Gao Min returned home but didn’t go to bed immediately. Instead, she pored over the documents about Liu Yutong and the Wanlong Society, growing more and more astonished the deeper she read.
This girl, three or four years younger than her, possessed such formidable skills. Starting from scratch, she had built something so significant in just a few months.
Gao Min rarely admired people her own age, but after reviewing the materials, she couldn’t help but feel genuine respect for Liu Yutong.
If it were her, she doubted she could have expanded the Wanlong Society to such a scale in such a short time.
What also struck her as peculiar was that the girl’s face looked somewhat familiar…
Just as Gao Min finished reading, her phone buzzed with a text message from Chief Qi Wei:
"Find a way to establish a good relationship with Liu Yutong. If necessary, allow yourself to be recruited by her."
Gao Min instantly understood the chief’s intention.
Dealing with such a cautious group of underworld figures was difficult with conventional methods.
So, the best approach was to infiltrate from within.
What surprised her, though, was that this mission had fallen on her, a rookie cop.
But she didn’t resist it—because, truthfully, she was growing increasingly intrigued by Liu Yutong.
The next morning.
Gao Min deliberately dressed in her formal police uniform and carried a commendation banner as she openly arrived at the Wanlong Society’s headquarters.
If before she had been reluctant to deliver the banner, now that she had a mission, she no longer felt so conflicted.
Yet, even with prior mental preparation, she was still taken aback when she reached the company.
This is downright audacious.
A gang’s base of operations was brazenly set up in the middle of a food street, completely unconcealed?
And when she stepped inside, the sight of the Guan Yu statue and the company regulations hanging on the walls only confirmed her suspicions—the Wanlong Society was a criminal organization disguised as a legitimate business.
At the same time, she finally understood why this group was so efficient and legally aware.
It was all written on the walls.
"Prudence, meticulousness, boldness, legal awareness, unity of knowledge and action."
Moreover, she noticed that the gang members inside weren’t smoking or gambling, turning the place into a den of chaos as she had imagined. Instead, most of them were flipping through a red-covered book, scratching their heads in concentration, some even taking notes.
A few were even engaged in heated debates over legal topics.
"If a dog bites me and I bite it back to death, is that self-defense?"
"No way. Dogs don’t know the law—they have no legal awareness. It’d be considered necessity defense."
"Wait, no, I’m pretty sure it’s self-defense."
"Did you even pay attention in class? Self-defense only applies if the attacker has legal awareness. If someone uses a dog as a tool to attack you, and you kill the dog, then it’s self-defense."
"Then what if I kill the person who set the dog on me? Still counts?"
"Yeah, I think so. Didn’t Lawyer Zhao cover that?"
"Hey, random thought—is it illegal to act cocky?"
"Not illegal, but you might get punched."
"Perfect, then I can claim self-defense..."
"..........."
Gao Min listened to the black-clad men passionately dissecting legal clauses and case studies, her heart sinking. As a cop, the worst kind of criminals to deal with were those who knew the law—they were infinitely harder to handle than ordinary thugs.
And who exactly was this Lawyer Zhao they kept mentioning? She was curious.
What kind of unhinged attorney would teach a bunch of reckless gangsters like this?
Speak of the devil.
Just as Gao Min was about to present the banner, a man in a sharp suit, wearing gold-rimmed glasses and radiating the aura of a legal rogue, pushed through the door.
It was Zhao Tianyi.
The moment he entered, Zhao Tianyi spotted Gao Min in her police uniform. Professional instinct made him immediately wary.
Are we being targeted?
But when he noticed the banner in her hands, his demeanor instantly shifted to warm hospitality. He strode forward, extending his hand.
"Hello, hello! I’m Zhao Tianyi, the Wanlong Society’s top legal consultant. Officer… you’re new, aren’t you? First time visiting our company? How do you find the environment here? Rest assured, we operate in full compliance with the law, and our employees are exceptionally upstanding and law-abiding."
Gao Min studied the man—confident, sharp, and exuding a peculiar kind of shrewdness. So this was the infamous Lawyer Zhao.
She politely shook his hand. "Hello, I’m Gao Min. I’m here to present this banner in recognition of your employees’ assistance in apprehending a group of criminals."
Zhao Tianyi put on an exaggerated expression of realization. "Oh, Officer Gao, you’re too kind! As they say, the police and the people are one family. Here at Wanlong, we may not have much, but what we do have is an abundance of justice-driven young men. This was simply our civic duty."
With that, he beckoned to one of the black-clad underlings. "Zhang Hu, come here—grab the camera. This is our company’s first commendation banner; we must document the occasion."
Before Gao Min could protest, he snapped several photos in rapid succession.
In the frames, several young men in black uniforms stood shaking hands with a policewoman, the banner displayed prominently in front of them, its bold characters unmistakable:
"Acting with Courage, Upholding Righteousness!"
Zhao Tianyi admired the photos with great satisfaction. Those eight words perfectly encapsulated the Wanlong Society’s image—heroic, righteous. Wasn’t this exactly who they were?
"Get these developed right away. Buy a nice frame and hang them in the most visible spot in the office. This is a testament to our corporate culture!"
"Yes, Lawyer Zhao!"
Gao Min tried several times to interject but found herself completely steamrolled.
And this lawyer’s silver tongue was far more polished than hers—he didn’t give her a single opening.
Regret gnawed at her. I should’ve just handed over the banner and left. Now I’ve walked right into his trap.
If these photos really went up, wouldn’t it look like outright collusion between cops and criminals?
Though disappointed she hadn’t met Liu Yutong or other higher-ups today, Gao Min still gained valuable insights—most importantly, why this group was so legally savvy.
She decided it was time to leave before Lawyer Zhao ensnared her further. After a quick farewell, she hurried out.
"Take care, Officer! Don’t let the door hit you on the way out!"
Zhao Tianyi, a lawyer well-versed in dealing with law enforcement, saw right through the young officer’s thoughts.
"You’re still green if you think you can outmaneuver me."
But as he glanced at the newly hung banner, a thought struck him—this might actually be a great way to foster relations with the police.
When I meet the young mistress, I should suggest she organizes more acts of bravery for everyone and takes more photos with the police officers.
Or better yet, donate a few patrol cars to the police department and seize the opportunity to take group photos with their superiors.
Then we’ll fill the company lobby with those pictures—let’s see who dares to call our company shady after that.
Perfect!
