104: Chapter 104 Taking on a Critical Mission

These words were like a spark, instantly igniting a flame of hope in Qi Tongwei's heart.

His fingers tightened unconsciously around the teacup; a few drops of scalding tea splashed onto the back of his hand, but he didn't even feel the pain.

"Thank you, Director He. I will definitely give it my all."

Qi Tongwei nodded solemnly, his voice laced with irrepressible excitement.

Walking out of the office of the Director, Qi Tongwei's heart was still pounding fiercely.

A beam of sunlight filtered through the corridor window, landing on his sharp, angular profile, bright enough to dazzle.

Qi Tongwei knew clearly that this might be an opportunity to change his fate. If he hadn't offended someone back in school, with his abilities, he could have established himself even in the Municipal Public Security Bureau after graduation. At the very least, he should have been in the County Public Security Bureau. How could he have been exiled to this backwater Police Station?

But ideals were just ideals; the reality was that the guy's father had too much reach. Not only did he block his job placement, but he also made the leaders at the County Public Security Bureau afraid to promote him.

Otherwise, based on the cases he had solved in the past two years, he would have been qualified to be a director of a Police Station.

Previously, Qi Tongwei had long given up hope on his official career—at least as long as that person's father was still in power. He just thought about working hard and helping Director He Guodong share his burdens, which would be a way to repay the care he had always shown him.

He never expected that he would now catch a glimmer of hope to break the deadlock.

It was an unspoken consensus throughout Guantian Township that Li Dakang had an extraordinary background.

If he could use this case to establish a connection with Li Dakang, his path might just take a turn for the better and lead toward a brighter future.

A light brighter than ever before flashed in Qi Tongwei's eyes. He gritted his teeth inwardly; no matter what, he had to seize this opportunity. Not only did he need to prove himself, but he also had to let those who looked down on him and blocked his path see that he, Qi Tongwei, was not a fish in a small pond—sooner or later, he would swim into wider waters.

If the heavens were unfair to him, he would fight for it himself and win half a move against heaven.

Afterward, Qi Tongwei gathered a few young police officers and auxiliary police from the Police Station—capable helpers who were close to him and had assisted him in solving many cases—to hold a case analysis meeting.

"Brothers."

Qi Tongwei's voice was steady and powerful: "This case concerns not only the stability of Guantian Township but also the reputation of our Police Station. Director He has signed a military pledge; we absolutely must not let him fail."

He walked to the blackboard, picked up a piece of chalk, and began to go over the case: "Judging from the modus operandi, the thief is very familiar with the terrain of each village. It should be a local or someone who has stayed here for a long time."

The chalk made a "swishing" sound on the blackboard, leaving clear white marks.

"Looking at the timing, specifically choosing to strike during the busy farming season and in the dead of night suggests they know a thing or two about anti-reconnaissance."

"Xiao Zhao, take some men and go over the recent theft cases again. Focus specifically on the modus operandi and patterns."

"Yes!" Xiao Zhao immediately noted it down in his notebook.

"Sanzi."

Qi Tongwei looked at another dark-skinned police officer: "You go and reassure the villagers, and at the same time, mobilize everyone to provide clues. Remember, the eyes of the masses are sharp."

Qi Tongwei's voice carried a sense of drive: "This time, we have the backing of the Township Government, sufficient funding, and the newly recruited Joint Defense Team Members. We have the right timing, the right place, and the right people on our side. This case must be solved!"

"Yes!" The response in the conference room was uniform, filled with a sense of determination.

In the following days, the personnel of the Guantian Township Police Station threw themselves entirely into the livestock theft case.

During the day, they went from village to village searching for clues, and at night, they split into groups to stake out the villages.

The twenty newly recruited Joint Defense Team Members relieved the urgent shortage of manpower, and that van also made their operations much faster.

Qi Tongwei was at the forefront, often staying up until dawn. Piles of case files stacked high on his desk, and the walls were covered with case analysis charts. When he was tired, he would curl up on the office sofa, and when hungry, he would gnaw on a cold steamed bun.

Director He Guodong saw this and specifically instructed the cafeteria to save him a hot meal every day.

Meanwhile, the Vegetable Base in Guantian Township was established. The Township Government stepped forward to lease over three thousand mu of land from the villagers and set up an agricultural cooperative.

With several village cadres taking the lead, over three hundred villagers joined the cooperative, contracting the Vegetable Base in sections.

The farmers whose land was requisitioned could receive several hundred to a thousand yuan in land transfer fees per mu per year, which was more than what they could earn farming the land themselves for a year.

Li Dakang even personally sought out Secretary Chen Bin, the secretary of Municipal Party Secretary Guo Zhenhua, and used his connections to sign supply agreements with several large agricultural markets in the city, just waiting for the vegetables to ripen to send them over directly.

...

That morning, sunlight shone through the window, illuminating Li Dakang's office brightly.

Director He Guodong stood outside the door with Qi Tongwei, straightened his police uniform collar, and lightly knocked on the deep red-painted wooden door.

"Please come in." Li Dakang's calm voice came from inside.

When they pushed the door open and entered, Li Dakang was looking down, reviewing documents. He only looked up when he heard footsteps.

"Director He?"

Li Dakang put down his fountain pen, raised an eyebrow, and said with some surprise: "How do you have time to come over today?"

His gaze swept between Director He Guodong and Qi Tongwei, and then he seemed thoughtful: "Could it be that there is progress on the case?"

Director He Guodong straightened his back, his voice trembling slightly with excitement: "Secretary Li, I have not failed your mission. The case is solved!"

He purposely emphasized the last two words, as if to pour out all the pressure he had been under during this period.

Li Dakang leaned forward slightly, resting his crossed hands on the desktop: "Oh? Solved?"

His tone remained calm, but a trace of approval flashed in his eyes.