Police officer Chen Shu

Chapter 644 Shooting

After the night patrol ended, on the way back, Chen Shu did not sit in the passenger seat of the troop carrier as usual.

He pretended to be nonchalant, but in reality, he quite obviously squeezed himself to sit next to Zhu Yiba.

He rolled down the car window and first complained that this car, worth hundreds of thousands, didn't even have automatic windows. He thought the government procurement money was really being wasted.

Seeing that Zhu Yiba didn't respond, he brought up the annual maintenance costs of the troop transport vehicle. This old vehicle, which was eight or nine years old, cost enough to buy a new vehicle with similar power in a year for maintenance and repairs. It could be used immediately after a paint job, but the bureau just wouldn't replace it.

This finally piqued Zhu Yiba's interest, and the two started chatting about government procurement.

Back in the day, the Dongzhou Municipal Public Security Bureau had a small, inconspicuous link at the bottom of its internal network URL. It was a small forum that the cybersecurity guys had put together for everyone, a place where people could vent and chat in their spare time, like a confessional.

Then one year-end, the entire bureau distributed welfare benefits, and the agricultural products were obtained through bidding, which at least sounded legitimate on the surface. Linking welfare distribution with bidding was a first in the system, so the municipal bureau's website prominently featured the news; this kind of treatment is usually praised as an example.

The items distributed that time were dried shiitake mushrooms and black fungus, but someone who received them found they were only a month away from expiring—truly near-expiration food. With the internet so transparent these days, everyone knows the price range of near-expiration food and how much it differs from regular food. So someone posted on a forum asking about it. Since it was a public forum and the leaders were watching, the question was relatively polite.

As a result, the forum became inaccessible the next day and was never reopened in the following years.

Instead of solving the problem, the solution is to target the person who discovered it.

A classic example of explicit content, it certainly opened everyone's eyes.

Chen Shu has a rather unique perspective and a lot of stories to tell. Along the way, Zhu Yiba finally put his mind at ease and they had a pleasant chat.

After the troop transport vehicle safely entered the road and arrived at the special police compound, Chen Shu was still sitting next to Zhu Yiba, rambling on about how terrible the unit's dinner was that night, and how the new canteen uncle was ultimately not as good as the old auntie.

This is called information warfare; its main strategy is to bombard people with all sorts of nonsense to confuse them. Generally speaking, Zhu Yiba will eventually spill everything himself.

Chen Chuan was like a cat that had smelled blood; his closed-eye rest along the way was merely a prelude to his later hunt. He was only waiting for the troop transport to arrive at the unit so everyone could leave work, and then he immediately sidled up to Chen Shu and Zhu Yiba.

"Have one?"

Chen Shu, who was about to take out cigarettes from his pocket, happened to see Chen Chuan also reaching into his pocket. Without any politeness, the boss took Chen Chuan's pack of cigarettes, tore off the transparent seal, and shook out a few from his hand.

"It's specially supplied to the military; it should suit your taste."

How did you know I like military-grade food?

"Guess."

The three men, who seemed to get along well, squatted on the steps at the entrance of the company building on the first floor, smoking with great relish.

After finishing his cigarette, Zhu Yiba's smile returned to his face: "After we hand over the guns later, let's go to Chen Da's office for a drink together."

"Are you kidding me? Drinking in my office?" Chen Shu was a little surprised, shaking his head like a rattle drum. "Don't try to trap me."

"Tch, you're just a nobody deputy section chief, who has the energy to dig a pit for you?" Chen Chuan stood up and stretched, saying casually, "Brother Zhu, I wouldn't have gone if it weren't for some good wine. Chen Shu's office is too high, I can't climb it!"

Zhu Yiba clapped his hands, brushing the ash off his cigarette, and unusually refrained from arguing with Chen Chuan: "The liquor my grandma brews is very fragrant."

"Grandma?" Chen Chuan's eyes darted around in their sockets, then he grinned and said, "Okay, I'll pack a pound tonight."

Zhu Yiba then led the two to the back kitchen of the cafeteria, took out a few bottles of "Nongfu Spring" from the refrigerator, and then went upstairs to Chen Shu's office.

Along the way, Chen Shu couldn't help but lecture, "Aren't you afraid someone will accidentally drink this liquor if you keep it in the refrigerator? What if those young people finish training and chug it down while it's still hot, and accidentally drink the wrong beverage? They might end up getting themselves drunk."

Zhu Yiba said in a low voice, "I put it in the freezer. Have you ever seen anyone open a freezer to drink water?"

When Chen Shu saw the several bottles of Nongfu Spring water that he took out, some of which were frozen and some were not, he couldn't figure it out for a moment, so he shut up and waited to see how things went later.

As I was going upstairs, I happened to run into Yan Song, who had changed his clothes and was getting ready to go home after get off work.

It's said that Yan Song has probably been working with the police dogs for a long time recently, and his nose has improved a lot. As soon as the two groups passed each other, he could smell their scent.

Perhaps because Chen Shu never put on airs at work, Yan Song insisted without hesitation that he wanted to savor the fine wine with everyone.

The four entered the office and locked the door behind them.

Chen Chuan, ever the friendly type, pulled out a few bags of peanuts and potato chips from under the table and tossed them onto the coffee table, which served as snacks to accompany his drinks.

Yan Song, being the least experienced, let him take the disposable cups and put them down one by one. But when he was about to pour the wine, he found that they were full of ice cubes. After fiddling around for a long time, only a few drops came down.

"This is water." Zhu Yiba pulled out a pair of scissors from under the coffee table, snipped a few times and cut a slit in the plastic shell of the mineral water bottle, then tapped it with his other hand, dropping a small piece of ice into each glass.

After walking around the circle, pour the chilled white wine on top.

With a sizzle, wisps of smoke, mingled with the aroma of alcohol, rose into the air. The room was already filled with an intoxicating fragrance before the wine was even tasted. Chen Chuan shook his head, somewhat dissatisfied, and said, "Tch, I thought it was chilled baijiu, but it's just iced liquor. Brother Zhu, are you worried we won't be able to drink it?"

Yan Song shrank his neck and whispered, "Brother Chuan, why don't you try it first?"

Chen Chuan rolled up his sleeves, picked up an ice cube from the glass and threw it away, saying generously, "You little punk, try it and you'll die!"

After saying that, he couldn't wait to pick up the small cup in front of him and take a small sip.

The taste was absolutely amazing. Chen Chuan, the chatterbox, was too busy eating and drinking to talk. He just sat there, enjoying a peanut and a sip of wine, having a great time all by himself.

Seeing that Chen Chuan was drinking enthusiastically, Yan Song also started to raise his glass and toast Chen Shu, Zhu Yiba, and others in a very professional manner. However, after only a few words of toasting, his tongue became thick and he couldn't speak properly.

For some reason, Yan Song, who has a very low alcohol tolerance, actually dared to hold a mineral water bottle and try to persuade Chen Chuan to drink. The two of them even managed to build up a bit of a presence by drinking back and forth.

"Brother Chuan, I'm not drinking anymore, my butt hurts after drinking."

"Haha, you little rascal~ After you finish this drink, you'll probably have to make a short movie."

"."

Time flew by, and Yan Song was fast asleep on the sofa, covered in peanut shells and dregs. Chen Gongzi, who was known for his invincibility in nightclubs, was also holding onto Yan Song tightly. Seeing the situation, he also lost his composure and revealed his drinking capacity.

Chen Shu, who had been keeping a low profile from the start, blushed slightly. While tidying up the messy coffee table, he casually chatted, "Yiba, where did you learn this trick? Is it the way you drink it in your hometown? It's quite interesting."

Zhu Yiba, his face flushed, leaned back on the sofa, staring at the ceiling. After a long while, he chuckled and said, "We figured this out ourselves. When we're on duty in the field in winter, we're gone for ten days or so at a time. The temperature can drop below zero at night, so we always carry some baijiu with us. During breaks, we'll nibble on a small chicken foot and have a couple of sips. It's tiring, but it's still quite enjoyable."

Chen Shu gathered the trash into a bag, sealed it with his hands, and placed it aside. He then walked over and sat down next to Zhu Yiba, leaning back on the sofa and looking at the ceiling with the light on.

They're both adults. Although it's clear Zhu Yiba has something on his mind, ultimately it's up to him to sort this out. All Chen Shu can do is have a few drinks with him and listen to his nagging.

In fact, listening is the best form of companionship.

Zhu Yiba continued, "One winter, when I was in my second year of military service, they still called me a student soldier. Then on the night of the 30th, we lay on the mountain pass guarding people. It was so cold that my snot turned into little icicles when it came out."

"Then I couldn't help myself and would take out my water bottle and sip a few mouthfuls of baijiu whenever I had a spare moment, and I felt less cold intermittently. Actually, this was just wishful thinking on my part. I naively thought that drinking baijiu in winter would keep me from getting cold. I just didn't feel cold, but in reality, it was still as cold as it should be."

Chen Shu nodded and blurted out, "Just like life, you can relax for a while, but you can't let alcohol keep numbing you."

Zhu Yiba turned his head slightly and glanced at his deputy captain.

Chen Shu narrowed his eyes and continued, "Do you remember, half a year ago, when you came to the Special Police Brigade with that group of demobilized border guards from Dongzhou, our instructor organized a farewell party, and the second half of the party was spent at a karaoke bar with Chen Chuan?"

"remember."

"I could tell back then that you naturally liked drinking, but deep down you hated alcohol."

"You can tell that?"

"I was just guessing, but now I can see it clearly."

"cut."

Without realizing it, Zhu Yiba started using Chen Chuan's first words.

Chen Shu closed his eyes. He had drunk quite a bit tonight and wanted to rest for a while.

I don't know how much time had passed, but suddenly I heard a soft question in my ear, as if it were a question to itself.

Are you afraid of being shot? Are you afraid of killing someone?

In a hazy state, scenes from NJ flashed before my eyes like slides, finally settling on a group of people standing solemnly in front of the funeral home.

Chen Shu slowly opened his eyes, looked at the white LED light above his head, tried to smile but couldn't, let out a long sigh, and said frankly:

"afraid."

"Huh? Really?"

"But I'm even more afraid that because of my refusal to fire, my refusal to kill, and my false sense of justice, more innocent people will die."

After hearing this, Zhu Yiba slowly extended his right hand and placed it in front of his eyes, staring at it for a long time.

(End of this chapter)