An Old Friend

At the Dark Star Bureau, Big Head reported Xiao Zhenggong's visit to the hospital to Captain Chen Changrui. He only mentioned that Xiao Zhenggong had gone to He Jiaqing's room, omitting that He Jiaqing was already awake. "Captain, Vice Captain Xiao's been visiting the hospital a bit often lately." Chen Changrui nodded. "I know." "There seems to be bad blood between him and He Jiaqing." "I know that too." "I'm worried he might kill He Jiaqing," Big Head said, deciding to be blunt. Chen Changrui chuckled. "I know that as well." The captain's attitude baffled Big Head. He knew everything, yet he wasn't doing a single thing about it. What was the sense in that? Chen Changrui handed Big Head a cigarette and lit one for himself. "What kind of person do you think He Jiaqing is?" Big Head took a drag. "I don't know. I've never interacted with him. I only know the bureau values him highly." Chen Changrui held his cigarette, took a deep pull, and exhaled a cloud of smoke. "And what kind of person do you think Xiao Zhenggong is?" Big Head stayed silent for a long moment, not daring to answer hastily. "I don't know Vice Captain Xiao especially well either." Chen Changrui flicked his ash with a faint smile. "You really don't, and there's no way you could. Neither He Jiaqing nor Xiao Zhenggong is the kind of person you can understand, because they're from Puluo Province. "You've never been to Puluo Province, so you don't know what it's like. I spent a few years there. People from Puluo crawl their way out through bloodbaths, deceit, and treachery. "We've lived to this age, thinking we've been around the block, seen it all, that we've got cunning, experience, and depth. To tell you the truth, our little tricks amount to nothing in Puluo. "You think the one lying in a hospital bed is definitely an invalid? You think the man serving as vice captain is definitely one of us from the Dark Star Bureau? "People like them aren't for us to handle. Isn't it a good thing to let one of them deal with the other?" Big Head remained silent. Captain Chen smiled. "Big Head, there are things in this bureau that aren't done fairly. I don't like them either. When there's something I can fight to get you, I will. If I really can't get it, that's just on me for lacking the clout. "But we belong to the bureau. When trouble comes up, we handle it together. As for Puluo Province's business, we're better off staying well out of it. Doesn't that make sense to you?" Big Head's heart tightened, though his face remained expressionless. Captain Chen stubbed out his cigarette. "A new recruit arrived this year. I'm placing him under your wing first." "Tangyuan," You Xuehan, brought in a young man of average height and ordinary looks, plainly dressed but neat and clean, with the unmistakable vigor of youth on his face. The young man introduced himself. "My name is Qin Minghui. I'm twenty-three, a recent law graduate from Yuezhou University." Captain Chen said, "The boy ranked first in the written exam, interview, and physical test. He could have had a much better posting, but he insisted on choosing the Dark Star Bureau." Big Head asked, "Why choose the Dark Star Bureau?" "To protect," Qin Minghui replied. "Protect what?" "To protect this world, and everything in it that matters." Before he could finish, Tangyuan's face flushed red as she bit back a laugh. Chen Changrui and Big Head couldn't help chuckling out loud, and Qin Minghui laughed along with them. His smile was easy and natural, completely devoid of embarrassment. "Big Head, Young Qin is with you from now on. Give him a codename." A mentor giving their apprentice a codename was a Dark Star Bureau tradition. Big Head had always been genial toward newcomers, and when choosing a codename, he would consult their wishes. "What kind of nickname do you want?" Qin Minghui scratched his head. "A few seniors already came up with one for me. They call me Chuuni." Chen Changrui waved a hand. "Don't listen to their nonsense. A codename is serious business. For one thing, it keeps your identity from leaking, and for another, it makes communication easier on missions." "Let's just go with Chuuni," Qin Minghui said, not minding at all. "I feel pretty chuuni myself. After taking a couple good beatings, maybe I won't be so foolish anymore." Big Head didn't want to spend too much thought on a nickname. Since the boy was willing, Chuuni it was. "Start by studying the bureau's regulations." "Senior, I've already studied them all..." "Study them more carefully. I've been studying them for half my life, and there are still things I haven't mastered." ... Lüshui City, Heping Mansion Cinema. The movie star "Zhou Changhong" sat in the back row of the second floor, watching the third installment of Bloodblade Detective. Ling Miaoying had beaten Ma the Fifth to the punch and released his third movie first. Yet no matter how quickly he rushed it out, it seemed of little use. Faced with Bloodgun Detective, Bloodblade Detective's attendance was vastly outmatched. Vast as the gap was, however, that didn't mean no one was willing to watch Bloodblade Detective. The third film had been in theaters for a week and maintained an average daily attendance of over twenty percent. The theater was indeed somewhat quiet, but these patrons were of a completely different caliber and taste. "Zhou Changhong" could hear a few moviegoers whispering: "Now this is a real movie. This is real art." "Never mind anything else—just look at the lighting and framing. How could other films even compare?" "The characterization of Liang Chunjie is fantastic too, and the actor plays him to perfection. Work from a master truly is different. I've already memorized quite a few lines." "Zhou Changhong" was very pleased with praise like this. This was the effect he truly wanted to achieve. About a third of the way into the film, an elderly man sat down beside Zhou Changhong and lowered his voice. "Big star, I haven't mistaken you for someone else, have I?" "Zhou Changhong" had spotted the newcomer long before, but deliberately acting as though he had only just noticed, he hurriedly rose. "Elder Master Lu, what brings you..." Lu Maoxian, the patriarch elder of the Lu family, waved a hand at Zhou Changhong. "No need to stand on ceremony. I just came to watch a movie. "This film is truly well made. A pity so few people in Puluo Province have the wits to understand it. There's only one thing not quite to my liking: the role of Liang Chunjie should have gone to you. When someone else plays it, it really falls short." "Zhou Changhong" offered a modest smile. "Elder Master, you flatter me." Lu Maoxian waved him off. "It's no flattery. At my age, I have no reason to butter anyone up. These are my honest thoughts. "Changhong, why didn't you take the role? Did Boss Ling not offer the right price?" "Zhou Changhong" shook his head. "I tried for it, but Boss Ling had someone else in mind." "I'll have to have a word with Miaoying about this. The right person belongs in the right role, and no one is more suited for this part than you." The two chatted idly for a few moments, then fell quiet, each focusing on the film. Why was Lu Maoxian so warm toward Zhou Changhong? In truth, it was hardly strange. In Puluo Province, particularly in Lüshui City, movie stars and prominent clans always had some dealings with one another. "Zhou Changhong" didn't think much of it. From the looks of it, the real Zhou Changhong was probably quite familiar with old master Lu. When the screening ended, "Zhou Changhong" exchanged a few more pleasantries with Lu Maoxian, and the two went their separate ways. Walking down the street, "Zhou Changhong" overheard a man and a woman discussing the plot. Out of habit, "Zhou Changhong" held a safety pin up to his left ear. After listening for a moment, he heard nothing at all. His left ear still hadn't improved. He moved the pin near his right ear, and this time, he could hear with perfect clarity. The man said, "This movie was pretty dull. We'd have been better off watching Bloodgun Detective." The woman replied, "Why are you so vulgar? How could anyone watch filth like that?" "Bloodgun Detective's plot is good too. It's not all just that sort of..." "Stop talking, I don't want to hear it!" The woman grew upset. "Movies aren't just about plot; they're about depth. "The depth of a character like Liang Chunjie isn't something characters from other movies could ever compare to. "I especially admire that line he said: 'A household needs a master, a city needs a master, and a territory needs a master. Without a master, the common folk are nothing more than scattered sand, bound to be bullied.'" The man said, "I don't agree with that. Without a master, you can't go on living?" The woman sighed. "We truly have nothing to talk about!" "Zhou Changhong" nodded to himself. Aside from the vastly inferior attendance, the other effects had largely met expectations. He wanted to hear more impressions from other viewers, but a button on his chest suddenly began to vibrate. "Jiaqing, something happened at the hospital." It was Big Head's voice. "What happened?" "Xiao Zhenggong saw right through Zhou Changhong's identity. Zhou Changhong told him the truth." "Zhou Changhong" frowned, his earlier good mood instantly ruined. "Is the intel reliable?" "You could say I saw it with my own eyes." "Thank you, brother." He Jiaqing, disguised as "Zhou Changhong," terminated the link, realizing the gravity of the situation. He shouldn't have left Zhou Changhong unattended before, nor should he have overestimated the man's loyalty. Maintaining an unbothered demeanor, He Jiaqing headed toward the train station, preparing to buy a ticket back to the Outer States immediately. Of course, buying a ticket was one thing; whether he actually boarded the train was another. He had other means of returning to the Outer States. The cat was out of the bag. Speed wasn't the main concern; what mattered was keeping his movements covert. Covert... When Lu Maoxian came to find me just now, was there another reason behind it? "Mister, buy a paper?" A newsboy stepped in front of him. Irritated, He Jiaqing shoved the boy aside. Lu Maoxian coming over might not have been a coincidence. Could he have recognized me? Impossible. Judging strictly by cultivation, he shouldn't have been able to spot any flaw—unless he was in league with Xiao Zhenggong. Could the Jiangxiang Gang and the Lu family be in contact too? Or perhaps... "Pity me, please... give me a bite to eat." A beggar blocked his path once more. Losing patience, He Jiaqing stepped around him. It really was possible that Lu Maoxian had dealings with Xiao Zhenggong. Xiao Zhenggong wasn't just the chief of the Jiangxiang Gang; he was also a balancer. His identity was exceedingly complex... "Pity me, please... give me a bite to eat." The beggar slipped around in front of He Jiaqing again. Why was this man pestering him? His train of thought interrupted once more, an irritated He Jiaqing glared at the beggar before him. He saw the beggar's tattered rags, saw the sores covering his face, and saw the green pus oozing from those sores. The Lüshui Beggar... He Jiaqing's expression tautened. The beggar grinned. "Pity me, please... give me a bite to eat." He Jiaqing tapped the button on his chest and whispered, "Don't speak. Keep the channel open." P.S. The Sage's old friend has arrived.