I was jolted awake just as dawn was breaking by the roar of car engines. I was amazed I had managed to sleep standing up; I really had to admire myself. Opening my eyes, I saw five SUVs parked in front of the Public Security Bureau. Doors flew open, and a crowd of people tumbled out, only to immediately squat by the roadside ditch and heave their guts out.

"Oh my god, what kind of road is this? That shaking all night nearly dislodged my lungs," several people in police uniforms groaned as they retched.

When I saw that there were even some familiar faces among them, I immediately lowered my head and turned away. If they found out my wives and I were involved in whatever this was, I wondered if they’d laugh at me, especially since I was their superior officer—being handcuffed to the front gate of the Public Security Bureau overnight was hardly decorous.

"Hey, Commander Zhao, what game are you playing at?" Hu Qing still managed to recognize me, cuffed to the main gate. He had gotten into the habit of calling me by that title, just like Zhu Da did.

"Why are you here?" I asked Hu Qing. "It seems like every time something happens to me, you show up. Are you my destined savior?"

"Heh heh, you don't know? I’ve been transferred to Shimen City as the Director of the Public Security Bureau. Your wife told me that the moment you get promoted, I'll be moved straight to the provincial department. So, you absolutely cannot get into trouble, otherwise, I won’t be able to advance my career and strike it rich."

Shimen City was the administrative superior to Liangshan County. It seemed Li Qi had planned this long ago, arranging for Hu Qing to be brought over early. This guy, who forbade me from seeking special favors, was now practically shoving Hu Qing next to me—wasn't that just asking me to use backdoor connections? Women; I truly never understood what went on in their minds.

Addressing Hu Qing’s earlier question, I replied, "I'm a civil servant of the state, what else could I be playing at? I just couldn't sleep last night, so I came out for a breath of fresh air until morning. Did you also get no sleep and decide to take a drive?"

Hu Qing chuckled. "Stop joking, Minister Zhao. These brothers are all trusted men. Last night, around midnight, your wife, Fang Yanmeng, called me, asking what was going on since you’d supposedly been arrested by the Public Security Bureau. I immediately panicked, but I dared not defy the orders of your other wife, Li Qi, and expose your identity. So, I drove over here overnight to check the situation. I never expected such a high-ranking leader like yourself to be left hanging outside the gate all night! This is outrageous! It seems this fellow named Xie can’t hold onto his job for much longer! I’m new in office and looking for a prime case to make an example of."

Hu Qing grew more indignant the more he spoke, reaching for his sidearm to break my cuffs. I stopped him. "What are you doing? Why does getting a higher rank just make your temper worse?"

Hu Qing retorted, "This has nothing to do with temper. I'll unlock your cuffs first, and then I’ll drag that Director Xie out. I might just have him shot."

"Do you have the evidence? Are you absolutely sure you can shoot him dead without anyone questioning it?"

Hu Qing shook his head. "That’s my point. Comrade, you are now the Director of a municipal Public Security Bureau; you need to persuade people with reason. Killing someone right after taking office—do you still want to get promoted and make money?"

"But he treated you this way! Even if I risk my life, I can't let him act so recklessly," Hu Qing insisted.

"I’m fine, my body is strong. Think about it: how many people have ever crossed me and are still alive? Now is the time to test our capabilities as brothers. Later, don't say you know me. If that Xie fellow has truly committed any crimes, we’ll go up and finish him off with one shot. But if we can’t gather any evidence, we’ll have to let him off for now. I only heard he has a nephew named Xie Lei, the big boss of the local triad. I think we should start investigating through him; we might find something."

"But what if, after all that investigation, he’s clean? Won’t you have suffered this injustice for nothing?"

"He might not even know I got arrested for fighting last night, so don't dwell on it. They say great achievements ignore minor details. To achieve greatness, we first have to overcome our own psychological hurdles. If we nitpick every little thing, how can we accomplish anything significant?"

Hu Qing gave me a thumbs-up. "You're impressive, truly possessing the bearing of a major figure. Agreed. I am your subordinate, after all, so I must follow the leader's arrangements."

It had been a long time since we last met, perhaps since I saw Tang Han and Zhou Qiang off six months ago on their assignments to the West. In the last half-year, Hu Qing had been transferred out of the Beijing Municipal Bureau and promoted several times. If Li Qi hadn't been concerned about Liangshan County, he would have been in the Provincial Public Security Department long ago. The dozen or so officers who came with him were all promoted and trained by him personally; their skills in apprehension, combat, and case handling were exceptional. I was sure they would all become key figures in the public security system in the future.

We hadn't been talking long when a police car came speeding in. It turned out the duty officer, seeing a large contingent of city police cars at the gate, had checked the license plates and realized they belonged to the Shimen City Public Security Bureau. Moreover, those officers had been chatting quite amicably with the man handcuffed to the gate from the night before. This terrified the duty officer, who shook uncontrollably and dared not step out to greet them. He could only secretly call Director Xie to inform him that people from the City Bureau had arrived.

The police car that sped up brought Director Xie Sen of the Liangshan County Public Security Bureau. He was seasoned enough to recognize Hu Qing as the leader at a glance. That man held the rank of a First-Class Police Supervisor, a provincial department level; a Police Supervisor as young as him was definitely a reserve cadre destined for Police Commissioner rank!

Xie Sen greeted Hu Qing with great enthusiasm, shaking his hand. "May I ask the esteemed leader’s name?"

Hu Qing shook his hand briefly. "Hu Qing, Shimen City Public Security Bureau."

Xie Sen practically jumped up. "Ah! Director Hu, the newly arrived Director! This is my dereliction of duty! Director Hu, please come inside, come inside! Why didn't you give us advance notice of your visit to Liangshan so we could line up to welcome you? I truly have no face to meet my colleagues now."

Hu Qing did not follow Xie Sen’s gesture into the compound. Instead, he took out a cigarette, squatted by the gate, and began smoking silently. Xie Sen was sharp; he saw the man handcuffed to the gate and recalled that he had been chatting quite warmly with Hu Qing when he first got out of the car.

Xie Sen immediately threw open the county Public Security Bureau gates and roared towards the duty room, "Come out! All of you, come out! What in the world is going on here? Give me an explanation!"

The young officer who had taken my phone last night, along with another officer nearly fifty years old, rushed out. Xie Sen pointed at me and demanded, "What is the meaning of this! Who gave you the authority to do this!"

The young officer muttered internally. Although no one had explicitly given him the order, this was standard procedure for arrests. When Xie Sen saw it, he hadn't said a word. But now... "He... he was in a mass brawl, and he stabbed someone with a knife! Four injured parties are hospitalized, so the case can’t be processed immediately, so..."

Xie Sen knew Hu Qing must have heard the officer’s reply. He cautiously approached Hu Qing and asked, "Director Hu, who is this gentleman you were speaking with..."

Hu Qing replied coolly, "Don't know him."

What! Xie Sen nearly collapsed onto the ground. Was this leader here to toy with him? He pulled himself together and asked me, "Where are you from?"

"I'm from the Propaganda Department of the County Government across the way. Last night, I was eating wontons at the night market when I saw some thugs harassing people, so I stepped in to help. Who knew that instead of thanking me for my righteous act, you'd handcuff me here for the night? I am truly unlucky! I want to file a complaint! I want to appeal!"

Xie Sen ignored my shouting and stepped forward conspiratorially, whispering, "What exactly did you discuss with Director Hu just now?"

"We were just catching up, talking about this year's harvest."

Xie Sen looked dubious. "But you said you didn't know each other?"

I boomed loudly, "Can’t we become close brothers upon first meeting? He's also from Beijing City, and so am I! When fellow townsfolk meet, our bond runs deep and tears well up—is that not allowed?"

Xie Sen nodded subtly. A fellow-townsman connection made things much easier to handle. He loudly addressed the officer who arrested me, "Ke Dudu! Go back and write out the Police Regulations one hundred times! Dock your entire bonus for this month, and write a five-hundred-word self-criticism report. As for this citizen who acted righteously, please leave your ID number. We will certainly issue you a Good Citizen Award once the case investigation is complete."

I secretly chuckled at the officer's name. "Forget it. Just let me go back to sleep. I'm right across at the County Government. Anyone who handles newspaper distribution, like Zhao Qian, can vouch for me."

With that, I secretly gave Hu Qing a meaningful look, then glanced at Xie Sen and Ke Dudu. You two had better not let me find anything on you, or I will repay last night's treatment twofold.

The moment Ke Dudu saw my look, he bolted back to the duty room to return my belongings. I patted his shoulder. "Brother, be smarter in the future. Be careful not to lose your life without even knowing what happened. I'm in a good mood these past two days, otherwise... heh heh."

Then, I walked away without looking back. As for how Hu Qing would guide their work, that was none of my business. To be honest, sleeping out in the open last night was more comfortable than sleeping on the bare plank bed in the barracks. Damn it, did being handcuffed all night cause some after-effect? Maybe tonight I’ll have to sleep on the third-floor roof, otherwise, I’m genuinely afraid that stifling hot dormitory will be unbearable. I used to sleep in air-conditioned rooms!