Chapter 682: April
February passed, and March arrived.
The weather gradually warmed up. The accumulated snow on the streets of Xingjing had completely melted, and the willow trees by the roadside were beginning to sprout tender green buds.
But inside the Fourth Squad’s office area, none of these changes could be seen.
Underground Level Seven was always the same: constant temperature and humidity, forever brightly lit, with no distinction between day and night.
All they knew was that in these two months, they had completed what would normally be a year’s worth of cases.
Zhou Bin tallied the numbers again. Since Li Mingyuan’s case ended, the Fourth Squad had independently handled seventeen cases and co-handled twenty-three.
Added together, that made forty cases—exactly last year’s grand total.
And it was only the end of March.
When he shared this number with the team, everyone was stunned.
Fang Xiaoxiao’s eyes widened. "Forty cases? We closed forty cases in two months?"
Zhou Bin nodded. "That’s right, exactly forty."
Sun Jing leaned back in his chair, showing a rare look of surprise. "I remember last year’s record was only forty-one cases. It’s barely been three months this year, and we’re already at forty?"
Li Zhaowen pushed up his glasses and said, "To be precise, it’s two and a half months. From late January to now, it’s exactly two and a half months."
Fang Xiaoxiao gasped. "My God, are we crazy?"
Chen Yunxuan whispered, "But I don’t feel that tired. We’ve just been working on cases step by step every day, and before we knew it, we’d closed so many."
Zhou Bin thought for a moment and said, "That’s because we’re more efficient now. In the past, just the preliminary investigation took a long time. Sometimes we’d investigate for months only to find out the clues were fake.
"Now, with Captain Meng here, those convoluted tricks can’t be hidden at all. We just head straight for the target, which saves us so much time."
Fang Xiaoxiao nodded. "That’s true. Plus, our teamwork is much smoother now. The division of labor is clear, and everyone knows exactly what they’re supposed to do. We don’t end up running around in circles like before."
Sun Jing smiled and looked over at Xu Wuyi’s workstation.
Xu Wuyi was sitting there, staring at the screen of his personal terminal, seemingly reading over some files. His expression was hidden behind his mask, making it impossible to tell what he was thinking.
Sun Jing withdrew his gaze and said slowly, "Speaking of which, who exactly is our captain? How come we’ve never heard of him before?"
Fang Xiaoxiao lowered her voice. "I heard someone went to ask Minister Luo, only to get scolded and sent packing. People from the outside also came snooping, but they were shut down just the same. Minister Luo protects him fiercely; he won’t tell anyone who asks."
Zhou Bin shook his head. "Stop snooping. If the captain isn’t saying anything, he definitely has his reasons. All we need to know is that following his lead on cases means we get to reap the rewards."
The others nodded and said no more.
Just then, Xu Wuyi suddenly spoke up. "Zhou Bin, bring over the files for those cases from yesterday."
Zhou Bin immediately stood up, walked to the filing cabinet, retrieved the files, and brought them to Xu Wuyi’s desk.
Xu Wuyi took them and flipped through them page by page.
Zhou Bin stood to the side, hesitated for a moment, and finally spoke. "Captain, there’s something I’d like to run by you."
Xu Wuyi looked up at him.
Zhou Bin said, "The Field Operations Group tallied up our caseload over the past two months and said we broke a record. They want to hold a commendation meeting for us. Team Leader Song asked me to get your opinion."
"You guys go ahead," Xu Wuyi said without a second thought. "I’m not going."
Zhou Bin was taken aback. "But Team Leader Song..."
"Just tell him I appreciate his good intentions, but there’s no need," Xu Wuyi said in a calm tone. "The cases aren’t finished yet. There’s no time for this."
Zhou Bin opened his mouth to say something, but seeing Xu Wuyi’s tranquil demeanor, he swallowed his words.
He nodded. "Understood."
He turned and walked back to his workstation, unable to help but think that this captain really didn’t care about empty fame. Anyone else would have jumped at this opportunity to show their face, but he just turned it down flat.
Fang Xiaoxiao leaned over and asked quietly, "What did the captain say?"
Zhou Bin shook his head. "He said he’s not going."
Fang Xiaoxiao paused for a second, then smiled. "I knew it."
When April arrived, the Fourth Squad closed another six cases.
This made even Song Ya, the General Team Leader of the Field Operations Group, unable to sit still. He personally came to the Fourth Squad’s office area, saying he wanted to see exactly how this team operated.
That afternoon, Song Ya pushed open the translucent glass door and walked in, only to see the six of them sitting at their respective workstations, busy with the tasks at hand. There were no meetings, no discussions, no chaotic walking around; everyone was focused on their own work.
Song Ya stood at the door, watched for a while, and then walked over to Xu Wuyi’s workstation.
Xu Wuyi looked up at him.
Song Ya smiled and said, "Captain Meng, sorry to intrude. I just came to see exactly how your squad works and how you’re so efficient."
Xu Wuyi stood up and nodded. "Team Leader Song."
Song Ya waved his hand. "Don’t be so formal. Sit. I’m just taking a casual look. Go about your business."
He sat down on a nearby chair and looked at Xu Wuyi, his gaze holding a mix of admiration and curiosity.
"Captain Meng, how long have you been with the Inspection Department?"
"Over three months."
"Over three months." Song Ya nodded. "In just over three months, you’ve handled dozens of cases and taken the Fourth Squad from the bottom to the very top. This kind of efficiency is rare in the entire history of the Field Operations Group."
Xu Wuyi didn’t say anything.
Song Ya continued, "I heard you were previously with the military’s special ops division? I’ve interacted with quite a few people from there, but it’s truly rare to see someone as capable as you."
Xu Wuyi looked at him and said calmly, "Team Leader Song, if you have something to say, please speak directly."
Song Ya paused for a second, then laughed.
"Alright, then I won’t beat around the bush," he said, dropping his smile and speaking seriously. "Captain Meng, I came here this time to ask if you’d be interested in stepping up to the position of Deputy Head of the Field Operations Group?"
Xu Wuyi looked at him and didn’t answer immediately.
Song Ya continued, "You’re currently the captain of the Fourth Squad. Your rank is high enough. Although your seniority is a bit lacking, your capability is clear for all to see.
"The Field Operations Group has always been missing a Deputy Head. I’ve observed you for three months and think you’re a great fit.
"If you’re willing, I’ll go speak with Minister Luo right away. With your track record over these three months, he shouldn’t object."
Xu Wuyi remained silent for a few seconds before shaking his head.
"Thank you for the kind offer, Team Leader Song, but I still want to stay in the Fourth Squad."
Song Ya was taken aback. "Why? The position of Deputy Head is one level higher than a captain, and the authority is greater. You don’t want to move up?"
Xu Wuyi shook his head. "Right now, I just want to focus on solving cases. I don’t want any distractions."
Song Ya looked at him, his gaze becoming somewhat complicated.
He was silent for a few seconds, then nodded. "Alright, I understand."
Song Ya stood up, patted Xu Wuyi on the shoulder, and turned toward the door.
As he reached the door, he looked back and said, "Keep up the good work. I have high hopes for you."