Chapter 20: Payroll Arrival

As soon as Luo Fei returned to the office, he was met with a wave of congratulations.

However, Wu Wei, Zhao Le, and Jiang Xiaoxiao did not seem as cheerful. Their expressions echoed the sentiment found online: fearing friends’ struggles but also envying their success.

Seeing Luo Fei, who started at the same time as them, get promoted early naturally left them feeling a bit down.

That morning, the police station received three calls from the public: one reporting a child missing for 24 hours, another reporting domestic violence, and the third involving a bus from Guangyuan County where a passenger attempted to grab the steering wheel, prompting the driver to call the police.

Luo Fei and Zhang Haiyang were assigned to handle the case of the passenger attempting to seize the bus steering wheel.

Guangtong Bridge

Luo Fei, Zhang Haiyang, and two auxiliary officers responded to the emergency call and arrived at Guangtong Bridge within ten minutes.

The involved parties were Zheng Xian, a passenger in his sixties, and Wang Xiaodong, a male driver in his thirties.

The incident was simple. Zheng Xian lived not far from Guangtong Bridge, so he asked the bus driver to let him off at Guangfu Bridge, which he claimed was his usual stop.

However, the driver, Wang Xiaodong, felt it was unsafe to stop on the bridge due to the heavy traffic and fast-moving cars. He planned to stop after crossing the bridge instead.

When the driver did not stop, Zheng Xian became furious. After a long, uncomfortable bus ride, he was eager to get off, but the driver refused to stop. Other bus drivers would accommodate him, so why would this one not do so? Zheng Xian felt increasingly agitated and finally decided to take matters into his own hands. He lunged for the steering wheel, attempting to force the driver to stop.

Clearly, Zheng Xian was at fault for disrupting the operation of a public transportation vehicle, endangering public safety. According to Luo Fei’s understanding, grabbing the steering wheel of a public transport vehicle constitutes a crime, punishable by up to one year in prison, detention, or controlled residence.

Zheng Xian, unaware of the law, continued to rant and accuse Zhang Haiyang and Luo Fei of colluding with the driver when Zhang Haiyang informed him of his offence. He even threatened to sue them, leaving Zhang Haiyang frustrated.

Faced with Zheng Xian’s non-cooperation, Zhang Haiyang had no choice but to handcuff him. Only then did Zheng Xian realise the seriousness of his actions. He had thought grabbing the steering wheel was no big deal.

By the time Zheng Xian fully understood the gravity of his actions, it was too late. Despite his pleas for leniency, the law is unforgiving. Everyone must face the consequences of their actions.

The bus was driven directly to the police station, and Zheng Xian was placed in detention. Luo Fei and Zhang Haiyang took statements from the bus passengers.

They worked until 8 p.m. to complete the paperwork for Zheng Xian’s case. Given the circumstances, Zheng Xian’s offence was not severe enough to warrant a year in prison. He would likely face ten to fifteen days of detention and a fine.

The next morning, when Luo Fei arrived at work, he immediately noticed that the office atmosphere was unusually charged. He was initially puzzled by the palpable excitement.

But it did not take long for Luo Fei to understand why.

It was payday.

“I wonder how much we’ll get for our first month. If the salary is decent, I might finally get a new phone,” Wu Wei said, his face full of anticipation.

Jiang Xiaoxiao, standing nearby, rolled her eyes and could not help but dampen his enthusiasm. “Don’t get your hopes up. I asked my mentor, and after deductions, she takes home about 4,000 RMB a month. We’re new, so we’ll probably get around 3,000.”

Wu Wei looked dismayed. “3,000? That’s ridiculous! My dad works as a security guard at Hongxing and makes over 2,500 a month. Aren’t civil servants supposed to make around 100,000 a year? Everyone says their benefits are great. They can’t all be lying, right?”

Luo Fei felt it was necessary to clarify. “Your friends and relatives are probably talking about pre-tax income. If we consider pre-tax amounts, it makes sense. Jiang’s mentor makes about 4,500 RMB after deductions, which means her gross pay is around 5,500 to 6,000 RM a month. Over a year, that’s about 70,000 RMB. Add in bonuses, meal allowances, transportation subsidies, and phone allowances, and it totals around 100,000 RMB before taxes.”

“So, the 100,000 RMB they mentioned is pre-tax? I thought it was take-home pay. This is disappointing,” Wu Wei said, his initial excitement about receiving his wage fading away.

“What did you expect? A take-home of 100,000 RMB? Keep dreaming.” Jiang Xiaoxiao could not resist mocking him.

At noon, after anxiously waiting, the salaries finally arrived.

Wu Wei was the first to check. He quickly walked over to Luo Fei and whispered, “Luo Fei, my salary came through. I got 3,090 RMB. How much did you get?”

Luo Fei, who had been engrossed in his book, pulled out his phone. Sure enough, there was a bank notification.

His account showed a deposit of 4,500 RMB, bringing his balance to 4,523 RMB.

“How much?” Wu Wei asked eagerly.

Luo Fei glanced at Wu Wei and replied, “About the same as yours.”

He was not entirely truthful. Revealing the exact amount would not benefit anyone, and discussing money matters could lead to unnecessary tension, especially with people who are not very close friends.

“So, we’re all getting roughly the same. I thought yours might be higher,” Wu Wei said, visibly relieved.

Wu Wei then hurried off to ask Jiang Xiaoxiao about her salary, while Luo Fei considered whether to buy an electric bike with his newly received paycheck.

Luo Fei’s current place was neither too far nor too close to the police station; it took him about twenty minutes to walk there. An electric bike would cut that time to five or six minutes, making his commute significantly easier. However, he quickly dismissed the idea. He still owed around 30,000 RMB to his uncle and aunt. If he did not pay them back first, his mother, Wu Yan, would remain anxious. So, Luo Fei decided to prioritise repaying the debt.

Money was always tight, and it frustrated him to have to choose between necessities. This thought reminded Luo Fei of Detective Captain Zhao Donglai’s promise to give him and Zhang Haiyang some money. He wondered if Zhao Donglai still remembered.

Criminal Investigation Division

“Achoo!”

“Is someone talking about me behind my back?” Zhao Donglai muttered, eyebrows creased into a frown as he reviewed a case.

(End of Chapter)