Chapter 2: Mercury Retrograde

Zuo Luo nodded and said, "Sister-in-law, if you encounter any difficulties in the future and need assistance, give me a call"

Zuo Luo inquired: "Uncle Ma, you said this person is very interesting, in what way is he interesting?"

Zuo Luodao: "Since Uncle Ma, you are not taking on this position of director, the new director should at least show you some respect, right?"

Zuo Luo sat alone on a chair, surrounded by busy personnel from the Internal Affairs Bureau. The Bureau was in the process of sealing seven sets of files, which included hundreds of kilograms of paper documents as well as data stored on computers that needed to be organized and verified. The Bureau also had to inquire about the witnesses, suspects, and convicted criminals related to each case investigated by Liu Mo.

They have dispersed. Sister-in-law, do not blame them for being heartless and ungrateful; they cannot come.

The incident involving the Seventh Squad is so significant that it is surprising it did not end in failure. Who does not know that the Seventh Squad was built by me, Ma Tao, single-handedly? Twenty years ago, when the name of the Major Crimes Seventh Squad was mentioned, even the most hardened criminals would be frightened to death.

... ...

Ma Tao was uncertain and said: "Don't jump to conclusions on this matter. This person may be very useful, or perhaps not useful at all; I can't be sure. However, I find this person quite interesting. Additionally, the deputy team leader of Group One, your old classmate Xu Xuan, has been keeping an eye on him and is indecisive about whether to take him. You decide for yourself; if you want him, go right now. The file is in duplicate, and one copy has already been taken by your old classmate."

Three months later

The mourning hall was very quiet, with a woman in her thirties sitting on a chair, facing Liu Mo's crystal coffin. A girl of about sixteen or seventeen, dressed in mourning attire, knelt beside a brazier, burning paper money.

Do you understand the rules, little rabbit? You come back to work without greeting. Come here

Zuo Luodao: "Uncle Ma, this time our Group 7 fell into the hands of the foreigners, and we don't even know how it happened, not to mention who the other party is?"

Suspension review

The phone on the desk vibrated, and Zuo Luo looked at the phone number before answering the call: "What?"

On the west side of the corridor on the first floor of the office is the Special Major Case Team 7. The office of Team 7 is simply arranged, featuring four desks, four chairs, a sofa, a coffee table, a water room, and a restroom

Ma Tao's file: "Take a look yourself"

Zuo Luo knocked on the door, pushed it open, and entered. By the window, a man around fifty years old was typing on the keyboard with a two-finger technique, squinting at the computer monitor, then looking down at the keyboard to type one or two more characters. Zuo Luo closed the door, pulled a chair to sit beside the man's desk, and picked up a box of cigarettes from the table, lighting one for himself.

The man is Deputy Director Ma Tao, who, in a fit of anger, slammed the keyboard and then picked up a piece of paper and a pen to write a report: "The time it takes me to type ten characters is enough for me to complete a document"

Zuo Luo did not want to listen to Ma Tao talk about the past and asked, "Why did you call me over?"

However, that is not possible today, as today is the day of Liu Mo's funeral

Oh

Ma Tao set down his pen and took a sip of water, saying: "Indeed, thieves can be terrifying, but this is no longer the era of thieves. As you can see, in the age of information and the internet, I can't even produce a report. You young people need to take over. I have secured the position of Team 7 for you; you are now the leader of Team 7. Choose whoever you need, and get Team 7 up and running. I have confidence in you. I have the files of the candidates for various criminal police officers from the sub-bureau; I have selected twenty individuals for your reference. If you need anyone, just call Director Wang, who is in charge of personnel. I have secured the position of Team 7 for you; you are now the leader of Team 7. Choose whoever you need, and get Team 7 up and running. I have confidence in you. I have the files of the candidates for various criminal police officers from the sub-bureau; I have selected twenty individuals for your reference. You will have a total of six positions, including one deputy leader, one internal staff member, and four external staff members. It is entirely up to you who to appoint and hire. Even if you are not satisfied with this list, you can choose on your own, as long as they are willing to join."

I know, I know. The woman sighed and looked at the crystal coffin, saying: "I had already told him not to be a police officer. He said I didn't understand, that he loved this city, and that there wasn't much he could do. What he was good at was catching the bad people in the city. Truly, he didn't care about what was said in books or newspapers regarding power or fame; he didn't care about those things."

Zuo Luo got into the car assigned by the bureau and drove westward towards the city. After about half an hour, he left the bustling city and arrived at the quiet suburbs. Zuo Luo occasionally glanced at the sky, which was gray, mirroring his own mood. The bureau's psychologist had called in the morning, hoping that Zuo Luo could come over to his place. If it was really inconvenient, he could come to Zuo Luo instead. However, Zuo Luo silently hung up the phone. He knew he did not need a psychologist; he needed to go to a place where there were no people, to lie quietly and let time and space heal his body and mind.

Ma Tao leaned back in his chair and looked at Zuo Luo for a while: "Do you have any thoughts?"

"Sister-in-law," said Zuo Luo. Upon seeing Zuo Luo, the woman stood up and could not help but shed tears. Zuo Luo helped the woman to sit down aside.

Ma Tao found it difficult and said: "There are hardly any people, it is not your turn yet"

I heard that your promotion has fallen through

The woman nodded and said, "Then let us not wait any longer, we shall see him on his way."

Sister-in-law, you need to understand them. The bureau has issued a notice, and currently, the matter concerning elder brother is at a critical juncture, and two old cases that may involve coercive interrogation have also resurfaced

Ma Tao looked at Zuo Luo, turned his head to open the drawer, took out a large bundle of documents, and placed it on the table. Zuo Luo reached for it, but Ma Tao pressed his hand down: "It's not that I, Ma Tao, have any prestige, but rather that this person is unwanted, so I just took it conveniently."

One kilometer from the main police station in City A is the office for particularly serious cases, which serves as a police station dedicated to investigating sensitive and major criminal cases. The office has only three floors and covers a considerable area

Zuo Luodao: "Uncle Ma, I heard that the bureau is currently working on some retrograde plan."

Are you alright

Zuo Luodao: "Those who can catch the eye of your Uncle Ma are certainly not ordinary individuals"

Group 7

The woman wiped her tears, feeling quite comforted, and said: "You still came."

Crematorium Zone 7 has been sealed off, with numerous reporters present and a dozen police officers blocking outsiders from entering. The once-hero of the city has died unjustly; it should have been a solemn and grand occasion, but the reality is otherwise. At the funeral of the distinguished Liu Mo, not a single police officer attended his memorial service, and there wasn't even a memorial service held.

Zuo Luo seemed to have not heard anything, staring at the wall for a long time. He stood up silently, placed his service pistol on the table, and picked up his suit before leaving the office. He had become the center of attention in the building. As he passed through the corridor, his colleagues looked at him with various expressions—some with sympathy, some with lamentation, and others with glee. There were also people inviting him to dinner or for tea, but Zuo Luo appeared to be oblivious to them, as if he had not seen or heard any of their voices, and he walked out of the Special Major Crimes Unit, looking straight ahead.

Upon arriving at the police station lobby, I swiped my ID card to enter the elevator and reached the seventh floor. This is the branch office, where there are a total of six deputy directors at the headquarters, each overseeing certain departments. Zuo Luo arrived at the last office in the corridor, which had a photo and a name displayed: Deputy Director Ma Tao

Zuo Luo walked into Group 7. Apart from the table, chairs, and computer, everything else was completely empty, a scene of utter chaos, as if it had been ransacked by a gang. Zuo Luo dusted off his chair, sending dust flying, and set his suit aside, unconcerned as he sat down. He opened the computer, which was still functional. However, the system had been reinstalled, and all previous data had been completely erased.

The municipal police headquarters of City A is just one kilometer away, yet Zuo Luo still drove there. Who knows what he intended to do? If he were to be dismissed, he might as well return the car.

Zuo Luo looked at a pile of files in front of him, thought for a moment, pushed the files aside, then picked up Ma Tao's cigarette and handed it to him, helping to light it. Ma Tao asked warily, "What are you doing? Don't even think about poaching from Team One. Team One is currently walking tall in the police station, and there are so many people wanting to join that you can't even count them."

A man approached Officer Zuo and said, "Officer Zuo, you have been granted an extended leave by the higher authorities"