"Greetings, Constable Zheng."

"Constable Yan."

"Constable Li."

"..."

Constables arrived one after another at the Nanquan Alley Town Patrol Office. In a short while, all five Constables were present.

This made the constables below even quieter.

"Looks like today is no ordinary day!"

Monkey Head whispered to the others.

"Mm," Chen Ping’an and Da Shan nodded lightly.

"Lord Tian!"

Another figure appeared at the entrance of the Patrol Office. It was Tian Fuliang, the Vice Inspector of the Nanquan Alley Town Patrol Office.

All the constables greeted him, and even the few Constables on the platform responded with respectful smiles.

Just when everyone thought the pre-patrol meeting was about to begin, Tian Fuliang unexpectedly went up to the high platform but didn’t step forward to speak.

’Could it be...’

Chen Ping’an and Monkey Head exchanged a glance, a guess forming in their minds. Even someone as slow as Da Shan realized what was happening.

"The Lord Chief is coming today?"

"Mm. Looks like it."

"Indeed. Here in Nanquan Lane, the only one Lord Tian would wait for is the Lord Chief."

Seeing Tian Fuliang’s behavior on the platform, various thoughts flashed through the minds of the constables. They all knew today’s pre-patrol meeting would not be simple.

Unlike the other nervous constables, Zheng Shiyong was actually a little excited.

’The Lord Chief is coming!’

’Maybe today, with Constable Zheng and Lord Tian’s help, I can get the Lord Chief to notice me! If I can successfully make that connection, my path to becoming a Constable will be much smoother.’

Under the watchful eyes of all, a middle-aged man in Fish Scale Armor walked in slowly and steadily from the main entrance of the Garrison Commandant’s Office. The man had a burly frame, a square jaw, and an imposing aura of authority that commanded respect without anger.

The Lord Chief of the Nanquan Alley Town Patrol Office, Shen Shikang!

The numerous gangs of Nanquan Lane all had to curry favor with him; he was a truly powerful figure.

"Lord Chief!"

The constables shouted in unison.

Everyone on the high platform, from Tian Fuliang to the Constables, came down to welcome Shen Shikang.

"Mm."

Shen Shikang nodded slightly and walked up to the high platform, greeted by Tian Fuliang and the others, and followed by the awestruck gazes of the constables.

Shen Shikang’s gaze swept over the crowd as he began to speak in a deep voice.

"I’m sure you all know what happened the day before yesterday, and you’ve all received your assignments. Members of the Ten Thousand Demons Sect appeared in Nanquan Lane, and the Chief of the Patrol Office from the Urban Garrison Command was furious. Early yesterday morning, I was summoned to the Urban Garrison Command and given a severe reprimand! The Chief of the Patrol Office himself fought with members of the Ten Thousand Demons Sect right here in our Nanquan Lane, and yet we were unable to provide timely support. It’s truly shameful!"

’The Chief of the Patrol Office was here that night?’

Shen Shikang’s words left many constables stunned. However, some others seemed to have already known about the situation.

Using this as a starting point, Shen Shikang said much more, mostly concerning the Ten Thousand Demons Sect. He was under immense pressure regarding this matter and hoped that the Nanquan Alley Town Patrol Office could work together as one to root out the sect members as soon as possible.

In response, the Constables and constables merely chorused their agreement, vowing not to fail the Lord Chief’s expectations.

Just when everyone thought the pre-patrol meeting was about to end, Shen Shikang changed the subject and slowly announced,

"For his meritorious service in sounding the alarm, temporary constable Chen Ping’an has been granted special approval from the Urban Garrison Command. His name is to be entered into the roster, and he is hereby promoted to official constable of the Nanquan Alley Town Patrol Office!"

After speaking, Shen Shikang’s gaze swept across the courtyard. "Constable Chen Ping’an, come forward!"

The moment his voice fell, the constables below erupted.

’Chen Ping’an had meritorious service!? What’s going on!’

It was incredibly difficult for a temporary constable to be promoted to an official constable; didn’t it always require a long period of accumulated service? Zheng Shiyong had been one such case before, and now Chen Ping’an was another?

’What is going on!’

Hearing Lord Chief Shen Shikang’s words, Zheng Shiyong was stunned. He couldn’t process it at first.

’Chen Ping’an... performed a meritorious deed?’

"Ping’an, Ping’an, the Lord Chief is calling you!"

Monkey Head was ecstatic, shaking Chen Ping’an’s arm.

Beside them, Mr. Qin and Da Shan stared with wide eyes, not having expected this turn of events. It was all so sudden...

’An official constable!’

A joyous expression on his face, Chen Ping’an walked toward the high platform. ’It seems my gamble that night paid off after all.’

Countless gazes instantly focused on Chen Ping’an, filled with envy, shock, astonishment, and jealousy.

"Good! Not bad, a fine young man indeed!"

Shen Shikang looked Chen Ping’an up and down, then clapped a hand on his shoulder.

Chen Ping’an felt his shoulder dip from the weight. Fortunately, Shen Shikang had held back his strength, so he wasn’t hurt.

"Chen Ping’an, you’ve done well. I have high hopes for you! This promotion to official constable was specially approved by the Chief of the Patrol Office himself. I hope you will continue to work hard and not disappoint the expectations of the Chief of the Patrol Office and myself."

’Special approval from the Chief of the Patrol Office!’

If Shen Shikang hadn’t said anything, it might have been better. His words drove the constables below into an even greater frenzy of jealousy.

’Chen Ping’an... he’s been noticed by the Chief of the Patrol Office!’

The quicker, more clever constables soon figured it out. It was obvious now that Chen Ping’an was the constable who had sounded the gong that night. And what’s more, the Chief of the Patrol Office had taken note of it.

’What incredible luck!’

"Keep up the good work," Tian Fuliang also said, encouraging Chen Ping’an.

"Thank you, Lord Chief, Lord Tian. This subordinate will certainly not fail to live up to your expectations." Chen Ping’an replied with a respectful fist-and-palm salute.

Constable Zheng’s expression turned dark for an instant, but he concealed it well. This fleeting moment, however, was caught by Chen Ping’an’s eyes.

’Just you wait!’

A cold smile flashed in Chen Ping’an’s mind.

’I haven’t forgotten our past grudges.’

Under the witness of the Lord Chief, the Vice Inspector, and all the Constables, Chen Ping’an received his saber and Waist Token. He was even bestowed with the "Public Door Thirteen Sabers" manual to study diligently, in hopes that he would soon step onto the Martial Dao.

Amid the envy, jealousy, and hate of the other constables, Chen Ping’an walked back down from the high platform. Zheng Shiyong’s gaze was filled with pure jealousy.

"Damn it! How could that kid be so lucky! If only I had been the one to make the discovery!"

Quite a few constables shared Zheng Shiyong’s sentiment. They all envied Chen Ping’an’s luck, imagining that if it had been them, they too might have been so fortunate.

However, what many of them didn’t realize was that it’s easy to feel confident and imagine what you would do in a given situation. But in reality, when most people are actually faced with that scenario, they discover things are completely different from what they imagined. Some things you only encounter to find out you’re just a coward.

"Ping’an, congratulations!" Monkey Head congratulated Chen Ping’an from the bottom of his heart.

If it had been anyone else, he would have been jealous. But when it came to Chen Ping’an, he couldn’t bring himself to feel any envy.

"Ping’an, congrats," Da Shan and Mr. Qin, who were standing nearby, congratulated him as well.

Mr. Qin, in particular, looked quite emotional. He never thought that this kid, Chen Ping’an, would cross this threshold so easily. He didn’t know whether to chalk it up to good luck or something else.

"Come on, lunch is on me today. Where do you guys want to eat?"

Chen Ping’an said with a smile.

...

PS: We’ve hit two thousand collection favorites~

After I finished writing yesterday, I had a small realization. A fast-paced plot, while it might sacrifice some detail and immersion, is really satisfying to push forward. It’s satisfying for me to write, too. I’m going to keep doing it like this from now on. Pushing the plot forward takes priority over details and immersion!!!