Chapter 23.2: Fighting to Recruit Talent
Zhouying Police Station.
Another pleasant day of clocking in right on time.
Jiang Xia parked her bicycle and walked into the office.
Perhaps because they’d cracked a major case the day before, the station was unusually quiet today. There were hardly any visitors. Everyone was tidying up their desks, chatting leisurely, and enjoying the rare lull in work.
“Hey, Xiao Jiang, we were just talking about you.”
Seeing Jiang Xia walk in, Sister Chen waved her over with a smile.
“The portrait you drew yesterday was absolutely incredible. I honestly don’t know how your hands work. How are you so good at drawing?”
Although Sister Chen was now a household registration officer, she’d been the kind of officer who chased down enemy agents with a gun in her younger days. Unfortunately, she’d injured her leg during those years. After recovering, she could still walk normally but could no longer run, so she transferred to household registration work and had remained there ever since.
Jiang Xia had great respect for someone like her.
With a grin, she replied, “I got them from my parents.”
“My hands just happen to be a little more dexterous, so after enough practice I got pretty good at drawing. It’s just like how your parents made you so beautiful, Sister Chen.”
“Oh, you sweet talker!”
The corners of Sister Chen’s eyes crinkled with laughter.
“A relative brought me a bunch of mulberries yesterday. Come on, take some and have a taste.”
Before Jiang Xia could refuse, Sister Chen deposited a large handful of mulberries onto her desk.
Looking at Jiang Xia, she couldn’t help feeling a little regretful.
At her age, she rather enjoyed playing matchmaker.
The station had finally gotten a young woman, and she’d been thinking about introducing her to someone. But Jiang Xia was simply too capable. She’d probably be transferred to the Municipal Public Security Bureau before long. None of the eligible young men she knew were worthy of her.
Better not embarrass herself by bringing it up.
Smiling warmly, she said, “If you finish those, come back and get some more.”
“Thanks, Sister Chen.”
Jiang Xia thanked her, sat down at her desk, and mentally reviewed the day’s workload. Realizing nothing was particularly urgent, she pushed the stack of documents aside and began eating the mulberries one by one.
They spoiled quickly, so it was best to eat them while they were fresh.
Besides, it wasn’t as if she was slacking off on purpose.
Without greenhouses, there weren’t many out-of-season fruits available at this time of year, making mulberries something of a seasonal delicacy.
Unfortunately, these weren’t cultivated fruit varieties but mulberries from the very trees grown to feed silkworms.
They were more tart than sweet. You had to savor them carefully before you could detect even a hint of sweetness.
Jiang Xia dug into her pocket, pulled out a hard candy, popped it into her mouth, and ate the mulberries together with it.
Mmm. Much better.
She was happily munching away when Chief Wu appeared in the doorway.
He glanced at Jiang Xia, saw her enthusiastically working through her pile of mulberries, and couldn’t help shaking his head. Then his expression grew somewhat complicated.
His little temple was too small.
It could raise a goldfish, but it couldn’t keep a phoenix.
In all likelihood, she’d be transferred away within a few days.
He certainly wasn’t going to stand in her way.
But what about her extraordinary talent…
How should it be handled?
Should he record it in her personnel file or not?
The question gave Chief Wu a headache.
Forget it. Better get to work first.
Transfers within the system couldn’t possibly happen that quickly.
Surely they weren’t going to take her away today.
With that thought, Chief Wu sat down at his desk and began working.
Around ten o’clock, the office telephone rang.
He immediately picked it up.
“Hello, Chief Wu? Tan Bingyi speaking.”
Captain Tan’s voice came through the receiver.
“Our team has a case that’s still unsolved. We’d like to borrow Jiang Xia for today to help out.”
“What? Today?”
Chief Wu’s breathing hitched.
The speed was far beyond anything he’d expected.
Instinctively, he raised his voice in protest.
“Captain Tan, that’s really not fair! Our station only just got two new recruits, and you’re already trying to take one of them away. If I let you borrow her, is she ever coming back?”
At his words, everyone in the station looked up toward Chief Wu.
Jiang Xia did the same.
Somewhat surprised, she popped another mulberry into her mouth.
They solved the trafficking case yesterday, and now they’re trying to transfer her the very next morning?
Since when did personnel transfers move this fast in the public sector?
“Well…”
Tan Bingyi sounded a little sheepish.
“She… probably won’t be coming back. But this wasn’t my idea. It was the Technical Division. They went over our heads and got approval from the higher-ups. They even brought Director Lin into it. If you want to complain, complain to them.”
Chief Wu: “…”
Well, with even Deputy Director Lin having been brought into the matter, what more could he possibly say?
“So this is only a temporary assignment?”
Since Jiang Xia’s departure was already a foregone conclusion, there was nothing Chief Wu could do to change it. All he could do was secure the best possible arrangement for his apprentice.
“She’s still an intern. What happens to her official position? Will her staffing allocation remain with our station, or will it be transferred to the Municipal Bureau?”
Her official establishment position was no small matter. The pay and benefits at the Municipal Public Security Bureau were far better than those at a local police station, not to mention the impact on future promotions. He had to get that settled first.
Otherwise, he wasn’t letting her go.
It was the last thing he could do for her.
“We’ll have her report over first, but the personnel transfer will take a little longer.”
Tan Bingyi hurried to reassure him.
“Don’t worry. Old Liao—Section Chief Liao—will keep an eye on it personally. At the latest, once her internship is over, her official position will be transferred to the Municipal Bureau. She’ll stay in the city.”
“All right, then.”
Chief Wu let out a sigh and finally relented.
“I’ll have her report over this afternoon.”
With that, he hung up the phone.
The corners of Jiang Xia’s lips curled upward.
See? I knew it.
As long as you’re capable enough, the Municipal Bureau isn’t about to let talent like me slip away. They’ll snatch me up at the first opportunity and put me to work as one of their finest workhorses!
And here they are, coming to claim me already.
Hehe.
The phone conversation hadn’t been quiet, and everyone in the station had heard it. Even if they hadn’t caught every word, Chief Wu’s questions had made the situation obvious.
Whatever they were thinking privately, everyone stepped forward to congratulate her.
Hu Wei’s eyes were full of envy.
“Congratulations, Jiang Xia! You’re going to the Municipal Bureau!”
Deputy Chief Xu spoke slowly.
“Xiao Jiang, the day you arrived, I knew someone with your abilities wouldn’t stay here for long. I just didn’t expect you’d be transferred this quickly. It’s hard to see you go.”
“What are you saying? People should always strive for greater opportunities—that’s a good thing.”
Sister Chen smiled warmly.
“But since you’ve worked here, this station will always be your home. Xiao Jiang, remember to come back and visit us often.”
“The Municipal Bureau’s great,” Wang Huoda said with a grin.
“The pay and benefits are much better than ours, and promotions come easier too. With your talent, Xiao Jiang, you might even end up outranking Chief Wu someday!”
Jiang Xia didn’t think that was an empty compliment at all.
With her abilities, surpassing Chief Wu was merely the beginning.
Of course, saying something like that out loud would only breed resentment, so she simply smiled and replied, “Then I’ll gladly take your good wishes, Brother Wang.”
“Hmph.”
The warm atmosphere was shattered as Lu Fusheng looked at her sideways and sneered in a sarcastic tone.
“What are you so happy about? Your position hasn’t even been finalized yet. Don’t get too excited—you might not make the cut and end up getting sent back.”
The office fell silent.
Jiang Xia frowned slightly.
“That’s really none of your concern.”
She felt she’d tolerated him long enough.
Without the slightest politeness, she shot back, “Someone like you ought to worry about yourself. At this rate, you might be the one getting kicked out first.”
“Jiang Xia, you—”
Chief Wu’s face darkened as he barked at Lu Fusheng.
“Enough!”
“I think you’ve got far too much free time, Old Lu.”
He said coldly, “Keep running your mouth, and I’ll make sure you’re too busy to have the chance.”
Lu Fusheng reluctantly shut his mouth, though the resentment on his face was obvious.
“Xiao Jiang, come with me.”
Chief Wu turned to Jiang Xia, his voice softening.
“There’s something I need to talk to you about.”
Is this about my ‘special skill’?
Jiang Xia wondered as she got to her feet and followed him to the boiler room.
“When you solved that theft case, I already had a feeling this station wouldn’t be able to keep you.”
Chief Wu pulled out two small stools, handed one to Jiang Xia, and the two sat facing each other.
“I just didn’t expect it to happen this fast. I figured you’d at least stay here for six months, learn everything you needed to learn, and then move on. Instead, you’re leaving right in the middle of things.”
“You’re being transferred because of your talent for composite sketches, so you probably won’t have another mentor once you get to the Municipal Bureau.”
“You’ll have to rely on yourself from here on out.”
“Be smart.”
He paused for a moment, gathering his thoughts before continuing.
“The Municipal Bureau isn’t like a local station. There are more people, and the relationships are much more complicated. Once you get there, spend some time observing before you act. Don’t go around offending people the moment you arrive.”
“Otherwise, it’ll be very easy for someone to make your job difficult.”
“The captain of the First Investigation Team, Captain Tan, is a decent man. He was trained by one of my comrades from back in the day and worked his way up from an ordinary criminal investigator. Help him out whenever you can, and he’ll remember the favor. He’ll stand up for you and make things easier when he can.”
“Chen Dong… he’s all right too. At worst, he’ll trick you into taking on a bit more work, but he isn’t the type to smile to your face and stab you in the back. You can have a straightforward give-and-take relationship with him.”
“As for Captain Zhao’s Second Investigation Team, it’s newly established. I don’t know them very well, so just play it by the book. You can’t go wrong if you stick to official business.”
“And you don’t need to be on good terms with everyone in the bureau. That’s far too exhausting. Having four or five people who’ll speak up for you and lend you a hand is enough. After all, you’re making your career through your technical skills. That’s where your energy should go. Your expertise is what you’ll build your future on.”
Jiang Xia listened quietly to every piece of advice.
The more she listened, the more touched she felt.
For a young person from an ordinary family, arriving at a new workplace was like stepping into complete darkness. You had no idea how to conduct yourself. It was all too easy to believe whatever others told you. Only after suffering losses or being taken advantage of would you gradually realize what was happening—but by then, everyone’s impression of you had already been established, and it would be too late to change it.
Chief Wu, however, was painstakingly explaining everything to her, breaking it down into the smallest details. He was afraid she wouldn’t understand, afraid she wouldn’t know how to carry herself in her new workplace, afraid someone would mislead her and set her up.
Jiang Xia nodded earnestly.
“I’ll remember all of it, Master.”
“Mmm.”
Their time together had been brief, but she was still his apprentice.
Even though she’d given him plenty of headaches and frustrations along the way, now that she was leaving, Chief Wu found himself genuinely reluctant to let her go.
He gave a quiet acknowledgment before continuing.
“As for the Technical Division, I know a little about it. It was only established a couple of years ago. To be honest, it’s still a pretty makeshift operation.”
“There’s only one medical examiner who’s been at the bureau for more than ten years, and even he’s only half-competent. Once, he looked at wounds made by a dagger and insisted they’d been inflicted with a kitchen cleaver…”
As the memory resurfaced, Chief Wu couldn’t help recalling a particularly unpleasant case.
He paused for a moment before shaking his head.
“Forget it. Let’s not talk about him.”
“As for the trace evidence section, they’re practically invisible. I’ve never heard of them being particularly capable. The photographer’s decent enough, though—he handles everything himself, from taking crime scene photos to developing them. But that’s a different line of work from yours, so there won’t be any competition.”
“With your talent for composite sketches, I’d say you’ll have no trouble establishing yourself in the Technical Division. If nothing else, you’ll earn your place there—even if you don’t end up leading it.”
Mistaking a dagger wound for a cleaver wound?
The Technical Division is really that much of a patchwork outfit?
After hearing all this, Jiang Xia felt she’d truly had her eyes opened today.
Then again, the college entrance examination had only been reinstated a few years ago, and considering what things had been like before that…
On second thought, maybe it wasn’t surprising at all.
Jiang Xia pondered for a moment.
A makeshift team is perfect.
If everyone else’s skills are lacking, doesn’t that just give me more room to shine? Then I can “help” the trace evidence section—well, all right, maybe steal a little of their work—learn some forensic pathology, do some research… It’ll be much easier.
There was no way she was going to spend her entire career pigeonholed as nothing more than a composite sketch artist.
She wanted to become an all-round investigator.
…Wait.
Why does that somehow make me sound even more like an overworked corporate drone?
Nope, nope, nope!
“You don’t have to worry, Master.”
Jiang Xia hurriedly banished that thought and said, “I’m making my career through my technical skills. With my talent for composite sketches, I’ll definitely be able to establish myself.”
“I do have to worry!”
Chief Wu suddenly raised his voice.
His expression became extraordinarily complicated, as though it were made up of thirty percent irritation, thirty percent concern, and one hundred percent exasperation.
Speaking with heartfelt earnestness, he said,
“You’re the most restless troublemaker I’ve ever met. Just listen to me this once. The Municipal Bureau is full of people, and word travels fast. Don’t go stirring up anything beyond your sketching skills.”
“Just focus on drawing your composite sketches. When a major case comes along, pitch in, earn yourself some commendations, and bring those honors home. Wouldn’t that be something to be proud of?”
Ehhh…
Jiang Xia sighed inwardly.
There was nothing to be done.
Her master was from an older generation.
His way of thinking was simply too traditional.
There was no way he’d ever understand her little hobby.
That wasn’t really a problem, though.
Jiang Xia was a dutiful apprentice.
There was no harm in agreeing for now.
After all, once she was at the Municipal Bureau, she’d be far away from her master. Whatever trouble she got herself into there, her master back at the station would never know.
So she nodded obediently.
“Don’t worry, Master. I’ll behave myself.”
“Heh.”
Chief Wu might not know everyone else, but he certainly knew what Jiang Xia was like.
He let out a cold laugh.
“I’m taking you at your word. Don’t you dare fool me.”
“I’ll be dropping by the Municipal Bureau to check on you regularly.”
“…Huh?”
Jiang Xia’s expression froze instantly.
She nearly failed to keep the smile on her face.
No way, Master…
That’s a little too haunting, don’t you think?!
<< _ >>