Chapter 13

"Not curious at all?"

Houzi probed.

"Nope. What I should know, I'll naturally come to know. What I shouldn't know, knowing it is pointless."

Chen Ping'an replied calmly.

Damn it!

I was supposed to be the one leading him on, so how did it end up with me getting led on instead?

Houzi felt stifled seeing Chen Ping'an's completely unaffected demeanor.

"Ping'an, your temperament is really…"

Houzi struggled for words. He thought for a long while but couldn't come up with a fitting description.

In the end, he could only blurt out:

"So reserved!"

Seeing Chen Ping'an remain unresponsive, Houzi, feeling unbearably suffocated, had no choice but to explain the situation to him.

It turned out that the reason for the unusual liveliness and excitement in the South Spring Alley's Zhenfu Division this morning was the arrival of a new temporary constable, just like them.

Normally, this wouldn't be a big deal, as the Zhenfu Division often took in temporary constables. However, this new recruit had a special status—he hadn't entered through ordinary connections.

His name was Zheng Shiyong, and he was none other than the nephew of Zheng, one of the chief constables of the South Spring Alley's Zhenfu Division.

And this wasn't some distant nephew or honorary title—it was his direct blood nephew, the real deal.

Who was Chief Constable Zheng?

He was one of the five chief constables in the South Spring Alley's Zhenfu Division and the most powerful and influential among them.

With such a strong connection, it was no wonder that many of the constables wanted to get close and curry favor.

"Houzi, since this Zheng Shiyong has such a solid connection, why is he still just a temporary constable instead of being formally registered?"

As Houzi was explaining, Da Shan, who had been silent, suddenly interjected.

"Oh? Da Shan, you're actually interested? That's rare."

Houzi teased, then proceeded to explain.

Among the three, he had been in the Zhenfu Division the longest and was the most familiar with its rules and procedures.

It turned out that unless someone was exceptionally talented or had reached the level of Qi and Blood Tier 2 in martial arts, qualifying them for a special recruitment, they could only enter as a temporary constable.

This was a strict rule in the Zhenfu Division, and no one could be exempt from it.

Well, saying "no one" wasn't entirely accurate. Whether the higher-ups of the Zhenfu Division could bend the rule was unclear, but at the level of Chief Constable Zheng, it wasn't possible.

"I see."

Da Shan nodded in understanding.

"Houzi, you sure know a lot."

He even added that remark at the end.

Although Houzi was being praised, he didn't feel happy at all.

Looking at Chen Ping'an's calm expression, he felt even more frustrated—his attempt at boasting had completely fallen flat.

Only those who've experienced this feeling would understand!

As the three chatted, time passed, and soon, several heavyweights entered.

Chief Constables Zheng, Huang, Yan, and Li.

Out of the five chief constables in the South Spring Alley's Zhenfu Division, four had arrived today—an extremely rare sight.

With the entrance of the chief constables, the gathered constables gradually dispersed to their respective positions.

It was only then that Chen Ping'an finally got a clear look at the new recruit, Zheng Shiyong.

Zheng Shiyong looked young, around sixteen or seventeen years old, with a sturdy build and a faintly arrogant expression.

For the constables, he was what they called a "second-generation constable" in the South Spring Alley's Zhenfu Division!

With Chief Constable Zheng backing him, his future would likely be smooth sailing. In just a few years, after accumulating enough seniority, he could easily become a full-fledged constable—something most people could only dream of.

No wonder so many were eager to befriend him and form good connections.

Even the formally registered constables treated Zheng Shiyong with great courtesy.

It was true in every setting—having someone powerful above you made everything easier.

As usual, it was Chief Constable Zheng who led the morning meeting, speaking on broad and general topics.

He discussed the situation in the South City's Zhenfu Division, updates on the surrounding alley divisions, and the division's key priorities moving forward.

Surprisingly, Chief Constable Zheng's speech today was much shorter than usual—less than fifteen minutes, half of what it usually was.

"We're about to be freed!"

Houzi muttered quietly.

Just as they thought the morning meeting was over, Chief Constable Yan suddenly spoke up, adding a few words.

During his speech, he specifically mentioned today's new recruit, Zheng Shiyong.

"Come on up, Shiyong. Stand here and let everyone get to know you."

Normally stern and serious, Chief Constable Yan seemed particularly approachable at this moment.

Zheng Shiyong, for his part, showed no signs of nervousness. Without hesitation, he stepped up onto the stage.

"Fellow constables, hello! I am Zheng Shiyong, newly assigned to the South Spring Alley's Zhenfu Division. In the coming days, I hope to receive your guidance and support."

"Good!"

"Welcome, welcome!"

The crowd responded enthusiastically, giving him plenty of face.

"Very well, good job. Shiyong, I hope to hear news of your accomplishments in the future. Alright, go on down now and get to know your fellow constables."

Chief Constable Yan patted Zheng Shiyong's shoulder in encouragement.

"Thank you, Chief Constable Yan."

Zheng Shiyong responded politely, then stepped down from the stage, looking quite pleased with himself.

With that, Chief Constable Yan wrapped up the morning meeting with a few final remarks, and the constables proceeded to their daily patrol assignments.

For today's patrol, Chen Ping'an, Houzi, and Da Shan were assigned to patrol Baishi Alley in the South Spring Alley district.

Baishi Alley was mainly residential, with few shops and vendors. As a result, there were far fewer troublemakers, making the patrol duties much easier than the previous days.

Then again, to be fair, the previous days hadn't been that difficult either!

For the constables in the Zhenfu Division, as long as no tricky cases or major incidents arose, their days were generally quite easygoing.

"Let's go, Houzi, Da Shan."

Since it was Chen Ping'an who signed off on today's patrol assignment, he collected his issued blade and badge before calling to his companions.

However, he noticed that both of them were staring blankly in the distance.

Following their gaze, he saw a large crowd gathered in one area.

"What's going on?"

He asked.

"Ugh, comparing yourself to others will only frustrate you."

Houzi grumbled.

"I'm so jealous."

Even Da Shan couldn't help but comment.

It turned out that just moments ago, several chief constables had come over to personally offer words of encouragement to Zheng Shiyong.

That was fine and expected, but the real shock was that despite being a newly recruited temporary constable, Zheng Shiyong didn't have to start with the most exhausting tasks.

Instead of being assigned to a patrol, he was simply following Chief Constable Yan as a personal attendant.

After hearing Houzi's explanation, Chen Ping'an immediately understood.

It seemed that Chief Constable Yan and Chief Constable Zheng had a good relationship.

Things that Chief Constable Zheng couldn't do directly, Chief Constable Yan had done for him—whether it was the introduction or the actual assignment arrangements.