Accidental Hero: The Rookie Who Outshines the Force - Chapter 48

Police cars from Sucheng’s precinct arrived at Shuangqiao Station to take away the captured thief-king, “Old Cat.”

Director Lü Zhengbo greeted them personally.

When the Sucheng officers asked how the thief-king had been caught, Lü’s answer made them pause for a moment.

Then, all three officers’ expressions shifted to disbelief.

“Director Lü… are you saying… a trainee cop caught Old Cat?”

“Mm. Caught him like a regular petty thief.”

“No joke?”

“Of course not.”

Lü Zhengbo nodded seriously, leaving no room for doubt.

The three Sucheng officers glanced at each other, skeptical but willing to trust that Director Lü had no reason to lie.

Besides, the case files would clearly document the events.

Exhaling deeply, they exchanged looks that were a mix of awe and disbelief.

Old Cat had eluded the entire Sucheng police force for years. Even appearing on the provincial wanted list yielded no results.

Catching this thief-king was no easy task.

Yet here he was, effortlessly nabbed by a trainee in Jianghai—an ending that seemed almost unreal.

“Your trainee in Jianghai is that skilled? Can we meet him?”

The lead officer asked cautiously.

“He’s not here—he returned to his jurisdiction today.”

“Pity,” said the officer, sounding slightly disappointed as they got into the car.

Lü Zhengbo watched them leave, secretly pleased.

Though Lu Cheng was a trainee from Sanliqiao Station, he was still one of Jianghai’s finest. Seeing the Sucheng officers’ astonishment gave Lü a quiet sense of satisfaction.

At the residential complex entrance, Lu Cheng bought five large meat buns and a cup of sweet soy milk.

The vendor looked surprised. “Xiao Lu, don’t you usually eat three? Why five today?”

“Yesterday, the system rewarded me with two extra stamina points. Naturally, my body needs more energy to replenish itself.”

Mouth full, Lu Cheng mumbled the words.

The vendor blinked. “What? System… stamina? I don’t understand a word.”

“Heh, that’s for the best, Uncle Ge,” Lu Cheng said with a slight grin.

Lu Cheng had always had a big appetite. Uncle Ge’s buns were enormous; most young men would be full after one bun and a tea egg. Lu Cheng usually ate three, which explained his impressive size. Today, eating five buns was enough to shock anyone.

After breakfast, he waited by the roadside. Zhao Han’s old Jetta eventually rolled up, clattering along.

Today, Sanliqiao Station was heading to the precinct for a meeting. Alongside Director Chen Weimin were veteran officers like Zhao Han and Cheng Zhijie, plus Yuan Jie and Lu Cheng.

The younger officers weren’t invited.

Yuan Jie needed no introduction—he was a top criminal investigation graduate and Chen Weimin’s apprentice.

As for Lu Cheng… who would dare object?

This kid had treated a thief-king like a petty thief. Strength dictated his standing.

Compared to Sanliqiao Station, the district police office was a grand stage versus a small shrine.

The enormous national emblem gleamed coldly in the sunlight, imposing and solemn.

Stepping out of the car, Lu Cheng’s gaze fell on the words above the entrance: Serve the People, Enforce the Law Fairly, Uphold Discipline. In that moment, pride and responsibility as a police officer surged naturally.

On the fourth floor of the Criminal Investigation Division, the meeting was already in progress when Lu Cheng and his group arrived.

At the front sat Division Chief Yang Zheng and CID Captain Qin Mian.

Su Qingwu sat beside Qin Mian, her gaze fixed on her laptop.

Even in uniform, her figure was impossible to hide—the curve of her chest and elegant silhouette obvious to anyone paying attention.

There weren’t enough chairs for the Sanliqiao group, so everyone except Chen Weimin had to take plastic stools.

The moment Lu Cheng entered, he drew attention.

First, he was tall and handsome—rare among CID officers. Not that being a cop relied on looks, but it certainly didn’t hurt.

Second, the past two days’ successful anti-pickpocket operations had spread through the department. Lu Cheng’s reputation as a “master thief-catcher” preceded him.

Third, and most shocking, he had won the heart of Su Qingwu, the division’s beauty.

At first, no one believed it—Su Qingwu maintained a cold, single-goddess image, and everyone assumed she had high standards and no interest in dating.

When the truth came out, confirmed by those who checked with her, it stunned the department.

The young single officers were dumbstruck. How could such a beauty be claimed by a trainee from Sanliqiao Station? It didn’t seem fair—or reasonable.

Lu Cheng suddenly acquired a number of rivals.

Several young CID officers shot him cold, hostile glances.

Lu Cheng shook his head inwardly. Hah, I’m the real threat here.

He took a seat near the back door, next to Yuan Jie.

Su Qingwu glanced at him as the group entered, then turned back to her laptop, keeping a professional, distant demeanor.

To outsiders, they were incredibly low-key. CID didn’t prohibit office romances, and they weren’t in the same department, so technically they could be overt—but these veterans loved a bit of drama.

Time was nearly up. Yang Zheng cleared his throat and began speaking.

He first laid out the deadline for solving the homicide and then stressed his personal motto from his time as CID Captain: Homicides Must Be Solved, No Rest Until They Are.

Eight words not merely spoken—they were lived.

Yang Zheng’s resolve had once boosted the department’s case-solving rate significantly, earning him his current position. He expected everyone to adopt the same spirit and crack this case swiftly.

Next, Deputy Captain Su Qingwu gave a brief overview of the case.

The projector whirred, displaying photos of a drowned female victim.

Swollen, waterlogged skin showed a purple lattice pattern; a depression on the back of her skull was circled in red, highlighting jagged fractures.

Su Qingwu’s cold, melodic voice carried: “At 3 a.m. on May 2nd, a sanitation worker recovered a woven bag at the head of Binjiang Bridge. The deceased, Lin Xiaoman, 26, lived alone in a rented unit in Fangjia Alley.”

The slides switched to the autopsy report.

“Drowning was a disguise. The victim sustained multiple head injuries, one being a comminuted fracture to the occipital bone—the fatal wound. The weapon was likely a blunt object like a crowbar or hammer. The wound shows signs of life response—she was struck to death and then disposed. Time of death is estimated between 8 and 9 p.m. on May 1st.”

“The last phone call from the victim was at 7:42 p.m. to her ex-boyfriend, Zhang Hao. The rented unit had no surveillance, but a small store at the alley entrance captured Zhang Hao entering at 7:13 p.m. and leaving at 7:55 p.m.”

“Zhang Hao lived in Sanliqiao’s urban village. After the crime, his phone was disconnected, and the landlord said he moved overnight…”

After Su Qingwu concluded the briefing, Captain Qin Mian assigned the next course of action.