Chapter 31: The third-class merit award is assured.

Three gunshots rang out.

Three sprays of blood burst from Wang Chongyang's chest. He cast one last glance at his parents downstairs before slowly collapsing.

Not a single person at the scene spoke.

There was only the sound of Liu Hongxia's pained cries and raindrops falling onto the rooftop.

Everyone, including Chen Mo, was deeply moved.

Because they were the ones who understood the injustice Wang Chongyang had suffered in this case the best.

Was he truly a bad person? The answer was no.

He was just an ordinary person who had been treated unfairly and was now retaliating against those who had bullied him.

The words 'It has nothing to do with you, leave immediately!' still echoed in everyone's ears.

He still had a conscience.

Even though the police had mishandled the case back then, he hadn't transferred his hatred onto them.

Otherwise, everyone on the rooftop would have died here.

"Little Liu, send someone to take Counselor Liu down; the ambulance is waiting."

Long Hao had arrived with his men at some point and began giving orders.

A moment later, once there were no more outsiders left on the rooftop, he let out a heavy sigh and looked up at the sky.

He shouted, "Attention, everyone!"

In an instant, everyone straightened their backs, their gazes fixed on Wang Chongyang, who lay on the ground ahead.

"Salute Comrade Wang Chongyang!"

—Swish, swish, swish! A uniform sound rang out.

It was an apology for the police mishandling the case three years ago.

It was gratitude for the fact that even though Wang Chongyang had the ability to kill Liu Hongxia, he had chosen not to because he considered their presence.

And it was, even more so, sympathy for what he had endured.

If none of this had happened, Wang Chongyang should have found a decent job by now, brought his parents out of the mountains, and lived a happy life.

"Order arms!"

...

Below the rooftop, the crowd was swarming.

Curious students and reporters who had rushed to the scene were kept far away.

Nearby, there were people from Wang Family Village, school leaders, and Instructor Yang.

The moment Liu Hongxia was wheeled out of the office building by several medical staff, the flashes of various cameras flickered wildly in the night.

"As you can all see, the lady being wheeled by the medical staff is the victim of this case..."

"The murderous demon has finally been eradicated, Ms. Liu has been saved, and justice has prevailed!"

"..." The era of traffic-is-king had begun, and every media outlet was fighting for the first scoop.

"So many reporters."

Chen Mo and Long Hao were startled by the flashes in the distance before they had even walked out of the building.

It was comparable to the mobile phone lights at a small concert.

"This case is too heinous—chopping people with a kitchen knife, bombs, and it's at a school. If I were a reporter, I'd come too."

Long Hao smacked his lips. At the same time, he suddenly thought of something and said happily:

"By the way, you should be able to get a pretty big merit for this."

The case's impact was terrible, but that wasn't something for them, as frontline personnel, to consider. They just had to solve the case.

There were too many elements to this case, and the level of danger was self-evident.

Chen Mo had played a critical role in this case, so getting a merit wouldn't be a problem.

"A First-Class Merit?" Chen Mo joked upon hearing this.

This choked Long Hao up a bit. He looked at him with some surprise, his expression conveying, "You kid really dare to think big."

"To tell you the truth, I never hope you get a First-Class Merit in your life."

"You get a Third-Class Merit standing up, a Second-Class Merit lying down, and your family gets a First-Class Merit."

Although this sounded like a joke, it wasn't without basis; it was indeed like that internally.

In peacetime, where are there so many big cases awaiting resolution that are enough to earn a First-Class Merit?

Most of the time, it's about knowing there is danger but still charging forward to protect the people, and it can only be awarded after death. Important note: it must be after death; you can't get it if you're still alive.

"Haha." Chen Mo had heard similar words in his previous life, so he immediately got his meaning and couldn't help but laugh.

"A Third-Class Merit is secured."

"Don't look down on this Third-Class Merit. It's not easy to get one in this era. When I got this thing the year before last, I had to lie in a hospital bed for three whole months."

But he didn't envy Chen Mo. He just had to be hospitalized, but the bomb Chen Mo discovered could easily have cost him his life. Under those circumstances, his three months in a hospital bed were not worth mentioning.

Most importantly, he knew Chen Mo's capabilities best. He understood Reasoning, Autopsy, Micro-expressions, and even Trace Investigation—a truly capable and extraordinary person.

It was only right for such a capable person to get a Third-Class Merit. Not only did he think so, but everyone in the team probably thought so too.

"Long Hao, Chen Mo." Instructor Yang, who was standing in front of the building, saw the two of them come out and waved.

When the two walked up to him, he looked emotional. "Heroes come from the youth; Chen Mo, you really live up to this saying."

Calculating his age, Chen Mo had just graduated half a year ago and was not yet twenty-three. Calling him a youth was not a problem.

When this case first started, Long Hao had been sending people to report the progress to him. He had thought it was just another brutal murder case.

He hadn't expected them to find a bomb. The importance of the case had instantly been elevated by several levels, especially since it involved a sensitive area like a school.

"Instructor Yang, you flatter me."

Chen Mo waved his hand. To be honest, when he saw the bomb, he was nervous and scared too. His first thought was to run! As the saying goes, he was a person first, and then a police officer.

Of course, there was also the instinct to avoid harm. A bomb wouldn't sit down and reason with him; who knew when that thing would explode.

"I'm telling the truth. It was remarkable that you could discover the bomb, and it was even more remarkable that you immediately arranged for people to transfer and dismantle it after discovering it!"

"I am praising your calmness, decisiveness, and the spirit of not retreating in the face of danger!"

These words might sound a bit empty, but that was indeed what Instructor Yang thought in his heart.

By analyzing the sour smell and the perpetrator's motive, he had deduced that the perpetrator might be carrying a dangerous source. On this point alone, Chen Mo had surpassed 99% of police officers.

If bombs were really that easy to discover, how come the perpetrator had installed it for so long, and only Chen Mo had discovered it?

Long Hao had been with Chen Mo the whole time; why hadn't he discovered it? In the end, it was because he thought more, was willing to use his brain on the case, and was brave.

Lacking any of these qualities, this office building would have been blown up today.

"I heard from Long Hao that it was your idea to bring these people from Wang Family Village." "This calmness of yours is perfect for being a criminal police officer!"

He had heard from Long Hao about the situation at that time, when they discovered that the person who had collided with the two of them at the school was Wang Chongyang. Long Hao's reaction had been anxiety; he had wanted nothing more than to fly over in a second and save Liu Hongxia.

These were the typical reactions of a normal person; one couldn't say it was wrong. But compared to Chen Mo holding Long Hao back and having him go to Wang Family Village first, his calmness appeared all the more precious!

Even he would have been as anxious as Long Hao at the time; if they had arrived late, Liu Hongxia would have died. In short, Chen Mo handled the critical points of this case very well.

Every inadvertent action now appeared to be able to withstand scrutiny.

"Rest assured, Instructor, I will continue to work hard!"