Chapter 83

Rui Mu Xin's denial made everyone's hearts skip a beat. Before they could react, Zhang Y森 pressed on, "What do you mean, 'not what'? Tell the truth, and you can be exempt from punishment."

"Report, Instructor, I didn't ask the squad leader to discipline me. I let the platoon leader hit me, but he used less force, so my handsome face could be preserved," Rui Mu Xin straightened his back and said something utterly absurd.

"Ha!" A girl in the squad laughed out loud.

Zhang Y森's gaze swept over, and the laughter immediately stopped.

"Alright, you're all trying to fool the instructor," Zhang Y森 smiled meaningfully, then suddenly changed his expression, "Everyone, ten thousand meters, now!"

Everyone's faces fell, but they were secretly delighted. What was supposed to be a punishment or expulsion turned into a ten-thousand-meter run, which was much better than expected.

No one reported on each other because they had developed a sense of team spirit during their training. The 150 people were like a solid block, and they had an unspoken默契 in dealing with the instructor.

After the ten-thousand-meter run, except for a few with exceptional physical strength, the other trainees were exhausted. Zhang Y森 stood on the field supervising them the entire time. When they finished, he pointed at Liu Handong with his teaching rod, "You, come with me."

Liu Handong followed Zhang Y森 to the office, standing straight and silent.

Zhang Y森 turned on the surveillance and played the footage from last night. Chang Jin and Rui Mu Xin sneaking out of the wall, then eight men in police multifunctional uniforms climbing out, and finally, the ten of them climbing back in and beating up Chang Jin and Rui Mu Xin at the base of the wall.

Liu Handong remained unmoved. At 27, he had served in the military for eight years and was familiar with all the officers' tactics. Zhang Y森 was an old instructor, and these tricks were nothing new.

"Tell me, why did I let you off," Zhang Y森 lit a cigarette and looked at Liu Handong with a half-smile.

The tension and fear Zhang Y森 expected to see on Liu Handong's face were not there. The squad leader stood tall and said, "Report, Instructor, punishment is a means, not an end. You can achieve your training goals and enhance the team's unity and sense of honor through other methods. Why use the simplest and most brutal means?"

Zhang Y森 said, "You, Liu Handong, knew from the beginning."

"Report, Instructor, I didn't know you were monitoring us, but I knew the team members are under my command, and I must take care of them. I don't want them to be expelled for unworthy reasons. I hope all 150 of us can complete the training camp together."

Zhang Y森 nodded, "You are teachable, I didn't misjudge you. The police and the military are different. The military emphasizes unconditional obedience to orders, even if they are wrong. But to be a good police officer, you must learn to think for yourself and always stand on the side of what is right and just."

Liu Handong asked, "What if right and justice are not on the same side?"

Zhang Y森 laughed, "Are right and justice different?"

"Are they the same?" Liu Handong countered.

Zhang Y森 smiled meaningfully, walked over, and patted Liu Handong on the shoulder, looking him in the eye, "If such a day comes, I hope you stand on the side of conscience."

Liu Handong nodded solemnly.

"Dismissed!" Zhang Y森 returned to his desk and started processing documents.

Liu Handong stood at attention, saluted, and left. At the door, he was called back, "Tomorrow, the training team will attend a report meeting. Keep the team in line, no mistakes."

"Yes, sir!" Liu Handong replied loudly.

...

At noon, the trainees lined up in the cafeteria, got their food, and found seats. After Liu Handong and Lin Lianan sat down, Chang Jin and Rui Mu Xin came over with their stainless steel trays.

"Looking for trouble?" Lin Lianan nudged Liu Handong quietly.

Liu Handong kept his head down and ignored them.

Chang Jin sat down, pushing another trainee aside, and Rui Mu Xin sat down as well, grinning, "Squad leader, thanks to you."

Liu Handong said, "No matter what happened before, we're in the same uniform in this camp. I have to look out for you."

Rui Mu Xin took out a cigarette, "Squad leader, have one?"

Liu Handong pointed to the no-smoking sign on the wall.

Chang Jin said, "Squad leader, I don't like you much, but I respect you. If you need anything, just say the word!"

Liu Handong was about to say something righteous when he heard the girls at the next table exclaim, "Wow, so romantic!"

Lin Lianan leaned over to look. The girls were watching news on their phones about someone driving a BMW to give 999 roses to a female bus driver.

"I know this driver. She's very popular online, called the '520 Xi Shi.' She drives fast and steady, is skilled, and beautiful. It's normal for her to be pursued," Zhao Liangxuan said.

"Damn, Squad leader, isn't that your girlfriend?" Lin Lianan exclaimed.

Liu Handong stood up in a hurry, knocking over his chair.

"Xiao Zhao, show the squad leader your phone," Lin Lianan said.

Zhao Liangxuan handed her phone to Liu Handong, who was turning pale. She said, "So, the '520 Xi Shi' is your girlfriend?"

Liu Handong said, "She's clearly the '520 Schumacher.' These reporters have limited memory, always calling her 'Xi Shi.'"

On the large phone screen, a photo taken by a netizen showed a white BMW parked at the 520 starting station. A well-dressed man presented a large bouquet of red roses to Ma Ling, who looked nervous and annoyed in her work uniform.

The report said the man, surnamed Lu, was the head of a local financial institution. He fell in love with the 520 bus driver and decided to send her 999 roses every day until she accepted him.

Liu Handong was so angry he almost threw the phone. Remembering it belonged to Xiao Zhao, he restrained himself and returned it.

"Squad leader, it's true," Zhao Liangxuan stuck out her tongue, confirming Lin Lianan's words.

"Bang!" Chang Jin slapped the table, making the tray rattle, "Damn, trying to steal the squad leader's girlfriend? I'll call in a favor, smash his car, beat him up, just say the word!"

Rui Mu Xin chimed in, "Absolutely!"

Liu Handong waved his hand, "Quiet!"

Everyone fell silent, looking at him expectantly.

"Don't do anything rash. I can handle this myself," Liu Handong said. He trusted Ma Ling. A BMW and roses weren't enough to sway her.

That night, after resting, Liu Handong called Ma Ling and learned the details. It turned out a man named Lu Jianxian, an employee of a high-interest loan company, was pursuing her with the support of Wang Yulan.

...

The next day, 150 trainees and the entire police academy faculty and students went to the city hall for the "Chinese Dream, Dream of China" tour report meeting. Over ten police buses left the campus. As the squad leader, Liu Handong was responsible for scheduling. The trainees were disciplined after training, so he didn't need to worry once they were on the bus. He played poker with Lin Lianan and others in the last row.

Suddenly, the bus stopped. Liu Handong was puzzled. The city hall was far, and they had only driven for twenty minutes. Why did they stop?

The door opened, and the trainees got off in a line. Liu Handong quickly got off and saw they were at the 520 starting station.

Three police buses were parked by the roadside. 150 trainees in regular uniforms, wearing peaked caps and armed belts, formed five rows. The platoon leaders were busy giving commands, and the squad leader didn't need to intervene.

"What the hell! Are you rebelling?" Liu Handong was astonished.

The surrounding crowd also looked puzzled at the sight of over a hundred police officers. To the public, these trainees looked like regular police officers.

"Squad leader, a small gift from the team," Lin Lianan winked.

"Ridiculous," Liu Handong said, but he was secretly pleased, mimicking Zhang Y森's tone.

He checked his phone. They were early, with plenty of time before the meeting started.

Five minutes later, Ma Ling's bus returned to the starting station, followed by two cars. One was Lu Jianxian's white BMW, and the other was a van with "Network Focus" painted on the side, probably entertainment reporters.

Seeing the large group of police officers, Ma Ling was surprised but quickly understood. She smiled sweetly, stopped the bus, and got off, removing her gloves.

Lu Jianxian stepped out of the BMW, picked up the bouquet of 999 roses, and walked toward Ma Ling. Reporters with DV cameras and DSLRs were recording the romantic moment.

Lu Jianxian smiled and approached Ma Ling. Some of the arranged passersby started chanting, "Together, together!"

Suddenly, a loud song began. 148 trainees, led by Zhao Liangxuan, sang "Say a Word from the Heart," with slightly altered lyrics.

"Say a word from the heart, I have love, often thinking of the girl in my dreams, the girl in my dreams."

"Come on, come on, since we joined the police, we know the responsibility is great. If you don't carry the gun, who will protect our mothers, who will protect her?"

The powerful atmosphere and the strong presence of nearly 150 young men and women singing together attracted the attention of the crowd within a few hundred meters, who stopped to watch.

Ma Ling stood there with her teacup, dumbfounded. She knew they were there for her but didn't expect such a grand scene.

Lu Jianxian was stunned, completely at a loss.

Liu Handong stood nervously to the side. When the song ended, Lin Lianan handed him a red rose and pushed him, "Squad leader, go!"

Liu Handong didn't hesitate. Holding the single rose, he walked past Lu Jianxian with the 999 roses and went straight to Ma Ling, offering her the rose.

Ma Ling turned her body away, not taking the rose, biting her lip, tears welling up in her eyes.

Zhao Liangxuan signaled, and the trainees magically produced a rose each, shouting, "Sister-in-law, Happy Valentine's Day!"

It was Valentine's Day.

"Together!" Zhao Liangxuan screamed.

"Together!" the trainees shouted in unison.

"Together!" the onlookers joined in, the noise deafening.

Ma Ling finally shyly accepted the rose from Liu Handong, and applause broke out.

At that moment, Lu Jianxian's face burned with shame, feeling like a complete fool.