“Chief Constable Chen!”
“Good morning, Chief Constable Chen.”
“Hello, Chief Constable!”
“.......”
As Chen Ping'an walked into the entrance of Nanquan Lane Garrison Office, he was greeted by beaming smiles.
Seven or eight days had passed since Chief Constable Zheng's death, and Han Li, who was sent by Nancheng Suppression Office to investigate, had also returned to report. Chen Ping'an was not entirely clear about the final conclusion, but it was likely related to the Ten Thousand Demons Sect.
This time, the Ten Thousand Demons Sect had taken the blame for him.
After Chief Constable Zheng's death, the six squads of Yamen Runners under him were smoothly divided among the other Chief Constables.
Now, with the Tiger Head Gang annihilated and new Gang forces yet to form, a temporary power vacuum had appeared in the areas encompassing Hu Pao Alley, Lihua Lane, and several other streets. How subsequent forces would fill this void and how shares would be divided were all closely related to the hard power of everyone involved.
The Nanquan Lane Garrison Office certainly held the lion's share of the profits. But how to distribute it further down ultimately depended on the manpower each person commanded.
With Chief Constable Zheng's death, the Nanquan Lane Garrison Office once again returned to a five Chief Constable structure.
The three squads of Yamen Runners under Chen Ping'an were expanded to five squads, a total of twenty Yamen Runners. The other four squads of Yamen Runners under Zheng Zhenwu were divided among the remaining Chief Constables, one squad each.
The reason Chen Ping'an was able to get two squads was, firstly, because he had the fewest Yamen Runners under him, and secondly, due to Shen Shikang's support. Coupled with the annihilation of the Tiger Head Gang, Chen Ping'an had rendered great service, so the other Chief Constables did not stand up against it.
The former Yamen Runner, Little Chen, was long forgotten! The current Chen Ping'an, in the eyes of many Yamen Runners, was a genuine, powerful Chief Constable.
The smiling faces within the Zhenfu Division were the best proof.
With Chen Ping'an's prestige, Monkey Head Da Shan, Zeng Jihe, and others also felt honored. They were now considered Chen Ping'an's trusted confidants.
Neither Shen Shikang nor Master Tian Fuliang attended this pre-duty regular meeting, so it was presided over by a Chief Constable. Since the most prestigious Chief Constable Zheng had died, this important task naturally fell to Stern.
He originally managed five squads of Yamen Runners, and now with an additional squad, he had the same prestige as Chief Constable Zheng once did.
However, Stern seemed to be rather low-key. He ended the pre-duty regular meeting after only a few words.
Previously, he had the best relationship with Chief Constable Zheng and was vaguely opposed to the other three Chief Constables. Now that Chief Constable Zheng had died, he was isolated.
Apart from Stern, Li Chatou's prestige was vaguely the strongest. He also had the support of Huang Chatou and Chief Liu.
As for Chen Ping'an, although he had already shown his brilliance, he had only been a Chief Constable for a short time, and his strength had not yet entered the Qi Blood Third Stage. In the eyes of others, compared to the previous two, he was still somewhat inferior.
However, Chen Ping'an did not pay much attention to the intricate details within.
Now, besides handling some daily official duties, he focused all his attention on cultivation.
In the past few days, his Thirteen Taibao Horizontal Training had entered the Minor Achievement stage. The skin on his body even faintly glowed with a unique luster. In terms of horizontal training strength alone, an ordinary person wielding a large saber, even if they chopped down with all their might, would find it very difficult to break through his defense.
The Minor Achievement of the Thirteen Taibao Horizontal Training also advanced Chen Ping'an's martial Dao Realm by a considerable distance. Now, among martial Dao experts in the Qi and Blood Fifth Stage, he was considered a relatively seasoned existence.
In the entire Nanquan Lane Garrison Office, perhaps only Shen Shikang could surpass him. Even Master Tian Fuliang might not be his opponent! After all, Chen Ping'an's martial arts and combat experience all came from the Golden Finger panel, basically reaching the perfect stage in theory.
After finishing his duty, Chen Ping'an returned home as usual. Before he even got close, he saw a figure standing at the entrance of his courtyard.
“It's Zhang Family Aunt!”
Chen Ping'an recognized the standing figure at a glance.
“What happened?” A hint of doubt surfaced in Chen Ping'an's mind.
As Chen Ping'an approached, Zhang Family Aunt also noticed him and hurried forward to greet him.
“Lord Chen! Please save me!”
Zhang Family Aunt's expression was anxious, her face filled with extreme worry.
“Zhang Family Aunt, don't get agitated yet, tell me slowly.”
“Lord Chen, I really have no choice, my kid...” Saying this, Zhang Family Aunt couldn't help but start crying.
Chen Ping'an led her into the courtyard, and after careful questioning, he finally learned that something had happened to Zhang Dabo.
Zhang Dabo was a sand porter, usually honest and law-abiding. But yesterday, for some unknown reason, he offended the leader of the Feisha Gang. He originally thought that enduring it would be enough, but who knew that today, not only was he beaten, but he was also detained.
The street where Zhang Dabo transported sand belonged to the Feisha Gang's territory.
Being beaten and detained by the Feisha Gang's leader, for an ordinary family, this was a huge matter!
With Zhang Dabo detained, his son and daughter-in-law were naturally anxious. They tried every possible method, and in the afternoon, they had already gone to negotiate to see if there was any way to get their father back.
Zhang Family Aunt also went along, but the other party simply wouldn't budge. She was truly desperate and thought of Chen Ping'an.
“So it's this matter! Zhang Family Aunt, don't worry for now, I'll look into the situation.”
Chen Ping'an carefully soothed Zhang Family Aunt's emotions.
When he was practicing Iron Cloth, he needed sand and stones. It was Zhang Dabo who helped him carry them over. Although this matter was small, he had to acknowledge this favor.
Hearing Chen Ping'an's words, Zhang Family Aunt sobbed, “The person my husband offended is said to be a newly appointed leader, fierce and petty. Those he detains will either die or be severely injured. This time, I just want to trouble Lord Chen to help intercede and get my husband released as soon as possible.”
For a woman like Zhang Family Aunt, the leader of the Feisha Gang was already an incredibly important figure. She thought that Chen Ping'an was an official of the Zhenfu Division, and with his help, Zhang Dabo should be able to return home smoothly.
“Alright, I understand.” Chen Ping'an nodded. “I will handle this matter.”
“Thank you, thank you, Lord Chen.” Zhang Family Aunt's body trembled slightly as she repeatedly expressed her gratitude.
“Zhang Family Aunt, there's no need to be so formal. Just call me what you used to call me.”
After speaking, regardless of whether Zhang Family Aunt heard him or not, Chen Ping'an walked out of the courtyard.
At night, the Zhenfu Division would also have Yamen Runners patrolling. Naturally, Lihua Lane also had dedicated Yamen Runners on night patrol. Chen Ping'an had not walked far in Lihua Lane after leaving his courtyard when he met two Yamen Runners.
For the night patrol, it had just been a short while since they started duty. The two were hiding in a corner, stealing a moment of laziness, when they unexpectedly turned around and saw Chen Ping'an. Both of them jolted, startled, and immediately bowed respectfully.
“Hello, Chief Constable Chen.”
Chen Ping'an nodded slightly, unhooked his Chief Constable token from his waist, and directly threw it to the two: “Take the token, and go to the Feisha Gang!”
The two clumsily caught the token, looking bewildered.
Chen Ping'an briefly explained the situation, and only then did the two understand, repeatedly cupping their hands in salute.
Being able to directly help the Chief Constable with a task, that was an opportunity!
If the matter was handled properly and the Chief Constable remembered them, that would simply be a stroke of good fortune.
At that time, becoming a Chief Constable's confidant would mean enjoying a comfortable life. They would speak with more confidence when out and about.
Thinking of this, both their eyes were shining.
......
PS: Always hold onto hope, always cherish dreams. No matter how much it flops, I must finish the book.
Flop Diary: Little flopper, you must remember, you must write every chapter seriously, even if your writing skill is lacking, you must do your best. (These words are not charged)