Although Qin Yu had tasted some success with the Matsushita case and earned Bureau Director Li’s praise, his status within the team hadn’t improved. Instead, out of the forty-five people in Team One, the vast majority treated him like thin air. Aside from Qi Lin, Lao Mao, and a few marginalized colleagues who were friendlier, the core members gave him the cold shoulder.
If it were just outsiders acting this way, Qin Yu could stomach it. But his own roommates, the guys he lived with day and night, also subjected him to the silent treatment. They didn’t go out of their way to cause trouble, but they didn’t speak to him either. The moment Qin Yu walked into the dorm, everyone would either clam up or walk out as a group. As soon as he left, they’d flock right back, playing cards and chatting like nothing happened.
The reason they treated him like this was simply because he had offended Lao San. He looked like a troublemaker. Plus, snagging such a massive achievement on his very first day was bound to make people jealous.
Anyone else might regret crossing Lao San, but Qin Yu didn’t feel a shred of remorse. He was naturally cold; it took a lot for someone to get close to him. Moreover, he didn’t believe that kissing ass and bowing to everyone would help him fit into any circle. In this kind of environment, showing weakness just invited endless exploitation. If Lao San could step on him once, he’d do it a hundred times. If Qin Yu stayed quiet about taking three extra shifts today, Lao San would stick him with four the next time. Down the line, he’d be doing dorm chores and washing everyone’s laundry—and that was a line Qin Yu absolutely refused to cross.
While Qin Yu didn’t care about the silent treatment, staying in the dorm was genuinely awkward. Living under the same roof with people who mutually despised each other, exchanging cold glares every day, was bound to ruin his mood.
The Matsushita case netted him a bonus of three thousand. This unexpected windfall hadn’t been in his budget, so as soon as the money hit his hands, he decided to move out and rent his own place. If they couldn’t get along, it was best to stay out of sight and out of mind. However, Qin Yu didn’t know the area well, so he had to ask Lao Mao to help him find a place. The only requirements were that it wasn’t too expensive, had electricity, and was habitable.
Lao Mao thought Qin Yu was tough, straightforward, and a good guy to be around, so he readily agreed.
…
The next day.
Just as Qin Yu entered the office, looking to handle the handover and officially start his shift, someone outside suddenly yelled, “Qin Yu, Team Leader Yuan wants to see you in the cafeteria.”
Qin Yu turned around, ready to ask the messenger a question, only to find the guy had already walked off without any intention of chatting.
“Heh.” Qin Yu chuckled, grabbed his coat, and left the office.
Inside the Police Department cafeteria.
After asking the staff, Qin Yu looked up and spotted Team Leader Yuan sitting by the window.
Yuan Ke was around 178 or 179 centimeters tall and on the thin side, but he had fair skin and sharp, handsome features. He had peach blossom eyes—the inner corners hooked slightly downward like crescents, while the outer edges tilted up, making it look like he was always smiling. It was a face that easily won people over on a first meeting.
“Hello, Team Leader Yuan, right? I’m Qin Yu.”
“Heh heh, hello, hello.” Yuan Ke smiled and stood up to shake his hand. “I should have been the one to receive you when you arrived the day before yesterday. Unfortunately, I wasn’t in Songjiang these past few days and just got back today.”
“I heard. I know you went to Fengbei for a meeting.”
“All settled in?” Yuan Ke gestured for him to sit.
“Yeah, all the paperwork is done.” Qin Yu sat across from him.
“That’s good.” Yuan Ke personally poured him a glass of water, smiling. “Heh heh, I heard about the kidnapping case. You made Team One look good.”
“Just bumped into it. Mostly luck.” Qin Yu grinned.
“I chatted with Bureau Director Li as soon as I got in this morning. He gave me the rundown on your situation.” Yuan Ke steepled his fingers, smoothly transitioning to business. “Normally, taking down a thug like Matsushita would guarantee commendations for the primary officers. Anyone below the rank of Police Sergeant would step up at least one grade. So, Bureau Director Li’s original intention was to make you a Group Leader straight away and promote you to a Second-Level Police Officer. But you’d been here less than a day before this happened. It looks a bit too coincidental. Forcing a promotion right now would inevitably make people overthink things. After talking it over, Bureau Director Li and I decided it’s best if you wait a bit. Don’t rush. We have plenty of time.”
“Yeah, Bureau Director Li mentioned it. Heh heh, I’m not in a rush either,” Qin Yu replied, playing along. “I just got here. I need to get used to the environment first.”
“Don’t worry. I’ll fight for whatever is rightfully yours.”
…
As they chatted, the cafeteria staff brought over two hot dishes and two cold ones. Not only was there beef, but there were also expensive greens. It made Qin Yu feel that Yuan Ke was a generous guy; at the very least, he seemed open and straightforward.
“We can’t drink on duty, so we’ll just have a simple meal.” Yuan Ke topped up his water.
“This is plenty.”
“Don’t just look at it, eat while it’s hot.”
“Alright.”
Both men picked up their chopsticks. From the corner of his eye, Yuan Ke discreetly sized Qin Yu up. He noticed that this kid straight out of the Unplanned Zone wasn’t intimidated by the setting at all. He wasn’t wolfing down his food, but he wasn’t the least bit anxious or stiff.
“Little Qin, you’ll join Group Three,” Yuan Ke said suddenly, breaking the long silence. “The official Group Leader was recently disciplined internally for dereliction of duty and corruption. No one’s running it right now. It’s the perfect time for you to step in as the acting Group Leader.”
Qin Yu blinked. “Is that appropriate? Bureau Director Li told me I’d be the deputy!”
“Acting Group Leader is essentially a deputy-level post anyway. Besides, Bureau Director Li originally wanted to bump you up to a Second-Level Police Officer. Once your new rank clears, we’ll just drop the ‘acting’ part,” Yuan Ke replied with a smile. “Things inside our own team are easy to handle.”
“Then thank you for the support, Team Leader Yuan.”
“Little Qin, this Police Department isn’t run by my family, but I sit in this Team Leader’s chair because the guys prop me up. If I didn’t have forty or fifty brothers in Team One risking their necks to solve cases for me, what leverage would I have when talking to Bureau Director Li?” Yuan Ke’s words were sharp, ringing with a bold loyalty. “Now that you’re here, you’re my man. You prop me up, and I take care of you; that’s how it works. There’s no need to stand on ceremony… From now on, if you run into any trouble, come straight to me. I’ll fight tooth and nail for what’s yours. We eat from the same pot. Our roles might be different, but our goal is the same—to carve out a slightly better life in this chaotic mess.”
Qin Yu had originally assumed that offending Lao San would make him a thorn in Yuan Ke’s side. Even if Yuan Ke didn’t punish him openly, he expected Yuan Ke to make life difficult for him and take him down a peg.
Unexpectedly, everything Yuan Ke said today was grounded and sincere. He didn’t put on bureaucratic airs, and he didn’t beat around the bush. It was actually quite heartwarming.
“Team Leader Yuan, since you’ve put it like that, I’ll use water in place of wine and toast you.” Qin Yu knew how to appreciate a kind gesture. Raising his cup, he said earnestly, “From now on in Team One, I’ll do everything in my power to get the job done.”
With that, the two downed their water.
Setting his cup down, Yuan Ke wiped his mouth and looked at Qin Yu. “Alright, that’s enough friendly chatter. Let’s talk business.”
“Alright, go ahead.”
“This morning, a wanted notice came down from Police Headquarters. A few heavy-hitters from the Unplanned Zone crossed over, and they might pop up in the Black Street District. The department assigned this to Team One. I rushed back specifically to organize the men and set up surveillance.” Yuan Ke frowned. “But I have another major case that needs hands. Since you just got here, throwing you straight at major bandits isn’t a great idea; you lack the experience. I want you to take Group Three and handle this other case first.”
“What kind of case?” Qin Yu asked.
“Drug Trafficking,” Yuan Ke replied after taking a sip of water. “Recently, a massive influx of smuggled medicine flooded into Black Street. Some of it’s fake, some of it is sourced through illegal channels… Originally, no one gave a damn. Where there’s a demand, there’s a market, and we already have our hands full with major violent crimes. Who has the manpower to deal with that? But two massive pharmaceutical companies up in the capital, Fengbei, jointly applied pressure, claiming it’s hurting their market… You know how it is. The more chaotic the world gets, the more weight the life-saving industries pull. The higher-ups had no choice but to force the issue down the ladder. The leaders at the Songjiang Medical Bureau are calling Police Headquarters every single day. Headquarters then shoves it onto Bureau Director Li because Black Street is the main hub for the illicit drug trade. Li’s been driven half-mad by it. He laid down an absolute three-month deadline for Team One to sweep Black Street clean of every last drug dealer.”
“Are we genuinely sweeping them out, or is this just hot air for the meetings…?” Qin Yu blinked, phrasing the question carefully.
Yuan Ke paused, a hint of surprise in his eyes. “We’re making real arrests. It’s not just talk. We’re wiping them out.”
“Does Group Three have the manpower?”
“You start digging. Once you secure a major lead, Team One will concentrate our firepower and take them down,” Yuan Ke said softly. “But until we get a solid lead, our main focus remains on catching those bandits.”
“Alright. Understood.” Qin Yu knew perfectly well that the moment he put on this uniform, he had to follow orders. It was an ironclad rule, and right now, he didn’t have the luxury of choice.
“You should also know that the Coalition Government’s crackdown on counterfeit drugs is unprecedented right now. It’s meant to protect the interests of pharmaceutical companies still conducting research, as well as the patients. So, Drug Trafficking involving smuggled medicine—regardless of whether the meds are real or fake—carries the death penalty if it exceeds five kilograms…” Yuan Ke frowned in warning. “You need to be extremely careful. The case must be solved, but you also need to guarantee your own safety and the safety of your men.”
“I got it.”
“The files will be sent over to Group Three this afternoon. Study them thoroughly. Also, get familiar with your men as soon as possible. If you have to, bleed a little cash—take them out to eat and build some rapport. Heh heh, they’re all young guys. It won’t be hard to connect.” Yuan Ke stood up to pay the bill. Before he walked off, he suddenly turned back. “Oh, almost forgot. Lao San just has a bad temper. Half the time, his brain isn’t connected to his mouth. Don’t take it to heart. I’ll get the two of you together for a sit-down later to clear the air, and we’ll let bygones be bygones.”
Qin Yu blinked. “Sorry for the trouble.”
“Heh heh, I’ll go settle the bill. It’s almost time to clock in.” Yuan Ke smiled and headed for the cashier.
Watching Yuan Ke walk away, Qin Yu muttered to himself, “Heh. Pretty magnanimous.”
…
Afternoon.
Just as Qin Yu was about to head back to Group Three, Lao Mao told him to rush over to the 88 Tongbai Road Compound in the Black Street District. He had found a place.
Checking the time on his phone, Qin Yu saw he still had a decent margin before his shift started, so he immediately headed out.
After a brisk fifteen-minute walk, Qin Yu arrived at the gate of the 88 Tongbai Road Compound. He didn’t see Lao Mao, but a voice suddenly called out from behind him, “The guy who can’t tell men from women? Is that you?”
Qin Yu turned around and saw Lin Nianlei standing at the bottom of the steps. She was wearing a tailored wool coat and beaming brightly. Not a trace of her previous terror remained. Bathed in the dazzling sunlight, she looked beautiful enough to have stepped right out of a painting.