make her take him seriously.
That was exactly what he was doing now. Not only had he openly questioned her ability, he had also firmly seized the initiative for himself.
So what if he was an informant? Sure, he was one—but if he said she could investigate the dock, then she could investigate it. If he refused, she could do nothing.
That way, in Ch'en's mind, he would no longer be a lower-tier informant, but an equal partner.
All those gal games he had played had not been for nothing.
Whether she had been angered or simply realized she had lost the upper hand, Ch'en hung up without another word.
Quite the temper she had.
Bai Xiao put away his phone and began planning his next move. Every step from here on out was critical. After thinking it through again and again, he concluded that bringing Ch'en to the dock should not be a problem.
First, it would strengthen her trust in him.
Second, it would let him use the suspension bridge effect to draw the two of them closer.
Bai Xiao's Little Romance Lecture:A bit of tension can easily be mistaken for romantic feelings. Rainy days are perfect for dates. The location can be an expensive restaurant, or even your own home—just place a few fragile items around, like a vase or wine glasses. Anything like that can create a sense of tension.
Though Bai Xiao was not naive enough to think that alone would make Ch'en fall for him, a thrilling late-night investigation would at least plant some subtle association of intimacy.
The more he thought about it, the more reliable this plan seemed.
All that was left now was to pick the right time.
...
Three days later.
"No, seriously—what is that outfit...?"
Bai Xiao rubbed his chin. At this moment, Ch'en was standing in front of him wearing a skintight black infiltration suit from head to toe, as if she were terrified people might not realize she was up to something shady.
"What's the problem?" Standing beneath the shadow of a streetlamp, Ch'en answered with perfect seriousness, "This suit was custom-made for me. It conceals my silhouette; as long as I'm in the dark, no one will notice me. And the tight fit makes it ideal for combat."
Bai Xiao sighed. She was right.
Technically.
But none of those advantages were even relevant here!
What kind of normal person wore a stealth suit for something like this? Was that not basically announcing I'm here to do crimes?
And what did she mean by "ideal for combat"? He had made so many preparations—he had even deliberately transferred away the person usually responsible for inspections—precisely so he could use his position to help her investigate. Why would there be a fight?
Most importantly...
Could she maybe have taken a look at her own figure before putting that thing on?
Perhaps because she practiced martial arts year-round, Ch'en's body was all dramatic, athletic curves. The material stretched tightly across her chest, outlining its full shape with startling clarity, while her waist narrowed sharply enough that it looked like it could be encircled with one arm.
When she shifted slightly under the lamplight, he could even make out the dips above her hips. Below that, the line of her body flared boldly again, her full, rounded backside impossibly pronounced. There was no helping it—someone who trained like she did just had an unfair figure. That ass was absurdly powerful, nothing like the soft, slack flesh of ordinary people.
Thankfully, Bai Xiao was Bai Xiao. If it had been some inexperienced virgin boy seeing this, he probably would have had a nosebleed on the spot.
"...You haven't worn that outfit before, have you?"
"First time. Problem?"
"None at all." Bai Xiao figured as much. She had probably not even looked in a mirror before leaving. Otherwise, she would have realized immediately that something was wrong.
He directly took off his own jacket, draped it over Ch'en's shoulders, and zipped it up for her.
"Hey! What are you doing?"
"Don't ask. Just leave it like this. Otherwise I'm not taking you."
Ch'en's brows instantly shot up. With a temper as fiery as hers, she really could not stand the slightest slight. But Bai Xiao looked utterly unconcerned. If she refused, then the whole thing was off. After all, he was not the one desperate to inspect the dock.
Ch'en glared at him fiercely. In the end, though, she gritted her teeth and accepted it.
"Fine. I'll wear it."
That was more like it.
Bai Xiao gave her another look. With the jacket on, things were much better now. The oversized coat hid her hips, leaving only her long legs visible, making it look more like she was just wearing tight leather pants.
It still looked a little odd, but at least it was far better than that stealth suit by itself.
"No need to be so tense. I'm the dock's manager now. Just stay close to me once we get there, and I'll make sure nothing happens to you."
Ch'en did not answer. She only looked down at the jacket on her with obvious dissatisfaction as she drove in the direction Bai Xiao indicated. But after leaving Lungmen proper, the two of them parked by the roadside and continued on foot.
The dock was not far to begin with, and there might be lookouts nearby. Walking was safer.
That was also why Bai Xiao had insisted on the jacket. He was a cautious man. If anyone saw Ch'en in a stealth suit, there would be no possible explanation.
At least if someone saw them like this, it would not matter nearly as much.
That said, there was one thing Bai Xiao was extremely curious about.
"Officer Ch'en, see that lit-up area ahead? That's our destination... but before we go there, there's something I want to ask of you."
The moment Bai Xiao said that, Ch'en's gaze darkened.
She could tell Bai Xiao was not some obedient little pawn. If he had agreed to become her informant, he definitely had his own motives.
Now, at last, his true colors were showing.
This would be the first real clash between them.
"Go ahead," she said. "What do you want?"
Bai Xiao stopped walking and looked steadily at Ch'en. In the dim light, half his face was swallowed by shadow, giving him an unexpectedly oppressive presence.
Ch'en unconsciously held her breath.
Then Bai Xiao spoke in a perfectly calm voice:
"Could you let out a fart? I want to see if the leather pants will puff up."
-------
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