Nie Huaisang didn't look like a policeman. No one who noticed him thought 'hmm, that's a cop'. This had been of enormous advantage to him. Pulling strings behind the scenes was his forte and it made him an excellent inspector for the undercover section.

He was comfortably seated in his office, wafting a beautifully painted fan and scanning the variety of monitors set up on the wall. Those particular locations were being observed for personnel patterns so further surveillance devices could be planted within the suspects homes or businesses. Nothing unusual.

The knock on his door startled him. A click of a button and the screens went dark. He smiled. He loved visitors.

"Enter, please."

Detective Lan Wangji and Patrol Officer Yu Bin entered. He was delighted. Surprises, as long as they didn't disrupt his carefully laid plans, were one of his favorite things.

"Detective! Patrol Officer! Please, come in! May I get you anything? I have tea and decent coffee. There's sodas and water too of course." As Nie Huaisang rambled, he was subtly watching them.

Obviously not a routine visit, he was wondering what brought a detective and beat cop to his office. He knew of no connections between the two or operations they were involved in. He also observed Yu Bin closed the office door. Whatever it was, it was confidential. He smiled to himself. The day was getting better and better.

"Nothing, thank you." Lan Wangji said.

Yu Bin just raised a hand in rejection and shook his head no. He was a little uncomfortable. Most cops referred to this office as The Spider's Web. It wasn't particularly flattering but everyone agreed, Nie Huaisang was the best at what he did.

Nie Huaisang personally loved the nickname.

"How may I help you, gentlemen?" The fan was again gently wafting to-and-fro.

"May we rely on your discretion?" As always, Lan Wangji was direct and to the point. Nie Huaisang couldn't help but laugh.

"Discretion is my stock and trade, detective. Let us set aside formalities. Why are you here? Most avoid The Spider's Web when possible." he grinned.

Yu Bin's surprise was evident. He was right. The patrol officer had heard the rumors and that's why he was uncomfortable.

As for reading Lan Wangji, it would be easier to read a jade pillar. The man's face was a cool controlled mask. Perhaps with further exposure, he would be able to ascertain if there were any nuances that could be interpreted. But that would have to wait.

"We need your technical expertise for surveillance. We are going in to the red light district to find an individual and extract him for an interview regarding a murder. He is associated with Wen Chao so we must be careful."

Nie Huaisang perked up a little at the name Wen Chao. He had been chasing that fucker for years. "What is his connection to Wen Chao?"

The tone when Nie Huaisang said Wen Chao had raised the hair on the back of Yu Bin's neck.

"We believe he is part of his stable*" Lan Wangji replied. If he had noticed the inspector's reaction, he gave no sign. "We would like to be able to record any events that may occur without it being detected. Video is preferable but pictures or audio is acceptable. Is this possible?"

The fan snapped shut. "Yes, it is possible. Did you bring the jackets you plan to wear?"

"Just outside your office door." At the detective's nod, Yu Bin brought in the plain brown bag and handed it to the inspector.

Nie Huaisang pulled each garment out and carefully examined them. "They'll be ready by four. Is there anything else?"

"We need a way to call for back up if things go badly." Yu Bin spoke up.

The fan was tapped onto Nie Huaisang 's palm as he thought. "Hmmm... your hair is too short... Are you wearing hats of any kind?"

A nod from the detective. "Yu Bin has a knit cap and I will be wearing a hood."

"Does the cap go low enough to cover your ears?" Yu Bin nodded. "I have some small ear buds that you can wear. Almost invisible but there are two catches. The first is you need someone listening to your frequency. You say the code word and help is on the way. Do you have a third person?"

"No."

"Hmmm and then there's the second issue..." The inspector pursed his lips in thought.

"Which is?" Lan Wangji's famed directness was on full display.

Nie Huaisang spread his hands with a smile.

"I want in. Of course. Full access to the reports during the surveillance and any information you gather. If that happens, then I'll make the first problem disappear."

"How?" Lan Wangji watched as The Spider pulled the strands of his web.

"I will monitor your frequency. I already agreed to full discretion. I will have to know when you are in the field. I suggest we meet somewhere more private. Do you have cover stories?"

"Yes."

"And they would be..." he prompted Lan Wangji.

"Yu Bin will be a beggar. I will be ex-military and an alcoholic." The detective could see the wheels turning as the inspector considered the new information.

"I have several battered but fully functional burner phones. If you are careful how you use them, they should fit in your covers. So you'll have a way to record information, an earbud to talk to me and each other as well as a back up if something happens to the earbud. Any thing else?"

"No. Thank you, Inspector. May I suggest we visit our individual inspectors and advise them of your involvement?" Lan Wangji stood immediately followed by Yu Bin.

"Go prepare. I will alert them of this change myself. Where would you like to meet?"

"My home if that is acceptable to you." At Nie Huaisang's nod, Lan Wangji wrote his address on the notepad pushed toward him.

"Perfect! I will be there at four o'clock. Have a nice day, gentlemen."

As the door closed behind his visitors, Nie Huaisang grinned. 'What have you been up to, Wen Chao?"

Humming to himself, he took the jackets to his lab and quietly closed the door.

~♡~♡~♡~

In this case, the word stable refers to the prostitutes working under a particular pimp.

May you have some chocolate in your day!

❤🍫🫖❤