Chapter 1 Early December, Major Snow

In December, early in the month, it was Major Snow (referring to the solar term).

On this day, S City really had a snowfall.

This was a city that didn't often see snow, and even when it did, it rarely accumulated.

Today's snow was no exception.

Although snowflakes were falling from the sky, they turned to slush upon hitting the ground.

...

"You really know how to pick a day..." Bao Qing stood by the window, gazing at the drizzling sleet, his eyes narrowed. "Just for this weather, it's worth coming out for a walk."

Anyone could tell he was being sarcastic.

Jue-ge, who was sitting on the sofa playing video games with Xiao Tan, replied without turning his head, "Who told you not to drive here?"

"My wife took the car to the supermarket to walk the kids," Bao Qing replied matter-of-factly.

"Then you could have taken a taxi, who told you to squeeze onto the bus?" Feng Bujue added.

"Are you going to reimburse me?" Bao Qing retorted. "Take a taxi? Just the initial fare is enough for me to take the bus back and forth two or three times."

"Tch... you're a civil servant, what's with crying poor in front of us?" Feng Bujue said. "With the salary you get from the Ninth Division, buying another car is like playing around, isn't it?"

"Nonsense, my salary slip and all my expenses are strictly controlled by my wife," Bao Qing replied. "Even if I eat a steamed bun at a roadside stall, I have to report it verbally, otherwise the accounts won't balance." He paused. "You... telling me to buy a car? How do I explain where the money came from to my wife?"

"You can tell her... using your chemistry knowledge from your student days, combined with a little bit of personal artistic talent, you developed a new type of blue methyl amphetamine (anti-harmony) formula," Feng Bujue replied with a smile. "For some time now, you've been using your spare time to help people cook some of these drugs, and you've made tens of millions of dollars from it, and all that money is currently hidden under the floor of your house."

"You think I can't tell you're playing a Breaking Bad gag? Am I supposed to fake a cancer report or something to increase credibility?" Bao Qing turned his head and decisively retorted.

"Heh... too much trouble, huh?" Feng Bujue laughed. "Then just tell her you're a special agent in the Ninth Division, wouldn't that make your family's expenses a little easier, so you don't have money you can't spend like you do now."

"Stop nagging, is that kind of identity something I can just reveal? What do you take national security for?" Bao Qing responded. "Besides..." As he spoke, he walked back to the sofa. "What's wrong with me crying poor in front of you two? Let's not talk about Xiao Tan... let's just talk about you..." He sat down next to Jue-ge. "Haven't you also made hundreds of thousands of dollars through some illegal channels recently?"

"Hmm... so he already knows..." Feng Bujue muttered guiltily.

"Nonsense, you thought putting the money in a bag and storing it in a safe deposit box at the bank... would hide it from everyone?" Bao Qing said. "What do you take us for?"

"Tch... if I'd known, I would have just gotten a card and deposited it," Feng Bujue muttered.

"Actually... Jue-ge," Xiao Tan, who had been quietly playing games beside them, spoke up. "If you have money that's inconvenient to handle, you can give it to me. I can exchange it for some of our family's money for you, can't I?"

"Oh? Is that possible?" Feng Bujue suddenly turned his head and looked at Xiao Tan.

"Of course, it's possible," Wang Tanzhi replied in a matter-of-fact tone. "Many of our family's businesses can absorb that kind of 'money of unknown origin'. Oh... right... Yu-jie's family's art gallery can do it too."

"Ah, I knew that," Feng Bujue replied. "The art auction business... has always been used by the mafia to..."

"Hey!" At that moment, Bao Qing interrupted the two with an astonished expression and a loud shout. "Are you kidding me? Am I dead? Blatantly exchanging money laundering experiences in front of law enforcement personnel?"

"What's wrong?" Feng Bujue protested. "Is it wrong to even talk about it? You people are already allowed to set fires, can't you let us light a lamp?"

"Okay, okay, okay... I'm not talking to you about this." Bao Qing quickly changed the subject, looking at Wang Tanzhi. "Xiao Tan, have you set a wedding date? Once you decide on a date, remember to tell me as soon as possible, I have to save some money to prepare a congratulatory gift."

"Uh... not yet," Xiao Tan replied. "Recently, our parents are in communication..." After saying half a sentence, he paused for a second before continuing, "Speaking of... congratulatory gifts and such... sincerity is enough, right? There's no need to give anything too extravagant... Xiao Ling and I don't lack anything."

"Tch... you think I want to give something expensive?" Bao Qing glanced sideways at Xiao Tan. "This gift is for our Section Chief to see..."

"Huh?" Xiao Tan was stunned for a moment before he realized. "Oh, right... I seem to be... about to become your Section Chief's grandson-in-law."

"You're my childhood friend, your future wife's grandfather is my direct superior... if I don't show some kind of gesture at your wedding..." As Bao Qing spoke, many terrible memories seemed to surface in his eyes. "Then the Section Chief definitely won't let me off easily... If he's in a bad mood, he might transfer me to work with Brother 'Dongfeng', and that would be..."

"Wait!" Feng Bujue heard a familiar name in his words and immediately interrupted, "You said... Dongfeng?"

"Yes," Bao Qing replied.

"The one who planned Ma Junxiao's kidnapping case, the one who used to be the betting supervisor for the gambling king Zhai... that 'Dongfeng'?" Feng Bujue asked.

"Is there another Dongfeng?" Bao Qing retorted.

"So, this person is still alive?" Jue-ge asked strangely.

"Of course... what did you think?" Bao Qing asked.

"I thought... he probably already died in one of your unethical scientific experiments, or mutated into some kind of monster," Feng Bujue replied.

"What kind of organization do you imagine us to be?" Bao Qing muttered, his mouth twitching. "Some kind of villainous organization from a low-age tokusatsu show..."

"So..." Feng Bujue skirted around the other party's question and continued, "Dongfeng is working for you now?"

"Ah... he's been forcibly conscripted as a 'warehouse manager'," Bao Qing replied.

"What warehouse?" Feng Bujue asked again.

"You don't want to know." Unexpectedly, Xiao Tan interjected before Bao Qing could answer.

"Hey, hey, hey... what's this supposed to mean?" Feng Bujue's gaze towards Xiao Tan also changed, and he looked surprised. "You seem to know something?"

"Hmm..." Xiao Tan pressed the pause button on the controller, looked up and thought for a while, then pondered, "This is... a long story..."