[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-lord-of-the-proles":3,"chapter-lord-of-the-proles-lord-of-the-proles-chapter-173":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Lord of the Proles",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2290471,4478,"Chapter 173: Let","lord-of-the-proles-chapter-173",173,"\u003Cp>At 1:30 a.m., Zou Guoming (Datou), soaked through, entered the Dark Star Bureau building and found Sun Haoran on duty.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Like the bulb, Sun Haoran was also a newcomer to the Public Security Team, but their circumstances were entirely different.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sun Haoran possessed outstanding talent and quick thinking, earning deep favor—he was the Dark Star Bureau’s rising star.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His nickname was “Star,” far surpassing the bulb in status.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing Datou’s disheveled state, Sun Haoran hurried forward and asked, “Brother Ming, what happened?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zou Guoming wiped his face and said, “I found Hu Lishan.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hu Lishan?” Sun Haoran struggled to recall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zou Guoming glanced at Sun Haoran.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Some things Sun Haoran would never forget—like what Xiao Team Leader drank, or what Chen Team Leader smoked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Some things Sun Haoran often forgot—like what cases were currently open.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The female college student who went missing two days ago at Huahu Park—I found her.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The college girl from Huahu Park! I’ve been so busy lately I forgot—where is she? How’s her condition? Should we take a statement immediately?” Sun Haoran rubbed his forehead deliberately, though he still didn’t remember; he had to at least pretend.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Datou waved his hand. “No need for a statement—I found a corpse, not a living person. Send someone to retrieve it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“A corpse?” Sun Haoran froze. “Brother Ming, how did you find it?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I checked surveillance, traced the signs—can’t explain it here. We’ll talk when we get to the scene.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sun Haoran nodded. “I’ll inform both team leaders right away.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Datou told Sun Haoran to arrange for the corpse retrieval; Sun Haoran first thought to contact the team leaders.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No wonder such a man was destined to be a star.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Late at night, Li Banfeng crawled out of his quilt, dressed himself with refreshed clarity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had promised Yao Lao—he kept his word, dining and drinking with Yu Nan, even sleeping with her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yao Lao was right—sleeping side by side was indeed warmer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Yu Nan never slept.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because Li Banfeng did nothing but sleep!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He just kept sleeping, doing absolutely nothing!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watching Li Banfeng’s retreating back, Yu Nan covered her mouth and wept.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng placed the Changlu Silkworm before Qin Tianjiu.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He explained all the pros and cons; now it was up to Qin Tianjiu to decide.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qin Tianjiu didn’t hesitate—he picked up the Changlu Silkworm and swallowed it with Lao Yao’s medicinal liquor: “Seventh Brother, whatever you give me is surely good. I’ll forever remember this favor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if I can’t handle this gift, it’s only because I’m fated to be poor in fortune and short in life—this tribulation is mine to bear, and I’ll never blame Seventh Brother!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng nodded. “With this kind of courage, you’re someone who can accomplish things.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a brief chat, Qin Xiaopang brought up the news from San Ying Gate:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Lu Dongjun has gone silent. Many say he’s dead. According to our Bronze Seal, Grandfather Lu Mao has openly declared that Lu Dongjun was killed by Monkey Qiu.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng asked, “Did Monkey Qiu admit it?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Of course not! No matter how big the uproar, Monkey Qiu shouldn’t have killed a Lu family member. Instead, Monkey Qiu turned it around, claiming Lu Mao did it. The two families seem ready to clash—our two Gold Seals have gotten involved too.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Where will they fight? Lüshuicheng or Haichiling?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I heard it’s still Lüshuicheng, but Haichiling is also stirring—this came from Brother Zhang Liu.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“After Lu Dongjun vanished, Haichiling’s business was taken over by the He and Ling families. They split the spoils poorly and seem ready to go to war.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Ling family?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When did the Ling family get involved in Haichiling?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiao Pang continued: “In Haichiling, all major gangs are preparing to move. Qingyun Society backs the He family; Baihua Gate sides with the Ling brothers.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What about Jiang Xiang Gang?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiao Pang sneered. “What’s Jiang Xiang Gang? In a big showdown like this, they don’t even get a seat.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Which side does San Ying Gate stand on?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Boss is closer to the He family; the Second and Third Bosses are closer to the Ling family.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But our Silver Seal said: business is business, personal ties are personal ties—when it comes to actual fighting, the situation’s still unclear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There’s another grudge brewing too. Monkey Qiu recently sent a letter to the Chu family’s second daughter, demanding she hand over Bailer Men within a month.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Chu second daughter replied that Bailer Men is co-run by her and the Fifth Young Master of the Ma family—she needs to consult him. The Fifth Young Master—we’ve met him before, at the peddler’s place—that Fifth Young Master, the Fifth Young Master…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mid-sentence, Xiao Pang broke off, drenched in sweat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What about the Fifth Young Master?” Li Banfeng’s worst fear had come true—Chu Er had drawn trouble upon herself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Seventh Brother, I—I need to eat something…” Xiao Pang wiped his sweat and grabbed a biscuit, chewing it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon after, he devoured two catties of biscuits, regained some strength, and said to Li Banfeng: “I’ve got leftover rice in the pot—I’ll reheat it, let’s eat together, brother.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng shook his head. “I won’t eat. Tell me about the Fifth Young Master first—I find it interesting.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Fifth Young Master hasn’t moved. No one knows where he is. Chu Er moved into Lanyang Village—and she won’t leave!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Monkey Qiu is furious. He says he’ll settle the account with Lanyang Village too—it’s Lu family land. Ma Wu seized Lanyang Village without even notifying the Lu family…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng saw Xiao Pang wiping sweat nonstop—he hadn’t eaten enough.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He left Xiao Pang a hundred silver dollars and warned him not to starve himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Leaving the courtyard, Li Banfeng went to Feng’s General Store.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The travel permit was still unresolved. Li Banfeng bought canned food, biscuits, fuel, and motor oil.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once everything was ready, he returned to his residence, placed the items, and was about to depart—when he noticed the outer door was open.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside, red lotus petals had unfurled; two lotus seeds had matured.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Holding the seeds in his palm, he watched them slowly crack open—the first seed released ninety-eight Jin Yuandan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These were Pan Dehai’s prized possessions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A complete Lu Dongliang yielded eighty-one Jin Yuandan—yet Pan Dehai’s single prized piece yielded ninety-eight?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was their quality that different?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The second seed cracked open, releasing thirty-six Jin Yuandan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A Linli Monster below Level Five yielded only two fewer Jin Yuandan than the Level Eight Suo E Lady—this native anomaly was truly formidable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Add the remaining sixty Jin Yuandan from Lu Dongliang—total: one hundred ninety-four.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These Jin Yuandan meant nineteen thousand four hundred days of life—fifty-one years and one month.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng felt an urge—he suddenly wanted to swallow every single Jin Yuandan at once!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because if he did, he’d become a Level Eight cultivator!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had Blue Leaf Pills—even though he had only one hundred fifty-eight left, the gap was negligible in proportion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At first, Li Banfeng had just been calculating casually.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a while, he got carried away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Level Eight cultivator!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Having stayed in Puluozhou too long, he knew what Level Eight meant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Holding the pills, eyes gleaming, he was about to shove them into his mouth—when a whirlwind shot from the Bronze Lotus, halting him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This reckless madman!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No one could ever figure out what he truly wanted!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Blown back by the Bronze Lotus, Li Banfeng snapped to his senses.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He couldn’t swallow them all—he was Level Three in Zhai Xiu, and Level Three in Lv Xiu.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If Lv Xiu rose to Level Eight while Zhai Xiu didn’t, he’d die instantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Calm again, he paired one Jin Yuandan with a Blue Leaf Pill, swallowed it, waited for his body to recover, then hurried along the new route toward Lanyang Village.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By the shore of Huahu Park, personnel were retrieving the corpse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiao Zhenggong looked down on such a minor case—he didn’t even show up. Sun Haoran was reporting to Team Leader Chen:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I reviewed the surveillance footage with Investigator Zou Guoming and noticed several overlooked details—we found Hu Lishan’s discarded glove by the lake, and followed that trail to her corpse…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The bulb spat. “What a shameless bastard. Datou found the corpse—he’s just a messenger. How can he take credit without blushing?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Datou chuckled. “Forget it. Closing the case is what matters. Who gets credit isn’t important.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sun Haoran continued detailing the investigation. Team Leader Chen listened with a smile; Tangyuan took careful notes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When he finished, Team Leader Chen nodded. “No wonder you’re our bureau’s star—this case was handled flawlessly.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tangyuan nodded. “Star’s future is limitless.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sun Haoran smiled modestly. “It was all thanks to Brother Ming guiding me. Finding Hu Lishan’s corpse was entirely due to his experience—I was just an assistant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The seniors in our team have always been kind to me—Team Leaders Chen and Xiao, of course, but Snow Cold Sister and Brother Ming have treated me especially well.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You Xuehan (Tangyuan) remained silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whether privately or officially, Sun Haoran often flirted with You Xuehan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You Xuehan admired this bright, handsome, ambitious junior—but today’s behavior felt off.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Datou was the senior brother; Sun Haoran shouldn’t steal his credit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Team Leader Chen said nothing. He smoked, watching Zou Guoming with a thoughtful gaze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Datou was chatting with Dengpao, as if he didn’t care at all about who got the credit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was just a missing persons case—hardly a major achievement for the Dark Star Bureau.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Old Chen couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off, though he couldn’t pinpoint what.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After the body was recovered, Zou Guoming said he’d been overworked these past two days and requested a week’s leave; Captain Chen approved it and handed all of Hu Lishan’s case over to Sun Haoran.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sun Haoran was thrilled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dengpao was furious. He drove Datou home, complaining the entire way:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Big Brother Datou, why take leave now? Isn’t that just handing that kid an easy win? Aren’t you afraid he’ll climb over your head someday?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Datou shook his head and smiled: “He’ll climb over my head eventually—he knows how to deal with people. I just know how to get things done.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I can’t stand how scheming he is…” Dengpao kept grumbling, but Datou turned his gaze toward the mansion in the park.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hu Lishan’s case wasn’t important; what mattered was that, for the first time in his life, he had seen Xindi.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had never been to Pulu Province—Xindi was a place unique to Pulu Province—and now he’d seen it in Waizhou.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hu Lishan’s body was found by He Jiaqing in Xindi.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Every trace beside the lake had been forged by He Jiaqing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whose credit mattered? Giving the case to Sun Haoran was the better choice—as long as Hu Lishan’s case was closed, Xindi would stay hidden.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the Dark Star Bureau, Datou was destined to remain a detective his whole life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The one person who could truly change his fate had now appeared.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>PS: How did He Jiaqing win over Datou?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1836,"2026-06-20T03:43:13.043Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","d6dfc097f30c6103988f63d18ba1375910239e8727a28b99589433cafb31b8d2","lord-of-the-proles-chapter-174","lord-of-the-proles-chapter-172",863,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Flord-of-the-proles-cover.jpg"]