Chapter 9 Promotion
At the Interrogation Room of the Police Department.
Alexander twirled a pen in his right hand and softly asked the girl in front of him, "Feeling better?"
"Yeah." The girl brushed her hair aside, her eyes slightly vacant, and her face still showing signs of shock. She hesitated for a moment before nodding.
Alexander glanced at her condition, got up, walked over to the water dispenser, and poured her a cup of water. He placed it on the table, saying, "Drink some water. If you feel unwell, you can go to the hospital for a check-up."
"Thank you, but... there's no need to go to the hospital. I don't have any external injuries." The girl picked up the cup, thanked him politely, and took a deep breath. "Go ahead and ask."
"Alright, I'll start then." Alexander sat down again, holding the interrogation notebook, and began recording, "Name?"
"Emily Johnson."
"Age?"
"20."
"Gender?"
Emily was a bit confused. "Can't you tell?"
"We have to ask for the recording," Alexander explained with a smile.
"Female."
"Place of residence?"
Emily hesitated for a moment upon hearing this. "Stardust City."
"You're from the capital of the special district?"
"Yes."
"What brings you here? Work or relocation?" Alexander, though inexperienced in interrogations, found the form simple and easy to understand. He asked very detailed questions to avoid any mistakes in his first interrogation.
"Work."
After confirming the basic information, Alexander prepared to ask about the case, "You were kidnapped. Where did it happen? Do you know who the perpetrators are?"
"I'm not sure. I just got from..." Emily was about to answer when the office door suddenly opened, and Mr. Charles walked in with Andrew and others.
Alexander glanced back, immediately stood up, and greeted, "Mr. Charles."
"Interrogating?" Samuel asked with his hands behind his back.
"Yes, just verifying the basic information," Alexander replied.
"Hello, Ms. Johnson." Samuel nodded at Alexander and then extended his hand to Emily, greeting her politely, "I'm the Chief of Police, Mr. Charles."
"Hello." Emily nodded and shook hands with him.
"Someone's here to pick you up. You can leave now." Samuel pondered for a moment and then smiled. "We'll handle the case. The remaining suspects won't get away."
Hearing this, Alexander was curious. Samuel hadn't been in the room earlier, yet he knew the girl's name and seemed ready to let her go without further questioning. Alexander took a closer look at the girl. She was about 5 feet 7 inches tall, slender, and delicate despite some dirt and messy hair.
Andrew mentioned that Emily resembled a famous celebrity, but Alexander found her more appealing. Her eyes were larger and more expressive, and her body proportions were better. Most importantly, her skin was smooth like silk, indicating a well-off family in this era.
Clearly, Samuel's sudden visit and decision to release her without further questioning had a reason.
After a brief conversation with Samuel, Emily and the others went downstairs.
Five minutes later, downstairs, a few middle-aged men got out of an electric car, exchanged pleasantries with Samuel, and hurriedly left with Emily. Alexander noticed the car's pass, indicating it was from Pine City's publicity department.
After watching Emily leave, Samuel made a few phone calls and then called out, "Come to my office."
"What's up?" Alexander turned to Andrew and asked.
Andrew scratched his nose and whispered, "You're lucky. You just arrived and already caught the leader's attention. But it's normal. Capable people shine anywhere."
Hearing this, Alexander felt more confident.
A few minutes later, in the office, Samuel patted Alexander's shoulder and sighed. "I knew you were capable, but your performance surprised me."
"It was just luck." Alexander grinned.
"I'm really proud!" Samuel couldn't hide his joy as he paced the room, laughing and cursing, "The main suspect has several major cases against him and was on the wanted list. He fled to the anarchic district two years ago, making it impossible for us to catch him. But as soon as he returned, you took him down. I can brag about this at tomorrow's meeting. You've done an excellent job since you arrived, deserving praise."
Alexander listened quietly without interrupting.
Samuel sat down, lit a cigarette Alexander had given him, and continued with some regret, "If it were someone else, they could jump from a Level 3 officer to Level 1 immediately. But it's challenging for you. You've just arrived, and your information has been in the system for less than twenty-four hours... If I promote you now, it might cause some talk."
Andrew interjected, "Credit is earned through risking one's life. Alexander caught the main suspect and shot him, rescuing the hostage. This is the fact. If you're afraid of criticism, how can you lead?"
"Think before you speak," Samuel, usually calm, awkwardly glanced at Alexander and scolded Andrew.
Andrew blinked and fell silent.
"Alexander, the credit is yours, and no one can take it. However, the situation in the department is complicated. Promoting you immediately might not look good." Samuel looked at Alexander expressionlessly. "But we have time. Let's take it slow."
"Mr. Charles, you've helped me a lot. I'm content." Alexander smiled. "It's not a big deal."
"I'll promote you from trainee to Level 3 within a month. I'll also have someone write a case report and send it to the police headquarters, aiming for a personal third-class merit for you. Once the award is approved, your promotion to Level 2 by the end of the year will be natural." Samuel pondered and continued, "For now, I can't make you a team leader since you've just arrived, and no one knows you. When you become a leader sudddenly, no one will respect you. How about this? I'll talk to William and make you the deputy leader. This position is decided internally and doesn't go into the system or carry a title. Once you're familiar, I'll find a vacancy to make it official. Additionally, you'll get a $500 bonus for this case. At the end of the month, you'll receive an advanced individual award."
"Thank you, Mr. Charles." Alexander was quite pleased with the result and immediately saluted.
"Alright, that's it." Samuel waved. "You two can go now."
"Rest well," Alexander said."Let's go." With that, Alexander and Andrew left together. Samuel took a sip of water, ready to go home, when the phone rang.
"Hello?" Samuel greeted.
"Mr. Charles, I wanted to ask about the case report. How should we handle David's situation? Should we consider William's influence...?" the man asked.
Samuel paused. "I've heard about his situation. David wasn't there to arrest anyone. Highlight this fact...".
The next day at noon, in the hospital.
"What did they say?" David, lying on the hospital bed, asked a colleague.
"The department will cover all medical expenses and apply for collective third-class merit for our team. As for financial rewards, besides Alexander, each seriously injured participant will get $750, and those not seriously injured will get $500." The colleague replied dejectedly.
David was stunned. "What about Alexander and Andrew?"
"I'm not sure about Andrew." the colleague shook his head. "But I heard Mr. Charles promised Alexander a promotion to Level 2 by the end of the year and will apply for a personal third-class merit for him. The office has already notified the team that he will be made deputy leader."
David's mind buzzed. "Is there any fairness? Is Alexander Mr. Charles's illegitimate son? I did the most and got hurt the worst. When a grenade was thrown, I thought we'd meet in the cemetery, but all the credit goes to Alexander. Why? Why does he get a personal third-class merit, and I get a collective one? Look at my wound. If I hadn't dodged, the bullet would have hit my rectum. And all I get is $750..."
"It's not up to me." The colleague rolled his eyes. "Someone spoke for you, but Mr. Charles shut it down. The main suspect was a key target, and whoever took him down gets the credit. Moreover, Alexander chased him down and shot him. And everyone knows why we went to the restaurant."
"Enough." David didn't want to hear anymore, lying back on the bed, muttering, "My mom always said I'm unlucky."
David felt wronged, believing Alexander had stolen his credit. But Alexander was also somewhat innocent because the biggest beneficiary was Andrew, who Samuel hadn't even mentioned.
Andrew was promoted from Level 1 officer to Level 3 sergeant.
He quietly became the deputy leader of the third team, and his personal third-class merit was approved within a day.
Few in the department knew about this, but those who did speculate about Andrew's relationship with Samuel, including Alexander.
The day after the small commotion ended, David's backer, William, boarded a train back to Pine City.
Log in with Google Account
Chapters
Favorite
Settings
