Learning made me happy

The first thing Zhou Yi did after getting up the next morning was open the window and stretch luxuriously in the sunlight streaming in.

Ah, another day full of energy.

After eating three mushroom-and-pork buns his mother had steamed and drinking a bowl of millet porridge, Zhou Yi wiped his mouth and headed out to squeeze onto a bus to work.

"Morning, Captain Zhou."

"Have you eaten, Captain Zhou? There's breakfast in the cafeteria."

"Zhou, do you drink tea? I have two boxes of Longjing Tea in my office. I'll have someone bring them over later."

Everyone at the bureau, from its leaders to the security guards and cleaners, greeted Zhou Yi with one thing above all: enthusiasm.

Zhou Yi took the elevator straight to the fifth floor and arrived outside the deputy director's office.

The door was open.

Zhang Liping was sitting at his desk, looking through some documents.

At the knock on the door, he looked up and broke into a smile.

Zhou Yi walked over and respectfully placed a pack of Soft China on the desk.

"Well, well, Captain Zhou has moved up in the world." Zhang Liping set down his documents and teased him with a smile.

"Someone gave them to me. I couldn't bear to smoke them, so I brought them specially to show my respect for you, sir," Zhou Yi explained meekly.

"You're not very sincere, are you? Who gives someone just one pack of cigarettes?" Deputy Director Zhang picked up the Soft China with a look of disdain.

Then he realized he was wrong. This wasn't even a full pack-half a pack at most.

"I'd love to give you a whole carton, but my finances won't allow it!" Quick on the uptake, Zhou Yi pulled out a lighter and clicked it to light his superior's cigarette.

"If you gave Director Lei and the others a gift like this, do you believe they'd slap you across the face?" Zhang Liping took a drag and glanced sideways at him.

"Of course. That's why you're the only one I'd dare give a gift like this," Zhou Yi answered in all seriousness.

Zhang Liping paused slightly. After looking at Zhou Yi for a moment, a gratified smile appeared on his face.

There was no need to say much. That single line, "You're the only one I'd dare give a gift like this," had clearly conveyed Zhou Yi's exceptional closeness to him and respect for him.

When Zhou Yi left the deputy director's office, he had a carton of Soft China in his hand.

That was a small investment for a bigger return.

One pack for a carton. Not a bad trade.

Back in the captain's office, Zhou Yi brewed himself a cup of tea, then took out the Public Security Administration Punishments Regulations and the Entertainment Venue Administration Regulations and reviewed them.

Why call it a review?

Because in his previous life, while sidelined in the Legal Affairs Unit, Zhou Yi had mainly dealt with laws and regulations of all kinds. Naturally, these two sets of regulations were familiar to him.

Before he knew it, an hour had passed.

Still eager for more, Zhou Yi dug out the People's Police Law and the Special Industries Administration Regulations and began reading.

Yes, he loved learning.

Learning helped him improve. Learning made him happy.

He wandered through the ocean of knowledge, drinking in its nourishing rain and dew.

Zhou Yi was so absorbed in his studies that he couldn't tear himself away.

Ring, ring, ring...

The ringing of his phone broke the silence in the office.

Zhou Yi picked it up. Seeing "Jian Shuyue" displayed clearly on the screen, he immediately realized something.

"Tian Tian and I are back. Let's meet at Liu Family Barbecue tonight!"

Hearing the clear, pleasant voice on the phone, Zhou Yi thought he had guessed right: those two goddesses had returned to Dongji.

"I can't make it. I'm working overtime tonight," Zhou Yi replied apologetically.

"Then when are you free, Officer?" Jian Shuyue asked, sounding a little disappointed.

"Tomorrow evening will definitely work. How about I treat you both to a pork-and-sauerkraut feast?"

Zhou Yi knew perfectly well that for Jian Shuyue and Tian Tian, meeting up with their old classmates was naturally the top priority on this trip back to Dongji County. As for eating and drinking-well, that was also the top priority.

"Yes, yes! It's a deal!" At the mention of the pork feast, Jian Shuyue's voice immediately grew excited.

See? A foodie's happiness really was that simple.

Zhou Yi put down his phone and lit another cigarette.

In fact, even if he had nothing to do that evening, he wouldn't have attended the gathering.

Why?

Because he remembered that the gathering had included not only Monkey, Dechao, and the other old classmates, but also two friends of Jian Shuyue and Tian Tian.

Back then, he had been at a low point, nursing a broken heart with no prospect of a job transfer in sight. Seeing his old classmates all doing so well had inevitably left him feeling depressed and dejected.

Then those two friends of Jian Shuyue and Tian Tian had seemed intent on targeting him, constantly bringing up sore subjects and relentlessly prying. One moment they asked where he held his prestigious post, the next whether life in the countryside was tough, then whether he had weekends off, whether he had to work duty shifts, how much he earned...

They had pretended to care about him, but had really just been trying to make him sick.

Those two bastards had cornered the market on being nasty.

He had swallowed his anger and eaten the meal without enjoying a bite. With no desire to join the entertainment afterward, he had made an excuse and left.

Just recalling the scene made Captain Zhou's hands itch to hit someone.

What were those two jerks called again?

One was Bai Haoxuan, and the other was Xu Heng, I think.

Before anyone knew it, night had fallen.

Countless brilliant lights echoed the scattered stars overhead, together illuminating the summer night sky above Dongji County's urban center.

Bustling streets, milling crowds, flashing neon signs... everywhere brimmed with the warmth and bustle of everyday life.

Liu Family Barbecue's open-air food stall.

Jian Shuyue clutched a handful of skewers, taking a bite of fatty-and-lean meat, then a sip of beer, a bite of cooked tendon, then another sip of beer...

She ate with animated delight, her mouth glistening with grease, and still remembered to nod at Tian Tian beside her as if to say, Yes, this is exactly the taste!

By comparison, Tian Tian ate much more daintily.

Her pearly teeth caught the grilled meat, and she gently slid it off the skewer, closing her red lips and chewing carefully. Yet, remarkably, she worked through her skewers just as quickly as Jian Shuyue.

One wore a white T-shirt with jeans, her hair falling to her shoulders, radiant and lovely.

The other wore a floral dress, her long hair flowing, charming and graceful.

They drew countless gazes from those around them.

Hou Xiaolei quietly admired them from the side. For a moment, he felt as though he had returned to those innocent, awkward days of middle and high school.

Tian Tian had been the acknowledged school beauty.

Jian Shuyue, who had transferred from another province, had also been named a school beauty.

No. 2 Middle School had no school heartthrob, only the few of them who had become laughingstocks after their confessions were rejected.

They had been young then and hadn't understood anything.

But as he grew older and gained experience, he gradually came to understand that both Jian Shuyue and Tian Tian were dreams forever beyond the reach of ordinary people like them.

Despite their good relationship over all these years, it was purely friendship between classmates. If they entertained any other ideas, they could count on losing even that friendship.

At that thought, Hou Xiaolei couldn't help directing a hostile gaze at the two men from out of town.

They had only extended an invitation out of politeness, but the two had seized the opening and shamelessly tagged along to the gathering.

And although both appeared gentle, courteous, and polished, deep down they exuded the peculiar superiority and arrogance of people from the capital.

What made it even more infuriating was that, whether in looks, family background, or accomplishments, he, Xiao Dechao, and Dai Peng combined could only be utterly outclassed.

Zhou Yi was right not to come tonight!