HLM -Chapter 1229 Preparing for Action

This really was a big event. After listening to their plan, Wang Bo had even worried for a moment that Ferguson wouldn’t agree to let them pull it off.

But he had clearly overestimated Inspector Ferguson’s moral bottom line. Once he learned about the prank plan, the inspector not only agreed, he even demanded that they assign him a role so he could take part personally.

Considering that carrying out the plan would require Ferguson’s help in many areas, they simply brought him into the scheme.

That evening was the graduation banquet. Everyone changed into brand-new police uniforms and walked into the dining hall in groups. Soon after, Superintendent Nigel, the head of the Royal Police Academy, entered the hall surrounded by a group of instructors.

Wang Bo said, “I thought we’d have an inspection after the training ended.”

Atulu stared at the food on the table, swallowing hard. “Inspection, my ass. Eating comes first.”

A cadet beside them, clearly more knowledgeable, explained, “This is pre-post training, so there’s no inspection. Later there’ll be another six months of on-the-job training—that one does require an inspection. And there’ll be more trainees by then.”

Wang Bo looked at their group of just over twenty people and figured it made sense. How do you hold an inspection with barely twenty people? That would be pretty shabby.

The dining hall had been rearranged. The cadets’ tables were set out in a semicircle, with Superintendent Nigel and the instructors seated at the front.

First came the graduation speech. Superintendent Nigel was a white man in his fifties, with a hooked nose and a wide mouth. He looked far more severe than Inspector Ferguson.

But his words were pleasant enough.

“Cadets,” he said, “first of all, let me congratulate you. All twenty-five members of Unit 180 have successfully graduated. There were no dropouts and no dismissals!”

Applause immediately erupted. Atulu was so excited he even stood up to clap—he had been worried all along that he’d fail.

Many people then shot resentful looks at Kevin. His so-called “two people must fail” rule had scared plenty of them so badly the night before that they couldn’t sleep.

Superintendent Nigel continued, “Alright. From this moment on, I will change how I address you. You are no longer our cadets—you are our colleagues. Fellow officers, good evening.”

“Good evening, Instructor!” The response was neat and thunderous. It was something they shouted several times every day.

Nigel nodded solemnly. “After congratulating you on joining the police force, I can’t help but feel a bit sentimental. Seeing you reminds me of myself twenty-five years ago, when I too was undergoing pre-post training just like you.”

“Time flies, colleagues. In the blink of an eye, a quarter of a century has passed. So I want to ask you this: a century from now, what kind of evaluation do you hope to receive?”

Everyone had to answer, in order of their student numbers.

Uncle Bing was first. He stood up and said, “Reporting, Instructor. I hope the evaluation will be: ‘Here lies an outstanding police officer.’”

Gerald stood next. “Reporting, Instructor. I hope the evaluation will be: ‘He left behind a legend in the police world.’”

When it was Wang Bo’s turn, he thought for a moment and said, “Reporting, Instructor. I hope the evaluation will be: ‘Chief Superintendent Wang, why aren’t you dead yet?’”

At that, both the cadets and the instructors stifled their laughter. Even Nigel smiled for the first time.

Fourth was Atulu. He stood up, tightened his belt, and said, “Reporting, Instructor. I hope to receive my wife’s evaluation: ‘You old bastard, I really can’t take it anymore—you’re still this powerful!’”

Wang Bo was stunned. Holy shit, Atulu, you’re a real talent!

After that, the session couldn’t really continue. Nigel laughed and waved his hand, signaling the fifth cadet—Sweet Boy, who was already gearing up to show off—to sit down.

Sweet Boy looked aggrieved. “Instructor, I haven’t given my evaluation yet!”

Nigel laughed. “Of course you have. It’s just that it should be left to future generations a hundred years from now. Haha. Ferguson told me that this class is full of talent. Now I see it for myself.”

Sweet Boy sulked and glared viciously at Atulu. “You stole all the spotlight for yourself. That’s too much!”

After that, they began handing out graduation certificates, along with a golden police badge. Wang Bo and the others had already received theirs earlier, but an instructor had collected them beforehand, and now they were being officially reissued.

Receiving this badge meant they had truly become police officers. From now on, pulling this thing out would be enough to prove their identity.

For the cadets, getting it for the first time was incredibly exciting. They took all kinds of selfies, snapped photos of each other, and sent them to family and friends, posting them online as well.

Wang Bo shook his head at the sight. Too naive, too simple. Atulu, meanwhile, was getting anxious. “When do we eat?”

The day’s exams had burned through a huge amount of his energy, and he desperately needed to replenish it.

Wang Bo also ate plenty. They wouldn’t be resting that night—they had to prepare for tomorrow’s prank, which would definitely be exhausting—so now was the time to stock up on energy.

On the wide training ground, the twenty-five cadets split into five groups and began drills.

Inspector Ferguson brought props and costumes and started handing them out.

Wang Bo and Atulu got nothing. When Wang Bo went to ask about it, Ferguson said, “You two are still police.”

Wang Bo was immediately disappointed. “Why? Why do we still have to be police? I’ve already been one for over five years.”

“I’ve been one for about five years too,” Atulu added.

Ferguson said helplessly, “But one of you is Chinese and the other is a huge Māori. You’re just too distinctive—too easy to give the game away.”

Uncle Bing said, “Inspector, Atulu can do it. Just put a mask on him. His build is perfect for intimidation.”

Atulu nodded vigorously. “Yeah, look how fierce I am!”

Ferguson thought it over. “Alright. Atulu, you’ll be a robber too.”

Wang Bo immediately panicked. “What about me?”

“You’ll be a police officer. Someone has to lead the team.”

“Aren’t you the inspector? Shouldn’t you be leading?”

Ferguson rolled his eyes. “I can’t lead the team. Plenty of trainees in Unit 181 have seen me before. Would you believe it if the deputy head of the police academy showed up to command a police pursuit of robbers?”

As he spoke, he picked up a zombie mask, put it on, and dragged an AK-47 rifle model as he walked behind a car.

Wang Bo spat on the ground. Damn it. These bastards just wouldn’t let him play a robber. Sure, he was Asian—but with a mask on, who could recognize him?

He led the other four officers, splitting into two police cars, continuing their role as guardians of the people.

Yes—their prank was a police-versus-robbers shootout. The idea had come from Uncle Bing, inspired by the major jewelry exhibition robbery in Oak City.

Tomorrow, when Unit 181’s bus reached the outskirts, they would stage an ambush.

The robbers would be holding several hostages inside a convenience store. Wang Bo, leading the police, would call for backup. When he spotted the new trainees, he’d ask them to assist.

Of course, unarmed assistance. He would arrange for them to “walk straight into death,” doing his best to scare the living daylights out of those trainees.