DA chapter 72

If one were to talk about the most leisurely person in the Underwater World, Yan Xu would certainly write Lin Jia’s name down. However, Yan Xu quite admired Lin Jia’s ability to find entertainment in the dull and unremarkable Underwater World. Yan Xu, on the other hand, had been staying home for the past few days, to the point of almost getting moldy.

Lin Jia was really hateful. Ever since that last date, he hadn’t sent another message. It was as if his reason for treating him to a meal had really been genuine. After thanking Yan Xu for protecting him in the Fish Belly, he felt that the score was even, and there was no further need for them to have contact.

The text message still read: “Thank you, Captain Yan. Today’s date was very pleasant.” Yan Xu picked up his phone several times, wanting to call this person out. But then he thought better of it, figuring that no fish in the world eagerly awaited the bait. Being unable to avoid it was one thing, but actively going after him would be too spineless.

Yan Xu tossed the phone aside.

Just after tossing it aside, the phone began to buzz.

Yan Xu grabbed it in one motion. When he saw the caller ID, the corner of his mouth flattened.

“Captain Yan.” The person on the other end of the line spoke carefully. “Are you not coming to the team today either?”

News of Yan Xu being removed from his post had not yet been released. Yan Xu understood Deputy Chen’s meaning—this was Deputy Chen’s last chance to let Yan Xu consider whether he wanted to stand on his side. If he chose to do so, then the position of captain of the Inspection Team would still be his.

Yan Xu hated this kind of warning the most and didn’t bother mentioning it, only vaguely joking, “What? The Inspection Team can’t run without me?”

His subordinate said, “Captain Yan, something happened. Can you come over?”

Since Yan Xu still cared about the Inspection Team, he agreed without hesitation. “I’ll come right now. What happened?”

The subordinate said awkwardly, “You’ll know when you get here.”

Yan Xu had originally planned to take a shower, but now he could only leave first.

He sped all the way to the Inspection Team. His subordinate was waiting outside for his boss.

“Captain Yan.”

“What is it?”

The two spoke as they walked toward the Inspection Team office. The subordinate said awkwardly, “It’s not a big deal. Didn’t we lock up a group of people a few days ago? Today, we caught another group. The team can’t hold them anymore, so we have to put them in the Supervisory Team office. They have space there.”

Yan Xu stopped and turned back. “Just this?”

The subordinate scratched his head. “Wouldn’t you need to come forward and coordinate with the Supervisory Team?”

Yan Xu let out a “heh.” “Don’t you know how to follow the normal process? Who taught you this?”

The subordinate did not dare say, “I learned it from you,” but pitifully said, “Following the process also takes time. During this time, these people have nowhere to go. The brothers finally brought them back, and the fine hasn’t been paid yet, so we can’t release them directly.”

“All right, bring out the extra people. I’ll take them to Supervisory.” Yan Xu was too lazy to go inside, so he leaned outside the door to wait.

The subordinate hurried to do so and, not long after, brought out five or six people.

Yan Xu looked up and saw one with a buzzcut, constantly hiding behind the others.

He waved his hand and pulled the person out directly.

“Xiao…” Yan Xu thought for a moment. “Your name is Xiao Yao, right?”

The man with the buzzcut was none other than Xiao Yao. Some time ago, Boss Zhou had dismissed several members, who were then squeezed out elsewhere. Xiao Yao then led his people to seek trouble, only to run into the Inspection Team and get caught.

Since Yan Xu recognized him, Xiao Yao stopped hiding and simply gave up. “I don’t have any money. I can’t pay the fine. Just lock me up.”

In the Underwater World, many people could not afford fines and would just stay a little longer in the Inspection Team’s little black room.

Yan Xu glanced at Xiao Yao, then at the others. “Do you think the Inspection Team is a place you can stay in whenever you want?”

Hearing this, the Inspection Team was quite happy.

They disliked these people and their dead pig not afraid of boiling water attitude.

Xiao Yao acted shamelessly. “Do whatever you want. Anyway, I have no money.”

“Do you think saying that means I can’t deal with you?” Yan Xu said lightly. Those four or five people immediately felt as if they were facing a great enemy. Yan Xu had a well-known reputation—if they fell into his hands, they would certainly be in trouble.

“I don’t have time to waste on you.” He hooked the car key with his little finger and said, “Call your boss to come write a guarantee for you, and this matter will be considered settled.”

These few people looked at each other.

Xiao Yao did not want to trouble Boss Zhou, so he raised his neck and said, “No one will guarantee for me. Captain Yan can do whatever he wants.”

“No one guarantees?” Yan Xu thought for a moment. “Doesn’t your Sharp Knife have anyone else who can vouch for you? What’s that one called again? Lin… Lin Jia? Is that the name? He can’t speak for your team either?”

Xiao Yao showed hesitation.

Yan Xu said again, “What? Isn’t he one of your Sharp Knife people?”

Fearing that others would start trying to recruit Lin Jia, Xiao Yao immediately said, “How is he not one of Sharp Knife? He is!”

Yan Xu: “Then call him. Tell him to come.”

Xiao Yao hesitated again. He didn’t want to bother Boss Zhou or Lin Jia.

The others had already calling people to vouch for them. They did not know what medicine Yan Xu was selling in his gourd, but none of them wanted to miss the chance to leave the Inspection Team without paying a fine.¹“葫芦里卖什么药” (literally, “what medicine is he selling in his gourd?”) means that someone is hiding their true intentions. In traditional Chinese culture, a gourd (葫芦) was often used to store medicine, wine, or other items, so it became a metaphor for something concealed inside or for hidden motives.

Yan Xu looked at Xiao Yao and said, “Hey, what’s with you? If you can’t call someone, then stop standing here and come with me to the Supervisory Team.”

Seeing that Yan Xu was about to grab him and take him away, Xiao Yao hurriedly said, “I… I’ll try.”

Just as he took out his phone to contact Lin Jia, he saw Yan Xu dialing on his own phone.

He waved his hand, telling his subordinates to take the others away, leaving only him and Xiao Yao.

The call rang for quite a while before connecting. Yan Xu pressed speakerphone just as he was about to speak.

“Mmn.” From the other end came a somewhat hoarse, sleepy voice. “Captain Yan.”

Yan Xu paused, then turned off the speakerphone. He held the languid, tender voice to the receiver, monopolizing it all.

“What time is it already, and you’re still sleeping?” Yan Xu asked.

The voice on the other end was soft. “I think I caught a cold. What is it?”

Yan Xu: “Nothing. I pressed the wrong button by accident.”

Xiao Yao: “……………”

Inside the hotel, Lin Jia hung up the phone, put it back on the bedside cabinet, and closed his eyes again.

The cat crouched on the bedside cabinet and carefully stretched out a paw to touch Lin Jia’s forehead.

The paw pad touched burning heat.

“Lin Jia, you have a fever. You can’t keep sleeping like this.” The cat was very worried.

A few days ago, Lin Jia rode in Yan Xu’s motorcycle and was exposed to the cold wind the entire time. After returning, he caught a cold. He also did not see a doctor, just letting it drag on until the cold became more serious.

Lin Jia ignored it. The cat sighed and called hotel services to ask for medicine granules.

The cat tirelessly mixed the medicine and held it in its arms.

When it jumped onto the bed to make Lin Jia drink the medicine, the cup splashed all over Lin Jia’s head.

It spilled all over Lin Jia’s head. Lin Jia supported himself and sat up.

The cat was scared to death, thinking that Lin Jia would strangle it the next second.

It quickly bounced away and hid in a concealed spot. “I… I didn’t mean to.”

Lin Jia didn’t even look at the cat; he just leaned against the headboard. His wet hair dripped medicine onto his collar.

The cat asked: “You… you’re not going to strangle me?”

If it remembered correctly, Lin Jia had just bought the clothes he was wearing.

Lin Jia glanced at the cat but said nothing. He didn’t wipe the medicine off his face; instead, he took out his phone and looked at it from time to time, as if waiting for something.

The cat instinctively sensed that something was wrong with Lin Jia. Given Lin Jia’s tendency to retaliate for every slight, there was no way he would let it slide—he was definitely holding back a big move.

Whether it was one slash for stretching its head out or one slash for shrinking its head, the cat simply said: “Just make it quick!”

This was too torturous!

Yet, Lin Jia still ignored it. He leaned against the headboard, closed his eyes, and rested for a while, occasionally checking his phone for the time.

Even though the cat was as stupid as a pig, it discovered the key point: “What are you waiting for?”

At that moment, ding-dong—

Someone rang the doorbell.

The cat looked at the door, then at Lin Jia, asking quietly, “Who is it?”

Lin Jia ignored it. As the doorbell rang, he raised the glass high and poured the remaining medicine from the bottom of the cup onto his head.

The cat froze. “Lin Jia… did your fever burn your brain?”

For someone as attentive to their appearance as Lin Jia, this behavior looked bizarre to the cat.

Ding-dong—

Amid the ringing, Lin Jia slowly got up without looking at the cat and walked all the way to the door.

His fingers rested on the doorknob. He also did not look through the peephole, as if he already knew who was outside.

Click.

The lock clicked open. He opened the door a crack and slowly widened the gap. A tall figure immediately occupied his field of vision. Lin Jia raised his head.

Outside the door, Yan Xu turned his face sideways, not looking at Lin Jia. “Nothing much. I just came to tell you that Xiao Yao was taken away by the Inspection Team. But he wrote a guarantee, so I had them release him.”

Lin Jia said softly, “Captain Yan’s prestige still remains.”

“I happened to buy some…” Yan Xu finally turned his head and saw Lin Jia in a miserable state—drenched, with medicine still dripping tick by tick.

Lin Jia was wearing a white shirt with a brown stain on the collar. Several buttons were loose, revealing faint glimpses of the reddened skin on his chest.

“You…” Yan Xu paused. “What happened?”

“Can’t you tell?” Lin Jia lowered his eyes. Water droplets gathered on his long eyelashes. “I was bullied.”

Inside the room, the cat: “…”

The cat suddenly understood everything. He finally understood why Lin Jia refused to drink his medicine and even poured it over himself.

Yan Xu asked: “Who?”

Lin Jia cast him a sidelong glance. After a while, in a voice as light as air, he said, “The cat.”

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  “葫芦里卖什么药” (literally, “what medicine is he selling in his gourd?”) means that someone is hiding their true intentions. In traditional Chinese culture, a gourd (葫芦) was often used to store medicine, wine, or other items, so it became a metaphor for something concealed inside or for hidden motives.