Chapter 34

In the courtyard, Chen Ping'an's mind raced. 

"The fact that I killed Patchy Fish must never be exposed. I can't withstand a thorough investigation right now!" 

"But to earn a medium merit from the Nanquan Lane Town Guard Office, I need to report Patchy Fish's death!" 

"If someone can kill or capture him on the spot, they'll be credited with a medium merit... Kill or capture! Patchy Fish is already dead, so capture is out of the question. Killing, killing..." 

"But I can't expose that I was the one who killed Patchy Fish! This is a deadlock. There's no way out! Wait..." 

"What if I say I stumbled upon Patchy Fish, who was already on his last legs, and took the opportunity to ambush and kill him? Would that sound plausible?" 

Chen Ping'an thought this over, then glanced at Patchy Fish's mangled neck and couldn't help but shake his head with a bitter smile. 

If he said that, a simple on-site investigation would expose the lie. Such horrific injuries couldn't possibly have been inflicted by someone like him, who supposedly had no martial arts training. 

"Not only that, even a dying Patchy Fish would still be a second-level Qi and Blood martial artist. There's no way I, a temporary constable with no martial arts training, could have taken him down." 

"No matter what method I choose, there seems to be some risk involved." 

Staring at Patchy Fish's corpse, Chen Ping'an found himself in a dilemma. 

"Dammit, if I want this medium merit, I can't avoid taking some risks! I'll take the gamble!" 

After much hesitation, Chen Ping'an finally settled on the most feasible and plausible plan, one that was relatively reasonable from all angles. 

Earlier, while tailing Patchy Fish, he remembered seeing a suitably sized rock not far from the courtyard. 

First, he busied himself in the courtyard, erasing some traces and tidying up the scene. Then, he quietly opened the courtyard gate and went to the nearby roadside to fetch the rock. 

He picked up the rock and smashed it against Patchy Fish's neck, knees, and instep, using the new injuries to mask the old ones. After that, he tossed the rock aside, closed the courtyard gate, and hurried off to the Nanquan Lane Town Guard Office. 

Even in the dead of night, the Nanquan Lane Town Guard Office was still brightly lit. 

According to the Town Guard Office's regulations, at least one shift leader had to be on duty at night to handle any sudden illegal activities in the lane. With a shift leader stationed at the office, coordinating responses, the impact of such incidents could often be minimized. 

In addition to the shift leader on duty, there were also night shift constables and patrol teams of two, assigned to patrol the streets and alleys. 

Of course, having served as a night patrol constable himself, Chen Ping'an knew the ins and outs. Unless there was a special task assigned or the city was under strict curfew, night patrol constables would often find a quiet spot to nap during the late hours. They wouldn't foolishly patrol all night. 

"Who goes there?" 

At the entrance of the Nanquan Lane Town Guard Office, two constables stood guard. After all, this was an important location, and they couldn't let just anyone come and go as they pleased. 

Seeing someone running toward the office from a distance, making no attempt to hide, they shouted loudly. 

"It's me! Temporary constable, Chen Ping'an!" 

Chen Ping'an shouted back as he ran toward the two constables. 

Hearing his response, the two constables relaxed slightly. When Chen Ping'an reached them, they recognized him as a familiar face and finally let their guard down. 

"Ping'an, what's going on? Why are you here so late?" 

Seeing Chen Ping'an drenched in sweat, his clothes soaked, and gasping for breath, the two constables asked curiously. 

"I have an important discovery. I need to report it to the shift leader." 

Chen Ping'an spoke while continuing to run into the Town Guard Office. 

The two constables exchanged a glance but didn't stop him. 

"What's the matter? Why the rush?" 

"Not sure, but judging by how frantic he looks, it must be something big." 

"Did his house get robbed?" 

"Maybe." 

The two constables chatted idly, not considering the possibility of the Green Fish Gang. In their eyes, Chen Ping'an was just an ordinary person with no martial arts training. 

If he had really encountered the remnants of the Green Fish Gang, he wouldn't have survived! 

After entering the Town Guard Office, Chen Ping'an passed through a large open area. Ahead, to the left of the platform, was a door leading to a row of duty rooms. Night shift constables and clerks worked in these rooms. 

During the day, a duty room would have several people, but at night, only one person was on duty. 

Of course, Chen Ping'an wasn't looking for a clerk or a night shift constable. He needed to find the shift leader, so he had to go past the duty rooms. 

That was where the shift leaders worked. 

However, just as Chen Ping'an reached the duty rooms, he ran into someone coming out. 

The two nearly collided. 

"Who are you?" 

The man looked at Chen Ping'an with confusion. 

"Constable Zheng," Chen Ping'an greeted. 

He hadn't expected to run into Zheng Shiyong here. However, having heard that Zheng Shiyong's official duty was night shift, it made sense for him to be here. 

"Who are you looking for?" 

Zheng Shiyong found Chen Ping'an somewhat familiar. Seeing that Chen Ping'an was trying to go past him, he blocked the way. 

"Constable Zheng, I need to report something to the shift leader." 

Chen Ping'an was preoccupied and had no time for small talk with Zheng Shiyong. He just wanted to find the shift leader on duty and report Patchy Fish's death as soon as possible. 

"Looking for the shift leader? What's your name?" 

Zheng Shiyong's tone was interrogative, his gaze scrutinizing. 

It was no wonder Zheng Shiyong was Constable Zheng's nephew. Despite having only been at the Nanquan Lane Town Guard Office for a short time, he already carried himself with an air of authority. 

"Constable Zheng, I'm Chen Ping'an, also a constable here." 

Chen Ping'an just wanted to get rid of Zheng Shiyong quickly and settle the matter for the night. 

Hearing this, Zheng Shiyong finally remembered. He did have a colleague by that name. However, Chen Ping'an was so inconspicuous in the Town Guard Office that Zheng Shiyong hadn't recognized him at first. 

"Go ahead, what do you need to report to the shift leader? I can relay the message." 

Zheng Shiyong's tone carried a hint of arrogance, a result of his overwhelming sense of superiority. 

As a night shift constable, he often interacted with the shift leaders. Facing an insignificant temporary constable like Chen Ping'an, he certainly had the right to feel superior. 

Damn it, this guy is so annoying! 

Chen Ping'an just wanted to get rid of him quickly, so he suppressed his impatience and spoke calmly. 

"Constable Zheng, this matter is quite important. I need to report it to the shift leader in person." 

With that, Chen Ping'an stepped past Zheng Shiyong and headed toward the back. 

Seeing Chen Ping'an act this way, Zheng Shiyong felt slighted, his expression darkening. 

Watching Chen Ping'an's retreating figure, a thought seemed to strike him. His eyes darted around, and he blurted out, 

"Chen Ping'an, the shift leaders aren't here tonight. Going there is pointless. If you have something important, you can tell me."