Chapter 12: One Month into the Job

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Detective Division Office.
Most of the team members had gone out on assignments, leaving the room quite empty. Zhu Yue assigned an auxiliary police officer to Han Ling—a man in his thirties, tall and slender, with a neat crew cut.
They introduced themselves; his name was Zhang Silei.
“Hello, hello,” Zhang Silei greeted Han Ling politely. After all, their statuses were different; Zhang was officially on the payroll.
Han Ling responded courteously as well. From now on, they would be colleagues working together on calls, and in urgent situations, absolute trust was essential.
New recruits required guidance to familiarize themselves with procedures and proper law enforcement—what was traditionally called a mentorship. This responsibility usually fell to experienced officers, who aimed to quickly enable newcomers to work independently.
“Would you be willing to have me mentor you?”
Zhu Yue had Zhang Silei step out to ask Han Ling’s opinion. He took an interest in Han Ling, judging from his performance in police drills—at the very least, he was sharp and quick-witted.
Without hesitation, Han Ling agreed, “Of course I’m willing. Captain Zhu is giving me face—I won’t let you down.”
Zhu Yue smiled and nodded, pulling out a pack of cigarettes and handing one over. He had learned from the station chief’s office that Han Ling smoked.
For a man, especially a policeman, smoking was no big deal; the nature of the job and the pressure often led to it.
If you don’t smoke at first, over time, you will.
Han Ling quickly took the cigarette, listening attentively to Zhu Yue’s instructions.
The detective division handled general criminal cases within the jurisdiction. Beyond that, they also engaged in crime prevention, practical groundwork, and skill enhancement—a busy role.
In the following days, Zhu Yue made time to familiarize Han Ling with the work, quickly moving into case reviews and summaries to link theory with practice.
During this process, Han Ling met more colleagues—those responsible for case organization, data collection, and daily patrols.
Zhu Yue emphasized analyzing the experience and shortcomings in case investigations, covering evidence chains, interrogation techniques, and teamwork, helping Han Ling understand how to become a competent investigator.
Han Ling met everyone in the detective division, receiving a warm welcome. He also realized Zhu Yue hadn’t exaggerated in the station chief’s office—the detective division really was understaffed.
The area under Wanglou Police Station’s responsibility was complex in terms of public security. Old cases were unresolved, and new ones kept emerging, leaving little breathing room for anyone.
Staffing was rigidly controlled; they couldn’t just hire as many as needed. Financial constraints added pressure, so some busy units had to operate at high capacity, supplementing with auxiliary officers when overwhelmed.
Han Ling had not yet participated in any criminal investigations, focusing instead on familiarization and study, and a month slipped by unnoticed.
During this time, Han Ling did not see Xu Qinghe again. Perhaps it was just coincidence, and gradually, he forgot about her.

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Occasionally, Zhu Yue went out to follow up on investigations but did not bring Han Ling along.
Han Ling enjoyed the relative leisure, staying at the station to study case files and slowly becoming acquainted with colleagues, especially Sister Zhang.
Sister Zhang had originally worked in the household registration department but was later transferred to community policing. Her main duties involved legal education, promoting laws and regulations, and occasionally mediating neighborhood disputes. With years on the force, she was quite experienced.
Sister Zhang liked to visit Han Ling for one clear reason: to introduce him to potential matches.
Not to introduce matches to Han Ling, but to introduce Han Ling to others. She had even shown his photo to potential partners without his permission.
Unexpectedly, he was quite popular.
Young, somewhat handsome, good physique, and a sworn officer—all three qualities combined made him very sought after in the community.
“Actually, marrying into a family is great. You don’t have parents, so there are plenty of options. For example, look at this one...”
“Pretty, right? An elementary school teacher. Although she has a younger brother, her parents bought both of them houses and cars—gender equality. Conditions like this are rare.”
Today, Sister Zhang came again, taking advantage of Han Ling’s early days on the job when he wasn’t yet busy, to start setting things in motion.
With the first stroke drawn, the second was not far off.
Han Ling was helpless but glanced at the photo symbolically.
Pretty? Not quite—around a slightly above average five out of ten, about 5.1 or 5.2.
Five was average, six was class belle, seven was school beauty, and above seven was top-tier, adjusted by other external factors.
The previous BMW-driving woman scored around eight or nine overall in Han Ling’s estimation; Lin Rong was between 7.5 and 8.
“Sister Zhang, I just started working and haven’t considered dating yet.” Han Ling politely declined again, thinking the woman was too idle—didn’t the neighbors ever quarrel? He hurried to get Sister Zhang to handle her own affairs to secure some peace for himself.
Upon hearing this, Sister Zhang sat down, speaking earnestly, “Little Han, you don’t understand. It’s better to marry early—especially for us police officers. Once married, you have no worries at home and can devote yourself fully to work.
You don’t know how busy it gets in the detective division. When it’s busy, you simply won’t have time to date.”
Seeing Sister Zhang ready for a long talk, Han Ling’s mind became a jumble.
This “Han Ling”—why did he choose to work at the police station? Couldn’t he have gone for the bureau or city police?
Long immersed in harsh environments, he couldn’t quickly adapt to the down-to-earth everyday life here.
“Sister Zhang, I...”

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“Little Han, listen to me...”
“No, Sister Zhang, I’m working.”
“Looking at files doesn’t interfere, Little Han...”
Han Ling: “...”
At that moment, salvation arrived. The door opened, and Zhu Yue walked in. Seeing Sister Zhang didn’t surprise him; he smiled and said, “Sister Zhang, are you trying to push Han Ling into dating again? He’s still young.”
Sister Zhang retorted, “Not young anymore—he’s over twenty.”
Zhu Yue replied, “There’s someone in the station who’s thirty-six and still single. You should help him. If this goes on, he’ll end up a lifelong bachelor.”
Sister Zhang said, “Won’t take long.”
Zhu Yue was helpless and said no more. He turned to Han Ling: “Han Ling, here’s a new task for you. You and Zhang Silei will visit key locations within our jurisdiction. He’ll tell you the specifics. Collect information, update the police information system, and analyze crime trends in the area based on the data.
In a month, draft a prevention and control strategy for me. Start immediately.”
Han Ling stood up at once and left without looking back.
“That new recruit, only been here a month—how could he possibly draft a prevention strategy?” Sister Zhang asked casually as she prepared to leave.
Zhu Yue replied, “It’s for training, to see how his analytical and planning abilities are. New recruits need to link theory with practice. In another month, he’ll join patrols; in three months, he’ll help investigate cases.”
Sister Zhang, already at the door, glanced back, “The plan is detailed. Looks like you’re focusing on developing him.”
Zhu Yue smiled, “Of course.”
During this time, through studying files, Zhu Yue discovered Han Ling indeed had considerable talent for criminal investigation, especially in criminal psychology—he judged it very accurately.
In other words, Han Ling seemed to understand suspects well.
This was a very valuable strength.