Free Web NovelChapter 285: Chapter 179: Providence Deepens! Deepens! Deepens
He leaned closer to Xiao Jun and Li Nan and asked in a hushed voice, "Captain Xiao, Captain Li, was the kingpin caught?"
"You know it."
Li Nan lowered his voice as well. "If we hadn’t caught the biggest fish, we wouldn’t have had the nerve to hold such a grand commendation ceremony. We received a second-class group commendation, too."
He paused, glanced at Xiaojiu calmly licking its paws on Yang Qi’s shoulder, and chuckled. "Of course, compared to the commotion on your end, ours pales a bit. You even got the deputy mayor involved."
"It was a team effort. I was just in the right place at the right time," Yang Qi said humbly.
After a bit of small talk, Li Nan got down to business.
"Advisor Yang, I need to ask you for a favor. In a couple of days, the Bureau is organizing a city-wide public security sweep and major investigation. We were hoping to borrow Hu Zi, Leopard, and Bai Wan. Their noses are sharper than a lot of our equipment. What do you think..."
"No problem."
Yang Qi readily agreed. "They’re in great shape and ready for duty at any time. Just give me a heads-up, and you can either come pick them up, or I can bring them over."
"Thanks!"
Xiao Jun, Li Nan, and the others thanked him repeatedly, played with the "merit animals" for a little while, and then took their leave.
After seeing Xiao Jun and his group off, Yang Qi’s phone immediately started buzzing nonstop.
The first was the main "Zoo Family" work group chat, where messages scrolled by at lightning speed, completely flooded by the name "Yang Qi" and a series of astonished-looking sticker packs.
[Chen Ze: @Yang Qi Brother Qi, you’re awesome! I bow down to you!]
[Cheng Yao: @Yang Qi Expert Yang, please share what it felt like to shake hands with the deputy mayor. Also, where are the red packets? Where are the red packets? /smirk]
[Hu Haodong: Big shot, let me ride your coattails! Send some red packets to comfort us mere mortals.]
[...]
The other colleagues also chimed in, congratulating, teasing, and demanding red packets, making the chat incredibly lively.
Watching the rapidly scrolling screen, Yang Qi didn’t hesitate. With a few quick taps, he sent out three large red packets in one go.
DING! DING! DING!...
The notification sounds of the packets being claimed rang out one after another.
[Whoa~ So generous!]
[Thanks, Brother Qi!]
[The boss is so generous!]
[Got one! Soaking up some of your good luck.]
[...]
The group chat instantly erupted, with jubilant sticker packs flooding the screen once again.
...
The news spread as if it had grown wings.
Congratulatory messages from Chen Hao, Yang Pan, Pang Yunrui, and others arrived one after another.
Tan Zheng, Li Hongqi, Sun Zhenghong, Deng Lei, and even people he had worked with back in his hometown of Ningshan County, like Luo Kaifeng and Dahe Town’s police chief Chen Shuangquan, all sent messages of congratulations.
Yang Qi earnestly replied to each and every one of them with thanks.
The smaller "Liudong Study Group" chat was even more of a dramatic scene.
[Gao Zhenyue: Holy cow, Brother Qi, you’re really flying high now! A Special Consultant for the Municipal Bureau, and the deputy mayor personally giving your cat an award! That level of prestige! Are we even brothers anymore? How could you not give us a heads-up about something so huge? /beating chest and stamping feet]
[Ye Haibing: Boss Yang, let me join your crew! You solve the cases, and I’ll handle tech support. I’ve even thought of a name for our duo—we’ll call it the ’Miracle Squad’! /s]
[Qian Yu: Congrats, congrats! Old Gao, you two should learn a thing or two from Yang Qi!]
[Song Wan: Brother Qi, you’re so amazing! Can I brag about this in my family group chat? /snicker]
[...]
Yang Qi decisively sent two large red packets into the chat to "quell the public outrage," and the group finally quieted down for a moment.
...
That evening, the "Spring Flowers, Autumn Fruits (Song Sect Family)" mentor group chat also came to life.
Evidently, the news had already reached his various seniors through different channels.
[Xia Xiaomin: @Yang Qi Our Junior Brother is amazing! You quietly became an honored guest of the Municipal Bureau and even earned our group a ’Merit Police Cat and Police Dog’! /thumbs up]
[Yang Fan: Congratulations, Junior Brother Yang. This is a tremendous recognition of your professional abilities.]
[Fang Rong: Our Junior Brother is now a bona fide expert! From now on, our group will have solid connections in the police system! /snicker]
Wei Zongting also chimed in:
[Congrats, Junior Brother. Any red packets?]
Even their professor, Song Chunfang, who hadn’t spoken in the group for a long time, sent a message.
[Xiaoqi, well done. Remain humble and patient, and do not neglect your studies.]
It was followed by a simple system smiley emoji.
Yang Qi quickly replied, thanking his professor for her affirmation and his seniors for their congratulations, then jokingly "begged for mercy" from the clamoring crowd.
[Seniors, spare me! I was just lucky and benefited from my animal partners’ talents. Please let me off the hook! /facepalm]
He then sent a large, festive red packet into the group to thank everyone for their concern.
Just as the excitement in the group was starting to die down, a soft knock came from the courtyard gate, followed by a familiar voice.
"Xiao Yang, are you resting?"
Yang Qi quickly got up to open the gate and looked outside.
It was Bao Shun, along with Bao Tutu and her mother, the haggard-faced but determinedly upright Chen Manjuan.
"Master Bao, Tutu, Sister Chen, please, come in!"
Yang Qi invited the three of them inside, had them sit in the living room, and poured them glasses of warm water.
"Hello, Uncle Yang."
Bao Tutu called out softly.
Then, her gaze was drawn to Xiaojiu, who was perched on the arm of the sofa, and to Bai Wan, Hu Zi, and Leopard, who were lying in their dog beds.
This was Chen Manjuan’s first time formally meeting Yang Qi, and she seemed nervous and ill at ease, her hands tightly clutching the strap of her inexpensive backpack.
Yang Qi smiled, taking the initiative to break the ice.
"Sister Chen, we’ve actually met before. About a month or so ago, I was on a bullet train to the Provincial Capital. My seat was just across the aisle from you and Tutu. Tutu kept turning her head to look at me back then, right, Tutu?"
Bao Tutu tilted her head, thought for a moment, and then nodded.
With Yang Qi’s reminder, Chen Manjuan also vaguely recalled the scene. There had indeed been a quiet young man sitting not far away, and her daughter had kept looking over at him.
