Hello, Prosecutor
Author: Su Shi
Chapter 1
Time: July 2nd, Monday, 7:30 AM.
Location: People’s Procuratorate of the Northern District, City B
Characters? Well, the character is confirmed to be the person standing at the entrance of the procuratorate.
Old Wu, the concierge, watched as the woman in front of him had been standing there for almost ten minutes without much movement. “Strange, what’s she doing? Seeking justice or reporting a crime? Just standing there isn’t going to solve anything.” Unable to contain his curiosity, Old Wu leaned out and asked, “Comrade, can I help you?”
A large sun hat covered half of her face, making it hard to see her features clearly. She snapped out of her thoughts, licking her chapped lips, “Uh, sir, could you tell me which floor the Reporting Center is on?”
So, she was indeed here to report something. No wonder she was dressed so heavily. Old Wu pointed to the building behind him, “Second floor, turn left, there’s a sign.”
“Thank you.” She checked her watch and sighed softly, thinking, well, what’s coming will come eventually.
Watching her back as she walked away, Old Wu pondered, “Could there be a big case coming up? This procuratorate isn’t a quiet place, it’s as chaotic as a police station.”
Entering the main building, she finally removed some of her gear. Strands of hair stuck to her forehead; she wiped her face, “Ugh, all sweat.” Muttering to herself, she was about to look for the stairs when her phone rang. Seeing the number on the screen, her face almost contorted.
Answering with a heavy press on the call button, she heard a sharp female voice screeching, prompting her to quickly move the phone away from her ear. “Hello! Hello! Tao Le, why aren’t you answering? Have you arrived yet?”
“Oh, mom, do you really need to call every three minutes? Are you worried I’ll get kidnapped or something?”
She couldn’t stand her mother’s overbearing attitude; anyone unaware would think she had committed a crime and needed constant supervision. “Enough with the chatter, are you at the procuratorate?”
“I’m here, I’m about to go up.” If it weren’t for your call, she thought.
“Remember to find your uncle later; let him take care of you, don’t wander off alone. And, talk nicely to the leaders, be sweet, keep a low profile when necessary—”
“Alright, mom!” She interrupted before her eardrums burst, “I’m just an intern, what kind of attention could I possibly draw? The leaders have better things to do.”
“What do you know, kid! You’re here to intern, but it’s practically like a job. Your uncle said that once someone retires, you’re guaranteed a position; he’s already talked to the higher-ups. Do you know how many people are vying for these jobs? You’re born with a silver spoon and you don’t even realize it!”
She understood her mother’s point. She admitted she could be a bit carefree, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t tell right from wrong. With the job market being tough, any connection, even a distant relative, had to be utilized. Her family had arranged for her to work at the procuratorate because of its stability; the path of a civil servant was always the right one.
“Mom, let’s talk about this when I pass the civil service exam. I know what to do now, bye.” Without waiting for a response, she hung up. She didn’t understand why her family thought she was so unreliable.
Her mother always said that the nail that sticks out gets hammered down; one should keep a low profile. So, she did, dressing in long sleeves, long pants, and a hat, making herself look more out of place than someone from a mental hospital. In this scorching summer, was it easy for her?
But upon reaching the procuratorate entrance, she panicked, suddenly realizing she was there through nepotism, and her confidence evaporated. Sigh… university life was the best for her! Thinking this, she broke out in another sweat. This procuratorate hall was something else, not even bothering to turn on the central air conditioning to save electricity.
She pulled out some tissues from her bag to wipe her face; appearance was important, she couldn’t embarrass her uncle. After all, he was a prosecutor, and she was just a distant relative benefiting from his position.
On the second floor, following Old Wu’s directions, she found the Reporting Center. The door was tightly shut; was it closed on a Monday? She thought about waiting but decided it was better to call her uncle first.
“Hello, uncle, it’s Tao Le.”
“Little Le, have you arrived? Where are you now?”
“I’m at the office door, but it seems like there’s no one here, and the door is locked.” She knocked again, still no answer.
“Okay, come up to the fourth floor; I’m in the Public Prosecution Department.”
“Oh, okay.” She knew today wouldn’t be smooth; her eyelids were twitching when she left home. Now, she had an inauspicious start, relying on her uncle’s arrangements.
Tao Le climbed another two floors and finally found the Public Prosecution Department at the end of the corridor. In her mind, the procuratorate always seemed gloomy, especially this department, which she feared from the bottom of her heart. Every criminal had to pass through here, and those who worked here were typically what we call prosecutors.
She wasn’t fond of this profession. During trials, judges and lawyers weren’t the harsh ones; it was these prosecutors who were the most ruthless. She despised their cold, merciless attitude; even if some crimes were morally understandable, in their hands, they became justifiable offenses.
Luckily, she was only here tentatively; whether she’d stay long-term was uncertain, and she preferred to keep her distance from such work.
The door was open, and there were only a few people in the office. Tao Le searched for her uncle and saw a man at the back stand up to greet her. “Little Le, you’re here.”
Her uncle was always kind-hearted. She glanced around; these people had serious expressions, and the atmosphere was so cold that air conditioning wasn’t even necessary. It was rare for someone in student attire like Tao Le to enter, so the few in the office couldn’t help but take a few more looks, mostly out of curiosity.
“Hey, Prosecutor Xu, who’s this girl?” one of the women at the next desk gossiped.
“My niece,” her uncle introduced naturally, “It’s summer vacation, so I brought her here to intern.”
Tao Le kept her head down, knowing she had to behave in such a setting. Her mother was right; when it’s time to keep a low profile, one should.
“Which department is she going to?” the woman seemed intent on getting all the details.
“She’ll start at the Petition and Prosecution Department, it’s relatively quiet there; it’s not suitable for a young girl to run around.”
“I think she should come to our department; what can she do in the Petition Department? We’re short of staff here.” The woman was actively trying to recruit Tao Le into the Public Prosecution Department.
