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Chapter 1837 The Emperor's Tongue

After successfully apprehending two suspects at Suning, the police followed the leads and quickly arrested the remaining suspects, thus solving the jewelry store robbery case.

The capture of the last two fugitives in the gold shop robbery sent the entire police station into a frenzy.

When the forensic team carried two robbers, bound like rice dumplings, out of the hot pot restaurant's kitchen, everyone looked at Suning with new respect.

"Jian Fan, you're something else!" Xiao Chenggang punched Su Ning on the shoulder. "You even managed to do good deeds while on suspension!"

Su Ning rubbed his shoulders, but his gaze unconsciously drifted toward the entrance of the police station.

Jiang Dijia stood there, her light purple dress standing out against the drab police station environment.

"Looking for you?" Xiao Chenggang's eyes widened.

Before Su Ning could answer, Xiao Chenggang rushed over in three strides: "Miss Jiang! Do you remember me? I'm Jian Fan's colleague, Xiao Chenggang!"

Jiang Dijia smiled politely: "Of course I remember, Officer Xiao."

"Just call me Chenggang!" Xiao Chenggang rubbed his hands together. "Um... to celebrate solving the case, I'd like to treat you to a meal. How about Jian Fan's restaurant? They have a signature dish..."

As Su Ning walked over, she heard Xiao Chenggang enthusiastically introducing his "Thin as a Wing".

This dish, an improved version of a family-inherited braised pork recipe, features extremely thinly sliced ​​meat that melts in your mouth; it is the most expensive item on the menu.

Of course, this is also what Jiang Dijia wants most. It was noticed that Jiang Dijia's eyes lit up after hearing "thin as a wing".

"...It was made by Jian Fan's father himself, and the taste was absolutely amazing!" Xiao Chenggang patted his chest and guaranteed.

Jiang Dijia's eyes lit up: "Really? Then I definitely have to try it."

She turned to Su Ning, her eyes holding a deeper meaning that Su Ning couldn't decipher: "Officer Jian doesn't mind, does she?"

"Of course I don't mind." Su Ning smiled, but alarm bells were ringing in her mind.

Jiang Dijia's interest in "thin as a wing" is clearly not accidental; this dish originated directly from the braised meat recipe she had always wanted.

In the evening, Xiao Chenggang appeared at the private restaurant dressed in a suit and tie, followed by Jiang Dijia, who was dressed up.

With a wave of his hand, he ordered a table full of dishes, emphasizing that he wanted double portions of "thin as a wing".

"For this dish, you have to choose the tenderest part of the pig's hind leg and slice it as thin as paper..." Xiao Chenggang showed off the bits and pieces he had heard from Su Ning.

When the "thin as a wing" dish was served, Jiang Dijia's eyes lit up noticeably.

She picked up a nearly transparent slice of meat, looked at it under the light, and then put it in her mouth.

For a moment, her expression froze.

"How is it?" Xiao Chenggang asked expectantly.

"It's...it's so delicious." Jiang Dijia's voice trembled slightly. "The recipe for this braising sauce...is very special."

Su Ning stood not far away, observing Jiang Dijia's every subtle reaction.

The way she closed her eyes when eating the second slice, and the small gesture of lightly licking her lips with the tip of her tongue when eating the third slice, all showed that her familiarity with this dish far exceeded that of the average diner.

"Jian Fan!" his mother called from the kitchen, "Captain Qin is looking for you!"

Captain Qin of the Criminal Investigation Division was a middle-aged man in his early forties, with an imposing presence that commanded respect even without anger.

Accompanying him was Liang Wuyun, who had become a formal police officer. She had cut her hair short and was dressed in a crisp uniform, looking completely different from her police academy days.

"Comrade Jian Fan," Captain Qin said bluntly, "I've read your report on the capture of the robbers, and I have a question: why didn't you call the police immediately after spotting the suspects?"

The lobby of the private kitchen restaurant fell silent instantly.

The mother nervously rubbed her apron, and Xiao Chenggang and Jiang Dijia also stopped talking.

Su Ning took a deep breath: "Captain Qin, the store was full of customers at the time, mostly elderly people and children. If I called the police and attracted a large number of officers, the perpetrators might become desperate and do something rash..."

He paused, then pointed to a corner of the hall: "There are three children sitting there, and a table of elderly people in their eighties by the window. If a firefight breaks out, the consequences will be unimaginable."

Captain Qin's sharp gaze swept over the spot Su Ning pointed to, and he nodded slightly.

"So I chose to keep them calm first and put some sleeping pills in the food." Su Ning revealed a sly smile. "The dishes the robbers ordered were spicy enough to completely cover up the taste of the drugs."

Liang Wuyun couldn't help but laugh out loud, but after being glared at by Captain Qin, she quickly straightened her face.

“Disorganized and undisciplined.” Captain Qin snorted, but the corners of his mouth turned up slightly. “However… he remained calm under pressure and thought things through carefully; he has the makings of a criminal investigator.”

These words warmed Suning's heart.

In the original owner's memories, becoming a formal police officer had always been his dream.

"Captain Qin," Liang Wuyun interjected, "should we have Jian Fan attend the awards ceremony next week as well?"

"Hmm." Captain Qin nodded, and before turning to leave, he glanced at Su Ning again. "Prepare a speech carefully."

After they left, Xiao Chenggang rushed over and hugged Su Ning tightly: "Jian Fan, you're going to be rich! Captain Qin is known for his strictness, you're the first auxiliary police officer he's ever praised!"

Jiang Dijia stood not far away, a thoughtful expression on her face.

When Su Ning looked at her, she quickly put on a sweet smile: "Congratulations, Officer Jian."

"Thank you!"

……

The commendation ceremony of the Municipal Public Security Bureau was held on Friday morning.

Suning, wearing the only decent suit, stood backstage constantly adjusting his tie.

He held in his hand a speech draft that he had hastily written overnight, covered with countless revision marks.

"Next, please welcome Comrade Jian Fan, who made meritorious contributions in the gold shop robbery, to the stage to speak!"

Amid applause, Suning walked onto the stage.

Sitting in the audience were police leaders at all levels, including Director Liang, whom I had met before.

Captain Qin sat in the first row, looking at him expressionlessly.

"Good morning, leaders and colleagues." Su Ning's voice was a little strained. "To be honest, I feel ashamed to be standing here..."

After all, I'm just a police auxiliary officer who was recently suspended from duty and has to write a self-criticism.

Good-natured laughter rang out from the audience, lightening the atmosphere somewhat.

“That day I was supposed to set up a checkpoint on the main road, but I sneaked off to the side road…” Su Ning deliberately made a face, “and ended up running into the robbers by sheer luck. Chief Zhao was right, this is a typical case of disorganization and lack of discipline.”

Director Liang shook his head with a smile, while Captain Qin nodded slightly, seemingly appreciating his frankness.

“But when I saw the criminals pointing their guns at the crowd, I suddenly understood the weight of the word ‘police.’” Su Ning’s voice gradually became firm. “Whether we are formally employed or not, as long as we wear this police uniform, we must live up to the badge on our heads.”

There was thunderous applause.

Liang Wuyun gave him a thumbs up from below the stage.

"Finally, I would like to give special thanks to my restaurant for the Guizhou-originating chili peppers that are from Guizhou. Please keep your Guizhou (valuable) items safe..." Su Ning changed the subject, "If they weren't spicy enough, the criminals might have tasted the sleeping pills."

"Hahaha..." The whole audience burst into laughter and even more enthusiastic applause.

As he stepped off the stage, Captain Qin, unusually, reached out and shook his hand: "Good speech! Good luck on the police exam."

"Thank you."

……

Three days after the commendation ceremony, Su Ning received a text message from Jiang Dijia, inviting him to dinner at the "Ding Shan" restaurant, saying that her brother wanted to meet him.

Ding Shan is one of the most upscale restaurants in the city, and its owner, Jiang Jiuding, is said to be a legendary figure in the catering industry.

Suning knew that this was the person behind Jiang Dijia.

Inside the private room, Jiang Jiuding was dressed in a custom-made suit, his wristwatch gleaming under the lights.

He bears some resemblance to Jiang Dijia, but his eyes are sharper, and his every move exudes the aura of someone in a superior position.

"Officer Jian, I've heard so much about you." Jiang Jiuding stood up to greet him, his attitude warm but not distant. "My sister often mentions you."

After a few rounds of drinks, Jiang Jiuding changed the subject: "I've heard of Officer Jian's little shop; their 'Thin as a Wing' dish is quite unique."

"It's a small business, nothing like President Jiang's grand banquet," Su Ning said modestly.

“Indeed.” Jiang Jiuding nodded without any politeness. “It’s hard to guarantee the hygiene and quality of ingredients in small street shops like this.”

The atmosphere inside the private room suddenly became tense.

Jiang Dijia glanced at her brother uneasily.

Suning certainly has many ways to retaliate against Jiang Jiuding's mockery, but in the end, they chose the most skillful method.

Su Ning calmly picked up a dish of "steamed sea bass" from the table, took a bite, and frowned slightly: "Ding Shan's sea bass... is it freshwater farmed? It's been overcooked by fifteen seconds, the ginger slices are too coarse, and..."

He gently parted the fish's belly: "It broke when we removed the gallbladder, so it tastes bitter."

Jiang Jiuding's expression changed.

This steamed sea bass is Ding Shan's signature dish; no one has ever dared to complain about it. "Officer Jian has a very good palate," Jiang Jiuding said with a forced smile.

"Occupational hazard," Su Ning smiled. "Auxiliary police officers are still police officers; observing details is a basic skill."

Jiang Dijia quickly tried to smooth things over: "Brother, Officer Jian's 'Thin as Wings' are really delicious, do you want some...?"

“How about this,” Jiang Jiuding suddenly interrupted his sister, “Officer Jian, I would like to invite you to Ding Shan to guide our chefs in making this dish ‘Thin as a Wing’. The payment is negotiable.”

Sure enough, it came.

Su Ning sneered inwardly, but remained outwardly calm: "Sorry! This is a family secret recipe, not to be passed on to outsiders."

"Fifty thousand," Jiang Jiuding quoted directly.

"It's not about money."

"One hundred thousand."

“President Jiang,” Su Ning put down his chopsticks, “some things can’t be bought with money. Last time, your sister Jiang Dijia offered 200,000 yuan but you still couldn’t buy them.”

"..."

The dinner ended in a bad mood.

As he was leaving, Jiang Dijia chased after him to see him off, saying, "Jian Fan, that's just my brother's temper, don't take it to heart."

“It’s alright.” Su Ning looked at Jiang Dijia’s exquisite makeup and suddenly asked, “Why is your family so interested in ‘Thin as a Wing’?”

Jiang Dijia's eyes flickered: "It's just... I think it tastes really good."

……

Jiang Dijia brought Jiang Jiuding and the hotel's Manager Zhang to Suningjia Restaurant. Jiang Dijia recommended the restaurant's signature dishes to Jiang Jiuding and gave special instructions on the most special dish, "Thin as a Wing".

After tasting the "thin as a wing", Jiang Jiuding couldn't help but praise it highly and decided to try to obtain the secret recipe for this dish from Su Ning's family.

As for Suning's rejection of him and Jiang Dijia, Jiang Jiuding didn't really take it to heart. He didn't believe that there was no formula that money couldn't buy.

In the days that followed, the Chiang siblings launched a full-scale offensive.

Jiang Dijia met with Xiao Chenggang, hoping he could help her obtain the secret formula from the Su Ning family, but Xiao Chenggang looked very unwilling.

Xiao Chenggang also stated that the "decision-maker" in the Suning family is Suning's mother, and only she can make decisions. If Jiang Dijia has any issues, she has to go to her for it to be considered valid.

Xiao Chenggang approached Su Ning mysteriously: "Old Jian, Miss Jiang asked me if I could help her get your braised meat recipe, saying she's willing to pay a kickback..."

"You agreed?" Su Ning narrowed her eyes.

"How could that be!" Xiao Chenggang patted his chest. "Do you think I'm that kind of person? I told you the formula is controlled by your mother, it's no use coming to me."

The next day, Jiang Dijia went directly to Su Ning's mother.

“Auntie, I’m Jian Fan’s friend…” Jiang Dijia said with a sweet smile.

The mother looked her up and down, misunderstanding that she was one of Su Ning's suitors, and suddenly put on a stern face: "Girl, my son has a girlfriend named Xiangxiang. Don't you dare try anything with him."

Jiang Dijia was taken aback: "No, Auntie, I meant to..."

"Don't think about anything!" The mother turned and left. "How can girls these days be so shameless!"

"..."

What's even more amazing is Jiang Jiuding, who actually found Su Ning's father and offered him a high salary to become the executive chef at Dingshan.

"Our restaurant needs a top-notch chef to oversee things, and Chef Jian is clearly the most suitable person..."

Jiang Jiuding spoke in eloquent and persuasive language.

The father simply shook his head: "I've worked in my own shop for twenty years, I'm used to it. Restaurants are too high-end, they're not suitable for me."

After repeatedly hitting roadblocks, Jiang Jiuding finally resorted to his trump card.

Through his secretary He Fang's alumni connection with Xiang Xiang, he arranged for Su Ning and Xiang Xiang to "coincidentally" meet in Ding Shan's most luxurious private room.

"Officer Jian, it's nice to see you again." Jiang Jiuding said with a smile, "This must be your girlfriend, right? You two are a perfect match."

Xiangxiang lowered her head shyly.

She was an ordinary woman who loved vanity, with average looks and personality, and had been dating the original owner of the body, Jian Fan, for over two years.

So in Suning's eyes, they were just so-so, but he would just make do with them for now.

During the banquet, Jiang Jiuding used all his skills to serve up a continuous stream of various expensive dishes.

Finally, he brought up the matter of purchasing the "Thin as a Wing" formula again.

“Officer Jian, the price is negotiable.” Jiang Jiuding gave a wink, and Secretary He immediately presented an exquisite gift box. “This is just a small token of our appreciation.”

Suning didn't even look at the gift box: "President Jiang, I've already said, I'm not selling it."

The atmosphere instantly became extremely awkward.

Xiangxiang tugged nervously at Suning's sleeve: "Fan, why don't we just sell it? President Jiang is quite sincere."

"Yes! I'm willing to pay 300,000 this time."

"What? Three hundred thousand?" At this moment, the vain Xiangxiang's eyes widened in surprise.

“Xiangxiang,” Su Ning said softly but firmly, “this is something that has been passed down in our family for generations.”

"..." Seeing her boyfriend disrespect her like this, Xiangxiang felt angry.

When they were leaving, Jiang Dijia offered to drive them home.

She remained unusually silent the whole way until she reached the station, where she finally spoke: "Jian Fan, I'll take you this far."

As they were parting, Jiang Dijia suddenly opened her arms wide: "Aren't you going to give me a goodbye hug?"

Suning was taken aback for a moment, but still accepted the hug.

But the moment they parted, he suddenly lowered his head and lightly pecked Jiang Dijia's lips.

"You!" Jiang Dijia blushed instantly to the roots of her ears, completely unprepared for being outmaneuvered.

This scene was witnessed by Xiangxiang, who had just returned from buying drinks.

The plastic bag in her hand fell to the ground with a thud, and the drink rolled all over the floor.

"Xiangxiang!" Su Ning hurriedly chased after her.

Jiang Dijia stood there, touching her lips, her expression complex and hard to decipher.

Or you could try...

……

A week later, Su Ning and Xiao Chenggang both received notifications that they had passed the written exam for police officers.

"I passed! I really passed!" Xiao Chenggang jumped and danced with joy, clutching the admission notice. "Old Jian, we're going to be official police officers!"

Su Ning nodded with a smile, but her mind was already on the upcoming interview.

According to the original plot, there will be a simulated emergency response test during the interview, which is the key to success or failure.

"Mom, now that I've become a full-fledged police officer, can you buy me a car for transportation?"

"What? Buy a car?"

"I don't want anything too expensive! A mid-range car in the 200,000 to 300,000 yuan range will do."

"Hmph! Quite the boast."

"Mom, you don't want me to embarrass myself, do you?"

"Well... okay! Tomorrow our whole family will go to the dealership to help you choose a car."

"Thank you, mom."

Meanwhile, in the top-floor office of Dingshan Restaurant, Jiang Jiuding was throwing a tantrum.

"A bunch of useless trash! They can't even handle a lowly auxiliary police officer!" He slammed his teacup to the ground.

Jiang Dijia stood by the window, gazing at the distant city skyline: "Brother, maybe we should try a different approach..."

"What new approach?" Jiang Jiuding sneered. "We must get our hands on that 'Thin as a Wing' formula! It would be a waste to leave such a valuable resource in their hands."

"But Jian Fan, he..."

"Don't worry," Jiang Jiuding grabbed his sister's shoulder. "No matter what method we use, we must get our hands on this 'thin as a wing' formula!"

Jiang Dijia closed her eyes in frustration.

When she opened her eyes again, there was no more hesitation: "I understand, brother."

……