Police officer Chen Shu

Chapter 290 Street Sweeping
Early morning, Zhongshan Police Station, duty room
"Damn it, I'd rather die than be a policeman in my next life! I can't stand this jerk!" Officer Yu Yu, who was on duty, returned from handling a case outside, slammed his weapon belt against the front desk, and said angrily.

Chen Shu, who had just returned from a call, witnessed this scene as soon as he stepped into the duty room. He walked over and asked, "Yu Yu, what's wrong?"

Yu Yu angrily said, "That idiot in the command center, all he knows is to lick the boss's boots! Making us sweep the streets in the middle of the night! It's almost Chinese New Year and he can't even stop for a moment!"

Street sweeping is about driving away young women who are doing business without any investment in the streets and alleys.

"That's called emotional intelligence. Don't be angry, I'll go for a walk with you, and we can grab a late-night snack on the way back!"

This is a good opportunity to get a feel for the situation. We'll arrange another sweep once the security team is all assembled in a few days. Hey, that's great!

Chen Shu chuckled and put his arm around Yu Yu, and the group got into the institute's Santana car.

Throughout the journey, Yu Yu kept complaining: "Out of 365 days a year, I think about quitting for about 200 days, and the remaining 165 days are spent on duty, too tiring to even think about it."

Chen Shu rolled down the car window, feeling the refreshing cold wind rush in, and casually said, "Don't try to be smug. Do you know what Wang Chongming told me in private? He said he's not acting like a cop, he's acting like an action-oriented novelist. I asked him why, and do you know what he said?"

Yu Yu shrugged and said nonchalantly, "How would I know what he's thinking?"

Zhu Chaoran, who was driving, was quite blunt: "Brother Shu, stop keeping us in suspense."

Chen Shu laughed for a while: "Brother Wang said that every time he hands over a thick case file, one or more volumes that he typed out word by word on the keyboard, to the legal affairs team or the procuratorate, it feels like he has just finished writing a novel. Then, he has to argue with these 'editors' about right and wrong, word by word. It's exhausting."

So, Yu Yu, why don't you come join our security team? We're really short-staffed. If Brother Wang knew you were coming, he'd definitely welcome you with open arms.

"Following a case-solving maniac like you is going to be the death of me."

Yu Yu made a face and chuckled to herself, "Director Chen, sometimes I really don't understand you. You clearly have no ambition for promotion, but you always vie for the work. What's the point?"

Just for peace of mind.
Chen Shu thought to himself, but these words were too pretentious. He could just let it go in his mind, after all, he was almost thirty years old.

"Hehe, I don't know."

While they were talking, the group drove the black Santana belonging to the station to the famous "Shrimp Street" in their jurisdiction—Shamaohe Road.

In the local dialect of Dongzhou, because doing that kind of thing involves taking off your clothes, just like peeling the shell off a shrimp, "eating shrimp" is a local slang term that alludes to finding a young lady to discuss life with.

This Shamaohe Road is also quite special. This small street starts from Jiefang North Street in the center of Dongzhou City and goes west through Dongzhou's administrative center since ancient times.

In ancient times, this place was a place for people to have fun. Even now, it has become a place to buy and sell clothes and jewelry on the surface. In private, young women who are not doing well like to stand on this street and wait for their destined customers; while young women who are doing well naturally open small shops in this auspicious place, selling clothes on weekdays and occasionally selling themselves, living a carefree life.

Zhu Chaoran parked the Santana at the intersection.

"Dudududu!"

Just then, a black Audi A4L drove by and stopped on the side of the road. The driver didn't get out; he just rolled down the window and chatted with the two young women for a few minutes about life. Then the two women opened the back door, got in, and drove off, leaving only a trail of bright red taillights.

Zhu Chaoran exclaimed, "Tsk tsk! Simple life, mutual trust between people, how wonderful!"

Yu Yu chimed in, "Settling these things daily is illegal, monthly settlements are fine, and yearly settlements are even more appropriate. Sigh, this world..."

Chen Shu tapped the plastic box on the center armrest, pretending to be serious, and said, "Alright, Yu Yu, you're old enough to stop complaining like a young person. Fatty, you too, just focus on driving, why are you spouting so many life philosophies?"

"Drive all the way in, then we'll do some street sweeping on the way back." "Okay, Brother Shu, whatever you say."

Zhu Chaoran turned the steering wheel, and the Santana swam easily into the alleyway like a fish entering water.

Along the way, Chen Shu saw a familiar face, the middle-aged woman he had just released that evening, who was now mingling in the crowd under a lamppost.

It makes sense. Even if a woman works tirelessly through the night, she probably couldn't fill the bottomless pit created by a sickly husband and a child in school. As she herself said, if it weren't for the child, she would have preferred to stay with her husband and walk away together.

This is reality; there are no fairy tales where everyone is happy and everything is fine.

Chen Shu sighed and said nothing more.

A few minutes later, the car arrived at its destination. Zhu Chaoran turned the car around and casually took out a police light from the armrest box, attached it to the roof, and skillfully sounded the siren a few times. The young ladies who liked to enthusiastically invite guests to their homes immediately scattered like birds.

The streets were filled with the spirit of Qingming Festival.

Chen Shu lost his appetite, leaned against the window frame, and said, "Let's go get some late-night snacks."

The following morning, Zhongshan Police Station
Chen Shu, who had barely managed to get four hours of restful sleep, was summoned to Zeng Hong's office by a phone call.

Still half-asleep, Chen Shu grabbed a cup of white tea that had been brewed on the table to perk himself up and drank it all in one gulp: "Instructor Zeng, what's up?"

After finishing his drink, Chen Shu took out a Liqun cigarette and lit it with a satisfied smile, thinking to himself that he had survived another shift. In three more days, the guys from the security team should be back.

Sigh, I miss them so much lately!

Zeng Hongxing enthusiastically drew back all the curtains, and the warm winter sun shone into the room, making it extremely comfortable.

"Get ready, we're going to Director Zhang's house to pay a New Year's visit this weekend."

"Cough cough!"

"Cough! Cough!"

Chen Shu didn't hold his cigarette in his mouth, and Zeng Hong startled him, causing him to choke and cough for a long time before finally stopping.

“Teacher Zeng, it’s not even the Little New Year yet, is it too early to go and pay New Year’s visits? Besides, I’m not familiar with him.”

Zeng Hong returned to his seat and, upon hearing Chen Shu's complaints, slammed the teapot on the table and criticized, "You're so busy handling cases every day that your brain is going to go numb! Do you think you'll get to go during the Lunar New Year? Hurry up and prepare your things. You don't need much, just get two packs of Zhonghua cigarettes and two bottles of Feitian liquor."

"Is this what you call casual?" Chen Shu shrugged, tacitly agreeing.

Seeing Chen Shu's displeased expression, Zeng Hong, intending to give his last disciple a dressing down, said with a sense of disappointment:

"While I still have some influence in the bureau, you should settle down, make more connections, and get to know some people. You think you can get promoted by just staying at the office all day solving cases and doing your job well? Dream on!"

Actually, I didn't want a promotion. Things are fine as they are now...

Thinking of Zeng Hong, who was about to retire, Chen Shu felt a pang of bitterness in his heart. He then sat up straight and replied in a low voice, "I understand."

(End of this chapter)