Chapter 88
Xie Jiaxing couldn't understand the arrangements made by his superiors. He was a man of principle, black was black, and white was white; he was straightforward and didn't think things through. During the gunfight at the hospital, he was responsible for Xu Qixia's close protection, but when the assailant approached with a gun, and he and Xu Qixia hid behind a raised bed, he genuinely hesitated about whether to let this heinous bastard be killed. If Inspector Zhan hadn't shouted the order to fire, he might have actually let the assassin kill him.
If that's the case, it would be a serious dereliction of duty. He might be dismissed, or he might even go to jail, but no matter what, he felt it was more meaningful than his current protection mission.
Zhan Sir has always been the person he respects most. As a friend, Zhan Hantao comforted and consoled Xie Jiaxing like any other brother; however, as his superior, he consistently arranged for him to face Xu Qixia directly. A Yuan said that this was Zhan Sir's test for him, and if he could pass this test, he would have achieved further growth.
Growth will benefit his career, but what about his life? Xie Jiaxing doesn't know if, after completing this task, he'll still have the courage to see his godmother, A-Yang, and godfather. And if he does see them, will he be able to avoid feeling guilty?
Seeing their brother in such a state, the members of Team A felt deeply distressed. Every time Ah Xing argued with Xu Qixia, every time he was insulted by Xu Qixia, and every time he was called out for a talk by Zhan Sir, their mood worsened. They were a disciplined force, required to strictly adhere to police regulations, but they were also human, unable to suppress their emotions and desires. So even with reason in mind, even understanding Zhan Hantao's actions, Zhuang Zhuoyuan still crossed the line and did something quite outrageous.
Upon seeing her husband again, during their embrace, Iris noticed a stronger-than-usual scent of shower gel on him. Her sense of smell was already quite good, and during her pregnancy, it had become even more acute. Therefore, Zhuang Zhuoyuan usually tried to minimize the concentration of various chemical fragrances on himself to avoid triggering Iris's morning sickness from any particular scent. His deliberate attempt today only reminded Iris of the incident last year when he jumped into the septic tank. She frowned, pulled him close, and looked him up and down, trying to deduce what bizarre task he had undertaken this time.
Zhuang Zhuoyuan felt sullen under her gaze and was about to confess before the awkwardness was exposed, but Iris had already guessed correctly. Her hand, which had been cupping his face, recoiled as if startled. Then, seemingly to save face and protect their relationship, which had just become precarious, she slowed her departure and, pretending nothing was wrong, silently slipped from his shoulder to her hand. Iris probed, "Honey, did you practice cow dung push-ups today?"
The practice of placing a pile of cow dung under one's face during push-ups was originally a punishment for new recruits. After their visit to Tiger's bar, they got carried away and forgot Zhan Hantao's warning, resulting in a late start the next day. Except for Su Wenqiang, all the new recruits arrived at the training ground more than half an hour late. Zhuang Zhuoyuan excitedly described the scene to Iris when he got home that day, saying that by the end of training, each new recruit had at least two sandbags on their back, and their faces and necks were covered in cow dung. Iris never expected that the tables would turn so quickly; this punishment would immediately fall on Zhuang Zhuoyuan.
Before he began his explanation, she wanted to know more: "Is this punishment shared by everyone, or is it unique to you?"
Zhuang Zhuoyuan frowned, sensing that his wife was mocking him. Upon closer inspection, he realized she indeed had a mocking expression. He didn't rush to defend himself, waiting to see her later prove her wrong. "Everyone has been punished."
"Oh?" Iris raised an eyebrow. "So, how many sandbags did you add?"
“Three,” Zhuang Zhuoyuan said with a hint of pride. “Although I’m a few years older than these kids, my physical condition is still much better than theirs.”
Iris was speechless. Usually, she would kiss Zhuang Zhuoyuan at this moment, but now she couldn't bring herself to do it. She had originally wanted a chocolate lava cake, but now she'd given up on that idea and decided to get a soufflé instead.
Mr. Zhuang Zhuoyuan, oblivious to the fact that he had ruined his wife's appetite, remained convinced that his story was the main focus of the lunch. He led her to the car, recounting the origin of the incident.
When his daughter brought up the matter at dinner time, Edward didn't rush to get up from the table. He gestured for the maid to serve dessert, showing interest in what his son-in-law meant by "crossing the line."
"We had almost finished persuading Ah Xing, but Ah Yuan couldn't get over it himself. The next day when he was on duty, he took an extra pair of handcuffs under the pretext of safety and handcuffed Xu Qixia to the bed. Of course, Xu Qixia was not happy and shouted loudly, which attracted Brother Tao. Then a group of people were criticized. Later, B Team took over the shift, and they were dragged back to Fanling to fight against cow dung."
"What's so serious about crossing the line?" Jennie said dismissively. "If you ask me, it's just a minor punishment to serve as a warning. When they interrogate prisoners, don't they use special methods for the particularly difficult ones? I think Tao's punishment this time was a bit excessive."
Iris's heart was torn between her mother's and her father's. She knew her father would definitely approve of Zhan Hantao's actions. Sure enough, Edward praised Zhan Hantao: "Those in positions of power need to be tolerant and have a long-term vision."
Jennie disliked the "considering the big picture" rhetoric that men always talked about. She questioned Edward's words, "If Ah Tao is really a good leader as you say, then why hasn't he been appointed as the new commander of the SDU yet? Actually, with Liang Rifeng gone, he had a perfect opportunity to take over immediately, but their big boss insisted on setting up an acting commander. That means that in the minds of the higher-ups, Zhan Hantao is not the best candidate for the new commander."
Iris was startled when she heard this. Like the others in the Flying Tigers, she thought that Zhan Hantao would eventually be promoted, but she overlooked the possibility that Jennie had brought up.
Edward smiled again: "To truly transcend levels, there are quite a few conditions required."
Jennie scoffed: "I don't think Liang Rifeng is that popular either. Compared to him, A Tao's skills are just as solid, but he's a bit too soft-hearted. I'm sure that if A Tao doesn't get this position, it's because he's too soft-hearted."
These words were probably only misunderstood by Iris. Edward looked at his daughter and smiled as he explained to her, "Last year, it was a good thing that Ah Tao was able to get along well with the team. This way, everyone could work together better when carrying out missions, and it would be easier to allocate personnel. Now compare Ah Tao to Inspector Leung, Uncle Yau, Chun Sang, and Inspector Poon. Do you think Ah Tao can stand on the same level as them?"
Iris began to suspect that her father had heard something from his old friends. She looked at Edward suspiciously and asked, "Daddy, do you already know who the new commander will be?"
"No idea."
Iris didn't quite catch whether her father said "No idea" or "No, my dear," but she was pretty sure Zhan Hantao's promotion was hopeless. Without Zhuang Zhuoyuan needing to arrange any more tasks, she already had her own plans for the coming period. Her husband would be heartbroken if Ba Da were to be parachuted in and replaced.
As it turned out, Iris never had a moment's rest. Even if she didn't reach out to her friends, they would reach out to her. Just as she was busy choosing a gift to comfort her husband, her phone received messages from three wealthy young women in a row—
Elaine, the rich heiress, shared the latest online video exposing the chaotic private life of a wealthy heiress. Elaine said that to be on the safe side, she would no longer book hotel rooms or go to other people's homes. She vowed to keep the infrared detector and jamming equipment with her at all times and asked Iris to ask her father to find her a few more top-of-the-line devices.
Larine rushed over to inquire about Yu Xueli's whereabouts, clearly wanting to rekindle their relationship, and asked Iris to act as a matchmaker. Iris replied that Yu Sir already had a girlfriend he was in love with, while the womanizer Larine remarked that married men can also get divorced.
Iris could only utterly bewildered. But the most outrageous of all was Ding Huihui, who took several photos of her nutrition and childcare certificates, hoping to land a job working alongside Iris. Derek vehemently rejected her, saying there was a huge gap between them. Ding Huihui, wanting to better understand his life and bridge the gap between them, devised this scheme to work alongside Iris.
Iris was truly unsure whether she should offer the job. She glanced silently at Derek, who was so shocked he couldn't utter a single syllable. His fists clenched for a long time before he finally managed to squeeze out a few words: "Why doesn't she become a bodyguard?"
“If you ask her to, I think she will try.” Iris patted his shoulder, quite certain.
"Ah!!!" Derek went completely mad.
Fortunately, he wasn't the only one who went crazy.
At the Zhan family home, Uncle Chao and Sister Pauline were internally screaming at the sudden appearance of Zhan Zongqi in the upstairs room. They tried their best to maintain composure and calmly asked, "Dad, why did you come back from Canada?"
Zhan Zongqi snorted, took a thermos from his suitcase, and slammed it on the table: "I've been living in France for three years now."
Pauline could only force a smile and say, "Sir, you still love traveling around so much."
Uncle Chao's expression changed drastically. He looked at the photo frame behind the thermos, pointed at the photo inside, and exclaimed angrily, "These are corrupt police chiefs!"
Zhan Zongqi stood protectively in front of the photo, saying, "These are my best brothers from when I was a policeman. They were forced into this situation by circumstances. You young people don't understand."
"You're the one thing I understand the least!" Uncle Chao stomped his foot, turned around and went downstairs without saying another word. Sister Pauline followed closely behind.
The couple and Zhan Zongqi were naturally at odds. They had originally planned to open a bar in mainland China after Iris gave birth and Zhan Hantao and Zhuang Zhuohua got married, and then travel around and explore. Now, that plan will probably have to be brought forward. They really have to thank their unpredictable father.
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