Chapter 5 - The Rivals

The eagle team members half-heartedly walked out of the Chief commissioner's office as their Captain chose to stay behind and argue over taking charge of the 'HK Long Wei' case.

"I have too many questions to ask." Bing Wen declared as soon as he stepped out of the visitor's lounge. Though the rest of the team members heard his declaration, they smoothly ignored it and walked towards their temporary office.

"Sir Lao!!!" Bing Wen grabbed Lao Yating's arm and yanked him back as he tried to stop his team members from leaving,

"I said I had questions." He rumbled.

"Shoot!" Lao Yating crossed his arms over his chest as he positioned himself in front of the whining child.

"Does captain Wan often talk back to the chief? He was even glaring at the major general as if he knew no fear. And how the hell is he related to HK corporations?"Bing Wen bombarded him with his questions.

Watching the little boy almost dying in curiosity, Lao Yating let out a sigh and exchanged glances with his teammates.

"I think senior Fei is the right person to answer these questions. After all, he is the one who knows Captain better than anyone else." He threw the hot potato to Fei Yan, who has been working with Wan Yi Jun for more than five years.

"Well, Captain is a reserved person. He doesn't like to share his private life with anyone else, so I know things which you all know." Fei Yan tried his best to avoid discussing the topic by using a lame excuse.

"It's alright. Just tell me how he manages to talk back to the superior officers. Isn't he worried about the consequences of his aloof behaviour?" Bing Wen probed more. He couldn't believe the immense amount of attention that his captain receives from his superior bosses, even after he brutally ignores the protocols.

"That's his basic behaviour. He is straightforward and doesn't sugarcoat his words. Chief Wu likes people like him." Fei Yan admitted.

However, that explanation wasn't enough for Bing Wen, so he pried again.

"But chief Wu is such a sweet person. How could Captain irritate someone like him?"

"Oh, it's simple. Captain is like his second son. He is allowed to irritate the Chief." Fei Yan casually stated as he bobbed his head in a funny way. It was a well-known fact in the police department that Chief Wu Feng was like a godfather to Captain Wan, who was like a mediator between Wan Yi Jun and General Zhi.

"And a son-in-law to General Zhi." Added, Lao Yating trying hard to suppress his laughter, only to provoke the silent Shen Junru, the number one fan boy of Captain Wan.

"It seems like Sir Lao is tired of living." He abruptly commented as if he was getting ready to start an argument to save his captain from baseless rumours.

"Xiao Shen, don't act like you haven't seen whatever happened in the nightclub." Lao Yating made an effort to remind him, "Even if you didn't see anything, you must have listened to Captain's commands. Don't you find it odd?"

"They were just talking." Shen Junru shrugged his shoulders as if it was no big deal.

While both of them argued, Bing Wen, who had no clue about the context of their conversation, restlessly demanded what they were arguing about.

However, instead of answering him, Lao Yating turned to Fei Yan to support his speculation,

"Senior Fei, what do you think of captain's actions last night?"

"No comment." Fei Yan raised his arms as if he was bailing out of the situation, "I'm too old for this conversation." He muttered his breath as he tried hard to keep a straight face.

He was a person who had a positive opinion about using technology in their line of work, especially ear gadgets. During sting operations, their ear gadgets were always connected with each other for better communication. However, the negative side of connected devices only became clear to them during the last mission when the entire team accidentally overheard Wan Yi Jun's conversation with Zhi Lan.

"She was literally hitting on Captain and dropping hints every now and then. I swear, if it wasn't for the mission, they would have been…" Lao Yating wriggled his head to shake off the thought from his mind.

"Sir Lao, please don't act like a paparazzi reporter. Captain Wan doesn't even pay attention to her. He was just giving orders." Shen Junru protested.

"Oh my God, people, why don't you just say who she is?" Bing Wen almost shrieked out in frustration. One thing he disliked in the entire world was getting ignored during the conversation, especially if it was related to some spicy rumours.

"Her name is Zhi Lan." The arguing duo and Fei Yan univocally replied.

"Zhi Lan?" Bing Wen repeated the name monotonously. However, the moment realisation hit hard on his brain, his eyes widened in shock. "She is General Zhi's daughter? Good lord, is this the reason for General Zhi's silent treatment towards Captain? It is not true, right?" Bing Wen blathered as his thoughts began to run wilder,

"Hey...that's so unprofessional, especially someone who is in the position of officer general. Nope... I don't think so. " After contemplating for a long minute, he himself made a decision and sought validation from his seniors, who were silently watching him with pitiful eyes.

Fei Yan sighed and placed his arm over Bing Wen's shoulder as if he wanted the latter to calm down.

"Xiao Bing. I understand that you consider Captain Wan as a role model. But dear, there is one thing you should keep in your mind if you want to become like him." Fei Yan stopped for a second and continued.

"Within the six years of Captain's service, he was transferred 8 times. Though it might sound like he is a well-reputed officer, but if you look deep into it, anyone can figure out that it was nothing but punishment transfers. "

"And all the credits go to Miss Zhi," Chimed, Shen Junru with a poker face.

"Gosh, Captain Wan must be head over heels for his girlfriend to even defy General Zhi." Bing Wen grinned like a Cheshire cat as he thought about the possibility of their 'rough and tough' captain being a loyal boyfriend.

"No, it's the other way." Shen Junru corrected an overly enthusiastic Bing Wen with his iconic dead-pan expression. "Miss Zhi is the one who follows the captain everywhere. Even from Novaria to Imperial. "

"Novaria!!! Woahhh they went to Novaria- the abode of fallen angels? " Bing Wen exclaimed when he heard about Novaria, a western country that happened to be the topmost priority of people who wished to immigrate for better living standards and job opportunities.

Captain left such a place and luxuries to work in the police force? As he pondered more Bing Wen's face appeared perplexed.

"No. Captain is from Novaria. I mean, he is more like a second-generation immigrant." Fei Yan shared a mere amount of information that he managed to collect from Wan Yi Jun's personal life. "Miss Zhi went to some Novarian university and met Captain there."

"I heard that she is the one who forced Captain to return to Imperial and join the police academy." Lao Yating shared the biggest rumour that he heard about his captain.

"Woah!!! That itself proves that they are indeed a couple in love." Bing Wen admiringly said. Witnessing Wan Yi Jun's commitment to the police force has moved a newbie like Bing Wen and inspired him to a huge extent. However, not even in his wildest nightmares, Bing Wen expected such an affectionate backstory.

"I'm not sure about it. I just know that wherever Captain gets transferred, Miss Zhi follows him. Though she says that it's for her business, we all know that is not the case." Lao Yating replied as he subconsciously counted the Zhi Lan's visits to their offices while they were dispatched to various cities across the country. Even a child could figure out that it was way more than a mere coincidence.

"Soon after Miss Zhi appears, the Captain gets a transfer or goes for an off-site mission. That's how we got to know that General Zhi is not so happy with this alliance."

"But sir Lao, considering your theories, if Captain is on bad terms with General Zhi, then why did he recommended captain on this new mission? " Bing Wen pointed out, all of a sudden,

"Didn't you hear Chief? It's simply because of Chairman Han of HK corporations." Lao Yating answered and tilted his head in the direction of Fei Yan and Shen Junru, as if some random thought had popped into his mind.

"Were you aware of the fact that Captain is related to HK Corporation?" His question was full of bewilderment.

" No, absolutely not... I just knew that Captain Han was related to- Wait a minute. " Fei Yan paused mid-sentence as his face glowed with incredulity. "So captain Wan and Captain Han...they are not friends but cousins.... and they fought for the same woma-"

Fei Yan's words struck at his throat when he saw the towering figure standing just behind Bing Wen, like a shadow of death.

"What happened? Why did they fight?" Bing Wen grabbed the petrified Fei Yan's arms and shook enthusiastically to hear the rest of the story, "Tell me, tell me."

"Let me hear it too." Wan Yi Jun's deep profound voice floated in the air as he caught his team members gossiping like a bunch of jobless people,

As soon as they heard his indifferent voice, the team members turned mechanically like a robot and with their faces plastered with a sheepish smile.

"Who fought with whom?" Wan Yi Jun inquired, his sharp eyes penetrating deep into them, like icy daggers.

"No..no…" Lao Yating gulped a mouthful of saliva as he felt a chill run deep down his spine, "No one, captain."

Under his scrutinizing gaze, the eagle team trembled like a tree in typhoon.

"Since you've got enough time for useless talks, make sure to wrap up the file work before lunch break. " He ordered in an austere tone and turned to walk away from them as if nothing had happened,

As the heavy footsteps moved away from them, Bing Wen pulled his hair in disbelief.

"Officer Fei, why didn't you tell us that captain was standing there? Good Lord, I hope he didn't hear any of it."

"He heard it." The rest of the team members affirmed in unison.

Of course, Wan Yi Jun's keen ears were quick to pick up the words that left Fei Yan's mouth.

As someone who worked with him and his cousin in the same team, Wan Yi Jun knew that Officer Fei was familiar with the never-ending competition between them.

Two cousins, who grew up as rivals, fighting over nearly everything in their lives, but what will happen when they encounter a common enemy who dreams to destroy their family?