Chapter 75: The Good Policeman

“Where’s your team leader, Zhang Yantong?” Li Ruo squinted her eyes.

“Our captain…”

Creak—

The door to Zhang Yantong’s office suddenly swung open, and she stepped out, just in time to encounter Li Ruo. Their eyes met, and a spark ignited between them. Both were formidable women—one reigning in the business world, the other in the officialdom. When their gazes locked, a subtle air of rivalry arose between them, almost unconsciously.

“Captain Zhang, I hope you can release Ye Chen,” Li Ruo said, fixing her eyes on Zhang Yantong.

Zhang Yantong was generally regarded as a decent woman with a good reputation among her colleagues, but today, facing Li Ruo, for some reason she felt compelled to challenge her. She replied with a cold smile, “President Li, this isn’t Tianya Group. Everything here follows procedure!”

“Is that so? Then I’d like to ask, what crime has Ye Chen committed to warrant detention here?” Li Ruo frowned.

“It doesn’t matter whether he’s committed a crime or not. The police have the right to detain for twenty-four hours. If there’s no evidence after that, he’ll be released without charge,” Zhang Yantong snorted lightly. Li Ruo’s anger flared, and she glared at Zhang Yantong. “Is slandering the innocent the only thing you police know how to do? Last night, so many street vendors had their goods smashed, so many people were injured—where were you police then?”

Zhang Yantong’s expression turned grim. It was true; last night, the urban management officers had gone too far. But that was the city management’s problem, not the police’s. Their departments were separate, their responsibilities distinct. They couldn’t interfere with the city management’s actions; that was up to their superiors to restrain.

Just as the tension between the two women threatened to escalate further, Liu Momo entered. The silly girl hadn’t slept well all night, and after helping her mother the next morning, she hurried to the police station. Upon entering, she saw Li Ruo and Zhang Yantong embroiled in argument.

“Excuse me… is Ye Chen here?” Liu Momo asked timidly.

“Are you here to visit?” Fang Qin, nearby, asked curiously.

“Yes!” Liu Momo nodded.

“Alright, come over here to register!” Fang Qin quickly led Liu Momo to the registration desk. Meanwhile, Li Ruo gave Lin Ziwen a meaningful glance, which he immediately understood, hurrying to register for visitation as well.

Ye Chen, hiding in the office, heard the heated voices outside and was dumbfounded. He quietly opened the door a crack and peered out, catching only the back of Li Ruo. That chestnut hair, slender waist, and the graceful curve of her hips. He couldn’t help but swallow—her figure was undeniably perfect, especially encased in her professional skirt: round, perky, and firm.

Zhang Yantong turned back towards her office, and as she approached the door, noticed it was slightly ajar. She paused. Ye Chen’s gaze landed squarely on her chest, and the alluring hips were replaced by a pair of full curves. He looked up in astonishment, meeting Zhang Yantong’s murderous stare.

“Oh my god!” Ye Chen exclaimed.

Li Ruo heard his voice and immediately strode toward the office.

“Ye Chen!” she said, surprised to see him standing inside Zhang Yantong’s office.

“President Li, what brings you here?” Ye Chen flashed a smile.

“I came specifically for you. Don’t worry, I’ll do everything possible to get you out,” Li Ruo assured him, shooting Zhang Yantong a glance. Zhang Yantong said nothing. In truth, both women wanted the best for Ye Chen—one didn’t want him to suffer retaliation from privileged officials, the other didn’t want him to endure hardship in the police station.

“Brother Chen!” Liu Momo saw Ye Chen and immediately rushed to him, wrapping him in a tight embrace. “Are you alright?”

“I’m fine, don’t worry. I just spent a night here,” Ye Chen grinned, looking at Liu Momo’s face. “Look at you, you’ve got eye bags and dark circles. Didn’t sleep well last night, did you?”

“It’s all your fault! I was worried about you all night,” Liu Momo nestled into his arms.

This scene made Li Ruo and Zhang Yantong feel a pang of discomfort. Both kept their heads held high, standing in place. Ye Chen sensed the awkwardness in the room, unsure how to break the tension.

At that moment, a loud commotion erupted at the entrance. The police station instantly bustled with activity.

“Captain Zhang, bad news! A group of people has arrived demanding Ye Chen’s release. If we don’t, they’re threatening to set the station on fire!” An intern officer burst in.

Zhang Yantong was stunned, then frowned and shot Li Ruo a peculiar look before heading outside.

At the gate, Haozi, Big Shrimp, and Li Tieniu led a group of security guards. They weren’t wearing their Tianya Group uniforms, but instead their own casual clothes. Additionally, Feng Zhixiao, upon hearing Ye Chen had been arrested, brought a large contingent to join them outside the police station. With twenty or thirty security guards plus another thirty followers from Feng Zhixiao, the entrance was completely congested.

“Release Ye Chen, release Ye Chen!” The crowd pressed forward, banging loudly on pieces of iron. The noise was deafening, reaching almost a hundred decibels—intolerable for most.

“Captain Zhang, what should we do?” Fang Qin asked anxiously.

“Hmph, I recognize the ringleaders!” Zhang Yantong spotted Feng Zhixiao and Big Shrimp immediately. She strode out and waved her hand. Instantly, the crowd quieted.

Feng Zhixiao stepped forward, voice raised in anger. “Captain Zhang, after all Brother Chen did to help the police, risking his life, you still arrest him. Have you no conscience?”

Feng Zhixiao’s words brought a flush to Zhang Yantong’s cheeks. She addressed the crowd, “If you truly care for Ye Chen, you’d best leave now. Otherwise, your actions will only harm him.”

“Hmph, we don’t care about you!” Big Shrimp sneered. “You’d better release my brother, or everyone in this station will pay!”

The crowd gasped. Inside, several officers gripped their shields at the entrance, ready to protect Captain Zhang at the first sign of trouble. Zhang Yantong looked at Big Shrimp coldly. “China is a country ruled by law. If you cause trouble, you’ll be breaking the law and ultimately punished.”

“Bah…” Big Shrimp spat and glared at Zhang Yantong. “Go talk about the law with Li Gang, with the officials, with the rich. ‘Equality before the law’ is nothing but empty words and clichés. For the poor, the law is always unequal. The law only protects the interests of the wealthy and those in power!”

The crowd erupted in applause, with even some bystanders joining in. Haozi’s words struck a chord, exposing the hollow nature of China’s legal system. So many people find no protection before the law, reduced to insignificant passersby.

Zhang Yantong’s face turned scarlet. Suddenly, she felt overwhelmed with injustice. How many times had she aspired to be a servant of the people; how many times had she endured tears and humiliation; how many times had she tried to prove police were good, only to be met with contempt. Chinese police still had much to improve, much to practice. Tears glistened in her eyes, ready to fall.

“Brothers!” Ye Chen’s voice rang out from behind Zhang Yantong. He swept his gaze across the crowd. “Thank you for your concern. I am deeply moved. But trust Captain Zhang. She truly is a good police officer. You may not trust the law, or the officials, or the government, but you should trust Captain Zhang, because she is a good police officer.”

Ye Chen’s words brought tears streaming down Zhang Yantong’s face. To be understood was the most moving emotion of all. Ye Chen’s empathy released her pent-up grievances in an instant. She covered her mouth, sobbing uncontrollably.

“Brother Chen, come with us!” Feng Zhixiao grinned, rubbing the few stray hairs on his head. “Look, in just two days, I’ve recruited so many brothers. They all want to see the real Brother Chen.”

“Enough, take your men and go. Don’t cause trouble here or you’ll be charged with obstructing official duties!” Ye Chen glared at them, then turned to Zhang Yantong, handing her a reasonably clean tissue. “Don’t cry, you’re too grown up for that.”

“Wuuu…” Zhang Yantong threw herself into Ye Chen’s arms, heedless of anything else.