In Hong Kong variety shows, what does "crime buster" mean?

Chapter 91: V's Interview

"Don't be so nervous."

Chen Fan reached out and patted Chen Guibin on the shoulder, as if comforting an old friend who had been wronged.

"It's just time. Let me take you to get something to eat."

"Where's the show going?"

"It will be ready shortly."

After Chen Fan finished speaking, he turned around and walked forward, seemingly not worried at all that the latter wouldn't follow.

In fact it is.

Chen Guibin stood still, his eyes shifting.

He's been a police officer for so many years, and he's solved countless cases; he's long since become numb to it all.

Coupled with that nightmarish ability, his life was constantly filled with extreme suffering.

But now...

Chen Fan seemed very familiar with the area. The two walked through several streets one after the other, and finally turned into a narrow alley.

At the end of the alley is an old noodle shop that has been open for at least ten years. The paint on the signboard is so faded that the original color is no longer visible, and only the character "祥" (Xiang) can be vaguely discerned.

A large pot was set up at the entrance, with steaming beef soup bubbling inside, its rich aroma mingling with the spiciness of star anise and cinnamon filling the entire alley.

It wasn't lunchtime yet, and there were only two or three customers scattered around the noodle shop.

The owner was a thin, frail old man in his sixties, wearing a faded apron, idly flipping through channels on the old-fashioned television on the wall with a remote control.

The screen was showing the midday news, with the host reading out the latest developments in the Magellan case in a standard announcer's voice.

Chen Fan chose a seat facing the TV and pulled a chair next to him.

"Boss, two bowls of beef noodles."

After he finished speaking, he turned to look at Chen Guibin and asked, "Inspector Chen, would you like it spicy?"

"Add more, I can't live without spicy food."

Chen Guibin retorted without backing down.

"That's good. I like spicy food too. Food that's too bland always feels like something's missing."

Chen Fan turned to the boss and called out, "Boss, both orders, extra spicy and with extra scallions."

"Okay!"

The boss responded and skillfully grabbed two pre-stretched dough balls and threw them into the boiling water.

While waiting for the noodles to be served, Chen Fan rested his elbows on the table, propped his chin up, and looked at the television.

The news on the screen had finished airing, and now they were showing a story about laundry detergent being rejected. A housewife was holding up a shiny white shirt and grinning at the camera.

"I've always felt that this is what TV stations hate most!"

"What?"

Chen Guibin frowned.

"There are too many guys!"

Chen Fan said softly, "When I was in the orphanage, my biggest dream was to make enough money to buy a TV station and then order my employees to never interrupt the show with 'GG' unless the story had finished airing!"

Chen Guibin stared at him for a moment, then picked up the teacup on the table and took a sip.

"Then how are you going to get into police academy? Shouldn't you be going into business if you have this dream?"

"That's just how people are; regardless of gender, they are all very fickle."

As Chen Fan spoke, he took out his phone and glanced at the time on it.

"That's about it."

Chen Guibin's heart skipped a beat.

He opened his mouth as if to ask something, but before he could speak, the screen on the old television on the wall of the noodle shop suddenly began to shake violently.

The owner was carrying two steaming bowls of beef noodles when he was startled by the sudden flash of the television.

"Damn it, I just fixed the TV yesterday!"

He was so angry that he started cursing, and even the way he put down the bowl became a bit heavier.

Fortunately, the video was restored quickly, but the content was completely different from before.

A dimly lit, abandoned warehouse appeared on the screen, with a thick hemp rope tied to the central beam.

The other end of the rope extends downwards, suspending a person.

The person was hanging upside down in mid-air, his coat had been taken off, leaving him only in a wrinkled white vest and a pair of dark trousers.

His hands were tied behind his back, and his face was flushed red from the rush of blood.

It was Hou Shaorong, who had been missing for several days.

The only two or three customers in the noodle shop put down their chopsticks at the same time. Some gasped, while others instinctively covered their mouths.

But then came a surge of intense excitement.

This even included the boss who had just been cursing.

When the camera panned to the other side of the warehouse, they saw the person sitting in the chair.

V was wearing an extremely formal dark gray suit today, with a red pen in his breast pocket, his tie perfectly tied, and the buttons on his cuffs neatly fastened.

If you ignore the eerie mask, this outfit makes him look exactly like a TV presenter preparing to go on stage to broadcast the evening news.

Good morning, fellow citizens of Hong Kong.

A metallic voice came from the television, "We meet again. I'm sure you all recognize me, right? I won't introduce myself today."

"Ta-da! Look who I've invited as my special guest today!"

V strode up to Hou Shaorong, holding a pen like a microphone, and asked, "Our selfless Superintendent Hou, do you have anything to say?"

Hou Shaorong rolled his eyes with some difficulty, then revealed a fawning smile.

"I'll tell you everything, please don't kill me!"

"What are you saying, Superintendent Hou?"

V kindly wiped the blood off his face, but then glanced at the bloodstains on his gloves with disgust.

"Alright, let's get straight to the point."

He moved a chair over. "Superintendent Hou, was everything you said at the press conference a couple of days ago true?"

"Of course...no!"

Hou Shaorong said with some difficulty that he didn't want to think about anything anymore. As long as he could survive, nothing else mattered.

"Oh? Who told you to do that?"

V brought the pen closer: "Also, I'm curious, is it possible that the Independent Commission Against Corruption's investigations are ineffective?"

"It was Director Lawrence who told me to do this. As for the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC), they are nothing more than dogs kept by the British, biting whoever they are told to bite."

Hou Shaorong lived through the Lei Luo era and knew very well how prestigious the police force was when the underworld and the police force joined forces.

"Tsk tsk tsk, that's really surprising... Well, I'm not surprised at all."

V then asked, "So, you really did work with Magellan in the organ trafficking case, right?"

"We weren't involved, but if they want to do this, they definitely can't do it without our approval."

Hou Shaorong had already gone all out, and now he said without any regard for the consequences, "It's all about doing business, it's just that the products they sell are special."

"Ha~ What an infuriating answer."

V shook his head. "I got Magellan's financial statements for the past five years from his house, as well as a list of people who received bribes. Why don't you guess who's on it?"

"You're a madman!"

Hou Shaorong gave a bitter smile upon hearing this: "Those people could crush someone like you with a single finger."

'

"Ahem, I don't like this way of speaking."

V-Station stood up and came in front of the camera. "The following scenes are not suitable for children. Please don't leave, everyone. I'd like to invite Superintendent Hou to have some dragon fruit first."