Chapter 53: A Heavy Responsibility
Chapter 53: Chapter 53: A Heavy Responsibility
On the morning of April 3rd, Yang Wenqing arrived at the branch office as usual. Not long after he sat down, a summons from Vice Director Gao came through his badge.
He immediately got up and headed to Vice Director Gao’s office. Pushing open the door, he found that besides Vice Director Gao, there was another man seated inside. He was a powerfully built, middle-aged man, also dressed in the white uniform of a police commissioner. His aura was heavy and composed, his gaze as sharp as an eagle’s, and he faintly exuded the menacing air of a seasoned veteran.
A flicker of recognition sparked in Yang Wenqing’s mind. He immediately identified the man as Lei Dan, the head of the branch office’s Operations Section. His name was quite delicate, but his methods were anything but. He was a pragmatist through and through, constantly either out on dangerous missions or on the training grounds drilling his subordinates. He rarely appeared in the office building, and this was Yang Wenqing’s first time formally meeting him.
"Director Gao, Section Chief Lei."
Yang Wenqing stood at attention and saluted.
Vice Director Gao smiled and waved his hand. "Wenqing, you’re here. Have a seat."
He pointed to the empty seat next to Lei Dan.
Lei Dan merely gave a slight nod, his gaze sweeping over Yang Wenqing with a scrutinizing air.
"I’ve called you both here today to discuss command and dispatch matters for the branch office during the annual assessment," Vice Director Gao said, getting straight to the point. "The assessment will last for three days. During that time, most of the sergeants from every public security office in the county, as well as our own branch, will be participating and unable to perform their daily duties. To ensure basic operations and emergency response for the branch office and its jurisdictions during this period, we need to establish a temporary joint command post."
He looked at Lei Dan. "Section Chief Lei, as in previous years, you, as the head of the Operations Section, will serve as the Commander-in-Chief of the command post. You will have full authority over all operational dispatching for these three days."
Lei Dan replied in a deep voice, "Yes, sir!"
Vice Director Gao then turned his gaze to Yang Wenqing, his tone implying a promotion. "The command post’s affairs are complex, and Section Chief Lei needs a capable assistant. Wenqing, you are meticulous and handle matters with a steady hand. I have recommended you to the bureau and the Civil Affairs Bureau to serve as the Deputy Commander of the command post. You will assist Section Chief Lei with daily affairs, coordinate resources from all parties, and focus on maintaining internal stability and gathering intelligence."
A glint appeared in Yang Wenqing’s eyes. ’This is an excellent opportunity to gain experience and raise my profile!’ He instantly suppressed the stir in his heart and replied steadily, "Yes, sir! I will give my full support to Section Chief Lei and carry out my duties to the best of my ability."
Vice Director Gao nodded in satisfaction and added, "Above the command post is the Assessment Committee, chaired by the county magistrate himself. It’s responsible for overseeing the entire assessment process and handling major emergencies. Your command post will report directly to the committee."
At this, he looked at Yang Wenqing and noted, "Your old superior, Director Wang Ren, will be serving as the Secretary-General of this Assessment Committee."
Yang Wenqing understood at once. He’d borrowed men from Director Wang Ren last time, but the two hadn’t had a chance to get together afterward. This time, Director Wang was clearly building momentum for a transfer to the branch’s General Affairs Section. After the assessment, there would surely be a series of personnel changes within the branch office.
"The specific structure of the command post will follow the precedent of previous years," Vice Director Gao continued to assign tasks. "The command post will have a Security Department, an Internal Defense Department, and a Logistics Department."
He looked at Yang Wenqing. "Wenqing, as Deputy Commander, you will be directly in charge of the Security Department. This department will be formed by drawing from the guard units of the various public security offices. It will be responsible for patrols and security in the main areas of the county seat during the assessment. You must be the first to respond to and handle any sudden incidents. This is frontline work, and it will be a major test of your on-the-spot decision-making skills."
"Understood!" Yang Wenqing replied in a deep voice. This meant he would be directly commanding a temporarily formed mobile force. The responsibility was immense, but it was also a perfect opportunity to accumulate frontline command experience.
Vice Director Gao then glanced toward the door, as if by prior arrangement. "The Internal Defense Department will be headed by Liu Xin, captain of the Second Squad. She will be responsible for the internal security of the branch office building and key facilities, as well as internal communications."
"As for the Logistics Department, it will be managed by the Director’s Office. The Inspection Section will be recording your every word and action during this period."
Just as he finished speaking, there was a knock on the office door, and Liu Xin pushed it open and entered. She had clearly been notified in advance as well. Seeing Yang Wenqing inside, she gave him a slight nod before saluting. "Director Gao, Section Chief Lei."
Vice Director Gao briefly explained the responsibilities of the Internal Defense Department to her. Liu Xin crisply replied, "I guarantee the mission will be completed!"
Yang Wenqing and Liu Xin exchanged a glance. Both instantly understood that their collaboration during this assessment might also be a trial run before a future power transition within the Major Case Team.
"Alright, the command post has been prepared for you. It’s in the emergency center out back. The relevant personnel will arrive tomorrow. As for how you use them, I shouldn’t need to hold your hands and teach you, right?"
Vice Director Gao’s voice grew louder and his tone became very serious. "There can be no mistakes regarding the assessment. You can go take a look at the command post first. Starting tomorrow, you’re all going to be busy for the next five days."
"Yes, sir!"
Lei Dan had already stood up, clearly ready to go see the command post.
Naturally, Yang Wenqing and Liu Xin couldn’t remain seated.
The assessment itself was three days long. Preparations would take a day beforehand, and the promotion ceremony afterward would take another day. It was a major annual event that the entire county took very seriously.
The three of them left Vice Director Gao’s office and walked straight toward the emergency command center.
A squad of Government Soldiers was already guarding the perimeter. They had to have their identification information scanned before they were allowed to enter.
Upon entering the emergency center, they were met with the sight of a grand hall that blended technology and runes. The hall was spacious and bright. The most eye-catching feature was the massive, horseshoe-shaped main console in the center, constructed from dark spirit wood and metal. Its surface was inlaid with dozens of Communication Array bases that pulsed with a faint blue light.
The entire wall directly opposite the main console was occupied by a gigantic projection screen created by a Water Mirror Skill. It currently displayed a real-time dynamic map of Qianjiao County. Hundreds of monitoring Arrays within the county seat were transmitting data back in real time.
Lei Dan walked directly to the centermost seat at the main console and sat down. That was the Commander-in-Chief’s position. Yang Wenqing and Liu Xin also had their own seats, but it was unlikely they would be spending much time here, as they were responsible for frontline affairs.
As the three were familiarizing themselves with the environment, a middle-aged man in the uniform of the technical department walked in briskly. After saluting them, he introduced himself, "Commander Lei, Commander Yang, Commander Liu, I am Cheng Du from the Technical Section. I’m responsible for explaining and calibrating the frontline command communication system for this assessment."
He led Yang Wenqing and Liu Xin to two separate command stations on the side.
"Considering that both of you commanders will need to coordinate from the front lines, we have equipped you with the ’Wind-Talker B’ frontline command set," Cheng Du said, pointing to a set of equipment on the desk.
The core of the set was a lightweight helmet with a built-in voice-transmission Array, ensuring clear communication and allowing the user to maintain focus for long periods. On the side of the helmet was a foldable, single-eye tactical lens made from a thin slice of Shadowmoon Stone. It could project a simplified map, friendly unit markers, and encrypted text messages.
Mounted on the desk was a portable main console, about the size of a book. The front was a Spiritual Light touchscreen that could display the distribution of patrol forces throughout the county, the alert status of various zones, and quickly call up footage from nearby image-recording Arrays. On the side were several physical knobs for rapidly switching between encrypted communication channels.