An Audience with the County Magistrate

The Dongji County Party Committee compound stood at 75 Dongfeng Road.

Dongji County's four principal governing bodies-the County Party Committee, the County People's Government, the County People's Congress, and the County Political Consultative Conference-all had their offices there.

It occupied more than fifty thousand square meters, with a total floor area of over fourteen thousand square meters.

Since its completion and opening in 1980, it had weathered twenty-five years of wind, frost, snow, and rain.

It was summer now, and the trees in the compound were lush, the flowers competing in a riot of color. Beneath the afternoon sunlight, the four distinctive blue-gray buildings stood in silence, projecting a powerful sense of solemn dignity.

The sedan slowly pulled up outside Building Two, which housed the county government offices.

After getting out, Zhou Yi followed Director Lei Ming into the building, keeping one step behind him.

The guard on the first floor clearly knew Lei Ming. He greeted him respectfully but warmly, then discreetly glanced twice at the young police officer behind him.

That must be him, right?

Yes, judging by his looks and bearing, it almost certainly was.

The two climbed the stairs to the fourth floor, where they saw a young man standing by the stairwell, apparently waiting specifically for them.

"Secretary Qiu." Lei Ming stepped forward and shook his hand.

Then he turned to introduce them. "This is Section Chief Qiu Ze. And this is Zhou Yi from our bureau."

"Hello, Captain Zhou."

"Hello, Section Chief Qiu."

Zhou Yi exchanged greetings with the man said to be a rising favorite among the county leadership, then unobtrusively sized him up.

Qiu Ze.

County Magistrate Yan Xiangyu's secretary.

A ruthless-and shameless-man who believed you had to sacrifice your wife to catch a lecher.

How did that saying go again? Right-he could clearly recite every leader's preferences, zodiac sign, blood type, and exact birth date and time.

If a leader liked fishing, he would dive into the water and attach fish to the leader's hook one after another. If a leader liked mahjong, he would break up his own ready hand every round to discard the winning tile for the leader. If a leader liked collectible curios, he would offer his great-grandfather's cremated relics for the leader to string into beads. And then there were leaders who liked his wife...

And so, in his third year as a section staff member, Qiu Ze became chief of the County Government Secretarial Section.

After taking office, the new county magistrate, Yan Xiangyu, felt that although Qiu Ze's professional ability was mediocre, he had ample experience. Besides, Yan was new to the county and had no more suitable candidate available, so he made do with him for the time being.

Before long, however, Section Chief Qiu would take his flattery too far and offend the very man he meant to please, earning himself a transfer to the County Statistics Bureau as a deputy chief staff member.

Afterward, on Lei Ming's recommendation, Zheng Yifan would become the county magistrate's new secretary, beginning his meteoric rise through the ranks.

Qiu Ze was also quietly observing Zhou Yi.

Although this was their first meeting, he had long heard of Captain Zhou's formidable reputation.

He had caught violent criminals and saved students.

He was also a remarkable man who could keep Xie Zhaolong thoroughly in line.

Qiu Ze had heard that Tao Guozheng, deputy director of the County Party Committee Organization Department, had ended up behind bars precisely because of offending him.

No wonder County Magistrate Yan valued him so highly!

"Sorry for the trouble, Director Lei, but please wait in the reception room for a while. The county magistrate would like to speak with Captain Zhou alone."

Qiu Ze gestured for Lei Ming to enter, then led Zhou Yi to the county magistrate's office.

He knocked softly. After hearing a "Come in" from inside, Zhou Yi pushed open the door and entered, feeling a little excited.

Old Yan, we finally meet again.

Why "again"? Because in his previous life, Zhou Yi had not only known Yan Xiangyu, but had also been on good terms with him as a fishing buddy.

There was a saying: when your hobby happened to coincide with your leader's, what kind of opportunity was that? An opportunity so good it could bring your ancestors leaping out of their graves!

But for Zhou Yi, it had been of no use whatsoever.

By then, he had already been a middle-aged man over forty who made his living writing, while Yan Xiangyu had turned sixty and retired!

Inside the office, the county magistrate was absorbed in reading a document, leaving the young police officer standing by the door unacknowledged for quite some time.

Zhou Yi was in no hurry either. He simply stood there quietly, waiting patiently for the county magistrate to address him.

Before they knew it, ten minutes had passed.

Yan Xiangyu put down the document, slowly raised his head, and cast an appraising gaze at the young police officer, who stood straight and looked composed.

Zhou Yi met his eyes openly, without the slightest trace of unease.

Compared with the kindly, gray-haired old man in his memories, the Yan Xiangyu before him was full of vigor and had a sharp gaze. His every movement naturally conveyed the authority of a county magistrate.

"Sit down."

After a long moment, Yan Xiangyu finally spoke, motioning for Zhou Yi to sit. He himself got up, went to the water dispenser, filled a paper cup with hot water, and handed it to Zhou Yi.

"Thank you, County Magistrate." Zhou Yi accepted the cup with both hands and thanked him quietly.

Yan Xiangyu sat down opposite Zhou Yi, an inscrutable smile appearing on his face. In a faintly teasing tone, he said, "I've heard your name, and I know what you're capable of. What I can't quite figure out is what path you intend to take."

Zhou Yi considered briefly, then answered with absolute certainty, "The righteous path, of course."

Heh, he certainly knew what to say.

Yan Xiangyu nodded, then asked, "And what do you think of Xie Zhaolong?"

Zhou Yi answered without hesitation, "His crimes are countless. Even death would be too good for him."

Yan Xiangyu continued in an even tone, "How do you explain your relationship with Xie Zhaolong?"

Zhou Yi immediately replied, "I played along while waiting for the right moment."

Yan Xiangyu gave him a peculiar look. Are you showing off your stock phrases to me?

After a pause, he continued, "Can I trust what you're telling me?"

Zhou Yi set down the paper cup, slowly raised his right hand to the side of his head, and gave a flawless police salute.

Silence spoke louder than words.

One salute outweighed ten thousand explanations.

Looking at the young police officer's clear eyes, free of the slightest impurity, Yan Xiangyu felt momentarily dazed.

This man was either utterly loyal and good, or an absolute villain!

Seeing that Old Yan was clearly overthinking things, Zhou Yi had no choice but to offer him a little food for the soul. "Truth cannot become falsehood, and falsehood cannot become truth. Time will prove everything!"

At the same time, he sighed inwardly. See? This was the fallout from using that vicious dog, Xie Zhaolong.

Old Yan clearly still had his doubts.

After pondering for a moment, Yan Xiangyu smiled without committing himself.

"What do you think of Dongji's current public security situation?"

Captain Zhou perked up at the question. Old Yan, if that's what you want to ask about, I have plenty to say.

"At present, the main threat to public security in Dongji County is the cancer of organized crime headed by men such as Xie Zhaolong and Zeng Yuqiang. They recruit large numbers of idle people, arm them with clubs, restricted knives, and even homemade firearms, and use violence and intimidation to run rampant throughout the county. They bully ordinary people, treat human life as worthless, and stop at no evil..."

"Second are the officials who shield these criminal forces. They, or their family members and relatives, hold important positions in government agencies and have extensive ties to criminal figures such as Xie Zhaolong. Through collusion between officials and gangs, they organize and run illegal operations involving prostitution, gambling, and drugs for illicit profit..."

"Third is the overdeveloped entertainment industry, which provides fertile ground for prostitution, gambling, and drugs. The resulting public-order offenses and criminal cases have been increasing year after year..."

Yan Xiangyu's eyes filled with complicated emotions that were difficult to describe. He was not only surprised by Zhou Yi's thorough understanding of Dongji County's current situation, but also astonished by his unreserved trust in him.

If Zhou Yi had said all this to Fu Pingjiang, or to Zeng Xuedong, what would the outcome have been?

At best, dismissal and an investigation. At worst, the destruction of his family and the loss of their lives.

This was by no means alarmist. There had already been several precedents.

Yan Xiangyu actually wanted very much to ask Zhou Yi, How can you be so certain that I'm not one of those officials shielding organized crime?