dkrc Chapter 85 Team Leader Chen
Chapter 85 Team Leader Chen
Director Liu said in a deep voice, "In other words, this mole has already leaked Chen Shi's information to the underground organization. Now, regardless of whether we can find the mole as soon as possible, the danger to Chen Shi is already very real."
Xing Mufeng nodded: "That's most likely the case. However, Xiao Chen is a core member of Tie Mei's team, backed by the Fifth Group and the Bureau. Even if the other party is determined to kill him, they'll have to carefully consider the consequences."
"During the day, things won't go wrong at the bureau," Director Liu said gravely. "But outside of work, it's a different story. Xiao Chen is crucial to the bureau right now, not just because he's a talent, but because if our Special Abilities Bureau can't even keep a newcomer, where will we put our face? Tie Mei, what suggestions do you have?"
Sun Tiemei had probably already considered this issue: "Chen Shi's previous residence was no longer safe; he had been followed several times. He had to move." She added, "The safest solution is to move into the bureau's staff apartment. That way, it will be very difficult for outsiders to infiltrate."
Director Liu nodded, considering how to proceed.
The employees of the Superpower Bureau actually have their own apartment buildings. In theory, all employees can be allocated housing, but they do not have property rights. As long as they are employed, they can live there for free until they leave the company or pass away, at which point the housing will be taken back by the bureau.
However, this welfare program is practically useless. The number of apartments is fixed, and most of the older retirees still occupy the apartments. Long-time team members like Chang Biao and Fatty, who have been with the company for many years, still haven't been allocated an apartment.
Chen Shi had roughly calculated that, following the normal waiting list, he would have to wait at least eighty years to get a room. If Director Liu made an exception and arranged one for Chen Shi this time, it meant that the bureau was truly cultivating Chen Shi as a future backbone.
The safety of the staff apartment is beyond doubt. It is very difficult for outsiders to sneak in, which can effectively guarantee Chen Shi's safety. Moreover, his family can also be brought to live there, preventing the kidnapping of Chen's mother from happening again.
However, Chen Shi had concerns. He had been with the company for less than three months, was the least experienced and youngest, yet he was being treated as an exception to enjoy benefits that even senior employees could only dream of, which was bound to attract criticism.
A few words of gossip from other departments are one thing, but it's not good for unpleasantness to arise within one's own group. You know, Chang Biao is still renting and paying rent every month. Fatty did buy a house, but he's also paying a mortgage.
As a newcomer, his assignment to an apartment out of nowhere will likely affect the unity within Group 5.
Sun Tiemei guessed the reason from his expression: "You don't need to worry about it. We'll keep the same story internally. This house isn't a welfare allocation; it's a temporary safe house, designed to ensure the personal safety of key personnel involved in the case. Everyone will understand."
Chen Shi thought about it for a while before he had no objections.
Xing Mufeng steered the conversation toward the case: "This year, supernatural crimes have seen a surge in Linchuan. I've looked into it, and many of these cases have the shadow of this underground community behind them. If an underground organization were simply after profit, they wouldn't need to focus solely on Linchuan; they should be moving around and setting up their operations. That would be the most profitable approach."
"That means Linchuan definitely has something they want." Director Liu echoed, "We've analyzed this repeatedly, but we still haven't figured it out. In previous years, there were far more cases of supernatural abilities in the surrounding cities than in Linchuan, but this year it's completely reversed, which is too abnormal."
"So this is my next core investigation direction." Xing Mufeng stood up. "I need to comprehensively review all the cases of supernatural crimes in Linchuan over the past six months, and screen the movement trajectory of outside supernatural beings one by one. I must find out the root cause of the underground community taking root in Linchuan."
He looked at Chen Shi: "This work requires the full cooperation of all five teams. You have handled the most major cases and are currently the most familiar with the underground community, especially you."
"No problem, Mr. Xing, I will definitely cooperate fully." Chen Shi immediately agreed.
After finishing their work discussion, Chen Shi and Sun Tiemei said goodbye and returned to Group Five. That afternoon, an appointment notice popped up on the personnel bulletin board of the bureau's official website.
"Chen Shi, a trainee staff member of the Fifth Group of the Field Operations Brigade, has performed his duties responsibly since joining the company. In the investigation of many major, difficult and special cases involving special abilities, he has taken the initiative to break through key bottlenecks and made outstanding contributions in special operations. After collective research by the bureau leadership and approval by the Criminal Investigation Detachment of the General Administration of Public Security, he has been promoted to deputy leader of the Fifth Group and will officially assume his duties from today."
The announcement caused an uproar throughout the entire organization.
Since its establishment, the Linchuan City Bureau of Supernatural Abilities has never had a precedent of promoting a newcomer to deputy team leader in less than three months.
Chen Shi's promotion speed was comparable to a rocket. Many employees in the bureau felt unbalanced, completely ignoring Chen Shi's achievements in solving cases. Instead, all sorts of rumors were flying around, such as that Chen Shi was actually a hidden second-generation rich kid who came to the municipal bureau to gain experience.
Especially those ordinary employees who are much older than Chen Shi and have been with the company for many years but are still stuck in the same place, their eyes are filled with mockery and resentment.
Fortunately, the fifth group remained harmonious. Fatty and Chen Shi had been friends since childhood, and Biaozi, a laid-back employee, harbored no jealousy. Su Xiaohe, needless to say, was Chen Shi's number one fan; she even felt wronged for Chen Shi becoming the deputy group leader.
The fat man seized the opportunity to come over and clown around: "Team Leader Chen, I'm here to report on my recent work."
Chen Shi was speechless: "Fatty, don't mess with me."
"I wouldn't dare," the fat man shook his head rapidly. "But things are different now. You're the deputy team leader, our leader. If I don't address you by your title at work, it'll make me seem like I have an improper mindset and no sense of hierarchy."
Seeing that he was getting into it, Chen Shi went along with it: "Alright, since you're so particular about the rules, Comrade Pang Daqiang, submit this week's work summary and case review log to me before you leave work. I need to review them one by one, and any problems will require overtime revisions."
The fat man instantly dropped all pretenses: "You have absolutely no sense of humor."
Chang Biao watched this scene with a smile, his mindset exceptionally gentle. Ever since Chen Shi joined the group, he had always treated him like a younger brother. Now, seeing him promoted in just a few months, he felt a strange sense of satisfaction, like an elder watching a junior achieve success.
A torrent of inner turmoil surged within him. The more he thought about it, the more emotional he became, his eyes slowly reddening and welling up with tears. His self-pitying demeanor made the people around him uneasy, yet they dared not approach him to speak.
Su Xiaohe looked somewhat indignant, not out of jealousy of Chen Shi. Everyone knew that her personal worship of Chen Shi had long since reached a blind level.
In her eyes, Chen Shi's abilities far exceeded those of a mere deputy group leader, and that it was a complete waste of his talents for Teacher Chen to be relegated to this position.
"The bureau is being too stingy," Su Xiaohe said bluntly. "Giving him only a deputy team leader position is beneath Teacher Chen, even a mid-level management position would be beneath him."
She became increasingly outspoken, each word dripping with savagery: "Teacher Chen, you're sure to continue to amaze everyone, and then you'll give Director Liu a good slap in the face, letting him know what a huge mistake it was to underestimate you!"
Chen Shi buried his head on the table, unable to speak.
This girl's flattery has no limits; it's so outrageous that it's impossible to keep up.
At this moment, Sun Tiemei came out from the inner room. She and Chen Shi exchanged a glance, understanding each other without saying a word.
This promotion, though seemingly glamorous, wasn't actually as wonderful as it appeared. Admittedly, the bureau's decision to promote Chen Shi and elevate his status was a genuine gesture of goodwill and an attempt to retain this newcomer.
However, at the same time, the promotion announcement completely brought Chen Shi into the public eye, exposing him to everyone's view.
From now on, every time Chen Shi goes out or handles a case, the level of danger will be far greater than before.