Police officer Chen Shu

Chapter 445 Contrasting Personalities
Time flew by, and the group chatted about interesting things at the police academy until they had already walked around and returned to the main gate.

Next to the main gate is the newly built comprehensive office building of the Provincial Police Academy, an eighteen-story building with a three-story annex below. The side facing the street is entirely made of glass curtain walls, giving it an extremely modern look, and a huge police emblem hangs high above the main hall on the first floor.

According to Chen Shu, he prefers the architectural style of the police academy or junior college in the past. Although entering the police academy means that one foot is already in the police force, Chen Shu still prefers the simple campus atmosphere of the old school.

Chen Shu crossed his arms and looked at the building, which he had never seen before, and casually asked, "Xiao Hai, this building is probably for the institute's leaders to use as offices, right? But they don't have that many people, so they probably don't need so many rooms."

Jiang Hai awkwardly touched his nose and admitted, "I think so. It seems like the secretary, the dean, the student affairs office, and so on are all upstairs. Sigh! Actually, I'm not really sure. During the police training, we just went between the playground, the canteen, and the dormitory. I didn't really pay attention to other places. I was too tired. Whenever I had free time, I would rush to find a place to sleep."

Chen Shu listened with a smile until Jiang Hai brought up the topic of sleeping. After Jiang Hai finished speaking, Chen Shu commented with a smile, "When you graduate and start working, you have to develop this good habit of sleeping whenever you have free time. 'Wherever you have free time' means any time period, such as ten minutes, twenty minutes, half an hour, an hour, etc. Seize every opportunity to sleep, and sleep well! It is one of the most basic skills for a grassroots police officer."

"Brother Shu, you're not talking about what happened when you were on duty, are you?"

"Besides being on duty, there's also overtime, and I often have to stay up all night. Sometimes I'm busy all night without any time to rest, and I can only catch a few glimpses of sleep when I'm at work the next day. I don't even have a choice about where to go!"

The group chatted as they walked, with Jiang Hai leading the way to the cafeteria. However, on the way, he unexpectedly discovered that Jiang Hai had taken a longer route. Originally, it would only take two or three hundred meters east from the main gate to reach the west entrance of the cafeteria, but Jiang Hai had instead headed north towards the other side of the cafeteria, adding several hundred meters to the journey.

Upon entering the canteen, Chen Shu specifically looked towards the west gate, only to find it open as usual, with students and their families entering and exiting in an orderly manner, without any particular abnormalities.

Having handled cases for many years and paying close attention to detail, Chen Shu had a vague question in his mind. At this moment, he looked again at Jiang Hai, who was standing next to Yan Chenxi and talking eloquently, and found that he was not in good condition. He looked very haggard, and his eyes were bloodshot.

Upon closer listening, the voice also sounded rather hoarse.

However, since it was at the police academy, Chen Shu suppressed his doubts and thought that he might be overthinking it. Perhaps it was Jiang Hai's first time participating in a parade and he was too tense.

"Ding-ling-ling!" The phone rang.

Chen Shu took out his phone and saw that it was a call from Zhou Qinghu. The cafeteria was noisy, so he gestured to Yan Chenxi to go outside to take the call.

"Chen Shu! You're at the police academy? Why didn't you let me know sooner? Otherwise, I could have picked you up at the train station!"

"Chairman, I'm afraid you're being too enthusiastic. I've already arrived at the police academy; I'll come find you after I finish eating here."

"Hey, you've already started eating? Why are you still being so formal with me! Seriously, this time you only sent a WeChat message. What if I hadn't checked my phone and just gone to sleep?"

"See you this afternoon then. You'll have to check your phone eventually."

"Okay, okay, then come to my office after you finish eating. I'll send you the office address in a bit."

"Alright, Chairman. See you then!"

After hanging up the phone, Chen Shu returned to the cafeteria and picked up a tray from the order counter. While getting his food, he glanced at the group of cafeteria ladies, but unfortunately, he didn't see the "Shaking King" who was famous among the students back then.

However, the large bucket that once held the mung bean soup is still placed in its original position.

Chen Shu put down the plate he was holding and went over to scoop out three bowls for them.

After having lunch in the cafeteria, Chen Shu said he was going to visit his former classmates. He left Jiang Hai two bags of Dongzhou's specialty duck tongues and smoked chicken, then said goodbye to the siblings with his still full travel bag.

As Chen Shu got up to leave, he took out his phone and checked WeChat, only to see that Zhou Qinghu had already sent him the office location.

The office of the 22nd Brigade is located near dormitory building 23, and it's the closest one to the west gate of the canteen.

Coincidentally, Jianghai is also from the 22nd Brigade.

West Gate?

Chen Shu glanced subconsciously at Jiang Hai, who was chatting happily with his sister, and then walked out of the cafeteria through the west gate.

Stepping out of the cafeteria and onto the steps, the scene outside was no different from when he was a student in his early years.

The same cement-paved road; the same bustling police cadets; the same red-roofed dormitories; the same bulletin board with notices plastered on the walls. Thinking he could meet Zhou Qinghu sooner, Chen Shu didn't linger. He stopped for a few seconds at the canteen entrance before heading to the brigade office. As he passed the bulletin board, he habitually glanced at the notices, just like he did when he was a student.

"Jianghai?"

Jiang Hai's name appeared on a disciplinary notice.

Chen Shu stopped and looked at the notice for a long time before he learned what had happened to Jiang Hai.

"Warning issued, and not allowed to participate in today's parade." Chen Shu read the notice stamped by the Student Affairs Office and the brigade's disciplinary notice posted below, feeling somewhat surprised.

Although Jiang Hai seems a bit restless and sometimes uses his brain, he doesn't seem like the kind of student who would argue with instructors or act out against teachers.

"Brother Shu, you saw it."

A timid boy's voice came from behind.

Chen Shu turned around and looked at the big boy with his head down in front of him, knowing that the other person must be feeling more upset than anyone else at this moment.

"Brother Shu, I really don't care about warnings or anything. People say this punishment will follow me for four years of university, but I'm not afraid of that. I... I'm just afraid I won't be able to play this afternoon, and it will make my sister sad. Brother Shu, can you not tell my sister about this?" Jiang Hai choked up, not knowing where to put his hands, which hung limply at his sides.

Jiang Hai, who had been sitting in the cafeteria, saw Chen Shu leave through the west gate. Hoping to get away with it, he and Yan Chenxi made up an excuse and followed him out. As a result, Chen Shu still saw the disciplinary notice.

Having weathered many storms, Chen Shu now looks back on this punishment and doesn't actually see it as such a serious matter.

It's not like I'm being expelled or forced to quit. I can still become a police officer after graduating in four years!
So what?

But he also came from police academy and knew that this pressure was difficult for a young person like Jiang Hai, who was new to the academy, to bear. It was especially difficult in front of a family that hoped for his growth and wanted him to live up to their expectations.

Sometimes, sensitive children are more concerned about their image than adults, but they are also more likely to be unable to bear the consequences.

At work, Yan Chenxi helped Chen Shu a lot; in private, she was also a good friend of Chen Shu's, so he always regarded Jiang Hai as his younger brother.

Chen Shu nodded and said, "Jiang Hai, you can't hide this from us forever; you'll have to face it eventually."

"I know. But I just don't want my sister to be sad, so I'm trying to stall for time. But now that it's dragged on, I don't know what to do next."

Jiang Hai couldn't help but suppress his sobs, his hands clenched into fists, attracting the attention of observant students passing by.

"This isn't the place to talk. You should go back and find your sister first. Otherwise, she'll think something's happened since you've been out for so long."

"Brother Shu, I dare not." Jiang Hai couldn't control his emotions any longer and choked up, not daring to look up.

Chen Shu lifted his rather heavy travel bag, an idea forming in his mind. He said, "Xiao Hai, you go back and keep your sister company first. I have a classmate who works in the institute. I'll go ask him now if he can help."

As soon as he finished speaking, Jiang Hai suddenly raised his head, snot still faintly hanging from his nostrils, and asked in a trembling voice, "Brother Shu, is it okay?"

“I don’t know if it will work, but we have to try. If it doesn’t, I’ll explain to your sister. You just need to focus on keeping your sister company and show her around our police academy so she can experience the environment where we grew up.”

Chen Shu smiled and patted Jiang Hai on the shoulder, trying to calm him down.

"Brother Shu, is it really going to work?" Jiang Hai asked repeatedly.

The contrast in personality among young people is so striking; when their passion takes over, they're capable of anything, and they dare to do it. Yet, some things that adults consider trivial and require communication become incredibly serious.

The pressure naturally fell on their still-inexperienced shoulders.

Chen Shu, who had also come over, felt a pang of emotion, but nodded solemnly and said firmly, "Trust me."

(End of this chapter)