Chapter 16

As night deepened, the lights of the small town resembled distant fireflies, flickering and growing increasingly dim.

This summer night was as scorching as every other summer night over the past three years, yet it was a bit different. There were no dazzling neon lights or glaring street lamps, only twinkling stars and the occasional firefly. No long whistles from trains or honks from cars, only the croaking of frogs and the chirping of cicadas.

Han Bo leaned against the driver's seat, using the dim light to identify whether the few people who had just passed by the bus station were employees of his factory.

Gao Changxing squinted, focusing on a bald man who was talking to several motorcycle and car drivers. He had caught this guy before for fighting and intentional injury, but the victim wanted to settle the matter quietly and refused to testify, so he had to let him go after a fine.

"Fourth workshop's Wang Xia, walking alone at night, dressed so lightly, with no sense of self-protection." Xiao Yan, with his sharp eyes, recognized another female worker from the eastern town.

"Girl, are you scared walking alone? I can give you a ride."

"Sister, are you thirsty? I can buy you a cold drink. Don't ride so fast, I'm not a bad guy."

...

The female worker, wearing a short-sleeved dress, with long hair flowing over her shoulders, rode quickly, her hair and the hem of her dress fluttering in the wind, making her stand out in the dim night. This attracted a group of black car drivers who started to chat with her, and two of them even whistled lewdly.

"These rascals, daring to harass decent women." Xiao Dan, who had just transferred from the silk factory to the main factory yesterday, was furious and wanted to go down and teach them a lesson.

Han Bo raised his arm to check his watch and asked, "Yongliang, you have sharp eyes. Have most of the people from the eastern road passed by?"

"I've seen the night shift schedules of several workshops. Most of them have passed, and Wang Xia should be the last one."

"Commander Gao, I'll drive over and warn them."

"Okay."

It was high time to warn them. Xiao Yan and Xiao Dan were excited and quickly put on their caps.

Starting the engine, confirming there were no cars or people on the road, Han Bo sharply turned the steering wheel, crossed the road, and drove straight to the group of men who had been making a commotion.

"What are you doing? Do you drive like this?" The bald man was startled. The headlights were too bright, and he couldn't see who was in the car, but he knew it wasn't a police car. He slapped the car window and cursed. The black car drivers, thinking they were there to steal their business, gathered around and started to make a commotion.

With a whoosh, the side door opened.

Wu Yongliang, Xiao Yan, Xiao Dan, and Xiao Ding jumped out of the car, followed by Han Bo and Gao Changxing, who emerged from the driver's and passenger's seats.

Police! Six police officers appeared all at once!

One of them was very familiar, and the bald man was stunned, his mouth wide open. The black car drivers fell silent, no longer making a commotion, and instinctively took a few steps back.

"Who was the loudest just now?" Gao Changxing raised his flashlight, his presence intimidating.

"Uncle Police, we didn't do anything, just... just made a few jokes. Really, during the crackdown, even if I had the courage, I wouldn't dare to break the law."

"Just jokes, just jokes."

"Jokes, can you just make jokes casually?" Gao Changxing exchanged a glance with Han Bo and shone the flashlight on an old-looking motorcycle. "Whose is this?"

"Mine." The bald man recognized him and admitted it honestly, his heart racing.

"Driver's license and vehicle registration."

"Officer Gao, I just bought this car for 800 yuan. I have the vehicle registration, but I haven't had time to get a driver's license. You know I don't have a job, I... I... I just want to make a living by giving rides."

"Did you buy it?"

"Really, they can vouch for me. Brother Zhang, you introduced me, you're the intermediary, help me speak up."

A man in his twenties, holding a helmet, confirmed, "Uncle Police, I can vouch for him, 800 yuan, but he still owes 200 yuan."

Not working in the public security department, nor a traffic police officer, Gao Changxing had no authority to impound the car. He turned back and asked, "Captain, what should we do?"

Han Bo put on a stern face and coldly asked, "Daring to give rides without a driver's license, what if there's a traffic accident? Let's put that aside for now. What did you do just now? A girl was riding by, what did you do? Do you know what Article 160 of the Criminal Law (1979) is about?"

This charge was well-known; many people were caught during the first crackdown, including a movie star. A black car driver, uneasy, said, "I know, it's... hooliganism."

"Since you know, why do you break the law? Why do you openly defy national laws and social morals, causing trouble, insulting women, and disrupting public order?"

"Comrade Police, I was wrong, we won't do it again."

"Considering you are first-time offenders, we'll give you a chance to reform. If it happens again and we catch you, don't blame us for taking strict action. And you, go get your driver's license immediately. No driving without a license, and no giving rides."

"Yes, I'll sign up tomorrow, I'll take the test tomorrow." This police officer was easier to talk to than the one with the surname Gao, and the bald man finally breathed a sigh of relief.

"Remember what I said. If you cause trouble again, insult women, or engage in other hooligan activities, don't blame me for being harsh!"

"Comrade Police, rest assured, we'll reform, we'll be better people."

Economic police were not public security police or traffic police, so they could only issue a warning. Han Bo glared at them a few more times, opened the car door, and left.

Cars were faster than bicycles. By the time they reached Nanhe Square, more and more female workers from the night shift were arriving from the southeast, in groups of three or five. They wouldn't be in danger as long as they weren't alone. Han Bo accelerated and drove to a tree shade near Liubao Bridge to wait for the female workers to finish their shift.

It took a while for the shift change, and the few of them chatted in the car.

"Protecting them on their way to and from work, but they don't even know. Chief Han, Commander, are we doing good deeds like Lei Feng?"

For half a month, every day, nothing major had happened.

At first, they were very enthusiastic. Over time, they felt it was a bit overdone, or even worrying about nothing. Fortunately, it was only half an hour, not like police officers who had to stake out for days and nights. Although they had some thoughts, they had no complaints, just treating it as a way to cool off at night.

Han Bo yawned and said in a hoarse voice, "It can't be counted as such. Lei Feng did things beyond his duty, while we are doing our duty."

Wu Yongliang took out a cigarette, opened the window, and chuckled, "I think it should count. Strictly speaking, guarding the factory gates is our duty, but once we leave the factory, it's not our concern."

"Yes, once we leave, it's the police's responsibility."

Mentioning the police, Gao Changxing remembered a phone call in the afternoon and said with a bitter smile, "Chief Han, I forgot to report something. The police ID hasn't been issued, and we might need to retake the photos."

"Why?" Whether or not he had a police ID didn't matter much to Han Bo, who was distracted.

"The problem is with the police rank. Our county didn't have formal economic police before, and the 'Regulations on the Management of Economic Police' didn't mention police ranks. The internal security department thought it was the same as the police with public and local compilations, so they casually wore police ranks to look official. When the photos and materials were submitted, they found out that economic police have their own shoulder badges, with a gear and a gun, and can't be given the same ranks as the police, causing a big joke."

"Will they be taken back?"

"The factory paid for them, so it doesn't matter whether they are taken back or not. The internal security department asked us to go over and get the new shoulder badges they bought, so we don't have to spend more money, and to replace them."

Without police ranks, it doesn't look like police. Wu Yongliang muttered, "Temporary workers can wear police uniforms and ranks, but we, the official economic police, can't. What kind of situation is this?"

"Only wearing them for half a month and having to change, it's too capricious."

"We won't change, even if we get them, we won't change."

As long as they are human, they have a bit of vanity.

His subordinates were unhappy, and Han Bo was equally unhappy, saying with a self-deprecating smile, "My sister always wanted me to wear a police uniform to show off back home. Wearing the new shoulder badges would look odd and only make people laugh. It seems I can't show off anymore."

Officials and workers are different, and even more different from temporary workers.

Especially for officials in the silk factory, if they were not promoted but just transferred, they wouldn't even want to be transferred to the police department, let alone to the county government.

The county had no money, and the wages of government officials and urban teachers were hard to guarantee in recent years. The silk factory had good performance, and wages and bonuses were never delayed. If overtime pay and various allowances were included, the income of officials at the same level was over 200 yuan higher than that of government departments. The sales department's income was even more exaggerated, higher than that of the county secretary and county magistrate.

Truly, they were in a fortunate situation but didn't realize it. Gao Changxing couldn't help but tease, "Chief Han, you're different from me. You're a state official. If you really like wearing a police uniform, you can try to transfer to the police department."

Before, he didn't feel much, but recently he suddenly felt that he was meant to be a police officer.

He learned to drive without a teacher, and his intuition was usually right. Anyway, his parents didn't expect him to earn money; they just wanted him to be an official, and the amount of his salary didn't matter.

Han Bo thought it made sense and couldn't help but ask with a smile, "Can I really transfer?"

"Anything is possible."

"I know anything is possible, but the highest official I know in the county is Secretary Ding and Director Qian."

"Chief Han, I was just joking. It's good to stay in the silk factory. Why go through that hardship? Even if you transfer, it would be to the county government, not to a township. Even if you were promoted to a deputy section chief, you wouldn't go."

Wu Yongliang's father was a township official, and he had the most authority to speak, saying, "You can't go. There are so many townships in the county, and most of them are in debt. At the end of the year, the secretary and township chief go out to avoid debt, not daring to stay at home."

"The police department is in the same situation. The formal police officers with special legal and political compilations receive only 70% of their wages, and those with public and local compilations rely on returns. The grassroots police stations only receive a reduced basic salary from the bureau, with no funds for investigations or office expenses. The 20 police stations owe over 400,000 yuan in electricity bills alone."

Just as he finished speaking, two white figures appeared in their line of sight, looking around suspiciously at the bridge head.

The car had already been turned off, and the lights were off. The position was quite hidden, and they didn't notice the car. They circled around the bridge head a few times, as if observing, and finally squatted at the entrance of an alley between the agricultural supply company and a store.

They must be them, those two rascals!

After waiting for over half a month, they finally arrived. Han Bo tried to suppress his excitement and whispered, "Yongliang, put out your cigarette. The two people in front are suspicious."

"Who, where?"

"Across the street, at the alley entrance." Gao Changxing also noticed and muttered to himself, "The middle school and vocational school are on holiday, the nearest residential area is over a mile away, the game halls and billiard halls are closed, and there's no one around. What are they doing here in the middle of the night?"

"Breaking into the agricultural supply company's warehouse?" Xiao Yan blurted out.

Gao Changxing shook his head, "Agricultural machinery parts, fertilizers, and pesticides. Even if they break in, they can't carry them away."

Han Bo took a deep breath and said calmly, "Keep an eye on them. If they dare to target our factory workers, we'll give them a taste of our power."

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