Chapter One: Prologue

"Let's break up."

The girl's voice was soft and gentle, yet when it reached Yang Xiaolin's ears, it was like a bolt of lightning. The hand holding the spatula froze in midair. "Why?"

"Why? I would like to know that too! Why do other men go out to strive and make money, while you are content to remain a neighborhood police officer and refuse to leave? Every day you help old men and women find their keys, or help wealthy families search for their lost dogs—do you really find that meaningful?"

Her voice was loud, her agitation unmistakable, hands gesturing emphatically in the air. "You earn just over two thousand yuan a month—do you think that's enough for us to buy a car or a house?"

Yang Xiaolin said nothing, setting the spatula down to let her continue justifying her departure.

"Other people know how to get a side job after work, but you just do laundry and cook at home, or else you tinker with your toy guns—"

"They're model guns," Yang Xiaolin interjected.

She sneered, clearly annoyed. "Fine! Model guns!"

"You have time to be a moderator on that military forum, working for free. The owner of the Hightide Nightclub has come to you many times; he said if you just go over there every evening, he'd give you five thousand a month in cash, but you say you have no time!"

Yang Xiaolin turned off the gas stove, lit a cigarette, and took a long, hard drag, still without saying a word.

The girl kept talking. "At first, I thought dating a policeman would make me feel secure, but look at you—it's been three years and you haven’t even caught a single thief. When friends ask what you do, I’m embarrassed to admit you’re a cop!"

Yang Xiaolin didn't argue. He knew that when a woman decides to leave, nothing you do is right; when she no longer loves you, you have no merits left in her eyes. Had he been wrong to carefully protect his simple happiness?

He always believed he was happy. After leaving the military, he became a neighborhood police officer and lived a simple life. After all, happiness is often just simplicity—at least, that’s what Yang Xiaolin believed. Until now, when his simple happiness was shattered—so sudden, yet so unsurprising.

In truth, even if he were a detective, this girl would still leave; because she had already decided to go.

Yang Xiaolin looked up into her eyes. "Is it that Ah Wei from your company?"

Her endless complaints cut off abruptly; panic flashed in her eyes, followed by a hint of fear. "You—you—how did you know?"

Yang Xiaolin stubbed out his cigarette and didn’t answer. Inside, he was angry, wronged, and oppressed by a sense of defeat. He wanted to slap her, but didn’t. He felt like crying, but kept a calm façade. He wanted to tell her that Ah Wei was a scoundrel, a degenerate in every sense. But the words caught in his throat; he knew she wouldn't believe him now, would only think he was being petty and vindictive.

Just then, Yang Xiaolin's phone rang. He picked it up. "Hello? Oh, Grandpa Liu, what’s wrong? The fuse blew? Don’t worry, I’ll come fix it right away—please don’t touch it yourself, okay? I’ll be there in ten minutes. Yes, yes, wait for me."

Putting down the phone, he gathered up the utensils. "Pack up your things. Take whatever you want. I have something to do, so I’m leaving. Lock the door when you go."

He seemed in a hurry, as if trying to escape—perhaps because he didn’t want to watch her leave. The girl hesitated, then shouted after him, "Is there any point in doing this kind of thing every day? You’re a police officer, not an electrician!"

Yang Xiaolin replied as he walked out, "Remember, if you’re ever in trouble, call the police."

Grandpa Liu was an elderly man who’d lost his only child and drank heavily, his hands trembling constantly. Replacing a fuse might be a simple task for most, but for him, just holding a screwdriver steady was a significant challenge.

Yang Xiaolin jogged to the hardware store, bought a new fuse, borrowed a small flashlight, and took the elevator up to the twelfth floor.

His mind was anything but calm; thoughts churned restlessly. He’d known for a while that scoundrel had been pursuing his girlfriend, but always believed she wouldn’t accept him. In the end, he’d been wrong.

Was that kind of man really so irresistible?

Leaning against the elevator wall, Yang Xiaolin felt utterly drained. The girl wanted a life of excitement and drama; she wanted him to bring her the thrill of gunfire, to share a love forged in danger and adversity.

He understood now that his simple, peaceful life as a neighborhood police officer had grown tiresome for her. Even without Ah Wei, someone else would have come along. He’d already braced himself for this moment, and yet he still struggled to accept it.

The elevator reached the eighth floor. He gave a sardonic smile. "Go ahead and leave. One day, you’ll regret it."

The words had a touch of self-deception, but perhaps that's the best comfort for the heartbroken. For a fleeting moment, Yang Xiaolin felt a surge of ambition—to accomplish something great and make her envy him. But what great deed in this world was waiting for a neighborhood cop like him?

At the tenth floor, the elevator suddenly stopped, the doors opening to reveal an empty hallway. It was probably just a mischievous child pressing the button. Yang Xiaolin smiled wryly and pressed the button to close the doors.

As the doors slid shut, he resumed his daydreams—perhaps when he got to Grandpa Wang’s, he’d stumble upon a most-wanted criminal, just like in the TV dramas: while fixing a fuse, someone knocks, he opens the door, and there stands a bald fugitive, and the battle of wits and courage begins.

"A great task awaits you."

Suddenly, a voice spoke. Yang Xiaolin was startled. A staunch atheist, he glanced around the elevator.

Before he could locate the source, the elevator lights flickered. Yang Xiaolin felt himself plummeting. He looked up at the display—within a split second, the elevator had dropped to the fifth floor and was still falling. He cursed loudly.

Bang!

With a deafening crash, the elevator plunged from the eleventh floor straight down to the basement.