"Congratulations, Officer 577533, on solving your first extortion case."
A mechanical voice from the police badge system sounded.
"Microexpression Analysis: Proficiency +3."
"Awarded 7 Merit Points."
Last month, Han Bin used all his remaining merit points to unlock knowledge from the Criminal Investigation Database, which had helped him tremendously in solving cases.
Now, with +3 proficiency in Microexpression Analysis and 7 new merit points, he could finally pay off the installment balance on that skill.
That meant: any merit points he earned from now on would be his to freely use.
Han Bin now had a more structured understanding of Microexpression Analysis.
It's a technique that reads subtle facial expressions and body language to determine a person's true emotions.
Currently, Han Bin had only learned the introductory level, and was still focused mainly on body language.
But the true essence of Microexpression Analysis lies in catching micro facial movements —involuntary expressions that flash across a person's face in as little as 1/25th of a second.
They're instinctive and uncontrollable, but also very difficult to catch.
Han Bin could only spot them occasionally. He would need to level up to "Advanced" before he could fully master the skill.
Unfortunately, he didn't have enough merit points to learn more skills just yet.
The next few days were quiet.
No new cases came in, and Han Bin had no chance to earn merit points.
Team 2 had a bit of a break. They spent their time stamping documents, running errands, and handling case files.
Tian Li was on duty Saturday, Li Hui on Sunday.
Everyone else got the weekend off.
Saturday:
Han Bin did absolutely nothing.
He slept in late and stayed in bed an extra hour just for fun.
Around 11 a.m., he lazily went downstairs to grab some food.
The rest of the day, he spent at home playing chess with his dad while watching If You Are the One (a Chinese dating show) with his mom.
Han Bin had no problem multitasking — he could play chess without losing and still comment on the contestants with his mom.
His mom, Wang Huifang, picked at an apple with a toothpick:
"This guy's hopeless. Saying he likes women who've dated 3–5 times? What's that supposed to mean? How do you think the girls who haven't dated feel hearing that?"
His dad, Han Weidong, scoffed:
"People on these shows aren't seriously looking for love. It's just for entertainment."
Wang Huifang rolled her eyes:
"I was talking to my son, not you. Why are you even butting in?"
Han Bin chuckled:
"Yeah, that guy is kind of full of himself."
Wang Huifang snapped her fingers and declared:
"No way he's getting a match. Not a chance."
Then Han Weidong grumbled:
"Son, stop just trading pieces. Think a few moves ahead, plan your tactics."
Han Bin replied:
"I'm using the 'trading flow' strategy. It's legit."
Weidong snorted:
"Some strategy. You traded your rook and both knights. It's barely the midgame and you're already in an endgame scenario."
Wang Huifang raised the TV volume:
"Can you two quiet down? You're ruining my show."
Han Weidong barked back:
"You watch this dating show every day. Most of them are replays! What's the point?"
Wang Huifang smiled slyly:
"It's entertaining. Besides, when our son starts dating, I can be his advisor."
Weidong shook his head:
"If you really want to help, go find someone to introduce to him. That'd be more useful."
Han Bin could only laugh helplessly —
How did they suddenly turn the conversation onto him?
Their playful bickering made the day fly by.
Sunday:
Han Bin went to the beach to soak up the sun — alone.
He didn't invite any friends, mainly because of the unpredictable nature of police work.
If a case came in, he'd have to leave immediately.
It's fine to bail once or twice, but after a while people stop inviting you.
So he just went solo — sipping beer, reading random books, sunbathing, and admiring the scenery (i.e., the beach full of women in swimsuits).
Life was good.
The summer sea breeze was refreshing, and there were even people surfing in the distance.
Riding the waves, cutting through the water — they looked awesome and attracted plenty of cheering from girls nearby.
Han Bin had wanted to learn surfing back in college, but after a few wipeouts and some water up his nose, he gave up.
He did swim a bit, but otherwise just chilled the entire day.
To him, this peaceful downtime was a rare luxury.
Sunday ended without any emergencies, and Han Bin got to enjoy a full weekend.
After two days of rest, he felt recharged and ready to go.
He finally understood what "balance between work and rest" really meant.
Monday:
Han Bin arrived at the police station, cleaned up the office a bit —
he believed a tidy workspace made for a smoother day.
Zhao Ming, ever restless, sat on his desk swinging his legs:
"Isn't it weird? When there are cases, we dream about taking a break.
Now that there are no cases, we're bored out of our minds. Why's that?"
Li Hui raised two fingers:
"Two words."
"What?"
"Human nature."
Zhao Ming grimaced:
"I walked right into that one."
Tian Li glanced at the clock:
"It's past nine. Why isn't Captain Zeng here yet?"
Li Hui shrugged:
"Beats me. Anyone know?"
Zhao Ming guessed:
"Maybe he's in a meeting?"
Han Bin shook his head:
"I just saw Captain Zheng chatting outside. If there's a meeting, Zeng Ping would be there too."
Li Hui pulled out his phone:
"Want me to give him a call?"
Just then, Captain Zheng Kaixuan walked in holding a thermos.
"What are you doing with your phone out? It's work hours."
Li Hui jumped to explain:
"I was going to call Captain Zeng!"
"No need," Zheng said. "He took leave. Personal matters."
"Captain Zeng? Taking leave?" Tian Li was surprised. "That's rare."
"Yeah, well, it's private. You can ask him when he gets back," Zheng said, pouring some water.
"So who's leading us while he's gone?" Li Hui asked.
"I am," Zheng said plainly. "We've got a case. Let's go. I'll explain on the way."
Zheng turned and strode out of the office.
The team exchanged uncertain looks.
They weren't used to having someone else lead them.
"Why are you all standing around? Move!" Zheng barked.
As they followed him out, Han Bin asked:
"Captain Zheng, what kind of case is this? Why the rush?"
Zheng usually moved at a calm pace. This urgency was unusual.
"Tell us more," Zhao Ming added.
Zheng stopped walking:
"It's a burglary."
"You've seen worse cases, Captain. Why so serious over a theft?" Li Hui asked. He'd been around the longest and knew Zheng best.
Zheng's tone turned grim:
"The victim's father has a serious heart condition. He needs surgery ASAP. The stolen money was his life-saving fund. If we can't crack the case in time, they won't have the money for surgery — and the father might not make it."
"When's the surgery scheduled?" Han Bin asked.
"The day after tomorrow."
"That's... tight."
Everyone immediately felt the pressure.
(End of Chapter)