“Of course not!” Lu Shimiao adjusted the duty belt around her waist. “You just got here and there’s still a ton to do. You need to get your uniform, your body cam, your police gear. I can’t exactly have you chasing suspects in just a black blouse, can I?”
As she spoke, Lu Shimiao’s eyes fell on Xue Tong.
In the middle of summer, the woman wore a standard-issue black blouse, its long sleeves folded to her elbows. The fabric hugged her shapely figure. Two collar buttons were undone, and just above her snowy collarbone, half a hickey peeked out.
“Button that.” Lu Shimiao couldn’t bear to look any longer and averted her gaze, voice laced with guilt.
“Button what?” Xue Tong had her hands tucked into her jeans pockets.
Lu Shimiao saw the woman playing dumb, pursed her lips, and walked right up to Xue Tong. She reached out, fastening the collar buttons one by one, then neatly tucked the ID badge inside the collar.
“Are you trying to give me heatstroke?” Xue Tong felt the kid’s hand accidentally brush her chest. A shiver ran through her, and she reached up to grab the hand. She relished the kid’s closeness and possessiveness, but the sensation was just too… sensitive.
“L-let go,” Lu Shimiao stammered, glancing nervously around. They were in the police station.
Xue Tong obediently released her hand and shrugged.
“Time for work.” Lu Shimiao clasped her hands behind her back and headed for the Criminal Police Unit.
The moment she stepped into the main hall of the unit, Lu Shimiao was a different person. Her eyes sharpened, scanning with vigilance, her nerves on high alert. Xue Tong was completely forgotten. Xue Tong simply followed behind her, looking more like an intern.
Lu Shimiao knocked on the administrative office door and leaned halfway in. “Lili, I’ve brought the Superintendent to collect her gear.”
Lili had been slacking off at her computer. The mention of the Superintendent snapped her to full attention.
“I’m going to the office to man the hotline. You take her to get her things. Remember to escort her back to the office later.” Lu Shimiao leaned close to Lili’s ear and whispered a warning, “And don’t you dare tell any of my embarrassing stories.”
Lili nodded vigorously and whispered back, “Got it, got it. My ship, I will protect it.”
“You’re sick.” Lu Shimiao rolled her eyes and promptly fled.
Xue Tong watched the kid’s flustered escape, her tone returning to its usual coolness as she asked Lili, “Is she always like this?”
Lili shook her head, looking utterly starstruck. Her eyes were glued to the female Superintendent’s chic blouse look today.
She’s noble, she’s capable.
She’s so ascetic.
She is perfect for our Little Officer Lu.
“Hello, how should I address you?” Xue Tong asked politely.
“Ren Lili, admin for the Criminal Police. Just call me Lili.”
“Alright. How about we add each other on WeChat?” Xue Tong took out her phone, ready to set her net.
“No problem.” Lili took out her own phone, utterly delighted.
Following the admin staff towards the equipment room, Xue Tong asked, “Would it be alright if I ask, what does Officer Lu like to do in her downtime? Knowing a bit more will help us communicate.”
Lili glanced back at Xue Tong. “Little Officer Lu… doesn’t have downtime.”
No downtime? Xue Tong didn’t quite grasp what that meant.
Remembering Lu Shimiao’s warning, Lili pointed to the large commendation board hanging on the wall from the Public Security system.
“Advanced Individual in Criminal Case Solving. Prize-winning machine for the police force. First place in the multi-discipline police competition. Team Leader of the Serious Crime Unit’s Forensics Team. These only show the tip of the iceberg of our Officer Lu’s excellence.”
…
Xue Tong’s brow furrowed. “Then… has she ever had time for a relationship?” Realizing she might be overstepping, she quickly added, “I just notice she doesn’t seem to have time for her personal life.”
Lili nodded. “Although our Officer Lu is outstanding, she’s very ascetic.”
Ascetic?
This kid might have an abstinent-looking face, but she has plenty of tricks in bed.
Xue Tong couldn’t help but shake her head internally.
“Rumor has it our Little Officer Lu only had one relationship and was heartlessly dumped. The emotional trauma was too much, so she chose to become a nun,” Lili rambled on, oblivious.
“Dumped?” Xue Tong froze mid-step, her voice deepening. “When was this?”
“Hmm… before she joined our police force, I think.” Lili tried to recall, mentally calculating the timeline, and suddenly she stopped in her tracks too.
She might just be an admin for the Criminal Police, but she still possessed investigative instincts. Lu Shimiao joined the force not long after… wasn’t that about four years ago, during her exchange program in Hong Kong?
And then she thought about the phone call their Hong Kong counterparts had made before Xue Tong’s arrival. Lili bit her lip, as if she’d just unearthed a colossal secret. She stole a glance back at Xue Tong.
The shock and concern in Xue Tong’s eyes were unmistakable.
Oh no. Her ship might actually be real. This… could this be a ‘crematorium chasing the wife’ plotline?
Xue Tong pressed a hand to her forehead and quickened her pace. “Let’s go. Let’s get those supplies.”
She needed to clear this up with Lu Shimiao immediately. Find out who actually dumped whom.
Duty uniform, ceremonial uniform, tactical gear, training uniform, standard-issue uniform.
Xue Tong was now holding a massive pile of police uniforms. Lili was juggling a thick stack of documents, and the bag she carried was full of police equipment.
The two took the elevator up to the Criminal Investigation Department. Lu Shimiao was waiting for them the moment they walked in.
The instant she saw them, she moved to take the uniforms from Xue Tong’s arms.
Lili observed Lu Shimiao’s demeanor and confirmed to herself once again: there was definitely something going on between these two.
“Delivery complete. I’m off to my shift.” Lili handed the things to Lu Shimiao and vanished.
The elevator lobby was left with just the two of them.
Xue Tong stood holding the duty uniform, watching Lu Shimiao crouch on the floor, inspecting each piece of uniform one by one… So, when this kid left Hong Kong, she truly believed Xue Tong had dumped her?
Letting out a sigh, Xue Tong spoke softly, “Lu Shimiao, shouldn’t we…”
Her suggestion to talk was cut short. An officer from the Criminal Investigation hall’s reporting desk shouted out the window, “Team Leader Lu!! You’re needed at a fire scene for investigation.”
“A fire?” Lu Shimiao heard the call and immediately dropped the clothes, ignoring Xue Tong completely. “Any casualties?”
“Affirmative.”
“Then tell the duty team to find someone else to search the female suspect. I’m heading to the scene.” Lu Shimiao scooped the clothes off the floor and headed for her office. Xue Tong could only swallow her words and jog after her.
Reaching her office, Lu Shimiao clapped her hands. “Large-scale shopping mall fire scene investigation.”
The office instantly erupted in grumbles.
“Aaagh, a fire investigation. This kind of job kills you.”
“From Team Leader Lu’s tone, sounds like another serious case coming our way?”
“My head is killing me, and I haven’t even finished analyzing this online fraud voice sample yet.”
“We depart in ten minutes.” Lu Shimiao was annoyed too, but she still issued the final ultimatum to her office.
Having said that, she turned to Xue Tong. “Go get changed. It’d be a shame to stain your blouse.”
“Okay.” Xue Tong nodded, took her duty uniform, and went to the locker room.
Fifteen minutes later, the police car arrived at the crime scene on schedule.
A black haze hung over the mall. The thick smoke in the surrounding area hadn’t dispersed yet. Through the car window, Lu Shimiao choked and coughed. The mall’s perimeter was packed with citizens taking photos with their phones.
A large number of community police were evacuating the area. Ambulances shrieked by, one after another. It was impossible to count how many fire trucks and SWAT vehicles had arrived.
Lu Shimiao looked at the chaotic scene, her heart clenching.
In just over ten minutes, life and death were decided by a single fire. She felt like a black crow, always bringing the worst news to every crime scene.
She sat in the car, activating her body cam. She took a professional-grade mask from her pocket and handed it to Xue Tong. “Put this on.”
Pulling the car door open, Lu Shimiao stepped out, carrying her forensic kit.
Sirens blared across the sky. The Fire Brigade and community police were waiting for them—the forensic officers.
A firefighter approached Lu Shimiao and extended a hand. “Hello, Fire Brigade Captain, Xing Qing.”
Lu Shimiao shook his hand and quickly said, “Hello, Forensics, Lu Shimiao. We need to establish the cordon perimeter. I need the first-responding officers to brief us on the situation.”
She scanned the area. The surging crowd was trampling everywhere. If the scene was significantly compromised, it would be a disaster.
The reporting officer quickly briefed her: “We arrived within five minutes of the call. The fire started on the penthouse floor and spread downward. Twelve casualties. Witnesses to the fire have already been sent to the hospital.”
Lu Shimiao: “…Twelve? What about the person who called it in? Are there any eyewitnesses currently available?”
“The caller reported it after seeing thick smoke from outside the mall,” the officer answered.
Xing Qing, his face smeared with ash under his fire helmet, asked, “The fire has been brought under control. Are you going in?”
Twenty-seven-year-old Lu Shimiao’s brow was furrowed deeply as she directed officers twice her age. “We need to sweep the scene first to determine the cordon lines. You need to clear these civilians out of the area immediately and seal off the entire street.”
