Free Web NovelChapter 358: Chapter 294: Project Continuation
Ding Yuwei was on edge all morning.
After much consideration, she finally called Shen Xin.
But Shen Xin must have been packing, because they barely exchanged a few words.
The man was incredibly nonchalant, saying he figured the bomb was a fake and it was no big deal.
’How could that be "no big deal"?’
’You only *figured* it was fake. What if Tian Kui’s nose was off and the bomb was real?’
Before they could say much more, Shen Xin hung up, saying they’d talk when he got back.
He was coming back to Nanjiang today.
It was only a two-hour trip, so he should be here soon.
’At least he’s finally coming back.’
However, she waited until nearly two in the afternoon before he finally returned to the branch office.
In fact, Ding Yuwei only found out Shen Xin was back when she heard a commotion from the main office and faintly recognized a familiar voice.
She quickly got up and went to the main office, where she saw Shen Xin surrounded by a crowd.
"You know how it is. In that situation, what could I do? I just had to go for it."
It was Shen Xin’s signature humble-bragging tone again.
He only boasted like this around people he knew well.
In the middle of the crowd, Shen Xin turned and spotted Ding Yuwei.
He gave her a slight nod before turning back to talk about the competition.
"Is that even a question? Of course Nanjiang won. No doubt about it."
First place in all six events, a clean sweep for the team championship.
Yesterday’s mountain tracking event was held on Dongling Mountain, right behind the K-9 base.
The difficulty was lower—a one-kilometer mountain track with a fixed route. It was a test of the dogs’ speed.
Unsurprisingly, Tian Kui took first place.
"Alright, alright," Sun Zhao said with a smile, cutting Shen Xin off. He motioned for Shen Xin to follow him to see Lv Youwei.
An invitation from the bureau chief was not something Shen Xin dared to ignore, so he quickly followed.
As he passed Ding Yuwei, he gave her another nod.
’She’s my only subordinate,’ he thought. ’I wonder if she’s been working hard while I’ve been away.’
Following Sun Zhao upstairs, Shen Xin cautiously asked what it was about.
’Getting summoned by the bureau chief is rarely a good thing.’
Sun Zhao laughed. "You’re brave enough to charge at a bomb, but now you’re scared? Relax, it’s good news."
It dawned on Shen Xin, and he asked if it was about the commendation.
’I didn’t think it would be this fast.’
Wang Peidong had only just said he was going to recommend him for one the day before yesterday.
Sun Zhao nodded. He finally had a moment to praise Shen Xin for a job well done.
He hadn’t lost face in front of all the leaders and had brought honor to the Tingyang Branch.
He also asked about Shen Xin’s police dog project.
"It’s almost over."
It had been a month, and with a dog like Tian Kui winning the grand competition, there was no doubt he was a qualified police dog.
Soon, the colleagues from remote regions they’d contacted earlier would be coming to Nanjiang to select their dogs.
"But I might have to go on a business trip," Shen Xin added.
The city bureau had mentioned this project to the provincial department—specifically, to Wan Chao.
At first, Wan Chao thought it was just an ordinary project. But during this competition, he saw just how impressive it really was.
Stray dogs could actually be trained into police dogs—and not just any police dogs, but top-tier, exceptional ones.
This gave him an idea, and he began to consider whether this project should be continued.
Raising police dogs was no small investment.
There was the construction of the base and the training of specialized personnel.
Then there was the selection process for the dogs themselves—purebred puppies that could easily cost over ten thousand yuan.
Add in the cost of raising them from puppyhood, the high upkeep, and an incredibly high washout rate, and the total cost was staggering.
This was the main reason why remote areas lacked police dogs.
Everyone knew police dogs were useful, but they just couldn’t afford to train them.
But Shen Xin’s use of stray dogs had opened up a completely new path.
It was also incredibly cost-effective.
The stray dogs themselves cost almost nothing, which also saved on the expense of raising them from puppyhood.
So, Wan Chao was considering keeping the project going.
They could leverage this advantage to donate police dogs to remote areas. First, it would help out their fellow units.
When you help another unit out, they’ll remember the favor.
In the future, when Ningshan’s police went out to solve cases, their success would reflect well on your department.
Secondly, for the provincial department, it would also be a brilliant achievement.
So after some discussion, Wan Chao had arranged for people from the PR department to return to Nanjiang with Shen Xin. They wanted to film some video footage and see if they could produce a documentary-style program to properly promote the project.
The crew had already arrived that morning.
They didn’t just want to film the police dogs; they also wanted to document whether the dogs could provide practical assistance after being sent to their new posts.
This meant they needed to follow one of the donated dogs.
Wan Chao’s idea was to select one of the dogs and have Shen Xin personally deliver it, documenting the entire process.
That meant Shen Xin would inevitably have to go on a trip.
Shen Xin thought that was fine. It was good to see things through to the end.
They met with Lv Youwei.
It was a session of pure, effusive praise, after which Lv Youwei asked Shen Xin to go back and write up a detailed report so he could submit it for the commendation.
On the way downstairs, Shen Xin asked Sun Zhao if there were any cases to work on that day.
After spending so long at the K-9 base, his hands were itching for some real work.
Sun Zhao could tell what Shen Xin was thinking just from his tone and laughed. "Forget it. It’s not like you’ve been sitting idle. Just focus on wrapping up that whole K-9 business first."
He was supposedly away training police dogs, but he clearly hadn’t been idle.
He’d joined the special task force for the Fan Lei case.
Then he went to a competition and somehow ended up earning a commendation.
"Besides, the weather’s getting warmer and the mosquitoes are coming out. Do you really enjoy feeding them that much?"
Shen Xin gave an embarrassed smile and dropped the subject.
Passing by his own little patch of territory, Shen Xin remembered something and hurried off to find his luggage.
Back in their team’s office, Ding Yuwei was still writing reports when she suddenly heard footsteps.
She turned her head and saw it was Shen Xin.
Their eyes met, and Shen Xin felt that something was off about the look in her eyes.
He didn’t dwell on it. He sat down, glanced at the papers on her desk, and said with feigned anger, "They’re going too far. Are they making you write all this paperwork?"
Bail documents, official replies from the procuratorate—a whole messy pile of them.
"You’re on my team, you know," Shen Xin said with a serious expression. "Our team has its own official plaque and dedicated duties."
His words made her gaze flicker. She quickly looked away and said, "It’s fine, I was idle anyway."
Shen Xin was just making a point.
’As if they’d let a perfectly capable person just sit around doing nothing.’
The detective squad was always short on workhorses.
"Oh, right. A gift."
’Can’t come back from a trip empty-handed.’
Shen Xin took out a safety charm.
"I didn’t get them anything. After all, you and I are partners in the same unit," Shen Xin added in a lower voice.
’Mostly because there are too many people. Buying for everyone would cost a fortune.’
’Besides, for a bunch of rough guys like them, it’s more practical to just buy some food to share.’
Ding Yuwei accepted it, her expression softening considerably. "Thank you," she said quietly.
After putting it away safely, she saw that Shen Xin didn’t seem to be leaving, so she told him how she had been organizing cold case files. She mentioned she’d picked out a few and asked if he wanted to take a look.
"Let’s save it for later," Shen Xin said, waving his hand. "We can talk after I’m done with things at the K-9 base."
He also had plans for that evening; Tang Changhong was treating him to dinner.
In a couple of days, people from various regions would be arriving to pick up the police dogs. Just as Sun Zhao had said, he should finish up his current business before worrying about cold cases.
