The Third Section Arrives

  After seeing off Wu Changqing, who was a bit distracted, Zhao Guotang looked at the time and headed straight to the Jiangmiao Police Station.

  The Jiang Temple Police Station is located on the Hebin Avenue in Jiang Temple Town, diagonally opposite to the Jiang Temple District Working Committee. Zhao Guodong walked past the main gate of the Jiang Temple District Working Committee with a package, the big gate was wide open, and the sign above the door had faded red characters "***** Party Jiangkou County Jiang Temple District Work Committee", while the white paint on the base was also peeling off. He glanced inside and seemed to find no one working, Zhao Guodong didn't bother to look more and walked quickly towards the diagonally opposite Jiang Temple Police Station.

  Zhao Guoding hadn't even had time to approach the door when he heard a loud engine roar coming from inside the gate. Without needing to guess, Zhao knew it was the sound of the police's Shandong 750 three-wheeled motorcycle starting up. Each police station in Jiangkou County has one of these three-wheelers as its main vehicle, and those near the county town like Chengguan Station, Beijiao Station, and Xiwai Station usually have two.

  A police three-wheeled vehicle suddenly came out from the gate, and Zhao Deyue hadn't had time to see who it was when the other party slammed on the brakes in front of Zhao Guotang.

  "Hey, Little Zhao, you've arrived too?"

  Zhao Guoding took a closer look, and the earth-yellow police uniform was open, revealing a broad chest. The two red collar badges on his collar were very eye-catching, and a blue-based golden Great Wall police armband was waving in the wind. It was Liu Meng, a police officer from Jiangmiao Police Station.

  "Yes, Liu Ge, I just arrived and was about to report to the station." He had some impression of Zhao Guotang, a police officer from his hometown police station. After all, he had returned several times, although they were not close friends, but still acquaintances.

  "Ah, what a coincidence, Qiu is not here, only Liao is at home. Just now, Liao was still talking about you. Come on, let's go in and talk." Liu Meng, with his dark skin, was very enthusiastic. He jumped off the motorcycle and threw Zhao Guotang's bag into the sidecar, then made a 360-degree turn, the tires screeching loudly as he drove back into the police station compound.

  As soon as Zhao Guotang stepped into the courtyard of the police station, he heard Liu Meng's loud and rough voice shouting: "Director Liao, Director Liao, Little Zhao, Zhao Guotang has arrived to report."

  Zhao Guotong wasn't feeling this way for the first time, with so many pairs of eyes staring at him. A man in his fifties walked out of the door on the right side of the second floor, wearing a white dress shirt and a wide police belt that tightly cinched his somewhat faded police pants, although his slightly protruding belly still revealed his age was no longer young.

  The office on the first floor was not short of attention, several sturdy men wearing police uniforms but without any markings were sizing him up, and a woman's head also poked out from the flat house next to the garage on the right, which was the household registration room.

  "Oh, Little Zhao has arrived! Welcome, welcome! Director Qiu is not here, he called me just before leaving and said to come on up. Come on, sit down." A man with a hint of white in his temples walked down from upstairs, his warm smile immediately dispelling some of the awkwardness Zhao Guodong had felt. This was Liao Changsheng, the political instructor at Jiangmiao Police Station, an old public security officer who had been working at Jiangmiao for over ten years.

  "Liao instructor, I'm reporting for duty. From today on, I'll be one of your subordinates. Whatever work there is, feel free to arrange it." Zhao Guoding had already changed into his summer uniform before arriving at the police station. After a standard salute, he wore an honest and fearful expression.

  "Why be so polite? From now on, we're all comrades in the same trench. Let's go upstairs to the conference room." Liao Changsheng enthusiastically grabbed Zhao Guotang's hand and headed upstairs. As a military man, he clearly had a good first impression of Zhao Guotang. Although they had met before at the bureau, they weren't familiar with each other. Today was their first formal interaction. "Liu Meng, call everyone from home to come over, let's all meet each other. We'll be starting work soon."

  Although Director Qiu Yuanfeng was not present at the meeting, Zhao Guotang still quickly became familiar with all his colleagues in the department.

  The Jiangmiao police station has only eight police officers, except for the instructor Liao Changsheng and Liu Meng, the internal staff Xue Biqin and household registration Lin Xiuzhi are all over 30 years old female police officers. One police officer was transferred to the county bureau's security team a few days ago. The thin middle-aged man with yellow skin is called Luo Mingshan, also an old comrade who returned from retirement a few years ago. There is also a police officer He Honghai who went to the countryside, adding up to eight police officers including Zhao Guodong.

  Zhao Guotong carefully observed these new colleagues, combining the information he had gathered, a habit he had formed since his school days, whether it was at Jiangkou County Middle School, Police Academy, or the county bureau's criminal police team, and now again at Jiangmiao Police Station.

  Liao Changsheng is the instructor of the police station and also the secretary of the party branch of the police station. He is naturally the second-in-command, although the party commands the gun, but in this semi-militarized unit of public security organs, it still follows the administrative responsibility system, and the director is the real core of the police station. The police station is a frontline combat unit, and business work takes precedence. As long as there are no major problems with the team, the year-end evaluation will be based on tangible business performance indicators.

  Although Qiu Yuanfeng has not been to the Jiangmiao Police Station for two years, it is said that he not only has a good relationship with his colleagues in the bureau but also has gained recognition from the Jiangmiao District Working Committee. It is said that Qiu Yuanfeng was neither a soldier nor a graduate of a police academy, but rather was transferred from the Agricultural Bureau and entered the County Public Security Bureau just six or seven years ago. He was promoted from an ordinary police officer to the position of director of the Jiangmiao Police Station, which is enough to prove his exceptional abilities.

  The rest were just ordinary police officers like himself. Luo Mingshan seemed a bit taciturn and didn't have good relationships with the people in the station, while He Honghai was one of the last to return from his trip to the countryside. He was only a few years older than himself, a thin and slender young man who had returned home after serving in the army. His family seemed to be from the county town, and he felt okay about him after getting to know him. As for the two female colleagues, Zhao Guotang didn't pay much attention to them. One was just over thirty, and the other was approaching forty. However, Xue Biqin looked like she had a bit of a flirtatious air about her.

  Lying on the newly laid bed, Zhao Guodong let out a heavy sigh, and that was another new environment.

  Alas, the criminal police team, just over ten months old, and I had to leave already. Earlier, looking at Liu Meng and He Honghai's hesitant expressions, they must have wanted to ask me why I was assigned to this Jiangmiao Police Station. Humph! Disaster relies on good fortune, good fortune relies on disaster. Can't Zhao Guotang withstand even a small setback like this?

  The sky gradually darkened, and the sound of the neighborhood watch playing poker had already come from downstairs. Zhao Guotang also knew that as soon as night fell in Jiangmiao Village, there were no people on the streets, nor many entertainment options. The cinema was open one day and closed the next, neither dead nor alive. Except for a dance hall and a video hall that could still gather some popularity, all other places were dark and deserted.

  The residents on the street are just that many, and people have already gotten used to this relatively monotonous and dull life. In the summer, it's a bit better, there are still people taking walks, but in the winter, at 8 or 9 o'clock in the evening, the streets are so quiet you could kill someone with a needle. If there's nothing to do, either go to bed early or play some poker or chess to pass the time.

  Compared to the streets of Jiangmiao Town, the textile factory's residential area was actually much more lively. Apart from the dance hall, there were also a library and a cinema that doubled as an auditorium. Additionally, several billiard rooms, tea houses, book rental shops, and video halls had sprung up from the Klang Ball development. Zhao Guodong couldn't help but feel some nostalgia for his junior high school days at the factory's affiliated school.

  His mind kept wandering, and Zhao Guotang couldn't sleep soundly in bed. He got up and looked out the window at the countryside. Qiu Yuanfeng and He Honghai's families were in the county town, while Liu Meng was from Wuhe Town in this county. The other police officers were all locals, except for those on duty, who mostly went home after work. Today was Liu Meng's shift, and he had originally planned to throw a welcome party for Zhao Guotang, but since the director hadn't returned, it would have to wait until tomorrow. Who knows where that kid Liu Meng ran off to?