After exchanging pleasantries, Xu Zhengyang noticed that the two men were reluctant to mention Chen Chaojiang's case, so he offered each of them a glass of wine and then asked with a sincere smile, "Since Guo Tian and Shen Qun have both been arrested and the case is still under investigation, can the case of Chen Chaojiang being wrongly convicted of maliciously injuring someone and causing serious injury be overturned?"
When Xu Zhengyang brought this up, both of them were stunned for a moment.
Wu Feng smiled wryly and shook his head, pointing at Zhong Shan, "Don't bring up things you're not sure about. Why did you bring this up?"
“It’s not impossible. Both of our police stations have the obligation and responsibility to report the wrongful conviction of that case to our superiors. Chen Chaojiang and Liu Bin were clearly acting in self-defense under legitimate circumstances, which led to Guo Tian’s serious injury. At most, it was negligent injury or excessive self-defense…” Zhong Shan’s expression became serious when he talked about the case.
“But so much time has passed. If we bring it up again, who knows how many more people will be implicated,” Wu Feng said, shaking his head.
Zhong Shan took a sip of beer and laughed, "Almost everyone who was going to be involved has been dragged into this. One or two more won't make a difference, since it won't affect us anyway."
"We're afraid our superiors will be unhappy and think we're kicking someone when they're down..."
“This is official business, not personal revenge!” Zhong Shan said, glaring.
"Fine, I'll listen to you. It's been so many years, and you're still as temperamental as ever, you cannon fodder!" Wu Feng said with a wry smile.
Upon hearing this, Xu Zhengyang was moved, regardless of whether the matter could be resolved or not. This was hope! So he stood up with his glass in hand, bowed, and said, "Thank you, Director Wu and Uncle Zhongshan!" After saying that, he straightened up and tilted his head back to drink the beer in his glass in one gulp.
"Old Wu, isn't this kid loyal?" Zhong Shan approvingly pulled Xu Zhengyang's arm to make him sit down, then said to Wu Feng, "To be honest, my son and Zhengyang are childhood friends. These young lads are hot-blooded and prone to fighting, and they used to cause trouble and get into brawls all the time. But they've been much more well-behaved in the past year or so. Although I used to be very dissatisfied with them and disappointed them, there's one thing I like about these kids: they're loyal and true friends!"
Wu Feng nodded approvingly and joked, "I think you, Old Zhong, should learn a thing or two from your son in this regard!"
"Go to hell! Am I not loyal?" Zhong Shan glared at him with his bull-like eyes and laughed and cursed.
Xu Zhengyang sat to the side, chuckling憨厚ly, but in his heart he was thinking: I thought I was called here to discuss this matter, to ask about the details of what happened back then, but I didn't expect it to be settled in just a few words? Then what did I come here for? Well, anyway, they've decided to do what Chen Chaojiang is going to do, so I'm not in a hurry. I'll wait for them to bring it up themselves. It can't be as simple as just having a meal.
After chatting casually for a while, Zhong Shan and Wu Feng exchanged a glance, nodded, and gestured for the other to speak first.
Finally, Zhong Shan compromised, smiling as he placed a glass of wine in front of Xu Zhengyang. Before Xu Zhengyang could even say anything polite, Zhong Shan glared at him and said, "You can't refuse, you have to drink it. Your uncle brought you this wine, how dare you not drink it?"
"No, no, I'll drink it!" Xu Zhengyang didn't say another word, picked up the glass and drank it all in one gulp, then wiped his mouth and said, "Uncle, I can tell you have something to tell me, so please tell me, as long as it's within my power..."
Before he could finish speaking, there was a knock on the door of the private room.
Zhong Shan asked somewhat displeasedly, "Who is it?"
"Oh, Director Zhong, you're in such a bad mood?" Xue Hong walked in gracefully, carrying a plate of sweet and sour carp. She smiled like a lotus flower and said, "I'm bringing you a dish. What? Director Zhong isn't too happy about it? Then I'll take it back..." She said jokingly as she bent down and placed the fish plate in the middle of the table.
Wu Feng laughed and said, "It's nothing to send a fish, but it's rare for Boss Xue to bring it up personally!"
"We've really made a name for ourselves today, haven't we? How many people will be envious if word gets out?" Zhong Shan joked.
As the heads of the two local police stations, they were well aware of the background and powerful connections of the owner of the Tianwaitian Hotel. Therefore, they naturally did not put on the kind of official airs they would show in front of ordinary people when dealing with this young and beautiful proprietress.
"Come on, today I'm not giving you two directors any face." Xue Hong smiled charmingly, her delicate hands resting on Xu Zhengyang's shoulders. She said, "Today, I'm serving this brother a dish to calm his nerves. He was bullied at our restaurant last time... Oh, no, not bullied, and I'm not here to calm his nerves, but to thank this martial arts master for not causing a scene at our restaurant and ruining our reputation!"
"Big sister, you flatter me. I'm so shy..." Xu Zhengyang blushed as expected. Being touched on the shoulder so closely by a woman who exuded feminine charm and allure, and speaking familiar words, the virgin Xu Zhengyang was really a little overwhelmed.
Zhong Shan asked in confusion, "What do you mean by that?"
"Haha, I forgot to tell you last time." Wu Feng seemed to be amused by what happened last time, and laughed heartily: "We caught Guo Tian right here. Guess what? Xu Zhengyang beat four or five of Guo Tian's men bloody, and look at this kid, he's like nothing happened."
"Luck, luck..." Xu Zhengyang chuckled, seemingly a little shy, "I have to thank Director Wu. If you hadn't arrived in time, I probably would have been beaten to death."
All three of them laughed, whether from Xu Zhengyang's words or from his embarrassed, blushing face.
Xue Hong knew when to stop; she said a few words without offending anyone, and then took her leave.
Inside the room, only three people remained.
Xu Zhengyang raised a glass of wine to the two men, then took a small sip and said, "Uncle, let's continue our conversation. Is there anything you need me to do?"
“Oh, it’s nothing much. Well, it’s like this…” Zhong Shan hesitated for a moment before saying, “There aren’t many officially employed police officers at the police station. They are usually temporary auxiliary police officers, and there are also two or three auxiliary police officers who have signed long-term contracts. They wear police uniforms, but they don’t have numbers and are not officially employed police officers.”
At this point, Zhong Shan paused slightly, and Xu Zhengyang nodded, showing no sign of doubt about what Zhong Shan was saying.
Zhong Shan continued, "So, Zhengyang, how about becoming a member of our police station's joint defense team? Don't worry, you'll definitely wear a police uniform. Of course, there won't be a number, but you'll definitely get a salary."
"Huh? This..." Xu Zhengyang hesitated. Of course, he didn't want to go to the police station to be a fake policeman. His time was precious. He had to go treasure hunting to make big money and open a shop as a cover. He didn't have the time to go to the police station and follow a group of joint defense team members to arrest those thugs who were fighting and robbing people's homes to catch gambling.
"There's no fixed salary, but I guarantee you'll make around a thousand yuan a month," Zhong Shan said with a smile, popping a piece of fish into his mouth as he chewed. He thought a thousand yuan was a high salary for Xu Zhengyang, a country boy who ate millet every day; and it was a job in a police uniform—what country boy wouldn't envy that? What girl wouldn't be interested?
This is not Zhong Shan bragging. Although there are quotas for the number of joint defense team members and the salaries funded by the government are very low, each joint defense team member's monthly income is still more than that of ordinary people.
As for the source of income... fines!
When a police station punishes thugs who fight or gamble, the fines they collect are handed over to higher authorities. The police officers at the station take the lion's share, and then the remaining amount is divided among the community security team members.
Seeing Xu Zhengyang's somewhat troubled look, Wu Feng thought for a moment and said, "Zhengyang, we won't let you stay in the police station every day. If you want to do something else, you can continue doing it. Just keep the name on the job and you'll still get paid. But if there's any case, you have to assist in solving it and provide clues."
"Oh, I see!" Xu Zhengyang suddenly realized that this was the reason why the two directors had invited him to dinner.
Xu Zhengyang scratched his head and chuckled sheepishly, "I've never been a policeman, how can I help with solving cases? I'd only cause you trouble... um..." Xu Zhengyang paused, frowned, and thought this was actually a good thing. Not only would he get a salary, but he could also help solve cases and deal with bad guys. Wasn't this what a duty-bound deity should do? As the saying goes, it's about acting on behalf of Heaven, and it would save him from having to personally intervene if something really happened, which would cause huge turmoil in this atheistic society.
Being a big tree catches the wind, which isn't necessarily a good thing, so registering your name at the police station seems like a good solution.
"Let me make this clear from the start: if you're registered at Huaxiang Police Station, you have to be registered at my Futou Town Police Station as well. You also have to help me out. Don't worry, your salary will only increase," Wu Feng said with a smile. "I heard that when you were exchanging Xiaomi'er, you often said, 'You can't treat the same relatives differently,' right?"
Xu Zhengyang chuckled and nodded in acknowledgment, then looked up and asked in confusion, "You...believe it?"
The question isn't about whether you believe in me, Xu Zhengyang, but rather whether you believe in the existence of a local earth god.
Zhong Shan laughed and said, "Let's just consider it as increasing the chances of solving the case."
“That’s right,” Wu Feng nodded.
Both were prominent police station chiefs, so of course they wouldn't openly admit that they believed in the existence of legendary superstitious things like local gods.
Xu Zhengyang raised his glass, gesturing to toast the two of them, then downed the glass in one gulp and nodded, saying, "Alright!"
So, after finishing this meal, Xu Zhengyang became a member of the joint defense team, wearing an unnumbered police uniform and riding a black Yamaha 250 motorcycle. Moreover, he was a member of the joint defense team with a high degree of freedom, serving as both a police officer in Futou Town and Huaxiang Township.
Imagine this: while a group of fiercely burly thugs covered in tattoos are bullying someone, a powerful, black motorcycle, as imposing as a panther, speeds in from afar. With a deep, intimidating roar, the motorcycle screeches to a halt amidst the thugs. Xu Zhengyang, dressed in a police uniform and wearing sunglasses, dismounts, a gun holster at his waist (that's impossible), a baton in one hand and handcuffs in the other, and roars arrogantly, "Stop it! I'm a cop!"
How majestic, how awesome!
Ahem, yes, Xu Zhengyang was at the dinner table, chuckling as he drank with the two directors, while in his mind he was fantasizing about the glamorous scenes that might happen in front of many young women!
Volume Two, Chapter 41: The Happy Family of the Nouveau Riche
"Hello? Hello..." Yuan Suqin answered the phone twice, and after hearing a voice on the other end, she said with a mix of nervousness and excitement, "Big brother, this is Suqin. Ah, yes, it's nothing, just wanted to let you know that we got a phone at home. Yes, yes, the number is..."
"Oh, you have caller ID? Great, great! Call me if you need anything!"
The call ended, and Yuan Suqin put down the phone with a happy smile. Then, as if remembering something, she flipped through her phone book to find the numbers of her relatives, intending to ask them one by one.
Xu Neng sat on the edge of the bed, smoking a cigarette, his face filled with a satisfied and happy expression. He watched his wife frantically making calls on the phone, occasionally muttering with a touch of heartache, "Alright, what's there to say? Just let me know when you meet. It's not worth making a special call, phone calls are so expensive..."
As a man, perhaps she lacked a certain innate masculine spirit, or perhaps the years of hardship and poverty had worn away that manly quality in her heart; but as a woman, Yuan Suqin's innate fondness for a little vanity, under the torment of life, not only did not wear down, but instead gave rise to some strange barbs.
Yuan Suqin still remembers the surprise, astonishment, and ever-present disdain in the eyes of her relatives and friends when she and her husband went to repay the money a few days ago.
Yes, as relatives, they did what they asked. At least when you were in trouble and asked to borrow money, regardless of the sarcastic remarks or the unpleasant looks they gave you, everyone worried that Xu Neng's family was a bottomless pit, and it would be difficult to get it back after lending it out, given their income. But the relatives still lent you money and helped you.
Because of family ties.
For this reason alone, Yuan Suqin couldn't hold a grudge against her relatives, but that didn't mean she could live with herself. Although she often complained about how honest but incompetent her husband was, she felt guilty towards him and her children. Wasn't the family's dire financial situation due to her health? In previous years, she was constantly plagued by minor illnesses and required medication, then suffered two serious illnesses in succession, the last of which required hospitalization and surgery…
The money her husband had painstakingly accumulated over half his life was mostly used for her medical treatment, leaving him with a mountain of debt.
So Yuan Suqin felt sorry for her son and daughter, but she felt even more sorry for her husband. Every time she saw her relatives, especially her own brothers and sisters, mocking and disdainfully treating her husband, Yuan Suqin felt as if her heart was being torn to pieces. But her honest and kind husband never showed any dissatisfaction, silently enduring the ridicule and contempt of others with a simple smile.
Over the years, I've been visiting relatives less and less, and relatives have been coming to my house less and less often.
Yuan Suqin didn't want to see her relatives' expressions, and her relatives were even less willing to see them, fearing that every time they met, something would happen that would require their help.
And now? My family is rich! My son... has become successful!
Yuan Suqin finally experienced what it means to be a mother whose status is elevated by her son! She has been visiting relatives more often these days, especially after her daughter returned from the capital. She has grown into a beautiful young woman, exuding the kind of elegance that only city dwellers have. How prestigious it is to take her out!
The son carries stacks of money, ready to spend it on his mother as a filial son, while the daughter stays by her side like a caring little angel.
How could Yuan Suqin not be happy? She had gained both face and substance. Even her usually honest and simple husband, whose hunched posture had become noticeably straighter these days, was now standing much straighter.
Something called happiness enveloped this dilapidated family, thick and sweet...
"Alright, alright, you've been fighting for ages, how much money are you going to spend?"
"Look at you, so stingy! It's not like it's your money." Yuan Suqin smiled and rolled her eyes at her husband. She put down the phone, stood up, and tilted her head back with a touch of girlish coquettishness and a hint of childlike pride, saying, "My son has money now! He's willing to be filial to me, saying I can spend it however I want... He even bought me a gold necklace, gold earrings, and a gold ring..."
Xu Neng chuckled foolishly and said, "You little rascal, you're just fooling around."
"You're better than me. We've spent half our lives together, what have you ever bought me?"
"Hmm, giving you a son and a daughter, isn't that better than anything else?"
"Huh?" Yuan Suqin was taken aback, then burst into laughter. She never expected that her honest and simple-minded husband could say such a joke.
The elderly couple were chatting and laughing sweetly, just like they used to when they were young. Meanwhile, inside the house, Xu Rouyue was holding the new cell phone her brother had bought for her and talking quietly on the phone with her best friend, Ouyang Ying.
Xu Rouyue was very happy. Although the new phone her brother bought her wasn't the most expensive, it was definitely the latest model. It was a pink flip phone, beautiful, exquisite, and small. Most importantly, it cost more than four thousand yuan! That wasn't all. Her brother also drove her to Fuhe City on his black motorcycle, which looked like a cheetah.
The reason was simple: he wanted Xu Rouyue to help him decide what kind of jewelry to buy for his mother, what clothes to buy for his mother, and what to buy for his father.
Xu Zhengyang genuinely didn't know what kind of jewelry would look good, since just because you're willing to spend money on something doesn't mean it's suitable. In this respect, Xu Zhengyang was at a significant disadvantage. How could you expect good taste from a country bumpkin who lacked education, had never experienced the high-class lifestyle of a metropolis, and had no understanding of fashion and trends?
Therefore, Xu Zhengyang had no choice but to bring his younger sister along. After all, this girl had lived in the big city for more than a year, and had been influenced by the wealthy girl Ouyang Ying. Naturally, she had a much better eye for fashion and consumption than people from the countryside.
With her nouveau riche brother Xu Zhengyang standing proudly behind her, Xu Rouyue, who was initially a little reserved, soon unleashed her natural shopping prowess and shopping skills, leading Xu Zhengyang from one mall to another, browsing up and down floors and here and there...
Xu Zhengyang was puzzled. Why not buy it anywhere? Why go to different stores?
I bought gold jewelry for my mother. I was originally going to buy Xu Rouyue a complete set of jewelry, but she refused. In the end, we compromised by buying her a platinum necklace. Then, it was time to buy clothes for my mother, my father, and Rouyue... As for home appliances, well, we'll talk about that after we renovate our old house.
Xu Zhengyang, under his sister's urging and persistent pleading, finally spent a little over 500 yuan to buy a casual outfit and a pair of sneakers.
Although five hundred yuan was a fraction of what he had spent before, and it certainly wasn't a high-end garment, it still made Xu Zhengyang's heart ache for a while when he spent it on himself. Good heavens, five hundred yuan... It was as if the money he had spent on his family before wasn't even worth mentioning.
For Xu Rouyue, this day was absolutely the happiest, heavenly experience she had ever had.
In the past, when she accompanied Ouyang Ying shopping, she had been amazed, sighed, envious, and reluctant countless times...
And how much did it cost today? Oh, over twenty thousand...
On the way here, her brother told her, "Today is for spending money, so spend as much as you want, um, spend up to 50,000 yuan, go buy things! Yeah, it's for Dad, Mom, and you, forget about mine..."
Xu Rouyue asked, "Brother, what's wrong with you? Why are we spending so much money on things?"
Xu Zhengyang said, "Because of your brother, I have money now. What's the point of having money if I don't spend it?"
This question is somewhat like the chicken-and-egg dilemma.
In fact, this is a normal mentality of nouveau riche after a sudden explosion of wealth accumulated from long-term poverty. It also carries a slight sense of vanity and showing off. Xu Zhengyang had originally planned to buy things for his family, but after confirming his role as a joint defense team member at Huaxiang Police Station and Futou Town Police Station, he'd been driving his motorcycle back and forth these past few days—he had to at least make a show of it, right? Of course, the focus was more on his less-known activities at night.
So I delayed my plan to buy things for my family by a few days.
Well, aside from Xu Zhengyang's constant thought of buying things for his family, the real trigger for his impulsive outburst was a small matter. Yesterday, when his sister and mother visited their uncle, his second aunt bought her daughter, who was studying away from home, a gold necklace and said to the mother and daughter with a look of smugness and disdain, "Oh, Rouyue, you're studying at such a good university in Beijing, how come you don't even have a single piece of silver jewelry?"