Chapter 6: Pulling Up the Turnip to Claim the Spot

The scorching sun blazed overhead as Ma Jun, clad in shorts and carrying a training rifle, strode across the field. His bare torso revealed a well-toned physique, drenched in sweat, with beads trickling perilously close to his eyes. A group of classmates followed behind him, dressed identically, running laps around the school’s track.

“Work yourself to the bone like a dog, get scolded but can’t bark—like a dog, how amusing,” Ma Jun sang loudly as he ran, his voice echoing across the grounds. It was said the song he sang was one used by American soldiers during their drills.

“Jun, save your energy, won’t you? Aren’t you tired?” Liu Jianming, trailing behind, called out in resignation.

“I’m doing this for everyone!” Ma Jun replied with mock seriousness. “Well? After hearing this song, don’t you feel pumped up?”

“Cadet 9527, so you’re feeling energetic?” A nearby instructor approached, sweating beneath his police uniform in the sweltering heat. “All cadets, rest. 9527, you run ten more laps!”

In the months since entering the police academy, Ma Jun had learned his first lesson: when punished by an instructor, never argue. He stood tall, saluted crisply, stamped his foot, and shouted, “Yes, sir!”

Exhausted, Ma Jun wondered to himself, “So, Xiaohua, after all my efforts these months, have I finally made some progress?”

“Ah, what a pity, uncle! Your reputation in this dimension is still zero. You need to work harder!” Xiaohua replied cheerfully, her tone showing not a hint of regret. “Liu Jianming is about to assassinate Ni Kun. Keep it up!”

“No way, not even a single reputation point?” Ma Jun muttered helplessly to himself.

Originally, Liu Jianming was supposed to carry out the assassination before entering the police academy, but now the order had been reversed.

Days later, the weekend arrived. Having been cooped up in the academy for so long, many cadets rushed out to enjoy themselves.

On holidays, the streets were bustling. Liu Jianming, wearing sunglasses and carrying a brown paper bag, moved through the crowd.

Several dozen meters behind him, Ma Jun, dressed in black with a cap and cigarette dangling from his lips, scanned his surroundings while keeping a close eye on Liu Jianming. When the traffic light turned green and Liu crossed the street, Ma Jun hurried after him.

The streets of Hong Kong were not particularly broad, with many small alleys. Ma Jun trailed Liu Jianming for about half an hour before they arrived at an old apartment building.

Liu Jianming hesitated briefly, then ascended the stairs. Ma Jun hid in a shadowy corner, pulling out a prepared camera from his spatial ring. Within five minutes, Liu Jianming hurried back down.

Without hesitation, Ma Jun pressed the shutter.

“Young Liu is still inexperienced! After a few years undercover in the police, he’d never be so easy to follow,” Ma Jun thought with satisfaction as he pocketed the camera, once again trailing Liu Jianming with care.

Next, Liu Jianming went to Mrs. Han Chen’s home to report the good news. Ma Jun captured this meeting as well.

Although he lacked detailed evidence of the murder and conversation, and couldn’t provide a complete proof, what he had was more than enough for his purposes.

Without waiting for Liu Jianming to finish, Ma Jun left, circled a few blocks, and found a roadside stall for lunch.

After eating, he lit a cigarette and headed to a photo studio. With a generous tip, he had the shop owner develop the photos immediately. Satisfied with the clear images, Ma Jun nodded approvingly.

“So, Xiaohua, did my reputation points increase?” He asked, hailing a taxi to the police station.

“Just a fraction. Are you proud?” Xiaohua replied with a teasing smile.

Ma Jun shrugged. Soon, he’d have plenty more.

Upon arriving at the station, he saw a group of officers mobilizing at the entrance. Clearly, news of Ni Kun’s death had already spread! And the timing was significant—on the fourteenth, just when several subordinates were scheduled to deliver money to the Ni family.

Ma Jun scanned the area and soon spotted Lu Qichang and Huang Zhicheng.

Lu Qichang bore a striking resemblance to his brother Jun, making him easy to recognize. Ma Jun rushed over and grabbed him. “Officer Lu, I have something urgent to report!”

Lu Qichang looked puzzled. “Who are you?”

“I’m cadet 9527 from the police academy. It’s extremely urgent—about tonight’s operation!” Ma Jun wore an anxious expression.

“Speak now,” Huang Zhicheng interjected impatiently. “You’re just a cadet—you have no right to interfere with police operations.”

“Officer Lu, I can only report this to you,” Ma Jun glanced at Huang Zhicheng, his tone resolute.

Lu Qichang hesitated, then beckoned. “Come with me.” He turned to Huang Zhicheng, “Old Huang, take the men ahead.”

They stepped beneath a large tree. Lu Qichang pointed at Ma Jun, warning, “If your report doesn’t satisfy me, be careful you don’t graduate.”

“Sir, school was closed today. I overheard a classmate making a suspicious phone call at a shop near the gate. I quietly followed him and discovered something big,” Ma Jun said gravely. “Luckily, I planned to go out and had my camera with me, so I captured his movements. Please look at these photos.”

Ma Jun handed over the photos. “Here’s the place where Ni Kun died today. Here’s Mrs. Han Chen’s home. I couldn’t take too many to avoid being noticed. To get more information, I quietly approached her door and overheard something even more shocking!”

“What was it?” Lu Qichang’s expression grew serious as he stared intently at the photos.

“Mrs. Han Chen said Officer Huang ordered her to kill Ni Kun,” Ma Jun whispered, glancing around.

“Huang Zhicheng!” Lu Qichang’s eyes widened as he looked at Ma Jun.

“I’m telling the truth, and I only dared report this to you.”

“There’s actually a triad mole in the police academy!” Lu Qichang clenched the photos, veins bulging on his forehead. “Once tonight is over, I’ll make sure to catch him!”

“Officer Lu, if we didn’t know, it would be disastrous. But now that we do, shouldn’t we turn the situation to our advantage?” Ma Jun grinned slyly.

Lu Qichang studied Ma Jun. “What’s your name? You’ve got some ideas.”

“Sir!” Ma Jun stood tall and saluted. “Cadet 9527—real name Ma Jun!”

“Excellent!” Lu Qichang nodded. “If there’s a mole in the academy, there may well be more than one. I order you to find them all! You’re graduating soon, right? I’ll apply to have you transferred to my unit. Interested?”

Ma Jun’s joy was genuine, inside and out. “I guarantee I’ll complete the task!”

“Good!” Lu Qichang nodded in satisfaction, then, with a hint of irritation and regret, said quietly, “About Officer Huang…”

“Don’t worry, Officer Lu—I understand,” Ma Jun replied with a knowing smile.

“All right, I need to go. You should leave too.”

Content, Ma Jun strolled back to the station, cigarette between his lips, savoring the cool evening breeze.

“Not bad, uncle. You’ve now got nearly fifty reputation points!” Xiaohua said with a hint of envy. “Who would’ve thought you’d be so good at stealing the spotlight!”