Chapter 1

Inside the Coast Guard compound, a team leader spotted a group of trainees brawling. He immediately came over and yelled a couple of times. With others also pulling them apart, the ones who were getting beaten stopped fighting, but continued to shout abuse at the dark-skinned youth.

Su Tianyu stood to the side, quickly assessing the situation. He thought to himself that it was fortunate the team leader had arrived. Otherwise, with the dark-skinned youth's explosive power, those shouting guys would probably have been forced to swallow a basketball.

"What's going on?" the team leader asked.

Before the dark-skinned youth could speak, the kid who had been hit first immediately clutched his chest and stood up, saying, "Our basketball fell onto the lawn outside, and this guy kicked it into the ditch. I came out to ask him why he kicked my ball, and he punched me in the face."

The team leader turned to the dark-skinned youth. "Did you hit him first?"

"He cursed at me first," the dark-skinned youth replied.

"Don't talk nonsense. I'm asking you if you made the first move?!" the team leader questioned sternly, with his hands behind his back.

"He cursed at me. Of course, I'd beat him up," the dark-skinned youth replied bluntly.

"Alright, come with me to the office," the team leader said, waving his hand. He then turned to the onlookers and shouted, "Alright, alright, everyone disperse."

With that, the team leader led the two groups of brawlers toward the building.

The temporary workers and officially enlisted police officers who had witnessed the whole incident didn't say a word in the dark-skinned youth's defense. Clearly, he didn't have many friends in the police force.

Su Tianyu was new to the place and wasn't particularly familiar with the youth, so he couldn't be bothered to meddle. He put out his cigarette and turned to leave.

...

About ten minutes later.

The team leader escorted the two groups of brawlers to the disciplinary office of the Coast Guard. This department was essentially responsible for internal discipline, mainly focusing on the work, training, and life discipline of new police officers, but it didn't pay much attention to the old members.

The head of the disciplinary office was a balding middle-aged man in his fifties. He was stout and didn't look like someone involved in law enforcement. According to the normal schedule, he should have been off work by now, but he had gone out for a boozy lunch with a friend in the afternoon and had slept until now.

"What's going on here?" the balding middle-aged man asked, picking up his mug of hot water.

Before he finished speaking, the ones who had been beaten were quick to speak, narrating the events with a certain bias.

After listening, the balding middle-aged man turned to the dark-skinned youth. "What's your name?"

"Hou Guoyu," the dark-skinned youth replied.

"So, you're Hou Guoyu?" The balding middle-aged man paused, slowly putting down his teacup. "Why did you hit people?"

"They were playing with a damn ball, throwing it out six or seven times, making us fetch it, and they were being really rude," Hou Guoyu said, frowning slightly. "I ignored them, and they started cursing at me. If I didn't hit them, who would I hit?!"

"Even if they cursed at you, you can't just hit them! Do you know where this is? This is the Coast Guard, a disciplined unit!" The balding middle-aged man sized up Hou Guoyu. "You're just a temporary worker. Why are you acting so arrogant? Can't you be a little more low-key?"

"Can you be low-key when someone curses at you?" Hou Guoyu's tone was very sharp, as if he was full of resentment towards his job. He even publicly rebuked the head of the disciplinary office. "We're all human. It was a fight between two sides. They ganged up on me, five against one. Why aren't you saying anything about them?"

"Who do you think you're talking to?!" The balding middle-aged man felt he was losing face and pointed at Hou Guoyu, shouting, "Do you know how many complaints I've received about you these past few days? You're not serious about your work. You're either taking a dump or smoking. What do you think you're doing?"

"I'm not trying to do anything. Anyway, I've finished all the work I was supposed to do."

"What kind of attitude is that?!" Having been the head of the disciplinary office for so many years, the balding middle-aged man had never seen such an arrogant new recruit. "Do you not want to work here anymore? Do you believe I'll fire you right now?!"

Hou Guoyu gritted his teeth, looking at him sharply. "You're just a petty official. Do you really think you're God?! I don't need you to fire me. I quit!"

With that, Hou Guoyu, whose temper was unusually volatile, actually undid his belt in public, took off his uniform pants, jacket, and shoes, and threw them one by one on the ground.

Everyone was dumbfounded, wondering what kind of person this was. He didn't seem normal at all!

After throwing his clothes and shoes, Hou Guoyu turned to the five coast guard members and said, "Once you leave this door, your parents' connections might not work anymore. You better hope I don't see you on the street!"

"Bang!"

After cursing, Hou Guoyu felt extremely refreshed. He ignored everyone and walked downstairs wearing only a tank top and a pair of boxer shorts with little red strawberries printed on them.

It took a while for the head of the disciplinary office, who was still not fully sober, to react. He pointed at the door and cursed, "Isn't that a psychopath?! Are they recruiting people with mental problems now?"

"Uncle Yu, sorry for the trouble," the beaten youth immediately said with a smile.

"Alright, don't cause any more trouble. Go back," the balding middle-aged man said softly, waving his hand.

...

After leaving the compound, Hou Guoyu went straight to the street parking lot and sat in his old, beat-up pickup truck, smoking a cigarette.

This truck belonged to Hou Guoyu's father. It was at least fifteen years old, and there wasn't a single intact piece of paint on the exterior. It looked very dilapidated, and every part of it rattled. But the "lazy" Hou Guoyu still didn't want to take the bus or subway to work, so he drove it every day.

After finishing a cigarette in the car, Hou Guoyu drove straight to the Foreign Trade Port.

About an hour later, it was already dark. A pickup truck, as if out of control, stopped abruptly in the loading area, leaving a row of simple and crude skid marks behind the truck.

"Hey, boss, can I get a job carrying loads?" Hou Guoyu shouted, rolling down the window.

"Is that your truck from around here?" the foreman asked.

"No, I just want to earn some money temporarily. Your workers can ride with me, and I'll get paid when I deliver them," Hou Guoyu replied with a smile.

"Twenty yuan per trip, and you have to help with the unloading," the foreman replied.

"Deal!" Hou Guoyu said, getting right to it. He pushed the door open and got out, dressed in his boxer shorts and tank top, asking, "Where do I load?"

The foreman was dumbfounded. "...Are those...your girlfriend's shorts? What's up, feeling hot?"

"Doesn't matter, let's get to work!" Hou Guoyu replied with a smile.

Each trip took two hours, and he also had to help with loading and unloading. Hou Guoyu worked until nearly ten o'clock in the evening and only earned forty yuan.

As soon as he got the forty yuan, Hou Guoyu went straight to a decent dai pai dong (open-air restaurant) and ordered a seafood meal to go with his drinks, along with five bottles of beer. He drank until his face was flushed and he felt comfortable all over.

A cool breeze blew gently, and Hou Guoyu smoked his cigarette, looking at the waves, feeling incredibly free.

Seize the day, drink while you can, this is life!

...

Inside the municipal building late at night, there was hardly anyone left, just a security guard watching a boring TV show in the security room.

In the lobby, Gu Baishun had been waiting for Director Liu for seven or eight hours.

Finally, close to twelve o'clock, footsteps came from the elevator. Gu Baishun looked up and saw Li Mingsheng and Director Liu walking out.

Gu Baishun immediately stood up, his face full of smiles.

Li Mingsheng didn't even look at him and walked straight out of the lobby. Director Liu walked over and asked softly, "You're Gu... Gu...?"

"My name is Gu Baishun."

"Oh, Chairman Gu! Sorry, the internal meeting ran too long today." Director Liu nodded at him perfunctorily. "Your association is doing well. The mayor has praised it. It's too late today, let's do it another day."

"Okay, okay!" Gu Baishun said with a restrained smile.

With that, Director Liu also quickly left the lobby.