Chapter 11: Encountering a Police Belle at the Class Reunion!

A confidential report from the Public Security Bureau lay on Zhou Chengwu’s desk.

Since taking office, Zhou Chengwu had found Han Prefecture’s situation intricate and tangled. His predecessor had left him no fortune, only numerous pitfalls that required Zhou to clean up.

Opening the file, Zhou’s attention was immediately captured.

Pinghu Town?

Tang Ye?

A nationwide wanted criminal?!

These keywords connected, causing Zhou’s previously furrowed brow to relax.

Zhou Chengwu had been in Han Prefecture less than a month, and Tang Ye had been assigned to Pinghu Town for only two weeks, yet he had already accomplished something worthy of an internal report.

Zhou’s impression of this remarkable young man shifted entirely.

After finishing the materials, Zhou picked up the office phone and dialed his former superior. “Old Secretary, I have good news. Comrade Tang is making a mark during his temporary assignment in the township.”

Hong Ruilin, who had informants in Pinghu Town, was already aware. “I heard they caught a few thieves.”

Zhou added, “Not just petty thieves—this was a gang of robbers wanted nationwide!”

“That changes everything. The kid’s quite the troublemaker,” Hong’s eyes gleamed with delight, though his words were cautious, “But his main focus must remain on economic development. Only by improving Pinghu’s economy can he truly prove himself.”

Zhou laughed heartily. “He definitely needs to keep pushing forward.”

...

That weekend, Tang Ye returned to the city.

With the season changing, he took the opportunity to exchange some clothes.

Also, Zhou Zhong received a call from Xiao Hui inviting him to a high school reunion.

Tang Ye and Shao Jinbo had mentioned it casually before; unexpectedly, Shao had taken it seriously and organized a gathering.

The reunion was held at the Huari Restaurant near the municipal government.

Arriving at the private room, Tang Ye found Shao and Xiao Hui not yet there.

The first to greet him was the “Fatty.”

“Tang Seng?” Fatty called out.

That was Tang Ye’s old high school nickname.

Tang studied Fatty’s face for a long moment.

Fatty laughed loudly. “Don’t recognize me? It’s Monkey!”

Tang quickly recognized him. This was Sun Hai, who had gained several dozen pounds over the years. “Monkey, where do you work now? Looks like the pay’s good!”

Sun sighed. “Don’t even mention it. In sophomore year, I got sick—almost lost it. Took a lot of meds, steroids made me fat. Tried losing it but couldn’t.”

Tang looked at Sun sympathetically, then teased, “You seem more cheerful now. You used to be quiet and had a bit of a lisp, but now you speak so fluently.”

Sun scratched his head and smiled. “Yeah, life’s about being happy. By the way, I was really excited to hear you’d come. We haven’t kept in touch much over the years, but I’ve always thought about you.”

“Cheesy! Sounds like we’re an item,” Tang laughed.

Male friendships differed from female ones.

Women’s friendships often faded into artificiality when they lost contact.

Men’s friendships, even with long silence, could be rekindled instantly if both sides still cared.

Changing the subject, Tang leaned close to Sun and whispered, “Who’s that girl sitting by the door? She looks familiar.”

Sun introduced quietly, “That’s Du Xi. No wonder you didn’t recognize her—she used to wear glasses and braces with short hair. Now she’s ditched the braces, wears colored contacts, has long flowing hair, and dresses fashionably. Back then, she was Xiao Hui’s shadow.”

Tang’s mind recalled Du Xi—she had been relatively invisible in high school.

They had briefly crossed paths just days earlier.

Tang hadn’t dared approach to confirm.

At that moment, Shao Jinbo and Xiao Hui entered the room, followed by a few others.

Shao was surrounded, laughing and chatting.

“Director Shao’s here!” joked the classmates, blending formality with camaraderie.

Shao worked at the Municipal Party Committee Office, and friends teased him by calling him Director Shao.

Sun was good at small talk, introducing everyone’s current jobs and family situations.

When he introduced Du Xi, Tang noticed she was with the city’s Public Security Bureau.

Now he was certain.

The female officer who had accompanied him to Pinghu Town to record the case was indeed an old classmate.

No wonder her gaze toward him that day felt off.

Du Xi glanced at Tang with a faint smile.

Tang hadn’t recognized her that day, which initially annoyed Du Xi, but she eventually let it go.

The fairy tale of an ugly duckling turning into a swan was hard for most to process.

Due to work, Du Xi hadn’t found the chance to reveal herself.

Shao approached Tang with a proud smile. “Let me introduce Tang Ye. He used to work in the same office as me at the Party Committee, but recently chose to serve a temporary post at Pinghu Town.”

He continued, “By the way, good news: my promotion to deputy section chief has passed the review and will be announced soon. Work hard down there; a year will fly by. Looking forward to having you back at the Committee.”

His words were laced with subtle antagonism; many sensed tension between the two.

Shao viewed Tang as an opportunist seeking promotion through township posts.

Now Shao was telling Tang he didn’t need such a detour to advance.

No wonder he had been so eager to arrange the reunion!

“Really? Then you better be extra careful. If I were you, I’d keep a low profile during the announcement period—don’t let the cooked goose fly away.”

Tang, uninterested in sparring, sent Shao a figurative “yellow card” warning.

Shao was taken aback, surprised Tang had the nerve to threaten him. Whether Tang held any leverage was unknown, but Shao suddenly grew wary and dared not provoke him further.

Sun leaned toward Tang and whispered, “Shao Jinbo’s still as obnoxious as ever. Xiao Hui following him is like a beautiful flower stuck in manure.”

Back in high school, Tang and Xiao Hui had shared vague feelings, but they had lost touch after university.

The dishes began arriving one after another.

Xiao Hui glanced at Tang while serving herself, subtly comparing him to Shao.

In high school, Tang had been about 1.6 meters tall; in university, he had shot up and now stood half a head taller than Shao.

In terms of appearance, Tang was clearly superior.

However, when women reached a certain age, they valued family background and personal development potential more when choosing a spouse.

Shao was a better fit in those respects.

Du Xi picked up her wine glass and approached Tang. “Tang classmate, your memory’s terrible!”

Tang quickly stood, embarrassed. “It’s mainly that you changed so much! I did recognize you that day but was afraid I might be wrong.”

Xiao Hui shot Du Xi a curious glance. “When did you two reconnect?”

Du Xi smiled and returned to her seat, taking out a newspaper from her handbag.

“Classmates, let me help you get to know our old friend better.”

“What’s this? So mysterious!”

Sun put down his spicy chicken claws, wiped his oily hands hastily, and leaned forward eagerly.

“Provincial Public Security News, page A-3: ‘Robbery Gang Operating Across Provinces, Pinghu Police United to Take Them Down.’”