Chapter Two: The Kang Treasure

In the days that followed, the department didn't receive any major cases, so the criminal investigation team wasn't particularly busy. When he had free time on weekends, Kang Ge would take the initiative to call Yan Xue, inviting her out—sometimes to catch a movie, sometimes for a meal, or perhaps just because a fresh layer of snow had made the outdoors look beautiful, prompting him to ask her out for a walk.

Doing these things with Kang Ge felt completely effortless for Yan Xue. She felt entirely relaxed, and this ease was different from the simple, clear-minded interactions she had with Luo Wei and the others; it felt more like a silent understanding, a natural rapport.

Although their personalities appeared quite different on the surface, they discovered that in practice, they shared many of the same views and made the same choices. They hadn't known each other for very long, yet they could often guess what the other was thinking. Previously, whenever Yan Xue heard people talk about finishing each other’s sentences, she always thought it sounded a bit pretentious. But after experiencing it herself, she had to admit that art truly does imitate life.

Yan Xue used to prefer hanging out with her close girlfriends like Xia Qing because they didn't stifle her true self; she could be herself without any reservations. However, the four of them actually had very different personalities, and their comfort with each other came from a mutual tolerance of their differences.

But with Kang Ge, it was different.

When Kang Ge had previously said that seeing her was like seeing his younger self, Yan Xue felt it was just another common line in the "charmer's handbook." It wasn't that she doubted his character or didn't trust him; it was simply that the disparity in their outward personalities was quite significant.

She, needless to say, was famously known as a "firecracker," and the nickname was well-earned. She was quick-moving, efficient, and had a short fuse whenever she encountered injustice or felt bullied.

Kang Ge, on the other hand, always seemed unhurried and unruffled, constantly wearing a cheerful, relaxed expression. He appeared easygoing, almost as if he lacked principles and was a pushover.

Looking at them from the outside, they seemed to have nothing in common, so how could she believe what he said?

As it turned out, she had her eyes opened during a movie outing.

That Friday, the team had worked overtime until after seven in the evening. Since they had already grabbed a quick bite while working, they weren't hungry. Kang Ge suggested a film that had been out for a while—one they had both wanted to see but hadn't managed to catch due to scheduling conflicts. If they didn't watch it now, it would likely be pulled from theaters soon.

Yan Xue also felt it would be a pity not to see it on the big screen, especially since it was known for its special effects, which simply didn't translate well to a television or computer monitor.

They happily booked their tickets and drove straight to the cinema. They arrived in a relaxed, pleasant mood, looking forward to the film and the rare two-day weekend ahead. However, upon entering the theater, they found two people already sitting in their designated seats—a couple, it seemed.

Perhaps thinking that an eight-o'clock show counted as a late-night screening, the theater lights were still bright, and the couple was busy acting intimate, ignoring everyone else. Yan Xue checked her ticket repeatedly to be sure, then walked over with Kang Ge. Even when they stood right next to them, the couple didn't react, their heads leaned close together, whispering and giggling about something.

After standing there for a moment with no response, Kang Ge had to clear his throat.

The man finally looked up and turned his head, glaring at Kang Ge with visible annoyance. "What do you want?!"

"You're in our seats," Kang Ge reminded him politely. "Could you please move?"

"Is your name written on these seats?" The man squinted, looking Kang Ge up and down, then glanced at Yan Xue with a dismissive scoff. "I don't see it! Look, over there, over there, and there—there are plenty of empty seats! Just sit anywhere! We're already settled, don't go looking for trouble and being all dramatic!"

"Shouldn't it be you moving?" Yan Xue said, feeling displeased. "If you wanted to sit here, why didn't you pick these seats when you bought your tickets? Since you chose your seats at the time of purchase, you should follow the rules."

In truth, she didn't have to sit there, but doing things according to rules and principles was perfectly reasonable. Even if they had a reason to switch, they should have at least asked politely and sought consent. How could they be so unreasonable and arrogant?

If they had asked nicely, Yan Xue would have readily agreed. The theater was only half-full, and there were plenty of other seats that didn't have terrible sightlines; there was no need to be stubborn about the initial choice.

But because they were being so unreasonable, she suddenly had no desire to compromise.

"To hell with the rules! Why are you so difficult?" The man's tone grew increasingly impatient. "I'm tall. I picked the wrong row when I bought the tickets; my legs were cramped over there, so I have to sit here!"

"Then move to other seats in this row," Yan Xue said, gesturing to the empty seats a few spots away.

The man gave her a loutish smile and turned to his girlfriend. "Honey, do you want to move?"

"I don't want to. Over there it's at an angle, it's uncomfortable to watch the movie!" His girlfriend clearly wasn't new to this behavior; her attitude was completely natural, and she didn't feel for a second that she was being unreasonable.

"Hurry up and go sit somewhere else, stop being an eyesore!" The man waved them off. "Hear that? My girlfriend wants to sit here, so stop standing there like statues!"

Yan Xue was getting angry. She hadn't expected them to be so unreasonable. But with the movie about to start and no theater staff in sight, going to find someone would take too long. If they came back to mediate, the movie would already be playing, and forcing them to resolve it in the dark with a flashlight would only disturb everyone else.

It was clearly the couple's fault, but the severity of the "wrong" was merely a breach of theater etiquette—not a crime, not even a violation of the law. She and Kang Ge couldn't very well flash their badges to intimidate people; it would look bad for the department. As public servants, their identities were sensitive; even if their request was legitimate, revealing who they were could be misinterpreted as using their professional status to bully others.

Sometimes, you aren't afraid of meeting truly vicious criminals—you just handle them as they come. What you fear are these kinds of unreasonable, petty people. They are like a piece of dog excrement; whether you step on it or not, you are the one left feeling disgusted.

Yan Xue glared at the obnoxious couple, ready to prioritize the bigger picture and swallow her pride to avoid disturbing others. But Kang Ge, standing beside her, didn't budge.

"Do you want to go sit somewhere else?" Kang Ge turned to ask Yan Xue with a smile.

Seeing him ask, Yan Xue shook her head in coordination. "No, I want to sit here."

"Well, you see, we want to sit here too, and we have the tickets. It's assigned seating, so please move," Kang Ge said, holding up their ticket stubs. "Before the movie starts, go back to your own seats so you don't disturb others—or yourselves."

"I'm telling you, are you looking for trouble?" The man hadn't expected Kang Ge to be so stubborn. He had just flexed his ego in front of his girlfriend, and now, having his authority challenged, he was genuinely irritated.

The anger flared, and his reason vanished. He stood up abruptly and reached for Kang Ge's collar, intending to grab him, threaten him, or perhaps do something even more aggressive.

However, his movement was cut short. Kang Ge slapped the man's hand away with one hand, while the other pressed down firmly on the man's shoulder. The man’s momentum was instantly crushed, and he was forced back into his seat with much more force than he had used to stand up.

The man was stunned. He tried to rise again, but Kang Ge's hand remained pinned to his shoulder, exerting such heavy pressure that he couldn't lift his backside an inch.

The kicker was that Kang Ge's expression remained unchanged, his smile as light as ever, as if pressing down on a man of similar build required no effort at all.

"I suggest you think carefully before you try to stand up again, and think about why you're standing up," Kang Ge said to him with a grin. "If you want to vacate the seats for us, that’s great. Thank you for your cooperation, and I hope next time you'll remember to follow the rules in public.

"But if you want to get up to have a 'deep conversation' with me, let's be clear: we can go outside to talk. You might not want to watch this movie, but others do. Everyone is busy at work, and we're just trying to relax on a weekend night. Let's not ruin the mood."

The man's complexion shifted. Looking at Kang Ge's smile, he felt a sudden chill. Though he was losing face, after a quick, pragmatic assessment, he pushed Kang Ge's hand off his shoulder and beckoned to his girlfriend: "Come on, let's go! Let's sit somewhere else! I told you we could sit anywhere, but you insisted on being here!"

His girlfriend, likely seeing her boyfriend back down for the first time, seemed a bit disoriented. She hesitated before reluctantly rising. The two slunk away from their seats just as the theater lights dimmed and the trailers began to play on the big screen.

"Problem solved, right on time," Kang Ge said, lightly brushing his hands as if dusting off dirt.

Yan Xue sat down beside him, feeling a sense of wonder. This was the first time she had seen Kang Ge display such unexpected toughness. She knew he was capable and physically solid, but he usually played the peacemaker, so it was hard to imagine this side of him.

"What's wrong?" Kang Ge asked, noticing her staring at him while he passed her the popcorn.

"I didn't expect you to react like that today," Yan Xue, who always spoke her mind, didn't beat around the bush. "I thought you were the type who preferred to concede to advance or prioritize peace above all else!"

"Then you had me all wrong!" Kang Ge laughed, leaning toward her ear so as not to disturb the others. "I've never been the 'peace at any price' type. I'm of the 'exchange war for peace' school of thought.

"I have no interest in actively picking fights, but as long as we're minding our own business and someone makes us unhappy, shouldn't we call them out on it? Not only should we make them unhappy, but if conditions allow, we should make them doubly so. After all, reciprocity is the essence of etiquette—and we are descendants of a land of rituals, aren't we?"

Kang Ge's tone was playful, yet it revealed his true philosophy on life. Yan Xue burst into laughter.

"But when you were advising me to be patient with my aunt and Song Chen, you had a whole speech ready! I thought you were a firm believer that 'if you don't tolerate small things, you'll ruin great plans'!" She whispered back, mimicking his tone.

"True, but that depends on the situation; you can't generalize," Kang Ge waved his hand. "In everyday life, how many things are actually 'great plans'? I say, if you tolerate everything, you'll ruin the great plans. Small things are just trivial annoyances; they don't have far-reaching consequences, so there's no need for deep deliberation. For the small stuff, you just cut through the Gordian knot—it's much more satisfying!"

Yan Xue looked at Kang Ge, stunned by his perspective, yet feeling a sense of satisfaction, as if he had spoken exactly what was on her heart.

Kang Ge tilted his head. "Well? Do you think it might be worth getting to know me a little better? I'm a treasure, you know—keep digging, and you'll find plenty more surprises!"