Chapter 328: Zhang Cheng: I Think I Saw My Great-Grandma...

Chapter 328: Chapter 178: Zhang Cheng: I Think I Saw My Great-Grandma…

It wasn’t that there were only a few dozen people.

It was that only a few dozen survived!

These people wouldn’t live long. Especially since, while they were still in the labs, they had undergone certain physical extractions, which caused extreme physical depletion.

Coupled with the living conditions at the temple, they often died before long.

What kind of living conditions?

After all, since they were earning so much money for the monks, the conditions should have been a little better, right?

Think again.

It came back to the same old logic.

If the conditions improved, the people would get healthier. If they were healthier, they wouldn’t look so pitiful. And once they stopped looking pitiful, there wouldn’t be much money to be made.

So, even though they were bringing in so much money every month, their living conditions remained like a pigsty.

They ate spoiled food and lived in stuffy, airless basements.

Unable to bathe for years on end, the filth on their bodies seemed to form a crust.

They often died quickly, either from their depleted lifespans finally giving out or from sickness. In any case, they never lived long.

Chu Linhai didn’t take a drag from his cigarette; he just let it burn down in his hand.

After a long moment, he finally took a sharp drag.

“From now until the Spring Festival…”

“All Jiangsan City police are to conduct a full-scale search for anything related to beggars!”

Chu Linhai straightened up, his face etched with seriousness.

“Launch an operation centered on them!”

Li Jianye nodded grimly.

“Yes, sir!”

Then he walked out.

…

「Meanwhile」

At eight in the morning, inside the holding cell.

The holding cell was currently packed with people. Besides the victims who were being temporarily held there, there were two rather special individuals.

One was… Zhang Cheng.

“Alright. Once you’re out, live a good life from now on.”

“Officer, don’t you worry. My time here at the station has made me see the error of my ways. I’ve decided: I’m never going to steal again. I’m going to turn over a new leaf and be a good person.”

“You can rest assured, I’ll find a job and live an honest life once I’m out.”

Zhang Cheng’s face was filled with sincerity.

The arrogance he’d shown when he first faced the police was gone, and it was like his IQ had even gone up a few points.

Ever since taking that punch, he seemed like a completely different person.

Even his eyes seemed much clearer.

“Fine. Just remember what you’ve said today.”

Li Jianye, Zhang Liang, and Su Cheng watched in amusement but didn’t pay it much mind, waving him off to leave.

Zhang Cheng left. Zhang Liang and the others were just about to go eat when, a moment later, another person walked out of the holding cell.

“What a coincidence!”

Wang Chao, who had just woken up and was about to go grab some free breakfast, stopped in his tracks. His eyes lit up when he saw them.

“Brother Zhang, about that certificate… when can I get it?”

“You really want that ‘Honorary Police Dog’ thing?”

“I’m gonna use it to fool my desperate parents. They won’t be able to read it anyway. I’ll just tell them a police dog I trained performed meritorious service, got an honor, and became an ‘Honorary Police Dog’!”

“You…”

“Bro, even Brother Huo already agreed…”

“Get lost… Come find me this afternoon to pick up your certificate.”

Zhang Liang was exasperated. Utterly exasperated.

Wang Chao, on the other hand, didn’t see anything wrong with it.

Getting paid, getting an honor, and all for free—of course he was thrilled.

Even though he didn’t need the money anymore… the feeling of getting something for free, while immoral, was just so damn satisfying.

“I’m off to eat. Take your time with the investigation, Group Leader Zhang.”

With that, Wang Chao bolted for the cafeteria. He ate and drank here for free, and the cafeteria staff couldn’t be bothered to argue with him.

Su Cheng looked at Zhang Liang, then at Wang Chao’s retreating back.

“You guys from the Special Fifth Bureau are really something else.”

“Heh, he’s not one of ours.”

Zhang Liang shook his head, then suddenly realized something. He narrowed his eyes at Su Cheng.

“You don’t know him?”

“Who is he? Am I supposed to know him?”

Su Cheng was confused.

He was with National Security. Their system was different from the police’s Special Fifth Bureau, so naturally, information didn’t flow the same way.

“That’s our police dog!”

“I’m telling you, the police relied on that kid to crack this case. And he’s cracked at least five other similar cases!”

“Otherwise, why do you think I’d be giving him a certificate?”

Zhang Liang began to sing his praises without holding back.

This left Su Cheng, the man from National Security, completely bewildered.

Until finally…

Zhang Liang dropped one last line.

“You guys at National Security…”

“Have you ever considered recruiting this kid?”

“Trust me, if you take him, your director will be in for a pleasant surprise!”

‘Recruit… him!?’

…

…

PS: A relative is getting engaged today, so I didn’t have time to write much. Will be back to the regular update schedule tomorrow.