Villain? No, I'll catch up with the protagonist after passing the civil service exam.

"A sea of ​​practice questions?"

Wang Xiaozhuang looked completely bewildered. His little head, filled with Ultraman and gangster movies, clearly hadn't grasped the terrifying meaning of those two words.

Lu Jingyan offered no explanation.

He simply gave the Wang couple a knowing smile, then, with Zhao Tiezhu in tow, left gracefully amidst a chorus of grateful "Take care, Captain Lu."

The next morning, a small truck with "Same-city Express" printed on it stopped downstairs in Building B of the police officers' family compound.

The deliveryman huffed and puffed as he unloaded seven or eight heavy cardboard boxes, checked the address, and then rang the doorbell for room 301.

Who is it?

Wang Xiaozhuang opened the door.

He had just finished his homework and was about to sneak onto the computer to play a couple of games; he was in a great mood.

"Hello, is this Wang Xiaozhuang? You have a package, please sign for it."

The deliveryman pointed to the mountain of cardboard boxes at the door and wiped the sweat from his forehead.

"My package?"

Wang Xiaozhuang was taken aback. He hadn't bought any Ultraman cards online recently.

He walked over with a puzzled look and tore open one of the cardboard boxes.

A familiar, suffocating yellowish-brown color instantly came into view.

Printed on it were several large, flamboyant characters, yet they seemed like a nightmare—

Five-Year College Entrance Examination and Three-Year Simulation.

Wang Xiaozhuang blinked, unable to believe his eyes.

He then tore open the second cardboard box.

It's still "May 3rd".

The third one, the fourth one...

Chinese, Mathematics, English, Physics, Chemistry, Biology...

From fifth grade of elementary school, to third grade of junior high school, and then to third grade of high school.

A complete set, not a single book is missing.

They even provided him with a complete set of humanities textbooks on politics, history, and geography, fearing that his knowledge base wouldn't be broad enough in the future.

The seven or eight large boxes were piled up at the doorway like a small mountain, a mountain of knowledge (and pain), blocking all his way to the living room.

Wang Xiao-Zhuang stood there dumbfounded, still clutching a piece of cardboard he had just torn off. He looked as if he had been struck by lightning, his face charred and raw.

Just then, a card floated down from the top box and landed right at his feet.

The card was specially made by the police station, with the police emblem printed on it and a line of handwritten, vigorous penmanship below.

The handwriting is impressive, but the content is cruel.

To Wang Xiaozhuang:

A strong youth makes a strong nation. To be a leader, one must first be cultured. True elegance comes from knowledge and learning, not from spicy snacks and threatening letters.

[Here's your complete "martial arts manual" from elementary school to high school. Finish all these questions first, and only talk to me about developing followers and protecting world peace after you've gotten into Tsinghua or Peking University.]

[Also, I've already spoken with your parents; they'll make sure you complete at least ten pages of exercises every day. If you don't, your Ultraman workout this weekend is canceled.]

[Go for it, future "big brother"! I believe in you!]

[—Your fan, Lu Jingyan.]

"Wow--!!!"

A piercing scream, loud enough to pierce the floorboards, erupted from room 301.

Looking at the "mountain of questions" that was almost as tall as him, and then at the smiling "Go for it!" on the card, Wang Xiaozhuang's mental defenses completely collapsed.

He felt as if he had not received a gift, but rather a sentence of eight years in prison.

What kind of gangster boss?

What do you mean by protecting Sister Su?

Faced with an overwhelming sea of ​​questions, all ideals and passion seem so pale and powerless.

He knelt down with a thud, clutching the pile of exercise books that still smelled of fresh ink, and cried his heart out, gasping for breath.

"I was wrong... I was really wrong..."

"I never want to be the boss again... I'll never write threatening letters again..."

"Please, officer... please take all these books away... I promise I'll study hard and improve every day... Waaah..."

Upon hearing the crying, Wang's parents ran out of their room.

Seeing this, I didn't feel sorry for them at all; instead, I smiled with relief.

Section Chief Wang stepped forward, patted his son on the shoulder, and said earnestly, "Son, don't cry. This is Captain Lu's expectation of you! This is a favor, do you understand?"

Sister Li nodded in agreement, "Exactly! So many workbooks, it must have cost a fortune! Captain Lu has really gone to great lengths for your studies!"

The couple exchanged a glance and simultaneously made up their minds.

"Let's go! Let's present Captain Lu with a banner!"

……

Special Investigation Team Office.

Lu Jingyan had just finished processing a document when Zhao Tiezhu walked in, suppressing a laugh.

"Captain Lu, downstairs... Section Chief Wang and his family of three have arrived."

Zhao Tiezhu's expression was extremely strange. "They insisted on seeing you, saying they wanted to thank you in person for your 'life-saving grace.' They even brought a silk banner."

Lu Jingyan: "..."

He felt a dull ache in his temples again.

"Let them come up."

He sighed.

A few minutes later, Section Chief Wang and his wife led Wang Xiaozhuang, whose eyes were swollen from crying, into the office.

"Captain Lu! I can't thank you enough!"

As soon as Section Chief Wang entered, he tightly grasped Lu Jingyan's hand, his eyes brimming with tears of emotion. "Your 'practice makes perfect' approach is far more effective than any beating I could give him! Now, this kid treats books like his own father, and he even asks to go to tutoring classes on weekends!"

"Yes, Captain Lu!" Sister Li exclaimed, wiping away tears. "Our Xiao Zhuang is saved! It's all thanks to you!"

As they spoke, the two unfurled the brand-new banner.

The wording this time was much more normal:

[A skillful parenting method yields immeasurable blessings]

"Captain Lu, please accept this banner!"

Lu Jingyan looked at the banner, then at the chubby boy next to him who was sobbing with his head down, and felt a mix of amusement and exasperation.

He just wanted to teach this brat a lesson, so how did he become an "educator"?

"Wang Xiaozhuang".

Lu Jingyan did not accept the banner, but walked up to the chubby boy and squatted down.

"Do you still want to be a gangster now?"

Wang Xiaozhuang shook his head violently, his head bobbing like a rattle drum, and tears flew out.

"No... I don't want to think about it anymore..."

He sobbed, his voice carrying a sense of liberation after a profound realization.

"I...I want to be a scientist!"

Why?

"Because...because I just saw a physics problem in the '53' workbook, and it was so hard! I want to solve it!"

For the first time, a thirst for knowledge shone in Wang Xiaozhuang's eyes.

Lu Jingyan nodded in satisfaction.

Children can be taught.

"Alright, I appreciate the banner."

He stood up, patted Wang Xiaozhuang on the head, and said, "Take the kid home. Remember, watch less mindless movies and more 'Approaching Science'."

"Okay, okay! We definitely will!"

Section Chief Wang and his wife left with their son, expressing their deepest gratitude.

Watching the happy family of three from behind, Lu Jingyan suddenly felt that being a policeman wasn't all about fighting and killing.

Being the "dean of students" once in a while isn't so bad.

Just as he was about to sit back down and enjoy this rare moment of peace and quiet.

The office door was pushed open again.

This time it was Su Xiaoxiao. She was holding a tablet computer, but her expression was unusually serious.

"Team Leader Lu."

She handed the tablet to Lu Jingyan, on which was playing a very popular talent show video.

"We just received a report. The voting data for the final of the most popular talent show in the city, 'Idol Producer 101,' seems to have some issues."