Chapter 213

Liu Jinghui didn't take Jiang Yuan along either, to protect him.

He didn't yet know the specifics of the case, but in Liu Jinghui's view, some cases were too dirty to send a young, promising technical police officer like Jiang Yuan into.

Liu Jinghui still wanted to see the situation for himself first.

Jiang Yuan had a rough understanding of Liu Jinghui's thinking and didn't insist on going to the coal mine.

He wasn't omnipotent—even crime scene investigation required first confirming where the crime scene actually was. Such a vast coal mine might require entering mine shafts, and under poor conditions with such a large area, Jiang Yuan currently couldn't make much impact.

In terms of his attributes, Jiang Yuan was still better suited for alley warfare and small-scale, precise investigative work.

After spending a few hours in Qinghe City, Jiang Yuan returned to Ningtai County with Wang Zhong.

Back home, the two Dobermans rushed over happily.

The two dogs were still young, their fur soft and bodies tender—the perfect age for cuddling.

Jiang Yuan lazily lay on the sofa, one dog in each hand, gradually relaxing until he fell asleep.

When he woke again, the house was filled with the rich aroma of meat, and a tall, muscular man stood at the door.

Jiang Yuan jolted awake.

"Farzi is awake," Aunt Hua said, cracking sunflower seeds on the side, spitting the shells onto the floor just like she had twenty years ago—though she always swept them up before leaving.

"Auntie," Jiang Yuan rubbed his eyes and stood up, then compared himself to the tall man at the door and realized the man was even taller and more muscular than him.

"Son," Jiang Fuzhen came over with a soup ladle, patting the tall man at the door, "this is your Qiang Uncle—remember? You used to play with his gun when you were little."

"Qiang Uncle! Ah, I remember—he came back after retiring from the military," Jiang Yuan's mind instantly conjured the image of a man in uniform.

After his wife's death, Jiang Fuzhen never remarried, fearing a stepmother might harm Jiang Yuan's growth. Thus, he maintained ties with his wife's family, visiting them during every holiday.

Qiang Uncle was Jiang Yuan's maternal uncle—he had served in the military, fought in battles, and earned commendations.

Jiang Fuzhen added: "Your Qiang Uncle's house also has a Second-Class Merit award. His was won in combat—much harder to earn!"

"A commendation is a commendation—it's all the same," Qiang Uncle chuckled, his voice rough.

Jiang Fuzhen laughed heartily and said, "Tell Jiang Yuan how you earned it."

Everyone nearby gathered around, curious about the towering Qiang Uncle.

Qiang Uncle wasn't shy—he smiled and said, "I joined later. Our squad's mission was to capture a prisoner. My two comrades and I were in support behind, while they went ahead—and got ambushed. The enemy had a reinforced platoon; we had only one squad. I told the other two to reinforce, then circled around from the other side and killed over a dozen enemies with my dagger, including their officer…"

Everyone listened in awe.

Jiang Yuan looked again at Qiang Uncle's nearly two-meter height and suddenly found him imposing and formidable.

"Your Qiang Uncle has other heroic deeds," Jiang Fuzhen swung his ladle. "Later, when he drove a truck, he encountered highway bandits robbing a bus. He took a wrench and fought back—killed two, subdued three—and was publicly commended by the local police station, even featured in the newspaper."

Qiang Uncle smiled: "The passengers on the bus helped too."

"I know this story well. Everyone on the bus was too scared to move, but you stepped forward—swung the wrench straight at the leader's head, then stabbed one, hit him with the wrench, stabbed another, hit him with the wrench… Two had hard skulls and lived, two had soft skulls and died, and one knelt down."

Qiang Uncle laughed: "I only killed the leader with full force. The other three—I held back."

Aunt Hua clapped enthusiastically: "That deserves a Second-Class Merit too."

Jiang Yuan and Qiang Uncle both laughed.

Seeing the mood was good, Jiang Fuzhen said, "Son, I've asked Qiang Uncle to come help. The house is too big—I've been worried about your safety lately. Let him guard it, and bring some presence."

"That's perfect," Jiang Yuan agreed immediately. He'd caught his father's meaning, and with a Second-Class Merit and a record of bravery, Qiang Uncle was clearly trustworthy.

"Good. Qiang Uncle will sleep in the guest room, and train the two dogs too. There's a baseball bat already in the room. I'll get you a metal skewer for roasting lamb—we just need to be prepared for anything." Jiang Fuzhen immediately made arrangements.

Qiang Uncle agreed without hesitation.

He was fifty now, and driving long-haul trucks was wearing him down—he earned less and less. He'd once made good money hauling freight, but it had all gone into building a house back home, marrying, raising children, and paying for his parents' medical care and funerals. Now he wanted to buy his son a house and save for a dowry—he needed a high-paying job.

Jiang Yuan chatted with everyone for a while, casually sharing what he could with Qiang Uncle.

Qiang Uncle's demeanor instantly sharpened. Once the others had eaten and left, he said: "If there's a situation, I'll buy supplies and set things up."

Jiang's father asked: "Set up what?"

"Windows, doors—they all need modification," Qiang Uncle said, rising to his full two-meter height with a formidable presence. "I was an expert in laying landmines back in the day. Leave it to me."

Jiang Yuan then went back to his bedroom to catch up on sleep.

For the next three days, Jiang Yuan rested at home.

Criminal investigators get no overtime pay—part of their monthly salary already covers it, but it's minimal.

After prolonged or extended work, they can take compensatory leave.

For units like the Criminal Investigation Team, after any long-drawn-out homicide case, there's a long period of non-response—and few ever manage to use up all their compensatory leave.

Take leave when you can—that's the right way.

Workday.

Jiang Yuan drove his G-Wagon and didn't arrive at the office until afternoon.

The office was thick with smoke.

Jiang Yuan was startled, then realized Wang Zhong was lighting incense.

Wu Jun stood beside him, helping him hold the incense and light it…

After both prayed devoutly, they gathered up the various items.

"What's this for?" Jiang Yuan remarked, amused—Wu Jun's odd habit was contagious.

Wang Zhong sighed: "Ward off bad luck."

"What happened?"

"I met a female net friend—she looked great. We agreed to have dinner, and at the end, the bill was 8, 00 yuan—and no discount." Wang Zhong sighed.

Jiang Yuan snapped alert: "A wine trap?"

Wang Zhong nodded heavily: "I thought I was pretty charming."

Jiang Yuan laughed: "If you arrest them, you'll be charming."

"I arrested them," Wang Zhong said.

"You did it alone?" Jiang Yuan was surprised—wine traps usually operated in groups; a single delicate girl couldn't swindle that much. And Wang Zhong, as a technical officer, wasn't known for combat strength.

Wang Zhong shook his head: "I sent a message to Captain Wu—he came with the team."

"How many?"

"Seven," Wang Zhong said. "The First Squad had nothing else going on—they sent half their people, arrested the entire staff from boss to employees, and they're interrogating them now."

"Damn! You cleaned out the whole nest—like Zhu Bajie drinking porridge and swallowing the pot too."

Wang Zhong's spirits lifted a bit: "The medal's mine, the First Squad's, and yours too. If you hadn't offered to set me up with someone, I wouldn't have even chatted with her…"