Early the next morning, after finishing his morning Martial Dao Cultivation, Chen Ping’an hurried to the Nanquan Alley Town Patrol Office. Just as he was reporting for duty and stepping through the main gate, he ran into Monkey Head, who was also rushing in.

"Ping... Constable Chen..."

Upon seeing Chen Ping’an, Monkey Head instinctively started to call out his old nickname, but he quickly corrected himself.

"What’s this ’Constable Chen’ nonsense? Just call me Ping’an!"

Chen Ping’an gave Monkey Head a light, good-natured punch on the chest.

’This kid is getting all formal with me!’

’Then again, ever since they stopped patrolling together, they really hadn’t talked much.’

"Heh heh..." Monkey Head scratched his head and grinned sheepishly.

"How have you been lately?"

Chen Ping’an and Monkey Head talked as they walked.

"Doing okay! It’s just that the pressure is a lot higher than before," Monkey Head said.

That was true enough. With the Ten Thousand Demons Sect incident still unresolved, the patrols in Nanquan Lane remained intense. After all, the higher-ups in the Inspectorate and the Constables were on edge and didn’t dare to relax their guard.

"Well, if it isn’t Constable Chen! Still chatting with old colleagues so early in the morning? Where are your new subordinates?"

Just as Chen Ping’an and Monkey Head were talking, a voice cut in from right in front of them. 𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎

It was, of course, Zheng Shiyong.

For whatever reason, the guy had it out for Chen Ping’an. For the past few days, whenever they ran into each other, he’d always make some kind of snide comment.

"Monkey Head, I’m heading on."

"Yeah, okay." Monkey Head could also sense the tension. It was obvious to him that Chen Ping’an and Zheng Shiyong did not get along.

After saying goodbye to Monkey Head, Chen Ping’an walked off, completely ignoring Zheng Shiyong.

’He didn’t want to waste a single second on people like Zheng Shiyong. No matter what you say, they always find a way to get under your skin.’

’With people like that, it’s better to settle things with actions, not words.’

"You son of a..."

Watching Chen Ping’an just turn and walk away without a word, Zheng Shiyong felt a surge of stifled frustration.

’He was the one who came to mock him! So why was he the one feeling so frustrated?!’

Just as Zheng Shiyong was debating whether to go after him with a few more taunts, a Constable walked in through the main gate.

’Fine! Just you wait, you’ll get what’s coming to you!’

Zheng Shiyong shot a venomous glare in Chen Ping’an’s direction before returning to his post.

’He’d been drinking with Cheng Yuan and Zhao Hu frequently these past few days and had long since bought them off. This Chen Ping’an might have the title of an official constable, but he held no real power. When something actually happened, I guarantee he won’t be able to command his own men!’

Remembering what his uncle had told him last night, Zheng Shiyong felt a wave of smug satisfaction.

’Just you wait!’

...

The atmosphere at that day’s pre-duty meeting was more relaxed than it had been recently. Vice Inspector Tian Fuliang wasn’t in attendance, and the other Constables no longer wore stern expressions; some even had faint smiles on their faces.

’Has there been a breakthrough with the Ten Thousand Demons Sect case?’

Chen Ping’an guessed to himself.

’He didn’t have any connections higher up in the Garrison Commandant’s Office, so he was naturally out of the loop. Compared to those with powerful backing, he was at a huge disadvantage.’

’Next to people like that, someone with Zheng Shiyong’s background barely even registered.’

When the pre-duty meeting ended, Chen Ping’an waited quietly where he stood. As an official constable, he no longer had to find out the day’s assignments himself.

’Cheng Yuan and Zhao Hu might not listen to him, but Zeng Jihe would!’

’The kid was pretty good. Smart and perceptive.’

"Master Chen, we’re patrolling Willow Leaf Street today!" Zeng Jihe had returned quickly after finding out their assignment.

"Alright." Chen Ping’an nodded. Noticing that Zeng Jihe seemed to be hesitating, he pressed, "What is it? If you have something to say, just spit it out!"

"Master Chen, when I was in the Task Room just now, I overheard them discussing the annual ’donation silver.’ I got curious and asked a few questions. Old Fan in the Task Room said our squad has been assigned to help with the collection this time!"

"What!"

Before Chen Ping’an could even react to what Zeng Jihe said, Cheng Yuan and Zhao Hu, who were standing nearby, practically jumped.

"Xiaozeng, are you saying we get a piece of the donation silver collection this year? Did you find out which businesses we’re assigned to?"

The donation silver was an annual affair, "generously donated" by the shops in Nanquan Lane. To put it nicely, it was "donation silver"; in reality, it was just protection money in disguise. Every year at this time, everyone in the Nanquan Alley Town Patrol Office, from top to bottom, would make a hefty profit.

It was certainly a profitable affair.

But for the constables assigned to actually collect the donation silver, that wasn’t always the case.

Collecting from ordinary shops was easy enough, but businesses run by gangs were a different story. They weren’t so cooperative. Every visit was a major hassle, and it often took several rounds of negotiation and conflict before the donation silver could be successfully collected.

It wasn’t uncommon for constables sent to collect the donation silver to be intimidated by the more powerful gangs as a show of force. Sometimes, constables even got injured.

During these times, the Constables at the Nanquan Alley Town Patrol Office would turn a blind eye, pretending nothing had happened. This was a tacit understanding between the gang leaders and the Town Patrol Office; both sides were trying to find a balance of interests, to see what amount of donation silver would be acceptable to everyone involved.

Some of the smaller gangs would pay the full amount, but others would manage to get a discount.

"I couldn’t find that out. I heard the specific assignments haven’t been released yet," Zeng Jihe said, his face falling.

To them, whether it was from an ordinary shop or one run by a gang, being sent out to collect the donation silver was a miserable job.

It was a raw deal. Why should they have to go out and do the collecting when they could get a cut just by staying in the office? In the end, the amount they got wasn’t much more than the constables who didn’t go.

"Let’s hope we get the ordinary shops," Cheng Yuan and Zhao Hu said to each other.

Chen Ping’an remained silent.

’Considering Zheng Shiyong’s attitude, and by extension, Constable Zheng pulling the strings behind him... getting put on the donation silver collection list right now... Whatever their assignment was, it wasn’t going to be simple.’

Throughout the morning patrol, the men talked nonstop about the donation silver. For the most part, it was Cheng Yuan and Zhao Hu talking amongst themselves, leaving Chen Ping’an unable to get a word in.

The two of them were becoming increasingly casual and disrespectful toward Chen Ping’an, their superior officer. Clearly, the past few days had made them feel they could act without any repercussions.

After the morning patrol, Cheng Yuan and Zhao Hu disappeared again, off to who knows where.

When they reappeared for the afternoon patrol, however, they both had relaxed looks on their faces.

Seeing this, Chen Ping’an had his suspicions.

’Such a drastic change from morning to afternoon. Someone had obviously told them something during the midday break.’

’Come on, could they be any more obvious?’

Chen Ping’an complained wearily to himself.

’He’d have to be a complete idiot not to realize someone was setting him up.’