Police officer Chen Shu

Chapter 268 Surprisingly, someone cut in line.

"Director Xia, hello!"

Hearing Zeng Hong's greeting, Chen Shu turned around and followed him into a private office.

The office isn't large; it's roughly square, probably around 18 square meters. The advantage is that the windows face south, and right now, the warm sunlight streaming in makes the room quite comfortable.

A policeman, who was about forty years old, with a large build, a round head, and wearing frameless glasses, was warmly shaking hands with Zeng Hong.

"Forget about being a section chief or deputy. Just call me Fatty Xia, like we used to when we were working together."

Teaming up with Zeng Hong? That must be Zeng Hong's comrade-in-arms from his early days in the border defense forces. Chen Shu followed behind Zeng Hong, his eyes lowered, standing obediently to the side. It wasn't his place as a junior to utter such polite words.

Zeng Hong quickly waved his hand and flattered, "How could that be! Back then, I thought a mere instructor couldn't possibly accommodate someone as important as you. Look at you now, you're already a full-fledged division-level cadre. If you were sent to Dongzhou City, you'd be the top official with real power, my boss's boss's boss!"

"I've said it several times, deputy, deputy." Director Xia drawled out the word, his eyes crinkling with a smile, clearly very pleased.

“Old Zeng, you’re getting better at talking as you get older. If you had understood these messy things back then, you wouldn’t have attracted people’s jealousy and been forced into this situation.”

"Sigh, let's not talk about that. We've met today, let's talk about happy things!"

After a few polite exchanges, the two sat down on the sofa on the west side of the office. Chen Shu took a few steps and obediently stood next to Zeng Hong.

Perhaps because they hadn't seen each other for a long time, Zeng Hong and Director Xia chatted quite happily, from their time in basic training to the places they later went after being demobilized.

When they ran out of things to say, Director Xia's smile faded considerably. He turned around and said in surprise, "Hey, why is this young man standing all this time? Come, come, sit down."

Despite his enthusiastic words, Director Xia's intention to remain completely still was crystal clear.

Very nice. Chen Shu didn't move, and looked at Zeng Hong.

"Sit? Forget sitting, standing is fine! Back when we were discussing things at the company headquarters, there wasn't a place for these brats to sit. They should be happy just to stand here and listen." Zeng Hong raised his voice slightly, then changed the subject and said slowly, "Director Xia, what do you think of this young man?"

Director Xia picked up his teacup, took a small sip, and then put it down, adopting an official tone: "Young man, you do look good, tall and handsome. Oh, by the way, Lao Zeng, our director has a distant nephew who's about the same age as you, and he just solved several major cases this year, earning high praise from local leaders."

"Well, yesterday our director brought me here to sit for a while. Oh, by the way, Lao Zeng, I have a meeting to attend later, why don't you guys sit in my office for a bit?"

Zeng Hong quickly stood up and said in a low voice, "Director Xia, you go ahead with your work, we have things to do too. But you have to come over early tonight."

"Oh dear, Lao Zeng, I forgot to tell you. This meeting is very important today, it'll probably take a long time. You guys go ahead and eat, don't wait for me," Director Xia said, then picked up his briefcase from the table, looking like he was in a hurry to get rid of them.

Zeng Hong's expression changed slightly. He could only exchange a few polite words before leading Chen Shu outside.

In the corridor, Chen Shu asked in a low voice, "Teacher Zeng, is there no hope?"

Zeng Hong's once straight back suddenly slumped, and he said disappointedly, "He's not even coming to the drinking party tonight, so it's probably hopeless."

Chen Shu said irritably, "This guy is really strange. If he really can't do it, he should just say so. He made us make a wasted trip to the provincial capital. He has quite the airs of an official, putting on such a grand show, but it all came to nothing. Tsk tsk, his shamelessness is truly astounding."

Zeng Hong glanced back and was surprised to find Director Xia still standing at the office door, looking in his direction. He forced a smile, waved, and then turned back to continue walking.

"We had a good chat last week, I guess their director cut in line. Hey, thanks for driving all morning." Chen Shu didn't really care about the second-class merit award. He only came to the provincial capital today to go along with Zeng Hong's temper, since Zeng Hong was running around so that Chen Shu could receive the credit.

Seeing Zeng Hong's gloomy face, his dejected expression, and his forced smile, he took a deep breath, suppressed his surging emotions, and smiled nonchalantly:
"Teacher Zeng, what's the big deal? Didn't we try some local specialties from the provincial capital for lunch? They were great!"

Zeng Hong shrugged, knowing in his heart that his apprentice was trying to comfort him.

"Chen Shu? Chen Shu!"

A joyful shout suddenly came from the side. Chen Shu, who had been watching Zeng Hong, then noticed that a policewoman was standing next to him, holding his sleeve as if afraid that he would run away.

The policewoman was quite old. When she saw Chen Shu turn around, her round face lit up with a smile, her eyebrows curved, and her eyes, like peach blossoms, became lively. She spoke directly in the local Dongzhou dialect:
"Chen Shu, don't you recognize me? We bumped into each other and you didn't even say hello? I really wasted all that drinking with you the other day."

The policewoman he met at the provincial capital's Public Security Bureau chatted enthusiastically with him in fluent local dialect, instantly winning over Chen Shuxin, who had just experienced the harsh realities of life.

Chen Shu stopped and thought for a moment before greeting him apologetically, "Hello, Forensic Doctor Zhu. I didn't expect to run into you here. Oh, by the way, this is our instructor."

Zhu Lizhu, the forensic doctor, was the chief forensic doctor in the Yangyi Street reservoir murder case that Chen Shu solved six months ago. At that time, she was the most direct third party to witness the entire process of Chen Shu's investigation.

After the case was closed, she recommended Chen Shu to her high-ranking father. However, at the time, her father was busy with work or held a high position and did not pay much attention to this low-ranking police officer.

Zhu Li, the daughter of a high-ranking official, seemed to have no concept of manners. She gave Zeng Hong an "oh" as a greeting, but before he could react, she tugged at Chen Shu's sleeve and asked with a grin:

"Chen Shu, what brings you to the hall this time? Why didn't you let me know?"

"You're a forensic pathologist from the Criminal Investigation Department, why would I come to the provincial department to notify you?" Chen Shu scratched his head and said with an honest, wry smile, "I originally thought I was here to receive an award, but I didn't expect to be here to judge someone else's award. Hehe."

Chen Shu has no habit of lying to his own people. And in this unfamiliar place, where he had been suppressed by the so-called provincial leaders, Chen Shu couldn't help but complain when he suddenly met Zhu Li, his enthusiastic colleague from Dongzhou.

"Ahem." Zeng Hong, standing to the side, couldn't help but cough a few times to remind him.

"Really? You're here in the hall to judge other people's awards? You?"

Julie spat, then found Chen Shu's words amusing and giggled like a little hen.

Her smile was both innocent and refreshing, like a beautiful sight.

Chen Shu smiled along, but sighed inwardly.

After exchanging a few words, Chen Shu and Zeng Hong went to the elevator together.

Julie waved goodbye with a smile, and when she turned around, her expression had returned to the indifferent detachment of a forensic doctor who was used to seeing life and death.

She walked down the corridor in her chunky-heeled shoes, which were not allowed in the hall, and entered Deputy Director Xia's office.

Xia, the deputy director who had witnessed the whole thing from the office door as Zeng Hong and the others left, now followed Zhu Li into his office somewhat timidly.

The door had just been closed when a loud "bang" came from inside.

(End of this chapter)