Chapter 7: Meeting Captain Yuan
Although Kris had gained some advantages from the Matsushita case and received praise from Director Li, his status in the team had not been elevated. On the contrary, among the forty-five people in Team 1, the majority treated him like air. Apart from Lin, OG Cat, and a few other marginalized colleagues who were closer to him, the core members of Team 1 mostly gave him the cold shoulder.
If it was just the external people treating Kris this way, he could tolerate it, but even his roommates, with whom he had to live daily, were giving him the silent treatment. While they didn’t cause trouble for him, they also refused to talk to him. Whenever Kris entered the room, they would either fall silent or leave collectively, and as soon as he left, they’d return to playing cards or chatting.
The reason for everyone treating Kris this way was simply because he had offended the third in command, making him seem like a thorn in the side. Moreover, he had taken credit for the success of the Matsushita case right after joining, which inevitably caused jealousy.
If it were someone else, they might regret offending the third in command, but Kris didn’t feel that way at all. He had a cold personality and didn’t let just anyone into his heart. Moreover, he didn’t believe that by groveling and bowing to others, he would be able to integrate into any circle. He felt that living in such an environment, if one were too weak, it would lead others to develop a sense of entitlement. If the third in command could suppress him once, he could suppress him a hundred times. If Kris remained silent after working three extra days, the third might insist on having him work four days next time. It could even reach a point where Kris might have to do everyone else's laundry in the dorm, something he would absolutely not tolerate.
Kris didn’t mind the silent treatment from his colleagues, but staying in the dorm became somewhat awkward. After all, everyone lived under the same roof, and when no one respected anyone, it inevitably affected his mood.
The Matsushita case had earned Kris a bonus of three thousand yuan, which was an unexpected windfall. When the money was deposited, he decided to rent a separate apartment. Since he didn’t get along with the others, he thought it would be better not to see them and not be bothered. However, since he didn’t know the local housing situation, he had to ask OG Cat to help him find a place. The condition was that it should be reasonably priced, have lighting, and be livable.
OG Cat, thinking Kris was a straightforward person and someone he could get along with, readily agreed to help.
...
The next day.
Kris had just entered the office to find someone to take over when someone outside suddenly called out, "Kris, Captain Yuan wants you in the dining room."
Kris turned back, about to ask the person for more details, but found that they had already walked away without further conversation.
"Heh." Kris smiled, grabbed his coat, and left the office.
In the restaurant.
After asking the staff, Kris looked up and saw Captain Yuan sitting by the window.
Yuan Ke was about 178 or 179 cm tall, with a slender build, pale skin, and a handsome face. In addition, he had a pair of almond-shaped eyes that slanted slightly downward at the inner corners and curved upward at the outer corners, resembling a crescent moon. His eyes seemed to smile, giving an immediately favorable impression.
"Hello, you must be Captain Yuan? I'm Kris."
"Heh, hello, hello." Yuan Ke stood up and shook hands with Kris. "I should have come to meet you the day before yesterday when you first joined the team, but unfortunately, I wasn't in Songjiang at the time. I just returned today."
"I heard you were in Fengbei for a meeting."
"Everything settled?" Yuan Ke gestured for Kris to sit down.
"Yes, all the necessary paperwork is done." Kris sat across from Yuan Ke.
"That's good." Yuan Ke personally poured Kris a cup of water and smiled. "Heh, I heard about the kidnapping case. You really gave Team 1 a good reputation."
"It was just luck, a bit of serendipity." Kris grinned.
"This morning, I spoke with Director Li, and he briefed me on your situation." Yuan Ke casually shifted to the main topic. "Normally, in cases like Matsushita's, the main investigators would be given credit and promoted. Anyone below the rank of captain would at least get a step up. So Director Li's suggestion was to make you a group leader and promote you to second-level officer. But since you just joined and it's a bit of a coincidence, we don’t want it to seem like favoritism. So, after discussing it with Director Li, we decided to wait a bit. No rush. We have plenty of time."
"Yes, Director Li mentioned that to me. Heh, I'm not in a hurry," Kris replied, agreeing with the suggestion. "I just got here, so I need to get used to the environment first."
"That's good. What’s meant for you will come, and I’ll make sure to fight for it for you."
"..." During their conversation, the restaurant staff brought out two plates of hot dishes, two plates of cold dishes, including beef and some expensive vegetables. Kris thought that Yuan Ke was quite generous, at least appearing to be an open and straightforward person.
"We can’t drink on duty, so let’s just have a simple meal," Yuan Ke said, refilling Kris’s water.
"This is fine," Kris replied.
"Don’t just look, eat while it’s hot."
"Got it."
As they spoke, both began to eat, and Yuan Ke watched Kris from the corner of his eye. He noticed that this young man from the planned area wasn’t fazed by the situation. While he didn’t eat ravenously, he didn’t appear to be shy either.
"Xiao Qin, go to Group 3," Yuan Ke suddenly said after a brief pause. "The head of that group was removed due to misconduct and corruption, and now no one is managing it. You can take over as acting group leader."
Kris was taken aback. "But Director Li said I was supposed to be a deputy group leader?"
"An acting group leader is essentially the same as a deputy group leader, and Director Li’s original plan was to promote you to second-level officer. Once your title comes through, we’ll drop the 'acting' title," Yuan Ke explained with a smile. "Things within our team are easy to handle."
"Thank you for the support, Captain Yuan."
"Xiao Qin, this position isn’t something I created, but this team is built by everyone. Without the 40-50 brothers in Team 1 working hard on cases, how could I, Yuan Ke, chat with Director Li?" Yuan Ke spoke firmly and with loyalty. "Now that you’re here, you’re one of mine. I’ll take care of you, and that’s the way it should be. No need for formalities… If you need anything, just let me know. I’ll make sure you get what you deserve. We’re all in the same pot, just with different roles, but the goal is the same – to survive better in this chaotic world."
Kris thought that, given he had offended the third in command, Yuan Ke would likely view him as a thorn in the side. Even if Yuan Ke didn’t openly confront him, he would probably make Kris’s life uncomfortable.
However, Kris was surprised to find that Yuan Ke’s words were sincere, without any bureaucratic tone or hidden agendas. He felt warmth in his heart.
"Captain Yuan, since you’re saying all this, let me offer you a drink in place of alcohol," Kris said seriously, raising his cup. "I’ll do my best to perform well in Team 1."
With that, both drank in one go.
After putting down his cup, Yuan Ke wiped his mouth and looked at Kris. "Alright, enough of the pleasantries. Let’s talk about work."
"Sure, go ahead."
"This morning, the police station received an arrest warrant. A few big criminals from the planned area have shown up and might make an appearance on the black street. This case has been assigned to Team 1, so I came back to organize the manpower and set up surveillance." Yuan Ke frowned and said, "But I also have an important case that needs attention, and since you’re new, I want you to lead Group 3 on this case first."
"What kind of case is it?" Kris asked.
"It’s a drug trafficking case," Yuan Ke explained after taking a sip of water. "Recently, a large shipment of smuggled drugs has appeared on the black street, some of which are counterfeit and others from illegal channels... Normally, no one would bother with this because, after all, where there’s demand, there’s supply. But now, two large pharmaceutical companies in Fengbei have joined forces to pressure the government, saying this issue is hurting their market. As you know, in chaotic times, the pharmaceutical industry has the most leverage. The upper levels can’t do anything, so they’ve pressured us. Now, the heads of the Songjiang Pharmaceutical Office are constantly calling the police station, and the police station is pressuring Director Li, because the main areas for counterfeit drugs are on the black street. So Director Li is on edge, saying we have to clear out the drug dealers on the black street within three months."
"Is this really going to happen, or is it just talk?" Kris asked subtly.
Yuan Ke looked surprised for a moment before answering, "It’s real. We’re going to clean them out."
"Do we have enough people in Group 3?"
"You’ll start with this, and once we have the main leads, we’ll bring in Team 1 for the final push," Yuan Ke responded quietly. "But before we find those leads, we still need to deal with the big criminals."
"Understood," Kris said. He knew very well that once he wore this uniform, he had to follow orders. It was a hard rule, and he had no say in the matter.
"You also know that the government is taking unprecedented action against fake drugs. This is to protect the interests of pharmaceutical companies still doing research and the many patients who rely on them. So trafficking in smuggled drugs, whether genuine or fake, if it exceeds five kilograms, is punishable by death," Yuan Ke reminded. "So be careful. The case needs to be solved, but the safety of your team and yourself is paramount."
"I understand."
"The materials will be sent to Group 3 this afternoon. Familiarize yourself with them, and get to know the team members quickly. If necessary, treat them to a meal to build rapport. Heh, they’re all young, so they’re easy to get along with." Yuan Ke stood up and was about to go pay the bill when he turned back and said to Kris, "Oh, I almost forgot. The third in command has his temper. Sometimes he does things without thinking. Don’t follow his example. I’ll bring you two together later and let bygones be bygones."
Kris was taken aback. "That would be helpful."
"Heh, I’ll go pay the bill. We should get back to work soon," Yuan Ke smiled and walked toward the cashier.
Kris watched Yuan Ke’s back and muttered softly, "Heh, he’s quite generous."
...
In the afternoon,
Just as Kris was about to return to Group 3, OG Cat informed him that the new apartment had been found.
Kris checked his phone and realized he still had some time before his shift, so he left immediately.
After walking for about 15 minutes, Kris arrived at the entrance of No. 88 Tongbai Road. He didn’t see OG Cat, but heard someone call from behind, "Can’t tell the difference between men and women? Is that you?"
Kris turned around and saw Sophie standing at the bottom of the steps, smiling brightly, her figure stunning in a tailored wool coat. There was no sign of the fear from the previous day. She stood there, facing the brilliant sun, looking like a beauty stepped out of a painting.