Chapter 16: Qiangsheng Group

At any time and in any place, as long as a police car is not patrolling the streets or parked at a police station, it becomes the focus of public discussion regardless of which residential complex, office building, or company it appears at.

Chenguang Villa District is not open to the public; all its residents are shareholders of the Haizhou City Qiangsheng Group.

Even the security guards are not hired from the outside.

On duty today were the third son of Lu Chuan’s second uncle and the son-in-law of his eldest uncle.

"Third Brother, you and Shunzi are on duty today? Hard work, hard work. Want a cigarette?"

"Chuanzi," Lu Yao, who was guarding the gate, lowered his right hand from a salute. No matter the time or the task, there must be rules; if you’re a security guard, you have to look like one. "Why didn't you ride your bike back today?"

Everyone in the complex knew that Lu Chuan had become a police officer.

For the past half-month, he had been commuting by shared bike every day. Why was he in a Land Cruiser today?

Although this car wasn't worth much in the eyes of the residents—or even in the eyes of Lu Yao, who guarded the gate—it was a different story at the police station.

Anyone who could ride in a Land Cruiser had to be at least a deputy bureau chief, right?

Lu Chuan lifted his right arm, which was wrapped in gauze. "I got a little hurt catching a thief and couldn't ride my bike, so my unit leaders arranged for a car to drop me off."

Ten minutes later.

The news that Lu Chuan had been injured catching a thief and was dropped off by a unit leader in a Land Cruiser had spread throughout the entire complex.

"Son, what happened to your arm?"

Seeing his precious son’s arm wrapped in a bandage, Zhang Baozhen was shocked, her face full of heartache.

Lu Yuantang also came out of the kitchen, frowning as he looked at Lu Chuan.

"Mom, Dad, it’s nothing. I was passing by the pedestrian street on my way home from work today and happened to run into a thief. I bumped it while catching them. It’s fine, just a scratch."

To convince his parents that his injury wasn't serious, Lu Chuan even deliberately stretched his arm. "Look, it’s nothing."

"Don't move!"

Zhang Baozhen’s eyes welled up with tears. She carefully cradled her son’s arm, then glared fiercely at Lu Yuantang, who was still wearing his apron. "It’s all your fault! I said I didn't want Xiao Chuan to be some police officer. Look at this, how dangerous!"

Lu Yuantang paused with his spatula in hand, not daring to talk back. If he resisted now, the conversation would inevitably drift back to twenty years ago, when she was in postpartum confinement and there wasn't even an egg in the house.

"Are you really okay?"

Lu Chuan shook his head. "I'm really fine, just a little scrape."

Lu Chuan didn't mention it was a knife wound; otherwise, his career as a police officer would likely be over.

Seeing that his son was indeed not seriously hurt, Lu Yuantang tossed the contents of his wok. "It’s a good thing I made pork skin jelly today. Eat plenty of it—you are what you eat."

Lu Chuan: "..."

*Knock, knock, knock!*

Just as Lu Yuantang was about to turn back to cooking, someone knocked on the door.

Zhang Baozhen didn't even pay attention; all her focus was on Lu Chuan.

Lu Yuantang went to open the door and was slightly taken aback. "Second Brother, Sister-in-law, why are you here?"

"Lu Yao is on gate duty today and heard that Chuanzi got hurt catching a thief, so we came to check on him."

"It’s nothing major. Lu Chuan said it was just a scrape."

"Eh, it is a big deal. I just saw a Land Cruiser drop Chuanzi off. Did he perform a meritorious service?"

In Haizhou City, there are quite a few Land Cruisers, and many people in the complex own them.

But there aren't many official vehicles that are Land Cruisers. Anyone who can ride in a car of that price is no simple character.

This was why the elderly residents in the complex were so surprised to see a police Land Cruiser enter the gates.

"Out of all our kids, only your Chuanzi has made something of himself. He went to college and now he’s a police officer, unlike the one in our house who can only guard the gate."

As they spoke, more people arrived outside the villa.

"Eldest Brother, Fifth Brother, you’re here too?"

When Lu Yuantang went back into the house, a dozen people were following behind him.

They were all Lu Yuantang’s brothers—some biological, some cousins.

There are sixty-two villas in Chenguang Complex, all occupied by the Lu family.

"Chuan-wazi, heard you got hurt. How are you?"

"Did you perform a meritorious service? I saw a police Land Cruiser drop you off."

"Did you get a medal this time? Like that individual third-class merit you got last time?"

Lu Chuan, having become a police officer, was the only one in the third generation of the Lu family to work for the state.

Most of the other brothers and sisters worked at the Qiangsheng Group, a family-style enterprise founded by the first generation of the Lu family.

Every member of the Lu family held shares, but they didn't necessarily hold important positions.

For example, Lu Yao, the son of the second uncle, just guarded the gate.

And Lu Chuan’s father, Lu Yuantang, managed the cafeteria at the group—hardly a core business.

"Second Uncle, I just caught a thief. It doesn't count as a meritorious service."

Of course, this involved investors and the reputation of Haizhou City, so Lu Chuan didn't explain it in too much detail.

Firstly, it wasn't necessary, and secondly, regulations didn't allow it.

The reason Lu Chuan’s incident drew so much attention was partly due to the Land Cruiser, but also because of his previous individual third-class merit.

Lu Chuan was the first among the third generation of the Lu family to have a plaque hung in the Lu family ancestral hall.

The last time a plaque was hung was when the second son of the Third Granduncle joined the army and received a "Glorious Family" plaque.

Well, that was the sixth "Glorious Family" plaque for the Third Granduncle’s house.

Before that, it was a *juren* scholar among their ancestors, but that was a century ago.

For the Lu family and the Qiangsheng Group, money hadn't been a problem for years.

What the families valued more was reputation, and Lu Yuantang was clearly basking in his son’s glory.

"Since you're all here, don't leave. I just made pork skin jelly, everyone have some."

The Lu family all lived in the same complex, and without any financial worries, they were very close; group dinners were a common occurrence.

Before the group existed, and before they had villas, they often gathered at one house or another to eat.

As the hostess, Zhang Baozhen went into the kitchen to start working.

The other sisters-in-law and younger female cousins also consciously headed into the kitchen—that was their domain.

Whose son was getting married, whose daughter had found what kind of husband—these were the most common topics.

Lu Yuantang took off his apron and began chatting with his brothers and cousins.

Because Lu Chuan had one arm out of commission, the task of serving tea and water fell to the other third-generation cousins. "Chuanzi, are there any police beauties in your unit? Introduce one to your Third Brother?"

Every time Lu Yao saw Lu Chuan, this was his biggest concern.

The third generation of the Lu family had a trait: they all liked to marry people within the system.

For example, Shunzi, who guarded the gate, used to be in the system too, but he resigned two years after getting married.

In his words, guarding the gate at Chenguang Complex had more of a future; at least he was now the deputy captain of the security team.

If he had stayed at his old unit, he could only "heh heh."

As for police beauties in the Criminal Investigation Detachment, they certainly existed.

But most were in administrative departments, and Lu Chuan, being in crime scene investigation, didn't really know them.

He didn't even have their WeChat, let alone be able to introduce one to his cousin.

"Third Brother, come on, let's go eat the pork skin jelly."