In the interrogation room.
From Dong Xuebing’s accent, Hu Hanbin and the officers had already had a feeling, and now, seeing his place of birth on his ID, they weren’t too surprised. People from Beijing tend to be proud and nonchalant and love to talk big and shoot the breeze. Dong Xuebing fit that stereotype perfectly. His words and actions aligned with this style completely. If his ID had said he was from anywhere else, the officers probably wouldn’t have believed it. While this might sound exaggerated, different regions tend to produce different personality traits due to genetics, upbringing, or societal influence. There’s a certain amount of science backing this up. Dong Xuebing’s family had been in Beijing for generations, and he had inherited this personality type quite "thoroughly."
Hu Hanbin asked a few more questions.
Dong Xuebing just smiled and didn’t respond.
They couldn’t hit him or scold him.
The officers didn’t know how to handle him. They also didn’t dare push him too far because they had already seen what a cornered Dong Xuebing could do. Liu Xing, the young officer, and even the illegal cab driver were proof enough. They knew that Dong Xuebing was someone who wouldn’t back down to threats.
Why did they have to run into such a troublesome guy?
Hu Hanbin felt like he was losing face as the station chief. He had never dealt with someone before. They couldn’t even handcuff him, and if he didn’t cooperate, they couldn’t use force. It was as awkward as it could get, and it was infuriating.
Hu Hanbin looked at the caller ID, and his spirits lifted. He gave a few quick instructions to the nearby officers and stepped out to take the call. “Hello, Chief Chang?”
On the other end was Chang Lin, the secretary of the county Political and Legal Affairs Committee and the director of the Public Security Bureau. Hu Hanbin had reported the situation earlier but hadn’t expected Chief Chang to call him back personally. He had thought a deputy director would handle it. The fact that Chang Lin called himself showed how seriously he was taking this. And that made sense—two officers had been injured, five or six had been assaulted, a bus had been overturned, and the driver had suffered severe injuries with both legs broken. This was a major incident for their county that could easily make the news.
Chang Lin’s tone was grave. “Where’s the suspect?”
Hu Hanbin knew what he meant. “We’ve brought him to the station, and he’s in the interrogation room. But he’s being very uncooperative and has a terrible attitude.”
Chang Lin asked, “Have you restrained him?”
Hu Hanbin hesitated. “He’s just in the interrogation room…”
“No handcuffs?” Chang Lin’s tone grew harsher.
Hu Hanbin explained, “His combat skills are exceptional. You probably heard about the bus incident. Even when we pointed a gun at his head, he didn’t flinch. He kept daring us to shoot. He’s a complete troublemaker. We can’t beat him, and we can’t control him. So…”
Chang Lin snapped, “You can’t even control a criminal who assaulted police officers? Then what are you there for? I’m at the hospital now. Stop talking and come here immediately.”
“Yes, Chief,” Hu Hanbin responded quickly.
Later in the afternoon.
County People's Hospital.
Without stopping for lunch, Hu Hanbin hurried from the police station to the hospital. When he got upstairs and entered the ward, he saw Public Security Bureau Director Chang Lin and a few other law enforcement officials.
“Old Hu, you’re here.”
They exchanged brief greetings.
Lying on the hospital beds were Liu Xing and the young officer. Liu Xing regained consciousness before arriving and respectfully spoke with Chang Lin. The young officer had also regained consciousness after treatment but had a severe mouth injury, so while he was awake, he couldn’t speak.
Liu Xing felt quite frustrated. “Chief Chang, Director Li, I…”
Chang Lin waved his hand. “No need to say anything. You were injured while working, and I’ve already arranged for the medical expenses. You’re on leave now, so take as much time as you need to recover. Don’t worry about anything; focus on getting better.”
Liu Xing quickly said, “Thank you, Chief Chang.”
Chang Lin then looked at the young officer’s injuries. “You, too, don’t think about anything else. Just focus on your recovery.”
The young officer looked excited, mumbling but unable to speak.
Chang Lin patted his leg. “Alright, don’t talk. Just rest. The county bureau will handle this, and we’ll address this incident properly.” Although Chang Lin had only heard about the incident vaguely and didn’t have all the details—after all, the information from Hu Hanbin’s station was somewhat limited—he knew that whatever the reason, assaulting police officers in broad daylight was something he, as the secretary of the Political and Legal Affairs Committee and Public Security Bureau director, could not tolerate. He had to take responsibility for his officers.
After comforting the injured, Chang Lin did not leave the ward. He spoke briefly with the doctor about the injuries and, seeing that there were no significant issues, turned to Hu Hanbin. “So, what’s the situation over there?” His tone was not good.
Hu Hanbin sighed. “The person is like a ticking time bomb—impossible to communicate with and ready to explode at any moment. We…” His frustration was evident. He hoped the county bureau would take over and the issue would be shifted entirely to Dong Xuebing. This way, he could at least give him a significant lesson. Hu Hanbin had come to despise Dong Xuebing deeply, and if he didn’t get a resolution in one or two years, Hu Hanbin wouldn’t be able to let go of his anger or explain it to his colleagues.
A county bureau officer asked, “Who is this person?”
“Probably someone trained in martial arts, but I’m not sure.” Then Hu Hanbin remembered and pulled out Dong Xuebing’s ID. “Oh, right. Here’s his ID.”
Chang Lin reached out. “Let me see.”
Hu Hanbin handed it over. “He’s from Beijing.”
The county bureau officers thought, “So what if he’s from Beijing? It doesn’t matter where someone is from if they commit a crime. He’s just a visitor. How could he cause such a stir?”
However, when Chang Lin looked at the ID, everyone in the room suddenly noticed his face change drastically, as if he were stunned.
The next moment, Chang Lin took a deep breath, his voice rising several degrees, and urgently said, “Release him immediately!”
“What?” Hu Hanbin and the others were stunned. “What did you say?”