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墨書 Inktalez
The conference room was shrouded in smoke, filled with people seated all around. An energetic old man sat in the center, while another elderly man with white hair sat beside him. The former was the Minister of Public Security, and the latter was the Vice Minister overseeing the Special Investigation Team's action plan. At that moment, dusk had fallen, and the conference room remained dimly lit.
"The plan for the establishment of the Special Investigation Team," the Vice Minister said as he surveyed us, "has been in execution for over a year now. Among them, aside from Task Force One, all other teams have been carrying out their missions for more than a year. Therefore, the department has decided to commend them."
"Second Team Leader!" the Vice Minister called out.
"Present!"
"After research by the department, it has been decided to promote you to First-Class Inspector, and your team members will be promoted to Third-Class Police Superintendent. Do you have any objections?" the Vice Minister stated.
The Second Team Leader saluted and replied, "I comply with the organization's arrangements."
The Vice Minister nodded and continued, "Team Three Leader."
"Here!"
"Similarly, after research by the department, you will be promoted to First-Class Inspector, and your team members will be promoted to Third-Class Police Superintendent. Do you have any objections?" he asked next.
The Team Three Leader responded, "No objections!"
The Vice Minister hesitated before calling upon our special task force, causing everyone to feel a bit anxious. The excited expressions of Teams Two and Three stood in stark contrast to our group's despondent demeanor. However, my current concern was no longer about promotions; it was about whether our team would even remain intact or face disbandment.
The Vice Minister distributed documents to each team member and personally replaced their badges. He then patted their shoulders and said, "A year can feel long or short; you've worked hard. The department has granted you a month off—go home and relax. In a month, there will be more important tasks for you to undertake. For now, you may leave."
"Understood!"
In the large conference room, only six of us remained. The Vice Minister sat down and fell silent. We exchanged awkward glances; it was incredibly uncomfortable, yet we didn’t know what to say. I noticed that the other three were sitting stiffly—some fiddling with their fingers while others stared blankly out the window—so I realized that this burden still rested on my shoulders.
"Vice Minister, Minister," I cleared my throat and said, "our team..."
Before I could finish my sentence, the Vice Minister, without looking up, said, "You guys are still together? As far as I know, your team was disbanded. What are you doing here? Waiting for the Minister to promote you? I've heard you've made quite a splash recently. Did you make it on TV?"
I felt a wave of despair wash over me. I should have just stayed silent; after saying just a few words, I was already being bombarded with questions that made me question my life choices. I replied softly, "What TV? That was just a minor incident. I wouldn't dare think about promotion; you know my situation. Honestly, I'm at a lower rank than my team members..."
"Oh, so you still want a promotion!" the Vice Minister remarked.
I forced a smile and said, "Not at all. It's just our team has solved quite a few cases. Even if we don't get credit, we've certainly put in the effort. Promotion isn't necessary; of course, it would be great if it happened. Actually, we're here to ask you to re-establish our team."
At that moment, the Minister slammed his hand on the table and said, "If I remember correctly, you were the one who suggested disbanding the team in the first place. Do you think this is some kind of place where you can come and go as you please?" His face darkened as he continued, "And promotion? If I don't dismiss all of you right now, consider it me showing mercy!"
We had once confronted the Minister in front of many people and embarrassed him; now we were desperately trying to get our Special Investigation Team back together. Anyone would find that hard to accept, and I knew it well. However, his words felt strangely familiar. These past three months had taught me that we had grown accustomed to this life; even if offered a fortune, leaving the Special Investigation Team would be impossible for me.
I had no choice but to plead, "Wasn't it just being too young and too naive back then? Young people always make mistakes; we've reflected deeply on it. If not, you could demote us; I wouldn't mind starting over as a Second-Class Officer."
The Minister's expression softened slightly as he turned to the Vice Minister and asked, "If I remember correctly, what’s his current rank again? Second Inspector, right?" The Vice Minister nodded heavily.
"Where else could you possibly drop to?" the Minister said. "As a police officer, even if it's just based on seniority, you'd be promoted faster than this! I've seen you many times at commendation ceremonies; am I really going to demote you? To be honest, you're not even at a rank where I could demote you—do you understand?"
"I understand," I quickly replied. "You've seen me multiple times at commendation ceremonies; the problem is you've never attended any criticism meetings. Otherwise, you'd realize this kid is equally adept at both!"
The Minister and Vice Minister exchanged glances before bursting into laughter, and my teammates joined in as well. A glimmer of hope sparked in my heart; perhaps things were looking up. Sure enough, the Minister gradually stopped laughing and said, "To be fair, your Special Investigation Team has solved quite a few cases in such a short time."
I nodded in agreement.
The Minister continued, "As you said, even if there’s no credit due, there’s still effort involved—quite an accurate statement. The Second Unit and Third Unit have all been promoted; aren't you feeling a bit envious? Speak honestly."
"How could I not feel envious?" I replied earnestly.
"Ha ha," the Minister said. "You, kid, to be honest, among all these teams, you're the one who causes the most trouble. Every day, you give me a headache. But that being said, I actually value you quite a bit among all these teams. It's quite strange, don't you think?" The Minister turned to the Vice Minister.
The Vice Minister nodded and replied, "You may not know this, but this kid used to follow Li the Tiger around. With Li the Tiger's temper, he couldn't do anything about this kid. Li the Tiger has never taken shortcuts in his life, but he made an exception just once for this kid."
"Is that so?" The Minister asked in confusion.
"When the Special Investigation Team was being formed, this kid missed the selection," the Vice Minister recalled. "Li the Tiger personally called me to recommend him. You have to understand, Li the Tiger hasn't asked me for anything in years. I went to Yuzhou City without saying a word, just to test this kid. Sure enough, he figured out my identity."
After saying that, both of them laughed, and I joined in with a grin as I heard the Minister say, "Laughing again! Let me ask you, next time something like that happens, are you still going to shout about disbanding the Special Investigation Team?"
I immediately became serious and said, "Of course not! To be honest, if anyone tries to disband the Special Investigation Team now, I'll be furious!"
The Minister nodded slowly and then said, "Well then, since that's the case, I'll temporarily reinstate your Special Investigation Team. Don't get too excited; while the team is reinstated, there will be no promotions or demotions within it. Can you accept that condition? Don't say I’m being unfair or favoring the other two teams."
"I can accept that! Absolutely!" I replied.
"Then Yan Junde, before your resignation you were a Third-Class Police Superintendent; now I'm demoting you to a First-Class Inspector," the Minister stated. "Is my punishment too harsh?"
Yan Junde immediately saluted and said, "Not at all! I'm willing to accept the punishment."
With the Special Investigation Team reestablished, we were all indescribably happy. Especially me; it felt like a double harvest of love and career success. I felt like it wouldn't be long before I reached the peak of my life. I said, "Minister, Vice Minister, actually I knew over a month ago that you would definitely reinstate the Special Investigation Team."
Hearing my words, both of them showed puzzled expressions and asked in unison, "Oh? Tell us more!"
I nodded and explained, "Back when I was still in Cangtai City, I booked a plane ticket through internal channels. The internal permissions showed that I still held the position of team leader for the Special Investigation Team and had not been removed from it. From that moment on, I was certain that within two months our Special Investigation Team would rise again and regain its strength..."
"You kid are truly born to be a detective!" The Minister exclaimed. "Did you hear that? The Second Unit's third team is on holiday now, but your team cannot take a break. The specifics will be discussed by your Vice Minister."
We walked out of the conference room, and I knew that the Vice Minister had been quite concerned about this matter. I quickly said, "Thank you so much, Vice Minister!"
He smiled and replied, "No need to thank me; it was all the Minister's decision. We have all lived through your age, and although the passion in our hearts has mostly faded, there are some things deep down that can never be worn away. For various considerations, we have to make compromises, but there are certain people and certain matters that cannot be compromised."
"You are those kinds of people, and the Minister is no different," the Vice Minister said with a smile. "Each level has its own way of doing things, but deep down, we are all the same. Sometimes, we old-timers really envy you. The reason we established the Special Investigation Team and granted you such high authority is precisely for this."
We nodded in agreement and saluted the old officer.
After the salute, I asked, "From what I saw just now, is there another case?"
"That's right," the Vice Minister replied. "There is a case, and the suspect has been apprehended."
"The criminal has been caught?" I asked in confusion. "Then what do we need to do?"
The Vice Minister stroked his chin and said, "What you need to do is to extract the criminal from someone's heart."
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