On the third day at 9 a.m., the Jiangcheng City Public Security Bureau held a grand cadre meeting. 𝘧𝓇ℯ𝑒𝓌𝑒𝑏𝓃𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭.𝒸ℴ𝓂

The meeting room was packed, with more than eighty people in attendance, including members of the bureau's leadership team, heads of each unit, and cadres above the level of section chief from various departments.

At the meeting, the head of the personnel department, Mr. Li, read out the personnel adjustment decisions: after deliberation, it was decided to appoint Comrade Li Jian as a member of the Jiangcheng City Public Security Bureau Party Committee and Vice Director, overseeing criminal investigations, and relieving him of his duties as the head of the Criminal Investigation Unit.

At the same time, Comrade Jiang An was appointed as the head of the Criminal Investigation Unit, relieving him of his duties as the deputy head of the Criminal Investigation Unit.

...

After the meeting concluded, Jiang An and Li Jian walked side by side out of the meeting room, their footsteps echoing in the empty corridor.

Li Jian halted his steps, turning to face Jiang An.

The veteran detective who had fought on the criminal investigation front for over twenty years now had a complex expression in his eyes.

He reached out to straighten Jiang An's slightly skewed tie and then patted his shoulder heavily, with a deep and powerful voice.

"Mr. Jiang, from now on, the banner of the Criminal Investigation Unit is handed over to you."

"The major cases we've cracked together over the years are still vivid in my mind. You must continue to lead your brothers in protecting justice and maintaining peace in Jiangcheng."

Jiang An immediately straightened his back and saluted with a standard police posture.

The sunlight illuminated his youthful and resolute face, casting a solemn hue: "Mr. Li, please rest assured!"

"I will certainly remember your instructions, lead the entire Criminal Investigation Unit to continue to carry forward the fine traditions of 'extreme endurance and combat readiness,' and never disappoint the organization and your expectations!"

"Good."

Li Jian nodded with relief, then his expression turned slightly sentimental.

"Honestly, it's a bit hard to get used to."

"After meetings, we used to head back to the Criminal Investigation Unit's office together, but today I need to go to the Deputy Director's office on the west side of the third floor."

He paused here, "Oh, by the way, I've almost tidied up my personal items on the office desk, leaving some case files in progress and notes on criminal investigation work."

"I've sorted them and placed them in the archive cabinet, the key is in the first drawer on your right-hand side of the desk."

"These are the insights accumulated over the years and might help you in your work."

Jiang An hurriedly said, "Mr. Li, thank you very much!"

"If you need anything else, feel free to call me anytime, and I'll bring it right over."

"Oh, no need to be so formal."

Li Jian waved his hand, displaying a gentle smile on his face.

"We'll have many interactions in the future."

"Weekly case analysis meetings and monthly criminal investigation work conferences, I'll still be attending as the overseeing Deputy Director."

"Moreover, I'll be personally supervising difficult cases if needed."

The two exchanged a smile, showcasing the years of tacit understanding between them.

Watching this competent officer he himself nurtured turn away, Li Jian's eyes held both relief and a trace of reluctance.

Meanwhile, heading towards the Criminal Investigation Unit, Jiang An was filled with mixed emotions.

He knew that taking on this new responsibility signified greater challenges ahead, but he also felt immense pride in continuing to safeguard the peace of the people of Jiangcheng.

Although Jiang An's promotion to head of the Criminal Investigation Unit was officially announced at today's bureau cadre meeting, this news had already circulated within the Criminal Investigation Unit.

When Jiang An returned to the Criminal Investigation Unit office area after the cadre meeting, the initially noisy open office area suddenly quieted for a moment, then erupted in waves of greetings.

Old detective Wang Lei, who was organizing case files, was the first to stand up and called out vigorously, "Hello, Mr. Jiang!"

This greeting acted like a switch, prompting other team members to put down their work and poke their heads out from their workstations.

Most moving was the reaction of Wan and Zhang Yean, who had fought alongside Jiang An for years.

This pair of veteran detectives known as the "Golden Duo" to the team simultaneously jumped from their seats.

Wan rushed to Jiang An's side in a few quick steps, firmly gripping his shoulders: "Finally, this day has come!"

Zhang Yuan deliberately put on a stern face and lightly tapped Jiang An's chest with a dossier: "Mr. Jiang, you'll have to look after us in the future!"

But she couldn't hold back and burst into laughter.

Wan enthusiastically rubbed his hands: "Need help tidying up your office?"

"Senior brother, no need, thank you!"

"That's rich!"

He gave Jiang An a firm pat on the back, "What kind of relationship do we 'Iron Triangle' have? Ever since you graduated and joined the team, the three of us have been tied together!"

Zhang Yean chimed in, smiling: "It's not just 'Iron Triangle,' last year when we cracked the serial robbery case, didn't the Director praise us as the 'Detective Trio'?"

She counted them off on her fingers, "The bank vault theft case, the cross-province drug trafficking case, and that psycho killer's case..."

Jiang An waved his hand to interrupt the praise, took a deep breath, and said with feigned ease: "Then I'll go tidy up the office first."

Entering what used to be the deputy office, Jiang An's movements slowed.

He looked around, seeing the city map on the wall pinned full of case markers.

The manual binders wedged into the bookshelves had their edges curled up, and the green pot on the windowsill was the gift from Wang Ming on Jiang An's first work day.

Now, these need to be moved to the next room—the office of the head.

Two minutes later, Jiang An carried a box into the adjacent office.

Jiang An noticed there was a sheet of A4 paper on top of the case file in the box.

He picked it up to examine—it was a hand-written case transfer list by Li Jian, detailing not only the key clues of each case but also the challenges in the investigations.