Daniel Brooks has been in a complete mess these days. With the leadership transition approaching, thanks to his efforts, he had a good chance of getting promoted by half or even a full rank, and it seemed almost certain that he would be transferred to the county bureau as the head of the criminal investigation team. But out of nowhere, the William Thompson case cropped up, and the county committee is watching it closely, treating it as a major incident. Judging from the rumors coming from the county, his transfer is basically out the window. Now the question isn’t whether he can get promoted, but whether he can even keep his current position as the police station chief.

Daniel Brooks also knows that Mr. Harris making a big deal out of the William Thompson case has an ulterior motive, but unfortunately, he’s just an innocent bystander caught in the crossfire. These days, he really feels like an ant on a hot pan, living every day on edge. Every time the phone rings, he jumps in fright, afraid it’s the official notice from higher-ups demoting him because of the William Thompson incident.

When he got the call from Emma Brooks, Daniel Brooks had just been subtly mocked by the deputy chief and was feeling pretty down. Hearing Emma Brooks say that Mr. Taylor wanted him to go to the The Thompson Family, he couldn’t help but curse inwardly. This Mr. Taylor is really something—at a time like this, he still wants to get in touch with him. Isn’t he afraid people will say they’re colluding? In the current situation, the two of them should pretend not to know each other even if they meet.

But since Ethan Taylor had spoken, Daniel Brooks couldn’t refuse. After all, he didn’t even have anyone to talk to now—everyone was avoiding him like the plague. He also wanted to find someone to discuss what to do next. Since even Ethan Taylor, the second-in-command, wasn’t avoiding him, what was there for him to worry about? Gritting his teeth, he thought, since we’re all in the same boat, we’ll sink or swim together.

When Daniel Brooks rode his three-wheeled motorcycle to William Thompson’s house, Lillian Moore and Chris Brooks had already completely calmed down. When Daniel Brooks heard them calmly recount the details of William Thompson’s suicide, he could hardly believe his ears. He never dreamed things would take such a dramatic turn. Looking at Ethan Taylor’s composed smile, Daniel Brooks suddenly found this young secretary utterly adorable—he even had a fleeting urge to hug and kiss this lovable secretary.

“Chief Brooks, that’s the situation. You’ll handle the follow-up,” Ethan Taylor said with a beaming smile to Daniel Brooks.

“Alright, alright, don’t worry, Mr. Taylor, I’ll definitely take care of it! Damn that David Harris for trying to ruin us—if I ever get the chance, I’ll make him pay!” Normally, Daniel Brooks would only think this, never say it out loud. But the surprise had come so suddenly that he was a bit dizzy and blurted it out without thinking.

Ethan Taylor laughed, “You can’t say that. As long as we haven’t brought shame to the Party and the government, what’s a little grievance for us? Mr. Harris’s intentions are good, after all! If someone really had been driven to death, even if we were punished, it would be deserved.”

“Yes, yes, yes! Look at me, what am I saying!” Daniel Brooks was startled and quickly tried to smooth things over with a laugh.

Ethan Taylor continued, “How do you plan to follow up on this case? How will you write the report?”

Daniel Brooks was still excited and said loudly, “Don’t worry, Mr. Taylor, everyone saw how hard you worked on this case. Of course, the credit for solving it goes to you…”

“No, no, no!” Ethan Taylor waved his hand and said, “Don’t put my name in the report. This case was solved thanks to you and your colleagues at the police station working tirelessly day and night to uncover the truth. I was just a witness who, under pressure, saw them turn themselves in. I can’t take any credit.”

“Huh?” Daniel Brooks was a bit stunned, but after more than ten years at the grassroots level, he immediately understood what Ethan Taylor meant. Clearly, Ethan Taylor didn’t want to be involved in such a sensitive case. But that meant all the credit would go to him. The county had placed great importance on this case, and if the credit really went to him, it would be a huge boost for his career.

“That’s it, I should get going. You handle the rest,” Ethan Taylor said, giving Daniel Brooks a firm pat on the shoulder.

Looking at the young secretary in front of him, at his calm and composed smile, Daniel Brooks felt a surge of admiration welling up from deep inside. When he was that age, he was nowhere near as capable. Even now, he probably couldn’t match this level of composure. This young secretary was definitely destined for greater things!

“Mr. Taylor, I really admire you!” As Ethan Taylor was about to walk out the door, Daniel Brooks called out this phrase, which carried a double meaning. Ethan Taylor didn’t stop, just raised his hand and waved, leaving Daniel Brooks with a tall, imposing figure as he walked away.

After leaving William Thompson’s house, Emma Brooks pouted and said, “Why is the case credited to them? It was clearly your achievement, Mr. Taylor.”

Ethan Taylor looked at Emma Brooks with amusement. His little godmother was still so inexperienced, nothing like the shrewd and decisive person she would become in a decade or so. This kind of case was sensitive—first, he didn’t want to be further involved, and second, giving the credit to Daniel Brooks was a significant achievement for him. But if the credit went to himself, it wouldn’t help his own career at all. If people got the impression that all he could do was solve cases, then when it came time to assign work, he’d be prioritized for political and legal affairs, which would be a real loss.

Ethan Taylor patted Emma Brooks’s delicate short hair and smiled, “Young comrade, you’re still too young—there are many things you don’t understand yet.” Emma Brooks rolled her eyes in exasperation.

…