Dinh Truong Sinh wiped the sweat off his forehead and didn’t dare to sit down. He held a bowl of porridge in one hand, two steamed buns in the other. He hollowed one out and stuffed in some pickled vegetables, then squatted on the floor to eat. This posture, oddly enough, made Hoac Lu Mau feel a bit nostalgic—like he was looking at his little brother from back in the day. That kid used to tiptoe around just like this, always stiff and careful, especially when Dien Ngac Nhu was around.
Hoac Lu Mau didn’t eat much. In less than ten minutes, he was done. By that time, Dinh Truong Sinh was only halfway through, and Dien Ngac Nhu was still eating.
“You two take your time. Kid, when you’re done, come with me to Lo Gia Linh. Another cow got stolen last night.”
“Boss, I swear it wasn’t me this time,” Dinh Truong Sinh said cautiously.
“Haha, I know it wasn’t you. You’re practically part of our town patrol team now. But you’ve gotta help me catch this damn cow thief. Hurry up, I’ll wait for you outside,” Hoac Lu Mau said as he stood and left.
Dinh Truong Sinh knew one thing for sure—everyone here was smarter and shadier than him. If he wanted to survive, he had to play dumb. Be humble, be invisible. That was the only way to keep going unnoticed. Who he was, where he came from, why he was here—only he knew the whole truth. For now, all that mattered was clinging tightly to this lifeline until he could grab onto something bigger.
But someone wasn’t going to let him lay low.
When he looked up, he met the icy gaze of Dien Ngac Nhu.
“You think sticking to Hoac Lu Mau means you’ll be safe forever?”
Seeing how flustered Dinh Truong Sinh looked, Dien Ngac Nhu felt a little smug. So green—barely said a few words and he already looked like a deer in headlights.
“Little Dinh, take your time eating,” Dien Ngac Nhu said with a bright smile.
“I’ll head off first. The Captain’s waiting for me to go up to Lo Gia Linh.” Dinh Truong Sinh quickly got up, trying to flee.
“Come back here!”
She set down her bowl and stared directly at him.
“Miss Dien… something wrong?” he asked, forcing a smile.
“Did I say you could leave?”
Her voice wasn’t loud, but it carried a weight that stopped him cold. Deep down, he was annoyed. The whole thing between them and Khau Dai Bang should’ve been settled with that one "trade." So why the hell was she still bothering him?
He thought about running, but his feet stayed put. He couldn’t risk blowing this opportunity.
Just then, Dien Ngac Nhu walked up holding a clean white towel.
“Look at you—drenched in sweat.” Without warning, she reached out and started wiping his face.
“Miss Dien, this really isn’t appropriate. Let me do it myself.” He tried to take the towel, but she didn’t let go. Gently, she dabbed the sweat from his forehead.
Then her soft hand landed on his solid shoulder, and his whole body stiffened. He glanced down at her, then quickly looked away. She stood close—her head barely reached his chin. If he bent down even a little, their faces would’ve touched. The tension made his whole body tremble.
“What’s with the shaking? Think I’m gonna eat you?” she teased.
“No… no. I’m just nervous. Ever since I was a kid, no woman other than my mom has wiped me down. And now a beautiful woman like you does it—I-I’m really tense.”
“What, you feeling sick?”
“Nothing major… just a bit of a stomachache.”
“Huh? You sure it’s not the food? The toilet’s over there, go quick!”
“No need. I’ll use the public one on the street. I—I gotta go now!”
Before she could say anything else, Dinh Truong Sinh clamped his legs together and sprinted off, leaving Dien Ngac Nhu staring in shock.
“Is that the guy you mentioned?”
Command Officer Tran Binh was sitting in his office, peering out the window at Dinh Truong Sinh approaching.
“That’s him. Chairman Khau Dai Bang sent him over personally. Just so happens we’re short-staffed too. Let him try it out. With proper guidance, maybe we can reform him. If we don’t take him in, he’ll just become a bigger problem for the town. Think of this as our little good deed,” Hoac Lu Mau said with a sigh.
“Fine. But you keep an eye on him. That kid’s got quite the shady past. Last thing we need is him wearing our badge and stirring up more trouble.”
“Don’t worry. I’ll watch him closely.”
Once they got everything sorted, Hoac Lu Mau took Dinh Truong Sinh and Truong Cuong straight to Lo Gia Linh. It was one of the bigger villages in Lam Son, kind of famous too—but for all the wrong reasons. The place was a hotbed of petty crime. Dozens of incidents every year, and last night another cow vanished.
“Hey kid, where do you think a stolen cow might be hiding?” Truong Cuong asked, eyes on the road.
“Boss, I… I honestly have no idea. I’ve never stolen anything that big before,” Dinh Truong Sinh replied nervously.
“Haha, who said you stole it? I want you to analyze the case. You’re a cop now, remember? Gotta learn how to think like one. There’s only four patrol guards and three cops in the whole town—we can’t do everything ourselves. You gotta learn to handle cases on your own.”
“Uh… okay, I’ll try…” Dinh Truong Sinh muttered, thinking hard but drawing blanks.
A moment later, he brightened up. “Boss! I’ve got it! The cow’s probably been butchered already!”
Hoac Lu Mau and Truong Cuong stared at him, then burst out laughing. A whole cow? Slaughtered without anyone noticing?
But Dinh Truong Sinh remained dead serious. “Boss, I’ve been to Lo Gia Linh before. It’s weirdly isolated—only one road in or out, cliffs on all sides. No way anyone could’ve walked a cow out without being seen. And there are night guards. If a cow went missing, there’s only two explanations: either the guard’s in on it, or the villagers teamed up, slaughtered the cow, and smuggled the meat out in pieces. Bottom line: someone inside is the culprit!”
Truong Cuong glanced at Hoac Lu Mau and saw his face darken.
Lo Gia Linh might be big, but it didn’t have a real local government. Just a bunch of clan families doing their own thing. They didn’t go around killing people or burning down houses, but minor thefts? Daily business. Old man Ly’s missing cow was just another symptom of the same disease.
“Boss, if we just wander around the village, we’ll probably find nothing,” Truong Cuong said.
“Yeah. If finding a cow were that easy, they wouldn’t need us. I think something big’s about to go down in Lo Gia Linh.”
“You mean something serious is coming?” Dinh Truong Sinh asked, curious.
“Alright, let’s split up,” Hoac Lu Mau ignored his question and gave orders. “Each of us will check a section of the village. Whether or not we find the cow, we need to send a message—we’re watching. That alone should scare some of them straight. At least for a while.”
They immediately split up. Hoac Lu Mau, a veteran of Lam Son, obviously had informants planted in the village—but that was something best kept secret. Even someone like Truong Cuong didn’t know about them, let alone rookie Dinh Truong Sinh.
While Dinh Truong Sinh wasn’t clued in, Truong Cuong understood exactly what was going on. The captain was going solo to do some digging. So he said nothing and quietly went his way.
As for Dinh Truong Sinh, he knew Lo Gia Linh like the back of his hand. In his former life, he’d scout by day, steal by night. The layout of this village? Easy stuff.
“Open up! Open the damn door!” Back in the day, he had to sneak and whisper. But now? He was the law. A few steps in and he was already banging on doors like he owned the place.
“Goddammit, who’s making all that noise? Dinh Truong Sinh, you want a beating? Barging in broad daylight—planning a robbery or what?” A man in shorts eventually stumbled out.
“Well, well, if it isn’t Tran Tieu Tu! Open up! I’ve got official business!”
“Dinh Truong Sinh, you sick of living? You dare talk to me like that?”
“Open your eyes, buddy! I’m with the police now. Try laying a finger on me—see what happens!”
Tran Tieu Tu looked him up and down. The uniform looked legit. That smug expression looked even more legit. He started to believe it.
“When the hell did you become a cop? Just the other day you were sneaking around stealing my chickens! I haven’t even settled that score yet. My poor mom raised those hens with love, and you snatched them like snacks!”
“Proof? You got proof I stole your chickens? I could just as well say you stole Old Man Ly’s cow—what now?”
“You… Fine! Just wait! I’ll find proof! Then we’ll see how long you stay in that uniform!”
“Go ahead. Meanwhile, I’m suspicious of you, so I have to investigate.”
“Fine! Show me a warrant.”
“Sure. My boss is right here in the village. Want me to get him? Let’s see what he says about your cow-chopping skills.”
“Your boss?” Tran Tieu Tu’s face changed instantly. Dinh Truong Sinh might be new to the game, but reading faces? He was a fast learner. The shift in expression told him all he needed—this guy was hiding something.
“My boss is none other than Captain Hoac Lu Mau, head of Lam Son town patrol. He’s got one mission lately—hunt down cow thieves in Lo Gia Linh. I think it’s best if he checks your place himself. I’m just a rookie after all.”
“H-hey, bro, chill! No need to escalate. Just some chickens, right? Call it a gift. Come in, have some tea. Search whatever you like—got nothing to hide! Come on, come on in!”
“You said it—I’m coming in with your permission, got it?”
“Yeah, yeah! All good! We’re brothers now! In fact, let’s celebrate your new job—how about a few drinks tonight, eh?” Tran Tieu Tu said with a suddenly cheerful face.