Zhou Quan stood still, eyes lowered, quietly waiting for Principal Ye to speak.
What left Zhou Quan somewhat puzzled was that, apart from looking him up and down with a kindly expression, Principal Ye showed no other reaction.
Zhou Quan wasn't an impatient person, and for the time being, he could keep his composure.
At the same time, he even took an amused glance from the corner of his eye at the middle-aged man sitting beside Principal Ye's desk, whose face looked somewhat sleazy.
The man had an Appointment Certificate hanging on his chest. He was clearly a member of the Police Force.
But the certificate was turned inward against his chest, so Zhou Quan couldn't identify his rank.
Of course, judging by the fact that he was sitting beside a Senior Superintendent's desk, he was clearly no ordinary police officer.
Just as Zhou Quan was privately pondering and speculating, Principal Ye suddenly spoke.
"15827, today is the first day of live-fire training. How did you do?"
Hearing this, Zhou Quan's attention immediately returned to Principal Ye.
"Reporting, not a single shot missed! Every bullet hit the bull's-eye!"
He grinned confidently, showing all eight of his straight teeth.
Zhou Quan had been at the Police Academy for several months, and his outstanding results had long since become known throughout the school.
Even Ye Jinfeng, the Senior Superintendent who served as principal, knew that an exceptionally formidable young man had recently appeared on his turf.
And because of the connections Zhou Quan's predecessor had, Zhou Quan was also very familiar with Principal Ye.
Besides, the Police Force was, at its core, a violent institution, so strength was of vital importance.
Therefore, Zhou Quan had no intention of concealing anything. Instead, he straightforwardly showed his confidence and ability.
"Just as expected of the toughest, most impressive Chun in this year's class!"
Principal Ye beamed and gave him a thumbs-up.
"Wait outside!"
Then his expression changed, and he waved a hand. "Close the door properly. Come in again when I call you!"
Zhou Quan didn't understand why the principal, Big Sir, who had just been so amiable, had suddenly changed his attitude.
Even so, he didn't dare show the slightest negligence.
"Yes, sir!"
He stamped his foot, stood at attention, saluted, and turned around, all without the slightest hesitation.
After leaving the principal's office, Zhou Quan calmly closed the door, then stood upright against the wall.
Though the office door was shut tight, Zhou Quan's body had been enhanced in every way, and he could still faintly hear the conversation inside.
"So, what do you think? You saw and heard it too, didn't you?"
Seated in his official chair, Principal Ye spoke with a trace of pride. "A-plus in every subject, and his shooting is so good there's nothing more to say."
Principal Ye made no attempt whatsoever to hide how much he was showing off his prized student.
For some reason, though, when he looked at the plainclothes police officer beside the desk, he wore a smile that seemed to hold a deeper meaning.
"Sir Ye is as kind as ever, always looking after an old friend."
The plainclothes officer, with his full-on sleazy look, glanced at the grade sheet on the desk beside him and nodded repeatedly, smiling as he flattered Principal Ye.
With a clean record, no prior exposure in the Police Force, and first-rate ratings for both ability and talent, how could he possibly be dissatisfied?
Ever since he had been promoted to Inspector, he had often turned up at the Police Academy to bother his former superior-one could even say he harassed him.
He did it to pick out outstanding Undercover Police Officers, who could infiltrate criminal gangs and dismantle them from within.
By now, he knew that his repeated visits to the academy to scrounge for talent had nearly worn away all the goodwill he had built up over the years.
Fortunately, at this critical moment, he had found another promising recruit, who would surely become an invincible weapon in his hands.
Looking at the face beside him, growing even more sleazy with that smile, Principal Ye couldn't help but feel a jumble of complicated emotions.
This man wasn't merely his former subordinate. In the past, he had even suffered some of the fallout from Principal Ye's actions.
Otherwise, given the other man's bold, hard-fighting style, why would he still be only a Senior Inspector when his friends from the same intake had already become Chief Inspectors, or even Superintendents?
Feeling somewhat guilty, Principal Ye had always looked after him.
Although Principal Ye no longer held real authority on the front lines, he was, after all, a Senior Superintendent.
And with his position as principal of the Police Training School, Principal Ye had undoubtedly provided his former subordinate with considerable advantages.
Today's sort of thing wasn't even worth mentioning; Principal Ye had already been through it several times.
Each time, the other man would take an elite student away from the academy, one of the leading contenders for that year's Silver Cock Award.
The Silver Cock was officially called the Silver Whistle Award. It was one of the honors the Police Training School gave to outstanding graduating cadets.
Only the best graduating officer in each class could receive this honor.
If these outstanding cadets went on to bright futures under the other man, Principal Ye wouldn't make much of it.
But Principal Ye knew all too well what his former subordinate was like.
The man was implacably hostile to evil. He could be called a qualified police officer, but he was absolutely not a qualified superior.
Every one of the outstanding cadets he had taken away had been sent undercover into some criminal organization.
None of them had met a good end; they had all either died or been left crippled.
Undercover officers were nothing unusual in Hong Kong Island, where the Triads were rampant.
After the fate of Hong Kong Island's return had been definitively confirmed in the early 1980s, the Foreigners had deliberately allowed the island to descend into chaos.
Fortunately, Hong Kong Island had never lacked people of insight who loved their country. They were steadfast in protecting the unity of the motherland and the stability of Hong Kong Island.
As power was gradually handed over in Hong Kong Island, the influence of the Chinese there grew ever more apparent.
Especially after the Number One position at Police Force Headquarters first fell into Chinese hands.
The stability of Hong Kong Island became increasingly important to the Chinese there.
The criminal gangs threatening Hong Kong Island's stability immediately became the Police Force's primary targets.
Sending Undercover Police Officers to destroy those criminal gangs and Triads had become an entirely commonplace tactic.
Police officers died in the line of duty, and undercover officers were wounded or killed. Such things were perfectly normal.
But not a single Undercover Police Officer sent out by his former subordinate had ever met a good end. That was highly suspicious.
After investigating many times, Principal Ye finally learned just how unscrupulous his former subordinate was.
Every Undercover Police Officer he sent out was certain to be squeezed for every last bit of value.
This situation made Principal Ye grow ever more distant from, and angry with, the man.
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