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墨書 Inktalez
Wang Zhiguo was parachuted in from the Provincial Department, and upon taking office, he discovered that the Annan County Public Security Bureau had long been run like a fortress by Deputy Director Zhang Shusen, who had established himself firmly in his position.
With 26 Town Police Stations, 18 station heads, and most of the Instructors having been promoted by him, the Criminal Police Team leader, Public Security Brigade leader, Traffic Police Brigade leader, and the office director—all were his loyal subordinates.
Wang Zhiguo had been in office for nearly two years but had yet to make any significant progress in his work.
On ordinary days, several deputy directors and heads of various departments treated him with utmost respect, addressing him as Director Wang. However, deep down, they held no real reverence for this "top leader."
Over the past year, only a few township station heads and Instructors truly stood by him, but their influence was too light on the scale of the entire bureau.
During meetings at the bureau, whether regarding personnel or operations, although there was a process of democracy followed by centralization, Wang Zhiguo knew he could not centralize effectively. Typically, it was left to the executive deputy director Zhang Shusen to take center stage. Most colleagues and subordinates believed this signified Wang's surrender to his deputy; many thought his tenure was effectively over and that he might soon have to request a transfer.
Yet Wang Zhiguo had managed to rise to the Provincial Department and secure a position as the head of a county bureau; his abilities were certainly not trivial. He patiently awaited an opportunity while quietly working behind the scenes.
In his possession were numerous incriminating materials against the so-called "Dog Young Master": charges of provoking trouble, intentional injury, and sexual harassment. He also had leads and evidence regarding Zhang Shusen's loyalists engaging in favoritism and corruption—some of which Zhang had covered up or condoned.
However, these pieces of evidence were not powerful enough. He could not recklessly confront a group of people on his own; that would not be bravery but foolishness. Moreover, he needed a catalyst. He had to ensure that when he struck, it would be decisive—leaving no room for his opponents to maneuver, not even a sliver of opportunity.
After all, business is like warfare; how different is the political arena?
This situation mirrored his experiences on the southern battlefield years ago: it was either kill or be killed.
At forty-two years old this year, Wang Zhiguo had a child attending high school in the Provincial Capital. His spouse frequently traveled between the Provincial Capital and Annan. For peace of mind and to avoid unnecessary stress, he chose not to live in the police housing but instead resided alone in a suite at the county government guesthouse.
What he didn't expect was that just as Zhang Shusen had suggested promoting him from a deputy position to a full role, Qiu Sixi, the Chief of Laogu Township Police Station, called his office just before closing time to report on work matters. He proposed to meet at an inconspicuous tea house named "Hao Zai Lai" in the eastern part of the city.
According to an old colleague in the department, Qiu Sixi graduated from the police academy and had risen through the ranks from rural origins. His record was clean; throughout his years in service, he had not left any blemishes that could be criticized. He was seen as someone who could foster unity.
However, Wang Zhiguo was hesitant to take any risks. First, he had to be responsible for himself, and second, he needed to be responsible for Qiu Sixi.
His current situation was not optimistic. After more than a year without improvement, aligning with Qiu Sixi might not be beneficial for him at this moment. If Qiu Sixi remained indecisive, it could cast a shadow over his relationship with that old colleague in the department.
Moreover, not long ago, during a discussion on personnel matters at the bureau, Zhang Shusen had been the first to propose promoting Qiu Sixi from deputy director (acting) to a full director position, which received unanimous approval. This made Wang Zhiguo even less certain about Zhang Shusen's attitude toward Qiu Sixi.
Now that Qiu Sixi had taken the initiative to call and "report on work," and suggested meeting at a tea house, what did this mean?
This tea house was owned by Qiu Jiadong, Qiu Sixi's cousin.
When Qiu Sixi was still in police academy, his family faced significant hardships. His father, who had lived in poverty for most of his life, developed a rare affliction known as diabetes. While this illness might not claim a life immediately, its accompanying complications—such as fatigue, blurred vision, heart disease related to diabetes, hypertension, and diabetic nephropathy—could be debilitating.
His mother suffered from postpartum complications when she gave birth to his youngest sister and could barely stand due to back pain. The meager two acres of land they struggled to cultivate were insufficient even for Qiu Sixi's tuition fees, let alone monthly living expenses. In his small room, Qiu Sixi cried bitterly; he did not blame his parents. They had done everything they could to support his education. If there was blame to be placed, it should be on his unfortunate fate.
It was his cousin's father—Qiu Sixi's uncle—who stepped in at this critical juncture when Qiu Sixi faced dropping out of school. He tirelessly sought guarantees and loans for his nephew and even contributed savings accumulated over years of selling goods from a cart to ensure that Qiu Sixi could complete three years of university.
Unfortunately, just as Qiu Sixi graduated and secured a position in the force that same year, his uncle tragically passed away in a car accident.
Qiu Sixi donned mourning clothes and helped his father support his cousin through the funeral arrangements. When they buried his uncle, neighbors remarked, "This child has deep feelings; look how he weeps more than Jiadong..."
Uncle was a small business expert, but Cousin had not inherited their father's true skills at all. He was very honest and initially sold Caramelized Rice Sugar by wandering the streets. However, he was too straightforward; when the village women took out their money, they would always say, "Add a little more, add a little more..." while reaching out to grab a handful for themselves. Qiu Jiadong would just smile and let them do it. After a month, this small venture not only failed to earn a single penny but also resulted in a significant loss.
Later, he rode a Twenty-Eight Bar Bicycle carrying two large baskets to collect scrap materials. He was too shy to haggle with people and always weighed the items with the scale tilted low (this wasn't selling goods). When he returned home to check what he had collected, he often found that the old steel pipes were filled with dirt or that the bundles of old newspapers had been soaked with water.
Seeing Uncle's hard-earned wealth dwindling in Cousin's hands, Qiu Sixi felt more anxious than anyone else. Uncle had devoted all his efforts to support him during his lifetime and had changed the course of his destiny. Now, he couldn't just stand by and watch Uncle's family and his own brother continue down this path.
To help his brother change his predicament, Qiu Sixi used his position as an Instructor at the Town Police Station to assist Cousin in opening a Tea House on the outskirts of the county town. He also subtly hinted at some local businesses within his jurisdiction... The local bosses were quite accommodating and often came over to play cards or drink tea. While the business wasn't booming, it was enough for Cousin's family to live without worry.
Later, when Qiu Sixi was promoted to director after "going rural," these bosses knew that he had risen in rank... They continued to support Cousin's business as before. Over time, genuine customers began to appear as well. After some calculations, Cousin realized that even without his brother's connections, the Tea House could operate sustainably.
Qiu Sixi and Qiu Jiadong were closely related, even closer than real brothers.
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