Police officer Chen Shu

Chapter 350 Forming a Street Patrol Team
You could feel Yan Chenxi's joy over the phone.

"I'm the second-in-command of the neighborhood now."

"Second-in-command? Then shouldn't we call you Director Yan? You've risen through the ranks pretty quickly," Chen Shu said in surprise.

The street-level Party Secretary is the top leader, and the second-in-command is the office director. If nothing goes wrong, the director can become the Party Secretary in a few years. These are high-ranking officials governing a region; their grassroots experience isn't something that can be described with a few words of gilding—it's like being plated with diamonds.

At only 28 years old, he had become the director of an office at the level of a full section chief. Apart from the Youth League Committee, which was a large private area reserved for leaders, this was the first time Chen Shu had heard of such a thing in all these years.

In the public security department, someone at the level of a section chief could become the deputy director of a branch bureau. That's a much higher rank than his mere deputy section chief position as deputy captain.

"Hehe, I'm a selected graduate from a top-tier university with a master's degree! A highly educated talent indeed."

Yan Chenxi, who has been serving as the head of a grassroots unit like the grid management office for a year, should have become extremely composed, but on the phone, she was unusually lively and childlike.

Chen Shu laughed and said, "Alright, alright, you're amazing. Let's talk again when I get to your office, Director Yan!"

He deliberately emphasized the words "Director Yan" a little, and as expected, he heard chuckles from the other end of the line.

After hanging up the phone, Chen Shu took the opportunity to search online for the "targeted selection of civil servants" that Yan Chenxi had mentioned. He was surprised to discover that this system was incredibly prestigious.

Ordinary civil servants are another story; most of them are destined to spend their entire lives in townships or at the grassroots level. But this targeted selection program is different. After working at the grassroots level for two years, they will return to provincial or municipal government agencies.

Chen Shu carefully recalled Yan Chenxi's work experience, pondering whether she would stay in the neighborhood to continue her career or return to the higher-level government, only to be dumbfounded.

"So he's going to get promoted again next year?"

In the afternoon, at Yangyi Subdistrict Office.

When Chen Shu arrived at the office as agreed, she learned at the entrance that Yan Chenxi was having a meeting with some district leaders in the conference room.

Thinking that he was quite familiar with Yan Chenxi, he decided to ask her for directions to her office and go there to wait.

On his way to the office, Chen Shu happened to pass by the conference room and stopped to look inside.

Yan Chenxi sat slightly to the right of the center of the stage, taking a small sip of tea with dignified and elegant movements. When it was her turn to speak, she spoke clearly and authoritatively, displaying a leader's demeanor.

Chen Shu couldn't help but stand outside and watch for a while longer.

Until the end of the meeting, Yan Chenxi took advantage of the gaps between the attendees leaving to chat with several high-ranking leaders from the district sitting next to her. She was relaxed and composed, chatting and laughing.

The people next to him nodded in agreement.

Chen Shu stepped back a few paces and stood at the corner of the corridor, waiting for Yan Chenxi to escort the leaders downstairs.

When Yan Chenxi returned, she saw Chen Shu standing above her, smiling. Her previously serious face immediately broke into a smile, her eyes crinkling beautifully. "Brother Shu, you're here. Let's talk in my office."

The two entered the office, and Chen Shu sat on the large south-facing sofa, saying enviously, "Your office, as the second-in-command of the street, is so spacious and bright. Unlike mine, where I have to choose the smallest sofa to entertain guests. Hey, aren't you afraid the disciplinary department will come knocking on your door?"

Country H has its own set of regulations regarding the offices of its leading cadres, with each rank corresponding to a certain size. Clearly, Yan Chenxi's office is much larger than her rank would suggest.

Yan Chenxi covered her mouth and chuckled, "The offices of the leaders in our neighborhood are all this big. If I were to standardize my office, it would seem like I'm making an exception, which wouldn't be good for future work."

"Yes, yes, you've thought of everything." Chen Shu was taken aback, thinking that this girl who could make a scoundrel cry in the lobby back then had really grown up.

"Hey, is there something you need from me?" Chen Shu took a sip of tea and suddenly missed the days when he would go to Instructor Zeng Hong for tea whenever he had nothing to do back in Zhongshan.

I wonder how he is doing now, whether he is still worried about the unit's publicity work and the welfare benefits of the police officers.

"Brother Shu, what are you thinking about?" Yan Chenxi gently interrupted Chen Shu's thoughts.

Chen Shu paused, realizing that the two were talking about business. He smiled apologetically and sat down again.

Yan Chenxi stretched out her slender fingers and traced lines on the coffee table for a long while before finally speaking, her voice a little soft: "Brother Shu, when I was at the grid and you were at the police station, didn't you come over and mention that our two units should cooperate to form a patrol team?"

When Chen Shuchu was appointed deputy director of the police station, one of his auxiliary police officers wanted to take on part-time jobs because of the low pay. However, the work of these auxiliary police officers was similar to that of regular police officers, with overtime and shifts mixed together and no fixed hours, making it difficult for them to find part-time work.

Police stations lack funds but not personnel, while grid management units lack personnel but not funds. So Chen Shu came up with a way to cooperate with grid management units. This way, auxiliary police officers could take on part-time jobs in their spare time to earn some extra money, and grid management units would also have their own patrol teams. These teams, with the police station acting as the liaison, would be of some help in their work.

Chen Shu slapped his thigh and immediately thought of what was coming next: "That's right! My current unit has more time, and most importantly, in Zhengming District, there's no one more professional than us in patrolling."

And now that you're a street-level leader, you have even more money. I'll provide the manpower, you provide the funding; we can join forces and build a top-notch patrol team. This is truly a great publicity channel.”

Subconsciously, following Zeng Hong's usual habit, Chen Shu immediately thought of publicity and reporting after the actual work was completed.

Yan Chenxi was overjoyed to see Chen Shu's enthusiastic expression.

Chen Shu hadn't contacted her for so long, and Yan Chenxi was getting anxious. But she was a top student from a prestigious university and now a leader in the neighborhood committee; she couldn't bring herself to pursue Chen Shu.

So after thinking about it for a long time, I finally came up with this idea for her.

It was Chen Shu who first approached her to suggest forming the patrol team. Bringing it up now doesn't really mean Yan Chenxi was pursuing him.

Seeing that the matter was almost settled, Yan Chenxi added with experience, "Shouldn't you discuss this with your branch office leaders? After all, this patrol team has to be affiliated with your brigade."

Chen Shu waved his hand and said cheerfully, "There's no need to discuss things with them that don't require any money. Given their bureaucratic style, this matter might not be settled by the time I'm rotated out of the job."

(End of this chapter)