A heretical cultivator in Bureau 749, I'm the fiercest at pulling out tendons and skinning peop

Ji Zuodao listened with great interest while cracking sunflower seeds, and at the end, he casually tossed the sunflower seed shells he had collected in his palm into the crowd queuing downstairs.

The sunflower seed shell floated and spun around, landing right on the forehead of a well-off old man who was sighing.

The old man was startled, instinctively looked up, glared angrily, and was about to start cursing—

My gaze met that smiling face upstairs, peering out the window.

Ji Zuodao even winked at him.

The old man's curse caught in his throat, and his face turned from red to white, then from white to green in an instant.

Finally, he forced out a fawning smile that looked worse than crying, quickly lowered his head, and pretended nothing had happened, silently brushing away the few unsightly sunflower seed shells on his head.

The other people in line who were also affected had similar reactions.

His anger had barely surfaced when he looked up and saw the person; he instantly wilted, lowering his head to pretend to examine the gift box packaging in his hand, as if flowers had suddenly sprouted from it.

"hey-hey."

Ji Zuodao was delighted; he loved this kind of thing.

You can't stand him, but you can't get rid of him, so you end up having to swallow your pride and admit defeat.

Feeling comfortable.

After finishing the last few, he patted the crumbs off his hands, then suddenly remembered something and turned to ask Liu Ming:

"Brother Liu, how do you know so much about these old stories? It's as if you saw them with your own eyes."

Liu Ming spat out the sunflower seed shells from his mouth and shrugged:

"My dad told me that."

"Uncle Liu?" Ji Zuodao suddenly realized, "That's right, he looks about the same age as Uncle Zhang, he must have gone through thick and thin back then."

"Much worse!"

Liu Ming waved his hand, a look on his face that said, "This is a very mysterious matter."

"Back when our Director Zhang was a powerful and influential figure in Beijing, my father was just a lowly henchman in a branch of the Dongxing Society. At that time, his biggest ambition in life was to one day become a branch leader and bring glory to his ancestors."

He paused, his tone becoming somewhat subtle:

"And what happened? Instead of getting the position of leader, we got Director Zhang to retire from the gang and lead all the brothers from all the branches of the Dongxing Society to cast 749 in a grand manner."

"My dad, without really knowing how, went from being a lowly henchman to an intern investigator in Bureau 749."

Liu Ming shrugged, his expression conveying a sense of "fate is a damn strange thing":

"Before I knew it, I was on a political career. And then, just as I was coasting along, hey, I ended up as the deputy director of the 749th Bureau in Jinghai. Who can I complain to?"

Ji Zuodao's eyes widened in disbelief, and after a long pause, he finally uttered three words:

"Good heavens!"

He thought to himself, "Wonderful! Uncle Liu's life trajectory is just as dramatic as Uncle Zhang's legendary experience!"

Once you think about it this way, many things suddenly become clear.

No wonder the entire 749th Bureau of Jinghai, from the oldest to the youngest, has a different kind of temperament than other branches.

So, the root of the problem is right here!

The first batch of veterans were all seasoned veterans who had fought alongside Third Master in the streets back in the day.

Expecting them to follow the rules and regulations step by step?

Nonsense.

For these old men who used to make a living carrying machetes, what is solving a case?

Isn't that just "territorial division" or "settling disputes" under a different name?

Procedures? Rules?

Excuse me, but back in the day, the Dongxing Society believed that if a problem could be solved quickly with a knife, it would never resort to words and procrastination.

Efficiency first, results paramount.

The only difference is that the machete in his hand has been replaced with a baton?

"If the upper beam is crooked, the lower beam will also be crooked..."

Ji Zuodao muttered to himself, but his face broke into a wide smile.

He said that once he entered Jinghai 749, it felt like he was back home, completely comfortable and at ease.

So this place isn't a proper government office at all; it's clearly a bandit den disguised as an official place, but its internal logic still carries the air of the underworld.

That evening, Zhang Yucheng made a phone call and summoned all the colleagues in the bureau to his office.

Without saying much, he simply pointed to the small mountain of gift boxes piled up in the corner and said in a gentle tone:

"We collected these during the day, and they're just sitting there anyway. Take a look, everyone, and share whatever you find useful or that you like. Consider it... an early year-end bonus."

Then he picked up his teacup, sat back down at his desk, and watched with a smile.

The office instantly transformed into a massive spoils-sharing... no, it was more like a year-end bonus distribution scene.

"Old Wang! This jade Buddha is quite nice, very translucent! It matches your bald head perfectly!"

"Get lost! I want that string of sandalwood beads! They smell amazing!"

"Who wants this inkstone? It looks quite old, but I can't write on it!"

"If you can't write, what are you doing stealing it! Give it to me, I just need a paperweight!"

"This old ginseng...it would definitely be nourishing in soup!"

"I'll make you pay, I'll make you pay until you die! Pay back the money you owe me from the cards earlier!"

The crowd surged forward, laughing and joking, picking and choosing, making a racket like a band of bandits who had entered a treasure mountain.

Some people held the jade cabbage up to the light, some put the luminous pearl in their pockets to test its brightness, and some almost got into a fight over a box of tea that looked very expensive.

There were no slips of paper, no registration, and no lottery for ranking.

It all depends on eyesight, hand speed, thick skin, and the "camaraderie" built up over time.

Ji Zuodao squeezed into the crowd and casually grabbed a warm-feeling jade pendant and stuffed it into his pocket.

Looking at the bustling, chaotic scene filled with simple joy, the sense of déjà vu of "a bandit's den disguised as an official" in my heart reached its peak.

Good guy.

Large scales divide gold, small scales divide silver.

All that's missing is hanging a large apricot-yellow banner that reads "Acting on Behalf of Heaven" behind Director Zhang's large desk, and setting up an incense table.

The group swore an oath of brotherhood by swearing a blood oath, and in unison shouted, "Brother above, accept my bow!"

This is practically the scene of Liangshan Marsh distributing its year-end bonuses!

Ji Zuodao watched the bustling scene of spoils being divided in the office, then glanced at Director Zhang, who was calmly sipping tea with a smile behind his desk.

For no apparent reason, the image of Song Jiang, the "Timely Rain" from the novel *Water Margin*, popped into my head.

But upon further reflection, does Song Jiang even deserve the title?

They are both the top leaders.

Look at Song Jiang, Song Gongming, in the Water Margin. He led the 108 heroes of Liangshan, shouting slogans that shook the heavens and earth, such as "Acting on behalf of Heaven" and "Brothers united."

The results of it?

The move to offer amnesty directly led the brothers to their deaths.

In the campaign against Fang La, some died, some were maimed, and some scattered. In the end, even Fang La himself did not fare well, ending his life with a cup of poisoned wine.

What happened to our promise to share wealth and honor? What happened to our promise to live and die together?

So, they really did "die together," but "share wealth and honor" became just a pipe dream.

Let's take a look at Director Zhang in front of us.

Back then, he was the undisputed leader of the Jinghai underworld, with countless brothers under his command, living a life of constant danger.

But he turned around and took the entire East Star Society team, cleaned up their act, and got a stable job at Bureau 749.

This bowl of rice not only fills you up, but it also sustains you, sustains you for a long time, and allows you to eat with dignity!

The difference is immediately apparent when compared.

Song Jiang painted a grand picture of "loyalty and righteousness," luring his brothers onto a narrow, increasingly difficult path.

Zhang Yucheng truly paved a bright and promising path for his brothers, one that grew wider and brighter with each step.

From a shady triad henchman to a government employee with a formal position and a government job.

From a thug carrying a razor blade to collect protection money, to an investigator wearing a black trench coat, carrying a license to enforce the law, and protecting the peace of the area.

This change of status is affordable, respectable, and safe.

The key point is that the eldest brother truly treats his brothers as his own. He genuinely thinks about sharing the benefits and is always there to support them in times of difficulty.

Such a boss, such a leader, such a bureau chief...

Who the hell doesn't want to come along?

Who wouldn't be willing to risk their life for him?

Ji Zuodao touched the jade pendant that he had just put in his pocket; it still had a warm, smooth feel to it.

Only one thought remained in my mind:

"This is no Liangshan Marsh at all..."

"This is clearly..."

He couldn't find a suitable word right away, but a smile had already crept onto his face.

Who cares? Anyway, following a boss like that is a win-win situation.