Uncle Shazhu, a simple-minded man in a courtyard house, persuades people with reason.

When the "veteran" Duomen got angry, Xiao Heipi immediately fell silent.

"If it weren't for the fact that we're both Manchus and from the same banner, I would have beaten you to death today, you bastard! Someone who can get a hundred or so bags of grain at once is no ordinary person."

These days, food is more precious than life. Whoever can get their hands on food can take your life! Don't let a few bags of grain cloud your judgment and tempt fate; check your neck to see if your head is still there.

After finishing with his tasks, Duomen turned around, stroking the gold ring on his hand, and sneered repeatedly:

"You really have to be a scholar; he's insightful to the core. He can tell at a glance that you bunch of bastards are no good!"

Seeing how difficult it is for you to have families to support, I swallowed my pride and pleaded for you; Master He, though stubborn, is soft-hearted and agreed to spare your lives, but you... you want to plot against us and make us kill each other!

"snort!"

He snorted coldly and waved his hand, summoning the little black-skinned boy from before:

"Ever since the Republic of China established the police force, no one has dared to abuse their power! Let's give these bastards a good beating, teach them a lesson they can't mess with, and show them who they absolutely can't touch! Then, kick them out of Beiping!"

"Uncle, don't worry! I guarantee these laborers will tremble at the mere mention of Beiping from now on!"

Xiao Hei's sinister gaze swept over Li Dagang and his group. It was this group who kept shouting about how much grain He Ping'an had, causing him to be beaten and lose face.

After Blackie left the courtyard, the birds dispersed one after another. Yi Zhonghai woke up at just the right moment and was the last to leave, not daring to utter any harsh words.

He was genuinely dizzy, and genuinely awake, but only during Jia Zhangshi's soul-summoning ritual. He had originally intended to provoke the deaf old woman into making a move, but who would have thought she wouldn't care whether he lived or died!

He Yuzhu stared at the fleeing Yi Zhonghai, indignantly saying, "Uncle, are we just going to let this childless scoundrel like this go so easily?"

"You little brat, go play somewhere else!"

He Ping'an kicked Bai Ling, making her stumble, and pulled her inside. He Daqing cooked, and the family happily ate lunch. Before leaving, he gave Bai Ling a red envelope, marking the formal introduction of her parents!

At the entrance of Jing'an Bookstore, seeing Bai Ling hesitate to speak, He Ping'an took the initiative to start the conversation.

"You think I was too cruel, that I shouldn't have framed them and let the black-skinned dog take them away?"

Bai Ling, her thoughts exposed, blushed and nodded. But then, remembering that those people were trying to extort her lover's older brother, she shook her head abruptly.

"Those people tried to steal your grain, so they deserved to be caught. But how many of them were women? I heard that anyone arrested and taken to the police station never leaves unscathed. Those women..."

"Don't worry..." He Ping'an smiled and shook his head, explaining his conversation with Duomen to Bai Ling.

"I never expected there to be good people among the black dogs! Ping An, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have..."

Before Bai Ling could apologize, He Ping'an pulled her into his arms.

"Your kindness and ability to distinguish right from wrong are rare and I like them very much! However, you really should apologize; that was my family's food, and more importantly, our family's food!"

Although the two had been completely honest with each other last night, Bai Ling still blushed at He Ping'an's bluntness.

"uh-huh……"

In the living room, He Ping'an was only focused on joking around with Bai Ling, completely ignoring Luo Chengjun. Bai Ling, on the other hand, felt embarrassed by Luo Chengjun's stare and deliberately kept her distance from He Ping'an.

He Ping'an then looked at Luo Chengjun with annoyance, "Speak your mind. What kind of behavior is this, a grown man, and an older man at that, whining all day long?"

Luo Chengjun, who had been grumbling all the way from the door to the living room, was even angrier.

"You think I'm being sarcastic? Don't you know why I'm like this? He Ping'an, how come I never noticed before that you're so shameless at such a young age?"

"Is there anything wrong? No, I'm taking Comrade Bai Ling out to cultivate revolutionary friendships!"

Although light bulbs aren't glaring during the day, their presence is even more unpleasant.

"Something's up!" Luo Chengjun winked at Bai Ling, who nodded and got up to go guard the door. He Ping'an didn't stop her.

Without rules, nothing can be accomplished!

It wasn't an emergency; the case of the Black-skinned Squad Leader was resolved. Ironically... "The Communists are more ferocious than tigers," but the Republic of China government's procrastination was never directed at the Communists.

Zheng Chaoyang was promoted three ranks in a row for discovering and killing a deeply hidden underground party member, skipping the ranks of squad leader and deputy battalion commander, and becoming the newly appointed detective battalion commander of the Fifth Branch Bureau!

The original captain, who had failed to promptly detect the infiltrated Communist Party members and had been heavily relied upon for a long time, was stripped of his position for dereliction of duty and demoted to the lowest level. From now on, he'll only be able to patrol the streets with a baton!

This surprised He Ping'an somewhat—any position within the system is difficult to climb up and even more difficult to fall down! It's just that a Communist has emerged from his subordinates; it's far from the point of collapse.

Luo Chengjun offered an explanation:

"The company commander Zheng Chaoyang killed was the battalion commander's front man. He handled and sponsored all the shady business dealings! The two were very close!"

He Ping'an didn't reply, his gaze blankly fixed on the teacup in his hand. After a long while, he slowly spoke:

"It's true that the battalion commander was dismissed, and it's also true that Zheng Chaoyang was promoted. But the Bureau of Investigation and Statistics' sting operation... probably can't be faked either!"

Luo Chengjun sighed, his eyes filled with a hint of relief as he looked at He Ping'an.

"I feel the same way about what you're saying. I believe this is the Bureau of Investigation and Statistics's double-edged sword..."

The severe punishment of the brigade leader and the three-rank promotion of Zheng Chaoyang serve as a warning and a deterrent to all government officials, ensuring they dare not be complacent on issues concerning our Party. Furthermore, it shrinks our room for maneuver!

The second point is that they didn't fully believe the Black-skinned Squad Leader's identity as a member of the Communist Party, so Zheng Chaoyang naturally became the prime suspect.

"Promote him, monitor him, and even give him access to more intelligence so that we can find more of our comrades and disrupt our intelligence network in Beiping!"

"This newly appointed head of the Bureau of Investigation and Statistics is even more dedicated than Ma Hanshan in trying to win over and use all available resources to attack our Party!"

He Ping'an first made a few casual jokes about the Bureau of Investigation and Statistics, then changed the subject and apologized to Luo Chengjun.

After all, Zheng Chaoyang's actions were planned and executed by him. Now, it's somewhat unreasonable that a vital piece has turned into a dead end!

Luo Chengjun, however, was quite magnanimous and simply laughed it off.

"It's alright! Zheng Chaoyang's job wasn't crucial to begin with, so even if he was sidelined for a while, it wouldn't affect our intelligence gathering. Now that he's been promoted to battalion commander, he has access to more and more classified intelligence. For us, it's all beneficial!"

He Ping'an nodded in agreement! Even seemingly insignificant moves can be decisive; if one doesn't move, all is well, but if one does, it's with overwhelming force!

"In that case, why don't we adjust Comrade Zheng Chaoyang's mission... allow him to go into deep hiding, and if conditions permit, provide him with some support, so he can continue to climb the ranks. That is, for the future!"