Chen Yuanjun walked steadily toward the sports car, tapping his fingers lightly on two of the window panes. The sports car, already moving slowly, came to a halt, and the windows descended smoothly. The car's low floor and relatively short height required Chen to bend his waist, looking inside. Suddenly, his gaze froze, and he exclaimed, "Yuanzi!" Inside sat two people. Besides the beautiful woman—frequently observed by the younger staff at the police station—there was another young man in the passenger seat. Indeed, his younger brother, the one always bringing bad luck to the family. "Brother, what a coincidence," Zhang Yuanqing smiled, slightly embarrassed but polite. "How did you end up here?" Chen glanced at his younger brother, then at the stunning mixed-race female colleague. He seemed to understand instantly, his expression now becoming complex. "Guan Ya is my friend. She came today to ask me to handle a few matters, and also to have dinner with her." Zhang Yuanqing gave her uncle a "you know what I mean" look and added, "Tell my grandmother I won't be coming home for dinner tonight." Guan Ya smiled with a very elegant and reserved grace, nodding and greeting, "Captain Chen, oh, from now on you'll be calling me Chief Chen." Indeed it was him—really him... Chen Yuanjun nodded, his emotions swirling with mixed feelings. He had never imagined that his younger brother actually knew someone inside the system, someone so well-known as the celebrated goddess of the Public Security Bureau. Such a significant matter had been arranged so smoothly—clearly, their relationship must be quite special. When exactly had they first met? Through a normal romantic relationship, or... As an accomplished public security officer, he found himself thinking of many things. Moreover, he remembered a colleague once mentioning that the goddesses in special departments often appeared in pairs with a particular young man. Was that young man none other than Yuanzi? Was that my younger brother? At that moment, the business sedan honked once, and Chen Yuanjun swallowed his many words, stepped back a few paces, and gave a slight nod. The blue sports car exited smoothly and merged into the traffic stream. Chen Yuanjun stood in place, his heart still restless. ... At 6:30 p.m., Chen Yuanjun returned home. In the spacious living room, his father, who had always been reluctant to accept change, was practicing the "space step" with earnestness, the sound of his shoes scraping against the smooth floor being quite loud. "Hey! Son, you're back!" His uncle greeted cheerfully. Chen Yuanjun nodded gently, hung his briefcase on the clothes rack, removed his shoes, and put on cotton slippers. His mother-in-law appeared at the bathroom doorway, saying, "Have you had dinner? We're going out for a while—your uncle has introduced you to a friend from the public security system. Mom hasn't slept all night, and she simply won't give up on this. You've always worked so hard and are so capable—why not become a chief inspector? The Chen family doesn't have strong connections to help you, but your maternal grandfather's "Uncle was not pleased at all: 'What kind of connection is this? Your father's a mid-level official in a state-owned enterprise, with no ties to the public security system—how could they possibly be related? For minor matters, you can always find someone to help. But for something this significant, who would be willing to lend your family's face? Don't you think, once the money is spent, they'll just say, "We've done our best," and send you away with that?'" I'll be the chief officer at the Public Security Bureau, still based in Kangyang District." My aunt was stunned, staring at him in surprise. After a few seconds, she asked in verification, "Really?" She seemed to have an idea dawning on her, and exclaimed with delight, "Was it Director Li who made it happen? Yesterday she still said it was difficult... Yuanjun, we must prepare a grand gift to properly thank them." Chen Yuanjun shook his head, "It was Yuanzi who arranged it through a friend." My aunt blinked, and my uncle also turned to look at him. "Yuanzi? Yuanzi?" My aunt looked utterly incredulous—could a university student really accomplish such a thing? And Yuanzi was still studying, with a rather limited social circle—how could he possibly know such capable friends? Chen Yuanjun nodded, smiling, "No doubt about it. I just met him at the Public Security Bureau—he's having dinner with friends tonight." My aunt was thrilled, "Really? Yuanzi has such capable friends! Husband, we must invite Yuanzi for dinner tomorrow and properly thank him." "Uncle kept practicing his space-step: 'What's there to thank us for, with a family like this?' Auntie thought for a moment, then beamed and nodded: 'That's true—being so formal would be too stiff. From now on, I'll give Yuanzi more pocket money. Husband, I truly didn't waste any effort in caring for him.' She was in high spirits. Uncle hummed: 'I always said Yuanzi would turn out well. These days, it's the ones who know how to network who make their mark—those who just work quietly, well, they don't amount to much. Look at my father and Yuanjun.' 'I'm convinced my own legacy will outshine theirs.' ... At the dinner table, Yuanjun said: 'Grandpa, the headquarters has issued the official notice—promoting me to chief officer, still within the Kangyang District Public Security Bureau.' The white-haired grandfather was taken aback, his expression touched: 'What on earth?' He stared intently at his grandson, his face now slightly tense. Grandpa knew well that, under normal circumstances, Yuanjun would never have been promoted to chief officer—his deep understanding of the public security bureau's traditions spoke volumes. Jiang Yuebi, who had been busy eating at his desk, lifted his face and looked at Chen Yuanjun together with his mother. Chen Yuanjun said, "I saw Yuanzi when I got off work. He knows a person of considerable standing within the public security system, and luckily that person can assist me. That's why the matter has been settled. Yuanzi didn't go home for dinner—he invited her out instead." His paternal grandfather was utterly astonished, as if he hadn't expected such a response. His maternal grandmother stared in disbelief, "He really does have such friends! I thought he was just exaggerating..." She was now delighted, constantly praising Yuanzi as having achieved great success, saying she always knew he would succeed, because wherever he went, he always had friends. Grandfather composed himself and nodded steadily, "Yuanjun, your paths have been different. I've always been strict with you, since you're a steady, step-by-step type—someone who climbs steadily through consistent effort. Yuanzi, however, is different. He thrives on organic growth. As long as he doesn't take the wrong path, he will never fall short." Pause a moment, Grandfather's weathered face broke into a smile: "You all have made good progress."... Zhang Yuanqing returned home quite late, smelling strongly of wine, his breath carrying the fragrance of barley. He was usually a teetotaler, but at gatherings, he simply enjoyed the festive atmosphere. Besides Jiang Jingwei, who was younger and couldn't drink much, and Guan Ya, who had to drive Yuan Shi home and disliked being picked up by a driver, everyone else had been thoroughly enjoying their drinks. Jiang Jingwei had longed for wine, eager to taste beverages reserved for the more seasoned, but had been politely turned down by the others. As Zhang Yuanqing grasped the door handle, a subtle shift in his ear caught a faint, steady breathing sound inside the room. Someone in my room? Jiang Yuwei? At first, he froze, as if startled, instinctively alert. Then, he gradually relaxed, turning the handle and opening the door. With the Magi King imprisoned, what could I possibly fear? The bedroom door opened, the light bright. Chen Yuanjun, composed and steady, sat at the table, holding a cigarette between his fingers. "Back?" Chen asked, exhaling a steady stream of white smoke, his serious demeanor and calm posture resembling that of a father waiting all night for his son to return home. "Oh, brother, how come you haven't gone to bed yet? What's on your mind?" Zhang Yuanqing said, though in his heart he already guessed his uncle's purpose. Chen Yuanjun's expression grew more serious. "Was it Guan Ya who drove you back?" "Yes," Zhang nodded. Chen's expression grew even more serious. "How did you two meet? What's your relationship?" "We met online, then met in person. We found our personalities quite compatible, so we just became friends," Zhang said, thinking as he spoke, weaving a plausible story. But before he could finish, Chen waved him off, and with a quiet breath, spoke earnestly, "No need to go on. I already understand." "Yuanzi, I know today's young people are more open-minded, often spreading distorted values—things like 'wealthy women are the best' or 'I don't want to work anymore, I just want to relax.' Maybe, in your eyes, that's just the way society has evolved—everyone just giving up, yes, giving up. You've perfectly captured that. But I still need to tell you this: this isn't right. Men must be grounded, steady—never chasing shortcuts or taking crooked paths. What would your grandparents, or your aunts, think if they found out they were being financially supported by women?" "Package, package, package support?" Zhang Yuanqing looked at his cousin, completely puzzled. Chen Yuanjun continued: "Guan Ya is a woman of high standing—either her family is powerful, or her boyfriend or husband holds significant influence. Once you're involved with her, you'll face endless troubles. If her family or her husband finds out she's maintaining relationships with younger men, they won't let you off the hook. Our family isn't poor, but we're just ordinary. Yuanzi, think carefully about the consequences." "Have you already imagined this far? I'm not Cao's enemy, nor am I some good-for-nothing husband-to-be... Zhang Yuqing sighed and said, "Bro, we're really just ordinary friends. Okay, I know that doesn't sound very convincing, but please rest assured—I'm not being financially supported, and Guan Ya doesn't have a boyfriend either, nor has she married anyone." "Never married?" Chen Yuanjun's expression immediately brightened. "Then, if you're just attaching yourself to a single, affluent woman, that's not so bad." Agreed, agreed... Zhang Yuqing nearly covered her face. Chen Yuanjun was satisfied with the answer and stood up, saying, "Then go rest early. Thank you for today's help..." ... The next day, in the morning, Grandma carried the typical handbag of a homemaker, heading toward the vegetable market outside the community. As the most upscale residential area in the neighborhood, besides being a school district, it had a market right next door, and a shopping mall just one kilometer away—making daily life and shopping incredibly convenient. As she passed by the rest area in the residential complex, Grandma noticed a subtle movement in her ears—she heard several older sisters chatting animatedly about the latest gossip. "I saw it myself last night," one said. "He came back in a sports car, driven by a very attractive woman, though she's quite a bit older." "That young man is so handsome," another added. "Isn't it possible he's now courting a wealthy woman?" "Oh, I'm afraid he might be being supported financially," the third replied. "After all, how could a young man like that just settle down and thrive without such support?" The sports car, the young man, and the financial support—Grandma realized she no longer needed to rush to the market. She hurried over to find out what was going on. "What are you all talking about?" she asked eagerly. The older women, upon seeing Grandma, immediately grew pale and fell silent. One of them, who had a particularly close relationship with Grandma, hesitated before speaking softly: "Ah Mei, it seems your grandson is being financially supported by a wealthy woman. Here's what happened..." Grandma had come over eager to hear the gossip, only to discover that the story was actually about her … At that moment, Zhang Yuanqing was lying on the bed, holding his phone in both hands and opening the official forum.