FRGL chapter 28

Luo Hai neatly sorted the case files and documents on his desk, clipped them together by category, then picked them up and strode out of the office.

Eugene watched as he marched down the hallway, throwing open the door to every office on the floor and tossing documents inside.

“Daina, these are the materials and evidence for the West District murder case. If I remember correctly, this was originally your jurisdiction.”

“Flock, the North District gang case files. I recall you were very interested in this case—now you can dig deeper.”

“Barney, the drug smuggling review report. Trial’s in two days, better start preparing your prosecution documents.”

Eugene watched as each person who received a file looked utterly dumbfounded. But before they could even think of an excuse to argue, Luo Hai had already turned on his heel and strode toward the stairs.

A few steps down, he glanced back at Eugene, frowning. “What are you standing there for? Let’s go.”

Eugene slowly raised an eyebrow. “No mask, no hat—you’re just gonna walk out of the prosecutor’s office with me like this?”

“What does it matter?” Luo Hai said indifferently, his voice just loud enough for Flock and the others to hear. “The whole office already thinks you’re my kept man anyway.”

Eugene froze for a second. Then, as he caught up to Luo Hai, his grin widened. By the time they were walking side by side down the stairs, he was laughing so hard he could barely stand.

“I actually thought you were getting pushed around at work—hah, I was so naive.”

Luo Hai shot him a glance. “Glad to see you finally have some self-awareness.”

“All that extra work—rather than you helping them out, sounds more like Doyle pulling the strings. Making you do all the dirty, tedious, thankless jobs while paying you the same as everyone else,” Eugene mused, crossing his arms. “You’re just walking off like this—aren’t you afraid Doyle will fire you?”

“If he fires me, he’ll be losing three prosecutors and an elite Omega case consultant all at once,” Luo Hai said casually. “After all these years, I do have some leverage against him.”

Eugene watched him with great interest. “So, aside from Omega crimes, Doyle also has you handling the grunt work for other cases. Do any prosecutors besides you ever handle Omega crime cases?”

Luo Hai lifted his gaze and gave Eugene a once-over. “Do you really think I’d tell you that? The biggest Omega crime boss?”

Eugene chuckled, his expression a mix of mischief and amusement. “Ah, I’ve been exposed.”

Luo Hai couldn’t be bothered with him and walked straight to his car, opening the door and getting into the driver’s seat.

But Eugene, like an overly energetic golden retriever, wouldn’t stop talking even after the car started.

“By the way, are you really just going to throw that coat away? It only got a few feathers on it…”

Luo Hai shot him a look as if to say, “Are you joking?” “The fact that I haven’t tossed it into an incinerator and burned it to ashes is already an act of great restraint.”

Eugene couldn’t stop laughing. “Come on, you got chased by a bird twenty years ago. Why are you still so scared?”

“It was a huge bird!” Luo Hai emphasized. “Its wingspan was bigger than me, and it almost pecked my eye out!”

“Well, maybe you shouldn’t have kicked its nest?” Eugene teased. “It didn’t attack you for no reason.”

“Who kicked its nest?” Luo Hai retorted. “I was climbing over a wall to pick osmanthus flowers from the yard next door. It just happened to build its nest right where I landed.”

Eugene burst out laughing at Luo Hai’s stubborn refusal to admit fault.

“Yeah, yeah, picking osmanthus flowers. You really loved sneaking over to steal those flowers when we were kids. Not only did the birds chase you off, but also dogs and even the broom of the house’s owner. You always made me stand guard for you, too. Too bad that family moved away later, and they took the tree with them. We never got to taste osmanthus again.”

Luo Hai said nothing, just stared silently at the road ahead.

The villa next to the orphanage had belonged to a wealthy Alpha family in Nantes.

Osmanthus trees were rare in Fuba Port, and this one had been transported all the way from Nantes, roots and soil included.

Every autumn, the wind carried the scent of its blossoms over the wall, filling the orphanage with their fragrance. If they were lucky, the children could find a few pale golden flowers scattered on the ground by the wall.

Auntie Ai, of course, wouldn’t let them eat flowers they picked up from the dirt. She would scold them harshly whenever she caught them.

Most of the kids quickly gave up. As scarce as food was back then, and as much as they all craved treats, it just wasn’t worth getting yelled at over a few tiny petals.

Only Luo Hai never gave up. He loved the rich aroma of osmanthus and the faint sweetness when he put the petals in his mouth. But what frustrated him even more was the unfairness of it all—rich people never even picked or ate those flowers. Their golden blossoms piled up like carpets in the yard, left to rot in the dirt, while the orphans could only longingly scrape a few off the ground and get scolded for it.

How did that make sense?

So he started finding ways to climb walls and trees, shaking the branches until the flowers rained down, filling a pencil case with as many as he could carry back.

The first year, the wealthy man embedded shards of glass into the wall. Luo Hai took a slingshot and shattered them one by one.

The second year, the wealthy man kept a dog in the yard. Luo Hai called Eugene over, had him distract the dog with bread, and then climbed up to pick the flowers.

The third year, the wealthy man finally had enough. He called Aunt Ai out and furiously scolded her, jabbing a finger in her face.

Luo Hai heard everything clearly from inside the room. The vulgarity of the words was so extreme that even if they had filled their swear jar with candy, it wouldn’t have been enough. But Aunt Ai only bowed her head and kept apologizing, her bangs falling down to cover her eyes.

By the end of the third year, the wealthy man moved away. He even hired a large excavator to dig up the entire osmanthus tree, soil and all, and take it away.

As he left, he spat viciously at the orphanage’s doorstep, complaining to the driver about how these “mongrel kids” were full of nothing but bad intentions.

By the fourth autumn, there were no more osmanthus flowers.

Young Luo Hai searched every flower shop in Fuba Port, hoping to find an osmanthus sapling. But everyone gave the same answer: there were no osmanthus saplings in the north; they could only be bought in Nantes.

It was then that a stubborn determination took root in his heart.

He loudly announced to everyone in the orphanage that when he grew up, he would move to Nantes, become a wealthy Alpha, and plant an entire courtyard of osmanthus trees.

That memory still played in his mind like an old slideshow: the afternoon sun shining brilliantly, all the children gathered in the courtyard doing morning exercises, laughing at him.

Only one child didn’t laugh. Instead, with a silly but earnest look, they grabbed his hand, eyes shining, and said his dream would definitely come true.

Who was that again?

Ah, of course.

It was his little shadow, the one who hadn’t yet taken the surname Oddis—Eugene.

Luo Hai closed his eyes for a brief moment. When he opened them again, his expression had returned to normal. Sunlight streamed through the car window, casting a glow on the steering wheel. The road ahead wasn’t busy, only the occasional car passing by, engines rumbling.

“Have you eaten osmanthus since moving to Nantes?” Eugene suddenly asked, resting his chin on his hand.

“No,” Luo Hai replied flatly.

Eugene chuckled. “No way? You used to—”

Before he could finish, Luo Hai cut him off coldly.

“If you’re so eager to reminisce, go chat with your fellow inmates in prison. I’m not interested.”

Eugene raised his hands in mock surrender, still smiling. “Alright, alright. So, since you’re leaving work early today, where are you headed?”

“Nowhere. Home, sleep, then finish the casework I didn’t complete.” Luo Hai’s tone remained indifferent. “I have a trial tomorrow. I still need to go over the evidence.”

Eugene gave him a look of disbelief. “You finally take a day off and you’re just going to sleep and work?”

“A prosecutor’s life isn’t as exciting as a criminal’s,” Luo Hai glanced at him. “Deal with it.”

Eugene clicked his tongue in boredom. After a few seconds, he shifted in his seat like a restless dog and turned to Luo Hai. “You really don’t want to go out for a bit? What if I told you I know a place nearby with a great view, hidden away, and I guarantee you’ll like it?”

A familiar headache crept up on Luo Hai.

Here we go again.

He knew Eugene well—if he didn’t agree, Eugene would pester him nonstop, probably all the way until he got out of the car, making sure he didn’t get any rest.

“This is downtown Nantes,” Luo Hai pointed out. “There’s no such thing as a place with a great view that’s also hidden.”

“How do you know?” Eugene raised an eyebrow. “Have you explored every corner of Nantes?”

“No,” Luo Hai replied, patience thinning. “But I’m a prosecutor for the city of Nantes. If such a place existed, I would know about it.”

“Want to bet?” Eugene smirked at him provocatively. “Let’s see if I’m telling the truth.”

…Only an idiot would take that bet.

Luo Hai sighed and slowed down the car. “Fine. Where to?”

Eugene immediately perked up and sat upright. “Turn right up ahead, then left at the end of the road.”

Luo Hai followed the directions, but the surroundings remained familiar.

This was the Nantes city center, the streets he had driven through countless times while on duty. The main street was lined with commercial districts and residential buildings. Further out were schools and parks, but none of those seemed to fit Eugene’s description, nor did they appear to be their destination.

Instead, Eugene guided him toward a residential area. The car passed through rows of apartment buildings until they reached the end of the road, where Eugene directed him into a narrow, run-down alley, stopping in front of an unremarkable courtyard.

Luo Hai frowned, puzzled as to why Eugene had brought him here. “The ‘hidden scenic spot’ you mentioned… is just an old house in the urban village?”

“Of course not.” Eugene smirked, shut the car door, and walked straight to the entrance. He reached under a flowerpot by the door, retrieved a key, and unlocked the heavy padlock. “It’s what’s inside.”