Section 1: Assignment

Zhao Guodong was taken aback; it had been many years since he had heard anyone call him by this nickname. This nickname was likely a 'title of honor' from his middle school days at the factory's children’s school, derived from a boring competition in the boys' restroom one day. The boys, having pulled down their pants, were all straining to see who could urinate the highest. Although he did not win the championship, his impressive performance caught the attention of his peers. Additionally, being the eldest male in his family contributed to the origin of the nickname 'Big Eggplant'.

The sound of a bicycle bell floated by as a bicycle zipped past me

Take your time, there is no need to rush. Zhao Guodong has become quite unfamiliar with the matters of the factory.

Wu Changqing pedaled vigorously on his bicycle. Five minutes later, Zhao Guodong and Wu Changqing were already cooling off under the ceiling fan in a restaurant.

"It's hard to explain in a few words." Zhao Guodong imitated the profound sayings of the masters in martial arts novels, realizing that he couldn't clarify the matter at hand in a short time. "No more talking about it. In any case, we are back. Jiangmiao Police Station, hehe, went around in circles and ended up back home."

"Hehe, you are indeed back like Hu Hanzan, and those beautiful girls in our factory are going to be in trouble again," Wu Changqing said, taking another big sip as he casually remarked.

Zhao Guodong was somewhat distracted, recalling the early morning when he gently held Tong Man's waist while sitting on the back seat of the bicycle, and he felt a strange sensation. Having tasted the essence, ever since he had that kind of experience with his girlfriend Tang Jin, Zhao Guodong realized that the desires he had buried for twenty years had suddenly been unearthed.

The Criminal Investigation Team, what a resounding and imposing name! As a criminal investigator, who would not show a measure of deference when encountering this identity?

Once a case is filed, it becomes a homicide, and the noose around the neck of the criminal investigation team immediately tightens.

One has not received any disciplinary action, not even a reprimand, yet everyone knows that being transferred from the criminal police team to a police station, especially to a rural police station, signifies a form of punishment if one is not promoted to a leadership position. It represents an adjustment imbued with a strong sense of exile.

In the criminal police team, I am busy day and night, like a fully wound-up machine, with hardly any time to read a book. Perhaps after today, I will finally have some leisure to look at books.

What the hell, who do you think I am? Hu Hansan? I am someone who wears a tiger skin; do you take me for a member of the Kuomintang or a bandit? Zhao Guodong doesn't mind either; when classmates are together, there aren't so many reservations. Wu Changqing is also a straightforward person, and in the past, he was always the fastest to charge into a fight, nicknamed "The Stick Guest." Which workshop are you in at the factory now?

Zhao Guodong's mood improved significantly upon returning to Changqing, that old rascal! He unexpectedly ran into an old classmate, which greatly alleviated his earlier feelings of dejection.

Zhao Guodong observed that Wu Changqing was drinking rather hastily. After so many years without any interaction, he was unsure of this fellow's drinking capacity, and it would be troublesome if he were to collapse after just a few drinks. The mechanical repair workshop was an auxiliary workshop within the textile factory; the workload was not heavy, but the wages were quite limited, and there was little profit to be made. Unlike the water, electricity, and gas workshop, which managed the entire factory's power supply and naturally enjoyed more benefits.

"Ha, what are you doing here, taking steps? Being punished? Aren't you feeling hot?" The bicycle suddenly slid over and stopped in front of Zhao Guodong, the strong smell of sweat almost made Zhao Guodong cover his nose.

Eggplant

The early summer sun has become somewhat fierce, causing him to sweat all over. He simply took off his white shirt and draped it over his shoulder, walking with his head down.

He took a passing bus to the neighboring county, which did not pass through Jiangmiao Street. There were several miles from the roadside to the police station on the street. Normally, these few miles would not be considered much, but today, walking them felt particularly unpleasant

The vehicles and personnel from the team rushed to Dongting, as it was reported that a corpse had been discovered on Matou Mountain in Dongting Township. Preliminary investigations by the local police station suggest that the death was unnatural, and it is highly likely that this is a case.

"Get lost!" Zhao Guodong was equally unrestrained, jumping into the back seat of the car. "Let's go to Jiangmiao Street, I'm feeling really hot."

Three students from the police academy were simultaneously assigned to the criminal police team, marking a rare occasion for Jiangkou County to have three graduates from the provincial police vocational college at once

Guodong, what is going on with you? Didn't you say you were working as a detective in the county's criminal police team? I haven't seen you come back for a long time, and I was planning to go to the county to visit you one day. How did you end up walking back?" Wu Changqing also took off his vest, revealing a body of strong muscles, picked up a piece of pig's head meat, stuffed it into his mouth, and then took a big gulp of liquor.

Machine repair workshop. After another drink, Wu Changqing's face turned slightly red, and a few pimples became even more prominent and unsightly. "Damn it, I have no connections at home. I want to go to the water, electricity, and gas workshop, but several spots have already been taken by others."

Zhao Guodong raised his head and squinted his eyes to examine the bicycle and the cart in front of him. The person on the cart had a face full of what is commonly referred to as acne, with one foot on the ground and the other on the bicycle pedal, looking at him with a somewhat surprised grin.

To say something shameless, it is that when standing before the young ladies, just by virtue of this identity, one would gain several points. However, all of this has become a thing of the past for me.

Zhao Guodong and Wu Changqing are both descendants of the First Cotton Textile Factory in Andu. The First Cotton Textile Factory in Andu is not located in the urban area of Andu City, nor is it in the county seat of Jiangkou, but rather in the outskirts of Jiangmiao Town, which is forty kilometers away from Jiangkou County. It is still five or six li away from the streets of Jiangmiao Town. This old factory was established in the late 1960s, reportedly for the production of military supplies, but later this rationale inexplicably disappeared. A large factory with thousands of employees was built in Jiangmiao, a place that is not even a county seat, which explains why the old employees have always felt a sense of regret.

If I had known, I should have left earlier. Who would have thought that a murder would occur in the team? Suddenly, only two female colleagues were left in the team. Tong Man was quite considerate; she even rode her bicycle to take me to the bus station. I didn't expect to catch a passing bus, which saved me fifty cents on the fare, but it left me stranded two miles away from the street in Jiangmiao Town.

In this day and age, once a homicide occurs, the higher-ups do not inquire about anything; they only ask when the case will be solved. They do not care whether there are any conditions for the case. You and your team toil tirelessly for a month, and if there are no valuable clues to report, you will be left waiting to see the leaders' displeased expressions.

However, that nickname was something the classmates dared to call him in private. Zhao Guodong had always felt ashamed of this nickname; anyone who dared to call him that to his face would definitely pay a price. However, after experiencing the wonders of intimacy upon entering the police academy, Zhao Guodong no longer felt repulsed by the nickname. Yet, no one called him by that nickname anymore.

The sound coming from ahead suddenly pulled Zhao Guodong's thoughts back, "Big Eggplant?"

The sun was becoming increasingly scorching, causing Zhao Guodong's neck to feel as if it were being burned. Zhao Guodong lifted his head to glance ahead; it was nearly time for lunch, and there were hardly any pedestrians on the road. Surrounding him were rice fields, and there was no place to find a spot to rest and cool off.

Now, it is quite unfortunate that I have been expelled from the criminal police team, and in a rather disgraceful manner. I have suddenly been reassigned to a police station, specifically the Jiangmiao Police Station, which is located forty kilometers away from the county seat. This situation is indeed quite unpleasant.

Zhao Guodong did not even lift his head, walking lost in thought. He knew that as soon as he turned the corner ahead, he would see the main street of Jiangmiao Town. He pondered how to report in, whether to adopt a humble and submissive demeanor as if he had been reprimanded, or to act nonchalantly and boldly as if nothing were amiss

Although exhausted from hard work, stepping out of the police station, I hold my chest a little higher than others. Whether it is the officials of administrative agencies or the tough guys in society, who wouldn't cast a glance?

The delicate softness of Tong Man's waist made his heart flutter, almost causing him to mistake her for Tang Jin, and his hands could not help but yearn to climb to greater heights.

However, all of this had nothing to do with him. Upon thinking of this, Zhao Guodong felt a fleeting sense of glee, tinged with a hint of schadenfreude. Yet, this momentary joy dissipated like smoke, and he was immediately troubled by the predicament he faced.

In previous years, there were intermittent breaks in the * graphic * books, and many remained in several sub-bureaus or the municipal bureau. This year, the allocation policy has shifted towards the grassroots level, and the three of us returned to the county's criminal police team together. Although there was some grievance in our hearts, being in the criminal police team was at least a consolation. After all, it is an elite unit, and we can also learn a thing or two about handling cases.

"Guodong? Is that you?" The other party seemed somewhat uncertain and shouted again loudly

Tong Man is also one of the three police academy students, but he is not in the same class as me; instead, he shares a class with Huang Huacheng. He has a rather charming appearance, with a round face that gives off a bit of a doll-like vibe, especially with his long and curved eyelashes that are quite captivating when he blinks. It is said that Huang Huacheng has had some feelings for Tong Man for a while, but it seems that there has been no progress between the two.

The sunlight was somewhat glaring, but Zhao Guodong raised his hand to shield his forehead and took a glance. The other person's appearance had not changed much; he still looked as sleazy as ever. However, he had grown quite a bit taller, seemingly even a little taller than Zhao. He was wearing a blue tank top, and his broad back appeared somewhat sweaty.

Zhao Guodong could not help but reminisce about his nearly one year as a criminal police officer. No matter how difficult or exhausting it was, he was surrounded by a large group of people, sharing jokes and laughter. Whether it was monotonous or arduous, it was all part of the experience. Now, as he marched alone, he truly felt a sense of discomfort.

A plate of fried peanuts, a dish of braised pig's head, a bowl of steamed pork, a serving of twice-cooked pork, a bottle of Liulangchun, and two classmates have already begun to enjoy a drink

Zhao Guodong walked down the street, somewhat dejected, carrying a bag. Inside were only a few changes of clothes, along with some textbooks he brought back from school that he still deemed somewhat valuable, and a few self-study books.