Chapter 14: A Report Filed Here, A Case Closed There

Infirmary.

"Shifu, it's nothing, just a bit of a scrape."

Lu Chuan smiled nonchalantly as he explained to Liu Guodong.

Although he had been a bit careless during this arrest, falling into the other party's trap and getting injured, the results were significant.

The three thieves were carrying switchblades, but while they might be a bit dim, they weren't stupid enough to actually stab someone.

They knew the difference between theft and intentional injury, or even murder.

Furthermore, Lu Chuan’s combat training at the Public Security University hadn't been for nothing, and that was bolstered by the memories from his past life.

Dealing with three people had been a bit strenuous and he had been nervous at the time, but he had still managed to take them down.

Bang!

Just as Lu Chuan finished bandaging, the infirmary door was pushed open violently.

"How is it?"

The anxiety in Qin Yong’s voice was audible to anyone. "Is it serious?"

"Captain Qin!"

Lu Chuan hurriedly got off the bed. "I'm fine, just a bit of a scrape."

Seeing him able to get off the bed and salute, it seemed the problem really wasn't major. The medic on the side also nodded. "A sharp object laceration on the upper right arm. The wound isn't deep, and he’s already had a tetanus shot."

When the Criminal Investigation Division’s medic spoke about medical conditions, there was always a hint of a forensic pathologist’s tone.

Confirming that Lu Chuan was not in any serious trouble, Qin Yong’s expression shifted from concern and anxiety to one as gloomy as water.

Bang!

He slammed his hand hard onto the nearby medical table and glared at Liu Guodong. "Reckless!"

"Old Liu, Little Lu is new and doesn't know the rules, but you’re a veteran investigator—don't you know the rules either?"

Liu Guodong naturally understood why Qin Yong was angry.

An officer getting injured is no small matter. If something had really gone wrong, no one could bear the responsibility. Fortunately, Lu Chuan’s injury was minor.

"Reporting to Captain Qin, Shifu didn't know about this. Besides, the incident happened suddenly, and there was no time to call for reinforcements..."

As Lu Chuan spoke, Qin Yong’s expression softened slightly. "You can't be careless. It’s a minor injury this time, but what if it were a major one next time?"

Qin Yong’s attitude toward Lu Chuan was clearly gentler. "Tell me what happened."

"It’s like this, Captain Qin. I was riding a shared bike home after work, taking the Outlets pedestrian street, when I happened to see a thief stealing something and getting caught. As a police officer, I had to step up at that moment..."

Hm?

Outlets pedestrian street?

Qin Yong’s mind raced, and he interrupted Lu Chuan: "You said you ran into a thief at the Outlets pedestrian street?"

"A novice. His technique wasn't skilled, and the victim caught him while he was stealing, so I went to chase him."

"The victim... was a woman?"

Lu Chuan nodded. "A woman."

"Not a local?"

"Her voice was a bit affected, sounded like someone from Hong Kong, like in the movies."

Outlets pedestrian street, a thief, a female victim, someone from Hong Kong...

Alright, with so many matching characteristics, this woman was most likely the secretary of that investor.

"Where are they?"

Lu Chuan looked at Liu Guodong. He had handed the people over to Liu Guodong when he returned.

"Locked in the detention room," Liu Guodong pointed toward the door, his eyes unfriendly. "Daring to pull a knife on the police—simple theft won't cut it anymore. At the very least, it's assaulting an officer."

For the crime of assaulting an officer, if it’s unarmed, it usually carries a sentence of under three years.

But these kids used switchblades, which are controlled weapons. The starting point for sentencing is three years, with a maximum of seven.

There was also the fact that they drove their vehicle to ram a police officer on duty, which also severely endangered life and safety; the starting point for that is also three years.

That’s why many drunk drivers, if they just run away, it’s not a huge deal, but if they hit a police officer with their car, it’s not something that can be brushed off as just drunk driving.

"By the way, Captain Qin, how did you know the victim was a woman and not a local?"

After Lu Chuan returned, he had come straight to the infirmary. He had only told Liu Guodong the specific details of the case, and Liu Guodong had been with him the whole time without leaving.

Qin Yong shook his head, looking at Lu Chuan with a strange expression. "You kid... did you rack up another merit this time?"

Hm?

Liu Guodong was slightly stunned. "Captain Qin... you already know?"

Qin Yong nodded. "Director Song just called me, saying that a female secretary of a Hong Kong investor was pickpocketed while shopping at the Outlets pedestrian street."

"Although this is just a petty theft case, it severely affected the investor's perception of Haizhou City's public security."

Qin Yong looked at Lu Chuan again. "But Little Lu stumbled into it. They had just reported the case, and we had already caught the people."

"A bad thing has turned into a good thing."

Petty theft happens everywhere; it’s impossible to eradicate completely.

But the fact that the Haizhou Public Security Bureau could catch the suspects in such a short time perfectly demonstrated the high level of Haizhou’s public security capabilities.

Having problems isn't scary; what matters is the ability and speed to solve them.

The Criminal Investigation Division of the Haizhou Public Security Bureau had truly saved face.

"Little Lu, get some good rest. I’m going to report to Director Song." Qin Yong checked the time; it had only been twenty minutes since Song Jianguo called.

Solving a case in such a short time—perfect!

Liu Guodong and Lu Chuan exchanged a look. So that was it.

No wonder Qin Yong knew the victim was a woman.

But that wasn't the only thing they needed to say.

Liu Guodong called out to Qin Yong, who was about to leave. "Captain Qin, there’s one more thing."

"Is it urgent? If not, wait until I finish reporting back to Director Song."

"It is a bit urgent... It’s just that when Lu Chuan was making the arrest, he actually caught three people."

Liu Guodong held up his fingers—three.

Hm.

Qin Yong nodded. "Little Lu’s strength is obvious to all, but you can't do this in the future. Your own safety is the most important thing!"

That was only because it was Lu Chuan. Try that with anyone else.

Any criminal investigation division takes officer injuries extremely seriously.

It’s even used as an important metric for evaluating the division's work.

There’s no helping it; police work is inherently high-risk. If there were no internal institutional safeguards, the average age of police officers would likely drop even further.

Take Lu Chuan’s case, for example: chasing a thief is basically the lowest-risk type of case.

The danger level of handling a case is related to the severity of the crime committed by the suspect.

A murderer won't care about taking another life, but a thief?

If he had the guts to kill, he wouldn't be a thief in the first place.

Liu Guodong certainly agreed with Qin Yong’s words. If you can receive a First-Class Merit standing up, it’s better than receiving it lying down. "Captain Qin, among these three, the ringleader is that habitual thief who stole from Wang Jian’s house the year before last."

Wang Jian?

"Who is Wang Jian?"

"Director Song’s father-in-law."

Qin Yong: "...Fuck!"