Chapter 4

In 1984, the year of the thunderous reforms, the political climate was clear, and a hundred flowers bloomed. The People's Republic entered its most vibrant period of thought in history.

The city of Wushan, near the capital, was one of the earliest coastal cities to open up to the outside world. The living standards of the people were rapidly improving, and the streets occasionally saw cars from Hainan. Although not long ago, the administrative chief of Hainan was demoted due to a decision that led to a large influx of smuggled cars into the mainland, this sensational Hainan smuggling case did not dampen the enthusiasm of the citizens of the People's Republic for owning private cars.

"Setting up a small stall is better than being a county official; the sound of a horn is better than being a provincial governor." Capitalism was awakening, and the wave of the entire population entering the market economy was gradually rising, with the noise and fervor surging forward like a breached dam.

The desire of the people, once restrained, now burst forth with unimaginable passion.

The same was true for Guangning County, which was under the jurisdiction of Wushan. Guangning, also known as Ming Shi, was nestled by the mountains and the sea, with convenient transportation and a strategic location. It had always been a place of strategic importance. Ming Shi Mountain was where Cao Cao left his famous poem. After the reform and opening up, Wushan was listed as one of the coastal open cities, and Guangning County, under its jurisdiction, saw rapid economic development. The coastal golden coast was developed into a sand sliding field, becoming a popular place for leisure and summer retreats.

The streets of the county town were lined with willows, and private restaurants, electrical repair shops, and barbershops were scattered along the main road in front of the department store. Compared to other inland areas in the north, Guangning's commercial development was much faster.

Lu Zheng strolled through the small county town along the shaded path, looking at the familiar yet unfamiliar plants and shops, feeling a myriad of emotions.

After a car accident, he found himself in 1984, in the prime of his youth.

The 1980s, a decade that brought both glory and endless humiliation, a decade that he both loved and hated.

He loved the simplicity and purity of this era, but he also hated the humiliation he suffered, the thorn deeply embedded in his heart. Would he have to relive it all over again?

"Commissar, would you like some water?"

Lu Zheng smiled and shook his head, glancing at Huzi.

Huzi, who now followed him after his transfer, was an investigator in the criminal investigation team of Guangning County. Lu Zheng himself was the deputy political commissar and head of the public security department of the county bureau.

Huzi was actually the grandson of an old orderly in his family. On the battlefield, he was somewhat protective of Lu Zheng, but it was Lu Zheng who saved his life. After Lu Zheng's transfer, Huzi also voluntarily transferred and followed him to Guangning.

Huzi's feelings for him were a mix of traditional loyalty passed down from his grandfather and a bond forged in blood and fire. In front of Lu Zheng, he was both an orderly and a guardian.

Sometimes Lu Zheng would laugh at Huzi for being "feudal," but Huzi remained his own self, regardless of what Lu Zheng said.

Looking at the green military water bottle Huzi offered, Lu Zheng felt a wave of inexplicable sadness. In his previous life, even when the Lu family fell, and he was at his lowest point, Huzi still tried his best to help him. Eventually, he was implicated and even lost his life.

This truly showed the depth of human character and the sincerity of true friendship.

"I'm not thirsty," Lu Zheng said with a smile, patting Huzi's short hair. Huzi was like a little brother to him now.

Huzi, not knowing what Lu Zheng was thinking, laughed foolishly as usual.

Lu Zheng slowly walked, reflecting on the past, present, and future.

In reality, he was at his lowest point now, but Huzi always trusted him, following his every step, step by step.

Huzi always believed that he could overcome all difficulties and defeat all opponents, just like on the battlefield, where he was invincible and unstoppable!

What Huzi didn't know was that the political arena was more treacherous than the battlefield. The enemies on the battlefield were visible, but the enemies in the political arena were often unpredictable.

Now, the criteria for cadres were "youth, knowledge, professionalism, and revolution," the so-called "four modernizations." His revolutionary loyalty was beyond doubt, and he was young, but his junior high school education was a fatal flaw.

The army had given him a sense of iron-blooded passion and a rough and simple work style. After a year of settling in, the hero's halo faded, and he gradually became out of place. Moreover, at such a young age, he had reached a position that many older police officers could only dream of, and many people were jealous and spoke ill of him behind his back.

In his previous life, a few months later, he would be squeezed out of the police force, resign in anger, and go into business, losing his grandfather's love and the protection of his family. Although his business was doing well, with the brutal purge of the Lu family from the political map of the People's Republic, he was also implicated, imprisoned twice, and his company was seized.

But no matter what difficulties he faced, Huzi was always by his side. When he went into business, Huzi followed him. When he was in prison, Huzi worked outside to help him. In the end, Huzi was also restricted and died mysteriously at home.

The scenes of the past flashed through his mind.

"Huzi, from now on, we only win, never lose!" Lu Zheng said softly, as if speaking to Huzi, but also to himself.

Du Xiaohu, not understanding the meaning of his words, smiled foolishly and said, "Of course, Brother Zheng, those people at the county bureau are no match for you!"

"Let's go get a haircut," Lu Zheng said, looking up and seeing that they had arrived at a barbershop. He pointed to the shop, thinking that just as the ancients would cut their hair to show determination, he would also follow this tradition and start anew from today.

The barbershop was small but bright and clean. Compared to state-owned barbershops, this private one was more modern. The glass mirror had a poster of the movie "Little Flower" with a beautiful female film star, different from the large posters of later times. The photos were ordinary in size, inserted into the edges of the frame. The young and innocent photos of Chen Xiaqing and Liu Chong were quite attractive.

The owner of the barbershop was an old man surnamed Wang, who was very talkative. He claimed to be retired from a state-owned barbershop and opened this, the first private barbershop in Guangning, a few years ago. Business was good, and he earned more than he did when he was working.

"Let's do a crew cut," Lu Zheng said, sitting in the chair and looking at himself in the mirror, smiling. His body was filled with the vitality of youth, which was wonderful.

Old Man Wang was skilled and quick, but the manual clippers were not very easy to use, and Lu Zheng sometimes felt pain on his scalp, which was nothing like the electric clippers of later times.

But this was what a haircut should be, and Lu Zheng enjoyed the process.

Du Xiaohu sat straight on a bench against the wall behind Lu Zheng, as still as a statue, clearly a veteran.

Old Man Wang, observant, smiled and said, "Young man, you've both been in the army, right?"

Seeing Lu Zheng nod, Old Man Wang started chatting, "Being in the army is good; you get to see the world. My youngest son was in the army too. Last year, he came back and bought me some granulated sugar. He said this stuff used to be sold only in foreign exchange stores, which sold good things to foreigners. It's black and a bit bitter, but it's quite tasty."

Lu Zheng just smiled, but Du Xiaohu frowned and corrected him, "Old man, that's not granulated sugar. You're talking about chocolate. And foreign exchange stores don't just sell to foreigners. People in the country can use foreign exchange to shop there."

Old Man Wang laughed, "See, young comrade, being in the army broadens your horizons."

Huzi frowned and muttered, "This old man, his awareness is a bit low. We are the masters of our own destiny. When did we start selling good things only to foreigners? Being afraid of foreigners is a feudal mentality."

Lu Zheng glared at Du Xiaohu in the mirror and scolded, "Huzi! What are you mumbling about!" In his heart, he couldn't help but laugh. It turned out that twenty years ago, Huzi was so innocent and adorable. The people of this era were still very simple.

Huzi stopped talking, and Old Man Wang's face turned serious, not daring to joke around anymore. After all, it wasn't long since the chaos was corrected, and the repercussions of labeling and criticizing people were still present. The consequences of speaking carelessly could be severe.

The barbershop fell silent. Old Man Wang focused on cutting hair, and Lu Zheng closed his eyes, silently thinking about the affairs at the bureau and the recent sensational dismemberment case, which directly led to his being squeezed out of the county bureau.

A commotion of voices interrupted Lu Zheng's thoughts. Suddenly, seven or eight men of various ages rushed into the barbershop. Some wore industrial and commercial uniforms, others were in plain clothes, with red armbands that read "Crackdown on Speculation and Smuggling."

A middle-aged man, who looked like a cadre, wearing glasses, grinned and asked Old Man Wang, "Uncle Wang, business is good, right?"

Old Man Wang immediately smiled, "Xiao Long, it's Sunday today. You're still so busy?"

The middle-aged industrial and commercial cadre sighed but looked somewhat proud, "No choice, we have to maintain economic order. At the county meeting, they said there are too many illegal operations. We work around the clock and still can't catch them all."

Lu Zheng knew from their armbands that they were from the "Crackdown Office," which was the "Office of the Leading Group for the Crackdown on Smuggling and Speculation." It was set up under the county industrial and commercial bureau and was responsible for economic supervision of industrial and commercial enterprises, protecting legal operations, eliminating illegal operations, and maintaining economic order, including cracking down on the resale of important production materials and tight commodities prohibited by the state.

From the casual chat between the middle-aged industrial and commercial cadre and Old Man Wang, Lu Zheng gathered that the cadre's surname was Zhou, and he was the deputy director of the administrative department of the industrial and commercial bureau, as well as the head of the law enforcement supervision team of the "Crackdown Office."

The house behind Old Man Wang's shop belonged to Director Zhou, and the shop itself was built by Director Zhou. Even Old Man Wang's individual business license was obtained with Director Zhou's help, so Old Man Wang was very respectful to him. When he spoke to Director Zhou, his hand with the clippers stopped, causing Du Xiaohu to frown.

Director Zhou noticed Du Xiaohu's expression and immediately sized him up, saying sarcastically, "What's wrong? Not satisfied?"

Du Xiaohu raised his eyebrows, ready to retort, but Lu Zheng stopped him, "Xiao Hu!"

If it were the young and fiery Lu Zheng from before his rebirth, he would have definitely clashed with Director Zhou and his team. But the current Lu Zheng had experienced so much and wouldn't stoop to such pointless conflicts.

Lu Zheng also knew that with the economic reforms, various law enforcement departments gradually gained power. People who had never tasted such power inevitably became arrogant. Director Zhou was one of them. Being sought after for favors, he gradually distanced himself from the people, feeling superior and looking down on everyone.

Now, obtaining a business license was extremely difficult, and many people wanted to become individual entrepreneurs and gain legal operating rights. The industrial and commercial system naturally became a powerful and influential department.

Although he had stopped Huzi, a fire was rising in Lu Zheng's heart. He knew that his current personality, deeply influenced by his twenties, was still very much present. He was more like a young man in his twenties rather than the mysterious and powerful "business magician" he had become.

Du Xiaohu, stopped by Lu Zheng, still glared at Director Zhou, making him furious. Just as he was about to speak, a timid voice came from the side, "Uncle, I don't want the eggs anymore. Please let me go."

It turned out that among the law enforcement officers, there was a little girl, about eight or nine years old, wearing a floral dress. She was very cute, but she was short, so Lu Zheng and Du Xiaohu hadn't noticed her earlier.

Director Zhou turned and scolded her, "Shut up! Do you know what you're doing? This is speculation and smuggling, do you understand? Your parents sent you to sell, didn't they? Tell me, who are your parents? Where do they work? If you don't, you won't be going anywhere."

The little girl, terrified, was trembling but still shook her head, refusing to speak to protect her parents.

On the other side, a young law enforcement officer held a basket of eggs. It was clear that the little girl had come to the city to sell eggs and was caught by them.

"Speak! If you don't, we'll lock you up!" another law enforcement officer threatened the little girl.

Tears welled up in the little girl's big eyes, but she shook her head vigorously, refusing to speak.

Lu Zheng couldn't help but admire the little girl's sense of righteousness. At such a young age, she was willing to take responsibility, although her actions were naive because they would eventually find her parents.

Just as Lu Zheng was about to speak, a young officer slapped the little girl, cursing, "Crying? I'll kill you if you cry!" He was annoyed by her tears.

Seeing this, Lu Zheng's face turned cold, and he said sternly, "What are you doing? Give the eggs back to the little girl. A bunch of grown men bullying a little girl, isn't that shameful?"

The law enforcement officers looked at Lu Zheng. The young man who had slapped the little girl was the most brutal and had a foul mouth. He cursed, "Who the hell are you? This is none of your business. Just get your haircut and be done with it!"

Lu Zheng stopped getting his haircut and stood up, saying, "You're supposed to crack down on speculation and smuggling. Do you even know what that is? Do you want me to show you the legal code? Besides, this is violent law enforcement!"

The law enforcement officers looked at each other and grinned, thinking they had encountered a tough guy. They didn't understand what Lu Zheng was talking about, and one of them moved closer to Lu Zheng, clearly intending to show him what violent law enforcement was.

Director Zhou, being a cadre, heard Lu Zheng's talk of laws and regulations and sneered, "She didn't go to the market, and she doesn't have a business license. This is illegal operation and speculation and smuggling."

The little girl, wiping her tears, said, "My mom told me to go to the market, but I didn't know the way and was asking for directions..."

Someone immediately scolded her, "Nonsense! You're already lying at such a young age. You're not learning anything good!"

Lu Zheng felt a surge of anger. It was normal for farmers to bring vegetables from their plots and eggs from their chickens to the city to sell. Not going to the market was also common, as the market wasn't big enough and only opened on fixed days. The economy was just starting to pick up, and the corresponding services and regulations hadn't caught up. These people were using their power to bully others, just like they did a few years ago.

Moreover, a long-standing problem in the country was that the system and services lagged behind the law. The law was ahead of its time, and the system and services were behind, giving law enforcement officers opportunities to abuse their power. They could punish any business they wanted, and to avoid punishment, businesses had to pay real money. The little girl's situation was a prototype of this.

Lu Zheng turned to the little girl and said, "Are you Little Flower? Didn't your mom tell you to give the blue eggs to your aunt's husband at the market entrance? They're from your home-raised chickens, and they want to try them."

The little girl was stunned. She looked at Lu Zheng, wondering how this kind uncle knew her name. She didn't know that "Little Flower" was a name Lu Zheng had made up.

"How do you know my name? Do you know... know my mom?" Little Flower asked timidly.