Chapter 74: Is This How You Treat a Hero?
Patrol Office, Director’s Office.
The phone on the desk suddenly rang. Dai Zhen snatched it up, annoyed. "This is Dai Zhen. Who’s calling?"
"Teng Qingshan."
WHOOSH!
Dai Zhen shot to his feet and hunched over slightly, as if the person on the other end of the line were standing right in front of him.
"Sir, what are your instructions?"
"Still no news?"
"Sir, we’ve checked all the surveillance footage, but the suspect’s counter-surveillance awareness is..."
"Enough! I don’t want to hear your excuses! I want results! Do you understand? Results! I don’t keep useless trash on my payroll! One day. I’m giving you one last day! You must solve this case!"
"I’ll do my absolute best!"
"Not ’your best’! You ’must’ solve it!"
Once again, Dai Zhen had been reamed out by his superior. He didn’t dare get angry at his leader, so he could only take it out on his subordinates.
Dai Zhen snatched the internal line and called Xing Arrest Team 1, ordering bluntly, "Have Captain Wu come see me immediately!"
"Director, Captain Wu just stepped out."
"Oh? Does she have a lead on the kidnapping?"
"What lead could there be? She probably went to handle some personal business."
’Personal business?’
Dai Zhen was so furious he felt like smoke was about to pour from his nostrils.
’The situation is already critical!’
’And Wu Mengyao decides to run personal errands?’
’Fine!’
Fuming, Dai Zhen dialed Wu Mengyao’s number. The call connected quickly, and Dai Zhen immediately let loose a torrent of abuse.
"Wu Mengyao! You’ve gotten bold, haven’t you? What is happening right now? You dare to handle personal business? If you don’t want this job anymore, just say so! I’ll have your badge!"
Wu Mengyao wasn’t flustered in the slightest. She said calmly, "Director, it seems a bit inappropriate to treat a meritorious officer this way."
"Meritorious officer? A fine one you are! The heat is on, and you’re off running personal errands! Some great merit you’ve earned!"
"Director, which of your eyes saw me handling personal business? It seems you have quite a prejudice against me."
"Then what were you doing? Did you find the children?"
"Yes. All seven children, safe and sound. Plus more than ten others as a bonus."
Dai Zhen was stunned speechless. He couldn’t say a word for a long moment.
"Captain Wu, that’s not something to joke about!"
"I swear on my badge. If I’m wrong by a single word, you can strip me of my rank right now!"
"HAHAHA! Captain Wu, you truly are a top student from Xingbu University! Well done! Very well done! Where are the children now?"
"Hope Welfare Institute."
"Excellent! Secure the scene. Our people are on their way! I’ll put you in for a commendation when this is over!"
"Yes, sir!"
...
After hanging up, Dai Zhen’s eyes narrowed. He began to scheme. A deputy director at the Patrol Office was about to be transferred.
With Wu Mengyao scoring such a huge achievement at this critical moment, it was highly likely the higher-ups would promote her unconventionally.
If Wu Mengyao became the deputy director, she would be harder to control in the future.
’What should I do?’
After a moment of contemplation, Dai Zhen dialed the number for Pan Guang, the captain of Xing Arrest Team 2.
"Director, you were looking for me?"
"Pan Guang, I have an important mission for you."
"Please give me your orders, Director!"
"Go to the Hope Welfare Institute immediately. Bring back all the trafficked children and the perpetrators!"
"The children have been found? How come I haven’t heard anything?"
"Wu Mengyao found them."
There was a moment of silence on the other end of the line. "Then shouldn’t you be sending someone from Xing Arrest Team 1?"
"Pan Guang, you’re a smart man. If you let Wu Mengyao get the credit for this, you’ll never have a chance to get ahead. Whether you want to be stuck under her thumb for the rest of your life is up to you."
"Thank you for the guidance, Director. I’ll go!"
After hanging up on Pan Guang, Dai Zhen dialed the secretarial department. "The demolition work at Yangjia Stream Village is meeting resistance," he ordered. "Send Xing Arrest Team 1 to maintain order immediately."
"Yes, Director."
A cold smile appeared on Dai Zhen’s lips. ’Wu Mengyao, don’t blame me for pulling the rug out from under you. Who told you to be Wu Fei’s sister?’
========
The orphanage.
After treating the children’s injuries, Cheng Yuan and Wu Mengyao gathered them together.
"Sister Wu, I need to go check on the old director. I heard she’s very sick. I’ll leave the children to you."
Wu Mengyao nodded lightly. "No problem."
Cheng Yuan turned to Shen Youchu. "Youchu, take me to see the director."
"Okay."
Shen Youchu led Cheng Yuan toward a corner of the welfare institute. Soon, the two of them stopped in front of a small door.
Looking through the window, they could see that the room inside was dark and damp, and it gave off an unsettling feeling.
"Brother, this is the director’s room," she said.
Cheng Yuan frowned deeply. This wasn’t a room, it was a storage closet!
KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK.
Cheng Yuan knocked gently on the door.
"Come in."
A weak voice came from inside.
CREAK. Cheng Yuan pushed the door open, and a musty, decaying smell washed over him.
Cheng Yuan suppressed his discomfort and entered, squinting to adjust to the room’s dim light.
The room was a mess, filled with all sorts of clutter. In the corner was a small bed, and on it lay an old woman who was nothing but skin and bones.
"Grandma!"
Shen Youchu was very close to the director. Seeing her looking so old and frail, she was heartbroken and threw herself forward, crying.
"Is that my little Youchu? Don’t cry, you won’t be pretty if you smear your face with tears. You’re making this old grandma’s heart ache!"
Shen Youchu choked back a sob. "Grandma, I only hate that I couldn’t grow up faster, that it took me this long to find a chance to rescue you!"
The director summoned strength from somewhere and struggled to sit up. She beckoned to Cheng Yuan, who was standing a short distance away. "Young man, was it you who saved those children?"
Cheng Yuan stepped forward and looked at the kind-faced old woman. "Yes, ma’am. Grandma, do you remember Cheng Hongbing? I’m his son, Cheng Yuan."
A look of pleasant surprise appeared on the director’s face. "You’re Little Bing’s child? Little Bing hasn’t come to see this old woman in two years. I was worried he’d been harmed by Zhu Wenhu. It’s good to know he’s all right!"
"Grandma, the reason my father hasn’t visited you in two years is probably that he’s been busy running around for my sake."
"For your sake?"
"Two years ago, I was framed and sent to prison. My father has been running all over the place trying to clear my name."
"You’re a good boy. I’m sure you were wrongly accused! Little Bing is a good boy, too! COUGH, COUGH... My body is failing me. I’m afraid I only have two or three days left. Xiaoyuan, I want to entrust the children to you. Can I?"
"Grandma, don’t say such depressing things. Let me help you regulate your body. You’ll recover quickly. The children can’t live without you!"
As he spoke, Cheng Yuan raised a hand and placed it on the director’s wrist to feel her pulse. His expression then turned very strange.
’The director is actually a Practitioner!’
’And a powerful Grandmaster at that!’
’The only reason she’s so weak is that her heart meridian suffered a severe blow. On top of that, she was poisoned—a slow-acting poison that’s been in her system for five or six years, nearly destroying her entire Cultivation!’
The director said weakly, "Child, don’t waste your effort. I’m terminally ill. I’m beyond saving."
Cheng Yuan grinned. "Director, I can heal your injuries!"