A Sharp Edge Emerges From The Mist Chapter 39

community service

It was seven o’clock in the morning on the first weekend after the verdict came into effect.In the old town of Shuangcheng, there is a community service center called “Nuan Yang”.The air is filled with the faint aroma of soy milk and fried dough sticks and the fresh smell of fresh morning dew.

Shen Qingwu was wearing an extremely ordinary light gray sports suit, with her hair tied into a neat ponytail. She had no makeup on her face and only applied a light layer of lip balm.She stood outside the slightly outdated glass door of the service center, holding a community correction registration notice and activity schedule in her hands, looking a little… rare and nervous.

This kind of situation is more unfamiliar and difficult for her to deal with than facing the most demanding board of directors or the most ferocious enemy.She was used to controlling, calculating and keeping a distance, but here, what was needed was integration, communication and… a certain kind of ordinary human warmth that she was already unfamiliar with.

Lin Jianfeng stood half a step away from her, also wearing casual clothes, a simple black jacket and dark trousers.She didn’t urge him, she just stayed with him quietly, her eyes glancing at the busy social workers and a few elderly people in the service center.

“Go in.” Lin Jianfeng’s voice was very soft, with a comforting meaning, “Director Li is very nice, Aunt Wang and the others… are just a little bit rude, but their hearts are not bad.”

Director Li is the person in charge of the “Nuan Yang” center, a retired teacher in his fifties with a gentle smile.Aunt Wang is a well-known “warm-hearted person” in the community. She is also the main contact person and “key concern” of this “Publicization of Financial Fraud Prevention Knowledge for the Elderly” activity – she was almost robbed of her life savings by a high-interest financial scam before.

Shen Qingwu took a deep breath, nodded, and opened the glass door.

The wind chime on the door made a crisp tinkling sound.Director Li, who was sorting information at the front desk, raised his head and saw them, and immediately showed a warm smile: “Miss Shen is here? Officer Lin is also here with you? Come in, come in!”

Director Li’s attitude was natural and friendly, without any strange or scrutinizing eyes, as if Shen Qingwu was just an ordinary volunteer who came to participate in community service activities.This made Shen Qingwu’s tense nerves relax a little.

“Director Li, good morning.” Shen Qingwu followed Lin Jianfeng’s prior instructions and tried to sound calm, “Here are my registration materials.”

“Okay, okay, let’s put it here first.” Director Li took the material and put it aside without looking at it. He took Shen Qingwu’s hand and walked inside. “This morning’s event is in the activity room on the second floor. Aunt Wang and the others have already arrived, and they are talking about it. Miss Shen is a financial expert, and it would be perfect to give them some anti-fraud knowledge! Officer Lin, if you are free, would you like to listen too?”

Lin Jianfeng smiled: “I happen to have nothing to do today, so I’ll take a look with you.”

The activity room on the second floor is not big, but it is very warmly decorated. The walls are decorated with handicrafts and activity photos of the elderly.Seven or eight gray-haired old men were sitting around a few long tables put together, discussing something. When they saw Director Li coming in with someone, they all looked over.

“Aunt Wang, Uncle Zhang, here we are! This is the teacher Shen I told you to teach you about fraud prevention!” Director Li introduced in a loud voice.

“Teacher Shen is so young!” “She’s still a beauty!” “Director Li, is this… the very powerful financial expert you were talking about?” The old people looked at Shen Qingwu curiously and started talking about it.

Aunt Wang was an old lady with a round face, a slightly chubby face, and a loud voice. She looked at Shen Qingwu up and down, and suddenly slapped her thigh: “Ouch! I remembered it! Are you the… Mr. Shen from Qingyuan Capital on TV?!”

As soon as these words came out, there was an instant silence in the activity room.Several other old people seemed to have remembered something, and their eyes became a little complicated.There have been a lot of reports about the “New City Project” and “Underground River” recently. Although Shen Qingwu doesn’t appear much, his name and identity will inevitably be remembered by some people who pay attention to current affairs.

Shen Qingwu’s body stiffened almost imperceptibly.Lin Jianfeng noticed it keenly and gently touched the back of her hand.

Director Li quickly smoothed things over: “Hey, Aunt Wang, let’s not talk about the past. Miss Shen is now a volunteer in our community and is here to help everyone! Let’s listen to the teacher’s lectures today and learn some real skills. In the future, we will never let those liars fool us again!”

Aunt Wang also realized that she might have said the wrong thing, and scratched her head in embarrassment: “Yes, yes, look at my mouth! Teacher Shen, don’t mind! We old guys just love to speculate. Come and teach us how to prevent deception. It’s not too late for us to welcome you!”

Other old people also echoed, and the atmosphere became lively again.

Shen Qingwu calmed down and walked to the long table.She looked at these old people with kind faces and curiosity and a little expectation in their eyes, and the cold shell belonging to “Mr. Shen” in her heart seemed to be quietly melted by this simple enthusiasm.

“Good morning, uncles and aunts,” she said, her voice much softer than usual, “I am not a teacher. I am here to talk to you today about how to identify common financial scams and protect your retirement money.”

She began to explain, without using any complicated financial terms, but using the most understandable language to break down the scammer’s words and routines based on the case where Aunt Wang was almost fooled.When it came to the key points, she also asked Lin Jianfeng to cooperate and simulated several classic scenes of scammers making phone calls or door-to-door sales, so that the elderly could intuitively feel the traps.

At the beginning, Shen Qingwu was a little jerky and reserved, but soon her strong logical thinking and professionalism came into play.The explanations are clear and concise, the examples are vivid and appropriate, and some simple and interesting tests are interspersed from time to time to allow the elderly to participate.

The old people listened with interest and asked questions from time to time. Aunt Wang even clapped her legs repeatedly as if she suddenly realized: “So that’s it! That’s what the financial management salesman told me at the time! Oops, I almost got fooled! Teacher Shen, you really saved me!”

There was constant laughter in the activity room and the atmosphere was harmonious.Shen Qingwu looked at the old people listening attentively and actively interacting with each other, and at their satisfied smiles because they had learned new knowledge. A strange and warm emotion quietly grew in her heart.It is not the sense of accomplishment after achieving a business goal, nor is it the cold pleasure of advancing a revenge plan, but a simpler and more pure… fulfillment and joy after helping others.

It turns out that, aside from intrigues and life-and-death battles, there are also moments worth cherishing in the lives of ordinary people.

After the event, the old people gathered around Shen Qingwu and Lin Jianfeng, thanking them profusely, and warmly invited them to come back next time, and even gave them their own specialty snacks and pickles.

Aunt Wang held Shen Qingwu’s hand and babbled: “Teacher Shen, you spoke so well! When will you come again next time? I’ll let my guy come and listen too! He’s even more confused than me!”

Shen Qingwu was a little unaccustomed to such warm contact, but he did not withdraw his hand, but smiled slightly stiffly: “Okay, Aunt Wang, I will come again when I have the chance.”

It was already past ten in the morning when I left the community service center.The sun is just right, shining on the old but clean streets, coating it with a layer of warm gold.

Shen Qingwu and Lin Jianfeng walked side by side on the way home, neither of them spoke, enjoying the rare tranquility of the rest of their lives.

“How do you feel?” Lin Jianfeng finally spoke and looked sideways at Shen Qingwu.

Shen Qingwu was silent for a moment and said slowly: “It’s very… different.” She thought for a moment and added, “A bit noisy and a bit chaotic, but… not annoying.” She paused and looked at Lin Jianfeng, “They… don’t seem to care about my past.”

Lin Jianfeng smiled: “Ordinary people have the wisdom and kindness of ordinary people. They care more about who can really help them, rather than holding on to the past labels. Moreover,” she looked at Shen Qingwu with gentle eyes, “what you are doing now is using actions to write new labels.”

Shen Qingwu’s heart was slightly shaken.Yeah, new tab.No longer the “Avenger”, no longer the “Gray Queen”, but… a “Teacher Shen” who teaches the elderly in the community to prevent fraud.Although it sounds ridiculous, it feels… not bad.

“Community correction… there are many activities.” Lin Jianfeng continued, “There are environmental cleaning, helping people with disabilities, and volunteering in orphanages… which may be more tiring and trivial.”

“I know.” Shen Qingwu nodded, looking at the blue sky in the distance, “Just think of it as…relearning how to be an ordinary person.” An ordinary person who can walk in the sunshine without having to be vigilant all the time or carrying heavy secrets.

Lin Jianfeng looked at the softened lines on her side face and the calm expectation for the future that gradually became clear in her eyes, and his heart felt peaceful.

Judgment is not the end, but the beginning of new life.

Community service is the first step on the road to redemption and the first step towards an ordinary future for them.

There is still a long way to go, but at least they are heading in the right direction.

The sun shone on the two of them, lengthening their shadows and gently overlapping them.

Ahead are the streets full of fireworks, as well as the warm and solid future they chose together.