The city centre was silent. The odd council workman was brushing the last of the streets emptying the last of the bins. There was no sign of the crowds of tourists, mostly Chinese and other Orientals who descended upon the ancient city every day. This caused him to reflect that when his next annual leave was due, if he could afford it on his reduced pay from Inspector to Sergeant, the place in the world to visit for some peace and quiet would be China. Reputed from statistics to be the most populated country on earth in view of the numbers of Chinese folks he witnessed on a daily basis, the country must be desolate and just the place to go for some rest and relaxation. Possibly a quiet stroll along the great wall he had learned so much about in his school days all those years ago. Arriving in the locker room he removed his civilian coat revealing his uniform bearing his sergeant’s stripes. He had forgotten the Chevrons he once sported when an inspector, well almost. He paraded for duty precisely at a quarter to six, just as regulations stipulated.
