Chapter 19

The suspect was caught, and now the next step was to expand on this success. Zhu Yongmin asked, "Where is the video hall?"

"It's in the old cement factory dormitory on Xingda Road. Comrade Xia has just inquired about the specific location. He wants us to assist and plans to take a suspect to identify the place, then hand over the suspect to you."

The Chengxi Police Station acted quickly, even thinking to ask for their assistance.

But it made sense. The textile factory security department had vehicles and personnel, and the economic police squad was more capable than the neighborhood watch team. One police officer could handle the situation with their help.

A step too late, the raid on the video hall wouldn't involve the criminal investigation team. Zhu Yongmin had to settle for the next best thing: "Then what?"

Han Bo briefly explained the sequence of events. They caught the suspects in the act, with witnesses and evidence. The two suspects confessed to the crimes, leaving the criminal investigation team to handle the follow-up.

The taller suspect was put into the police car and taken back for further interrogation to see if there were any other crimes. The shorter suspect couldn't be taken away immediately; the Chengxi Police Station would finish investigating the illegal video hall and then send him over. The victim was shocked and going to the criminal investigation team wasn't appropriate, so they would take her to the factory to record her statement.

The Chengxi Police Station had helped during the night market cleanup, and the security department couldn't stand by when the station needed help. Gao Changxing had only been driving for a few days and wasn't skilled, and no one else could drive, so Han Bo had to be the driver and accompany them.

The minivan, which could only seat eight people, was packed with twelve. Wu Yongliang was squeezed like a pancake but was still in high spirits. Fortunately, it wasn't far, and they arrived in a short while.

Some of them stood guard outside, while the others went in with Officer Xia from the police station, burst in, and found the video player and the pornographic tapes. Running an illegal video hall and distributing obscene material, especially if minors had watched, meant the suspects had to be taken to the station.

There wasn't enough room to take everyone back in one trip, so they had to make two. They didn't finish until 3 a.m., and only after helping the police station deliver the shorter suspect to the criminal investigation team did they return to the dormitory to rest.

News spread quickly, and by the next morning, everything had changed. As he entered the cafeteria, the staff and workers gathered around him.

"Director Han, if it weren't for your foresight, something serious would have happened. Is Ji Xiaojuan from the second workshop injured? Is she coming to work today?"

"Director Han, you guys are amazing, catching them in the act and getting two suspects. You're better than the police!"

"What kind of people are these two hooligans?"

"I heard they had knives. Did they resist when you caught them?"

"Director Han, you're incredible. We just found out that you patrol at midnight every night, secretly protecting us on our way to and from work. It's not too late to take preventive measures. We'll listen to you and have our families pick us up for night shifts. If no one can pick us up, we'll stay in the factory."

...

The security department had always been seen as a group of slackers, on the fringes of the factory, never receiving such a warm welcome.

Being welcomed and respected felt great. Han Bo felt warm inside, invited them to sit down, and smiled, "Protecting the property and personal safety of the unit and its employees is our duty. However, our resources and energy are limited, and we need everyone's cooperation. I'm glad you've learned from this experience.

As for last night's case, the police are investigating, and I can only reveal a little. Ji Xiaojuan from the second workshop has a minor scratch on her arm and was shocked, but it's not serious. The two suspects are from our county, one in his early twenties and the other nineteen. They committed the crime during the crackdown, which is serious and has a bad influence. They might be sentenced to three to five years."

"Director Han, I heard they had knives. Were you afraid when you caught them?" a female worker asked curiously.

"They had knives, but we had batons. They were two, and we were six. We were in police uniforms, and we are economic police. Evil cannot prevail over good. How could we be afraid? Criminals are guilty and afraid of the police, so they try to run."

"Did you catch them when they ran?"

"They ran in different directions. I and Yongliang caught one, and Instructor Gao and Xiao Yan caught the other."

"Exciting!"

"For us, it's not that exciting, but for Comrade Ji Xiaojuan, it was. Think about it: two criminals rob and then try to assault. After the assault, what would they do? They didn't cover their faces, and Ji Xiaojuan could identify them. To escape legal punishment, they might have killed her."

Han Bo tapped the table and said seriously, "According to their confession, after they had the idea of committing robbery and assault, the first target they thought of was our factory's night shift female workers. If they could think of this, other criminals could too. Therefore, everyone must be vigilant and pay extra attention when working night shifts."

"Director Han, rest assured, we won't walk alone at night anymore."

"I'll have my spouse pick me up, no matter how busy they are."

"By the way, why didn't Xiaojuan leave with the others last night? She had a ride."

"Her tire was punctured, and she couldn't fix it. She had to borrow a car from a colleague in the third workshop, which delayed her." Last night, they almost called it a night, and Han Bo was still shaken by the incident.

The security department was seen as a group of slackers, and the propaganda department was in a similar situation.

Back in the office, just as he was about to study the Civil Code with Fang Ruming, the head of the propaganda department and a staff member arrived. They opened their notebooks to help the security department organize the materials. This was a political task and an achievement of the textile factory's party committee. The materials would be reported to the county political and legal committee, so they had to cooperate.

They asked detailed questions for nearly an hour and took notes on several pages.

After they left, Fang Ruming teased, "Director Han, you're a hero now. Perhaps in a few days, the entire county's political and legal system will learn from your advanced deeds."

"Just catching two suspects, if that counts as an advanced deed, the police have plenty of them."

"You're different from the police. They are supposed to catch criminals."

"Economic police are also police and have the duty to maintain public order."

"Your squad was just established and has already achieved results. The higher-ups will definitely promote it."

Han Bo opened the Civil Code and sighed, "I don't want to be promoted; I just want to pass the exam. I have no foundation and am cramming at the last minute. I'm really worried about failing and being ashamed to face the people of Jiangdong."

"You've seen last year's exam; it's not that difficult. With your current progress, it shouldn't be a problem."

As they were chatting, Police Chief Xu from the Chengxi Police Station arrived, accompanied by Gao Changxing. The security department and the police station had a close relationship, so they had to warmly welcome him.

The raid on the illegal video hall was a significant success, but Police Chief Xu wasn't happy. He took a cigarette and sighed, "Director Han, something serious happened during the crackdown. The bureau leaders are very dissatisfied with our work and have asked us to strengthen patrols. You know the situation at the station. The jurisdiction is so large, and with the neighborhood watch team, we only have a dozen people. We only have one three-wheeled vehicle. How can we patrol effectively?"

...

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