《Distantly Near》 Two Sides of the Same Coin "At least we''re not-" "Don''t," Jian let out a low fuming sigh, his chiseled jaw clenched tight. At the moment he was conflicted as to whether he should stew in his frustration or soothe his temper so he wouldn''t let out a slew of curses towards the man strapped to the chair behind him. The cold, slightly damp back room of some godforsaken abandoned factory only adding salt upon Jian''s annoyed wounds. "Why does it seem like anytime you''re involved, my life seems to become much more difficult?" He opened his jaw wide moving it from side to side, adjusting it to his liking after the punch he received. A bright red bruise tarring his usually pristine face. "How is this my fault!?" Westly let out a huff. Even without seeing him, Jian knew that there was an obvious pout on the other''s lips. "Do you think I enjoy being strapped to a chair with you Mr. Tall Dark and Grumpy¡­" Westly grumbled under his breath. "Anyways, because we got captured we found out that someone else is running the shots of this drug ringandthat he has someone infiltrated in the Yamadachi''s. If anything, I''m your lucky charm, hmmmmm?" Jian scoffed at the obvious prideful tone in Westly''s voice. Like a puppy waiting to receive a treat. -2 weeks ago- "Le, you''re going undercover." Captain Park casually announced in the disastrously organized bullpen of Division 9, not even sparing a glance towards Westly as he went through his papers. "What!? No way, Cap! You know I hate stuff like that?" Westly shot up from behind his piles of paperwork in protest. "Yah! You''re the one that has been nagging me non-stop like a mother-in-law to get you off desk duty!" "But not like this! Last time I went undercover, a grandmother beat me with her purse thinking I was some weird pervert! Can''t Garcia do it?" Westly shot his eyes at Garcia, who simply put her hands up in surrender and spun back in her chair to face her desk. She wanted nothing to do with the quarrels between Captain and Detective Le. It was already bad enough having to listen to them. "No, she can''t. You wanted fieldwork so here you go. Do you even remember why you were suspended from fieldwork in the first place?" Captain began rubbing his forehead in exasperation. He could already feel the wrinkles beginning to form on his forehead. The phrase Asians never raisin had apparently not encountered a Westly Le, cause the detective was definitely making the Captain raisin. Westly went silent, crossing his arms and mumbling under his breath, reluctant to reveal the answer. Captain ran his palm over his face before going into his office, only to return to the bullpen with a stack of papers, dropping them on Westly''s desk. "These jog your memory?" Captain went through the papers one by one. "Complaints about trespassing. Harassment. Disturbing the peace!" He threw the papers back into the large pile. "Do you know how many complaints you have against you from Jian Wang?" Westly pursed his lips, his eyes now staring at the floor. "32¡­" "And how many apology letters have you written?" "0¡­" "What!?" "I mean, I''m working on it¡­" Westly nervously chuckled. "Westly, I know you. You''re exactly like Scotty. And that''s a good and a bad thing. I can''t let you loose on fieldwork if all you''re gonna do is chase after Jian Wang. We''re the major crimes unit, our job is to arrest criminals, not stalk them like some fanboy." Captain sighed, rubbing his temples. "But-" "I know you want to understand what happened 2 years ago¡­" Captain''s firm demeanor relaxing for just a moment. The mood of the room began to shift from hectic chaos and a heavy somber cloud hung over the room. Westly immediately tensed at the mere mention of the incident. "We all do. As you much as you and I don''t want to admit it, the evidence showed that Scotty was trying to procure drugs from Ouroboros''s leader Zemin" "We don''t know that! I was there, there was no way that Scotty-" "You were passed out with blunt force trauma to your head," Westly''s lips formed a tight line, understanding what Captain was insinuating, which left a bitter taste in his mouth. "Hell, the one that saved you from burning to a crisp along with Scotty and Zemin was Jian, himself. Instead of bothering him, you should let him be. He made it perfectly clear that night that he did not want to cooperate with the police so I don''t want you anywhere near him or Oroborous, got it?" Captain walked back into his office, not wanting to continue the argument. Westly gently caressed the back of his head, feeling the ridges of his scar from that night two years ago. He understood the words leaving Captain''s lips. They rung loud and clear. But Westly refused to believe what the evidence had told him. What the passing murmurs and sly remarks of the precincts echoed in his ear. Scotty was no dirty cop. There was more to the story and he knew that the first chapter began with Ouroboros''s former leader Zemin and who would know more about him than his own younger brother. He was gonna find out the truth no matter if he had to climb trees and jump fences to get to them, not that he has done that already... "Sucks for you." A tuft of pastel pink chuckled as he popped a lollipop out of his mouth. Westly rolled his eyes, spinning in his chair to face a toothy grinned Katsu. Westly wrinkled his nose at the very fluorescent, rainbow glitter unicorn he called his best friend. The tech analyst being only two years younger than Westly yet nearly a head shorter donned a pair of black loose shorts with neon purple leggings under and an oversized pastel green dinosaur hoodie, spikes and all. The entire ensemble was topped off with supernova style contacts. "Wooooow, such words of encouragement." Westly snorted, pressing his cheek against his fist that rested on the armrest. "Only here to help." Katsu flashed a cheeky grin. "If you want to help, why don''t you go undercover for me?" "Pfft," Katsu nearly spat out his lollipop. "Please, if I went undercover someone would lose their head within 2 minutes. I can''t stand dealing with idiots," Katsu scoffed, taking the lollipop out of his mouth and twirling the sugar stick in his hand. "Which is a wonder how I put up with you?" He innocently chuckled. "I can say the same thing about you, you diabetes monster. Don''t come crying to this idiot when you need to be shot with insulin every day." Westly grumbled, stretching himself out of his desk so that his face was smooshed against the cool metal surface of the table. "Well this diabetes monster has brought you a gift," Katsu plopped a small set of papers on top of Westly''s head. "Merry Christmas." "Satan doesn''t bring Christmas presents," Westly snickered as he grabbed the papers, only winning him a smack on the back of his head. "Abusive Gremlin¡­" "HMMM?" Katsu dared the other to repeat his words. "Adorable Grape?" Katsu huffed, satisfied with Westly meager attempt. "What are these anyway? Don''t you see I have enough paperwork as it is?" Westly nonchalantly gleaned through the papers. "Your undercover profile," A devilish grin spread across Katsu''s face. "Good luck, bunny boy~" Katsu skipped away gleefully back into his computer haven. Westly''s eyes grew wide in disbelief as the papers staring right back up back him mockingly."I''M A WHAT!?"
The man crumbled on the marble floor with a groan. His hands bound behind his back, one of his eyes bulging from swelling, his face a nice shade of red blue from the bruising, and blood trickled from his bloody lip. Breathing was difficult and his legs practically felt like jelly at this point. In that moment, all of it felt like a prick of the finger in comparison to the pair of cognac eyes piercing through him. A predator waiting to shred his prey until it was nothing left but bones. "P-please I will tell you anything¡­just don''t kill me." The man on the floor whimpered, fearing the worst was about to come. The young boss in the dark navy suit casually adjusted his gold Rolex on his wrist, his legs crossed as he sat on his white plush leather couch. It was as if there wasn''t a bleeding battered man in front of him, begging for his life. After adjusting the position of his watch and cufflinks, the young boss removed himself from the chair and squatted down in front of the man. The young boss''s eyes staring down at the groveling man with a bored expression. "It''s a waste of my time to interrogate you," The young boss simply grabbed the man''s chin, harshly tilting it up to ensure that the two were staring eye to eye. "Go back to your boss and tell him that Jian Wang wants to have a little chat," Jian raised one of his hands, his right-hand man tossing him a small square ziplock bag that contained two pastel purple tablets. "About this," Jian waved the bag in his hand before dropping it in front of the groveling man. "Got it?" "Y-yes!" The man began frantically nodding his head, lowering his head in submission like an animal baring its neck. Suddenly a tight grip wrapped around his throat. His pharynx closing in as fingers pressed into the soft tissue of his neck. Claws ready to rip out his jugular. He looked up, choking on the breath that tried to reach his lungs, to see cold, uncaring eyes glaring back at him. "I''m saying this once," Jian tightened his grip on the man''s neck. "If I catch you selling drugs in my territory again, there won''t be a second warning." Jian threw the man back. The drug dealer''s body fidgeting on the floor, gasping for air to enter his deprived lungs like a fish out of water. Jian nodded his head in a small gesture, signaling to his men to take the mess on the floor back to where it belonged. "Going soft? I was expecting a shattered shin or two?" Yuelong snickered, handing Jian a warm towel. The latter taking the towel and wiping his hands. "Without your favorite pup bothering coming to visit maybe you don''t have enough aggression built up in you anymore?" Jian turned around shooting him an annoyed expression. "If you jinx me, I''ll let you deal with him next time." Jian scoffed, tossing the towel back to Yuelong. "Sounds like too much work. Wouldn''t want to break a nail." The right-hand man just shrugged, a mischievous grin on his face. Jian picked up the packaged pills, lifting them up so that the natural light from the windows peered into the cheap plastic bag. Jian''s eyebrows furrowed. Marion. What was his brother''s relationship to these strange purple pills that had suddenly become prominent on the streets? What was its connection to the incident? Jian scowled, quickly tossing the bag at Yuelong. "Put that in the safe and we''ll just wait for the mice to come out and play."
The blaring music bounced off the walls of the dimly lit club right into Westly''s eardrums. The multicolored lights flashed against the scuffed dance floor and alcohol reeked pleather seats. The DJ playing some incoherent noise as sweaty bodies ground against each other to the beat. It had been 3 days into his undercover investigation and he already wished he was back to his desk job. At least there he could get some work done and just so happen to ''coincidently'' run into Jian while not being in the field. Technically not breaking Cap''s rule. Westly fidgeted in place as he waited for the bartender to complete the order. Internally praying to every deity. God, Buddha, Ronald McDonald, whoever the hell that was listening, to get the job done as soon as possible. He could feel the perverse leers and heated stares fall onto his chest as he continuously adjusted his leather booty shorts so that they weren''t so...short. He was fine being a waiter for his undercover job. Hell, he was fine working in what seemed to be basically a gay brothel passing off as a club. What he wasn''t fine with was the fact that he was basically stripped! Just like the other waiters in the club, he was dressed in leather booty shorts, long socks, leather shoes, and a collar with a bow tie. He was fortunate that they had granted him a sheer shirt to hide some of his scars, but his nipples were still clearly visible through the dark fabric. He knew that there were going to be perverted stares going on in the club, he just didn''t expect them to be pointed at him. If the rest of the division saw him this, he would abandon his name, move to a foreign country, and live his days being an alpaca farmer. He just thanked the heavens that he was still considered too ''new'' to be selected for one of the private rooms. Not that he would let it get that far. He''d break the guy''s dick first. No more fishies swimming upstream.Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. "Here, take this to VIP 4. Go in and get out, got it? Boss is having an important meeting there so make it quick." The bartender shot him a warning glare. Westly nodded in compliance, not understanding why the bartender seemed to have a grudge against him and grabbed the tray of colorful alcoholic drinks. Westly had to admit that despite the humiliation that burned with a passion of a thousand suns, he managed to dig up some information. He already witnessed some strange deals going on in the backrooms of the club among gang members and patrons. He couldn''t decipher exactly what the drugs were, but he knew that they were basically date rape drugs, seeing as how some of the patrons liked to twirl them around in some of the staff''s drinks. Of course, during those moments Westly would intervene, but he would only be met by either confused or pissed stares as he suddenly swiped the drink from the unknowing victim and the annoyed assailant. His plans were never very thorough, leading to him just holding the drink and not knowing what to do with it. His answer to that? Quickly tossing the thing in whatever direction gravity elected. Fortunately, he was already used to getting yelled at by Cap that he was practically immune when the bartender yelled at him. "Ya! What are you standing around for!?" The bartender hissed. "Going!" Westly frantically shouted back as he weaved through the mass of people.
"It seems that you gave one of my boys a bit of roughing up." A waft of smoke emanated from the cigarette of an elderly man dressed in a dark gray suit. The red dress shirt under him buttoned open, flashing his irezumi tattoos. The room was dimly lit with only the color of purple fluorescents filling the room. The couch circled the small round table in front of them, while one side of the couch was pressed up against a small half wall, separating the couch area from the bed. The elderly man leaned back against his plush seat pressed against the half wall, eyeing the young head of Ouroboros that was across from him. Jian was simply sitting back, barely acknowledging the elder''s presence as he fiddled with the cuffs of his suit. One would mistaken who the real boss of this meeting was. The elderly yakuza boss couldn''t help but let out a ''tch'' at the young head''s arrogance. "That tends to happen when others overstep their place." Jian stared intensely into the eyes of the head of the Yamdadachi-gumi. Though Jian''s expression appeared calm and nonchalant, the head of one of the oldest yakuza group was no fool. There was venom in those words. The head leaned forward, putting out his cigarette, before resting his chin on his fist and flashed a grin at the other. "I apologize for my men''s incompetence. They will be properly restrained, of course," The head leaned back in his seat, relaxing as he carefully analyzed the young boss''s movements and motives. "So it looks like the rumors were wrong that Ouroboros was trying to clean themselves up. Your brother gave us a run for our money, trying to cut ties with the drug trade and ending illegal activities. But then he goes off and sells drugs to the cops, looks like he was all bark and no bite." A smirk couldn''t help but grow on the head''s face when he noticed the falter in Jian''s calm expression. A tinge of burning anger boiling within the younger man. "New leader, new regime." Jian simply put with a false smile on his face, clenching his hands tightly together. His nails digging into his skin. "Well said!" The head let out a hearty and amused laugh at Jian''s continued act. He knew the younger was fuming on the inside yet couldn''t do a thing. It made the head feel good to remind the youngin of his place. "Now you have to understand, young boss, lil Marion isn''t easy to come by." The head pulled out the small plastic bag of the same pastel purple pills Jian had confiscated from the Yamadadachi''s drug dealer. "If I were to simply give it to you then how would my own business survive hm?" Jian waited silently, knowing that this old man was going to continue his spiel whether Jian liked it or not. "It''s nothing personal, young boss, but I got a business to run. So how about this," The head gestured with his two fingers for one of his underlings, who came over with a pen and a slip of paper. "Come back here in a few days. I''m getting a new shipment in. Make the higher bid and we can start thinking about- what would you call it- a partnership." The head scribbled something on the slip of paper before handing it to Jian. Jian took the scrap and gave it a glance before handing it to Yuelong who stood quietly behind him. "In a few days then." Jian sipped on his water in agreement with the other''s terms. "Great, great!" The head chuckled at the prospect of achieving another high-paying customer, plus gaining ties with the Ouroboros group was going to work in his favor. "Let''s celebrate our new possible business deal, no?" The door to the VIP room clicked open. "Perfect timing!" Yuelong bit back a bark of laughter as Jian nearly choked on his water. Wide eyes stared at Jian in disbelief, the thought of embarrassment replaced with that of utter shock. Westly quickly looked away, refusing to make eye contact with Jian- the floor had suddenly become highly entertaining -as he went through the automatic motions of distributing drinks. Thousands of thoughts were running through his mind. First, where was the nearest hole where he could crawl in and die? Second, why was Jian here of all places? The one time the detective didn''t want to meet the mob boss. Jian let out soft coughs to recollect his composure that seemed to have been thrown out the window somewhere. It wasn''t helping that Yuelong was basically trembling with laughter behind him. If Jian could, he would have elbowed the latter in the gut. "Here, here drink!" The head heartily cheered as he handed a drink to Jian. The yakuza boss then turned his attention to Westly and eyed him up and down to Westly''s dismay. "I haven''t seen you around before. I would have definitely noticed someone like you. Not many fit, athletic types," The head leered at Westly and the detective wanted to punch the creep in the face. "Why don''t you stick around, eh?" The head gave Westly''s butt a violent grope, making the detective jump at the sudden assault. Westly held the girlish scream down in his throat, rubbing his bum before attempting to flee, only to have the head suddenly pull him into the couch. "Why don''t we invite some of our boys here? What do you say, young boss?" He grabbed Westly''s face and Westly had to hold back the urge to headbutt the bastard. "We have some of the finest merchandise you can get. I am sure we can find someone to your liking." Westly quickly glanced at Jian, only to see the cold stare of the other. But it wasn''t pointing at the yakuza head. Instead, it was pointing directly at Westly. For a moment, Westly had forgotten that his chastity was in danger and boldly stared back at the young boss, his eyes screaming back ''What are you being pissy at me for!?'' Jian couldn''t help but let a small amused snort at the pup that was baring his teeth even though it was about to be eaten. "I''m sure you can," Jian let out a slight huff, a half-smile on his face. "But unfortunately, I have other business to attend to tonight as well." "Ah, the young always so busy," The head finally released Westly, who decided to bolt out of there lest he be molested again. "Then we''ll just have a toast to our future cooperation then?" The head lifted up his glass of poison, Jian mimicking the motion, but his eyes were fixated on the man scurrying out of the room.
"I swear I''m filing worker''s comp," Westly grumbled, rubbing his bum once more. He swore if there were bruises... He shook his head to remove the distraction from his mind. Rather than his bruised bum, his thoughts should be focused on a certain man''s presence. Why was Jian here? Was he making a deal with the Yamadachi group? Was he trying to get a shipment of drugs? Perhaps he was just using the Yamadachi group and planned to double-cross them later? So many possibilities and hypotheses swirled through his mind as he mindlessly mumbled to himself. So into his thoughts that he didn''t notice the sudden appearance of a certain man. "Holy Sh-" Westly attempted to yelp when a sudden hand covered his lips and he was suddenly kabedonned against the hallway of the VIP area. "I knew you were a stalker, but I didn''t think you were desperate." Jian''s low velvety voice echoed in his ear as piercing cognac eyes met his soft honey ones. "Pfft, D-don''t flatter yourself. I''m not here because of you." Westly swiped Jian''s hand away, rolling his eyes to hide the nerves bubbling in his stomach. He would usually have no problem confronting the mob boss. After all, this was Westly. But seeing that he was in a bit of a vulnerable state, he felt like he was a rotisserie chicken under the heated stare of Jian''s eyes. It wasn''t helpful that Jian was unfortunately undoubtedly attractive. He stood nearly half a head taller and his eyes were sharp like a panther. His jet black hair quaffed up, accentuating his chiseled jaw and cheekbones. His body was toned from all the training and fighting he had to endure as a mob boss and the suit he was wearing was hugging him in all the right places. Westly bit his tongue, refusing to swallow in a gulp, feeling that if he did he would have admitted defeat. "So then," Jian leaned in closer, slightly amused at how tense and rigid the other had become. "This is simply your hobby." Jian teasingly pulled at Westly''s sheer shirt, a smug grin on his face. Jian wouldn''t lie and say that the officer wasn''t looking quite tempting. Westly''s doe honey eyes staring up at him with conviction and resolve, with a mixture of embarrassed anxiety. His soft, dark chocolate textured cropped fringe fitting for Westly''s personality. The officer''s lean yet tone body on display through the sheer fabric and booty shorts. With the state the usually upright gungho officer was in, it would be a crime not to tease him a bit. "Y-yah!" Westly instinctively covered his nipples with his hands. "I''ll arrest you for sexual harassment!" Westly retorted, fiercely glaring at the other, but with the pout of disapproval on his face and his flushed red cheeks, he was hardly intimidating. "Why are you so curious anyway, hmmm? The more important question is, why areyouhere?" Jian automatically retracted himself at Westly''s questionings. The playful demeanor immediately flushed away and the stoic expression returning. "It''s none of your concern." Jian stood up straight, adjusting the end of his suit jacket. "Excuse me," Westly stood up straighter, with all the nervousness and embarrassment he had felt, quickly forgotten. "I''m a cop, it is my concern if you''re doing something illegal." Westly huffed, slightly shoving the tray in his hands against Jian''s firm chest. "Stay out of my business and I''ll stay out of yours." Jian''s tone was short and domineering, his words sounding more like commands than statements. Jian turned on his heel to leave the cop to his own devices. "Does your business have anything to do with two years ago?" Westly grabbed Jian''s wrist, impeding the other from leaving. He could feel Jian''s entire body stiffen and turn rigid. "Jian, let me help you. I want to know the truth about what happened as much as you-" "The truth?" Jian scoffed before fiercely turning around and pinning the hand Westly had grabbed him against the wall. "The truth I know is that my brother is dead and your so-called defender of justice put the bullet in him. If he hadn''t shot himself like the coward he was, I would have killed him myself." His voice low and on the borderline of a growl. Despite the anger and hatred emanating from Jian, Westly could also see the hurt and pain in Jian''s eyes. The feeling of desperation and loss. He was all too familiar with that look. "I know Detective Carter, and he would have never bought drugs from your brother or murdered him!" Westly retorted. Though he understood Jian''s pain and sympathized with him, Westly was blinded with anger at the accusations towards Scotty. Jian''s eyes pierced into Westly. "His bullet was in my brother''s chest and his tox screen showed he was doped up, so tell me, officer, what other evidence do I need?" Jian growled, his voice predatory and his patience running thin. Westly could feel a lump in his throat at Jian''s words. He couldn''t retort them because they were true. Evidence as plain as day. But he knew it wasn''t as simple as black and white. There had to be more. He had to believe that. For his own sanity. "There''s more to it!" The desperation in Westly''s voice could be heard. He didn''t know if he was convincing Jian or himself at this point. "Your brother was trying to break Ouroboros from the underworld, maybe he was just trying redeem-" "Don''t talk as if you understand my brother." Jian sneered, his boiling anger blinding him from his constricting grip on the officer''s wrist. His fingers were digging into the other''s skin as if he was searching for blood. "I understand that he was at least trying to be a good person!" Westly roared back, ignoring the pain he felt in his wrist, the doubt he felt in his heart. "And I know you''re a good person too...or else why would you have saved me¡­" The last part was a mere murmur on Westly''s lips. Words meant more for him than anyone else. "You think I saved you that night because I was a good person?" Jian almost wanted to burst into laughter at Westly''s stupidity. Jian leaned in closer, their faces mere inches from each other. Rage filled cognac staring into stubbornly naive honey. "The only reason I saved you that night instead of putting a bullet in your head was because you were the only witness to what happened to my brother. If I had known you''d get damned amnesia then I wouldn''t have wasted my time." Jian''s words were pointed, cold, like claws dragging down across fresh kill. Westly for once had no words to retort, no argument to bite back. The weight of the atmosphere seemed to have ripped out his larynx. "Young Boss!" Jian and Westly tore their eyes from each other to see the head of the Yamadachi group walking towards them along with his men and Yuelong. "If you were interested in the new boy, you should have told me. I''m not opposed to sharing." The head chuckled. Westly eyes shifted away at the uncomfortable remark. Yuelong raised a brow at Jian who nonchalantly released his grip on Westly. "He''s not my type," Jian stood up straight once more and walked past Westly who still pressed himself up against the wall. "Barks too much." Jian passively tossed the comment as he walked past the head. Westly''s cheeks burned a furious red at the insinuation of that remark. Jian made a quick gesture towards Yuelong to head out, not wanting to stay in this STD infested club for another second. Past Thoughts Westly mindlessly stared at the Illex¡¯s city landscape in front of him. The soft lights of buildings and homes flickering against the dreary backdrop of smog, steel, and stone. From how serene the cold, winter night looked, a person wouldn¡¯t have suspected that it was one of the most crime infested cities in the states. Some were even joking that it was becoming the new LA or Chicago. It had been 2 days since he had encountered Jian at the club and the mob boss¡¯s words still rang through his mind like a steel drum. Westly took a deep breath of the cold night air, letting it pierce his lungs. The gentle wind of his apartment¡¯s rooftop slowly wrapping around him, like a soothing hug of a mother. He looked down at a scruffy police badge blaring back at him. His calloused fingers gently tracing the outline of every ridge and crevice. ¡°Tadah!¡± Westly flashed a toothy grin, his chest puffed up in pride as he flashed his brand new police badge. ¡°I¡¯m officially a police officer.¡± He quickly stood up straight in a salute pose, his formal police attire adorning his frame. The crowd of fellow graduates poured out of the halls, their families and friends on the concrete steps of the building. The buzzing noise of the cityscape melded with the cheers and praises of congratulations. Westly looked at the elder detective, giddy as a bee. The older¡¯s salt and pepper hair put up in a half attempt to be formal. His dark brown suit crinkled and a size a bit too small for him. Honestly, with the caseload Scotty had, Westly wasn¡¯t sure that the experienced detective would have made it to the ceremony. He was elated that he did. ¡°Good job, rookie. I honestly thought you wouldn¡¯t make it.¡± Scotty snickered, swiping the younger¡¯s hat so that he could ruffle Westly¡¯s nicely combed hair. ¡°If I didn¡¯t make it, that just means that I had a bad teacher.¡± Westly teased back. ¡°Woooow, I don¡¯t remember raising you on sass. I can already tell you¡¯re gonna get an ass whoopin from your superiors with that mouth of yours,¡± Scotty flicked the other¡¯s forehead. He couldn¡¯t believe that the kid he took in over a decade ago was now grown up and ready to protect the city. The fond memories of seeing Westly dress up in his obviously oversized police uniform, waving around his own roughed up badge around, flickered across his mind. Scotty grabbed the back of Westly¡¯s neck, pulling the younger closer so that their foreheads were touching one another. Westly eyes widened for a moment from the initial shock, looking up at Scotty to see the latter¡¯s eyes closed, a bright grin spread across his face.¡°You¡¯re going to make a great cop, kid. I¡¯m so proud of you.¡± Hot droplets began to form in the corner of Westly¡¯s eyes. They threatened to fall down his cheeks. Westly gripped onto the badge tightly. His fingers trembling slightly at the tension. Though his mind was telling him to bite back the tears, his own body was beginning to betray him. He took a deep breath and quickly wiped away the threatening droplets from his eyes with the sleeve of his jacket. ¡°Yah! I¡¯ve been trying to call you all night! What if I had died or-¡± Katsu burst through the entrance of the roof stop, about to tell off the other, only to immediately stop in his tracks at the sight of his best friend. ¡°Why are you crying?¡± Katsu immediately came over to the ledge where Westly was sitting, cupping the other¡¯s face and noticing the redness of Westly¡¯s eyes. ¡°I¡¯m not crying. My eyes are just sweating.¡± Westly grumbled, but he couldn¡¯t stop the small sniff that escaped him. Katsue merely rolled his eyes. ¡°What are you? Five? If you¡¯re going to cry, just do it.¡± Katsu jokingly scolded, a sympathetic smile on his face. Katsu used his sweater paw and patted the ¡®sweat¡¯ that still remained in Westly¡¯s eyes. He plopped himself on the ledge next to Westly, glancing down to see the badge in the other¡¯s grip. ¡°You¡¯re thinking about that case again?¡± ¡°When am I not?¡± Westly let out a sad chuckle, trying to masking over his emotions with laughter. Katsu frowned. He hated when Westly did that, avoiding the obvious burden digging away at his heart. Striving forward like a steamroller and not allowing himself to properly grieve. It was if Westly was punishing himself for what had happened 2 years ago. When Scotty had passed and was suspected of distributing and taking drugs, the entirety of Division 9 was taken aback. To them, Scotty was the epitome of a great detective and person. He looked out for his fellow teammates and was always an advocate for the people, never seeing a person as simply bad or good. They had lost a friend and precious colleague. But for Westly, he lost his family, a piece of himself, and he chose to fill that void with an unhealthy obsession with discovering the truth about the case. ¡°Scotty is innocent,¡± Westly simply stated, not directing those words to anyone in particular. Katsu gently placed his hand on Westly¡¯s back, replying silence. Just like Westly, Katsu wanted to believe that Scotty was innocent, that there was no way he would not only commit murder but also suicide. But as more and more physical evidence poured in, the seeds of doubt buried within his heart. ¡°If only I could just remember what happened that night¡­¡± Weslty pressed his palms, against his skull in frustration. If he could only remember what happened after he had entered the warehouse. He had followed Scotty there, after the elder detective had received a strange phone call, but then¡­. ¡°Hey, stop squeezing your head like that,¡± Katsu swiped Westly¡¯s hands away. ¡°If you keep squeezing like that, you¡¯re gonna make your already pea-sized brain smaller,¡± Katsu teasingly smiled. Westly frowned, an unamused pout on his face, as he pinched the analyst¡¯s cheek as revenge. ¡°When the time comes, it¡¯ll come. ¡®No matter where you run, the truth is always bound to find you.¡¯ Scotty used to always say that, remember?¡± The two both let out a small chuckle, suddenly remembering when Scotty would scold them with the exact same line for doing something stupid and trying to hide it from him. ¡°Just don¡¯t be a dumbass and do anything dangerous like your strange stalker tendencies towards Jian.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not stalking him! It¡¯s called thorough investigation.¡± Westly huffed. ¡°Uh-huh. Like knowing that he likes wearing Tommy Hilfiger boxer briefs is gonna help you in your investigation.¡± Katsu rolled his eyes. ¡°It¡¯s not Tommy Hilfiger, it¡¯s Oakley!¡± Westly unintentionally corrected, earning a raised brow and lip from Katsu. Maybe Katsu had a point. ¡°Anyways, he showed up to the club on his own this time, I didn¡¯t have anything to do with it.¡± ¡°Wait, what? He showed up to a gay brothel?¡± Katsu¡¯s jaw dropped, highly intrigued by this nugget of gossip. ¡°I¡¯ve heard rumors that he went for both boys and girls, but I didn¡¯t think-¡± ¡°He didn¡¯t go there for that!¡± ¡°Then what? Hmmmm?¡± Katsu smiled, amused. Especially at how defensive the Westly was getting. ¡°He was there making a deal with the head of the Yamadachi group. I don¡¯t know exactly what, but I know that there are drug deals going on in that club¡­¡± Westly mumbled, his mind beginning to rack over what Jian¡¯s intentions could possibly be. Since Jian¡¯s brother had taken over the group years ago, Ouroboros appeared to have strayed from the underworld. They had shut down prostitution clubs they owned and converted them into more wholesome stores. Any clubs they did decide to keep, they legitimized. Jian¡¯s brother then trying to cut ties completely with the drug and arms trade, but that was easier said than done. The two sectors being the group''s main source of income for decades hence both Jian and his brother garnered enemies in and out of the group. Westly found it hard to imagine that Jian would allow his brother to suffer through the betrayal and threats only to stomp on their efforts to convert Ouroboros. ¡°Well it looks like this could be an opportunity to finally get evidence on Jian and arrest him so you can properly interrogate him. Ya know¡­¡± Katsu leaned back, a cheshire smile growing on his face. ¡°Instead of rummaging through his underwear drawer.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never went through his underwear drawer!¡± Westly hissed, his cheeks turning a shade of bright red as Katsu broke into laughter.
Westly robotically began cleaning up the slew of used glassware that decorated the top of the club¡¯s tables. This night was more crowded than most with men and women either holing away on one of the couches, cozying up with some of the male staff, or dancing away on the dance floor. Westly let a frustrated sigh, cursing under his breath everytime a random drunk stranger bumped into him while he was cleaning, or worse, tried to grope his butt. He made sure to twist the thumbs of all who dared to go towards his uncharted territory. Even with his threats, the attempts were still as vicious and unabashed, egged on by the costume he was wearing. He didn¡¯t know exactly what the theme of the night was, but as soon as he came into the club, their manager had shoved him a pair of pointed dog ears and a fluffy curled dog tail to attach to his everyday uniform. His coworkers given similar attire, ranging from cats to bunnies, hell even ducks. Westly wasn¡¯t one to judge other people¡¯s fetishes. Just a few more days. Those words had basically become his mantra for the past few weeks. A small bite of frustration sitting in his stomach. He knew that there was going to be some sort of deal with the Yamadachi group, or else why would Jian even bother being here. Fortunately through his snooping, he figured that the club was closing early tomorrow due to ¡®private¡¯ business so he had the where and when. The only problem was now was the ¡®what¡¯. Westly could only assume would be drugs. Of course, there could have been the other alternative since this club did provide ¡®those¡¯ services. ¡°I¡¯ve heard rumors that he went for both boys and girls¡­¡± Westly shook Katsu¡¯s words out of his head. Westly had heard the rumors too. I mean, Jian was an attractive, tall, wealthy man with an air of mystery. Westly wouldn¡¯t be surprised if the mob boss had a lover or two. Man or women. So if the mobster did decide to take upon the other form of ¡®product¡¯ this club provided¡­ ¡°What the hell are you thinking, Westly¡­Are you some pervert...¡± Westly scolded himself under his breath, smacking the side of his head to see if he could literally knock the thought out. Westly shook his head to be rid of the devil¡¯s thoughts, looking up from his mass of dirty glassware to notice a patron and worker cozied up along the leather couches. The patron was surrounded by his co-workers with other patrons close by, chatting up the boys who sent the patrons flirty glances in hopes of earning a few extra tips. As one of his co-workers, the one in the cat ears, was chatting away with a patron, another client had swiftly dropped what seemed to be pills in his co-workers drink. Not on this guard dog watch. Westly quickly glanced around, making sure that now was the right opportunity to hatch his scheme. He took a deep breath, ready to put his middle school acting skills to the test. ¡°What the fuck are you doing!¡± The client screamed as Westly basically dumped the entire tray of glassware on the man because he ¡®tripped.¡¯ Westly did say that he would test his middle school acting skills. He never said that he would pass. ¡°Whoops! My hand slip.¡± Westly shrugged. ¡°Christ!¡± His coworker in the cat eared let out a frustrated groan. ¡°I am so sorry about that, he¡¯s new,¡± His coworker glared at him. Westly bit back the chance to roll his eyes. ¡°Why don¡¯t we drink something to make you feel better, hmm?¡± His coworker began reaching out towards the drugged glass. Nope. Westly nonchalantly slapped the drink out of his co worker''s hand, having it land on the client that tried to drug him. ¡°You dumbass! I swear I¡¯m gonna kill you!¡± The client immediately stood up, heavy breaths of attempted intimidation. ¡°Oh man, I am so sorry about that. I have a condition called punkassitis. It just flares up whenever I am near one.¡± Westly simply smiled, as if he hadn¡¯t caused a ruckus. The other co-workers were trying to soothe the fuming client, placating him with sweet words and sensual touches. While they were doing that, Westly had other priorities. He noted that the scum had left his small bag of drugs on the table, one tablet still left in the package. He quickly swiped the bag amidst the commotion. ¡°WEST!¡± The sound of the bartender barking his alias signalled to Westly that it was his time to bolt out of there. Fortunately for Westly, the bartender was in such a sour mood that he screamed for Westly to go back home, which the latter was happy to comply with. Westly took a huge breath of relief to be outside of the seedy club, though he didn¡¯t appreciate that he was in such a rush to leave he didn¡¯t have the time to change. He was also sure that if he lingered there any longer, the bartender would have smacked him in the back of the head with a tequila bottle. The cold air was not welcoming to his nearly naked body, only dressed in his work attire and a jacket. Westly scanned the area, ensuring that no suspicious guest or rapist was nearby when he pulled out his findings from the back pocket of his leather pants. He pulled out the bag to survey it¡¯s contents. The pale purple pill stared back at Westly and for just a moment the detective felt like he was in a trance, staring at the drug under the moonlight. It looked familiar, Westly couldn¡¯t wrap his head around it, but he had seen the drug before. His mind began to comb through where he could possibly have seen this thing. Had his squad confiscated it before? Perhaps it was a new drug on the market that they had been briefed about? Westly knew it had to be more than that. His brain began to throb against his skull as he tried to remember what it was. ¡°There was a package of drugs next to his body¡­¡± Katsu glanced up every so often at Westly. The other simply staring at the wall of the hospital room. The slow beat of the heart monitored echoed sang volumes, a lullaby in an attempt to ease Westly who was hooked on so many machines he didn¡¯t know what connects to what. He didn¡¯t want to hear it. He didn¡¯t want to swallow that reality, but he knew he had to. The tech analyst gingerly placed the crime scene photo a top of Westly¡¯s hospital bed, attentively watching his movements so that the already emotionally battered cop did not do anything drastic. Westly looked down, only to nearly vomit as he saw the image of the charred hand of his surrogate father presented to him. If he had seen the entirety of the photo, he would probably be heaving in a bucket. Beside the charred remains were the melted remains of a ziplock bag and what seemed to be pale purple pills. Though those too took damage from the fire, Westly could clearly differentiate the color and the basic shape, embedding those notes to memory. ¡°They seem to be a new drug that¡¯s hit the streets, none of the other units have encountered it before. We tried to test it to see if they¡¯d matched Scotty¡¯s toxicology. It looks like they could have been something similar to morphine, we aren¡¯t 100% sure since there was so much contamination in the sample¡­¡± Katsu treaded carefully, seeing as how pale Westly had gotten. If he could, he wouldn¡¯t have told the other any of this in the first place, but he knew that Westly wouldn¡¯t have wanted that. That the other would have ripped the IV out of himself to go down to the lab to find answers. Westly gripped the brick walls of the club to keep his legs from giving out on him. This was what Scotty possibly died for. This was one key to the many answers that were locked away that night. Westly wanted to burst into the club, grab the head of the Yamadachi group by the collar and demand where he received these drugs. An unknown drug that police were not familiar with, suddenly resurfacing two years later. Could the Yamadachi¡¯s been working with Ouroboros two years ago? Was Scotty getting his supply from the Yamadachi¡¯s as well? A wave of nausea washed over him as his thoughts began to run wild. He took deep breaths in an attempt to calm his beating heart that was racing a mile a minute. A flame of frustration and conviction began to brew within him as he collected his thoughts and emotions. If the Yamadachi group was dealing these drugs from their club and Jian was planning to make a deal with them, then there was one thing Westly was certain of. Jian was also aware about the connection between these pills and the case 2 years ago. Westly was going to get answers out of the mob boss, even if he had to handcuff the gangster to him.
Jian leaned against the glass wall of his veranda. Even in the comfort of his own home, Jian dressed like he was ready to go to work at the drop of a dime, though he would argue that it was ¡®casual.¡¯ He adorned a simple pair of white dress pants with a fitted gray turtleneck to keep him warm from the winter chill night. His usually perfectly quaffed hair was now neat, soft bangs that rested on his forehead, freshly blow dried after his shower. He took a deep drag of his cigarette as he looked out into the backyard of his childhood home. The plush green grass that encircled the pool of water that mirrored the moonlight above it. The small hedge of trees and shrubbery closing the area off from the outside world. It had become a scene that always soothed his heart. It was a reminder of home. One where Zemin was still alive. A cloud of smoke left his lips as he glimpsed the untouched cigarette resting across the dark blue crystalline ashtray next to him. The gold rolex that he usually adorned next to it. The time reading on the slightly fractured face forever 1:45 am. The empty cigarette slowly burning beside, the whiffs of smoke floating up to dissipate into the dark night sky. ¡°Cough! Cough!¡± Jian was basically hacking up a lung while Zemin was laughing his tail off, thoroughly amused at the younger¡¯s suffering. Jian scrunched his face in dissatisfaction, pounding his fist against his chest to knock the last of the poison before immediately burning out his cigarette in the dark crystalline blue ashtray between him and Zemin. ¡°How could you huff that crap in your lungs?¡± Jian continuously stuck out his tongue as if the rancid test had embedded itself on his taste buds. The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. ¡°Told you, you wouldn¡¯t like it. It¡¯s not something a baby panther like you would enjoy¡± Zemin teased, pinching Jian¡¯s cheek, only to have the younger grumply swipe it away. ¡°I¡¯m not a baby. I¡¯m seventeen.¡± Jian rolled his eyes, resting his chin on his arms as he looked out at the backyard from the veranda of his room. Jian glanced at Zemin, who mindlessly stared out at the backyard with him, a playful smile still on the elder¡¯s lips. The leader of Ouroborus still casually adorning a suit, though it was more relaxed and disheveled then when he had originally worn it. The suit was a simply plaid burgundy with a black dress shirt under it, though the buttons of both the jacket and undershirt were popped out for a more leisurely look. His formerly nicely styled side parted dark bronze hair now in a messy disarray. ¡°Still a baby.¡± Zemin smirked, turning around so that his back was leaning back against the wall, his head thrown back so he could stare at the stars, or lack thereof. The cigarette in his mouth releasing a small trickle of smoke. ¡°I just don¡¯t want to get offed by lung cancer, like someone.¡± Jian pointed out, partially scolding the other for his lack of health. ¡°Pffft,¡± Zemin let out a small chuckle at Jian¡¯s attempt of showing concern. Though this was an improvement from when he first met the younger, cold and emotionless. A wild animal willing to do anything to survive. He could bear with the younger¡¯s motherly nagging if it meant that Jian would act more like a boy his age. ¡°With all that nagging, you better outlive me or you¡¯re gonna be all talk, baby panther.¡± Zemin let out a playful laugh, once again pinching the cheek of the younger, his gold rolex glistening under the night sky. ¡°You¡¯re digging yourself an early grave, young master,¡± Jian was pulled out of his thoughts at the sound of Yuelong opening the glassdoor that connected his bedroom to the veranda. Yuelong came up beside him, leaning back on both his elbows against the glass veranda, careful not to disturb the small set up Jian prepared. ¡°If not bullets, lung cancer.¡± An impish grin spread across his face. ¡°Look who¡¯s talking,¡± Jian scoffed as Yuelong phone began to buzz uncontrollably. ¡°Is that girlfriend number 3 or 4?¡± ¡°Neither,¡± Yuelong proudly smirked, glancing down on the screen on his phone before hanging up on the other line to end the incessant buzzing. ¡°It¡¯s number 5.¡± ¡°You¡¯re the one who¡¯s gonna get shot. Not me.¡± Jian let out a huff of amusement. Though the two of them have matured since they were impulsive teenagers, some things never change. Yuelong was always ever so popular. ¡°I¡¯m just making things even. I know you would be so lonely in the afterlife without me.¡± Yuelong cheekily smiled. Jian rolled his eyes, but couldn¡¯t fully displaced the smile that peeked from his lips. ¡°Do you have everything prepared for tomorrow?¡± Jian tapped the remnants of ash into the tray. ¡°Who do you take me for?¡± Yuelong snorted, clenching his chest in mock offense. ¡°I¡¯ve been keeping tabs on the Yamdachi¡¯s movements, I¡¯ll have some men stationed at the dock where the shipment should supposedly arrive. We¡¯ll find out which shipping line they are using for their transport. ¡± ¡°Good. Once that¡¯s done, backtrace it and find out their manufacturer.¡± ¡°And when I find them?¡± Yuelong raised a brow, wanting to confirm exactly what Jian¡¯s intentions were. ¡°Bring them here in one piece. I need them to at least formulate a list of who they deal with.¡± Yuelong let out a small sigh. It was always a pain bringing back the live ones. Yuelong made a quick glance at the young master, seeing as how his expression had stiffen. Jian¡¯s jaw clenched and the cigarette rigid between his lips. His sharp eyes glaring at nothing as he delved into deep contemplation. Yuelong could guess what the other was thinking. The right-hand man, chewed on his lower lip, trying to decipher how to go about this situation. Did he give Jian a hug? No, Jian would knee him in the gut shortly after. Pat his back and say ¡®that¡¯s rough, buddy?¡¯ What words could he say to comfort the other? He was not adept in comfort or empathy. He had grown up where the two people that were supposed to love and care for him, dumped him to the responsibility of someone else. He couldn¡¯t fully comprehend how Jian must have felt losing someone so close to him. Yuelong placed a hand on Jian¡¯s shoulder, pulling the other out of his thoughts, and gave it a reassuring squeeze. ¡°Zemin won¡¯t be on that list.¡± Jian¡¯s eyes lit up for a moment as if he wanted to respond. There was a moment of hesitation and instead the mob boss chose to divert his eyes, returning to his thoughts. A silence of understanding falling between them. ¡°JIAN!¡± That silence was abruptly ended. The muffled yells of Jian¡¯s name could be heard echoing throughout the estate. Jian and Yuelong looked at each other, both their brows raised at what the commotion would be at this time of night. Their confusion soon answered when one of the henchmen, opened the glass door to the veranda, nervously looking between Jian and Yuelong. He couldn¡¯t even make eye contact with the current leader of Ouroboros, choosing to quickly pass on his news to Yuelong as well as an Ipad. Yuelong lips slowly lifted into an amused smirk, Jian¡¯s brows furrowed together to decipher what that could entail. It was never a good sign when Yuelong was amused. The other¡¯s choice of amusement was often Jian¡¯s suffering. Yuelong swiped through the Ipad, switching to the intended camera to get a peek of their uninvited visitor. As soon as he got to the intended camera, Yuelong immediately began squatting on the ground and trembled in laughter. Jian¡¯s eyes wide and utterly confused at such a reaction. Yuelong was trying to contain his laughter so much that he couldn¡¯t even respond with words, only heaves of escaped chuckles. The right-hand man¡¯s only response to his boss¡¯s confusion was to hand the Ipad over to Jian. Jian reactively inhaled a vast amount of cigarette smoke at the sight of the camera footage, consequently leading him to start hacking up a lung. On the screen was a familiar rabid dog, waving his hands around at one of the security cameras. Unfortunately, that wasn¡¯t necessarily a shocker for him. It was the outfit the officer was wearing. He had already seen it at the club several nights ago, but now with the added accouterments, Jian was conflicted whether to laugh at the officer or question the officer¡¯s sanity. At the moment, a mixture of both was bubbling in his stomach. ¡°Yah! Wang Jian! I know you can see me! Let me in or I will climb this fence!¡± Westly pointed at the gated walls that separated the policeman from Jian¡¯s estate. The mob boss closed his eyes shut for a moment, massaging the bridge of his nose as he felt the throbbing of a headache forming. Jian would have to concede that any involvement with the officer was never boring. Jian gestured to Yuelong, who was still keeling over on the floor with laughter, to come collect the yapping pup, knowing that if he didn¡¯t the other would no doubt fulfill his threat.
¡°I¡¯m starting to think this is more of a fetish than an actual undercover job, Detective Le?¡± Jian raised a brow at the officer standing across his modern black glossy desk. Jian had thought the officer¡¯s undercover outfit couldn¡¯t get any better, but it surely did. Jian had to bury down the bubble of laughter that brewed due to the stark contrast between his modern monochromatic bedroom to the sparkly, fluffy angry Shiba Inu that was staring in front of him. Yuelong let out a snort from the far corner of the room, closest to the bedroom door. ¡°I-I was working!¡± Westly barked. His cheeks all the way to the tips of his ears were a bright strawberry red as he yanked the shiba dog ears off his head and threw them to the ground. ¡°Stupid pervert club¡­¡± Westly grumbled under his breath. ¡°Careful not to aggravate him, young master. I can see the hairs on his tail stand up.¡± Yuelong snickered, only to earn him a sharp glare from the officer. Jian couldn¡¯t help but let out a snort of laughter, seeing as that he could practically see the officer¡¯s tail stand up on ends even if the tail wasn¡¯t real. ¡°So why have you come to harass me in the middle of the night?¡± Jian cleared his throat, redirecting himself back into his serious demeanor. ¡°If it weren¡¯t for my curiosity, I would have called your friends down at the precinct to pick you up. That or called the pound.¡± ¡°You-¡± Westly pointed at Jian with his lip jutted out in annoyance, but held himself back to focus on the reason why he was here. And it wasn¡¯t to argue with Jian. Not like that has ever stopped them. Westly took a deep breath and mumbled under his breath to not bite the gangster out of anger. ¡°I¡¯m here cause you and I need to have a discussion about this.¡± Westly slammed the small ziplock bag containing the drugs on Jian¡¯s desk. Jian glanced down, holding his composure seeing as Westly had confronted him with the drug that was on his brother¡¯s body the night of the incident. ¡°And what is there to discuss about? Do you want me to advise you on your vitamin regiment?¡± Jian calmly slid the ziplock bag away from himself and towards Westly. ¡°Uhhhhg! Can¡¯t you just answer my question just once instead of sassing me!?¡± Westly threw his hands in the air from frustration, before running his hand down his face. ¡°Look, you know and I know that this was found at the crime scene two years ago. So it isn¡¯t a coincidence that you suddenly arrive to make a deal with a club that distributes them.¡± ¡°Is there a question somewhere for me to answer or are you simply going to continue blabbering?¡± ¡°I swear this man is going to give me an aneurysm and I¡¯ll make sure to haunt his freakin ass till the day he dies,¡± Westly mumbled to himself as he massaged his temples relieve the vexation that bubbled within him. Westly took another calming breath, grabbing the ziplock bag and shoved it right into Jian¡¯s face. ¡°What are you trying to accomplish buying the drugs that perhaps led to your brother¡¯s death?¡± Westly stared straight into Jian¡¯s eyes, unabashed or faltered. He was not going to let the other simply pass on with snarky remarks or wordplay. Jian frowned, equally vexed at how the officer seemed to courageously, but also stupidly, step onto landmines. It was as if the other didn¡¯t care that with just a snap of his fingers, Jian could make Westly disappear. The mob boss stood up from his desk chair, his eyes trailing to the blue crystalline ashtray he and his brother used to share as well as the fractured gold Rolex. A tinge of sorrow flashed through his eyes before he nodded to Yuelong to leave the room. The right-hand man hesitated, but seeing as how Jian was not fuming at the mention of Zemin, he assumed that puppy was not going to be eaten alive. ¡°What I¡¯m trying to accomplish, Detective Le, is a simple business deal. You¡¯re overstepping your boundaries, accusing me of purchasing drugs.¡± Jian stated plainly. ¡°Wang Jian, do you think I¡¯m an idiot? Don¡¯t answer that,¡± Jian closed his mouth, seeing as the other knew what his answer was going to be. ¡°You¡¯ve been obsessed with this case as much as I have. The fact that the Yamadachi¡¯s have a link to what possibly happened last night and you suddenly showing interest in the drug trade again can¡¯t be a coincidence. You¡¯re trying to figure out exactly what down between Detective Carter and Zemin that night, just like me. No matter how much you hate it, the two of us are in the same boat.¡± ¡°The same boat?¡± Jian scoffed, walking around his desk so that he was on the same side as Westly. ¡°We are distances apart,¡± Jian stood in front of the detective, appearing to tower the other though their height wasn¡¯t too drastically different. ¡°Let me ask you if it weren¡¯t for the fact that a cop was dead at the scene, would the police even put half as much effort as they did?¡± Jian mocked at the stark contrast. When had the police every cared for people like him and his brother? To them they were simply scum of the earth. If they died, no one would give a damn. It would be one less piece of trash on the street. Their lives set stone before they even began. ¡°It didn¡¯t matter who died,¡± Westly stood firm in his stance, not budging no matter how intimidating Jian was trying to be. ¡°Whether it¡¯s a drug lord, a cop, a civilian. All I know is that two people died and I can¡¯t make sense as to how the hell it could have happened. I was there and yet¡­¡± Westly clenched his fist, digging his nails into his palms. Once again, feeling helpless and angry that the answers were right in front of him, yet because of himself, he could not get to them. ¡°Going back to the life of the underworld isn¡¯t going to prove your brother¡¯s innocence.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need to prove that my brother is innocent,¡± Jian''s cold voice could penetrate steel. His calm facade on the verge of crumbling down in front of Westly. It was always in front of him. The officer always found a way to somehow chip away at the wall he had forged and it angered him. The officer was trying to let out a vulnerable and emotional side that Jian simply wanted to kill. ¡°Unlike you, I don¡¯t have some high and mighty ideal of proving his innocence. I simply want payback.¡± ¡°You know that¡¯s not true.¡± Jian could say all he wanted about going through this whole debacle just for revenge, but Westly knew that for the two of them, the end goal was the same. Why? Why was Detective Carter and Zemin together in an abandoned warehouse that night? Why did Zemin have the same pastel purple drugs that Detective Carter supposedly took? Why did the most important people in Jian¡¯s and Westly¡¯s life just suddenly vanish? Jian ran his fingers through his hair and aggravatedly licked his lips. ¡°Detective Le, I feel that you are becoming delusional. What makes you think that you know anything about me? Just because I happened to save you on a whim 2 years ago? Or is it because you have been practically stalking me?¡± ¡°I understand you because we both lost something that night.¡± ¡°Lost something? You don¡¯t get it do you?¡± Jian sneered. The more calm and reasonable Westly sounded, the more Jian began losing hold of his composed self. ¡°You lost something. I lost my entire world. The only family that I have ever had!¡± ¡°You¡¯re not the only one!¡± Westly barked back. ¡°Detective Carter was¡­.¡± The words seemed to be stuck in Westly¡¯s throat, unable to admit that the man that he had lost was basically his father. His protector. His best friend. Jian stared at Westly, slightly dumbfounded at the overbearing silence that trailed after Westly¡¯s words, especially since the other had a penchant for continuously barking. The detective¡¯s eyes now staring at the white carpeted floor, his hands were balled into a fist, and his brows furrowed in a mixture of pain and loss. Jian looked away as well, unable to focus on the sight of the detective being so emotionally vulnerable. True the two had their spats, yelling with threats was not something that was uncommon. The silence. That spoke more than anything the two had said between each other. Westly glanced up to see Jian refusing to meet his eyes. A flash of empathy on the usually stoic gangster¡¯s face. He had only really seen Jian when he was either angry or completely uninterested. Seeing him now in a state of confusion, loss at what to say next or what to do, it was something novel for the detective. The two of them were still mere inches apart, still so close that he could feel Jian¡¯s soft breathes against his skin. They simply stood there fidgeting, or at least Westly was. Jian stood rigid like an Easter Island statue. ¡°I¡¯m using these negotiations as a means to seize information...¡± Jian finally broke the silence, he let his shoulders drop and his body release the tension it held in. ¡°I don¡¯t plan to do anything illegal with the drugs. Will that suffice?¡± Jian closed his eyes for a moment, resting his forehead in the palm of his head. ¡°... Buying drugs itself is illegal¡­¡± Westly pointed out. ¡°But since I don¡¯t have any physical evidence that you¡¯re actually going to follow through with your words, this will suffice. If I ask more at this point, you might actually bite my head off¡­¡± Westly let out an awkward chuckle. Jian had conceded. Even if it was just a smidge, he had conceded. That made Westly feel...uncomfortable? He couldn¡¯t quite put his finger on it, but seeing mob boss being compliant was so out of place that the officer contemplated on recording this moment. ¡°That¡¯s the first smart thing I¡¯ve heard come from your mouth.¡± Jian mouth twitched to a half-smirk. ¡°And the asshole returns¡­¡± Westly murmured to himself, rolling his eyes. "The second smartest thing you can do is keep your nose out of this. I will take care of the Yamadachi''s myself." Jian casually placed his hands in his pockets. "You know I can''t do that." "Well, I never did expect you to do smart things." Jian smirked. "Yah!" Westly huffed, hands on his hips. "I do smart things like¡­" Jian quirked a brow as Westly''s eyes frantically moved about to develop an answer. "I can''t think of any right now, but I have done them.¡± Westly frowned at his own lame comeback and scratched the back of his head. Jian¡¯s eyes honed onto the dark purplish marks on the other¡¯s wrist, quickly swiping Westly¡¯s wrist to exam the finger-shaped bruises that hid under the sleeve of his jacket. His expression softened a bit as he gently traced the bruises with his thumb, knowing the origins of those bruises. Though almost fully healed, the remnants of Jian¡¯s actions at the club still remained. Without Jian¡¯s awareness, his eyebrows knitted together in irritation and for once it was not at Westly, but at himself. The fact that he was the one that placed the bruises on the other vexed him. Westly flinched, astonished at the sudden movement. The sudden gentleness from the other. The officer yanked his hand out of the mob boss¡¯s grasp. Uncomfortable with the strange chill that ran through him at the usually gruff boss¡¯s tender touch. ¡°No need to suddenly be so caring,¡± Westly awkwardly laugh and gently rubbed his wrist with his other hand. ¡°It¡¯s just a bruise. It was like getting swatted by a grumpy cat.¡± Westly shrugged, hoping the subject would drop. Jian ignored the others stammering, stalking over to behind his desk and opening a drawer. ¡°Seriously, you suddenly acting nice to me. The world must be endi-sdjhfiourhgjh!¡± Westly fumbled with the tube of ointment that was thrown at him. He analyzed the tube in his hand, the white and sky blue packaging of Arnica dented from numerous times of use. Westly looked from the bottle to Jian, who chose sift through his work files at the moment. ¡°Thank you?¡± ¡°My men will drive you home.¡± Jian completely ignored the other¡¯s words of gratitude and flipped through business proposals for land development within Ouroboros territory. ¡°I¡¯m not some civilian. I can walk home myself.¡± Westly scoffed, carefully putting the ointment in his coat pocket. ¡°Dressed like that, people would think I assaulted you.¡± A smug smirk on Jian¡¯s face as he looked up at Westly for just a moment. ¡°Assault who?¡± Westly scoffed. ¡°Like I would even let you.¡± Jian let out a snort, mocking the other as if saying that ¡®why would I even try to assault you.¡¯ Westly felt conflicted. He felt that he should be both offended and relieved. Before Westly could even bite back at Jian¡¯s teasing, the rumbling of a phone echoed through the mob boss¡¯s orderly room. A soft, gentle smile was painted across Jian¡¯s lips when he saw the name on the caller ID. The usual harsh, abrupt speech dissipated into a tender, warm voice when he answered the phone. Westly had never thought in his entire life that Jian could make such an expression. He honestly thought the man was stone-faced the day he was born. If Westly weren''t so stunned by the sudden change in tone of the other, his jaw would have fallen to the floor. Was that a smile on the rock face man he saw? He could barely discern the voice on the other line, only deducing that it was a woman that Jian was speaking to. A sudden bubble of annoyance brew in his stomach. His brows furrowed together at the reaction. Why would he be annoyed that Jian was talking to a woman so nicely? It wasn''t his business who the stupid mob boss chose to show that nasty googoogaga expression to. Jian could be nice to whoever the hell he wants, for all Westly cared. ¡°Ahem, time to take you back home, pup.¡± Yuelong cleared his throat, a clearly amused smirk on his lips at the sight of the pouting pupper. He was sure that the officer was unaware of the expression he was making. ¡°I can walk myself home.¡± Westly huffed, stomping towards the exit of Jian¡¯s bedroom. Yuelong cocked a raised brow at Jian, waiting for the young master¡¯s orders. ¡°One moment, Emmy,¡± Jian placed his hand on the mic of the phone. ¡°Carry him like a rice bag and shove him into the car if you have to.¡± Jian ordered. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, young master, I¡¯ll escort your princess properly.¡± Yuelong snickered, only earning a glare from Jian before he returned to his phone call.