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

Time quickly came to the eighteenth day of the twelfth lunar month, and the festive atmosphere in the capital city grew stronger.

The shops on both sides of the street had already hung red lanterns, and brand-new Spring Festival couplets and the character "福" (good fortune) were pasted on the lintels. The air was filled with the sulfurous smell of firecrackers and the aroma of stewed New Year's goods.

Pedestrians on the street seemed to walk more briskly than usual, their faces showing the busyness and anticipation before the holiday.

That morning, Liu Jiaxiang arrived at Zhang Tiancheng's residence in the inner city, carrying a heavy, exquisitely packaged gift box.

The house's facade is not particularly ostentatious, but its high walls and deep courtyards give it a certain grandeur.

After the announcement, he was led by a servant through the screen wall and into the clean and warm living room.

Zhang Tiancheng was already waiting in the living room. When he saw him come in, he put on his usual friendly smile and stood up from the sofa.

He was wearing a dark silk jacket and soft-soled loafers, looking very casual and relaxed at home.

"Jiaxiang is here, please have a seat. It's so cold, yet you still made a special trip."

Liu Jiaxiang placed the gift box on the mahogany coffee table beside him, bowed respectfully to Zhang Tiancheng, and then sat down on the sofa in the guest area, his posture still upright.

"Director, it's almost Chinese New Year, here's a little something for you, please accept this small token of my appreciation."

"These are all dried goods and delicacies from the mountains, to add a touch of festive spirit to you and your household."

Zhang Tiancheng smiled and waved his hand, signaling the servants to serve tea.

"You're always so polite. There's no need for such formalities between us."

His gaze swept over the gift box, then returned to Liu Jiaxiang, with a hint of admiration.

"How's everything going at the office lately? You're juggling two jobs, it must be tough."

"Thanks to the director, everything is going smoothly. My colleagues in the department are all working hard, and things are proceeding as planned in Xisi North."

Liu Jiaxiang bowed slightly, his tone respectful and steady.

As the two were exchanging pleasantries, a servant in a short jacket tiptoed in and whispered to Zhang Tiancheng:

"Sir, there's a phone call from the study."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Tiancheng's relaxed expression faded somewhat, and he nodded to Liu Jiaxiang with a slight apology.

"Jiaxiang, please have a seat and some tea. I'll go answer this phone call."

"Please go ahead, Director."

Zhang Tiancheng got up and walked briskly towards the study.

Only Liu Jiaxiang remained in the living room. He picked up the covered teacup that the servant had just served, lifted the lid, slowly skimmed off the foam, and calmly scanned the furnishings of the living room.

The rosewood furniture was smooth and lustrous, a few pieces of porcelain were displayed on the antique shelf, and calligraphy and paintings hung on the wall, all of which revealed the owner's status and refined taste.

After about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, Zhang Tiancheng returned from the study.

The look on his face was more joyful than before.

He walked to the sofa but didn't sit down. He looked at Liu Jiaxiang with a somewhat helpless and apologetic smile on his face.

"Jiaxiang, we were supposed to invite you to lunch at our house so we could have a couple of drinks. But something urgent came up and I have to take care of it right away, so we'll have to reschedule."

Liu Jiaxiang immediately put down his teacup, stood up, and showed no dissatisfaction or inquiry on his face, maintaining his respectful and composed demeanor.

"Director, you're too kind. You have important business to attend to, so I'll take my leave now and not bother you any longer."

"Okay, okay, then I'll see you off."

As Zhang Tiancheng spoke, he also walked outside.

The two left the living room one after the other, walked through the covered corridor, and headed towards the main gate of the house.

The cold wind of December swept through the courtyard, carrying a dry and biting scent.

Liu Jiaxiang walked steadily, while Zhang Tiancheng walked rather hurriedly, clearly preoccupied with the phone call he had just received.

Just as I arrived at the door, a brand-new black Ford pulled up and stopped in front of it.

The car body gleamed, its surface gleaming with a cold, hard sheen in the winter sun. The driver was a lean, capable man in his thirties, wearing a driver's uniform issued by the police department.

He parked the car, got out, and prepared to walk around to the other side to open the door for Zhang Tiancheng.

Just as the driver's foot touched the ground and he was about to turn around, perhaps because the bluestone slabs under the steps were slightly uneven, or perhaps because he was in a hurry to serve his superior, he stumbled. With a soft "click," the man's face turned pale, and he lost his balance and fell forward to the ground.

"Ouch!"

The driver cried out in pain, then gritted his teeth and tried to stand up by supporting himself with his hands on the ground.

But as soon as he put weight on his right foot, the excruciating pain caused cold sweat to instantly break out on his forehead. His body swayed, and he barely managed to stand on one leg, but his right foot barely touched the ground, and he dared not put any force on it.

Upon seeing this, Zhang Tiancheng immediately frowned, a hint of displeasure flashing across his face.

"What happened? How could you be so careless?"

He took two steps forward and looked at the driver's pained and contorted face.

"How are your feet?"

The driver was deathly pale, his voice trembling with pain and fear.

"Director... I'm afraid... I'm afraid I won't be able to drive anymore. It hurts terribly, and I can't put any weight on it."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Tiancheng's face immediately darkened.

He had just received a call from Sun Wenlin, the Vice Minister of the Interior, who had mentored him and asked him to go to the villa at the foot of Cuiwei Mountain in the suburbs of Beijing immediately to discuss important matters.

On the phone, Zhang Tiancheng confidently assured him that he would arrive within an hour, but now the driver had sprained his ankle and couldn't drive.

These days, people who can drive cars are extremely rare, so he couldn't just randomly send someone he didn't trust to the deputy minister's secluded villa.

If we were to take a rickshaw to the western suburbs, the journey would be bumpy and time-consuming. By the time we arrived, it would be too late, and we would have to keep Sun Cichang waiting.

For a moment, Zhang Tiancheng was at a loss. Standing in front of the car, he looked at the driver who was standing on one leg with a face full of cold sweat, and then at the car that couldn't move. He was furious, but there was nothing he could do.

Time passed by, and he could almost hear Vice Minister Sun pacing impatiently in the villa.

Just then, Liu Jiaxiang, who had been standing quietly to the side, stepped forward, looked at Zhang Tiancheng, and spoke in a steady and clear voice:

"Director, if you need the car urgently, I can drive it for you."

Zhang Tiancheng was feeling irritable when he heard this. He suddenly turned his head to look at Liu Jiaxiang, his eyes filled with surprise and then a surge of joy.

"What, Jiaxiang, you can drive?"

His tone was filled with disbelief, as if he had grasped at a straw.

Liu Jiaxiang gave a humble yet slightly embarrassed smile and explained:

"Chief, I've been itching to learn about this stuff ever since I saw it. It just so happens that our police department is in charge of this, so I took advantage of my proximity and went to learn it in my spare time."

"I was thinking of buying a car for myself when I have money in the future, but I didn't expect that I could help you out in an emergency today."

Zhang Tiancheng was overjoyed upon hearing this.

He slapped Liu Jiaxiang's arm hard, the gloom on his face vanished, and a smile reappeared, even more fervent than before.

"Oh! Jiaxiang, Jiaxiang, you're truly my lifesaver! Great, wonderful!"

He said this repeatedly, and then waved his hand.

"Let's go, let's go to Cuiwei Mountain in the western suburbs. Perfect timing, I'll also introduce you to the important person behind us today."