I looked around and saw that it was all merry and rowdy around the table. Sun Tiger was still in a drinking duel with Yuanchao, while the rest of the officers were laughing and having lively conversations. It was in stark contrast with the icy atmosphere that I was stuck in, what with Xiaotao and Bingxin bickering with each other non-stop.

After three rounds of drinks, Sun Tiger suddenly announced, “Right! I’ve invited you all here today for two reasons—first, to celebrate; and second, for work!”

I was confused for a moment. Xiaotao looked unsurprised. She whispered to me, “When Sun Tiger treats you to a meal, you can bet that there’s work he wants you to do.”

It turned out that as the year was about to end, a special team was set up to deal with unsolved cases in nearby small townships. This year, the Director-General himself requested that I be included on the team too. Xiaotao mentioned that this was nothing...