NOVEL NEXT Chapter 8: Chapter 9: Results
Chapter 9: Results
Ten days had passed since Joseph took over the police force.
Dust swirled in the air over the training grounds in front of the Saint-Antoine police station. Over 200 newly recruited police officers, dressed in crisp blue uniforms with blue and white wide-brimmed hats, were sweating profusely as they practiced with their unusual weapons.
These uniforms had been acquired by Joseph from the military stationed on the outskirts of Paris, costing him several thousand livres. At that time, neither France nor any other European country had formal police uniforms. Just by their attire, the Saint-Antoine police were decades ahead of their counterparts.
For weapons, Joseph hadn't chosen muskets, as they were no more effective than firewood sticks without months of rigorous training. He hadn't even armed the police force with many swords. Instead, he had carpenters craft over 200 Y-shaped wooden forks, each about two meters long. Additionally, every two officers were equipped with a shield. Though these tools appeared simple, they were incredibly effective. In modern times, airport and train station security personnel used a similar setup, which was highly effective for riot control.
These new police officers, coming from the poorest ranks of Parisian society, valued their new positions greatly. They trained for 10 hours a day without a single complaint.
Joseph watched the training with satisfaction. According to the plan, this newly formed police force would take over security in the Saint-Antoine district starting that afternoon.
Of course, criminal investigations would still be handled by the 60 veteran officers already on the force. As for those who had paid to become police officers, Joseph had mostly assigned them to the support team—doing tasks like cleaning and transporting goods, with their salaries naturally being the lowest.
Now, the Saint-Antoine police force consisted of 50 detectives, 236 patrol officers, and 125 support staff, making it one of the strongest forces in all of Paris.
It's important to note that these 280-plus main police officers were full of energy and morale, unlike the unscrupulous and lazy officers in other districts.
Moreover, these officers were capable of genuinely maintaining public order, unlike the old police force, which primarily focused on extortion.
Their sense of responsibility alone made them eight times more effective than the previous officers.
In short, this was the first modern police force in the true sense!
Under the bright sun, after lunch, Joseph gave the order, and nearly 300 police officers marched out of the station, shouting loud slogans as they officially took over security duties in the Saint-Antoine district.
These officers had previously patrolled the district and knew exactly where trouble was likely to occur, so they were well-prepared. Now, with their official status and advanced management, their ability to control crime had greatly increased.
The residents had already heard the news, but aside from a few extra glances at the police's impressive uniforms, they didn't pay much attention—what could one really expect from the French police?
On the east side of the Saint-Antoine district, in Aurelian Street.
In a back alley, vulgar curses and roars echoed.
Four or five burly men in black vests and felt hats had cornered a middle-aged man against the wall, waving wooden sticks and iron axes at him.
"How dare you owe money to the Viper Gang? Do you want to die?"
The middle-aged man cowered,
"Please, sirs, I'll pay next week! For the love of God…"
"You've already missed three protection payments this year," a red-haired man sneered, signaling to his men,
"According to the rules, we need to teach you a lesson."
"No! Please don't!"
But before the man could finish, one of the brutes swung a stick hard against his arm, and the sound of breaking bones was followed by a scream that didn't sound human.
The red-haired man ground his heel into the middle-aged man writhing in pain on the ground,
"Remember, next week. If you delay again, it'll be the other arm!"
As he spoke, four men in blue uniforms and wide-brimmed hats suddenly appeared at the mouth of the alley, looking at the injured man groaning on the ground.
The red-haired man recognized two of them and casually said,
"Baptiste and Quirien? I heard you became police officers. Hmm, those uniforms suit you."
These two had been members of the civilian patrols and were familiar with the Viper Gang.
The red-haired man waved his knife around,
"I'm collecting debts here. Get lost."
The policeman named Quirien suddenly pulled out a whistle and blew it hard, then pointed at the gang members and shouted,
"Assaulting someone in public—I'm arresting you!"
Quirien had been a tanner and had joined the patrol to protect his family. He used to patrol the area from 6 PM to 11 PM, trying to avoid running into dangerous gangs like the Viper Gang.
But now, he was a full-fledged police officer with a high salary of 35 livres a month. His wife and two children had white bread to eat every day, and they could even afford some meat occasionally—something he had only dreamed of before.
Now, all he wanted to do was protect the district's public order, secure his family's happiness, and repay the Prince. Besides, arresting criminals earned him performance points, which meant bonuses—the higher his performance score, the bigger the bonus!
He and the other three police officers shouted in unison,
"In the name of the Prince, attack!"
The red-haired man scoffed and waved his hand at his men,
"Teach these fools a lesson!"
He was confident. After all, even the police were usually cowards who would cry and run at the sight of blood.
But this time, he was wrong.
Three of the police officers quickly unsheathed the two-meter-long Y-shaped wooden forks strapped to their backs, stepped forward in unison, and used the forks to pin two of the Viper Gang members by the waist.
The forks, with heads more than an arm's width apart, were impossible to miss, making them the perfect tools for riot control.
One officer with a spear seized the opportunity to stab one of the gang members in the foot.
With a scream, the man dropped to the ground, clutching his foot. Another gang member snarled and swung his short sword, but the wooden fork blocked it, keeping him from reaching the police.
The red-haired man, now furious, charged forward. Though he had four men on his side, they couldn't get past the riot control forks, and soon two more of his men were hit in the legs by the spear.
The red-haired man felt completely stifled. His years of fighting experience were useless against the strange formation of the police.
This was the "Security Combat Method" Joseph had taught the police. Commonly used in modern train stations and airports, it focused on stalling the enemy and protecting oneself rather than on defeating them.
Most importantly, this fighting style was simple to learn—anyone could master it with just a week of training.
The red-haired man was grinding his teeth in frustration, unable to understand why these police officers were so tough today. He soon decided to retreat—he had nearly been stabbed himself. He quickly waved his hand and shouted,
"Fall back!"
But by then, four police officers from a nearby security kiosk had already heard the whistle and rushed over.
As they entered the narrow alley, they ran straight into the retreating Viper Gang. The lead officer shouted, "In the name of the Prince!" and three riot control forks instantly blocked their path.
(End of Chapter)