Police officer Chen Shu

Chapter 56 Internet Access at an Internet Cafe
When Chen Shu entered the internet cafe and registered his ID card at the front desk near the entrance, he specifically requested a seat next to the internet cafe's restroom.

The internet cafe manager looked puzzled, but silently took the ID card and completed the registration and activation process. Having worked in internet cafes for so many years, he'd seen far too many strange customers. So he wasn't particularly interested in Chen Shu's insistence on sitting next to the smelly toilet.

While the internet cafe manager was processing the paperwork, Chen Shu quickly glanced at the entire internet cafe.

Generally speaking, people carrying criminal records who go online in internet cafes will usually choose a corner or a private room. From a criminal psychology perspective, this is a subconscious form of self-protection—I can't see others, and others can't see me.

Although the idea is somewhat naive, it is what most adults do when they commit crimes.

However, no matter what, everyone needs to use the toilet eventually.

Another advantage of Chen Shu choosing a seat near the restroom is that if a suspected person passes by and he's unsure, he can pretend to need to urinate and walk straight into the restroom to observe them up close.

The restroom is an excellent, legitimate place to bridge the physical distance between two complete strangers. This is far more effective than sitting at your computer by the door.

After registering his ID information at the front desk, Chen Shu pretended to be a newcomer and wandered around the internet cafe looking for a spot. He quickly scanned the lobby and found no suspicious individuals.

During this time, he also thoroughly understood the overall layout of the internet cafe.

"Crossing King Internet Cafe" is located on the ground floor by the roadside, with a rectangular lobby. For fire safety, the internet cafe has two doors, a front door and a back door. The front door is close to the main road, and customers mainly enter and exit through the front door, while people occasionally use the back door. Both doors are manually operated glass doors.

After wandering around the internet cafe and finding nothing suspicious, Chen Shu returned to his seat, turned on his computer, and casually watched a movie on Tencent Video while quietly looking around.

He was somewhat worried about Zhu Chaoran and Xiao Qiang, after all, one was young and had only been a policeman for a few months; the other was a veteran who, although physically strong and skilled in combat, had an overly impatient temperament.

After thinking for a moment, he issued another warning in the three-person WeChat group: If any suspicious persons are found on site, they must not act alone; their identity information must be confirmed.

Only after the other two replied "received" did he feel a little relieved.

As a community assistant, Xiaoqiang's investigation was straightforward as he asked people to register their ID information when he went door-to-door. Zhu Chaoran, on the other hand, was in an internet cafe, and as long as he remembered the seat numbers of the people using the internet, he could retrieve the information directly afterward.

In today's society, as long as identity information is confirmed, there is no one the police cannot catch.

Generally, police arrests of criminal suspects are planned with a numerical advantage. The unspoken rule is that police forces are deployed with at least three times the number of suspects. On top of that, the more officers, the better.

Therefore, the deployment of these three individuals should be considered an investigation rather than an arrest.

For decades, the public security system has actually promoted individual heroism and championed the spirit of always stepping up in times of trouble. This has to be elevated to a political attitude.

For example, if someone falls into the water, even if the police officers at the scene are not good swimmers, they must jump into the river. In fact, being able to swim and being able to save someone are two completely different concepts.

In recent years, the public security system has gradually begun to prioritize the safety of its officers.

Time flew by, and Chen Shu stayed until after 9 p.m. without finding anyone suspicious. He contacted Zhu Chaoran and Xiao Qiang via WeChat, but they hadn't found anything either.

He thought for a moment and then invited the two of them to play League of Legends together at his place. When it was almost time, they could go to "Old Couple's BBQ" for a late-night snack.

This way, they could continue their stakeout at the internet cafe while also allowing the two of them to relax a bit, since young people like them play games at home anyway. Solving cases is important, but a balance between work and rest is also necessary, especially to avoid discouraging everyone. People are human. Auxiliary police officers already have low salaries and no permanent positions; they shouldn't be held to the same high standards as regular police officers. Constantly increasing their workload will only lead to chaos in the end.

"Brother Shu? What are you doing in a place like this?"

Chen Shu turned his head and saw Huang Siqian standing to the side, her beautiful eyebrows slightly furrowed, looking at him with a puzzled expression.

He felt a little nervous, just like when he was a kid and skipped school to play video games at the arcade, only to be caught red-handed by his parents, and he stammered, too afraid to say a word.

After calming down a bit, he raised an eyebrow, feigning anger, and teased, "What, can't a policeman relax by playing games at an internet cafe after get off work? 'This kind of place,' my foot! Anyone who didn't know better would think I was going to a karaoke bar or a pub!"

According to the "Three Records" regulations of the Public Security Bureau, police officers are prohibited from going to nightclubs, bars and other entertainment venues for consumption, including but not limited to banquets hosted by friends or paid for by themselves.

In reality, this regulation is a one-size-fits-all approach, as the nature of the work directly restricts an individual's freedom of consumption. However, this regulation is more like a clear statement, demonstrating the discipline of the police force to the public.

Huang Sisi was choked and couldn't speak.

Chen Shu couldn't bear to see Huang Sisi standing there with flushed cheeks and a sullen expression, so he stood up and asked, "It's so late, why are you in an internet cafe alone? Do you play computer games too?"

Huang Sisi shook her head: "No, my computer at home is broken, so I came out to look up some information."

"Is your colleague, Sister Xiaomin, also at the internet cafe? Or did you come out alone?"

"Yes, she's on duty tonight, so I came out alone." Huang Sisi's voice was soft and gentle.

Chen Shu thought for a moment, then smiled and said, "My place is near the toilet, and it smells a bit. Where do you sit? I'll move my plane to your side."

"Number 56, by the back door." Her voice grew even softer, and she jogged into the restroom after saying that.

Huang Sisi's voice was too soft for Chen Shu to hear clearly, but he still tidied up the table, pushed the single sofa under the table, and slowly walked towards the front desk.

He went to the front desk, gave the network administrator Huang Sixi's name, and then moved his seat to be next to hers.

The network administrator was quick, completing the formalities in a few seconds, and then looked at Chen Shu with an "I understand" expression: "Two drinks, please?"

Chen Shu was pleased and somewhat admired his expressive face, so he nodded and bought two bottles of Coke.

As Chen Shu turned around after grabbing his Coke, the first thing that caught his eye was the white T-shirt worn by the young man behind him in line.

Doraemon cartoon cat!

Two very young men, standing close together in front and behind!

"They're here!" Chen Shu thought to himself.
(End of this chapter)