The children have all left. Fang Zhenyue glanced at the two cars parked by the roadside and said to Qiu Sushan:
“Drive and park at the intersection outside the Shixun villa. I can keep an eye on them from there.”
“Why? Are you worried they might slack off?” Qiu Sushan couldn’t help but chuckle.
“It’s not about slacking off. I want to check on their situation.” Fang Zhenyue turned and walked towards his jeep, starting it and driving off.
Qiu Sushan shook her head with a wry smile, walked to her car, unlocked it with a beep, crouched down, and sat in the driver’s seat, then accelerated to follow.
Once a large jeep and a red sedan had parked one after another on the roadside outside the Shixun villa community, the two drivers locked their cars and walked in tacit agreement towards the fence at the edge of the cliff.
“Did the pager find any clues?” Qiu Sushan asked as she approached Fang Zhenyue.
“It broke.” Fang Zhenyue leaned against his car.
Leaning against his jeep as well, facing the cliff, fence, and the distant bay, Qiu Sushan got straight to the point:
“The police officer in the uniform is Xu Shaowei. After finishing middle school, he went to Guangdong for a year, then came back and applied to the police academy. During his time there, he performed very well in all subjects and joined the Hung Hom Village police station in the Hung Hom area right after graduating. He was doing well and even applied to join the CID as a detective.”
“But during a pursuit operation, he injured someone excessively, was recorded by the Complaints Department once, and his transfer was delayed, pending further observation.”
“Nevertheless, he continued to perform well in his role as a uniformed officer, but a similar issue arose during a special task force operation with the ‘O’ squad, aggressively apprehending a suspect, resulting in a criminal gang member sustaining a broken rib, a scalp contusion, and a comminuted fracture of the leg… The injured person was a key informant and a crucial tainted witness being cultivated by the police. Because of this, Xu Shaowei remained a uniformed officer for another five years, during which he performed well. He reapplied to the CID, passed the interview, and cleared the review stage without any issues. His superior confirmed that his only old problem was youthful impetuosity and a hatred for evil without knowing restraint, but now he understands the rules much better.”
“I’ve seen his file: excellent marksmanship, good physical skills, very enthusiastic about his work. I’ll initially assign him in his uniformed police role to work with you, then you can assess and test him, and if he’s good, you can keep him. OK?”
“Alright, I’ll observe him,” Fang Zhenyue nodded, ready to rely on Xu Shaowei as a loyal partner for the Yi family in the future.
Just then, there was a noise in the distance. Fang Zhenyue and Qiu Sushan simultaneously turned their heads towards the stairs across the street leading up to the villa community.
Liu Jiaming and Lin Wangjiu were coming out of No. 7 Shixun Road, talking as they walked towards No. 8.
Fang Zhenyue watched them until they turned into the path in front of No. 8 villa and their expressions were no longer visible, then he spoke:
“Liu Jiaming seems very upbeat, and Uncle Jiu is always as laid-back as usual.”
“Yes, one is full of confidence and enthusiasm. The other looks gloomy, as if someone owes him a lot of money,” Qiu Sushan turned around, leaning on the jeep, watching the backs of Liu Jiaming and Uncle Jiu, and laughed, “These two really complement each other.”
One is not very shrewd, but full of emotional value.
A heart filled with chasms, yet harboring discontent.
“Wait until they come out of Villa No. 8, then you’ll see. Uncle Jiu will still look the same, but Liu Jiaming will definitely be disheartened, looking even more worn than Uncle Jiu,” Fang Zhenyue said with a raised eyebrow.
“Why?” Qiu Sushan turned her head and, thinking for a moment, raised a finger to stop Fang Zhenyue’s explanation, guessing, “You’re suggesting that the resident of Villa No. 8 doesn’t have an owner of a blood-stained suit?”
How did she come to that conclusion?
She scrutinized Villa No. 8, which didn’t seem much different from the others. Could one really tell from the vegetation at the entrance and the color scheme of the villa’s exterior that the owner disliked white suits?
Fang Zhenyue did not respond.
The two then began to wait, and about twenty minutes later, Uncle Jiu and Liu Jiaming finally came out from Villa No. 8.
Qiu Sushan immediately straightened up and widened her eyes in astonishment. Surprisingly, Fang Zhenyue’s prediction was spot on—Liu Jiaming trailed behind Uncle Jiu with an expression that was a mirror image of Uncle Jiu’s, indeed very worn and dejected.
It was hard to imagine that someone so confident and vibrant just moments before could change so dramatically.
“What happened? Do you know the person living in Villa No. 8?” Qiu Sushan speculated, given that Fang Zhenyue, the son of a gemstone tycoon and a second-generation wealthy young man living in a mountaintop villa, might have childhood friends or elder relatives among the wealthy living in Villa No. 8.
Fang Zhenyue shook his head with a smile:
“My guess that Liu Jiaming would be disheartened wasn’t because I suspected that the person living in Villa No. 8 was the victim in this case, but rather based on how I predicted Liu Jiaming would react if he faced another setback.”
“So, if it turns out that the victim in this case does live in Villa No. 8, you would be proven wrong?” Qiu Sushan turned and glanced at him sideways.
Fang Zhenyue nodded, admitting that there was indeed a gamble involved.
“Okay. So tell me, why did you guess that Liu Jiaming would react this way if faced with a setback?” Qiu Sushan turned back, leaning against the Jeep and staring at Fang Zhenyue, “Because you understand Liu Jiaming?”
Fang Zhenyue nodded again, explaining:
“Let me tell you a story.”
“Yes, go on.”
“Once, a great person encountered two types of people. The first type was full of confidence in war, believing that as long as they charged forward, victory was certain. The second type was very negative, convinced that charging forward would surely lead to defeat. The great person’s friends supported the first type and also believed in victory. However, the great person shook their head and said that both types needed to be guarded against. It was necessary to boost the morale of the second type to give them the spirit to charge, but also to be wary of the first type, as they could become more of a drain on the team’s energy than the second type.”
“…,” Qiu Sushan patiently waited for Fang Zhenyue’s story to unfold.
“Uncle Jiu belongs to the second type, which is easy to understand. They’ve faced too many setbacks in life and are highly defensive towards the world. To protect themselves from being crushed by disappointment, they dare not harbor expectations, thus even if they still have passion, they must conceal it well. Such people, with their downcast demeanor, wear it as their protective color. But indeed, they tend to express a pessimistic attitude of ‘this won’t work’ even before attempting, which can drag down the entire team’s morale, so it’s often necessary to manage their emotions.”
“I used to be of the first type, as was Liu Jiaming. This type might be more dangerous than Uncle Jiu’s. Because we are radical, filled with excessive and sometimes baseless optimism, believing that as soon as I start investigating, I will quickly find clues and then the victims. But when suddenly faced with setbacks, the psychological gap can be enormous, then turning into the second type. Even becoming more cynical and negative than the second type.”
Fang Zhenyue’s voice was deep, blending with the mountain wind, like the low murmur of stones rubbing against leaves.
“Hmm,” Qiu Sushan nodded, vaguely understanding his point.
“Actually, the best attitude should be to properly assess the difficulty of tasks, neither thinking them too easy nor considering them absolutely unsolvable. An objective attitude, stable emotions, resilience, and patience are necessary to maintain a healthy psychological and emotional state, especially if one is to work as a detective for life.”
“So, what type do you think Yi Jiayi is? Is she the objective type?” Qiu Sushan suddenly recalled her own past concerns that Yi Jiayi might belong to the first type, perhaps underestimating the job’s challenges after multiple successful cases and might not recover from future setbacks.
But until now, the young policewoman had handled many cases, faced tough problems and formidable opponents, and even narrowly escaped a gunfight with robber king Ye Yongqian, yet she still retains her vitality and passion. So, is she the resilient and objectively stable type?
“…” Fang Zhenyue did not continue the conversation; instead, he turned his head to gaze into the distance, just as Yi Jiayi and Xu Shaowei walked one after another out of the No. 2 Shixun Road villa.
Her face seemed expressionless, just holding her little notebook, jotting down notes while occasionally turning her head to talk with her military-uniformed police companion, Xu Shaowei.
Eleven is a person of rich emotions, a sensitive child who can uncover more information during investigations, but also more likely to feel unhappy because she sees more than others.
Yet, she is also a highly focused and pure person, passionate enough about her work, which probably is her secret to maintaining a positive mindset.
He hadn’t managed to do what Yi Jiayi did… even after a few months in the CID, she could still often be seen smiling.
“It makes a lot of sense; this perspective is very suitable for tailoring approaches to manage talents,” Qiu Sushan nodded.
“When Eleven gets promoted, you can explain this perspective to her in detail, breaking it down into smaller stories, which will help her understand better.”
Qiu Sushan turned to look at Fang Zhenyue for a while before exhaling meaningfully, “Why don’t you teach her yourself? The way you summarize things is definitely clearer than how I would explain them. Besides, you’re just getting a promotion, not like you’re going abroad and never coming back, so could you not make it sound like you’re giving a last testament?”
“Hey!” Fang Zhenyue frowned, even if he wasn’t Uncle Jiu, he’d still find it inauspicious, “Go straight back to our office and offer incense to Guan Gong as an apology, got it?”
“Haha, got it, Ah sir.” Qiu Sushan laughed, waving her hand dismissively.
“…” Fang Zhenyue raised his eyebrows at her expression but did not look away.
He scrutinized her expression carefully; he was being transferred and felt somewhat melancholy recently. What was up with Qiu Sushan?
He always felt that today’s madam… was acting strangely.
“You like observing people so much?” Qiu Sushan, seemingly afraid of being figured out, changed the subject.
“As detectives, we need to understand suspects, eyewitnesses, and victims, differentiate their lies from the truth, comprehend the subtext of their words, and understand what their expressions mean… With all these demands, how can we not observe others carefully if we want to do our jobs well?” Finally, Fang Zhenyue shifted his gaze away.
“Yes, there’s an advanced course in criminal psychology in the UK soon; I’ve already enrolled. The course is during your vacation before you start as a probationary inspector. I can enroll you too, so you can learn something as well.” Qiu Sushan leaned on the railing about 80 cm high, looking forward over the Hong Kong harbor.
“How long is the course?” Even as he prepared to start anew as an inspector, Fang Zhenyue still had many concerns for his old team and didn’t want to be away for too long.
“It’s a short-term course, within a month.”
“That sounds good, thanks, madam.”
“No need to be so formal. Soon, we’ll both be inspectors, with no hierarchical relationship. You don’t need to call me your superior, and I can learn from you more openly.” Reflecting on the years she had been Fang Zhenyue’s superior, she actually learned a lot from him. Previously, due to her status, it wasn’t appropriate to admit that she, a madam, was learning from him, a junior officer; it would have been undignified. Those concerns wouldn’t exist anymore.
“That’s not quite right, you are being promoted to senior inspector, so you’re still the superior.”
“It’s not like I’m becoming the Commissioner. Other than a slight difference in salary, there’s no difference between us.”
“I’ve also learned a lot from you, madam.”
“Oh?” Qiu Sushan immediately perked up with interest.
Fang Zhenyue stretched lazily and began to speak:
“Being a leader doesn’t always require being the first in everything, especially not competing with your own subordinate detectives.”
“It’s important to give others the opportunity to make mistakes, to let them go ahead and do things, to learn lessons and gain understanding from their experiences. Also, it’s necessary to give subordinates the chance to earn their stripes, to taste honor and a sense of achievement, which motivates them to strive for excellence.”
“I know that over the years we’ve worked together, you’ve covered for many of my mistakes and have stepped aside to let me pass many times.”
“Many times, you could have done those tasks yourself, but you understood that even in a superior-subordinate relationship, mutual respect is crucial, each getting what they deserve.”
“In the police force, being competent and excellent isn’t just about being able to handle cases; madam, you are an excellent superior, and I really have been learning from you how to interact with the detective subordinates.”
Although Qiu Sushan didn’t say it aloud, having been playfully contentious with him for so many years, she was secretly delighted to be praised by a capable former subordinate like this.
“I hadn’t noticed you could talk so much at once before. Why suddenly drop the cool-guy act and chat with me so calmly?” she teased, leaning on the railing to hide her pride, never actually saying the words “thank you.”
Fang Zhenyue just smiled, not minding her insincerity.
He reached out towards a tree just beyond the railing on the cliffside, signaling Qiu Sushan to look, and then said:
“Do you see that place?”
“In my second year as a CID detective, at the military police sports meet, I lost to a sergeant from the Central District Police Station. That night, I stood on the flat ground by that tree outside the railing, getting soaked in the rain all night.”
“I was a person with too strong a competitive spirit, ‘too rigid, easily broken’ is true. It’s easy to end up like Uncle Jiu, facing a huge setback and turning from the most passionate detective into the laziest, most despondent one.”
“Later, when I was in Team B with you, I realized that many times I took credit for your work.”
“Sometimes I even led the team without reporting to you, and you didn’t seem to mind.”
Qiu Sushan turned her head away, pursing her lips.
How could I not mind? I was super angry, okay. Even dragged friends out for drinks, ranting about him the whole time.
But what could she do? He was so brilliant at handling cases, was she supposed to suppress him just to assert her authority? She wasn’t that petty.
“Back then, I didn’t understand. Sometimes I wondered, aren’t you afraid of being looked down upon by others?”
“But gradually, I realized that people who are composed and do not compete are not necessarily seen as weak by others. On the contrary, having seen your resume and worked with you for a long time, I came to understand that you were also a very strong and dedicated detective.”
“You just knew how to adapt to the environment.”
Fang Zhenyue took a deep breath, seemingly reminiscing about the past, and after a moment of silence, he continued:
“When I also learned to respect you, to understand that even though you are not competitive, I still see you as strong, only then did I truly understand that even if I lose a battle, even if I don’t compete in everything, others won’t necessarily look down on me or think I am weak.”
“…and then it’s about slowly letting go of some of my stubbornness and gradually improving my temper.”
“It sounds like you’re getting old.” Qiu Sushan lowered her eyes, knowing that growth involves gradually learning to make peace with oneself.
Only when you are at peace with yourself, do you truly feel calm.
“Yes, I’ve aged indeed. It’s certainly not as flamboyant and ambitious as when I first joined the police force, but that’s alright.”
“Think back to when I first joined the team as a Sergeant, which of my subordinates wasn’t afraid of me? I even fought with Sanfu at that time, and because of that, you docked half a month of my gun allowance. But after that, Sanfu no longer looked at me with defiance…”
“That wasn’t because you beat him into submission; don’t go summarizing lessons where they don’t apply, okay? It’s because Sanfu saw your capabilities and gradually became willing to serve you loyally.” Qiu Sushan stood up straight and gently kicked a pebble on the roadside.
Looking back, although it was chaotic, it was indeed exhilarating.
“Now, things in Team B are much better. I don’t need to be so brutally aggressive, and I let everyone work properly.”
Suddenly saying so much, it almost felt like the wise sayings of someone nearing the end of his days.
Fang Zhenyue thought about how he had just scolded Madam for being ominous, and here he was, indulging in such morbid thoughts himself.
It looks like I really need to pray to Lord Guan for good fortune when I get back, lest Team B be easy to enter but hard to leave.
Turning his head, he stretched out his arm and patted Qiu Sushan on the shoulder, “Thank you for the years of guidance, Chief.”
“…” Qiu Sushan pursed her lips, suddenly moved, with her eyes nearly welling up with tears.
It was unclear whether it was the memories or the sudden sentimental moment from this usually tough man.
To maintain her image as a strong female officer, she suppressed her emotions, took a deep breath, and tried to muster a smile.
All this time, she too was worried about being overshadowed by him, afraid that being away from the frontline would make her skills rusty. Alone, she often struggled with self-doubt.
To think that in his eyes, she was seen as a cool-headed, fully in control, handsome female inspector?
In reality, it wasn’t all that effortless and cool.
She turned around and extended her right hand to Fang Zhenyue.
The two shook hands firmly, a gesture as if to bury the hatchet.
“I’m going to conduct some interviews with them. Do you want to join, or will you wait here? Or head back first?” Fang Zhenyue withdrew his hand, stood upright, and turned his head just as Yi Jiayi and Xu Shaowei emerged from No. 4 Shixun Road, his thoughts inadvertently following the case.
“I’ll head back to the station; I have to see Inspector Huang. You go ahead.” Qiu Sushan nodded, and after Fang Zhenyue left, she turned to face the sea and the city beyond the cliff.
Facing the upcoming choices, she initially felt anxious, but suddenly, filled with newfound strength, she felt she was ready.
Speaking of Fang Zhenyue, although he often acts independently and causes trouble that makes it difficult for her, and seems fierce and domineering, when you actually spend quiet time with him, he turns out to be a very gentle person.
Turning around, she walked towards the red sedan parked behind the jeep, pulling open the car door. The wind swept in, rustling the documents she had placed on the passenger seat.
The application she had been too afraid to submit—she would hand it to Sir Huang shortly.
Sitting in the car, she fastened her seatbelt, stepped on the brake, pulled down the handbrake, started the car, and the engine hummed. Gradually releasing the brake and slowly turning the steering wheel to make a U-turn, her gaze swept over to the tree outside the railing that Fang Zhenyue had pointed out to her earlier.
There indeed was a flat area by the tree, suitable for standing.
Fang Zhenyue had once told her that long ago, after losing to someone, he stood there alone in the rain.
What was it like then? Standing outside the railing, facing a cliff where a fall could be fatal, holding back his emotions as the rain poured down, unable to fathom why he had lost?
Suddenly, her hand on the steering wheel straightened, and the car, changing its mind, didn’t turn around but moved forward more than a meter, closer to that tree.
Leaning forward to look, she saw the flat area by the tree was solidly trodden, as if there were still footprints.
As if people often came here to stand.
Often, huh?
Qiu Sushan looked up towards the cliff outside, imagining the feelings of a person standing by the tree, looking up.
After pausing for a few minutes, she finally released the brake and turned the steering wheel again.
The car turned around and headed down the mountain.
As she rounded a big bend, Qiu Sushan looked through the rearview mirror and took one last glance at that tree.
It turns out no one is born carefree in this world.
Everyone is secretly struggling while pretending to be nonchalant.