After hearing his subordinates report on the case, Zhong Shan felt a huge headache coming on. "Isn't this a huge problem for me?"
The case has been classified as a serious incident, and arrest warrants have been issued to the criminal investigation team.
The victims are all waiting for the criminal investigation team to apprehend the perpetrator, and the family of the seriously injured person is waiting outside the county police station every day... The suspect has been completely identified as Chen Chaojiang. If the case cannot be solved quickly and the suspect apprehended, it would be unacceptable to the victims and their families.
The very next morning after returning to the bureau, Zhao Qing summoned Zhong Shan to his office and ordered him not to bend the law for personal gain and to immediately arrest Chen Chaojiang.
Zhong Shan naturally couldn't say anything to Zhao Qing, and returned to the team with a worried look on his face.
In the past, Zhong Shan would never have heeded Xu Zhengyang's opinion; he would have acted decisively. He would have immediately arranged for Chen Chaojiang to be arrested, no matter where he fled! This is utterly outrageous! What kind of behavior is this? Is this contempt for the law, a threat to public order, and a challenge to the authority of law enforcement?
But now, Zhongshan really needs to consider Xu Zhengyang's attitude.
It's easy to understand why Chen Chaojiang did something so sensational in the region.
Would Xu Zhengyang really want Chen Chaojiang to go to jail for avenging him? Obviously not. That's why he contacted Zhong Shan beforehand, asking him to help find a way to get Chen Chaojiang out of the case safely. Besides, Xu Zhengyang had just saved himself and Zhao Qing from wrongful convictions, clearing their names, and would inevitably receive some form of compensation or consolation afterward.
Putting aside repaying Xu Zhengyang's favor, Zhong Shan was more worried about what Xu Zhengyang might do in a fit of rage if Chen Chaojiang were arrested and imprisoned. He knew all too well how deep the brotherhood among these young men was, and how loyal they were all. Chen Chaojiang's willingness to single-handedly defeat Shen Haobing and his gang of thugs to avenge Xu Zhengyang was enough to demonstrate this. If Xu Zhengyang got angry, he would definitely go insane like Chen Chaojiang.
"No matter what, we have to bring him back first!" Zhong Shan sighed. After bringing him back, they would think of other ways to exonerate Chen Chaojiang, trying to find some far-fetched reasons to do so. They would try to reduce his punishment as much as possible; it was absolutely impossible to completely exempt him from punishment.
Because he was troubled, Zhongshan's temper was not very good.
I just got back to the team from Zhao Qing's place and immediately gave my men a good scolding. How come we can't even catch one person? Have you all lost your minds? If a suspect committed such a crime, do you think he'd be stupid enough to hide at home and wait for you to arrest him?
What? He didn't have anyone lying in wait at home?
He's a person, with a family and parents. What if he goes back to see his parents, or to tell them something, or to run away with some money?
Just as he was venting his frustration in a fit of rage, Sulu came running in from outside, beaming with joy, and said, "Captain Zhong, Chen Chaojiang has come to turn himself in."
"Huh?" Zhong Shan was taken aback.
“Xu Zhengyang brought him here,” Sulu added.
"Bring them here! You all go out first, go out..." Zhong Shan quickly waved his hand and gave the order.
Zhong Shan was now filled with mixed feelings. He had originally planned to arrest Chen Chaojiang first and then find a way to reduce his punishment. Now, however, Chen Chaojiang had surrendered himself. Well, that alone was enough to reduce his punishment. But... Xu Zhengyang had brought him here. How was he supposed to talk to Xu Zhengyang about this later? That kid definitely didn't want Chen Chaojiang to suffer any injustice.
A short while later, Sulu led Xu Zhengyang and Chen Chaojiang, who was already handcuffed, into the room.
Zhong Shan waved for Sulu to leave first. He wanted to speak with them alone. Sulu understood what was going on, so he didn't say anything, immediately went out, and closed the door behind him.
Originally, Zhong Shan wanted to give Chen Chaojiang a severe scolding as soon as he saw him, and even wanted to slap him a couple of times as an elder. He wasn't saying that Chen Chaojiang had broken the law and he, as a policeman, should arrest and teach him a lesson, nor was he saying that he was, after all, an uncle from the same village. But the trouble Chen Chaojiang had caused put him in a difficult position, making him angry from both sides. However, in front of Xu Zhengyang, Zhong Shan restrained his anger, glared at him, pounded the table, and said in a low voice, "Foolish, foolish! Look at what you've done! You, you..."
“Uncle, this isn’t Chaojiang’s fault,” Xu Zhengyang said calmly.
“What’s the use of telling me this?” Zhong Shan shook his head and sighed. “Seven people were injured, and one was seriously injured. It happened in broad daylight, with so many people watching… Zhengyang, have you thought about how big the impact of this is? The victims’ families have been blocking the police station every morning since yesterday, saying that Director Zhao and I ordered people to retaliate against them…”
"Yeah, more or less," Xu Zhengyang said.
Chen Chaojiang, handcuffed, sat silently on a chair by the wall. His pale face was expressionless, and his narrow eyes were icy cold, devoid of any warmth or humanity. It was as if nothing concerned him, and the outcome was irrelevant to him.
"Huh? What do you mean by that?" Zhong Shan's face showed anger.
Xu Zhengyang stepped forward, handed Zhong Shan a cigarette, lit it for him, and then lit one for himself, saying with a smile, "Back then, Chao Jiang wasn't just standing up for me. He was also thinking about standing up for you and Director Zhao."
“This…” Zhong Shan was stunned.
“He thought it was someone from Shen Haobing’s family who was persecuting you and Director Zhao. Yes, that’s exactly what happened.” Xu Zhengyang said calmly, “You know what kind of person Chaojiang is. He’s grateful. Last time at the Nancheng Township Police Station, if you hadn’t made a few phone calls to inform Director Zhao, and if Director Zhao hadn’t gone there in person, Chaojiang and I might have been beaten up. So he’s grateful.”
Zhong Shan was both amused and exasperated. Xu Zhengyang's words were possible, but what good were they? Could they really make me and Director Zhao abuse our power to forcibly pardon Chen Chaojiang because of this?
Xu Zhengyang continued, "There are some things I need to tell you..."
"What's going on?" Zhong Shan asked疑惑地, a glimmer of hope suddenly rising in his heart. Xu Zhengyang was no ordinary person after all; if he wanted to help Chen Chaojiang, he certainly wouldn't just rely on his side to help.
Xu Zhengyang sat down on the sofa, his expression calm and without a trace of anxiety, looking confident. He casually gave a brief introduction to the situation in Shilipu Village, and then talked about what Shen Haobing and his gang had done in conjunction with the village cadres and town officials.
Zhong Shan was a seasoned veteran, having worked at the township police station for over twenty years. He was intimately familiar with the sordid affairs happening there. So, upon hearing Xu Zhengyang's words, he immediately understood Xu Zhengyang's motives. Of course, if what Xu Zhengyang said was true, it might actually come in handy if handled well. However, it would only mitigate Chen Chaojiang's punishment; a complete absolution was absolutely impossible.
“That doesn’t exempt him from punishment,” Zhong Shan said, shaking his head. “This is a completely different matter from Chen Chaojiang’s case.”
"It's something to take seriously, it just depends on what the villagers over there think..." Xu Zhengyang said calmly, "Uncle, after Chao Jiang finished attacking Shen Haobing and his gang, some local villagers helped Chao Jiang leave the scene on motorcycles. Afterwards, the villagers lit firecrackers to celebrate the beating of Shen Haobing and his gang. Some villagers were even provoked by Chao Jiang's actions and immediately smashed up the restaurant owned by the village chief's son, Hou Deqiang. As a result, more than a dozen villagers were arrested by the police station. So far, besides those who have paid fines and been punished, there are three people in the detention center under criminal detention..."
Zhong Shan frowned, considering the potential usefulness of these circumstances. He had no doubt about the veracity of Xu Zhengyang's claims.
"Why don't you go down and do some research, and then talk to the villagers..." Xu Zhengyang said calmly.
"Huh?" Zhong Shan was stunned for a moment, then realized what Xu Zhengyang meant, and couldn't help but laugh and scold, "Nonsense, you're asking me to join you in your evil ways."
“You can’t say that.” Xu Zhengyang shook his head, a slight smile appearing on his calm face: “You are speaking up for the people and upholding justice.”
Zhong Shan stood up and said with a smile, "I can only do my best, but I can't guarantee whether it will be successful!"
"There won't be any problems," Xu Zhengyang said calmly.
"Alright." Zhong Shan paused for a moment, then nodded and said, "I'll have someone take Chao Jiang away and lock him up... Do you want to go back and wait for news, or stay here?"
"I'll stay here for a couple of days," Xu Zhengyang said.
Zhong Shan nodded, his gaze towards Xu Zhengyang revealing increasing conviction and surprise.
This kid… he's incredibly capable! Zhong Shan was becoming increasingly convinced of what Xu Zhengyang was saying. From the initial clues Xu Zhengyang provided when he was at the police station, to the successful cracking of the nationally sensational Hao Peng drug trafficking gang case, to his own and Zhao Qing's recent false accusations and persecution, ultimately leading to their exoneration… all of this proved Xu Zhengyang's ability to inspire trust—or rather, the power of the unseen earth god standing behind Xu Zhengyang.
So now that Xu Zhengyang has said that there's no problem with doing this and that it will succeed, Zhong Shan, although not entirely sure, is almost convinced and is actually going to do what Xu Zhengyang said and personally go out to do some ideological work with the villagers.
Sitting silently by the wall, Chen Chaojiang, with a cold expression and icy eyes, was also shocked.
Zhengyang, he... he's incredible, even Zhongshan listens to him?
At this moment, Zhong Shan had already gotten up and opened the door. He stood at the door and explained to Sulu what he needed to do later.
Xu Zhengyang walked up to Chen Chaojiang, lit a cigarette for him, and said with a smile, "Don't worry, nothing will happen."
Chen Chaojiang nodded, his expression remaining cold and calm, but he said nothing.
Just then, someone in the hallway outside the door said, "Hey, I'm serious. I was there that day, I saw it with my own eyes... Chen Chaojiang clearly intended to kill my friend. It wasn't malicious intent, it was attempted murder..."
Both of them frowned and looked towards the door, only to see a man in his late twenties, wearing a suit, with a buzz cut and fairly good looks, walking past the door talking to a policeman.
Zhong Shan and Sulu, who were standing at the door, also frowned and looked at that person.
Xu Zhengyang paused for a moment, then walked to the door and said to Zhong Shan, "Uncle Zhong, could you please call that person over?"
"What are you doing?" Zhong Shan asked in surprise.
“He’s obviously lying; he doesn’t even recognize Chaojiang,” Xu Zhengyang said.
"Hmm?" Zhong Shan paused for a moment, then instructed Sulu, "Go and call that person to my office."
Sulu agreed and walked towards the stairwell.
Zhong Shan returned to his office, sat back down at his desk, and said to Xu Zhengyang, "Do you recognize that person?"
"Yes, his name is Jiang Shiqing, one of the Ten Tigers of Cizhou," Xu Zhengyang nodded in reply.
"oh……"
Soon, Su Lu brought Jiang Shiqing in. Jiang Shiqing looked at the people in the room with some surprise after entering. Su Lu said, "Captain, his name is Jiang Shiqing. He is here to report the case of Chen Chaojiang committing a crime in the street. According to him, he is an eyewitness at the scene."
As Su Lu spoke, Xu Zhengyang had already walked to the door and closed it. After Su Lu finished speaking, before Zhong Shan could ask anything, Xu Zhengyang walked up to Jiang Shiqing and calmly asked, "Jiang Shiqing, do you know Chen Chaojiang?"
"Hmm?" Jiang Shiqing hesitated slightly, wondering who this person was. He wasn't wearing a police uniform either. But since the criminal investigation captain was inside, Jiang Shiqing had no choice but to nod and say, "Of course I know him. I was there at the time and saw Chen Chaojiang commit the murder with my own eyes."
"Oh." Xu Zhengyang nodded slightly, then pointed to Chen Chaojiang sitting by the wall and said, "Look, do you know this person?"
Jiang Shiqing turned his head in confusion and looked at the young man sitting on a chair by the wall, wearing handcuffs and with a pale face. He thought to himself, "Why does this person look like a zombie? Look at that pale face, and those narrow eyes, how come there's no life in them? So cold..." He was surprised in his heart, but said aloud, "I don't know him."
“Then I’ll tell you.” Xu Zhengyang said calmly, “He is Chen Chaojiang.”
"Huh?" Jiang Shiqing was taken aback.
Xu Zhengyang suddenly swung his right arm and punched Jiang Shiqing hard in the face.
No one expected Xu Zhengyang to suddenly attack. Jiang Shiqing was so struck that he stumbled and almost fell to the ground, involuntarily taking a few steps to the side, ending up right in front of Chen Chaojiang. Jiang Shiqing grabbed the wall for support, not even having time to utter a curse or straighten himself up. Chen Chaojiang, who was sitting in a chair, suddenly raised his right leg and kicked Jiang Shiqing hard in the face. With a thud, Jiang Shiqing was thrown backward.
The people inside the room saw a blur as Chen Chaojiang rose and chased after them, his handcuffed hands clasped in fists. He raised them high and slammed them down hard, striking Jiang Shiqing squarely in the face. With a loud thud, Jiang Shiqing collapsed to the ground, screaming in pain and cursing, "Fuck your mother..."
The change happened within seconds, extremely quickly.
So both Sulu and Zhongshan were somewhat stunned.
After throwing that punch, Xu Zhengyang saw Chen Chaojiang kick Jiang Shiqing almost without hesitation or surprise, then chase after him and slam him to the ground. Xu Zhengyang inwardly praised, "Chen Chaojiang, quick reflexes!" While thinking this, his hands and feet didn't stop; he and Chen Chaojiang rushed forward and brutally beat Jiang Shiqing, who lay on the ground screaming and cursing in pain.
This was purely a retaliatory attack on eyewitnesses in front of the police.
"The police are beating people!"
Jiang Shiqing screamed in pain. He couldn't believe that he would be beaten by Chen Chaojiang and this strange young man in the criminal investigation team leader's office. Moreover, the two men's attacks were so fast, heavy, and accurate that he was completely powerless to fight back. What was even more infuriating was that the two policemen in the room did nothing and let the criminals beat him.
"So what if I hit you? So what if I hit you?" Xu Zhengyang pushed Chen Chaojiang away. This guy was hitting too hard and had no restraint; he might actually kill him. Of course, pushing Chen Chaojiang away didn't mean he stopped hitting him. Xu Zhengyang kicked Jiang Shiqing again and again, and when he felt it wasn't enough, he squatted down and slapped Jiang Shiqing's face and head repeatedly. "I'm hitting you, so what?"
Sulu wanted to speak up to stop them, but when she looked at the captain, she found Zhong Shan sitting silently behind his desk with a gloomy face. Sulu hesitated for a moment, then turned and walked to the window. Looking outside, she thought, "Hmm, what a beautiful day! The sky is so blue, and there are a few white clouds drifting by..."
When Zhong Shan saw that Sulu had chosen to walk to the window to look at the scenery, with an attitude of "out of sight, out of mind" and "I didn't see anything or know anything," he was furious. He cursed the idiot for thinking the wrong thing. It wasn't that he wanted Xu Zhengyang to hit people at will, but that he couldn't stop Xu Zhengyang right now. Sulu was the most suitable person to stop him.
Since Sulu had made this move, thinking it pleased the captain, Zhong Shan had no choice but to stand up and sternly reprimand him, "Enough, stop!"
Hearing Zhong Shan's reprimand, Xu Zhengyang had no choice but to stop. He stood there calmly as if he hadn't done anything, looked down at Jiang Shiqing, and said, "Do you recognize what Chen Chaojiang looks like?"
"You, damn it... I'm going to sue you!" Jiang Shiqing cursed, his face swollen like a pig's head.
"Sue, sue your father my ass!" Xu Zhengyang kicked him twice more.
Zhong Shan quickly stepped forward and pulled Xu Zhengyang away, angrily scolding, "What are you doing? Are you crazy? This is the criminal investigation team!"
“Uncle, he himself said that he was present when Chaojiang was being beaten by the group, and he is Shen Haobing’s friend…” Xu Zhengyang revealed that pretentious, innocent expression of a junior nephew again, “He must have also beaten Chaojiang.”
Zhong Shan was furious but helpless. He frowned and kicked Jiang Shiqing in the arm, who was about to speak, and angrily ordered, "Sulu, handcuff him and lock him up!"
Upon hearing this, Sulu, who was standing by the window admiring the scenery, immediately pulled out handcuffs, swiftly stepped forward, bent down, and neatly handcuffed Jiang Shiqing's hands. Then, without a word and with a cold expression, he dragged Jiang Shiqing to the door, opened it, and shoved him out. He followed immediately, not forgetting to close the door behind him.
Inside the room, Xu Zhengyang grinned sheepishly at Zhong Shan, whose face was contorted with rage. He thought to himself with amusement: Damn, it's so much more satisfying to teach someone a lesson myself than to have a ghost summon them in a dream! It just feels different!
Volume 3, Judge 096: Doing Things by Borrowing the Power of the People
In fact, when Zhongshan and the criminal investigation team went down to investigate the case of Chen Chaojiang's street attack that day, Xu Zhengyang was prepared to use some underhanded tactics that night to further fuel the anger and resentment among the villagers. Xu Zhengyang had already assessed the psychological state of those villagers beforehand.
However, after briefly observing the psychological state of the people that evening, he realized that there was no need for him to go through the trouble.
As the saying goes, "Heaven's sins may be forgiven, but self-inflicted sins are unforgivable." Shen Haobing and Hou Deqiang's gang had truly reached the point of incurring the wrath of both heaven and man, arousing immense public resentment. Otherwise, after Chen Chaojiang's unparalleled bravery in the street, where he slaughtered them, the villagers wouldn't have set off firecrackers to celebrate the punishment of the wicked, completely ignoring the fact that the most wicked person that day was actually Chen Chaojiang.
In the hearts of ordinary people, the thoughts were simple: they didn't know Chen Chaojiang and had no hatred towards him, but they harbored a deep-seated hatred for Shen Haobing and his gang. They simply dared not speak out against their anger and silently endured their oppression. That day, Chen Chaojiang descended like a god of death, single-handedly defeating the group of scum who had once inspired fear in the ordinary people, sending them fleeing like stray dogs in the sunset. This ignited the villagers' fighting spirit, leading to their subsequent gang attack on Hou Deqiang and his group, and even ransacking their home and smashing their restaurant.
In the eyes of those villagers, Chen Chaojiang was not a bad person, but an honest man like them, who acted impulsively out of desperation due to oppression.
Just like their impulsive actions of ransacking homes and smashing shops later on.