Class Distinction

Inside the garage of Huan Da City's police station, besides the stern patrol cars, six proud luxury supercars were interspersed.

In a place where designer heels and expensive perfume mingled in the air, the presence of such speed machines was nothing unusual.

But this morning, a vibrant mobile flower garden suddenly bloomed before the station's gates. Countless supercars, each a fortune, flaunted their wealth, making people look up in awe.

From these cars, fresh young flowers stepped out, adorned in designer clothes, proud and full of confidence. They were the golden children of wealthy families from the upper echelons, coming here to immerse themselves in the rigorous environment of the police force, to learn, to cultivate discipline, and to enhance their courage.

While the eager crowd of intern students gathered at the gate, awaiting their welcome, somewhere along the road, Xi Di walked quietly.

That gate, to her, was like the mouth of a large beast; once she stepped in, she didn't know when she would be able to escape. For the theoretical knowledge of this field was truly difficult, and as a rule, practical application was always many times harder than theory. She wasn't sure if she could pass this internship.

Xi Di's gaze swept over the luxurious cars, but there was no ripple of surprise in her eyes.

Suddenly, a gleaming Bentley sped past, its wheels inadvertently cutting through a puddle of rainwater left over from the long, damp night. A spray of dirty water splashed up, and Xi Di, unable to dodge in time, was drenched from her knees down. In that unlucky moment, a glimmer of luck shone through: her upper body remained dry.

Xi Di lowered her head to look at the wet patches on her trousers and her old shoes, her delicate brows slightly furrowed. Her gaze fixed on the license plate, and an irritated curse escaped her lips: "Damn it, are your eyes in the clouds?!"

"You have money for a luxury car but no money for common sense, you trash."

The offending car didn't stop at the gate but drove brazenly inside.

From the driver's seat, a woman with wavy black hair stepped out. A mysterious black shirt, pristine black trousers, not a single crease, her demeanor utterly relaxed. She tucked both hands into her pockets, taking long, graceful strides, like a model on a catwalk, heading towards the gate.

With a striking height of one meter seventy, every step she took exuded the confidence and arrogant poise of a wealthy young lady.

Standing before the waiting intern students, she was in no hurry. Her cold, indifferent voice softly spoke: "Forensic intern students, line up over here."

Curious eyes turned towards her. The woman's sharp, sculpted beauty left everyone speechless, admiring her. If one had to use a single word to describe her, it could only be 'stunningly beautiful'.

After a moment of stunned silence, the forensic students quickly followed the command, forming a neat line in front of her.

The cold voice sounded again, carrying a hint of indifference and detachment: "Hello everyone, I am Zuo Jing Ying, captain of the forensic team. To save time, I will select one of you five to be my intern. The other four will be assigned to someone else later."

No sooner had she finished speaking than Zuo Jing Ying prepared to assess each person, when from behind, Xi Di quietly stepped forward, taking the last position in the line.

She recognized this as the forensic students' line, thanks to the bright red backpack on the shoulder of the person at the front. He was the class monitor, her classmate. A distinctive feature so easy to spot that even someone as indifferent and carefree as Xi Di could hardly miss it.

Zuo Jing Ying's gaze stopped on Xi Di, a look of clear disdain and displeasure sweeping from head to toe. Old, worn clothes, yellowed shoes, a disheveled and untidy appearance. Someone like this dared to step into the police force! Could she possibly achieve anything?

With that thought, Zuo Jing Ying walked up to Xi Di.

From above, Zuo Jing Ying fixed a gaze filled with obvious contempt, her mocking tone like ants crawling in Xi Di's ears: "Since you're standing here, you must be a student from Huan Da Police University."

"If you study policing, you must have a police demeanor. Even if you study forensics, specializing in autopsies, you must keep yourself neat and clean. That is basic respect, even if the person on the operating table is a corpse. Didn't anyone teach you this at school?"

Hearing those harsh words, a smoldering anger ignited in Xi Di's heart. It was clear she was being mocked for being poor, for not having money for nice clothes, yet she deliberately invoked moral arguments. Her face was beautiful, but her character was like a dirty rag.

What about the dead? When Black and White Impermanence takes them to meet King Yama, do they still have the presence of mind to care if the surgeon is neat or not! Probably only her, such a busybody. Will caring bring them back to life?

These sharp retorts only screamed in her mind, unable to be uttered. Not because Xi Di was afraid of the woman in front of her, but because she couldn't bear to lose this internship opportunity, which she had worked so hard to reach.

Xi Di lowered her head, trying to swallow her indignation, arranging her words carefully so they weren't too harsh, but still enough to protect her self-respect.

After a moment of silence, Xi Di looked up, meeting Zuo Jing Ying's eyes directly, and gently replied: "Yes, ma'am, my family is poor and I don't have the means to buy nice clothes. But I assure you, the clothes I am wearing have been washed clean."

"The reason they are wet and stained is because on my way here, I unfortunately encountered a foul-smelling, soulless demon."

Upon hearing this, Zuo Jing Ying's lips curled slightly, a cold smile flashing across her face: "What do you think about a corpse on the operating table being from the upper class, and you wearing these old, cheap clothes to perform surgery on them?"

"Tell me, would they feel disrespected because their surgeon isn't from the same social class?

"If you're going to say they're dead so how would they know or care, then it's best to shut up. They're not alone; they have families, and of course, their families have similar, or even higher, social standing. Answer me now?"

The surrounding students couldn't help but chuckle softly, some even glancing at Xi Di with disdain.

Xi Di's hands clenched into fists, trying to suppress the simmering anger. She raised her head, looking straight into Zuo Jing Ying's eyes, her lips curving into a faint smile: "Don't we all have to wear protective gear when entering an operating room, whether for the living or the dead?"

"If even surgery is divided by wealth and poverty, then protective clothing is nothing more than a tool to distinguish status. Once in the operating room, the person wearing the protective gear is the one with the authority to decide."

"Operating on the living is helping patients snatch life from the jaws of death. Autopsying the deceased is helping the dead find justice, helping them speak the words they wish to say."

"If they still discriminate between rich and poor, if their families still discriminate between rich and poor, then when they descend to the eighteen layers of hell, King Yama will surely also discriminate between rich and poor in his judgment."

"In Buddhist scriptures, it is said that the karma of the rich who discriminate against and look down upon the poor is often very heavy."

In truth, Xi Di had never read Buddhist scriptures, nor had she ever seen a single one in her life. If a Buddhist scripture were to appear before her now, it would certainly be the first time she knew what its written form looked like.

Those standing nearby were surprised by Xi Di's sharp words, especially the last sentence, a biting sarcasm aimed directly at those with class-discriminatory thoughts.

Zuo Jing Ying's face was now as cold as ice. She bent down, her cold expression staring intently at Xi Di's delicate face, and softly spoke: "From now on, you will be my student."

With that, Zuo Jing Ying straightened up, coldly announcing: "This person will now be my student. The rest of you can go inside the bureau and wait for your instructors."

Zuo Jing Ying glanced down at Xi Di, coldly ordering: "And you, follow me."

She insulted her so much, then accepted her as a student. What a lunatic.

That thought only flashed through Xi Di's mind. She remained silent, following Zuo Jing Ying's arrogant back.