As soon as Zhang Haiyang finished speaking, the rest of their colleagues joined in one after another.
They offered their congratulations while simultaneously demanding a celebratory dinner.
The congratulations were sincere.
The requests for a treat were even more sincere.
“Alright, alright,” Zhang Haiyang said with a laugh. “Tonight after work, everyone’s invited to Mashi Private Kitchen. I’m announcing it here so I won’t have to notify everyone individually. We all know each other well enough by now.”
No matter how he looked at it, receiving a Third-Class Merit was something worth celebrating.
Only after Zhang Haiyang agreed to treat everyone did his coworkers finally let him off the hook.
As for Luo Fei, nobody asked him to pay.
Perhaps, as Sister Zheng had mentioned earlier, everyone knew he was still a rookie who hadn’t even received his first paycheck yet, so they felt bad targeting him.
Honestly, that worked out perfectly.
If they had insisted on making him treat everyone, Luo Fei would have been in a difficult position.
It wasn’t that he minded spending a thousand or two yuan on a meal.
The problem was that his finances were genuinely tight.
At nine o’clock, Luo Fei and Zhang Haiyang rode to the Public Security Bureau in Chief Zhou Weimin’s vehicle.
By the time they arrived, the conference room was already packed.
There were at least a hundred people present.
Ningjiang County was located in a region with a large ethnic minority population. Because different ethnic groups maintained distinct customs and traditions, criminal cases occurred more frequently here than in many other counties.
The size of the county’s police force reflected that reality.
At present, the Ningjiang County Public Security Bureau employed more than eight hundred sworn officers, along with over two thousand auxiliary personnel.
Altogether, there were nearly three thousand law enforcement personnel—far more than the average county.
After finding the seating area reserved for Songxin Town Police Station, they sat down.
Chief Zhou immediately began greeting acquaintances around the room.
Zhang Haiyang did the same.
Only Luo Fei sat quietly in his seat.
He didn’t know anyone.
At ten o’clock sharp, the commendation ceremony officially began.
The attending leadership carried considerable weight.
Among them were Cheng Zhi, the County Party Secretary of Ningjiang County, and Zheng Changjun, Director of the Jiangzhou Municipal Public Security Bureau.
With figures of that stature present, even Ningjiang County Public Security Bureau Director Wu Cheng could only serve as the event host.
Of course, neither Cheng Zhi nor Zheng Changjun was the focus of the day.
The real stars were the frontline officers being honored for their achievements.
Luo Fei was one of them.
Unfortunately, he was mostly there as a supporting character.
From the moment he was called onto the stage, received his Individual Commendation certificate and a check for 2,000 yuan from Director Zheng Changjun, and then stepped back down, only a few minutes had passed.
Very few people paid him any attention.
There simply wasn’t much about him that stood out.
Well, except for one thing.
He was the only probationary police officer receiving an official commendation.
Luo Fei also spotted a familiar face.
Zhao Donglai.
The Criminal Investigation Team captain went up on stage twice.
The first time, he accepted a collective commendation on behalf of the Criminal Investigation Team.
The second time, he personally received a Third-Class Merit.
Even Zhao Donglai, however, wasn't the main attraction.
There was only one true protagonist today.
Wang Sanqian.
Forty-two years old.
Captain of the Ningjiang County Narcotics Division.
His résumé was practically covered in medals.
Two Second-Class Merits.
One Third-Class Merit.
Three Individual Commendations.
One of Anyuan Province’s Top Ten Anti-Drug Officers.
An Outstanding People's Police Officer of Anyuan Province.
He had personally led investigations into major cases such as the April 23 Armed Drug Trafficking Syndicate Case and the February 15 Major Drug Trafficking Ring Case.
When Director Wu Cheng finished listing Wang Sanqian’s accomplishments and County Party Secretary Cheng Zhi presented him with a First-Class Merit, the entire conference room erupted in thunderous applause.
This moment belonged entirely to Wang Sanqian.
Watching the man standing beneath the spotlight, Luo Fei felt his blood surge with excitement.
‘A true man should strive to become someone like that,’ he thought.
“Wang Sanqian is seriously incredible,” Zhang Haiyang muttered beside him.
His voice carried genuine admiration.
The ceremony finally concluded at one o’clock in the afternoon.
Luo Fei, Zhang Haiyang, and Zhou Weimin were preparing to return to the station when Zhou suddenly received a phone call.
After hanging up, he turned to them.
“I have something urgent to deal with. You two take a taxi back.”
With that, he hurried off.
Luo Fei and Zhang Haiyang had just reached the entrance and were about to hail a cab when someone called out from behind them.
“Luo Fei! Haiyang!”
They turned around.
Zhao Donglai and Wang Dong were walking toward them.
“You’re taking a taxi back?” Zhao Donglai asked. “Where’s Chief Zhou?”
“Something came up at the last minute,” Zhang Haiyang explained.
“Perfect. I’m heading that way anyway. I’ll give you a ride.”
Zhang Haiyang politely declined several times, but Zhao Donglai insisted.
Eventually, he accepted and climbed into the vehicle with Luo Fei.
Naturally, Luo Fei followed his master's lead.
Inside the car, Luo Fei finally couldn't hold back his curiosity.
“Captain Zhao, has there been any progress in Su Xiao’s case?”
He knew the question was somewhat inappropriate.
After all, he was merely a local police officer, not a member of the Criminal Investigation Team.
But considering the system rewards tied to the case, he couldn't help asking.
Even if the case wasn't technically solved by him, he had still contributed.
Surely the system would reward him somehow.
Zhao Donglai didn't seem bothered by the question.
Instead, he answered directly.
“We've already identified the suspect.”
Luo Fei immediately sat up straighter.
“The suspect’s name is Tang Hu. He owns Yumin Supermarket. He’s married and has one son and one daughter.”
“Yesterday, while investigating the victim’s bank records, we discovered that Tang Hu had transferred 5,000 yuan to Su Xiao.”
“Afterward, we reviewed Tang Hu’s financial transactions and found records showing purchases at an Apple Store and Dasheng Jewelry.”
“The phone model and gold jewelry he bought matched the items found in Su Xiao’s apartment exactly.”
“Once we confirmed the relationship between Tang Hu and the victim, we launched an arrest operation immediately.”
“Unfortunately, Tang Hu wasn't in Ningjiang County.”
“His wife claimed he left at eight o’clock yesterday morning to purchase inventory in Jiangzhou City.”
“We suspect he fled after committing the crime.”
“So we immediately requested assistance from Jiangzhou authorities. Their Criminal Investigation Team has already begun searching for him.”
“I expect he'll be caught very soon.”
As he spoke, Zhao Donglai appeared remarkably relaxed.
After all, this murder case had been practically solved within two days.
That was an exceptionally fast turnaround.
Director Wu Cheng had even personally praised him for it.
Hearing that the suspect had already been identified and would likely be arrested soon, Luo Fei felt genuinely excited.
That meant his system reward was probably just around the corner.
“This case was solved so quickly because both you and Haiyang contributed significantly,” Zhao Donglai continued.
“Even though it was technically a Criminal Investigation Team case, once everything is wrapped up, there will definitely be bonus money for the two of you.”
“I’ll do my best to secure a larger reward on your behalf.”
The news delighted both Luo Fei and Zhang Haiyang.
It was an unexpected bonus.
Police salaries weren't particularly high.
After asking some of the veteran officers at the station, Luo Fei had learned that, as a rookie, his monthly take-home pay would probably be around 3,000 yuan after deductions.
Zhang Haiyang earned somewhat more.
Even so, his monthly income was likely only a little over 4,000 yuan.
Life required money.
People needed to eat.
And eating required income.
In that sense, being a police officer wasn't just about justice and ideals.
It was also about earning enough to pay for the necessities of everyday life.
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