Chapter 67 - Chapter 67: Chapter 67-An Exotic Price, Taking As Much As You Can!

Chapter 67: Chapter 67-An Exotic Price, Taking As Much As You Can!

Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation

“Ahaha!”

The captain of the anti-pickpocket squad didn’t expect that his intentions would be exposed even before Su Xuan had been transferred. He needed to quickly explain himself.

“Lao Mai, 1 didn’t mean it that way. You see, Su Xuan is such a talented anti-pickpocket officer, and now there’s this big operation…”

“If you could lend him to me, 1 promise he’ll be the brightest star in the anti-pickpocket squad!”

Upon hearing this, Lao Mai’s eyes flickered with a hint of intrigue. He had some ideas in mind.

This time, Su Xuan had gained so much attention, and it would be a missed opportunity if they didn’t take advantage of it during the large-scale operation. Considering the effort Su Xuan had put in, it was only fair to make the most of the situation.

Normally, during the year-end evaluations, their Jiangcheng division was always at the bottom. Now that they had encountered this stroke of luck, they couldn’t let it slip away. If they didn’t capitalize on this opportunity and earn some recognition, Lao Mai felt like he might as well jump out of the second-floor division office.

On the side, Director Zheng was also considering the idea of temporarily transferring Su Xuan to the anti-pickpocket squad. Seeing Lao Mai’s expression, he knew that Lao Mai must have something in mind. However, he didn’t mind it at all and directly said, “Lao Mai, if you have any hesitations, just speak up. Everyone is here.”

“Let’s brainstorm together!”

While he said it was about brainstorming, in reality, he was encouraging Lao Mai to make his demands known. As soon as this sentence was uttered, Lao Mai’s eyes immediately lit up. It was evident that he had been waiting for this moment.

After all, his subordinates had done so much excellent work, so it was only fair that he got a share of the credit by sending Su Xuan to the anti-pickpocket squad. Not going was not an option.

“I have to say, Captain Liao, you should know Su Xuan’s capabilities in catching thieves,” Lao Mai said, giving a thumbs-up to everyone. “Using a sledgehammer to kill a chicken wouldn’t be appropriate. If you borrow him, but don’t place him in a key position, I won’t be pleased.”

“When you talk about an outstanding officer like Su Xuan, he should be sent to the areas with the most rampant criminals, right?”

After this statement, everyone fell into contemplation. Su Xuan lowered his head, pretending he didn’t exist. These were the times when things were being pushed to the limit, and he knew he had no right to speak freely.

“Lao Mai, what are you saying?” Captain Liao of the anti-pickpocket squad immediately chimed in. “With a top-notch officer like Su Xuan, if you let him join us, not to mention subway stations or train stations, I’ll have him sent directly to the airport!”

“The places with the highest foot traffic are where the criminals are most rampant! We have to use our best where it matters most!”

Once he finished speaking, Lao Mai was satisfied. However, this was just the matter concerning the anti-pickpocket squad. His main point was to address the leaders of the city bureau:

“Director Zheng, you see, if I send all my elite team members out, our division will be short of a key player!”

“In the upcoming major operation, our division will be lacking a significant fighting force…”

Lao Mai continued, glancing around the room with a solemn expression, clearly waiting for the top brass to take the bait.

Rubbing his hands together and grinning, he made his bold proposal:

“I’ve heard that our bureau recently acquired a new batch of patrol cars.”

“Well…”

“You see, the patrol cars in our division are all old models from the past few years, and their functions are seriously impaired. They should have been replaced a long time ago…”

“If I send Su Xuan out and get ten new patrol cars in return, wouldn’t that be reasonable?”

When Lao Mai uttered those words, everyone’s eyes widened. The director of the Qianxi District Police Station even slammed the table immediately, saying, “You must be dreaming!”

He had been applying for patrol cars from the bureau for nearly half a year, and there had been no response. Now this guy wanted to exchange a mere junior officer for ten patrol cars in the bureau? How could he not be outraged?

However, Lao Mai paid no heed to this and kept his gaze fixed on the leaders. He knew that, regardless of how unwilling others were, the final decision lay with the leaders.

Su Xuan from their division was a top-notch team member! The number of apprehensions he made in a month exceeded the combined total of officers from several other divisions. Why shouldn’t they exchange that for ten patrol cars?

The leaders from the bureau had a twitch at the corners of their mouths. They regarded Lao Mai with the disdain one would reserve for a robber. “You’ve got some nerve,” one of them remarked.

“We’ve only received about twenty patrol cars at the bureau this time, and they’re being distributed to various county bureaus, with each getting around five or six cars. Yet, you, from a small division, want ten patrol cars?”

“Do I look like a patrol car to you?”

Although the words from the bureau’s leaders weren’t very flattering, Lao Mai had developed thick skin in his position. Moreover, what he proposed this time wasn’t unreasonable at all. He immediately smiled and looked at the bureau’s leaders, awaiting their response.

Director Zheng felt a twitch at the corner of his mouth, knowing that this time they couldn’t resolve the matter without making some sacrifices.

“At most, I’ll give you three cars, deducted from your county bureau’s quota. Don’t even think about more!” he said.

Hearing this, Lao Mai’s grin blossomed into a full-blown smile. He wasn’t really expecting to get all ten cars. Extracting three cars from the bureau was already quite an achievement. After all, in previous years, he couldn’t even dream of getting a patrol car.

Indeed, achievements spoke volumes! With this in mind, Lao Mai cast another glance at Su Xuan, feeling extremely proud. His back even straightened considerably. Under the gaze of the other county police station directors, he agreed firmly, “Alright, then. Thanks to the leadership!”

He continued, “Um, with the cars sorted, we should also consider the equipment for our division.”

Lao Mai made it clear that those who had a cunning heart could still yield positive results. However, pushing it further might not be wise.

But even getting three cars was quite generous, and yet this guy still wanted this and that?

Director Zheng hadn’t finished speaking when Lao Mai stood up straight and walked over to Su Xuan. He patted him on the shoulder and said earnestly, “That’s enough! Three cars are already a good deal. Or do you not want the cars, and I’ll arrange some equipment for you?”

“Suxuan, when you go to the Anti-Pickpocketing Division, make sure you do a great job and don’t tarnish the reputation of our station!”

“When you come back, our station’s officers will rely on you for guidance!”

Joking aside, if they continued to push their luck with the leadership, it was likely that the patrol cars would end up as equipment. In comparison, they needed patrol cars more than equipment. After all, equipment could be acquired anytime. He could take his time and apply online every quarter; he was confident he’d eventually get the equipment. However, getting patrol cars was much trickier, relying more on fate.

“I understand, Lao Mai!” Su Xuan replied promptly.

As these two spoke, the other station directors around them looked on with envy. To be frank, if they had an officer with the same level of expertise as Su Xuan, they would definitely try to secure a few patrol cars as well. The problem was they didn’t have anyone like that. The group of station directors lamented, thinking it was such a waste to let someone as talented as Su Xuan be taken away by Lao Mai.

It was truly a missed opportunity!