Chapter 50: Eagerness

District Three, Enforcers' Headquarters.

“Chen Ling, correct?”

An Enforcer meticulously verified Chen Ling's identity before handing him two sets of black and red uniforms and an Enforcer's ID card.

After changing into his uniform, Chen Ling had lunch at the headquarters. In the afternoon, he took his oath of office in the headquarters' plaza, followed by a speech from a leader. This entire process made Chen Ling feel increasingly like he had returned to modern society.

Even nearly four centuries after the Great Cataclysm, some human customs had persisted, offering a glimpse into the civilization that existed before the disaster.

The only thing that surprised Chen Ling was that the "leader" giving the speech wasn't Han Meng, but another Two-Mark Enforcer he hadn't seen much of.

“Where’s Officer Han Meng? Why isn't he giving the speech?” another Enforcer nearby questioned.

“You didn’t know? I heard the Enforcers in District Three rebelled a couple of days ago... That Ma Zhong, along with two other Enforcers, ambushed Officer Han Meng, but he ended up killing them instead.”

“What??? Really?”

“Of course it’s true. They say Officer Han Meng was furious that night. Before Aurora City could issue official approval, he executed Ma Zhong and the other two on the spot, and also killed over fifty Enforcers who were involved with them... Didn’t you notice a large number of Enforcers missing today?”

“Wow, killing so many people at once, isn’t that crippling the District Three Enforcers? Officer Han Meng is that ruthless?”

“Now, there are only two Enforcers left in the entire District Three... Officer Han Meng, and Xi Renjie, who’s on stage right now. Xi Renjie was personally promoted by Officer Han Meng; although he only has two marks, his background is very clean.”

“But I heard that because Officer Han Meng didn’t report it promptly and took matters into his own hands by killing people, Aurora City is very displeased and might be disciplining him soon.”

“So that’s why he didn’t show up...”

“Ah, what a shame.”

Hearing the conversation nearby, Chen Ling's eyebrows raised slightly.

He suddenly recalled what Han Meng had said to him in his home yesterday afternoon, after a long silence: “Whether you believe me or not, I have always been fulfilling my duty... If you truly feel that this world lacks justice, perhaps you should become it yourself.”

Chu Muyun had also praised Han Meng for his sense of justice earlier... It seemed Han Meng truly had some substance.

After Enforcer Xi Renjie finished his speech, he began assigning tasks to the new recruits and designating the streets each would be responsible for patrolling from then on. As the only Enforcer from Frost Street this year, Chen Ling was naturally assigned to Frost Street.

After Han Meng purged the District Three Enforcers, the internal affairs of the Enforcers genuinely became much cleaner.

Thinking this, Chen Ling left the headquarters and headed straight for Frost Street.

It was an internal Enforcer regulation that on their first day, new Enforcers were to patrol their assigned streets to familiarize the residents with them, a form of "asserting authority."

Ever since he put on the uniform and walked out of the Enforcers' headquarters, passersby on the street would walk around him, not even daring to make eye contact.

“Officer... would you like a peach?”

An old voice came from the side.

Chen Ling turned to look and saw a white-haired old woman pushing a wooden cart full of peaches, speaking in a hoarse voice.

“No, thank you,” Chen Ling replied, waving his hand.

“Officer, please try one... I pushed these from District Four this morning; the peaches there are good and cheap...” She clutched Chen Ling’s collar, her cloudy eyes full of pleading.

Chen Ling looked down at her and saw a baby, wrapped in a swaddling cloth, lying in the fruit cart filled with peaches. The biting cold wind swept across the ground, and the baby seemed to be trembling.

“Just take a bite, if it’s not good, it’s free,” she said, picking out the largest peach from the cart, carefully wiping it with her clothes for a moment, and handing it to Chen Ling.

Chen Ling didn't eat it, because he wasn't sure if there was anything else inside the peach, like... poison.

When this thought crossed his mind, he was startled himself... because he hadn't been like this before.

If it had been him before the Great Cataclysm... no, even if it had been him yesterday, he would have definitely offered help. Even if he couldn't do much, he would have at least bought a few peaches, as an act of kindness.

This was his benevolence and steadfastness, but now, these qualities seemed to be fading little by little...

Chen Ling looked at the old woman for a moment before speaking:

“How much are these peaches?”

“One copper coin per jin.”

“Give me two jin,” Chen Ling said expressionlessly, pulling out two copper coins from his pocket and handing them to her.

Seeing this, the old woman immediately took the copper coins with both hands, bowed to Chen Ling several times, muttering thanks, and then picked out some of the largest peaches from the cart and placed them in a bag.

At the same time, Chen Ling suddenly spoke:

“That child has a fever. Take him to get some medicine.”

With his Secret Eyes, Chen Ling could tell at a glance that the baby in the cart wasn't well, and offered a warning.

The old woman paused, a struggle and guilt appearing in her eyes as she looked at the baby. But she said nothing, merely picking out two more peaches for Chen Ling in silence.

She didn’t weigh them, but even by sight, Chen Ling knew that these two bags of peaches were definitely more than two jin.

“Thank you, Officer, thank you, Officer...” After repeatedly thanking Chen Ling, she pushed her cart and continued forward.

Until she met the next pedestrian, she quickly ran forward, pleadingly asking, “Sir, would you like some peaches? Peaches pushed all the way from District Four...”

The biting wind blew her and the baby’s faces red, yet it couldn't topple her aged and frail body.

Chen Ling felt his pocket and shook his head helplessly.

He only bought two jin purely because he only had two copper coins left in his pocket... The silver coins he had obtained from Qian Fan had long been lost in the blood-soaked courtyard.

As soon as he stepped onto Frost Street, he noticed many people secretly standing at their doorsteps, looking in his direction... Seeing Chen Ling approach in his uniform, they began to whisper among themselves.

“Oh, Officer Chen Ling!”

The first shop on the street was the cake shop Chen Ling had once frequented.

Seeing Chen Ling approach, the owner immediately put on an obsequious smile. “Officer Chen Ling, you look so handsome in that uniform!”

“Boss Li,” Chen Ling said, walking over to the storefront. He then looked at the residents of Frost Street standing at their doorsteps and asked, “What’s going on here?”

“Oh, everyone’s here to see you!”

“See me?”

“That’s right. The Enforcer who used to patrol our Frost Street was apparently killed by Officer Han Meng... And today is the day a new Enforcer takes office, so everyone wanted to see who would be in charge of this street from now on...

When the list of qualified Enforcers was posted on the street that day, everyone guessed it might be you, since you’re from our Frost Street, after all...

And sure enough, here you are!”