Accidental Hero: The Rookie Who Outshines the Force - Chapter 9

“Excuse me, have you seen this man? Very thin, gold-rimmed glasses, camel-gray shirt, pale yellow trousers, black cloth shoes…”

Two-thirds of the officers from the Chengxi Precinct were scouring Huaguo Mountain Park for “Monkey Four.” The rest were sweeping the north end of East Third Road.

“Huh? This guy… I think I saw him…”

The stinky tofu vendor frowned, thinking hard. “Yeah, about half an hour ago. He passed by my stall. I even called out for him to buy tofu. He ignored me and flicked a cigarette butt—left an impression.”

The two officers’ faces lit up. After confirming the details, they sprinted off in that direction.

Radio, Channel 6.
“Suspect sighted. Around 1:20, seen heading north from the intersection of East Third Road and Sports Road. No sign of him entering Huaguo Mountain Park…”

Following the trail, Chengxi officers finally reached the same alley where Lu Cheng had vanished earlier.

“Here. The boss lady at Sisters’ Restaurant swears she saw Monkey Four slip in. Dead end back there—just a garbage shed.”

The boss lady, cracking sunflower seeds at the door, nodded firmly. “If he came out, I’d have seen it. Oh, and some handsome young guy went in after him too.”

“…A young guy?” The officers frowned. No time for questions—just go check.

But a half hour in a dead-end alley? No way he’s still hiding in a garbage room… right?

They edged around the corner—then froze.

Monkey Four lay hogtied beside a trash can, glasses crushed underfoot, face swollen with a black eye. “Wretched” didn’t even begin to cover it.

And sitting calmly nearby, watching him like a hawk, was a sharp-eyed young man.

Lu Cheng spotted them and waved. “Here! Requesting backup!”

The Chengxi officers exchanged stunned looks. Someone had already bagged their suspect? And this kid did it?

“Who are you? You caught Monkey Four?”

The thief groaned at the sound of voices, turned his head, and saw a half dozen uniformed caps glaring down at him. His heart sank. With one last bitter glance at Lu Cheng, he looked away in defeat.

“Monkey Four?” Lu Cheng pulled out the man’s wallet and waved his ID. “That’s just his street name. Real name’s Hou Sida.”

The officers were shocked. “Comrade, how did you even catch him?”

“On Fengshan Old Street,” Lu Cheng explained. “I saw him slice open a man’s bag. I followed him all the way here.”

“Followed him?!” The officers stared in disbelief. “You tailed a career thief alone? What if he had a knife?”

“He did,” Lu Cheng said evenly. “Didn’t have time to call backup. He ran fast—faster than most people could sprint. If I’d stopped to phone it in, he’d be gone.”

“Wait—you’re saying you’re police?”

“That’s right. Lu Cheng, trainee officer, Sanliqiao Precinct. Badge number 610322.”

The Chengxi officers gawked. A trainee?

He’d tailed a veteran pickpocket across four kilometers without losing him—and even subdued him? Alone?!

They noticed the newspaper on the ground, scattered with a small knife and several razor blades.

“These…?”

“His tools. You said what if he had a knife? He did. And blades hidden everywhere.”

The Chengxi officers sucked in sharp breaths. What kind of rookie was this?

“How did you take him down?” one finally asked.

Lu Cheng gave a faint smile. “Hand-to-hand. Those police academy combat drills weren’t for nothing.”

The officers stared at him, dumbfounded. Was he reckless—or a real monster in the making?

“Anyway,” one said at last, “thanks for the hard work. We’ll take him from here.” He pulled out his phone. “Chief Hao, we’ve got Monkey Four. Yes, caught near Lijing Hotel on East Third Road—”

The others moved in to drag the prisoner away.

Lu Cheng’s smile cooled. So they wanted to snatch the credit, just like that?

He stood up, ready to speak—when a police car screeched to a stop at the corner, siren wailing.

Out jumped Zhao Han, Xiao Lin, Yuan Jie, Chen Zelong, and Guo Lei—the rest of the Sanliqiao team.

“Lu Cheng!” Zhao Han’s eyes lit up. He started to call out, but then spotted the Chengxi officers. His expression hardened.

“Ding Chengzhi?!”

“Zhao Han? You—”

The five Sanliqiao officers hurried to Lu Cheng’s side. Zhao Han pulled him slightly back, lowering his voice.

“Lu Cheng, what’s going on? Did Chengxi get the arrest?”

“No. I caught him. Was waiting for you guys. Chengxi just showed up early.”

“I see. So they’re trying to steal the collar.” Zhao Han’s eyes narrowed. He stepped forward, blocking the Chengxi men.

“Hold it. He goes with Sanliqiao.”

Ding Chengzhi’s face darkened. “Zhao Han, this case was ours! Over an hour ago someone reported a bag stolen—surgery money, a huge sum! This man’s the suspect. Our jurisdiction, our case!”

Zhao Han sneered. “An hour ago? And you only found him now? If not for Lu Cheng tailing him from the scene and subduing him, you’d still be chasing shadows.”

He jabbed a finger at them. “Without him, you’d never have caught your man.”

The Chengxi officers scowled. Sanliqiao was trying to rob them of the arrest.

Lu Cheng laughed quietly. “Funny how you swoop in at the end and try to claim the prize. Doesn’t work like that.”

He straightened, voice firm. “He goes back with Sanliqiao. We’ll handle the paperwork later.”

Zhao Han nodded approvingly, then turned cold eyes on Ding Chengzhi. “Whoever catches him, takes him. If you had the skills, why didn’t you nab him first?”