Red Peacock [English] (Original Novel by Ju~On, translation by LuckyCasualty)

9. 'Ròc' the Boat

Lù Yī Péng thought himself arguably the most handcuffed police official in the world, but that conclusion wasn't something worth announcing to the world, and a statistic best kept a secret.

Just as he was about to doze off again, the sun had begun to peer through the window onto the bed. Turning around, he saw Hóng Kǒng Què lounging, semi-reclined next to him.

"Are you awake now?" the other side greeted him. Lù Yī Péng quickly sat up, realizing that the handcuffs were still on.

"Inspector, I caught a thief last night. I caught him red handed as he was trying to break into my bag." said Hóng Kǒng Què with a smile. Lù Yī Péng tried to shake off the sleepiness and focus on the issue at hand.

"Yeah, I know. I heard he's been released because you detained him last night," Lù Yī Péng responded.

"Not quite yet, Inspector. He's got to wait for someone to bail him out," Hóng Kǒng Què said, then smiled. Lù Yī Péng swallowed hard, trying to keep his cool.

"So I'll bail him out myself. You can let him go now," he said.

"What about collateral?" Hóng Kǒng Què continued. Lù Yī Péng racked his brain, wondering who this person was.

"I'll take full responsibility," Lù Yī Péng said, and Hóng Kǒng Què hesitated.

"Not enough. This culprit was brazen, he committed a big-time crime. You must have something else to offer as a guarantee," he said.

"Like what?" Lù Yī Péng asked, his mind racing. Hóng Kǒng Què smiled slyly and reached out to grab his face.

"I'll give you three minutes to think about it," he said.

Lù Yī Péng remained still for a couple of seconds, then lunged at Hóng Kǒng Què, intending to grab the key tucked into his shirt pocket. He was sure this mafioso wouldn't offer him any decent collateral. It was better to fight to the death than to be caged. Both struggled on the bed until eventually, the young inspector was overpowered and detained once again. Lù Yī Péng gritted his teeth as the other side stood up beside him.

Hóng Kǒng Què used his free hand to hold his face and leaned in close, a small smirk at the corner of his mouth. "Become the captain of my ship one day, and I'll let this suspect go," he said.

Lù Yī Péng kept grinding at his teeth before finally nodding defeated, "Fine."

Hóng Kǒng Què smiled wider before unlocking the handcuffs. Then, he lightly patted the young man's cheek. "Let's go take a shower and freshen up, Inspector, it's getting late," he said.

𓅈𓅈𓅈

Lù Yī Péng had been working for five years without taking any leave. This was his first vacation. Now, the young inspector was spending his time and energy maneuvering the sails to make the boat catch the wind and move in the desired direction. While someone else sat sipping orange juice leisurely at the stern of the boat.

Hóng Kǒng Què had rented a larger sloop, and now he was comfortably reclining in a deck chair, leisurely watching the young inspector as he swiftly controlled the sailboat, stretching to adjust the sails.

Lù Yī Péng wore only a short-sleeved T-shirt and shorts. Every time he moved, the hem of his shorts lifted slightly, revealing bold red letters tattooed on his thigh. Not to mention his tensed arm-muscles working at full capacity, painting a beautiful picture before anyone's eyes. Yes, it was quite an attractive view.

Hóng Kǒng Què looked at him, taking a sip of the orange juice from the table with genuine pleasure. Meanwhile, the inspector was sweating profusely, panting from the heat, and cursing the man watching him as he manipulated the sail, causing the boat to sway.