January 13, Monday.
Today marked the official formation of the seventh group of the Patrol Team at the Patrol Bureau; the Patrol System had already sent out the arrival times to the selected members of the seventh group.
Lin Qing arrived at the bureau on time to meet his team members.
The seventh group's office was empty; he was the only one there for now.
"I need to earn enough merit soon to learn the new Combat Skill. Maybe I'll rely on the new team members..."
Lin Qing sat behind the team leader's desk, peeling an orange he had just bought, eating and thinking.
The recent patrol missions had been smoothly uneventful; he hadn't even encountered a single Third-class Merit situation, only managing to catch a habitual thief who had a record with public security.
Just a single individual commendation that approved him a bonus of two thousand yuan, better than nothing.
He only hoped that the new member was indeed a second-generation rich kid with some clues in hand, which could allow him a share of the merit.
"Knock, knock, knock."
Suddenly, there was a knock at the door, followed by a slightly timid female voice: "Is anyone there?"
Has she arrived?
Since there were no surveillance cameras in the office, Lin Qing quickly moved his hands like a blur to gather all the orange peels on the desk into a bag within one second, to maintain the dignity of the team leader.
Then, he said, "Come in."
In walked a girl who appeared to be around eighteen or nineteen years old. She was petite, probably just a little over five feet tall, with her black, lustrous hair tied up in a bun and a retro-style forehead ornament. Her features were delicate, with deep blue eyes and a small, upright nose.
"Are you Team Leader Lin?"
The girl carefully looked Lin Qing over before asking timidly.
"Yes." Lin Qing nodded, "You must be Zhao Jiayi?"
He had already reviewed the new team members' profiles last night. This new member's appearance was pretty striking, making a memorable impression.
However, with the advanced plastic surgery techniques of this era, it's hard to distinguish a naturally born face from a surgically altered one.
This new member might have undergone surgery, adopting a mixed-race style. After all, a natural beauty like that, especially a mixed-race, is rare.
"Yes, it's me."
Zhao Jiayi nodded shyly.
"Don't be nervous, find a spot and sit down," Lin Qing said casually.
Zhao Jiayi looked around and eventually sat down at the desk opposite Lin Qing.
Lin Qing didn't mind.
As a young Patrol Officer, he was already used to this kind of treatment.
"Didn't go to university?" Lin Qing asked casually.
"No, I didn't perform well in school," Zhao Jiayi said with a blush and a shake of her head.
Lin Qing expressed his doubt: "The written exam for the Patrol Major is quite challenging, how did you pass the certification if your high school grades were poor?"
According to Zhao Jiayi's records, she was only nineteen, and being a Patrol Officer without attending university indicated average family circumstances and school performance.
Yet, the certification for Patrol Major, more difficult than the humanities college entrance examination, was something she had managed to pass, which was quite puzzling.
"I had an uncle who was a Patrol Officer, so I've been quite familiar with it since I was a child," Zhao Jiayi said somewhat embarrassedly.
"Oh, I see…" Lin Qing pretended to believe her.
The certification for a Patrol Major was complicated and strict; merely growing up around it didn't really explain how she passed.
However, he wasn't concerned with her little secret.
After a short wait, the remaining three team members also arrived: a female and two males.
A team's normal configuration was one Patrol Officer as the team leader and four patrol members, occasionally supplemented by temporary patrol officers when short-staffed.
Zhao Jiayi, Han Ying, Ruan Bing, Teng Feiyu.
These four people would be Lin Qing's team members for the coming period.
Zhao Jiayi had the advantages of attractiveness and youth; Han Ying and Ruan Bing were just ordinary official Patrol Officers, fortunately with some prior work experience.
As for the last one...
"Teng Feiyu, your profile says you have mastered the fourth and sixth edition Practice Methods?"
Lin Qing looked across at this twenty-two-year-old young man, asking, "And you graduated from Jiangnan Public Security University, why come to be a Patrol Officer?"
Teng Feiyu was rather good-looking and unreservedly calm in front of his superior, completely relaxed.
Actually, Lin Qing didn't need to meet him in person; just from looking at the file, it was clear that Teng Feiyu was probably a second-generation rich kid coming to earn credentials.
A graduate from the prestigious Jiangnan Public Security University, having mastered the fourth and sixth edition Practice Methods, could have been directly assigned to the City Bureau. Leaving behind a promising career in public security to specifically join the Patrol Bureau?
Most likely for credentialing.
After all, it was more convenient to gain accolades in the Patrol System, and acquiring merit meant learning Combat Skills.
Future transfers back to public security could land him at least as a senior police inspector, a much quicker rise than climbing through the public security ranks.
"Reporting, Team Leader."
Teng Feiyu said calmly, "The regulations of the Patrol Bureau do not prohibit graduates of Public Security University from becoming Patrol Officers."
Lin Qing slightly nodded, "That makes sense."
Confronted with such a blatant retort, he became even more certain that this young man must have an extraordinary background.
He didn't care about these things; he just wanted to earn more merits.
"Tonight is our Group Seven's first task."
Lin Qing said, "According to the rules, a newly formed Patrol Team can choose any area in the Xiao Shan District as their primary patrol zone. Additionally, if there are official Patrol Officers residing in the Xiao Shan District, they may also conduct regular patrols around their residential area."
He glanced at the four team members and said, "Does anyone live in the Xiao Shan District?"
According to their files, these team members had all been transferred from other districts by the City Bureau, and none of them were from the Xiao Shan District.
After all, nowadays unmanned transportation was developed; traveling anywhere within the scope of Lin'an City didn't take much time, and the Xiao Shan District wasn't considered remote.
However, if someone had specifically moved to the Xiao Shan District and rented a place, they could take this opportunity to apply for a patrol.
Just like on the day he was officially appointed, Group Leader Han had specifically taken him to patrol on Iron Stone Street as a demonstration, which was also for ensuring the safety of the Patrol Officers.
Hearing Lin Qing's words, Ruan Bing and Han Ying both shook their heads.
"Reporting, group leader."
"Group leader, I live in the Xiao Shan District."
Both Teng Feiyu and Zhao Jiayi spoke up simultaneously.
Lin Qing looked at the two and said, "Both of you live in the Xiao Shan District? Tell me the locations, I'll check if there are any tasks."
Zhao Jiayi hesitated to speak first, whereas Teng Feiyu immediately said, "Reporting, I live in New Century City on Changshui Street in the Xiao Shan District."
Then, Zhao Jiayi said, "Um... I live in Time Square on Xin'an Road in the Xiao Shan District."
Lin Qing searched for patrol tasks near these two locations on his work computer and said, "It seems there are no special tasks. Tonight, you two will lead the way for a freestyle patrol."
He was giving Teng Feiyu a chance.
If Teng Feiyu really knew where there were opportunities to earn merits, he wouldn't miss this chance.
Since he had moved to the Xiao Shan District specifically for residing, perhaps it was for the convenience offered to new members, hoping to seize the opportunity to earn merits through patrolling.
"Alright, the new group doesn't have to be on duty this month. Now, you're dismissed. Keep your phones available, pay attention to the work group, and wait for my notice to gather here tonight."
After submitting the application for the patrol task on his work computer, Lin Qing didn't say much more and closed his computer to leave.
Before leaving, he glanced at Teng Feiyu out of the corner of his eye, quietly hoping, "Don't let me down..."
Once Lin Qing had left, the people in the office began to organize their desks.
They took the opportunity to introduce themselves and get to know each other.
"Jiayi, are you sitting opposite the group leader?"
Han Ying looked at Zhao Jiayi with a smile and intentionally said, "That's right, after all, our Group Seven's leader is quite handsome."
The girls seemed to get familiar quickly, their attitudes as affectionate as if they were sisters.
At least on the surface.
"It's not like that..." Zhao Jiayi's face turned slightly red.
"It's nothing. Although the group leader looks mature and stable, he seems to be a year younger than you, right?" Han Ying laughed softly, teasing her, "Actually, you two are quite a match."
Zhao Jiayi lowered her head and said, "I don't mean that..."
"Haha, why are you so shy?"
Han Ying started to laugh, and suddenly noticed that their neighbor Ruan Bing hadn't cleaned up his desk much, she asked with curiosity, "Ruan Bing, aren't you going to tidy up?"
"No need."
Ruan Bing shook his head indifferently: "I am transferring to Group Three on Wednesday. If it weren't for just arriving at the Xiao Shan District Bureau and it being inconvenient to change, I would probably have gone directly to Group Three already."
Han Ying was somewhat surprised.
She knew this kind of maneuver; wanting to transfer from another branch to a specific group was quite troublesome. Usually, it was easier to first apply to transfer to a new group and use this new group as a stepping stone to transfer within the bureau.
"It seems you have some connections in the bureau," Han Ying said. "But isn't Group Leader Lin pretty good? Young and promising, I heard that Group Leader Lin's sister was the previous team leader too."
"He does have potential, but I've also been working for many years."
Ruan Bing shook his head, "I can't wait for the new group leader to slowly mature, and whether it's experience or capability, Group Leader Lin ranks last among the seven group leaders in the bureau. The key issue is that if the group leader lacks strength, the patrol tasks also aren't very safe, and moreover... I still want to make more money."
Teng Feiyu looked at him, frowning slightly, but said nothing.
Han Ying understood Ruan Bing's point.
In the end, it was because the new group leader lacked strength, and the patrol tasks weren't safe enough, and also because he didn't have enough connections and influence, making it tough to gain extra benefits.
"It's true. I heard that Group Leader Lin just mastered the Fourth Edition Practice Method a month ago. Although he learned a Combat Skill, he has just started," Han Ying nodded her head, "In terms of capability, he indeed ranks the lowest among the seven group leaders."
Anyway, Group Leader Lin wasn't there, so the team members could speak more freely in private, discussing only the facts.
"Are you saying that Group Leader Lin has just started learning Combat Skill?"
Unable to hold back, Zhao Jiayi asked, "Really? Is it a newly learned Combat Skill?"
"Yes," Han Ying looked at her curiously, "I think it's only been over half a month."
Zhao Jiayi uttered an "oh" and didn't speak further, continuing to tidy up her stuff.
However, in her eyes, there was a hint of astonishment.
"How is that possible... he clearly..."