After burning through a fortune to resolve the chaos stirred up by Hao Zhengyi, Jia Biyao had lost any interest in lingering. She and Blind Jin were quietly escorted out of the private club. Huang Ran, however, held his ground, as composed as ever, drinking and chatting with us like nothing had happened. From that point on, Chairman Huang never mentioned Lin Feng or Hao Zhengyi again. Instead, he steered the conversation toward the business ventures he'd bought into.
We kept at it until past eleven. At one point, Sun Fatty shot me a glance. A moment later, he put on a wobbly drunken act, saying he was feeling a little tipsy. I played along and helped him "stumble" his way out of the club.
The moment we were outside, he snapped right back to normal. We were just walking toward the car when a figure suddenly emerged from the shadows nearby. We weren't expecting anyone—instinctively, we both reached for our guns. (Before coming here, Sun Fatty had sworn nothing serious would happen, so I hadn't brought the Blades of Sin and Retribution.)
At first, we thought it might be someone Huang Ran sent to silence us—but when the figure stepped forward, we both let out a breath of relief. It was none other than Yang Xiao, who we'd just mentioned earlier. He had used some technique to completely conceal his aura—otherwise, there was no way someone like me wouldn't have noticed him at such close range.
To my surprise, Sun Fatty greeted him with a grin:"We had a deal, didn't we? The moment your name came up, you'd show up and spook them a little. I brought you up front, back, left and right—and you stayed hidden. Not gonna lie, if you'd shown up earlier, I could've squeezed even more out of them."
Yang Xiao's baby face curled into a soft smile."I was already there. But when I saw you eating and drinking like old friends, I figured I'd hold off."Then he paused, his smile fading slightly as he narrowed his eyes at the club's entrance."Still, Huang's no fool. He figured out your plan. You were dining right above freshly buried spirits. I can influence new souls like that. If I'd revealed myself and disturbed them, it would've drawn the Yinsi Ghost Wardens. And you know I'm not exactly on good terms with those guys."
"That's impossible," I cut in. "If there were corpses below us, I would've sensed the death aura."
Yang Xiao turned to me with a grin."They coated the bodies in lime. That seals the Corpse Aura. Unless you've got my kind of sensitivity to the dead, there's no way you'd sense anything. Not even Yang Jun would catch it."
Even with his explanation, something still didn't add up for me."If they knew how to block you, why were they still so wary of you?"
Yang Xiao's smile turned ambiguous—almost boyish—and for a second, he looked like that naïve little cop I first met in Qilin City. But what he said was unmistakably the man who once turned an entire office building into a haunted hellscape:"I've got issues with the Ghost Wardens, not with the living. They can't hole up in that place forever. Even if they try, people still need to eat, drink, and... well, you know. The moment I get a window—hell, I don't even need to go inside—I can make sure none of them walk out alive."
Looking at his mild, almost bashful smile, I couldn't help but feel thankful. Thank God this guy ended up in the Bureau. If the Commission had gotten to him first, the consequences would've been unthinkable.
Sun Fatty, on the other hand, looked utterly unfazed, even bored."Anyone else got lingering questions? Can we head back to the Bureau already? You two can discuss necromantic sensitivity all night once we're home."He reached for the car door.
Yang Xiao stopped him with a hand and smiled."Hold up. We had an agreement. You said if I showed up—even just in name—everything outside the Bureau's cut is mine and Yang Jun's. I saw Huang Ran hand you a check."
Sun Fatty gave him a pained look."You call that showing up? You waited until the baby died before showing up to claim the milk. You barely earned this payday."
"Still," Yang Xiao replied, smile soft and voice unhurried, "You used my name, didn't you? Think of it as a branding fee."
Sun Fatty was about to quip back when a noise came from inside the club—someone was coming out. Definitely not a good time for Huang Ran to see Yang Xiao. With a frustrated sigh, Sun Fatty pulled a check from his coat and handed it over.
"Had I known the money was this easy, I would've used Director Wu's name. He already hates my guts—one more offense won't kill me."
Yang Xiao glanced at the amount and made a face—clearly unimpressed—but said nothing. He slipped into the shadows and vanished once again.
He didn't notice, but I did: Sun Fatty put Huang Ran's check into his left coat pocket, but the one he handed over to Yang Xiao came from his right.
Back inside, everything was still under control—except the one thing no one expected. Though Lin Feng and Hao Zhengyi remained at large, everything else in the post-Gao Liang era had been resolved in less than twenty-four hours, all thanks to Sun Fatty's masterful scheming.
What came next caught everyone off guard.
Just when the entire Bureau assumed Sun Fatty would naturally step in as the new Director after Gao Liang, the Ministry suddenly released a personnel notice:"Given the outstanding performance of Comrade Yang Chengwu as Party Secretary of the Bureau of Folk Affairs Investigation and Research, and based on a unanimous vote by the Standing Committee, it is hereby decided that, effective immediately, Comrade Yang Chengwu shall concurrently serve as Director of the Bureau."
The announcement stunned almost everyone—except Xiong Wanyi. Not even Yang Chengwu himself could make sense of it. That afternoon, wearing a bitter expression, Secretary Yang went to knock on Deputy Director Sun's door. He knocked until 3 PM—no one responded.
Eventually, he had no choice but to leave, still wearing that same bitter look. After all, Secretary Yang was deeply uncomfortable being in the Bureau after sunset. He wouldn't dare stay past 3 o'clock.
Little did he know, at the very moment he was knocking, Sun Fatty was standing right outside Section Six's office, chatting with Shao Yiyi under Wu Rendi's nose. They were talking nonsense—gossip, jokes—but that was enough to make Director Wu's temple vein throb violently.
I was nearby, eavesdropping and wondering how Sun Fatty had managed to charm her here in the first place. Shao Yiyi clearly had no clue what the Bureau really was. To her, it was just another secure government job—a lifelong iron rice bowl, no different from any other ministry.
And then the kicker.
At the end of the conversation, Sun Fatty pulled out a bouquet of flowers like a magician. Shao Yiyi, smiling from ear to ear, accepted them.
That was the final straw.
Not only Wu Rendi, but even Yang Jun and I stood frozen in shock. Sun Fatty had clearly set his sights on Shao Yiyi. He was trying to become Director Wu's son-in-law.
Wu Rendi, watching the whole thing unfold from his office window, clenched his jaw. Honestly, I was surprised he didn't instantly obliterate Sun Fatty on the spot.
But what happened next was even more bizarre.
As soon as Sun Fatty walked away, Yang Jun left the office without a word. Before I could figure out what they were up to, Wu Rendi called me in.
I thought he was going to use me as a punching bag—maybe blow off some steam since he couldn't touch Sun Fatty directly. I was already planning to play the loyal little subordinate, distancing myself from Fatty just in case.
But to my surprise, Wu Rendi just asked for my Eight Characters of Birth Time. Then he stared me down and said:
"Go. Ask Shao Yiyi out to a movie."
I nearly jumped out of my skin. After weighing the pros and cons, I tried to refuse, still wearing a fake grin:
"Director Wu, I really don't think that's necessary. You saw it just now—Sun Dasheng already invited her. Wouldn't it be awkward if I went too?"
Wu Rendi stared coldly and replied:
"If you don't go, I'll make sure things are awkward for you—for the rest of your life."
The chill that shot down my spine could've frozen lava. I had no choice but to nod and agree. The moment I left his office, I bolted straight toward Sun Fatty's office.
But before I could turn the corner, there he was—that fat face, grinning ear to ear:
"Not gonna lie, Lazi—looks like your lucky day just arrived, huh?"