Insights Chapter 126: Chicken Soup

Final Volume: Hetu Trading Association

Chapter 126: Chicken Soup

Translated by Addis of Exiled Rebels Scanlations

Editor: Karai

Penang City Bureau, the day before the Mid-Autumn Festival holiday, the city bureau was particularly busy. After the investigation of Mansion 13, many cases were revealed, and half of the city bureau, including the Criminal Investigation Division, Economic Investigation Division, and Drug Enforcement Division, were all busy as a result.

Another major event was that the supervisory team finally arrived in Penang. Early in the morning, Director Ding welcomed several deputy directors at the entrance.

A van slowly pulled in and stopped in the parking lot of the Penang City Bureau. Then more than a dozen people got out of the car, all looking serious and dressed formally. They were the supervisory team sent down from the provincial level.

Leading the team was the head of the supervisory team, Secretary Cui from the province, and Deputy Director Liu from the Provincial Public Security Department. The entire supervisory team included some elites drawn from the public security, procuratorate, and judicial departments. These people had undergone strict scrutiny to ensure that they had no prior dealings or connections with the officialdom or business circles in Penang.

After exchanging pleasantries, Director Ding led the leaders upstairs. The city bureau had already made arrangements and selected three largest conference rooms in the main building as temporary offices. The morning briefing was particularly important, attended even by the mayor and deputy mayor of Penang, leaders of the procuratorate, court leaders, and Director Ding.

Several branch directors were also present. Gu Yanchen and Shen Junci, as frontline detectives involved in the case, were also notified to attend.

Secretary Cui delivered a work speech, “The main task of our supervisory team this time is first to thoroughly investigate the Penang Love Foundation, Mansion 13, and other related major cases. Secondly, we must accept the reports and petitions from the masses, focus on solving social problems, and thoroughly clean up the atmosphere in Penang City. This time, we will conduct a comprehensive survey of Penang City without leaving any blind spots. Thirdly, we need to review and organize old cases and files, correct wrongful convictions, especially emphasizing missing persons cases, which should not be treated as homicides. We must also resolve long-standing old cases and provide explanations to the people. Fourthly, we need to clean up the leadership and police force, conduct performance assessments for public servants, eliminate bureaucratic practices, rely solely on performance rather than relationships. Those who are unqualified, lacking in ability, or have problems must be removed from the judicial system.”

He seemed to imply something, looking at several branch directors on the side. Some of them lowered their heads nervously.

The supervisory team had the power to appoint and remove personnel. If any illegal or disciplinary behavior was found, they could immediately dismiss the person involved, and no plea would be of any use.

Continuing, Secretary Cui said, “Our supervisory work this time has only a work plan, no set time limit. We prioritize solving practical problems. If the problems are resolved, we will leave early; if not, we will stay here until they are. In any case, this time is a long-lasting and arduous battle. We won’t back down until the victory is achieved.”

These words were enough to show the determination of the higher-ups.

Director Ding stated, “Secretary Cui, rest assured, under the guidance of the supervisory team, we will thoroughly investigate major cases, uncover the truth, and never tolerate illegal activities.”

After discussing the main tasks, it was time to put the work into action.

Deputy Director Liu introduced the members of the supervisory team one by one, then said, “To complete our work, we need to draw some personnel from the city bureau. We have reviewed the recent work reports of the Penang City Bureau, and the Special Crime Division’s work stands out. After discussing with the provincial leaders, we decided to transform the Special Crime Division into a special task force to cooperate with the supervisory team and handle related cases.”

These matters had been discussed and arranged between him and Shen Junci earlier, as well as arrangements made by the bureau.

Deputy Director Liu turned to Gu Yanchen and said, “Captain Gu, let’s cooperate well in the future. If you lack manpower or equipment here, feel free to let me know.”

Gu Yanchen replied, “We will fully cooperate with the work of the supervisory team.”

After the meeting, the staff of the supervisory team began to make practical arrangements. They opposed extravagance and waste, staying at a nearby hotel and eating in the canteen.

Secretary Cui specially instructed Director Ding not to hold receptions, and irrelevant personnel were not to be seen. Once settled, the supervisory team began to take over Mansion 13 case, reviewing all witness testimonies again, and then started to organize recent work.

Stacks of pending files filled the tables in the conference room. A complaint box was placed in the lobby of the city bureau. The staff of the supervisory team and several members of the Special Crime Division had met before.

Deputy Director Liu first shook hands with Shen Junci, saying, “Dr. Shen, your work has been outstanding. Our team from the provincial office is indeed excellent!” He seemed quite satisfied with Gu Yanchen too, patting him on the shoulder and encouraging him, “Young man, keep up the good work. You have a bright future ahead.”

After a busy day, when they finished work in the evening, Gu Yanchen drove to the forensic building. Shen Junci came down the steps and skillfully opened the car door, sitting in the passenger seat and fastening his seatbelt.

Gu Yanchen asked, “What do you want to eat tonight? I’ll cook for you.”

Tomorrow was the Mid-Autumn Festival, and although they couldn’t take a break, they still wanted to create a festive atmosphere. Gu Yanchen wanted to cook something delicious, but he was worried that Shen Junci might not have much appetite for rich food.

Shen Junci thought for a moment and said, “I want to drink chicken soup.” After a pause, he added, “Clear chicken stock without anything else.”

He had been in meetings this morning and helped with an autopsy in the afternoon, standing for hours. Now he felt a bit cold, and the weather had cooled down recently, so he wanted something warm.

Gu Yanchen said, “Sure, like the one you made for me last time when I was injured, right?”

Shen Junci nodded, “Yes, made from free-range hens raised on grains and insects, simmered for several hours until it’s completely golden. Then skim off the layer of oil on top, and it’s ready.”

The soup was clear and fragrant, best served hot, with all the flavors of the chicken infused in it. Perhaps because he had been tricked by Lin Xianglan too many times in the past, he had a bit of a fixation on making chicken soup and didn’t like to add anything else.

Gu Yanchen asked, “I’ll start making it when we get back. Is there anything else you want to eat?”

Shen Junci considered for a moment and said, “How about some porridge?”

Finally, after these busy days, Shen Junci’s injury was almost healed, and they brought their fostered cat and dog back home.

Back at home, after Shen Junci took a shower and dried his hair, he sat on the sofa and played with Wuliang, the dog, who obediently lay beside him, letting him stroke its fur. Snowy, the cat, was more lively, occasionally coming over to rub against them. Sometimes he would even chase his own tail in circles.

After a while, the kitten found his new toy, the small dog plushie that Gu Yanchen had won in a shooting game last time. The kitten was fierce, waving his paws and constantly biting the plushie, treating it like a mouse. After a while, the plushie’s cotton stuffing started to show, and it looked like it was about to be ruined.

Just as the plushie was about to fly away, it landed in front of Wuliang. Wuliang stretched out his paw and pressed down on the plushie. His stern expression seemed to indicate that it had caused too much damage and needed to be confiscated.

Snowy tried to grab it back but couldn’t. Compared to Snowy, Wuliang seemed like a giant. The kitten meowed, looking up at Wuliang, then sat up straight, meowing again with big watery eyes, appearing weak, pitiful, and helpless.

How could anyone resist such an adorable little kitten? The dog immediately backed off, and Wuliang slowly lifted his paw off the plushie. Snowy happily took the toy and ran off.

This scene was observed by the two owners.

Shen Junci and Gu Yanchen joked, “You see, Wuliang spoils Snowy like this.”

Gu Yanchen brought the dinner over, saying, “I think Wuliang is enjoying it.”

The porridge in the rice cooker was ready, along with several plates of vegetables and side dishes. The chicken soup was still simmering on the stove, filling the whole room with its fragrance. After dinner, they waited for the chicken soup to be ready. Gu Yanchen suggested Shen Junci have a little before it was fully cooked.

Shen Junci shook his head, “It’s not time yet. I’ll wait a bit longer; it’ll taste better.”

Today, with the supervisory team here, they had been busy working all day. Shen Junci hadn’t even had a nap in the afternoon, and now he was sitting on the sofa with Wuliang, feeling a bit drowsy.

Seeing him constantly rubbing his eyes, Gu Yanchen suggested, “Why don’t you go to the bedroom and lie down for a while? I’ll call you when the chicken soup is ready.”

Shen Junci was indeed a bit tired. He walked into the bedroom and lay down. He could hear Gu Yanchen’s voice from the living room, talking to someone from the team. It seemed that Gu Yanchen deliberately lowered his voice to avoid disturbing his rest.

Shen Junci originally just wanted to lie down for a while, but unexpectedly, as he lay on the pillow, he gradually entered a drowsy state and then fell into a deep sleep.

.

Gu Yanchen made two phone calls, simmered the chicken soup over a low flame, and took a small stroll downstairs. When he returned, he summarized all the recent relevant materials in the study.

Once those villains gained power and money, they would try every possible means to wash away their suspicions. They would spend a lot of time studying the law and wracking their brains to cover up the truth. But whether it’s a gecko shedding its tail or a cicada shedding its shell, they would leave traces.

Gu Yanchen carefully reviewed the evidence and testimonies of the recent cases one by one to ensure there were no issues. As a police officer, he not only faced corpses, perplexing cases, gunfire, and various dangers but also had to deal with documents and processes where no mistakes were allowed.

The work of the police didn’t stop at the moment of catching criminals; it involved meticulously investigating all truths and putting the deserving criminals behind bars, which tested the abilities of a police officer.

When the supervisory team arrived, they put pressure on those people. Now, the hard-earned list of VIPs from the peeping website was also handed over to the supervisory team, and someone started interrogating each of them, discussing their crimes and punishments. Everything seemed to be developing for the better.

At this time, the other members of the Hetu Trading Company remained dormant, fearing being targeted by the police. But Gu Yanchen knew that as long as they had committed crimes, they would be exposed.

After organizing some materials, Gu Yanchen spent some time browsing the internet. One post was undoubtedly paying attention to the related situation, expressing relief that the supervisory team had arrived in Penang. There was a particularly apt description: “In the past few years, it seemed like hell had descended on this city, releasing all sorts of demons and monsters. Now, finally, the light has come in, leaving them with nowhere to hide.”

This post was followed by several hot comments. The most liked one said, “I suddenly remembered the former chief. If he had been here all along, things wouldn’t have been so chaotic in the past few years. All these strange things wouldn’t have emerged.”

Below that was another comment, “The current police bureau is not bad either. The supervisory team came to Penang, and even dared to touch Mansion 13, showing great determination.”

Reading these words, Gu Yanchen felt a bit sentimental. He often felt there was a barrier between his work and ordinary people. But it turned out that everything the police did was seen by the public.

Just as he reached this point, his phone alarm went off. Gu Yanchen went to the kitchen to check the simmered chicken soup. It had been stewing in the clay pot for over three hours, bubbling gently, and the chicken meat was already tender. Gu Yanchen skimmed off the oil from the top, leaving only clear soup, turned off the heat, placed a cloth under the clay pot, and set it on the dining table to cool.

Then he walked into the bedroom to wake up Shen Junci. Gu Yanchen didn’t turn on the lights in the room; the light from the living room illuminated everything inside. Shen Junci lay on his side, eyes tightly shut. He looked clean and delicate, his skin as smooth as moist white jade, and his features impeccable. The light from the living room shone on his brow, emitting a faint glow.

After the recent injury, he seemed to have acquired a fragile air. Seeing him sleeping soundly, Gu Yanchen hesitated for a moment, wondering if he should wake him up. In the midst of his hesitation, Shen Junci’s eyelashes fluttered lightly, and his brows furrowed slightly, as if dreaming about something, unaware of what was happening in his dream.

Gu Yanchen reached out and touched his forehead. Now that his condition had stabilized, he no longer had a fever. Gu Yanchen called out to him, “Dr. Shen, the chicken soup is ready. Why don’t you get up?”

Shen Junci seemed to regain a bit of consciousness, murmuring, “I don’t want dates.”

Gu Yanchen knew he sometimes talked in his sleep and patiently replied, “I didn’t add dates. It’s just pure chicken soup, as you requested.”

As he spoke, he reached out to shake Shen Junci gently, placing his hand on his shoulder. Shen Junci, still with closed eyes, said, “Dad, don’t leave…”

Gu Yanchen didn’t know how to respond for a moment. But Shen Junci seemed to wake up on his own. He opened his eyes, looked at Gu Yanchen, and focused his gaze on him. His delicate face showed a hint of confusion and surprise. Then Shen Junci reached out his hands, grabbed Gu Yanchen’s hand, and placed it on his chest, trembling as he said, “Don’t leave…”

.

In his dream, Shen Junci seemed to have passed through those bodies at the corpse farm again. He kept walking forward until he reached the front, where it looked like a home.

The furnishings in the house remained unchanged, old yet familiar. The familiar orange-yellow light was on. He saw Lin Xianglan busy in the kitchen wearing an apron, and his elderly father was bustling around, although he wasn’t good at cooking, he did it with great care. Just off work, wearing a forensic suit, he placed his backpack aside and leaned against the doorway, watching Lin Xianglan’s back.

After a while, he asked Lin Xianglan, “Need any help?”

Lin Xianglan replied, “No need, I’m almost done. It’ll be ready soon.”

This was like the ordinary daily life after his father’s retirement. He stood there quietly, watching his father be busy.

Lin Xianglan’s figure wasn’t as good as when he was young; his back was slightly hunched, and strands of white hair had overtaken the black, appearing more abundant than before. He suddenly realized something: unconsciously, his father had aged.

While cooking, Lin Xianglan said, “Son, the Mid-Autumn Festival is coming soon. I made chicken soup for you. You were injured recently, so you need to replenish yourself.”

He also happened to want to drink chicken soup. The two of them seemed to have a telepathic connection. Leaning against the wall, he said, “Dad, this time, why don’t you add some weird stuff?”

Lin Xianglan’s favorite ingredients to add to chicken soup were jujubes, wolfberries, angelica, and ephedra, turning a good pot of chicken soup into something sweet and bitter, tasting like Chinese medicine. He sniffed the air and sensed a hint of bitterness. Well, this pot of chicken soup was ruined again.

Lin Xianglan didn’t have time to respond; he directly placed the clay pot on the table, almost scalding himself. He withdrew his fingers, blowing on them, and touched his ear with his hand.

Seeing this, he couldn’t help but complain a bit tenderly, “The pot is so hot, why don’t you use something to cushion it?”

Lin Xianglan said, “My hands are calloused and thick; I’m not afraid of getting burned.”

He rolled his eyes and bluntly pointed out, “You’re just lazy…”

“It’s not laziness. I’m not afraid of trouble. I put jujubes in the chicken soup because it’s authentic. It’s a recipe I specially researched for tonifying, modified into your dad’s exclusive recipe. Try it.”

“You know very well I don’t like this. Medicinal herbs will affect the taste of the chicken soup. When I make it myself, I don’t add anything.” Despite his disdain, he still helped with the bowls and chopsticks, and the father and son sat opposite each other at the dining table.

“Luolou, drink more,” Lin Xianglan said, chatting with him, “Your dad’s investigations from back then finally paid off. This time, successfully taking down Mansion 13 is a major victory.”

“But we still haven’t caught the president of the Hetu Trading Company,” he said.

Lin Xianglan comforted him in return, “Take it slow; there will be a day.”

Sitting at the table, he smelled the strangely scented chicken soup and felt like it was a waste. He muttered disdainfully, “I don’t want jujubes…”

“You don’t understand! Jujubes are for nourishing blood. You should eat more,” Lin Xianglan said.

Facing the clay pot, he reached out to lift the lid, then suddenly remembered something and asked, “Dad, where’s Gu Yanchen? Did you call him over?”

“You’re already thinking about others,” Lin Xianglan chuckled as he took off his apron, “You two eat; if he’s here, I’ll leave. With someone taking care of you, I’ll be reassured.”

He was taken aback, “Dad, where are you going?”

After saying this, Lin Xianglan seemed to have urgent business, hurriedly dressed, and left. In his dream, he looked up to call Lin Xianglan back, but it felt like his throat was blocked, unable to make a sound, and his body was completely pinned to the chair, unable to move an inch. He watched as Lin Xianglan turned around and walked farther and farther away, his footsteps not stopping.

He felt particularly anxious, only managing to whisper softly, “Dad, don’t leave…”

Lin Xianglan seemed to have not heard at all. For a moment, everything in front of him dissipated, and Lin Xianglan was gone.

Shen Junci suddenly opened his eyes, feeling his heart pounding uncontrollably. The room was dim, with only a faint light coming through. He felt a bit dizzy, unsure if he was still in a dream. Lin Xianglan wasn’t there, and Gu Yanchen was sitting beside him, extending his hand to rest on his shoulder.

In that instant, Shen Junci suddenly felt afraid, afraid that the person in front of him would disappear like Lin Xianglan. Unable to distinguish whether this was in a dream or reality, he reached out and grabbed Gu Yanchen’s hand, “Don’t leave…”

In the dim light, Gu Yanchen looked down at him and said softly, “I’m not leaving. I’m right here, not going anywhere.”

Receiving a response, Shen Junci was stunned for a moment, then brought Gu Yanchen’s hand to his chest. Gu Yanchen’s palm was warm, warming his cold hand, and he could feel the thin calluses on his hand.