Sense of Security

In the duty room of the police station, the newly arrived Xiao Li sits upright. On the table in front of him is a brand-new "Duty Officer Regulations."

The most prominent rule on the regulations is: "When members of the public come for consultation or help, the duty officer must say the four words 'I am a police officer,' and the tone must be firm and full of strength, so as to enhance the public's sense of security."

Xiao Li is a little puzzled by this, but he is new and can only follow the rules.

At this moment, an old lady walks in tremblingly, carrying a worn-out cloth bag in her hand.

"Officer, I... I want to ask, my grandson is lost, what should I do?" The old lady's voice is very low, with a hint of trembling.

Xiao Li takes a deep breath and, according to the regulations, says loudly: "I am a police officer!"

The old lady is startled, and the cloth bag in her hand almost falls to the ground. She pauses for a moment, then reacts, and then carefully repeats: "Officer, I... my grandson..."

Xiao Li says loudly again: "I am a police officer!"

The old lady takes a step back in fright, her face turning pale.

"Comrade, I... I just want to ask... how to find my grandson..." The old lady's voice is even lower.

Xiao Li realizes that his approach may be a bit inappropriate, but he dare not violate the regulations. He has to brace himself and say loudly for the third time: "I am a police officer!"

The old lady is so frightened that she cries, wiping her tears and murmuring: "I... I dare not... I... I won't ask..."

The other veteran police officers in the duty room see this and cover their mouths and snicker, but no one comes forward to stop it. They are used to this absurd scene. They know that the system is like this, and no one dares to challenge it.

Xiao Li is at a loss. He feels that he seems to have done something wrong, but he doesn't know what is wrong.

In the next few hours, a series of comical scenes are staged in the duty room.

A young man comes to report a case, saying that his wallet has been stolen. Xiao Li says loudly: "I am a police officer!" The young man is stunned, and it takes him a long time to react, and then he carefully describes his experience.

A delivery guy comes to the police station to ask for directions. Xiao Li says loudly: "I am a police officer!" The delivery guy turns around and runs away, almost falling to the ground.

A drunk man staggers into the police station. Xiao Li shouts, "I am a police officer!" The drunk man is instantly sobered up and runs out of the police station, completely awake.

The duty room is filled with all kinds of exclamations, doubts, and the sound of running feet. Xiao Li feels like he is acting in a farce. He feels more and more like a robot, a tool that can only repeat "I am a police officer."

In the evening, a leader comes to the duty room to inspect the work.

He looks at Xiao Li with satisfaction and praises him: "Young man, you are very good, very energetic. These four words, 'I am a police officer,' are spoken with force, fully demonstrating the majesty and responsibility of our police. We must continue to carry it forward!"

Xiao Li listens to the leader's praise, but feels a sense of sadness in his heart. He knows that everything he does is acting, is for show, and the real sense of security has long since disappeared.

He takes a deep breath, and then, loudly says to the leader: "I am a police officer!"

The leader is stunned for a moment, then bursts into laughter. He thinks Xiao Li is joking with him. He doesn't notice that Xiao Li's eyes are full of helplessness and irony.

The duty room returns to calm, only the phrase "I am a police officer" still echoes in the air, appearing so hollow and so powerless.