Police officer Chen Shu

Chapter 805 Provincial Police Officers and Grassroots Police Officers

The atmosphere at the gathering was excellent, with hearty laughter and conversation mingling together, and glasses clinking incessantly in the air.

However, Ma Rongcheng, an expert from the provincial department who was once a top-performing grassroots worker and is now a lazy and unassuming official, remained calm and composed as he slowly walked over with a teacup in his hand.

"Old Tang, Officer Chen, I'm sorry, I can't drink today." Ma Rongcheng explained with a charming smile, "I haven't been feeling well lately, and the doctor advised me not to drink alcohol and to get more rest."

His attitude was gentle, and his tone carried an unintentional friendliness that made people feel comfortable and relaxed, although this feeling of comfort came more from the platform this expert was currently on.

It must be said that people from large platforms have a composure and tolerance for others that are indeed different from those of grassroots police officers.

Forensic doctor Lao Tang curled his lips, blatantly expressing his disdain for his old friend, while Chen Shu responded politely: "Expert Ma, your health is your own responsibility. The company won't care if you overwork yourself, so health is the most important thing. I completely understand."

These words struck a chord with Ma Rongcheng. Having worked at the grassroots level for many years, he had been handling cases and on duty day and night, which had taken a toll on his health.

Now that I've been transferred to the provincial department, I have much less to do and no longer have to work long hours. But the empathy I felt from working at the grassroots level and then moving to the provincial department still remains.

His impression of the young policeman who had come from another province to help him immediately improved dramatically, rising several notches in a flash.

The three of them huddled together and exchanged pleasantries.

As a police officer with high emotional intelligence, Chen Shu naturally knew that police officers like Ma Rongcheng, who were selected from the grassroots level to the provincial department, especially those who did not yet hold a position, were extremely proud of the provincial department platform they were currently on.

Therefore, Chen Shu deliberately chose matters concerning the provincial government to subtly express his goodwill.

"Expert Ma, the department must be very busy, right? Yunnan Province is such a big place, and it's on the border. Everywhere you go, there are always a few difficult cases. The guys below can't handle them, so in the end, you have to run around doing all the work. It's not easy. You should take good care of yourself when you have some free time."

"Haha, Officer Chen is right. My old colleagues all say I'm enjoying a good life by going to the provincial department, but I think they don't understand. With a bigger jurisdiction, how can you expect to be idle? In a county, you might only have one murder case every six months, but in the province, you might get one every week! If you're unlucky, you might get two or three!"

"Sigh." As he spoke, the expert lowered his head slightly, his eyes seemingly revealing a hint of helplessness and emotion, but the corners of his mouth couldn't help but turn up, and his right hand unintentionally patted his thigh lightly.

“Yes, besides the area getting bigger, the cases have also become more difficult.” Chen Shu agreed without hesitation. “Drug trafficking, telecom fraud, border issues, smuggling, and so on are all intertwined. Where else in other provinces can you find such complex cases? Only in our Yunnan Province! It’s really difficult! Extremely difficult!”

Seeing the smug look on the other side, Chen Shu added, "Solving one case here is worth ten cases in other provinces!"

Enjoying the moment, Ma Rongcheng shook his head and sighed again, then changed the subject and asked, "Officer Chen, how's things at the Criminal Investigation Division over there? Are you busy?"

Chen Shu gave a wry smile and replied, "Expert Ma, I'm sorry, there was a slight misunderstanding earlier. Actually, I don't work in criminal investigation."

"Then who are you?"

"I'm with the SWAT team."

They're all seasoned veterans in this game. Chen Shu had worked together seamlessly earlier, and now it's Ma Rongcheng's turn to step in.

"Officer Chen, the SWAT team is great. I used to work in the SWAT team too, it's a good place to retire."

"I'm just retiring early and rushing to enjoy my retirement."

"Absolutely! I used to work at the police station, and I was so exhausted from working all night that I thought I wouldn't live past fifty. Then I was transferred to the SWAT team, and hey, I think I'll live to be a hundred!" "Expert Ma, it seems all police stations across China are the same. When I first graduated from police academy, I also went to a police station first. People mocked 996 as a blessing, but to us 007 types, 996 is truly a blessing. But now that I think about it, I still miss the days at the police station."

"Yes, I also miss the days when I worked at the police station. Although there were quite a few petty theft cases on a regular basis, we didn't have any major cases for several years, so life was relatively smooth. Unlike now, there's a series of cases all the time, and the case files are piled up under the desk. Sigh, if the department could release people now, I would really apply to be transferred back immediately."

After exchanging pleasantries, the conversation circled back to the topic of the provincial department. Ma Rongcheng spoke with a beaming smile, his pride practically overflowing.

"A series of cases? Expert Ma, are they those fraud companies in KK Park before the New Year? Why aren't they finished yet?" He Chengfeng, the deputy captain of the local criminal investigation team, walked around the table with a glass of wine and came back with an empty glass.

“Yes, this is the case. There have been over a thousand reports received, and the amount involved on the surface has reached over a billion!” When talking about the specific case, Ma Rongcheng’s expression became somewhat depressed. “Xiao He, you have no idea how complicated this case is.”

It had nothing to do with the difficulty of the case; it was just that a casual remark from Cheng Feng reminded Ma Rongcheng of the time he had been kicked out of the task force by the deputy leader a few days earlier.

The stated reason was that a murder had occurred at a subordinate public security bureau, and they needed to send reinforcements. Since there was little financial gain involved, no one in the department wanted to pursue this opportunity.

In particular, the task force is investigating a series of cases at the KK Park, which have a wide-ranging impact.

This kind of nationwide series of cases, which also involves overseas entities, is, by convention, a sure way to make a fortune. Even if you only get a tiny bit of the spoils after getting involved, it's still a huge reward.

If he were lucky, he could make a big contribution in the series of cases and maybe solve the problem of his position in the provincial department. However, Ma Rongcheng, who was transferred to the provincial department, was thinking about this in a somewhat unrealistic way, although he knew that such a windfall would not fall on the head of someone like him who had no job, no connections, and no connections.

"Hehe, Lao Ma, you have to toast me." He Chengfeng couldn't help but laugh out loud, a hint of smugness in his voice.

Ma Rongcheng immediately realized what was going on and asked with a hint of anticipation, "Captain He, what good thing do you have for me?"

"I don't have anything good," He Chengfeng said bluntly. Seeing that Ma Rongcheng's expression darkened slightly, he smiled and said, "I do have a good clue, though."

"What?" Ma Rongcheng's eyes lit up, and he said excitedly, "Hey, Brigade Leader, tell me! Tell me quickly!"

Seeing this usually arrogant and aloof provincial expert now circling around him like a child begging for candy, the man, who had worked in criminal investigation at the grassroots level for decades, deliberately chuckled and left the other man aside, turning to chat with the guest from another province.

He Chengfeng raised his glass and joked, "Officer Chen, this case was only perfectly closed in such a short time thanks to you. Otherwise, I don't know how long Zheng Jie would have kept us up. I reckon we'd be working on it for at least a week!"

"Our mistake at first was thinking it was suicide; we almost let the killer get away." His voice gradually lowered, and he concluded solemnly, "Thank goodness for you, otherwise that girl would have been so pitiful."

The girl, naturally, is the pitiful person in the murder case whose suicide scene was staged by Zheng Jie.

"Today, on behalf of all members of the Major Crimes Unit of the Criminal Investigation Brigade, I raise a toast to you!"

The once lively banquet suddenly quieted down, and the restaurant lights softly shone on everyone's faces.

These criminal investigation police officers have resolute faces.

"Damn it!" He Chengfeng shouted in a low voice, "Salute, Officer Chen!"

"Cheers!" The members of the Major Crimes Unit stood up abruptly, all raising their glasses, which had been filled with baijiu countless times that evening, and said in unison, "To Officer Chen!"

(End of this chapter)