Li Hao followed obediently. He didn’t ask anything more.
Liu Long didn’t talk for a long time. He strode out of the house. Li Hao followed behind.
…
Outside the Zhang family residence, the entire street was filled by the people from the law enforcement team. A very few residents had also come out to the street in alarm at the commotion.
Liu Long did not say a word and continued to walk. He walked all the way to a water tower in the middle of the old Street and then halted. Then, he climbed the stairs to the top.
Li Hao followed him silently. He didn’t know what the captain intended and why. Perhaps he wanted to look down from a high ground.
The water tower was the tallest building in the old street. Everything could be seen from up there.
‘Does he want to observe the surroundings from up there?’ wondered Li Hao.
The two of them walked up the old, creaky wooden stairs. A few minutes later, they were at the top. Below them, the old street spread wide. Everything was in sight.
Liu Long’s trench coat was unbuttoned. It fluttered in the wind. The numerous weapons on his personage were fleetingly revealed. Li Hao had expected the weapons to be mostly guns however, to his surprise, there were various knives and blades.
There was a short knife, an exquisite silver axe, and a few throwing knives with extremely small hilts.
Liu Long looked up at the sky instead of the crowded street below. “Li Hao,” he said. “You have been working in the Confidential Information Room for more than a year now. Tell me, what was your first impression of the law enforcement team?
“I thought that they were very capable,” lied Li Hao.
“Ha!” smirked the captain. “Lies, again! All scholars are indeed very bad liars.” He mocked.
Li Hao was astounded.
“I know you think we are incompetent. That we seem to be able to solve small cases but incapable of even investigating the big ones,” said Liu Long, appearing very indifferent, as though he couldn’t care less. “You are right. The law enforcement team has been somewhat incapable for the past few years now. Years ago, we were the stabilizing force of Silver City.”
Captain Liu looked at Li Hao. “You are from here. So, you would probably remember that the Law enforcement team was so effective that the Silver City never worried about its security. Silver City was the safest place to be in, even at night.”
Li Hao did remember. He nodded. Silver City was considered very safe when he was young. He had felt that there was never any danger, at least not in the Silver City.
“Do you know why I want you to join my team?” he asked.
Li Hao shook his head.
“Think about Zhang Yuan,” said the captain.
Li Hao was confused. How was Zhang Yuan connected to him offering Li Hao a post?
Liu Long sounded a little gentler. “I have been the captain of the law enforcement team for ten years now. I care for my team deeply. It’s how you feel about your friend Zhang Yuan. You feel like you have lost a brother. I know. I can’t bear to see my team, which I consider my family, in danger.”
“However, my emotion and my loyalty has clouded my judgment. I tried to investigate and find out the traitors. But I keep restraining myself from doing a full-blown investigation because I keep feeling like my team would never do anything to let me down. I certainly don’t want to doubt them and lose their trust in me. I have been with them, together for years. Always fighting for justice. I somehow can’t bring myself to believe that such people would betray me and betray the principles we stand for.”
“Justice is eternal, never afraid, never compromising!” Liu Long declared. “That was the oath we took together. It seems very few people believe in it now.”
Li Hao listened in silence. He wasn’t familiar with the captain. But the captain seemed to think differently.
Liu Long changed the subject. “Zhang Yuan’s case is not so simple. There might even be Supers behind it.”
Li Hao nodded. “I think so too. The six immolation cases were made to appear very natural. If I hadn’t seen my friend die before my eyes, I would have believed it to be an accident like any ordinary person.”
“And you still dare investigate such a dangerous case?” Liu Long laughed. This was the first time Li Hao had seen him do anything else than shout, appear domineering and act indifferent.
Li Hao didn’t know if this person knew about the red shadow. So, he said the only thing that was true to him. “Zhang Yuan was my best friend. I couldn’t save him. This is the least I can do.”
“You are willing to risk your life for a friend?” asked Liu Long. “Young people and their impulsiveness…. Anyway, that is not important right now. You are in danger. First, you dug up the cases. Second, you brought it to the attention of the law enforcement team, and of course, the traitors there. Third, you alerted the enemy by coming here tonight. All eyes are on you.”
“I know you trust Professor Yuan,” said Liu Long. “But it is never a good thing to rely too much on others. Maybe he can help, maybe he cannot. Night Patrollers might not get involved just for his sake. Hell, they think even Supers are beneath them. Do you think six dead people are of any significance to the Night Patrollers?”
Liu Long shook his head. “It’s not that they don’t care. But they are always scattered all over the place. The Night Patrollers are very few in the Silver City. Unless there is a large casualty, they won’t be dispatched. They don’t have the time to care about a few deaths even if Supers are involved.”