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Zhao Guodong walked down the road with a dejected air, his bag slung over his shoulder. 。There are just some clean clothes in there, and a few textbooks I brought back from school that I thought were still valuable, as well as a few self-study books. 。Being busy day and night in the criminal police team, like a wound-up machine, I hardly have time to read. Maybe one day after this, I'll have some free time to read. 。The sun in early summer was already quite fierce, baking him all sweaty. He pulled his white undershirt up over his shoulders and walked with his head down. 。He took a bus to the neighboring county, which didn't go through Jiangmiao Street. There were a few kilometers from where he stood on this road to the police station on the street. This distance wasn't much usually, but today it felt especially unpleasant. 。All the vehicles and people in the team rushed to Dongting. It was rumored that a body had been found on Maotou Mountain in Dongting Township, and the local police station's preliminary investigation indicated that it was an unnatural death, very likely a case. 。Once a case is filed, it becomes a homicide, and the noose around the necks of the criminal investigators tightens immediately. 。These days, once a murder case happens, the higher-ups don't ask anything else, they just want to know when you'll solve it. They don't care if there are any leads or not. You and your team work yourselves to the bone for a month, and if there aren't any valuable clues, if you can't come up with even a single scrap of information, then just wait to see the leader's angry face. 。But all of this had nothing to do with himself. Thinking about this, Zhao Guodong felt a little schadenfreude, but this joy was like smoke and instantly dissipated. He was immediately troubled by the situation he was facing. 。The Criminal Investigation Division, such a resounding and domineering name! A criminal investigator, who wouldn't give them some respect when they walk out the door? Although they work themselves to the bone, once they step out of the Public Security Bureau, even their chests stand a little taller than others. 。Whether it's a government official or a street thug, who wouldn't give him a second glance? To be frank, just walking up to girls, this alone would add a few points. But all of that is in the past for me. 。Three police academy students were assigned to the criminal investigation team at the same time. This year, Jiangkou County had a rare opportunity to have three graduates from the Provincial Public Security Vocational College all at once. 。In previous years, they would be assigned to the city districts for a year or two at most, staying within several divisions or bureaus. This year, with the allocation policy tilting towards grassroots level, the three of them were sent back to the county's criminal police team together. While they felt some resentment in their hearts, being part of the criminal police team was still somewhat reassuring... 。After all, it's a specialized unit. They could learn a thing or two about investigations. 。Now, I'm all alone. Kicked out of the criminal investigation team, forced to leave in disgrace. I ended up being assigned to a remote outpost, the Jiang Miao police station, forty kilometers away from the county town. It's a bitter pill to swallow. 。The sun was scorching, burning Zhao Guodong's neck and shoulders like fire. Zhao Guodong looked up ahead. It was almost lunchtime, with few people on the road. There were rice paddies all around. There wasn't a place to rest in the shade. 。Zhao Guodong couldn't help but reminisce about his nearly year-long experience as a criminal policeman. No matter how hard or tiring it was, there was always a group of people to keep him company. They would chat and laugh, making even the dull or arduous moments bearable. Now, he was alone on this journey, taking each step with purpose, which made him feel strangely out of place. 。I should have left earlier. Who knew we'd run into a murder case at work? Suddenly, only two of us were left on the team. Man was really considerate and even rode his bike to take me to the bus station. 。I never expected to hitch a ride on a passing vehicle, which saved me five cents in fare. However, it dropped me off two miles outside Jiangmiao Town's main street. 。Zhao Guodong was a little absent-minded, remembering how he had sat on the back seat of the bicycle earlier and lightly held Man's waist. He felt a strange feeling... 。After doing that thing with his friend Tang Jin, Zhao Guodong discovered that he seemed to have unearthed a buried twenty years' worth of himself. 。The feel of her waist, it was so intoxicating, making his mind reel, almost making him mistake her for Tang Jin. His hands wouldn't stop reaching, wanting to climb that peak. 。Man Ye is also one of the three police academy students, but he's not in the same class as himself. Instead, he's in the same class as Huang Hua. 。She's adorable, with a round face that resembles a doll, especially her long, curved eyelashes. They flutter so alluringly when she blinks. I heard the guy nicknamed Huang has a thing for Man, but it doesn't seem like anything is progressing between them. 。A bicycle bell rang, and a bicycle whizzed past. 。Zhao Guodong walked on without raising his head, pondering how to report this. Should he act humble and submissive, feigning disapproval, or maintain a nonchalant and carefree demeanor?He hadn't even been given an assignment, let alone a formal criticism. Yet everyone knew that being transferred from the criminal police unit to a rural police station, especially if it wasn't a promotion to the position of chief, was considered a punishment, a form of exile with a distinct flavor of demotion. 。"Big eggplant?!" The voice from the front suddenly pulled Zhao Guodong's thoughts back. Big eggplant?Zhao Guodong was stunned. It had been many years since anyone called him that nickname. The nickname should have come from his time in the factory school junior high, named after a boring competition in the boys' restroom one day. The boys had all held their breath to see who could pee the highest. Although he didn't win the championship, his pile of head was seen by his companions, and because he was the oldest son at home, the name Big Eggplant came into being. 。But that nickname was also something classmates dared each other to use in private. Zhao Guodong had always been ashamed of it, and anyone who dared to say it to his face would definitely pay the price. 。However, after trying out the wonders of two things at the police academy, Zhao Guodong never rejected this nickname again. However, no one ever called him that again. 。Zhao Guodong raised his head and squinted at the bicycle in front of him. The guy on the bike had a face full of pimples, one foot resting on the ground, the other pedaling, with a look of surprise as he grinned widely at himself. 。"Guo Dong? Is that you?" The other party also seemed a little uncertain, and then shouted again. 。It was a little blinding, but Zhao Guodong raised his hand to shield his eyes and glanced at the other person. His appearance hadn't changed much, still that wretched look. However, he had grown taller, seeming even taller than himself. He wore a blue vest, and his thick back looked sweaty. 。"Changqing?" Guo Dong's heart lifted immediately. This old man! Coming back right away and going straight for his old classmate, the previous despondency was instantly diluted. 。"Ha, what are you doing walking around here? Exercising? Don't you find it awfully hot?" A bicycle suddenly pulled up in front of Zhao Guodong, the pungent smell of sweat almost making him cover his nose. 。"Get the hell out of here!" Zhao Guodong wasn't polite either, jumping into the back seat with a grunt. "Drive, to Jiangmiao Street. I'm burning up in this heat." 。Wu Changqing pedaled his bicycle vigorously, and after five minutes, Zhao Guodong and Wu Changqing were already enjoying the cool breeze under a fan in a restaurant. 。A plate of fried peanuts, a dish of braised pork head, a bowl of steamed buns, a serving of stir-fried dishes, and a bottle of Liu Langchun beer, two classmates have already started to drink. 。"Guo Dong, what's going on? You said you were a policeman at the county criminal police team. I haven't seen you come back for a long time. I was even planning to go to the county to see you. How did you just walk back?" Wu Changqing also took off his vest, showing off his strong physique. He picked up a piece of pork head and stuffed it into his mouth, then took a big gulp of wine. 。It's hard to put into words. 。"Zhao Guodong, learning from those unfathomable words spoken by the high and mighty in martial arts novels, found himself unable to explain this return clearly for a while. 'I won't say more, let's just say we're back. From Jiang Miao police station, heh heh, I went around in circles, and now we're home.'" 。Both Zhao Guodong and Wu Changqing were from the Andu First Cotton Textile Mill. However, the mill wasn't located in Andu City or even Jiangkou County town. It was situated in Jiangmiao Town, 40 kilometers away from Jiangkou County town, and still several miles outside of Jiangmiao Town itself. 。This is an old factory built in the late 1960s. It is said that it was originally built to produce military supplies, but later this claim mysteriously disappeared. 。Thousands of people built a huge factory in Jiangmiao, a place that wasn't even a town, let alone a village. It's no wonder those veteran workers have always felt some regret. 。"Hee hee, it's Hu Hansan again, those pretty girls in our factory are going to be unlucky." 。Wu Changqing took another large gulp, and casually said as he did so. 。"Damn, what are you comparing me to? Hu Hansan? I'm wearing tiger skin, do you think I'm an * or a bandit?" Zhao Guodong didn't mind, classmates together didn't have so many scruples, Wu Changqing was also a straightforward person, used to fight first, his nickname was "Stickman," "What workshop are you in at the factory now?""Machine repair workshop" 。After taking another swig, Wu Changqing's face flushed slightly, and the pimples on his face seemed even more prominent. "Damn it, my family has no connections. I wanted to go to the water, electricity, gas, and vehicle workshop, but all the spots were taken long ago." 。Zhao Guodong saw Wu Changqing drinking a little too quickly. After so many years, he didn't really know this fellow's tolerance for alcohol. He hoped he wouldn't get drunk in a few rounds. 。The machine repair shop is an auxiliary workshop in the textile factory. While the workload isn't large, the wages are also limited and there isn't much profit to be made. Unlike the water, electricity, and gas workshop, which controls the lifeblood of the entire factory, it naturally brings in a lot more revenue. 。"Take your time, no need to rush." 。“Zhao Guodong is already unfamiliar with the factory.” 。 |
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