Chapter 25: Becoming an Official Police Officer

Ao Xi really did have something to attend to. Early in the morning, he received a call from Susan, notifying him to come to the station for an important matter.

That was why Ao Xi seemed so dull today—otherwise, he would have at least done his morning exercises to start the day with a good mood.

Since Zhuo Ning had driven off with the car, Ao Xi had no choice but to rent an electric scooter from the roadside. But, truth be told, he had never ridden one before. After fumbling around for ages and wasting several dollars, he ended up having to call a taxi anyway—utterly exasperating.

When he finally arrived at the station, Susan directed him to find his team sergeant, Carles, who was waiting for him in the office.

Ao Xi knocked on Carles’s office door.

“Come in.”

Carles greeted him with a grin. “Hey, you’re looking well, seems like you’re in good shape.”

Ao Xi smiled. After chatting with Mary, his mood had lifted a bit, and a good outburst the previous night had left him feeling completely restored and energetic.

“Has my psychological evaluation come out already? The psychologist works that quickly?”

Carles shrugged. “Forget the evaluation, buddy. We don’t need a shrink telling us how to do our jobs.”

“That’s a bit hasty, isn’t it?”

“If an officer is truly not well, and the evaluation reflects that, we’ll respect the doctor’s opinion. But if the officer’s fine and wants to keep fighting, then the psychologist can go to hell,” Carles replied. “Of course, if you want to continue resting, we’ll respect your wishes too.”

Ao Xi thought that made sense. The police, after all, were a disciplined force with their own way of doing things—following the psychologist’s advice to the letter would be odd.

“Of course not, I’m ready to get back to work anytime.”

Carles nodded. “Excellent, Ao Xi. We need men like you. Go get your gear and come back here.”

Ao Xi left to retrieve his equipment, which had previously been taken from him, then returned to Carles.

But Carles led him out of the office and to the precinct chief’s door. After knocking, he announced, “Chief Mesa, the new officer is ready.”

“Good, let’s go,” said Chief Mesa, stepping out. The insignia on his collar—two H-shaped badges—marked his rank as chief.

This was Ao Xi’s second time meeting Chief Mesa, and he had no idea why Carles had brought him here.

Chief Mesa nodded at Ao Xi and led the way, with Carles and Ao Xi following.

The three of them walked into a small assembly hall, which was already quite crowded. A line of people stood on stage—officers newly hired in recent weeks, whom Ao Xi recognized. Several sergeants stood nearby, watching.

Carles signaled for Ao Xi to join the group.

Standing at the end of the line, Ao Xi had a pretty good guess as to what was happening. He’d applied for citizenship, and by now he should qualify as a full officer. It remained to be seen if he was right.

The new officers kept exchanging glances with him, and the sergeants did the same, leaving Ao Xi puzzled.

Just as he suspected, Carles went to the side and turned on a Bluetooth speaker, solemn music filling the hall. Then he produced a hefty brick—the Bible.

One by one, in the presence of Chief Mesa and the sergeants, the new officers placed their hands on the Bible and swore to be good police officers, to uphold order, and to protect public safety. Ao Xi recited the oath as well.

Chief Mesa shook hands with each new officer, encouraging them to shine in their roles, and then departed.

The sergeants took their new recruits and left as well.

Ao Xi was a bit dumbfounded. Was that it? No collar pins or arm patches? Wasn’t this a bit too hasty?

Carles turned off the speaker. “What did you expect? For each of you to get a one-pound solid gold badge, and a grand silver party with dozens of girls to celebrate?”

“That sounds good to me!” Ao Xi replied.

“Good, my foot. You’re just a new officer—nothing special.”

Unconvinced, Ao Xi pressed, “Forget the collar pin, at least give me an armband. Mark and the others have one.”

“Nope. New officers get nothing. The armband comes only after three years, when you’re promoted to First-Class Patrol Officer. As for the collar pin…” Carles grinned. “I don’t even have a collar pin—where would I get one for you? Wait until you outrank me, become deputy chief, then you’ll get one. By then, I’ll have to salute you.”

“I don’t mind if you start now.”

“Get on patrol!”

“Yes, sir!”

Ao Xi turned to leave, then spun back. “Why were the new officers and sergeants looking at me like that just now? Carles, do you know why?”

“They’re just curious about the one known as ‘the Barbarian,’ that’s all.”

Ao Xi left with a dark expression. He should never have asked. What a ridiculous nickname—discrimination, plain and simple! He’d get a lawyer and sue those newspapers!

The swearing-in was merely a ceremony; his official registration as an officer was already complete. The management of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department was complex: a sworn-in officer would be under the purview of multiple bureaus—Labor Relations and Cooperation, Human Resources, Fiscal Management, even Audit and Accountability, as well as Compliance.

That Ao Xi went from Reserve Deputy to sworn officer in a matter of days showed how much effort Temple Station had put in behind the scenes.

Truth be told, Ao Xi felt a little anxious. He wasn’t afraid of a real fight, but he did worry he wouldn’t be a match for the bureaucrats if it came to playing mind games. He was only 23, fresh out of college, with little life experience.

Sitting in his patrol car, Ao Xi mused for a long time, but still couldn’t figure out what on earth a lowly officer like him could possibly do.

If he couldn’t figure it out, he’d just take things as they came. If worst came to worst, he’d fight his way out of America and swim home.

He drove out of the station’s parking lot to begin his patrol. There were plenty of speeders and red-light runners, but in his good mood as a newly sworn officer, he let them go with a smile. They’d end up in the afterlife soon enough—nothing to get worked up over.

But then, a young Black man on the street caught his attention. Above his head, the mark of criminality glowed red. The young man was pointing at his own t-shirt, constantly chatting up passersby. Even when rejected, he didn’t mind, and occasionally someone actually bought something from him.

Ao Xi pulled over, curious to see what this guy was up to.

As he drew closer, he saw that the t-shirt was custom-made, emblazoned with the words: “Who needs leaves? I really have them.”

Ao Xi felt as if thunder were rolling overhead. He’d thought only Florida produced such eccentrics, but apparently, Los Angeles had its share of characters too.

He approached and asked, “Hey man, your shirt says you have leaves. Can I see what you’re selling?”

The young man, seemingly high, didn’t care who he was talking to. Shaking his head and grinning, he replied, “Of course! Top-notch stuff, great prices. If you want a lot, I’ll even throw in some freebies.”

With that, he lifted his t-shirt, releasing a pungent and distinctive odor. More importantly, a series of small pouches strapped to his belly came into view.

The pouches contained everything—leaves, smokable dried flowers, lollipops, caramel candies, cigarettes, and vape pens. The young man probably hadn’t showered in ages; his own stench overpowered the scent of his wares. It was surprising anyone bought from him at all.

Ao Xi had never seen such a variety of leaf products before.

“Is all this genuine? Not fake, right?”

The young man grew indignant. “How could it be fake, man? Everything here is the real deal—leaf-flavored goods. Try it once, you’ll fall in love!”

Seeing how talkative he was, Ao Xi pressed a bit more. “Where do you get your supply? I need a lot, and what you have here isn’t enough.”

“What are you after? Trying to meet my supplier and take my spot? Dream on, man.” As he spoke, the young man reached for his waistband.

What a twisted line of thinking.

As Ao Xi marveled at this, his reflexes took over—he quickly kicked the young man to the ground.

He seized the young man’s gun, tossed it aside, and cuffed him.

Radioing dispatch, Ao Xi reported that he’d apprehended a dealer and was bringing him in. He picked up the discarded gun, hauled the young man up, and tried to get him in the car.

The young man resisted fiercely, thrashing about. “I’m not getting in there! It’s too dark, the seats are uncomfortable—no way!”

As the old saying goes, even the gods can’t manage a dog that’s throwing a tantrum. By now, a crowd had gathered to watch. Ao Xi couldn’t beat the man, and after wrestling with him until he was drenched in sweat, still couldn’t get him into the car.

Hands on his hips, panting, Ao Xi looked helplessly at the young man sitting on the ground.

Scratching his brow, he suddenly had an idea.

He said, “I’m taking you somewhere special. The people there love leaves and pay handsomely—they’ll buy out all your goods. You’re going to make a fortune, man.”

The young man leapt to his feet. “Really? I’m going to get rich? Let’s go!”

He hopped into the patrol car himself, urging, “Come on, man, let’s get going. When I hit it big, I’ll cut you in.”

Relieved, Ao Xi climbed in too and drove the young man back to the station.