Chapter 341: Are You Kidding Me?

People who love work, in Xiao Yu’s opinion, are fools.

Was he a fool too?

That was a tough question.

Walking into the Criminal Investigation Brigade, Xiao Yu noticed his colleagues in a particularly cheerful mood.

Why?

The five-year-old unsolved case had finally reached its conclusion. The case had been submitted for review, and the higher-ups had confirmed that in a few days, the Criminal Investigation Brigade would receive a collective second-class merit along with a commendation from the provincial system.

Even though it was a team award, it still looked great on one’s record.

Merits like these were essential stepping stones for promotions and salary raises.

Not everyone had a billionaire wife like Xiao Yu, who couldn’t care less about career achievements.

Being a police officer still required putting food on the table. You earned your pay raise with your merits, and you climbed the ranks with your sweat and blood.

After greeting a few colleagues, Xiao Yu strolled into his boss’s office.

“Why are you back at work?”

Seeing him walk in, Zhao Changshan was a bit surprised.

“Three days off is enough.” Xiao Yu glanced at his boss, who was, for once, dressed in full uniform. “Heading to the city?”

Zhao Changshan looked quite sharp in his uniform—a middle-aged man with a distinguished, rugged charm.

A man at twenty is a work-in-progress, at thirty is complete, at forty is refined, at fifty is top-tier, and at sixty… well, that’s retirement.

Middle-aged men had a certain appeal, one that many women found irresistible.

“Yeah.” Zhao Changshan grinned. “The case is nearly wrapped up. I just got word from headquarters, they want us in the city for a meeting to formally commend our brigade. You coming?”

Everyone in the team knew the truth.

The case was solved, but they all understood who had done the heavy lifting.

However, they also knew that Xiao Yu wasn’t in this job for accolades.

As for promotions and pay raises? He cared even less.

His wife was too rich.

“No way!” Xiao Yu shook his head like a rattle and waved a hand dismissively. “I can’t stand those meetings. I fall asleep the moment they start. I’d rather spend my time going through case files.”

“Alright then.” Zhao Changshan chuckled and shook his head. “You and Old Zhou keep an eye on things here.”

Once his boss left, Xiao Yu took a casual stroll over to the captain’s office, then finally returned to his own.

He had barely sat down for ten minutes when a knock came at the door.

‘Who the hell knocks?’

Xiao Yu frowned.

His colleagues treated the office like their own home, no one ever bothered knocking.

“Come in,” he called out.

A woman in a Zhongshan suit stepped inside.

Short-haired, mid-thirties, good figure, average looks… but familiar?

She was Shen Mei—the head of National Security’s Fifth Group.

“Sister Shen, what brings you here?”

Xiao Yu stood up with a smile, shaking hands with Shen Mei as she approached.

“What? Can’t I come visit our prestigious leader of Group Ten?” Shen Mei teased, her eyes twinkling with amusement.

“What Group Ten?” Xiao Yu shut the door behind her and gestured toward the guest chair. “Have a seat.”

The closed door was for privacy. No one in the brigade knew he was now the head of National Security’s Group Ten.

His role at National Security was classified, and only those within the agency had access to that information.

Pouring a cup of tea, Xiao Yu placed it in front of her.

Black tea—

The big boss had offered it to him once, and he had found it quite good.

So, naturally, he had his wife procure some for him.

For someone like Xiao Yu, who didn’t know the first thing about tea, he categorized it into three levels: tastes bad, average, and pretty good.

Since Mu Qingwu had picked it out for him, it was bound to be good.

Shen Mei took a sip. Then froze.

“Wuyi Mother Tree… Dahongpao?”

“Huh?”

Xiao Yu blinked at her, looking utterly clueless.

“I’ve only had this a few times before, at my grandfather’s place.” Shen Mei’s eyes held a trace of astonishment as she stared at him. “A single jin¹ of this was worth 64 silver dollars, enough to buy 4,000 jin of the finest rice. A few taels of this recently went for three million at an auction. And you’re just casually serving it here?”

Xiao Yu was stunned.

He glanced at the unassuming tea box. Then at the cup in front of him.

Was his wife that excessive in spoiling him?

Tonight, he was definitely going home to have a talk with his reckless wife.

But that wasn’t the point right now.

“Sister Shen, what brings you here?” Xiao Yu asked with a polite smile.

He suddenly recalled Wang Dong mentioning a few days ago that someone from the Fifth Group might come looking for him.

What was the Fifth Group?

National Security’s Special Operations Unit.

The real special operations unit. And by real, that meant spies.

Back then, when Wang Dong casually brought it up, Xiao Yu had a feeling something was brewing. But he figured it wouldn’t be for another ten days or so. Yet here she was, only three days later.

One handled espionage, the other solved crimes.

What common ground could they possibly have?

Xiao Yu was curious about why she had come looking for him.

“People don’t visit without a reason.” Shen Mei smiled. “I need your help with something.”

“Come on, Sister Shen.” Xiao Yu shook his head with a chuckle. “I’m just a cop. I solve crimes. I don’t know the first thing about special ops.”

“It is a case.” Shen Mei’s expression turned serious. “But this one involves an insider.”

Xiao Yu’s face darkened instantly. “Someone from National Security?”

Even in a profession as noble as theirs, there were always a few rotten apples. And sometimes, those few were enough to taint everything.

Having lived two lives, Xiao Yu despised people like that.

External enemies weren’t the scariest thing.

The true threat always came from within. Because traitors knew the system too well. And they were the hardest to catch.

“Not exactly from National Security,” Shen Mei sighed. “But he was one of ours. A former member of the Fifth Group.”

“A retiree?”

Xiao Yu exhaled and nodded.

At least he wasn’t currently in the system.

A retired officer, strictly speaking, was no longer an insider. He wasn’t even qualified to be a traitor.

“What’s the issue?” Xiao Yu asked.

For the head of the Fifth Group to personally come knocking, it had to be serious.

No need to guess—it had to be a major case.

“He stole a set of design blueprints.” Shen Mei’s expression turned oddly stiff. “Building plans.”

“Sister Shen…” Xiao Yu’s expression shifted. “Are you kidding me?”

‘I’m the head of Group Ten, for God’s sake. Fifth Group or not, if you’re messing with me, I will flip this table.’