Chapter 38

Seeing Lu Zheng get out of the car and walk over, Tan Qiang snapped to attention and saluted, saying loudly, "Director Lu, good day!"

Lu Zheng returned the salute and then smiled, extending his hand, "Tan Qiang, I've heard a lot about you from Hu Zi!" As he spoke, he shook Tan Qiang's hand and gave him a light punch on the chest, "Hmm, you're a good young man!" Wang Yuguo had quietly told him who the person was from a distance.

Tan Qiang smiled foolishly, clearly very comfortable with the way Director Lu interacted with him.

Behind the artificial hill and fountain in the courtyard, several police officers in uniform quickly walked over, led by a middle-aged officer who was the deputy director of the Qinglong County Bureau, Ma Kuishan, in charge of the military training.

Du Xiaohu had met him before and introduced Lu Zheng to Ma Kuishan. Ma Kuishan, holding Lu Zheng's hand, laughed, "Director Lu, I've heard a lot about you. It looks like we'll have a first-class hero model in our Wushan region this year. After the turmoil, you are the only one in our Jidong Province."

The Provincial Public Security Department had already decided to apply to the Ministry of Public Security for Lu Zheng to be awarded the title of "First-Class Hero Model of the National Public Security System."

Lu Zheng smiled and said, "I haven't done enough, I'm afraid the application won't be approved. Besides, it's just part of my job, nothing special."

Ma Kuishan laughed heartily, "If the first-class doesn't come through, the second-class is a sure thing."

Hearing his crude and low-level remarks, Wang Yuguo couldn't help but frown slightly, feeling somewhat displeased. He knew that with the emergence of Lu Zheng in Guangning, some of the brother bureaus in the region were a bit不服气 (unconvinced), especially the Qinglong Bureau, which had always been ahead in all aspects among the Wushan county bureaus. Last year, a police officer in Qinglong sacrificed his life to save someone and was posthumously awarded the title of second-class hero model. Now, Lu Zheng from Guangning, who hadn't even been injured, was being nominated for the first-class hero model by the province, which made many people unhappy. There were even some rhymes in the Qinglong Bureau that belittled Director Lu.

However, if Zhang Zili hadn't been killed, who knows how many more military and civilians he would have harmed. This was not comparable to saving a drowning child.

Wang Yuguo muttered to himself but kept a smile on his face, shook hands with Ma Kuishan, and then hurriedly walked towards the sanatorium's office building.

Lu Zheng, however, remained calm, smiling and chatting with Ma Kuishan for a few moments. Soon, Wang Yuguo returned, holding a set of keys and whispering in Lu Zheng's ear, "Director, I got the keys, it's Building 3 at the back." Though he said it softly, it was clearly intended for Ma Kuishan to hear.

The four-story building at the front of the sanatorium was for ordinary convalescents, similar to a hotel, with about a hundred double and quadruple rooms, where ordinary employees of the provincial trade union and large enterprises could enjoy their vacation and convalescence. At the back of the sanatorium, nestled among the mountains and forests, were four or five small villas, reserved for the leaders of the provincial trade union and related state-owned enterprises. Sometimes, leaders from external institutions would also stay there when they came to the Gold Coast for convalescence. Building 3, which Wang Yuguo had obtained, was one of these villas.

This was a tradition left by Zhang Qingming, who always stayed in these villas when he came to the Gold Coast. First, as the guardian of local security, the sanatorium also needed to maintain good relations with the local authorities and give him some face. Second, he had an old classmate in the logistics department of the provincial trade union who could speak on his behalf, and he had also arranged with the sanatorium. Therefore, Zhang Qingming had the privilege of staying in the sanatorium's villas, provided that no high-ranking leaders from the provincial trade union or friendly units were staying at the time.

Since this tradition had been established, it was not easily changed. The sanatorium did not care much whether the current director of the Guangning County Bureau had changed. Director Zhang knew Wang Yuguo and had dealt with him several times before. Seeing him come to get the keys, he had no objections.

Wang Yuguo deliberately let Ma Kuishan hear, telling him that although they were both county bureaus, the Guangning Bureau was a level higher than the Qinglong Bureau.

Indeed, with economic development, the political status of provinces and regions (cities) had also changed. In Jidong Province, adjacent to the capital and with coastal special economic zones, Wushan's political status had even surpassed that of the provincial capital. Within Wushan, Guangning had undoubtedly developed the fastest. In terms of administrative positions, whether at the county or government level, or in various departments, it was a more prestigious and lucrative position compared to other counties.

Qinglong, on the other hand, was a poor and remote area with inconvenient transportation, the most backward and impoverished county in the Wushan region.

In the police system, the director of the Guangning County Public Security Bureau had far more power and resources than the director of the Qinglong County Public Security Bureau, and this gap was only widening.

Ma Kuishan's face turned slightly grim when he heard Wang Yuguo's words. Clearly, even if he wasn't a coarse person, he had little depth and showed his emotions openly. No wonder he had said some pointed things to Lu Zheng upon their first meeting.

Seeing Wang Yuguo get the villa keys, Lu Zheng shook his head and said, "Return the keys, we won't stay here today."

Wang Yuguo was slightly taken aback but quickly agreed.

Ma Kuishan chuckled dryly, "Where else is Director Lu going? I'd like to join in." Clearly, he thought Lu Zheng and Wang Yuguo were showing off and trying to intimidate him.

Lu Zheng smiled and said, "We'll stay at the state-owned hotel on Hongqi Road. The trade union sanatorium is an external unit, and your military training is the main event. It's normal to arrange accommodation here, but we, as visitors, shouldn't take advantage. Ma Director, it's getting late, let's call it a day. I'll come to learn from you tomorrow morning." Seeing that the conversation wasn't going well, he decided to part ways to avoid unnecessary conflict. They were all here for work, so there was no point in getting into a pointless argument.

Ma Kuishan's face brightened slightly when he heard Lu Zheng's words. He nodded and shook hands with Lu Zheng, "Alright, I'll be waiting for Director Lu at five in the morning."

Lu Zheng smiled and nodded, turned around, and got into the jeep.

Tan Qiang glanced at Ma Kuishan with a frown. Although he hadn't said much, he could tell that Ma Kuishan was unfriendly. Moreover, the "five in the morning" comment seemed to be a challenge. Director Lu was already giving him a lot of respect by treating him like a veteran of the military training.

However, as a subordinate to both bureau leaders, Tan Qiang didn't say anything. He just exchanged a glance with Du Xiaohu, and they both smiled, finding the deputy director from Qinglong quite amusing.

The jeep led the way, followed by the motorcycle ridden by Tan Qiang and Du Xiaohu, as they buzzed off.

Ma Kuishan shook his hand, which had just been held by Lu Zheng, and thought to himself that this young director of the Guangning Bureau was different. There was no trace of anger in his words, and it was hard to gauge his depth. He was completely different from the fiery-tempered Director Liu, who also served as the county vice-mayor. This encounter left him feeling frustrated.

...

The state-owned hotel on Hongqi Road was not far from the border police station. It was a two-story red brick building with a wooden sign hanging by the entrance, white letters on a black background reading "Guangning County Nanying Township Hongqi Road Hotel."

Pushing open the glass door with a worn red wooden handle, they entered a very narrow reception area. The reception desk was like a bank counter, with a glass window and a small opening below. Seeing no one behind the counter, Du Xiaohu called out, "Is anyone here? Is anyone here?" After a long while, no one responded.

Finally, a middle-aged woman emerged from a small room behind the reception desk, belching and pouring herself a cup of tea from a thermos. She slowly blew on the hot water and then looked up, asking, "Are you here to check in?"

Du Xiaohu scolded, "Duh! Why else would we be here? What kind of service is this? Where have you been?!" He had been with Lu Zheng for a long time and was becoming more modern in his language.

The middle-aged woman, who hadn't looked up until now, tsked, "You can stay or not..." She was about to retort but stopped when she saw Lu Zheng and the others. She coughed and said, "How many of you? Do you have a referral letter? An ID card will do."

Then she saw Tan Qiang and her plump face broke into a smile, "Director Tan, are these your friends?"

Tan Qiang didn't recognize her but had been to the hotel a few times for fire safety and theft prevention inspections. He nodded in greeting without saying much.

Lu Zheng knew that the service staff at state-owned units often treated ordinary guests like they were herding pigs and sheep. It was only when they saw the police uniforms that the receptionist reluctantly gave them a smile. The county reception center used to be even worse.

Du Xiaohu wanted to scold her again, but Lu Zheng coughed and said, "Xiao Hu, forget it. Wang Yuguo, go register."

The jeep and motorcycle had been left in the border police station's courtyard, and they had walked over.

Although the middle-aged woman waved her hands, saying it wasn't necessary, Wang Yuguo still showed her their IDs and said, "Four double rooms." After calculating, one room for Director Lu, one for him and Du Xiaohu, one for Tan Qiang and Jiao Lei, and one for Wei Xiangxiu, making four rooms in total.

Tan Qiang smiled and waved his hand, "Three rooms, just three. Xiao Hu and I can squeeze in at my station, we have a place to stay." The current officials were quite mindful of public expenses, especially Tan Qiang, who was a serving armed police officer. If there was a place to squeeze in, there was no need to spend public money unnecessarily.

Seeing Lu Zheng nod, Wang Yuguo booked three rooms and went upstairs with Jiao Lei to check them out.

Lu Zheng smiled at Tan Qiang and Du Xiaohu, "Come to my room for a while, then we'll change into casual clothes and take a walk. Hongqi Road has changed a lot, I want to explore." Both Lu Zheng and Wang Yuguo had brought some clothes for a one or two-day stay.

Du Xiaohu looked troubled, scratching his head, "Brother Zheng, what about me?"

Tan Qiang chuckled and patted his shoulder, "Wear mine, I think we're about the same size. Let's go try, see if I have something that fits you."

Tan Qiang and Du Xiaohu walked off laughing, while Lu Zheng and Wei Xiangxiu followed up the stairs.

The double rooms on the second floor were quite clean, being a new building with a good environment. The sheets, blankets, and white porcelain teacups on the table were all new, and the slippers and hot water pot were neatly arranged under the table, all of which Wang Yuguo had just instructed the staff to replace.

Lu Zheng had just changed into casual clothes when there was a light knock on the door. With a "Come in," Wei Xiangxiu walked in.

Wei Xiangxiu, in a light blue denim outfit, looked both pure and sexy. The loose jeans had been cut to fit tightly around her slender, long legs and her soft, rounded buttocks, a combination that could drive men wild. Her black low-heeled leather shoes made every step feel like a caress, making one's heart itch.

Lu Zheng looked her over and smiled, "Finally bought some new clothes? They look good." Privately, Lu Zheng was always relaxed, and the police beauty in the bureau was indeed a pleasure to look at.

Wei Xiangxiu was taken aback, not expecting such a comment from the usually serious and temperamental director. She giggled and said in a coquettish voice, "Director, do I really look good?"

Lu Zheng then remembered that she was a thorny rose, full of petty thoughts and capable of causing trouble. He coughed and put on a stern face, "You're always laughing and joking, and you're not very diligent at work!" In fact, after working with her for a while, Lu Zheng's opinion of Wei Xiangxiu had improved. Although she could be a headache at times, she was very capable and a valuable asset to the bureau.

"I'm not diligent? I serve you every day, but you never see it," Wei Xiangxiu said with a double meaning, her voice flirtatious and teasing.

Recently, the food company had suddenly resolved her husband He Dabiao's retirement issues, giving him a 40% salary and public medical benefits. They also arranged a part-time security job for him at another unit, which, in practice, meant he continued to earn a salary. With the guaranteed salary plus the new job, his income was even higher than before.

This was a significant favor to He Dabiao, as per the 1982 State Council regulations, non-work-related disabled employees like He Dabiao could only be retired if they were completely incapacitated or unable to perform their original job, and the unit had no light work to offer, and they did not meet the retirement criteria. He Dabiao, who had crashed a company truck while drunk, causing significant economic losses, could have been held responsible and even dismissed. Now, not only was he retired, but he was also given a new job, a great act of kindness by the food company.

Wei Xiangxiu was so happy that she bought several new outfits. However, the good times didn't last long. After a few days of work, He Dabiao got into a fight with a coworker and refused to go back, reverting to his old habit of daily drinking, which infuriated Wei Xiangxiu. Since the accident, they had spoken less and less, and now they were almost like strangers. She didn't care much about He Dabiao anymore, but the family's financial situation had become increasingly tight.

Wei Xiangxiu now only hoped to get a new apartment and move out of the dilapidated house that leaked during rain. Other issues could be resolved. With her current salary, she could at least provide for the family.

The new family building for the police bureau had just been completed, and the list of allocated apartments would be released in a few days. But she had heard nothing from Wang Yuguo, and perhaps there was no hope.

Now, with only her and Lu Zheng in the room, Wei Xiangxiu wanted to say more, but there was another knock on the door. Wang Yuguo and Jiao Lei, now in casual clothes, walked in, and Wei Xiangxiu had to hold back her words.

"Alright, let's go for a walk," Lu Zheng said, waving his hand.

Although Lu Zheng's style was sometimes rough and even a bit thuggish, the three people present knew he was not simple, but very complex.

...

It was early autumn, and the shops on both sides of Hongqi Road were either closed or half-closed. However, the seafood market at the end of the street was bustling with vendors loudly selling shrimp, crabs, and various fish. Seafood was very cheap due to the lack of transportation.

In September, the shrimp didn't have many eggs, but Du Xiaohu loved them. At a seafood stall, he gave the vendor aunt five yuan, and she enthusiastically praised her shrimp while quickly weighing out five pounds.

Lu Zheng smiled, "Will the hotel staff steam them for us?"

Tan Qiang snorted, "They dare not!" Then, realizing he shouldn't act like a local tough in front of Director Lu, he laughed awkwardly, "Director, let's go to the music tea house. The owner is a friend of mine. We can listen to music, drink beer, and eat seafood, and be a bit more refined."

Lu Zheng laughed, "Refined? You