Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
“I think Xiao Luo will definitely be disciplined for this. He has arrested so many people, and they’re all at once. Our lockup is almost full. Besides, the instructor’s face was so icy and serious a while ago. He’s probably berating Xiao Luo inside right now.” Ma Pijin said to Liu Tieguo outside.
“They’re all criminals who broke the law. Why can’t he arrest them?” Liu Tieguo uttered with a snort, speaking up for Xiao Luo.
Ma Pijin crossed his arms firmly in front of his chest, unwilling to accept any other opinion. He then explained to Liu Tieguo, like someone with vast experience offering earnest advice, “It’s not that he can’t arrest them. It’s that he shouldn’t overstep his role and create trouble. The district station should be the one to deal with this kind of criminal activity, where so many people are involved. Our substation is only a small place on a lower level. The main responsibility for us is to solve the ordinary civil dispute. It’s not our part to crack down on serious crime.”
Liu Tieguo snorted lightly in disagreement and didn’t bother to respond.
Ma Pijin continued to speak, “You just wait and see. Xiao Luo will certainly pay for his action. This could even be the end of his career with the auxiliary police. What a hothead. He’s crazy about gaining some honor but doesn’t realize he has to follow the rules to do the business.”
Ma Pijin was gloating, and it certainly did not sound like he sympathized with or pitied Xiao Luo. He could hardly bear the sight of Xiao Luo, he hated his personality and was envious of his excellence during training camp. And now, he couldn’t wait to see Xiao Luo being punished for his faux pas or better yet, even expelled from the force. Spite, such was often the outcome of envy and jealousy.
…
…
Inside the office of Feng Yuqi, the station chief, the instructor was infuriated. He couldn’t believe Xiao Luo would have the gall to speak in such a way, not to mention those nasty insinuations. His ears turned red as he was lost for words.
“When I came to report for duty the day before yesterday, the station chief told us himself that a policeman shouldn’t be afraid of trouble. Anyone afraid of trouble shouldn’t join the police force. I took it seriously and acted strictly by that principle. Now the instructor is criticizing me for provoking people in that filthy place. Does that mean the instructor doesn’t agree with the station chief’s opinion?”
PHFFT!
Feng Yuqi was sitting on the chair, listening as they laid out their arguments and drinking tea as he did so. Hearing Xiao Luo’s words, he almost spurted out his tea and was momentarily stumped. He composed himself quickly and said, “Smartass, it turns out you’ve been waiting to use my words against me. You’re right. I did say that a police officer should not be afraid of trouble. But who would think you are so reckless as to dare encroach into the district station’s jurisdiction!”
The instructor nodded sternly as if he finally caught Xiao Luo’s vulnerable point. He echoed instantly, “Exactly. Do you know what kind of behavior this is?
Overstepping your authority. You’re only
a mere auxiliary police officer. Who gave you the power to make arrests? And who gave you the right to talk to your supervisors in this way?”
Xiao Luo was not in a mood to argue further with such a self-righteous and petty official. He decided to remain silent and only offered a deadpan look to anything more the instructor had to say.
“Xiao Luo, you can leave for now,” Feng Yuqi said firmly, but not in
a harsh way.
“Yes.”
Xiao Luo saluted his Chief, turned around, and left the room. He didn’t even glance at the instructor on the way out.
“Old Feng, look at this youngster. He shows no respect for elders and superiors. So haughty and arrogant!” Irked, the instructor seemed to be blowing off steams through his nose like an agitated bull before a fight.
Feng Yuqi casually sipped on his tea, laughing, and he said, “I actually find this young man interesting!”
…
…
“Brother Xiao, how did it go? What did the station chief and the instructor have to say?”
Liu Tieguo hurried forward, concerned, as soon as Xiao Luo came out.
Standing close by, Ma Pijin sneered, “What else could they say? They definitely told him off and put him in his place with a stern warning. It’s not like they were going to reward him.”
Xiao Luo glared coldly at Ma Pijin then said in a calm but threatening tone, “You better hold your tongue unless you want me to introduce my knuckles to your teeth!”
“You’re a lout!”
Ma Pijin did worry that Xiao Luo would actually beat him up. He threw a quick comment before promptly removing himself from harm’s way.
Liu Tieguo looked at Ma Pijin slinking away, and with a look of disgust and said to Xiao Luo, “He is just an annoying *ss-kisser. You don’t need to be bothered by him. This kind of person is no different from those fat flies that can be found on smelly piles of sh*t.”
Xiao Luo smiled. Needless to say, he wasn’t paying any attention to Ma Pijin, and only threatened him to get under his skin.
“By the way, what on earth did the station chief and the instructor say? They didn’t say they’re going to punish you, did they?” Liu Tieguo asked with grave concern.
Xiao Luo curled up his lips and said, “Don’t worry, brother Guo. Everything is fine.”
As he was speaking, he couldn’t help noticing that a rude, boorish woman scolding the police officer who was questioning her at his desk.
“Take out your evidence if you have any. If you don’t have any proof to show I stole anything, you better let me go immediately. Otherwise, I will get a lawyer and sue you for unlawful custody!”
Behaving with unbearable insolence, her harsh voice was so loud and disturbing that it could be heard from all corners of the entire substation.
After catching a glimpse of Xiao Luo staring at her, she immediately thumped on the table and yelled up a storm, “D*mn you auxiliary police. What are you looking like? Have you never seen a beautiful woman like me?”
Xiao Luo frowned, turning to Liu Tieguo, who was next to him, and asked, “What’s the deal with this woman?”
“She stole a wallet. The surveillance camera caught footage of her. But they couldn’t find the wallet that she took. You see, even Old Zhang is too afraid to speak loudly. This woman is so difficult to deal with.” Liu Tieguo whispered to Xiao Luo.
The Old Zhang Liu Tieguo referred to was the police officer who was questioning the woman. He was counting down his days to retirement and didn’t care to make any slips that would affect his pension. In such a situation, he would instead let the guilty ones go rather than risk making a wrongfully arrest.
“Turns out to be a female thief.” Xiao Luo raised his eyebrows, feeling a pang of disappointment, frustrated by the ways of the world.
The woman thought she could escape from the charge of theft if she behaved churlishly, to add to her fierce and unreasonable personality. She was quite sure that Xiao Luo was a newcomer who could be pushed around. She had noticed that he was only a young auxiliary police officer, fair in complexion, and had a face she had never seen before.
Picking up from where she left off moments ago, she vented her anger directly on Xiao Luo and said, “Hey, I was talking to you, you damn auxiliary police. Don’t you pretend to be deaf! How did a suckling of a boy like you become a police officer? Aren’t you afraid of bringing shame to police forces with your stupid look? Hey… still playing dead and pretending you can’t hear me? F*ck your mother and all of your families…”
Xiao Luo was viciously cursed with such venom for merely taking a glance at her.
Many other auxiliary police officers in the substation were furious at the treatment he got. Only Ma Pijin took great pleasure and satisfaction from watching the commotion.
But Xiao Luo was no pushover. He walked straight up to the woman and stared down at her from a height. His cold, chiseled face filled with disdain. He said, “Are you a shrew yelling abuse in the street? Unfortunately, this is not the street. It’s the police station. You better behave yourself. Otherwise…”
“Otherwise, what? Are you going to lynch me?”
The woman suddenly shot up from her chair, screaming at the top of her lungs, her expression uncouth and ill-bred, “You d*mn auxiliary police, I’m setting myself against you right now! If you can’t find evidence to prove that I stole the wallet, I will definitely hire lawyers to sue you and your sh*tty police station!”
“You really think I wouldn’t do anything to you?” Xiao Luo said in a cold voice.
The woman felt an anxious fear creeping upon her. But she was emboldened and confident that the young auxiliary officer in front of her wouldn’t dare to lay his hands on her. She climbed on her chair and stared eye-to-eye at Xiao Luo angrily, and sneered, “Good. Come on. Hit me. You’re f*cking bastard if you dare!”