Chapter 7

Pingchuan City is located in the Zhou Shan Empire and is classified as a second-tier city. It has a population of over 3.6 million, divided into five districts. In terms of area and population, the Treasure District is the largest, and in terms of overall economic conditions, it ranks second. On paper, the data looks good, but in reality, the Treasure District is a typical residential area for the common people.

The police station in the Treasure District is the largest in terms of area and has the most personnel among all the police stations. Even so, it still feels understaffed.

According to the Zhou Shan Empire's system, the police station is divided into four departments: Special Tactical Unit, Criminal Investigation, Patrol, and Administrative. These are known as the four major police departments. Among them, the Patrol Department has the most personnel and deals with the most diverse range of issues.

From minor incidents like an elderly lady falling, neighbors arguing, or domestic violence, to medium-level issues like traffic control, safety patrols, and fights, and major incidents like gang battles and armed robberies, the Patrol Department handles everything, yet can resolve nothing.

For minor issues, they help if they can; if not, they hand them over to the civil affairs or welfare departments. For ordinary incidents, the relevant departments step in when the Patrol Department can't handle them. For major incidents, the Patrol Department is usually the first to arrive, setting up cordons and providing fire support. However, the actual handling of the situation is done by the Special Tactical Unit and the Criminal Investigation Department. The final cleanup naturally falls back to the Patrol Department.

The Patrol Department is a typical example of a department with many responsibilities, little power, low pay, and a high risk of blame. As a law enforcement agency, it inevitably offends people. Matters involving warnings, dismissals, or the firing of temporary workers are never handled by the Criminal Investigation Department or the Special Tactical Unit; they are always the responsibility of the Patrol Department.

The Treasure District Police Station has four buildings. Despite being the department with the most issues and the most personnel, the Patrol Department occupies only two floors of one building, less than one-tenth of the entire police station. Apart from a few limited offices, the place is always bustling with people, like a market, with constant noise.

As the saying goes, the omnipresent Patrol Department is everywhere and can do everything, from helping an elderly lady to catching a thug, picking up vegetable leaves to disarming a kinetic gun.

Pushing through the crowd and the human wall, his ears finally found some peace. Looking up, he saw a sign that read "Patrol Department Chief's Office."

The woman lightly knocked on the door and pushed it open, walking in. Du Qian, pretending to be very obedient, followed her in.

As one of the four heads of the district police station, the Patrol Department Chief's office was surprisingly shabby, less than 60 square meters. Along the walls were rows of cabinets, and in front was a small desk. Behind it was another desk, and on the wall behind that was a motivational couplet.

In front of the desk, two chairs were barely placed, with no sofa, no coffee table, and no cups. The only thing there was a low water dispenser in the corner.

A middle-aged man sat behind the desk, writing furiously. Without looking up, he asked, "What's the matter? Don't beat around the bush, just say it."

"It's me, Uncle Leng. My mother mentioned it to you. I've brought the person," the woman said, having long been accustomed to such scenes and not feeling slighted.

"Oh... Miss Zhang, please sit," the middle-aged man looked up, put down his pen, and said warmly.

"Uncle Leng, please don't be so formal. Just call me Xiaoxiu," Zhang Xiu said politely, pulling out a chair and sitting opposite the middle-aged man. As for Du Qian, it was better for him to stand; if he didn't have this much sense, he shouldn't be in this line of work.

The messy and cramped office, with the middle-aged man busy to the point of being frazzled, shouldn't be underestimated. This was the Patrol Department Chief of the Treasure District, a War King with 150,000 combat power.

Being placed in this thankless position meant he had either offended someone or was not good at socializing. However, his authority was not insignificant.

He casually took a document from the drawer and threw it on the table. "Young man, sign it."

The casual manner made Du Qian feel like he was signing a contract of servitude. This was a task assigned by his aunt, and his cousin Zhang Xiu had personally brought him to handle it. It couldn't be a real contract of servitude. He knew that the document in front of him was likely the personnel file for joining the Patrol Department.

Don't underestimate the small patrol officers; in the eyes of the common people, they have considerable power. They are legitimate public servants and law enforcement officers. A single call can bring dozens or even hundreds of colleagues, which is far more impressive than a gang.

Not only do they have a different status, but they also earn a decent income. The Zhou Shan Empire ranks second in economic strength among the three major countries, behind the Zhenhai Alliance but ahead of the Bitian Republic. Last year's per capita income exceeded 30 yuan, which is not particularly high but not low either.

An income of 30 yuan, if used frugally, is enough for a family of three's daily expenses. But a family of three can't have only one income earner. Two incomes would be 60 yuan, more than enough for daily expenses and even some savings. After a decade or so, buying a car or a house would not be a dream.

As a public servant, a patrol officer has a decent income despite their low status. The lowest-ranking patrol officer earns over 50 yuan per month, and there are also some under-the-table earnings, which are sometimes even higher than their salary.

Of course, not all public servants earn this much, but as part of a law enforcement agency, police officers are definitely considered high-income earners.

The cost of living in the Zhou Shan Empire is not too low, nor is it too high. A pound of ugly fish costs only 6 fen, and a pound of meat is usually less than 10 fen. For a single person, an income of 50 yuan per month, which is 5,000 fen, is enough to eat meat every day.

After signing, Du Qian took out his ID card, placed it on the table, and gently pushed it towards the middle-aged man. He knew this etiquette. Actually, Du Qian's emotional intelligence wasn't particularly high, but compared to Lei Ming, he seemed much more sophisticated.

Thinking about it, having lived in a war orphanage for ten years with only Lei Ming as a close friend, Du Qian's emotional intelligence was also a cause for concern.

While chatting with Zhang Xiu about trivial matters, the middle-aged man took the ID card, swiped it on the machine, and finished the process. Recruiting a small patrol officer personally was not a big deal for him.

"Alright, come to me at 8 AM tomorrow. I'll arrange it for you. Xiaoxiu, when you go home, give me your regards. There's a lot to do here, so I won't keep you," the middle-aged man said.

"Sure, Uncle Leng. I'll tell my mother at dinner," Zhang Xiu, who appeared aloof, had much higher emotional intelligence than Du Qian.

Of course, this was partly due to her personality and partly due to her upbringing. How could you expect high emotional intelligence from a young person who grew up in a war orphanage? Not causing trouble for others was already a good sign.

Du Qian himself didn't realize it, but the public had their own standards. Graduates from the war orphanage often had psychological issues and needed years to integrate into society.

From this perspective, Du Qian's emotional intelligence was actually quite high among his classmates, very close to that of a normal person.

Leaving the Treasure District Police Station, the spirit deer continued forward, driving for a few minutes before entering a relatively new residential area and stopping in front of a high-rise building.

"Follow me."

Pressing the kinetic elevator, they went straight to the 28th floor. Taking out a key card, he opened the door. It was a small apartment of about 50 square meters, with very few furnishings, making it brighter than the Patrol Department Chief's office.

"Here's the key to the room, and here's the rental contract. The rent has been paid for a year." The key and a contract were handed to Du Qian.

"Thanks." Du Qian silently accepted it, but his cold tone made it clear he wasn't really grateful.

"Don't be so formal. I know you're upset. If there had been any possibility, my mother would have taken you in. You are her only blood relative in the world besides me. You know her situation, so I won't elaborate."

Seeing no reaction from Du Qian, Zhang Xiu sighed. "My mother and I have done all we can for you. Take care of yourself." With that, she walked out of the room and closed the door behind her.

For a long time, Du Qian stood there in a daze. A few minutes later, he suddenly threw his backpack to the ceiling, leaped up, and landed on the soft mattress, shouting, "Ah ha... I finally have my own room! No more of Lei Ming's smelly feet or his snoring. This is my paradise."

Fortunately, Zhang Xiu had already gone downstairs; otherwise, she would have been surprised by this scene.

What was his aunt's apology? What was that?

At the age of eight, Du Qian lost his parents, and his only relative was his aunt, his father's sister. Having such a blood relative, he didn't have to choose the war orphanage, but his aunt didn't take him in.

If he said he had no resentment, it would be a lie. But as he grew older, he understood more. He knew his aunt's situation and that it was impossible for her to take him in.

Although he seemed cold towards his aunt and cousin, they had done a lot for him behind the scenes. Du Qian chose to remain silent and never showed his gratitude. He knew that showing his enthusiasm would only bring trouble to his aunt and cousin.

His aunt couldn't pretend, so she didn't dare to see him. His cousin could pretend, so she always took the lead. Du Qian could also pretend, ensuring he didn't cause them more trouble.

Life is tough for everyone.

After half an hour of celebration, he stood in front of a half-length mirror, stood at attention, and imagined himself in a patrol officer's uniform, with a kinetic gun on his belt, a heroic and majestic figure. He would occasionally reach for the gun on his right hip and pretend to shoot, feeling incredibly satisfied.

At first, Du Qian was somewhat unhappy with his aunt's arrangement. He preferred to join the military, which would at least save him the trouble of repaying a loan. After all, Du Qian was a leader, even if he had only one brother, he was still a leader.

Over ten years, after deducting half of the state subsidy, Du Qian still needed to repay a loan of 2,800 yuan. Even though the interest on the loan for war orphans was extremely low, just slightly higher than zero, it was still interest. 2,800 yuan was a huge amount.

Patrol officers were considered high-income earners, with a monthly salary of over 50 yuan, but it would still take him 56 months of living frugally to repay the loan.