"Captain, are your injuries any better?"
Cai Xiaobo had barely settled into his seat when Deputy Captain Shao Mingbao knocked and walked in with an amiable grin, immediately offering his superior some heartfelt concern and greetings.
At the sight of the box of tea in Shao's hand, Cai Xiaobo's heart lurched. Fuck, I slipped up.
They had both come to visit their captain, but he had arrived empty-handed while the other man had brought a gift. The comparison made it fucking awkward!
"Well, a relative of mine sells tea and gave me some pu'er. Have a taste, Captain, and see what you think."
Shao Mingbao bent down to set the tea on the desk, then plopped into the seat beside Cai Xiaobo. Turning his head, he said, "Oh, Old Cai, you're here too."
Cai Xiaobo nodded with a stiff smile. Who the hell are you trying to fool? If you only just noticed me, how fucking blind would you have to be?
Zhou Yi watched his two deputies with interest.
Cai Xiaobo was cunning and good at working the angles. Shao Mingbao looked honest and simple, but in reality, he was even more calculating than Cai Xiaobo.
In short, neither of them was easy to handle!
Without the boost Brother Long had given him, getting these two to fall in line would have been anything but easy, let alone having them come to his office of their own accord to kiss his ass!
Yes, they were definitely kissing his ass.
Over the next ten minutes...
One praised Captain Zhou for his righteousness and fearlessness in the face of evil.
The other lauded Captain Zhou's intelligence, courage, strategic insight, and decisiveness.
One had barely finished mentioning Captain Zhou's selfless rescue of a high school student.
Before the other brought up Captain Zhou's feat of single-handedly capturing a Class A fugitive.
Blah, blah, blah...
Other choice phrases included, but were not limited to, "wholehearted admiration," "utter awe," "we'll strike wherever you point," and "not a word of objection."
"Zhou Yi."
Just as Cai Xiaobo and Shao Mingbao took a tactical halftime break to drink some water, they suddenly heard a timid voice.
They turned to see a delicate-featured youngster in a high school uniform standing at the doorway, looking at them with some unease.
Beside the girl stood Yang Liu, a female officer from the Political Work Office.
"Captain Zhou, we've finished taking Mo's statement, and Criminal Investigations is already processing the case." With an affectionate arm around Shen Mo's shoulders, Yang Liu smiled as she reported to Zhou Yi.
"Sorry for the trouble, Yang."
Zhou Yi was genuinely grateful. She was a writer from the Political Work Office, yet she had put aside her own work to run around helping so enthusiastically. Why?
Simply because she was such a kindhearted young woman!
She clearly just wants your body! Cai Xiaobo and Shao Mingbao exchanged a glance, confirming their shared understanding.
"Oh, don't mention it." Yang Liu blushed, then continued, "Captain Zhou, there's something else. Mo says he's afraid to go home, because his dad beats him whenever he comes home late. What do you think...?"
Zhou Yi looked at the anxious Shen Mo and frowned.
Parents who beat or verbally abused their children could indeed be reprimanded and educated by the neighborhood authorities or police. In serious cases, they could be held criminally liable.
The problem was that reprimands and lectures were utterly useless against Shen Mo's alcoholic father-
What business is it of yours if I beat my son?
It's not like I've seriously hurt him.
Arrest me if you don't like it.
You couldn't stand him, yet you couldn't do anything about him. People like that were the fucking worst!
Watching Zhou Yi's expression, Cai Xiaobo decided it was time to show what he could do.
He immediately stood up and said calmly, "Captain, leave this to me."
Shao Mingbao, meanwhile, unhurriedly asked Shen Mo in a gentle voice, "Mo, where do you live?"
"Anjia Residential Community, by the Old Four Department Store," Shen Mo answered quietly.
Delighted, Shao Mingbao promptly sought Zhou Yi's approval. "Captain, that happens to be my area. It would be more appropriate for me to handle it."
Sorry, Old Cai. When it comes to easing the captain's worries, I won't stand aside.
Fuck! Watching Shao Yaojin swoop in and steal his opportunity, Cai Xiaobo nearly twisted his nose out of joint with anger.
"Thanks for making the trip, Deputy Captain Shao. Mo, let Uncle Shao... let Shao take you home first. Call me if anything happens, and remember to come over for dinner tomorrow."
Zhou Yi walked over, gently ruffled the youngster's hair, and gave him those instructions in a soft voice.
Shen Mo obediently nodded, gave Zhou Yi a lingering, reluctant look, then turned and left with Shao Mingbao.
"Deputy Captain Cai, there's something I'll have to trouble you with in particular. Second Middle School is on break now, so interviewing some of the teachers and students won't be quite so convenient..."
Cai Xiaobo perked up at Zhou Yi's words and immediately declared, "Don't worry, Captain. I'll head out and personally follow up on it."
This is fucking weird. Why am I even feeling a little excited?
Is this what it feels like to be entrusted with an important assignment?
Deputy Captain Cai shook his head to himself and strode briskly out of the captain's office.
Once everyone had left, Zhou Yi slowly walked to the window, an inscrutable expression appearing on his face.
After learning the identities of the parents of the three girls who had bullied Shen Mo, he had immediately pretended to be a system and assigned himself his second mission since his rebirth.
The mission's target was Tao Guozheng, deputy head of the County Party Committee Organization Department.
In Zhou Yi's previous life, when Tao Guozheng had been promoted to secretary-general of the Anping City government, the official appraisal had read: upright in character, modest in conduct, supportive of colleagues, honest and self-disciplined.
When he later fell from power, the official announcement had read: abandoned his original aspirations and mission, lost his Party principles, exploited his position for personal gain, and illegally accepted enormous sums of money and valuables.
So, faced with a parasite concealed among the ranks of government officials, Zhou Yi felt he had every responsibility to bring him to justice ahead of time.
That was right. He was upholding his personal motto, "Evil and I cannot coexist," and certainly not doing this because Tao Guozheng had once flown into a rage during an inspection and thrown a cup of water in his face.
Once again, this was for the greater good and for justice, absolutely not for a personal grudge.
As for exactly how to get reven... expose the man's crimes and ensure he received the full punishment of the law, Zhou Yi already had a plan.
Ring, ring, ring...
His ringing phone temporarily pulled Zhou Yi out of his thoughts.
"Zhou, I've arranged dinner with Director Song, Director Zhang, Political Commissar Feng, and Director Li. Seven tonight. You know the Jade Gold Restaurant, right? Gold No. 2 Private Room."
The call came from Director Luo of the Political Work Office, informing him of the time and place for that evening's dinner.
Apartment 302, Entrance Three, Building Two, Anjia Residential Community.
Shao Mingbao gripped Shen Yaqing by the throat and pinned him hard against the wall.
"If you ever dare touch so much as a hair on Shen Mo's head again, I'll have Blackie come over for a good 'chat.' Do you understand?"
Shen Yaqing stared in terror at the man's snake-like eyes. Most of his drunken haze vanished instantly, and he nodded repeatedly despite himself.
He knew who this man was, and he knew who Blackie was.
More importantly, he knew the man was not making an empty threat.
A few minutes later, Shao Mingbao stepped outside and gave Shen Mo, who had been waiting there, an exceedingly warm smile.
"Don't worry, Shen Mo. I've finished talking to your dad. He admitted he was wrong and promised never to hit you again. Go on in. Your dad's waiting to get on his knees-no, to apologize to you!"
Before you continue