So, in a daze, I became the deputy director of the Sixth Division. I had planned to keep a low profile until Gao Liang announced it at the conference next month, but to my surprise, early the very next morning, Xi Menlian, Xiong Wanyi, and Old Mo blocked me right outside the First Division's door.
The three of them were grinning from ear to ear. After dragging me to a quiet corner, Xiong Wanyi was the first to speak, "Lazi, we heard you got promoted. How about it, Deputy Director Shen? Come sit with the brothers tonight—same halal place as last time? Let us bask in your good fortune. After you and Sun Fatty had that meal, you got promoted. If we go again, maybe one of us will move up to squad leader or something."
Hearing this, I felt a bit uneasy. "Your news travels fast. Gao director just told me yesterday. You already knew after one night? Dinner is fine, I'll treat. But first, tell me who spilled the beans?"
No sooner had I spoken, a voice came from behind the three of them, "Who else could it be? No name, no fame… good deeds like Uncle Lei Feng's." A chubby, smiling face peeked out—none other than Old Monk Xiao Heshang, my grandfather's sworn brother, who had come with Sun Fatty.
The old and young seemed close. After Sun Fatty spoke, Xiao Heshang immediately chimed in, "Little Lazi, you're making us proud—deputy director at such a young age. I called your grandpa last night, told him you jumped three ranks and became a big shot. Don't worry, by the morning after tomorrow, almost everyone in your county will know."
Watching Xiao Heshang talk with such enthusiasm, I vaguely sensed something was off, but my mind was muddled and I couldn't pinpoint what exactly. Xiao Heshang was a legendary figure in the Bureau. Xiong Wanyi smiled politely and said, "Better late than never. Consultant Xiao, since you're here, join us. More people, more food, right? It's settled then."
When it came to eating and drinking, Xiao Heshang never treated himself as an outsider. He smiled warmly at Xiong Wanyi and the others. "Tonight, I'm eating you guys out. When you get promoted, I'll have Lazi treat you back. Can't let you lose out. When Lazi holds a banquet at Wangfu Restaurant, his level will have risen three ranks—of course the style has to match."
Suddenly, it hit me where the problem lay. I stopped Xiao Heshang. "Old Xiao, wait a second. You told my grandpa I'm a section chief? And that I've jumped three ranks? What level of official am I at back home now?"
Sun Fatty answered, "Three ranks… deputy bureau-level, bureau-level, deputy department-level! Hahaha, Lazi, you've skyrocketed!"
Right after he spoke, my phone rang. The caller ID showed my dad. I dared not answer. Without thinking, I tossed the phone to Xiao Heshang. "Old Xiao, you made the mess, you handle it."
Xiao Heshang didn't know what to do. Just as he was about to hang up, Sun Fatty snatched the phone. After connecting, he lowered his voice and said, "Uncle Shen, it's me, little Sun. Lazi's in a meeting, can't pick up right now. Yeah, he's the main leader here. Okay, got it, I'll have him call you back later. Sorry, can't talk more, it's my turn to speak now. Bye."
Sun Fatty handed the now-disconnected phone back. I looked at him and asked, "What did Dad say?"
Sun Fatty didn't answer directly. Instead, with a cheeky grin, he glanced at Xiao Heshang and said, "Master Xiao, the Shen family's already in an uproar. The county magistrate and party secretary have shown up, arguing about building an ancestral shrine."
"What shrine? The old Shen family were all from the Northeast, not the South. There's no ancestral grave to begin with—what shrine would they build?" Xiao Heshang knew I was exaggerating. If it were just me and Sun Fatty, he could have brushed it off casually. But with Xiong Wanyi and the others nearby, he couldn't lose face. So Master Xiao forced a smile and tried to find an excuse.
Once you're in the Bureau of Paranormal Investigation, there are no fools. After exchanging glances, Xiong Wanyi and the others saw Xi Menlian force a polite smile and say, "The leaders are all very busy, so we won't disturb you. Tonight after work, we'll come by to pick you up. The leaders will definitely give us a face…"
Only after Xiong Wanyi and the others left did I turn to Old Monk Xiao Heshang and say, "Old Xiao, what do you think we should do about this? You helped me blow my own horn, now you gotta help me patch this hole, right?"
Xiao Heshang let out a dry chuckle and said, "Why not just say you made a few mistakes, the Discipline Inspection Committee investigated, and they stripped your rank." He seemed to get more excited as he talked, then swallowed some saliva and continued, "Just say you had some misconduct in your personal life, maintained improper relations with several women for a long time…"
Before he could finish, I couldn't hold back: "That's you, Old Xiao. Enough. Are you trying to stir things up because you think my grandpa's lived too long and you want to spice things up for him? You know my family situation. If my grandpa hears this, he'll bring a kitchen knife all the way to the capital to punish me himself! Don't blame me if I put you in front to shield myself."
Sun Fatty burst into laughter, laughing so hard he almost choked, crouching down coughing, "Cough, cough… no… I mean, cough, cough, Lazi… forget it." After catching his breath, he said, "At your age, no one will believe you're a deputy minister. Here's an idea: just say you're now in charge of a classified unit, your identity and position are confidential and can't be disclosed. Call your family, explain it this way, then when they spread rumors back home, we'll have a story to cover it up."
I hesitated for a long moment and asked, "Great Sage, will that really work? Won't we slip up?"
Sun Fatty smiled, "Put your mind at ease. As long as no one from back home comes to petition you, no one will blow this thing open."
Though Sun Fatty's plan was shaky, it was the best option. In the end, I called my father back as he suggested. After a few words, my grandpa snatched the phone. To my surprise, Grandpa didn't suspect a thing about Sun Fatty's fabricated story. I barely explained anything, and Grandpa already understood, repeatedly warning me to be careful, to keep my identity hidden…
The joy of promotion vanished amid this ridiculous farce. I hung up, frowned, and told Xiao Heshang, "Old Xiao, I know you mean well, but please stop blowing me up like this. If you keep going, I'll be in the Politburo within two years, and before thirty you'll have me crowned a national leader…"
Even though Xiao Heshang got me into this mess, it didn't affect his appetite at all. He had been hanging out in Sun Fatty's office all afternoon. Before the workday ended, he dragged Sun Fatty over to the First Division to find me. We originally wanted to invite Po Jun too, but he was busy sorting a file left by Hao Wenming from years ago, and Gao Liang kept urging him, so Po Jun had to skip the dinner.
We went to the same halal restaurant. Sitting in the same private room as last time, now with Xiao Heshang joining us, it was basically a replay of Sun Fatty's promotion banquet. But Xiong Wanyi and the others were sucking up to Xiao Heshang shamelessly, treating him like their idol, constantly pouring him drinks and feeding him. Meanwhile, Sun Fatty and I were left on the sidelines.
Sun Fatty and I had gotten familiar enough with Xiao Heshang to no longer treat him like some important figure. But watching Xiong Wanyi and the others shamelessly fawn over him made me a bit dizzy. Clearly, Xiao Heshang held a very high position in these investigators' hearts. I'd asked him before about his exploits in the Special Case Handling Office, but he always dodged with jokes or nonsense about his Lingyun Temple media company. No wonder I never took him seriously.
Sun Fatty and I poured our own drinks and watched Xiao Heshang calmly hold his own under the three's onslaught, which was somewhat entertaining. But without the ghost stories and Sun Fatty being sought after, even with the lavish food, it just wasn't as good as last time. By around 9:30 p.m., Xiao Heshang finally couldn't hold on and was helped by Xiong Wanyi and Old Mo to vomit once. After all, he was pushing seventy. Afterward, no one dared to drink with him anymore, and the "promotion banquet" held in my honor ended there.
The next day was Saturday. I had planned to sleep until noon but was woken before nine by a ringing phone. On the line was Wang Lu, Gao Liang's secretary, in a hurry: "Lazi, notify everyone in the Sixth Division to report to the large conference room within twenty minutes. There's an emergency that needs handling…"
She spoke so quickly I didn't even get to ask what had happened before she hung up. That completely wiped out my sleepiness. I thought, who exactly in the Sixth Division? I got up, washed my face to wake myself, then suddenly remembered—I didn't have contact info for those three white-haired fellows!
Just as I was about to try my luck at the Sixth Division, Sun Fatty called, also urging me to gather the team quickly. Hearing I might not find Wu Renyi or the two Yangs, he hesitated, then said, "Just come by yourself, I'll contact them for you."
Ten minutes later, I entered the large conference room, which was already packed. I thought it would just concern the Sixth Division, but this was bigger than I expected. Almost every notable figure in the Bureau was there, even the day-shift administrative staff sat in the back rows.
To my surprise, Yang Xiao and Yang Jun were already seated in a corner. It seemed they knew I had become deputy director of the Sixth Division. They nodded to me, and Yang Xiao even beckoned me over. Just as I was about to move, Sun Fatty called me over: "Lazi, sit here." He pointed to a seat next to Old Qiu in the front row.
Seeing Old Qiu rolling his eyes, I hesitated but eventually sat next to Po Jun in the second row. Ten minutes later, Wang Lu asked each division director to count their people. Wu Renyi probably wouldn't bother doing that, so I instinctively scanned the crowd for the white-haired trio.
Except for Po Jun, my work was the easiest. After searching, I didn't see Wu Renyi's shadow. I looked at Sun Fatty on the podium in confusion. He shook his head slightly and gestured for me to keep quiet.
Every director announced their attendance. Except for Hao Wenming, nearly everyone was present. When it came to the Sixth Division, I hesitated to stand up. My appointment as deputy director started next month, and I was still just a junior investigator in the First Division—too soon to show off.
Sun Fatty saved me, volunteering, "Except for Director Wu Renyi, who is excused with leave, everyone else in the Sixth Division is here. Please keep quiet. Director Gao will now explain this emergency."
Though Sun Fatty was a clown as deputy director, he seemed different on the podium. After he handed the floor to Gao Liang and came to sit beside me, he smirked and winked.
Gao Liang began, "There are two matters today. First, investigator Shen Lazi from the First Division is hereby appointed deputy director of the Sixth Division." Although my new position was already known inside the Bureau, hearing it from Director Gao drew many eyes to me.
I thought Gao Liang would say more, but instead he shifted gears to the main event: "Now for the headline." Behind him, a map appeared on the screen. Gao continued, "On a mountain at the border of Hunan and Jiangxi, the presence of Bloodshade Fiend has been discovered…"