Enforcer Manual
Chapter 79: Birth of a Friend out of Nothing_1

Chapter 79: Chapter 79: Birth of a Friend out of Nothing_1

As a law enforcer, Song Lan felt he had overexerted himself for the criminals of District 17.

It was evident that, after the death of Chai Ke, the talent market for criminals in District 17 was withering, as every Tom, Dick, and Harry began scheming to take over Chai Ke’s role.

If you keep this up, you might not even be qualified to boost Lu Xiang’s performance.

This was also an important reason why Song Lan had no choice but to provide strategies for Mr. "Mouse," because killing a brute who hadn’t even crossed the threshold of the meeting venue wouldn’t make the law enforcers look good in front of the senior leaders; instead, they would be questioned about how they had been entangled with this bunch of "trash fish" for such a long period of time.

For a long time in the past, the law enforcers in District 17 had been playing the unfortunate role of scapegoats; the credit for achievements always went to others, and whenever there was a problem, they would be blamed in the most unimaginable ways.

This caused a certain degree of dissatisfaction with the law enforcers among the citizens of District 17, with people even blaming their own twisted ankles on them.

Having witnessed the hard work Lu Xiang had put in for the city recently, Song Lan felt compelled to help her and change the perception of law enforcers in the eyes of the leaders.

It just so happened that at this time, his good friend Mr. "Mouse" was willing to stand out and contribute to the security environment of District 17.

Although "Mouse" sounded like a "trash fish," he emerged earliest among the four criminal leaders and had devised a plan to viciously offer up their heads with his subordinates, but at least he was open to advice. He carefully took note of the suggestions made by Song Lan and claimed that he would immediately look for talent according to the team’s arrangement.

Seeing "Mouse" take it to heart, a weight finally lifted off Song Lan’s chest.

Fortunately, his apprentice was very reliable, and within a few days, he had mastered the basics of cooking fried rice, dumplings, and marinated goods, providing a solid foundation for their department to set up a snack booth during the citywide conference.

Song Lan believed that with the current momentum, it wouldn’t be long before Elmon became a pillar of the psychology consultancy department; at that point, he could rest assured and hand over the heavy responsibilities to Elmon, stepping back himself into a supporting role.

When he cycled home past eleven o’clock, Song Lan quietly opened the door, only to bump right into Lu Xiang packing in the living room.

"Haven’t I told you not to exercise late at night?" Lu Xiang frowned and said, pausing her work.

Luckily, Song Lan had anticipated this situation and visited the public bathhouse on his way home; otherwise, if Lu Xiang caught the scent of the pleasure venues on him, he’d be unable to clear his name even if he jumped into a man-made lake.

"We are an on-duty department after all; we have to be prepared before the citywide conference begins."

Song Lan swiftly shifted the blame onto his job, "I’ve heard from colleagues that the situation in District 17 is very complex currently, and we cannot rule out the possibility of criminals attacking the conference venue. If during that time the criminals really do break in, although I won’t be much help on the frontline, I’m still capable of carrying someone to safety on my bike."

Song Lan had immense confidence in his cycling skills.

"I hadn’t planned on sending you out on duty."

It was precisely because of the complexity of the current situation in District 17 that she didn’t want Song Lan to go on duty.

If a desperate criminal truly breached the conference venue, his personal safety would be a big concern, yet the call for the psychology consultancy department to attend was too high—even Captain Doug and Chief Snick openly supported the public’s call, as if this was a conclusion the masses eagerly awaited.

The initial intention of establishing the psychology consultancy department was to reach out to people one day in the future, providing "enthusiastic citizens" with psychological counseling. Lu Xiang never imagined that, within just a few days, Song Lan had made this emerging department one of the most popular among the law enforcement units.

This proved Song Lan’s leadership skills; having him stuck in the logistics department previously was truly a waste of talent.

"There’s one thing I’ve always been puzzled about; given the current complexity of the situation, why proceed with the citywide conference? Wouldn’t it be much safer to use video conferencing?"

Song Lan asked curiously.

By the year 2166, video conferencing technology had advanced enough to project attendants holographically in their respective seats, almost indistinguishable from being in person.

"The citywide conference is a regulation set by Mayor Lyon after he took office; his campaign slogan was a tough stance on crime, and in addition to arranging work for the next quarter, one of the meanings of the citywide conference is to never bow to criminals."

At least for the citizens of District 17, this was the mayor showing his tough stance.

The first citywide conference had inspired many people; if one looked back at past reports and forum comments, most citizens seemed optimistic about fighting crime, with many believing the criminals’ doomsday was upon them and that justice would ultimately return to the city.

However, the reality was that the mayor and Chai Ke had reached an understanding to some extent.

Chai Ke wouldn’t brazenly oppose the mayor and make him lose face, and in return, the mayor would turn a blind eye to the relationship between the Inspection Department and Chai Ke.

"The more chaotic it is, the less the leaders can back down."

At this very moment, thousands of eyes are watching their every move.

If Mayor Lyon wished to be re-elected, he absolutely couldn’t abolish this tradition he established himself at the critical juncture of the upcoming election.

The mayor indeed stood firm, and then all the pressure came down on them.

Lu Xiang sighed, "This may be the last citywide conference during Mayor Lyon’s term, and it is probably the most dangerous one."

Currently, each of the four criminal leaders active in the city wanted to make big news, and the highly anticipated citywide conference was their perfect opportunity to make a name for themselves.

"That reminds me," Song Lan said as if he had just remembered, "I happened to hear a few hoodlums talking about ’Mouse’ while I was cycling in the Circular Lake Park."

"What did they say?" Lu Xiang attached great importance to this and immediately asked.

According to the information she received from Ophir, "Mouse" was the most powerful among the four, also the most reckless, and not long ago, he had purchased a batch of arms and explosives from "out there" at a high price.

"Those hoodlums seemed to say ’Mouse’ is looking for talent everywhere; he needs hackers, gunmen, then I got spotted by them, and didn’t catch the rest."

To help increase Lu Xiang’s performance, Song Lan had to resort to making things up.

He believed that with Lu Xiang’s intelligence, just knowing the crucial information about "hackers" and "gunmen" would allow her to roughly guess "Mouse’s" attack route.

"I see." Lu Xiang nodded and then, suddenly as if remembering something, stared at Song Lan for a long time before finally taking a deep breath, saying, "Song Lan, there’s one more thing."

"Hmm?"

"After the citywide conference is over, let’s go on a date."