Chapter 10: Official Commencement of Employment

Han Ling pedaled his bicycle rapidly. When he glanced back and saw that Xu Qinghe was not keeping up, he slowed down.

A stunningly beautiful doctor, driving a luxury car worth millions, had come to an internet cafe in the old district, coincidentally sat next to him, and coincidentally couldn’t access a website and sought his help, even inviting him to a meal.

After he declined, a few days later, the same woman deliberately hit him with her car.

The odds of such a sequence of events were rather low.

At this moment, Han Ling believed there was an eighty percent chance that something was off with her; if there was a third encounter, it would be a certainty.

What kind of problem?

Intentional approach, purpose unknown.

Han Ling searched his memory again, confirming that there was absolutely no one named Xu Qinghe in his recollections—not even a glimpse.

Such a beautiful girl, if he had ever seen her, would have left an impression.

Moreover, from Xu Qinghe’s behavior, she was undoubtedly a stranger; at least from her perspective, Han Ling did not know her.

“She knows me, but I don’t know her? Is that it?”

He parked his bicycle outside a supermarket and pondered.

After buying groceries and returning home, he was still thinking.

If she was deliberately approaching him, she must have a purpose—financial gain or romantic interest? Both seemed unlikely.

“Could it be that I have some kind of priceless treasure in my possession?”

Han Ling was prone to conspiracy theories, always expecting the worst to minimize his chances of danger.

After much contemplation, it seemed this was the only plausible scenario.

He possessed something Xu Qinghe wanted, so she employed a beauty trap.

He was certain his memory wasn’t flawed, but he wasn’t sure if parts were missing.

Novels and films often favored such plots: an orphan carrying a great secret, with both heroes and villains scheming relentlessly to uncover it, stopping at nothing to achieve their goals.

Han Ling began searching his room thoroughly, leaving no corner unchecked, but found nothing and eventually gave up.

If Xu Qinghe appeared a third time, he would take action.

With such an unstable factor around him, he couldn’t sleep well at night.

The next day.

When it was time to report, Han Ling got up, washed, dressed, took his employment documents downstairs for breakfast, then headed to the Wanglou Police Station.

The station was not far away—about ten minutes if he hurried.

In the whole of Qingchang City, Wanglou Police Station ranked among the largest, thanks to the population and security conditions in its jurisdiction.

On the way, Han Ling kept an eye out, hoping to spot the gem-blue BMW, but before he realized it, he had arrived.

The main gate was open; Han Ling rode his bicycle straight inside and parked it alongside several electric scooters.

Inside the reception hall, there were few people.

The duty officer looked up and asked, “Hello, how can I help you?”

Facing his future colleagues, Han Ling smiled and said as he walked, “I’m Han Ling, here to join the force.”

“Oh?”

At these words, several officers turned to look and stood up, their expressions shifting from professional to friendly and curious.

They were polite to law-abiding citizens, but no need to be so formal with future comrades.

A new recruit was a big deal at the station.

“So you’re Han Ling, huh? The chief has mentioned you. Come on, I’ll take you to the general office,” said the first officer with a smile, beckoning him inside.

Others seemed to have heard of Han Ling as well, greeting him with eyes that carried a strange glint.

Han Ling noticed and felt a sudden ominous premonition. Once they left the reception and entered the inner corridor, he couldn’t help but ask, “Brother, what did the chief say about me?”

The officer glanced back. “Want the honest truth?”

“Of course.”

The officer chuckled. “During the police drill organized by the city bureau, you broke the rules, set a fire, and ran out of the film studio?”

Han Ling’s face darkened slightly. “I didn’t break any rules! The rules never said I couldn’t run!”

The officer nearly laughed out loud. “So… you really set a fire and ran out of the film studio?”

Han Ling: “…”

Rumors had become twisted with countless versions. Too many knew about this, and the chief seemed to have heard a not-so-flattering one.

“Uh… I hope I don’t have a label on me,” Han Ling asked.

The officer stopped outside a room. “Here you are. Go in yourself; I have to get back to work.”

“Label? Yeah, the chief and instructor both agree you’re probably a hard-to-manage rebel.”

Han Ling was speechless. He watched the officer leave, then knocked on the door.

Inside was the head of the general office, an older officer.

He was polite, showing no prejudice, carefully checking Han Ling’s files, issuing office supplies, and handing over a temporary police badge.

From this moment, Han Ling officially became a sworn officer with a temporary badge, holding the rank of “Citroën.”

“A moment later, I’ll take you to meet the chief and instructor. Before that, let me brief you on the Wanglou Police Station’s jurisdiction, manpower allocation, and main duties—just a general overview.”

“Also, I’ll show you the office area, and you’ll need to memorize the management rules.”

Han Ling listened attentively. About twenty minutes later, the veteran officer led him out of the general office and began showing him around the station.

“Old Wang, a new recruit’s here. Look, he’s full of spirit, right?”

…

“Sister Zhang, this is our newbie, Han Ling. Handsome, right? I asked around—he’s single, orphaned since childhood, perfect for marrying in.”

…

“Everyone, stop what you’re doing and meet the newcomer. Han Ling wowed everyone during the police drill, outsmarting those city bureau kids. A promising talent!”

Han Ling followed the older officer as he darted through various departments, feeling like a pet on display.

Finally, Han Ling entered the chief’s office.

It was crowded—eight people making the room feel cramped.

The veteran officer’s task was done; he greeted the middle-aged man behind the desk and left.

The room fell silent. All eight eyes turned to Han Ling, but no one spoke. As time passed, the atmosphere grew increasingly eerie.

Crack!

Chief Tao Guowei lit a cigarette, breaking the silence with the only sound.

Han Ling looked over and blurted out, “May I smoke?”

He reached into his pocket, seemingly ready to produce a cigarette if given permission.

Tao Guowei froze, his expression stiffening.

“Ha!” someone finally laughed. “Chief Tao, don’t scare him. This kid’s mindset is way stronger than you think. Not bad, not bad—I’ll take him.”

Han Ling turned his head.

Seeing him watching, the man introduced himself, “Zhu Yue, head of the Criminal Investigation Unit.”

Wanglou Police Station was fairly large, with several specialized units, including the Criminal Investigation Unit, the Public Security Unit, the Community Policing Team, and the Patrol and Control Unit.

The Criminal Investigation Unit handled routine criminal cases—minor thefts, intentional injuries below serious level, small-scale fraud, and so on. With approval from higher authorities, they could officially file cases, conduct investigations, and held independent investigative powers.

However, if a case exceeded the station’s capacity or was severe, it would be promptly reported to the sub-bureau, where a larger team would take over, with the station providing assistance.