Chapter 36: Hold the Gazing
In the past, even when facing powerful enemies, Wei Langxing had never flinched.
But this time, he truly didn’t know what to do.
The Bureau? How… could that be?
He had witnessed Yu Liao’s descent into madness, Tang Yu’an’s endangerment, and the suffering of other unknown victims…
All of it fueled his hatred for Yi Xin Pharmaceuticals, his desire to eradicate them burning fiercely.
But now he was being told that it was connected to the Bureau, perhaps even orchestrated by them.
He knew there were problems within the Bureau, people exploiting loopholes, climbing the ranks unscrupulously, but such blatant disregard for human life, a severe violation of interstellar law…
No, he couldn’t jump to conclusions without concrete evidence. Perhaps someone was trying to frame the Bureau.
His greatest fear was that the Bureau, meant to protect the people, had been infiltrated by some unknown force, that every step he took from now on would be shadowed by potential betrayal.
The enemy hiding in the shadows made him uneasy. He recalled Zuo Tinghan’s brake failure.
Loose brakes could be a mechanical malfunction, but sabotage couldn’t be ruled out.
He hadn’t taken it seriously at the time, but now, paranoid, he wondered if someone was targeting them because of Yi Xin Pharmaceuticals.
After much deliberation, he decided to tell Pang Jin, but not report it to higher authorities yet.
Frankly, the only superior he trusted right now was Pang Jin.
The old fox, although scheming, was someone he knew well. He knew he couldn’t rely on him for small matters, but he could trust him with important ones.
He didn’t explain over the phone, simply urging Pang Jin to come quickly, saying he had something important to discuss.
Pang Jin, having just finished a meeting, received the news of Yu Liao’s mental collapse and Tang Yu’an’s recovery. As director, he couldn’t be absent, and he was already on his way.
Urged by Wei Langxing, he assumed there was another emergency, perhaps Tang Yu’an’s condition had worsened, so he sped through several red lights.
But when he arrived, Tang Yu’an was sleeping peacefully, and Wei Langxing was sitting beside the bed, stiff as a board.
“What are you up to now…”
He swallowed the rest of his sentence, seeing Wei Langxing’s expression.
A terrifying thought crossed his mind: “Don’t tell me Xiao Tang is… he’s not…”
Wei Langxing jumped up, his voice sharp, ignoring their rank difference: “Don’t you dare say that!”
Pang Jin didn’t argue, patting his chest: “Good, good… then what was that urgent message about?”
Just as Wei Langxing was about to answer, a sound from the bed caught his attention.
He called out softly: “Yu’an?”
Tang Yu’an’s sleep wasn’t peaceful. He dreamt he was walking through a desolate wilderness, only Yu Liao with him.
But Yu Liao wasn’t walking beside him, but far ahead. Tang Yu’an tried to catch up, but no matter how hard he ran, the distance between them remained the same. He could only see a blurry figure, like a mirage.
The sky was dark, the air cold and bleak. Tang Yu’an, uncomfortable, kept calling Yu Liao’s name, hoping he would stop and wait.
Finally, the figure stopped. Tang Yu’an ran towards him excitedly—
But as he passed him, he realized with a jolt that it was also a back view, faceless.
He fell to the ground, the surroundings fading rapidly, and he was back in Yu Liao’s apartment.
The familiar furniture reassured him. He ran to the living room, finding Yu Liao sitting in a chair, but he was now a desiccated corpse. If it weren’t for his clothes, Tang Yu’an wouldn’t have recognized him.
He woke up with a gasp, his eyes stinging from the light, cold sweat on his forehead.
Wei Langxing’s face was the first thing he saw. He looked haggard, as if he hadn’t slept in days, making Tang Yu’an wonder if he had forgotten to eat.
His mind returning to the speeding car, he remembered Yu Liao’s precarious state, the urgent need to intervene.
He tried to sit up, but he felt weak and dizzy, his vision darkening, almost fainting again.
Wei Langxing quickly told him to relax, adjusting the bed.
Tang Yu’an clutched his sleeve: “Yu Liao, where’s Yu Liao…?”
The image of the rooftop flashed through his mind, and he remembered what had happened.
Yu Liao… was gone.
He had failed.
Seeing his changing expressions, then his silence, Wei Langxing knew he was grieving, but he didn’t know how to comfort him, simply saying that perhaps it was a release for Yu Liao.
In a way, he had escaped the torment of his hallucinations, his wish fulfilled.
Pang Jin, standing beside them, added: “Yes, Xiao Tang, don’t blame yourself. Focus on resting now. That’s an order, understand?”
Tang Yu’an hadn’t even noticed the other person in the room. Seeing his superior visiting him, he felt both embarrassed and touched, nodding silently.
Wei Langxing, seeing his weakened state, started fussing over him, asking endless questions, only stopping when Tang Yu’an repeatedly assured him he was fine.
He felt uncomfortable under his intense gaze, thinking he was overreacting. The doctor had said he was fine, yet he was acting as if he was on his deathbed.
He jokingly mentioned this, and Wei Langxing immediately exclaimed: “Don’t ever say that again!”
He instantly regretted his harsh tone.
He wasn’t superstitious, but hearing such words from Tang Yu’an was unbearable.
Although Tang Yu’an had been beside him for the past few hours, he hadn’t felt real.
Only now, with him awake, did he truly feel alive.
Tang Yu’an blinked slowly, and Wei Langxing’s composure crumbled.
Tang Yu’an didn’t understand why Wei Langxing, after his outburst, suddenly looked so aggrieved, his eyes reddening, as if he had been the one scolded.
They stared at each other. Tang Yu’an felt a pang of sympathy for Wei Langxing, who clearly hadn’t slept properly in days, consumed by work.
Honestly, such a grown-up protagonist, and he didn’t even know how to take care of himself.
Wei Langxing couldn’t take his eyes off him, admiring his full lips, his delicate nose, everything perfect, except for the bandage on his forehead, a painful reminder.
Like a child clutching a rediscovered toy, unwilling to let go.
Finally, Pang Jin intervened: “Hold the gazing. I know you’re both emotional after this reunion, but there’s another person here. Don’t ignore me just because I’m old.”
They both tried to hide their flustered reactions with small gestures. Wei Langxing was embarrassed, while Tang Yu’an simply thought he was being teased.
But his anxiety about the unfinished mission quickly returned. He asked: “With Yu Liao gone, can we still solve the Yi Xin Pharmaceuticals case?”
Pang Jin sighed. He hadn’t expected things to turn out this way.
“Xiao Tang, I know you’re feeling for Yu Liao. Don’t worry, although we don’t have any leads on Yi Xin Pharmaceuticals yet, I won’t give up… I just don’t understand why the higher-ups don’t seem to take this seriously, they haven’t assigned any additional personnel…”
Wei Langxing knew why.
He closed the door, making sure no one could overhear them, then said: “That’s what I wanted to talk about… Director Pang, I have a new lead on Yi Xin Pharmaceuticals.”
He rarely addressed Pang Jin so formally. It usually meant he was either asking for a favor or discussing something serious.
Pang Jin glanced at Tang Yu’an, who had straightened up, then said seriously: “Tell me.”
Before revealing the information, Wei Langxing, although knowing it was unnecessary, still wanted to be safe.
“Director Pang, can you promise not to ask where I got this information?”
Pang Jin, who knew everything about his team members’ backgrounds, naturally knew his family had been involved in shady dealings in the past, but it had been a long time ago; they had all “seen the light.”
It seemed this kid had used his old connections to investigate.
Pang Jin was a flexible, perhaps overly so, person who hated bureaucratic red tape. In his view, any method that worked was a good method. He wouldn’t fault Wei Langxing for bending the rules.
But as a director, he still had to maintain appearances.
He said carefully: “Xiao Wei, you must have obtained this information yourself. You haven’t reported it to me, so how would I know where it came from?”
With Pang Jin’s tacit agreement, Wei Langxing carefully explained his suspicion that Yi Xin Pharmaceuticals might be connected to the Bureau.
Tang Yu’an’s face paled. He remembered K’s warning about a traitor in the Bureau, perhaps someone involved with Yi Xin Pharmaceuticals.
So K was telling the truth…
The environment suddenly felt less safe, and he felt a surge of anxiety.
Wei Langxing, noticing his discomfort, poured him a glass of warm water.
He instinctively wanted to squeeze his arm reassuringly, then remembered his injury, gently covering his hand with his own.
“It’s okay, we’ll figure it out.” After a moment of thought, he added: “And we’re separate from headquarters, relatively safer.”
He didn’t believe the traitor was in his team.
Although his teammates were… questionable, he trusted their loyalty.
A frivolous playboy and a PTSD patient who sometimes lost control of his own mind didn’t seem like masterminds pulling strings from the shadows.
Besides, they had only recently joined the Bureau, while Yi Xin Pharmaceuticals’ activities started years ago. The timeline didn’t match.
Compared to Tang Yu’an’s somewhat unsurprised reaction, Pang Jin’s demeanor was what truly puzzled him.
The old fox didn’t seem surprised at all.
Wei Langxing frowned: “Do you know something you’re not telling us?”
Pang Jin didn’t answer directly, instead asking: “Do you… find it terrifying that the Bureau might be involved in something like this?”
Wei Langxing: “Of course! If we don’t deal with it immediately, it’ll be a disaster!”
“You’re still too young…”
Pang Jin paused dramatically, then revealed that the Bureau, in its early days, had been formed by citizens rebelling against government oppression. It was only later absorbed and expanded by the government.
Wei Langxing was puzzled: “But there’s no mention of this in any of the employee handbooks…”
Pang Jin scoffed: “Use your brain. Do you think that’s something they’d include for new recruits to read?”
He then revealed that the Bureau had even engaged in robbing the rich to help the poor in the past. As an unofficial organization, it had been unregulated, its members a mix of good and bad, with rampant criminal activity.
After being absorbed by the government, it underwent a complete overhaul, with radical elements purged, but there was no guarantee their influence had been completely eliminated.
“So, don’t think too highly of the Bureau.”
Tang Yu’an asked: “Director Pang, do you have any suspects in mind regarding Yi Xin Pharmaceuticals?”
A list of potential suspects would make things much easier.
Unfortunately, Pang Jin had no leads: “The Bureau is vast, with different departments operating independently. I can’t even guess who might be involved.”
Wei Langxing took on the task: “Don’t worry about this, Yu’an. I have special channels.”
Pang Jin clicked his tongue: “You and your ‘special channels.’ Can you stop saying that? It doesn’t sound good!”
Although he knew it was meant to be reassuring, Wei Langxing still retorted instinctively: “There are no outsiders here…”
Just as he finished speaking, a knock came at the door, and Zuo Tinghan entered.
Tang Yu’an’s eyes widened. Had Zuo Tinghan… been looting?
Wei Langxing was also speechless: “I asked you to buy some daily necessities, why did you bring the entire convenience store back?”
