Motive for the Crime

"What do you think?" After finishing his analysis, Han Fei looked at Xu Mo.

Following Han Fei's lead, Xu Mo nodded in agreement.

"I think the same as you. It probably isn’t him. It’s understandable for a newcomer to want to get a feel for a gun. Guns have a strong allure for young people. Who could resist the temptation of a 'biabiabia' gun?"

"Besides, since he’s already joined the police force, he’ll have the chance to handle a gun sooner or later. There’s no need to rush."

A young man with a strong sense of justice would most likely disdain doing something as underhanded as stealing, let alone stealing a gun.

"That leaves two suspects: Old Zhou, the auxiliary officer, and Old Zhang, the security guard," Han Fei said.

These two shared a common trait: they were both veterans of the police force.

Those who could stay in the police force for a long time usually had no issues with their character. After all, those with questionable conduct would have been kicked out long ago and wouldn’t still be around.

The descriptions of them from other officers also supported this point.

This was why Han Fei and Xu Mo hadn’t initially suspected them. Two seasoned officers with good conduct were unlikely to engage in illegal activities.

Of course, since they were on the list of suspects, they couldn’t be entirely ruled out. Han Fei and Xu Mo wouldn’t dismiss their suspicions just because of their seniority.

"Old Zhou, the auxiliary officer, and Old Zhang, the security guard…" Xu Mo murmured. "If they stole the gun, what would their motives be?"

As the saying goes, stealing a gun must have a motive. It’s not something one would do without reason.

"I think Old Zhou might be the one. Auxiliary officers aren’t allowed to carry guns. Maybe he, like Su Chen, wanted to get a feel for a gun, so he stole Hao Qi’s service weapon?" Wang Dachuan suddenly chimed in.

Hearing this, Han Fei turned to look at Wang Dachuan.

"That’s possible!"

Then, Han Fei turned back to Xu Mo.

"That’s a plausible idea," Xu Mo agreed with Wang Dachuan’s theory.

"But if he stole the gun just to get a feel for it, wouldn’t the sacrifice be too great? Stealing a gun isn’t a minor crime. If caught, he’d face jail time. And… if he really wanted to handle a gun, he could work hard to become a full-fledged officer. Once he’s a regular officer, he’d have the right to carry a gun. That would be a much safer route. A rational adult would weigh the pros and cons before acting. There’s a contradiction in this theory."

As soon as he finished speaking, Han Fei chuckled.

"Becoming a regular officer isn’t as simple as you think. You’re new to the force, so you don’t understand. It’s not something you can just decide to do overnight."

"Is it really that hard?" Xu Mo asked.

"It’s not exactly hard, but it’s not easy either. There are several paths to becoming a regular officer," Han Fei briefly explained the different ways an auxiliary officer could transition to a full-fledged role.

"First, there’s merit-based promotion, but that’s a special case and not something you can count on. Even regular officers rarely get such opportunities, let alone auxiliary officers. Auxiliary officers don’t even have law enforcement authority—they need to be accompanied by a regular officer to enforce the law. So, achieving merit… that’s tough."

"Or, there’s regional reform. If you’re lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time, you might get a chance. But that depends on the region. As far as I know, Ram City doesn’t have such a system."

"Another possibility is that some regions occasionally offer promotion slots. Those with ability or connections can get promoted, but again, that’s not something you can rely on."

"Lastly, and most commonly, there’s the exam route. Every year, there’s an exam, and if you pass, you can get promoted. But the exam isn’t easy either."

As soon as Han Fei finished, another officer added,

"Speaking of that, I remember Old Zhou has been working really hard—almost obsessively so. He spends every spare moment studying and takes the exam every year. But the exam isn’t easy, and he’s getting older. His memory isn’t as sharp as it used to be, so he’s always fallen just short… It’s a shame. Our branch doesn’t have promotion slots, or else Director Gao would’ve promoted him long ago, given his seniority."

Hearing this, a strange expression crossed Xu Mo’s face.

Taking the exam every year? It seems Old Zhou really wants to get promoted…

As the officer said, the exam isn’t easy, and with Old Zhou getting older, his memory isn’t as good as it once was. So, year after year, he’s fallen short.

As for regional reform or promotion slots, neither of those options exists at the Qinghe Bay Police Branch.

That leaves only one path to promotion: merit.

"Merit-based promotion…" Xu Mo muttered softly, a bold conjecture forming in his mind.

Unfamiliar with these policies, Xu Mo turned to Han Fei.

"What kind of merit would qualify someone for a special promotion?"

"Solving major cases, of course. If you crack big, important cases, you’ll definitely get promoted. Talented individuals who can solve cases won’t be overlooked."

The next moment, Xu Mo looked at Han Fei and said slowly, "Would a case involving a missing service weapon count as a major case?"

"Of course! A missing service weapon is a top-priority incident. It has to be reported immediately—this could lead to serious consequences… Wait a minute! Are you saying…?" Han Fei’s eyes widened as he stared at Xu Mo.

Not just Han Fei, but the five members of the seventh team who had come to assist with the investigation, as well as the three officers from the Qinghe Bay Police Branch, seemed to have caught on to Xu Mo’s implication. Their eyes lit up as they focused on him.

A missing service weapon is a major case. Solving such a case would undoubtedly count as a significant merit!

If an auxiliary officer could recover the missing weapon and solve the case, they could be directly promoted!

Someone who can solve cases is a talent. Why bother with exams? They could be promoted outright!

Old Zhou desperately wants to get promoted. He takes the exam every year but always falls just short. As he gets older, his memory declines, and his chances of passing the exam grow slimmer.

Faced with the hopelessness of promotion through exams, could he have turned to a more devious plan?

With Xu Mo’s reminder, everyone began to see the logic. This could very well be the motive behind the theft!

Stage the theft, then recover the missing weapon, solve the case, and get promoted… It all adds up!