Chapter 38: Back on the Bulletin Board

Luo Jingwu saw that things were taking a turn for the worse and beat a hasty retreat. He truly had not expected that Han Ling would catch Zheng Hongyi’s eye for his criminal investigation potential; combined with his perfect score on the firearms certification, it was difficult for the deputy bureau chief not to be interested. He had effectively provided a goal-scoring assist for someone else. Now, whether Han Ling could be transferred to the SWAT detachment remained a mystery, left for the two deputy bureau chiefs to haggle over.

Inside the office, the two deputy bureau chiefs were still arguing over Han Ling’s transfer. Zheng Hongyi remained all smiles, calm and composed, while Qu Guanfeng, possessing a naturally hot temper, seemed on the verge of shouting.

"A marksman of that caliber could bring us extra resources here in Qingchang. Old Zheng, think of the bigger picture," Qu Guanfeng said, shifting his approach.

Zheng Hongyi chuckled lightly. "The purpose of securing extra resources is to build a better police force, and the purpose of building a better police force is to more effectively combat crime. If Han Ling has a talent for criminal investigation, along with his marksmanship, he can reach that ultimate goal directly. Are the resources really that important? Why go through all that trouble?"

Huh?

Qu Guanfeng was momentarily speechless. It sounded surprisingly logical, giving off the feeling of "cutting out the middleman."

"However..." Seeing that Qu Guanfeng was about to blow a fuse, Zheng Hongyi changed his tone. "It doesn't matter where he is officially stationed; if you want to use him in the future, I can lend him to you."

He knew exactly what Han Ling’s performance implied. A marksman was lethally attractive to a SWAT team, and Qu Guanfeng would never let him go easily. A compromise was the best path forward.

"Lend him?" Qu Guanfeng mused. That was an arrangement he could work with. Criminal police or SWAT—it didn't matter, they were all officers in the end. But wouldn't he owe a favor every time he borrowed him? "How about he joins the SWAT detachment, and you borrow him from me when you need to investigate a case?" he countered.

Zheng Hongyi looked stunned. "Old Qu, you really are a sharp calculator. It’s not yet clear if Han Ling actually has a gift for criminal investigation; he’s only been on the job for six months. Why the rush? How about this: if he performs poorly in the future and turns out to be nothing more than a good shot, he’s yours."

Qu Guanfeng thought it over. "We'll see when the time comes."

Both sides reached a consensus: continue to observe him.

...

"You brat! You didn't tell me you got a double perfect score?! What were you thinking? You can't be that humble!" Zhu Yue had heard the news and caught Han Ling to give him an earful.

Han Ling explained awkwardly, "I like to keep a low profile."

"Bullshit!" Zhu Yue kicked him. "You call a double perfect score 'low profile'? Wouldn't an 'excellent' grade have sufficed? I think you’re full of mischief—you talk about being low-key, but everything you do is high-profile."

Despite the scolding, his eyes were filled with profound astonishment. A marksman! How did he end up choosing to work at a local police station?

A few days later, Han Ling appeared on the bulletin board again. The last time it was for an individual third-class merit award; this time, it was for his double perfect score on the firearms certification. Strictly speaking, the double perfect score was much harder to achieve than the merit award, as a third-class merit was not uncommon for officers with longer service records. A double perfect score was pure, undeniable talent. Most importantly, it was the speed of his shots.

"Five seconds for a rapid-fire perfect score? Fifteen seconds for a precision perfect score? Holy crap, they must be blowing smoke!"

At that moment, crowds of officers from various sub-bureaus and stations were gathered around the bulletin board, discussing Han Ling’s results, with voices of skepticism rising one after another.

"Isn't that a bit too fake?"

A perfect score might be believable, but the shooting speed seemed absurd. How much practice would that require? You couldn't even find that in the SWAT team; you'd have to look in the military.

"Just because you can't do it doesn't mean others can't. This was an official assessment—would the SWAT detachment dare to lie?"

"I still think it's fake. You actually believe it?"

The discussion soon devolved into an argument. A leader passing by shouted, "What are you arguing about?! The entire firearms assessment was recorded. If you don't believe it, go to the SWAT detachment and watch the footage yourself! There is always someone better, and there is always a heaven beyond our own. Look at you all—like a bunch of frogs in a well, insisting the sky is only as big as the mouth of a bowl! With that attitude, you might as well stay in the well and never think about jumping out! You are like rotten wood that cannot be carved!"

Seeing the leader angry, the officers shrank back and quickly dispersed. The leader was clearly agitated, though it was hard to tell if it was because another district had produced a genius marksman while they were left only to watch with envy.

Zhang Yunhang and Lin Rong from the municipal bureau also saw the bulletin board. Over the past two months, Han Ling had practically monopolized the space; it had barely been taken down before it was posted again. Zhang Yunhang didn't want to look—the more he saw, the more uncomfortable he felt—so he walked briskly past, heading toward the Third Team.

The Third Team was not under Wu Bin’s jurisdiction. When he first started, Zhang Yunhang had chosen this himself. As the top overall scorer in the provincial police entrance exam, the leadership had granted him the rare privilege of choosing his placement.

In truth, Zhang Yunhang’s goal had been the First Team, as it was comprised mostly of elites—internally known as the Major Crimes Unit—which offered more opportunities to shine. However, the captain of the First Team and the deputy detachment chief in charge, Wu Bin, hadn't extended an invitation to him. Instead, the captain and deputy in charge of the Third Team had offered him an olive branch.

This left Zhang Yunhang feeling somewhat frustrated and resentful. He could have pushed to join the First Team, but he was prone to overthinking. *Fine, if you don't invite me, I’ll go to the Third Team. You might ignore me now, but one day I’ll make you regret it.*

The reality was that Wu Bin and the First Team captain hadn't looked down on him. After all, he was the top scorer in the province and had performed well in drills; he was a promising seed. They hadn't extended an invitation simply because the detachment chief had given Zhang Yunhang the choice, and his current abilities didn't make Wu Bin and the First Team captain desperate enough to fight over him, so they remained silent and let him choose. Simply put: if you come, we welcome you; if you don't, it’s a pity, but we respect your choice. We’re all colleagues in the same detachment anyway.

Perhaps Zhang Yunhang had been stung by Han Ling’s mockery at the film studio back then, causing a slight psychological imbalance. It didn't matter now; the Third Team was a good place, too. Zhang Yunhang had initially regretted his choice, but not anymore—in the six months since joining, he realized the Third Team was the "inner circle" of the detachment chief, enjoying a closer relationship. Clinging to the detachment chief was naturally better than clinging to a deputy. With Han Ling as his constant "motivation," his desire to perform was growing stronger every day.

...

Wanglou Police Station.

Han Ling returned from duty, and his colleagues gathered around him. A local station producing a double-perfect marksman was like a phoenix appearing among the chickens—it was a huge point of pride. Who could have imagined that this rookie who joined the station this year would turn out to be a well-rounded, "hexagonal" warrior who excelled at everything?

"I saw Deputy Luo visit the other day. Was he trying to poach you, Han Ling? Was he?" a colleague asked. There was no doubt about it; with a double perfect score and extreme rapid-fire speed, the SWAT detachment would definitely be interested.

"I don't know," Han Ling replied. He wasn't aware of it, and the station chief hadn't mentioned it to him.

"It has to be," the colleague said with a hint of sadness. "Sigh, it looks like our time working together has started its countdown."

Another spoke up, "Don't forget your old friends when you get rich and famous, Han Ling! We're practically family now."

Han Ling smiled, managing the interpersonal relationships at the station with genuine sincerity. He liked the Wanglou Police Station; since he started, he had never faced any workplace harassment. Aside from Sister Zhang occasionally being a bit "annoying," everything was perfect.

No matter where he ended up, or whether he remained a police officer, he would always remember that in the Gu’an District of Qingchang City, there was the Wanglou Police Station.

The hot tea brewing in the duty room, the dormitory door that could never seem to be fixed, Sister Zhang always trying to set him up on dates, his mentor Zhu Yue looking out for him, Station Chief Tao Guowei paving the way for him, and Zhang Silei, the ordinary auxiliary officer who never stopped talking about his daughter... Many colleagues, who felt like friends, were weaving their lives together through the trivial, daily business of policing.