Chapter 33: Two Months

Teng Feiyu paused and said, “Because Yuanhong Society has informants in the official system, and many people, realizing how powerful Yuanhong Society is, dare not provoke it?”

Lin Qing smiled.

“So you know too.”

He shook his head slightly. “I originally thought you were a second-generation here to pad your resume, but now it seems I was mistaken.”

“I already said it—I’m not here to pad my resume. I came on my own,” Teng Feiyu frowned.

“Hmm, I believe you now.”

Lin Qing smiled. “Unless your father, Director Chu, has a grudge against you, he wouldn’t give you such a dangerous assignment just to pad your resume—making you charge in like a headless fly.”

Someone here to pad their resume is like a player given a game guide—the difficulty must be calibrated so they have a reasonable chance of success; that’s what padding means.

Otherwise, it’s just suicide.

Investigating the Yuanhong Society, the city’s most brazen and powerful underground force, is like giving a new player a starter sword and pointing them at a level ??? boss, saying, “This is your beginner quest—go kill it now.”

It’s no different from suicide.

Teng Feiyu naturally caught the implication in Lin Qing’s words and frowned.

He forced a calm tone. “Group Leader, I only asked you to help apply for a search warrant—not to take me on the raid.”

“And do you think such an application would even pass?”

Lin Qing shook his head slightly. “You have zero concrete evidence, yet you want to apply for a search warrant and mobilize the entire patrol team?”

“But things are different now,” Teng Feiyu’s frown deepened. “Before, we didn’t know the underground fighting ring’s situation. Now we at least know that if we raid, we’ll get results—why not act?”

“You’re sure you’ll get results?”

Lin Qing countered. “Are you certain you’re the only one who knows this? Think carefully—if a raid would definitely yield results, why hasn’t anyone acted yet?”

Teng Feiyu fell silent for a moment, then asked, “Group Leader, are you saying you won’t apply?”

“Yes.”

Lin Qing nodded. “You know Yuanhong Society has informants in the official system, yet you still dare to use the intel you gathered to apply for a search warrant—don’t you fear tipping them off? What if Yuanhong Society targets you? Do you really believe there are no Yuanhong Society moles in the branch?”

He now possessed squad-leader-level strength, so he wasn’t particularly afraid of Yuanhong Society—he had at least the means to protect himself.

But he still planned to wait until his strength improved before raiding the underground fighting ring to earn merit—if he tipped them off now, it would ruin everything.

Of course, he couldn’t voice this reason.

Teng Feiyu fell silent again, then said, “Group Leader, you could privately explain this to Captain Xiao—don’t you trust Captain Xiao either?”

“That’s right. I don’t trust him.” Lin Qing nodded frankly.

Teng Feiyu was stunned.

Then he took a deep breath, stood up, and said coldly, “If Group Leader trusts no one, then forget it.”

Lin Qing glanced at him. “If you really can’t stand me, pass the professional exam early and become a Patrol Officer yourself—start your own team and investigate on your own.”

Teng Feiyu clenched his lips, glanced at him once, then turned and left the meeting room without another word.

The room fell silent.

“Hah…”

Lin Qing wasn’t angry—only chuckled softly. “Youth is wonderful.”

He didn’t dislike people like him—in fact, he wished the world had more such people, fearless and full of justice.

Isn’t peaceful, stable life exactly what people like this bring?

Half an hour later.

The phone in Group Seven’s office rang. The caller ID showed Captain’s Office.

Lin Qing picked up casually.

“Captain Xiao?”

“Group Leader Lin, come to my office.”

Xiao Pei’s voice over the line carried seriousness and displeasure.

…

Inside the Captain’s Office.

“Lin Qing, how do you manage Group Seven?”

Xiao Peidong frowned sternly, slammed his hand on the desk, and snapped, “Your subordinate filed a report straight to me—don’t you even know the basic rule against overstepping authority? No discipline, no rules!”

Is this really being taken this seriously? Lin Qing glanced at Teng Feiyu, standing expressionless beside him.

Then he turned to Xiao Peidong. “Captain, this has nothing to do with me. He’s the one who broke the rules—why not fire him? That’d save everyone trouble.”

Xiao Peidong choked.

He’d intended to pressure Lin Qing, but suddenly remembered this young group leader was only eighteen—tactics for dealing with seasoned veterans wouldn’t work here.

Seasoned veterans smoothed things over, made big issues small and small ones vanish.

An eighteen-year-old this extreme? “Formal Patrol Officers aren’t fired on a whim—this is childish,” Xiao Peidong glared at Lin Qing. “Forget it. Take him back and give him a proper reprimand. No repeat offenses.”

“What a hassle,” Lin Qing shook his head. “Just fire him and be done.”

He glanced at Teng Feiyu beside him. “Let’s go.”

“Also.”

Xiao Peidong added, “If you want to investigate that unconfirmed underground fighting ring, go ahead—but you get only a Level One search warrant. Unless you produce evidence, understood?”

Teng Feiyu frowned.

A Level One warrant prohibits intrusion into privacy and forbids any destruction.

At least a Level Two warrant would be useful.

The highest, Level Three, meant a full-force, no-holds-barred search.

“I’m too lazy to investigate.”

Lin Qing didn’t look back—he turned and walked out of the office.

Teng Feiyu followed silently behind him.

When they reached a secluded spot, Teng Feiyu whispered, “I know you’re afraid the bureau’s mole will notice, so you don’t want to apply—but I’ve thought this through carefully.”

“Oh?”

Lin Qing glanced at him.

Teng Feiyu continued, “Yuanhong Society’s underground fighting ring has operated for at least a year. Captain Xiao just transferred here—he couldn’t have become a mole so quickly. Besides… he’s young, with a bright future. Why risk his career for such dirty work? You have no reason to suspect him.”

“There’s some sense to that.”

Lin Qing glanced at him. “But you don’t understand human nature—and no one truly does.”

Teng Feiyu froze slightly.

…

After dinner, Lin Qing went to Xiao Shan District People’s Hospital to visit his cousin and ask her a few questions.

“Another merit?” Chen Yanan leaned back on her hospital bed, glanced at Lin Qing, and said, “Lucky you—heard the reward’s forty thousand? Perfect—lend me some to upgrade my mechanical leg.”

“Sure. I saved it for you,” Lin Qing nodded, continuing to peel the apple.

“You’re serious?” Chen Yanan laughed, reaching over to pinch his cheek. “All those years I spoiled you weren’t wasted.”

Then she shook her head. “I was joking. Keep your forty thousand—this amount only buys twelve more hours of battery life, from thirty-six to forty-eight. Is it worth it?”

She shook her head. “I was just joking, sis. Keep that four hundred thousand— it’ll only buy you twelve more hours of battery, from thirty-six to forty-eight. Is it even worth it?”

“Then let’s wait.”

Chen Yanan looked at him. “Mechanical prosthetics can swap power cores—you don’t need to rush. Don’t you need money for your martial training?”

“Forty thousand won’t help much,” Lin Qing shook his head.

“The bureau’s high-energy slow-release fluid costs seven thousand per set—forty thousand buys five sets. How can that not help?”

“The K1 series doesn’t work for me anymore.”

Lin Qing handed her the peeled apple. “I’ve already mastered the Seven-Seven version.”

“What?” Chen Yanan sat bolt upright, staring at him in disbelief. “Really? You actually mastered it?”

Those who mastered the Four-Six version of the Sunrise Method were rare. The Seven-Seven version was rarer still—now, the entire Xiao Shan District Patrol Branch had only two people who’d achieved it.

It might not mean much in the urban ring, but outside it, this already qualified one as an elite among ordinary people. “Lucky break a few days ago,” Lin Qing nodded. “Now I need MY-series high-energy slow-release fluid—but it’s too expensive. Not necessary yet.”

It might not mean much in the urban ring, but outside it, you’re already an elite among ordinary people. “I got lucky a few days ago,” Lin Qing nodded. “Now I need to buy the MY-series high-energy sustained-release fluid, but it’s too expensive— no need yet.”

When the forty-thousand reward came, it would barely cover two sets—only shortening his Seven-Seven training by forty days. Not worth it.

“I see…” Chen Yanan took the apple, studied him again, and sighed in amazement. “Didn’t think little Qing had captain potential.”

Still, she shook her head. “No need to waste money on this. Keep it. Don’t worry about me—unless it’s three or five million, enough to upgrade me to a premium prosthetic, then maybe. Right now, it’s pointless.”

Lin Qing thought for a moment. “Alright. When’s your prosthetic surgery scheduled?”

She still shook her head. “No need to waste money on that. Keep it for now. Don’t think about me— unless it’s three or five million, enough to upgrade me to a higher-end mechanical prosthesis, then maybe. Right now, it’s truly unnecessary.”

Chen Yanan said. “The only manufacturer of premium prosthetics, Dawn Group, has a waiting list—it’s uncertain. Once confirmed, we can choose the model and schedule surgery.”

Lin Qing nodded slightly, lost in thought.

Chen Yanan said, “The main issue is that Dawn Group, the only global producer of high-end mechanical prostheses, has a waiting list too. It’s uncertain. Once confirmed, you can choose the prosthesis and schedule the surgery.”

Two months left.

Lin Qing memorized the date, then set his thoughts aside. “By the way, cousin—I have a question for you.”

(End of Chapter)

Lin Qing memorized that time, then settled his thoughts and said, “By the way, sister, I have something I want to ask you.”

(End of Chapter)