"Hello, is this 110? I need to report a case!" A restless male voice came through the phone.
"This is the 110 Call Dispatch Center, may I ask you..."
The operator was interrupted before she could finish her sentence: "Our company seal is missing, someone pried open the safe and stole the seal!"
Upon hearing this, the operator actually breathed a sigh of relief, as it wasn't a crime involving immediate personal danger. However, her curiosity was piqued.
She had seen such seal thefts in the news before, and some joked that real business warfare isn't like what's shown on TV at all.
"Please don't worry, first tell me your personal information, your company's name, the location of the incident, and the situation at the scene... Have you asked your colleagues if someone used it and forgot to return it?"
The latter two questions were added by the operator herself. Based on experience, many theft reports are not actual thefts but rather family or colleagues taking something and forgetting to notify the person involved.
There's also the situation where the person involved loses something or forgets where they put it, and to shirk responsibility, they claim it was stolen, calling the police in hope of retrieving it.
"The safe was pried open, it must have been a thief!"
"Does your company have surveillance?"
"Yes, we just checked the surveillance, and no one went in."
"Please safeguard the scene and the surveillance records, do not touch anything further, police officers will arrive shortly."
...
"Hello, is this 110? I need to report an emergency!" A panicked female voice came through the phone.
Operator: "May I ask what happened?"
"Apples, a plate of apples!"
The 110 Call Center operators often hear this sort of incoherent talk. Many people, in sudden situations, are emotionally unstable, their thoughts fragmented, and they often speak about the matter that provoked them most intensely rather than stating specific details.
Operator: "Don't panic, please describe the incident, what about the apples?"
"Before taking a shower, I personally cut a plate of apples and placed them on the coffee table. When I finished showering and came out, they had turned into a plate of tangerines, peeled tangerine segments!"
Operator: "We have recorded your number, may I have your personal information and current address... Is there anyone else at home?"
"No! I'm single, living alone on the twentieth floor! I checked, the windows are closed, and the door is locked, I looked through the house and there's no one else..." The caller's voice trembled, already choking with sobs.
Operator: "Since the door is locked and no one else is inside, you don't need to be afraid now..."
The operators at the call center undergo training to remain calm regardless of the bizarre incidents they hear and to guide the reporting individual to quickly clarify the key information.
Honestly, the operator was also somewhat baffled at this moment, this matter seemed too ridiculous: taking a shower and discovering the apples on the coffee table turned into tangerines, then calling the police?
But her comforting had no effect, as the caller's tone became even more hurried: "I summoned the courage to check every room and cabinet... The more I checked, the more afraid I became. I now suspect there's an invisible person in the house!"
Operator: "Does your residential community have entry surveillance? I suggest contacting property management to check surveillance, to see if anyone came."
Caller: "I contacted property management, they are the ones who suggested I call the police... If it's an invisible person, surveillance can't capture them!"
Faced with such an occurrence, the operator couldn't suppress her curiosity: "Are you sure you didn't remember incorrectly? Maybe you thought you took apples, but were distracted and unconsciously peeled a tangerine?"
Asking this was somewhat out of line; her duty was to record the reporting details and relay them to the corresponding department for execution. But people aren't perfect machines, even machines make errors.
The caller's voice abruptly turned sharp: "Impossible! Absolutely impossible! The apples were bought downstairs, there are no tangerines at home, and the apple peels are still in the trash can!"
Typically, the operator shouldn't debate with the caller, only remind them to reconfirm the facts. The operator asked once more: "Please check again, are there any tangerine peels in the trash can?"
After a few seconds, the phone emitted a sharp, nearly uncontrolled voice: "No, no tangerine peels! Only apple peels, where did the apples go!?"
...
"The case of the missing seal was from three days ago, a colleague received that call. The apple to tangerine case happened just last night, fortunately I was the one who took that call.
You advised me that whenever I encounter something very absurd, defying common sense and logic, I should immediately notify you. I feared it would be unclear over the phone, so I arranged to meet you."
The speaker was a young woman, appearing to be in her early twenties, quite pretty.
She wore a light blue long-sleeved uniform shirt on top, slightly fitted, making her chest look full and giving off an energetic vibe; her epaulets showed no police rank, indicating she likely worked in an administrative role within the police department.
Sitting across from her was a man, appearing to be in his thirties, initially seeming handsome, with good facial features and skin tone, yet he gave an impression that was somewhat forgettable once you looked away.
This was in a corner coffee shop, their seating not by the window, but a booth by the wall with a partition. It was afternoon, there were few customers, and the neighboring seats were empty.
Despite discussing strange topics, the man spoke with a calm demeanor, appearing composed. The woman, on the other hand, was a bit startled and jumpy, her expressions varied, showing surprise, curiosity, bewilderment, among other feelings clearly on her face.