Golden Scale [EN]: Chapter 90

118. Diplomatic Incident (Part 2)

118. Diplomatic Incident (Part 2)

Inside the office, Director Yu asked Yu Qian to recount the incident. With Yu Qian’s personality, she naturally embellished the story of the foreigner “harassing” her. “I can guarantee with my character that the foreign devil made the first move, Uncle Yu. We can’t let them off, otherwise, not only will I lose face, but my grandfather’s face will also be on the line.”

“Is that what happened?” Director Yu looked at Yang Lixin.

“The owner of the bar, Mr. Liu, is outside,” Yang Lixin was finding it difficult to gauge the situation. On one side was the translator for the American diplomat, who had already said he would severely punish Hou Longtao and the others. But then Director Yu, whose identity was unclear, suddenly appeared. Judging by how Director Zeng treated him, he was no ordinary person, which complicated things. The best way to handle it was to remove himself from the situation. “He saw the whole thing. He…”

“You, you’re only thinking about shirking responsibility now?” Yu Qian interrupted him. “That witness is no good either. When we first got to the bar, we reprimanded him for illegally hanging a foreign flag, and he’s been holding a grudge ever since. Of course, he’d want to find a chance to harm us. You, you still want to hit me? Go ahead, hit me if you dare!”

“No, no, I was just acting impulsively. I didn’t really want to hit you.”

“Yu Qian, don’t get excited,” Director Yu pulled the girl aside and had her sit on the sofa. “Uncle will definitely help you get even.”

“What do you mean by that?” The translator overheard this and had to advocate for his American superior’s interests. “Who exactly are you? Why are you interfering with the police’s handling of the case?”

“I don’t need to explain who I am to you. I’m doing my job, and my job is to interfere with the police’s handling of the case.”

Just then, a police officer pushed the door open and came in. “Director Zeng.”

“Captain Gong?” Yang Lixin recognized the newcomer as Gong Yu, the captain of the Criminal Investigation Team of the Chaoyang Branch. “Officer Yang.”

Gong Yu greeted him indifferently. Yang Lixin wasn’t particularly well-liked when he was at the branch, and now that he had been demoted, no one wanted to associate with him. “Director Zeng, more than a dozen people and three bartenders have testified that the foreigners made the first move and that he said a lot of lewd and inappropriate things to a girl. Looks like he had too much to drink.”

“Yang Lixin, did you do a blood alcohol test?”

“No… no.”

“Why not?”

“I… I forgot.”

“Hmph, Gong Yu, take those young foreigners for testing.”

“Okay.” Gong Yu turned and went out.

“How’s that, Translator Pang? Are you satisfied now?” Director Yu pointed to a thick stack of interrogation records on the table. “Director Zeng, according to our country’s laws, how should this matter be handled?”

“According to our laws, they have violated the ‘Regulations on Administrative Penalties for Public Security.’ Drunk and disorderly conduct, harassing women, and fighting can be punished with up to fifteen days of criminal detention and a fine of up to five thousand yuan [approximately $700 USD]. In serious cases, a fine of more than five thousand yuan and less than fifty thousand yuan [approximately $7,000 USD] can be imposed. If the offender is a foreigner, after notifying the relevant foreign affairs office of the higher authorities, the relevant foreign affairs department, and the embassy or consulate of that country, they can be given the same punishment as Chinese citizens.”

Now, the U.S. Embassy and the foreign affairs office of the police station’s superior department already know about this matter. The question is whether or not to notify our foreign affairs department.”

“You’re thinking too simply,” Translator Pang sneered. “We are the U.S. Embassy.”

“Heh, do you think our Ministry of Foreign Affairs will put pressure on the police because they’re afraid of offending you?”

“That’s your opinion, not mine. If that’s what you think, there’s nothing I can do.”

“You can leave,” Director Yu first kicked Yang Lixin out, then took out a certificate and handed it to Translator Pang. “Here’s my work ID. Take a look.” Translator Pang took it and immediately looked at the work unit. The line read “Discipline Inspection Commission of the Ministry of Public Security of the People’s Republic of China.”

“You…”

“Never mind me,” Director Yu put away the certificate and pointed at Yu Qian. “She’s my boss’s granddaughter.”

“How do I know you’re not just a doorman?”

“Hmph, a doorman? Can a doorman mobilize the branch director? Go tell those foreigners that they only have one chance. I want that foul-mouthed bastard to formally apologize to Yu Qian and pay 5,000 yuan in compensation. They’re also responsible for the bar’s losses. If they don’t agree, we’ll go through official channels.”

“No way!” Yu Qian jumped up. “Absolutely not! What do I need their money for? I don’t want a private settlement. I want them to stay in the detention center!”

“Yu Qian!” Director Yu glared at the girl sternly and pulled her aside. “Your grandfather is very unhappy that you’re causing trouble as soon as you get back. This is his wish.”

“Hmph, you’re siding with the foreigners too. Just you wait, I’m going to tell on you when I get back and have my grandfather send you to clean toilets.”

“Hahaha, okay, okay.” Director Yu had been with the girl’s grandfather for many years and knew that this girl was spoiled. It was already good that she only “retaliated” after the incident. “But you have to take a step back now.”

“Fine.” Yu Qian sat back on the sofa, fuming.

“What’s the 5,000 yuan for? No one was injured, and there was no property damage.” Translator Pang had to ask about the conditions clearly, otherwise, he wouldn’t be able to explain to his American clients.

“No one was injured?” Director Yu walked over and opened the door. “You and you, come here for a moment.” He called Hou Longtao and Xiao Long. He chose Hou Longtao because he saw him protecting Yu Qian when he went upstairs, and he chose Xiao Long because he was sitting next to Hou Longtao.

Hou Longtao had been chatting with his brothers, but what he really wanted to know was what was happening inside the office. Now that he was finally being called, he quickly got up and walked over with Xiao Long. “Are any of you injured?”

“I’ve been feeling dizzy.” Hou Longtao understood these tricks too well. He hadn’t gone to the hospital to get checked, and there were no obvious external injuries, so a mild concussion was the most appropriate.

“I’m dizzy too.” Xiao Long was also a veteran of many battles.

“Alright, go back and wait a little longer.” Director Yu closed the door again.

“Hey…” Hou Longtao walked back to his camp helplessly. “We’ve become outsiders.”

“Isn’t that a good thing?” Liu Nan handed him another cigarette. “In the past, we had to carry everything ourselves, scheming and calculating. Now that someone is helping us inside, let’s take a break too.”

“Yeah, let’s just wait for the results in peace.”

“How about it? Two people have mild concussions. Medical expenses plus lost wages, 5,000 is quite reasonable.” Director Yu waved his hand at Translator Pang. “Let’s not waste time. Go quickly and convey the police’s opinion to them. This is us giving the U.S. Embassy some face. If they don’t accept it, I’ll immediately notify the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and then detain them.”

“Okay, I’ll go now.” Translator Pang left the office.

The foreigners’ apology and compensation were expected, and it was in front of everyone in the hall. Yu Qian finally felt a little relieved. “Japanese and Korean are America’s dogs.”

After she finished speaking, she raised her head and walked out of the police station first as a victor.

The girl’s words were very much to Hou Longtao’s liking. He followed her. “Well said.”

“I know you like to hear that.” The serious expression on Yu Qian’s face had disappeared, and she had put on a cute smile again. “Are you really dizzy?”

“Of course not. With his fancy moves, I wasn’t even hit properly.”

“Okay, I know you can fight, I know you’re amazing.”

A group of people came to the outside of the police station. “Yu Qian,” Director Yu called out to the girl. “Where are you going?”

“Home.”

“Then I’ll take you.”

“No need, someone will take me. Right?”

“Yes, I’ll take her,” Hou Longtao quickly agreed.

“Okay, then Director Zeng and I will leave?”

“How are you going to deal with the police officer who wanted to hit me?”

“I’ll transfer him to patrol duty,” Director Zeng quickly offered his solution.

“That’s more like it. You can go now.”

Director Zeng had been dragged out of his house by Director Yu and didn’t drive, so he was still leaving with him. The rest were about to disperse when they suddenly noticed a man lowering his head and walking anxiously towards a Mazda 626. It was none other than Mr. Liu, the owner of “American Bar.”

“Where are you going in such a hurry?” Hou Longtao and Liu Nan walked over and put their arms around Mr. Liu’s shoulders, one on each side.

“Ah!” The man surnamed Liu had already grabbed the door handle, but he still couldn’t escape. “I… I’m going back to the store.”

“Go back to America. You’re American. China isn’t suitable for you,” Liu Nan said gloomily.

“I… I…”

“You… you… what?” Hou Longtao put his right hand on the back of Mr. Liu’s head and pushed him forward suddenly, slamming his forehead hard against the roof of the Mazda.

“Ah!” The man surnamed Liu cried out, his head bounced back, and the two young men let go. He fell backward to the ground, his legs stuck under the car.

“Oh dear! Mr. Liu, what’s wrong? Are you feeling dizzy?” Hou Longtao quickly helped him up. “See, I told you this place isn’t suitable for you. I have something to do now. I’ll visit you at the store in a couple of days. If you’re not at the store, I’ll visit you at your house. Of course, if you go back to America, I won’t be able to visit you. Hmph.” After he finished speaking, he walked away with Liu Nan.

In fact, they didn’t really want to scare the other party away. It was just a threat. Even if Mr. Liu didn’t leave, they wouldn’t really keep pestering him. Unexpectedly, Mr. Liu took it seriously and knew that he had offended important people. Two days later, he handed the bar over to his relatives to manage and fled to the United States to seek refuge. Naturally, Hou Longtao never knew that his threat would have such a big effect…

“Do you know the guy who was very close to Yu Qian just now?” Director Yu asked while driving.

“I know him. His name is Hou Longtao.”

“What’s his background?”

“He’s an investment manager for an American investment company called IIC in Beijing. He also owns a factory that makes those exhaust purifiers.”

“That thing is his? Then he’s made a fortune.”

“That’s right.”

“What kind of person is he?”

“The kid is rich but very sensible and has a promising future. He’s a talent.” Director Zeng had a good impression of Hou Longtao and also noticed that Yu Qian seemed to be very close to him. Now, saying a few good words for him might be very beneficial to him in the future.

“Are you going to report all of this to Director Zhang?”

“This is part of my job.” Director Yu nodded…

“You let me take you home, and I can see your family’s identity,” Hou Longtao said with a self-satisfied grin.

“I didn’t let you meet my family.”

“I can also tell a thing or two from where you live.”

“Dream on. I don’t live with my family. I live alone outside. Hehehe, there’s no way, right?”

“It doesn’t matter. What your family does isn’t important to me, but why did you move out?”

“My family is always managing me, it’s so annoying.”

“What do you mean by causing trouble?” Yu Qian pouted and turned around. “This is the condition I set for accepting the job they found for me.”

“You just got back yesterday, and you can move out today? Is it all set up?”

“It was done a long time ago. My cousin moved out first. Did you think my family would really agree to let me live alone?”

“Your cousin?” Hou Longtao remembered the female police officer he saw at the airport that day who looked very familiar. “Cousin, is that your mother’s cousin?”

“Yes, my great uncle’s daughter.”

“That’s good. It’s not reassuring to have you live alone.”

“What’s not reassuring?”

“It’s not safe for pretty girls to live alone.”

“Hmph, is it definitely safe for two pretty girls to live together?”

“It’s always better than one person. You can always have someone to take care of you.”

“Hmph, with my cousin around, there’s nothing to be afraid of.” Yu Qian was full of confidence.

“What does she do?” It was like reading a detective novel. One mystery was unsolved, and another mystery appeared, greatly increasing the man’s interest.

“She’s a police officer, a motorcycle police officer in the Haidian Traffic Brigade.”

“Oh…” Hou Longtao let out a long cry. He finally remembered where he had seen Yu Qian’s cousin before. It was the police girl who fined him five hundred yuan last time.

“Why are you so surprised?” Yu Qian hit the man hard. “You scared me to death.”

“I was fined by a female motorcycle police officer from the Haidian Brigade a few months ago. Could it be such a coincidence?”

“Really? Tell me about it.”

“That day, I was just going to do something…” Hou Longtao described the process and the female police officer’s appearance in great detail. “Although her skin is a bit dark, she’s still quite pretty.”

“Hahaha,” Yu Qian laughed so hard that she slapped her leg. “You don’t even need to tell me what she looks like. Just from the way she messed with you, I know it’s my cousin. Hahaha, with her police number on it, you still want to cancel the ticket? Hahaha, don’t even mention the traffic team or the traffic management bureau. Even if you go to the Ministry of Public Security, there are only a few people who have the guts to cancel her ticket, hahaha…”

“Do you have to be so happy?” Hou Longtao curled his lips. “I got messed with, and you’re so happy?”

“Hmph, what’s there to complain about? If you hadn’t run fast, just based on that one sentence you said to my cousin, she would have beaten you half to death, hahaha.”

“Tch, you think too little of me, right? How much skill can a traffic cop have? I didn’t know who she was at the time. If we really fought, I wouldn’t have been soft.”

“Hmph, you really have no chance. My cousin joined the army when she was eighteen, and after two and a half years, she became a reconnaissance soldier and did that for another two and a half years.” Yu Qian talked about her cousin’s “achievements” with a proud face.

“Reconnaissance soldier?” Hou Longtao knew that reconnaissance soldiers were the most arduous and strict of all the services, no less than the special forces established for counter-terrorism, especially the Chinese reconnaissance soldiers. “One against ten” was not just bragging. “If she wants to hit you, it’s like playing.”

“That’s not necessarily true. In the end, she still transferred to civilian work. If you can’t stand the hardship, don’t join the army.” The machismo in Hou Longtao’s blood made it difficult for him to admit defeat to a woman like this.

“She didn’t retire voluntarily. Because she was beautiful, the platoon leader of her reconnaissance platoon was so lustful that he tried to rape her. As a result, the retinas of both his eyes were knocked off, one of his ears was deafened, three of his ribs were broken, and he was stabbed with a military bayonet. If he hadn’t been rescued in time, it wouldn’t have been as simple as a special-grade disability.”

“That platoon leader is too weak, right?” When Hou Longtao said this, he couldn’t help but grin. That was a real tigress.

“Weak? He was a winner in several all-army competitions.”

“Although that guy deserved it, from a legal point of view, not to mention anything else, just that military bayonet, your cousin was too ruthless. If it were an ordinary woman, it could be because of temporary tension and fear, but she was a soldier. That guy’s retinas had already fallen off, so he couldn’t pose any threat to her.”

“You’re quite clear about it. If it weren’t for that one stab, she wouldn’t have had to retire.”

“Just retire? Is the military court so easy to talk to?”

“Who went to court?”

“Didn’t go?” Hou Longtao could already guess that Yu Qian’s family probably had a lot of influence in the police force, but it was so great that it could affect the military. It was a bit unbelievable. The military and the police have never been one family.

“Alas, my cousin never wants to use her family’s privileges, especially my great uncle’s privileges, but that time there was no way. And from that incident, many people in the army knew about the relationship between my cousin and my great uncle, so she didn’t want to stay in the army anymore.”

“What’s your cousin’s name?”

“Feng Yun.”

“It’s rare to see someone like her who doesn’t use privileges.” Although Hou Longtao thought Feng Yun was too extreme, he still had some respect for her. “Is her relationship with your great uncle not very good?”

“How did you know?” Yu Qian opened her eyes in surprise.

“You said it yourself just now. Although you didn’t make it clear, I could hear a little bit of that meaning.”

“My great uncle was almost forty years old when he had such a daughter, so it can be considered ‘having a child late in life.’ Of course, he dotes on her, but he’s too busy with work and never has time to really care about my cousin. My cousin’s personality has been very independent since she was a child, so she became more and more distant from my great uncle. Now, my great uncle always feels like he owes my cousin a lot. He was finally transferred to Beijing a while ago, which was originally a good opportunity to make up for their relationship, but not only did he not have any free time, he became even busier. Actually, it can’t be said that their relationship is bad, but it’s not that simple.”

The SL500 drove into a residential area and stopped in front of a tower building. The two got out of the car. “Do you want to go up and sit for a while?” Yu Qian put her hands behind her back, leaned her upper body slightly forward, tilted her head, and had two braids hanging on the side of her head, so cute that she was speechless.

“No, it’s so late,” Hou Longtao walked up to her and pulled her hands over. “You haven’t gotten over your jet lag yet, have you? Your eyes are bloodshot. Hurry up and go up and get a good night’s sleep.” He felt that meeting Feng Yun now would be a bit awkward.

“Okay, then, another day.” Yu Qian poked her head out and kissed the man’s cheek, then pulled back her hand and turned to walk into the building door. This kiss was the same as the one she gave him before she left last year, but it didn’t have that sad atmosphere. The girl took two steps and turned her head again. “By the way, I’m going to be very busy for the next few days. I have to meet a lot of people, so I probably won’t have time to find you.”

“Okay, you’re not leaving anyway.”

“Yeah, I’m not leaving. Then you’re not allowed to forget me either.”

“I won’t. I didn’t forget you when you were in America, and I won’t forget you even more in Beijing.”

“You know how to talk.”

“Sister Qian, I’ll wait here. Call me when you get home, and then I’ll leave.”

“What if I don’t call you?”

“I’m not kidding. If you don’t call, I’m going to rush up and save you.”

“I’ll call you. If you don’t mind being tired, I’m afraid you’ll be tired.” Yu Qian smiled sweetly…

On the way to He Liping’s house, Hou Longtao called Director Zeng. “Uncle Zeng, it’s Longtao. Who was that person who went to the police station with you today?” He really didn’t care how high or powerful Yu Qian’s family was, but no one could resist this curiosity.

“What’s your relationship with that girl?”

“Friends.”

“Just friends?”

“For now, we’re just friends.”

“Hmph,” At this time, Director Zeng would have been in bed, but today he was still working in the office. It wasn’t because he was diligent, but because he subconsciously hoped that Hou Longtao would call and hoped that Hou Longtao didn’t know Yu Qian’s identity. Now it seemed that both of his wishes had come true. “I shouldn’t have told you, but based on our relationship, if you ask me, I can’t hide it from you, but you must keep it a secret.”

“Uncle Zeng, don’t worry. I know what things I can tell people and what things I can’t.”

“Do you know who Zhang Chunlin is?”

“It sounds familiar, but I can’t remember.”

“He’s a member of the Party Committee of the Ministry of Public Security, Secretary of the Discipline Inspection Commission, Chief Inspector, Director of the Political Department, and a member of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection of the Communist Party of China. That guy surnamed Yu is his secretary.”

“So many titles?” Although Hou Longtao had some psychological preparation, his voice still trembled slightly…

On Tuesday afternoon, Hou Longtao left the China World Trade Center two hours early. He had arranged a meeting with Tian Donghua to discuss the cooperation requirements sent by Weifang City. He arrived half an hour early, parked his car under the China Overseas Plaza, took the elevator upstairs, and came to the office rented by “Dongxing.” Although the dozen or so employees here didn’t see him often, they knew that he was the boss and greeted him. “Is Director Tian in?”

“Yes, but he has someone right now.”

“Then I’ll wait here for a while and check your work.”

More than ten minutes later, the door of the general manager’s office opened, and a man and a woman walked out. The man was Tian Donghua, and the woman was wearing a short, dark gray police uniform shirt, with the hem tucked into a black knee-length police skirt. Her slender and well-proportioned calves looked softer because of the flesh-colored stockings. The patent leather half-heeled leather shoes were shiny. She had a police hat tucked under her arm. Because she was facing away from Hou Longtao when she came out, he could only see that she was wearing a ponytail.

“Seven o’clock tomorrow night. If you’re late, I won’t wait for you.” Tian Donghua hadn’t noticed Hou Longtao’s presence yet. The tone of his voice gave people a cold feeling.

“Hmph, you haven’t changed at all. You invite me to dinner, but you don’t pick me up or drop me off, and you’re so rude. Don’t you know that waiting for the woman is the minimum courtesy?” The policewoman turned around, revealing a flower-like face. It was actually Yu Qian…(The Golden Dragon is not a thing in pond)

Golden Scale [EN]

Golden Scale [EN]

金鳞岂是池中物
Status: Completed Author: Native Language: Korean
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[English Translation] From the bustling streets of Beijing to the sun-kissed shores of California, witness the audacious journey of a reformed hooligan turned unlikely millionaire. Armed with a college degree and a lottery ticket from the Golden State, he's about to shake up the world of high finance. Back in Beijing as an investment department manager, he navigates a treacherous landscape of seductive beauty, cutthroat competition, and unforeseen crises. Watch as he leverages his street smarts, newfound wealth, and a dash of pure luck to transform every obstacle into an opportunity, rising through the ranks to become a titan of industry. Prepare for a thrilling saga of ambition, intrigue, and the intoxicating allure of power.

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