Chapter 22

Lu Zheng never expected that Gao Zhikai would really come to collect the gun, and his attitude was far from friendly. Although his words were still polite, his arrogance was evident. Gao Zhikai was still that Gao Zhikai!

In Lu Zheng's office, Gao Zhikai spoke slowly, his tone gentle but every word was like a needle, "Deputy Political Commissar Lu, is everything settled at Dongmi Garden?"

With his first sentence, Gao Zhikai asked about Dongmi Garden, clearly indicating that his information was extremely well-informed. He had long heard about the commotion caused by Madam Cai leading the women's army at Dongmi Garden yesterday.

Lu Zheng flipped through some documents and hummed in response.

Although the past was like a cloud of smoke, and the events of his previous life seemed more like a dream to Lu Zheng, being in the same room with Gao Zhikai, and so close, made him feel a surge of anger.

The scenes of being tortured in prison suddenly flashed before his eyes, and Lu Zheng's eyelids twitched violently.

The first time he was released from prison, at the prison gate, Gao Zhikai's black luxury Audi drove past him. Perhaps he deliberately chose that day to inspect the work, otherwise, how could it be so coincidental?

From the outside, the dark window of the car slowly rolled down, revealing Gao Zhikai's contemptuous face, and then he spat a thick phlegm at Lu Zheng's feet.

Why did he hate him so much, even to the point of lowering himself to witness Lu Zheng's most wretched state?

Lu Zheng had never understood this in his previous life, and in this life, he might never find the answer.

"Deputy Political Commissar, give me your gun," Gao Zhikai continued in his deep, charming baritone. "Look, Sun Xing is here too. I've communicated with Ma Yuewu, and the gun allocation system in the bureau is too chaotic. As leaders, we should set an example, right? Sun Xing, tell us about the new gun allocation regulations!" Gao Zhikai turned to look at Sun Xing.

Sun Xing had come with Gao Zhikai and was sitting next to him, his head down, silent.

Gao Zhikai frowned, "Sun Xing, why aren't you speaking?"

Lu Zheng finally lifted his head, smiled, and said, "Don't make it hard for him. I said, if you want to collect the gun, have Ma Yuewu come himself! Or show me a document signed by Director Zhang!"

Gao Zhikai's frown deepened, "The new gun allocation regulations have been decided by the bureau leadership. Director Zhang asked me to talk to you. Lu Zheng, things are different now. Although we are bureau leaders, if we don't work on the front lines, having a gun is meaningless, and it's also a safety hazard."

Lu Zheng patted his waist and said, "I don't see it as a hazard. Director Gao, whether it's target practice, disassembling and reassembling guns, or quick-draw duels, let's have a competition?"

This sentence left Gao Zhikai speechless for a moment. Lu Zheng, a former soldier who had fought in the battlefield, was a master of guns compared to Gao Zhikai. Gao Zhikai knew he was no match for Lu Zheng.

Although Lu Zheng's temper was bad in the past, he never used such sharp words. Gao Zhikai felt frustrated and irritable, and after a while, he said, "Don't be stubborn. This won't do you any good."

Lu Zheng replied, "Is that so?"

Gao Zhikai stood up, took a few steps, and came to Lu Zheng's desk, tapping it with his hand, "Take it off! You are still a member of the bureau leadership, and you should obey the bureau's orders!"

Seeing Gao Zhikai's condescending gesture, Lu Zheng frowned slightly and said, "What if I don't obey? Are you going to tie me up and take it by force?"

Gao Zhikai said coldly, "I don't rule that out!"

The turmoil had just ended, and the brutal风气 of armed conflicts had not yet subsided. It was common to see "hooligans" being paraded in public, bound and gagged. The law enforcement agencies were brutal, and the criminals were equally ruthless. For example, last year in a farm in the north, six farm workers stole a gun from the farm instructor and killed over twenty educated youth, which was one of the main reasons for the crackdown.

So, although Gao Zhikai was just talking, binding people was not uncommon in that era, and it could be understood that if Lu Zheng did not comply with the order, he would be treated as a class enemy.

Sun Xing quickly stood up and said, "Director Gao, Deputy Political Commissar Lu, let's talk this out..." Seeing the two of them at odds, Sun Xing did not want to be caught in the middle. This was different from inciting Lu Zheng to cause trouble in the bureau.

Gao Zhikai, with a surge of anger, turned and scolded, "You, how do you manage the Public Security Department? Once the guns are issued, you can't collect them back! If something happens, you will bear a major responsibility!"

Looking at Sun Xing, Lu Zheng suddenly thought of Hu Zi. In his previous life, when he was in prison, Hu Zi outside was probably bullied and intimidated by people like Gao Zhikai. However, Hu Zi would not be afraid of him, and no matter how much he suffered, he would never tell Lu Zheng.

Lu Zheng slowly narrowed his eyes, pointed to the door, and said in a deep voice, "Gao Zhikai, stop acting wild here! Get out!"

Gao Zhikai did not expect Lu Zheng to be so direct in asking him to leave. His face turned dark and he said, "What? Others might be afraid of you, but don't try to bully me! Hand over the gun! Don't make things difficult for yourself!"

Seeing Gao Zhikai's dark gaze, Lu Zheng's mind was flooded with painful memories. He could no longer hold back, and he quickly walked around the desk, took two steps, and slapped Gao Zhikai hard, shouting, "Can't you understand when I'm talking to you nicely? Get out of here!"

The slap was loud and clear, and both Gao Zhikai and Sun Xing were stunned. No one expected Lu Zheng to actually hit him. Although Lu Zheng was known for his rough style and had beaten subordinates before, this was the first time he had hit a bureau-level official.

Gao Zhikai did not feel the pain on his face; he was completely stunned by Lu Zheng's sudden slap. For a moment, he did not know how to react.

After a long while, Gao Zhikai came to his senses and wanted to fight back, but seeing Lu Zheng's fierce look, he knew he was no match for this rough man.

Sun Xing quickly pulled Gao Zhikai, saying, "Director Gao, Director Gao, let's go, let's go, okay?" He also shouted to Lu Zheng, "Commissar, calm down, calm down."

After the initial shock, Sun Xing was almost laughing out loud. This slap was so satisfying.

Gao Zhikai's constant condescending and arrogant attitude had made many people in the bureau want to hit him, but they only thought about it. However, Deputy Political Commissar Lu actually did it!

This scene was so shocking and satisfying that it would be enough to brag about for three months.

Gao Zhikai's face was ashen as he let Sun Xing pull him away. Just before they left Lu Zheng's office, he pointed at Lu Zheng and said through gritted teeth, "Lu Zheng, you wait. As long as I'm around, you won't have a good day!"

Lu Zheng took two steps forward and said, "You little punk, do you want another one?"

Sun Xing quickly pulled Gao Zhikai away, feeling that he did not use much force, but Gao Zhikai quickly left Lu Zheng's office.

Sun Xing felt a wave of contempt. He thought, "He's just a tough exterior with a weak interior." But he also thought, "This is like a scholar meeting a soldier. Even Director Zhang would have to back off if he faced Lu Zheng's outburst."

Seeing Sun Xing give him a thumbs-up as he closed the office door, Lu Zheng smiled slightly. This slap did make him feel better.

Although Lu Zheng's emotions were influenced by the shadows of his past life, this slap was not just about venting. It was mainly to embarrass Gao Zhikai.

His rough image was already deeply ingrained, and fighting would not significantly damage his reputation, but it would have a significant impact on Gao Zhikai. Sun Xing would surely spread the news throughout the bureau, making it a topic of conversation among the officers.

Gao Zhikai, who loved to save face and always maintained a leader's demeanor, would have his accumulated prestige shattered by this slap. At the very least, it would make him less aggressive and save Lu Zheng from constant trouble.

...

In the afternoon, Lu Zheng was summoned to Zhang Qingming's office by a phone call.

Lu Zheng naturally knew why Zhang Qingming suddenly called him. After the secretary left with a cup of hot water, Lu Zheng said sincerely, "Director Zhang, I made a mistake, but you know my temper. Sometimes I just can't control it. To be honest, Gao Zhikai was really infuriating! He insisted on taking my gun in front of Sun Xing. Director Zhang, don't you think I've kept a low profile enough? What more does he want?"

As he spoke, Lu Zheng stood up and placed his gun and holster on Zhang Qingming's desk, saying, "Director Zhang, here is my gun. I am now turning it in."

Zhang Qingming looked at Lu Zheng with his small eyes. He did not expect Lu Zheng to hand over the gun so easily, especially after he had just fought with Gao Zhikai over it. This made Zhang Qingming feel a bit honored, thinking that this rough man still respected him.

Zhang Qingming slowly pushed the gun and holster back to Lu Zheng and sighed, "Keep it. A war hero from the South China border, coming to our public security front, shouldn't have to worry about touching a gun. That's not right! The new gun allocation regulations are strict, but they are still in the trial phase. We can't make everyone angry. We need to adjust based on the situation."

Then, Zhang Qingming's face turned serious, "But Lu Zheng, I must criticize you. No matter how big the issue, you can always seek help from the organization, the bureau leadership, or me, the director! How could you resort to violence? This will have a bad impact! You should apologize to Comrade Gao Zhikai, sincerely."

Lu Zheng shook his head and said firmly, "I won't go."

Seeing his determined look, Zhang Qingming knew that this stubborn bull had made up his mind. If he said he wouldn't go, he definitely wouldn't.

Sometimes, Lu Zheng could be quite adorable, as long as he wasn't targeting him.

Zhang Qingming leaned back in his chair, rubbed his head, and said after a while, "Alright, forcing you to apologize now would be counterproductive. Wait until you resolve your issues, then go. For now, I'll handle the situation with Gao Zhikai."

Regarding the May 16th case, Zhang Qingming was grateful to Lu Zheng, but since all the credit went to him, he hoped Lu Zheng would stay out of the limelight for a while.

In Zhang Qingming's eyes, if properly cultivated, Lu Zheng could be a valuable asset. He worked the hardest and never complained, and he was completely harmless.

Yes, in a while, he would find a way to bring him back.

Zhang Qingming could never have imagined how dangerous Lu Zheng was now, dangerously terrifying beyond his imagination.