Chapter 8: When there's something worth taking responsibility for, let go and do it (3)

  Peng Yuandai's mouth began to water, and he turned his face to Jiang Weisheng with an outstretched hand: "Director Jiang, give me a few more books. If I don't read a few more professional books, how can I crack the case?"

  "Give you a few? You think it's easy to get these books? The director risked his life to protect them, otherwise the rebels would have burned them all. That 'Criminal Investigation' textbook was published by the Public Security University before the Cultural Revolution and has been reprinted now, that's why I let you take a look, otherwise I wouldn't even lend it to you."

  The director had been locked up in a cowshed, and later sent to a labor camp for reeducation. It was only recently that he was reinstated to his original position. I really don't know how he managed to protect these books. Peng Yuan was extremely disappointed. During those years, except for the Little Red Book and a limited number of literary works praising the proletarian revolutionary line and eulogizing great proletarian heroes, there were almost no other books to read. Libraries had been smashed, and books burned. To preserve the books in front of him would indeed require taking enormous risks. Although the Gang of Four has now been crushed, and the extreme left route has been reversed, books cannot be printed overnight. Therefore, wanting to read books is still a difficult desire to fulfill. Today, Peng Yuan was surprised to find that the director's office still had so many good books, and after his initial excitement, he felt even more lost, like a starving poor man looking at roasted meat behind a glass window.

  Jiang Wei saw Peng Yuanda extremely disheartened and couldn't bear it, so he opened a small door of hope for him: "Alright, loving to read and learn is a good thing. Let's make a deal. If you can crack the case of the stolen goods from the women's bathhouse within two months, I'll let you choose any two books from this bookcase to read. After you finish reading them, you can come back anytime to exchange them."

  Peng Yuanda was overjoyed and repeatedly agreed, but after agreeing, he secretly scolded himself for being too rash. Lao Niu had more experience and longer seniority than him, and after three months of hard work, they hadn't even caught a glimpse of the thief's shadow. He had only been in the public security team for a month, so how could he boast that he would crack the case within two months? Thinking of this, he asked Jiang Weisheng: "Director Jiang, what do you think we should do about this case?"

  Jiang Wei made a smiling face: "Continue to investigate, I'm too busy and can't help you with the basic work. You'd better go talk to Deputy Director Yao and see if he has any good ideas." He put on his clothes and hat, preparing to go out. Peng Yuanda knew that the conversation was over and had no choice but to turn around and find Deputy Director Yao of the special case group.

  Deputy Director Yao Puhui was a cadre in the Political Department of the Public Security Bureau, and his thinking was very progressive, which could be seen from his name. His original name was not Yao Puhui, but after the Cultural Revolution began, he changed it to "Break the Old and Establish the New" along with his partner (now called girlfriend or fiancée), who joined a revolutionary rebel organization. To adapt to the trend of the times, they decided to choose the most fashionable revolutionary slogan "Break the Old and Establish the New" as their names. His partner took the two characters "Li Xin" for herself, leaving "Pu Hui" for Yao Puhui. After the Gang of Four was smashed, Yao Puhui was busy with the work of reversing the verdicts, criticizing the counter-revolutionary crimes of the Gang of Four, and investigating the three types of people; he also had to help the bureau leaders draft various speeches, edit and publish blackboard newspapers and wall newspapers, and publicize the great revolutionary situation. He was so busy that he didn't have time or interest in participating in cases like the theft of clothes from the women's bathhouse. When Peng Yuandong found him, he was editing a wall newspaper, with his hands covered in colorful ink and his face smeared with it, looking like a clown about to go on stage.

  "Haven't you seen I'm busy? Go find Jiang Wei first, he's the team leader."

  As soon as Yao Poyu heard that Peng Yuanda was discussing the case with him, he pushed him to Jiang Weisheng. Peng Yuanda quickly told him that he had already asked for instructions from Director Jiang, and Yao Poyu said: "That's fine, do what he says, I have no opinion, you see how busy I am? If you're not busy, help me fetch a basin of water to wash my face, that's the best."

  Peng Yuandai's age is actually similar to that of Jiang Weisheng, Yao Poyu and others, and he is even half a year older than Yao Poyu. However, they treat him like an elder treats a younger person, or more accurately, like a master treats his apprentice. This is unavoidable, as Peng Yuandai entered the profession late, and when he was still working as a worker on the job, others were already police officers, with four or five years of seniority over him. He can only listen to their orders and follow their instructions, and besides, they are his superiors.

  Peng Yuandai didn't say another word and hurriedly got a basin of water for Yao Poyu to wash his face. Yao Poyu washed his face with relish, then said: "You go ahead and do your thing, the case is solved thanks to you, if it can't be solved, there's the team leader above and the deputy team leader below, you won't have to take responsibility, what are you worried about? I don't have anything else to say, you go break the case quickly." After finishing speaking, he carefully drew a cartoon of a giant hand grasping four crabs, each crab having the head of one of the Four Heavenly Kings.