145: You call me brother, I call you master, let's each talk to each other.
At the same time, veteran officer Zheng Wenchang was smoking alone in the mailroom.
This small, tucked-away bungalow used to be a storage room but was now converted into the mailroom, storing files and the like. He was the only one inside, giving him a fair amount of freedom.
Normally, Zheng Wenchang appeared calm and detached from worldly affairs, but only he knew the bitterness in his heart.
In fact, after learning about Lei Zhen's background, he praised the young man, who started out as a street loafer, from the bottom of his heart. He could even see a shadow of his younger self in him.
But Zheng Wenchang knew clearly that working within the system without political connections meant you couldn't get far, no matter how hard you tried.
He knew that back then, simply because he had arrested Kang Jianshe's eldest son, he had been targeted by leaders, ostracized by colleagues, and ultimately forced to remain stuck in this tiny Qinghe Police Station.
Even Zhao Gang's lack of promotion for years was related to him.
Zheng Wenchang usually avoided interacting with Zhao Gang, primarily because he didn't want to drag him down any further.
Therefore, he felt that Lei Zhen already had a weak foundation, and if he came to become his apprentice, it would be entirely detrimental to him.
Zheng Wenchang only had two or three years left before retiring to a secondary position. He just wanted to retire peacefully and then return to his hometown to enjoy his remaining years.
Snuffing out the cigarette butt in his hand, Zheng Wenchang prepared to head to the restroom. As soon as he stepped out the door, someone grabbed him, and the person seemed quite agitated.
"Old Zheng, I just got news! Your apprentice achieved another major merit!" The person who grabbed him was another old colleague from the station, Huang Yong, who had arrived at Qinghe in the same batch as him.
Zheng Wenchang was stunned: "My apprentice? What apprentice?"
"Who else but Lei Zhen!" Huang Yong said, "I heard it was a huge case. Wasn't he borrowed by Director Zeng of Flower Stream for about ten days? I was wondering why he hadn't returned. It turns out he wiped out a fraud syndicate over there! They reportedly arrested thousands of people, and the case involved tens of billions of yuan!"
"That much?" The usually calm Zheng Wenchang was a little dumbfounded: "Are you sure you didn't hear wrong?"
"Of course, I'm sure!" Huang Yong replied, "They said the syndicate had over a dozen branch offices, with its headquarters near Wanda in Flower Stream. After Lei Zhen discovered it, Director Zeng of Flower Stream reported it to the Municipal Bureau. The Municipal Bureau then formed a Special Task Force and worked with police departments from over a dozen other cities to make the arrests. Plus, Lei Zhen went undercover in the fraud company for ten days and obtained all the evidence. He is the primary contributor!"
Only then did Zheng Wenchang regain his composure, stating calmly: "That kid certainly has skills."
"Your apprentice achieved such a great merit, why aren't you happy as his master?" Huang Yong said, "Old Zheng, you shouldn't be like this. At least give the kid a few words of praise when he returns."
Zheng Wenchang waved his hand: "I've already said, I won't take on an apprentice in this lifetime. No matter how capable Lei Zhen is, it has nothing to do with me."
After speaking, Zheng Wenchang strode off to the restroom.
Meanwhile, Zhu Xiaojun was sitting in Lei Zhen's car, heading towards the Qinghe Police Station.
Although Lei Zhen had a hoodlum background, he drove very carefully and steadily.
Zhu Xiaojun sat in the passenger seat, excitedly talking to Lei Zhen about his 'former master.'
Lei Zhen was also surprised to learn that the third-class merit Shen Ao received had actually been stolen from Zhu Xiaojun.
"You're quite tolerant, kid," Lei Zhen sighed. "If it were me, I probably would have turned against him right then and there."
Zhu Xiaojun pursed his lips: "I'm not as ruthless as you. If I hadn't compromised then, I might not have even passed my probation period. I come from a rural area, and my father managed to put me through school all by himself. Now he's counting on me to bring him pride in front of our relatives. I just managed to secure this job, and I don't want someone to kick me back out."
Indeed, for a rural family to produce a police officer, even if it wasn't exactly bringing glory to the ancestors, they would at least be looked upon favorably by relatives and friends in the future. If Shen Ao sabotaged him and prevented him from passing probation, the blow to Zhu Xiaojun would be immense.
Shen Ao probably exploited this exact vulnerability, which is why he dared to steal his merit so brazenly.
"It's true, when under someone's roof, you have to bow your head," Lei Zhen smiled, expressing understanding.
Zhu Xiaojun continued: "Brother Zhen, how about this: when we get to Qinghe, what do you say about me becoming your apprentice?"
Lei Zhen was immediately dumbfounded: "What? You want to be my apprentice?"
"Yes! I don't have a master now anyway!" Zhu Xiaojun replied matter-of-factly.
"No way, no way." Lei Zhen waved his hands repeatedly. "How old am I? How could I be your master? I haven't even secured my own master yet!"
Zhu Xiaojun chuckled: "Brother Zhen, even though I've only known you for a few days, I truly admire you. Your performance at the fraud company was honestly astonishing."
They say a truly capable person can handle anything easily and pick things up quickly. Your skill in managing that fraud operation proves that you are an incredibly formidable police officer.
I'm not exaggerating at all. I have never respected anyone in my life; you, Lei Zhen, are the only one, and probably the last. My admiration for you is like the endless flow of the Yangtze River, like the flooding of the Yellow River—it's utterly unstoppable..."
"Alright, alright," Lei Zhen interrupted him. "You must have watched too many Stephen Chow movies. Are you trying to act like Wei Xiaobao?"
Zhu Xiaojun chuckled: "I meant every word! Seriously, I'm also really curious: how did you get all those first-class and second-class merits before? I truly want to follow you and learn from you!"
"You really can't learn that," Lei Zhen pouted. "By the way, how old are you?"
Zhu Xiaojun said: "I'm 24 this year. Why?"
Lei Zhen frowned: "Brother Jun, I'll be honest with you. I'm actually only 22 this year—two years younger than you!"
"Huh?" Zhu Xiaojun was surprised: "No way. You look much more mature than me."
"That's because I was wandering outside since I was young, so my demeanor makes me look older." Lei Zhen simply pulled out his ID card and handed it to Zhu Xiaojun: "See if I'm lying to you."
Zhu Xiaojun took it and saw that Lei Zhen was indeed only 22, turning 23 next month.
"It's fine, we'll just go by our own titles." Zhu Xiaojun nonchalantly handed the ID card back to Lei Zhen: "From now on, you call me 'Brother,' and I'll call you 'Master.'"
"Huh?" Lei Zhen's mouth twitched upon hearing this. Instinctively, he reached for a cigarette to clear his head.
"Master, what are you looking for? Brother will get it for you!"
Lei Zhen was speechless and no longer felt like smoking.
Zhu Xiaojun continued: "By the way, Master, you're still single, right?"
"Yes," Lei Zhen said. "Twenty-two years of being single since birth."
Zhu Xiaojun gave a mischievous smile: "In that case, let me show you a picture."
After he spoke, he genuinely pulled up a photo from his phone's album. Lei Zhen glanced at it and saw a beautiful, blossoming young girl, still wearing a school uniform!
"What is the meaning of this?" Lei Zhen asked, confused.
"This is my biological younger sister, Su Xiaoxiao," Zhu Xiaojun said. "My parents divorced, and she now uses her stepfather's surname."
"Why are you showing me a picture of your sister?" Lei Zhen asked, puzzled. "Besides, isn't this just a middle school student?"
"Don't worry about that for now. Just tell me if my sister is pretty," Zhu Xiaojun chuckled.
Lei Zhen understood: "You're not trying to offer your sister up to me, are you? Brother, do you have any humanity? Your sister is still a middle school student. Even if you gave her to me, could I really go through with it?"
Zhu Xiaojun said: "That's a picture from ten years ago. My sister is 23 now, just a tiny bit older than you. Master, if you are willing to accept me, I'm going all out and introducing my sister to you. You saw yourself that my sister was beautiful even in middle school. Now she's a breathtaking beauty. Honestly, even Lin Miaozhen would pale in comparison to my sister."
Lei Zhen's face was covered in black lines after hearing this: "Brother Jun, you're really willing to go that far!"
"So, you agree?" Zhu Xiaojun seemed to see hope.
Lei Zhen said: "I want to state upfront that I'm not giving you a chance because of your sister. Here's the deal: my status as an apprentice hasn't even been approved by my own master yet. As long as you can get my master to accept me, I will take you on as my apprentice."
At the same time, Su Xiaoxiao, who was on the phone with her best friend Gu Qingcheng, suddenly sneezed.
Gu Qingcheng asked: "What's wrong, Xiaoxiao? Do you have a cold?"
Su Xiaoxiao pinched her nose: "No, I don't. Maybe someone is thinking of me. By the way, how are things going between you and that Auxiliary Police Officer?"