225: Chapter 220 Boating on the Lake

Today, Liao Kai had inexplicably brought along a military officer from the General Armament Department, someone who had absolutely nothing to do with solving crimes. How could he possibly help the progress of the case? Furthermore, he had brought heavy weapons for a criminal investigation and wasn't even wearing a uniform, making them look like a group of bandits. What could these grunts, who knew nothing about criminal investigation and lacked any professional skills helpful to the case, do besides fight in a war? Did they really think they could solve the problem by bombing that stretch of water? It was laughably naive! Now that he actually dared to give her an attitude, she decided right then and there to teach Cao Xiao a lesson. Driving him away would also serve as a reminder to Liao Kai not to bring just anyone in to distract her and hold everyone back.

"Hmph! Major Cao, please mind your attitude! If you don't know how to solve crimes, don't meddle! Since you're already here, you must follow my arrangements. Help our technicians move the equipment, handle the logistics, protect our investigators, and don't just order people around!"

This woman was far too self-righteous! He hadn't wanted to get tangled up with her, intending to just do his own thing and leave once he was finished, but he never expected this woman to start ordering him around! Moving equipment? Handling logistics? Acting as a bodyguard? Does she really think we're just ordinary Armed Police! This is simply outrageous! Cao Xiao was truly enraged now. His originally smiling face immediately turned cold, and he looked at Liao Kai expressionlessly, saying, "Director Liao, are you not the one in charge here?"

"Uh!" Liao Kai hadn't expected Ye Jianping to say such things either. His expression darkened instantly, and he stared at her, saying solemnly, "Ye Jianping! I specifically applied to the higher-ups to have you sent down here. I respect your professional expertise and achievements in criminal investigation, which is why I've deferred to you in everything. However, I am the primary person in charge of this case, and you are only responsible for assisting. I didn't bring you here to throw a tantrum like a spoiled young lady! We've exhausted all our efforts for so long without any progress; regardless of whether the person I invited can help the case, they at least give us some hope. Besides, it's not entirely a waste of time; they've provided us with some new perspectives, which is more meaningful than us just sitting here racking our brains. You can't deny that the very argument you used to dismiss Major Cao just now was provided by them. But every time I invite someone, you drive them away. I let it slide the last few times, but I won't tolerate it this time! Major Cao is no ordinary officer; he holds another important post. Not only do you lack the authority to order him around, but even your department head doesn't have that right! Now, I don't care what you think, but I am your superior, and I order you not to interfere with any of Major Cao's actions during the remainder of this investigation. If Major Cao has any needs, you must cooperate fully and unconditionally! Otherwise, you can go back to wherever you came from! I won't cater to you anymore!"

"Ah!" Ye Jianping cried out in surprise, seeing Liao Kai suddenly explode and speak so harshly, even going so far as to threaten to send her away for Cao Xiao's sake. Having been coddled and favored by her superiors throughout her years of work, she had never suffered such a great grievance! Her eyes grew moist, and she stubbornly held back tears as she said, "Director Liao, what did I do wrong? You actually shouted at me! Even if he holds an important post, it's only a military one. We're in the same task force, and his rank is lower than mine. Is it wrong for me to order him to do things? We aren't fighting a war, nor do we need to capture a killer. If we don't have them do logistics and security, should we just let them go sightseeing?"

"You..." Liao Kai hadn't expected Ye Jianping to be so stubborn. Seeing her on the verge of tears, he felt a bit of regret, realizing he had been a little too harsh. He was about to speak but thought better of it and stopped.

By this point, how could Cao Xiao not understand that Ye Jianping was just a pampered girl who had been spoiled since childhood? Her temperament was not yet mature, and he treated her behavior as nothing more than a child's tantrum, so he didn't want to bother with her anymore. He smiled and waved his hand, interrupting Liao Kai, "Director Liao, calm down. There's no need to criticize Division Chief Ye anymore. I understand the situation now and won't take offense with her. How about this: you don't need to worry about me, and I won't join any task force. I'll investigate on my own and notify you if I find any clues. We haven't had lunch yet, so we'll take our leave!"

"Sigh!" Liao Kai glanced at the still-indignant Ye Jianping, sighed, and said with a bitter smile, "Alright then! I won't force it. Just contact me if you need any help."

"Hmph!" Ye Jianping glared resentfully at the departing backs of Cao Xiao and his group. She gave a heavy, cold snort before turning to ask Liao Kai, "Uncle Liao, who exactly is that guy? Why are you so polite to him?"

Liao Kai shook his head and smiled bitterly upon hearing her call him "Uncle Liao," which immediately dissipated his anger. Her father was his comrade-in-arms through life and death; not only did her family spoil her, but he also treated her like a precious treasure. That was why he had specifically invited her and let her have her way, allowing her to issue orders on his behalf within the task force. Ye Jianping still had the rebellious temperament of a child and needed to be coaxed; harsh reprimands would only backfire. Thus, he spoke earnestly, "Haha! You don't have a high enough clearance to know his true identity, and I'm not entirely sure of his specific status either. However, the department they belong to is very mysterious, specifically dealing with supernatural and special affairs. Their authority is staggering. If I hadn't happened to meet him by chance in the past and helped him handle some trouble, building up a bit of a relationship, I wouldn't have been able to invite him today."

"You! You've been spoiled rotten by your father! If you can't restrain that temper of yours, you're going to suffer a great deal sooner or later. It's only because he's fairly reasonable and gave me some face, considering you're a girl, that he only ignored you. A harsh scolding would have been light; he might have even hit you. He's even beaten elderly people in their sixties or seventies in broad daylight. He's a lawless person who kills without blinking; if he truly gets enraged, he'll do anything without considering the consequences. Just last night, I was up in the middle of the night cleaning up his mess. Do you know the state of the people who provoked him yesterday? All twenty-odd of them had their limbs broken and were castrated on the spot! The family of the main culprit was uprooted, and it won't be long before they're sent to the execution ground to face a firing squad. Several officials in our city were taken away overnight, and even someone at the provincial level faced repercussions because of it, their future darkened forever. Even our Commissioner Zhang has a massive headache because of him, yet he still has to cover for him. Do you know what that represents?"

"Furthermore, these people seem to possess some unknown and extraordinary skills. The Operation Sky Net that caused a sensation throughout the entire Chinese police system was his handiwork; it took only two short days from the start of the investigation to the coordinated arrests. Therefore, he definitely has more of a say in this matter than you do. Don't be stubborn. Although it's hard for us to understand how they do it, the fact remains! You offended him today, and he surely feels some resentment toward me now. He's a person who hates trouble, and your outburst gave him the bad impression that police investigations are always this troublesome. It won't be so easy to ask for his help next time. Alright, let's not talk about this anymore. You two won't have any interaction in the future anyway. Let's focus on how to solve the case! He reminded us just now that the residents around Liang Lake have lived off the lake for generations; no one knows Liang Lake better than they do. Go arrange for some local officers to find some elderly residents and ask around; we might find some clues."

"Oh! Alright!" Ye Jianping listened, feeling a bit dazed. The amount of information Liao Kai provided was a bit much, and some things outside her knowledge were difficult to digest for a moment. However, she seemed to have discovered something very interesting, as an unusual light flashed in her eyes from time to time.

If Cao Xiao were to hear Liao Kai's evaluation of him, he would definitely spit out a mouthful of blood and then cut ties with him.

...

On the other side, Cao Xiao and his group didn't go looking for a place for lunch. Instead, they rented a large tour boat, bought some fishing gear, and boarded the vessel to leave Daoshan Village.

The weather was beautiful, the green mountains were faintly visible, the ripples were vast, and the lotus leaves stretched far and wide. Boating on the lake was quite a pleasant experience. Cao Xiao had rented a 22-meter-long ancient-style luxury double-decker painting boat, or Huafang. It was constructed entirely of fir wood with Ming Dynasty-style interior decorations and rosewood furniture, giving it an antique charm.

This Huafang did not belong to the scenic area but was privately owned, worth no less than a million. Naturally, the rental price was not cheap. Since it was a private charter, it cost five thousand yuan per hour. Additionally, at Cao Xiao's request, it was equipped with catering facilities, beds for staying overnight, and some daily services. The owner's family of four all pitched in, and the cost was twenty thousand yuan an hour. This was the price Cao Xiao had proactively offered; if he had bargained, he could have settled for around eight thousand. Everything else was fine, but Cao Xiao's requirement to stay overnight on the lake made the owner hesitant. He clearly knew about the recent rumors, and seeing that the group was armed to the teeth, it was obvious they weren't just there for a simple boat ride. Even after Cao Xiao showed his military ID, the owner was unwilling to risk it with them. Left with no choice, Cao Xiao could only use his most powerful superpower—money. He directly offered twenty thousand, and to his surprise, the owner accepted instantly, immediately asking to sign a rental agreement for fear that Cao Xiao would regret it.

It was no wonder the owner acted this way. On ordinary days, very few tourists would choose to buy a ticket for such a luxury Huafang; the ticket price was simply too expensive, costing two to three hundred yuan per person for an hour, and even more with additional services, whereas a regular boat only cost a few dozen yuan. This Huafang could accommodate about twenty people at once. If it were full, the owner could earn four to five thousand an hour, but the truth was that it had never been full since he bought it. If there were fewer than five passengers, it was a loss. It was very difficult to gather more than five individual tourists on a normal day unless a group came along; otherwise, the boat just sat at the dock for long periods, waiting for a stroke of luck. Now, he had hit the jackpot, encountering a wealthy client like Cao Xiao who wasn't short on money and wanted a long-term rental. At twenty thousand an hour, that was nearly half a million a day. If they rented it for a few more days, he would not only make back the money he spent on the boat but also turn a huge profit. It was worth taking a bit of a risk.

"Xiao Zhu, Xiao Zhen, how old are you two this year? Are you still in school?"

The Huafang was driven by an electric motor, so there was basically no noise, though the speed was a bit slow to save power. They might not reach the center of the lake until dusk. However, this made it suitable for fishing. Cao Xiao moved a lounge chair and a small table to the railing of the stern platform, leisurely casting his line. His bodyguards were having a self-service barbecue nearby. The twin daughters of the Huafang owner, surnamed Hu, were dressed in light gauze traditional-style ancient costumes, pouring tea by his side and occasionally bringing roasted food to Cao Xiao's mouth.

"In reply to the Young Master, we sisters are twenty years of age and are currently attending studies at Huanghe University."

Their eyes were full of warmth, their vermilion lips parted slightly, and their voices were like the song of an oriole.

Looking at these two women who seemed to have stepped out of an ancient painting, Cao Xiao felt a headache coming on. With his mind, he could naturally guess what the owner was planning. This was the first time he had received such treatment, and he was very uncomfortable. Normally, when one pays for a service, especially at such a high price, they should enjoy the best service, but the two girls before him were not part of that; they were clearly an exclusive service specially provided by the owner. If they were ordinary women, it would be one thing, but these two girls were incredibly beautiful, with celestial grace and archaic speech. It was inevitable that his mind would wander, yet he didn't know how to refuse. He had already missed two bites on his hook.

"Uh! You wouldn't happen to be in the literature department, would you? Don't you have classes today?"

"Young Master, we are currently researching ancient literature. Today happens to be a break from our studies, so we are helping out at home."

Cao Xiao couldn't distinguish which one was Hu Zhen and which was Hu Zhu, but their speech was concise, calm, and formal. He could also sense a faint distance in their tone and couldn't help but smile bitterly to himself, thinking that Boss Hu's wishful thinking was one-sided.

Since they weren't willing and he felt awkward himself, he didn't waste any more time. He lay back in his chair, focused on his fishing rod, and said without looking back, "Alright, the sun is quite harsh right now. Go inside and rest; I'll call you if I need anything."

"Alright, I'll go get a parasol for you."

Hu Zhen and Hu Zhu remained unperturbed and stopped using flowery language. They responded and hurried away as if they had been granted a grand reprieve.

Cao Xiao smiled to himself. If I hadn't said that, would you have just let me keep baking in the sun!

Time slipped away amidst the ripples. Cao Xiao fished all afternoon, but his creel remained empty. It wasn't that he hadn't caught anything, but because the boat was constantly moving, the hook didn't sink deep, and he only caught some small-scaled fish. Cao Xiao didn't care for them and threw them all back. By dusk, they finally reached the center of the lake. Having arrived at their destination, the Huafang stopped. Seeing that Boss Hu and his wife were about to start preparing dinner and he still had no catch, Cao Xiao had no choice but to cheat.

He changed the bait and cast it into the water again. Before long, the bell on the fishing rod rang sharply. Cao Xiao shouted in surprise and delight, "Haha! A big fish has taken the bait!"

Hearing this, the others were drawn over.

The fishing rod and line were strong enough, and Cao Xiao had great strength, so there was no need for the struggle of letting out and reeling in line. He simply reeled it in with brute force, pulling the rod upward with all his might. In less than a minute, the so-called big fish appeared before everyone, much to their surprise and delight. It turned out to be an Old Soft-shell Turtle the size of a washbasin, estimated to weigh about twenty catties. Who knew how many years it had lived. It had been minding its own business hunting small fish at the bottom when a hook had descended from the heavens and, by pure coincidence, landed right in its mouth. An irresistible force had then dragged it straight up to paradise.