Blind Love vs. Blind Justice Ch.3
By Ting-chan

Location: Interpole, Captain's Office

Captain Wu nodded approvingly as he read over the paperwork.

"Very nice."

He looked up to smile at the two uniformed officers seated before him. "A most excellent endeavor last night."

"Thank you Captain," Chun Li replied.

"Thank you," Jason echoed with his usual cheery grin.

"Yes," Wu remarked as he continued reading from the batch of papers in his hands. "Six and a half tons of heroin confiscated and five notorious criminals behind bars."

He turned now to speak to Jason, "Quite impressive for your first case aboard the division."

"Well," Jason grinned smugly, "you just gotta do what you've gotta do."

Exasperated and what more, annoyed, Chun Li rolled her eyes.

The captain did not notice it however. "Just keep up the good work Lieutenant Hu and you'll rise in your rank very quickly."

"Yes sir."

"And Miss Xiang," Captain Wu directed his attention to Chun Li.

"Sir," Chun Li smiled respectfully at her elder commander.

"Exceptional work as usual." He looked upon with an affectionate father-like glow in eyes. "I'm sure your father would have been proud."

It was more or less a tradition for him to utter something of that effect to Chun Li after each of her successful assignments. He felt it a sort of responsibility to comfort and encourage this young lady that was the daughter of one of his most dedicated officers.

And never once has Chun Li grew tired of hearing that praise. "Thank you very much sir."
~~~~~~
"Congratulations, Inspector."

"Thank you Wei Lin." Chun Li continued walking down the corridor at her usual brisk pace while her assistant scampered along behind her.

"I hear the captain gave both you and the new Lieutenant quiet a commendation this morning," Wei Lin smiled as she shifted the stack of files in her arms.

"Yes, I suppose..."

She was then interrupted by a familiarly jaunty voice from behind.

"Yo ladies! Chun Li, slow down baby!"

With apprehension in her eyes, Chun Li slowed her steps and awaited Jason's approach.

"Jason!" Wei Lin giggled and gave a small wave of her hand as she saw the Lieutenant catching up to them from behind. He jogged up to them with a suave smile on his face and the jacket of his uniform slung carelessly over his shoulder.

"Lieutenant," Chun Li sternly spoke, "we are in our business environment. Need I remind you of the proper way to address your superior officer?"

"Oh," Jason merely shrugged off her hostile tone with a smile. "Alright Inspector." He flashed her a charming wink.

"If there is nothing important that you need to tell me, I really should be going." Chun Li motioned for Wei Lin to follow as she began walking again.

"Well Miss Xiang," Jason trailed after her steps. "I just wanted to thank you for not telling the Captain about that... embarrassing little incident last night…"

"Last night?" Wei Lin echoed with confusion as she raised an eyebrow.

"At the Hu Shan dock," Chun Li replied curtly in her it's-not-what-you're-thinking-even-though-it's-none-of-your-business tone.

Wei Lin mouthed as silent "oh" and wisely chose to remain silent until Chun Li shows a sign of a more congenial manner.

"Lieutenant," Chun Li continued down the corridors without so much as glancing back at him, "you don't need to thank me as long as you can assure me that it will be the first and last time that you pull a stunt of that nature."

"Well of course and..."

"Good," Chun Li replied before he could finish.

She stepped into her office with Wei Lin and Jason following closely behind in their respective order.

The young female Inspector took a seat at her desk. "Wei Lin, file the paperwork into the department's directory please."

"Inspector," Jason said while Wei Lin stepped up to receive a folder of documents from Chun Li. With a new sly tone in his voice, Jason continued, "I was just wondering if I may repay you for saving my life by having dinner with me."

Chun Li looked up now somewhat caught off guard. "Dinner?" It took a second more for her to blink out of that shock. "No thank you," she replied. She was well aware of her tone as she said that. She sounded… softer. The look in Jason's eyes proved that he had heard it as well.

"I really have a lot of work to do," Chun Li answered as she turned to her computer and deactivated the screen saver.

"But the department didn't notify me of any new assignments."

"Miss Xiang has an off duty case that she's been working on," Wei Lin explained.

"You know, you really do work too hard. Maybe if..."

"Thank you for your concern Mr. Hu. But I'm quite capable of taking care of myself." Chun Li gestured towards the door of her office. "Now if you wouldn't mind..."

"Oh, of course." Jason strolled towards the door. "Just remember, you saved my life, and I intend to make you collect your debt somehow." He flashed another impossibly bright smile.

"See ya later Wei Lin," he added as he dashed out.

"Bye!" Wei Lin eagerly waved after him.

After watching the Lieutenant stride down the hall, Wei Lin sighed to herself and dreamily sat down on a chair with a silly grin on her face.

Chun Li glanced up from the process of sorting through her files. She scrutinized Wei Lin's expression with perplexity as she noticed her assistant growing starry eyed.

"Wei Lin," she quickly caught her attention once more. "So, what do you think of Lieutenant Hu?"

After stuttering for a brief uncomfortable moment, the assistant managed to reply precariously, "I think he's very friendly... and he has a nice smile."

"Really?" Chun Li continued questioning. "Anything about him that you find unusual? Annoying? Excessive irritating? Capable of arousing homicidal intentions?"

Wei Lin stared at the young Inspector for a moment. Blinked in surprise… once… twice. Then she promptly burst out laughing.

"Miss Xiang, you do have the most startling sense of humor! Why that almost sounded…" Her voice trailed off hoarsely as she noticed Chun Li's stern expression and the apparent lack of any trace of jest upon her feature. Wei Lin shifted uncomfortably under her superior's gaze.

"Umm... I do hope that you were just joking about the homicide part..." she nervously added. Chun Li rolled her eyes with exasperation and got up from her seat.

"He doesn't belong here. He neither acknowledges nor respects authority. He has no sense of discipline. Complete disregard for regulations. He wouldn't know Obedience if it stuffed a donut down his throat..." She paused and paced across her office. "This is the way Interpole is meant to be run. With organization, efficiency, and order. All the basic work ethics that my father brought me up with. Justice cannot coexist with chaos. And he's… he's..."

"He's really cute..." Wei Lin timidly suggested.

Consternation crushed her capacity to remain patient and Chun Li sighed again as she noticed Wei Lin's face adapting a sappy puppy-love expression.

"I saw him in the parking lot this morning and he offered to help me carry my stuff inside! He's so... sophisticated!"

"We're talking about the guy whom just three days ago used the Criminal Department computer to print out twenty Wanted posters of Big Bird and Elmo," Chun Li replied as she stared at Wei Lin in confusion.

"Doesn't he have a great sense of humor too?" Wei Lin giggled.

"Ookay..." Chun Li closed her eyes for a moment and rubbed her irksome aching forehead, "I think I'll quit while I'm ahead." She returned to her seat in front of the computer.

"Wei Lin please, just file the paperwork for me," Chun Li said as she typed a few commands into the keyboard, quickly accessing the department's network drive and the documentation directory of prior cases.

"Yes, ma'am," her assistant sheepishly replied. "Anything else you'd like me to do?"

"If Lieutenant Khan is conducting interrogation today, please make sure to get me a recorded manuscript of the examination."

"Yes Miss Xiang, will that be all?"

Chun Li proceeded in browsing through the sub-directories of the division's mainframe database. Interpole Mainframe… sub-directory CRIMINAL CASES... sub-directory UNSOLVED... sub-directory HOMICIDE... 1970-1990 CASES... File DG-256...

"It's not here." Chun Li whispered as her forehead knitted into an expression of bafflement. "Wei Lin..."

"Yes, Inspector?"

"Is there something wrong with the bureau's database system?" After again checked to make she was in the right sub-division, Chun Li looked up at Wei Lin.

"Not that I know of."

"DG-256, my off duty case file, it... It just vanished..." Chun Li stared at the computer screen. "Oh nevermind, I'll talk to the systematics technician later. Why don't you bring me the back up document from the hard copy files?"

"Alright," Wei Lin quickly scrawled a note down on her planner. "Would you like it today?"

"Actually... No, tomorrow will be fine." Chun Li considered before starting to shutting down her computer. "I think I'll just take a break for today. If any of the officers need me I'll be working out in the department training hall."

"Yes ma'am."

Wei Lin couldn't suppress a small smile growing on her face. The action of which was not unnoticed by Chun Li.

"Is there something you find amusing, Wei Lin?"

"Oh...umm...not really I suppose…" she stumbled and fumbled for words. "I just remembered that when Lieutenant Hu practices Kung Fu in the training hall... well … he looks really good without a shirt..."

"DON'T make me hose you down."

"Sorry Inspector..."