Twin Dimension Yin-Yang Mirror: Attaining immortality through the martial path
Chapter 306 - 273: Important Decision, Third Group’s Transformation

Chapter 306: Chapter 273: Important Decision, Third Group’s Transformation

Dongjiang Police and Security Team Three.

Receiving the call to assemble, the flow of cars outside converged, one after another, with team members getting out of vehicles and sprinting toward the office.

Zhang Xilin ran while hastily pulling on his bulletproof vest, touched the chilly C5 compact pistol at his waist, and the tense expression on his face eased somewhat.

Taking three steps at a time, he caught up to the person in front and whispered, "Zhengyu, is it a major emergency? Chief hasn’t urgently summoned us at night for a while now."

"Who knows?" Yang Zhengyu gave him a glance.

With annoyance, he said, "Don’t I need to remind you about the confidentiality rules? Can this matter even be secretly inquired about?"

"Psh, who doesn’t know that I, Old Zhang, am the Chief’s number one lackey. If he tells me to go east, I never go west; if he tells me to beat a dog, I never chase a chicken. It’s okay to keep it from others, but there’s really no need to hide it from me."

It has to be said that Zhang Xilin was indeed sharp and savvy.

However, in the past, he always felt that graduating from Linhai Police and Security Academy, a well-known institution in the Southeast Province, and getting assigned to work at Dongjiang Police Security Bureau, made him "noble by birth."

When interacting with new team members like Zhang Yue and Yang Zhengyu, who graduated from ordinary universities and joined the police force through expansion exams, he had always harbored a sense of superiority deep in his bones.

He somewhat had the attitude of "I might not be doing too well now, but after some time, when my seniority accumulates, all of you people will have to call me leader."

Therefore, even within the same team, as young and hardworking police securities, they really couldn’t pee in the same pot.

This kind of life and work attitude.

It gradually started to collapse and reorganize over a month’s time.

Zhang Xilin watched as Zhou Ping’an, who had a less distinguished academic background than himself, rose through the ranks like a rocket, with promotions and pay raises.

To say he wasn’t disappointed would be impossible.

But to say he was envious, that wasn’t quite the case.

When someone is only slightly better than you, you get envious, compare yourself, and think, "If he can, why can’t I?"

It’s hard not to feel unbalanced.

And to do some irrational things.

But when someone is so much better that you can’t even see their back, all envy and admiration become as irrelevant as floating clouds in the sky.

You’d feel admiration and respect from the bottom of your heart.

Even if you don’t admit it with your mouth, it’s useless.

That kind of deep-seated sense of defeat and admiration is completely uncontrollable.

Zhang Xilin was in this state of mind.

During the incident on Binjiang Road where he had to block traffic and exchange fire, he was also by Tang Tang’s side, at the very front, bravely vying for the lead.

But it proved that sometimes, no matter how hard you try or how desperately you fight, when you’re not capable enough, it’s all for naught.

You can’t just blame destiny.

If you can’t do it, you can’t do it.

He couldn’t even block the "Fox’s" double gun onslaught, let alone, the bullets forced him to lie flat on the ground, too scared to raise his head.

And Zhou Ping’an?

In his line of sight.

That guy in his memory, who only knew how to suck up to Chief Tang, relying on his somewhat unfair pretty-boy face to coax his sister into giving him special treatment and receiving extra care... actually fought unarmed and single-handedly killed four despairingly strong assassins.

If the Nightingale Team members were considered the strongest opponents Zhang Xilin had encountered in his career,

Then that Donglin University graduate he previously looked down on, turned out to be a legend come to life.

He couldn’t even begin to imagine how Zhou did it.

In Zhang Xilin’s mind, even the newly rising Genetically Modified Warriors, shrouded in secrecy by the higher-ups and hiding from the public eye, probably couldn’t match Zhou.

No, not even close.

As time went on, Zhang Xilin came to realize that what he witnessed that day was not the whole picture.

But just the tip of the iceberg.

Zhou Ping’an was far stronger than he had imagined.

Any sense of competitiveness he had, along with his sense of superiority for graduating from a prestigious regional academy, had been completely shattered.

Even now, he still thought that such a person was just an exception. There are always those who are born to be looked up to.

Don’t compare if you can’t match up...

As long as you’re stronger than others, that’s enough.

But then, he accidentally discovered at the training ground one day.

During the actual combat assessments and rapid-fire marksmanship, both Zhang Yue and Yang Zhengyu’s performance also shot up incredibly.

Especially during the training assessment a couple of days ago, they were actually rated excellent, reaching A-level standards.

This made it particularly hard for him to accept.

When did the change start?

’Right, those two guys, aside from working regular hours, spend most of their time near residence number 18 in Jinguiyuan, turning their police security work into personal bodyguard services.’

’I used to deride them in my heart, thinking they lacked professionalism and ultimately weren’t quite capable, which is why they resorted to sucking up...

By doing so, while they degraded themselves, it was ultimately a futile effort, and in the end, they were just two clowns.’

’And the result?’

’The clown turned out to be me.’

Thinking back on the "B-" score he achieved in the training gym, just barely meeting the standard for good, Zhang Xilin felt a wave of regret.

"Life is very long, very long, and the chances to change one’s life may only come two or three times, perhaps even just once.

"My teacher once said in class that making choices is very important, sometimes even more important than effort. I didn’t take it seriously at the time. Now, it seems, I was naive."

Zhang Xilin thought to himself as he followed Yang Zhengyu closely, his smile becoming even more genuine.

"Brother Yang, look, I’m not trying to pry into any secrets of our Third Group, just wanted to get a heads-up so that I can show off in front of Chief Tang, right? I’ll treat everyone to a gathering at Damei Tian’s place tomorrow..."

"Eh!"

Yang Zhengyu turned his head to look at Zhang Xilin and suddenly burst out laughing with a "pfft" sound: "Alright, you university grad practicing these crooked tricks, it really makes me uncomfortable. Forget it, we’re all brothers here, no need for that workplace shtick."

As he spoke, his tone softened without meaning to, and his voice was very low: "You see? Auntie and Xiao Lan also came. Don’t say I didn’t warn you...

"Next, our other work is not important. We have to put all our effort into following Auntie and her group closely and protect them as they go.

"In critical moments, even if it means using our bodies to block bullets or shrapnel, we cannot let them suffer even the slightest harm."

A fervent glint passed through Yang Zhengyu’s eyes.

But in his heart, he sneered: ’University grad, my ass. Whether a person can succeed and how high they can go depends on following the right person.

’You think I’m kissing up? I’m gambling my life for a better future...

’Sometimes, death isn’t scary. What’s truly terrifying is being looked down upon and not being able to provide a good life for your family.’

Thinking of his father who had to undergo chemotherapy every month, and how, during a hospital revisit three days earlier, they discovered the tumor had turned benign and his health had drastically improved... eating two bowls of rice in a meal, climbing up and down six flights of stairs without support...

Yang Zhengyu suddenly felt a moisture at the corners of his eyes.

Some things don’t need to be spelled out too clearly. Everyone actually knows them deep down.

If you treat me with the respect due to a national scholar, I will certainly repay you in kind.

That’s just fine.

...

Everyone from the Third Group had arrived.

In total, there were thirty-five action team members, plus Ouyang Qin and Chen Guo, the two auxiliary staff members.

Of course, Mother Zhou and Xiao Lan were there too and even Wu Shi had brought little Lele into the group.

"Daddy has to work, Lele, go play with Sister Qin for a while, be good, okay?"

After cajoling his little treasure, Wu Shi then once again put on a stern face and stood at the door of the interrogation room.

Through the small glass window in the door, one could see the situation inside the room.

And hear some of the conversations happening within.

But Wu Shi had no curiosity.

He decided to treat his eyes and ears as if they were mere decorations, as if he hadn’t heard anything.

This was

the awareness of a newly appointed police chief.

After sending away three groups of team members who had come to snoop for information, Chief Wu saw a youthful young girl with a ponytail creeping over curiously to peek.

He opened his mouth but didn’t scold her, instead squeezing out a gentle smile and slightly sidestepping to clear the view of the small window.

"Uncle Wu, my brother’s being all secretive, calling everyone to the police bureau so late, it isn’t something bad, is it?"

"No, nothing bad could happen. With Chief Tang here, it’s impossible for anything bad to happen in Dongjiang."

Wu Shi’s expression tightened.

He thought, little girl, it’s like not recognizing the true face of Mount Lu because you’re in the midst of it.

Are you too close to your brother to understand just how strong he’s become?

As someone from the old Jianghu.

Wu Shi, the old police security officer who always uttered "safety first," had a perspective that not many could match.

While he didn’t understand why Zhou Ping’an had become so miraculous.

Based on his past experience, he could guess.

That the Zhou Ping’an he had encountered had not yet shown all of his abilities.

And the strength hidden beneath the surface was probably even stronger, more formidable.

This bounty.

In some people’s eyes, it might be a massive crisis.

In Wu Shi’s eyes, it was simply a variant of the "moth to flame" game.

’Going to trigger the bloodshed mode again? My old bones, why do I still feel the adrenaline rush?’

Does a person’s passion depend on their life encounters? It really has nothing to do with age.

He felt as if he had been rejuvenated with a second spring in just one month’s time.

Not just his attitude towards life but also his imagination for life.

Everything had changed.

Perhaps, Dongjiang City would also transform significantly in the not-too-distant future.

...