The Plough

"Early this morning, before you arrived, the Old Ghost came and asked about your whereabouts as soon as he saw someone."

The Old Ghost was the highest-ranking boss in their Jiangwan District police station. He was described as thin and dark-skinned, with a laugh like a bell. People called him the Old Ghost, and over time, everyone forgot his real name and only addressed him as Bureau Chief Jiang in front of others and the Old Ghost behind his back.

"I thought he was looking for trouble with you, but he didn't seem like it with his happy expression. So I sent Zhu Gan to inquire about it, subtly hinting at you to be prepared. How about that? Am I a loyal brother?"

Cheng Si spoke vividly and proudly, and instinctively tried to nudge him with his elbow. Ling Shu, however, was quick to dodge half a step away.

"And then what happened?" 

"Then the Zhu Gan probably heard from the Old Ghost that he wants to take you to the city bureau to do something, it's definitely not a bad thing, can't you see it from his expression? Since it's not a bad thing, then it must be a chance to show off? After you show off, won't you be promoted?"

Cheng Si clicked his tongue twice, feeling proud of his perfect logical reasoning ability.

Ling Shu was speechless, "If you had this kind of enthusiasm for solving cases, wouldn't you have been promoted by now?"

Cheng Si smirked and hooked arms with Ling Shu, "I'm counting on you to promote me now."

As soon as he finished speaking, a colleague who had just come out of the chief's office called out to Ling Shu.

"The bureau chief wants you to come in."

Cheng Si made a face at him.

"See, speak of the devil and he shall appear. You have to speak well of me later!" Ling Shu ignored him and straightened his clothes before walking into the director's office.

Bureau Chief Jiang, also known as "Old Ghost," was reviewing documents at his desk.

He had suffered facial injuries in his youth, leaving a diagonal scar from his nose to his mouth that resembled a natural wrinkle. 

When he didn't smile, he looked old and somewhat ferocious, and no one could tell whether he was happy or angry, so they didn't dare to offend him easily.

Ling Shu wondered how Cheng Si could tell that he was in a good mood.

"Bureau Chief Jiang, hello!" Ling Shu saluted. "What can I do for you?" 

Bureau Chief Jiang grunted, looking up at him. Surprisingly, he slowly broke into a smile.

However, his smile, combined with the scar, was somewhat frightening. 

Bureau Chief Jiang seemed to realize this and immediately restrained himself, trying to make his gaze appear gentle and watery.

Ling Shu couldn't help but shiver inwardly. 

"Today I need to take care of something at the city bureau, would you accompany me?" Bureau Chief Jiang said, getting up to tidy the files on his desk.

Ling Shu eagerly stepped forward, taking on the task at hand. He even went the extra mile to make tea, pour water, and clean up the desk. He fetched clothes and a hat from the hanger for Bureau Chief Jiang to change into.

Bureau Chief Jiang looked at him with a newfound appreciation, as if to say, "Why didn't I notice your talent before?" 

Ling Shu responded with a simple, honest smile.

Bureau Chief Jiang was not one to waste time. He promptly called the driver to bring the car to the door and led Ling Shu to the back seat.

Ling Shu innocently asked, "Director, as a small fry like me, I don't usually have contact with people from the city bureau. Why did you suddenly bring me along? Did I do something wrong?"

Bureau Chief Jiang leaned back in his seat, closing his eyes to rest. "Recently, weren't you involved in a case, the Shanghai socialite murder case?"

Ling Shu replied, "Yes, but I have already cleared my name. I had asked Cheng Si to help me take a leave of absence earlier, fearing that it would have a negative impact on the bureau."

Bureau Chief Jiang smiled slightly, "I heard about that case too. You were indeed wrongly implicated, and I heard that you even assisted the Concession in solving the case and bringing the real culprit to justice?"

Ling Shu humbly replied, "It was all luck. I almost lost my life. The doctor originally didn't allow me to leave the hospital. They said I had been stabbed in the abdomen and my hand was seriously injured. I needed at least a month of rest, but I was concerned about my duty and didn't want to delay any important tasks for the bureau. So, I insisted on coming back, even with my injuries." 

If it were someone else boasting like this, Bureau Chief Jiang would have just ignored it with a cold eye. But today, his mood was surprisingly good. Not only did he not interrupt Ling Shu, but his eyes were even gentler.

"Good, very good! Young people should have this kind of vitality and perseverance. Since the day you entered the bureau, I have been silently observing you. You have not disappointed me!"

Ling Shu: ...

This is too unusual.

The district bureau is not small, and usually Bureau Chief Jiang comes and goes in a hurry. He has not even met Ling Shu a few times, let alone let Bureau Chief Jiang praise him.

Could it be that his long-dead father is actually still alive, suddenly transformed and returned home in glory, and the Ling family rises again, and he also rises with them? 

Or did his brother-in-law suddenly get promoted to become a big shot who didn't even put the police chief in his eyes that made everyone bow down to him, and even he gets to enjoy better treatment?

Ling Shu's mind was wandering as the car drove smoothly and quickly to the city bureau.

And finally, he understood why Bureau Chief Jiang had such a high tolerance for him.

It was because there was a meeting at the city bureau, attended by the deputy mayor and various distinguished figures. The former even specifically requested to meet with Bureau Chief Jiang and Ling Shu.

Of course, the main reason was to meet Ling Shu.

"Is this the rising star of the police world who assisted in solving the Yuan Manor case and showed outstanding bravery?" 

Not only was the deputy mayor present, but also the chief of the city bureau, Chief Huang, and a familiar old acquaintance standing beside them.

Yue Dingtang. Facing the friendly greetings from the deputy mayor, Ling Shu responded with an innocent and pure smile, playing the role of a responsible and diligent accompaniment to Bureau Chief Jiang's boasting and humility. Although he didn't know yet that his actions, which were meant to clear his own name, had become a credit to him.

Speaking of credit, this should also be attributed to Yue Dingtang and the Concessionary police station. The concession would never easily give up credit, especially to a small police officer like Ling Shu who had no background or connections. 

But this magical thing actually happened. Ling Shu wouldn't have believed it if he hadn't seen it with his own eyes. He had a feeling that this had something to do with someone surnamed Yue.

Yue, who had eaten his four taels, was now standing beside them in a suit and leather shoes. There was no need for him to back down or try to impress with his own opinions. He simply let his presence speak for itself, and many eyes were drawn to him.

Mr. Yue remained expressionless, putting on a facade of righteousness.

Inwardly, Ling Shu rolled his eyes.

As someone in his position, being able to exchange a few words with the deputy mayor was already a great honor. 

The rest of the meeting had nothing to do with him, so Ling Shu could slip away. 

However, he had to wait for Bureau Chief Jiang to finish the meeting before they could leave together. In just an hour and a half, Ling Shu had explored every corner of the city bureau, getting to know every employee who was working in each department during that time period. 

He even didn't miss the janitor cleaning the garbage in the stairwell, and found out what they had for breakfast and what they were planning to have for lunch. As the meeting was coming to an end, he confidently returned to Bureau Chief Jiang's temporary resting room.

However, when Bureau Chief Jiang returned from the meeting, he didn't ask Ling Shu to leave with him. Instead, he gave him some advice.

"You don't need to come back with me. Familiarize yourself with the environment here first. Someone will take you to your new department later. You'll be working at the city bureau starting tomorrow."

Ling Shu was surprised. Did he really get promoted?

"You praised me this morning, and now you don't need me anymore?" 

Bureau Chief Jiang chuckled, "If I had known this news earlier, I wouldn't have let you, my lucky star, go. But now that you have made a contribution, the city bureau is also asking for you. I can't delay your future anymore. I just hope that when you have a bright future, you won't forget the old friends when you have new ones!"

Ling Shu replied, "You are my old leader and boss. Wherever I go, I will remember you and the Jiangwan District Bureau. But this new position came too suddenly. I am still confused. Can you give me some guidance?"

Bureau Chief Jiang said, "It's not that sudden. The notice of your contribution came a few days before you were hospitalized. We were in a hurry, so you came to report first. There will be news about the award ceremony in a while."

Ling Shu asked, "What is the specific job title?" 

Bureau Chief Jiang: "Assistant to the Advisor of the City Bureau."

Ling Shu felt a sense of foreboding in his heart and asked hopefully, "Who is the advisor?"

Bureau Chief Jiang replied, "You just saw him earlier, Mr. Yue Dingtang, who was standing next to me when I was with the mayor. He's an old acquaintance of yours."

Ling Shu: ...