Chapter Thirty-Six: Compromise?

The conversation in the Chief's office continued, but the atmosphere had become much more pleasant. Or perhaps, Captain Lu only believed so himself.

He glanced at his trusted subordinate and spoke in a low voice:

“There are certain matters we’d best handle according to instructions from above.

“After all, knowing too much isn’t always a good thing.

“Xiao Dai, you’re a clever man, one of the group leaders I value most.

“I’m saying this for your own good!”

With those words, he rummaged in his desk drawer and pulled out a pack of cigarettes, offering one to Dai Guangjun.

Though Group Leader Dai was not a smoker by habit, after a brief hesitation he accepted it.

Captain Lu smiled with satisfaction, lit his own cigarette first, and then tossed the lighter gently onto the desk.

Dai Guangjun stared fixedly at the lighter, hesitated a moment, then finally seized it, lit his cigarette, and took a deep drag.

“Cough... cough... cough...”

For a novice smoker, an overly deep inhale often provokes a fierce reaction from the lungs, unable to withstand the sudden stimulus, resulting in a bout of coughing.

Captain Lu strode around the desk, his gait steady, and came up behind Dai, patting him on the back with his broad palm as he said:

“Xiao Dai, I’ve seen your ability to handle things, and I remember it well.

“Some cases don’t need to be solved down to the last detail.

“Since the Inner City Patrol Bureau has taken over, it’s like tossing a hot potato away—really, we ought to be glad.”

Dai wiped away the tears brought on by the coughing, secretly grumbling... He couldn’t see what was enjoyable about smoking.

But he had to accept Captain Lu’s cigarette just now.

If he hadn’t, it would have been a clear sign of defiance.

This wasn’t about whether he’d have the chance to conduct a deeper investigation, but whether he could continue working at the Outer City Patrol Bureau at all.

“Captain Lu, I understand your meaning—I will absolutely follow the Bureau’s directives.”

He punctuated his words with another heavy drag, again coughing until his eyes watered.

Captain Lu nodded silently.

“Ding-dong!”

Just then, the communicator on Lu’s desk chimed with a message alert.

He walked slowly back to his seat, picked it up, and glanced at the screen.

In the next moment, no matter how much he tried to hide his pleasure, the slight tremble of his lips betrayed his excitement.

For Dai Guangjun, adept at reading subtle cues, nothing escaped his notice.

This skill served him well, whether dealing with superiors, interrogating suspects, or listening to subordinates’ reports—gauging whether they were lying or hiding something.

Just now, he observed Captain Lu’s smile curl upward by two degrees, the corners of his half-squinted eyes tightening, and the fingers holding the cigarette pressing so hard they left a deep mark—though he quickly relaxed his grip.

But Dai saw it all.

It seemed Captain Lu had received good news.

In a moment, Captain Lu composed himself, set the communicator down, and deliberately shifted the conversation, speaking calmly:

“Xiao Dai, you have a keen eye for talent. I heard this case was handled by a newcomer in your group?”

“Yes, he’s quite skilled, sharp-minded, and bold!”

The old captain stubbed out his cigarette, smiling as he said:

“Go on, then. The bonus awarded to Group Two this time—distribute it well, and be sure to look after the newcomer.

“With his wit, he’s bound to be a promising seedling!”

Dai thought to himself: You’ve never met him, so how do you know he’s clever? Compliments really come easily to you!

Seeing the conversation had reached its end, Dai knew it was time to take his leave.

As Dai exited the office, Captain Lu impatiently picked up his communicator and reread the message several times before heaving a long sigh:

“Ah! It wasn’t easy, truly not easy. At last, it’s here!”

He put down the communicator, sat in silence for a while, then grabbed it again and sent a message to someone.

When the reply came, he finally relaxed into his chair, humming a tune whose origin was anyone’s guess.

...

Inside Dai Guangjun’s office.

The three men, after a brief rest, lined up in front of the desk.

Ye Chen, dressed in plain clothes, stood tall and alert, showing no sign of fatigue from the all-night vigil.

In contrast, Xu Fan yawned incessantly, looking thoroughly worn from the night’s battle.

Ye Chen noticed that Dai seemed preoccupied today... which shouldn’t have been the case!

Because he’d gone home to change, he’d arrived a bit later than Chen Bingfeng and the others.

When he reached the Patrol Bureau, Chen Bingfeng, ever well-informed, greeted him cheerfully:

“During the morning group leader meeting, our leader was lavishly praised, while Group One’s leader got a severe scolding from the Chief.

“They said Group Two braved the cold wind and wild beasts, while Group One’s members were nowhere to be found—probably holed up somewhere comfortable.”

Xu Fan chimed in, grinning:

“I bet the other group leaders were gloating, and Group One’s leader was stone-faced, not daring to make a sound.

“Just imagining it is immensely satisfying!”

Ye Chen thought to himself:

This time, Group Two basked in the glory of solving the case.

The key point was, this case originally belonged to Group One, but we snatched it first.

Group One’s humiliation—if I were their leader, I’d secretly reply with a hearty ‘serves you right.’

But why mention ‘hunting wild beasts’?

Now, seeing Dai’s somber expression, Ye Chen began to suspect the reason.

Dai pushed up his sliding glasses and sighed.

He slid Chen Bingfeng’s morning report back to him, speaking softly:

“Revise it.”

In terms of writing, neither Ye Chen, who never attended school, nor Xu Fan, the academic underachiever, could match Chen Bingfeng’s skill.

Chen Bingfeng paused, frowning.

Though he hadn’t witnessed the battle, the details weren’t important—a brief account from Ye Chen sufficed.

Did Dai still think his report wasn’t detailed enough?

Dai had already noticed Chen Bingfeng’s change in expression, and guessed what he was thinking, so he prompted:

“Remove the term ‘anomalous creature’ and replace it with ‘mutant beast.’

“Also, delete the information you obtained during questioning.”

Ye Chen remained silent, but Chen Bingfeng’s voice rose sharply: “What?!”

The sudden outburst startled Xu Fan out of his nap; he blinked, confused, at his teammates.

Indeed, someone didn’t want Zhang Jingye’s matter exposed... Ye Chen glanced at Dai but said nothing.

Dai rubbed his brow and asked, “Is there a problem?”

Chen Bingfeng immediately looked at Ye Chen, and Xu Fan followed suit.

We went to such lengths to capture this anomalous creature, gathered so much information, and now it’s being erased without reason—do you think there’s a problem...? Ye Chen’s expression was cold, offering no reply.

Seeing the situation about to deadlock, Xu Fan uncharacteristically jumped in, bravely snatching the conversation and shooting Ye Chen a barrage of meaningful glances:

“No problem, absolutely no problem!”

Dai curled his lip, recalling the scene he’d just endured in Lu Biao’s office, and replied with a helpless tone:

“If there’s no problem, let’s move on to the matter of the bonus...”