Chapter 16, Section 2: Police officers interested in joining our city's criminal investigation team...
Qiu Xiaoman looked at the man in surprise, completely bewildered: "You know me?"
The man stopped, panting, and looked her up and down with a smile: "It really is you. You look just like your father."
"Who exactly are you?" Qiu Xiaoman looked him over suspiciously. The man was about 1.75 meters tall, with a square face, a pair of beautiful phoenix eyes, a straight nose, and naturally upturned lips, giving him a naturally smiling appearance.
She's a bit like her awful mother.
The man pointed to the briefcase in her hand: "My business card is inside."
Qiu Xiaoman didn't want to do anything rude, so she returned the bag to him, saying, "Give it to me yourself."
The man smiled as he took the briefcase, took out a tissue to wipe the snow and stains off it, and handed her a business card.
Qiu Xiaoman took it and looked at it: "Chen Wange, you're Chen Baihui's older brother?"
“Yes, child, I’m your uncle.” Chen Wange had seen Qiu Xiaoman’s photo before. Back then, his sister was still working in the countryside and hadn’t returned to the city. So many years had passed in the blink of an eye, and his niece in the photo had grown so much. After looking her over carefully, he noticed that the child was quite tall and asked, “Are you 1.7 meters tall?”
"1.68 meters tall." Qiu Xiaoman came to her senses. So this was her uncle whom she had never met before.
He hadn't contacted her for so many years, but now that she had helped him get his briefcase back, they suddenly became very close.
It's clear he's a cold-hearted person.
She ignored him and didn't call him "uncle." She turned around, picked up the unconscious pickpocket, and said, "Excuse me, come with me to the police station to file a report. This is very important to me, and I hope you can tell the police the truth."
"No problem, no problem." Chen Wange quickly took off his scarf, intending to give it to his niece.
Qiu Xiaoman declined, saying, "I'm not cold, I'm in a hurry, let's go."
Chen Wange followed with a smile, making small talk along the way.
"I came here to discuss business, I didn't expect to run into you. Have you seen your parents?"
Qiu Xiaoman ignored her.
"You must still be angry with them, right? Actually, it's not their fault. That policy back then was too inhumane, and they couldn't bear to lose you either. Now that you're grown up, you need to learn to understand them and be more tolerant. After all, they are your parents."
Qiu Xiaoman still ignored her.
"You might be wondering why your uncle hasn't come to see you. Well, child, it's not that your uncle doesn't want to, it's just that he's too busy. Your uncle is busy with work and has children at home, so he really can't take care of everyone. But don't worry, if you need money, just tell your uncle, and he can lend you some."
Qiu Xiaoman rolled her eyes and walked on her own, feeling that even agreeing with her was a waste of her emotions.
At the police station, Qiu Xiaoman handed the unconscious pickpocket to Li Erhu and explained the situation. Li Erhu quickly woke the pickpocket up and called Chen Wange to go and give a statement.
Qiu Xiaoman can finally have some peace and quiet.
She never expected that her uncle would be so handsome, but unfortunately, he was an old and decrepit man who kept telling her to understand and forgive him. Who was he anyway?
nerve.
She glanced at the time and greeted a police officer surnamed Wang: "Uncle Wang, has your station chief arrived? I need to speak with him."
"Young lady, do you think you can just see our director whenever you want?" Old Wang was a little unhappy. This little brat really knew how to put on airs. What could she possibly want that warranted the attention of their director?
The director is a very busy man; he's currently discussing matters with Director Wen. How could he possibly waste his time on some country bumpkin?
She really is a country bumpkin raised in the countryside. Even though she is Shen Qinghuai's daughter, she can't hide her rustic air. No wonder Shen Qinghuai doesn't acknowledge her and says she's just some relative's child. Tsk.
Qiu Xiaoman could see the disdain and contempt in his eyes. She was quite angry, but it wasn't worth getting angry over someone like him. If it delayed her job search, who would be responsible?
So instead of getting angry, she smiled and asked, "Aren't public security police officers supposed to serve the people?"
Old Wang raised an eyebrow: "Of course."
Qiu Xiaoman then asked, "My ID number is XXXX...XXXX, am I one of the people?"
Old Wang realized he was being tricked, but he had no choice but to admit it, so he said with a dark face, "Yes."
“That settles it then. The director serves the people, and I am one of the people, so why can’t I go to him?” Qiu Xiaoman’s logic is impeccable.
Old Wang couldn't refute it, rolled his eyes, and lit a cigarette: "The director is busy. Kids shouldn't fool around here. If you have something to say, just tell me."
"Alright then, do you need a police dog handler?" Qiu Xiaoman whistled, and Mango immediately stepped forward and squatted down.
When Old Wang saw it, he realized the dog was filthy and had a big belly. Was this a joke?
He pointed at the mango: "You want to be a police dog trainer? Train who? This mongrel?"
“Yes, she is my partner.” Qiu Xiaoman knew that many people these days were obsessed with foreign things, including but not limited to foreign products, foreign people, foreign cats and dogs, and even the foreign moon.
So the more Old Wang looked at her dog with disdain, the more she straightened her back and let Mango know that she was proud of Mango.
Even a mongrel is still a dog, and it has the heart to contribute to humans, no less than a foreign dog!
Feeling her trust and encouragement, Mango immediately puffed out its chest and barked proudly.
Old Wang was speechless; he had never seen such an overconfident person and dog.
He kindly reminded her, "Young lady, we are very grateful to you for providing clues about human traffickers to the police a couple of days ago. But you can't be so arrogant, can you? You actually want to recommend this pregnant mongrel dog as a police dog? Don't be ridiculous, that's impossible."
“So what if she’s pregnant? I didn’t tell her to go catch bad guys right now. Don’t you have any female police officers or public security officers in your system?” Qiu Xiaoman immediately retorted.
Old Wang laughed in exasperation: "Is this the same thing? Female police officers and public security officers who are pregnant will also be reassigned or given time off."
"I didn't say the dog couldn't rest. I just brought her here to demonstrate my dog training results. You didn't even look at her before making a judgment on me. What gives you the right?" Qiu Xiaoman was very dissatisfied. She should have let Lao Wang make the statement. At least Li Erhu would have been more polite to her.
Old Wang frowned, looking at her stubborn eyes, and finally gave in: "Fine, fine, you demonstrate, let me see what you're really capable of."
"Then you can set the test questions," Qiu Xiaoman added, afraid that Lao Wang would renege on his promise. "But you'll have to bring a few more people over, otherwise all my efforts will have been for nothing."
"Do you think the police station is your private property? Don't we have our jobs? Hurry up and stop dawdling." Old Wang lost his patience and urged her to demonstrate how to train the dog.
Qiu Xiaoman didn't want to work for nothing. Just then, Jiang Mingyuan came over to do some business, so she quickly called out to him, "Officer Jiang, are you busy right now?"
"Send a file to your director. What's up?" Jiang Mingyuan had a good impression of her and smiled.
Qiu Xiaoman quickly invited him to be a witness together.
Jiang Mingyuan was quite interested and replied, "Okay, wait a moment, I'll be right there after I send the files over."
Jiang Mingyuan went to the director's office and said with a smile, "Uncle, that Xiao Qiu who came to your institute to show off his talents last time, would you like to go out and take a look?"
"Which Xiao Qiu?" Director Jiang was a bit busy and getting old, so he had already forgotten about this nobody.
Jiang Mingyuan quickly reminded him, "It's the one who provided the clues about human traffickers."
"Oh, I remember now." Director Jiang took the file and sighed silently. What was the use? Shen Qinghuai didn't acknowledge this daughter, and he was too lazy to cause trouble. He waved his hand and said, "It's probably just kids playing house. You can go and support them, but I won't go."
Jiang Mingyuan smiled, turned to his director, and said, "Director Wen, you're busy, I'll be going now."
Director Wen is from the Municipal Public Security Bureau. He's not even fifty yet, a bit younger than Chief Jiang. He came to inspect the station's work today and reminded me, "When you're working, you should address people by their titles. Don't call them 'Uncle' or 'Grandpa,' it has a bad influence."
Jiang Mingyuan immediately stood at attention and said, "Yes, Director Wen, Director Jiang, I will definitely correct my mistakes in the future."
Director Wen waved his hand: "Go ahead."
Director Jiang smiled and said, "Remember to be tactful with that young lady, so she doesn't lose face."
"Understood, Director Jiang." Jiang Mingyuan acknowledged his mistake and corrected his behavior by addressing him by his official title.
After closing the door and leaving, he sighed silently. It seemed that no one had any faith in Xiao Qiu.
The requirements for police dogs are so high, and she only brought a mongrel. Obviously, she didn't have much of a chance of winning. What if she made a fool of herself later?
Was he just trying to appease him, or was he being strictly business?
It's a young girl of eighteen, and I feel a little sorry for her. I'll say something tactful to give her some hope, like encouraging her to keep trying.
Okay, that's it.
After mentally preparing himself, Jiang Mingyuan quickly went to the lobby.
Li Erhu had finished giving his statement and was shaking hands with Chen Wange: "Don't worry, this is a public prosecution case, you don't need to be present. You go ahead with your work. We'll let you know when there are results."
Chen Wange breathed a sigh of relief; as long as the victim wasn't present, it would be fine.
He turned to look at his niece in the hall, and praised her to Li Erhu with a smile: "This child is brave and courageous. On behalf of myself, I would like to award her one hundred yuan as encouragement!"
Li Erhu had a forced smile on his face, making such a big deal out of it, all for just one hundred yuan.
How stingy! There was over ten thousand yuan in that bag, along with all sorts of documents, cards, and contracts.
Giving a thousand wouldn't be unreasonable, right? She's his own niece, after all. You're better off without an uncle like that.
So he directly refused on Qiu Xiaoman's behalf: "Forget about the reward. She's planning to volunteer to be a police dog trainer. It's what she should do."
Qiu Xiaoman also found it disgusting. A mere hundred yuan was treated like some great favor; it was truly nauseating.
He quickly chimed in, "That's right, it's what I should do. Mr. Chen, go and get on with your business, don't let it interfere with making money."
Upon hearing the mention of making money, Chen Wange immediately glanced at his watch: "Alright, alright, then I won't stand on ceremony. I have an important bidding meeting. See you later."
Qiu Xiaoman didn't even bother to give a fake smile, and turned to look directly at Jiang Mingyuan: "Officer Jiang, I'm about to begin."
"Okay, keep it up!" Jiang Mingyuan smiled and encouraged her, "You can definitely do it."
Although he himself didn't believe it, he spoke with great conviction, hoping to encourage this little girl with a troubled past.
Qiu Xiaoman smiled and didn't expose him.
She could tell that none of the people present believed her.
But it's okay, she made her own way, so let her strength amaze everyone!
She knelt down and stroked Mango's head: "Ready?"
"Woof!" Mango couldn't contain herself any longer.
Qiu Xiaoman stood up and looked at Lao Wang: "Give me a question."
Old Wang picked a tooth out of his mouth: "This is my denture. I'll hide it later and have your dog find it within three minutes."
Qiu Xiaoman disgustedly pulled out a tissue, wrapped it around the tooth, and let Mango smell it: "Okay, go hide it now."
Old Wang really thought this country girl and her dog were no good, so he went to the bathroom on the second floor and hid his dentures in the soap dish above the sink.
"Don't worry, the place I hid isn't hard to find, but it's normal if you can't find it. There are other things around that affect the airflow of the dentures—" Before he could finish the word "airflow," Old Wang was proven wrong.
Mango dashed towards the stairwell like a gust of wind, and in the blink of an eye, a clanging sound came from upstairs.
Jiang Mingyuan quickly followed.
Mango headed straight for the bathroom sink, but the sink was more than 80 centimeters off the ground, and she couldn't jump up. So she pushed the bucket next to her, headbutted it to the ground, then headbutted the bucket upside down. Using the bucket as a stepping stone, she did a double jump, jumped onto the sink, grabbed the soap dish, and with a flick of her wrist, knocked her dentures out, which fell to the ground.
Mango did another double jump, ran to the ground, grabbed her dentures, and ran back to the first floor like a gust of wind.
Jiang Mingyuan was stunned. When he came to his senses, he quickly chased after them.
Li Erhu was timing the broadcast when he incredulously announced, "One minute and twenty-seven seconds, what an amazing dog!"
Old Wang was dumbfounded. He took the dentures from the dog's mouth and asked incredulously, "How did you jump up there?"
Jiang Mingyuan happened to return and described the scene. Old Wang had to give Qiu Xiaoman a thumbs up: "You're really something, training this dog to be so clever."
"It's because she's smart." Qiu Xiaoman didn't want to take credit for Mango's achievement. She said proudly, "My dog can do two-digit addition and subtraction, and he knows a little bit of multiplication too."
"You're just bragging!" Old Wang really didn't believe it this time. Finding something could be explained by a dog's good nose, but to make it work? What a joke, it's impossible.
Qiu Xiaoman took out some candy from her pocket: "Want to try some?"
"No, you brought it yourself, you might have marked it with your scent. I'll look for it." Old Wang didn't believe it, so he found a few colleagues and took out all the cigarettes from each of them.
Soon, Old Wang returned: "I won't make things difficult for you. Let's start with something simple. I'll hold a few cigarettes in each hand. You can let it look at them, turn your back, and count how many cigarettes it has in total, and bark a certain number of times."
Qiu Xiaoman squatted down with a smile and whispered a few words to Mango. Mango nodded and said, "Woof woof!"
Old Wang had two sticks in one hand and three sticks in the other.
Mango glanced at it, turned its back, and barked five times.
Old Wang refused to believe it and immediately increased the difficulty, holding five balls in one hand and six balls in the other.
Mango glanced at it, turned its back, and barked eleven times.
Old Wang panicked. "This is impossible! Absolutely impossible!"
To increase the difficulty, this time there are nine balls in one hand and twelve balls in the other.
Mango glanced at it, turned its back, and barked twenty-one times.
The cigarette that Old Wang was holding instantly fell to the ground. This is simply unbelievable!
He suspected that Qiu Xiaoman had given him a hint or some kind of code, so he quickly waved his hand and said, "Come stand over here with me and stay away from your dog."
Qiu Xiaoman was speechless. With so many people watching, she had a clear conscience.
He immediately walked over to Old Wang and said, "If she can still answer, you have to apologize to me."
"Impossible, absolutely impossible!" Old Wang had thirteen in one hand and eighteen in the other.
He doesn't believe it, absolutely, absolutely, absolutely doesn't believe it!
He even pulled Qiu Xiaoman behind him, as if afraid she would give some kind of signal.
Mango calmly turned around, ran outside, and came back with her paws covered in snow. She started pressing her right front paw into the living room, barking as she did so.
After pressing down half of its paws to dry, it ran out again, leaving a total of thirty-one paw prints and barking thirty-one times.
There's no way around it, the number is too big, and if I don't leave a paw print, she might forget how many times she's counting.
After pressing her paw print, she excitedly turned around, wagging her tail and looking at Qiu Xiaoman: "Awoo!"
Qiu Xiaoman walked up with a smile and patted her dog's head: "Mango is awesome!"
"That's not right, her dog is cheating. The dog didn't bark directly, it barked while holding down its paw!" Old Wang refused to admit that he had been humiliated by a dog and insisted on finding fault.
Qiu Xiaoman immediately frowned: "Can't take a joke, how boring. It's fine, if they don't want me here, there are plenty of other places that will. You'll regret it if you run into me again!"
After making those harsh remarks, Qiu Xiaoman turned around and prepared to leave.
Unexpectedly, a hearty laugh came from behind me, full of surprise and appreciation.
"Young lady, wait a minute. I think you and your dog are both amazing. Would you be interested in joining our city's criminal investigation team's police dog training group?"
A note from the author:
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