Chapter 53: A Seamless ‘Performance’

After receiving a call from Deputy Director Zhao Fang, Tan Zhongmin hurriedly left the Xia Shui Town government building. He barely dared to catch his breath as he pedaled his bicycle back to the police station.

Upon arrival, he saw Lu Yike standing by the Jetta parked in the station’s courtyard, and his heart gave a nervous flutter.

“Director Lu… Good day,” he stammered.

Tan Zhongmin dared not neglect a greeting; in the officialdom, currying favor with superiors was never easy, but earning their cold shoulder was all too simple—one just needed to show enough reverence. Meeting a deputy section-level leader, the Deputy Director of the First Discipline Inspection and Supervision Office of the Municipal Discipline Committee, how could he possibly be careless?

He himself, as the station chief, wasn’t even deputy section-level, merely a regular division chief. If he were both deputy town mayor and station chief, perhaps he could muster some backbone before Lu Yike. But now, he truly lacked the qualifications.

“Hello,” Lu Yike replied, her demeanor as cold as ever, though not excessively so—at least that’s how she felt.

“Director Lu, why not go inside? It's freezing out here,” Tan Zhongmin said with an ingratiating smile. The weather in Northeast China during early March was still bitterly cold, below freezing.

“Don’t mind me. Tend to your business,” Lu Yike answered indifferently, withdrawing her gaze.

Tan Zhongmin dared not say more and quickly headed into the station.

Inside, he found that all the criminal police officers were gone, leaving only Deputy Director Zhao Fang and two officers handling household registration. In the corner, he spotted Yu Baijiang gripping a mobile red flag, staring at him icily.

His heart trembled. Forcing a smile, he said, “Ah, Captain Ding, you should’ve let me know you were coming—I could have properly welcomed you.”

“Hello, Captain Song,” he greeted Song Yue as well; he couldn’t afford to offend either of these leaders from the county public security bureau’s criminal division.

“Hmph, so you finally made it back?”

“Tan Zhongmin, the mess at your Xia Shui Town police station can wait for later,” Yu Baijiang snorted coldly, but didn’t press Tan Zhongmin too hard.

Firstly, Tan Zhongmin and he had a good relationship, often eating and drinking together. Secondly, as the station chief of a grassroots police station, Tan Zhongmin was more senior by over ten years—a veteran.

With this in mind, Yu Baijiang pointed to Yang Dong and introduced him to Tan Zhongmin.

“Let me introduce you—this is Comrade Yang Dong from the Municipal Discipline Committee.”

“His younger brother, Yang Nan, went to Xia Shui Town High School this morning, but was assaulted by several thugs at the school gate, resulting in a fractured left shin. He’s still lying in the town clinic.”

“This morning, their father came to your station to report the incident, but your officer Qin Dapeng told him it was out of their jurisdiction and advised him to accept his misfortune.”

“I want to ask, what exactly are the police officers at Xia Shui Town station doing? Hmm?”

“Is Qin Dapeng a party member, or is he not a people’s policeman serving the people?”

Hearing Yu Baijiang assign all blame to Qin Dapeng, Tan Zhongmin felt a surge of relief and quickly echoed, “Captain Yu, rest assured, our station will definitely purge troublemakers like Qin Dapeng from the force and give the victims’ families an explanation.”

“I’ve already ordered him suspended for reflection. He even had the nerve to show me attitude and left for home,” Yu Baijiang sneered. Just earlier, he’d announced Qin Dapeng’s suspension for reflection and recorded a demerit for Zhao Fang. Zhao Fang dared not utter a sound, but Qin Dapeng stormed out, slamming the door.

Yu Baijiang wasn’t one to be magnanimous; for a low-level officer to show him such disrespect—how could he let it slide?

“Such a thing happened? I’ll handle it with utmost seriousness!” Tan Zhongmin’s face darkened as he replied gravely to Yu Baijiang.

“Chief Tan, Qin Dapeng’s actions are your internal matter. I have only one question: my brother was assaulted by thugs at the school gate, an extremely serious incident. Will your station handle it or not?” Yang Dong stood up and addressed Tan Zhongmin.

Tan Zhongmin quickly responded, “Comrade Yang Dong, rest assured, our Xia Shui Town police station will see this through to the end!”

“Good, then I leave it to you, Chief Tan,” Yang Dong’s expression softened, and he offered a slight smile.

Just now, Yang Dong had observed Yu Baijiang’s attitude toward Tan Zhongmin, recognizing their usual camaraderie. Whether one could grasp these subtle cues depended entirely on innate talent. Fortunately, Yang Dong possessed it, so even if he didn’t extend respect to Tan Zhongmin, he would to Yu Baijiang—after all, Yu Baijiang was introduced by Jiang Hu to help him, and he owed the favor.

Therefore, he neither scolded nor troubled Tan Zhongmin.

“Old Tan, you probably don’t know—Comrade Yang Dong is from our Kaiyang County, one of our own!”

“In fact, he’s even closer—his hometown is Xia Shui Town’s Xiao Yang Village.”

Noticing Yang Dong’s attitude, Yu Baijiang immediately switched to calling Tan Zhongmin “Old Tan.” Everyone acted with tacit understanding; sometimes, reaching a certain compromise was enough.

Tan Zhongmin was shrewd—otherwise, he wouldn’t have become station chief. Astonished, he looked at Yang Dong and exclaimed, “Ah, I remember now—you’re the outstanding student who was admitted to Jijiang University in the millennium year with a score of 645, right? I recall you!”

“Comrade Yang Dong, have you forgotten me? Back then, I accompanied the party secretary and town mayor to your home to deliver your admission letter—remember?”

Tan Zhongmin was incredibly excited and warmly approached Yang Dong, actively grabbing his wrist for a handshake. To an outsider, it might seem they were on very amicable terms.

Yang Dong played along with a smile, “I vaguely remember. Chief Tan was quite thin back then, wasn’t he?”

“Yes, yes, I was young then, only one hundred and forty pounds. Now, alas, one hundred and eighty,” Tan Zhongmin patted his bulging belly, sighing in mild frustration.

“A mark of prosperity, Chief Tan—it means you’re destined for success,” Yang Dong replied, offering kind words freely.

After all, whether the station officers would devote themselves depended on Tan Zhongmin’s authority.

“Hehe, I’ll take your good omen, Brother Yang.”

Tan Zhongmin delighted in such compliments, especially when uttered by a gifted scholar and a comrade from the Municipal Discipline Committee.

Majestic, indeed!

Just then, the sound of sirens echoed from the highway, drawing closer and closer.

To Yang Dong’s ears, the sirens seemed to chant “Majestic, majestic…”

Soon, two police cars pulled into the courtyard.

Tan Zhongmin and Yu Baijiang’s expressions grew serious as they stepped outside.

Yang Dong’s heart tightened; he knew the officers must have brought the suspects back.

Sure enough, as the car doors opened, led by Old Ma and Old Zhou, several officers emerged and dragged out four young men covered in tattoos, styled in non-mainstream fashion.

All four were youths—the oldest barely twenty-one or twenty-two—arms covered with tattoos, hair dyed red, yellow, or green.

They wore matching shirts emblazoned with the word “Loyalty,” exuding a childish bravado.

Yet now they hung their heads low, escorted into the interrogation room by Old Ma and Old Zhou.

“Inside!” Old Ma and Old Zhou, commanding, shoved the thugs into the interrogation room with swift kicks.

Yang Dong glanced at Yu Baijiang and Song Yue, saying nothing. Yet both understood his meaning.

When it came to interrogation, no one was more professional than criminal police.

The assault on Yang Nan, resulting in a broken leg, already constituted a criminal offense—intentional harm, group assault—posing a grave threat to society and the school.

Yu Baijiang and Song Yue, in police uniforms, entered the interrogation room.

“Chief Tan, may I go in with you?” Yang Dong asked Tan Zhongmin. He wanted to participate in the interrogation himself—to learn who orchestrated and planned the attack.

If it truly was Tan Guanghan, he would never let him off!

“Of course, let’s go together,” Tan Zhongmin replied, eagerly wrapping his arm around Yang Dong’s shoulder as they entered the interrogation room.

Conditions at the station were modest; the so-called interrogation room was merely a basic office. A desk stood at the front, with several chairs opposite—nothing more.

However, the desk displayed several stun batons and expandable batons, clearly intended as a warning.

The four thugs sat with heads hung low, silent.

Upon entering, Yang Dong looked at them and asked, “Who is Pan Dalong?”

He recalled his brother’s words—his brother knew one among them, Pan Dalong, who had dropped out to roam the streets.

Perhaps Pan Dalong was the key to breaking the case.