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

Liu Jiaxiang paused slightly in his teacup and slowly raised his head.

His gaze fell on Zhang Kui's face. His eyes were calm and still, yet they were like a bottomless, icy pool, carrying a penetrating power that could see into people's hearts. The corners of his mouth seemed to curve into a very faint, yet chilling, arc.

"You talk too much."

Zhang Kui felt a chill run down his spine under Liu Jiaxiang's gaze. A cold sweat instantly broke out on his back, his smile froze, and he hurriedly waved his hands to explain:

"Director, please forgive my bluntness!"

"I...I'm from the Maojiawan area, and I've heard some things about Erqiangzi's family."

"There are five people in their family: Erqiangzi and his wife, their daughter Xiaofuzi, and two boys who are about to grow up."

"Erqiangzi is a complete scoundrel. All he does is drink that kind of slushy liquor all day long. When he's drunk, he beats his wife and kids to death."

"When the family was so poor that they couldn't even afford to eat, they didn't even have money to buy alcohol, so... so they forced his wife to go out... to sell herself for money."

Zhang Kui swallowed hard, lowering his voice even further, with a kind of vulgar disdain.

"The reason Xiao Fuzi has grown up so innocent is because that old bastard Erqiangzi is plotting something. He's hoping to raise her to be pretty so he can sell her to a brothel like the Eight Great Hutongs for a high price!"

"Her two younger brothers aren't any better. They're eleven or twelve years old, and they just laze around all day, doing absolutely nothing. They watch their father beat their mother and sister, and they don't dare utter a sound, like wooden stakes!"

"For a family like this, which is a complete mess, if you, Chief, were to actually consider taking in Xiao Fuzi, it would be like taking on the responsibility of feeding her entire family of five! That's a terrible deal!"

"With your current status and position, you could easily find any young, unmarried woman you want with just a wave of your hand. Why bother..."

"My new house,"

Liu Jiaxiang interrupted Zhang Kui's rambling analysis, his voice still flat, as if he were talking about a trivial family matter.

"The place is quite big, but we're currently short of a maid to do the washing, cleaning, and tidying up."

He put down his teacup and looked at Zhang Kui's face with a hint of scrutiny.

"I think Xiao Fuzi is quite quick and honest, so she's a good fit."

Zhang Kui was taken aback, not fully understanding what the director meant.

Liu Jiaxiang leaned forward slightly, his hands clasped in front of his abdomen. A cold, calculating glint flashed in the depths of his calm gaze:

"I think you're quite clever and perceptive."

"Alright, I'll give you a chance to prove yourself."

His voice was as calm as if he were giving instructions on a routine official business.

"Go and 'deal with' Erqiangzi and his family. Live or die, it doesn't matter."

"In short, I don't want to see any trace of their family in this area of ​​Xisi North again."

"When only Xiao Fuzi and her mother are left, then..."

He paused, then clearly uttered a few words.

"Bring them here intact. They'll be perfect, mother and daughter; one can be the nanny, the other the maid. Can you manage that?"

The words "dealt with" hit Zhang Kui like three blocks of ice.

He suddenly looked up and met Liu Jiaxiang's calm, unwavering eyes. A chill ran from the soles of his feet to the top of his head, making his scalp tingle and his heart pound.

Good heavens! The director is indeed the director! His ruthlessness is truly... truly beyond words! Just for taking in a maid and a nanny, three lives are taken lightly in his mouth, like crushing a few ants, completely unimportant!

This extremely cold-blooded order did not make Zhang Kui back down; on the contrary, it instantly raised his awe of this young superior to its peak, even mixed with a twisted excitement.

He knew all too well that working in the government office and handling a hundred official business was not as useful as doing one shady private matter for his superior.

This is a pledge of loyalty, and also a ladder to heaven!

After the initial shock came a calm and quick reconciliation.

Zhang Kui took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the pounding in his heart. His face instantly transformed into an incredibly resolute expression, even carrying a hint of "I'd die for my director's cause." He stood ramrod straight, his voice resolute:

"Don't worry, Chief! Leave this to me, Zhang Kui! Give me five days... no, four days! I guarantee I'll handle this perfectly, cleanly and efficiently! I won't leave anything unresolved!"

Seeing the fierceness and eagerness to perform flash in Zhang Kui's eyes, Liu Jiaxiang's faint smile seemed to deepen slightly.

He nodded slightly, his tone carrying a hint of approval and expectation:

"Hmm. Do a good job. If you satisfy me on this matter, I'll promote you to inspector."

The word "inspector" was like a spark thrown into boiling oil, instantly igniting all of Zhang Kui's ambition.

He felt a rush of heat to his head, his face instantly flushed red, and his voice trembled with excitement:

"Thank you... thank you for your guidance, Director! Thank you for your promotion! Zhang Kui will do his utmost and will never let you down! I'll get on it right away! I'll go right away!"

He bowed deeply to Liu Jiaxiang, his movements filled with unprecedented respect and urgency, before straightening up and walking out of the office with light, quick steps, almost tiptoeing, and gently closing the door behind him.

Silence returned to the office, broken only by the rhythmic, cold tapping of Liu Jiaxiang's fingers on the desk.

The next morning, the atmosphere in the office of the police chief of the Second Inner District was warm and friendly.

Director Zhang Tiancheng sat imposingly behind his large mahogany desk, his well-maintained face beaming with smiles, his complexion radiant, and even the wrinkles around his eyes had smoothed out considerably.

He looked at Liu Jiaxiang, who stood upright in front of the desk, his eyes filled with undisguised admiration and satisfaction.

This satisfaction is naturally inseparable from the brand-new silver note with a face value of four hundred silver dollars that Liu Jiaxiang just presented with both hands, which is now quietly lying deep in Director Zhang's drawer.

"Jiaxiang,"

Zhang Tiancheng's voice carried the tact and friendliness unique to officials, and he tapped his fingers merrily on the table.

"Truly, a hero emerges from among the young! In just a few days, you've managed the Xisi North Police Station impeccably, and the atmosphere has been completely transformed! Even the department has heard about your achievements in rectifying the jurisdiction and cracking down on illegal gambling dens—quite impressive! I, as the chief, am completely at ease entrusting Xisi North to you! Utterly at ease!"

Liu Jiaxiang's face immediately displayed a perfectly measured humble smile, and he bowed slightly:

"Director, you flatter me. This is all within my duties; I dare not slack off."

"The slight improvement in Xisi North today is entirely due to your effective leadership and coordination, Director."

"You manage such a large police station, handling countless tasks every day, working tirelessly. As your subordinates, it is only natural and our duty to show you respect and share your burdens."