Zhang Wei sat with his legs crossed, looking dejected, frowning and continuously pondering one question in his mind.
What on earth had he done?
He had carefully thought back to everything that had happened yesterday, but he couldn't figure out what he had done wrong. In the end, he concluded with an answer in his heart.
He was definitely wronged.
Inside the detention center, he wasn't the only one; there were several others who had been caught for committing crimes,
They were not like Zhang Wei, deep in thought. Instead, they started chatting with each other.
"Bro, how did you end up here? What did you do?" someone asked.
"I don't know, I just walked in by accident."
"What kind of accident?"
"Well, it was : yesterday, I accidentally had a few drinks, then I accidentally ran into a beautiful woman who was also drunk, and I accidentally took her to a hotel. Afterwards, I even accidentally took a fall, and accidentally slept until dawn.
When the girl woke up, she accidentally touched her phone and accidentally reported the incident to the police, and then I accidentally ended up here."
A young man in his twenties squatted there, innocently saying, "You guys tell me, isn't this just me being very innocent?"
"Indeed, quite an accident."
The young man asked, "And how did you get in here?"
"I'm even more innocent. I'm just a guy who sells electric scooters. The day before yesterday, a customer wanted to buy a scooter from me. So, I got up early in the morning to stock up from the street. I saw a brand-new electric scooter parked in front of a shop. I picked the lock, planning to haul it away, but before I could deliver it, I was caught.
They accused me of stealing. How ridiculous is that? I was buying stock in broad daylight, conducting legitimate business, how did I become a thief?"
"That's just preposterous."
"You're really unlucky too, buddy. And you, how did you get here?" the young man asked Zhang Wei.
Zhang Wei said, "Last night I got lost, I don't know how, but I wandered into an unfamiliar alley and ran into an old lady who asked if I wanted a 'big health care'. I definitely refused, but then I heard something about 'eating chicken', and I agreed. But in the private room, an unknown old lady came in and took off my pants. Of course, I wasn't going to let her succeed.
I kicked out, and then I was brought here."
"You guys be the judge, what's wrong with an adult 'eating chicken'? Is there a mistake? Definitely not, so I am sure I was wronged."
"You're the unluckiest of all. Nowadays, people are really not careful enough in handling cases. I can relate to that," a stout man shook his head and said.
Zhang Wei asked, "How about you, how did you get in here?"
"I'm even more wronged than you. I just asked a few girls on the street for their wallets. Let me be clear, they gave them to me willingly; I didn't force them. They didn't want them, so I took them. But just as I turned around, I was spotted by the patrol. They came to ask what was going on.
Afraid of a misunderstanding, I gestured an eight in my pocket to signal them to let me go. Then someone said I had a gun, that I was dangerous, and immediately they pinned me to the ground. Tell me, isn't this being framed?" the burly man said indignantly.
"Once inside, who knows when we can get out. I left those wallets in the trash can, by day they will probably be taken away by the garbage collectors. That was the good will of several young ladies."
"What's your wallet compared to this, my electric scooter hasn't even been delivered to the buyer. That was a surefire deal, and now it's gone sour. The customer is probably still waiting for my reply. If I don't deliver the goods, my years of honest business are done for."
"Don't be downhearted, rest assured, this is just a small misunderstanding. Once things clear up, we'll be fine, they can't hold us for too long, at most it'll be a detention of several dozens of hours."
The people discussed and comforted each other.
Every single one of them in the detention center was a character, and they spoke so pleasingly that I began to like it here a little.
Zhang Wei thought to himself.
But then again, would Brother Tui really come to save me?
Yang Jian and Liu Jianguo, after speaking on the phone with Captain Liu, had arranged a meeting.
When he arrived, he saw that the station was bustling with activity, seemingly dealing with various cases both big and small. Some involved serious crimes, while others were trivial disputes like neighbor quarrels and marital spats. Of course, there were also some rather special paranormal events that needed immediate documentation, reporting, and transfer of case jurisdiction.
As the captain, Liu Jianguo felt the most pressure.
In times of emergency, he needed to lead his team into action, and when there wasn't an emergency, he was required to handle official duties.
"Xiao Zhang, that document is very important—immediately deliver it upstairs," he ordered.
"Don't ask me what to do, just arrest the person first. What? The person escaped? Check the surveillance, capture and bring them to justice immediately—under no circumstances can we neglect this."
"The situation in that neighborhood is a bit complex, involving a special event. First, stabilize the situation before anything else. Don't let panic spread. We absolutely cannot afford chaos at this critical juncture. The higher-ups have issued a strict order to maintain public order in Dachang City no matter what, ensuring the safety of the people's lives and property.
The lockdown is for the good of the nearby residents. If they can't understand, then patiently explain it to them."
"I want results, not reports. What use are all these reports? Keep interrogating, and don't get sidetracked by useless matters."
Liu Jianguo busied himself in the office hall, with many cases requiring his input, making him feel that even working twenty-four hours a day was not enough.
But it wasn't just his district—none of the others were faring any better.
It was a special period, after all.
Liu Jianguo rubbed his head, feeling exhausted, yet also keenly aware of the great responsibility he bore. He could not afford the slightest negligence, standing as he did at this post.
"Captain Liu, you seem very busy," Yang Jian remarked. "It seems I've come at a bad time, imposing on your schedule."
Captain Liu looked up, and upon seeing Yang Jian, shook his head with a wry smile: "No, you're wrong. Your arrival is actually a break for me. After all, the higher-ups have decreed that special matters take top priority—even the small things are big issues. Everything else can wait for now, particularly since every move you make, to put it gravely, is tied to the life and death of Dachang City."
"What case could be larger than the safety and survival of several million people?"
Yang Jian said, "Don't speak so gravely. The lives of millions are beyond my qualification to judge—that's a matter for the state. My visit this time is mainly for personal matters."
"As we spoke on the phone, you're looking for Zhao Kaiming, aren't you?" Captain Liu stood up, seizing the chance to take a break and brewed a cup of tea. "Do you want some tea?"
"No, thank you," Yang Jian replied.
Captain Liu said, "I do have Zhao Kaiming's contact information, but I only reach out to him when there's a special event. I wouldn't dare call him frivolously; he's not an easy person to get along with. You can understand that, lacking specialized training, people who receive special treatment always have some flaws, not very high in ideological consciousness."
"Oh, don't tell Zhao 'Ghost Rider' this, or I'll be facing another disciplinary action," he added.
Yang Jian chuckled. "Don't worry, how could I? I'm not one to gossip, and besides, I'm not fond of Zhao Kaiming either."
"Do you need him for something?" Captain Liu inquired.
"Just to confirm something," Yang Jian replied.
"How about this—I'll give you his satellite-encrypted phone number, and you can try contacting him. But you could have asked your operator about this issue, why take a special trip?" Captain Liu asked.
Yang Jian replied, "I'm also here on a personal errand. I was hoping to get someone released and wondered if you could do me a favor?"
"Did they commit any offense? If it's a serious case, then I'm afraid I must apologize," Captain Liu stated.
"It shouldn't be. It's probably just a misunderstanding," Yang Jian said.
Captain Liu said, "Tell me the name, and I'll have someone check it out. If it really is a minor issue, we may be able to release them early. But if it's a major case, even if you want to bail them out, I won't allow it. This is a legal matter, please understand."
"Of course, I wouldn't want to put you in a difficult position," Yang Jian said. "My friend's name is Zhang Wei, and he's about the same age as me—definitely not the type to be in trouble."
"Alright, here's Zhao Kaiming's satellite-encrypted mobile number. You can try contacting him,"
Captain Liu said while instructing someone to look into the issue with the individual named Zhang Wei.