Chapter 22: Zhou Huajian

Since it was Xiao Ziguang’s request, Yang Jin naturally agreed. Luan Jin’an’s anxiety was futile; after all, this wasn’t just Xiao Ziguang’s choice, but one backed by Xiong Yaohui’s approval.

In any department, as long as one is within the system, a higher rank carries absolute weight. Even if Luan Jin’an was reluctant, he had to accept it.

Yang Jin scribbled down an address, agreed on a time for the weapon handover, and walked away clutching his briefcase. Luan Jin’an wanted to say something, but in the end, he remained silent. He reached out and patted Xiao Ziguang’s shoulder, a gesture suggesting he should look after himself.

Xiao Ziguang smiled. Whether it was bricks thrown at him or razor blades sent in the mail, as long as there was utility to be found, Xiao Ziguang would collect them all and wait for the right moment to strike back.

Following the address Yang Jin had written, Xiao Ziguang arrived at a farmers' market in the western suburbs. As he pushed open the door to a low-ceilinged utility room, he heard the clinking and clattering of glass bottles rolling on the floor.

A stench of sweat, foot odor, and the fermented rot of alcohol mixed with vomit wafted out. It was so nauseating that Xiao Ziguang had to push the door wide open and crack a window to air the place out before he could even bear to enter.

The man on the bed, his cheeks flushed red from drink, squinted at Xiao Ziguang. "There’s nothing of value here. Get lost!"

At this moment, Zhou Huajian looked like a drifter, his hair disheveled, appearing as a man beyond redemption. But Xiao Ziguang knew the truth: this was a man of immense resolve and iron will.

He had truly become addicted to drugs, but he had also truly kicked the habit later on. He had done it to sully his own reputation, to lower the guard of the Tianhai drug trafficking syndicate, to lay the groundwork for a final takedown, and simultaneously to observe the Public Security Bureau and the anti-narcotics team.

Zhou Huajian didn't just want to take down the protectors; he wanted to sever the entire chain of corruption. He knew full well that there were bad actors within the police force.

All of this would come to a complete end thirteen years later. In the fourteenth year, Zhou Huajian would hang himself in front of his father’s grave. Before he died, his hands had gripped his own ankles so tightly that he remained in that posture even after death.

Zhou Huajian’s determination to die was absolute. Perhaps, the moment that irresponsible media outlet published his name, address, and photo in the newspaper without any redaction, Zhou Huajian had already died.

The man living in this world now was but a remnant of a soul—a remnant existing solely for revenge.

Xiao Ziguang walked up to Zhou Huajian and introduced himself: "My name is Xiao Ziguang, a rookie who just transferred to the Criminal Investigation Team. Yang Jin came to the team today to pick an undercover agent; he chose me, but I have chosen you to be my handler..."

Zhou Huajian’s brow furrowed slightly. He seemed to sense something, but he immediately regained his composure, feigning indifference.

Xiao Ziguang continued, "Going undercover is a dangerous business. I need a reliable tool. Others might not understand you, but I know you very well. You have two pieces in your possession: one long, one short, along with four spare barrels. I want to borrow one."

Zhou Huajian was an expert in weaponry, the kind of genius who could hand-craft an AK-47 using a lathe. Furthermore, he possessed a skill no one else had: he could reload ammunition.

A bullet consists of four parts: the casing, the projectile, the primer, and the gunpowder. Projectiles and casings could be bought at craft shops—many sold ornaments made from them. Primers and gunpowder took a bit more effort to acquire, but they could be found. Combining these created a bullet that could take a life.

Zhou Huajian did not know that Xiao Ziguang was a reincarnated soul, nor that his own secrets had been laid bare. He still played the part of the innocent. "What are you talking about? I don't understand a word of it."

Xiao Ziguang knew he needed to use stronger medicine. "Since you won't admit it, I’ll find them myself. The short one is a Browning M1935, and the long one is a double-barreled..."

Zhou Huajian moved. He rolled off the bed, and in an instant, he held something in his hands—two dark, hollow muzzles pressed directly against Xiao Ziguang’s head.

Xiao Ziguang remained calm. He reached out, pushed the barrels aside, and examined them before continuing, "A double-barreled... shotgun. Homemade. It looks well-maintained, and I imagine its power is quite substantial."

"Aren't you afraid of death? How do you know these things?"

"Of course I’m afraid of death. But in the face of death, I fear even more that evil will overshadow justice."

"Who the hell are you! Why did you come looking for me?" Zhou Huajian was furious, feeling a sense of helplessness as if his hard work was about to be ruined. He had already devised his revenge plan, and now this man named Xiao Ziguang had destroyed it!

"I am the undercover agent chosen by Yang Jin and tapped by Xiong Yaohui. They are the very protectors of the Tianhai drug syndicate!"

Watching Zhou Huajian’s trembling frame, Xiao Ziguang decided to administer the final dose of truth: "I know your plan, but I want to say that your method takes too long and is too slow to take effect. You cannot just be a lone wolf. We can cooperate, and we can seek help from higher authorities."

"Why should I trust you?" Zhou Huajian’s question seemed directed as much at himself as it was at Xiao Ziguang.

"Because we are comrades now, sharing the same enemies. In the future, we will be brothers-in-arms, guarding the peace of Tianhai, allowing the people to live and work in contentment, and putting every single criminal behind bars."

"Will you be my shadow? From today on, let us walk into the darkness together and become heroes who never see the light!"

Zhou Huajian looked at Xiao Ziguang intently, as if trying to peer into his soul. Seeing the openness on Xiao Ziguang’s face—it didn't seem like a lie—he slowly lowered his gun. "Tell me your plan."

This step had succeeded! A smile appeared on Xiao Ziguang’s face. "The drug syndicate has planted moles in the police force. Yang Jin and Xiong Yaohui have already been exposed, so they cannot be trusted. If I am to go undercover in the syndicate, I need you to help me contact the Provincial Bureau..."

"That’s no problem. I can help you report it to the Provincial Bureau. Now, tell me clearly: what do you want to do, and what do you need me to do? No need for beating around the bush; my head is a bit foggy right now, not working too well!"

Looking at the restless Zhou Huajian, Xiao Ziguang lowered his voice: "An eye for an eye, violence for violence!"

"Brother Huajian, you have guns and the ability to reload ammo. Yang Jin promised me a gun, so I need you to help me change the barrel."

"Then I’ll start investigating. When I encounter those who are wicked beyond redemption, I’ll take them out directly. Then we frame it as a gangland shootout. They’re all heinous criminals anyway; waiting for the law to judge them is a waste of time. It’s better if we, the two of us, pass judgment on them ourselves."

"As for evidence of internal corruption, we can turn it over to higher authorities, or we can shoot them in the dark. Either way, since we’ll be swapping barrels and using reloaded ammo, no one will know it was us."

Every gun barrel has unique rifling. Under a microscope, the bullets fired leave marks as unique as human fingerprints. The police system can trace a gun by the rifling on the projectile and lock onto a killer. But since Zhou Huajian could replace the barrels, it would be as if a brand-new gun with a clean record had appeared out of thin air.

When two men get together, a mastermind is born. Besides, Xiao Ziguang was a devil who had crawled out of hell; he wouldn't follow rules or standard procedures.

Since Yang Jin harbored malicious intent and Xiong Yaohui was ill-intentioned, Xiao Ziguang didn't mind dragging Zhou Huajian along to turn everything upside down and leave a trail of carnage.

Xiao Ziguang believed that a man like Zhou Huajian—a recipient of the Golden Shield Medal and a man of immense resolve—was a comrade he could safely trust with his back.