"Xiang, do you know what you're saying?"
Among everyone present, Sun Zhidong was arguably the most shocked.
His brother is now famous, with all kinds of honors attached; if it were him, he could have his father pull some strings and take off immediately.
But Li Xiang?
Money, he doesn't want it.
Fame, he doesn't seek it.
Fire, he doesn't want to be in the spotlight either.
This really made him confused about what exactly was going through Li Xiang's mind!
"I know what I'm saying. I don't want to be in the spotlight. I just want to be an ordinary person and hope the media doesn't focus too much on me. Instead, they should report more about the victims and their families to gain more public attention for them."
"Li Xiang is right, I agree with him."
The instructor was the first to start clapping at the side. Such awareness and thought are something even some party members don't possess. It seems he needs to be groomed toward becoming a reserve party member next year.
"Then what about us?" Liu Shuting stood there feeling a bit overwhelmed, as it was her first time being turned away during an interview.
She came in full of confidence, believing the bus incident was a great story angle. Reporting it well would make her shine in front of her superiors.
After arriving at Hongqiao Police Station, they were warmly welcomed by the leaders.
After all, this incident was also showcasing the excellent deeds of their station. To him personally, it was about being reported as a hero, reaping both fame and fortune.
Such a good deed benefiting all parties involved, yet the individual refused the interview. The police station leaders didn't even try to persuade him otherwise but instead supported his view, which completely disrupted her original plan.
The interview draft and notice that she burned the midnight oil to write last night were all scrapped — just thinking about it made her angry~
Li Wei saw Liu Shuting's puffed-up cheeks and felt a bit of empathy, realizing it's not easy for the girl. So he said to Li Xiang, "Li Xiang, how about this? You cooperate with the lady officer and talk about the situation back then. When they report later, they can downplay your image. How about it? Don't let her come for nothing."
The instructor seemed to seek Li Xiang's opinion, but it was actually to ease the atmosphere, not to let everyone remain awkward and embarrassed.
"Alright then!"
Upon hearing Li Xiang agreeing, Liu Shuting secretly breathed a sigh of relief, glad not to be refused again this time.
"Let's get started then!"
Li Xiang didn't know how many times he had recounted that day's situation. Almost every curious person would ask once; by now, his mouth had memorized it, and he could speak naturally.
The interview went relatively smoothly, ending in about an hour.
After returning, Liu Shuting continued revising her materials, producing an article: "Aiding Police Officer Who Caught an A-Level Fugitive Says: I Don't Want to Be in the Spotlight, Just to Be a Regular Person."
Again, this brought Li Xiang into the spotlight, making him want to ask the female reporter face-to-face if he hadn't been clear enough in expressing himself.
-----------------
Jinghai City Public Security Bureau.
Director Zhao held Li Xiang's application materials, ready to report the situation to the director's office.
At the entrance to the office, he knocked on the door and found Song Jun was also in the office at that moment.
"Come in, Old Zhao, you're here. Sit down, have some winter tea my friend sent from Treasure Island. It's a good thing, and I don't just offer it to anyone."
"Oh? Winter tea? I haven't tried it before. Thanks to Director Song, I'll have a taste this time."
Winter tea, also known as winter slices, consists of tea leaves actually harvested from winter buds during winter.
Winter slices are priced high in the market due to their rarity and high production costs!
Their growth environment is quite extreme, often during the cold and dry winter season. Thus, the condition of tea leaves during this season is unpredictable, and growers need to put more effort into caring for them.
After filling their cups with tea, Director Song proactively brought up the bus incident.
"Three provinces have already sent people to coordinate, confirming that this person is indeed the wanted criminal Huang Shunan. He committed crimes in our Jinghai and was apprehended here, so naturally, we take the lead. Your Hongqiao Police Station did excellent work, very outstanding. It's been years since we've seen an auxiliary officer single-handedly capture an A-Level fugitive, especially one wanted by three provinces. I've spoken with their directors, and because auxiliary officers aren't within our public security system, he can legitimately receive this bounty without any burden. Such heroic deeds should indeed be vigorously publicized and reported."
Song Jun, pleased with himself, took a satisfying sip of tea. The taste of this winter tea was indeed lingering and pleasant.
This incident had given him face amongst other directors, making him feel more prestigious, even speaking louder than before.
"Director Song, I came today exactly because of this matter."
"Oh? What's up? Is the young fellow getting impatient? Reward matters can't be rushed. If his family is struggling, you could see if the station can assist in any way."
"No, it's that Li Xiang approached me with his thoughts, intending to forgo the bounty and donate it to the families injured in this incident."
"What?" Song Jun carefully placed down his cup: "Li Xiang, Li Xiang, indeed a man of ideals."
He didn't expect that a small auxiliary officer could make such a decision. He had previously reviewed Li Xiang's files and gained some understanding of his circumstances, initially assuming Director Zhao's visit today was to prompt this matter, not anticipating this completely unexpected outcome.
"Indeed, previously we hadn't seen anything outstanding, he was always by the book. But according to the instructor, his work attitude has been superb lately, and he's been taking on many tasks proactively. Just before this incident, during duty at Times Square, he even caught a phone thief. The station was planning to award him a fourth-grade commendation this year, and didn't expect he would capture an A-Level fugitive on a bus this time."
Zhao Jianguo, discussing this matter, also felt Li Xiang's luck was quite extraordinary. Yet no matter how good the luck, it must be translated into opportunities and grasped firmly.
If Li Xiang hadn't taken the initiative to catch the thief, none of the subsequent events would have occurred.
Live each day as it comes, and the world remains at peace.
"The kid has grown up!"
Director Song also acknowledged Li Xiang's achievements, attributing all this to his maturity and true ideals. So he said, "Since the kid has such awareness, let's fulfill his wishes."
"Yes."
"However, we can't let a hero silently sacrifice. We desperately need young people with ideals in our public security system. So, in the name of the bureau, let's apply a second-class merit for him."
"Second-class merit? Isn't it too much?" Zhao Jianguo was surprised: "Auxiliary officers seldom gain merits, let alone jumping straight to a second-class merit."
"Rare, indeed rare?" Then let me ask you, is it rare for an auxiliary officer to single-handedly capture an A-Level fugitive?"
Director Song's rebuttal left Zhao Jianguo speechless, but also gave him peace of mind: Li Xiang's second-class merit was settled.