Accidental Hero: The Rookie Who Outshines the Force - Chapter 10

It was the first day on duty for Lu Cheng and the other trainee officers. They didn’t yet know about the subtle rivalry between Sanliqiao Police Station and its neighboring precincts.

Usually, the West District station overshadowed Sanliqiao. They had all the achievements to brag about—arresting thieves, cracking high-profile cases. Whenever the Municipal Bureau organized joint operations, it was always the other stations lending support, while Sanliqiao was rarely included.

But this time, Lu Cheng had caught a notorious pickpocket right in the West District’s jurisdiction. Sanliqiao’s reputation had soared overnight.

Standing tall, Zhao Han declared, “Our chief gave strict orders—no matter if this is West or South District, the suspect comes with us.”

He shot a glance at Xiao Lin, who instantly understood and stepped forward to take custody of the thief.

The trainees—Yuan Jie, Chen Zelong, and Guo Lei—were no fools. They immediately joined in.

Since Lu Cheng was the one who caught the suspect, Xiao Lin acted with confidence, directly “snatching” the man away. Yuan Jie and Chen Zelong helped pin the thief, while Guo Lei collected the knife, cash, and stolen wallets.

With everything secured, Xiao Lin took the driver’s seat. Zhao Han and Yuan Jie flanked the suspect, Hou Sida, in the back. Lu Cheng sat comfortably in the passenger seat.

The other two took a taxi back.

Ding Chengzhi stood by helplessly, fists clenched as he watched them drive off.

“Brother Ding, we’re just going to let them take the guy?”

“What choice do we have?” Ding snapped. “It was their trainee who caught him. What are we supposed to do?”

“You want us to fight Sanliqiao in broad daylight? Make a scene so big it ends up trending on tomorrow’s news?”

His colleagues fell silent, bitter but resigned.

Moments later, Chief Hao Jianping of the West District arrived. Seeing only his own men at the scene, he frowned.

“Ding Chengzhi, didn’t you say the suspect was caught? Where is he? Escaped?”

When he’d called earlier, Ding had only mentioned the suspect was apprehended, leaving out the details. Naturally, Hao assumed it was their own team’s credit.

“He… he was taken by Sanliqiao’s Zhao Han,” Ding muttered.

“Sanliqiao?” Hao froze, brows knitting. “How did they even get here?”

“It was one of their trainees who caught Hou Si,” Ding explained. “He happened to be at the scene when the theft occurred…”

He quickly recounted the events.

Hao Jianping was speechless. He cursed. “So they can just waltz in and take the suspect? None of you thought to stop them?”

He inhaled sharply, forcing himself calm. One name surfaced in his mind—Lu Cheng.

Why was it that Lu Cheng again?!

That very afternoon, Yang Zheng had mentioned this same trainee. Said he caught a wanted fugitive on his way to report in.

At first Hao scoffed. A fugitive on the run wasn’t some barnyard goose wandering around the street. Catching one by chance sounded ridiculous.

But the photos were up on the official site—Lu Cheng had really caught her.

Hao had grumbled then that Sanliqiao must have stumbled into a miracle, that the fugitive had basically thrown herself into their arms. Why didn’t the West District ever get that kind of luck?

Yet before he was done envying, Sanliqiao had bagged another catch—a pickpocket. And not just anyone, but the very same trainee, Lu Cheng!

It was absurd. Unreal.

What was this kid, blessed by heaven? Running into criminals back-to-back?

Still, Hao knew one thing: luck alone wasn’t enough. To apprehend a thief singlehandedly required real skill. Especially for a rookie straight out of the academy.

His own three trainees were all top-tier at the academy—combat, marksmanship, you name it. But in a real encounter with a criminal? Would they have the guts—or the composure—to act like Lu Cheng?

Hao had seen it before. A trainee with a sanda championship title had frozen up at the mere glare of a real suspect, letting the man escape right in front of him.

Which meant this Lu Cheng wasn’t ordinary.

“What are you standing around for? Send someone to Sanliqiao right now. The rest of you, back to the station.”

Hao’s face was stormy. The case belonged to West District, but now they’d have to beg Sanliqiao to hand over the suspect. Chen Weimin wouldn’t give in easily. Hao could already imagine that smug face, and the thought soured his mood further.

Inside the patrol car.

Everyone was in high spirits—except Hou Sida.

Zhao Han praised Lu Cheng all the way, to the point the younger man felt embarrassed.

Zhao was brimming with pride. Lu Cheng was his trainee now, and already bringing honor to his name.

From the back seat, Yuan Jie couldn’t help stealing glances at Lu Cheng in the passenger side. Jealousy gnawed at him.

He had to admit it—he couldn’t have done what Lu Cheng did. Catching a criminal alone wasn’t just about bravery.

West District Station.

The moment Wu Sanmao heard the thief who stole his money had been caught, he nearly dropped to his knees in gratitude.

An officer quickly caught him.

“Thank you, officer—thank you so much! You’ve saved my wife’s life!”

His coworkers were equally moved.

“Officer, you’re amazing!”

“Catching the thief so quickly—it’s like a miracle!”

“West District Police is the best!”

But as the praise poured in, the returning officers shifted uncomfortably, their faces stiff.

Chief Hao walked straight into his office without a word. The mood in the station soured.

Wu Sanmao and the workers blinked, confused.

One officer finally explained:

“The suspect’s been caught, but he’s over at Sanliqiao. You’d better head there directly.”

“Sanliqiao? It wasn’t you who caught him?” Wu Sanmao asked, bewildered.

The officer looked awkward.

His coworkers quickly pulled him aside, whispering, “Don’t ask too many questions. If the man’s at Sanliqiao, it means their people caught him. Let’s go—paying for your wife’s surgery is what matters now.”

The group rushed out in a hurry.

Sanliqiao Station.

Chief Chen Weimin could hardly hide his grin. Pointing at Lu Cheng, he laughed.

“You brat—go buy a lottery ticket! First a wanted fugitive, now a pickpocket?!”

Song Chengfeng chuckled. “And the best part is, he didn’t just stumble on them—he actually took them down. But next time, no more solo heroics. It’s too dangerous.”

Zhao Han nodded. “You’re fierce, kid, but don’t be reckless. If you run into someone vicious, it won’t be so easy.”

Though their words were cautionary, the veteran officers couldn’t help but admire Lu Cheng’s courage and sharp judgment.

He’d only just reported for duty that morning. Maybe the fugitive was luck—but this afternoon, the pickpocket was a different story.

A slippery repeat offender with a knife.

And yet, Lu Cheng had tailed him through the crowd, waited until they reached a quieter area, then struck decisively to subdue him.

Every step minimized danger to civilians and maximized the chance of success.

It was textbook policing—except he’d risked himself in the process.

Frankly, not even Zhao Han himself could say for sure he’d have done better.