By the next day, the story of how Baiwan had found the drug addict had spread throughout the entire station.
As Shen Xin changed his clothes, getting ready to head home, he saw Song Liang grinning as he played with Baiwan.
Seeing Shen Xin, he quickly waved him over.
"Xiaoshen, I'm just realizing you're the station's good luck charm!" Song Liang's eyes curved into smiling crescents.
In the Li Jin case, they couldn't find a lead for the life of them, yet Shen Xin managed to discover a clue thanks to a stray cat.
And then there was the truck before that.
Even Baiwan only avoided ruining the arrest operation because of Shen Xin.
"I heard from your master that cats and dogs are especially fond of you. Wouldn't you call that a special ability?" Song Liang asked, sizing Shen Xin up with curiosity.
Shen Xin, feeling a little guilty, denied it was anything so mysterious.
Just then, Baiwan trotted over on his own, circled around Shen Xin, and wagged his tail nonstop.
"See? Baiwan is still closer to you."
Song Liang had plied the dog with quite a few sausages, but Baiwan still wouldn't wag his tail for him the way he did for Shen Xin.
Shen Xin ruffled the fur on Baiwan's head.
'Well, it is a 3-bar favorability rating,' he thought. 'There's bound to be some difference in affection.'
"Oh, right, Xiaoshen." Song Liang lowered his voice, speaking conspiratorially. "I have some good news. For your work on the Li Jin case, there's a high probability you'll receive a Third-Class Merit."
Shen Xin's heart skipped a beat. He quickly asked if it was true.
It might only be a Third-Class Merit, but it wasn't easy to earn.
He had made a contribution to the Li Jin case by finding two key clues that led to it being solved.
The case itself involved a significant amount of money.
But Shen Xin had thought about it before and felt that a Third-Class Merit was a long shot. At most, he expected a formal commendation.
"It's very likely. The main thing is that you saved someone," Song Liang said with a grin.
He wouldn't dare dream of a collective Third-Class Merit, but for a probationary officer like Shen Xin to receive one would be an honor for the station.
Shen Xin had a sudden realization.
That was it. He had saved Zhang Jian during Fan Jie's arrest.
As a police officer, solving a case was part of the job, but saving a life was a heroic act worthy of commendation.
"Thank you, Song Suo. I'll be sure to keep working hard," Shen Xin said quickly.
In the police system, merits were king.
Why else would Zhang Jian have invested so much energy into the Li Jin case?
It was because the station rarely got such a major case, and he wanted to earn a merit to help him move up the ladder later.
When a promotion opportunity came up, someone with merits would naturally be prioritized.
Driving away from the station, Shen Xin couldn't resist the urge to call his parents.
'Your son is a man with a merit to his name now!'
This wasn't just empty talk. Since Song Liang had dared to tell him, he must be confident about it.
But on second thought, he decided against it.
If his mom found out he'd gotten a merit for saving someone, she would definitely nag him endlessly.
She already thought being a police officer was dangerous.
Shen Xin first drove to the hospital, went to the emergency room, and got a rabies shot.
It had been less than 24 hours since he was scratched, so it shouldn't be a problem.
Another thousand-plus yuan gone.
After getting the first shot, he received a message from the pet hospital. They had sent him a picture of a pair of testicles.
Without a doubt, they belonged to Evil Bully.
Zhao Rui even joked that of all the stray cats she had "snipped," his was the biggest pair of "bells."
He made an appointment to pick up Evil Bully later. As he reached his front door, Shen Xin suddenly remembered the tuxedo cat.
He had spent a lot of money these past two days, so he really needed to retrieve the cat cam hanging from the tuxedo cat's neck.
And to get the camera back, he would inevitably need Da Mei's help.
He kept freeze-dried treats in his car, hoping that bringing food home every day would make Da Mei idolize him.
But today, the effect was limited.
Maybe she'd had too many freeze-dried treats and just wasn't interested.
"Da Mei, let's go. I'll take you to bully that tuxedo cat," Shen Xin called out after she finished eating.
Every time he changed the battery, Da Mei would give the tuxedo cat a proper bullying.
The previously lethargic Da Mei was instantly energized. She let out a meow, ignored her kittens, and shot to the door, signaling for him to hurry up and go.
Shen Xin suddenly felt that perhaps Da Mei still longed for life in the wild.
Staying at his house, she might not have to worry about food and water, but it definitely had less excitement than the great outdoors.
Shen Xin figured that perhaps during the next "listening" phase, if he wanted to raise her favorability rating, he should take Da Mei out more often instead of just feeding her.
"Hurry up."
Shen Xin had even heard Da Mei's thoughts.
It seemed this feline queen was getting impatient.
Although he had pulled an all-nighter, he could still manage. Shen Xin drove with Da Mei and soon arrived at Xianghong Village.
As if guided by some unseen force, he found himself driving to Wu Zhicun's front door again.
The moment he opened the car door, Da Mei shot out without needing to be told, disappearing in a flash.
He wasn't worried about her. She would bring the tuxedo cat back soon enough.
Just then, Shen Xin noticed a truck parked in front of Wu Zhicun's house.
It looked like the truck belonging to He Cuimei's husband, Zhang Wenjun.
"Sister He, are you all moving?" Shen Xin asked as he walked over.
He Cuimei was carrying pots and pans, loading them onto the truck.
"Officer Shen!" He Cuimei greeted him quickly, then pursed her lips and pointed toward the house. "We have no choice. The old man's gone mad. He was howling and crying in the middle of the night. Scared us to death. We can't stay, so we're moving out."
She seemed a bit reluctant; Wu Zhicun's rent was quite cheap.
'Gone mad?'
Shen Xin frowned and immediately entered the courtyard.
The main room door was closed. Shen Xin knocked and called out for Uncle Wu, but there was no response.
Behind him, He Cuimei said, "He only got up once this morning, had a good cry, and has been quiet for a while now."
Shen Xin went to the inner room window. The curtains were drawn, so he couldn't see inside. He knocked on the window, but still got no reaction.
Shen Xin sensed something was wrong and kicked open the door to the main room.
The room was still dark.
The three memorial portraits on the front wall were still eerie under the glow of the ever-burning lamp.
When he looked into the inner room, Shen Xin's expression changed drastically.
He saw Wu Zhicun lying motionless on the bed, dressed in neat clothes.
And on his nightstand was an unfolded piece of paper.
Shen Xin rushed over to look. It seemed to be a medicine wrapper.
The medicine was a powder. He sniffed it; the smell was pungent, but he didn't know what it was.
But given Wu Zhicun's condition, it clearly wasn't any normal medicine. His face was growing deathly pale, his hands and feet were cold, his breathing was faint, and when Shen Xin felt his neck, his pulse was also very weak.
'The old man tried to kill himself with poison!'
Shen Xin cursed under his breath. If he hadn't happened to come by to retrieve the cat cam, given that He Cuimei and her family were sneaking away, the old man probably wouldn't have been found until his body started to stink.
Shen Xin quickly dialed for an ambulance, then tried to think of how to perform first aid before it arrived.
The only thing he could do was induce vomiting.
Shen Xin didn't hesitate. He turned Wu Zhicun over and stuck his fingers down the man's throat.
It actually worked.
He coughed violently and threw up a puddle of yellow fluid.
Shen Xin then quickly told Zhang Wenjun to wait at the village entrance for the ambulance and guide it.
He Cuimei was terrified, panickedly saying she didn't know anything about this, afraid she would get into trouble.
The closest hospital to Xianghong Village was the City Fourth Hospital, only three or four kilometers away. A little over ten minutes later, the ambulance arrived.
Shen Xin quickly got into the ambulance, accompanying the man to the hospital.
On the way, after some consideration, he called Zhao Shouchuan.
A suicide attempt like this had to be reported to the local police station.
If they couldn't save him, it would be troublesome.
Besides, he was a lonely old man with no family; someone had to take responsibility for him.
Hearing that Wu Zhicun had attempted suicide by poison, Zhao Shouchuan was startled and said over the phone that he would drive to the hospital immediately.
Shen Xin had also brought the packet of powder. The paramedic in the ambulance sniffed it and said with a grim expression that it seemed to be rat poison.
Shen Xin cursed inwardly.
'This old man... You kept clamoring that you weren't afraid to die, that you were living for justice. You've already endured for seven years, so why couldn't you wait a little longer?'
'And Wu Jiawang... what on earth happened to him? How could he have vanished without a trace, with no sign of him, dead or alive?'