Old Chen, Cunning as a Fox; Shopkeeper Zhao, Honest and Trustworthy

As Shen Yan walked out of the police station, he spotted Old Chen standing outside, his face full of worry.

Seeing him emerge, the old man hurried over. He looked at his godson's reddened eyes and caught a faint trace of blood on him. His heart sank.

"What happened to you? Did that Lu fellow hit you? Let me take a look!"

Shen Yan quickly stopped Old Chen from coming closer to examine him. Forcing a smile, he explained, "Nothing like that. Don't worry yourself. I just found out my teacher died, and I'm upset."

"Teacher?"

"My master."

Old Chen froze, then glared at him.

"Aren't I your master? Are you cursing me to an early death, you brat? Keep that up and I'll smack you!"

He raised a hand as if to strike, and Shen Yan quickly grabbed it.

"I didn't mean you! Why does your temper flare up so suddenly? I took a Japanese master... Don't glare at me. It was fake, something I made up to fool people! It's hard to explain... How about I take you out for a meal and tell you everything?"

"Out for a meal, my ass! Come home with me! If you don't explain this clearly today, we're through as godfather and godson!"

With that, he turned and walked off.

As long as his godson was all right, what was the point of lingering here?

That old man still says one thing and means another.

Shen Yan chuckled and hurried after him.

Several days passed. The Special Higher Police launched a massive manhunt for the so-called "Western special forces squad," but came up empty-handed. Embassies from various countries lodged complaints and applied pressure one after another, forcing the Japanese to call off their overt searches. The streets gradually returned to their former calm.

The West District under Shen Yan's jurisdiction grew increasingly peaceful. His patrols were uneventful, without even a single troublemaker.

He decided to settle Old Chen in a teahouse to drink tea and listen to music while he wandered aimlessly around the streets, keeping up appearances.

Even so, he couldn't help feeling a little restless.

Although he hadn't earned any new good and evil points, he had enough for the time being. What really worried Shen Yan was that he was almost out of money.

In old Shanghai, police officers had always had only a few sources of income:

First was their meager monthly salary, barely enough to keep them from starving;

Second were the offerings from businesses along the streets-in other words, protection money. The small amounts from each shop could add up, but Shen Yan looked down on it and found it disgraceful;

Third was serving as a protective umbrella for gangs and taking a cut of their profits.

"Damn... I hit too hard back then and wiped out all the gangs."

Shen Yan shook his head with a self-mocking smile. He blamed it all on the "harmonious society" of his previous life for teaching him too well. His values were so upright that he had cut off his own source of income.

He looked up at the imposing building in the distance, the Japanese flag flying high above it-the Yokohama Specie Bank-and swore inwardly:

Once I've developed a little more, I'll find a chance to take you down!

As he dreamed of making a fortune, Shen Yan suddenly spotted two people coming around the street corner.

A gaunt, sallow middle-aged man in shabby clothes was hurrying along, dragging a little girl of six or seven.

Name: Wang Erlai

Identity: unemployed drifter from the lowest rung of society (opium addict)

Good and evil value: -37

Inner thoughts: Once I sell this deadweight today, I'll have enough to smoke for a few more days.

Name: Wang Zhaodi

Age: 6

Identity: Wang Erlai's daughter

Good and evil value: +2

Inner thoughts: Dad said he was taking me to find Mom... What does a ghost marriage mean?

Fuck you!

Shen Yan felt ready to explode! How could there be such a beast of a father in this world?

He rushed forward, pulled the little girl behind him, then kicked the man to the ground. Swinging his baton, he rained blows down on the man's head and face with tremendous force.

The man's screams rang through the entire street, and the neighbors poked their heads out to watch.

"Officer Shen's beating someone again."

"Good for him! Officer Shen never beats good people! One look at that guy and you can tell he's no good!"

"Huh? Isn't that Wang Erlai?!"

"You know him? Who is he? Tell us."

"A person?!"

The neighbor who knew Wang Erlai spat hard on the ground.

"He's not even human! He lazed around all day and got hooked on opium, driving his parents to their deaths. To get his next smoke, he forced his wife to sell herself, until she finally hanged herself! All he had left was a daughter to wash his clothes, cook his meals, and wait on him."

"What a sin! That little girl beside him must be her... Is he going to... sell his daughter?!"

Listening to the neighbors, Shen Yan grew even angrier and struck harder.

The little girl beside him was crying, looking as though she wanted to stop him but didn't dare.

Old Chen heard the commotion and hurried over. Rather than step in, he listened as the neighbors he knew explained what had happened. His face grew darker with every word, and killing intent appeared in his eyes!

He slowly walked over, gently picked up the little girl, and handed her to the wife of Old Chen, the grocery shop owner, before turning back.

"Stop for a moment. Don't beat him to death."

Shen Yan stopped, breathing heavily, and looked back at Old Chen.

"Death?! That would be too easy for him! I'll beat him for three days and nights, and he won't get to die even if he wants to! Godfather, do you know what he was going to do? He was going to sell that girl off for a ghost marriage! His own daughter!"

Old Chen's expression grew even colder.

"We still have to follow the proper procedures. Don't bring unnecessary trouble on yourself."

With that, Old Chen stepped forward, seized Wang Erlai by the front of his collar, and dragged him upright.

"What's your name? What are you doing here?"

"Wang... Wang Erlai... Taking my daughter to visit relatives..."

Wang Erlai was still a little dazed from the beating and stammered out his explanation.

"Visiting relatives?!"

Old Chen sneered.

"You mean a ghost marriage, don't you? How could you do that to your own daughter?!"

Wang Erlai had recovered a little. He craned his neck and shouted, "What's wrong with a ghost marriage?! I fathered her! I can do whatever I want with her! It's none of your business!"

What the fuck?!

Hearing that, Shen Yan moved to finish the beast off on the spot, but Old Chen stopped him.

"Godfather?"

Old Chen glanced at the puzzled Shen Yan, disdain in his eyes.

"Watch closely and learn!"

He turned to stare at Wang Erlai and asked coldly, "Your daughter? You fathered her? Who can prove it?"

Wang Erlai was stunned. He hadn't expected to need proof that she was his daughter. But he had driven his parents to their deaths, and his wife had hanged herself. Who else could vouch for him?

He pointed at Wang Zhaodi. "Bring her over and ask her if I'm her father!"

Old Chen shook his head expressionlessly.

"The child is too young. Her testimony isn't reliable. Anyone else?"

Wang Erlai swallowed and looked around. Suddenly, his eyes lit up, and he pointed at one of the neighbors. "Him! Shopkeeper Zhao from the cooked-meat shop! He knows me. He can prove it!"

Old Chen turned and waved Shopkeeper Zhao over.

Shopkeeper Zhao, his face honest and simple, trotted forward.

"Chief Chen, what can I do for you?"

"This man says his name is Wang Erlai and that the girl over there is his daughter. He says you know them and can vouch for him. Is that right?"

Shopkeeper Zhao took a careful look at Wang Erlai's large, bloodstained face and slowly nodded.

"He is Wang Erlai, all right. I know him. He used to come to my shop often and eat without paying."

"See! See! I told you!"

Wang Erlai felt the satisfaction of having a grave injustice cleared up.

"But as far as I know, Wang Erlai's wife hanged herself a long time ago. I've never heard that he had a daughter."

Shopkeeper Zhao added this unhurriedly, his face still full of honest simplicity...

"You... I... You fucking..."

The reversal caught Wang Erlai completely off guard. Pointing at the utterly sincere-looking Shopkeeper Zhao, he couldn't get a complete sentence out.

Shen Yan was equally caught off guard. Looking at the honest and trustworthy Shopkeeper Zhao before him, he felt immense admiration!

What a talent! Now that's acting! It's on par with the acting skill the system gave me-no! It's even better! In the entertainment industry, I'd be willing to call you "big brother," Shopkeeper Zhao!

Old Chen looked at Wang Erlai and spread his hands. "You see, this puts me in a difficult position too!"

With that, he took a whistle from his pocket and blew it several times. Before long, several other patrol officers came running over.

"Chief Chen, Officer Shen, what's going on?"

Old Chen pointed at Wang Erlai, who was questioning his life. "He abducted a young girl in broad daylight and tried to sell her to someone for a ghost marriage. Take him back and interrogate him properly. Find out who the buyer is. If he isn't someone important, handle him yourselves. Better make sure he can't even afford his own funeral! If he has powerful connections, tell me directly. As for Wang Erlai, once you've questioned him, take him to a coal mine. Tell the mine owner I don't want to see this man in Shanghai again. Split the money from selling him and buy yourselves some tea."

The patrol officers immediately brightened. "Chief Chen, you're generous! I'll make sure this is handled properly!"

With that, they happily dragged away Wang Erlai, who kept shouting that he'd been wronged.

Cheers rose from the surrounding neighbors.

"Way to go, Officer Shen!"

"Chief Chen is badass!"

Old Chen looked at the grinning Shen Yan. "What are you grinning at, fool? Did you understand? Did you learn anything?"

Shen Yan gave him two thumbs up. "You're the best! You and Shopkeeper Zhao are both the best! Old ginger is still the spiciest! You're all thousand-year-old foxes who've cultivated into spirits!"

The more Old Chen listened, the more wrong it sounded. He smacked Shen Yan on the back of the head.

"If you know how to give a compliment, give one. If not, shut up! Don't get too pleased with yourself yet, brat. There's still a big problem to deal with!"

Old Chen pointed at the girl in the distance, who was crying her eyes out.

"What are you planning to do with her?"

"Can't we just find her a good family?"

Shen Yan was a little confused.

"A good family?"

Old Chen sneered. "In times like these, who knows where their next meal is coming from?! Who would be willing to feed another mouth that can't earn its keep?"

"Then what about sending her to an orphanage?"

"An orphanage? Oh, you mean the children's home. They stopped taking children a long time ago. After the fighting, do you know how many more orphans there are in all of Shanghai now?!"

"Then what do we do?!"

Shen Yan was truly at a loss!

Old Chen glared at him, then turned and walked toward the girl.

By then, the girl had been crying for so long that, hungry and exhausted, she had fallen into a deep sleep.

Old Chen took the girl into his arms, moving carefully.

"She can stay at my place for now. We'll discuss it when we get home tonight."

With that, he turned and headed home.