Police officer Chen Shu

Chapter 26 Appointing the Captain
There were lightning and thunder, and heavy rain was pouring down.

After contacting the local police and Li Meng, Ren Da stood alone by the overpass, his hands gripping the concrete railing, his head down, staring intently at the direction where the Zhengming Criminal Investigation Brigade was about to arrive to provide support.

Having held a high position for many years, he had not been on the front lines for a long time, and had become accustomed to remaining calm and composed in the face of events, as well as being able to deploy troops effectively.

For example, this time when he followed up on the kidnapping case with the criminal investigation team, in his eyes it was just a change of location to continue on-site command. After all, he was indeed accompanied by the team's elite soldiers.

But who could have imagined that everyone would be completely outmaneuvered by the kidnappers? In the end, at the exchange site, he was the only old comrade left to face the armed kidnappers.

When the convoy was initially traveling on the highway, Ren Da, who was sitting in Zhao Hu's car, was the first to order the following vehicles on the walkie-talkie not to be exposed and not to stop, and to continue driving forward when he heard the kidnappers' request to stop on the overpass.

At that time, he was somewhat proud of his quick thinking on the spot.

These young people, usually so confident and arrogant. But when it really matters, not one of them is quick-witted or has a sharp mind. He thought to himself at the time.

Later, when he stood alone on the bridge in the rain, looking at the fully armed kidnappers below and thinking about their high vantage point on the mountain behind him, he suddenly realized that these elite criminal police officers from Dongzhou City must have thought it through long ago. That's why the walkie-talkie was completely silent when the incident happened; no one spoke, and no one dared to speak.

When did he become the one being protected? Ren Da felt a little self-deprecating. He shook his head and reached for the pistol tucked behind his waist.

The cool metallic feel brought him a slight sense of comfort.

Thinking back to his past experiences with arrests, Ren Da smiled knowingly, a hint of amusement in his eyes.

"Officer Ren, come inside the car and get out of the rain. You'll catch a cold if you stay like this."

Zhao Hu's voice came from behind. Ever since Zhao Hu shamelessly asked him to stay, although he had agreed, he still harbored resentment and didn't want to see Zhao Hu.

It wasn't that he disliked Zhao Hu, but whenever he saw Zhao Hu's face, whether he was genuinely anxious or not, the image of that white SUV rushing into the night alone inexplicably popped into his mind.

Ren Da didn't reply. He turned his back to Zhao Hu, raised his right hand and waved it, continuing to stare at the south direction under the bridge, oblivious to the rain washing over his entire body.

He recalled the young man who had been standing under the bridge, helping Liu Yan carry her canvas bag. As an experienced veteran detective, Ren Dachu observed that the young man seemed somewhat simple-minded, yet also a bit clumsy.

He was completely at the mercy of a victim he had just rescued from kidnappers.
It's not that I can't help, but looking at the hostage's arrogant attitude, Ren Da, also a police officer, still felt a bit annoyed.
Thinking of this, Ren Dafa burst into laughter from the bottom of his heart.

Because at that time, he was still agonizing over things on the bridge, and he even had the nerve to comment on this young man.

The young man seemed to suddenly realize something, shouted loudly, threw the canvas bag on the ground, and ignored Zhao Yan's shouts behind him. He ran straight towards the dirt road west of the overpass where the two cars had disappeared.

Then, the chubby figure resolutely disappeared into the night.

Ren Da was immediately proven wrong. He opened his mouth, but his throat felt like it was blocked by something. In all these years, apart from news reports, this was the first time he had personally encountered a police auxiliary officer who faced criminals head-on without fear of death.

In today's society, compared to police officers with official positions, auxiliary police officers receive lower pay and poorer benefits, yet they bear a workload and face high-risk frontline duties that are no less demanding than those of regular police officers. Aside from having lower educational qualifications, there is nothing else to criticize them for.

Therefore, in daily work or case handling, whether it is the responsibility they bear or the danger they face, the police should be at the forefront, while the auxiliary police can appropriately step back to the second line, which is understandable to everyone.

But at this moment, Ren Da, who was standing on the bridge watching, couldn't help but lament his own shortsightedness and narrow-mindedness.

He thought to himself, "I'm getting old, I have to accept it."

In the time it takes to drink a few cups of tea, on the south side of the underpass.

The sound of rain pattered softly, and then, like a curtain, the beams of flashlights and indistinct figures slowly emerged.

"They're here." Ren Da lowered his voice, straightened up, and craned his neck with a hint of anticipation.

Zhao Hu, who had been keeping an eye on Ren Da, saw the commotion and immediately opened the car door, ran to the concrete guardrail, and looked down with him.

Before long, eight burly plainclothes detectives stood scattered under the bridge, quietly looking up at the sky.

"Ren Da?" A hesitant voice called out from under the bridge.

"It's me. How's Li Da?"

"Li Dajiao must be dead. We were planning to leave one of us to stay with him, but he chased us all away."

"He's stubborn."

It was too dark, and it was raining heavily. Ren Da couldn't see the situation of the criminal police officers below the bridge, but he could sense that everyone was fully prepared and waiting for his order, or rather, for directions.

He suddenly realized he had talked too much. Although no one brought it up, he could sense people's impatience.

Yes! Pointing out the direction the kidnappers fled is enough!

"Li Da has probably told you the gist of the matter, so I have nothing to add."

Ren Da leaned over the concrete railing, pointed behind him, and shouted at the top of his lungs, "Two of us are chasing the kidnappers in this direction! You guys run there with all your might to help them! Hurry up!"

After hearing this, the plainclothes detectives under the bridge didn't waste any words. A group of them decisively rushed back into the rain, crossed under the overpass, and disappeared into the muddy road in an instant.

Ren Da hurriedly turned around and crossed the median strip of the highway, standing on the other side of the overpass, watching the criminal police officers gradually disappear into the rain.

He then slumped to the ground, leaning against the concrete railing, feeling utterly deflated and frustrated.

Ugh! My first sentence was unnecessary; I made the same mistake of giving a leadership speech again. Why not just point out a direction and charge forward...?

"Officer Ren, I was wrong earlier. I'm a coward and not good at speaking. You can go ahead and do what you need to do. I'll stay on the bridge with my wife."

Ren Da raised his head, looked at Zhao Hu standing by the isolation zone, and said nothing.

Seeing that Ren Da didn't react, Zhao Hu anxiously continued, "Officer Ren, look, the rain has lessened a bit. I'm really fine here, you can go ahead and do your work. Really!"

Ren Da gripped the concrete railing with his left hand, stood up with a thud, turned to look at the dirt road to the west, and muttered to himself:
"I reckon there should be a result by now."

(End of this chapter)