Captured By The Cold Detective (BL)-Chapter 591: An Old Acquaintance

"Boss..." Chen Youzhi stepped forward with his brows creased in concern, but He Juan gestured for him to stand back. His attention remained fixed on the desperate man before him.

He knew his enemy when he saw them, and this person, who was staring at He Juan as though he was the last strand of hope he could grasp onto, was not one.

"It’s okay," he reassured Chen Youzhi. "I’d like to hear what he has to say."

The man appeared on the verge of crying upon hearing that, the rims of his eyes turning so red that blood could spill out at any moment. Swallowing hard, he stuttered, his voice trembling with a mix of tension and excitement, "M–My name is Zhong Yun. I... I don’t think you remember it but we met once a few years ago..."

Zhong Yun.

He Juan sucked in a breath as that name unearthed a fragment of hazy scene from the forgotten depth of his memories.

"Zhong Yun?"

"Y–Yes, I am Zhong Yun! Nice to meet you, Sir!"

"How is Mu Yuze doing now? Are you guys having a party? Is he drunk?"

"No, no, no! Don’t worry, Sir! Mu Yuze didn’t touch even a drop of alcohol, I can guarantee it! I... I don’t know what’s wrong with him. I wanted to check on him, but... but he didn’t allow me to come in! So I can only wait for you here..."

"I see... Are you okay? Your arm is bleeding."

"Ah, this? We... bumped into a few thugs on our way home."

"And then?"

"Don’t worry, Sir! Mu Yuze is fine! He beat them all up until they couldn’t even get up anymore! He’s so badas— I mean, skilled!"

He Juan brought a hand to his head and massaged his throbbing temple, wincing. "It’s okay," he silently mouthed to Chen Youzhi and Han Shan who looked visibly alarmed. Turning to the kneeling man, He Juan narrowed his eyes in recognition. "You were one of Mu Yuze’s friends who attended Mr. Song’s dojo as well," he stated as memories slowly resurfaced in his mind.

Zhong Yun stared at him in disbelief and astonishment. "Y–You still remember me?"

In lieu of a response, He Juan pulled out his gun and aimed the muzzle at the man’s forehead, who recoiled backward in shock and terror. "What do you want from me? Does it have something to do with Mu Yuze?"

The oppressive aura of a superior Alpha oozed out of him, causing Zhong Yun, the target of the pressure, to gasp and wheeze for breath. His already horrible complexion became paler, and his thin shoulders trembled to hold up his body which had become a hundred times heavier. Nonetheless, he mustered every ounce of strength within him to say,

"N–No, I... I haven’t come into contact with him for years! Please, you have to believe me! I seek you out because... I need your help!" A fiery hatred and hostility flashed in his bloodshot eyes as he spoke through gritted teeth, "The Master Manipulator... I want to kill him! I need to take revenge and end him with my own hands!!"

The air seemed to stand still for a moment as Zhong Yun’s fervent declaration hung in the air.

Now it was He Juan’s turn to regard him with sheer incredulity. What... did he just hear? Whose name had just slipped out of Zhong Yun’s mouth? The Master Manipulator? Ku Jin?

Even among the members of Xuanlong, Ku Jin’s existence remained shrouded in secrecy. Very few people knew about the Master Manipulator, for he would always appear in front of others in various disguises, never leaving a trail that could be traced back to him.

People would mostly assume that He Juan was the right-hand man of the Big Boss, considering how he had been the one who took care of Xuanlong’s daily affairs during the man’s absence. The number of people who knew Ku Jin, let alone his true position in the organization, was limited only to the core members, a handful of He Juan’s most trusted subordinates, a few strategic partners, and Xuanlong’s greatest enemies.

To hear his nickname spoken from the mouth of someone whom He Juan had never expected to see— surprise wasn’t even adequate to describe He Juan’s current emotion.

"How did you—" he began, only to pause when he recalled that Han Shan and his men were still here.

Even though he had yet to confront Ku Jin since he woke up, He Juan dared not lower his guard down. Sighing, he finally withdrew his pheromones and slipped his gun back to his pocket, nodding to Han Shan, "I will be taking him with me. Mr. Han, can I please trouble you to deal with his car and the surveillance footage along the way here?"

"Certainly, Mr. Xiu," Han Shan complied readily. "Please leave everything to me."

The group soon dispersed, with Chen Youzhi half-leading and half-dragging Zhong Yun into their car, He Juan trailing behind them. He couldn’t help but scrutinize the man closer, taking in his unkempt appearance, slightly hunched back, overly thin frame, and his trembling hands. He’d assumed that Zhong Yun’s shifty behavior earlier stemmed from the tension, but it seemed like he was mistaken.

This guy was clearly a drug addict. 𝒻𝓇𝑒𝘦𝘸𝑒𝒷𝓃ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝒸ℴ𝘮

And judging from Chen Youzhi’s disgruntled expression, he had noticed it as well.

He Juan narrowed his eyes in thought. This person who could be considered as an old acquaintance, was he really here to seek help, or was he a pawn sent by Ku Jin to set a trap for him? Well, He Juan would know the answer after a thorough interrogation.

Silence descended in the air as they slipped into the car, with Zhong Yun being forced into the shotgun seat. Chen Youzhi pressed the honk once to signal Han Shan’s group before he flicked on the signal and proceeded to drive away.

Nervousness radiated from Zhong Yun like a tangible aura as he stole glances at the scarred man behind the wheel and He Juan once in a while, wanting to speak but was too afraid to. He fidgeted incessantly on his seat and scraped his cuticles again and again, even though his fingers were already coated with half-dried blood. Sweat layered on his skin, making his hair look even more grimy as the strands stuck to his face.

He Juan observed his anxiety from his peripheral vision, but he was in no hurry to break the silence. One minute... ten minutes... fifteen minutes... Zhong Yun remained oblivious to the fact that Chen Youzhi had been driving around aimlessly as panic and dread slowly festered within him.

Finally, he couldn’t endure the oppressive hush in the air anymore and parted his lips to speak, "Um."

Almost at the same time, Chen Youzhi slammed the wheel and executed a sharp turn to the right, causing Zhong Yun’s body to collide painfully with the door. The tires gripped the earth, whipping up a cloud of dust as the vehicle came to an abrupt halt in the shaded spot along the riverbank.

Zhong Yun let out a muffled cry from all the jostling, while He Juan only felt mildly amused at Chen Youzhi’s intimidation tactics.

Sensing the opportune moment, He Juan finally chose to break the silence and asked the first question, "How did you know the Master Manipulator?"

That one inquiry managed to distract Zhong Yun from the extreme maneuver Chen Youzhi had just done, and he snapped his gaze to He Juan, his eyes brimming with vengeful tears. "He killed my lover!" He spat out vehemently. "As if that was not enough, he even went around donning his appearance, tarnishing his name and reputation, and... and..." Zhong Yun choked on his words, deep anguish bleeding out of his eyes.

If he were really someone who was sent here by the Manipulator, then He Juan had to commend his acting prowess because it was so damn real and vivid. Changing his posture, He Juan adopted a more serious demeanor, "Calm down and tell me everything from the start."