Chapter 61: Bathed in Good Fortune

A single sentence from Gu Changhai made Jiang Biao jump right up.

"Old Gu, you'd better not be messing with us."

Gu Changhai said, "Why would I lie to you? If you don't believe me, go inside and take a look for yourself. There are dozens of cases of imported high-end cigarettes piled up behind the warehouse, all of them smuggled goods. The value of the contraband here is easily upwards of two to three hundred thousand."

This time, not only Jiang Biao was shocked, but even Zhou Yi and Qiao Jiali were taken aback as well.

Zhou Yi, in particular, had previously trailed the bald man mainly because the bald man had blurted out during his ranting that he had a boss.

As he knew, ordinary thugs would never refer to someone as a boss; they would usually use titles like big brother or chief.

Therefore, experience told him that there was something more to the bald man, and playing a long game might just hook a big fish.

Yet, even he had not expected that this would somehow unravel into an imported cigarette smuggling case.

One had to remember that this was Hongcheng, not some coastal or southern region where smuggling cases were a common occurrence.

This was precisely why Gu Changhai was so excited; he wouldn't have been this surprised even if he had been transferred to the provincial capital.

"A criminal underworld syndicate, a high-value smuggling case, plus the pharmaceutical counterfeiting case from a few days ago. Tell me, Biao, did your Captain Wu secretly go pray at the Guandi Temple recently? Otherwise, how could the Third Detachment be enjoying such incredible good fortune?"

"Whether Captain Wu went to the Guandi Temple or not, I don't know, but he certainly found a lucky star for our Third Detachment—and that's this kid right here."

With that, Jiang Biao slapped Zhou Yi on the back and laughed heartily.

As a result, the blow landed squarely on the wound on Zhou Yi's back, eliciting a miserable yelp from him.

"Oh, sorry, sorry! Are you okay?" Jiang Biao asked, startled as it finally dawned on him.

"Brother Biao, the worst injury I've suffered today is definitely this slap of yours," Zhou Yi said with a helpless expression.

"I'll be careful next time, I'll be careful next time."

Qiao Jiali spoke up, "Teacher Gu, I'll have to trouble you with the aftermath. I'm taking these two fellows with me so they don't cause any more trouble for you."

"Hey, what are you talking about? You guys go back and get some rest first. Once your Captain Wu gets back, I'm definitely going to sing the praises of these two to him. Your Third Detachment is truly brimming with talent."

Gu Changhai turned to leave, but suddenly remembering something, he turned back and said, "Oh, right, there are a few victims still at the station, and their statements have already been taken. They claim to be young Zhou's relatives. Should we release them?"

Naturally, he was referring to the second uncle's family.

In saying this, Gu Changhai also wanted to do a favor for the Third Detachment.

All three of them looked at Zhou Yi.

Zhou Yi spoke, "Teacher Gu, those few really are my relatives. Zhou Jianguo and Wang Cui'e can be released first; they have nothing to do with this matter. As for Zhou Kai, if possible, lock him up for the night. Although he was set up, he did participate in gambling after all, so he still needs to learn a lesson."

"Alright, we'll handle it your way."

...

When Zhou Yi returned home, he found his parents sitting anxiously around the dining table, on which sat two dishes covered by bowls.

"Our son is back! I'll go heat up the food for you," his mother stood up immediately.

"Mom, no need to rush, sit down first."

Zhou Yi pulled over a stool, sat down, and pulled the written pledge out of his pocket to place it on the table.

His father immediately picked it up to examine it closely, and his mother leaned in as well.

After a moment, his father asked, "Did your second uncle really sign this?"

Zhou Yi nodded.

His mother asked, "And Wang Cui'e didn't kick up a fuss?"

Zhou Yi poured himself a cup of water, took a sip, and smiled, "You don't need to ask about the specific details. Anyway, it's all written down in black and white, not to mention my second uncle's fingerprint is on it."

"Once Grandpa is discharged from the hospital, we'll have him come stay at our place for a couple of days first. As soon as the second uncle and his family move out of the old house, you guys can take Grandpa and move over there. After all, it's much more spacious."

"And what about you?" his mother asked.

"I'll stay right here."

His father looked pensive. After a moment of silence, he nodded and said, "You're at the age where you should be considering marriage. Your mother and I were previously worried about the housing situation, but now that's settled. We'll save this apartment for you to use when you get married."

With that, he turned to his mother and said, "I remember you mentioning last time that Elder Sister Liu from the finance department wanted to introduce her daughter to Zhou Yi?"

"Yeah, that was half a year ago when she heard Zhou Yi started working at the police station. She brought it up then."

"Why don't you check with Sister Liu again tomorrow and have Zhou Yi meet her daughter?"

Zhou Yi grew anxious. They were just talking about housing, so how on earth did it veer into being set up on a blind date?

Yet, before he could open his mouth, his mother spoke first. "I'm not going."

"Hey, why wouldn't you go?"

"Our Zhou Yi is now working in the criminal investigation detachment of the municipal bureau. How could her daughter possibly be a match for our son?"

Zhou Yi was taken aback; he hadn't expected his father to nod in agreement with absolute approval. "That makes sense. Well, you can ask around when you have time—find one with a good job and decent looks."

"Preferably with wide hips, so she can easily bear sons."

"That mindset of yours simply won't do. This is a new era; boys and girls are the same."

The two of them began chatting away to each other, completely ignoring the feelings of Zhou Yi, the actual "subject" of discussion.

Zhou Yi helplessly picked up the two plates of dishes and walked into the kitchen.

Listening to his parents outside daydreaming about carrying their future grandchildren in their retirement, Zhou Yi's heart slowly sank.

For in his previous life, his married life had been far from happy.

His ex-wife had originally been a civil servant, introduced by a bureau leader at the time. Both her job and her appearance were exceptional, making her and Zhou Yi a well-matched couple in terms of social standing and looks.

From dating to marriage, the process had been quite formulaic—free of major conflicts, but equally devoid of passion.

It felt like filling out an exam paper, with Zhou Yi continuously writing down standard answers.

After marriage, the two had a son. Although life was mundane, it was also quite stable.

Especially his elderly parents, who doted on this grandson immensely and would have gladly plucked the moon from the sky for him if they could.

The problems began when his ex-wife resigned to dive into the world of business. In truth, Zhou Yi had realized not long after their marriage that his ex-wife was a fiercely ambitious person who was never satisfied with her current life and status, relentlessly driven to climb higher.

To a certain extent, one could even say that choosing to marry Zhou Yi in the first place was an attempt to leverage his network of connections to advance herself.

As it turned out, Zhou Yi was merely a dedicated police officer who was neither adept at flattery and bootlicking nor possessed any extensive network of powerful connections.

His ex-wife grew profoundly dissatisfied because of this.

Having reached a bottleneck within the bureaucratic system, she resolutely resigned and plunged into commerce.

Zhou Yi had to admit that she truly was a powerhouse of a woman; a small pond could never contain someone of her caliber.

Once in the business world, she was like a fish in water, her career soaring higher and higher until she became a renowned female entrepreneur within just a few years.

Meanwhile, Zhou Yi was reduced to being "President So-and-So's husband," little more than an accessory to her.

Zhou Yi was busy handling cases while his ex-wife was consumed by her business, to the point where they often failed to even see each other once a week. Their already fragile affection quickly flashed red lights.

In the end, a single divorce agreement from his ex-wife drew a definitive period to their marriage.

Custody of their son was awarded to his ex-wife, who magnanimously stated that she did not require Zhou Yi to pay child support.

At first, Zhou Yi was still able to visit his son every week, but a year later, his ex-wife sent the boy abroad to study under the pretext of providing a better educational environment.

On the stove, the two dishes resting on the chopstick holder were being heated over boiling water.

Outside, his parents were happily painting pictures of their future life.

Zhou Yi wondered how on earth he should conduct himself in this lifetime.