Seeing the renowned "Justice" appear before his eyes, Lin Fan was genuinely stunned at this moment.
Especially since she was standing alongside two of his acquaintances.
What was going on here? Could Zheng Yi be related to them in some way? Otherwise, whether in terms of age or background, they belonged to entirely different circles—completely unrelated!
Lin Fan knew Zheng Yi, but she didn’t know him.
Because his acquaintance with this famous criminal investigation expert from the Ministry of Public Security dated back to his past life.
After returning from a mission—by his calculations, it would be seven, no, six years later—he encountered obstacles while investigating the circumstances surrounding his wife and daughter. This wasn’t his area of expertise.
But by then, the name "Justice" had already become known even among some in their police circles.
With the introduction and help of an old comrade who had transferred out of the military, he sought out Zheng Yi. Years later, "Justice" was said to have refused a promotion to a high-ranking administrative position, still leading her team on the frontlines of major cases—homicides, organized crime, drug cartels—earning a handful of first-class merit awards.
And her reputation wasn’t limited to the police force. Rumor had it that she would make annual visits to areas where foreign spies gathered, helping local colleagues max out their KPIs ahead of schedule—divine justice crushing them effortlessly.
The Zheng Yi before him now didn’t seem far off from the one he remembered six years later.
Lin Fan didn’t think Zheng Yi was here to steal his thunder. In his memory, she primarily handled major cases, already wielding authority akin to the "Imperial Sword."
Back then, it was said that if Justice made an appearance in a provincial capital, the underworld’s ledger of lives would see a sudden surge in urgent entries.
Some even speculated in private whether she had some supernatural ability, like a sixth sense or yin-yang eyes—hearing that she could spot criminals in a crowd with just a glance.
Of course, many veteran cops with decades of experience also developed such instincts—years of honed intuition and sharp eyes could pick out petty thieves from their shifty gazes.
Seeing Zheng Yi so young felt like witnessing a rare spectacle to Lin Fan.
As for why he had come to this print shop, it was also due to memories from his past life.
After transferring to state security in this life, he had dug up this particular memory. Since he was now at Bin University, he recalled this incident clearly.
Three years later, the state security system would publicly expose the owner of a print shop at Bin University as a foreign spy collecting intelligence. Because the shop specialized in printing, offered cheap rates, and even helped format documents, the owner had been voted "Service Star of the Year" by students.
Foreign spies embedded in domestic universities weren’t uncommon. Nowadays, they were jokingly referred to as "500,000" due to internet memes.
In specialized fields like military engineering, R&D, technology, and agricultural sciences, students often had to sign confidentiality agreements upon enrollment. Universities had dedicated security departments, and regular confidentiality training was mandatory.
But when it came to these "500,000," sometimes prevention was nearly impossible. A cafeteria worker who had been at the school for over a decade, a print shop owner, or even a family running a popular stir-fry stall near campus—any of them could be turned or might have been foreign agents from the start.
Cities like Shenyang in the northeast, Jinguan City in the southwest, the capital Ning City, and southern Bin City… due to their unique characteristics, were notorious hotspots for these "500,000."
Because he remembered this incident clearly, Lin Fan had been closely observing several print shops on campus since his first semester at Bin University, adding all the owners on WeChat.
This semester, when he noticed the print shop near the Engineering and Agriculture colleges had changed hands, he chatted with the previous owner, who said it had been passed to a fellow townsman—though introduced by someone else, not personally acquainted. That raised Lin Fan’s suspicions.
The shop’s location was strategic—on the first floor of the cafeteria shared by the Engineering and Agriculture colleges. For students in these and nearby departments, this was the go-to place for printing academic materials.
Moreover, while print shops across universities nationwide were largely monopolized by people from Xiang City, this profitable shop at Bin University had been handed over not to a relative but to a fellow townsman through layers of connections. That struck Lin Fan as highly suspicious.
Only a few days into the semester, Lin Fan had been frequenting this print shop under the guise of printing documents, growing increasingly wary.
Especially when he discovered the owner could understand Cantonese and Sichuan dialect—his suspicions peaked.
Non-native Chinese learners often started with Cantonese, but to comprehend Sichuan dialect, one would need prolonged exposure to the linguistic environment there.
Lin Fan had planned to continue monitoring the owner’s routines and movements. His main concern was that although undergraduate students had just returned for the new semester, the shop had changed hands during winter break—when graduate students and professors were still active on campus.
Though the timeframe was short, who knew if any critical research or data had already been leaked through this shop?
In the internet age, he wasn’t sure how university-based spies communicated with their handlers or whether this could lead to uncovering a larger network. He was preparing to report it to more specialized public security personnel.
And then… he ran into them.
Yan and Zhu Jue were also bewildered, alarms ringing in their minds.
A special forces king and Justice—these two auras shouldn’t clash, right?
But seeing the shock in Lin Fan’s eyes, something felt off.
They exchanged greetings, and Zhu Jue noticed Lin Fan didn’t seem inclined to join them.
As their thoughts raced, Zheng Yi glanced at the print shop before stepping through the cafeteria’s side entrance.
"Let’s eat," she said.
Most likely a colleague from state security, though only one person for now. But the "500,000" in that print shop was flashing like a glaring anomaly.
As she walked, Zheng Yi sent a quick message from her phone.
She was supposed to inspect Bin University’s security tomorrow, but stumbling upon this today was just as well—early detection meant early resolution.
At this hour, the small cafeteria was crowded with students, making an arrest inconvenient.
Seeing Zheng Yi head into the cafeteria, Yan breathed a sigh of relief. Lin Fan felt the same—maybe she was just here to meet the young couple?
Yan’s mind was already turning over how to bring up the matter of Senior He Xing with Officer Zheng Yi later.
On the second floor of the cafeteria, Zheng Yi strolled with interest. She had eaten at ministry canteens, provincial bureaus, and police station cafeterias across cities, but when it came to variety and abundance, nothing beat a university cafeteria—like a bustling food court.
The atmosphere at a comprehensive university like Bin University was entirely different from what she had experienced at Xia Country Public Security University.
"Which stall’s good here?" she asked Yan.
Yan didn’t come to this cafeteria often, but based on Yi Zhi’s personal experience, the ingredients here were decent, with several stalls having earned her praise.
"This iron plate dish, that mixed rice, and the clay pot are all good," Yan said.
"This iron plate fried rice looks nice, and there’s a queue. I’ll go with that. Mind if I borrow your meal card?" Zheng Yi tilted her chin slightly.
After the three of them got their food, they chose a secluded corner of the cafeteria, a spot usually ignored by others.
As they ate, silence settled over them. Since they weren’t very familiar with Officer Zheng Yi, they were afraid of saying something wrong and ruining the meal. Yan quietly focused on her clay pot.
But her mind was preoccupied, making the food taste bland.
After a while, sensing the awkward atmosphere, Zhu Jue spoke up, "Sister Zheng, about that part-time job you mentioned earlier—what exactly are the requirements?"
Might as well start with the part-time job.
"This iron plate fried rice is really good."
"The part-time job is similar to what you’re doing with the special case team now."
"If you come across any intel or notice anything suspicious, just contact me directly."
"After all, they handle the underworld cases, and I handle the living world," Zheng Yi joked lightly.
"You two have sharp observation skills and good instincts—we need talented people like you for this. Besides, since you’re already involved, might as well take on another task. No harm in multitasking."
Yan and Zhu Jue froze for a moment.
Officer Zheng Yi said… they were already doing part-time work?
From the sound of it, she seemed to have mistaken them for informants under Ding Ling’s system?
Yan and Jue Jue fell silent. So that’s how it was—probably Ding Ling had arranged their cover identities. No wonder they hadn’t been called in for investigations earlier!
Back then, Yan had even felt a little smug about it.
Though, to say they were informants for the special case team wasn’t entirely wrong either. After all, the two of them had indeed encountered incidents before and immediately handed them over to Ding Ling to handle.
Yan gave a quiet "Mm," then asked, "Will you be staying in Bin City for a while?"
Zheng Yi assumed she was asking about her role as their contact in Bin City.
"I’ll be here for now, at least until the economic forum ends. You probably know that even though I’m in charge of cold cases, I also handle active ones. So for part-timers like you, the more, the merrier."
"Payment follows the standard rates. I’m not sure about your other arrangements, but my team’s budget is a bit more flexible."
"The rules are the same—you report only to your superior, and in this case, that’s me. I’ll be managing you directly."
Zheng Yi tried to keep her tone from sounding too stern, but to the two of them, it still felt like listening to a superior’s instructions.
Yan and Zhu Jue sat across from her, nodding obediently. They didn’t actually know what the rules were, but now wasn’t the time to ask.
"That’s about it. No complicated procedures. Especially for the two of you—no need for extra reminders." Zheng Yi looked at them with a relaxed expression.
Unlike some gray-area informants who required a mix of rewards and threats, these two were high-achieving students with clean backgrounds and experience in special operations. There was no need for her to spell things out.
After using the youngsters’ meal cards for lunch, Zheng Yi bought juice as a gesture of thanks.
"Let’s walk off the meal. Show me around your campus—help me get familiar with the place."
The map of Bin University, satellite images, even the routes for visiting dignitaries—Zheng Yi had already memorized them for her mission. This was just an early reconnaissance trip.
As the young couple introduced the campus, her eyes occasionally flicked to the radar on her wrist, scanning the locations of surveillance cameras around the school.
Suddenly, Zheng Yi paused mid-step, her gaze fixed on a distinctly European-style classical building ahead.
"This is…?" she asked.
"The Arts College. The building is a historical relic still in use—over a hundred years old," Yan explained.
"Our dorm’s new senior is from the Arts College," she added casually.
"Bin University’s campus is quite impressive—blending Eastern and Western styles while keeping its own character," Zheng Yi remarked, as if making small talk.
Soon, they reached the statue in front of the Arts College.
"This is the statue of the founding dean from a century ago," Zhu Jue said.
Zheng Yi kept her hands in her pockets as the three of them stood there, looking like ordinary students admiring the statue. This spot was a common exit point for anyone leaving the college's main gate.
"Yan, is that you?"
He Xing, wrapped in a long down coat, stepped out of the college gates and froze when she saw the trio by the statue.
This was her first time seeing Yan’s boyfriend in person. And the woman beside them—a friend?
"Senior, did you just finish class?" Yan was surprised. Classes had ended long ago—it was already past six. Why was He Xing only leaving the college building now?
Her eyes instinctively darted toward Officer Zheng Yi.
"I was doing recovery training in the practice room. Lost track of time," He Xing replied.
"I see." Yan nodded, then introduced them.
"Senior, this is my boyfriend, Zhu Jue—you’ve probably heard of him. And this is my friend, Sister Zheng Yi. She’s visiting us on a business trip." Yan fabricated a backstory for Zheng Yi on the spot.
"This is Senior He Xing, our new dormmate."
Yan blinked innocently as Zheng Yi extended a hand toward He Xing.
Zheng Yi studied the striking beauty before her and smiled. "Hello, I’m Zheng Yi."
He Xing hesitated. "Zheng Yi"? Justice? She glanced at Yan, then quickly dismissed the thought—probably just a coincidence in pronunciation.
"Hello, He Xing," she replied politely, shaking her hand.
As Zheng Yi observed the young woman named He Xing, the radar on her wrist displayed an unusual reading.
Half gold, half crimson—flickering, even shifting toward gray.
Gold, on her morality radar, represented those who did good deeds, accumulated merit.
Crimson meant bloodshed—victims, those who had suffered injustice.
A new mission appeared before Zheng Yi’s eyes: [Cold Case Reopened—???].
Her gaze swept past Yan, who was blinking guilelessly, and Zhu Jue, who seemed completely clueless.
This young couple had lured her here for a double mission.
Truly the talents she had her eye on!
