Next, other colleagues also started speaking one after another, congratulating me on one hand and asking me to treat them on the other. The congratulations were genuine, and so was the request for a treat.
"Alright, alright. After work today, let’s meet at Mashi Private Kitchen. I’m saying it here so there’s no need for individual notices. We’re all familiar with each other anyway." Zhang Haiyang agreed with a smile. After all, earning a third-class merit was indeed something worth celebrating for him.
Once Zhang Haiyang agreed to host a dinner, everyone let him off.
As for Luo Fei, no one asked him to treat, perhaps because, as Sister Zheng mentioned earlier, everyone saw him as the newcomer and hadn’t received his salary yet, so they were reluctant to push him.
But that’s good too. If they did let Luo Fei treat, he would genuinely have some difficulties. It’s not the thought of spending a thousand or two that bothers him, but rather his tight financial situation.
At nine o’clock, Luo Fei and Zhang Haiyang sat in Director Zhou Weimin’s car heading to the Public Security Bureau.
By the time they arrived, the meeting room was already packed with at least a hundred people.
Ningjiang County is located in an area with a significant minority population. Due to the differing customs among various ethnic groups, the number of criminal cases here is relatively higher than in usual districts and counties.
This is evident from the police force at the Ningjiang County Public Security Bureau, where there are currently more than eight hundred active police officers, supplemented by over two thousand auxiliary personnel, totaling around three thousand officers, far exceeding typical districts and counties.
After finding a place to sit at the Songxin Town police station’s designated area, Director Zhou Weimin went around greeting familiar faces among his peers, as did Zhang Haiyang. Luo Fei, having not known anyone, could only sit quietly in his seat.
At ten o’clock, the commendation ceremony began. The presence of distinguished leaders was notable, with County Party Secretary Cheng Zhi from Ningjiang County and Jiangzhou City’s Public Security Bureau Chief Zheng Changjun. With these two present, Public Security Bureau Chief Wu Cheng from Ningjiang County could only assume the role of host.
Of course, the focus today wasn’t on County Party Secretary Cheng Zhi or Zheng Changjun but on the frontline officers who achieved merits in their work, among whom was Luo Fei.
However, Luo Fei was more of a supporting act today. From being called on stage and receiving a personal commendation certificate along with a two-thousand-yuan check from the Jiangzhou City Public Security Bureau Chief, to getting off the stage, the whole process took just a few minutes, attracting virtually no attention. There wasn’t much about him that could garner attention, except perhaps that he was the only officer being recognized in the capacity of a trainee cop.
Luo Fei also noticed his acquaintance, Criminal Police Captain Zhao Donglai, going on stage twice—first for a collective commendation of the criminal police team, and second for a personal third-class merit.
Zhao Donglai was not really today’s star either; the main focus was on just one person, Wang Qianqian, a 42-year-old captain of Ningjiang County’s anti-narcotics squad. His career was filled with accolades—two second-class merits, one third-class merit, three personal commendations, ranked among the Top Ten Anti-Drug Police of An Yuan Province, and Outstanding Police Officer of An Yuan Province. His notable achievements include cracking major cases like the 4.23 massive armed drug trafficking gang and the 2.15 massive drug trafficking gang.
After Public Security Bureau Chief Wu Cheng finished enumerating Wang Qianqian’s illustrious achievements, County Party Secretary Cheng Zhi from Ningjiang County presented Wang Qianqian with a first-class merit. The moment Wang Qianqian took the stage, the meeting room erupted with applause; this moment’s honor belonged to Wang Qianqian.
Watching the radiant Wang Qianqian on stage, Luo Fei felt immensely stirred, and he couldn’t help but reflect with a sense of aspiration that such is the measure of a true man.
"Wang Qianqian, that guy is truly remarkable," Zhang Haiyang, beside Luo Fei, couldn’t help but exclaim at this moment.
At one in the afternoon, the entire commendation ceremony concluded.
Luo Fei, Zhou Weimin, and another person were preparing to return to the police station when Zhou Weimin received a call, after which he said he had business to attend to and let Luo Fei and Zhang Haiyang take a taxi back to the police station.
Luo Fei and Zhang Haiyang were just about to catch a cab at the entrance.
"Luo Fei, Haiyang." Zhao Donglai, accompanied by Wang Dong, walked over from behind.
"Are you guys getting a cab back? Where’s Director Zhou?" Noticing Zhou Weimin wasn’t around, Zhao Donglai asked curiously.
Zhang Haiyang replied, "Director Zhou has some urgent matters."
"Well, it’s on the way, so I’ll give you guys a lift," Zhao Donglai offered.
After a bit of polite hesitation, Zhang Haiyang saw that Zhao Donglai was serious and then got into the car with Luo Fei, naturally following Zhang Haiyang’s lead.
In the car, Luo Fei couldn’t help asking, "Captain Zhao, is there any progress on Su Xiao’s case?"
Luo Fei knew it was a bit inappropriate for him to ask, given that he was just a low-ranking officer, but since it involved a system reward, he couldn’t worry about such proprieties for now.
Even though this case being solved and the culprit being caught wouldn’t exactly be credited to Luo Fei, he had contributed somewhat and was hoping that if the case was resolved, the system might grant some reward.
Upon hearing Luo Fei’s inquiry about the case, Zhao Donglai didn’t hide any details and straightforwardly explained, "The suspect has been identified as Tang Hu, the owner of Yumin Supermarket. He’s married with a son and a daughter. Through an investigation of the victim’s bank transactions yesterday, we found that Tang Hu had once transferred five thousand yuan to the victim. We then looked into Tang Hu’s bank records and discovered that purchases were made at the Apple store and Great Prosperity Jewelry, records corresponding with the model of the iPhone and gold jewelry found at the victim’s home."
"Upon establishing a connection between Tang Hu and the victim, we immediately launched an arrest operation. However, Tang Hu was not in Ningjiang County—his wife claimed he went to Jiangzhou City to restock at eight yesterday morning. We suspect Tang Hu is avoiding arrest."
"So we immediately requested assistance from Jiangzhou City. Currently, Jiangzhou’s criminal police have commenced the hunt for Tang Hu, and we estimate they’ll capture him soon." As Zhao Donglai spoke, his expression looked relaxed. This case had essentially been cracked in just two days, showcasing commendable speed in investigation, and for that, he received praise from Chief Wu Cheng.
Upon hearing that the suspect had been identified and was soon to be apprehended, Luo Fei felt quite pleased, as this meant he would soon receive the system’s reward.
"You and Haiyang did a great deal of work on this case, even though it’s ultimately a task for us in the criminal police team. Yet, once this case concludes, the bonus sure won’t be lacking for the two of you, and I’ll strive to secure more bonuses for both of you," Zhao Donglai continued.
Upon hearing this, both Luo Fei and Zhang Haiyang were delighted; it was an unexpected surprise for them.
The salary at the police station isn’t high. From checking with his senior colleagues, Luo Fei figured, as a newcomer, that after deducting the five insurances and one fund, he’d end up with maybe three thousand a month, while Zhang Haiyang might earn slightly more—at most, a bit over four thousand.
Living requires food, and food requires money. Under such circumstances, police work isn’t just about the justice in their hearts; it’s also about the bread and butter.