Chapter 88 First, you need to give me a fulcrum...
"This business trip will last for a whole month. I'll leave tomorrow after listening to my boss's instructions." Chen Zhenzhu sat with her legs bent at the counter, opened the bill, looked up at Uncle Pang and said, "It's 17.8 in total, you give me 17." As she spoke, she grabbed a handful of mints and stuffed them into Uncle Pang's little granddaughter's pocket.
The father and son finished a plate of braised chicken and four bowls of rice. At Sixth Sister's house, rice and pickled vegetables were free, and it was Northeast rice, which was incredibly fragrant.
"Goodbye, I'll be back tomorrow night." The chubby uncle tossed 18 yuan in the opposite direction and strode away, his manner incredibly generous.
Shen Liuhe shook open the plastic bag, wiped her hands on her apron, and prepared to pack some dry food for her. A can of Wahaha (a type of Chinese beverage), spicy shredded chicken with pickled vegetables, and red bean buns filled with sweet bean sauce—under Shen Zhenzhu's expectant gaze, she filled the bag with lotus leaf chicken, braised pig's trotters, braised black duck, chicken legs, eggs, and several pieces of dried tofu.
Shen Zhenzhu craned her neck to peek into the kitchen and saw Xiao Li wildly tossing the wok with a large ladle. She exclaimed, "He's already a chef so quickly!"
Shen Liuhe finished packing the food and came out, saying cheerfully, "It's very intelligent and learns very quickly. Hey, are you in danger when you go over there to compete?"
Shen Liuhe asked seemingly casually, then tied the plastic bag and handed it to Chen Zhenzhu to hug: "Put it on the balcony tonight, don't let it get stale."
“Brother Ye and Brother Qi are coming with me. They’re the two big shots of the Major Crimes Unit. Besides, with my skills, I can beat the other guy black and blue if I don’t make a sound. There can’t be any danger.” Chen Zhenzhu opened a pack of Wahaha drinks, took a slurp, and saw Zhang Xiaopang come in: “The snacks your grandpa wanted are all ready. 20.6 yuan, here’s 20, and I’ll give you a Wahaha drink.”
Grandpa Zhang, who wanted to buy a coffin three years ago, is now getting healthier and healthier. Everyone says that the north is bitterly cold and hard to endure, but he has started drinking his liquor and sends Zhang Xiaopang to run errands all day long.
"Another big chicken leg, please. Pick me the biggest one!" Zhang Xiaopang looked at the braised food stall by the door, swallowed hard, and said, "This one, this one is big!"
After the New Year, Zhang Xiaopang had plenty of money and came over every day to treat himself to extra chicken legs.
Shen Zhenzhu packed it up for him, and after he left, she turned around and suddenly saw Shen Liuhe's worried gaze that she hadn't had time to look away from.
She pretended not to notice and said to Shen Liuhe with great interest, "As a qualified police officer, being able to participate in the 'Grand Competition' is a recognition of one's ability. All the capable comrades in the province will participate. Mom, you have no idea how excited I am! That's the provincial capital! Our Director Tu will also be there. He's eaten so much of our family's pickled vegetables, so he can at least take care of me while I'm away."
Upon hearing this, Shen Liuhe said with annoyance, "I haven't really taken care of people much when I'm serving kimchi."
Shen Zhenzhu laughed and said, "If we take too good care of them, they won't want to come."
Seeing her carefree laughter, Shen Liuhe felt a little relieved. Even if the sky falls, there are leaders to hold it up; young people should go out and see the world.
Even so, she went to the kitchen to serve Chen Zhenzhu a bowl of astragalus and chicken soup: "Be careful about hygiene when eating out, illness can enter through the mouth. You and the other two take good care of them. Besides your police uniforms, bring some of your own civilian clothes as well. It's not good to catch a cold in this weather."
Chen Zhenzhu put the Wahaha drink aside and slurped up spoonfuls of her mother's homemade chicken soup, accompanied by her nagging—it was truly delicious and healthy.
"Captain Gu, come over for dinner? Pearl's at the counter." Shen Liuhe returned to the kitchen and encountered Gu Yanzheng coming alone, his signature Cherokee not even in his car.
It was a very cold day, with a lingering chill in the air.
Gu Yanzheng, dressed in a stylish brown leather jacket, blue jeans, and casual shoes, strode into Sister Liu's restaurant with his long legs, attracting the attention of many customers with his outstanding looks and height.
"I just stopped by for a meal, nothing else." Gu Yanzheng nodded to Chen Zhenzhu behind the counter and unexpectedly chose a private table for two on the second floor.
After he went upstairs, Shen Liuhe walked to the counter and asked Shen Zhenzhu, "Is your Captain Gu dating someone?"
"I don't know," Shen Zhenzhu said, recalling, "I've been so engrossed in work lately that I haven't noticed anything different about Zheng Ge."
“If he were to find a partner, I don’t know which girl would be so lucky. He’s handsome, efficient, and responsible.” Shen Liuhe handed the menu to Shen Zhenzhu: “Go ask him what he wants to eat. I’ll cook for him myself. If any ladies are coming over to eat with us, let me know in advance and I’ll make something special for him.”
Shen Liuhe laughed so hard her eyes almost disappeared.
Shen Zhenzhu, equally gossipy, went upstairs.
It was just past lunchtime, and there was no one else in the attic.
Gu Yanzheng sat alone by the railing, looking down at the customers coming and going.
Tsk, occupational hazard.
Shen Zhenzhu presented the menu with a smile. Actually, it wouldn't have mattered if she hadn't given it to him, as Gu Yanzheng had already tried all the dishes at Sixth Sister's restaurant.
"Brother Zheng, are you eating by yourself?" Chen Zhenzhu asked.
Gu Yanzheng looked up at her and said, "Mm."
Shen Zhenzhu gave a regretful "Oh," and called out to Shen Liuhe, who was still standing downstairs waiting for news, "Go on with your work!"
Shen Liuhe also returned to the kitchen with regret.
Gu Yanzheng chuckled and asked, "What's wrong?"
How could Chen Zhenzhu tell him the truth, wanting to see what her future sister-in-law would be like? She promoted the dish, saying, "Sweet and sour fish is delicious, sour and appetizing!"
Gu Yanzheng nodded and said, "I saw you drinking soup at the counter. Tell Sixth Sister to bring out a couple of dishes so we can eat together?"
Seeing the doubt on Shen Zhenzhu's face, Gu Yanzheng said, "I happen to have something to ask you about work."
"Okay!" Shen Zhenzhu decided to go to the kitchen and order two of her favorite dishes.
As she trotted downstairs, Gu Yanzheng leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes. Had he just used work to invite a female subordinate to dinner? Tsk.
Shen Zhenzhu carried two plates of food in her hands. When she saw Zheng Ge leaning on his forehead, deep in thought, her heart skipped a beat. What kind of case could make Zheng Ge so worried?!
"Sweet and sour fish fillets, braised sea cucumber with scallions, and three-delicacy stew." Chen Zhenzhu originally wanted to eat fish, mushrooms, meat, and shredded vegetables, but her mother told her to have something special! So, she had braised sea cucumber with scallions. But to make it more palatable, she drizzled it with her mother's special seafood sauce.
Shen Zhenzhu thought to herself, "Zheng Ge and I are really enjoying ourselves."
Gu Yanzheng had been in turmoil these past few days because of those heartless words from that girl, feeling utterly worn out. If he knew what she was really thinking, he'd probably give her a good whack on the head again.
“In the future, we don’t need to worry about solving cases. Instead, we should focus on technical exchanges and learn new methods from other units.” Gu Yanzheng told Shen Zhenzhu about the “grand competition”. It was her first time participating, so he couldn’t help but give her careful instructions.
“I understand. Don’t worry, Brother Zheng, Sister Zhang has told me a lot about the ‘Grand Competition’.” Shen Zhenzhu took a bite of the bouncy and fresh sea cucumber and squinted her eyes in satisfaction.
The savory sauce and the pungent aroma of scallions enhance the flavor of the sea cucumber. This otherwise bland food becomes even more flavorful as the scallion aroma permeates every inch of its texture. The texture is neither as firm as meat nor as loose as tofu; it is soft yet chewy, smooth yet crisp, making you want to keep eating as much as you want.
Originally, Gu Yanzheng had intended to use the "grand competition" as a prelude to ask about that matter, but since Zhang Jie had informed him first, he could only remain silent for a moment and vigorously finish the food in his bowl.
Shen Zhenzhu used a serving spoon to scoop a spoonful of sauce for Gu Yanzheng and said, "Sixth Sister's secret recipe, it's amazing with seafood, and it's also amazing with rice if you don't have seafood."
"Thank you." Gu Yanzheng was not one to hold back; he understood that being straightforward with Shen Zhenzhu was more to her liking than beating around the bush.
As he stirred the rice in his bowl, he mentioned Fang Chengkai's case, saying, "I reviewed Fang Chengkai's psychological analysis again at the end of the year. If I remember correctly, it seems that the 'predatory psychopathology' personality analysis was not mentioned in the notebook I gave you."
Shen Zhenzhu had already read through the notebook Gu Yanzheng gave her three or four times, and foolishly confessed: "Chen Jiale gave me some of the latest psychological analysis materials from Hong Kong, and I will also give him the case suspects that the Municipal Bureau can disclose to do analysis."
Sure enough, they were still in contact!
The alarm bells blared instantly in front of Gu Yanzheng.
Chan Ka-lok, in his early thirties, became the director of a private hospital in Hong Kong and a professor of clinical psychology at Hong Kong University of Medicine; his abilities are beyond question. Two years ago, he strongly urged Shing Pearl to come to Hong Kong to be his assistant professor. Unexpectedly, 1993 arrived, and Hong Kong was set to return to China in four years; the thief's desire to poach her talent hadn't died down!
Yes, it means he still harbors treacherous intentions.
Those silver-rimmed glasses are the best symbol of a refined scoundrel.
Mentioning all the hardships of yesterday, Gu Yanzheng's heart was in turmoil, but he didn't show it on his face: "I noticed that your refrigerator is a bit small. There are some large ones readily available in the provincial capital. Do you want to use them?"
hold head high?
How did the topic get so close to here?
Chen Zhenzhu waved her hand and said, "We always eat at the restaurant, and our refrigerator at home is sufficient. Thank you, Brother Zheng."
Gu Yanzheng gave himself a couple of minutes to calm down. After he composed himself, he put a piece of sea cucumber on Shen Zhenzhu's plate and casually said, "She is a professor, after all, and older than us. Next time you contact her, don't call her by her first name, lest she think that we mainland police are disrespectful."
Shen Zhenzhu said "Oh," and believed her brother Zheng's nonsense again: "Then I'll call him Brother Jiale—"
"Call me Uncle." Gu Yanzheng said with a forced smile, "You're twelve years older than me, call me Uncle Chen."
Shen Zhenzhu nodded obediently: "Oh."
By separating generations, any ulterior motives will be nipped in the bud, ensuring a peaceful night's sleep.
Gu Yanzheng was satisfied.
After finishing the last bite of his meal, seeing that Chen Zhenzhu hadn't finished eating, he picked up his chopsticks and kept her company: "Besides psychology, did you talk about the scenery of Hong Kong or anything like that?"
Shen Zhenzhu honestly replied, "No, it's all been about discussing this topic. I was only invited to Hong Kong once for a conference, and I heard that many famous psychology experts from abroad were also there. Unfortunately, I was working on a case and couldn't leave in the middle of it."
“You can’t go even if you’re not handling a case,” Gu Yanzheng reminded her. “In our line of work, even leaving the province requires prior notification to your superiors. Leaving your authorized area without permission will get you questioned and will negatively impact you. If he says that again, just refuse. I know you’re interested in this, so if there’s a seminar on this topic in Shanghai, I’ll get you a seat.”
"That's great." Shen Zhenzhu understood that with different identities and positions, and with the arrival of 1997, many things had become very sensitive. It was safer to listen to Brother Zheng.
After finishing her meal, Shen Zhenzhu watched Gu Yanzheng leave, feeling inexplicably that something was wrong, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it.
Monday.
Shen Zhenzhu and the others arrived at Director Liu's office early to listen to the leader's instructions. They heard almost the same thing as Gu Yanzheng: they didn't expect to solve the case, but rather to learn more about the technology.
As she left Director Liu's office, she ran into Guo Daye, who was passing by carrying a jade-green thermos. Guo encouraged Chen Zhenzhu, saying, "Focus on learning and exchanging ideas, don't put too much pressure on yourself. Cases can't be solved in a day, take it slow and steady."
"Thank you, Political Commissar Guo." Shen Zhenzhu and the others turned and went up to the fifth floor.
Zhou Chuanxi leaned weakly against his desk, a large pig's trotter that Chen Zhenzhu had left as a consolation prize beside him. He thought the group of people looked like pig's trotters.
Lu Ye was carrying a heavy black duffel bag and inspecting the weapons and equipment that had been distributed.
Zhao Qiqi, carrying a backpack, was trying on her newly changed police boots: "They're sturdy enough to handle mountains and valleys without a problem. They're lighter than the ones I used in the army. They're really good."
Chen Zhenzhu sat under the fish tank in the office, sharpening her small silver knife in the sunlight streaming through the window. Last time, Sister Zhang had seen the knife and thought the blade was much sharper, all thanks to Chen Zhenzhu's diligent sharpening.
The retrieved guns and bullets were on the table. Gu Yanzheng helped check them, making sure that every number was clearly marked and that the landing point of every bullet was recorded. The bullets could only hit the criminal's heart; there could be no deviation.
Wu Zhongguo came in from outside, holding three boxes of business cards that still smelled of paint. He said, "Keep one box for each person. We welcome friends from other units to exchange ideas and make connections."
Shen Zhenzhu put away her small silver knife, picked up the business card, and saw that it read "Shen Zhenzhu, Deputy Section Chief of the Criminal Investigation Brigade of Liancheng Public Security Bureau." She thought it sounded impressive. Now she was someone of status.
"Here's the key. This is the provincial capital company's phone number. You can contact them for personal matters, and for business, remember to contact Director Tu." Gu Yanzheng handed the contact information to Shen Zhenzhu and instructed, "Don't be afraid of trouble when you're out and about."
"Understood!" Shen Zhenzhu put away the contact card, and listened to Lu Ye complain, "Who would dare to contact Director Tu?"
Gu Yanzheng raised his chin and looked at Chen Zhenzhu, saying, "She dares to do that."
After eating kimchi for a year, I've developed a fondness for it even though I didn't have any feelings for it before.
Shen Zhenzhu nodded and said, "You don't need to worry about this, leave it to me."
Once everyone was ready, Gu Yanzheng handed the Cherokee keys to Zhao Qiqi: "Drive slowly. Flooring the accelerator will cause a sudden acceleration. Once on the highway, don't steer unnecessarily. Look for gas stations with official Chinese license plates; don't fill up at small, private stations. There's bottled water, towels, and rain boots in the trunk, and a police baton on top of the spare tire..."
Lu Ye secretly complained to Shen Zhenzhu, "When did the boss become so nagging?"
The heartless girl leaned closer and said, "Maybe it's because you're getting old."
Fortunately, Gu Yanzheng didn't hear these words, otherwise he would have had another sleepless night.
When they set off, Chen Zhenzhu still sat in the passenger seat, in charge of the map and snacks and drinks.
After saying goodbye to Gu Yanzheng and the others, the Cherokee drove out of the Criminal Investigation Team. Looking in the rearview mirror, Shen Zhenzhu saw Gu Yanzheng's shadow getting smaller and smaller, but she didn't think much of it at first.
She used to be a person who traveled all over the country, and a brief separation could not cause her any ripples.
The journey to the provincial capital takes four and a half hours. As the Cherokee sped along the national highway, Chen Zhenzhu suddenly heard Lu Ye say from behind, "Do you have nails in your butt? What are you doing wiggling around like that?"
Shen Zhenzhu then realized that she was neither comfortable sitting nor leaning against anything in the passenger seat, let alone taking a nap.
She felt uneasy, watching the scenery rushing past the window, when she heard Zhao Qiqi ask, "Should we go straight ahead or turn north?"
Shen Zhenzhu realized that the driver had been changed from Gu Yanzheng to Zhao Qiqi, and she was not used to it.
Even though the Cherokee was still the same Cherokee, speeding along the road to catch bad guys, her state of mind had changed a little.
After much deliberation, she clumsily concluded that the reason for her distrust was that she trusted Zheng Ge's driving skills, rather than Zhao Qiqi's, who had come from a military vehicle platoon leader background.
At four o'clock in the afternoon, the Cherokee entered the provincial capital according to the map.
The naive country bumpkin instantly forgot about her brother Zheng and craned her neck along the way, discussing with Lu Ye whose roasted chicken rack smelled the best. They played rock-paper-scissors to choose a restaurant, and after a hearty meal, they arrived at the Shenyang Municipal Public Security Bureau's guesthouse.
The receptionist checked the ID and letter of introduction, and then took a second look at Shen Zhenzhu, noticing her youthful and energetic appearance.
Lu Ye stared at him with his bull-like eyes and asked in a muffled voice from behind, "What are you looking at?"
Shen Zhenzhu was really afraid that if the other party said something like "What are you looking at?", the matter would be out of control.
She pushed Lu Ye upstairs. The rooms assigned to them were on the second floor, two rooms in total, with Chen Zhenzhu occupying one by herself.
Through the window, you can see a sports field downstairs that is comparable in size to that of a middle school. The sports field has everything from basketball, soccer, badminton, and table tennis to running, parallel bars, horizontal bars, sandpit, and sandbags.
The most interesting thing was the people exercising inside. They were all public security representatives from within the province, wearing training uniforms, with an indomitable spirit in their eyes!
Shen Zhenzhu pressed herself against the window, searching for a place to practice her boxing, clenching her fists repeatedly in excitement!
Lu Ye knocked on the door and entered the house with Zhao Qiqi. Once inside, Lu Ye complained, "He's supposed to be a deputy section chief, how come his room is as small as ours?"
Shen Zhenzhu turned around and said, "It's good to treat everyone equally."
Lu Ye handed her a piece of paper: "This is the exchange schedule for tomorrow. Take a look."
When Shen Zhenzhu saw the words "The 8th Provincial Criminal Investigation Technology Exchange Conference," the large characters made her serious.
The itinerary was not packed; as everyone said, the focus was on solving the case, and all the pretense was avoided. The only thing was a speech from a leader at the beginning, followed by a lottery drawn by representatives from various localities. After the lottery, the tasks were assigned to different locations for investigation, making it a race against time.
"Be there on time tomorrow morning, and don't embarrass Zheng Ge when you go out." Chen Zhenzhu put down her schedule and, hearing cheers from downstairs, couldn't help but say, "I'm going down for a stroll."
Zhao Qiqi quickly said, "I'll go with you."
Before he arrived, he received instructions from Director Liu and Gu Yanzheng to be a good right-hand man to Shen Zhenzhu and to always keep up with Section Chief Shen's pace.
Lu Ye stretched his shoulders and said, "It's been a long time since I sparred with them. The last time was three years ago. I'll go down there too and see if everyone has improved."
The three of them hit it off immediately, changed into their training uniforms, and rushed to the sports field.
The outdoor sports field seemed undeterred by the seasonal factors; everyone played with great enthusiasm, unconcerned about the single-digit temperature.
We only get to meet once every three years, and the next day we have to go our separate ways. Whether we know each other or not, we're reluctant to part, and the air is thick with the smell of male hormones.
In a corner where only Chen Zhenzhu was, she asked the man if he wanted to practice boxing together, but he refused. She then asked him if he wanted to kick the sandbag, but he ignored her.
When others saw her height, build, and gender, they all shook their heads. Shen Zhenzhu persisted, and as a second choice, approached an older man and said, "Comrade, how about we try some grappling techniques?"
Before the other party could answer, a woman walked over from a distance and pulled Chen Zhenzhu, saying, "Come on, let's go play badminton."
Shen Zhenzhu didn't come here to play badminton.
She smiled and said, "Thank you, but I'd like to try boxing."
The woman was taken aback, then said matter-of-factly, "They don't fight with women."
When Shen Zhenzhu struck up a conversation with Song Xinchen, he said, "You asked around before finally getting to me. Shen Zhenzhu, right? I've been studying your spirit for two months now. I've heard so much about you."
There was an unspeakable undertone in her voice. Shen Zhenzhu looked at Song Xinchen, who had a square build and a round head, and said, "Comrade, what's your name?"
“Song Xinchen from Shen City.” After running a few laps to warm up, Lu Ye came to Shen Zhenzhu’s side and said, “Long time no see, Deputy Section Chief Song.”
Song Xinchen, who was about thirty-one or thirty-two years old, said upon hearing this, "Don't call me deputy section chief, that doesn't count."
If it's not, then it's not. What does "not considered" mean?
Shen Zhenzhu felt bewildered.
When Song Xinchen saw Lu Ye approaching, he teased, "Seeing you following behind a young girl from so far away, you must be feeling quite aggrieved, right?"
Lu Ye, though out and about, was quite quick-witted and immediately retorted, "I can't compare to you. I was about to get promoted but was demoted. That's what you call being wronged."
Song Xinchen's round face froze instantly. No one at work had mentioned this to his face. Lu Ye, who knew where he got the information, had brazenly brought it up, making Song Xinchen feel extremely embarrassed.
"Come on, let's practice?" Song Xinchen said, his expression unfriendly.
Before Lu Ye could answer, Chen Zhenzhu rubbed her hands together and said crisply, "Okay!!"
Song Xinchen found her annoying and sneered, "You want to compete with me? I won't hold back."
Shen Zhenzhu was furious: "Just don't ask me to give in."
Song Xinchen's colleague came over to break up the fight, and several other people came over, ostensibly to break up the fight, but actually just to watch the excitement.
They advised Lu Ye, "Old Song doesn't know his own strength. That's Chen Zhenzhu, a 'first-class meritorious official,' after all. What if he gets hurt or damaged?"
These people had been studying the "Sinking Pearl Spirit" for over two months, and when they saw the real person right in front of them, they secretly gritted their teeth.
They could practically recite Shen Zhenzhu's heroic deeds from memory in just the last two months, and now it's even going to be included in their assessment! Putting aside envy and resentment, they definitely want to have a friendly competition.
Shen Zhenzhu was overjoyed to see someone accept her challenge. She was determined to make a lasting impression on them.
Arriving at the sandpit, he clasped his hands in a fist salute and said, "Let's stop here."
Song Xinchen rolled up his sleeves and slung them over his shoulders, then chuckled and said, "We can begin now, heroine."
The words had barely left his mouth when Song Xinchen felt a firecracker hurtling towards him. He immediately threw a punch, and the next second felt the world flip over; his head was slammed against the sand as he tumbled headfirst!
"Ugh... Ah!" He was caught by his belt just as he was about to fall.
The woman next to me, holding a badminton racket, excitedly shouted, "Great! Keep going!"
"Great!" Zhao Qiqi rushed over upon hearing the news and exclaimed loudly, "Sister Pearl, beautiful!"
Shen Zhenzhu threw Song Xinchen directly into the sandpit, patted herself down, and clasped her hands in a fist and palm salute again: "Sorry, sorry, next."
These words were quite blunt. The men who had just rejected her gradually began to have ideas and stood aside, eager to try their luck.
Lu Ye simply stepped forward to help Sister Pearl fish, and the two of them fought fiercely, just like when they practiced boxing at work.
While other men thought women were all all talk and no action, Chen Zhenzhu wielded her small hammer with fierce power.
Some people who were eager to try are now starting to weigh their own abilities.
Song Xinchen sat by the sandpit, emptying the sand from his shoes. As he watched the growing crowd gather around him, cheers erupting one after another, he finally realized that he had underestimated and misjudged people.
Knowing that Shen Zhenzhu was truly skilled, many men with martial arts skills came to exchange techniques.
Shen Zhenzhu took down several male comrades in a row, making them realize how formidable she was. This girl wasn't just smart; she was powerful with her fists too. Earning a first-class merit wasn't just luck; it was real skill.
Pearl Sister's left and right hooks reminded them of how heartwarming the "Sinking Pearl Spirit" they had learned over the past two months was—it was much more comfortable than getting beaten up.
When Director Tu saw this scene from the small conference room on the top floor of the guesthouse, he smiled at the other leaders from various municipal bureaus, which was a rare occurrence: "It's just some young people playing around, please excuse the spectacle. Oh, another one has been knocked down. Sigh, who knew your people were so fragile. I'll reprimand her later, and next time I see her, I'll definitely go easy on her."
Shen Zhenzhu had a thoroughly enjoyable round of fighting, and became acquainted with two of them through this unexpected encounter.
One was a former Sanda champion in the Armed Police Force before retiring and is now the head of the Criminal Investigation Detachment of Jinzhou City. The other is a former Wushu champion from Ning City, ranking among the top three in the province, and works in the security department of the Provincial Public Security Bureau.
The three of them addressed each other as brothers and sisters, exchanged business cards, and regretted not having met sooner.
The next morning, Shen Zhenzhu arrived at the "Grand Competition" venue in high spirits.
Led by students from the Provincial Public Security Academy, they entered the venue.
"Good morning, Comrade Shen." "Good morning!"
"Comrade Shen, I learned a lot yesterday. Let's exchange ideas again sometime." "Sure!"
"I saw your Liancheng Public Security Bureau's seats, they're in the first row on the left." "Oh, thanks!"
......
As Zhao Qiqi walked along the road, she whispered to Lu Ye, "Sister Pearl is really impressive." Yesterday, everyone ignored her, but today they all took the initiative to greet her.
"Strength is the ultimate truth no matter where you go." Lu Ye had also warmed up yesterday and was feeling refreshed when he sat down at his seat. He looked at the sign for the Municipal Public Security Bureau sitting upright next to him and chuckled.
Zhao Qiqi was confused, but Shen Zhenzhu knew a little. After signing in, she walked over and said, "It turns out that Liancheng wanted to compete with Shenshi for the provincial capital city. We've been competing ever since, especially with all the government departments. They're all striving to be the best. The provincial government can't be biased in the seating arrangement at the meeting. We and Shenshi are both in the first row."
Zhao Qiqi suddenly realized: "No wonder Song Xinchen was so arrogant towards us, so that's why."
Lu Ye whispered, "So he was reprimanded by the boss. I never imagined that after all these years, the boss would be a deputy director while he still hasn't passed the deputy section chief level."
Zhao Qiqi asked, "Why was I stripped?"
Lu Ye received a rumor that said, "He's too loose-lipped and made a mistake."
In front of them was the opening stage, and next to the stage were large boxes needed for the lottery ceremony.
Once all the representatives from the participating units had arrived, the "Grand Competition" officially began with the host's announcement.
Shen Zhenzhu saw the giant images of the "Nine Major Cases" displayed behind the stage, ranked from 1 to 9 according to their difficulty level. She silently resolved to bring glory to Liancheng, to do her utmost to find as many clues as possible, and to get as many points as possible. At the very least, she couldn't lose to Song Xinchen and his team from Shen City.
If I really wanted to draw a case, I would definitely choose one involving a victim's body, such as a dismemberment case or a kidnapping and murder case. The next best option would be a case with clues, as clues are the key to solving the case.
All the provincial and department leaders were present on stage and delivered speeches.
The audience erupted in applause. Everyone in the room, wearing olive green caps and peaked caps, stood tall with their hands on their knees, their eyes glued to the screen.
Shen Zhenzhu could see Director Tu sitting on the platform, glancing in her direction and nodding slightly. She kept a straight face, chest out and head held high, determined not to let her leader down.
Give her a fulcrum, and she can move the world.
"Liu, the representative of the Shenyang Public Security Bureau, will draw lots." "Number seven."
"The representative of Chao City Public Security Bureau, Deputy Director Kim, will draw lots." "Number six."
......
Finally, it was Director Tu's turn to appear. He remained calm and reached into the box to pull out a ball.
Seeing that he paused, Shen Zhenzhu read out, "Number one."
Shen Zhenzhu was filled with joy, but when she turned to look at Lu Ye, her face was ashen. Then she turned to look at Zhao Qiqi, completely frozen.
Looking past Zhao Qiqi, you can see Song Xinchen's gaze, which surprisingly contains pity!
She boldly whispered, "Why aren't you happy? Number One! The easiest and with the most clues!"
Lu Ye, unable to move freely with his hands on his knees, said in a very low voice, "My dear sister, is it possible that you've reversed the difficulty level? It's not from easy to difficult, it's from difficult to easy!"
Chen Zhenzhu: "!"
She stared wide-eyed at the back of the stage, where large characters were written: Case No. 1, with a difficulty level of five stars.
The case that would qualify for a five-star rating is: "25 people missing in a row, 0 clues."
Four no-cases!
Shen Zhenzhu: ...The beginning was a disaster.
-----------------------
Author's Note: Little Pearl:
First, you need to give me a fulcrum!
Secondly, I haven't offended any of you.
Finally, Director Tu, please have a talk with my mother.
***
See you tomorrow, there will be a red envelope.
***
In hot weather, you should never take the chance and eat leftovers from an air-conditioned room, thinking it's the same principle as putting them in the refrigerator.
[Cracked][Cracked][Cracked]
Also, just a quick shout-out: it's almost the end of the month, anyone got any unwanted nutrient solution? Looking for some! [Let me see!]
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