Reborn Cat Sheriff

Chapter 236 The Taste of Home (10,000 words, 3rd update, please vote)
No further incidents occurred along the way.

Qian Wei and Zhang Ke took turns driving. They exited the highway at dusk, and after another half hour, they were safely back in the courtyard of Zhanghe Police Station, back on their own turf.

Upon receiving the news, Nie Guoqiang, along with Yu Zhengwei and Zheng Mingxing, were leading the police officers at the station to greet the group at the entrance. This was quite a high-profile welcome, considering that Nie Guoqiang was supposed to be on leave recuperating! He had actually returned to the police station just to welcome these heroes.

"Hey! Those are our two new police cars that just arrived at our station? They're really nice!"

Zhang Ke immediately spotted the two Passats parked in the parking area of ​​the yard; they looked much better than the old Volkswagens he usually drove. Although they were secondhand, for the police officers, an air-conditioned police car was more than enough for them.

It seems that the Zhuzhou Public Security Bureau kept its promise. They said they would give the Zhanghe Police Station two cars, and they actually delivered the cars to Zhangzhou ahead of time, even before the case was completely closed, arriving half a day earlier than Lin Ge and the others.

Their attitude is off the charts!

"This is all thanks to you! You must have had a hard time on this trip!"

As the top leader, Yu Zhengwei took the initiative to shake hands with Qian Wei and Sun Chang, and said encouraging words to encourage them to continue their efforts.

Not to mention Sun Chang, even Qian Wei felt several pounds lighter. It felt really good to be valued by his superiors. Whether he was at the Municipal Bureau or now at Zhanghe Police Station, he had always done things his own way. Only now did he truly feel what it meant to be valued.

Then came the pointless welcoming and small talk, which Lin Ge wasn't very interested in, and he lazily walked towards his own territory.

Before he even got close, he saw three teenagers rushing towards him like pigs.

It seemed like an illusion, but in just over half a month, Lin Ge felt that the three little kittens had grown significantly. The half-grown kittens already had a very imposing presence when they ran, and their tabby markings made them look even more like little tigers.

The little tabby cat, looking both cute and fierce, bumped its head against Lin Ge and then started rubbing against him affectionately. Not only the little tabby cat, but also the snowclaw tabby cat and the little hawksbill turtle were acting very affectionately at this moment, climbing all over Lin Ge while meowing, almost teaming up to tip him over.

Lin Ge also missed the three little cubs, and with the matter of the two little lynxes, he felt inexplicably guilty towards the three little ones, so he stood still and let them do whatever they wanted.

Not far away, the mother hawksbill turtle looked at Lin Ge with some suspicion. It seemed that it had not expected Lin Ge to reappear, and might have even thought that Lin Ge was dead or something. After a long while, it slowly walked over, rubbed its head against Lin Ge, and then arrogantly turned back into the house.

"Meow?"

Like a lame lackey, it followed behind Lin Ge, neither getting too close nor too far away. Wherever Lin Ge went, it followed. Whenever Lin Ge turned around, it would quickly bark to greet him.

It's clear that it misses its boss quite a bit.

"This is what home feels like!"

Surrounded by a group of cats, Lin Ge felt inexplicably refreshed. Even though the three little guys were causing a ruckus, he wasn't angry at all. Carrying the little tabby cat on his back, with two smaller ones chasing after him, Lin Ge walked into the cat house.

Upon entering, I found the place still clean and tidy, clearly indicating that Li Siyu hadn't slacked off during my absence. There were even a few new pendants and cat-themed ornaments, making the cattery look more vibrant.

Furthermore, the area next to the cattery, which was originally Luo Jue's living quarters, has now been converted into Bei Bei's home. Compared to Ling Ge's cattery, it's simpler, with just one cage, a feeding area, and a training area. It's crammed full, a stark contrast to the spacious cattery next door.

As for Luo Jue, he already has a new place to live.

Nie Guoqiang rented a small single room for him near Zhangzhou People's Hospital so that he could live comfortably and visit his mother, who was staying at the hospital, every day. After all, this child wasn't an appendage of a cat; he had his own life and couldn't live with the cat forever.

Lin Ge could understand.

After wandering around the cat and dog kennels twice, getting his fresh scent back on the grounds, Lin Ge finally came out satisfied and met Nie Guoqiang coming towards him.

"The verdict in Luo Jue's father's case is probably coming soon."

Still limping slightly, Nie Guoqiang found a clean spot to sit down and waved to Lin Ge, saying, "I don't plan to tell Luo Jue about this in detail. If you hear about it someday, just pretend nothing happened. Also, from today onwards, Luo Jue might be able to come and keep you company much less often. I got him a complete set of textbooks from elementary to junior high school. He needs to catch up on all the knowledge he's missed so he can keep up with the pace next year."

Lin Ge nodded without saying anything. Nie Guoqiang had made good arrangements; these were indeed the things Luo Jue needed most right now.

"Regarding his mother's condition, the doctors here say it's improving. It wasn't an incurable illness to begin with, but it was delayed because of lack of money and lack of attention. You'll see if you have the chance to go and see for yourself; she's much better than before."

Nie Guoqiang continued rambling, "And about Li Siyu, she's been busy studying for her adult high school entrance exam, so don't bother her. That's about it. The institute is still the same people, and still just as busy… I have seven more days of leave left, I'll be back at the beginning of next month. You need to behave yourself for a while and not cause any trouble for Instructor Zheng. Also, Jiang Yan'er said she wants you to come back for dinner when you have time…"

Lin Ge squatted quietly next to Nie Guoqiang, listening to him nag incessantly like a nanny.

He suddenly realized that what he was busy with outside was all other people's business, cases, and conflicts—it was all work. But back at the Zhanghe Police Station, although it still seemed busy, he was busy with the trivial matters of his own people, and the feeling was completely different.

Even in his own home environment, Lin Ge felt much more relaxed.

As Nie Guoqiang continued his nagging, he gradually became drowsy. Unfortunately, he couldn't fall asleep at all. The three little ones, completely unafraid of Nie Guoqiang, hesitated for a moment before rushing to Lin Ge's side again, whining and complaining about Lin Ge not coming home…

"Sniff." Lin Ge sniffed and suddenly smelled an unfamiliar scent on the little tabby. It wasn't that the little tabby had been in contact with any strangers, but rather that it seemed to have left the courtyard of Zhanghe Police Station, leaving behind a scent from outside.

"You rascal, you ran off without permission?"

Lin Ge glared at the little tabby cat. Was this little rascal out of its mind? Putting aside traffic and pedestrians, just the possibility of getting lost was enough to kill a kitten.

Only a minority of stray cats are adopted; a little guy like this would hardly survive more than three days outside.

"Meow?"

The tabby cat, unaware of what was wrong with Lingo, simply wagged its tail and continued to come closer, offering to lick Lingo's fur.

Lingo refused, but it stubbornly persisted.

“This child isn’t as obedient as he was when he was little. No! This little rascal has never been obedient since he was a child! It’s only a matter of time before this mischievous kid can’t resist running away.”

Lin Ge realized that it wasn't realistic to confine a lively cat. So he thought about it and decided to rest for a few days, then take the three little ones out for a walk, to be a good guardian and let them see the outside world.

That night, Lin Ge slept very soundly, even more soundly than when he was with the old lady.

The brightly lit police station building outside was bustling with people, but it didn't disturb his sleep. So much so that when Nie Guoqiang woke him up early the next morning, he was still groggy and wasn't fully awake even after being put in a vest and taken to the square outside.

However, upon looking at all the police officers in the station, including Zhang Ke and Sun Chang, who were all standing in line in their police uniforms, with even Bei Bei standing obediently at Sun Chang's feet, Lin Ge suddenly became much more alert and knew that something important was probably about to happen.

When Yu Zhengwei, Nie Guoqiang, and Zheng Mingxing walked to the front together, Lin Ge suddenly noticed Zhao Zhigang, who was grinning from ear to ear in the queue, and immediately made a guess.

Sure enough, Yu Zhengwei began to speak.

It talks about the previous case on Xiangju Island in Zhanghe, including the details of the case and the meritorious service of the police officers involved.

He didn't go on and on, nor could he explain the details of the case to passersby. All the people knew was that the Zhanghe Police Station had cooperated with the Zhangzhou City police to crack a major drug case, and that several officers from the Zhanghe Police Station had been commended for their service.

Then came the simple yet solemn commendation ceremony.

Because formal awards require the provincial department to take the lead and the municipal bureau to arrange a formal occasion, the event only involved a simple review and praise of the contributions of a few police officers, as well as an announcement of the promotions of some officers. However, this information had already been circulating internally, and everyone knew perfectly well who would be promoted and who would be officially employed. Even Zhao Zhigang knew perfectly well that he was about to receive a permanent position, and at this moment he had calmed down enough to listen attentively to the speech from above.

Sure enough, he soon mentioned Zhao Zhigang's name.

Someone in the group clenched their fist in frustration, then secretly glanced back at Lin Ge, leaving Lin Ge somewhat bewildered.

He lazily flicked his tail, not caring that people were watching him. He just felt a little uncomfortable because he hadn't worn a vest for many days, but in the end, he didn't take it off recklessly in this situation.

"Here, we would like to give special praise to our police cat Mimi! In the previous battle, she demonstrated bravery, intelligence, and resourcefulness, and fought tenaciously against criminals, playing a vital role in solving the case! With the approval of the Municipal Public Security Bureau, Mimi is now awarded a third-class merit! This is the first police cat in our Zhanghe Police Station to receive an award, and it is also a new sharp weapon for our Zhanghe Police Station in the fight against crime. Let's give her a round of applause!"

A thunderous applause erupted, with all the police officers and onlookers clapping along the way.

Although passersby didn't know the specifics, the conspicuous gray and white cat among the police officers still attracted everyone's attention. Many people already knew that the Zhanghe Police Station had a police cat, but this was the first time they had seen it in person.

"A third-class merit!"

Lin Ge squinted, unsure whether he felt excited or calm.

To be honest, a mere third-class merit award didn't really bother him, but receiving recognition was still a happy thing. And thinking about how he'd be older, with his police uniform vest covered in all sorts of medals, wouldn't that be something to be proud of?

Although he desperately wanted to appear disdainful, Lin Ge couldn't help but feel happy inside. His posture became much more proper, though he still refused to stand as punishment like Bei Bei.

Yu Zhengwei's speech was brief, concluding with the theme of serving the people and promoting good conduct.

After he finished speaking, Zheng Mingxing also stepped forward and said a few words, talking about loyalty to the Party, the country, and the people. When he spoke, all the whispers in the audience disappeared, showing his different style from Yu Zhengwei.

Even Lin Ge didn't dare to look around anymore.

The morning meeting lasted a little over half an hour. It was short, simple, and casual, but it broadened Lin Ge's horizons and allowed him to experience the true power of the Zhanghe Police Station.

As the morning meeting was about to end, Lin Ge saw so many people gathered so neatly and suddenly remembered something. Without thinking twice, he quickly ran over and bumped into Zhang Ke, then turned and ran towards his cat house.

I'm asking for your monthly tickets and recommendation votes, friends. It's almost the end of the month!
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(End of this chapter)