Power and Wealth

Jiaolin County

Outside Chengguan Town

Three police cars sped down the road, their sirens blaring, showing their urgency. All other vehicles on the road moved aside to clear the way.

Inside the Middle Car

A middle-aged man was on the phone. "Hello."

On the other end, the person urgently asked, "Director Hu, have you arrived yet?"

Chengguan Police Station Director Hu Hanbin, with a dark expression, replied, "We're almost there. How's the situation at the scene?"

The officer on the other end reported, "For now, there's nothing much. It's just that the minibus driver also got beaten up. But it wasn't by that guy. It was another deputy section chief from the county committee, surnamed Su. I forgot his full name."

"What?" Hu Hanbin said angrily. "Why haven't you detained him?"

The officer responded, sounding distressed, "The driver was previously demanding money from passengers and then tried to rob a woman's bag. We didn't want to be biased, so…" He knew the driver was a friend of Hu Hanbin's, so he quickly added, "And that young man who assaulted the police is still there. Our men aren't his match for him. Old Liu and Xiao Wang were using batons, but he knocked them out with one hit."

Hu Hanbin asked, "How are Old Liu and Xiao Wang now?"

"Old Liu has regained consciousness and is okay. Xiao Wang is still unconscious but isn't in danger. He has severe injuries to his mouth but no life-threatening damage," the officer reported.

Hu Hanbin said, "Good. You all stay alert and control the scene. Try to avoid contact with the suspects until we arrive. We don't want any more injuries."

The officer replied, "Understood, Director Hu."

Hu Hanbin added, "Be careful. If anyone dares to run, immediately seal off the routes."

The implication was clear—there was no need to pursue the black car driver's crimes against ordinary people. It was evident that the focus was solely on Dong Xuebing. To Hu Hanbin, nothing was more serious than assaulting the police. He didn't care about the reasons behind it; all he knew was that the person who hit his officers had to pay the price. Assaulting police meant there would be consequences. How could someone who dared to hit the police get away with it? You might be able to fight one or two, but could you fight against a dozen? Even if you're powerful, can you outmatch a gun? Can you withstand bullets?

Influenced by Hu Hanbin's anger, everyone in the police car was furious. Their colleagues had been beaten, and their mood was understandably poor.

Also in the car was an extremely enraged individual, though not a policeman. He was the black car driver who had been thrown out of the vehicle by Dong Xuebing earlier. He had hitched a ride back to Chengguan Town, found his old friend Hu Hanbin, and then joined him in the pursuit.

The big man said, "Old Hu, you've got to get me some justice."

Hu Hanbin glanced at him and said, "Leave this matter to me. All you need to do is identify the person when we get there. You don't need to get involved in anything else; it's inappropriate for you to be mixed up in this."

The big man gritted his teeth and said, "Alright, I'll do as you say." He then rubbed his stomach, which still ached from the kick Dong Xuebing had given him. He truly hated Dong Xuebing now. After years of running from Jiaolin County to the provincial capital and maintaining a close relationship with Hu Hanbin, he had never been so humiliated. It was frustrating. So when he heard that Dong Xuebing had later assaulted the police, he was pleased. The bigger the incident, the better. He feared Hu Hanbin might hesitate to take strong action due to potential repercussions, but now Dong Xuebing had walked right into the trap. Assaulting the police—wasn't that asking for a death sentence? The big man knew that even if the young man didn't die, he would at least face serious consequences, spending years in prison. Only then would he feel some relief. Moreover, knowing Hu Hanbin's temperament, who valued loyalty, it was clear that Hu Hanbin would never let Dong Xuebing off lightly after attacking his subordinates.

A few cars lined up in a row, moving at almost top speed.

After more than ten minutes

Outside Chengguan, at the scene

The police cars screeched to a halt, their tires squealing loudly. At the same time, the ambulance that had been called earlier arrived, and several medical personnel quickly got out with a stretcher and rushed to assess the situation.

The crowd gathered in one place, creating some chaos.

"Doctor, come quickly!"

"How's Xiao Wang? Are his injuries serious?"

"Director Hu, you're here!"

"Stop talking. First, check on Xiao Liu and Xiao Wang."

The doctor and nurses bent down to examine Liu Xing and the young police officer before addressing Hu Hanbin, "Director Hu. These are your men." It was apparent they recognized each other.

Hu Hanbin, with a stern expression, replied, "How are their injuries?"

The doctor pointed to Liu Xing. "He’s okay. He has a dislocated jaw that needs to be set and some soft tissue bruises. A few days of rest should be fine.” He paused and looked at the young officer. “This one is more serious. His jaw is definitely fractured, and he needs to be hospitalized. However, there’s no immediate danger to his life.” He turned to the nurse. “Start an IV, get him on the stretcher, and contact the county hospital for a bed.”

The nurse responded, “Understood.”

Overall, the situation wasn’t too bad, with no immediate danger.

Hu Hanbin breathed a sigh of relief but was soon overcome with anger again. He glared at one of the officers from the scene. “Who did this?”

The officer pointed at Dong Xuebing, who was not far away. “It’s him.”

Hu Hanbin frowned deeply. “Are you sure it’s that skinny guy?”

“It’s him.” The big man from the black car also glared fiercely at Dong Xuebing. “No mistake.”

The officer explained, “He looks young and skinny but quite strong. He’s not as he appears. We’ve already seen that.”

About ten officers were standing around, almost all of the police force from their station. The officers who had been uncertain earlier felt more confident with their colleagues present, especially since some were armed.

Hu Hanbin led the way forward. “I want to see for myself.”

An older officer behind him drew his gun, cocking it loudly in front of everyone, likely to protect Director Hu.

Hearing the sound of the gun being cocked, the few remaining civilians in the area tensed up. There was an instinctive fear and respect for the police and their weapons.

The atmosphere changed.

After dealing with the injured, the police officers approached Dong Xuebing with stern faces.

Despite not understanding why Dong Xuebing dared to assault the police and knowing that his situation might be dire, Su Yan still quietly advised Dong Xuebing from behind, “Brother, the person at the front is Hu Hanbin, the director of Chengguan Police Station. He’s quite influential and knows many people in Jiaolin County. You should be careful.” Su Yan knew he couldn’t help much, and there was nothing he could do about the assault on the police. Even for any reason, it was a serious issue.

Dong Xuebing, however, remained indifferent. His expression was calm and unchanging. While others might think Dong Xuebing was pretending, such composure in a significant crisis is rare. Those who knew Dong Xuebing understood that he wasn’t pretending; he genuinely didn’t care—assaulting the police? So what? Dong Xuebing had had his fair share of confrontations with the police while working at the grassroots level. He had even fought with leaders from the Public Security Bureau. For Dong Xuebing, these incidents were nothing, and he was experienced in handling such situations.

Hu Hanbin approached and was about to speak, “It was you who—”

Dong Xuebing interrupted him forcefully, turning to the big man from the black car following Hu Hanbin. With a cold smile, he said, “A person who tried to hit me before, a person who extorted civilians, a lawbreaker driving an illegal taxi—so now he’s come with a police officer from the local station. Looks like you two are quite the buddies. Is this the stance of your police station? I don’t think there's anything more to say; your attitude has already made it clear that you are firmly on the side of the criminals.”

The civilians looked at the police with varied expressions.

The crowd had grown beyond just passengers; many passersby had gathered, watching the commotion.

About twenty to thirty people were surrounding them, along with many vehicles.

Dong Xuebing’s eloquence and ability to incite the crowd were exceptional.

When he spoke, Hu Hanbin felt a chill in his heart, realizing that Dong Xuebing was no easy opponent. Indeed, appearances could be deceiving. “He reported you for assaulting people. The police station brought him here to identify you.”

Dong Xuebing retorted, “So you just listen to whatever he says? Why don’t you listen to what the civilians have to say? Why only pay attention to a criminal?” He took control of the situation, positioning himself on the moral high ground—a style for which Dong Xuebing was known. He enjoyed this kind of confrontation, finding it exhilarating to challenge others.

An older officer with a gun shouted, “So you think you’re justified in assaulting the police?”

Another officer yelled, “Come with us! I advise you to behave yourself and stop the nonsense!”

Dong Xuebing had not only assaulted their colleagues but also had a foreign accent and had even beaten up Hu Hanbin’s brother. Naturally, the officers were not in the mood for politeness.

Explanation

There was no need to explain further.

Seeing Dong Xuebing’s sharp-tongued rebuttals, Hu Hanbin, realizing there was no point in engaging in a prolonged argument, decided to cut to the chase. With a decisive wave, he commanded, “Take him away.”

Dong Xuebing asked, “What about the others?” referring to the black car driver and the big man.

Hu Hanbin seemed to adopt the same attitude as before, showing no interest in dealing with the others and giving no indication of any intention to arrest them.