Volume One, Chapter 16: I Really Do Have Something to Do

The next morning, Li Yan deliberately woke up early, carefully grooming himself and arranging his clothes with meticulous care. After all, he was going to collect a bounty and meet the city officials; it was only proper to present himself decently.

At half past eight, Li Yan arrived punctually at the Municipal Public Security Bureau. Just as he reached the entrance, he ran into Captain Wang.

“Oh, look who’s here—the young hero of Lin City!” Captain Wang, usually stern, rarely showed a smile, but today his face brightened. It was thanks to this young man that the notorious drug dealer Chen Xiangyang had been caught, marking a major breakthrough in the case. The bureau had showered their team with praise, and rumors hinted that Li Yan might even receive a promotion. For Captain Wang, Li Yan was nothing short of a lucky charm.

Li Yan promptly greeted him politely, “Good morning, Captain Wang. Long time no see.”

“Come on in,” Captain Wang waved with a smile, lowering his voice to remind him, “I heard a city committee leader is coming today, so mind your manners.”

He was already aware of the internal arrangements; this was a genuine gesture of goodwill.

Li Yan felt a warmth in his chest and naturally shifted to a more familiar tone, “Uncle Wang, I’m a bit nervous. Could you tell me what I should pay attention to?”

The informal “Uncle” was well received. Captain Wang was in his early forties—old enough to be called that—and the entire anti-narcotics squad owed Li Yan a debt of gratitude. Pulling him aside to a corner, he said in a low voice, “Li Yan, when you meet the leaders, politeness is a must, but they know you just graduated from high school, so they won’t be too harsh. Capturing Chen Xiangyang is an achievement worthy of public praise, but the bureau chose not to make it public to protect you. At the end of the day, we owe you. If they ask you to make any requests later, as long as they don’t break any principles, speak up, understand?”

With that, the rest was up to Li Yan’s own discretion. Capturing one of the top three most wanted criminals in the province single-handedly was no small feat.

Even if he wanted a government position after graduation, preferably with formal employment status, it was very likely to be granted.

Li Yan nodded repeatedly in thanks and took note of Captain Wang’s contact information—he might need it someday.

“Think carefully, kid. Whether you seize this opportunity is up to you,” Captain Wang said meaningfully, patting him on the shoulder before leaving.

After this conversation, Li Yan clearly understood the bureau’s attitude. He pondered briefly, and his eyes suddenly lit up.

By coincidence, he actually had a request. Previously, he had been trying to leverage the Li Qiang Group but was missing a crucial condition: he planned to open a farm near Lin City No. 1 High School, but he hadn’t yet confirmed the land’s zoning. If it was classified as agricultural land, building a house there would be illegal construction. Although Lin City’s regulations in 2012 were lax, the Li Qiang Group had far deeper connections than he did, and there was no guarantee they wouldn’t invoke “illegal construction” to demolish his house.

He suspected the city had most likely adjusted the land designation there, but that was confidential information he, a high schooler, couldn’t access.

Fortunately, he had been reborn—only then did he think of this angle.

Ascending to the second floor, Li Yan stopped outside office 201. Through the glass door, he saw two men conversing inside. Gathering himself, he lightly knocked.

“Reporting!” His tone was deferential, like a student addressing a teacher, keeping his posture low.

“Oh? Our young hero has arrived. Come in,” Director Luo greeted him with a smile.

Feigning nervousness, Li Yan entered the office, his hands lightly clutching the hem of his clothes.

“Don’t be nervous, young man. Have a seat here,” said a man in his fifties with a warm smile from the sofa on the left, exuding calm authority.

Li Yan sat as instructed, his mind racing to figure out how to persuade these powerful figures of Lin City to assist him.

Director Luo introduced, “Li Yan, this is Secretary Liu from the city committee.”

“Greetings, sir,” Li Yan stood and bowed respectfully.

Secretary Liu noticed his nervous demeanor and laughed heartily, “Why are you still so tense? You weren’t like this when you caught the fugitive.”

Quick on the uptake, Li Yan responded, “You remind me a lot of our principal. Seeing you makes me nervous. But that fugitive was different—he was a drug trafficker, guilty of many crimes. I was angry just looking at him; I had no time to be afraid.”

His words cleverly distinguished Secretary Liu from the fugitive while subtly likening their relationship to that of a principal and student, a smooth compliment.

Secretary Liu laughed even more, “Haha, really? Old Gao is quite the character in the city. I didn’t expect you to be so intimidated by him.” As a city committee secretary, he naturally knew the principal of Lin City No. 1 High School.

“The principal is a good man,” Li Yan quickly added, “His strictness is for our own good, but… I still find him a little intimidating.”

“Interesting, interesting,” Secretary Liu chuckled heartily, clearly warming to this young man.

After some pleasantries, Director Luo got to the point: “Young man, we called you here for two reasons. First, the bounty has been approved and needs your signature; second, you helped the bureau catch Chen Xiangyang, a significant achievement. Normally, this would be publicly announced, but since Chen’s associates are still at large, we must protect you, so we ask for your understanding.”

He paused, his tone sincere. “The city, Secretary Liu, and our bureau all feel this is unfair to you. We owe you a favor, so we’d like to hear your thoughts. If you have any requests, feel free to make them. As long as they don’t break any principles, we will do our best to fulfill them.”

Hearing this, Li Yan’s gratitude toward Captain Wang deepened further.

Just as he had said.

Secretary Liu chimed in, “Exactly. Young man, if you have any difficulties, just say so. Whatever we can do, we’ll support our young hero of Lin City.” His words were gentle yet carried undeniable weight.

Li Yan nodded silently, pleased with this attitude. He deliberately hesitated, then said, “Sir, I… actually have a small difficulty. I’m not sure if I should say it.”

The two powerful men exchanged a knowing glance.

A high schooler—how much trouble could he have?

Li Yan looked up at Secretary Liu, his gaze probing, “Sir, can you really help me?”

He knew this office’s most influential speaker was Secretary Liu—someone who could access core decision-making circles, a figure ordinary people rarely met.

“Tell me,” Secretary Liu smiled warmly, guessing the request would be simple, “As long as it doesn’t break any principles, I promise I won’t go back on my word.”

Little did he realize that this promise to a mere teenager was exactly what Li Yan hoped for. Given his position, breaking a promise to a young man would be a laughingstock among his peers.

Li Yan swallowed nervously, feigning apprehension, then said slowly, “It’s like this—I want to use the bounty to start a business. I plan to open a farm along the ring road near our school. I’ve already found the land, but… I’m worried about the paperwork and potential complications.”

He trailed off, awaiting their response.