Ten minutes later, amidst the wailing of a police siren, a police Iveco with a menacing aura arrived at the entrance of Xiangyang Police Station. With a "click," the car door opened, and more than a dozen armed detectives emerged. Two detectives stood guard at the door while the others, under the command of Captain Lin Gaoze, charged in with grave expressions.
Upon entering, Lin Gaoze was dumbfounded. Damn... what's going on here?
Didn't Mu Lingshan say it was urgent? Urgent... where is it?
In his line of sight, a young man sat in a chair, exuding an air of calmness, with a faintly mocking smile at the corner of his mouth. His nonchalance was so apparent that he was just short of fanning himself or sipping tea leisurely.
Not far from this young man, another chair was occupied by a man who appeared quite honest. Unlike the young man, this slightly older man's butt only touched half of the chair, looking awkward and apprehensive.
Aside from these two people, the room was lined with policemen standing to the side, each looking like a scolded schoolboy, crestfallen with their heads bowed, hardly daring to breathe.
Then, Lin Gaoze heard the sound of vomiting coming from outside, a sound as though someone was about to vomit out their very bile, giving an eerie vibe.
Lin Gaoze frowned, "Old Xu, what's going on?"
Old Xu, the station chief of Xiangyang Police Station, had finally caught his breath and was standing at the door like the other policemen, his face filled with regret and disappointment.
"This... let's have Comrade Chu Ge explain it."
"Chu... Chu Ge?"
Lin Gaoze was momentarily taken aback, instinctively looking at the only person in the room with a composed demeanor, the young man, his gaze suddenly filled with a mixture of trepidation and heaviness.
Seeing the change in Lin Gaoze's expression, Station Chief Old Xu knew that there was no hope that this detective captain would side with him today, because Lin Gaoze's face was clearly marked with eight big words.
"Much heard of your famous name!"
Sighing silently, Old Xu wished he were still unconscious. His old face was utterly disgraced today, and it was obvious that once today's events spread, their police station would surely become a laughing stock.
Meeting Lin Gaoze's gaze, Chu Ge stood up from his chair, casually smiled, walked over to him, and extended his hand, "Captain Lin, right? Hello, hello."
Seeing Chu Ge extend his hand, Lin Gaoze immediately responded, smiling politely, and formally extended his own hand to shake with Chu Ge.
"Mr. Chu, much heard of your name. Captain Mu often talks about you. I didn't expect our first meeting would be in such a place."
It seemed like just simple pleasantries, and an ordinary handshake, yet it startled Old Xu and several knowledgeable policemen, as there was much to ponder here.
Typically, any formal handshake in a formal setting entails an etiquette to the sequence of hand extensions, the protocol for which is quite intricate, with one important rule being the "nobility decides".
The so-called "nobility decides" implies that when two people shake hands, each should first confirm their respective social standings, and then decide the order in which to extend hands based on that.
Theoretically, the one with the higher status should extend their hand first, while the one with lower status should quietly wait.
The reason for this saying is actually to subtly and appropriately show respect for the person of higher status. Any social setting emphasizes this, let alone the intricacies of officialdom.
To be blunt, if one wants to navigate the officialdom, such nuances must always be observed, as countless people have lost their political clout over a mere slip like passing gas or yawning.
Therefore, when Chu Ge extended his hand first, Lin Gaoze's immediate polite smile and reception represented his tacit acknowledgment of their hierarchical positions and his acceptance of it.
The reason for addressing him as Mr. Chu instead of Comrade Chu Ge also holds significance. While both are formally respectful, the former is perceived as slightly more amiable.
Next, mentioning Mu Lingshan, Lin Gaoze addresses her as Captain Mu. As the superior, he could have opted for a more relaxed term to underscore that he is the head of the detective squad; instead, this reflects humility, subtly expressing admiration and acknowledgment of Mu Lingshan's status.
Despite Mu Lingshan being his deputy captain, she has a grandfather serving as the provincial party chief, a far brighter prospect compared to his, so he must tread carefully.
As for the subsequent sentence, the underlying significance is all the more substantial, indicating that his relationship with Mu Lingshan is not only as professional partners but also as friends in life, while also further extending goodwill to Chu Ge.
If we were to put it in simpler terms, it would be: "Hey, brother, we're all on the same side here. Just treat me like a buddy. Whatever you can say to Mu Lingshan, you can tell me too. Relax, I've got your back."
As for the last sentence, it wrapped up the pleasantries, tying into the current situation, and led Chu Ge to start on the main subject of why he brought people here.
Of course, all of this is just a rough overview. If you really want to savor the meaning deeply, even within this sentence of merely forty-five characters, including punctuation, there's more to be unearthed.
Suspicion, evaluation, and reading between the lines are essential courses for anyone in officialdom. If you can't manage these, you'd best not mix in this circle. Otherwise, one day you might lose your job or be played, and you wouldn't even know how it happened.
Chu Ge, of course, understood all the nuances in Lin Gaoze's words, and this was one of the reasons he disliked dealing with bureaucrats, preferring the life of ordinary folks.
Day in and day out, words mustn't be spoken directly. Even when farting, it has to be done in a roundabout way. Others aren't tired of it, but Chu Ge certainly finds it exhausting.
However, people like Chu Ge are in the minority. Driven by a desire for power, countless people are breaking their heads to squeeze into this circle, indifferently wondering if they are fit for it or not, enjoying themselves nonetheless.
But seeing Lin Gaoze show such an attitude, Chu Ge was quite pleased, which meant he wouldn't need to waste too many words next.
Just as Chu Ge was about to say something, he heard the footsteps of two people approaching from outside, one normal and the other extremely light.
Chu Ge chuckled when he heard it. It seemed he could pass the buck to someone else, which was far more entertaining than explaining it himself.
"Hehe, I've heard a lot about Captain Lin's achievements, meeting Captain Lin is also my honor."
Chu Ge smiled leisurely and responded with a pleasantry. When the footsteps outside were getting closer and had reached the door, he spoke even more deliberately, "Hmm... this matter..."
As Bian Ziqun and another policeman stepped into the office of the Household Registration Department, Chu Ge's lips curled slightly, his gaze flickering over the pale face of Bian Ziqun, as he raised his right hand and pointed at one of the people.
"Captain Lin, how about you ask this fake police officer?"
Lin Gaoze was speechless. Though no one had explained the details to him so far, with his keen insight and intellect, he naturally noticed many oddities. Since Chu Ge was playing Tai Chi with him, he could only follow Chu Ge's gaze towards the door. With one look, he became speechless again.
In Lin Gaoze's vision were two policemen who had just walked in, one solidly built, supporting another who was relatively slim. Chu Ge's finger pointed at the latter, who was, of course, Bian Ziqun.
Even though Lin Gaoze had risen to be the captain of the city's criminal investigation team, known for his tough skills and excellent psychological resilience, when he saw Bian Ziqun, his lips still subconsciously twitched. Damn, how pathetic...
The lenses of this guy's glasses were cracked. His right cheek was swollen red and grotesquely puffed up over three centimeters, yet his left cheek was as pale as a sheet, striking a stark contrast with the blood-red right side.
Bian Ziqun's lips quivered, and a series of retches came from his throat, echoed by rumbling noises from his stomach. His police uniform was crumpled, sporting not just many footprints but also traces of tobacco and vomit stuck to the badge on his chest.
Needless to say, the eerie vomiting sounds from earlier clearly came from him.
Lin Gaoze discreetly glanced at Chu Ge, swallowed quietly, and only then with a serious expression, looked at Bian Ziqun and asked, "You're the suspect impersonating a police officer? I'm Captain Lin Gaoze from the Criminal Investigation Team, tell me, what's going on?"
Hearing Lin Gaoze speak, Bian Ziqun froze for a moment. His first reaction was to tell about his ordeal so that Lin Gaoze could back him up and teach Chu Ge a lesson.
But just as he had this impulse, he immediately realized that these criminal police were actually brought by Chu Ge, and Lin Gaoze's first words directly labeled him as a suspect!
With this realization, Bian Ziqun felt as if a bucket of ice water was poured over him. He hesitated and sneaked a glance at his superintendent, who also responded with a bitter smile, subtly shaking his head.
Obviously, it was a reminder not to do anything stupid.
Bian Ziqun's heart sank utterly, standing weakly in place, unable to utter a word. He feared that even if he just managed to say the words "misunderstanding", Chu Ge would come and smack him across the face again.
It might be impossible with someone else, but Chu Ge was obviously a madman! Worse yet, he's a powerful madman whom even the Captain of the Criminal Investigation Team had to give face to!
Seeing Bian Ziqun silent, Lin Gaoze frowned slightly, "What's the matter, speak."
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