Jimmy had a restless night, waking up several times, worried that someone might break in and kill him or cause a gas leak to silently suffocate him to death, among other scenarios he had seen in numerous movies.
Early the next day, after washing up in the bathroom and changing his clothes, Jimmy set out for the police station. He thought it best to clarify some things and secure some safeguards in advance.
Once at the station, before the chief had arrived, Jimmy entered Amy's office, where she was alone.
"Amy, do you know how the chief is planning to handle my situation?" Jimmy whispered.
"Wait until the chief arrives and ask him. I haven't received any further instructions," Amy replied, somewhat helplessly, as these decisions were not something an assistant could make.
Jimmy shrugged and left Amy's office, heading to the break room to make himself a cup of coffee and read the newspaper while waiting for the chief to arrive at work.
"Good morning, Chief James," Jimmy greeted the chief once he arrived after a long wait.
"Hi, Jimmy, good morning. Come with me," the chief said as he led Jimmy into his office.
"Jimmy, your paperwork needs a few more days to be processed, about a week. Come back next week, and you can collect your equipment. Anything else? If not, you can head home for today."
"Chief, just one question. I don't want to know the backstory, I just want to know if my identity means taking the fall for someone or if it involves any danger, the kind of danger you know about?" Jimmy asked.
"It seems you thought a lot about this yesterday. Jimmy, I can clearly say there's no danger at all. It's a very clean identity. You're simply a good match for this identity because of your background, being single, Asian, young, and reliable. Do you feel reassured now?"
"So, is this person a Federation agent? FBI? CIA?"
"That's not for you to know. Jimmy, I'm warning you again, don't ask too many questions. You just need to know that you're very clean now."
"What do I get in return?"
"A completely new life, a fresh start, a new profession, free from loans, credit card debts, criminal records, even free from any traffic violations."
"One last question. When I start working at the station, will the others know? I've worked with a few people here when I was an AP."
"I'll take care of that. Any more questions?" asked the chief.
"No, Chief, I'll head back now," Jimmy said as he turned, opened the door, and left the chief's office.
Jimmy decided to accept this new identity. First, this new identity was definitely better than his previous one, not just because it was a police identity, but crucially because he didn't even know if his original identity might have any hidden dangers. After all, as a Chinese person, he could survive in San Francisco, so why did he end up in Arkansas? This new identity was indeed what he needed to avoid many potential risks that he wasn't even aware of. Secondly, the amount the chief had explained about this identity indicated that it was not a simple matter, whether due to the complexity of the identity itself or the people handling it, hinting at significant underlying importance.
The best approach was to fully accept his new identity and forget his previous one, always watching to see if agencies like the FBI or CIA would come into contact with him and if they would require him to dedicate his life to their cause. Of course, Jimmy hoped there would be no follow-up and that he could live peacefully.
Things had reached this point, and as the saying went, since that was the case, he might as well enjoy it.
Jimmy first withdrew his savings from the bank, anticipating that his old identity would soon be unusable. He didn't want to find himself unable to access his funds, though they were not particularly large. However, for Jimmy now, this was 90% of his assets.
As for reapplying for a bank card and depositing, he decided to wait.
After submitting his resignation to Jon, Jimmy spent the following days waiting at home. He should have taken the opportunity to go out and clear his mind, but he really wasn't in the mood—the suspense of waiting was the most nerve-wracking part.
A week later, Jimmy received a call from Amy on the public phone in his apartment, telling him he could go to the police station. He got ready and took a taxi there.
Upon arriving at the police station, Jimmy immediately saw Chief James standing at the entrance of the chief's office. The chief beckoned Jimmy into his office and handed him a folder.
"All procedures have been completed, here are your ID and a copy of your contract. Go see Amy to get equipped. Head home for today, and come back tomorrow morning at 7."
"Okay, Chief, goodbye." Jimmy went to find Amy, who issued him his uniform, badge, and the key to his personal locker. He would need to collect the Duty Belt and corresponding police weapons from the storage room himself.
Jimmy placed these items in his locker and then went back home.
It all seemed simple, but that was because all the procedures had been taken care of in advance, including the signing of agreements and receiving orders. The storage room had likely been notified in advance; Jimmy was just going to show his face, and everything was set up for him to collect.
The next day, Jimmy arrived early at the police station and went to his locker to get his familiar tan uniform and green trousers, black boots, and donned the county police badge, looking much sharper. He didn't bring the Duty Belt and gear, not knowing yet what he'd be assigned to. If he wasn't going on patrol, there was no need for full equipment.
Back in the lobby, a few people who he had previously collaborated with were already waiting for him—three county police, Noah Hobert, Mason Pittman Gilbert, Ellie Holly, as well as the chief and Amy.
"Congratulations, Jimmy. On behalf of the police station, I welcome you to the force," the chief led the applause, and everyone else clapped and smiled.
"Thank you, thank you. I am honored to join the police force and become colleagues with all of you."
"OK, Jimmy, Noah will familiarize you with things; just ask him if you have any questions," the chief began delegating tasks. "Noah, you'll take Jimmy on patrol for a while, let him get to know the local community. Everyone else, carry on with your duties. Dismissed."
"Yes, sir!"X4
"Jimmy, go get your gear first, I'll wait for you in the parking lot." Noah, being a seasoned officer, was already equipped when he changed into his uniform. Jimmy returned to his locker to gear up, placing the spare magazine, radio, baton, key pouch on the left side, and the holster and handcuff hooks X2 on the right. The weight was manageable for Jimmy. After several months of rebirth, he had consistently kept himself in shape and, working at a restaurant, was well nourished. He had regained his strength without becoming overly muscly—standing at 183 cm and weighing 75 kg, he was no longer the scrawny boy who had just crossed over.
Geared up, he walked to the parking lot where Noah had the police car running and waiting for him. Noah checked Jimmy's equipment, shook his head, signaled Jimmy to get in, and drove out of the police station to a secluded area.