The next morning, just as Han Bin arrived at the police station, he heard the notification sound from his police badge:
[Ding! Officer 577533, robbery case solved, public safety maintained.]
[Skill proficiency +2, Merit Points +6.]
[Criminal Investigation Knowledge Base unlocked.]
"What's the Criminal Investigation Knowledge Base?"
[The Criminal Investigation Knowledge Base contains a vast amount of information that can assist officers in solving cases.]
"How do I access the knowledge in the database?"
[You can exchange Merit Points for it—the more Merit Points you have, the more knowledge you can redeem.]
Han Bin's micro-expression analysis skill was a time-based skill, requiring a monthly repayment of 10 Merit Points/Proficiency.
He currently had 22 Merit Points and 4 Proficiency Points in micro-expression analysis.
To pay this month's "installment," he only needed to spend 6 Merit Points and 4 Proficiency Points, leaving him with 16 Merit Points.
"Use the remaining 16 Merit Points to redeem knowledge from the Criminal Investigation Knowledge Base."
A buzzing filled his head, and a flood of criminal investigation knowledge and data surged into his mind.
This knowledge was different from structured skills like footprint analysis or micro-expression reading—it was more miscellaneous but could play a critical role when used properly in real cases.
….
Just then, the sound of clapping echoed as Zeng Ping walked into the office:
"Everyone, pause what you're doing. We've got a meeting."
"Captain Zeng, do we have a new task?" asked Li Hui.
"Captain Zheng heard about us cracking the hospital robbery case. He's coming by to commend us."
"Really?" Tian Li asked excitedly.
At that moment, a tall, broad-faced middle-aged man entered, carrying a thermos—Team Three's Captain, Zheng Kaixuan.
"Captain Zheng," everyone stood up to greet him.
"No need for that," he waved them down.
"Captain Zheng, I heard you went to the provincial department recently," Li Hui said, making space for him to sit.
"Yes. On my way back, I heard you guys cracked a major case—with Team One's captain present too. You really made us look good." Zheng Kaixuan chuckled.
"Our group may be small, but everyone here is elite," Zeng Ping chimed in.
Zheng Kaixuan nodded, then looked at Han Bin.
"Your captain tells me you've been doing a great job—earned quite a few merits already."
"It's all thanks to your and Captain Zeng's guidance," Han Bin replied modestly.
"Smooth talker." Zheng laughed. "You guys in Group Two have solved quite a few cases recently. So, tell me—how should I reward you?"
"Well, Captain, our group only has five members. We could use a few more hands," Zeng Ping requested.
Team Three's second group was relatively new and still short-staffed.
"No problem," Zheng agreed quickly. "Anything else?"
"Captain Zheng, we've had back-to-back cases for a while and haven't had any time off. Can we arrange for some rest days?" Zhao Ming asked.
"As long as there are no pressing cases, you can rotate days off."
"Captain Zheng is the best!" the team cheered.
For detectives, a proper day off was a rare and cherished thing.
But then Zheng Kaixuan coughed lightly, changing the subject:
"We just got a new case. Since your group is free right now, send two people to handle it."
"Captain, you sure turn quickly. You just praised us, and now we've got a new job?" Tian Li joked.
"You talk too much, little girl," Zheng pointed at her, smirking.
"It's just a petty theft case—should be a piece of cake for your group."
"A home burglary?"
"No, someone had their phone stolen."
"Phone theft? That kind of small matter usually goes to the local precinct. Why's it being handled here?" Li Hui asked.
"The victim's a tourist new to Qindao. Not familiar with the area, so they came straight to our division. It's not a major case, but we should still treat it seriously."
"Understood," everyone acknowledged.
Zheng nodded and then left the office.
Qindao was a tourist city, especially busy during travel season. Keeping the city safe and maintaining a positive environment was critical. Poor public safety could drive tourists away and hurt the local economy—something the city leadership took very seriously.
Tourist issues are no small matter.
….
Han Bin and Li Hui were assigned the case.
Tian Li brought in the complainant while Han Bin and Li Hui prepared to take his statement.
The complainant was in his twenties, tall and thin, wearing stylish casual clothes and a pair of lensless glasses.
"Have a seat."
"Are you handling my case, officer?"
"Yes. We'll start by taking your statement," Li Hui said, turning on his body camera.
"Name?"
"Wang Haidong."
"Time of report?"
"3 p.m."
"What's the matter?"
"My phone was stolen—it's the latest FruitPhone model, cost me over 8,000 yuan," Wang Haidong replied with visible pain.
"Where did it go missing?"
"I'm not sure exactly. I realized it was gone about twenty minutes ago."
"Is it possible you just misplaced it?" Han Bin asked.
"No, it was definitely stolen. I called the number and a stranger picked up."
"What did they say?"
"I asked them to return it, but they refused. They even tried to extort money. When I said no, they hung up. That's when I called the police."
"How much were they asking for?"
"First a few hundred, then a few thousand—total scam."
"What's the number?"
Wang provided the number.
Han Bin dialed it, and the call connected.
"Hello?"
"Who's this?"
"I found this phone—who are you?"
"Qindao Criminal Division."
"Police?!"
"A report was filed saying this phone was stolen. Please come to the station to clarify."
"Officer, this is a misunderstanding! I'm a Didi driver—he left the phone in my car!" the man on the other end, clearly nervous, explained.
"What's your name?"
"Lin Gang."
"It's not a big issue. Just come and explain in person. If you don't, I'll have to escalate it to a formal investigation."
Panicked, the man replied, "No, no, I'll come right now!"
….
Li Hui, having listened in, raised an eyebrow.
"Wang Haidong, you sure the phone was stolen?"
"Absolutely," Wang insisted.
Li Hui scoffed: "That's the most cooperative thief I've ever seen."
"Maybe he's just stalling, pretending to play along while he runs. You should arrest him now!" Wang pressed.
Han Bin frowned, sensing something off about Wang's story.
"Let the police do their job. Sit tight."
(End of Chapter)