How Much More Are You Hiding From Me, Kid?

Early the next morning, Shen Yan put on his police uniform and reported to the station for roll call on time. Everything was as usual.

Old Chen sat at his desk, pressing both temples with his hands, his face contorted with pain.

When he saw Shen Yan approach, he immediately turned his head away, his expression saying, "I'm not happy!"

Shen Yan suppressed a laugh and sidled up to him with a cheeky grin, his tone teasing:

"Godfather, what's wrong? Not feeling well?"

Old Chen shot him an irritated sideways glance, keeping his voice low but full of resentment:

"Couldn't you have stopped me last night, you brat? You just watched me drink myself half to death? Have you got your eye on my two lousy rooms, waiting for me to drink myself to death so you can inherit them?"

"Of course not!"

Shen Yan's shoulders trembled as he held back his laughter. He deliberately put on an aggrieved look:

"Stop you? I had to be able to stop you first! I'd barely said a word when you nearly smacked the back of my head swollen!"

Old Chen knew he was in the wrong, but stubbornly refused to pay the little bastard any attention.

Just as he was about to turn away, he saw squad leader Li Kui walk in with a dark expression, his eyes fixed on Shen Yan. His face was so gloomy it could have dripped water.

He was clearly here to settle scores.

Shen Yan put his acting skills to work, immediately adopting a look that said, "The boss is angry, but I don't know what I did wrong"-wide-eyed and foolish.

"Shen Yan, you're really something! Even I misjudged you!"

Li Kui's tone was cutting. It wasn't until he saw the state Scarface Liu was in yesterday that he realized the cowardly, spineless young patrolman under him was actually a ruthless character playing the pig to eat the tiger.

Old Chen forgot all about his headache. He stood and stepped in front of Shen Yan, ready to take Li Kui on.

Although his position wasn't as high, with his connections outside the station, he might not lose!

The two were at daggers drawn, on the verge of a head-on clash-

The station's front door was suddenly kicked open with a bang, making the frame rattle.

Two fully armed Japanese military policemen stormed in. After a sweep of the room, their gazes settled on Li Kui, the highest-ranking officer present, and they barked in halting Chinese:

"You, come here! Quickly!"

With that, they strode into Li Kui's office.

Li Kui didn't dare delay. He shot Old Chen and Shen Yan a vicious glare, his lips moving as he silently mouthed, "Wait till I get back!" Then he hurried after the military policemen, scurrying into his office and pulling the door tightly shut behind him.

Shen Yan looked curious. He nudged Old Chen's arm and asked under his breath:

"Godfather, what's going on? Why have the Japanese soldiers suddenly shown up?"

Old Chen looked at him speechlessly:

"You've still got time to worry about someone else? Traitor Li obviously wants to get rid of you. Aren't you even a little worried?"

"Worried about what?"

Shen Yan spread his hands, looking utterly unconcerned, his tone casual and affectionate:

"I've got you, don't I, Godfather?"

Old Chen immediately felt the throbbing in his temples grow worse.

He couldn't help wondering: had he been a little hasty in taking Shen Yan as his godson last night?

But things had come to this, and he could only grit his teeth and shoulder it.

No matter what, he had to protect the kid. Otherwise, he wouldn't be able to show his face in the West District.

Back at his desk, Old Chen began considering which connections he should call on.

Those too low down would be no use, while those higher up cost too much...

He must have owed the brat in a past life. This time, he was bound to take a big hit to his wallet.

Before he could come up with a plan, a furious "Baka!" suddenly rang out from the office, followed by the sharp, piercing crack of a slap.

The office door was yanked open, and Li Kui stumbled out, clutching his face. One cheek was bright red, with a clear handprint on it, and he looked both panicked and furious.

"Where's Interpreter Liu? Get him here, quickly!"

One of his men outside the door said cautiously:

"C-Captain, Interpreter Liu went drinking last night with the chief and Squadron Leader Ono of the military police. He might have... I'm afraid he drank himself into a blackout. He didn't come to work at all today."

"Huh?"

Li Kui was at a loss.

With the interpreter absent, he and the two Japanese masters in the office had been talking past each other for ages without getting anything straight, and he'd even taken a slap to the face.

If he didn't solve the interpreter problem, he'd be in serious trouble today!

He looked around at the patrolmen in the main room, his voice shaking with urgency:

"Who else can speak Japanese? Step forward! I'll give him a promotion and a raise. I won't treat him unfairly!"

The patrolmen exchanged glances and lowered their heads even further.

Li Kui gave a self-mocking smile. He'd been deluding himself. These idiots couldn't even speak Chinese properly, and he expected them to speak Japanese...

Just as he was falling into complete despair, he saw someone in the corner furtively raise a hand.

He looked closer.

It was Shen Yan.

Li Kui strode over and stared hard at the bastard who had cut off his source of income. For a moment, he didn't know how to treat him.

"You really speak Japanese? This is no joke. If it goes wrong, both of us could lose our heads!"

Shen Yan still had that innocent look in his eyes:

"When I was little, a few Imperial soldiers came to the village to do something called geo... geological prospecting, right! Geological prospecting. They taught us in the village for a while. They even gave candy to the ones who learned well. I was the best, and the Imperial soldiers praised me every time!"

Li Kui stared at Shen Yan, trying to tell whether he was lying.

But Shen Yan's gaze remained innocent.

Before Li Kui could figure it out, the office door was yanked open again. The military policeman in charge pointed at him, his face blazing with anger:

"You, get in here, quickly! Or you die!"

There was no other choice! He'd have to try anything, even if it seemed hopeless!

Li Kui grabbed Shen Yan's hand, his tone urgent and threatening:

"Come in and interpret for me. If this goes well, we'll wipe the slate clean on what happened before. I definitely won't come after you. If it goes badly, I don't know what'll happen to me, but you're dead!"

"You promise..." Shen Yan put on a hesitant, frightened expression.

"Fuck... I promise, I swear!" Li Kui felt like he was going mad.

Shen Yan looked terrified, but was holding back laughter inside as he reluctantly followed Li Kui into the office.

The interpreting went smoothly.

The military policemen had come about the two ronin who had disappeared the night before. They demanded that the station mobilize immediately, seal off the streets around Shipi Lane, and assist the military police in searching for the missing ronin-they wanted them found alive or their bodies recovered.

Li Kui's heart finally settled. He readily agreed and ordered the entire station to turn out and join the search on the spot.

Shen Yan sneered inwardly.

As long as he didn't want them found, those two ronin wouldn't be found even in their next lives.

The large-scale search lasted a full three days.

The area around Shipi Lane was turned upside down-street corners, abandoned houses, waterways, and ditches were all searched. Let alone two bodies, they didn't find so much as a scrap of clothing or a drop of blood.

The two living men seemed to have vanished into thin air, leaving not a single clue behind.

The Japanese military policemen sent to oversee the search were frustrated and furious, but there was nothing they could do. They could only withdraw their men and abandon the search.

Once the commotion died down, the atmosphere at the station changed completely.

Ever since the interpreting incident, Li Kui had never dared trouble Shen Yan again. He even deferred to him at every turn, greeting him with a broad smile whenever they met. His former harshness and arrogance had vanished without a trace.

Because he didn't believe a single word of the explanation Shen Yan had given him!

In his eyes, Shen Yan was a covert agent the Japanese had planted in the police station.

Not only that, he even took the initiative to give Shen Yan an easy assignment and quietly raised his pay-afraid of offending someone he couldn't afford to cross.

Afterward, even Old Chen spent several days looking at his godson strangely.

Afraid his godfather would put righteousness before family and turn on him, Shen Yan made a snap decision. He brought wine and meat to his godfather's house for another drinking session.

Over the meal, Shen Yan swore dire oaths to every god and buddha he knew, invoking all sorts of consequences if he were Japanese. He also declared in Cantonese, Mandarin, and Shanghainese, respectively, that the emperor of Japan was the offspring of his mother and a certain species that guarded homes and courtyards.

These heartfelt oaths and curses completely dispelled Old Chen's doubts.

Old Chen slapped his thigh, raised his bowl of wine, and laughed heartily:

"I've really found myself a treasure! Just how much more are you hiding from me, kid!"