Accidental Hero: The Rookie Who Outshines the Force - Chapter 14

“Chief Chen, Master… you two aren’t off work yet?”

“You’re really this absorbed in those files? Haven’t seen such a serious trainee cop in ages.”

Chen Weimin looked at Lu Cheng with clear satisfaction in his eyes. At this point, he no longer envied the other precincts in Chengxi or Qingshijing for snatching up all the so-called good recruits.

In his eyes, ten of those so-called “top graduates” couldn’t compare to one Lu Cheng.

“Alright, when we’re not on call, you’ll have plenty of time to read. Now clock out and head home.”

Before Lu Cheng could say more, Zhao Han dragged him out of the office and drove him home.

Zhao Han’s car was a white 2012 Jetta. An old model, sure, but reliable. Aside from being a little sluggish on the start, it had no real problems. More than enough for commuting.

They pulled up at Jingwang Residential Complex. After thanking Zhao Han, Lu Cheng strode toward his unit.

Building Ten, Unit One, Apartment 802.

The moment he opened the door—before he could even change shoes—He Xueting appeared, spatula in hand, firing off questions about his blind date.

“We met… she left a good impression… we’ll stay in touch.”

Lu Cheng had already prepared this answer, but it wasn’t a lie either.

He did think highly of Officer Su.

The only problem—she felt out of his league. She was not only the station’s beauty but also, rumor had it, came from a powerful family and was already a deputy captain in the Criminal Investigation Division.

Meanwhile, he was just a rookie trainee. Why would someone like her even look his way?

For now, at least, they had a cooperative relationship. Enough to shield him from his mother’s relentless interrogation without having to fabricate lies.

Hearing his response, He Xueting’s spatula didn’t come crashing down on her precious son’s head.

Lu Cheng quietly sighed in relief—safe this round.

From the couch, Lu Zhiguo finally peeled his eyes off the television, glanced at his son, and said:

“Son, when are you bringing your daughter-in-law home so we can meet her?”

Lu Cheng nearly face-planted. “Daughter-in-law? We just met today. It’s not even at the starting line yet!”

“Young man, don’t overthink it. First meeting is awkward, second is familiar. Be proactive! Ask her out again tomorrow. With persistence, you’ll win her over.”

Lu Cheng shot his father a withering look. He was not about to take romance advice from his parents.

“Is your blind date pretty? Got any photos? Show me.”

“Pretty. No photos.”

Lu Cheng grabbed a chilled slice of watermelon from the coffee table and took a big bite.

“Did you add her on WeChat? Check her Moments feed.” Lu Zhiguo’s curiosity was insatiable.

Lu Cheng arched a brow. “Well, well, you actually know a thing or two.”

“Of course I do.”

“Still not showing you.”

“You brat—!”

Ignoring him, Lu Cheng retreated to his room, flopped onto his bed, and pulled out his phone. He opened WeChat, scrolled to “Dancing Gracefully,” and tapped into her Moments.

“Only showing posts from the last three days…”

Nothing to see.

Lu Cheng tossed the phone aside.

Ever since crossing over into this life, the greatest blessing had been having a warm, happy family.

His father, Lu Zhiguo, was a mid-level leader at the Land Resources Bureau. Easy, stable, iron-rice-bowl kind of job.

His mother, He Xueting, was a housewife, but had invested together with his uncle He Cong to open a mid-sized supermarket that made decent profits.

A comfortable middle-class household, free from worries about food or clothing.

The only problem: his mother’s endless nagging about finding a wife. Until he got married, Lu Cheng could forget about peace.

But at least now… he had a partner-in-crime.

—

The next morning.

With a fried-egg pancake clenched between his teeth and pedaling a shared bicycle, Lu Cheng set off for work.

Not that the family lacked cars. His father drove a Bora, and his mother even tried to hand him her red Mercedes A-Class. Barely five thousand kilometers on it after two years—basically brand new.

But Lu Cheng refused. Even a “small Benz” was too flashy. His profession demanded discretion, not attention.

At Sanliqiao Police Station, things were exactly as expected.

Those TV dramas with constant murders and armed robberies? Nonsense.

Most real cases were fights, public disturbances, domestic quarrels, or lost property complaints. Petty, trivial—but still requiring officers to mediate and resolve. People’s Police, serving the people.

Official work hours started at 8 a.m., but Lu Cheng always arrived by 7:30. Special circumstances meant no fixed hours anyway.

Every officer here showed up on time, discipline iron-clad.

Life on the front line was nothing leisurely. Far from it—it was exhausting. Answering calls, patrolling, responding to incidents, school security shifts, night patrols, filing reports, household visits… the grind never stopped.

For a trainee like Lu Cheng, though, it was all fresh, busy, fulfilling.

He had barely set foot in the office, not even a sip of water, when Xiao Lin appeared.

“Lu Cheng, come with me. We’ve got a call.”

The phones wouldn’t stop ringing. Within minutes, five or six new incidents had come in.

The station turned into a flurry of activity.

Pairing Lu Cheng with Xiao Lin had been Zhao Han’s idea.

It was a sign of trust, removing the “trainee” tag. Normally, rookie cops had to shadow their mentors, forbidden from speaking up or acting on scene. Just watch, listen, and learn.

But Zhao Han believed Lu Cheng’s mind was sharp enough to handle simple cases on his own.

Meanwhile, Zhao himself went off to handle another call with a different officer.

Seeing Lu Cheng head out with Xiao Lin instead of glued to his master’s side, Yuan Jie and Chen Zelong couldn’t help but feel a twinge of sourness.

Following a mentor meant being muzzled. Watching but not acting. No room to shine.

Of course, seasoned officers never expected rookies to “shine.” As long as they didn’t cause trouble, that was good enough.

And “causing trouble” usually meant one thing: opening their mouths too soon.

Most cases were disputes needing mediation. Hot-headed rookies often blurted things they shouldn’t, only to worsen tensions. Words were the sharpest weapon—and the quickest way to make a mess.

But Lu Cheng working independently meant his master trusted him. A recognition of his ability.

That was a gap Yuan Jie and Chen Zelong couldn’t ignore.

As for female trainee Guo Lei, she was stuck on phone duty, logging cases. She envied those who got to go out—but at least she didn’t have to roast under the sun. Pros and cons.

Lu Cheng and Xiao Lin’s destination: Jiangbei Residential Community. Reported case—missing person.

“Missing person?”

Lu Cheng froze. That was serious. And Zhao Han actually sent a trainee to handle it?

But after thinking it through, he began to suspect something.

The caller was an eighty-something granny, living alone, claiming her “son” had gone missing.

At that age, her son had to be fifty or sixty. And he “went missing”?

A thought clicked in Lu Cheng’s head. “Brother Lin… could it be the ‘son’ is actually her cat or dog?”

That single “Brother Lin” warmed Lin Wenbin’s heart. He gave Lu Cheng a big thumbs-up.

“Your master said you were quick-witted, sharp-minded. Looks like he was right!”

Lin chuckled. “Missing person? Nah—it’s livestock missing! Hahaha!”

Lu Cheng couldn’t help but laugh too.

These lonely old folks really were pitiful sometimes. With no children around, only their cats and dogs kept them company.

And often… those cats and dogs meant more than family.