After bidding farewell to Huo Ling’er, Zhou Hong quickly returned to the Qiao family.
"Zhou Hong, you're back! I was just about to call you," his mother said upon seeing him, putting down the phone as if she was about to dial his number.
"Mom," Zhou Hong called out timidly.
"Mm-hmm, quickly wash your hands, it's time for dinner," Liang Hongqin said with a gentle gaze.
Zhou Hong nodded. It was his first day back with the Qiao family, and he still felt a little unaccustomed to it.
"Zhou Hong, you can report to the Criminal Investigation Bureau tomorrow. The family put in a word this afternoon and arranged a position for you. Captain of the Eighth Team in the Ninth Bureau," his father, Qiao Zhenhua, said at dinner.
"Huh!" Zhou Hong was surprised. He hadn't expected things to be arranged so quickly.
Zhou Hong nodded. He didn't have anything else to do, so working at the Criminal Investigation Bureau was fine.
"Dad, what kind of organization is the Criminal Investigation Bureau? How many people are there?" Zhou Hong asked while eating.
"The Kyoto Criminal Investigation Bureau is divided into nine bureaus, and each bureau has ten teams. You'll report to the Ninth Bureau tomorrow, and you'll be the captain of the Eighth Team in the Ninth Bureau."
"Okay." Zhou Hong nodded. He hadn't expected to become a captain right away when he joined the Criminal Investigation Bureau.
Zhou Hong remembered that the last time he was in Kyoto, he had impersonated Changsun Qinghe's boyfriend for a class reunion. At that time, Changsun Qinghe had a classmate who was doing exceptionally well, named Yang Jiabao. Yang Jiabao was a team leader at the Criminal Investigation Bureau and was quite proud of himself, even boasting to Changsun Qinghe. He had said something like, "You ignored me before, but today you can't afford to reach me." At that time, Yang Jiabao also had a superior named Ouyang Beihua, a genius on the Earth Ranking, who was a captain at the Criminal Investigation Bureau. Now, Zhou Hong was taking a position equivalent to Ouyang Beihua's.
Of course, Zhou Hong wasn't particularly interested in the position; he was just there to play around.
And so, Zhou Hong settled into the Qiao family.
The night passed without incident.
The next morning, Zhou Hong arrived at the Kyoto Criminal Investigation Bureau.
"Hello, I'm here to report for my first day," Zhou Hong said to the security guard at the entrance. The guard appeared to be quite strong, at least at the Martial Master realm.
"What's your name?"
"Zhou Hong."
The guard checked and indeed found Zhou Hong's registration.
"Follow me, I'll take you to the Ninth Bureau to report, Captain Zhou." Seeing that Zhou Hong was the captain of the Eighth Team in the Ninth Bureau, the guard's attitude immediately became respectful.
"Thank you."
Zhou Hong followed the guard into the Criminal Investigation Bureau.
The Criminal Investigation Bureau was vast, covering an area of tens of thousands of square meters.
Just then, as Zhou Hong and the guard passed by an office building, they saw a crowd gathered, making quite a commotion.
"Say yes to him, say yes to him," a group of people shouted.
Zhou Hong asked curiously, "What are those people up front doing?"
The guard leading Zhou Hong explained, "They're chasing a girl, of course. You just got here, you probably don't know. A beauty came to our Kyoto Criminal Investigation Bureau not long ago and instantly became the most beautiful woman here. Now, a young master from a sixth-rate family is pursuing her. See the man holding flowers?"
Zhou Hong looked towards the crowd and saw a man holding flowers.
"He's Luo Yiwen, from the Luo family in Kyoto. He's an outstanding genius on the Earth Ranking and currently a captain in the Sixth Bureau of the Criminal Investigation Bureau."
"Oh, oh!" Zhou Hong nodded.
"By the way, who is he pursuing?" Zhou Hong asked, a little curious.
"Why don't you go up and see for yourself?"
Zhou Hong immediately walked over and, indeed, saw a beauty among the crowd.
However, as Zhou Hong saw the beauty, his brow furrowed. This beauty was an old acquaintance: Changsun Qinghe.
To be precise, she was the fiancée Zhou Hong had been betrothed to as a child in this body. However, after such a drastic change, it was unclear whether the childhood engagement was still valid.
"Say yes to him, say yes to him!" the onlookers shouted. In fact, most of these onlookers were team members under Luo Yiwen. After all, he was a captain in the Sixth Bureau, with over a hundred team members under him. Naturally, these hundred-plus members supported their captain in his pursuit of a woman.
"I'm sorry, Captain Luo," Changsun Qinghe refused resolutely.
Hearing Changsun Qinghe's rejection, the crowd found it somewhat laughable. Although Changsun Qinghe was the most beautiful woman in the Criminal Investigation Bureau, her background was too humble. She came from a ninth-rate family, and in the Criminal Investigation Bureau, there were many people with much more prominent backgrounds.
It was already an honor for Changsun Qinghe that Luo Yiwen, a young master from a sixth-rate family, would lower himself to pursue a young lady from a ninth-rate family.
However, Luo Yiwen didn't seem angry. He smiled and asked, "Qinghe, do you think I'm not good enough for you?"
"No, no, Captain Luo, please don't misunderstand."
"Then why are you rejecting me? I, Luo Yiwen, am from a sixth-rate family, and I myself am a genius ranked in the top eighty on the Earth Ranking. I'm also a captain here at the Criminal Investigation Bureau. How am I not good enough for you? Apart from your beauty, you are inferior to me in every other aspect. If you reject me like this, everyone in the Criminal Investigation Bureau will say you're arrogant."
"Captain Luo, please don't misunderstand," Changsun Qinghe explained anxiously, seemingly afraid of offending Luo Yiwen, lest her family suffer repercussions.
"Since that's not the case, then agree to be my girlfriend. If we get along well, we can even consider meeting each other's parents in the future and formally discuss an engagement. If we don't get along, we'll respect each other's opinions and part ways peacefully."
Changsun Qinghe felt a bit depressed. It sounded nice – engagement if they got along, breakup if they didn't. However, Luo Yiwen was from a sixth-rate family, and no matter how you looked at it, his family wouldn't agree to an engagement with a young lady from a ninth-rate family. Sixth-rate families nowadays would generally seek a bride from an even stronger family, even a distant relative, such as a young lady from a fifth-rate family, or even a favored maid.
Therefore, Luo Yiwen was merely looking to have some fun, cloaked in the guise of a relationship.
"Miss Changsun, please agree to be our captain's girlfriend. Once you are, we can transfer you to our team, and you'll be able to get promoted faster, which will help improve your strength," one of Luo Yiwen's subordinates urged.
"I'm sorry!" Changsun Qinghe still refused.
Luo Yiwen's expression turned slightly cold. He had originally thought Changsun Qinghe would definitely agree. Even if she knew an engagement was unlikely, dating a young master from a sixth-rate family, even for a year or so, would be very beneficial.
He hadn't expected her to refuse.
"Changsun Qinghe, if you don't give me a reason today, I won't accept it," Luo Yiwen said unhappily. Even if he were to use force, it probably wouldn't be a problem. Someone from a ninth-rate family had virtually no connections in the Kyoto Criminal Investigation Bureau. If she dared to make a fuss, he could easily find a way to have her kicked out.
Changsun Qinghe was momentarily speechless. Although she and Zhou Hong had an engagement in childhood, Zhou Hong hadn't made any statement yet, nor had the Qiao family. Whether the engagement was still valid was uncertain. At this moment, she couldn't tell anyone that she was someone's fiancée.
"What? Can't you find a reason to reject me? Then obediently be my girlfriend. Don't worry, you'll never regret being the girlfriend of an Earth Ranking genius." Luo Yiwen finished speaking and walked towards Changsun Qinghe, seemingly intending to take her hand and forcibly take her away. He had been lusting after Changsun Qinghe's body for days and planned to take her to his office and "do it."
"Don't touch me! Luo Yiwen, if you continue to be unreasonable, I'll report you to the director of your Sixth Bureau, or if that doesn't work, I'll report you to the head of the entire Criminal Investigation Bureau." Changsun Qinghe said, a little angry.
"Hahaha!" The onlookers burst into laughter, seemingly finding Changsun Qinghe naive. In a place like the Kyoto Criminal Investigation Bureau, it was largely controlled by influential families. It wasn't about abusing power, but rather that those who entered the Criminal Investigation Bureau had to possess a certain level of strength. The stronger their strength, the higher their position. And the stronger their strength, the larger their backing. Therefore, Luo Yiwen's family had people in several important positions within the Kyoto Criminal Investigation Bureau.
In contrast, Changsun Qinghe, from a ninth-rate family, had very few people in the Criminal Investigation Bureau. Even if a few did join, they were only in low-level positions.
"Changsun Qinghe, the director of our Sixth Bureau is my uncle," Luo Yiwen said with a smug laugh.
Facing the overbearing Luo Yiwen, Changsun Qinghe looked on the verge of tears. If she had known this would happen, she would have been better off staying at the Jinzhou City Criminal Investigation Bureau. Although the organization was smaller, at least she wouldn't have encountered such troublesome matters. Here in the Kyoto Criminal Investigation Bureau, she had become a bottom-tier member, whereas in Jinzhou City, she had been a captain.
"Come with me!" Luo Yiwen seemed determined to forcibly drag Changsun Qinghe away, regardless of the consequences.
"Let go of my fiancée," a shout suddenly came from the crowd.
It was none other than Zhou Hong.
Seeing Changsun Qinghe being bullied, Zhou Hong felt furious. No matter what, they had an engagement from childhood, so he instinctively blurted out "my fiancée."
Hearing the shout, everyone turned around.
Changsun Qinghe's face showed disbelief upon seeing Zhou Hong. She hadn't known he had also come to the Criminal Investigation Bureau.
"Who are you?" Luo Yiwen asked, looking at Zhou Hong.
"My name is Zhou Hong, and I am Changsun Qinghe's fiancé," Zhou Hong said coldly. He intended to teach this Luo Yiwen a lesson today.
"Zhou Hong? Is there anyone by that name in our Criminal Investigation Bureau?" Luo Yiwen asked with a sneer.
Luo Yiwen's subordinates quickly shook their heads.
"Captain, we haven't heard of anyone by that name. He's probably from some junior member."
"Yes, Captain. If anyone had any reputation in the Criminal Investigation Bureau, they would at least be a team leader. But we've never heard of anyone by this name. So, he must be a junior member from some team."
Luo Yiwen immediately snorted disdainfully, assuming Zhou Hong was from the absolute lowest ranks.
"You junior member, is that how you address this captain? No matter which bureau you're from, you must call me captain when you see me," Luo Yiwen shouted.
At the Criminal Investigation Bureau, captains wore different uniforms. Even if they didn't recognize someone, they should immediately greet them and call them captain upon seeing their uniform.
"Hmph, what eyes of yours saw me as a junior member? To tell you the truth, I'm here to report for duty today, and I'm the captain of the Eighth Team in the Ninth Bureau." Zhou Hong said with a cold snort.
Hearing Zhou Hong claim to be the captain of the Eighth Team in the Ninth Bureau, Luo Yiwen seemed incredulous.
"Kid, stop trying to impersonate. To be a captain in the Kyoto Criminal Investigation Bureau, you must meet two conditions: First, your strength must be at least above the 60th stage of Martial Master, or you must be on the Kyoto Earth Ranking. I've never seen you on the Kyoto Earth Ranking, so don't try to fool me. If you don't confess immediately, don't blame me for dragging you to the underground interrogation chamber and torturing you."
Zhou Hong couldn't be bothered to waste more words on Luo Yiwen. He simply walked up and slapped him.
Luo Yiwen tried to dodge, but was instantly sent flying by Zhou Hong's slap, landing more than ten meters away with his face in the dirt.
"Ah!" Luo Yiwen's subordinates were shocked.
Zhou Hong, meanwhile, immediately walked over to Changsun Qinghe and asked with a smile, "Qinghe, are you alright?"
"I'm fine!" Changsun Qinghe's eyes welled up with tears. She seemed wronged, but also very happy. Perhaps it was Zhou Hong's earlier declaration of "Let go of my fiancée." Did this mean Zhou Hong acknowledged her status?
Changsun Qinghe wouldn't have dared to dream of being friends with Zhou Hong, she already felt she was reaching too high. The reason for their childhood engagement was merely because Zhou Hong was then from a collateral branch of the family and had no talent for martial arts. Otherwise, even in childhood, she wouldn't have been his match.
Zhou Hong raised his hand, wiped away Changsun Qinghe's tears, and said with a smile, "Don't cry. I'm here from now on. I'll protect you."
After speaking, Zhou Hong walked towards Luo Yiwen.
"Luo Yiwen, apologize to my fiancée immediately, or else...!" Zhou Hong's gaze turned cold.
"Or else what? I'm from a sixth-rate family. Do you think I'm afraid of you? Believe it or not, I can make a call and have you, this soon-to-be captain, instantly dismissed."
Zhou Hong sneered, "Then I'd like to see if you have that kind of ability. Oh, and by the way, I'm also from a sixth-rate family."
"Ah!" Luo Yiwen was suddenly stunned. If they were both from sixth-rate families, that would be embarrassing.
"Impossible. There's no one with the surname Zhou among the sixth-rate families in Kyoto."
"Do I have to tell you about my recent return to the family?" Zhou Hong snorted.
Upon hearing Zhou Hong's words, Luo Yiwen suddenly remembered a piece of news: a disowned member of the Qiao family, named Zhou Hong, had returned.
"It's you! From the Qiao family!" Luo Yiwen roared.
"It's good that you know. I'll give you one last chance. Apologize to my fiancée immediately, or don't blame me for crippling you."
Luo Yiwen clenched his fists. Although he was unwilling, the slap that sent him flying earlier had instilled fear in him.
Since they were both from sixth-rate families, and Zhou Hong's martial talent was superior to his, Luo Yiwen could only back down.
Reluctantly, under the gaze of his subordinates, Luo Yiwen walked up to Changsun Qinghe, bowed his head, and said, "I'm sorry, Changsun Qinghe. I've offended you. Please forgive me."
"It's alright," Changsun Qinghe said faintly. Although she was very displeased with Luo Yiwen, she dared not offend him too much for the sake of her family.
"Scram," Zhou Hong roared.
Luo Yiwen didn't dare to retort. Gritting his teeth, he led his team away in disgrace. He felt that being yelled at by Zhou Hong in front of his subordinates was utterly humiliating. But what could he do? He couldn't win in a fight, nor could he compete in terms of background. He could only concede.
At this moment, the security guard who had led Zhou Hong earlier rushed over and said very respectfully, "Senior, you're amazing! You've already established your authority just after entering the Criminal Investigation Bureau."
"Heh heh, you don't need to take me to report anymore. I'll go by myself later," Zhou Hong said to the guard.
"Alright, then I won't escort you. Have your fiancée take you later."
The guard turned and left, leaving Zhou Hong and Changsun Qinghe alone.
"Zhou Hong, when did you return to Kyoto?" Changsun Qinghe asked hurriedly.
"Heh heh, I just got back yesterday. What, didn't Liu Zhenfeixu tell you?"
"Ah? Liu Zhenfeixu? How do you know her?" Changsun Qinghe asked, full of confusion. In her memory, Zhou Hong and Liu Zhenfeixu had no connection. How could they know each other?
"Haha, it seems Liu Zhenfeixu didn't tell you about me. I met her in the Kunlun Mountains. I saved her when she was being chased."
"What? You killed the Venerable Changyin who was chasing her in the Kunlun Mountains?" Changsun Qinghe was utterly shocked. She remembered that Venerable Changyin was from an eighth-rate family and was a powerful expert at the seventy-fifth stage of Martial Master. If Zhou Hong killed him, didn't that mean Zhou Hong's strength was that formidable?
"When I saw a beauty being chased, I couldn't just stand by and do nothing, so I saved her life."
"My heavens? Are you saying your strength was already this great back then?" Changsun Qinghe looked at Zhou Hong in shock. At that time, Zhou Hong was still at Jinzhou University, claiming to be only at the first or second stage of Martial Artist, and no one even knew he practiced martial arts.
"Yes!" Zhou Hong nodded with a smile.
"Oh my goodness." Changsun Qinghe patted her chest, feeling like she was going to die of fright. Although she knew Zhou Hong was putting on an act, she never imagined he was far more powerful than she had ever imagined. Back then, he already had the strength to kill Venerable Changyin.
"Heh heh, remember the last time I came to Kyoto? After accompanying you to the class reunion that day, I went to see Liu Zhenfeixu."
Changsun Qinghe couldn't help but pout. She remembered that she had wanted to ask Liu Zhenfeixu to hang out, but Liu Zhen had said she was busy. It turned out Liu Zhenfeixu had been with Zhou Hong then. How disloyal!
"By the way, Zhou Hong, how did Liu Zhenfeixu know you returned yesterday? Did you notify her?" Changsun Qinghe asked with some doubt. Why did even Liu Zhenfeixu know, but she didn't?
"I went to see her yesterday afternoon."
"Oh, oh." A sense of loss suddenly washed over Changsun Qinghe. Zhou Hong went to see Liu Zhenfeixu but not her. She had an engagement with him from childhood, yet she wasn't as important as Liu Zhenfeixu.
Zhou Hong naturally saw what Changsun Qinghe was thinking.
"Don't overthink it. I was afraid you were busy with work, so I didn't come to see you. Besides, I'm starting to work at the Criminal Investigation Bureau, and we'll have plenty of opportunities to see each other from now on, which is why I didn't come to see you yesterday."
"Oh, oh!" Changsun Qinghe couldn't help but pout, showing a rare cute expression.
"Let's go. You can take me to report to the Ninth Bureau."
"Mm-hmm."
Changsun Qinghe immediately led the way to the Ninth Bureau.
"By the way, Zhou Hong, with your strength, you should at least be in the top five on the Earth Ranking. Why are you only a captain?" Changsun Qinghe suddenly asked in confusion.
"Heh heh, besides you and Liu Zhenfeixu, no one knows my true strength."
"Ah." Changsun Qinghe let out a surprised sound.
Under Changsun Qinghe's guidance, Zhou Hong arrived at the Ninth Bureau.
"Hello, where is the Bureau Chief's office? I'm here to report. My name is Zhou Hong," Zhou Hong said to a receptionist upon reaching the Ninth Bureau.
"Hello, Captain Zhou. Our Bureau Chief of the Ninth Bureau has already given instructions. When you arrive, you'll be taken directly to his office. Please follow me."
Zhou Hong nodded. Changsun Qinghe, however, said, "Zhou Hong, I won't go with you. I need to get back to work quickly."
Zhou Hong suddenly remembered that he hadn't even asked which bureau Changsun Qinghe was in. "Which bureau are you in?" Zhou Hong asked.
"I'm in the Eighth Bureau, Fifth Team, Group 16."
Zhou Hong nodded and said, "Then you go to work first. I'll have you transferred to my subordinate later. That way, we'll have each other's support."
"Okay." Changsun Qinghe nodded with anticipation.
Zhou Hong immediately entered the Bureau Chief's office of the Ninth Bureau. He saw an old man sitting in the office, looking at a file.
This old man had reached the Martial King realm.
"Bureau Chief Jiu, Zhou Hong is here," the receptionist said hastily.
The old man then looked up at Zhou Hong.
"Hello, Bureau Chief," Zhou Hong also greeted him.
"You are Zhou Hong, aren't you? To be precise, Qiao Zhou Hong," the Bureau Chief said, putting down the scroll.
"Yes."
"Please sit down, Zhou Hong."
Zhou Hong sat down in the office.
"Zhou Hong, you probably already know. From now on, you'll be part of my Ninth Bureau. You are now the Eighth Captain of the Ninth Bureau. You will have five groups under you, with ten people in each group. In other words, you will have fifty subordinates. These fifty subordinates will all be under your command."
"Heh heh, alright," Zhou Hong nodded and asked, "What is my job?"
"Since it's the Criminal Investigation Bureau, it naturally involves managing matters of the entire Chinese martial arts world. However, different bureaus have different responsibilities. Our Ninth Bureau primarily handles work related to mysterious ancient sites, martial arts disappearances, and difficult investigations in China." Su Dan Novel Network
"Oh, oh." Zhou Hong nodded.