The Republic of China: I, Xiangzi, a Hero in a Chaotic Era

Master Liu quickly stood up and introduced:

"Director Liu, this is Manager Li from Baoyuan Real Estate Agency. All the paperwork for the house was handled by Manager Li, and it's absolutely proper."

He then turned to Manager Li.

"Quickly, present the items to Director Liu for review."

Manager Li carefully pulled two documents out of the kraft paper envelope.

The paper was of the finest quality, with clear and rich ink. One copy was the house deed, and the other was the land deed.

In the "Business Owner's Name" section, three characters were prominently displayed in a neat, official script: Liu Jiaxiang. Below them were a bright red official seal and the brokerage firm's seal across the seam.

"Director Liu, please take a look."

Manager Li presented the contract to Liu Jiaxiang with both hands.

"The house and land deeds have all been completed, officially registered with the Shuntian Prefecture government, and are all in your name. These are our livelihoods, and we dare not make any mistakes."

Liu Jiaxiang took the two thin sheets of paper that indicated the ownership of this two-courtyard house. His fingers slowly traced the three characters "Liu Jiaxiang," feeling the resilience of the paper and the raised ink marks.

His gaze swept over the official seal and the brokerage seal, confirming that everything was correct.

His expression remained calm, but in his deep eyes, a fleeting, extremely subtle ripple of satisfaction, like a stone thrown into a cold pool, vanished in an instant.

Liu Jiaxiang gently placed the contract back on the tray and nodded slightly to Manager Li:

Thank you for your trouble.

"Undeserving! Undeserving! It is my honor to serve Director Liu!"

Manager Li was flattered and bowed repeatedly before tactfully leaving.

As the contract landed securely in front of Liu Jiaxiang, the last lingering worry in Liu Siye's heart was finally lifted, followed by a profound emptiness and physical exhaustion.

He forced a smile and tried to appear cheerful.

"Congratulations, Director Liu! Congratulations on moving to your new home! From now on, you've truly settled down and put down roots in Xisi North! I... I'm so happy for you!"

Liu Jiaxiang picked up the kraft paper envelope containing the house and land deeds, and lightly tapped the envelope with his fingers, producing a soft, muffled sound.

He stood up, his gaze sweeping over the mess of cups and plates on the table, finally settling on Master Liu's forced smile and weary expression.

"You handled the house matter very well."

Liu Jiaxiang's voice was not loud, but it carried a calm and composed quality.

"Thank you for your trouble."

"Of course! Of course!"

Master Liu quickly agreed.

"I have official business to attend to at the institute, so I'll head out first."

Liu Jiaxiang said no more, put the envelope in his pocket and put it away, and then left the restaurant with a respectful farewell from Master Liu.

When Liu Jiaxiang stepped into the dilapidated courtyard of the Xisi North Police Station, the afternoon sun slanted across the blue brick ground, making it difficult for him to open his eyes.

The familiar smell of cheap tobacco and sweat in the courtyard was mixed with an unusual sense of oppression and a woman's tearful plea.

At the foot of the courtyard wall, several patrol officers dressed in brand-new black police uniforms were loosely arranged in a semi-circle.

In the center of the circle, a thin young woman wearing a faded blue cotton jacket stood alone, her hands tightly clasped in front of her, her knuckles white from the force.

She lowered her head, revealing a slender, white neck, her shoulders trembling slightly.

Although her face was too thin due to malnutrition, it could not hide her delicate features, especially her large, tearful eyes, which were filled with panic and helplessness, like a little sparrow surrounded by a group of cats.

"Sir...please...have mercy..."

The woman's voice was faint and weak, tinged with a heavy sob.

"Please let my dad go... He really... really doesn't have any money to gamble..."

The patrolman in front of her was short and had a slick look on his face. He was wearing his police hat askew, a lewd smile on his lips, and his eyes were lingering on the woman with a sticky gaze.

He ignored her pleas and deliberately took a half-step forward, almost touching her body, his voice drawn out and greasy.

"Release them? You make it sound so easy. The rules in this place are rigid, but money is flexible."

He chuckled, his gaze sweeping over the woman's chest, which heaved with nervousness.

"No money to pay the fine? Tsk, you're quite a pretty little thing... Why don't you think of another way for your useless father? Talk to your brothers, cheer them up, maybe they'll take pity on him and cover some of the fine?"

"That's right, that's right."

A patrolman who had joined in the commotion immediately chimed in, his eyes equally malicious.

"Look at these little hands, so delicate and smooth, enough for a man to caress for half a year, haha!"

"Why are you crying? Follow Brother Zhang, and from now on, no one will dare bully your dad on Xianmen Street!"

Another patrolman chimed in with a grin.

The woman was hurled a torrent of foul language like dirty water. Her face turned ashen, her lips trembled, and tears streamed down her face. She involuntarily shrank back, only to bump into another patrol officer, which elicited even more unrestrained laughter.

Isolated and helpless, she could only cast her pleading gaze around her, only to see faces filled with frivolity and amusement.

Amidst the nauseating laughter, a sharp-eyed patrolman suddenly spotted the tall, pine-like figure at the gate.

His smile froze instantly, as if a bucket of ice water had been poured over his head. He hurriedly straightened his back and roared out in a distorted voice.

"The...the director is back! Salute!"

The shout was like a thunderclap, instantly shattering the chaotic atmosphere in the courtyard.

All the patrol officers, including the few who were making a fuss around the woman, seemed to be whipped hard by an invisible whip, and suddenly turned around and stood at attention.

The cacophony of foul language and laughter that had just been rising and falling abruptly ceased. The air seemed to have been instantly sucked away, leaving only a deathly silence and the woman's suppressed sobs.

The lewd grin on the patrolman's face, which had just been harassing the young woman, froze into an extremely comical yet terrified expression before it could completely fade.

When he saw Liu Jiaxiang's calm, unwavering eyes, which were like those of a person who had been tempered with ice, staring at him intently, he felt a chill run from the soles of his feet to the top of his head, and his blood seemed to freeze.

He instinctively wanted to bury his head in his chest, his shoulders trembled uncontrollably, and even the hem of his brand-new police uniform quivered slightly.

Liu Jiaxiang's steps were steady, each step making a clear sound on the blue brick ground, each step seeming to tread on the hearts of everyone present.

He walked straight up to Zhang Youcai, his tall figure completely enveloping the other in shadow.

The courtyard was so quiet that a few muffled groans could be heard coming from the guardhouse in the distance.

"you,"

Liu Jiaxiang's voice was not loud, but it carried a cold, metallic quality that clearly pierced the silence.

"What's your name?"

Zhang Youcai's body trembled violently, his head drooped even lower, almost burying itself in his crotch, and his voice trembled uncontrollably:

"Reporting to the station chief... my name is Zhang Youcai..."