Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
âOh, Iâve heard of them.â
Someone added, âArenât they a family of scientists? Damn. Genetics do matter after all. The whole family is in the field of science. Heâs so amazing, and heâs so young.â
Director Wang smiled. âYes, they are a family of scientists. Their grandfather studied overseas back then as well. He did research with the Americans and he came back home when our country was liberated to join in the revolutionary movement. He was the first batch of scientists to build our country. Jiang Yuning is not only just a physicist; he is an astrophysicist. I canât divulge too many secrets, but I can tell you he had some breakthroughs with his research and nothing must happen to him.â
âI understand, Director. Iâm willing to step forward to protect him.â Hong Li from Team One stood up immediately.
âYup. Hong Li is the most agile and capable officer in the police force.â Director Wang nodded with satisfaction.
âI want to go too.â Nian Xi raised her hand quickly. âI can do this.â
Director Wang looked at her and said, âNian Xi, you are too young, and your body physique is a little...â
Nian Xi said stubbornly, âJiang Yuning is a man. I think there should be a female officer there who is more attentive to the details. Communication would be easier as well. After all, a man and woman are a heavenly match.â
The crowd burst into laughter.
Director Wang laughed as well. âDonât treat me like a fool. Men and women as partners, spells trouble.â
Nian Xi scratched her head. âAnyway, a woman is better at coordinating.â
Director Wang nodded his head. âThatâs true...â
âDirector, I want to go too.â Feng Jichuan suddenly stood up. âI think I am the most agile here.â
âAlthough you are the best, we are teaming up with the police force from another state to crack down on a case of drug trafficking. You are in charge of the case, so I donât think you should leave your position now. This is a crucial moment.â The Director then picked four people other than Feng Jichuan.
âDirector Wang. Why didnât you mention my name?â Nian Xi protested again saying, âYou seemed to approve of me earlier...â
âYup. So Iâm sending Fan Yi. Sheâs much more experienced than you. All right. Weâll end this meeting here.â The Director clapped his hands.
Nian Xi was going to faint from frustration.
Feng Jichuan said to her, âItâs good that youâre not going. Itâs too dangerous.â
âDangerous? If Iâm going to stay away from danger, why am I a policewoman?â Nian Xi was annoyed.
Feng Jichuan frowned and said strictly, âNian Xi, I think you need to correct your mindset at the moment. Although your job seems dry and mundane, you should do it with a hundred percent of your effort. Every job has its own meaning and purpose. If youâre constantly thinking about putting yourself in the forefront, I have to be honest with you. Your mindset is not suited for fieldwork.â
Nian Xiâs chest was heaving with anger.
She knew these things but she couldnât stand taking a lecture from Feng Jichuan.
âThink about it yourself.â Feng Jichuan looked at her helplessly and walked away.
âNian Xi, donât think too much about it. Feng Jichuan has a point. This is no ordinary person weâre protecting,â Chen Jing said.
âOk.â Nian Xi nodded her head. She wasnât an unreasonable person. She was just passionate when she volunteered herself and she admired the scientists.
Back in the office, Nian Xi couldnât resist satisfying her curiosity; she looked up Jiang Yuning on the internet, but there was barely any information about him.
In the afternoon, she found out that Captain Luo, Zhan Hong and the rest of the officers had already gone over to Jiang Yuningâs.
She didnât hear about anything else, and went home at around six oâclock.
The next morning, her colleagues were huddled up in a discussion. Fan Yi who was about to leave for Paris was there as well; she looked dejected.
When Nian Xi walked over, her teammate Zhao Fan said, âFan Yi didnât pass the test yesterday. Jiang Yuning insisted on swapping for someone else.â
âWhy?â Nian Xi was surprised.
Fan Yi sighed. âHe said that my name was too tacky.â
â...â
Was he choosing his bodyguards or choosing names?
âI met him yesterday, from a distance away. He was really... so handsome,â Fan Yi said. âHe even made me, a thirty-year-old womanâs heart, flutter. Itâs a good thing Iâm not going. Iâm worried that I might fall in love with him if I go to Paris. It would jeopardize my marriage.â
Everyone was silent.
âI wonder who can fill in though.â
Nian Xi muttered. It wasnât going to be her anyway.
She sat down on her desk but not for long; the Director had asked for her at his office.
âDirector Wang, do you need me to do anything?â Nian Xi walked in to see Zhan Hong, Huo Lizhi and Fang Qi seated in the office.
Director Wang looked at her strangely. âNian Xi, do you know Jiang Yuning?â
âNope.â Nian Xi was puzzled. âI would have went around showing off if I knew someone so amazing. Why do you ask?â
Director Wang replied, âJiang Yuning said that he wanted to swap you for Fan Yi. Since he requested it himself, I said yes.â
Nian Xi was stunned. âFor what reason?â
âHe said your name sounds a lot nicer.â
â...â
Did she have to thank Nian Qingyun, who named her, for this?
Aiya, he had finally done something right for her in his lifetime.
âForget it. You can go since he wants you to be there. There might not be any danger there anyway.â Director Wang stood up. âGo fetch your passport and send it as soon as possible to the administration department for processing.â
âOh, okay.â Nian Xi quickly saluted the Director.
Within an hour, news that Nian Xi replaced Fan Yi had spread around the station.
Feng Jichuan had heard about it as well and he appeared in Nian Xiâs office in the afternoon. His expression was grim.
âIf you are here to persuade me not to go, or if you think Iâm not qualified enough to go, I can tell you that he had picked me himself,â Nian Xi said.
Feng Jichuan was quiet. He only said, âIâm just here to remind you to be careful.â
Nian Xi was surprised and she didnât say anything in return.
The silence between the two of them was broken by Nian Juntingâs phone call.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om
âWho said you could go?â
âBrother, donât worry about me. Iâm an adult now, and I will be careful over there.â Nian Xi hung up the phone promptly. Nian Junting was frustrated and called Nian Qingyun. âDid you hear about Jiang Yuning? How come I never heard about this man before?â
Nian Qingyun replied, âForget it. Let her go. It shouldnât be too much danger. His research is not well-known to the public. We canât take care of her for the rest of her life. If she really wants to fly there, we will have to let her go, just as long as weâre around to protect her.â