The barbecue restaurant where they sat was close to Yanshan Old Street. If they had come even a month earlier, from halfway across the street, they could have smelled the stench of alcohol and mucus that had accumulated in the streets and alleys and in the gutters over the years, as if it had been integrated into the city's blood vessels.
Yanshan Old Street has always been one of Wanghai's chronic problems. Because it is close to the bus station, it is the transportation hub between the entire island and the provincial capital. In that era when rules were still just for show, becoming a "hub" where all kinds of people can come and go freely and settle down was not a good thing.
Wanghai is not a golden city, but on this island, it was and is considered the place with the most opportunities. Enough people come here for its reputation. It is connected to Zhonglou Old Street in the north and Yanshan Old Street in the south.
Zhonglou Street is closer and the situation is more serious. Yanshan Old Street "spared" because most of the people who gathered there are losers who couldn't beat those ruthless guys. They are called losers, but in fact they still have the style of ruthless guys. They say they are doing business, and they do sell clothes and shoes, but the twists and turns are disgusting enough to make all the people in Wanghai pinch their noses and take a detour when they see them.
As time goes by, the deeds done by those people have long been known to everyone and have been severely punished by the authorities. The remaining survivors have also updated their cheating methods. No matter what kind of tactics they use, they will no longer guard this dilapidated old street, which has become a street of used clothing and a gathering place for homeless people.
These smells are what they left behind. As time goes by, from the beginning of the civilized city selection to now, in just half a year, the city's chronic diseases have been cleansed, along with the smell of alcohol and vomit. What remains is only the faint pungent residue of disinfectant and detergent.
But at this time, the people of Lao Wanghai were still afraid of this place. If no one had introduced it to Zhou Jinwei, he would never have come here.
By the way, this store was introduced to me by Shi Zirui.
Old Zhou sighed in his heart. Although she had not worked with Old Cai for as long, she was also a veteran in the bureau. He never thought that she was a secret agent sent by the Wang family from the very beginning.
This is also a common thing. Human hearts are unpredictable. It is not the work that gives people sacredness. Some people are willing to fulfill their oaths, and some people put profit first.
Despite her previous experience, Lao Zhou is still willing to believe that there are more righteous people in the bureau who are worthy of the police uniform.
Zhou Jinwei took a sip of his wine and said, "If I were you, I would spend more time with my future wife and avoid doing anything dangerous."
He actually said this with selfish motives, half to test and half to provoke. Personally, he hoped that Cai Rongcheng would be transferred to the rear so that he could properly complete the marriage, but publicly, he really didn't want to lose a general, the person he trusted the most, at this critical juncture.
"I'm not old enough, how can I retire?" Cai Rongcheng chewed a handful of mutton skewers fiercely and said, "I'm not afraid of you laughing at me now. When I first joined the police force, I was so stubborn that I almost banged my head against anything. I would curse at anything that made me unhappy and fight as if I could achieve something. Now I don't dare to do that anymore.
I just want to make money, move up a career ladder, and support my family."
Zhou Jinwei wouldn't laugh at that. He shook his head and said, "Then you should be more conservative and proceed steadily."
At this time, the shop owner came over with a plate of meat. Their conversation just now was not hidden from outsiders. It was very loud, so the boss overheard it. He came over and said, "Lao Zhou, you have a woman now. If your woman gets pregnant, you may end up like him. A man must work hard, otherwise how can you support a family?"
Old Zhou didn't say anything. He touched his prickly crew cut and smiled, with a hint of pride in his smile.
Chen Tinghan said coldly on the side: "He is just pretending. His woman has plenty of money. Even if he quits today, he can be a strong and healthy gigolo tomorrow and live off her for the rest of his life."
The two men suddenly realized what was going on, and then one of them kicked him.
"Ahem," Zhou Jinwei said with an awkward dry cough, "Let's not talk about this, let's not talk about this... Old Cai, then I'll just assume you're getting involved in this mess."
"If I don't get involved, who else can help you?" Cai Rongcheng rolled his eyes. After the boss walked away, he whispered, "This is targeting Wang Kai. Do you know how much resistance we'll face if we really try?"
Zhou Jinwei suppressed his smile, looked at the two of them, and said in a deep voice, "The whole world is our enemy."
Knowing that he was getting to the point, Chen Tinghan straightened his back and narrated seriously, "Wang Kai was born in Paishan Village, a rural village. His parents were a teacher in town and a shoemaker. They died very early, when he was seventeen. After his parents died, he began to hang out in the village.
Perhaps it was because his mother was an intellectual, at least in that backward village at the time, he was one of the few people who had received an education. With his excellent eloquence, he established connections and got a job as a clerk in the town.
"But Wang Kai wasn't an honest man. He was dishonest and his bookishness was only half-baked. He was fired not long after he started working there. But he still claimed to be a clerk in the factory. At the time, it was a well-known large factory in the surrounding area. Working there meant having a promising future."
"He used this reputation of 'promising' to gather a bunch of vagrants, promising them a ton of benefits. After all these years, the details are no longer verifiable, but what's astonishing is that almost all of the benefits he promised actually ended up in the pockets of his followers."
Zhou Jinwei added: "So he had the opportunity to grow and develop, and established the earliest prototype of the Wang Family Army."
"Yes, that's where he started." Chen Tinghan said, "Before the millennium, the most popular people in Wanghai were undoubtedly those established gangs. He was not only brave, but also resourceful, and knew how to find a backer. So, twenty-three years ago, he became the biggest thug in the town, specializing in helping his backers handle those things that were inconvenient for them to do officially.
I have some idea who his backers were back then, and while Paishan Village, where he was born, was relatively unknown at the time, the town near it was called Puzhen.
Cai Rongcheng took a deep breath.
"After that, he has been assisted by noble people almost every step of the way. Even today, it is almost impossible to estimate how many people have risen to prominence because of his help, and how many of the newly elected dignitaries are his guests of honor." Chen Tinghan said:
"Normally, with our rank and abilities, we wouldn't be able to access the secrets of these powerful people, but now, I've finally found a way."
Cai Rongcheng looked around, confirmed that no one was around, and asked quietly, "Channel? Tell me about it."
"For the next period of time, I will have access not only to the files of the Municipal Bureau but also to the archives of villages, counties, and cities," Chen Tinghan said seriously. "If I handle it properly, I might even have the opportunity to review intelligence from provincial departments."
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