Just returned to the office, Luo Fei received a wave of congratulations.
Only Wu Wei, Zhao Le, and Jiang Xiaoxiao didn't look all that happy.
Their feelings at the moment probably validated that phrase from the internet, where you fear a friend living poorly, yet also fear a friend driving a Land Rover.
Seeing Luo Fei, who joined at the same time, become officially confirmed ahead of them, it's inevitable to feel a sense of loss and frustration.
In the morning, the police station received three reports from the public: one of a child missing for 24 hours, a domestic violence report, and a bus coming from Guangyuan County where a passenger grabbed the steering wheel from the driver, and the driver called the police.
Luo Fei went with Zhang Haiyang to handle the case of the passenger grabbing the steering wheel on the bus.
Guangtong Bridge
Luo Fei, Zhang Haiyang, and two auxiliary officers received the call and arrived at Guangtong Bridge within ten minutes.
Two people were involved: the passenger named Zheng Xian, a sixty-something old man, and the driver named Wang Xiaodong, a thirty-something young man.
The cause of the incident was simple: Zheng Xian lives not far from the upper side of Guangtong Bridge, so he asked the driver to stop at Guangfu Bridge to let him off, according to him, that's where he usually gets off.
However, driver Wang Xiaodong felt that there were too many cars on Guangfu Bridge, and they were driving quite fast, feeling it was unsafe to stop abruptly, so he planned to stop after crossing Guangfu Bridge and didn't stop.
Seeing the driver not stopping, Grandpa Zheng Xian became furious. After sitting on the long-distance bus for a long time, he was very uncomfortable and finally could get off, but the driver still didn't stop. Other bus drivers managed to stop, why couldn't he? Was he deliberately opposing him? The more he thought, the angrier he got, so Grandpa Zheng Xian took a step forward to seize the driver's steering wheel intending to force a stop to get off.
This is the situation, needless to say, it is certainly the old man's fault; he interfered with the normal operation of a public transport, endangering public safety. If Luo Fei remembers correctly, grabbing a public transport driver's steering wheel constitutes a crime of endangering driving safety, punishable by up to one year of imprisonment, detention, or control.
Poor old man didn't understand the law. When Zhang Haiyang told him grabbing the steering wheel was illegal, he shouted and cursed, accusing Zhang Haiyang, Luo Fei, and the driver of being in cahoots, saying he would sue Luo Fei, leaving Zhang Haiyang disheartened.
Facing the old man's non-cooperation, shining silver handcuffs awaited him. When Zhang Haiyang cuffed the old man's hands, that's when he seemed to realize he truly made a mistake. He might have thought earlier that he only grabbed the steering wheel and didn't do much.
When the old man fully realized the gravity of grabbing the steering wheel, it was already too late. The old man pleaded for understanding, saying it was just an impulsive moment, but the law is merciless, a wrong is a wrong, everyone must pay for their actions.
The bus directly entered the police station, Mr. Zheng Xian was detained, while Luo Fei and Zhang Haiyang took statements and gathered evidence from the passengers on the bus.
They were busy until around 8 PM; Zhang Haiyang and Luo Fei finally finished sorting through materials related to Mr. Zheng Xian's case.
Mr. Zheng Xian's case wasn't very serious; he likely won't be sentenced to one year of imprisonment but possibly could be detained for ten to fifteen days, and fined.
The next day, at work early, Luo Fei noticed everyone's mood was somewhat abnormal; there was an obvious excitement in the office, which puzzled Luo Fei initially.
But soon, Luo Fei knew the reason.
Today's payday.
"I wonder how much we'll get for our first month's salary, if it's decent, I could buy a new phone." Wu Wei said eagerly.
Beside him, Jiang Xiaoxiao rolled her eyes, couldn't help but dampen his spirits, "Don't think too much. I asked my mentor; after deducting social insurance and provident fund, her monthly salary is around four thousand. We've just started, might be at most three thousand."
Wu Wei felt somewhat deflated, "Three thousand yuan, that's too exaggerated. My dad works as a security guard at Hongxing, gets two thousand five hundred a month. Aren't my relatives and friends saying civil servants' pay is high? Around ten thousand a year, they can't be lying to me, right?"
Beside him, Luo Fei felt the need to clarify for Wu Wei, so he explained, "I think your relatives and friends are talking about before tax; if tax inclusive, it's almost correct. Xiaoxiao just said her mentor's salary is over four thousand, right? Let's calculate based on her salary. Just consider Teacher Zhao's take-home as four thousand five, before social insurance and provident fund deductions, it would be around five thousand five to six thousand monthly. Annually, that's over seventy thousand, plus year-end bonuses, meal subsidies, transportation allowances, phone bill reimbursements, doesn't it reach ten thousand before tax?"
"Ah! So that's how they calculate ten thousand? I thought it was around ten thousand take-home. I'm so confused." Wu Wei immediately felt downcast; the cheerful mood from waiting for the salary vanished.
"What did you think? Take-home of ten thousand, you're dreaming?" Jiang Xiaoxiao couldn't help but mock.
At noon twelve o'clock, amid a few newcomers' anxious waiting, the salary finally arrived.
Wu Wei was the first to notice the salary was deposited. As soon as he saw the deposit, Wu Wei stealthily moved next to Luo Fei, whispered, "Luo Fei, my salary arrived, 3090 yuan for this month, how much did you get?"
Luo Fei had been engrossed in reading his book, not paying attention, but with Wu Wei's comment, he quickly took out his phone; indeed, there was a bank message notification.
It showed the account credited 4500 yuan, account balance 4523 yuan.
"How much?" Wu Wei eagerly asked.
Luo Fei glanced at Wu Wei and then said, "About the same as you."
He didn't tell the whole truth; being completely honest isn't beneficial to either party, especially when it involves financial interests; unless with very close friends, Luo Fei felt it wasn't necessary.
"So everyone gets about the same, I thought you'd get more." Wu Wei said, seemingly relieved.
After asking Luo Fei, Wu Wei ran to Jiang Xiaoxiao to inquire about her salary.
Luo Fei was contemplating whether to buy an electric bike since the salary came in.
Where Luo Fei currently lives isn't far from the police station, but not close either, walking takes about twenty minutes. If he buys an electric bike, it would take at most five or six minutes, surely more convenient.
However, Luo Fei soon dismissed the idea of buying an electric bike; his family still owed around thirty thousand to his uncle and aunt's family. If those debts weren't paid off first, Wu Yan wouldn't be at ease, so Luo Fei decided to pay back the debts first.
Money is still not enough; otherwise, he wouldn't have to choose, thinking about this, Luo Fei somehow recalled the last time Captain Zhao Donglai mentioned giving him and Zhang Haiyang some money, wondering if Zhao Donglai still remembered.
Criminal Investigation Squad
"Yawn"
"Is someone mentioning me behind my back?" Zhao Donglai, researching the case, couldn't help but frown and suspect.