If you were made a mascot, you would become a legend in the police force.

Back in the ward, Li Tuantuan originally wanted to sprawl out on the bed and pretend to be a "Sleeping Beauty" to get some milk, but when she turned her head, she found that Lin Wan was acting strangely.

This fierce woman, usually so energetic, now looked like a wilted eggplant, her face deathly pale. She sat silently in her chair, her eyes somewhat glazed over.

"Huh?" (What happened? Did someone cook it?)

Li Tuantuan stretched out her hand, which was still wrapped in gauze, and gently pushed Lin Wan's hand.

Lin Wan didn't say anything, her eyes were a little red, she just silently handed him an A4 sheet of paper with a red stamp.

That was a notice just issued by the Municipal Bureau's inspection team.

[Decision Regarding the Investigation and Handling of Misconduct in Operation "Genting Gardens"]

[Investigation revealed that Lin Wan of the Criminal Investigation Detachment over-relyed on police biological weapons (referring to the panda Li Tuantuan) during an operation, resulting in serious injury to the national first-class protected animal, nearly causing irreparable consequences and causing a negative impact on society. It has been decided that Lin Wan will be suspended from duty pending further investigation.]

Li Tuantuan finished reading it quickly, and felt a surge of anger rush from her tailbone to the top of her head, even making the newly grown downy hair stand on end.

That's some damn spicy, spiral-shaped fart!

What is meant by "over-dependence"? What is meant by "adverse effects"?

In that situation, if I hadn't rushed in and used my ultimate skill, Lin Wan and those SWAT brothers would have been turned into fireworks in the sky! So now that things are settled, the Rat King is dead, the city is safe, these guys sitting in their offices enjoying air conditioning are starting to cause trouble?

This is called "killing the donkey after it has done its work"... no, it's "killing the bear after it has done its work"!

This is hardly a punishment for Lin Wan. It's clearly someone who's jealous of Lin Wan's recent merits and wants to use the pretext of "protecting national treasures" to make things difficult for her!

What a typical scapegoat!

Seeing Li Tuantuan panting heavily in anger, Lin Wan smiled wryly and reached out to pat his fluffy head: "Gungun, it's okay. Maybe I've been too high-profile lately, and someone upstairs can't stand it. Suspension is fine. I'm tired too, so I can spend more time with you at the hospital and peel apples for you."

"Ouch!" (Screw you! You can tolerate this, but I can't!)

Li Tuantuan's scream was so piercing that anyone who didn't know better would think her wound had reopened.

He knew Lin Wan too well. This girl was straightforward and single-minded; she only knew how to catch thieves and had no idea about the intricate Machiavellian tactics of the workplace. Without a doubt, this matter was related to that Dr. Zhao who got slapped in the face, or someone who was jealous of her promotion.

Since you want to play dirty tricks, then don't blame me for playing dirty tricks with you!

When it comes to throwing tantrums and using moral blackmail, if I, Li Tuantuan, claim to be second, who dares to claim to be first?

……

The next morning, just as dawn was breaking.

Director Chen, sporting dark circles under his eyes, walked in carrying a specially made silver tray. He had gone to great lengths to please this little darling.

"Gun Gun, wake up! Look, Old Ma specially made you a tomahawk steak, medium-rare, sprinkled with black pepper!" Director Chen smiled so much that his face was all wrinkled. He put the plate on the bedside table, and the aroma filled the air.

Normally, Li Tuantuan would have pounced on him like a hungry tiger to show off.

But today, he didn't move an inch.

He had his back to Director Chen, like a black and white sculpture, without even lifting his eyelids.

"Gungun? What's wrong? Is it not to your liking? Or is your wound hurting?" Director Chen's heart skipped a beat.

Li Tuantuan slowly turned around, giving Director Chen a look of utter despair. Then, right in front of Director Chen, he stretched out his paw and took the plate containing the tomahawk steak—

Gently yet firmly, it was pushed to the edge of the table.

Then, he jumped off the bed, dragged his heavy steps to the corner of the ward, plopped down, buried his head in the corner, leaving everyone with a rounded and resolute back view.

Hunger strike!

Nonviolent non-cooperation!

"Oh my goodness! My little darling! What are you doing?" Director Chen broke out in a cold sweat instantly. This was a "national first-class meritorious beast"—if he lost even a pound of weight, the provincial leaders would skin him alive!

Lin Wan lowered her head and whispered, "Director Chen, Gun Gun saw the disciplinary notice last night."

"Tsk!" Director Chen slapped his thigh and sighed heavily. "Lin Wan, this is a difficult situation for me too. The inspection team received a formal complaint, escalating it to the point, saying we're treating pandas like tools, disregarding the lives of these national treasures. You know the current public opinion climate, those animal rights activists..."

Li Tuantuan's ears twitched; she heard it clearly.

A real-name report? Excellent.

He suddenly stood up, moving with surprising agility, unlike a wounded soldier. He walked to the coat rack and grabbed the specially made tactical vest and the shiny police badge, hugging them tightly to his chest.

Then, he strode to the window, opened it, and pretended to throw the equipment out the window!

That's the twentieth floor!

"Hey! Hey! Don't! That's a government job! That's your livelihood!" Director Chen's voice cracked with fear. He rushed over and grabbed Li Tuantuan's thick leg. "Get lost! Don't be impulsive! We can talk this over! Please don't throw it!"

Li Tuantuan stopped what she was doing, turned her head, and glanced sideways at the bureau chief who was covered in sweat.

That look clearly said: "A government job? I don't want it! I've already lost my pet owner, whoever wants this damn job can have it!"

"Fine, fine! I give up!" Director Chen raised his hands in surrender, looking utterly dejected. "As long as you don't throw it away, I'll go and bang on the table with the inspection team! I'll try to persuade them again, okay?"

Li Tuantuan didn't move, she just gave a cold snort.

Strive for it?

Arguing in the meeting room won't do you any good. What are these bureaucrats most afraid of? Taking responsibility, public opinion, and losing their jobs.

If we're going to make a scene, let's make it big and let the whole internet see what it means to have "snow falling in June and a panda crying out for justice"!

He snapped his fingers at the coal briquettes on the windowsill.

Coal Ball understood immediately and grabbed the golden bean, placing it on Li Tuantuan's shoulder.

"Hey guys, we've got a job! Target: the city police station gate, get ready to cause trouble!"

……

In less than an hour, a spectacular sight appeared at the entrance of the Municipal Public Security Bureau, a sight that will be recorded in history.

During the morning rush hour, the area in front of the Municipal Bureau is bustling with traffic.

Right in the most conspicuous spot at the main entrance, a huge panda, its body wrapped in bandages, sat imposingly on the steps. It clutched a set of police equipment tightly to its chest, gazing melancholically at the sky, like a lone bear abandoned by the world.

On his left shoulder sat a golden little mouse, its two front paws holding aloft a piece of cardboard torn from a cardboard box, on which five large characters were scrawled crookedly in marker (clearly written by Coal Ball on his behalf):

[Give me back my pet owner!!!]

Above them, a glossy black crow circled, its raspy voice, loud as a village loudspeaker, playing on a loop:

"Gah! Police corruption! Inhumane! Heroic policewoman suspended after saving lives, meritorious policewoman goes on hunger strike! This is outrageous!"

This multi-pronged approach of appealing to sympathy across land, sea, and air instantly ignited the scene.

Passersby, office workers, and aunties buying groceries all stopped in their tracks, pointing their phone cameras at this spot.

"Holy crap? Isn't that a panda? What's it doing sitting here?"

"Look, it's still wrapped in bandages! What a tragedy, isn't this mistreatment of a meritorious animal?"

"Did you hear that crow cawing? It's saying Officer Lin has been suspended, and this crow is pleading for its master!"

"This is outrageous! They saved the entire city just two days ago, and now they're turning on us after we've served our purpose? Have these officials lost their minds?"

In less than half a day, the hashtags #PandaOnHungerStrikeInProtest#, #HeroicFemalePoliceOfficerSuspended#, and #PandasAreSoHeartbreaking# shot up to the top three of the national trending topics list like a rocket.

The comments section exploded:

"@City Bureau Inspection Team, come out and take your punishment! How dare you bully our panda owners?"

"I'm telling you this: if Officer Lin isn't reinstated, I'll buy out all the milk from the city bureau from now on, and these bureaucrats won't get a drop!"

"I'm rooting for Panda this time! This is true love! They even gave up their official positions for Captain Lin, so touching!"

The city bureau's publicly listed hotline was overwhelmed with calls from citizens demanding answers. Even delivery drivers received specific orders and piled boxes of milk, bamboo shoots, and fruit in front of the bureau, with captions like, "This is for the pandas, not for you!"

Director Chen looked out the window at the dense crowd in his office, then at the nearly destroyed landline, and was so worried he was practically bald.

"That fatso... he's a real jerk! He's putting the inspection team in a really tough spot!"

The leaders of the inspection team were also extremely uneasy. They had only intended to go through the motions and give Lin Wan a warning, but who would have thought this panda would have such a high level of political awareness? He practically overturned the table!

If this isn't resolved soon, and the higher-ups blame us, this will be a serious "public opinion incident"!

……

It was three o'clock in the afternoon.

Director Chen jogged to the front gate, waving a brand-new official document in his hand.

"Get out! My ancestors! Come back quickly! Don't get sunburned!" Director Chen's voice was hoarse from shouting. "The results are in! The disciplinary action is revoked! Completely revoked! Comrade Lin Wan not only doesn't have to be suspended, but she also gets her bonus back, plus a month of paid leave! Is that alright?"

Upon hearing this, Li Tuantuan did not get up immediately.

He first glanced at the document with the kind of scrutinizing look one would give a prisoner, making sure it was stamped with a genuine seal, not a fake one.

Then, under everyone's watchful eyes, he slowly stood up.

He picked up the police cap that belonged to Lin Wan from the ground, and solemnly put it on his round head, straightening it slightly.

Then, facing the crowd of onlookers, he raised his hand and gave a salute that wasn't perfect, but in everyone's eyes, it was incredibly cool.

"Great! That's awesome!"

"Officer Lin is also a great officer!"

Amid cheers and applause, Li Tuantuan casually grabbed two large red apples from a fruit basket given to her by the crowd, and swaggered back to the police station gate while munching on them.

That figure, with its arrogant demeanor, concealed its true merits and fame.

……

That evening, the long-lost aroma of hot pot wafted from Lin Wan's single dormitory.

A large pot of clear broth bamboo shoot hot pot was bubbling away, and Li Tuantuan sat on a specially made reinforced chair, eating with her mouth full of oil.

"You shouldn't be so reckless in the future." Lin Wan poked his forehead helplessly while scalding bamboo shoots for him. "What if I really put you in solitary confinement? That's called manipulating public opinion, which is very dangerous."

Although she was scolding him, Lin Wan's eyes were full of smiles, and her eyes were a little moist.

Li Tuantuan rolled her eyes inwardly as she chewed on the tender bamboo shoots.

Pfft, dangerous?

I'm a top influencer online now, with a get-out-of-jail-free card. As long as I don't betray the country, I can do whatever I want within this system!

This not only saved your job, but also allowed you to get a month of paid leave – you've won big!

Speaking of this month-long holiday...

Li Tuantuan stopped eating and her gaze fell on the Republic of China map that she had taken from the warehouse, which was placed on the corner of the table.

And that green eye that flashed by in the shadows of the warehouse.

He had a feeling that something extraordinary must have happened in his hometown in the Qinling Mountains recently. The source of the resurgence of spiritual energy was very likely in those deep mountains and forests.

Since we have a month-long vacation, what are we waiting for?

It's time for a government-funded trip back to my hometown to visit relatives (and maybe do some treasure hunting on the side)!