After settling the matter of renting a place, Jiayi was walking on air, feeling like she had reached the pinnacle of life.
Back at the office, she received a call from madam asking her to come to the office.
She initially thought it might be related to the house, but seeing Sir Fang there, she realized it was work-related.
After saluting and reporting in, Jiayi took a seat at the desk.
Just as Qiu Sushan had finished discussing matters about Fang Zhenyue, she turned to Jiayi and asked, “Do you know why I called you here?”
Jiayi glanced out of the corner of her eye at Fang Zhenyue, seeing his relaxed expression, she knew it wasn’t bad news.
A promotion?
A raise?
She briefly guessed but shook her head honestly, “I don’t know, madam.”
Qiu Sushan gently pursed her lips and smiled, then began:
“This time, for the internal nomination, we’ve decided to give the spot to you. If successful, you’ll be up for a promotion.”
As she spoke, Qiu Sushan winked at Jiayi.
The young policewoman immediately thought of the time during the major robbery at Baojin Bank when Superintendent Huang had assured her that if she got the nomination, he would make sure she passed.
Her heart soared, and she slightly parted her lips, too surprised to know what to say.
Ah, am I getting promoted?
“However, there will be a series of internal audits, exams, and interviews to come. The whole process will take some time, so don’t rush; you still need to perform well and not cause any issues before the internal audit, understand?” Qiu Sushan still kept a stern face as she seriously instructed.
The internal audit was to ensure that Jiayi had no blemishes or disciplinary issues; as for the exams and interviews, as long as she prepared well and had Superintendent Huang’s backing, there shouldn’t be any major problems.
Jiayi clenched her fists, hoping no serious crime would occur in the next six months so she could pass the exams and interviews smoothly and secure her promotion.
“Yes, madam!” Standing up, Jiayi saluted and thanked Qiu Sushan and Fang Zhenyue.
After the two superiors nodded in response, Jiayi went back to her work.
The office was left with only Qiu Sushan and Fang Zhenyue, who sat opposite each other for a while, both seemingly reminiscing about the past without speaking.
A few minutes later, Qiu Sushan was the first to break the silence reminiscent of ‘old friends meeting to sunbathe on weekends’:
“Is Jiayi a bit young? I completely trust her capabilities, leading a team to solve cases, collaborating with other departments, she should be competent. However… the road ahead is long. If she encounters a case that can’t be solved, or there are mistakes in the investigation… These kinds of thorny issues require endurance, consoling team members, boosting morale, and many other challenging tasks that are bitter for oneself but sweet for others.”
“People grow slowly; I believe she will become stronger and stronger,” Fang Zhenyue chuckled softly, his body sliding down into a slouching position in the chair. “And besides, you are here as the inspector to watch over her. If any tricky situations arise, you can support her from behind.”
“…” Qiu Sushan nodded and smiled, not continuing the topic, but instead she added:
“Uncle Jiu is about to retire, and when you’re promoted to inspector to reorganize the team, Jiayi will be promoted to lead Team B. With two less people in the team, and big changes in the organizational relationships, have you thought about preparing everyone psychologically in advance?”
“Everyone is an adult, and people in Team B know how to adjust themselves. But indeed, bringing new people into the team requires more attention; madam, please choose a few capable ones,” Fang Zhenyue propped his cheek with one arm, somewhat absent-minded as he spoke.
He also had many concerns and worries, probably a kind of parental mindset that he had gotten used to.
But he was also trying to use reason to adjust himself. The kids are grown up and need to be independent. If he doesn’t let go, how will the young eagles learn to spread their wings and fly?
“I actually have my eye on a young guy; I’ll observe a bit more, and if I think he’s good, I’ll discuss it with you later.”
“Ok.”
After discussing recent cases they had solved and upcoming work arrangements, Fang Zhenyue took his leave.
When Qiu Sushan was alone in the office, she leaned into her swivel chair, kicked her feet, and turned to face the window. She admired the scenery outside, watching leaves fluttering in the wind from a crooked-neck tree, and exhaled deeply.
Several documents were spread out on the desk behind her, one of which had a corner sticking out revealing a few words: Anti-Drug Group Transfer Order…
…
…
Today is moving day, so Yi Ji takes a day off.
You Zhaohua led the entire team and only saw the notice on the door when they arrived, immediately calling the station to get Jiayi’s phone number and then calling Jiayi’s home.
After getting the address from Jiayi, Team A also came in full force to help, all rolling up their sleeves and wearing newspaper hats, working boldly like robbers.
When Fang Zhenyue arrived, he too brought a truckload of strong men.
Liu Jiaming carried a big bag of mineral water, Gary held many garbage bags for throwing away decluttered items, and Brother Sanfu carried dozens of cardboard boxes for miscellaneous items…
The men were noisy as they went upstairs, and anyone unaware would have thought the Yi family was moving because of debt collectors at their door.
Jiayi opened the door, smiling as she welcomed Fang Zhenyue’s team inside.
Today, Fang Zhenyue wore a white shirt paired with gray casual pants and, surprisingly, flip-flops—it was quite a casual outfit.
If you didn’t look down at his pants and feet, and only focused on the white shirt stretched by his broad shoulders and thick chest, the straight standing collar partially covering his Adam’s apple, and his handsome face, Sir Fang would still be the most dashing man in the room.
He handed a bottle of mineral water to Jiayi, who immediately twisted it open and took a big gulp, accidentally smearing a streak of dirt on her lips while wiping away the water droplets.
Fang Zhenyue couldn’t help but chuckle, and Jiayi laughed along with him. The water tasted a bit sweeter when she drank again.
“Hey! Your team B arrived too slowly.” You Zhaohua suddenly popped his head out of a small room, his eyes full of pride for getting there first.
“Why are you here too?” Fang Zhenyue put on a paper hat handed to him by Jiaru and tied on an apron passed by Jiajun.
“It’s the 11th, moving day, how could our brother squad not lend a hand!” You Zhaohua stated matter-of-factly, then theatrically rubbed his shoulder and added, “Hey, we’ve been working for an hour, finished all the hardest and most tiring tasks, and some people just arrived.”
“Are you trying to pick a fight with me, Sergeant You!” Fang Zhenyue unbuttoned his shirt cuffs, rolled up his sleeves to his upper arms, and started working vigorously, not to be outdone.
“Hahaha.” Yi Jiadong watched them argue, wiping sweat and laughing during his break.
Because the house was too small, initially accommodating a family of six, there were many old items, with stuff piled up to the ceiling on top of the cabinets. Moving each piece of furniture often resulted in numerous strange old items falling out from behind and underneath.
Jiajun even found a stone gun he had hidden away when he was five years old.
The owners sorted out all the items they dug up: what was trash to be discarded, what would be moved to the new house for continued use, and what they no longer needed but could still be used and given away.
After organizing a batch of trash, the strong detectives would carry or wear it downstairs for disposal.
Usable items were set aside, and Yi Jiadong would first ask Ding Baoshu and Sun Xin, who came to help, if they wanted them. If they didn’t, these items would be offered to neighbors who didn’t mind.
Items for continued use in the new home were carefully packed in various containers, then labeled with tags like “Kitchen Utensils” or “Jiaru’s Clothes,” and loaded onto the vehicles of Fang Zhenyue, You Zhaohua, and Uncle Jiu. Before the move today, madam had also called ahead; if the brothers’ vehicles weren’t enough, she could call a few friends to help drive.
Yet, Jiayi’s move seemed like the whole serious crimes unit was relocating.
It was everyone’s first visit to the Yi family home, and Liu Jiaming occasionally looked around: the ceiling was almost within arm’s reach, and the space was so cramped that three people could barely move around in one room, the glass was so old that it couldn’t be cleaned properly, and there were rusted iron bars and a concrete floor…
Liu Jiaming couldn’t help but quietly say to Gary, “Living here isn’t easy, you can’t tell from looking, four people, it’s really cramped.”
But the youngest daughter always seemed happy, and you couldn’t tell from her demeanor that she slept in such a small bed in such a small room.
Even a humble room can produce great talents.
“Although it’s old, it’s very tidy,” Gary whispered in response. “Just now, Eleven mentioned that the kitchen always has washed fruits and vegetables ready to eat. Every time there’s bright sunshine, Brother Jiadong would air out the quilts for his younger siblings. The house is old, but the people living in it are diligent, striving every day to take care of their life.”
Perhaps this is the reason why they are poor yet happy, like flowers blooming from the mud.
As long as there are nutrients, sunlight, and water.
…
It wasn’t until the afternoon that the packing was finally done.
Neighbors, whether they received any old items from the Yi family or not, came out to bid farewell as long as they were home.
The Yi family had lived here for over a decade and were now moving.
“Jiadong and Jiayi are doing well, earning money and moving to a bigger house.”
“I heard Jiayi made a contribution in a case and got a police reward. Not just moving to a bigger house, but later they might even drive a big car. Good days are coming for the Yi family.”
The neighbors chatted with envy in their voices.
Jiadong prepared char siu bao for the neighbors who came to see them off, handed them out, and then also got into the car.
With a press of the accelerator, Fang Zhenyue propelled forward with a strong push-back feeling, carrying a carload of the Yi family and their belongings towards a new life.
…
…
The blotchy, moss-grown, cluttered community transformed into a high-end Nordic neighborhood.
The cramped old house was replaced with a spacious and bright big house.
Jiajun cheerfully ran down the tree-lined path, the first to rush into the building, greeted the doorman downstairs, and then went to press the elevator.
Now their building also had a doorman. Previously, his classmates always bragged about how they lived in such upscale communities with doormen to receive mail, security guards in suits looking impressive, and beautiful little gardens…
Back then, he couldn’t join in the conversation, but now it would be different!
Moreover, for his next birthday, he could even host a party at home to entertain his classmates! No longer needing to worry about not having enough space for his friends.
Jiajun had heard that they were going to get a small turtle, and he had eagerly borrowed many books from the library about scientifically feeding turtles. Some books even taught you how to start a turtle farm, and Jiajun read them so attentively that he took notes.
He eagerly took over the responsibility of taking care of Van, looking forward to meeting his new friend.
Jiayi came over and ruffled his hair, then pressed the elevator button for their floor.
As the elevator began to ascend, Jiaru and Jiajun got excited again.
“Calm down a bit, it’s like you’ve never been in an elevator before,” Jiayi teased her siblings with a smile.
“We’ve never lived in a place like this,” Jiajun replied without any embarrassment, still excited.
…
Before moving in, the Yi siblings, Jiadong and Jiayi, had already repainted and redecorated their new home, bringing over quite a lot of everyday items.
With the four siblings moving in, they could live normally even without unpacking everything right away.
So, while everyone was moving things upstairs, Jiayi didn’t rush to unpack and decorate. She asked everyone to put things aside and ran to the kitchen to help her brother make snacks.
Everyone had worked hard helping with the move, and while it wasn’t possible to prepare a big meal at that moment, it was still necessary to make some drinks and snacks to give everyone a chance to relax.
The next-door neighbor noticed the noise outside; she had heard that new neighbors were moving in, so she guessed it might be due to moving. She then peeked through the peephole and saw a super tall and muscular man in a white shirt but wearing flip-flops, carrying a large bag out of the elevator. Although his face was handsome, his expression was stern and intimidating while exerting himself.
Even though the neighbor knew he couldn’t see her, she quickly dodged away from the peephole when his gaze swept over in her direction, startled.
She clasped her chest only to find her heart pounding uncontrollably.
Her daughter came out of her room to go to the bathroom and saw her mother standing in the hallway with a frightened expression, holding her chest. She curiously asked, “Mom, what’s going on?”
“The new neighbors next door, seems like they have gang connections. The people who came to help move are all looking fierce and scary. They’re either in black suits or white suits, all big and muscular. Remember to avoid the neighbors from now on. Just one extra glance at them could bring bad luck, understand?” The mother advised worriedly.
Those in suits are definitely office workers.
People in casual clothes could be doing any job.
But those who wear a suit on top and casual clothing on the bottom? They want to appear respectable yet comfortable and don’t care if their outfit looks too unrestrained—that’s clearly someone involved in gangs!
Such individuals clearly show their uniqueness and possess a naturally fierce demeanor.
The more the mother thought about it, the more she convinced herself she was right, warning her daughter fervently and avoiding even peeking at the moving scene through the peephole anymore.
One could imagine she would be very cautious when going out in the following days.
The fearsome gang-affiliated neighbor, best avoided!
…
…
When You Zhaohua put the last box down in the living room and wiped the sweat from his brow, he finally took a good look at the arrangement of the living room.
Where family photos should have hung on the white wall behind the sofa was now redecorated.
It was adorned with various newspaper clippings of Jiayi: the lucky female cop; the voice for Sun Xin’s justice; the gun-toting dominator; the nemesis who broke through the female villain’s traps…
And at the very center of these clippings, there hung a gleaming Hong Kong Police Excellence Medal in a framed mirror.
Supporting his waist, Sir You couldn’t help but exclaim:
“The new owner of this home is quite accomplished.”
“Jealous?” Fang Zhenyue dusted off some lint from his white shirt and asked with a smile.
“Not jealous of Jiayi, jealous of you, having such an excellent detective like Jiayi—But what’s with your outfit?” You Zhaohua scrutinized Fang Zhentue up and down, clearly dissatisfied.
How can a police officer be so careless about his appearance?
Yao Zhaohua takes his detective image very seriously every day he goes to work. Like today, he’s wearing a black shirt, gray trousers, black leather shoes, and even has sunglasses clipped to his shirt pocket.
Such a match, imposing and upright, dignified in appearance.
Then look at Fang Zhenyue. How can someone pair a white shirt with flip-flops?
Can being handsome be so arbitrary?
“I’m off today, so I wear what’s comfortable. I just happened to have a shirt handy and a pair of flip-flops by my feet,” Fang Zhenyue glanced at himself. “It might not match well, but it has a kind of carefree and unrestrained charm, right?”
“…” Yao Zhaohua really couldn’t agree.
Uncle Jiu stood by, his temples twitching slightly as he listened to their conversation.
Turning to look at Fang Zhenyue, who resembled ‘a seemingly scruffy man with a deep, scheming mind’, and Yao Zhaohua, who looked every bit the ‘number one enforcer in the gang’.
He couldn’t help thinking, the aesthetic of this batch of detectives is really off!
And wow… just the two of you looking askance at each other?
Why don’t you both go home and reflect a bit, young men!