In August, the train slowly pulled into the station.
The passengers were still squeezing on and off in packed crowds, and Song Yunhui was carried out with the flow of people.
He adjusted his glasses and let out a long breath. There were simply too many people on the train to Jinling...
He looked over the station. It was no longer the same as when he had returned home the year before last. The platforms had been expanded and redecorated, making the place feel unfamiliar to him.
Railway police in uniform were maintaining order. Others were chasing and sprinting through the crowd. Someone casually tripped the man running ahead, then joined forces with those nearby to pin him down. It turned out plainclothes detectives were catching a thief.
There were no thieves from Jinling now. They were all crooks from elsewhere, drawn by the prosperity and crowds here. Whether on trains headed this way or in Jinling County itself, pickpockets could make a fortune.
Naturally, though, their challenge was considerable as well. Jinling had plenty of police, both uniformed and plainclothes, everywhere one looked. Small police posts that could hold just two people were scattered all over the place. In crowded, bustling markets, officers were on duty and patrolling around the clock.
From 1980 until now, over the past two-plus years, all demobilized and discharged veterans registered in Jinling had become police officers. Together with the original factory security personnel and the Jinling County militia, who were frequently deployed to help maintain order, they made for quite a sizeable police force.
Every day, they caught thieves, arrested human traffickers, and handled serious criminal cases in the county.
Although Jinling was generally stable and its people lived prosperous lives, all kinds of problems still inevitably arose. Some production accidents required rigorous