Chapter 31: The Interview

The next day, Jimmy returned early in the morning. On his way, he stopped by a supermarket to pick up some ginger and green onions. Back home, he brewed a pot of ginger soup, drank it, and curled up under his quilt to continue sleeping.

Today was his day off, and even after waking up, Jimmy felt no urge to get out of bed. His body seemed to be holding up well; after half a day, there were still no signs of a fever or a cold.

Eventually, overcome by the urge to use the restroom, Jimmy hurried out of bed to relieve himself and freshen up. Seeing the leftover ginger and green onions, he prepared another bowl of soup. Once finished, he returned to bed to watch television.

The phone rang with a sharp "beep." Jimmy picked it up; it was Chief James.

"Hi, Chief."

"Hi, Jimmy. Great work last night. Mr. Anderson has woken up. Come down to the station; the administration has arranged an interview."

"Understood, Chief. Anything else?"

"No, that’s all. Goodbye."

"Goodbye, Chief."

His only day off was gone. Jimmy got up, tidied himself, put on some decent clothes, and took a taxi to the station.

For months, Jimmy had not bothered to buy a car. It wasn't because used cars were expensive, but because he already spent over a dozen hours a day driving a patrol car. Owning a personal vehicle wasn't a necessity; it would only be for commuting to and from the station. He had a familiar taxi driver he could call, and within minutes, he would be picked up—it was quite convenient.

Upon arriving at the station, Jimmy found a man and a woman chatting with Chief James in the Chief’s office, which featured a large window overlooking the main lobby. Spotting Jimmy, Chief James beckoned him inside.

"Jimmy, this is Jessica, a reporter from the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. Jessica, this is Jimmy, Jimmy Yang, the finest young officer in our department."

"Good afternoon, Mr. Yang. I’m sorry to pull you in on your day off. Shall we begin our interview?"

"Jimmy, take good care of them and answer their questions thoroughly. Jessica, I have some matters to attend to, so I’ll leave you two here." With that, the Chief pushed the door open and left.

The photographer accompanying the reporter directed Jimmy to a single armchair, adjusting his position and posture for several minutes. After taking a few photos and feeling satisfied, he left with his camera, leaving Jessica alone with Jimmy to conduct the interview.

"Jimmy, could you briefly introduce yourself?"

"Certainly. I was born in Little Rock. I went to school there, worked after graduating high school, and three years ago, I enrolled in the police academy. After graduation, I joined the State Police Highway Patrol, and this year I returned to Little Rock to join the Pulaski County Sheriff's Office."

"Tell me about what happened last night."

"Sure. I was on the night shift, patrolling the highway, when I smelled smoke. I couldn't immediately pinpoint the source, but I followed the wind and found the burning house. After a neighbor told me there was someone still inside, I rushed in and brought Mr. Anderson out. That’s it; it’s as simple as that."

"Oh, we’ve already gathered that much. Could you provide more details on the rescue process?"

"I apologize, but some of those details might be part of the official case report, so I cannot disclose them at this time. If Chief James deems it appropriate, you are welcome to look into my case report."

"Fair enough, I’ll submit a request to Chief James. Moving on, are you aware that you are the first Chinese-American officer in the Pulaski County Sheriff's Office?"

"Is that so? I hadn't really paid attention to that. My goal has always been to become a police officer and fight crime, so throughout my time in the academy and joining the county department, I never focused on those kinds of statistics."

"Yes, and it’s not just the Sheriff's Office; there hasn't been a Chinese-American officer in the Little Rock Police Department either. Do you feel this is a result of discrimination? After all, the vast majority of police officers are white."

Jimmy began to sweat slightly. Before his rebirth, racial movements in the United States were constant, and this topic was a massive trap—one he absolutely could not fall into.

"I am honored to be the first Chinese-American officer in the Sheriff's Office." Jimmy reached over to the side of the Chief's desk, grabbed two bottles of water, handed one to Jessica, and opened his own. It was a stalling tactic to organize his thoughts.

"I don't believe being the only Chinese-American officer implies any discrimination within the department. In reality, it is primarily because the Chinese population in Little Rock is quite small. If you observe your surroundings, you'll notice you rarely see many Chinese people in the area. While I don't have the exact figures, I estimate the Chinese population in Little Rock is likely under 1,500, and they haven't formed a concentrated district like San Francisco's Chinatown."

"Many Chinese residents are students, doctors, teachers, IT professionals, or work in law, so it is often difficult to spot them when looking at general population demographics," Jimmy paused, then continued, "I believe that as the overall Chinese population grows, there will be a greater need for Chinese people to participate in various social roles. There will surely be more Chinese-Americans working in the police department in the future, just as you will see more of us filling various positions across all industries."

Seeing that he hadn't fallen into the trap, Jessica didn't push further. She asked a few lighthearted questions about his daily duties, and the interview concluded.

In truth, if he had only saved someone from a fire, there would have been no need for a reporter and a photographer; firefighters do that every day. The real "hook" was Jimmy’s ethnic background. As mentioned, he was the only Chinese-American officer in the county, and in Little Rock—the state capital—there was no historical precedent for a Chinese-American officer. To the media, he was a headline-maker.

If reporters wanted to, they could easily turn their sights on other institutions or departments. Race was a headache-inducing social issue in the year 2000. The general image of the Chinese community was perceived as "soft," and their crime rate was conspicuously lower compared to other demographics.

As for the victim of yesterday’s fire, Mr. Anderson, whom Jimmy had heroically rescued, he was likely in a state of absolute despair.

Why would he have a headache? Well, the costs for the ambulance and the fire department would all fall on him. Because he was intoxicated at the time, he couldn't have refused the services, and those fees would be enough to ruin him. On top of that, his house had burned down, and any valuables inside were likely gone. Unless he had significant savings or high credit to secure a bank loan, he was very likely to become the city's newest homeless person.

In the United States, the dispatch fees for ambulances and fire trucks are exorbitant. Many people are terrified to call for an ambulance, and fire services are even more expensive. In many parts of the U.S., fire departments are private enterprises, not public government functions like they are in China.