Chapter 120: Lying in Wait

"When do you plan to make a move against Ni San?"

After Du Jianwu finished speaking, he finally saw what he wanted to see in Kang Ning's slightly flustered eyes. Satisfied, he crossed his legs, lit a cigarette, adjusted his posture, and continued to peer at Kang Ning with a sidelong glance.

Kang Ning looked up at the courtyard, surrounded by towering ancient trees and purple bamboo. He reached out to gently wave away the wisps of smoke Du Jianwu had blown toward him, then smiled slightly and said, "When I'm with you, I always think of you as an older brother, often forgetting your other identity—that you are the deputy captain of the city's criminal investigation brigade, a glorious officer of the people's police. Protecting the borders and the people is your sacred duty. Therefore, regardless of whether someone is rich or poor, good or evil, as long as you have no evidence confirming they have broken the law, you must protect them. That includes Ni San, doesn't it?"

Du Jianwu didn't immediately know what Kang Ning was trying to express, but from the way Kang Ning leaned back and put a little distance between them, he keenly sensed that Kang Ning had become guarded against him.

Du Jianwu sighed inwardly, but he didn't back down verbally: "That's right! Including you, too!"

Kang Ning furrowed his brow, asking with confusion, "Then, the fact that you were following me in the western suburbs just now wasn't right, was it? Everything has its priorities, doesn't it? I hear Ni San is a major taxpayer in this city, known for his generosity and high profile. He is also a key protectee of you public servants. When I happened to run into him, I saw him accompanied by you lot, seemingly on his way to the shooting range to strengthen ties between the police and the public. What's wrong? With your marksmanship, wouldn't it be a pity not to go and exchange some pointers with him? Pestering a poor mechanic like me is such a waste of your valuable time!"

Du Jianwu was so angry he slammed his palm onto the stone table, startling a young novice monk who was busily bringing over tea five meters away, nearly causing him to drop the sandalwood tray he was holding.

The young novice approached the two timidly, politely set down a porcelain pot and two cups, and whispered an explanation to the two suspicious men: "Patrons, this is the new tea the Abbot ordered me to bring. Please enjoy."

Kang Ning had visited Ganlu Temple once before with Lu Jing, Zheng Yi, and others. During that trip, he had heard from Zheng Yi that receiving tea from the old Abbot was a great honor. In the past ten years, very few people in all of Leijiang had received such a distinction. He was quite surprised that two nobodies like them were treated with such courtesy, and when he looked at Du Jianwu opposite him, he saw the man's thick eyebrows knitted together, seemingly just as bewildered.

Kang Ning gave the young novice a polite smile: "Thank you! May I ask, little master, does the old Abbot have any other instructions?"

The young novice, seeing Kang Ning’s handsome and gentle demeanor, smiled and shook his head. He deftly poured tea into the cups in front of the two men, took one more look at the accessory hanging from a red string around Kang Ning's neck, and hurriedly picked up the tray from the stone table to take his leave.

"Looks like I'm riding on your coattails, haha! I’m thirsty."

Du Jianwu didn't stand on ceremony; he picked up the small teacup and downed it in one gulp, the same way he usually drank alcohol.

Kang Ning picked up the porcelain cup, examined the emerald-green tea closely, held it under his nose to sniff, nodded in intoxication, and took a small sip to savor the aftertaste. He couldn't help but exclaim aloud, "Good tea! Mellow, smooth, and lingering on the lips and teeth. Such a treasure is something money can't buy!"

Du Jianwu glared at Kang Ning with disdain. "It's just a pot of tea. Don't put on airs of refinement in front of me. You never act like this when we're drinking."

"That's where you're wrong. Don't underestimate this pot of tea; it’s worth more than your monthly salary, and even if you wanted to buy it, there’s nowhere to get it!" Seeing Du Jianwu pour another cup and gulp it down, Kang Ning looked away, his heart aching, and the phrase "casting pearls before swine" crossed his mind.

Du Jianwu smacked his lips, surprised that a pot of tea could be so expensive. He looked at Kang Ning in astonishment, then turned his gaze toward the backyard, noticing that there wasn't a soul around the Zen rooms hidden by the bamboo and trees. He turned back to Kang Ning and asked, "Do you know the temple's Abbot?"

Kang Ning shook his head. While carefully picking up the rustic porcelain pot to refill their tea, he answered in a low voice, "I don't. I've never met him. I've been here a few times with Lu Jing and the others, but I never had the chance to come to this part of the temple. We stumbled in here by mistake today; I'm afraid we've disturbed the masters' peace. It seems we should leave after this cup, otherwise, it would be very impolite."

Du Jianwu suddenly snapped back to reality. Not only had he failed to get an answer to his question, but he had also been led in circles by Kang Ning's counter-questions. Annoyed, he darkened his face. "You still haven't answered my question. When do you plan to make a move against Ni San?"

"Brother Du, is that really what you think?" Kang Ning asked calmly, as he proceeded to refill Du Jianwu's empty cup.

"Don't pull that on me!"

Seeing Kang Ning's calm and elegant demeanor, Du Jianwu was so angry he nearly exploded.

Kang Ning said unhurriedly, "I don't even know the man, why would I make a move against him? I've only just returned to Leijiang to handle the house Lu Jing left behind. As for your claim about me targeting Ni San, I don't know if you're overestimating me or framing me, but regardless, I don't understand what you're saying, and I certainly don't believe your wishful, ridiculous deductions. I'll be leaving once the house is sold in a couple of days. Everything else has nothing to do with me. If you want to extort a few drinks out of me, I'll treat you when you come to Chengdu."

Seeing things had reached this point, Du Jianwu realized the defensiveness and distrust behind Kang Ning's smiling face. He felt a pang of sadness, and at the same time, he didn't know how to explain today's events to Kang Ning.

Du Jianwu was not merely an ordinary criminal investigator; he held a secret mission and had his own organizational principles to follow. Therefore, facing the reserved yet deeply loyal Kang Ning, he could only pin his hopes on Gao Qinghua. Perhaps only Gao Qinghua could dispel Kang Ning's suspicions of him while simultaneously preventing Kang Ning, who was the prime suspect, from potentially acting against Ni San. Because, with his complex status, the order Du Jianwu had received was: monitor Ni San, gather evidence in secret, unearth the mastermind behind him, and thoroughly eradicate this cancer of the Leijiang underworld whose evil deeds had reached the highest ears.

Although Du Jianwu did not give Kang Ning any more trouble, he expressed his irritation through his actions. He grabbed the car keys Kang Ning had left on the stone table, told him, "Walk back yourself," and turned to stride away, leaving a stunned Kang Ning sitting on the stone stool, feeling vexed.

Kang Ning hadn't expected Du Jianwu to be such a rogue. Watching the direction in which he disappeared, he could only sit where he was and sigh softly.

Deep down, Kang Ning liked and admired Du Jianwu, and he was very grateful for the help and friendship he had received. However, analyzing Du Jianwu's silent tracking of him today, the vigilant and cautious Kang Ning dared not easily judge whether he was friend or foe. One careless move could not only cost him his own life, but could also harm his woman, or even his unborn child.

Putting down the small, now-cooled porcelain cup, Kang Ning let out a long sigh, stood up, and walked toward the courtyard gate. He had only taken two steps when a resonant yet gentle voice called out from behind him:

"Please stay a moment, young patron!"