I'm Not! I Didn't! Stop Talking Nonsense!

Shen Yan followed Old Chen into the house and saw Wang Zhaodi curled up asleep on Old Chen's wooden bed. Tears still clung to her face, and her small body trembled slightly. Clearly, she had yet to recover from the terror of the day. Shen Yan and Old Chen fell silent as they looked at the little figure on the bed. The only sound in the room was the girl's faint breathing.

After a moment, Shen Yan spoke first, his tone earnest. "Godfather, how about... I become her father? It's only one more pair of chopsticks at the table, and we can't leave her with no one to rely on."

Old Chen shot Shen Yan a glare. "Are you muddleheaded? Lu has his eye on you, and you want to give him even more reason to suspect you?! A single young man suddenly adopting a daughter her age? Are you trying to be a living bodhisattva? Does Lu need a living bodhisattva for a subordinate? Use your head!"

Shen Yan frowned, troubled. "Then what should we do? We can't have you adopt her, can we? You have a hard enough time on your own."

Old Chen snorted, his tone certain. "You've got it right. It only makes sense for me to adopt her. Who am I? An old man with no wife or children and no descendants. It's only natural for me to raise a child to look after me in my old age. Nobody can find fault with that! It's settled. From now on, she'll call me Grandpa and call you Dad!"

With that, Old Chen walked to the bed and looked kindly at the girl. There was pity for the child in his eyes, but also a trace of sadness, as if he had recalled something from the past.

Seeing him like this, Shen Yan's eyes darted around, and he teased him deliberately. "You just said she'd call you Grandpa. What would she call me?"

Old Chen replied without thinking, "Dad."

"Yes!" Shen Yan immediately answered in a bright voice, his face full of smiles.

Old Chen froze for a moment before realizing he had been tricked. The sadness in his eyes vanished without a trace, replaced by blazing fury. He pointed at Shen Yan and cursed, "You little brat! You'll take advantage of anyone, won't you?!"

As he spoke, Old Chen sprang up and raised a foot as if to kick him. "I'm going to clean house today!"

Having had his fun, Shen Yan laughed and nimbly ran out of the room. From the other side of the door, he called, "Get some rest, Godfather! In a couple of days, I'll pick an auspicious date and hold a family recognition banquet for the little girl, so all the neighbors know she's your granddaughter!"

Old Chen's furious roar came from inside. "Scram! Mind your own business!"

Shen Yan strolled home, recalling the system notification he had just received.

[System notification]: Host detected cracking down on opium addicts, stopping vicious trafficking and upholding justice. Awarded 50 Good and Evil Points. Random reward triggered-Real-Time Drug Trafficking Intelligence Broadcast!

[Real-time drug trafficking intelligence]: Tomorrow night at the hour of Hai (10 p.m.), Military Statistics Bureau member Li Mo will bring a shipment of opium (approximately 50 jin, with a market value of ten small gold bars) to the rear courtyard of the Drunken Immortal Tower on the eastern section of Avenue Joffre in the Shanghai French Concession. There, he will conduct a secret opium transaction with Baldy Zhang, a Tong-generation leader of the Green Gang.

Ten small gold bars!

Shen Yan's eyes lit up, as if they reflected a glittering golden light.

That money has to be mine!

With that money, he could buy Godfather and the little girl a decent little courtyard house. It was time he replaced his own shabby home, too.

[Ding! Urgent mission]: Drug Flame Purge

[Mission objective]: Ensure that all confiscated opium is completely destroyed and does not reach the public.

[Mission reward]: Unlock skill **[Clone Technique]**-summons a clone identical to the host in appearance, voice, skills and memories. Duration: 24 hours. Cooldown after use: one month.

[Failure penalty]: If the opium reaches the market, the host's Good and Evil Points will be reset to zero, and the risk of his identity being exposed will increase by 50%.

Looks like I need to think this through, or I'll be back to square one overnight!

After considering it for some time, Shen Yan had the outline of a plan.

Early the next morning, Shen Yan arrived at the police station and hurriedly knocked on Director Lu's office door.

"Come in."

Shen Yan pushed the door open and entered, only to see Li Kui standing in front of Lu Tinghui's desk, reporting something.

"Director Lu. Captain Li, you're here too. I'll step outside and let you two chat."

With that, Shen Yan tactfully turned to leave, but Lu Tinghui called him back.

"It's all right. Captain Li is nearly finished. Little Shen, did something happen to bring you here so early? Speak freely. Everyone in this room is one of us!"

Lu Tinghui spoke gently. He thought more and more highly of the young man, who was grateful, knew when to advance and when to retreat, and was also very clever.

"Director Lu, I just received a report from an informant embedded in the Green Gang. A Military Statistics Bureau agent has secretly infiltrated Shanghai and will meet Baldy Zhang, a Tong-generation leader of the Green Gang, tonight. Their exact purpose is unknown!"

"Oh! Is the information reliable?"

Lu Tinghui was intrigued. He had only just decided to focus on grooming Shen Yan, and the young man had already brought him a pleasant surprise.

"Reliable! That informant shouldn't have the nerve to lie to me! The meeting is at ten tomorrow night, in the rear courtyard of the Drunken Immortal Tower on the eastern section of Avenue Joffre in the French Concession. The place belongs to the Green Gang."

Shen Yan answered smoothly, his voice full of confidence.

"Baldy Zhang of the Tong generation? Doesn't he follow Zhang Xiaolin? Zhang Xiaolin has always been friendly..."

Li Kui looked at Shen Yan with some doubt.

Before Shen Yan could speak, Lu Tinghui interrupted in displeasure.

"You can't judge a situation by appearances alone, much less a person! I hope Captain Li will remember that in his future work! Bullets from the enemy are frightening, but those that come from behind are even deadlier!"

Li Kui quickly lowered his head and admitted his mistake. "I've learned my lesson!"

"The French Concession?"

Lu Tinghui tapped his fingers on the desk, pondering.

He had to be cautious. The Special Higher Police's recent operation had already caused considerable dissatisfaction among Westerners, and the British, French and American consulates had issued formal notes of protest. The military had therefore ordered them to keep quiet for a while and let the incident die down.

But he was reluctant to give up just like that.

After weighing it over and over, Lu Tinghui made up his mind.

"Captain Li, gather twenty of the best action team members. Have each of them collect two Mauser C96 military pistols from the armory, fitted with twenty-round magazines. Bring plenty of extra magazines! Once they're equipped, have them enter the French Concession separately and lie in wait at the meeting place. Shen Yan and I will follow."

"Yes, sir!"

Li Kui saluted, turned and left.

"Well done!"

Lu Tinghui patted Shen Yan on the shoulder with satisfaction, unable to hide his admiration.

"The operation hasn't succeeded yet. I don't dare accept your praise! Please give me a chance. I want to take part in this operation and be on the front line!"

"This... This isn't like your usual street patrols. Bullets don't have eyes, and you have no experience fighting on the front line. You'd better stay by my side. I have important responsibilities for you to take on. Nothing can happen to you!"

Lu Tinghui gently but firmly refused Shen Yan's request.

"Teacher Inoue once taught me that a real man must face every difficulty and danger head-on. An eaglet sheltered beneath another's wings will never learn to fly!"

Shen Yan's face was full of stubbornness and fervor!

Lu Tinghui was deeply moved.

Inoue, Inoue! Though you were only an ordinary member of one of the hundreds upon hundreds of Chinese reconnaissance advance teams, you trained an outstanding talent for the empire. Now you can rest in peace.

If Lu Tinghui could have heard a voice from hell, he would surely have heard Inoue roaring, "I'm not! I didn't! Stop talking nonsense!"

"All right! I agree to let you take part on the front line, but you must obey orders!"

"Yes, sir!"

Shen Yan stood at attention and saluted, then turned to collect his guns.

He muttered to himself, If he doesn't let me go to the front line, that money will have nothing to do with me!