Chapter 208 - 208 200 Transparent

Words : 2008 Updated : Sep 23rd, 2025

208: Chapter 200 Transparent 208: Chapter 200 Transparent “Director Huang... Director Huang, good morning.” When Mu Zhiyang said this, he completely let go; he hit rock bottom. Anyway, it wasn’t working hours now, and even if he knelt on the bed and kowtowed eight times to Huang Qiangmin to prove his submission, Huang Qiangmin probably wouldn’t believe him, right? Mu Zhiyang wouldn’t believe it himself. Nowadays, people visit the Chenghuang Temple and only kowtow three times. You see a seven-meter-eight crocodile, and you kowtow eight times—whom are you kidding? Besides, Mu Zhiyang’s leg was still in a sling, he couldn’t turn over, let alone kneel—it was physically impossible for him to be so subservient. Huang Qiangmin was amused by Mu Zhiyang’s “Director Huang.” The corners of his mouth, which were at 44.4 degrees, suddenly turned into 48.48 degrees. Huang Qiangmin said, “Good morning, Captain Mu. How’s your recovery going?” Mu Zhiyang, trying to come across as humble, said, “Captain Huang, we were just talking big...” “I know, you young people chatting and all,” Huang Qiangmin said with a smile, as if to comfort Mu Zhiyang, then added, “A soldier who doesn’t want to be a general isn’t a good soldier. Ambition isn’t something you should cover up with boasting, and there’s no need to hide it either. ‘Captain Mu’ sounds pretty good too.” At this point, Jiang Yuan, having had his fill of watching the spectacle, chuckled and asked, “Captain Huang, how long are you planning to stay? Is there a case?” “Why? You interested in a case?” Huang Qiangmin was still a little dissatisfied deep down. Having one’s own workhorse being constantly pulled away by the rich landlords to break new ground—what kind of situation was that? However, it was routine for the county bureau to have its best and brightest called up by the city or provincial bureau. Many young police officers, just graduated for a few years, were called up by higher authorities. Most of the youngsters didn’t understand and thought they were being given an opportunity, eagerly making their way to the higher authorities. In reality, the chance of being kept on after a secondment was much lower than the chance of making it into the higher department through public exams, and it required a lot more effort. It was somewhat equivalent to not being able to get into The Great Learning through college entrance exams, so deciding to take part in an Olympiad to get in instead. Or, not being able to enter the palace through the draft, so deciding to become a famous courtesan in order to seduce the emperor and get in that way. In the end, the outcome was generally the same: the county bureau got a broken and wilted body, and the internet was left with many posts filled with dreams and youth. Of course, Jiang Yuan’s situation was a bit different. Jiang Yuan’s high-end racehorse nature and its exploitation were all too covert... In a daze, Huang Qiangmin’s smile widened to 66.6 degrees, and he sincerely said, “There haven’t been many cases in the county lately, almost no theft cases at all, so I’m here to report. Since you’re free, you can come along with me...” “I’d rather not go,” Jiang Yuan wasn’t keen on going too far from home. Huang Qiangmin clapped his hands with a snap, “It’s good you’re not going.” The air in the ward grew slightly cooler, and there was a bit of an awkward silence. Then, Huang Qiangmin laughed again and patted Mu Zhiyang on the shoulder twice, “Take good care of yourself, Mu. This time, I’m planning to have a serious talk with the leaders about getting some funding, preferably to make up for the overdue bonuses.” Jiang Yuan was a bit surprised, “We have overdue bonuses?” Under Huang Qiangmin’s hands, Mu Zhiyang obediently said, “Sometimes we’re owed a few months of overtime allowance and such; when it adds up, they’ll issue it all at once.” Jiang Yuan suddenly realized, “That explains why the money my dad sent had some odd amounts.” With that, Jiang Yuan took another glance at the text message alert, sat to one side, opened his mobile phone’s notepad, and made a note: Salary received plus four months of overdue bonuses, totaling: 14,760.16 yuan. Then, he adjusted the previous “Dad’s WeChat chat – meal subsidies plus leadership meal subsidies plus second-class merit award” of 64,760.16 yuan to 50,000 yuan. Looking at it now, it certainly seemed more pleasing to the eye. After watching Jiang Yuan finish up, Huang Qiangmin asked, “I happened to run into you, and I’m planning to mention equipment upgrades to the city bureau. Do you have any suggestions?” The county bureau’s funds partly came from the county government and partly from allocations from the city bureau and the provincial department. For things like equipment upgrades and the introduction of new technologies, it was mainly the city bureau and provincial department that provided the funding. Jiang Yuan thought for a moment and said, “I think our crime scene investigation equipment could be updated. Additionally, if possible, fingerprint-related equipment too.” “Sure, I’ll mention it to the leaders,” Huang Qiangmin couldn’t make the decision himself, but he took note of it. ... In the following days, Jiang Yuan, together with Wang Lan, completed the last two autopsies and their reports, then returned to Ningtai County. Ningtai was still that quiet and peaceful little county town. The freshly fallen rain had thoroughly soaked the soil of the county town. In the old district’s alleys, some still paved with blue bricks from a couple of hundred years ago, the essence of life was most palpable. Naturally, the residents nearby, who were still willing to live in their own homes rather than renting them out as guesthouses, were originally the rightful dwellers with a life of substance. Jiang Yuan drove his car, circling the old streets before heading to the police station via the freshly constructed city avenue. Ever since he mastered Image Enhancement Technology, Jiang Yuan would occasionally drive slowly around the county, stopping from time to time, just to observe the blind spots of surveillance cameras. Image Enhancement Technology only gave Jiang Yuan the ability to process images; the most basic skill of the Image Investigation Team, such as tracking surveillance cameras, was actually something Jiang Yuan lacked. But it wasn’t hard to learn. Many basic officers on the Image Investigation Team also hadn’t mastered too many “core technologies”; it was nothing more than having seen a lot, being exposed to a lot, and having a higher proficiency. For example, for the Zhou Kehua case, which was solved using image technology, over a thousand police officers were deployed, and they watched nearly 300T worth of surveillance videos, equivalent to 830,000 movies in total length. The image experts watched for 15 months before they found a clue. Ordinary people who work so diligently for 15 months usually can pass a civil service exam and get a less demanding job. The world of criminal investigation is actually sustained by a group of people who don’t give it much thought and yet think about it a whole lot. And they might even be getting underpaid. Jiang Yuan had no Image Investigation mentor to teach him. However, he had a foundation and was knowledgeable about the field. What he was doing now was the most basic yet most troublesome work for Image Investigators, which was to recognize the local cameras. He noted their locations, knew their orientations and ranges, and understood the nearby environment... Even if the system later provided skills, the things Jiang Yuan was practicing now wouldn’t be lost. It was like learning about footprints; constantly looking at the patterns of shoe soles. There was no secret technique involved, nor was it something that produced results overnight; it’s about accumulating knowledge over time, observing whenever there is a spare moment. Gradually, he became thoroughly familiar with the imaging system of a county. It might update or be reconstructed in the future, but the core content wouldn’t change. Jiang Yuan felt that if he were given a few more months, and updated the cameras in some key locations, then if there were no major incidents such as homicides in Qinghe City over a period of three to two months, he could potentially eradicate all the thieves in Ningtai County. Not just catching the current offenders but also pulling in a bunch from old cases. Especially those petty thieves who get out of prison after a few months; with one more confirmed case, they’d have to serve another year or so, and if three or four cases were confirmed, with an aggravated punishment, five to seven years would pass by. Once a thief, never just once. Especially the skilled ones, those deft with their hands, they had to be forged through countless trials and errors. Without breaking a couple of sewing machines, their physical development wouldn’t even be balanced. “Uncle Li, busy as usual,” Jiang Yuan arrived at the county bureau’s parking lot, rolled down his window, and greeted the security uncle. “Oh, Jiang Yuan is back, and with a new car?” Uncle Li walked out of the guardhouse beaming with joy. Jiang Yuan got out of the car, offered a cigarette, and handed over a newly opened pack of Zhonghua. “No need, no need...” Uncle Li declined. “It’s been a long time, making up for the ones before,” Jiang Yuan said with a smile as he stuffed the Zhonghua into his upper pocket. When the people of Jiang Village weren’t so wealthy before, the most common job for the men was to work as security guards. That included Mr. Jiang from Jiang Fuzhen, who probably had worked as a security guard for a while without ever telling Jiang Yuan. After all, even just during the first time of demolition, Jiang Village couldn’t be described as rich, they were merely escaping poverty. Except for a few who spent excitedly, most people cautiously held onto their demolition compensation and then went to the city to look for work. Young, energetic, and ambitious people mostly headed for the big cities, leaving behind middle-aged and older men, especially ones like Mr. Jiang, who had children at home and no wife; they could only look for jobs nearby the county town. Working as a security guard was a smooth choice. Uncle Li was also a villager nearby, just less fortunate, who didn’t get his turn in demolition or perhaps only went through one round of it. He returned the favor of a cigarette to Jiang Yuan and then slapped his forehead, “I totally forgot, a notice from upstairs a couple of days ago mentioned a parking spot in Area C became available, reserved for you.” Area C was the region between the criminal investigation team and the county bureau, facing the doors of the two buildings, which couldn’t be more convenient. Initially, the spots in this area were for the leaders’ personal cars. After some minor reforms in the public car system, many leaders preferred to walk a little further rather than parking there. As a result, parking spots for well-regarded senior colleagues and leaders from higher-level units were arranged in Area C. It was considered a minor, hidden benefit. Jiang Yuan hesitated for a moment, then whispered, “Saying it’s for my use? Isn’t that inappropriate?” Uncle Li couldn’t help but glance at Jiang Yuan’s police rank and said in a low voice, “It’s most appropriate for you, really nothing wrong with that.” “Uh... alright. Is there a specific spot allocated for me?” “You can choose from any of the available ones, just register for C16. That spot is the largest and the most convenient for entry and exit,” Uncle Li smiled and noted it in the guardhouse log.

Chapter 208 - 208 200 Transparent

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