At six o’clock, the alarm rang, and Lu Jiaxin woke up and quickly got up to wash, then went downstairs to run. After running a short distance outside, she found Lu An catching up, and judging by the sweat on his forehead, he had been running for a while.
Lu Jiaxin smiled and asked, "What time did you get up?"
Lu An said, "Auntie, I got up at six o’clock. Running here is just jogging; at home, I have to add sandbags during running training."
"What kind of training do you usually do?"
Lu An nodded and said, "Besides the weighted running, there are strength training, jump training, and so on. After each training session, I just want to sleep for three days and three nights."
Lu Jiaxin deliberately said, upon hearing this: "Such hard work with little pay and danger, why not quit and come work for me instead?"
Lu An shook his head vigorously like a rattle: "Auntie, I really love this job. Even if it’s poorly paid, very hard, and dangerous, I will keep doing it until I’m old."
What he didn’t say was that a couple of months ago, he and his mentor pursued a fugitive, only to find the person had a makeshift gun. During the escape, the fugitive fired at them, but fortunately, their shooting accuracy was poor, so both mentor and apprentice were unharmed. He dared not tell his family about this for fear they would worry.
At the time, he was actually very scared, even having nightmares about being shot dead. But no matter how scared, this was the career he liked and aspired to, something he couldn’t give up.
Lu Jiaxin was very satisfied; this passion was why he was so motivated to retake exams: "If you like it, work hard at it. In terms of physical training, Xiaoxiao has experience; you can ask her for guidance."
Lu Jiaxin further reminded him, "Xiaoxiao’s training methods can be very harsh, but being able to stick with them will increase your odds when apprehending criminals."
The training Xiaoxiao provided could be described as hell mode. Lu An, being a detective, faces fierce criminals; the more rigorous the training, the better the chances of survival in real danger.
Lu An asked in some astonishment, "Auntie, who taught Xiaoxiao these training methods?"
"You don’t need to worry about who taught her. As long as it’s effective, it’s up to you to see if you can endure it," Lu Jiaxin responded. Among all her nephews, she liked Lu An the most, as he was talkative yet straightforward and sincere.
Lu An nodded and then changed the subject: "Auntie, that Huang Xiaoyu went to Yangcheng City with a man. The one surnamed Tang didn’t go to Yangcheng City to find her daughter but instead ran to my house asking my parents about her."
As the saying goes, the barefooted don’t fear those with shoes; Lu Hongjun’s welfare benefits and salary were canceled, so he wasn’t afraid of Tang Sufen making trouble. But Lu Jiaguang and Wang Xiaojie were different; both had decent jobs and would be concerned about commotion at their doorstep.
"How did your parents deal with it?"
Lu An said, "My parents called the police, saying she trespassed, and the police station detained her for three days. After that, she didn’t dare come again. Auntie, where could such a big living person have gone to?"
Upon hearing this, Lu Jiaxin stopped and turned back to look at him, smiling as she asked, "What, you think I killed her?"
Lu An quickly shook his head and waved his hands, saying, "No, no. Auntie, I’m just curious. Even if Huang Xiaoyu wanted to go to Yangcheng City with a man, why wouldn’t she inform her family before leaving, and instead disappear so quietly?"
Lu Jiaxin wasn’t going to solve his doubts, simply smiling as she said, "Then you take your time investigating how exactly she got to Yangcheng City? However, compared to finding Huang Xiaoyu, I think the Public Security Bureau should focus more on spreading awareness about how foreign lands aren’t paradises but could very much be hell."
Lu Jiaxin said, "I’ve never met Huang Xiaoyu, but I’ve heard she was desperate to come to Hong Kong because she thought the streets of Hong Kong were paved with gold and she could get rich just by being here."
After speaking, she looked at Lu An and said, "There are many nightclubs and dance halls in Hong Kong, and some less desirable establishments. In these places, there are many young and beautiful girls. Some are from Hong Kong, but a large portion are brought from outside."
Lu An’s expression changed drastically: "Where are they brought from?"
Lu Jiaxin sighed and said, "From all over Southeast Asia. Some of these girls believed the rumors that there was money everywhere abroad, and once they left their homelands, found they were deceived and couldn’t return."
Not just in this era, even thirty years later it still happens! Although in later years, various countries cracked down heavily, so it became relatively less common.
"Doesn’t the Hong Kong police do anything about it?"
Lu Jiaxin shook her head and said, "The profits from trafficking are astounding. They’ve already formed a complete industry chain, and it’s hard to take them down. Spreading awareness so that people are more vigilant is more practical and effective than thinking about saving them."
Lu An had an idea and said, "Auntie, if there were real cases, bringing them back for publicity would be more convincing."
Lu Jiaxin understood what he meant, and her smile didn’t waver: "You want to save them? Fine, let’s see how capable you are. If you get hacked to death, I’ll make sure your body is taken care of."
Lu An did want to help, but his visa was only for a month, and being unfamiliar with Hong Kong, he didn’t have the capability. As for Lu Jiaxin saving them, that was impossible; cutting off someone’s financial path was like killing their parents. He couldn’t let a bit of selfishness make his aunt an enemy of those rats lurking in the dark and thus put her in danger.
"No, no, I just want to know how these traffickers deceive those girls. Knowing their tricks will help us prevent it better."
This response greatly satisfied Lu Jiaxin: "I’ll have the information collected, all guaranteed to be genuine, and give it to you when you leave."
Lu An was overjoyed: "Auntie, thank you."
Lu Jiaxin thought he had a pure heart but was not reckless or dull: "Remember to stay safe when carrying out missions in the future, don’t worry your parents, they have it hard."
Although she already knew he wanted to join the Public Security Bureau to catch bad guys, she was still worried when he got assigned to criminal investigation, as it was indeed a very dangerous job. But it was something he loved, so she never discouraged him, and dangerous work always needed someone to do it.
After chatting for a little while, Lu Jiaxin went back to have breakfast.
A few minutes after breakfast, the stylist and makeup artist arrived. Today was the engagement banquet, so she couldn’t look the same as usual, and her style needed to match the dress.
Lu Jiaxin had three dresses in total. The first was a champagne lace gown, the second a red cheongsam embroidered with a phoenix, and the third a tassel mermaid gown. Two dresses were enough for the engagement banquet, but in case of any mishaps that might soil one, a backup was kept.
After getting styled and changing into the champagne gown, Lu Jiaxin stood in front of the mirror and was very satisfied, saying, "Call Nie Zhan and ask how much longer he will take."
Yan Yijun immediately made the call.
Qian Xiaoxiao praised, "Sister Xin, you are so beautiful, Mr. Nie is really a lucky man."
Lu Jiaxin smiled and said, "Ah Zhan is the man women in Hong Kong most want to marry. There are countless people envious of me!"
Especially since Nie Zhan was clean-cut and generous, having given Lu Jiaxin gifts worth billions over time. Now at the engagement, the betrothal gifts alone were in the billions, making it the most so far.
But Qian Xiaoxiao didn’t see it this way: "Sister Xin, if it weren’t for you, his career wouldn’t have gone so smoothly either."
Lu Jiaxin knew this girl was now her fan, so she didn’t argue with her.