Volume 1, Chapter 52: It Was a Misunderstanding

"Ling, do you think this set of bracelets looks pretty on me?" Meng Wanying asked with a smile.

"They're very distinctive, though the color is a bit plain. They'd look even better with some gold plating." Zhao Hongling praised enthusiastically, stretching out her own wrist as well. "Are there any more? I want one too."

Want one? No way!

The three police officers had only brought two pairs of handcuffs. Officer Wu swept a look of utter disgust across the faces of the two "crazy women" and waved his hand impatiently.

"These three clearly have a shady relationship. Take them back to the station for overnight interrogation."

"You're the ones who are shady! What evidence do you have to say that? Your minds are utterly filthy, damn it!" I cursed in disgust.

Bang!

Fu Xiaoya suddenly burst through the door, throwing it open, and stepped in front of me, glaring furiously at the three policemen.

"Have you people lost all reason? Why are you trying to arrest Zhou Yan again? When the hell is this going to end?"

"Sis, you don't need to get involved, get out of here!" I shoved her with my body in anxiety, hoping she would leave quickly so she wouldn't get dragged into this mess.

Fu Xiaoya stood her ground, turning her head to glare at me.

"A good-for-nothing like you—if you go back in there, getting out won't be easy."

Officer Wu had no time for our bickering and irritably waved a hand at Fu Xiaoya. "Step aside right now, or you'll be charged with obstructing official duties, and we'll take you in too."

"Actually, I, I know—"

Before Fu Xiaoya could finish her sentence, the door was pushed open once more.

Han Feng walked in leaning on a cane, followed closely by Old Hei. The two of them blocked the doorway side by side.

"Brother Feng!" A wave of warmth washed over me, and I couldn't help crying out.

Han Feng gave me a slight nod, then said in a cold voice, "No one is taking anyone out of here today. I am seriously sick and tired of you lot, throwing your weight around and acting like lawless tyrants just because of a tiny bit of power."

"Han Feng, are you daring to resist law enforcement?" Officer Wu didn't care in the least, asking with a disdainful sneer, "Have you already forgotten the bitter days in the cell?"

"I haven't forgotten a damn thing. But if you really drive people to the edge, I wouldn't mind going back in for another round. Hell, what's a stint in prison anyway? It's nothing!"

Han Feng lit a cigarette, keeping his chin up the entire time. At this moment, he truly cut the figure of a seasoned underworld boss.

"You've all lost your minds! Call the station immediately and request backup!" Officer Wu was furious, issuing loud orders. The officer beside him immediately complied, retreating to the side to make the call.

***

Han Feng, Old Hei, and Fu Xiaoya were all blocking the police from taking anyone away.

The room fell into a stalemate.

Officer Wu wore a look of utter contempt, simply pulled up a chair, sat down, and lit a cigarette.

At that moment, the phone in Meng Wanying's bag rang. Zhao Hongling, who wasn't restrained, walked over, unzipped the bag, pulled the phone out, and chuckled softly.

"Wanying, your man keeps a tight leash on you. He's calling to hurry you along."

"Suspects are not allowed to answer calls," Officer Wu warned.

"Ling, answer it. Tell him to pick me up at the police station," Meng Wanying instructed.

"You're not allowed to answer either!"

Just as Officer Wu's voice trailed off, Zhao Hongling had already swiped to answer. She laughed brightly, as if telling a joke to the person on the other end, "Chief Chang, it's me, Ling. Your wife just got slapped with a pair of handcuffs and is about to be hauled down to the station for interrogation! You'd better hurry up, I'm afraid she might get roughed up, haha."

Chief?

Hearing that title, Officer Wu's expression shifted involuntarily. He exhaled a cloud of smoke and put on a facade of composure.

"Got it."

Zhao Hongling acknowledged the call, walked over to place the phone on the coffee table, and hit the speaker button.

The deep, resonant voice of a middle-aged man boomed from the phone.

"I am Chang Yong, Chief of the County Public Security Bureau. May I ask which station you officers are from?"

Officer Wu's eyes bulged in shock. His fingers trembled uncontrollably, causing his cigarette to drop to the floor.

Everyone present was stunned, myself included.

Meng Wanying turned out to be the wife of County Public Security Bureau Chief Chang Yong!

Which meant the person I had saved today was the young master of the Bureau Chief's family.

Officer Wu and his subordinates, completely oblivious to the situation, had actually slapped handcuffs on the wife of the Public Security Bureau Chief.

I couldn't help but chuckle, a wave of schadenfreude washing over me.

Officer Wu's hurried kick had landed squarely on an iron plate, and this was going to be very hard to clean up.

"Why aren't you saying anything?" Chang Yong demanded coldly.

"Ch—Chief, hello. We're officers from the New District Police Station. My surname is Wu, and we're just carrying out official duties on orders."

Officer Wu was so panicked his speech stuttered, and he wiped the sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand.

"What on earth did my wife do to warrant being put in handcuffs?" Chang Yong interrogated.

"Nothing, she didn't do anything wrong, it's just a complete misunderstanding," Officer Wu scrambled to explain.

"Chief Chang, I am terribly sorry! It was our oversight, our rashness, for failing to adhere to police protocols. Please forgive us!"

"It's fine. Then release her. The kid refuses to go to sleep and is still waiting for her at home!"

***

Chang Yong's tone sounded calm enough as he issued further instructions: "Pass along a message to your Chief Qin: come to my office tomorrow. He needs to explain how he manages his police force. Arresting people and slapping cuffs on them so casually is entirely too arbitrary. Ask him if he thinks the police station is run by his family."

"I—I will definitely pass the message along!"

Officer Wu nodded vigorously, acting as though Chang Yong were standing right in front of him—a truly pathetic sight.

The phone went silent. Officer Wu sat frozen on the sofa, utterly at a loss for what to do.

After hesitating for a dozen seconds, a thought suddenly struck Officer Wu. He sprang up from the sofa, eyes wide, and barked anxious orders.

"Quick, quick, what are you standing there for? Hurry up and take the handcuffs off Chief Chang's wife!"

Another officer rushed forward, hands shaking as he pulled out the keys.

"Don't take them off. Take me to the police station and investigate this thoroughly—let's see how exactly we were having a shady relationship with Zhou Yan."

Meng Wanying kept her hands raised, pulling away with an uncompromising attitude.

"Please forgive us!" Officer Wu hurried over, bowing in apology. A bead of sweat rolled down his temple; from the side, he looked as though he were about to cry.

Gone was a single trace of his previous arrogance!

"How can we do that? I even slapped you across the face. That makes me suspected of assaulting an officer," Meng Wanying sighed.

"It was all our fault. You were right to hit me."

Officer Wu smacked himself hard across the face twice, then pleaded once more with a supplicating tone.

"Please, just let us take the handcuffs off! Otherwise, how are we supposed to explain this to the Chief?"

"That's your problem."

"I'm sorry!"

...

Officer Wu begged bitterly for a long time, practically on the verge of kneeling.

Zhao Hongling grew weary just listening to him. She let out a yawn and offered a soothing suggestion, "Forget it. If you don't go back and coax that kid of yours, he really won't go to sleep."

At the mention of her son, Meng Wanying finally allowed the officer to unlock the handcuffs. She rubbed her wrists and turned her gaze back to me.

"What? Do you still want to take Zhou Yan away?"

"This..."

Officer Wu hesitated, scratching his head. Even now, he still didn't want to let me go.

I guessed that Chief Qin must have given strict orders that I had to be brought back to the station for harsh interrogation tonight, no matter what, to break my resolve and pin a charge on me.

"Zhou Yan is my younger brother and my son's uncle. Is everyone clear on that?"

Meng Wanying's tone was ironclad, her expression turning frostier by the second.