"Mr. Zheng, Zhao Hu and I were implicated by Chen Pingâan, which is why we couldnât collect the donation silver. As for Constable Zheng, please put in a good word for us!"
Cheng Yuan looked at Zheng Shiyong with a fawning expression. Beside him, Zhao Hu quickly chimed in with agreement.
"Of course, of course." Zheng Shiyong was in an excellent mood.
âThis morning, Chen Pingâan had spoken offensively and with a harsh tone in front of so many constables, thoroughly offending his uncle, Constable Zheng. Chen Pingâanâs days in Nanquan Lane were numbered!â
With what happened this morning, anything Constable Zheng did to Chen Pingâan would be within the unspoken rules.
âThe person who had been a thorn in his side for so long was finally going to be dealt with!â
Putting everything else aside, the matter of the donation silver alone was enough for his uncle to make Chen Pingâan suffer.
"Donât you worry. Wait for Chen Pingâan to mess this up. Tomorrow, Iâll take the task of collecting the donation silver from the Tiger Run Gambling Square. Iâll definitely bring you two along! With my uncleâs reputation on the line, the collection will surely go smoothly. Then you can redeem yourselves, and no one will be able to say a word!"
"We two brothers thank you in advance, Mr. Zheng!" Cheng Yuanâs eyes lit up. This promise from Zheng Shiyong was exactly what he wanted.
What happened this morning had left him feeling vaguely uneasy. âHe couldnât shake the feeling that Chen Pingâan had become a different person!â
"Oh, right. Be a little more mindful next time you speak. Donât be as stupid as you were this morning!" Zheng Shiyong glanced at Cheng Yuan and Zhao Hu and said coolly.
"Yes, yes, youâre right, Mr. Zheng."
"Weâll be careful."
Seeing Cheng Yuan and Zhao Hu nod their heads repeatedly like they were pounding garlic, Zheng Shiyongâs mood improved even more.
âFirst a carrot, then the stick. Repeating this process was the only way to win the loyalty of oneâs subordinates. Uncleâs teachings are truly correct!â
With this in mind, Zheng Shiyong couldnât help but start humming a little tune.
The group hadnât even gotten close to the Garrison Commandantâs Office when they heard bursts of commotion from inside.
"Whatâs going on?"
A trace of confusion appeared on Zheng Shiyongâs face. Normally, while the Nanquan Alley Town Patrol Office could get noisy, it was never like this.
âDid something happen?â
Beside him, Cheng Yuan and Zhao Hu exchanged a glance, each seeing the same confusion in the otherâs eyes.
"Letâs go, take a look!"
With that, the group headed into the Garrison Commandantâs Office.
As soon as Zheng Shiyong stepped inside, he saw a large crowd of constables gathered around someone, like stars revolving around the moon.
Heads bobbed in the crowd, and Zheng Shiyong couldnât clearly see the person in the center. However, he spotted Tan Huacong off to the side.
"Mr. Tan, whatâs going on?" Zheng Shiyong walked up and asked.
Tan Huacongâs face was ashen and not pleasant to look at.
"Chen Pingâan came back with the donation silver!"
"What!"
Hearing this, a jolt shot through Zheng Shiyongâs entire body. He was utterly stunned.
"How is that possible! Thatâs the Tiger Run Gambling Square weâre talking about!"
"This! This! This..."
Beside them, Cheng Yuan and Zhao Hu muttered, at a loss for words.
âDid the people from the Tiger Head Gang have a change of heart?â
...
"Whatâs with all the commotion outside!?"
Constable Zheng put down the official Booklet in his hands and looked out the window.
The noise from outside had been coming in waves, one after another, for a while now. At first, it was manageableânoisy, but mostly under control. But then it grew louder and louder.
"This is getting more and more outrageous!"
Constable Zheng was still fuming about what happened at the morning briefing. He had been planning to wait until evening, when Chen Pingâan would inevitably fail to collect the donation silver, so he could take out his frustrations on him. But he never expected someone to come looking for trouble before noon.
Constable Zheng stood up and walked out of the Head of the Office.
He would see which of the many constables outside would be the chicken heâd kill to scare the monkeys!
He had just walked out of the Head of the Office and was nearing the Task Room when he saw Chen Pingâan turn and enter it. A crowd of people followed behind him.
âThat little bastard! And all these people behind him... Theyâve got some nerve!â
Constable Zhengâs expression darkened.
Chen Pingâan, of course, saw Constable Zheng, but he had no intention of greeting him. âSince Iâve already offended him, thereâs no turning back!â
Inside the Task Room, Old Fan and a few other constables were chatting and joking around. The main topic of conversation was how Chen Pingâan had overreached himself that morning.
"That kid, Chen Pingâan, offended Constable Zheng. Heâs got it coming to him now!"
"Yeah, forget everything else. Just this business with the donation silver from the Tiger Run Gambling Square. Even if it doesnât kill him, heâll lose a layer of skin!"
"Itâs so strange. A guy who hasnât even reached the Entry Level of the Martial Dao and only became an official constable through sheer luckâwhere does he get the nerve to be so arrogant!"
"Heâs just full of himself! Thinks that just because he became an official constable, everythingâs smooth sailing!"
"So naive! Itâs laughable! Looking at him now, I bet he wonât last long before heâs taken down!"
"Hahaha, youâve got a point!"
Inside the Task Room, Old Fan and the others chatted away, full of high spirits.
They had heard people approaching outside, but they paid it no mind, having no intention of stopping their conversation.
"Oh? Is that so!?"
Chen Pingâanâs figure appeared outside the Task Room.
Old Fan, who was in the middle of his tirade, froze when he saw it was Chen Pingâan, his face stiffening.
âWhy is he here? Wasnât he supposed to be collecting the donation silver from the Tiger Head Gang?!â
Talking is one thing, but joking aside, despite how confidently he had just been speaking, when he recalled Chen Pingâanâs look and expression from this morning, he still felt a little intimidated.
Now, caught talking about Chen Pingâan behind his back, he was naturally startled to see the man himself suddenly appear.
The other men in the Task Room also went stiff and looked extremely unnatural when they saw Chen Pingâan arrive, momentarily unsure of what to say.
"Chen... Chen Pingâan, what are you doing here! Whereâs the donation silver you collected?" Old Fan said, struggling to compose himself.
THUD!
Chen Pingâan slammed the black cloth bag he was holding onto the table. The mouth of the bag fell open, revealing the heavy silver inside.
"This is..."
Old Fan couldnât help but swallow. A completely unbelievable thought surfaced in his mind.
"The donation silver from the Tiger Run Gambling Square!"
Chen Pingâan stated coolly. Without giving Old Fan any chance to come up with a retort, Chen Pingâan slapped the collection receipt from his robes onto the table as well.
"The collection receipt, stamped with the seal of the Tiger Run Gambling Square! The donation silver, every last bit of it!"
Old Fan, who had been trying to think of a rebuttal, felt his heart tremble, and a look of utter astonishment spread across his face.
Inside the Task Room, the others stared at each other in stunned silence.
âHow did he do it?â
"Old Fan! Heh heh!" Monkey Head popped out from behind, giving Old Fan a mocking smile.
"Ah, Old Fan! Looks like you misjudged him!" Zeng Jihe said with a smug look, feigning a sigh.
As someone who had witnessed everything from start to finish, he was thoroughly impressed by Chen Pingâanâs methods. As his companion, he also felt like he had experienced a comeback story of his own. Few people here would understand his feeling.
âIt felt so damn good!â
Just as Old Fan was at a loss for what to do, Constable Zhengâs angry shout echoed from outside.
"What are you all crowded around here for!? All this racketâwhat is the meaning of this!"