Inside an interrogation room at the Police Department office building, Team One.
Qin Yu twirled a pen in his right hand and softly asked the girl across from him, “Feeling a bit better?”
“Yeah.”
The girl smoothed her hair. Her eyes were slightly glazed over, her face still pale with lingering fear. After a long hesitation, she finally nodded.
Noting her condition, Qin Yu got up, walked over to the water dispenser, and poured a cup of hot water. He placed it on the table. “Drink some water. If anything feels off, you can go to the hospital for a checkup.”
“Thank you. No… I don’t need the hospital. I don’t have any external injuries.” The girl picked up the cup, politely thanked him again, and took a deep breath. “Go ahead and ask.”
“Alright, then I’ll begin.” Qin Yu sat back down, picking up his notebook to record her statement. “Name?”
“Lin Nianlei.”
“Age.”
“Twenty.”
“Gender.”
“??” Lin Nianlei looked bewildered. “Can’t you tell?”
“The law enforcement camera is rolling. I have to ask,” Qin Yu explained with a smile.
“Female.”
“Residence Rights location.”
“…!” At this, Lin Nianlei clearly hesitated. “Fengbei City.”
“From the Special Zone’s capital?”
“Yes.”
“…Then what are you doing here? Work, or a Residence Rights transfer?” Although Qin Yu had never conducted an interrogation before, the notebook had straightforward, easy-to-read forms. A quick glance was enough to understand the procedure. Afraid of screwing up his first time, he was being exceptionally thorough.
“Work.”
“…!”
With the basic information verified, Qin Yu moved on to the case details. “You were kidnapped. Where did the incident happen? Do you know who they were?”
“I’m not entirely sure either. I had just left…” Just as Lin Nianlei was about to answer, the office door was pushed open. Bureau Director Li walked in, leading Lao Mao and a few others.
Qin Yu glanced back and immediately stood up to greet him. “Bureau Director Li.”
“Still questioning?” Bureau Director Li asked, his hands clasped behind his back.
“Yeah, just verifying the basics.”
“Hello, Miss Lin.” After nodding at Qin Yu, Bureau Director Li reached out and politely greeted Lin Nianlei. “I’m Bureau Director Li of the Police Department.”
“Hello.” Lin Nianlei nodded and shook his hand.
“Someone from the network broadcast station is here to pick you up. You can go,” Bureau Director Li said with a calculated smile. “Leave the case to us. The remaining two suspects definitely won’t get away.”
Qin Yu felt a twinge of curiosity. Bureau Director Li hadn’t been in the room earlier, yet he already knew the girl’s name. Furthermore, he clearly intended to release her without even letting the interrogation finish. Because of this, Qin Yu took a closer look at the girl. She was around 1.7 meters tall with a slender figure. Though her face was smudged with dirt and her hair was a mess, it couldn’t hide her delicate, exquisite features.
Lao Mao had said Lin Nianlei looked a bit like Jun Ji-hyun, who had been very popular, but Qin Yu found her even more striking. Her eyes were larger and more expressive, and her proportions were better. More importantly, her skin was incredibly fair and crystal-clear, like a porcelain doll. In this day and age, what kind of family could afford to raise a child looking like this? Without her having to do any work at all?
Obviously, Bureau Director Li’s sudden visit and his decision to let her go without even a basic statement meant there was a very good reason behind it.
After Lin Nianlei exchanged a few brief words with Bureau Director Li, everyone headed downstairs together.
Five minutes later, outside. Several middle-aged men stepped out of a pure electric sedan. After exchanging polite, smiling pleasantries with Bureau Director Li, they hurriedly escorted Lin Nianlei away. Qin Yu caught a glimpse of the vehicle pass on the windshield—it was from the Songjiang City Propaganda Department.
Watching her leave, Bureau Director Li stepped aside to make a few phone calls, then turned around and called out, “Come to my office.”
“What’s going on?” Qin Yu turned and muttered to Lao Mao.
Lao Mao scratched his nose and whispered back, “You’ve got the most outrageous dumb luck. You just fucking got here, and you’ve already caught the higher-ups’ attention. Sigh, but it makes sense. Capable guys always stand out.”
Hearing this, Qin Yu instantly knew where he stood.
…
A few minutes later.
Inside the office, Bureau Director Li patted Qin Yu’s shoulder and sighed. “I knew you were made of good stuff, but I didn’t expect you to shine this quickly.”
“Just got lucky,” Qin Yu grinned, flashing his teeth.
“You did us proud. Real proud!” Bureau Director Li couldn’t hide his delight, pacing the room with his hands behind his back. He laughed and swore, “This Matsushita had a lot of major cases on him. He was specifically targeted by the general bureau. But he ran off to the To-Be-Planned Area two years ago, and the higher-ups didn’t have the reach to grab him. Yet the moment he stepped back, he fell right into your hands. Tomorrow at the meeting, I get to brag my ass off at Headquarters. Making me look this good right after you joined—that’s worth commending.”
Qin Yu listened quietly, offering no reply.
“Sigh!” Bureau Director Li sat down at his desk, lowering his head to light the Chunghwa cigarette Qin Yu had gifted him. His expression turned somewhat regretful. “If this were anyone else, they’d jump straight from Third-Level Police Officer to First-Level. With that rank, making them a Group Leader wouldn’t be an issue at all. But it’s tricky with you. You just arrived. Your profile hasn’t even been in the system for twenty-four hours… If I force a promotion, people will talk.”
Hearing this, Lao Mao immediately stood up for Qin Yu. “Merit isn’t handed out; it’s earned by putting your life on the line. Who chased down Matsushita? Who shot him? Who rescued the hostage? The facts are right there. What the hell are you afraid of gossip for? If you listen to people bitching, you won’t even be able to take a shit. How are you supposed to be Bureau Director then?”
“Use your fucking brain when you talk to me.” The usually composed Bureau Director Li shot an awkward look at Qin Yu, then cursed at Lao Mao.
Lao Mao blinked and kept his mouth shut.
“Little Qin, the credit is yours. No one can steal it. But the department’s politics are complicated. You’re brand new. If I force you up the ladder, the optics will be terrible.” Bureau Director Li looked at Qin Yu deadpan. “But we’ve got a long road ahead. We’ll take it step by step.”
“Bureau Director, you’ve already helped me plenty. I know when to be satisfied,” Qin Yu smiled. “It’s not a big deal.”
“Within a month, I’ll upgrade you from Probationary Police Officer to Third-Level. Tomorrow, I’ll have someone write up the case report for the Police Headquarters. Snagging an individual third-class merit shouldn’t be an issue. Once the certificate comes down, pushing you to Second-Level Police Officer by year-end will be a given.” Bureau Director Li paused to weigh his words, clasping his hands on the desk. “As for right now, even if I made you Group Leader, you wouldn’t be able to handle it. You’ve been here barely any time and don’t know a single soul on the squad. If you suddenly became Group Leader, no one would respect your authority. How about this: I’ll talk to Yuan Ke later and make you Deputy Group Leader. This appointment stays internal—it won’t go in the system and carries no official rank. But once you settle in, I’ll find an opening and make it official. Also, you get a separate bonus of 3,000 for this case. Come the end-of-month review, I’ll toss in an Outstanding Individual award too.”
“Thank you, Bureau Director.” Qin Yu was genuinely thrilled with this outcome and immediately threw up a crisp salute.
“Alright, that’s it.” Bureau Director Li waved them off. “You two get out.”
“Get some rest, sir.”
“Let’s go.”
With that, Qin Yu and Lao Mao left the office. Bureau Director Li took a sip of water and was just about to head home when the phone rang on his desk.
“Hello?”
“Bureau Director Li, quick question. In this incident report, how should we write up Lao San’s situation? Do we need to factor in Team Leader Yuan…?”
Bureau Director Li fell silent for a long moment. “I’ve heard a little about what happened with him. That kid didn’t go to that restaurant to make an arrest. Here’s what we do. Emphasize that…”
…
The next day at noon, in the hospital.
“What’s word from the top?” Lao San asked a colleague from his hospital bed.
“The department is covering all medical expenses for the injured. They’re also applying to Police Headquarters for a collective third-class merit for our team. As for the cash bonuses, besides Qin Yu, anyone severely injured in the case gets five thousand. Those who were not seriously injured get three thousand.” The colleague kept his head down, looking deeply uncomfortable.
Lao San stared blankly for a long moment. “What about Qin Yu and Lao Mao?”
“No idea about Lao Mao,” the colleague shook his head. “But I heard Bureau Director Li promised Qin Yu that he’ll hit Second-Level Police Officer by the end of the year, plus he’s submitting him for an individual third-class merit. Heh, and the front office already notified the team—he’s being made Deputy Group Leader.”
Hearing this, Lao San’s brain buzzed violently. “Is there no fucking law anymore? Where’s the justice?! Is this Qin Yu old man Li’s bastard son or something?! I threw in the most men, I took the worst beating! When that grenade dropped, I thought we were all booking plots at the martyrs’ cemetery! But in the end, some greenhorn fresh off the streets scoops all the glory? Based on what?! Why does the department give him an individual third-class merit while I only get a collective one? Look at this bullet wound on my ass! If I hadn’t moved fast enough, that bullet would’ve tunneled straight into my rectum! And all I get is a bonus of five thousand… What the fuck is this supposed to mean? Tell me, what does this mean?!”
“The hell is the point in asking me?” The colleague rolled his eyes. “Someone in the team tried to speak up for you, but Bureau Director Li shut it down in one sentence. Matsushita was a high-value target. Whoever killed him gets the credit. Not to mention, Qin Yu didn’t just blast him on the spot; he chased him down and finished the job. Besides, the higher-ups know exactly why we were at that restaurant in the first place…”
“Shut up.” Lao San didn’t have the energy to listen anymore. Exhausted, he collapsed back onto his pillows and muttered, “My mom always told me since I was a kid… I’m cursed with bad luck…”
…
Lao San was bitter. He felt Qin Yu had stolen the credit that rightfully belonged to him. But truth be told, Qin Yu was catching a bit of a stray bullet here. The biggest winner in this whole mess wasn’t him—it was Lao Mao, whom Bureau Director Li hadn’t even brought up the night before.
He skyrocketed straight from First-Level Police Officer to Third-Level Police Sergeant.
At the same time, an internal reshuffle quietly installed him as the Deputy Team Leader of Team Three. On top of that, his individual third-class merit was approved in less than twenty-four hours.
Not many in the department knew the full story, but those who caught wind of it privately speculated about Lao Mao’s relationship with Bureau Director Li; Qin Yu wondered about it too. It was a stark reminder of an unwritten rule: the man who risks his life can never beat the man with good luck, and the man with good luck can never beat the man pulling the strings…
The day after the dust settled, Lao San’s backer, Yuan Ke, boarded a train heading back to Songjiang City.