Evil and I cannot coexist

Zhou Yi lit a cigarette and looked around the room.

The office was roughly twelve or thirteen square meters.

It did not seem particularly spacious, but under the Standards for Office Building Construction for Party and Government Agencies, it was already well over the limit.

At this point, however, there had yet to be a major crackdown on oversized offices, official vehicles, or dining at public expense, so excessive office space was common throughout government agencies.

The desk, chair, computer, sofa covers, and teacup-even the ashtray-had all been replaced with new ones.

It showed just how attentive Political Instructor Wang Jian was.

Zhou Yi took a drag and turned his thoughts to the work under his charge.

Although he had spent his entire previous life muddling along in the Legal Affairs Division, he was no stranger to public security administration, even if he had never worked in it himself.

Dongji County was known as the little city that never slept.

Its thriving entertainment industry generated enormous economic benefits, but inevitably also provided fertile ground for prostitution, gambling, drugs, and organized crime.

And the police bureau's Public Security Administration Division, responsible for overseeing the entertainment industry, was the first target criminals sought to win over and corrupt.

With profits driving them, collusion between officials and businessmen-and even between officials and gangsters-was commonplace.

Zhou Yi remembered clearly that Zhu Jianping, Cai Xiaobo, and Shao Mingbao had all ended up behind bars for shielding organized crime.

Now he had three choices before him.

He could join them in their corruption, turn a blind eye to protect himself, or meet the challenge head-on and fight them to the bitter end.

He ground his cigarette butt firmly into the ashtray.

Zhou Yi had already made his decision-

Evil and I cannot coexist!

Zheng Yifan clutched his phone, locked in an intense internal struggle.

Should I call him now?

Would Zhou Yi be busy?

If I invited him to dinner tonight, would he do me the favor of coming?

Bzzz...

Before he could make up his mind, his phone vibrated with an incoming call.

"Yifan, are you free tonight? Want to go out for a few drinks?"

Hearing the warm voice over the phone, Zheng Yifan felt both touched and ashamed.

Man, what had I done to deserve this?

Back when Zhou Yi was working out in the countryside, had I ever been this friendly or taken this much initiative?

And now...

He could only conclude that Zhou Yi was a genuinely good man, loyal and caring, and absolutely worth having as a close friend.

"Of course we've got to have a few drinks! Oh, Jiang Xinting's coming too? Let's settle this first: you pick the place, and I pay. Sure, sure. We'll call each other tonight."

Zheng Yifan's voice rose without him realizing it, and he never noticed that Director Luo was already standing behind him.

"Zheng, go find document No. 13 from this year. Yes, the notice on advancing the public security improvement campaign. Then write me a report based on its directives and our bureau's actual work."

Director Luo waited patiently for Zheng Yifan to finish his call before assigning him the task with a pleasant expression.

"Yes, Director. I'll get right on it." Zheng Yifan nodded repeatedly, his heart burning with enthusiasm. That long-absent feeling of being valued filled him with energy and drive.

"By the way, I heard Zhou's relationship fell through?" Director Luo asked quietly, seemingly in passing.

Uh!

Faced with the director's look that plainly said, "You're so close to Zhou Yi, you must know," Zheng Yifan felt utterly awkward.

How was I supposed to answer?

Could I say I didn't know?

The thing was, I really didn't know!

His mind raced, but in the end Zheng Yifan could only steel himself and reply, "I think so."

Director Luo nodded. He had asked around and learned that Zhou Yi had been dating Liu Changlin's niece. Yet when they met earlier that day and he casually asked whether Zhou Yi had a girlfriend, Zhou Yi had smiled and shaken his head.

That was why he had come to Zheng Yifan for confirmation.

As for why he cared, naturally, it was because he had a pretty niece of his own.

Six that evening.

Wang's Pork Feast Restaurant, near the county police bureau.

In a private room upstairs, Zhou Yi, Jiang Xinting, Zheng Yifan, Han Qiuyan, and Dong Hongyun sat around a table, chatting happily.

Han Qiuyan currently worked at the county Political and Legal Affairs Commission.

Dong Hongyun was the deputy commander of the Traffic Police Division's Second Squadron.

Both had called Zhou Yi that afternoon to invite him to dinner. Since they had all been in the same training class and got along reasonably well, Zhou Yi had simply arranged for everyone to meet together.

As his gaze swept over Jiang Xinting, Zheng Yifan, and the others, Zhou Yi felt a surge of emotion.

Seated at this dinner were a future director of the provincial Department of Human Resources and Social Security, a future municipal Party secretary, a future director of the municipal Development and Reform Commission, and a future deputy county head who would also serve as police chief.

He alone had muddled along until he even lost his public-sector job, amounting to nothing.

So I have to work harder in this life!

While Zhou Yi was observing the others, they were observing him too.

Jiang Xinting studied the young man beside her with interest. To be honest, she was quite curious about Zhou Yi.

Many people believed that luck was what had allowed Zhou Yi to capture a Class A fugitive wanted by the Ministry of Public Security.

But anyone who carefully examined the entire incident would understand that, beyond luck, what mattered more were Zhou Yi's keen powers of observation, astonishing judgment, extraordinary courage, and formidable fighting ability.

Mind you, that was not her assessment. It came from several commanders in the municipal bureau's Criminal Investigation Division.

Young, capable, modest, and levelheaded, without a trace of arrogance or impatience. Opportunities ought to be reserved for young people like him!

Mind you, those were not her words either. They were Municipal Police Chief Zhao Yue's exact words.

And the guy's handsome, too, with a good personality and plenty of emotional intelligence. He's bound to do well for himself.

Mind you, that one was hers.

Women were always sensitive to attention from the opposite sex.

Especially a beauty like Jiang Xinting, with her delicately arched brows and cherry-red lips, the kind of woman anyone would enjoy looking at.

Jiang Xinting knew Zhou Yi was observing her, but she did not mind.

His gaze was clear and open, without the slightest hint of improper intent.

It stood in stark contrast to Zheng Yifan's evasive glances and Dong Hongyun's furtive looks.

As she listened to Zhou Yi call her "Sis Jiang," a thought suddenly occurred to her: perhaps having such a capable young man as a little brother would be rather nice.

The dinner broke up around ten that night.

The five of them had drunk four bottles of baijiu between them, yet Zheng Yifan, who had drunk the least, was the only one who went down.

Dong Hongyun was a little unsteady on his feet, but at most he was mildly tipsy.

Han Qiuyan's complexion had barely changed, and she looked as though she had not drunk at all.

Jiang Xinting's cheeks were flushed and her eyes shimmered, but she remained clearheaded and perfectly steady.

As for Zhou Yi, the way he supported Zheng Yifan while still striding briskly along made it clear that he, too, was a battle-hardened veteran of drinking.

They had enjoyed the food and drinks, but more importantly, they had strengthened their friendships and expanded their networks.

That was what made dinner-gathering culture special.

Jiang Xinting and the others each left by taxi, while Zhou Yi hailed one as well, intending to take Zheng Yifan home.

In the taxi, Zheng Yifan groggily took Zhou Yi's hand and mumbled through slurred speech-

"Zhou Yi, you're my brother from now on!"