Chief Sun Ruohai left the office under the pretext of an emergency meeting, but forcefully ordered Chen Cong to stay behind.
Chen Cong was already agonizing over the case and had barely squeezed out the time from his extremely urgent schedule to come report.
But a superior ranking one level higher could already crush a person✦ translator's noteSuperior ranking one level higher can crush a person (官大一级压死人): A Chinese idiom meaning that even a slight difference in rank gives someone absolute authority over their subordinate., let alone Sun Ruohai, who outranked him by numerous levels and had given him a direct order to stand by. Left with no choice, he could only obediently stay put.
However, remaining in Chief Sun's office didn't mean Chen Cong was the type who could sit idle. Taking advantage of the window when Sun Ruohai stepped out, he immediately called the detachment to direct operations remotely.
On one hand, he ordered Pan Xiaozhu to review all the witness statements and interrogation records of everyone present at the scene that night, looking for any suspicious details they might have missed. On the other hand, he checked in on the progress of Jiang Zhi, Wen Di, and their team.
Jiang Zhi's field operation went ten thousand times smoother than anticipated.
They had all mentally prepared themselves for the suspect to attempt a desperate escape, put up a fierce resistance, or even try to take them down with him.
Yet, when they knocked on the door of the apartment where the suspect was hiding...
The person who opened the door was a young man in pajamas, sporting a bird's nest of hair that hadn't been washed in days and a face full of acne.
This was far too different from the cautious, ruthless, vicious fugitive they had imagined.
The bewildered-looking youth appeared no older than twenty-five and was as skinny as a pen shaft. Looking at his frail appearance, Jiang Zhi felt Wen Di could probably strangle him to death with one hand.
But neither of them let their guard down, silently exchanging a glance.
Who knew that before they could even speak, the youth had already pulled open the security door completely. Squinting and poking his head out, still looking bewildered, he asked, "Who are you guys?"
It was the classic expression of someone with severe myopia trying to scrutinize strangers without their glasses.
They had never seen a fugitive suspect so careless that he forgot to wear his glasses and voluntarily opened the security door for the police.
As if by prior agreement, both Jiang Zhi and Wen Di shoved the guns they already had drawn back into their holsters.
Moving nimbly, Wen Di pulled his police badge from his jacket pocket.
"Police! We have some questions related to a case that require your cooperation for a statement. Come with us."
The young man, who had just been deeply engrossed in a fierce mobile game battle, had never encountered a situation like this in real life. His eyes widened in shock. After a long moment, he stammered, "C-can I change my clothes?"
"Let's go. It's just a statement, not a blind date."
Wen Di waved a hand, and several strong, young plainclothes officers behind him and Jiang Zhi stepped forward to secure the man.
"Take him away."
The unusually smooth arrest didn't bring them the satisfying thrill of getting closer to the truth; instead, it raised a vague, indescribable sense of unease in everyone's hearts.
Chief Sun's emergency meeting was very short.
Chen Cong had just finished taking the call from his team reporting that the suspect was in custody when, almost simultaneously, Sun Ruohai pushed the door open and walked in.
Sun Ruohai was a man of few smiles on a normal day, but right now, he looked even more solemn than usual.
If one day you were on the phone bossing your subordinates around, and you suddenly caught sight of your top superior looking grim, frowning, with his lips pulled into a tight line...
Then you would definitely feel, just like Chen Cong did, the atmosphere in the office instantly tense up and the temperature drop several degrees.
Chen Cong tactfully hung up the phone and stood up from the office sofa.
"Chief Sun? Any new instructions?"
At a critical time like this, when every second counted toward solving the case, Chief Sun must have had an important reason to keep him behind.
Sun Ruohai didn't answer; he only looked deeply at him.
It was the scrutinizing gaze one uses to guard against a stranger, carrying a sharp intensity that seemed to see through everything.
For some reason, Chen Cong suddenly recalled the oath he took upon graduating from the police academy:
With the national flag above me, my words and deeds shall never tarnish the golden shield.
With the Constitution above me, my thoughts and intentions shall never violate the dignity of the law.
With the people above me, for my entire life, I shall never fail the expectations of the people.
I swear before the national flag and the national emblem: for the prosperity of the country and the peace of the people, I will engage in an endless struggle against all criminal activities until my last drop of blood is shed. For my sacred mission, for my fallen comrades, I would rather endure poverty and never accept bribes. With my integrity, I will guard justice. A police officer for a day, a defender of the nation for a lifetime.
After staring at him for a long time, Chief Sun finally spoke solemnly. "Badge number 324231, Chen Cong of the Criminal Investigation Detachment. I am now officially notifying you: within six hours, you are to select three additional outstanding, elite officers from the various departments of the detachment you lead.
"Once your selected list is approved, the four of you, including yourself, will form a special operations squad on the spot with another group of anti-narcotics officers from the Municipal Bureau. You will be responsible for executing a secret mission locally in Jianghu City. The objective is to assist in completing a national-level classified operation—'Operation Peach Wood.'
"The organization has officially decided to classify the '02.05 Cop-Killing Case' as a branch case of 'Operation Peach Wood.' You will serve as the Vice Captain of this special operations squad.
"I will send you the encrypted data regarding the mission tonight. At the same time, in my capacity as a Member of the Standing Committee of the Jianghu City Party Committee and the Chief of the Public Security Bureau, I demand that you execute every order without fail! Do not disgrace your mission! Do you understand?!"
Words like "national-level" and "classified" continuously echoed in Chen Cong's mind, and his expression involuntarily turned solemn.
To have been promoted to Vice Captain of the CID in a tier-one city like Jianghu at the age of thirty-two...
Although Chen Cong had a fiery temper, he was undeniably one of the top young talents in the force with limitless potential.
Since the nation trusted him and believed him capable of shouldering this heavy responsibility, he would absolutely not disappoint the nation or bring shame to the Jianghu CID! He would complete the mission at all costs!
Chen Cong snapped into a formal salute to Sun Ruohai. "Yes, sir! I guarantee the completion of the mission!"
However, Chief Sun's expression did not soften after delivering the notification.
More people getting involved in the mission meant more assistance.
But all the disasters related to this mission were pointing straight toward Jianghu City itself.
Chief Sun couldn't help but worry if it might truly be as the public discussed—that within the ranks of the police force, a black beast relying on public power to suck blood had long been lying dormant.
Was letting young officers like Chen Cong join the operation really the right choice?
In the meeting that had just concluded, Sun Ruohai had explicitly voiced his concerns. To ensure the local police involved in the case avoided any suspicion, he proposed that the Provincial Department directly dispatch a team to assist Shen Ting's investigation. However, he met opposition from his colleagues.
His colleagues argued: If the higher-ups make too big of a move, it will only alert the enemy.
Disagreeing, Sun Ruohai immediately began debating with them.
In the end, it was Yan Qiming who convinced him: "Don't forget that the core of this mission, 'Peach Wood,' is also a native of Jianghu City. He earned his first merit citation when he was only 23. Heroes have emerged from the youth since ancient times✦ translator's noteHeroes have emerged from the youth since ancient times (自古英雄出少年): A classical Chinese saying celebrating youthful talent and achievement.. Old Sun, this world ultimately belongs to the young."
Chen Cong stood there for a moment. Seeing Chief Sun looking heavily preoccupied and not speaking, he couldn't help but ask carefully, "So, Chief Sun, are you the Captain of our special operations squad?"
Sun Ruohai shot him a glance.
Chen Cong swore that in the glance the usually solemn and stern Chief Sun just threw at him, he distinctly saw care and affection.
The kind of care and affection reserved for the intellectually disabled...
Did I just ask an incredibly stupid question—so stupid that the commander didn't even bother answering it? Chen Cong thought to himself.
"Your Captain is also from Jianghu City. However, he has never worked within Jianghu's police system."
Sun Ruohai patted him on the shoulder. "Go back and get the list sorted out for me as soon as possible. As for the Captain, you will meet him very soon."
Never worked within Jianghu City's police system?
Almost all qualified graduates from the police academy, barring special circumstances, return to their hometowns to serve as officers for three years. This Captain, who hadn't returned to serve locally, was clearly a paratrooper✦ translator's noteParatrooper (空降兵): Slang for someone who is suddenly appointed to a high-level position from outside the organization or department, often without having worked their way up locally.!
Chen Cong—who absolutely despised people securing promotions through nepotism and connections, firmly believing in letting one's capabilities speak for themselves—frowned slightly.
The excitement of receiving a top-tier mission faded significantly.
He even began to doubt whether a mission that parachuted a Captain in was truly national-level.
It wasn't as if the Municipal Bureau hadn't done similar things before.
Previously, when the detachment was investigating a serial rape case, the Municipal Bureau used both the carrot and the stick, demanding they solve it within a month and promising a collective commendation if they succeeded.
Yet after solving the case, the task force—who had practically lived, eaten, and slept in the detachment for over a dozen days—only received a flimsy, verbal commendation.
The greater the expectation, the greater the disappointment. As a result, Jiang Zhi and Wen Di formed a group to passively slack off at work for the following week. It was only after Pan Xiaozhu, overflowing with a sense of responsibility, chewed them out that they reignited their passion for work.
Chen Cong still had lingering fears about that incident. But on second thought, he reasoned: Whatever, the case has to be cracked no matter what.
If the Municipal Bureau leaders want to paint us a pie, it's better than no pie at all. Besides, Chief Sun said himself that the mission comes from the national level.
A special squad tangentially related to the national level will surely receive more resources for solving the case than a regular detachment. Therefore, regardless of whether it's truly national-level or not, my team won't be at a disadvantage.
Sun Ruohai had no idea what the young man in front of him was scheming in his head.
Looking at Chen Cong's youthful face, another equally young face involuntarily surfaced in his mind.
The young man whom Sun Ruohai was "worrying his heart out" over was currently fooling around with his shady friends.
Song Ci basically had one standard for making friends: they had to be rich, powerful, and perfectly content with loafing around waiting to die.
After all, anyone with even a shred of ambition—even an overly ambitious but incompetent rich kid—would look down on Song Ci's gang of useless trash. Relying on their families' protection, they followed the twisted logic of "Never do a small good deed, and never shy away from a small bad deed"✦ translator's noteNever do a small good deed, and never shy away from a small bad deed (勿已善小而为之，勿已恶小而不为): A deliberate, twisted corruption of the famous dying words of Liu Bei to his son: "Do not fail to commit a good deed just because it is small, and do not commit an evil deed just because it is small.", causing trouble wherever they went.
Naturally, Song Ci and his crew couldn't stand those "young talents" either, who thought they were exceptional and acted as if they were incredibly impressive.
Therefore, the mutually disgusted "trash" and pillars of society✦ translator's notePillars of society (栋梁): Literally "ridgepoles and beams" (the main supporting structures of a building), referring to individuals who are crucial, outstanding talents supporting the country or society. behaved like identical magnetic poles, staying as far away from each other as possible.
And this group of spoiled rich kids—who all had families with modest fortunes✦ translator's noteModest fortunes (略有薄产): A humblebrag or an understatement used by wealthy families to describe their massive assets. but hadn't yet taken over the family businesses—were incredibly idle every day, possessing absolutely no concept of having to go to work.
At this very moment, the group was gathered together playing Qia Er Ba✦ translator's noteQia Er Ba (掐二八): A fast-paced, high-stakes gambling game using mahjong tiles, popular in certain regions of China..
This was a unique style of playing mahjong native to Jianghu City.
The rules were very simple, a single round only took a few minutes, but there was absolutely no ceiling on the bets.
It was perfectly suited for people like Song Ci—people with money and guts, but no brains.
The system glitched a bit, so the post is late~ Also, I noticed many cuties are very interested in the story about the dragon-slaying youth and the dragon mentioned in the synopsis—you wanted to know the original source.
This is actually a Burmese legend.
Those interested can check out Finding George Orwell in Burma by Emma Larkin; the Chinese translation is titled 《在缅甸寻找乔治·奥威尔》.
The Burmese legend of the dragon goes: There was an evil dragon that demanded a virgin sacrifice from a village every year. Each year, a young hero from the village would go to fight the dragon, but no one ever returned. When another hero set out, someone followed him secretly. The dragon's lair was covered in gold and silver treasures; the hero stabbed the dragon to death with his sword, then sat upon the corpse. As he gazed at the glittering jewels, he slowly grew scales, a tail, and horns, eventually becoming the dragon himself.
Personally, I believe this is what Nietzsche meant when he said: "When you gaze into the abyss, the abyss also gazes back into you."
Furthermore, returning to writing after six years is mainly due to some of my own reflections on life.
An Du [the novel's title] is a brand-new attempt for me, and the central theme revolves around two points:
1. How a person balances the "Superego" and the "Id" to ultimately form the "Ego." (This inspiration comes from Freud's The Ego and the Id).
2. Also, that quote I love from Nietzsche's Beyond Good and Evil: "He who fights with monsters should be careful lest he thereby become a monster. And if thou gaze long into an abyss, the abyss will also gaze into thee."
During the pandemic, this long-awaited serialization is also my way of hoping everyone stays home and reads more! I wish you all good health and happy "consumption" [reading]! Tomorrow's update will still be after midnight.
My cuties in the comments, let me see your hands!~
Superior ranking one level higher can crush a person (官大一级压死人): A Chinese idiom meaning that even a slight difference in rank gives someone absolute authority over their subordinate.
Paratrooper (空降兵): Slang for someone who is suddenly appointed to a high-level position from outside the organization or department, often without having worked their way up locally.
Painting a pie in the sky (画大饼): A Chinese idiom (literally "drawing a big flatbread") meaning to make empty promises or create unrealistic illusions to motivate someone without delivering actual rewards.
Never do a small good deed, and never shy away from a small bad deed (勿已善小而为之，勿已恶小而不为): A deliberate, twisted corruption of the famous dying words of Liu Bei to his son: "Do not fail to commit a good deed just because it is small, and do not commit an evil deed just because it is small" (勿以恶小而为之，勿以善小而不为).
Pillars of society (栋梁): Literally "ridgepoles and beams" (the main supporting structures of a building), referring to individuals who are crucial, outstanding talents supporting the country or society.
Modest fortunes (略有薄产): A humblebrag or an understatement used by wealthy families to describe their massive assets.
Qia Er Ba (掐二八): A fast-paced, high-stakes gambling game using mahjong tiles, popular in certain regions of China.