1998, in a solitary confinement cell at the Yun Province Public Security Department, undercover officer Lu Chengfeng, codenamed "Pingtou Ge," was strapped to an iron chair.
"Donghai City's mob boss, Lu Songwen, accidentally fell into the sea and drowned!"
"But the news has been tightly sealed. His beautiful wife and everyone in the underworld don't know he's dead!"
"Lu Chengfeng, I need you to impersonate Lu Songwen!"
"Infiltrate Donghai City's criminal underworld, follow the leads, and completely dismantle the province-spanning Qiangsheng Group!"
Zhao Liguo, the political commissar of the Criminal Investigation Team of the Jiangdong Province Public Security Department, spoke as he quietly observed Lu Chengfeng.
Fair-skinned, refined, elegant, exuding an academic aura.
Yet, this seemingly harmless individual had an extremely poor reputation in the undercover world!
Single-handedly, he toppled a large drug trafficking organization that had entrenched itself in Yun Province for years.
He caused chaos and disorder among the Golden Triangle drug dealers, resulting in the accidental deaths of nearly three hundred drug dealers and the unexpected pregnancies of over seventy female drug dealers.
Thus, after the operation, he was detained for isolation and investigation.
If Jiangdong's own undercover officer hadn't been exposed and killed, Zhao Liguo wouldn't have resorted to such a desperate measure, coming all the way to Yun Province to borrow such a controversial figure.
And by a remarkable coincidence, this Lu Chengfeng looked almost identical to the deceased mob boss, Lu Songwen!
It was simply fate!
"This is the wedding photo of the mob boss, Lu Songwen, and his wife from five years ago."
Zhao Liguo took out a photograph and placed it in front of Lu Chengfeng.
In the photo, Lu Songwen looked to be only in his early twenties.
Fair, pale skin, slender eyes, gold-rimmed glasses, well-defined lips, a snow-white shirt, and long, slim fingers.
He exuded a gentle and refined air.
Anyone who didn't know better would have thought it was Lu Chengfeng himself!
The bride, Wen Lanlan, was a classic, sexy beauty.
Her pretty face was cold, stunning, and captivating.
A waist like a water snake, breasts like mountain peaks.
As tempting as a ripe peach!
Noble, mature, and radiating the full aura of a boss's wife!
"So she's a widow! What a pity..."
Lu Chengfeng's eyes lit up...
Lu Chengfeng was suddenly reminded of the 1997 Hollywood blockbuster, *Face/Off*!
Swapping faces to become the mob boss, living in his villa, spending his money, and living a happy life with his wife in his arms...
Ho ho ho... How exciting!
"This mission is actually pretty great..."
Lu Chengfeng looked up, a harmless, beaming smile on his face.
"But... are the Yun Province police willing to let me go? They curse me out every damn day, saying I'm a gangster who accidentally joined the police force and that whoever works with me is doomed."
"It's undercover work! Shit! You have to sleep with one eye open, constantly on guard against being exposed and chopped to pieces. How can anyone follow so many damn rules and regulations!"
"Look at how they've got me tied up! Anyone who didn't know better would think I'd committed a damn heavenly crime!"
Lu Chengfeng glanced resentfully at the iron chains, shackles, and handcuffs on his body.
"Judging by your conduct as an undercover, it's not far off from a heavenly crime," Zhao Liguo said.
"But this time, you've met the one who can break your seal."
"I've already applied to the ministry for a special transfer."
"As long as you agree to go undercover in our Jiangdong Province, your official post can be transferred directly to us in Jiangdong, and I will be your direct handler."
"So, give me your answer now."
"I promise to actively align myself with the government—" Lu Chengfeng said without hesitation.
"Huh?" Zhao Liguo's mind went blank for a second, and he looked at Lu Chengfeng with a hint of panic.
"Ahem... Commissar Zhao, do I look like I have any other choice?"
"They say I'm suspected of over twenty crimes from my time undercover in the drug cartel. There's no way this ends well for me."
"Going back undercover is my only way out."
"Enough with the nonsense! Let's get straight to the case!"
"I'm already itching to fight against the forces of evil!"
Only then did Zhao Liguo say with satisfaction, "Good. Then let me brief you on the case."
"The Qiangsheng Group in Jiangdong Province is a massive criminal organization. Their methods are brutal, and there's no evil they won't commit."
"Their backers are incredibly powerful and mysterious, and they even have overseas connections."
"The most terrifying part is that they have a mole who has infiltrated our police force."
"The last undercover agent was exposed in less than a week, and then... then he was chopped to pieces!"
After speaking, Zhao Liguo watched Lu Chengfeng cautiously, afraid he might show signs of fear or hesitation.
However, Lu Chengfeng just kept staring quietly at the beautiful boss's wife in the photo, showing no fear at all.
Zhao Liguo coughed and continued, "The mole is buried very deep. The Jiangdong police have conducted three rounds of confidential internal screening and still have no leads."
"So, a crucial part of your mission is to identify the mole inside our police force from within the enemy's camp."
Lu Chengfeng nodded. "Tell me more about the situation in Donghai City."
Zhao Liguo said, "The Qiangsheng Group has five branches in Donghai City."
"These five branches are entrenched in five different districts. The boss of each branch controls their own territory, and they're known as the Donghai Five Tigers."
"Lu Songwen inherited his father's position to become a boss and one of the Five Tigers. His nickname on the streets is 'Guai Guai Hu'."
"Because he's never accomplished anything of note, everyone in the group looks down on him, and his territory has been shrinking."
"Furthermore, he injured his lower body in a horse-riding accident three years ago and lost the ability to have children."
"Hold on!" Lu Chengfeng looked at the boss's wife in the photo, shocked.
"So... the sexy boss's wife has been living like a widow for the past three years?"
"Um... you could say that," Zhao Liguo nodded awkwardly.
"Damn... what a complete waste of a perfect woman."
"But I'm a very... firm... person. Does that mean I'll be exposed as soon as I get intimate with her?"
"Um... you could say that," Zhao Liguo nodded again.
"Alright... I'm sure there's a way to solve that problem. Please continue."
Zhao Liguo said, "So, based on his record, this mob boss Lu Songwen is cowardly, insecure, and incompetent."
"Three days ago, he was drinking alone by the sea, got drunk, and fell headfirst into the water and drowned..."
Lu Chengfeng immediately looked up. "Who responded to the scene? What was done with the body?"
Zhao Liguo said, "The Donghai Criminal Investigation Team Leader personally handled the scene of Lu Songwen's death."
"He's a former student of mine. He's reliable and will never leak the news of Lu Songwen's death. I've also arranged for the body to be destroyed."
Lu Chengfeng said, "Alright. Give me all the background information you have on Lu Songwen."
"Including the forensic reports from the scene of his death and his personal effects. For such a sensitive figure to fall into the sea and drown... I feel like something's off."
Zhao Liguo looked at Lu Chengfeng with considerable admiration and reassured him, "For this undercover mission in Jiangdong, I can grant you more leeway. Don't be too burdened by regulations. You can be a bit more... unrestrained—"
"Commissar Zhao, some things are better left unsaid," Lu Chengfeng interrupted him.
"You came to me knowing full well my terrible reputation in the field. That means deep down, you want to fight fire with fire."
"With matters like this, we just do it, we don't talk about it. That way, you'll have an out in the future! You won't have to take responsibility as a leader!"
Holy shit!
Zhao Liguo's eyes widened!
*He really is an ace undercover agent!*
*He has such a thorough grasp of how the world works!*
"Fine! It's settled then! I'll notify the Yun Province police to release you now."
"No need!"
Just then, Lu Chengfeng suddenly spat a steel pin from his mouth.
*Click— Click—*
With a few quick jabs of the pin, Lu Chengfeng unlocked the handcuffs, chains, and shackles himself, letting them all fall to the floor with a loud clatter.
"Let's go! I'm damn well ready to get started!"
Lu Chengfeng shot out of the room.
Zhao Liguo: "..."
...
The biggest hurdle in impersonating Lu Songwen would be his wife, Wen Lanlan.
Although he looked a lot like Lu Songwen, they were ultimately two different people.
Women are naturally perceptive and can easily detect any change.
On top of that, after living together for so many years, Wen Lanlan knew practically every detail about Lu Songwen like the back of her hand.
If a different man suddenly appeared by her side claiming to be her husband, her first reaction would be to find it strange.
The feeling was like an organ transplant; the rejection response is instinctive.
Lu Chengfeng spent two days familiarizing himself further with the files on Lu Songwen and the Donghai City underworld.
Looking at Lu Songwen's photos, Lu Chengfeng styled his hair to be identical to the deceased man's.
But as for details like Lu Songwen's voice and the way he walked, Lu Chengfeng had no way to learn them.
There was simply a lack of audio-visual material from that era.
And as for details like what books Lu Songwen liked to read, what he liked to eat, or whether he put his hand on his wife or in his own pants when he slept at night, Lu Chengfeng had no way of knowing.
He would have to rely on improvising.
On the evening of the third day, his preparations complete, Lu Chengfeng carried Lu Songwen's old briefcase and arrived at Lu Songwen's home in the Chengzhong District of Donghai City.
It was a detached, three-story villa.
The exterior was covered in the small, white, rectangular tiles that were popular in that era.
Two underlings stood at the entrance, responsible for protecting Lu Songwen and his wife.
"Boss— why are you back so suddenly?"
When the two underlings saw "Lu Songwen" suddenly return, their pupils instantly dilated...
Lu Chengfeng's heart skipped a beat...
*Have I been exposed the second I damn well showed up?*
Just then, one of the underlings glanced guiltily toward the villa's door.
The other underling directly blocked Lu Chengfeng with his arm.
"Boss... you can't go in right now."
The underling was so nervous his hands were trembling.
Seeing this, Lu Chengfeng seemed to understand!
*Phew...*
*Shit!*
*I'm not exposed!*
*There's definitely an affair going on in there!*
*The boss's wife has been living like a widow for three years; she probably couldn't take it anymore!*
*Either I've already been cuckolded, or I'm about to be!*
"Is my wife inside?" Lu Chengfeng asked with a warm smile.
"The boss's wife is... meeting a guest. Why don't you... Boss, why don't you go for a stroll and come back in an hour?" the underling dared to suggest.
"An hour, my ass!"
*Smack—*
Lu Chengfeng viciously slapped the underling across the face.
*Thud—*
The underling's head slammed hard against the villa door.
His face was instantly covered in blood, and two of his teeth were knocked out.
"Can I go in now?"
Proofreader: Peter Pan