Wanbolin branch of Taiyuan public security bureau solve a case involving 220,000 yuan ($33,846) in unpaid wages to migrant workers in March, 2017 in Taiyuan. [Photo/chinanews.com]

"My name and rank does not matter. All you need to see is the uniform that I wear, and, I hope you will know that you will receive a fair and efficient public service," said Li Yuexiang, a policeman from Wanbolin branch of Taiyuan public security bureau, Shanxi province, at a speech contest on Jan 16.

The contest, which was initiated by the publicity department of Taiyuan municipal government, has attracted participants from all walks of life since its launch in November 2017. It aims to promote honesty and integrity in the new era.

At the contest, Li told the audience a story about his supervisor, Zhang Junhao –– a veteran police officer who has served for more than 20 years.

Zhang once accepted a case involving 220,000 yuan ($33,846) in unpaid wages to migrant workers, said Li.

But after struggling to understand the Sichuan dialect of the workers, Zhang had to rely on paper records for evidence that the workers had not been paid. The sight of an elderly woman’s chapped hands moved the senior officer, and he promised he would do what he could to help them recover their wages, recalled Li.

Zhang tracked down the rogue employer and made an arrest in Cangxi, Southeast China’s Sichuan before returning a few days later.

Rather than rest on his return, the officer prioritized returning the stolen wages to the migrant workers, with one of them claiming he had saved her life.

"My wife usually says policemen look quite handsome in uniform when she sees them on TV," said Li.

"But I tell her that the true duty of a police officer is not to attract attention, but to set an example for the whole of society."

"We each have our own part to play in the rejuvenation of China; each and every one of us," Li added.

"Every era has its defining mission, and each era has its pioneers. A mission, responsibility and innovation are the key words of the speakers' stories," said Yang Jin, deputy editor in chief of Taiyuan Evening News, speaking at the contest.