Accidental Hero: The Rookie Who Outshines the Force - Chapter 28

After a shower, Lu Cheng lay down on his bed.

Today had been exhausting, and he couldn’t even be bothered to dry his hair. Luckily, his short, messy haircut dried quickly on its own.

On the way back from the auto repair shop—after the narcotics unit had taken custody of the truck driver and the drugs—his system reward had finally been issued.

[Flycatcher Lv.1 → Lv.2: When suspects appear nearby, automatically summon two flies to pursue them. Trigger range: 30 meters. Detection range: 300 meters.]

[Attribute Point Gained: Stamina +1]
(Current Stamina: 18 points)

Because of the significance of this bust, the system gave him two rewards this time.

The Flycatcher skill had expanded in both range and number, and the stamina boost left Lu Cheng’s body feeling… subtly different.

According to the system’s explanation, one stamina point was equivalent to three months of intensive physical training.

And this enhancement wasn’t temporary—it was permanent.

One point might not seem like much, but it was plenty powerful.

Feeling satisfied, Lu Cheng pulled out his phone. He was planning to take the initiative and message Su Qingwu.

After all, his mother had given him a “mission”—deliver red dates to his “daughter-in-law.”

And if he failed, he’d be eating plain salted vegetables for the next month.

No way was he going to give up his beloved braised fish and sweet-and-sour ribs.

Typing quickly, he sent:
“Are you asleep?”

But at that exact same moment, Su Qingwu also hit send.

“Are you asleep?”

Holy crap!

Lu Cheng, who had been fighting off drowsiness, instantly snapped awake. He shot upright from his lying position, eyes wide.

“…”

Su Qingwu herself hadn’t expected such an uncanny coincidence. The two of them had sent the exact same words at the exact same time.

She’d originally wanted to ask Lu Cheng about two things. First, their fake-couple arrangement—her superior, Shen Fang, wanted to meet him.

Second, she wanted to know how on earth he had spotted the drugs hidden under the truck bed’s steel plate earlier today.

Even Tang Kai, a veteran narcotics officer at Checkpoint 217, had missed it and let the truck go.

How had a rookie trainee managed to pull it off?

Her slender fingers hovered over the keyboard. She typed the words “I need to ask you something”, then deleted them.

She didn’t want to be the one to speak first. What if…

Sure enough, two seconds later, Lu Cheng sent:
“You’ve got something to ask me, right?”

Su Qingwu exhaled in relief, thankful she hadn’t jumped in first.

“You have something too, don’t you? You go first.” she replied.

“Uh… do you like red dates?” Lu Cheng tested cautiously.

“Red dates? They’re okay.” she thought a moment before answering.

“As long as you don’t hate them. My mom gave me a mission—to deliver a bag to you.”

“Couldn’t you just eat them yourself?”

“Too much for me. It’s a whole bag.” He added a bitter-smile emoji.

Then quickly followed with:
“They’re good for blood, especially for women. If you don’t like eating them plain, you can use them for tea, or stew them with chicken.”

After a short pause, Su Qingwu replied:
“Alright.”

Lu Cheng let out a breath of relief.
“So… what did you want to ask me?”

“I’ve got a mission too.”

“Great, no problem. You help me, I help you.”

Out in the world, three words mattered most—loyalty and honor.

He sent a chest-thumping emoji, looking every bit the dependable workhorse.

“My mom wants to meet you.”

“!!!” Lu Cheng instantly sent back a charred-black emoji.
“Wait, already?! We’re going straight to the meet-the-parents stage?!”

“Scared?” Su Qingwu arched a brow.

“Scared? Not at all! What’s there to be scared of? Let’s do it!”

Of course, behind his casual words, Lu Cheng was sweating bullets. Meeting her mom felt more nerve-wracking than college entrance exams. What if he said something wrong and got kicked out?

He decided that when the time came, the best strategy was to keep quiet. Just nod and “uh-huh” his way through.

It didn’t even occur to him that he was only supposed to be a pretend boyfriend—he was already roleplaying for real.

Su Qingwu’s lips curved slightly.
“I’ll let you know the time. For now, I’ve got another question for you.”

“Shoot.”

They went on to discuss the case.

Su Qingwu had been working three years since graduating the police academy. Now a vice-captain, she was recognized for her outstanding record and her ability to handle cases independently.

But after replaying the bust in her mind, she admitted—if those drug trucks had come through her checkpoint, she wouldn’t have caught them.

The hiding spot under the steel plate was too ingenious. She simply wouldn’t have found it.

Yet Lu Cheng had.

She couldn’t help but admire him a little. A mere trainee had outperformed seasoned narcotics officers.

After talking over the case, the two began planning their next “date.”

Only in this case, it was a mix of romance and police work—a real blend of duty and feelings.

The problem was, as police officers, neither of them had fixed hours. They had to be on call at all times.

Finding a time when both were free was going to be tricky.

…

The next morning, Lu Cheng arrived at the Sanliqiao precinct.

As soon as he stepped into the office, he felt the respectful gazes from his colleagues.

Yesterday’s drug bust had been a resounding success—and without exaggeration, half the credit belonged to him.

If not for his sharp eye, those trucks might have slipped through, and even the veteran narcotics officers had been fooled.

The bust was a lesson for everyone—drug traffickers were cunning, and the police needed to be even more vigilant.

That morning, Director Chen Weimin had even received a call from Division Chief Yang Zheng. The topic? Lu Cheng.

News of the successful bust had already spread to city-level leadership, and even Yang Zheng’s reputation had been polished thanks to a mere trainee officer.

It wasn’t an official commendation, since it had been a joint operation—but Yang Zheng had definitely marked Lu Cheng’s name in the record.

When Lu Cheng reached his desk, he noticed his tea was already poured.

Lin Wenbin grinned, sidling up.
“I brewed it for you.”

“Thanks.” Lu Cheng nodded.

“How about we form a team? We’ll call it the Greenwood Heroes.”

Before Lu Cheng could respond, Zhao Han walked over and smacked Lin Wenbin on the back of the head.
“Idiot. We’re police. You really want to name us after bandits? Did you ever read a book in your life?”

Lin Wenbin froze. Right… it did sound like a bandit name. Not great for their image.

That morning, with few urgent cases, most officers stayed in the office.

Chen Weimin and Song Chengfeng came downstairs, gathering the younger officers.

**“Alright, listen up. Next week, the division is organizing an anti-pickpocketing operation. If you perform well, there’ll be commendations. Whether you catch any thieves depends on your skills.

We’ve got eight slots. Whoever’s interested, see Old Song to sign up.”**

They hardly needed to ask—every young officer wanted in.

Sure enough, hands shot up all around.

For police, catching thieves was like cats catching mice—instinctive, exciting. No one wanted to spend their days mediating petty neighborhood disputes.

Lu Cheng, of course, signed up as well.

The veterans like Zhao Han and Cheng Zhijie didn’t bother. Other precincts had already sent their main forces. Sanliqiao’s team wasn’t chosen this time.

But for the rookies, it was a chance to gain experience.

Of course, being rookies, they’d definitely be assigned to low-profile areas—places where thieves were fewer and the risks lighter.