latelenovela Chapter 268 Becoming a Policeman
Chapter 268 Becoming a Policeman
"Given my condition, as long as I have a job and can serve the country again, that's enough! I will obey the orders of my superiors!" Xiang Peng glanced at his broken leg, shook his head, and said.
"Excellent! Brother Xiang has a high level of awareness! No wonder you are a meritorious soldier who has made outstanding contributions in battle." Seeing Xiang Peng's good attitude, the lieutenant became even closer to him.
"The country is in dire need of talent right now, and there is a shortage of personnel in all areas. We would be extremely grateful for veterans like you who have been tested by war!"
"Now the imperial court is implementing military and political reforms. The garrison troops in various prefectures and counties will be disbanded and replaced by armed police forces. The former constables and yamen runners will also be reorganized into police officers to maintain local order."
“Both of our county’s departments are short of officials right now, Brother Xiang, you might want to consider it,” the lieutenant said, handing Xiang Peng a cigarette.
"The armed police force will probably still be involved in the future, but with my legs like this, I can't go into battle. I'd better become a policeman and maintain order!" Xiang Peng took a puff of his cigarette and thought for a moment before saying this.
"Alright! I suppose County Lieutenant Cai, oh no! I should call you Director Cai now. Hehe! Director Cai will surely welcome a meritorious person like you to the police station." The lieutenant laughed heartily.
"Wait a moment, I'll issue you the certificate right away!" The lieutenant picked up a document and began filling it out based on Xiang Peng's discharge certificate.
"Okay, take this to the police station to report!" A moment later, the lieutenant took out a stamp, stamped a red mark on the document, and handed it to Xiang Peng.
"Thank you!" Xiang Peng stood up, saluted, and limped out with the documents in his hand.
"How are you, second brother?" Xiang Fei saw his younger brother come out and quickly went up to help him.
"Let's go! To the police station." Xiang Peng got into the carriage and briefly explained the situation to his elder brother on the way.
“I’ve heard of the police too. Our town just got a police station. I heard they’re stationed there, and they’re supposed to handle things like murder, arson, fights, and disputes.”
"Second brother, when the time comes, make sure you talk to the commander. It would be best if you were assigned to our Heyang Town. That way, it'll be closer to home, and it'll be easier to take care of him nearby," Xiang Fei said in a low voice.
"We'll see when the time comes!" Xiang Peng understood his older brother's meaning and nodded.
Upon arriving at the police station, I found myself in a large compound. Just inside the gate, a newly painted screen wall displayed seven large golden characters.
"The People's Police serve the people!" Xiang Peng looked at the signature and was surprised to see it was the Emperor's own handwriting. Xiang Peng immediately stood at attention and saluted the large characters.
"Young man, what's the matter?" An old man with half-gray hair and wearing a light green military uniform walked over.
"Sir, I'm the old reporter!" Xiang Peng handed over his identification documents.
"Good, good! A hero returning from Japan! A true man. Come with me!" The old man took the document, looked at it, and said to Xiang Peng with admiration.
Cai Ming was drinking tea in his office; he was fifty years old. He had originally thought he would just retire as a county magistrate, but who knew he would encounter a change of dynasty.
Fortunately, he was usually careful in his work and had no bad records. He was retained by the new regime and became the police chief after the reform.
He was old and had no ambition; he only wanted to retire peacefully. The new dynasty had many rules, and he was always careful, afraid of breaking the law.
The emperor rose to power in Shandong, and all new policies he implemented started there. This police station was piloted in the provincial capital a few years ago, and is now being officially rolled out across the province. Then it will be implemented nationwide.
At the same time, the courts and the Inspectorate were also established, and these legal matters were completely separated from the government. The police station would have to deal with these two departments on a daily basis and would be under the dual leadership of the prefectural police station and the county government.
Clarifying these relationships has already given Cai Ming a major headache. He's heard that the imperial court is drafting new laws, which law enforcement agencies like theirs must learn.
The transition period between the old and new laws is the most troublesome, and Cai Ming constantly reminds herself to be careful in her actions and not to make a mistake.
"Knock knock knock, report!" A knock on the door interrupted Cai Ming's thoughts.
"Come in!" Cai Ming said.
"Chief, a retired military officer has come to report for duty!" a police officer reported as he entered.
"Please let him in!" Cai Ming straightened his collar and perked up.
"Reporting, sir! Retired soldier Xiang Peng is here to report for duty!" Xiang Peng entered the office, saluted, and handed over his documents and discharge certificate.
"Please have a seat!" Cai Ming nodded with a smile.
He was initially delighted to hear that a retired officer had come to report for duty, but when he saw Xiang Peng leaning on a cane, he felt a pang of disappointment, though he didn't show it on his face.
"Lieutenant Xiang even participated in the expedition to reclaim Japan! He even received the Imperial First Class Military Medal. That's no small feat! You've worked hard." Cai Ming said with admiration, looking at the document in his hand.
"Serving in the army means protecting our country; that's a soldier's mission. It's not hard work at all!" Xiang Peng sat upright in his chair, his chest ramrod straight.
"Yes! Our police station would very much like to have you join us!" Cai Ming nodded approvingly.
Cai Ming really wanted these veterans. They had received rigorous military training and were literate, making them much more useful than his former yamen runners.
Unfortunately, the army offers good benefits and has won many battles. Now that a new dynasty has been established and the army is rapidly expanding, there are many opportunities in the military, so few people are willing to retire.
"Xiang Peng, since you're young, I'll call you Pengzi!" Cai Ming said affectionately.
"Thank you, Director! When I was in the army, my superiors all called me Pengzi." Since the director was being so kind, Xiang Peng naturally accepted the compliment.
“Okay, Pengzi! Our police station is newly established and needs people everywhere. How about this? You go down and be the head of a police station first, and take charge of the local security.”
“It’s a waste of your talent to be the director. You’ll go down there for a while. We’ll transfer you back to the bureau when the opportunity arises!” Cai Ming nodded with a smile.
"Thank you, Director! I will obey your orders!" Xiang Peng said solemnly.
"Yes! You're from Wangjiabao Village, Yanghe Town. It just so happens that the position of director of your Yanghe Town Police Station is vacant, and we should also have a political instructor. But there's really no suitable candidate right now, so you'll have to take on both positions for now!"
Cai Ming took out the document, looked at it, and nodded.
“Don’t underestimate him just because he’s a police station chief. He’s practically an eighth or ninth-rank official. The government provides him with good benefits, and his salary is no less than what you would receive in the army!” Cai Ming remarked.
"Thank you, Director! I'm just a soldier, I'm afraid I won't do a good job!" Xiang Peng was also a little excited, he didn't expect the bureau to give him the position of director so directly. In order to take care of him, they even arranged for him to be stationed in his hometown.