As soon as the introduction was made, applause broke out, many trainees’ eyes lit up, the clapping became more enthusiastic, and the whispering began.

“He’s Paul Carter, the one who solved the serial murder case? I’ve studied that case.”

“Should be, how many people could there be named Paul Carter?”

“Exactly, I’ve seen the hero’s photo, internal materials, on my dad’s computer.”

“Wow, does that mean wherever we work as detectives in the future, he’ll be our boss?”

“Of course, he’s a big shot among detectives, not someone you can meet easily.”

“Meeting him isn’t as good as hearing about him—he looks so worried about the country and the people…”

“……”

The trainees whispered among themselves. The middle-aged, slightly older man who walked up to the podium was rather plain-looking, of average height, with a dark complexion and deep wrinkles on his forehead—he really did look like someone burdened with national worries. That last comment was made by a female student, which drew a burst of laughter. The instructor gave a warning, but Paul Carter just smiled kindly, clapped his hands to signal for quiet, and started off by saying, “I’m very sorry, everyone, my appearance has disappointed you.”

There was a roar of laughter below, but the good-natured applause started up again, and the distance between them and Paul Carter seemed to shrink considerably.

Mr. Carter smiled and continued, “Strictly speaking, we’re colleagues. I also graduated from this school and this department. You’re all my juniors. I know what everyone is most interested in is some major or unusual case that’s already been solved. Unfortunately, we can’t discuss cases here. But don’t be discouraged. I think one day, many of you will be sitting with me in case analysis meetings. Maybe many of you will reach my position, and when you do, your young faces will have as many worry lines as mine.”

Another burst of laughter erupted, and the applause grew even warmer. For those who come after, there’s always a sense of admiration for a legendary peer—especially one so approachable.

The most enthusiastic applause came from a girl sitting in the third row. With Paul Carter’s sharp eyes, he immediately noticed this particularly striking girl—no doubt, wherever she went, she’d be a dazzling police beauty. But he filtered that out automatically; she wasn’t the type of person he was looking for.

In a harmonious environment, there are always discordant voices. In the back sat Ethan, the one with a bit of baby fat, who whispered to his deskmate Eric Foster, “He seems pretty easygoing.”

“You don’t know anything. All cops have thick skins; you can’t judge by appearances,” Eric Foster declared.

“You’re the one with thick skin. I think the old guy’s pretty nice,” Ethan said with a laugh.

“Give me a break. Someone who catches murderers—could they really be easygoing? Idiot,” Eric Foster retorted. That actually made Ethan pause and think. It was true—this man was someone the trainees looked up to, so he probably wasn’t as easygoing as he seemed. Thinking of this, he couldn’t help but take a few more glances at the seemingly amiable old man.

On the surface, he really did seem easygoing, and his warmth instantly energized the whole department. Paul Carter looked around at the excited trainees and continued with a smile, “When I came here, I had a mission. To use an old movie line, I came with a task assigned by the organization, carrying the heavy trust of my leaders. My purpose is simple: to select a group of elites from among you to strengthen our frontline detective teams, to go to the toughest and most dangerous posts. Tell me, do you have confidence?” Paul Carter launched into his usual rousing speech, waving his hand as he spoke.

“Yes!”

Someone answered, though not very loudly. The loudest voice actually came from a girl—the most beautiful and eye-catching one. After she shouted, she realized her voice was too loud, and many people rolled their eyes at her.

Exactly—unless you’re full and have nothing better to do, who would rush to go to the toughest and most dangerous places? Someone muttered quietly, and the girl snorted, apparently thinking the others lacked enough awareness.

Paul Carter hadn’t expected his tried-and-true motivational tactic to fall flat. He quickly changed his tone with a smile and said, “I know today’s values are different from ours back then. Let me explain the recruitment conditions this way: stay and work in the provincial capital, no probation period, immediate full-time status, household registration and housing solved. After all, you’re elites. All benefits and conditions—only the best, never the worst. Now tell me again, do you have confidence?”

“Yes!”

All the juniors’ eyes lit up, as if they’d seen light in the darkness, or found the Party in their confusion. Their response was especially loud.

It’s tough. Now that the police academy has expanded enrollment, the direct result is that police assignments have become a problem. Don’t think that just because you graduated from the academy, things are easy. For most people, you still have to go through multiple exams and selections. If you want to swap the single stripe of a trainee for the double stripe of an officer, it’s no easy feat. No wonder the trainees were so happy.

“Not bad conditions,” Ethan said excitedly. Even the group in the back who usually lacked ambition were eager to give it a try.

“Are you stupid?” Eric Foster said disdainfully. “Household registration is already managed by the police—what’s there to solve? As for housing, that’s a joke. Collective dorms—does that count as solving it?”

Another bucket of cold water. Ethan glared at his deskmate Eric Foster angrily and said with a bitter face, “Bro, that’s enough. With the way we are, we can’t solve either of those problems if we go out. We can’t really expect the organization to hand us a girl too, can we?”