Police officer Chen Shu

Chapter 437 Yan Chenxi's Invitation (Part 2)
Frustrated, Zhang Yang lectured Chen Shu, "Chen Shu, you're almost thirty! How can you still be so unreliable? In today's society, being a nice guy is useless; they'll take advantage of people like you who are soft-hearted! You should definitely stay away from those who kneel down and beg you at the drop of a hat!"

What do you mean, kneeling down and begging me?
Why are you hiding?

This sudden change stunned Chen Shu, and then he suddenly realized that Zhang Yang was referring to the old man kneeling downstairs at the fire scene some time ago, begging him to come upstairs and save people.

He chuckled and said, "Zhang Yang, things aren't as you think."

"Chen Shu! What am I thinking? What could I possibly be thinking? Why should I think about things for you?" Zhang Yang, already agitated, started speaking, his tone becoming increasingly stern as he pouted his tomato-red lips in anger.

Seeing that Zhang Yang was truly angry, Chen Shu reflexively followed the methods he had learned from his father to coax his mother when he was young, first admitting defeat and then trying to persuade him with kind words.

Seeing Chen Shu's attitude, Zhang Yang calmed down. Although she herself did not know why she had suddenly lost her temper, she eventually changed her attitude.

She shook Chen Shu's arm with a hint of coquettishness, her soft voice carrying a trace of grievance and innocence: "Brother Shu, listen to me, people who kneel down to the police at the drop of a hat actually subconsciously assume that you police won't save them or won't do your best to save them."

"Then he'll think that since he knelt down to you, it means he has high expectations of you, and he'll also turn on you very quickly. Even if you help this kind of person, if things don't go as he wants, he'll eventually turn his anger on you, and then there will definitely be a big fuss."

"As you know, I'm a reporter. Most of the calls for help I receive are from people like this. These are high-risk groups for police-civilian conflicts and disputes."

After hearing the whole story, Zhang Yang was first and foremost startled.

She first questioned whether her change stemmed from the departure of Director Yan, and then realized that her tone and voice were particularly off.

Since graduating from university and taking on the role of a journalist, which demands strong personal abilities and requires leading a program team independently, she hasn't spoken so softly in a long time.

As for her own social experiences mentioned earlier, she didn't think there was anything wrong with it. She only said so much out of concern for Chen Shu. If it were anyone else, she wouldn't bother to say a word.

Zhang Yang was slightly surprised that she, who was originally very independent in both work and life, had somehow ended up here next to this man, and as they talked, she couldn't help but become a little woman.

To be honest, she hadn't felt this way about her parents and elders for a long time since she became an adult.

She was a little nervous, but also a little expectant.

It was both for her sudden change of heart and for the reaction of her beloved.

Chen Shu gently patted Zhang Yang's hands, which were linked with his forearm, knowing that the other man was genuinely concerned about him and that's why he was telling him so much.

"Zhang Yang, it's okay, I know. They can so easily give up their dignity, and they can so easily give up their bottom line, just as they won't know how to respect the dignity of others."

Zhang Yang, who came here today intending to hold a brainwashing session, only realized after hearing Chen Shu's summary that the seemingly kind-hearted person he had always thought of had actually seen through human nature long ago.

She asked doubtfully, "Brother Shu, then why are you still..."

Chen Shu smiled but didn't offer any further explanation. People see things differently depending on their perspective; it's not accurate to say that Chen Shu is right and Zhang Yang is wrong.

In this world, there is no such thing as a clear right or wrong.

Kneeling in public is indeed a form of moral blackmail and coercion. People naturally have compassion for the weak, and this practice is tantamount to siding with the kneeling person, using public opinion to pressure the police into fulfilling their duties.

If the police fail to meet the expectations of the kneeling victims, they will be condemned by everyone, since everyone around is watching.

However, some people kneel only out of genuine despair, and it's not always the kind of moral coercion that people maliciously speculate about. This kind of kneeling is due to the severe psychological impact that leaves the legs weak, to the point that seeing the police officer standing nearby is seen as the only support, and under the combined influence of mental and physical factors, they naturally kneel down. When people are afraid to a certain extent, they tend to curl up, and careful observation can reveal this. The kneeling posture of a distraught family member is less like kneeling and more like their entire body curling up and collapsing.

The elderly man at the fire was in that situation. If Chen Shu hadn't intervened and gone upstairs to rescue him, the old man would definitely have gone upstairs alone to rescue him after catching his breath.

At his advanced age, he'll just be wasting his life.

However, Chen Shu wouldn't explain these things to Zhang Yang in detail; there was no need.

Seeing that Zhang Yang had settled down, Chen Shu also felt relieved. Then he thought of Yan Chenxi, who had come and gone so suddenly. He wondered what she wanted to see him about today. He glanced instinctively at the door and murmured:
Why are you walking so fast?

These words, when they reached Zhang Yang's ears, exploded like fireworks.

Her face flushed red, she stomped hard on Chen Shu's foot, and stormed out, slamming the door behind her.

"Ouch!"

The high heel hit him hard, and still confused as to why Zhang Yang's expression changed so quickly, Chen Shu grimaced and slumped onto the sofa, completely bewildered.

A moment later, the phone screen on the coffee table lit up with a message. Chen Shu picked it up and read the message.

"Brother Shu, next Wednesday is my younger brother's university opening ceremony and open day for new students' parents. Are you free to come over? ___Yan Chenxi"

Opening ceremony?
Parents' Open Day?

These two don't seem to have anything to do with me at all.

Chen Shu was slightly puzzled, but then suddenly realized that Yan Chenxi's younger brother, Jiang Hai, had gone to his alma mater—Donghai Provincial Police Academy.

He shook his head with a wry smile: "A piece of paper on preferential treatment for police officers, ten books on strict discipline for police officers." Yan Chenxi is also part of the system; how did she persuade her brother? "Why couldn't he go to any unit? Why did he have to become a policeman?"

This is their family matter, and Chen Shu shouldn't comment on it. However, the matter of going to the provincial police academy is something he can consider.

He was thinking about his police academy teacher Lin Dakai and his old classmate Zhou Qinghu, whom he hadn't seen in a long time. Two years ago, when Lin Dakai came to Dongzhou City for research, he privately invited Chen Shu to take a position at the provincial police academy; and as the chairman of the student self-management committee during his student days, Zhou Qinghu had also taken good care of him.

After a brief moment of consideration, Chen Shu decided to take this opportunity to visit her and accepted Yan Chenxi's invitation.

After sending the WeChat invitation, Yan Chenxi waited anxiously for the other party's reply.

Because their parents divorced and started new families when they were young, the two siblings were left to live with their elderly grandparents. In their hearts, it was as if they had no parents and could only rely on each other for survival.

As the eldest sister, Jiang Hai naturally thought of his older sister Yan Chenxi during the police academy's open day for parents, while Yan Chenxi inexplicably thought of Chen Shu.

As she extended the invitation, she kept telling herself that Jiang Hai's ability to reform himself and strive to get into the provincial police academy was greatly influenced by Chen Shu. Therefore, her invitation was only out of gratitude, and she had no other ulterior motives.

"Yes, next Friday."

Director Yan, the second-in-command of Yangyi Subdistrict and a well-known strong woman, was sitting in her spacious office, enjoying the air conditioning. She was leaning back in her office chair, staring blankly at the ceiling with her phone screen lit up, and smiling happily.

(End of this chapter)