Chapter 1 The Beginning

Early December, Major Snow (referring to the solar term).

On this day, it really snowed in S City.

This was a city that didn't often see snow, and even when it did, it rarely accumulated.

Today's snow was no exception.

Although snowflakes were falling from the sky, they turned into slush upon hitting the ground.

…

"You really know how to pick a day…" Bao Qing stood by the window, gazing at the continuous sleet outside, squinting as he spoke, "Just for this weather, it's worth coming out for a walk."

Anyone could tell he was being sarcastic.

At that moment, Brother Jue, who was sitting on the sofa playing video games with Xiao Tan, replied without turning his head, "Who told you not to drive?"

"My wife took the car to the supermarket to take the kids out," Bao Qing replied with a perfectly justified tone.

"Then you could have taken a taxi; who told you to squeeze onto the bus?" Feng Bujue continued.

"Are you going to reimburse me?" Bao Qing retorted, "Take a taxi? Just the starting fare is enough for me to take the bus back and forth two or three times."

"Tch… you're a civil servant, and you're still crying poor in front of us?" Feng Bujue said, "With the salary you get from the Ninth Division, buying another car would be like a walk in the park, wouldn't it?"

"Nonsense, my payslip and all my expenses are strictly controlled by my wife," Bao Qing replied, "Even if I eat a baozi from a street vendor, I have to report it verbally, or the accounts won't match." He paused for a moment, "And you… you want me to buy a car? How am I supposed to explain where the money came from to my wife?"

"You can tell her… that you used your chemistry knowledge from your student days, combined with a little bit of personal artistic talent, to develop a new type of blue methylamphet (censored) amine formula," Feng Bujue replied with a smile, "And that recently, you've been using your spare time to cook some of these drugs for people, earning tens of millions in the process, and all that money is currently hidden under the floorboards of your house."

"You think I can't tell you're doing a Breaking Bad bit? Am I supposed to fabricate a cancer report or something to increase credibility?" Bao Qing turned his head and promptly retorted.

"Heh… too much trouble, huh?" Feng Bujue chuckled, "Then why don't you just tell her you're a special agent in the Ninth Division? That way, your family's expenses can be a little more generous in the future, so you don't have money you can't spend like you do now."

"Stop yapping; is my identity something I can expose just like that? What do you take national security for?" Bao Qing responded, "Besides…" As he spoke, he walked back to the sofa, "How is it wrong for me to cry poor in front of you two? Let's not talk about Xiao Tan… but you…" He sat down next to Brother Jue, "Haven't you also made hundreds of thousands of dollars recently through some illegal channels?"

"Hmm… so you already knew…" Feng Bujue muttered a little guiltily.

"Nonsense, you think putting the money in a bag and then storing it in a safety deposit box at the bank… can hide it from everyone?" Bao Qing said, "What do you take us for?"

"Tch… if I'd known, I would have just gotten a card and deposited it," Feng Bujue muttered.

"Actually… Brother Jue." At this moment, Xiao Tan, who had been quietly playing the game, spoke up, "If you have any money that's inconvenient to handle, you can give it to me, and I can exchange some of my family's money for you, can't I?"

"Oh? Is that possible?" Feng Bujue suddenly turned his head and looked at Xiao Tan.

"Of course, it's possible." Wang Tanzhi replied in a matter-of-fact tone, "Many businesses under our family can absorb that kind of 'source unknown' money; oh… right… Yu Jie's family's gallery can actually do it too."

"Ah, I know that," Feng Bujue replied, "The art auction industry… has always been used by the Mafia to…"

"Hey!" In that instant, Bao Qing interrupted the two with an astonished expression and a loud shout, "Are you guys kidding me? Am I dead? Openly exchanging money laundering experiences in front of a law enforcement officer?"

"What's wrong?" Feng Bujue protested, "Can't we even talk about it? The common people have already allowed you to set fires; can't you let us light a lamp?"

"Fine, fine, fine… I won't talk about this with you." Bao Qing quickly changed the subject, looking at Wang Tanzhi, "Xiao Tan, has your wedding date been set? Remember to tell me as soon as you decide, I need to save some money to prepare a gift for you."

"Uh… not yet." Xiao Tan replied, "Recently, our parents are communicating…" After finishing this half-sentence, he paused for a second before continuing, "Speaking of… gifts and stuff… the thought is enough, right? You don't need to send anything too extravagant… Xiao Ling and I don't lack anything."

"Tch… you think I want to send something expensive?" Bao Qing glanced sideways at Xiao Tan, "This gift is for our division chief to see…"

"Huh?" Xiao Tan froze for a moment before realizing, "Oh, right… I seem to be… about to become your division chief's grandson-in-law."

"You're my childhood friend, and your future wife's grandfather is my direct superior… if I don't show my appreciation at your wedding…" As Bao Qing said this, many terrifying memories seemed to float in his eyes, "Then the division chief definitely won't let me off lightly… if he's in a bad mood and transfers me to work with Brother 'Dongfeng', then that's…"

"Wait a minute!" Feng Bujue heard a familiar name in his words and immediately interrupted, "You said… Dongfeng?"

"Yeah," Bao Qing replied.

"The one who planned Ma Junxiao's kidnapping case, the former gambling supervisor of the gambling emperor Zhai… that 'Dongfeng'?" Feng Bujue asked.

"Is there another Dongfeng?" Bao Qing retorted.

"So this guy is still alive?" Brother Jue asked strangely.

"Of course… what did you think?" Bao Qing asked.

"I thought… he was probably already dead in some unethical scientific experiment of yours, or mutated into some kind of monster," Feng Bujue replied.

"What kind of organization do you imagine us to be?" Bao Qing muttered with twitching lips, "The villain organization in a children's tokusatsu show…"

"So…" Feng Bujue bypassed the other party's question and continued, "Dongfeng is working for you now?"

"Ah… he was forcibly conscripted as a 'warehouse manager'," Bao Qing replied.

"What warehouse?" Feng Bujue asked again.

"You don't want to know." Unexpectedly, before Bao Qing could answer, Xiao Tan interjected.

"Hey, hey, hey… what's the meaning of this?" Feng Bujue's gaze towards Xiao Tan also changed, he said with a look of surprise, "You seem to know something?"

"Hmm…" Xiao Tan pressed the pause button on the controller, raised his head, thought for a moment, and then pondered, "This… well, it's a long story…"