The news of Wang Yan receiving a third-class merit citation spread far and wide. Mainly because of the huge scene they had made outside the police station earlier—people passing by had filmed and shared it all over the place on their phones. It had only been a little over ten days since Wang Yan had gone door-to-door to catch that fugitive. People's memories had faded somewhat, but they had not forgotten. They recognized Wang Yan's face on sight, and his reputation spread once again.
The environment around Balihe was rather unique. Several villages had once been connected together, but after the demolition and relocation, many people had gotten used to living in Balihe. Developers had also built resettlement housing, so there were still plenty of original residents here. Overall, though, the majority were people in their twenties and thirties from other places who had bought homes and settled down here, or people who worked in the city and chose to rent here because Balihe's rents were relatively cheap.
The people from those former villages all more or less knew one another. They might even be related somehow. On the other hand, Dongning Village had been talking about demolition every year, so quite a few people who bought homes chose Balihe as well. They did not know when Dongning Village would be torn down, but they were certain it would happen eventually. Those with money on hand had the confidence to buy property. Ten years, eight years—it did not matter. They could enjoy life first; the books would balance out in the end.
So Wang Yan's story in Dongning Village had not merely circulated through New City Olympic Residence. It had become something of a legend throughout Balihe. Some people from other Balihe residential compounds had even added Wang Yan on