In the afternoon, at the shooting range of the Huadu General Administration, the sunlight shone through the large floor-to-ceiling windows.
Lu Junchi stood in front of the twenty-meter target, picked up the gun and aimed at the target in front of him. His slender and deep eyes focused on the bullseye. His movements were standard, and his hand was steady. His index finger repeatedly pulled the trigger, and the recoil hardly affected his shooting.
Soon, the machine reported the results: 10 rings, 9.3 rings, 9.5 rings, 9 rings, 10 rings…
Ten shots in total, with the lowest score of 9 rings, this score was beyond the reach of others.
Lu Junchi finished firing and began to quickly reload, tossing the magazine in his hand and quickly loading another one.
Not far away, at another target, Xing Yunhai, the captain of the fifth criminal investigation team, took off his earmuffs and smiled: “Wow, who is this a sharpshooter? Ten consecutive bullseyes. Captain Lu, we are too embarrassed to shoot after you.”
Lu Junchi humbly smiled and said, “Captain Xing, your marksmanship is also excellent.”
The two had met before in the end-of-year assessment, and were familiar with each other’s scores.
“Hey, I’m not being modest but compared to you, I’m still a few levels behind.” Xing Yunhai remembered something and asked, “By the way, I heard your team just solved a case?”
Lu Junchi nodded, “We just finished it, but the suspect is still being held at the hospital in Ancheng. It’ll probably take some time before he gets transferred over.”
As they were talking, Qiao Ze peeked his head in at the door and said, “Captain Lu, someone is looking for you at the entrance of the Municipal Bureau.”
Lu Junchi replied, “Thanks, I got it.”
He tidied up his clothes, returned the earplugs and goggles, and took his bag out of the shooting range.
Lu Haochu, who was waiting at the door, hurried over, and Lu Junchi handed him a thick stack of materials: “Study hard.”
Lu Haochu took the materials and felt their weight in his hand. “Thanks, Brother. Recently, the teachers have been sending out a crazy amount of files. The copy shops near the school have lines that go on for days. Your timely help saved me.”
Lu Junchi said, “You managed to include our entire family in that sentence…”
“Oops, sorry. I’m used to joking around with my dorm mates.” Lu Haochu lowered his head and looked through the documents, and found that they were well printed. He quickly praised them, “The printer in your Major Crimes Unit is really good, it’s much clearer than the ones in our school that cost 20 cents per page.”
Lu Junchi said, “The printing shop at the General Administration gate charges one yuan for two pages of laser printing, which is a bit more advanced than the 20-cent machines in your school. Don’t always think about taking advantage of the government.”
Lu Haochu’s eyes sparkled at the mention of the printer. “Okay, Brother. We’re just trying to study hard and catch criminals to serve our country.” He quickly changed the topic, “Oh yeah, Brother, were you able to find Teacher Su?”
“I met him and added him on WeChat. He helped us out with a case.” When Su Hui was mentioned, Lu Junchi’s heart still had a strange feeling that he couldn’t quite put his finger on. “But…”
Lu Haochu’s eyes lit up when Su Hui was mentioned, “But what?”
“I was thinking of inviting him to be a consultant for our investigation unit.” Lu Junchi hesitated for a moment on whether or not to tell Lu Haochu about this, but decided that it wasn’t classified information and Su Hui had already declined, so he spoke up.
Lu Junchi’s eyes widened instantly, “Brother, are you trying to poach him? Teacher Su has poor eyesight and hearing. He can’t be a police officer. Don’t bully him.”
Lu Junchi frowned. He was already protective of Su Hui, how could he bear to bully him?
Thinking of this, Lu Junchi argued, “I just wanted to ask him to be a consultant, not a frontline detective…” He paused for a moment before continuing to explain, “And, besides, Teacher Su has already declined.”
As for Su Hui’s refusal, Lu Junchi didn’t take it too much to heart. Forcing someone to do something they don’t want to do is not enjoyable. Everyone has their own ideas, and if Su Hui didn’t want to, he wouldn’t force him to agree.
“Uh, it’s okay… ” Upon hearing this, Lu Haochu was relieved, “If you bring Teacher Su as your consultant, we’ll have less time with him, and I wouldn’t like that.”
Just as he said this, Lu Junchi looked down and saw a call coming in from the bureau. He waved to his younger brother and said, “Alright, I have work to do here. Focus on your exams.” He then took out a few hundred yuan from his pocket and handed it to Lu Haochu. “Treat your dorm mates to a meal after your exams are over.”
Lu Haochu smiled brightly and said, “Thanks, Brother. You’re the best.”
When Lu Junchi answered the phone, he heard Director Tan say, “Captain Lu, I have something to discuss with you…”
Director Tan’s chosen safe house was right next to the bureau.
The room required high-level fingerprint identification to open, and the owner monitored the elevator directly as soon as someone entered. Once inside, the room was soundproofed, and the curtains were kept closed all the time, making it impossible to see inside from the outside.
There were regular inspections, mobile signals were blocked, and the conversation contents were absolutely confidential.
Su Hui had only been here once before. He entered the elevator, and Director Tan saw him on the monitor and pressed the floor button to let him in.
The two sat opposite each other on the sofa, and Director Tan spoke first, “Su Hui, I was worried about you during those two years. Apart from your students, you almost cut off contact with the world. So when you offered to come back, I was very surprised. I thought about it and decided to go to your house and give you a case to try out…”
Su Hui lowered his head and said, “Director Tan, I’m sorry for worrying you.”
Looking back, that incident was also a test for him. He passed the test and proved that he could overcome those difficulties and obstacles. Only then did Director Tan dare to use him.
Su Hui clearly understood that, from a psychological perspective, doing things he was familiar with, interested in, and could achieve was a key step in building self-affirmation. He needed to be on the front line and rely on those supporting points to prevent his world from collapsing.
Just like now, when he was talking to Director Tan, he was polite, courteous, and looked no different from an ordinary person.
Everything seemed normal, and his intelligence was not a problem. He was still intelligent and wise.
But Su Hui knew that there was something wrong with him. The real him seemed to have drowned in the deep sea a long time ago, and what was living in this world was just a body with the same name and surname.
There was a heart in his chest, but he couldn’t feel its beating, nor could he feel any changes in his emotions.
He often couldn’t distinguish between dreams and reality, and memories often need to be checked for evidence to distinguish between truth and falsehood.
He flipped through his notebook, feeling a strong sense of unfamiliarity. He was sure that there were things he had done, but he had no impression at all.
Just like how he had always kept Aristotle, but he couldn’t remember when or under what circumstances he brought it home.
He remembered his parents’ deaths, but he couldn’t find any sense of grief. He even felt that those two people disappeared from his world quietly and peacefully.
Before, he was looking for Pei Weiwei and helping the Major Crimes Unit. When he was doing those things, he felt like he was passing through a frozen corridor, reaching out to touch his past self…
It seemed that there were a few moments when he touched it, and it was a kind of immersive feeling.
When confronting Song Rongjiang and communicating with Fu Yunchu, he could feel that tension, like a sharp blade cutting through the darkness, like a sword breaking through layers of curses. He could see the darkness pierced and the light blooming.
Director Tan nodded and said, “I have always strongly supported your decision to return to the front line… I think that if you can give it your all, it will also be a help to your recovery.”
Tan Ju still remembered the Su Hui from two years ago, when he was still a talented young man who sailed through life with ease. Su Hui used to be excellent, meticulous and had a sharpness in his eyes. In his field, he was unrivaled and at the top of his game.
But now, two years have passed, and all that confidence and arrogance have disappeared. He allowed himself to sink into a state of being like a walking corpse and let his life turn into a mess. Tan Ju understood Su Hui’s decision to return to the front lines, for only then could he regain himself and restore everything to its proper course.
After finding Pei Weiwei, Tan Ju saw that familiar light in Su Hui’s eyes again, although it was only a glimmer. He didn’t want that glimmer to disappear again.
This city needed people like him, and at the same time, Su Hui needed to prove to himself that he is still alive by overcoming the darkness…
Tan Ju continued, “Since we have reached a consensus on the issue of reinstatement, let’s work out the details. Now that the Behavioral Analysis Unit no longer exists, they can no longer provide you with anonymous protection. You are now at the forefront again, and you have many enemies from your past. This is a dangerous situation, and since you live alone, I am also concerned. Therefore, I am considering providing you with some level of protection. As I mentioned last time, you need a roommate.”
Su Hui said, “Director Tan, you don’t have to worry too much about this…”
Tan Ju said, “Su Hui, I won’t go to great lengths, but these things can’t be overlooked. Just like today, when you didn’t answer several phone calls, it almost gave me a heart attack.”
Su Hui apologized and lowered his head, “I will pay attention to answering phone calls in the future.”
Tan Ju sighed and said, “I know you don’t want to trouble me, but I suggest you take this matter seriously and be more vigilant in your daily life.”
Since Su Hui couldn’t convince Tan Ju, he had to agree.
After a moment of silence, Tan Ju continued, “Su Hui, I don’t want the same thing that happened five years ago with Yan to happen again. It’s always been a burden on my heart.”
Su Hui knew what Tan Ju was afraid of and since he couldn’t persuade him otherwise, he didn’t dwell on it anymore, “Then please arrange everything, Director Tan.”
Tan Ju nodded, “Don’t worry, I will find a reliable candidate for you.”
Su Hui nodded lightly and continued to listen to him.
Tan Ju said, “There is also the issue of your courses. I know your courses for this semester have ended, and students have to submit a thesis for their final assignment. The next period is the exam period, and I have talked to Dean Wang from the college, and he won’t arrange for you to proctor exams. This means that during the summer, you will have at least two months of free time. As for the next semester, I have talked to the college and arranged for you to have a six-month academic sabbatical so that you will have enough time to adapt to your current job. If you find that you still prefer the school, you can switch back.”
Su Hui didn’t expect Tan Ju to have considered everything so thoroughly. He asked, “Based on your arrangements, what will be my specific job?”
Tan Ju smiled, “Naturally, it will be in the area where you can best utilize your strengths. The Major Crimes Unit is missing a consultant…”
TN:
That awkward moment when you say goodbye to someone but end up going in the same direction 💀.
Certified member of the IIO(International Introverts Organization), PhD holder in Overthinking and Ghosting, Spokesperson for BOBAH(Benefits of Being a Homebody), Founder of SFA(Salted Fish Association), Brand Ambassador for Couch Potato fall line Pajama set.
Could you please fix the order of this chapter (26), it comes after chapter (27)😓
Thank you so much for your hard work! Tan Ju is so sweet & considerate😢
//chokes I’d be embarrassed to get reinstated to a station where I rejected their leader … Cohabitation too 👀👀👀 the shipping is shipping
Could you please fix the order of this chapter (26), it comes after chapter (27)😓
Thank you so much for your hard work! Tan Ju is so sweet & considerate😢