Chapter Two: Born to Be a Social Worker

Haifeng sat in his office, the dossier handed to him by Zhiyong Qiu resting on the desk. Once more, the face of Jifeng Huang appeared before his eyes.

He recalled Jifeng’s earnest guidance, the careful care Jifeng had given him, but what haunted Haifeng most was the last thing Jifeng said to him as he lay in a pool of blood.

“My family… I’m leaving them in your care. Please, look after them.”

Remembering this, Haifeng could not hold back his tears. Jifeng had been his first mentor upon joining the police force, his most trusted comrade, yet his life was cut short in his prime...

Another face appeared in Haifeng’s mind: Guanh Huang. Delicate and kind, his eyes always gentle. From childhood, Guanh had been gentle and well-behaved, always friendly to others. His smiling eyes made him the best ambassador for student recruitment at school; he treated everyone warmly, bringing a breeze of comfort to those around him. He was Haifeng’s daughter’s favorite “big brother.”

Haifeng remembered how, when his daughter was little, she would often ask how she could grow up faster, just so she could marry Brother Guanh. Every time, Haifeng would laugh heartily. Having seen so much crime and misery, Haifeng’s heart was as steadfast as rock. He knew well how vile people could become, and yet, he could not help but feel angry—he could not imagine someone as gentle and kind as Guanh being harmed.

Haifeng thought about the Special Task Force. He recalled what Zhiyong Qiu had said: was he really free to choose his people, unrestrained, able to act boldly? Haifeng was dissatisfied with the way the Ming City police operated. In his eyes, this semi-militarized department was rigid and conservative, everyone accustomed to following orders without question. Individuality, which elsewhere might be personal freedom, was considered a grave offense here. Those who thrived in this environment were usually those with powerful backgrounds, obsessed with authority, who clung tightly to power and formed their own interest groups through connections.

Anyone who dared to offend their authority would not be tolerated; they demanded that everyone follow their unspoken rules. Connections and background were the most important labels here. Every newcomer was tagged the moment they joined the force. Building relationships and forming cliques was the rule for survival, while work ability was often overlooked. As a result, following the rules became paramount. But the people Haifeng needed were nothing like this.

He mentally searched for suitable candidates—he needed people with quick minds and outstanding abilities. Personality was not a concern; after all, it was hard to find anyone in Ming City with a temperament more eccentric than his. If not for his father, Haifeng might not even hold his current position. Few of his peers from the same intake wanted to interact with him; everyone kept their distance, not wanting to offend the misfit, nor eager to call him brother.

Haifeng had two people in mind, but he knew that two alone would not suffice to form a true Special Task Force, especially since one of them was not even a police officer. Still, since Zhiyong Qiu had agreed to recruit externally, Haifeng had no further qualms. This old classmate was one of the few people Haifeng respected; though adept at networking, Haifeng knew he did it for the sake of work, and his professional competence was remarkable. For someone with no background to rise to his position in Ming City was extraordinary. Even more commendable, after Haifeng’s father retired, Qiu was the only subordinate who continued to visit.

Then Haifeng recalled what Qiu had said about assigning someone to the task force. Would that person be a mere beneficiary of connections? Unlikely. Qiu knew Haifeng’s temperament and would not assign him a useless person—anyone truly useless would not survive Haifeng’s temper. Haifeng shook his head, letting the matter rest. He trusted his old classmate to make the right arrangements.

Haifeng was wandering in his thoughts when a sudden knock at the door roused him.

The newcomer was a young man with delicate features, fair skin, a lean face, and neat short hair—a scholarly appearance. Though dressed in uniform, he lacked any air of authority. The corners of his mouth were upturned in a smile, his eyes warm, exuding a sense of approachability. For a moment, Haifeng thought Guanh Huang stood before him.

“Captain Hai, hello. My name is Mufeng Zhang, officer from the Mingchi Branch. I’ve come to report to you. Here’s my résumé for your review.” As he spoke, Mufeng handed his résumé to Haifeng.

“What is your purpose here?” Haifeng asked.

“To work with you,” Mufeng replied.

“Personnel transfers are handled by the Political Department. You’ve come to the wrong place.”

Mufeng shook his head. “That’s not what I meant. I want to join the Special Task Force and work with you.”

Haifeng paused in surprise. “So you’re the young man Qiu mentioned? There’s no need to meet early; we’ll see each other in a few days. I’ll assign your duties then. For now, just continue your current work.” Having spoken, Haifeng lowered his head, intending to return to his reverie.

“I’m not the person Director Qiu recommended. I’m here on my own initiative. I’m very interested in this task force, and I believe my skills are well-suited for it. That’s why I sought you out, hoping for the opportunity to work with you,” Mufeng said calmly, a slight smile on his lips.

Haifeng was startled. Qiu had made it clear the task force was confidential. No one in Ming City should know of its existence. Qiu was not one to make such mistakes.

Haifeng fixed his gaze on the young man before him. “How did you hear about the task force?”

Still smiling, Mufeng replied, “Two weeks ago, Director Qiu suddenly took leave. A week ago, upon his return, he had his secretary bring a file into his office and then allowed no one else in. This morning, he called you in. Afterwards, someone was sent to deliver documents transferring you from Ming City Bureau to the Provincial Communications Office.”

He paused, then continued, “I saw the file Director Qiu had his secretary fetch—‘Research Report on Establishing a Special Task Force to Strengthen the Fight Against Cybercrime.’ You wrote it. The content had nothing to do with communications, only crime-fighting.”

Haifeng studied the young man. He didn’t know how Mufeng had obtained this information, but sensed there was more to him than met the eye.

Mufeng went on, “It’s graduation season. Director Qiu never takes leave at this time, so I asked his secretary about his child—who, it turns out, is graduating this year from Jinghua University, and three weeks ago was the commencement ceremony.”

His expression grew serious. “Three weeks ago, a Jinghua University student committed suicide. Both the school and the family handled it quietly. Few in Jinghua, let alone Ming City, knew of it. But a student posted photos of the scene on Robin, stirring heated discussion. I saw the photo—the deceased was Guanh Huang, from Ming City, the child of a martyr. Standing next to him at the scene was Director Qiu.”

Mufeng looked at Haifeng. “You’re going to form a Special Task Force. May I join?”

Haifeng regarded him. “What’s your skill?”

“People like talking to me. I can easily learn anything I want to know. If I set my mind to it, there’s no secret that can stay hidden from me. I wonder if that counts as a useful skill for the team?”

Mufeng’s lips curled into a slight smile as he looked at Haifeng. He already knew he’d be a member of the team—the research report he’d read made that clear—and with this “bane of ghosts” sitting before him, even his questions felt redundant.

“When do I report to the Provincial Office?” Haifeng asked Mufeng.

Mufeng was briefly taken aback by the abrupt question, then replied, “Tomorrow morning, at the start of work. Someone will come to notify you soon. Director Qiu must have planned your transfer well in advance. Ming City will certainly give you the green light—after all, everyone’s eager for your departure.”

Unconcerned about offending Haifeng, Mufeng spoke plainly.

No sooner had he finished than someone knocked. A young man entered and said the division chief needed to see Haifeng.

Haifeng put away Mufeng’s résumé. “Go back and hand over your current work. I’ll come find you.”

After bidding farewell, Mufeng drove back to Mingchi Branch, smiling to himself as he recalled Haifeng’s record.

Haifeng, a native of Ming City, was the son of Guozheng Hai, former chief of Ming City Police and later chief prosecutor. Haifeng’s smooth career at a young age was owed to his father. He had rotated through almost every department—local station, economic crime, administration, criminal investigation, traffic police—and every leader had found him a headache.

In the station, he helped with demolitions but had the demolition team detained for property destruction. In economic crime, he sent a city official to prison. In administration, he assigned all the posts requested by leaders to the toughest positions. In criminal investigation, when a high school dean was accused of sexual assault, he ignored the instruction to handle it discreetly and prosecuted the man for rape, with solid evidence—causing an uproar in the education system. Hoping distance would help, leaders moved him to traffic police, but he caught the previous chief’s daughter drunk driving and had her detained. Those who tried to intervene ended up reported to the disciplinary committee, resulting in half the leadership being dismissed, and the former chief forced into early retirement.

Most ironically, the public loved him. Once, a banner was presented to him reading "An upright official in this world, a modern-day judge," and it was said the leader in the photo with him turned green with envy.

Some people had tried to take Haifeng down, but his father's reputation kept them at bay. With Zhiyong Qiu’s protection at the provincial department, their efforts were doomed from the start.

In the end, everyone knew he was untouchable—his nickname "Ghost’s Bane" became legend in Ming City.

Mufeng thought that working with such an odd character would be interesting indeed, and found himself looking forward to their next meeting even more.