Police officer Chen Shu

Chapter 100 Returning to Jiuping City
On the way back, Chen Shu arranged for Zhu Chaoran to drive the Changhe car back to Erdan Town using navigation, so that Xiao Yang could rest for a while.

In this arrest operation, Xiao Yang, a complete stranger, was indeed a great help, stepping forward without hesitation in several critical moments.

Chen Shu felt deeply indebted and decided to slip each of them a 500-yuan envelope when they parted ways. The reward for online fugitive apprehension is 500 yuan per person, as per regulations.

It's not a lot of money, but it's a token of my appreciation.

Chen Shu had also planned to leave some bonuses for Xiao Qiang, Zhu Chaoran, and Xu Lei during this operation to carry out the arrest in a distant location.

In addition to the special expenses for the previous cases that haven't been approved yet, they will be collected and distributed to everyone at the end of the month, which will be a considerable amount of extra income.

The 500 yuan reward for catching a fugitive was definitely not enough, but Chen Shu was used to paying out of his own pocket. Over the years, Xiao Wang, the gossip king of the Zhongshan Police Station, secretly gave Chen Shu the nickname "Spendthrift."

However, which police officer who has worked a few shifts at a local police station hasn't been a spendthrift?
Sitting in the passenger seat, as Chen Shu was jolted up and down the mountain road, he imagined everyone gathering together to divide the money, and a smile unconsciously crept onto his lips.

In reality, most police officers don't risk their lives for a few dollars. Sharing the money is just a way for everyone to vent after working consecutive all-nighters and overtime; it's essentially more of a ritual, a way to affirm their work.

The joy and sense of accomplishment after solving a case are hard to express in words.

The muddy roads in the mountains became difficult to drive on after dark. What originally took Xiao Yang just over two hours took Zhu Chaoran three hours to reach Erdan Police Station.

After everyone got off the bus, they parted ways with Xiao Yang. Before leaving, Chen Shu took out the prepared envelope and stuffed half a backpack full of duck tongues into Xiao Yang's arms.

Having already sampled some of the local specialties from Dongzhou during the day, Xiao Yang accepted them with a cheerful smile. However, after weighing the envelope containing the money in his hand for a few moments, he ultimately forced it back to Chen Shu.

Chen Shu really couldn't resist his big pectoral muscles.

Before leaving, Xiao Yang recalled the scene of Chen Shu standing up for him in the village and suddenly asked, "Are you really the leader?"

Chen Shu chuckled: "Doesn't it look like it?"

“Yes, it is.” Xiao Yang nodded. “It’s similar to our leaders here. They’re bold and willing to take responsibility.”

He hesitated for a moment, then smiled knowingly, "Not bad, just a little slippery."

It was already 2 a.m. when I got back to the hotel next to the Jiuping City Public Security Bureau.

The group found a porridge shop that was still open near the hotel. After entering, Chen Shu ordered from the menu. Porridge, dumplings, and flatbread were served one after another, and everyone devoured them.

Ma Zhongyun, who had been handcuffed on the back for nearly three hours in the car, was now handcuffed in the front, with a plate of food placed in front of him.

He was surprised, but he didn't say anything because he wasn't allowed to use chopsticks. He reached out and grabbed the flatbread in front of him and started eating it.

Chen Shu thought that Ma Zhongyun, who had just been caught at home, would have a poor appetite and wouldn't be able to eat. Unexpectedly, apart from Zhu Chaoran, he was the one who ate the most.

"Officer, could you bring another plate of these steamed dumplings?" Ma Zhongyun licked his lips, speaking for the first time since he hadn't uttered a word the entire way.

Secretary Chen knew this was a dish called "Steamed Dumplings with Cucumber and Shrimp". He only tasted one, and the taste was very refreshing, with the unique aroma of cucumber, the freshness of shrimp, and probably some egg flavor mixed in.

Chen Shu asked the restaurant to bring out another plate of steamed dumplings, but he was also a little curious about Ma Zhongyun's good appetite.

Perhaps Chen Shu's expression was too obvious, because after Ma Zhongyun swallowed a dumpling whole, he chuckled and said, "If we squat under the fence for a while, we won't have any more to eat. What we eat now is all ours."

"蹲坝篱子" is a local slang term that means to go to jail.

This guy was arrested by the police just a few hours ago, and now he can eat a big meal without any worries. He must be quite a character. Chen Shu immediately looked at this criminal suspect with higher regard.

Actually, what Chen Shu said to the villagers in Gajia Village about Ma Zhongyun's crimes was true, but some facts were missing. Ma Zhongyun was indeed late several times, and some of his wages were deducted, calculated at 200 yuan per instance of lateness. At that time, Ma Zhongyun's average daily wage was 180 yuan. Later, at a company dinner, the man who was beaten did some annoying things at the scene, which led to Ma Zhongyun's revenge after drinking and becoming agitated, resulting in him accidentally blinding the man in one eye.

Crimes of passion.

After having a late-night snack, the group went to a nearby hotel, which was only a few dozen meters away from the Jiuping City Public Security Bureau.

Chen Shu booked two adjacent standard rooms, rooms 804 and 806.

The main reason for changing to a room on a higher floor this time was to prevent Ma Zhongyun from jumping out of the window to escape.

Generally, it takes four police officers to escort one fugitive. The basic setup is two police officers and two auxiliary police officers. In addition to the fact that two police officers are required to be present for the paperwork, it is also so that when on night watch, the two police officers can split into two groups, each with one auxiliary police officer, to work in shifts.

Chen Shu's team only had one policeman, so he couldn't take shifts. He arranged for Xu Lei, who had been frightened in the village, to rest and not participate in the shift change. Xiao Qiang and Zhu Chaoran would switch shifts every three hours.

Chen Shu himself wasn't planning on sleeping.

While he was in the car, Wang Chongming sent a WeChat message saying that his wife had given birth smoothly. He had already booked a flight for early tomorrow morning and estimated that he would arrive at the Jiuping City Public Security Bureau around 11:00 AM.

The suspect had been successfully apprehended, so Wang Chongming didn't actually need to come. However, he felt somewhat apologetic, knowing that Chen Shu, as the sole police officer leading the team, bore a heavy responsibility, and insisted on coming.

Chen Shu quickly calculated that it would only be a little over thirty hours; he could just endure it and it would pass.

Before entering the hotel, he bought a case of Nestlé bottled coffee from a roadside vendor, and with the remaining pack of Liqun cigarettes in his backpack, he had plenty of supplies.

At four o'clock in the morning, Chen Shu and Zhu Chaoran escorted Ma Zhongyun into room 804.

The room lights should always be on.

Ma Zhongyun lay on the bed near the toilet, one hand handcuffed to the headboard.

Zhu Chaoran sat up against the headboard near the window, took out his phone, opened Honor of Kings, and started a fierce battle.

Chen Shu took a chair and sat by the window. Seeing that Ma Zhongyun was awake with his eyes open, he started chatting with him casually.

During the conversation, Ma Zhongyun also talked about some of his own experiences, stating that he knew he would eventually be caught by the police if he committed a crime. He explained that he had returned to his hometown because he had left home to work since he was a child. Over the years, even during the Spring Festival, he felt the journey was too far and had rarely been able to go home to visit his parents.

After getting into trouble, I thought I'd spend some time quietly with my parents, and then turn myself in when it's about time.

It was supposed to be a chat, but it was mostly him talking while Chen Shu listened without saying a word.

As she talked, she became so tired that she fell asleep.

Chen Shu picked up the third coffee bottle he was drinking that night, opened the cap, and drank it down in one gulp.

Whether Ma Zhongyun truly intended to turn himself in to the police after a while, he didn't know.

However, this desire to go home and be with his parents is genuine and comes from the bottom of his heart.

For intentional injury, if the other party is seriously injured (level two), the sentence is at least three years, and could be as long as eighty or ninety years.

He probably secretly calculated how much longer he could stay with his aging parents.

(End of this chapter)