Albert's sudden arrival with his men did not make the owner of the office look angry.
Quite the opposite. The man greeted them with a smile and poured Wong Bing Yiu a cup of coffee himself.
Of course, he didn't forget Zhou Quan, either.
"Brother Yiu, you're being too formal!"
The man sat right beside Wong Bing Yiu and joked with him in an easy, familiar manner. "I'm no stranger. You didn't have to trouble yourself escorting Chun here in person!
What, don't you trust me, Albert?"
Zhou Quan discreetly studied the middle-aged man before him. He had a rather handsome face and a tall, slender build.
He wore an immaculate white police uniform, with a gleaming silver crown on each shoulder.
There was no doubt that the man before him was a senior officer who had attained commissioned rank in the Police Force.
Having already familiarized himself with the structure of the Police Force, Zhou Quan immediately understood the man's position.
He was the commander of B Company in the PTU's Mobile Unit-in other words, Zhou Quan's Big Sir and direct superior for the foreseeable future.
The Police Tactical Unit had twelve companies, each designated by a letter of the alphabet and staffed by around 160 officers.
B Company was responsible for garrisoning the West Kowloon Region. It was commanded directly by a Superintendent: Albert, the man before him.
Although this was Zhou Quan's first time meeting Albert, he had always felt a certain familiarity with him.
His memory whirred into action, and in an instant he found an impression of the man in his mind.
Albert, whose Chinese name was Kong Chi Lap, was a close and steadfast aide to Zhou Quan's uncle, Lee Man-bun.
Before Zhou Quan had gone to study at the foreigners' stronghold, he had met Kong Chi Lap a few times.
While Zhou Quan was quietly sizing up Kong Chi Lap, Kong Chi Lap was also looking at him.
"Chun, what are you standing there for? Sit down and have a chat!"
A faint smile tugged at Kong Chi Lap's lips. "There's no one else here."
He emphasized once again that he truly didn't consider himself an outsider.
As one of Lee Man-bun's old subordinates, Kong Chi Lap had followed him since his days as a constable.
It was only after he was promoted to Superintendent that he was transferred to the Mobile Unit to broaden his experience.
In Kong Chi Lap's eyes, the two men beside him were both unquestionably his own people.
One was his old superior's brother-in-law, and also one of the few senior officers at West Kowloon Police Station.
There were only a little over forty Senior Superintendents in the entire Police Force.
The other was his old superior's nephew.
Kong Chi Lap knew all too well how highly his old superior regarded the young man, Zhou Quan.
It was no exaggeration to say that, compared with his own son, Lee Family Ka-chun, Zhou Quan was not the slightest bit behind.
Though Kong Chi Lap was usually a man of few words, he was especially warm toward these very much his own people.
Kong Chi Lap had shown Zhou Quan every courtesy, but Zhou Quan couldn't act as if he could take it for granted.
He didn't sit down as invited. Instead, he stood even straighter.
"PC15827, reporting to Superintendent Kong!"
He stamped to attention, raised his hand in a salute, and spoke in a high, clear voice, his expression solemn and his bearing spirited.
"Very good!"
Seeing this, Kong Chi Lap couldn't help but let his smile fade. He nodded with utmost seriousness.
"PC15827, welcome to the Police Force!"
He stood and straightened his pristine police uniform, then returned Zhou Quan's salute.
"I hope you'll remain modest and steady, and become a role model for the younger generation of the Police Force."
With that, he looked at Zhou Quan expectantly and offered his sincere encouragement.
"Thank you, sir!"
Zhou Quan nodded firmly, then stood at attention and saluted again.
"We've finished all the formalities. Now sit down and have some coffee!"
This time, Kong Chi Lap didn't return the salute in a formal manner. Instead, he put on a friendly smile again and invited Zhou Quan to sit.
"Brother Lap, it's been years!"
Zhou Quan didn't stand on ceremony this time, either. He sat beside his uncle-in-law as invited and smiled at Kong Chi Lap. "It's been a long time."
Although Kong Chi Lap was an old subordinate of Zhou Quan's uncle, Lee Man-bun, he wasn't even ten years older than Zhou Quan.
Besides, when Zhou Quan had first met Kong Chi Lap, the latter had been about the same age Zhou Quan was now.
A strapping young man in his twenties naturally didn't want people calling him "Uncle."
So in private, Zhou Quan addressed Kong Chi Lap as Brother Lap.
"Indeed. Four whole years!"
Kong Chi Lap looked Zhou Quan up and down twice and said with a touch of emotion, "That little lad who hadn't even shed his down has grown into quite the handsome and impressive young man."
As soon as he finished speaking, Wong Bing Yiu raised his eyebrows and began boasting with a flourish.
"Of course. Our Chun won the Shirley Shield this year, and that foreigner, Ellison, personally presented him with the Number One Commendation Certificate."
There were no outsiders in the office, so the three of them naturally chatted in a very cordial atmosphere.
They drank coffee and talked and laughed together. It was quite pleasant.
"All right, Albert."
After finishing his coffee, Wong Bing Yiu stood up, bringing their conversation to an end.
"It's getting late. I still have to go have a cup of tea with that foreigner at the top."
He straightened his uniform and said with a grin, "I don't often come to headquarters, so it wouldn't be right not to see him. I'll leave Chun in your hands."
Hearing this, Zhou Quan and Kong Chi Lap quickly stood up as well.
"Brother Yiu, Chun won't be treated unfairly with me."
Kong Chi Lap nodded solemnly.
"I trust you and Man-bun to take care of things, Albert."
Wong Bing Yiu didn't bother with any more formalities. He patted Kong Chi Lap on the shoulder, then turned his gaze to Zhou Quan.
"When you have some free time, go home and visit your uncle more often."
Zhou Quan smiled and replied, "I understand, Uncle-in-law."
After saying their goodbyes, Kong Chi Lap and Zhou Quan escorted Wong Bing Yiu out of the PTU building.
Only after Wong Bing Yiu had disappeared into the headquarters building did the two turn and head back.
Kong Chi Lap personally led Zhou Quan through the process of transferring his records into the PTU system.
Once his uniform, weapons, and other equipment had been issued, Zhou Quan would be able to begin his PTU training.
The moment Zhou Quan's records were entered into the archives, a long-missed, ethereal voice suddenly rang out in his mind.
[ Ding! The player has officially joined the Police Force. Achievement reward acquired: Police Regulations Mastery. ]
After a full nine months, he finally heard that ethereal yet incredibly pleasant voice again.
A smile involuntarily tugged at Zhou Quan's lips.
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