Police officer Chen Shu

Chapter 713 Chen Chuan's Third-Class Merit
In the evening, the setting sun was just right.

A man with his police uniform open lay on the sofa in the second-floor office of the security room, his feet propped up on the coffee table, his toes swinging back and forth. He looked at the medal he had just received with a satisfied grin that almost reached his ears.

"Old Zhu, how about it? Third-class merit!" The tone rose, clearly indicating that the speaker was quite proud.

Zhu Yiba didn't respond. He paced around the small office a few times and commented, "Chen Chuan, I heard this is a loft that the brigade built especially for you, to separate you from the other police officers and prevent any interference."

The word "normal" was deliberately emphasized.

"Bullshit! Li Da is just jealous!" Chen Chuan didn't appreciate the captain's favor at all. You know, even the captain didn't have a dedicated parking space, especially since it was right next to Chen Chuan's office.

It's extremely convenient to go to and from get off work.

Zhu Yiba leaned against the window frame, looking down at the Porsche Panamera parked below, and feigned sudden realization, saying, "The offices are private, even the parking spaces are exclusive. If these two places weren't right next to the unit's main gate, making it convenient for you to get to and from get off work... oh, to put it another way, would it mean you wouldn't have to go to the brigade's main office building?"

As he spoke, Zhu Yiba turned to face Chen Chuan, a half-smile on his face, and said, "I don't believe there isn't a reason behind this. Chen Chuan, are you really that annoying?"

Chen Chuan waved the medal in his hand a few times and said smugly, "Annoying? Have you ever seen an annoying guy get a commendation? This is a third-class merit! Hey, Lao Zhu, have you ever seen a medal like this? Want to come over and touch it a few times?"

Zhu Yiba couldn't help but burst out laughing. It was so intense that he even spat out some saliva, which unfortunately landed on the medal in Chen Chuan's hand.

"What are you laughing at! I won't let you touch it even if you beg me now!" Chen Chuan frowned and scolded, quickly picking up the hem of his uniform and carefully wiping the medal. It was clear that he treasured it quite a bit.

Normally, Chen Chuan's outward appearance of indifference to work and his nonchalant attitude towards tasks make it seem like coming to work is the most unpleasant thing in the world. Yet, it is precisely this kind of person who, once recognized by their superiors and the company, often experiences the highest level of enthusiasm.

Zhu Yiba came over and said cheerfully, "There's a saying circulating on our border that, apart from martial arts competitions, those with good military skills and real abilities are the ones who don't get credit."

This statement piqued Chen Chuan's curiosity, and he asked, "Why?"

Zhu Yiba gestured: "For example, a group of us received orders to go to a certain place to carry out a mission. On the other side was a group of fearless thugs who dared to rush at the police with bricks, kitchen knives, or sticks in their hands. At this time, the well-trained soldiers each showed their true skills."

"Some people disarmed their opponents with their bare hands and then delivered a flying kick that left them kneeling on the ground for a long time; some people gripped their rifles with both hands behind their backs and smashed them harder than the sticks they were using, holding their own against three opponents; some people had sharp eyes and went around to point their guns directly at the leader's forehead, ending the fight in an instant."

After a pause, Zhu Yiba asked mysteriously, "Guess which of these three will be the one to make the contribution?"

Chen Chuan frowned and thought for a long time: "You have everything?"

"Haha!" Zhu Yiba laughed so hard he clutched his stomach, revealing the answer. "None of these three did anything meritorious. Do you know who did? A young man who had just gotten off the bus got hit on the head with a brick and remained unconscious from the start of the operation until the end. That guy got a third-class merit."

"What?"

"Don't rush, there's still one more." Zhu Yiba unceremoniously took Chen Chuan's yellow cigarette from the desk, tore off the transparent film, put the cigarette in his mouth, took a deep drag, and continued, "There's also a chubby guy who doesn't train very seriously. He tried to imitate the cool move of the guy who disarmed the opponent with his bare hands, but he got slashed twice with a kitchen knife in one go."

"One cut on the upper arm, not too bad except for the less-than-appetizing appearance, but the other cut on the thigh, blood gushed out. The fat guy was completely terrified on the spot, and all he could do for the rest of the time was howl and scream. Hmm, this guy got a second-class merit award at the end of the year." Chen Chuan clicked his tongue, then hesitated, "They...didn't they do anything special? It feels like they've embarrassed us."

Zhu Yiba smacked his lips and laughed, "What, you still look down on them? Let me tell you, they have a legitimate reason for their actions. These two young men are that 'reason,' and they're very important and still alive, witnesses! As long as the follow-up articles are well-written and the publicity is effective, they will be role models for everyone to learn from."

Chen Chuan pondered for a moment, then understood the reasoning and gave a similar example: "Like this anti-X operation at Qingyue Bridge, you were at the forefront capturing the enemy, and because you had complete personal protective equipment, you were not injured, so you didn't receive any merit. As for me, although I was on the periphery, did less work, and faced less risk, I sprained my ankle while walking and had to be taken to the hospital, which counts as a work-related injury, so that's why I received this third-class merit?"

Zhu Yiba patted Chen Chuan on the shoulder with a smile: "Looks like you really understand."

"Go to hell!" Chen Chuan shouted angrily and kicked him again.

Essentially, awarding merit for injuries conveys the message that "the unit will cover for you if there's an accident, so you can just charge forward without worry." It mainly serves to reduce the psychological burden and eliminate concerns of the injured party, since police officers working on the front lines can encounter all sorts of situations.

After the two joked around for a while, Chen Chuan said seriously, "Getting stabbed like that will leave some kind of aftereffect in the future. It's just not worth it. If it were me, I wouldn't have gone up there. There's a limit to showing off, and you have to consider the occasion, right?"

Zhu Yiba crossed his arms and joked, "It's definitely worth it. That kid doesn't train hard, but he still managed to get a second-class merit by taking a knife. A second-class merit! He can become a civil servant after being discharged from the army. A short pain is worse than a long one, that's the idea. By the way, Chen Chuan, your fall was too light. If you had broken a few bones, maybe I would be calling you Captain Chen now."

"roll!"

Chen Chuan was truly enraged by Zhu Yiba's constant mockery. He jumped up, ready to use force to subdue Zhu, but was quickly beaten up by Zhu Yiba. In the end, his right hand was twisted behind his back, causing him immense discomfort.

After verbally begging for mercy a few times, and once Zhu Yiba let go, Chen Chuan jumped up and gave him a sharp rap on the head, then turned and ran away, flying down the stairs of the attic as he continued to curse, just like a big, immature boy.

Zhu Yiba shook his head, looked up, and gazed out the window at the office building not far away. He thought how wonderful it would be if that guy who liked to take everything on himself were just like Chen Chuan—no, even half as much, or even a third as much.

For a fleeting moment, Zhu Yiba suddenly remembered the fat man who had been stabbed and all he knew how to do was howl, and the blond guy who had been knocked unconscious by a brick as soon as he got off the bus.

I want to laugh, but I can't.

I want to cry, but I can't shed a tear.

At that moment, he suddenly understood Chen Shu's sadness, and the window seemed to be fogging up.

"What are you thinking about? Come on, it's time to go for a drink after get off work!"

Chen Chuan, whom everyone thought had run far away, had somehow circled back, a cigarette dangling from his lips, and casually draped his arm over Zhu Yiba's shoulder.

Neither of them spoke, silently looking at the main office building across the street, at the office lights that had been on for several nights without being turned off.

(End of this chapter)