In today's society, the concept of God has been largely replaced by fictional fantasies. No one considers the idea that a divine being is watching from above, or that there are gods watching from above. Nor does anyone feel fear or trepidation, thus failing to act with greater care, exercise caution, uphold morality, or prioritize conscience…
The so-called divine deterrent effect has long ceased to exist in real society.
Didn't there be bad people and bad deeds in ancient times? Obviously not. There was killing, war, and infamous historical criminals back then, as well as upright officials and wise rulers who are remembered for their virtues... What was God doing?
Perhaps it is because of the divine laws and regulations that God cannot interfere in human affairs that there are never a shortage of bad people and bad deeds in the world, and there have always been wrongful convictions and miscarriages of justice.
Then what use is there for God in this world?
Xu Zhengyang lay in a single room at a small hotel in the county, exhausted but unable to sleep. One question after another kept popping into his mind, making him restless.
Aside from his divine duties and abilities, his mind was no different from that of a normal person:
They get angry when they encounter injustice and wish they could immediately draw their swords to help; when they have the ability, they will punish evil and promote good, uphold justice, and perform chivalrous acts.
That's a bit idealistic and pretentious.
However, it's true that most people have this intention, but due to practical reasons, they have to abandon those naive moral concepts that seem childish now. For example, there are many pickpockets on buses, but often, after being caught, the pickpockets beat the victims. While the passengers are indignant and wish they could beat the pickpockets to death, very few step forward. Most adopt a "better safe than sorry" attitude, thinking it's none of their business.
Hmm, I've rambled on a bit too much.
Let's talk about Cui Yao's rebirth this time.
When Xu Zhengyang learned that it would take at least another six months to determine whether Tian Qing and Xing Yufen were alive or dead, he began to think about finding another target so that Cheng Jinchang and Cui Yao could be reborn and put to life.
Then we need to find a suitable candidate. For example, someone who is about to die, and who has reached the end of their lifespan at a young age.
Xu Zhengyang had previously repeatedly ordered the county clerk not to remind him of things that made him tremble with unease, a feeling akin to waking up from a dream on certain nights with sticky underwear. Therefore, the county clerk hadn't bothered Xu Zhengyang much lately, for which Xu Zhengyang felt slightly guilty. Occasionally, he would pull out the county clerk to check if anyone in the county had recently made any requests or petitions.
Most of them are trivial matters or unreasonable petitions, etc.
This time, Xu Zhengyang asked the county clerk to help him investigate the entire county and to immediately notify him if there were any young people who were about to die.
That's how we learned about Deng Wenjing, the girl who committed suicide by poisoning herself.
Coincidentally, after investigating the reason for Deng Wenjing's suicide by poisoning, they learned about another young man who was about to die, who was quite suitable for Cheng Jinchang.
Yes, both of them had reached the end of their lifespan.
Even without the county clerk's reminder that doing so violated the heavenly laws, Xu Zhengyang vaguely felt that doing so was really inappropriate, too inconceivable, too bizarre: two people who should have died did not die because they were reborn in the world through the bodies of people who should not have died.
If people's fates are truly predetermined, then the rebirth of Cheng Jinchang and Cui Yao will inevitably affect some kind of unseen law and cause it to change.
Of course, Xu Zhengyang no longer cares about such matters of fate.
If an ordinary, unskilled poor boy from the countryside can become a god on earth with twenty divine positions due to an accident, then what special things can't happen? In comparison, the fact that Cheng Jinchang and Cui Yao were reborn in another body is a trivial matter.
The reason Deng Wenjing committed suicide by poisoning herself is, in essence, a clichéd and tragic love story.
She is twenty-five years old this year, from Pingluo Village, Guang'an Township, twenty miles east of Cixian County. When she was twenty-two, she fell in love with a man named Jiang Shiqing from the county town. Jiang Shiqing was four years older than Deng Wenjing, and their meeting had a romantic feel of love at first sight.
Jiang Shiqing wasn't particularly handsome. However, he was generous and eloquent, which made the naive Deng Wenjing dizzy with envy. She felt that she had found her Prince Charming, so she declined a marriage proposal from a local honest boy because of Jiang Shiqing.
Deng Wenjing, who fell in love while working at a textile factory in the county town, soon began living with Jiang Shiqing.
For three years, Jiang Shiqing used his busy career as an excuse to only occasionally sleep in his rented apartment with Deng Wenjing, and sometimes they would spend a few days together. The naive Deng Wenjing was understanding and considerate, without a trace of complaint. On the contrary, she felt that she had found a suitable husband who was career-oriented, capable, and responsible.
When Deng Wenjing finally couldn't bear it any longer and proposed to marry Jiang Shiqing, she was met with a bolt from the blue. Jiang Shiqing broke up with her and frankly admitted that he was a married man with a wife and children.
Unable to cope with her situation, Deng Wenjing chose to commit suicide by poisoning herself.
Hmm, isn't that a really cheesy thing?
Although Xu Zhengyang was furious, he wasn't so angry as to use his supernatural powers to severely punish Jiang Shiqing in order to vent his anger. However, he soon discovered another matter related to Jiang Shiqing.
Because Jiang Shiqing's brother-in-law, a 27-year-old young man named Zhan Xiaohui, is about to die.
This is also a key reason why Jiang Shiqing suddenly turned his back on Deng Wenjing and abandoned her, while returning to live a good life with his wife Zhan Xiaoyun, with whom he had always had a strained relationship. The reason is simple: the unmarried Zhan Xiaohui has a huge inheritance waiting for his only relative, his sister Zhan Xiaoyun, to inherit it.
What is most infuriating is that Zhan Xiaohui's illness progressed from serious to fatal because of his sister's deliberate neglect.
Her goal was to get her brother's money.
Family ties, ethics, morality, and conscience were all thrown to the winds by Zhan Xiaoyun.
Zhan Xiaoyun and Jiang Shiqing are about to achieve their goal.
Unfortunately, there are gods watching from above, and Xu Zhengyang is watching what people do.
Should we say they were unlucky or deserved it?
Their goal was destined to be unattainable.
Because Zhan Xiaohui, whose lifespan has ended, will die, but a new Zhan Xiaohui will come back to life! Lord Xu Zhengyang, the local official in Cixian County, wants Cheng Jinchang to be resurrected through possession of another's body.
On the third day after Deng Wenjing came back to life, she took a moment when no one was around and called Jiang Shiqing. She said, "Jiang Shiqing, you'll get your comeuppance." Then she hung up the phone, just as she had told Xu Zhengyang before she returned to life, "I'm stupid, I don't know what to do."
Jiang Shiqing, of course, didn't take such a remark seriously. He muttered dismissively to himself, "Retribution? If there were retribution, I would have been dead a thousand times over!"
Upon hearing this, Xu Zhengyang roared furiously across the county clerk's throat, "I'll make you, you son of a bitch, taste what it's like to die a thousand times over! You son of a bitch!"
Xu Zhengyang wasn't in a hurry to teach Jiang Shiqing a lesson, and he didn't intend to punish him severely. If even the gods had to intervene in such matters, then wouldn't everyone have to intervene if their daughter-in-law was disobedient to her parents-in-law and argued with them every day? Would they have to find two ghosts to possess her and scare her away?
That's ridiculous.
Besides, Xu Zhengyang doesn't have that much free time!
Since you, Jiang Shiqing, have said such sarcastic things, then you deserve your bad luck, you son of a bitch. Xu Zhengyang thought of a popular internet saying that Zhou Qiang had once told him: "Buddha said, don't pretend to be something you're not, or you'll get struck by lightning!" Xu Zhengyang wholeheartedly agreed. He might not get struck by lightning, but if you've done something wrong, ghosts will knock on your door in the middle of the night.
This is easy to handle. Just find a few ghosts to torment Jiang Shiqing every day. Moreover, after Cheng Jinchang is resurrected, Jiang Shiqing will be disappointed and will continue to suffer the real-life blows from the resurrected Zhan Xiaohui.
Before Cheng Jinchang can be resurrected, there's one more thing he needs to do: get Tian Qing and Xing Yufen to confess. Zhong Shan has already called, requesting Xu Zhengyang's help, because someone above is pressuring the Cixian police to investigate quickly and clear Tian Qing and Xing Yufen's name.
Let's tackle them one by one, no rush.
Xu Zhengyang sat under the grape trellis with a calm expression, smoking and thinking about these things, looking leisurely.
He himself did not realize that recently, the impression he gave people had undergone an inexplicable change, and it was becoming more and more obvious.
The first change was the unintentional glance Yao Chushun gave at the Fuhe City train station during his first trip to Beijing, which instilled fear in him. The most recent change was the feeling Zheng Ronghua couldn't quite understand yet was incredibly surprised about when they met at Gu Xiang Xuan a few days ago.
Yuan Suqin sat at the doorway of the west room, picking through the gritty bits in the rice as she muttered, "Zhengyang, why do I feel like something's wrong with you?"
"Hmm?" Xu Zhengyang turned his head and smiled, "What's wrong?"
"I don't know, but something's not right." Yuan Suqin said casually, "Don't always squint and look so listless. Also, can you relax your gaze when you look at people? It always makes people a little scared, oh no, not scared, but... well, it's like you're some big official, putting on airs. But that's not right either. Anyway, I can't really explain it. You better watch out in the future, so you don't end up not even being able to find a wife and people will say there's something wrong with your eyes."
Xu Zhengyang was stunned...
"He's got a real problem, he's just faking it." Xu Neng muttered as he picked up a shovel and walked out of the house. He had recently quit his job at the cement products factory and was spending his days wandering around the new house site, busy with random things. The sand, lime, and red bricks he had bought were piled up all over the ground. The construction team had already been notified that they would come to lay the foundation for them in a while.
"What... what happened to me?" Xu Zhengyang asked, both amused and exasperated.
Xu Neng glared at him and scolded, "Even if you have money, you can't forget your roots. You always act all high and mighty, making the neighbors gossip behind your backs."
"Hey, what are you saying? What are they saying? What could they possibly be saying?" Yuan Suqin didn't consider that her husband had just spoken up for her, and immediately began to defend her son. "How come my son acts so high and mighty? Count everyone in our village, from the oldest to the youngest, who is more successful than my son? So what if he acts high and mighty? Let them act high and mighty if they have the ability!"
"You just keep spoiling him, huh!" Xu Neng had no choice but to give in and mutter as he walked out of the courtyard gate.
Xu Zhengyang leaned back in the bamboo chair, squinting as he began to reflect.
Although my parents were arguing just now, their words revealed one fact: I have changed.
What has changed? Xu Zhengyang himself couldn't feel it, but now, reflecting on it, he seemed to realize that he was somewhat different from before.
In the past, especially when exchanging millet, he was eloquent and persuasive, haggling with rural women. He could talk a good game, making them happy and entertaining, earning their money while ensuring their well-being. Thinking back even further, he often sat down with his buddies to chat and talk about anything and everything.
Now……
It's been a while since I sat down and chatted with my buddies, let alone had a drink together.
Being busy is certainly one reason, but more often than not, I like to sit alone in my room, read a book, and think about things.
When interacting with others, I no longer like to talk much.
Moreover, I remember the first time I went to the capital, I felt insecure and a little inferior even before meeting anyone; the second time I went, facing Li Bingjie's mother, Jiang Lan, I felt no fear in my heart, and I actually managed to suppress Jiang Lan's aura head-on; a few days ago, I faced Zheng Ronghua at Gu Xiang Xuan, and the other party initially ignored me, clearly disdaining to communicate with me, but I was unusually calm at the time, and instead took everything lightly, Zheng Ronghua was just a person.
Xu Zhengyang seemed to have figured something out.
Mother Yuan Suqin suddenly muttered to herself, "Let people say whatever they want, so what? Even a beggar can become an emperor..."
Volume Two, Chapter 78: Director Zhao Invites You
A light drizzle was falling, enveloping the somewhat rustic county town in a hazy mist.
The streets of Ping'an were sparsely populated with vehicles speeding by in the rain, making a swishing sound and splashing small amounts of water. There were few pedestrians on both sides of the street; some were riding bicycles wearing raincoats, while others were walking slowly in the rain with umbrellas. The green trees along the roadside appeared particularly lush and vibrant after being washed by the rain.
The sky was dim, and it was already past five in the afternoon. However, in this kind of rainy weather, people often lose track of time and forget whether it is morning or afternoon, giving them a feeling of being tired and wanting to relax at home.
In a private room on the second floor of the Gulou Hotel, you can clearly see the scene on the street outside through a large glass window.
County Public Security Bureau Chief Zhao Qing sat on the right side by the window, smoking and saying with a beaming smile, "Old Zhong, Zheng Yang has done a great job this time. You know, Hao Peng and the others confessed so readily, but when it came to Tian Qing and Xing Yufen, you dragged it out for so long. You didn't even let Zheng Yang help. Wasn't that just wasting time?"
Zhong Shan, who was sitting on the left side by the window, chuckled and said, "Director Zhao, Zheng Yang isn't one of our police officers. How can we keep bothering him with this kind of thing? Who's going to pay him?"
Zhao Qing paused for a moment, then laughed and said, "Are you afraid that Zheng Yang will steal all the credit?"
"Nonsense, the only person who could steal my credit is you, Director Zhong." Zhong Shan said without restraint. Although his status is different now, he still has to be careful with his words occasionally. But when facing Zhao Qingshi, once Zhong Shan lets loose, he will show his true colors.
Xu Zhengyang, sitting on the other side of the round table facing the window, had a simple smile on his face, with a slightly embarrassed expression as if he was being praised.
To be honest, Xu Zhengyang really didn't expect what happened today.
Yesterday afternoon, he drove his motorcycle to the county public security bureau, naturally to help Zhong Shan interrogate Tian Qing and Xing Yufen, forcing them to confess. Unexpectedly, Zhao Qing met with him personally, initially looking doubtful and finding it hard to believe that Xu Zhengyang was the one who had forced Hao Peng and the others to confess a few days earlier. Zhao Qing was also quite surprised, having vaguely heard from some people in the bureau that Zhong Shan had long planned for this case and had even sent an undercover agent into the drug trafficking gang, which explained the rapid resolution of the case. He could believe the undercover agent theory, as the case had been solved so smoothly; it seemed like preparations had been made long ago. What puzzled Zhao Qing was that Zhong Shan had previously only been the head of the Huaxiang Police Station, and this case had absolutely nothing to do with Huaxiang. What did it have to do with him? Why would a mere police station head go to such lengths to plan this case so early?
This is simply unacceptable.
So Zhao Qing privately asked Zhong Shan several times, "How did you manage to do that? Who arranged that so-called undercover agent? Could it be that a higher-ups secretly assigned you, Zhong Shan, to investigate this case, and you just kept it from me for the sake of secrecy?"
Zhong Shan genuinely didn't know how to explain Zhao Qing's question. He couldn't very well tell Zhao Qing that there was a local earth god in Huaxiang, and that the earth god had a representative in Shuanghe Village... But he couldn't leave it unexplained either. Although the results were obvious, and Zhao Qing naturally wouldn't pursue the matter too much, ultimately, allowing Xu Zhengyang, a completely unrelated person, to meet and talk with the suspects alone in the interrogation room during the interrogation of Hao Peng and the others was simply against regulations and procedures. Left with no other choice, Zhong Shan could only explain that there wasn't actually an undercover agent or any early planning involved; solving the case involved many coincidences and a bit of luck. As for Xu Zhengyang, well... In some minor cases he solved at the Huaxiang Police Station, Xu Zhengyang demonstrated exceptional interrogation skills, especially adept at psychological attacks on suspects, often forcing their psychological defenses to crumble and leading to confessions.
Zhong Shan didn't explain why Xu Zhengyang was able to do it; such things don't need explanation, the result speaks for itself. It's like no one asking why someone became president of the United States of America—whether they were capable.
Although Zhao Qing was surprised, he didn't doubt it too much, as there are many people in this world who have talent in certain fields.
However, a few days ago, a leader from above suddenly exerted pressure on them, telling the county bureau to speed up the follow-up progress of the case, not to let a bad person go, but not to wrong an innocent person. Tian Qing and Xing Yufen... how come they have been detained in the detention center without any conclusive evidence?
At first, Zhao Qing and Zhong Shan simply sneered and ignored it. What a joke! The police are enforcing the law and solving cases; what right do you, a complete outsider, have to interfere?
However, the Municipal Public Security Bureau soon proposed that the Municipal Public Security Bureau's Narcotics Control Brigade and Criminal Investigation Department take over the follow-up work of the case.
Zhao Qing was furious and unusually showed a tough attitude. This is such a big case, a drug trafficking case that has affected more than a dozen provinces and cities. Once it is solved, it will be a huge achievement. Now that it is in the final stage of closing up, your municipal bureau wants to take away most of the credit for nothing?
Although it's true that a higher-ranking official can have absolute power, that doesn't work either!
Besides, this case is being investigated by our Cixian County Public Security Bureau, which is known to the Provincial Public Security Department. Moreover, there are already personnel in the province specifically responsible for supervising this case. Your city bureau... saying such things here in my Cixian County Public Security Bureau really doesn't work.
However, Zhao Qing and Zhong Shan grew anxious because, after receiving detailed intelligence from them, the arrests and interrogations in other areas were progressing exceptionally smoothly and were now in the final stages. On the contrary, they still had two loose ends left to deal with in Cixian County.