In the dormitory.

  Qin Yu narrowed his eyes at Lao San and the others in front of him, responding succinctly, "I heard what you said, but it's not my job. I can't do it."

  "What, you got some big-shot relative in the department?" Lao San grinned, grabbing Qin Yu by the collar. "Just got here and already trying to climb up? Think you can handle it?"

  "Don't touch me."

  "Haha, what, are you a cactus or something? I’m touching you, so what?" Lao San, who was also quite burly, raised his right arm and threw a short punch at Qin Yu's temple.

  Qin Yu sidestepped backward, his hands snapping up to lock onto Lao San's wrist, while his right leg swept out in a small arc.

  Bang, clatter!

  A loud thud echoed as Lao San was flung onto the bed, his head smacking straight into the iron railing.

  "Beat him up!" Lao San roared, clutching his head.

  Qin Yu bent down, his upper body diving into the lower bunk. With his left hand gripping Lao San's collar, his right knee shot up, aiming straight for Lao San's temple.

  Bang!

  Lao San's head snapped back from the impact, his skull hitting the wall with a loud thud. "Beat him to death! I’ll take responsibility!"

  As soon as he finished speaking, the others rushed forward. Qin Yu, however, nimbly slipped out from the bunk, retreating two steps until his back was against the corner between the windowsill and the bed, his body slightly crouched.

  Lao San stood up, yanking a retractable baton from the wall. As he strode toward Qin Yu, he muttered, "You little punk, thinking you can flip the script as soon as you arrive—"

  Right then, the half-open door was pushed aside, and a woman in a light-green police uniform barged in, shouting loudly, "What the hell is going on here?!"

  Everyone turned at the sound.

  Lao San froze, wiped the blood from his forehead, and immediately forced a smile. "Sister Wen."

  "I could hear you guys all the way from the hallway! What, trying to kill someone?!" The woman, likely in her early thirties, was slightly short but had delicate features—a heart-shaped face and large, bright eyes that made her look quite pretty.

  "It's nothing, just chatting with a new kid," Lao San replied with a grin.

  The woman scanned the room, her eyes filled with annoyance as she spat at Lao San, "Why are you so damn overbearing? Did he offend you the second he got here?"

  "Nah, I just asked him to take his turn on duty, and he cursed me out," Lao San lied smoothly, putting down the baton with a smirk.

  "How many times have I caught you guys playing cards on duty?" Sister Wen rolled her eyes at Lao San, her tone impatient. "If I hear any more noise, don’t blame me for writing you up."

  "Got it, Sister Wen," Lao San nodded repeatedly.

  Sister Wen couldn’t be bothered to step further into the dorm. Standing at the door, she called out to Qin Yu, "You’re the new guy?"

  "Yeah," Qin Yu nodded.

  "Why haven’t you picked up your uniform yet?"

  "I went earlier, but no one was there," Qin Yu replied, playing dumb.

  Sister Wen glared. "Bullshit! I was in the office the whole time."

  Qin Yu paused. "Oh, maybe I couldn’t find it."

  "Come get your uniform," Sister Wen said, turning to leave.

  "Alright." Qin Yu immediately agreed, bending down to grab his luggage before heading out. He also called to Qi Lin, "Come with me."

  Qi Lin, who was unsure how to face Lao San, quickly followed.

  Back in the dorm, Lao San sat up, rubbing the lump on the back of his head. He spat a bloody mouthful onto the floor. "That bastard knows some moves. Hits hard."

  "You okay, Third Bro?"

  Lao San didn’t respond, pulling out his phone to dial a number. "Hey, you in the office? Nah, just asking—that Qin Yu guy who got assigned to our team today, does he have connections upstairs?... No? You sure?... Alright, got it."

  In the hallway.

  Sister Wen clasped her hands behind her back and asked Qin Yu, "You got someone backing you upstairs?"

  Qin Yu blinked. "No."

  "Then keep your head down. The environment here is complicated," Sister Wen warned coldly but not unkindly. "Don’t pick fights with them. Doing a little extra work won’t kill you."

  "Thanks, Sister Wen," Qin Yu nodded.

  Without another word, Sister Wen led Qin Yu to the first-floor storage room, handed him a set of police uniforms, a pair of handcuffs, and a baton, then left.

  In the lobby, Qi Lin checked his watch. "I gotta go deliver some materials. I’ll catch up with you later. When you go back, just apologize. Don’t escalate things. Lao San has Captain Yuan backing him. If you piss him off, you won’t have an easy time here."

  "Got it," Qin Yu smiled. "If you’re free tonight, let’s grab dinner."

  This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.

  "Sure, if I’m done, I’ll come find you," Qi Lin agreed readily.

  After a brief exchange, Qin Yu carried his things back to the dorm. Lao San and the others were gone, leaving only two guys who gave him a cold glance before resuming their conversation.

  Qin Yu ignored them, casually unpacking his belongings on his bed.

  Time passed quickly, and by around 7 p.m., Qin Yu had finished organizing his things. Seeing that Qi Lin hadn’t shown up yet, he decided to head out alone to familiarize himself with the area and grab dinner.

  He reached under his pillow, pulled out a waist bag, fastened it around him, and headed out.

  "Whoa, sorry about that."

  Just as Qin Yu stepped out, he nearly collided with Qi Lin, who was hurrying over. They exchanged glances, and Qi Lin quickly explained, "Had an impromptu meeting. Ran late. You were...?"

  "Don’t go there. It’s expensive," Qi Lin advised.

  "Spending your money?" Old Cat retorted, squinting.

  "It’s fine, I’ve got enough for a meal," Qin Yu said, though inwardly he winced. In these times, resources were scarce, especially food, which was a luxury for many. People in the unregulated zones would kill for a meal. Dining out was a rarity for most. But Qin Yu knew making friends was essential, especially as a newcomer, and social expenses were unavoidable—especially now that he had a stable job.

  After deciding on a place, the three walked about two kilometers to a restaurant called "Little Tavern."

  Qin Yu eyed the storefront, unconsciously touching his waist bag—another pang of guilt.

  "Let’s go," Old Cat said, stepping toward the entrance.

  Vroom!

  Just then, the roar of an engine erupted from the street as a beat-up SUV pulled up in front.

  The three turned. Old Cat’s eyes widened. "What kind of family drives a gas guzzler?"

  In this era, gasoline vehicles were rare. Most land was uninhabitable—either frozen or irradiated—making oil extraction nearly impossible. Gas was a precious commodity, hence Old Cat’s shock.

  The SUV parked, and four men and a woman stepped out, heading toward the restaurant.

  "Let’s go in," Qin Yu said, having seen his share of oddities in the unregulated zones. He barely glanced at the car before walking inside. But Old Cat stayed rooted, staring at the woman in the group. "Damn, she’s hot. Tall, great legs."

  Qin Yu sighed. "Let it go. She’s with those guys."

  The woman, with striking eyes, glanced around before murmuring, "I need to use the restroom."

  "Don’t try anything. Move it," the shortest man snapped in accented Mandarin, tinged with Japanese.

  Buzz!

  At the same time, Qi Lin’s phone vibrated. He pulled it out, read the message, and his expression darkened as he looked at Qin Yu.

  Inside the restaurant.

  Seated at their table, Old Cat ordered three dishes—two meat, one veg—and a cheap half-bottle of liquor.

  "Don’t hold back on my account. Order more," Qin Yu offered half-heartedly.

  "Nah, you’re new and not on payroll yet. This is enough," Old Cat said, though blunt, clearly not unkind. Rubbing his chilled hands, he asked Qin Yu, "Heard you’re from the unregulated zones?"

  "Yeah."

  "Must’ve been tough there."

  "Not really. You get used to it," Qin Yu shrugged. "Once you adapt, anywhere’s the same."

  "True."

  The three young men chatted easily, with Old Cat and Qin Yu joking around, quickly hitting it off. Qin Yu noticed Qi Lin seemed deferential to Old Cat, his tone and posture almost submissive.

  Once the food arrived, Qin Yu raised his glass. "We’re friends now. I’m new here, so let’s look out for each other."

  "Friendship’s one thing, but in these times, you either have what it takes or you don’t," Old Cat said bluntly before grinning. "But hanging out more? Sure. Anyone who stands up to Lao San’s crew is alright by me."

  Qin Yu chuckled. "Bottoms up."

  "Bottoms up!"

  They clinked glasses and drank.

  "More?" Qi Lin wiped his mouth, refilling Old Cat’s glass. "About that thing I mentioned—any luck?"

  Old Cat rolled his eyes, picking at a sliver of beef. "You’re something else. Qin Yu’s treating, and you’re asking for favors? Talk about opportunistic."

  Qi Lin didn’t flinch, scratching his head. "I’m just... tight on cash."

  "When aren’t you?" Old Cat scoffed. "I asked, but there’s no openings in admin. You’d need connections or cash. Since you’ve got neither, wait it out."

  Qin Yu blinked. "Why admin?"

  "He’s chicken," Old Cat said flatly. "Last year, our department reported 35 deaths in six months. It’s chaos out there. He’s scared in the field unit, wants an easy desk job."

  "Oh." Qin Yu wasn’t surprised—compared to the unregulated zones, this place was tame.

  Old Cat eyed Qi Lin disdainfully. "Qi Lin, wake up. These times? If you don’t fight, you’ll never rise. Even if I got you into admin, without connections, you’d be pushed out fast. You know what they say—chaos breeds heroes. Look at Yuan Ke’s brother. Before the Ninth Special Zone, he was nobody. Now? Runs the Black Street. Six wives, feared by all. And he did it alone."

  "I’m not like him," Qi Lin smiled weakly. "I just want to feed my mom and sister, stay out of trouble."

  "That’s all you’ll ever be," Old Cat sighed. "I got you into Unit 1 hoping you’d seize opportunities. Instead, you’re washing socks and fetching tea. No wonder they bully you. You don’t even demand respect. How’s that networking?"

  Qi Lin stayed silent.

  "Ugh. You’re named ‘Qi Lin’ (unicorn), but act like a mouse. Meanwhile, I’m ‘Li Fugui’ (wealthy)—life’s unfair," Old Cat lamented.

  "Let’s talk about something else," Qin Yu interjected.

  The topic dropped, and the three drank and chatted until around 9 p.m., when Qi Lin checked his phone again. "Gotta go. Family stuff. See you tomorrow."

  "Not staying?" Qin Yu asked.

  "Can’t. I’ll head out first."

  "Want me to walk you?"

  "Nah, I’m good."

  "Take care."

  With that, Qi Lin hurried off, leaving Qin Yu and Old Cat at the table.

  "Old Cat, we’re friends now," Qin Yu said, slightly flushed. "Go easy on Qi Lin next time."

  "Was I wrong? I’m trying to light a fire under him!" Old Cat tapped the table emphatically. "If you stay on your knees, you’ll forget how to stand. Get it?"

  Qin Yu nodded thoughtfully.

  "He’s my only friend in the force. It’s frustrating," Old Cat shook his head. "Enough about him. Time for business."

  "What business?"

  "I’ve been watching that girl. She’s not with those guys," Old Cat whispered. "I’m making my move."

  "Which girl?" Qin Yu was lost.

  "The one from the SUV! Tall, legs for days. Reminds me of that actress, Gianna Jun."

  Qin Yu sweatdropped. "Dude, times are dangerous. Maybe don’t—"

  "Relax, I got this!" Old Cat adjusted his collar and swaggered toward the window-side table where the girl sat.

  Outside.

  Qi Lin took a few deep drags of his e-cigarette, hesitating before pulling out his phone. He meant to call Qin Yu but remembered his phone wasn’t synced yet, so he dialed Old Cat instead.

  Inside.

  Old Cat smoothed his hair and approached the table. "Hey there, beautiful. Out with family?"

  The girl, who’d been staring out the window, turned. "Can I help you?"

  "I’m a producer for ‘Star Anchor.’ We’re scouting talent. Interested?" Old Cat lied smoothly.

  The shortest man muttered in Japanese, "Is this the contact?"

  His companion eyed Old Cat. "No, his words don’t match the code."

  The girl, however, brightened. "Really? I studied broadcasting!"

  Old Cat, surprised by her enthusiasm, beamed. "Perfect! Got a number? Let’s chat later."

  He handed her his personal phone (not the department-issued one).

  As she reached for it, the short man grabbed her wrist. "Give it back. Eat."

  "But I’m interested," she smiled.

  "Now," he insisted.

  Old Cat tilted his head. "I’m legit. No need to worry."

  The girl hesitated, then handed the phone back. "Maybe another time."

  Old Cat, undeterred, was about to press further when—

  "Thanks, but no," she said firmly.

  A minute later.

  Old Cat slumped back across from Qin Yu, looking troubled.

  "Rejected, huh?" Qin Yu smirked.

  Old Cat kicked him under the table. "Look down."

  Qin Yu glanced beneath the table to see Old Cat’s phone screen displaying: 959595.

  "What’s this?"

  Old Cat rubbed his face. "We’ve got a situation."

  "Meaning...?"

  "Those guys and the girl aren’t together. She kicked me under the table," Old Cat muttered. "Something’s off. She’s signaling for help."

  At the window table, the short man checked his watch. "Was that guy just passing by, or testing us?"

  "Hard to say," his companion replied.

  "Seemed like an idiot," the short man frowned. "We’re late. Let’s go."

  The girl, sweating, glanced at Old Cat before nodding.

  Nearby.

  Old Cat rubbed his temples. "So... do we intervene?"

  Screech!

  An electric car pulled up outside.