Translator’s Note: Advance chapters of Hong Kong Detective is now available on Ko-fi for monthly subscription of $7. Current chapter is until CH16 and will be updated 1 chapter a day
This will be cancelled for now ( ^_^ )_v
When Yi Jiayi entered the police station with reddened eyes, she found that she, who had previously been invisible, had suddenly become the center of attention, like a lone swan on stage, with eyes following her wherever she went.
People whispered behind her back, barely remembering her name, yet eagerly joining the discussion: “That clerical worker, what dumb luck.” “Just a publicity stunt, the station also needs big news.” “Only two months on the job and already making an impression in front of the leadership.” “Jealous, are we?” “Can’t I admire her?”
Yi Jiayi chose to ignore and focus solely on her duties.
When she changed into her uniform and walked into the office, Sister Yin was standing behind her desk, organizing mountains of files. If it weren’t for a hand occasionally fishing out documents, Yi Jiayi could hardly see the person surrounded by files.
Yi Jiayi greeted her, and Sister Yin popped her head out from behind the files, saying, “Jiayi, a medium frozen cappuccino with cream~”
“Okay, Sister Yin.” Cream here meant artificial creamer, directly transliterated, which Yi Jiayi was confused about at first but now was accustomed to.
She put down what she was holding, ready to order coffee for Sister Yin, but just as she turned around, Sister Yin suddenly smiled, walked over, pressed down on her shoulders, and pushed her into a chair, raising an eyebrow and saying:
“Who’s this? Our little lucky star, huh? No errands for you today, I’ll order it myself. I’ve bought a lottery ticket using your birthday, bless me to win big.”
After that, Sister Yin patted Yi Jiayi’s shoulder, asked her to sit tight, and then hurried out at a swift pace.
Yi Jiayi smoothed her hair at her temples, thinking how nice it was to be famous; even the lazy Sister Yin was willing to run errands for her.
Turning her head, she reached for a folder to start organizing files, but on a closer look, huh, Sister Yin wasn’t really organizing at all—she was hidden behind the files, reading the newspaper and having breakfast.
What was earlier fished out from the pile of files by Sister Yin was not documents, but a pack of tissues…
Ms. Lu Wanyin truly mastered the art of slacking off brilliantly.
Following the numbers, Yi Jiayi meticulously filed each document into folders, noting down any missing ones to report—she was very thorough.
A few minutes later, footsteps sounded at the door, but it wasn’t Sister Yin with coffee; it was an invitation from the Public Relations Department.
In Hong Kong, transparency is paramount; everything must be laid out for public oversight, and police investigations cannot be concealed. Updates and results are regularly presented to the people of the whole city, like giving a performance review to a boss, with press conferences announcing police achievements.
Growing up watching Hong Kong films, Yi Jiayi always thought Hong Kong turned the police stations into a kind of company, needing publicity, public relations, and marketing. She never imagined that one day she would be involved, becoming the character who had to appear on camera.
After being whisked away for a touch-up and a change into a military-style police uniform, she was photographed in every corner of the station, only to finally escape back to the air-conditioned room, her face shiny with oil, and feeling liberated.
Just as Yi Jiayi entered the police station, she immediately encountered Fang Zhenyue.
Looking completely different from his exhausted demeanor the night before, Fang now had a stern expression, his brows furrowed, walking briskly with the wind, followed by Liu Jiaming and Lin Wangjiu from Team B.
Yi Jiayi turned her head, watching as they all climbed into a police car and sped away with a siren blare.
Another case had come up.
…
…
With less than two hours left until the end of her shift, a new case meant that the Major Crime Team B would probably have to work overtime.
Yi Jiayi returned to her tiny office of less than 8 square meters, which she shared with Sister Yin, who was busy somewhere else, leaving the office cluttered with files piled so high they hindered walking.
The police station was currently digitizing old files and uploading them to the internal network, causing many old cases to be reopened for review, which kept the entire station excessively busy.
It was said that the Major Crime Team A had been grinding away at a case for over a month, leaving the team frazzled and weary. Now, with old cases being reopened, even if Team A solved their current cases by working overtime daily, there would be no rest for them.
Several case files were stacked in the office, waiting to be investigated—
This job left no moment of respite; it was all pressure, an endless series of violent crimes.
Yi Jiayi’s face felt sticky; she first went to wash off her makeup with soap before returning to work.
But the work, which usually excited her, suddenly seemed utterly unappealing.
Images of Fang Zhenyue and his team leaping into the police car and speeding away kept flashing through her mind.
What was the case this time?
Had someone been killed again?
Was it a premeditated murder, or was it an accidental killing while intoxicated, like the Bi Street murder case?
Who might the victim be this time?
Someone young and naive, just starting their career like her, or someone like Sister Yin, who had been working most of their life, just waiting to retire and enjoy some peace?
This time, it was uncertain whether the murder weapon had been found, and how Sir Fang would solve the case.
And if there was a body this time, would she be asked to document the forensic and evidence collection files?
Today, she had already received a batch of laboratory reports from the Bi Street murder case, and she had made very detailed evidence cataloging entries. The investigative reports for cases she hadn’t yet received were also marked to be completed within the week.
She should have done her organizing and support work well; Sir Fang would likely call on her again, right?
Without realizing it, the person who initially secretly complained about how scary it was to see a corpse had quietly started looking forward to it.
As Yi Jiayi daydreamed a bit longer, her hands suddenly stopped while organizing the files.
Holding in her hands numerous documents, she was reviewing reports from various department officers, forensic analysis reports on bodies, evidence sampling reports from the forensics department, and detective reports…
Straightening her back, Yi Jiayi turned to look at the mountainous stack of files, suddenly pulled over a chair, and while organizing, she picked out interesting cases to read quickly.
After about fifteen minutes, a cup of warm water, a notebook, and a pen appeared in front of Yi Jiayi.
Encountering certain knowledge points and special content, she began to take concise notes.
Half an hour later, she learned to glance at the name of the person who wrote the report after reading the document.
Officer Liao’s reports were always very detailed and well-written, and Yi Jiayi found herself irresistibly drawn to the captivating cases.
Officer Yu detailed the criminal’s motives in his reports, enabling Yi Jiayi to understand some criminal profiles, providing her with new ideas for tracking down the perpetrator…
Each officer had their unique approach to solving cases, and their reports showcased their wisdom and abilities as veteran detectives, earning Yi Jiayi’s admiration and praise.
Hmm, this report, although extremely concise, almost as if the writer dislikes drafting reports, contained only crucial information necessary for solving the case.
The logic was so clear, managing to capture the criminal from such a sharp angle.
The interrogation used deception, naughty but clever indeed…
Yi Jiayi turned to a report by a new officer with a distinct style, and after reading, immediately looked up the ‘author’s name’, wanting to remember it to pay close attention to this officer’s future reports.
Then she saw ‘Fang Zhenyue’—and the date, two years ago.
No wonder he could lead a major crime unit in the bustling Yau Ma Tei area; he had long demonstrated his intelligence, unique logical advantage, and the proactive nature necessary for the role.
Resting her chin in her hand, Yi Jiayi almost copied and pasted his entire report into her notebook.
She couldn’t help it; every sentence had a unique perspective and approach, and failing to record it felt like missing crucial learning material.
When Lin Wangjiu came knocking, Yi Jiayi was deep in a sea of knowledge, almost as if she were back in her postgraduate studies, feeling secure and warm in the familiar state of learning.
“Jiayi, time to start work.” Lin Wangjiu stood at the door, frowning at the pile of files that had become nearly impassable since yesterday, muttering, “It wasn’t this much yesterday, how did it all end up here so suddenly.”
Here we go!
Yi Jiayi peered out from the files, snapped her notebook shut.
“Alright, Uncle Jiu!” She grabbed the case archive record book and bounded out of the small office.
….
The author has a message to share:
“In the 1990s, news about the Hong Kong police force and criminal cases were hot topics for both major and minor publications. In many instances, the media in Hong Kong would treat certain policemen and officers like celebrities, featuring them prominently. That era saw the emergence of figures known as police stars, the belle of the police force, and the dragon of the police force, among other high-profile police personalities. Only police with special identities, such as those from the Criminal Intelligence Department (known colloquially as ‘police paparazzi’ who perform tasks like tailing and stakeouts), would be handled confidentially. Please be informed.”