Jiang Ye hurried out to greet them.
The dust around the spaceship was particularly thick, and he walked forward, shielding his face with his hand.
With a sound like a soda bottle opening, a small door at the bottom of the spaceship opened.
Li Yangcheng emerged first, wearing a long black trench coat over a crisp black shirt. His face was hidden behind black sunglasses, making him look like a protagonist from a spy movie, as if he might pull out a submachine gun and start firing at any moment. He was incredibly cool.
Jiang Ye went up to shake his hand. "Thank you for your hard work, Mr. Li."
"It's my duty," Li Yangcheng replied. "I've brought everyone for you."
Five police officers filed out, already in their black uniforms. Many years had passed, but the style of the police uniform hadn't changed much, still making them instantly recognizable as members of the police force.
Each of them carried a large backpack and pulled a bulky suitcase; these were all their personal belongings.
The tallest and most imposing among them, his muscles seeming to strain the fabric of his clothes, approached Jiang Ye and saluted sharply.
"Town Chief Jiang! Officer Shao Wan reporting for duty!"
Jiang Ye shook his hand. "You're not just an officer anymore; from now on, you're a police chief."
Shao Wan looked slightly surprised, then saluted again.
"Officer Shi Zhi Zhizi!" A girl standing a meter and a half tall saluted, her voice soft and sweet.
Jiang Ye went to shake her hand. Her appearance practically screamed "I'm Japanese." Her hair was dyed red, the color of deep autumn maple leaves.
"Shi Zhi Zhizi, you're the deputy chief. From now on, you and Chief Shao Wan will cooperate closely, as the police force will definitely expand in the future, and we'll need you to manage and lead the team," Jiang Ye said. "I've heard about you; you're very good with computers, right? Welcome to the police force."
"Town Chief Jiang flatters me! I only know a little bit," Shi Zhi Zhizi said, bowing decisively.
Jiang Ye then shook hands with Yi Zheng, Gong Yuanqing, and Ju Yulan. These three officers were unremarkable in appearance, but their eyes and demeanor conveyed a sense of steadiness. After all, they were all seasoned mercenaries, and their professional qualities were undeniable.
"Alright, the people have been delivered, so I'll be leaving now. I still have several mercenary teams to escort," Li Yangcheng waved goodbye.
"Mr. Li is busy making a fortune, so I won't keep you. Feel free to visit when you have time!"
"Certainly, certainly!"
Li Yangcheng jogged back to the spaceship, and everyone stepped back.
With a roar and a cloud of dust, the spaceship shot into the sky and accelerated away.
Jiang Ye led the five police officers into the small town. Dozens of bungalows had already been built, and construction was still ongoing at the distant site, where dust could be seen rising into the sky.
"Our town has just been established, and residents will be moving in a few days. You are the first residents, so each of you can pick any house you like," Jiang Ye said. "The houses are very basic, and we'll build better ones later. The police station is under construction and should be completed in the next day or two. We've reserved bedrooms, offices, and living areas for you in the station, with better amenities."
The police officers saluted and thanked him.
After a brief discussion, they decided to live in the five houses next to the police station for convenience.
Once the officers had put down their luggage, Jiang Ye took them to Isabel's house for a meeting.
The dining table was used as a conference table, with pre-cut fruit already laid out.
Jiang Ye sat in the center, with the officers lined up on both sides. Isabel sat opposite, listening in.
It took half an hour for everyone to introduce themselves and get acquainted.
Jiang Ye took out the prepared papers and spread them on the table.
"Since you're all new here, I'll briefly introduce the situation on this planet and the overall plan for the town."
Jiang Ye paused suddenly, his expression changing slightly as if he felt something.
Under the table, a long leg quietly stretched out and stepped on his thigh.
Jiang Ye's heart pounded. The only person sitting opposite him was Isabel. Had she really grown a pair of leopard's guts to do this with so many people around?
He couldn't let the police officers see, or he'd lose face completely.
Jiang Ye regained his composure for two seconds and continued:
"The first batch of town residents, including Isabel, totals 101 people. Most of them are employees working for me. A soda factory has been newly built outside the town, and many more industries will be established successively."
"These incoming residents have all been carefully selected, and their quality should be relatively high. However, this is an alien colony, and there are no laws, so we must guard against a few extremists."
Jiang Ye's face was serious as he spoke, exchanging glances with the officers on either side of the table. Everyone was listening intently.
Finally, he cast his gaze towards Isabel.
Isabel appeared to be listening very attentively, her bright eyes focused on him, her expression blank.
But under the table, her foot was brazenly stepping on Jiang Ye's abdomen, moving back and forth.
Jiang Ye was internally going crazy. "My dear sister, can you just behave yourself! What if we get discovered!"
"Play is play, fooling around is fooling around, but don't joke around during a meeting!"
"The town will strictly enforce a ban on firearms, but those present are exempt from this ban..."
Jiang Ye pressed on, sticking to his prepared remarks, emphasizing police discipline and clarifying their duties.
Shao Wan and Shi Zhi Zhizi occasionally asked questions, while the other three officers remained silent throughout.
Isabel's boldness grew. She remained silent, her hands on the table, while her feet slid under the table, caressing Jiang Ye from his leg to his waist several times.
During the entire meeting, if any of the five officers had looked down under the table, they would have stumbled upon a scandal. Fortunately, no officer had any sudden impulses.
No one noticed anything unusual. Jiang Ye remained stern, without a hint of a smile, while Isabel even yawned, looking as if the meeting was utterly uninteresting and she wished it would end.
Finally, everything was covered.
The meeting adjourned, and the officers left one by one to familiarize themselves with the surrounding terrain.
Only Jiang Ye and Isabel remained by the table.
They looked at each other.
Isabel broke the silence first, letting out a chuckle.
"My sister, are you crazy!" Jiang Ye took a deep breath and asked in a low voice.
"Wasn't it exciting?" Isabel stared at him with a suggestive gaze.
"I'm about to have a heart attack!" Jiang Ye said, annoyed.
"I'm about to have a heart attack too. Turns out this trick is so much fun!" Isabel giggled. "Let's do it again if we get the chance next time! Your face is a little red; you need to practice your acting."
"Practice what! I'll never let you sit opposite me again!" Jiang Ye said, still shaken.
Isabel burst into laughter, her smile triumphant and extremely audacious. She even winked at him.
"Tomorrow, help me pick up two people," Jiang Ye said, changing the subject irritably. He picked up a pen and wrote down the locations of the Cao County citizen and the long-legged special white.
"Two people?" Isabel picked up the paper and examined the two coordinates. "I can pick up about ten people a day. Are these two people very special?"
"Very special," Jiang Ye nodded. "I have so much money now, and they've contributed greatly. They're my business partners. If you really think about it, your delivery center also owes them credit."
"Okay, okay, I promise to pick them up and deliver them to you after taking good care of them."
As Isabel readily agreed, her foot reached out again and tapped Jiang Ye's thigh.
Jiang Ye was furious. "You dare to do it again!"
He quickly reached out, grabbed her calf, and squeezed hard!
"Ow, ow, ow! Stop, stop! I surrender, I surrender!" Isabel's expression changed drastically, and she cried out in pain.
"Will you dare to do this again in the future?" Jiang Ye asked fiercely, still holding her calf.
"No, I won't. I was wrong," Isabel frowned, trying to pull her leg back. "Let go, let go! You've definitely bruised it! Why are you so rough!"
Jiang Ye released her, and she immediately pulled her leg back and put on her slippers.
"I'm going back now," Jiang Ye stood up.
"Go on, go on," Isabel said, sitting at the table.
He went downstairs, pushed the door open, and strode out. Just as the door was about to close, her voice called from upstairs:
"I'll dare to do it again next time!"
Jiang Ye stumbled, nearly falling.