What a Loser

[Black Phantoms HQ]

The Devil sat behind his desk when a minion came to disturb him.

"Sire!" he cried. The Devil looked up and sighed.

"What?"

"We just got news; Phantom 6443's down."

The Devil raised an eyebrow in mock worry. "Oh, is he now? What happened?"

"I. . . I was told that he was struck while in Hong Kong. The assailant remains unknown." The minion looked at his superior. "Should we send someone?"

The Devil waved his hand carelessly. "Don't bother. He wasn't a big value-add to the organization anyways." And why should he bother when he had been the one to have him assassinated without raising much suspicion. That man had become too carefree for his own good.

The minion clasped his hands. . .once. . .twice. "Yes, sire. I understand."

The Devil sighed and stared at the papers on his desk; it was a report of this month's victims. He was exhausted, but he was masked by a pride too strong to admit so. He had spent the last couple of months to 're-organize' the Black Phantoms, and the constant interruptions from his lackeys had driven him to almost falling through.

"Tell me, 3211," he said suddenly, looking up at his underling. "What became of him. . .what was that detective's name? Jin?"

"Jun, sire. Li Xiajun."

"Yes, him. Did someone send through a warning?"

"I believe they did, sire."

"Good." The Devil pulled out a folder from under his desk, which was marked 'Index'. He pushed it open and flipped a few pages till he came to his desired biography.

It read:

{. Name: Li Xiajun

. Parents: Li Delun, Sun Hua

. DOB: 14th April, 19XX

. Currently under care of: Zhang Long (Relation: Uncle)

Li Xiajun; child prodigy; Three times International Mathematical Olympiad winner; parents passed away in an accident when he was 7; pursued Criminology at age 17; became a detective under his Uncle's agency in 2000; solved 4 cases in first year. . .}

. . .and that's how it went.

The Devil tapped Xiajun's passport photo, which was stuck on the top right corner of the page.

"This guy," he said, "he's still pursuing Yanlin's case?"

"I'm told so, Sire."

The Devil frowned. This detective, whoever he is, should have definitely chickened out by now. Why was he still in their way? He knew he needed to get rid of him, and very soon, but The Devil enjoyed seeing the man run around pathetically.

"This morning I asked someone to Běijíxīng Hospital to pose as a front desk worker," said The Devil. "Were my orders carried out?"

"Of course, sire."

"Good. And did the man do as he was briefed?"

"Yes, I-" the man stopped short and pressed something to his ear, hearing carefully. Then he turned back to his superior. "Sire, I've just received news that the detective is already on his way to Care Hospital."

The Devil burst out laughing, an ominous laugh befitting of his name. He never expected things to go as smoothly as they had. Li Xiajun, what a pathetic, naïve loser. Greatest detective of all time? thought The Devil. What bullsh*t. Now he sat in his office with a satisfied smile on his face, staring out of his window at the vast cityscape beneath him.

"Let's see how you escape this, Detective."