Yen Yu’s novels are so good! It’s the fourth one I read, and I’ve loved them all.
Like the others, 警察執勤中：正義的代價 gives such a good and honest insights on police every day work, showing all the not so glorious parts of being a police officer. The other novels I read were told from the point of view of novices, but this time we follow a veteran: Wang Shuoyen. He is also such an interesting character, someone who is a master at slacking on the job and getting around cumbersome and inefficient procedures, while knowing the line between breaking the rules and breaking the law.
I find that the reader is always placed in an interesting spot, because as a reader, we can only sympathise with the characters, but as a citizen, it’s hard not to get mad at some of the practices described in the book.
But the novel is much more than a good social novel, it’s also a suspenseful political thriller and action thriller whose pace keeps on accelerating. 警察執勤中：正義的代價 tackles a nationwide corruption case that has the potential to completely shake Taiwan political world.
The way high rank officials would do anything to cover themselves and how low-ranked officials are easily sacrificed along the way is a recurrent theme in Yen Yu’s novels, but in 警察執勤中：正義的代價, I felt really mad so many times.
I think this novel is really excellent, it’s a harsh critic of the system of factions that corrupts all the governmental offices, but it’s also a really suspenseful thriller.
警察執勤中：正義的代價
Review
Updates
The last fourth of the book is impossible to put down! I thought I’d just read one chapter today, but I finished it!
I’m not feeling well today, only some pages read…
It’s hard to know what’s right and wrong, and whether characters should act as they do… it’s really a great novel!
Chapter 8 done! Story is so good!
Finished chapter 7, it’s so so intense!! Such a huge case, it’s both fascinating to follow, and devastating to see some of the consequences…
I read two chapters, and the novel really picked up the pace all of the sudden. There are so many things to digest all at once, chapter 6 was crazy! I really love this novel so far, it’s really good!
Not only is the story taking a real turn now, but I’m also just realising now that this story might actually be linked to things mentioned in 七十號，你的鳥歪了! If I’m right, this would be insane!
Read two chapters today!
Just read a few pages today. I actually wanted to read a full chapter but I had no time and no energy anyway. I did read a few pages to stay in the story (because I haven’t touched the book during the weekend).
Finished chapter 2! Love it as much as 403小組，警隊出動！so far.
Unfortunately, I didn’t have time to read much, but I absolutely love the beginning! I had no idea that this book featured one of the main characters of 403小組，警隊出動！, that’s really a nice surprise.
Post
Maybe I should just write the rank of officers in their original language in my character lists, instead of trying to find an English equivalent. I kind of have an okay understanding of ranks in their respective languages I think? but finding the correct equivalent in English is harder.
For example, is it better to say Bureau Chief, Director General, Commissioner?
I also find that ranks in their original language are easier to grasp for me than English translations, just because they’re used in the novel so it feels more concrete, and it’s then easier to associate one name with one rank this way.
I’m a bit mad at the fact that 七十號，你的鳥歪了 is not advertised as a novel following 警察執勤中：正義的代價. The books are not from the same publisher, which probably explains it, but it still annoying.
I read 七十號，你的鳥歪了 first because it was promoted on Books From Taiwan, it looked like a stand alone novel, so I never thought about checking first the author’s bibliography at the time.
The main story is independent, but it directly follows the events of 警察執勤中：正義的代價 which have big repercussions on the characters. But more importantly, it entirely spoils the outcome. And it would be a better reading experience to read them in order anyway, because now I not only have a good idea of how 警察執勤中：正義的代價 will end, but I also know things that would happen afterwards which also impact the way I’m reading 警察執勤中.
I also think that I would have enjoyed 七十號，你的鳥歪了 even more if I had read 警察執勤中 first. The repercussions of the case would have felt even more impactful if I had followed it from the beginning with 警察執勤中. So reading in reverse order kind of affects both books.
I don’t know why they’re not published by the same publisher, but it’s a shame because this prevents them from being sold as a series. I really do think they should be a series, they take place in the same fictional world with its own chronology and some characters and events are recurring. I’m glad I read 403小組，警隊出動！ first at least…
Covers chosen by each publisher also make the books look completely different when they’re really similar in style and topics.
I’m halfway through 警察執勤中：正義的代價 , and it’s obvious now that it’s about a case mentioned in 七十號，你的鳥歪了 where it was important but also not central.
I had no idea that 警察執勤中：正義的代價 would be mainly about that case!! It’s such a huge thing, I’m so happy that I get to read about the details of the whole process, if I had known in advance, I would have been so excited to start this book! On the other hand though, 七十號 kind of spoils 警察執勤中 if you’ve read it first like I did, so I think it’s best to read the books in chronological order.
I actually didn’t know that Yen Yu’s novels would share the same fictional world with recurring characters and cases, with stones thrown in a book creating ripples in others. I love the idea though, I find it so great! But I don’t understand why the books are not published as a series, or at least given a stronger identity that would show they belong to the same universe.
It’s probably best to read 警察執勤中：正義的代價 after 403小組 but before 七十號. Nothing mandatory though, each book is an independent story, but I really wish I hadn’t read 七十號 before 警察執勤中, because now I already know the outcome of what’s going to happen. It still is a very suspenseful and engrossing read though, that shows just how great the novel is.
I find that Yen Yu’s police novels are very easy to read even though they use quite a bit of specialised vocabulary. Every single bit of jargon and terminology is explained (like for example the difference between 收押禁見 and 交保候審), more difficult things like hierarchy and factions or the diverse procedures officers have to follow, etc. everything is explained in simple terms, which makes the novel very easy to follow.
I really appreciate authors who manage to convey specialised knowledge and insights but deliver it in a way that makes the novel pleasant to read without being too difficult or too didactic, and without sacrificing the plot and and pace to lengthy explanations or exposés.
Oh, 林木森 is also from 403小組，警隊出動！, hard to forget that name!
After just 2 or 3 pages, I was thinking that this Wang Shuoyan felt very similar to the partner of the protagonist in 403小組，警隊出動！And the more I was thinking that, the more the name actually sounded similar, so I checked: it’s the same character!
That’s pretty cool!! I’m super happy, really loved this character! 
So given that I’m following a list that gave chronological order for Yen Yu’s books, I guess that this novel takes place after the events in 403小組，警隊出動！
Characters
Quotes
反正你們只要記得，多聽、多看、罩子放亮點，然後不要相信壞學長的話，尤其不要相信所長的話，就能平平安安過一生了，明白嗎？
— 王碩彥
王碩彥點出了官僚文化的一個特點，不僅僅不能做「多」，甚至也不能做「好」，你要是把一件事做到很完美，那你就慘了，以後這事都由你來做了，甚至標準會越來越高。
Vocabulary
| Word | Reading | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| 爐渣 | lú zhā | (metallurgy) slag |
| 瀝青 | lì qīng | asphalt |
| 冶煉 | yě liàn | to smelt metal |
| 巡邏箱 | xúnluóxiāng | Patrol box |
From my understanding, patrol boxes are wall-mounted metal boxes installed by police departments on police officers patrol route. The boxes contain a log, so the officer in duty open the box, and sign their name to prove they patrolled the area.
I also read that citizens can apply to have a patrol box placed near their house if they want the police to add their area in their patrol (to prevent burglary when they’re away for vacation)
Apparently, the paper log is now replaced with electronic devices.
| Word | Reading | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| 六合彩 | liù hé cǎi | Mark Six (Hong Kong lottery game, but used in Taiwan and Mainland China as the basis for underground, illegal gambling rings). |
| 莊家 | zhuāng jiā | banker (gambling), bookmaker |
| Word | Reading | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| 志工 | zhìgōng | (Tw) a volunteer |
| 志工台 | zhìgōng tái | Volunteer service counter, a kind of information desk in public places staffed by volunteers to offer assistance and guidance to the public. |
| 警政監 | jǐngzhèngjiān | Senior Executive Officer, a very high police rank in Taiwan’s police hierarchy (higher than 分局長). |
| 里長 | lǐzhǎng | Elected local community leader. |