“He is so perfect. How could there be someone as perfect as Master Bai Lixin in the world? When Nuwa created us, she probably just flicked us out with a whip, but when she created Master, she likely spent three days and nights meticulously crafting every detail, right?”
“You’re absolutely right! Master must be Nuwa’s most proud creation, without a doubt!”
Well, Dijia did pay extra attention when he created a body for Bai Lixin hehe.
Zhang Biao’s brother’s eyes stiffened, and his smile became somewhat forced.
Having heard enough, Bai Lixin cleared his throat and walked out from behind the door. “What are you talking about? You all seem so cheerful. I heard you all the way from outside.”
“Master Bai Lixin! We were talking about you, and here you are. What a coincidence, talk about Cao and Cao appears.”
Bai Lixin pretended he hadn’t heard anything. He raised an eyebrow. “Talking about me? You’re not saying bad things about me, are you?”
“How could that be?” The constables chimed in, “Even if we wanted to say something bad, we need to find something negative first. You’re perfect all-around, there’s nothing bad to say.”
Bai Lixin turned his gaze to Zhang Biao’s brother. “Are you here to find your brother?”
Zhang Biao’s brother hesitated for a moment, then quickly put on a smile and politely bowed, “Greetings, Brother Bai Lixin. I deeply offended you the last time. We strongly detest gambling in our family and blamed you unjustly without knowing the truth.”
“I found out about what happened the next day when I saw the gambling den closed. My mother is also very sorry. I hope Brother Bai Lixin can forgive us.”
Everyone looked over with curiosity.
Facing Zhang Biao’s brother’s sincere apology, Bai Lixin just casually said, “I had almost forgotten about what happened at your house that night. You don’t need to worry about it anymore.”
Zhang Biao’s brother still maintained his bowing posture. He bit his lip, glanced at Bai Lixin, then looked back at the constables behind him. After what seemed like a long thought, he clenched his teeth and said, “Since Brother Bai Lixin doesn’t mind, could you please let my brother come home tonight?”
Bai Lixin frowned slightly. “If your brother doesn’t want to go home, you should talk to him. It’s your family matter; how can I persuade him to go home?”
“But now my brother listens to you the most. You’ve only been here at the yamen for two days, and he already treats your words as the highest decree,” Zhang Biao’s brother furrowed his brows. “My brother has always been rational, he has never been like this before. It’s as if he’s been enchanted by a vixen.”
He paused for a moment. “Of course, I’m not saying Brother Bai Lixin is a vixen. I mean your charm is as captivating as a vixen’s.”
Bai Lixin scrutinized Zhang Biao’s brother in front of him. Although he appeared humble, his shoulders were tense, showing no signs of weakness.
“Oh, Zhang Biao’s brother, come to think of it, I don’t even know your name. What’s your name?”
“My name is Zhang Lin Master.”
“Zhang Lin, right? I want to ask you a few questions.”
“Since you came in, you have been using the excuse of delivering pancakes and caring for your brother to inquire about what’s going on in the yamen. What do you want? This is the yamen, not a rouge and powder shop. You don’t need to know the details of our investigation as an outsider.”
The constables’ voices had lowered by now. They looked at each other and then turned their gaze towards the two figures confronting each other.
Zhang Lin was stunned for a moment, then he quickly shook his head and explained, “I didn’t, I was just asking casually.”
“You didn’t? You came in and asked if Zhang Biao went on a mission last night. When you didn’t get an answer, you slyly shifted the topic to the daytime activities, repeatedly questioning what they did during the day.”
“Why? Are you so curious about our yamen’s cases? Or do you want to find out something?”
Zhang Lin finally lost his composure. His skin was already fair, and as soon as Bai Lixin finished speaking, his cheeks blushed with shame.
“I, I,” he stammered, “I really was just asking casually. You can’t accuse me like this. Master Bai Lixin, I have no grievances with you. Why are you slandering me like this? Brother Li, Brother Lin, Brother Zhao, please speak up for me?”
The named constables exchanged glances.
One constable smiled amiably, trying to mediate, “That’s right, Master Bai Lixin, it’s just a misunderstanding. Xiao Lin here often visits, he’s just curious. He used to ask us about cases too. After all, his older brother is a constable head, so it’s natural to be interested in the cases. There’s nothing wrong with that, so there’s no need to make such a fuss, right?”
“Do you think I’m making a fuss?” Bai Lixin suddenly dropped his smile, giving him a cold look. “From what you’re saying, Zhang Lin has been inquiring about our yamen’s case processes frequently even before. Have you considered the consequences of casually revealing case details to unrelated people? What if this person happens to be the culprit? What if this person knows the culprit? Speaking so carelessly like this not only shows irresponsibility towards your own uniform but also disrespects the victim.”
“If you’ve been doing this from before, then you, like Zhang Lin, are also at fault.”
Silence fell over the surroundings instantly. The constables’ faces revealed a hint of displeasure.
One older constable sneered, “Master Bai Lixin, you’ve only been here for two days and already trying to act high and mighty? We’re complimenting you out of respect for our boss and for County Magistrate Lin. Don’t bite the hand that feeds you. How did you become a scribe? You know better than anyone else, right?”
“Don’t you guys think so too?”
The constables exchanged glances, and murmurs began to spread.
“Yeah, I saw Master laughing and talking yesterday; I thought he was easy to get along with. I didn’t expect him to flaunt his authority like this. Master is the same age as us; why does he need to be so authoritarian?”
“He’s been pretending for just two days, and now he’s showing his true colors?”
“Revealing details? What details can be revealed? I’ve never seen anyone mentioning this before. Cases still get solved just fine. There’s no way there are so many possibilities. It’s all baseless speculation.”
Some of the constables refused to accept their mistakes, while others remained silent with their heads lowered.
“Master is right!”
A voice suddenly came from a distance.
Zhang Biao, who was wearing the head constable uniform, briskly walked over. He first respectfully bowed to Bai Lixin and then spoke sternly with a dark expression, “We used to handle cases like this, but back then, we didn’t pay much attention. That doesn’t mean it was right.”
“Master Bai Lixin makes a valid point. The process of solving cases should be kept secret. If it’s known to outsiders, it can lead to unnecessary trouble.”
“Getting ahead of us and burying the clues before we do is not impossible.”
“We were indeed too arrogant and didn’t consider it thoroughly. From now on, we shouldn’t repeat this mistake. Cases can only be discussed within the yamen or in secluded places with officials. Don’t leak information to others anymore.”
He paused and looked at his younger brother, “And that includes my brother.”
The constables exchanged glances; some still seemed dissatisfied, but due to Zhang Biao’s authority, they didn’t say anything in the end.
Zhang Lin’s face turned purple with anger. He stood there awkwardly and said, “Brother, I went through so much trouble to bring the pancakes Mother made to see you, and your first words to me are about this?”
“Where are the pancakes?” Bai Lixin suddenly asked.
Zhang Lin’s face turned unpleasant and he couldn’t maintain his smiling face anymore. “The pancakes were still in the basket just now, but I gave them all to everyone.”
“Your brother was clearly sleeping in the backyard. No one stopped you; you could have taken the pancakes and gone to see him first. But instead, you kept saying you came to see your brother, yet you didn’t even try to visit him.”
“At this hour, he’s still sleeping in his room. Besides the possibility of him being out on a mission last night, there’s a chance he might be ill. But you immediately confirmed it was a mission, as if you didn’t even consider the possibility of your brother being sick.”
“Your mother made these pancakes, yet you gave them all away, making gestures of generosity to the constables. But your own blood brother, who should have eaten them, didn’t get a single bite. What kind of sentiment were you expressing?”
“Could it be that you think your brother will forgive you no matter what you do, but you need to placate and please others, so you gave the pancakes to them? Is your brother worth so little in your heart?”
The constables exchanged glances, some of them still held uneaten pancakes in their hands.
The pancakes that had seemed delicious just moments ago now felt unappetizing, neither suitable for consumption nor for discarding.
Zhang Lin looked at Zhang Biao, then at the others, and in desperation, he tugged at Zhang Biao’s sleeve. “Brother, please speak up for me.”
Zhang Biao stood there stiffly. He glanced at his brother and, with a somewhat dry voice, said, “Xiao Lin, you can go back first. Tell Mother not to worry about me. I’ll come home after I finish my work.”
Zhang Lin looked at Zhang Biao in disbelief before picking up the basket and leaving.
Before leaving, he shot a resentful glance at Bai Lixin.
Once Zhang Lin left, Zhang Biao turned to Bai Lixin. “Sir, may I have a word with you?”
————————–
“I know what you said earlier is correct, but Sir, you are still inexperienced in managing people. We all work together, if you harshly criticize them like this, even if they don’t say anything now, over time, they may develop resentment and estrangement, affecting our daily work.”
Zhang Biao’s Adam’s apple bobbed up and down as he looked at Bai Lixin, “I’m not saying you did something wrong. I just feel that you could use a gentler approach to communicate and resolve issues.”
Bai Lixin glanced at Zhang Biao, “Between the two of us, one has to play the good cop, and the other the bad cop.”
Zhang Biao froze for a moment and looked at Bai Lixin in surprise, “What do you mean?”
“Some old wounds need to be opened to drain the pus inside. Even though it might hurt, it’s necessary to heal properly in the end.”
“It hurts, but it’s necessary. I’m not like you, Zhang Biao. I don’t have the time to patiently reason with them. I need to expose the problem swiftly and decisively.”
He isn’t a person living in this world, he only has a few days left before leaving.
If he was to handle it the way Zhang Biao suggested and use a subtle approach, the problem might not be resolved even after he leaves.
Leaking confidential information is a serious mistake, not something as easily forgiven as a typo or misplacing an item.
Often, a casual remark that someone thinks doesn’t matter could jeopardize the efforts of countless people.
But the people in this yamen seem to think such incidents are commonplace, which is frightening.
What does this indicate? It shows they don’t value this aspect at all.
Of course, not everyone is like this. Just now, one person almost revealed what they have been doing these past two days to Zhang Lin but the other two interrupted him promptly.
“I’ll take the blame for this.” Bai Lixin looked at Zhang Biao. “I’m willing to be the needle that opens the abscess.”
Zhang Biao stood still for a long time before murmuring, “We are separated by a vast chasm from Sir’s wisdom and insight.”
He seemed lost in thought for a while before snapping back to reality. “Sir said there isn’t much time. What do you mean? Are you leaving?”
Bai Lixin contemplated for a moment. “What I meant is, I don’t have the patience to slowly correct a major mistake I see.”
As expected of a skilled constable. His powers of observation are truly meticulous.
Zhang Biao made an “Oh” sound, although he still seemed puzzled, he didn’t press further.
After a moment of hesitation, he finally asked a question he was reluctant to touch upon, “In Sir’s opinion, is my younger brother really so indifferent towards me?”
Bai Lixin: “Yes and no. Aren’t you the one who knows best? Zhang Biao, you’re a clever person. Although you appear easygoing, you are, in fact, quite sensitive. For someone with such keen sensitivity, many things don’t need to be explicitly stated. You should have noticed them yourself, right?”
Zhang Biao looked deeply at Bai Lixin. After a moment, he respectfully bowed to him. “Sir, nothing can escape your notice.”
“You’re right, I’ve noticed it a long time ago,” Zhang Biao forced a smile. “My brother really despises having me as his elder brother. The day he returned home, he was dressed in exquisite clothes from our relatives, while I wore patched coarse linen. He looks like a peach blossom in March, and I look like a potato in the field. The way he looked at me at that moment, he probably thought he was restraining himself, but what I saw was disgust and resistance.”
“I think, if we weren’t related by blood but strangers on the street, he wouldn’t even spare me a glance.”
“Even so, I still love my brother. I’ve seen too much filth in this world, but my brother is different. He was raised in luxury, living in an ivory tower. In his eyes, the world is clean and clear. The first time I saw him again after many years, I swore to protect my brother at all costs.”
“My brother rarely talks to me, and I’ve been struggling to find a way to get closer to him, but all he says are empty words. He is pure and untainted, while I am a commoner, a rough man from the grassroots.”
“We don’t have much in common.”
“Later, I noticed my brother’s interest in cases. Whenever I mentioned a case inadvertently, he would comment on it,” Zhang Biao looked guilty as he glanced at Bai Lixin. “I’m sorry, I wanted to get closer to my brother and unconsciously revealed many details about the cases to him.”
Bai Lixin looked at Zhang Biao, who seemed like a child caught doing something wrong, and asked, “Have you talked to your brother about the recent mysterious deaths in Qingcheng Town?”
Zhang Biao remained silent for a longer time this time, and after a while, he nodded. “Yes, I did.”
Bai Lixin made an “Oh” sound. “Be careful next time, and don’t talk about it anymore. If you really want a relationship, find a lover who admires you in return. If one melon can’t be held, try another.”
“Your brother grew up in a wealthy family and is used to luxurious things. If you hadn’t gone to pick him up, he might have continued living there. Although blood ties are the strongest bond, there are also those who are greedy for vanity in the world.”
“You are a constable, you should know what needs to be done better than I do.”
“That’s all, Head Constable Zhang. I’ll go handle my business now, you may go about yours as well.”
With that, Bai Lixin turned and left.
S419’s voice echoed in Bai Lixin’s mind: [ Lord Host, weren’t your words too harsh? After all, he’s his biological brother.]
Bai Lixin: [He already knew what to do, he just couldn’t make up his mind. When he discussed these matters with me, do you think it was just casual talk? He wanted to hear the answer he desired from me. I merely gave him what he wanted. I spotted him behind the door just now; he probably hid at around the same time as me and saw everything that happened.]
S419: [So, he wanted to cut ties with his brother a long time ago? But didn’t he always praise his brother?]
Bai Lixin: [People often use verbal reinforcement to numb themselves, isn’t it a self-hypnosis technique humans frequently employ? They clearly know the other person is abusive, but repeatedly tell themselves phrases like “he loves me,” “he must have his reasons,” and “he’s really good” to alleviate the inner turmoil and pain from the abuse.]
[There is no construction without first breaking.]
S419: [I see, that explains it. I just thought relatively reserved people from ancient times, even if their family members were outstanding, would usually be humble. I thought he was a super “brother-con.”]
Bai Lixin: [He probably was a “brother-con” before, but he couldn’t withstand disappointment time and again.]
[But it’s not just that. Zhang Biao sacrificed a lot to attain the peace he has today. Perhaps his motivation back then was the hope for a warm home with his brother and mother. That was his belief, but after enduring it, he found out that the two people he imagined embracing him actually rejected him. Coupled with his sensitive nature, this disparity is hard to reconcile.]
Escape System: [Master Bai Lixin, now that you’ve said that, I suddenly understand everything. It’s like if I painstakingly did something, intending to make Brother M happy, but he not only isn’t pleased but also scolds me angrily…]
The escape system paused for two seconds, then suddenly screamed in Bai Lixin’s mind: [Ahhh, I’m so frustrated! I worked so hard, you don’t have to like it, but you don’t need to hate it! Damn you, s419M! I hate you! I won’t pay attention to you anymore!]
S419M: [??? Sister System, what did I do wrong? I don’t hate anything. Isn’t it all your imagination? Please be more sensible.]
Escape System: [Wuuu! You want me to be more sensible, and you shouted at me?! I worked so hard, can’t you see?!]
S419M: […]
‘What did I do wrong?’
Bai Lixin: […]
‘Uh, did I over-imagine this?
Strange, why do I find this kind of satisfying?’
S419M comforted Sister System for a long time before finally calming her down.
It let out a long sigh and said to Bai Lixin, panting: [I can’t believe it, Zhang Biao looks so fierce, but he’s actually so cowardly that he even had to come to you, Lord Host, for answers.]
‘I’m exhausted. From now on, I will keep Sister System away from her thoughts!’
Bai Lixin: [Because there’s a reason behind this. It’s not as simple as just breaking ties; it involves more than that.]
S419M: [What does it involve?]
Bai Lixin: [Do you remember the scribe who died a couple of days ago? I mentioned that this was a copy cat case, and the person who could imitate it so perfectly must have a deep understanding of this case. And not many people know about this case that deeply.]
S419M: [Oh, yes, I remember your words. And then?]
Bai Lixin: [And then, Zhang Biao is not stupid. He’s an experienced constable with rich case-solving experience. The issues I can spot, he should have noticed long ago. I think he has known who the killer is for a while, but he has been struggling Internally, unwilling to compromise and believe.]
S419M was stunned for a moment, then suddenly exclaimed: [Are you saying the suspect is Zhang Biao’s brother?!]
‘Ah, is this going to turn into a tragic tale of justice against family?’
The escape system’s voice came out with a tone of annoyance: [Why are you shouting? You really are bothering me again, wuuu.]
S419M: [I didn’t, I really didn’t!]
‘Help, someone please save me!’
