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

The red velvet curtains in the city bureau's auditorium were drawn tightly.

The applause surged forth like a tidal wave, one wave after another. The giant crystal chandelier overhead swayed violently.

Zhao Tiezhu stood on the rostrum.

The second-class merit medal, made of pure bronze, on his chest reflected a dazzling yellow light under the spotlight.

He stood ramrod straight. His thick neck was stiff, and the muscles in his face were taut with excitement.

offstage.

Lu Jingyan sat in the leadership section of the first row.

He wasn't wearing a suit. He was still wearing that old, faded police uniform.

With his hands on his knees, he clapped twice, following the rhythm of the crowd.

The case of the mole, Lao Chen, has been transferred.

The Shadow's vast underground black market network was completely uprooted. The weight that had been pressing on the Special Investigations Team's shoulders was finally lifted.

The commendation ceremony lasted for a full two hours.

It was one o'clock in the afternoon. The old wall-mounted air conditioner was humming and blowing air.

Zhao Tiezhu, who was so imposing on the stage just now.

Right now, he's sprawled out on his office chair at his workstation.

The chair, unable to bear the weight, emitted a long, teeth-grinding creak.

He held the medal between his two thick fingers, rubbing his thumb back and forth along the edge.

His bald forehead wasn't sweaty, but rather clouded with worry and despair.

"well……"

Zhao Tiezhu let out a long sigh. The gust of wind caused a sheet of A4 paper on the table to flip over.

Su Xiaoxiao was sitting at the next workstation.

She held a bag of original flavor potato chips in her hand, chewing them with a crunching sound.

Hearing the noise, she tiptoed and slid over, chair and all.

"What are you doing, Brother Tiezhu?"

Su Xiaoxiao poked Zhao Tiezhu's muscular arm with her finger, which was covered in potato chip crumbs.

"You just received a second-class merit award, which is a great honor for your family. Why do you look like you're at a funeral?"

Zhao Tiezhu rolled his eyes in annoyance.

He casually tossed the medal onto the table. The metal clanged against the glass surface.

"This damn sign is utterly useless."

He scratched his bald head in frustration. His fingernails scraped against his scalp, making a soft, scratching sound.

"My mom sent me a WeChat account last night. She said it was for a girl who works as a kindergarten teacher in our hometown, and that she has a very gentle personality."

Su Xiaoxiao's eyes lit up immediately.

My gossip-loving spirit was burning brightly. I even forgot to chew the potato chips and swallowed them whole.

"A blind date! That's a good thing. And then what?"

Zhao Tiezhu's lips twitched twice.

His dark face turned bright red. He slapped his thigh hard, making a crisp sound.

"And then what the hell!"

He pulled out his phone, roughly tapped the screen, and shoved it directly in front of Su Xiaoxiao's face.

"Look! I thought I'd make it look more formal, so I sent over the police uniform ID photo that I just took yesterday."

Su Xiaoxiao peeked over.

The screen displayed several lines of green WeChat chat history. It was a voice message transcribed from the woman, each word piercing the heart.

"Aunt Wang, do you have a problem with me? This man looks too fierce."

Su Xiaoxiao read it aloud in a low voice.

"These aren't police officers, they're clearly mob bosses collecting protection money at the market. I'm scared, forget it."

Su Xiaoxiao was stunned for two seconds.

"Pfft—Hahaha!"

She clutched her stomach and collapsed onto the swivel chair, laughing so hard tears streamed down her face.

"A mob boss... Wow, this girl has amazing eyesight!"

Zhao Tiezhu glared angrily.

He reached out and snatched the phone back. The screen went black, and he roughly shoved it back into his pocket.

"Laugh! All you do is laugh! What's wrong with my appearance?"

He stood up and walked to the half-length mirror in the corner of the office.

Hands on hips. Looking at himself in the mirror from left to right.

He was over two meters tall. His muscular physique stretched his police shirt so tight it looked like it was about to burst.

Add to that his shiny bald head and the small scar on his left eyebrow from catching a thief years ago.

Let alone going on blind dates.

Walking on the street late at night, even patrol officers have to check his ID when they see him.

"I'm just used to having a stern face when I'm handling cases."

Zhao Tiezhu muttered to himself as he looked in the mirror.

He took a deep breath and tried to relax his facial muscles.

He forced the corners of his mouth upwards, squeezing out what he thought was a very kind and friendly smile.

As a result of that smile, all the fat on his face bunched up together.

His eyes narrowed to slits, and the scar twisted in his gaze. He looked even more terrifying than when he wasn't smiling.

"Click".

The iron door to the office was pushed open.

A newly arrived trainee auxiliary police officer walked in carrying a stack of photocopies.

He looked up.

They happened to see Zhao Tiezhu looking in the mirror, revealing that eerie and cruel smile.

The intern was so frightened that his legs went weak.

The photocopy paper in my hand spilled all over the floor with a clatter. White scraps of paper flew everywhere.

"Captain Zhao... I... I didn't do anything wrong!"

The intern stammered out a cry, then slipped out along the wall, not even daring to close the door.

Su Xiaoxiao lay on the table, laughing so hard she kept pounding the surface with her fists.

"Brother Tiezhu, stop using your supernatural powers."

She teased him, panting.

"When you laugh like that, not only would a kindergarten teacher be scared out of her wits, but even a preschool child would vomit up their milk."

Zhao Tiezhu slumped his shoulders in dejection.

He wiped the smile off his face and walked back to his seat like a defeated rooster.

"I'm destined to be a bachelor for the rest of my life."

He grabbed the teacup on the table and gulped down more than half a cup of cold water. A few drops of water trickled down his chin and onto his thick neck.

"Do you think all girls in this world like girls who are fair-skinned and speak in a refined, scholarly manner?"

Lu Jingyan had just come out of the director's office next door after reporting on his work.

He held a bunch of car keys in his hand. The metal rings on the keychains clinked together, making a crisp sound.

Black leather shoes trod the terrazzo floor with steady steps.

I walked to the office door, which was wide open.

He stopped in his tracks. He turned his head and looked at Zhao Tiezhu, who was slumped in his chair, seemingly questioning the meaning of life.

He glanced again at the photocopies on the ground.

Lu Jingyan did not go inside.

He raised the hand holding the car keys, bent the knuckle of his index finger, and tapped it twice on the metal door frame.

"Clang, clang."

His voice was deep and resonant, yet it carried a crisp and decisive quality.

The laughter and sighs inside the room stopped instantly.

Zhao Tiezhu sprang up from his chair as if propelled by a spring, standing ramrod straight.

Su Xiaoxiao quickly stuffed the bag of potato chips into the drawer and wiped the crumbs off her mouth with a tissue.

Lu Jingyan leaned against the door.

His dark eyes fell on Zhao Tiezhu's flushed face. There was no expression on his face.

Lu Jingyan walked by with his car keys in his hand and tapped Zhao Tiezhu's desk: "Stop looking in the mirror. I'm taking half a day off this afternoon. Keep an eye on things at the bureau."