At the grand ancestral ceremony, Lu Chuan followed closely behind Lu Jianguo the entire time.

The entire Qiangsheng Group took a day off.

Decades ago, more than half of the men from the Lu Family went to war without hesitation, and ultimately only a few returned.

How tragic and heroic!

How glorious!

Today, among the descendants of the Lu Family, there is once again a recipient of a first-class merit award in this era of peace.

Lu Jianguo wept tears of joy: "The ancestors have protected us!"

"The Lu Family! There will be successors!"

The grand plaque of the first-class merit family hung beneath the Lu Family Ancestral Hall.

Lu Chuan, he is the Lu Chuan of the Lu Family.

The Lu Family, is the Lu Family of the Qiangsheng Group!

A universal celebration!

As the Spring Festival gradually approached, Lu Chuan's life and work returned to normal.

"Morning!"

The winter in the twelfth lunar month is the longest, and when Lu Chuan commuted to work, it was not fully light yet.

In the neighborhood of Forensic Doctor Shen's home, Shen Yan wore a light blue down jacket, her ponytail tied high, exuding youthful charm.

A faint smile hung at the corner of her mouth, with a bright sparkle in her eyes.

Lu Chuan opened the car door for Shen Yan: "Good morning, Miss Shen!"

The two had developed a tacit understanding; every morning at eight o'clock sharp, Lu Chuan waited downstairs at Shen Yan's apartment building.

As the off-road vehicle illuminated by the streetlights slowly left the neighborhood and disappeared around the corner, Shen's mother on the eleventh floor retracted her satisfied smile.

"Watching every day, what's there to see?"

Rolling her eyes, Shen's mother chuckled: "Can't I admire the first-class merit hero of our bureau?"

"Hmph!"

Father Shen snorted: "What's so great about a first-class merit?"

Slightly smug, he pointed to the study: "Didn't I also earn one?"

"You earned it... at the cost of your life when you were forty!"

"And how old is he?"

...

The Crime Scene Investigation office.

The bright green leaves of the flamingo-lily swayed gracefully in the warm winter sun, akin to a willow's slender waist swaying.

Lu Chuan carefully tended to the flamingo-lily's tender red flower heart, gently poking the newly grown bean-sized buds.

Humming a nursery rhyme he had just learned: "Digging, digging, digging in the little garden, planting..."

"Oh, what's this tune you're singing?"

Liu Guodong was usually early by a dozen minutes.

Without cases, the daily morning meeting of the Criminal Investigation Team is the biggest event.

As one of the mid-level members of the team, attending the morning meeting is the biggest distinction for Liu Guodong, setting him apart from other detectives.

"Good morning, Master!"

Lu carefully set down the flower pot: "Made some tea for you, try it, it's the top-grade Da Hong Pao I got from my dad!"

Top-grade Da Hong Pao?

Just as he had put on his police uniform and was about to attend the morning meeting, Liu Guodong quickly turned around: "Da Hong Pao?"

"Yes, I heard it's from the mother tree, not much, my dad got it from my grandpa."

There's a difference between people.

Some like the lively bustle of nightlife, while others prefer the refined elegance of classical music.

Some enjoy cigarettes and fine wines, while others savor tea and coffee.

Liu Guodong was indifferent to alcohol, preferring only tea leaves and smoking.

For this legendary tea he had only ever heard of, his ears perked up.

To savor this tea, morning meetings, such trivial matters, could be attended by Lu Chuan instead.

"Tell Captain Qin that I'm ill, you attend the meeting for me!"

"Alright!"

It wasn't the first or second time Lu Chuan had done such things.

Morning meetings, anyway, there were no major issues.

As the saying goes, hold big meetings for nothing, small meetings for small matters, and no meetings for major issues.

Such meetings to showcase leadership authority just needed attentive listening.

At the meeting, it was indeed Qin Yong soloing.

"With the Spring Festival approaching, we must pay attention to preventing major incidents and firmly act as Haizhou City's ballast for safety and stability, the fixed star for long-term peace and order, and the booster for economic development..."

"We must prioritize stability, emphasize reality, and lead by doing..."

Lu Chuan sat at the end of the long conference table, eyes bright, listening intently.

To be honest, Liu Guodong was genuinely good to Lu Chuan.

Not only did he significantly help Lu Chuan grow in crime scene investigations, but he also imparted his years of experience in career development.

For instance, at meetings, was it enough to just listen attentively?

Elementary!

Attentive listening was the greatest failure.

What you hear isn't important; what's important is making eye contact with the leader and sharing emotional resonance.

The trick is, no matter what the leader says, first look at them with a puzzled gaze.

Furrow your brows slightly, angling your neck slightly.

Then, as the leader's speech progresses, gradually relax your brows and let the confusion in your eyes fade away.

Regardless of what the leader says, nod enthusiastically, indicating you've had a sudden epiphany.

Simultaneously, open your notebook and start scribbling.

No matter what, just start scribbling, and you've got it right.

At first, Lu Chuan struggled a bit with this.

But as he attended more meetings for Liu Guodong, he became increasingly adept at mastering this skill.

The result? Now, whenever Qin Yong spoke, he would look at Lu Chuan.

The more he talked, the more vigorous he became.

Those little rhetorical phrases, those catchy slogans, echoed thunderously, shaking the land.

So now, Lu Chuan's expressions weren't entirely performative; he genuinely thought Captain Qin was speaking well.

Ballast, fixed star, booster!

Listen, how vivid and picturesque.

Lu Chuan suddenly felt a swell of pride filling his chest, his blood rushing, his heart heating up.

He longed to rush to the battlefield, defend the country, and take up arms and fight.

The Crime Scene Investigation office.

Lu Chuan animatedly recounted Captain Qin Yong's speech.

Liu Guodong didn't even lift an eyelid: "Old Qin is indeed impressive. Did he memorize the director's speech from the municipal meeting yesterday afternoon?"

Lu Chuan's enthusiastic depiction came to an abrupt halt.

That dampened the mood a bit.

Today is the twenty-third of the twelfth lunar month.

With seven days left until Chinese New Year, the team's festive atmosphere was becoming more pronounced.

In Haizhou City's streets and alleys, festive red lanterns and decorations were going up, intensifying the New Year's ambiance.

"Candied hawthorn!"

"Fried cake!"

"Popcorn!"

"Crispy pears! Sweet and large southern crispy pears!"

"Steamed biscuits! Warm and soft northern steamed biscuits!"

The most famous Folk Street in Haizhou City, with shops big and small, bustled with organized cries of hawkers.

Most small shops had lively young women in folk dresses or charming shop assistants in ancient attire, continuously inviting passersby and diners.

Wang Shuai's gunshot wound had mostly healed, and he was preparing New Year's goods these days.

Walking on the bustling Folk Street, listening to the familiar yet unfamiliar cries of sellers, and watching the colorful PR flags attracting customers on the roadside, Wang Shuai felt a sense of rebirth.

It feels great to be alive!

Tongguan Young Master's Roujiamo, where a dozen diners were eating with meat soup.

When Wang Shuai came in, only two seats were left vacant.

"Boss, a signature, please! And a bowl of beef soup!"

The signature roujiamo from Tongguan Young Master, three parts fat, seven parts lean.

One roujiamo, seven yuan.

Soon, a serving of roujiamo and a bowl of beef soup sat in front of Wang Shuai.

Crunch!

One bite, and his mouth was filled with flavor.

Wang Shuai had always loved this; he frequented this shop often.

Familiar taste, familiar sensation.

Crack!

A slight toothache sound came from his mouth, but Wang Shuai didn't bother.

This shop was known for its quality ingredients.

Pure meat naturally had sinew or crunchy cartilage, so it was normal to have some difficulty chewing occasionally.

Crack!

Another bite, but there's something off about the texture...

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