Chapter 1: Rebirth, Change

Inside the dormitory of the Pu County Public Security Bureau.

"Li Mo, Li Mo... wake up!"

A shout like a sudden clap of thunder jolted Li Mo awake. He sprang up from his metal bunk bed like he had received an electric shock, his eyes still clouded with sleep.

A middle-aged man was hurriedly pulling on his police uniform, shouting, "Get up, quick! Orders just came down from the squad—all leaves are canceled. Everyone is to assemble on the training ground immediately!"

Seeing that Li Mo remained sitting there as motionless as a wooden statue, the middle-aged man lunged forward and slapped him on the back of the head. "Are you still half-asleep, kid? Wake up already! This is an emergency mission!"

Hearing the voice, Li Mo whipped his head around as if struck by lightning. He stared at the middle-aged man in sheer disbelief. His eyes welled with tears, and his voice trembled like a flickering candle in the wind. "Mentor, I..."

But before Li Mo could gather his thoughts, the middle-aged man gave him another light swat on the head.

"Mentor my foot, get out of bed!" the man said testily. "I'll give you one minute. I'll be waiting at the door!"

With that, he swept toward the door like a gust of wind.

Li Mo stared blankly at the police dormitory, a place both familiar and foreign. Looking at the full-length mirror nearby, he saw a version of himself that was young, looking like the first light of dawn. His eyes were filled with disbelief, as if he were staring at a phantom from another world.

"Could it be... I've been reborn?"

Although a thick fog of confusion clouded his mind, his body moved with mechanical familiarity, dressing and putting on his shoes before rushing out the door like an arrow shot from a bow.

"Fifty-seven seconds. Barely a passing grade. Hurry up and follow me downstairs." Seeing Li Mo emerge, the middle-aged man turned and sped down the stairs like a gale.

Li Mo quickly shut the dormitory door and followed closely behind. Meanwhile, memories flooded his mind like a bursting dam, clashing sharply with the reality before his eyes, as though he were straddling two entirely different worlds.

No, this wasn't right!

As he reached the bottom of the stairs, Li Mo's expression changed dramatically. He whipped his phone out of his pocket as if shocked by electricity. Staring at the date on the screen, he gasped.

July 21, 2014.

In the depths of Li Mo's memory, this date was carved like a heavy mountain. The major arrest operation taking place today would have consequences so far-reaching that they would not only engulf him and the Pu County Public Security Bureau, but also send shockwaves through Pu County, the entire city of Nanshi, and even the public officials of Fu Province.

The oversight in this operation would act like a violent earthquake, shaking the entire political landscape of Fu Province and destroying the careers of countless officials!

Lost in thought, Li Mo felt as if he were being pulled by an invisible force, falling into step with the gathering crowd.

The middle-aged man who had woken him—his mentor, Zheng Tao—stood beside him like a steady mountain. Seeing that Li Mo was still in a daze, Zheng Tao gave him a light slap on the back of the head, acting like an elder disciplining a junior. "What are you daydreaming about now?"

"Nothing, just..." Li Mo managed an awkward smile. He was about to explain when he caught sight of a middle-aged man in a standard police uniform, bearing the rank of Class I Police Superintendent on his shoulders, walking to the front of the crowd like a commanding presence.

As he stepped forward, the chatter of the crowd vanished instantly, swallowed by an imposing silence.

The middle-aged man's gaze swept over the crowd like sharp arrows before he spoke: "According to reliable intelligence, Wang Ze, the primary suspect in the July 18th fraud case, has fled into our county like a stray dog. Dragnet operations have already been established at every exit of the county town. Your mission is to turn every guesthouse, hotel, and rental property upside down. We must bring this cunning fox to justice!"

"Yes, sir!"

The collective roar of the officers rang out like thunder, deafening to the ears.

"Good. Form pairs and begin the sweep immediately! Dismissed!"

At the command, the crowd dispersed like a receding tide, splitting into pairs.

Li Mo followed closely behind Zheng Tao toward the equipment room. At the same time, details about the Class I Police Superintendent flashed through his mind:

Tang Hu, the acting director of the County Public Security Bureau and a strong contender for the position of deputy county chief. Yet, it was precisely because of the failure of this operation that this once-rising star of the police force would have his wings clipped like an eagle. He would be stripped of his rank and demoted to a rural police station, gradually sinking into obscurity as the years dragged on. Had he not avoided any violations of core principles, he would have been dismissed from public service entirely, becoming a forgotten outcast.

In the equipment room, the two-man teams collected their standard eight-piece duty belts before quickly departing, either driving or riding out of the bureau.

Zheng Tao collected his own gear. Seeing Li Mo still standing by the door, he frowned. "Li Mo, what are you waiting for? Get in here and grab your gear! Don't delay the operation!"

Li Mo looked at the standard eight-piece gear Zheng Tao was handing him—identical to the handcuffs, walkie-talkie, tactical flashlight, first-aid kit, body camera, baton, tactical knife, and pepper spray on Zheng Tao's own belt. He spoke up, "Mentor, since we are participating in this operation, we can apply to carry firearms, right?"

"Sidearms?"

Zheng Tao frowned. "Of course we can, but we have to file a report. Besides, using a firearm carries a lot of liability if anything goes wrong. We're just catching a fleeing fraudster. There's no need for guns, is there?"

In Li Mo's memory of his past life, Zheng Tao had also wanted to avoid the hassle. Like the other officers, he hadn't applied for a firearm and had gone out with only standard gear. As it turned out, the fugitive fraudster, Wang Ze, had somehow acquired a replica Type 54 pistol.

During their search, the two of them discovered that Wang Ze had broken into a residence in a residential community. Believing he was merely the prime suspect in a fraud case and at worst armed with a knife, they had initiated the arrest armed only with batons and handcuffs.

By the time Wang Ze pulled out the replica Type 54 pistol, it was already too late for them to take cover.

Gunshots rang out, and the two of them collapsed in pools of blood.

Zheng Tao, who had been in the lead, was killed instantly. Li Mo only survived because the bullet missed his vital organs and he received timely medical attention.

Had it ended there, the fallout would have been contained within Pu County, barely even reaching Nanshi.

But the problem was that among those killed by Wang Ze was the owner of the apartment—Chen Xi, the only daughter of Chen Teng, the Governor of Fu Province, who also happened to be a researcher for a special project!

She had come to Pu County specifically to source a certain material to take back to her research institute.

Devastated by grief, the Governor ordered a thorough investigation, sparking a massive, sweeping rectification campaign across the province's administration.

In Li Mo's memory, he had spent nearly a month in the hospital. By the time he returned to the bureau, the political earthquake that shook the officialdom of Fu Province had only just begun to settle.

"Mentor, since we're allowed to carry sidearms, let's do it!" Li Mo said to Zheng Tao. As he spoke, he had already picked up the application form for firearms and ammunition and began filling it out.

Watching Li Mo, Zheng Tao felt he was making a mountain out of a molehill, but he didn't stop him.

After all, Li Mo was acting just like Zheng Tao had when he first joined the force—back then, he had applied for a firearm for almost every operation.

Yet, in over a decade of service, he had never fired a single shot. Eventually, like everyone else, he had grown too lazy to go through the hassle of requesting one.

So, seeing Li Mo ignore the tedious paperwork to request a sidearm, he didn't try to dissuade him.

After completing the form, Li Mo took the service pistol and ammunition clips from the equipment officer. He carefully secured them in his holster before looking up at Zheng Tao. "I'm ready, Mentor. We can go."

Zheng Tao had stepped outside the equipment room to smoke while Li Mo filled out the form. Seeing that Li Mo had finished arming himself, he said nothing. He walked shoulder-to-shoulder with Li Mo out of the bureau and got into his car.

Watching Zheng Tao start the engine and drive toward their destination—a residential area in the south of the county town—Li Mo touched the cold metal of the pistol at his waist. A single thought flashed through his mind: he would rewrite his and Zheng Tao's destinies!