Volume One: "Rookie Mobilization"

Chapter 01: Opportunity Knocks

　　Suddenly, like a spring breeze overnight, thousands of pear trees blossom.

　　After the snow, the sky finally cleared. The city, long plagued by smog, welcomed a day when you could look up and see the sun. Days of snowfall had left a thick layer on the roadside trees, decorating the city like jade branches. Passersby finally took off the masks they had worn all day, breathing out the stale air from their chests.

　　Road sign: to the right, Binhai East Road. To the left, Provincial Police Academy.

　　A Hyundai SUV police car paused briefly at the traffic light, then turned left toward the Provincial Police Academy.

　　That place is known as the cradle of police for the entire province, sending hundreds of police personnel to cities and counties every year. Before the start of the final semester each year, public security departments from all over come to select interns from the graduating class. But this was the first time a police car with the provincial department's license plate had come here. After a few more kilometers, the tall teaching building of the academy came into view—olive green, standing out among the cluster of buildings.

　　The car entered the campus and stopped under the teaching building. The school's discipline director Jack Sullivan and principal Olivia Bennett were already there to greet them. The scene of several people exchanging pleasantries was seen from behind a window on the third floor by an unremarkable-looking male student. He nudged a classmate next to him, who was playing a matching game on his phone, and whispered, "They're here."

　　The phone was put away. The classmate was chubby, with puffy cheeks and features crowded together on a round face. Because of his looks, classmates had nicknamed him Ethan. The one who reminded him was his deskmate Eric Foster, who whispered, "Eric, the instructor told us to take this provincial department selection seriously. Do you think this good fortune will fall on us?"

　　Eric Foster's eyes were clear as he glanced around the large lecture hall, which was noisy with chatter. News of the provincial department's recruitment had already spread, exciting the cadets and making them dream about the future. But class divisions among the cadets were obvious. Of the more than a hundred students, many were internal referrals, many were local city residents, and those from remote counties sat in the back, forming two distinct groups that rarely even sat together.

　　At this thought, Eric Foster shook his head and said, "No way. Good things never come to us. It's probably already decided behind the scenes."

　　"But the instructor said this time it's voluntary sign-up and open selection. They wouldn't be so shady about this, would they?" Ethan asked suspiciously.

　　"If there weren't any shady dealings, it wouldn't be called 'operation.' You think all the chances to stay in the provincial capital will go to you? What is this, CCTV? Is happiness that easy?" Eric Foster replied quietly.

　　"But it's still a recruitment, right? It can't be all rigged, can it?" Ethan clung to a sliver of hope.

　　"Even if there's a spot for special consideration, it won't go to you, will it?" Eric Foster said with a smile. Seeing Ethan's disbelief, he leaned in and added softly, "I bet it's hopeless. Trust your brother, or trust the organization?"

　　"Neither is really trustworthy," Ethan shook his head, rejecting both options. But looking at the group of guys from remote counties in the back row—none of them good-looking, none with family connections—he actually started to believe Eric Foster.

　　At that moment, footsteps were heard outside the classroom. The cadets immediately sat up straight, knowing the provincial department officials had arrived. Excitement was written all over their faces as they automatically stopped whispering and maintained proper police discipline.

　　Director Jack Sullivan glanced in through the window, satisfied with the cadets' discipline and appearance. On the way upstairs, he had already briefed the visitors on the department's situation. There were 108 soon-to-graduate cadets in this class, with a severely skewed gender ratio: 98 men and 10 women, from four majors—trace evidence, criminal psychology, criminal investigation, and computer science. The recruiters were the provincial department's head of criminal investigation, Paul Carter, and the director of the crime research office, Henry Grant. Normally, the principal wouldn't need to be involved, but since the provincial department was visiting and Paul Carter happened to be an alumnus, Principal Olivia Bennett was also present.

　　The two recruiters also looked in through the window. The cadets all sat up straight, like a well-drilled formation. This made one of them smile unconsciously, as if recalling the day he left the academy himself—back then, he too was full of ambition and youthful vigor, even if a bit naive.

　　The classroom door opened, personally by the old principal. The group entered in single file, and the class instructor enthusiastically introduced, "Classmates, let me introduce you. This is Comrade Paul Carter, head of the provincial department's criminal investigation division. Now, let's welcome Director Carter to say a few words to everyone."