He Snapped!

Arrest Shan Da Lei?

The moment Liu Dahai heard that, he knew Little Director Dong and Finance Section Chief Wu Jun had failed to reach an agreement. Wu Jun still refused to release the money, and Liu Dahai was furious as well. Every other Police Station had handed out bonuses except theirs. It was downright disgusting. Still, Liu Dahai retained a trace of calm and reminded him, "Director Dong, Section Chief Wu's brother-in-law is the tyrant of Da Wang Village. Da Wang Village is right beside Gold Mine Mountain, and many of the hoodlums on the mountain work for Wu Jun's brother-in-law. We tried to arrest him before. Just fighting and harassing women would have been enough to put him away, but the two officers who went to make the arrest were beaten by the local thugs. In the end, we failed to take him in. That family... won't be easy to arrest."

Dong Xuebin's gaze darkened. "They even dared assault the police?"

Liu Dahai said, "I heard that Shan Da Lei once broke a local villager's legs. There's nothing they wouldn't dare do."

Dong Xuebin flew into a rage. "What kind of station chief are you? Huh? Why didn't you report this to the County Public Security Bureau and have them arrest him?"

"I did. I reported it long ago, but the County Public Security Bureau never gave us a response. Later, it was simply dropped." Liu Dahai knew that Wu Jun and Hu Yiguo were extremely close. That was the real reason the case had been suppressed.

Dong Xuebin slammed his hand on the table. "Those bastards! If we don't teach them a lesson, won't they turn the world upside down? Do they have any respect for the law? Do they think having protection means they can do whatever they want? Lao Liu! Get a few men who can fight! Bring guns! We're going to arrest him! I'll take responsibility if anything happens!" Dong Xuebin had not expected things to be this serious. Mom and his uncle had only said that Shan Da Lei was no good that morning. Dong Xuebin had known nothing about the assault on police or the broken legs. Damn it, Wu Jun and Shan Da Lei were far too brazen!

Liu Dahai gritted his teeth. "...Yes! I'll make arrangements right away!" With Little Director Dong's word, Liu Dahai no longer had any reservations. The officers beaten by Wu Jun's brother-in-law had all been close to him and were fellow townsmen. He had wanted to arrest Shan Da Lei for a long time.

"The officer in charge of Da Wang Village is Jing?"

"It's Xiao Zhang."

"Fine. Have him go gather information first and tell me Shan Da Lei's location! Remember, don't let word get out!" Dong Xuebin did not intend to make the arrest openly. If they clashed with the local villagers or those hoodlums, it would be difficult to contain the situation. He planned to conduct this operation in secret and bring the man back first.

The Police Station sprang into action.

Xiao Zhang had quite a few local connections and quickly found Shan Da Lei's whereabouts. Shan Da Lei was drinking with friends at a small restaurant at the village entrance. There were not many diners; including Shan Da Lei, there were only three people.

Dong Xuebin knew this was a good opportunity for an arrest and immediately ordered everyone to gear up. Da Lengzi, Er Lengzi, Chu Feng, and the others all boarded the Police Station van, while Liu Dahai and Deputy Director Chen Fa got into Dong Xuebin's Buick Business.

Da Wang Forest.

Mountains surrounded the area, and mist hung in the air. The scenery looked rather nice.

As they neared the village entrance, seven or eight officers and auxiliary police got out of their vehicles. Dong Xuebin instructed them, "The small restaurant is right there. Move fast. Once we catch him, get him into the vehicle and return to the Police Station. You can draw your guns if necessary, but remember: do not fire unless absolutely unavoidable." Once a shot was fired, the matter would escalate and create an extremely bad impact. Dong Xuebin did not want that. Only Liu Dahai, Chen Fa, and one officer had guns. The other auxiliary police had none, and neither did Dong Xuebin. His service weapon was at the County Public Security Bureau, and there was no time to go back and get approval.

After assigning their tasks, they got back into the vehicles. Handcuffs, Police Batons, guns—everything was ready.

With a whoosh, the van and Buick Business tore toward the village entrance like a gust of wind, screeching to a halt outside the restaurant!

The doors flew open, and Dong Xuebin, Liu Dahai, and the others kicked open the restaurant door and rushed inside!

Only one table in the restaurant was occupied. Dong Xuebin had reviewed Shan Da Lei's criminal record and photograph before coming, so he recognized him immediately. Shan Da Lei was clinking glasses and drinking beer with two hoodlums. The short, dark-skinned man with a scar on his face was him.

"Don't move! Police!"

"Shan Da Lei! Come with us!"

When Shan Da Lei and the two thugs saw the police, they froze for a moment, then actually laughed. They were not nervous in the slightest. Shan Da Lei even arrogantly raised his glass toward the officers and gulped down some beer. "Whew. Officers, have you made a mistake? You want me to come with you? I'm a law-abiding citizen. Other than accidentally stepping on a few ants now and then, I haven't done a single illegal thing!"

One of the thugs grinned and raised his glass. "Brother Lei, a toast to you."

Shan Da Lei clinked glasses with him. "Bottoms up. Ignore them."

Dong Xuebin thought it was just as the rumors said. These people had disregarded the law for too long and had become arrogant beyond measure. When several officers looked at him questioningly, Dong Xuebin said coldly, "What are you looking at me for? Cuff Shan Da Lei! Take him away!"

Several officers immediately surrounded him.

Shan Da Lei's face darkened, and he slammed his glass down. "I'd like to see who dares!"

Dong Xuebin smiled. "If I didn't know you were just a hoodlum, hearing that, I'd think you were Wu Jun himself."

One thug sprang to his feet and pointed at the nearest officer. "Try touching Brother Lei! Believe me, I'll cripple you! Huh?"

The officers did not care about their threats. Two of them rushed over and pinned Shan Da Lei onto the table, while another immediately put handcuffs on him!

Even now, Shan Da Lei was sneering. "Fine, you've got guts. Let's see how you plan to take me away!"

Dong Xuebin patted the back of his head. "Then don't blink. Keep your eyes wide open."

As they escorted Shan Da Lei out of the restaurant, plenty of villagers saw them. When they saw the Police Station officers putting handcuffs on Shan Da Lei, everyone was stunned at first, then silently cheered. Shan Da Lei had been terrorizing the village for years, and many villagers had suffered at his hands! They had all been too angry to speak up. But when they thought of Shan Da Lei's powerful connections and the hoodlums under his command, they could no longer feel happy. The Police Station had come to arrest him before. What happened in the end? Not only had the officers been beaten by Shan Da Lei, but Shan Da Lei had continued living freely in the village without a scratch!

Suddenly, Chu Feng, who had been keeping watch in the distance, ran over anxiously. "Director Dong! This is bad!"

Dong Xuebin frowned. "What is it?"

Panting, Chu Feng pointed toward the village entrance. "Those hoodlums are coming. More than twenty of them, and they're all carrying sticks."

Dong Xuebin's heart tightened. He turned to Liu Dahai. "Quick! Get Shan Da Lei into the vehicle! Back to the Police Station!"

But they were still too late. Just as they got into the van and Buick, more than twenty hoodlums came charging over viciously. There were more than three times as many of them as there were police officers. The thugs immediately surrounded both vehicles. Some carried sticks, some carried knives, and one even held a Police Baton. They shouted, "You bastards! Let Brother Lei go! Otherwise, none of you are leaving!"

"Let him go! Let him go!"

"That's right! If you don't let him go, I'll fucking kill you!"

"Can police arrest people whenever they want? Brother Lei hasn't broken the law! Let him go right now!"

Shan Da Lei sneered inside the van and turned to cast a provocative glance at the Buick.

Dong Xuebin sat in the Buick Business, his expression growing darker and darker. Liu Dahai beside him also realized how serious the situation was. Frowning tightly, he did not know what to do. "Director Dong, that bald man leading them is also Section Chief Wu's relative. He seems to be Wu Jun's wife's younger brother, Shan Dabing. He doesn't have a record, but he usually hangs around with Shan Da Lei and the others. Fighting is routine for him. These hoodlums all listen to the two brothers."

Dong Xuebin nodded. "Section Chief Wu's relatives really are something."

Liu Dahai asked, "What do we do now?"

After thinking for a moment, Dong Xuebin ordered, "Fire a warning shot! Let's see who dares stop us!"

Liu Dahai figured that was the only option too. He looked at Chen Fa, who nodded, pulled out his gun, and chambered a round. But he did not dare leave the car. Rolling down the window, he fired into the sky with a bang. "Police conducting official business! Get back! Otherwise, we'll fire!"

The hoodlums' morale immediately dropped.

Shan Dabing looked at them, cursed, and swung his Police Baton at Chen Fa's arm sticking out the window. Thud! It struck hard! Chen Fa screamed. Luckily, he had gripped his gun tightly and did not drop it. He hurriedly pulled his arm back, and the window rolled up at once!

Seeing that they truly dared assault the police so openly, Dong Xuebin's expression changed. "Old Chen, is the bone injured?"

Chen Fa sweated through the pain. "The bone's fine. Damn it, these bastards!"

Shan Dabing laughed. "Brothers! Don't be afraid! They don't dare fire!"

The hoodlums' momentum rose again. They waved their sticks and shouted, "Let him go! Let him go!"

Dong Xuebin was instantly enraged and took out his phone to call Wu Jun. Wu Jun had just received word that Little Director Dong had led a team to arrest his brother-in-law, and he was furious at first. But after thinking about it, he laughed. He really had to admire Dong Xuebin's nerve. He dared arrest anyone without even asking about Shan Da Lei's influence in the area. So when Dong Xuebin's number appeared, Wu Jun answered with a smile. "Director Dong, what is it?"

Dong Xuebin narrowed his eyes. "Section Chief Wu, as a leader at the County Public Security Bureau, is this how you discipline your family? Huh?"

Wu Jun said coldly, "What do you mean by that?"

"Your brother-in-law has been running wild in the village. I've already detained him, but Shan Da Lei and Shan Dabing's people have surrounded our police vehicles. They even assaulted an officer and injured Director Chen. Section Chief Wu, these are your relatives? Is this how you indulge your family?"

Wu Jun said, "Don't make reckless accusations. I've never involved myself in my wife's family matters. Whatever they do has nothing to do with me."

"You really know how to evade responsibility. Fine, even if it has nothing to do with you, call Shan Dabing immediately and tell his people to get the hell out of here!"

Wu Jun snorted inwardly. "Director Dong, I already said I don't associate with them much. I can't control them."

Everyone had their own biases, and there was nothing wrong with that. If something happened, Dong Xuebin would naturally favor his own family and friends. But there had to be a bottom line. If his friends truly broke the law or killed someone, Dong Xuebin could never indulge them. That was a matter of principle. Therefore, Dong Xuebin deeply despised people like Wu Jun, who had neither principles nor any sense of the bigger picture. "Your relatives assaulted police officers, and you do nothing about it. You're taking an indulgent stance. Fine. Can I report that to the higher-ups?"

Wu Jun's eyes flashed with anger. "Director Dong, don't dump baseless accusations on me. This matter has nothing to do with me... Fine, I can try to speak with them, but I can't guarantee they'll listen."

Wu Jun did not want the situation to grow too big, but he wanted even less for his brother-in-law to be taken away by Dong Xuebin. If Shan Da Lei fell into Dong Xuebin's hands, who knew how many charges would be waiting for him? Besides, this matter concerned Wu Jun's pride. So Wu Jun did not tell Shan Dabing and the others to leave at all. He merely told them to watch their limits and not go too far. Then Wu Jun called Dong Xuebin. "Director Dong, I tried to persuade them, but they won't listen to me."

Dong Xuebin immediately understood Wu Jun's attitude. Rage flared in his chest. "Even Section Chief Wu's influence has its limits?"

"I think you should let him go. It's not a big deal. If someone hits someone else, just educate them a little. Is there really any need to cuff him and take him back to the Police Station? Director Dong, don't blow this matter up."

"More than a dozen villagers have reported him now. Shan Da Lei is implicated in seven or eight charges, including assaulting police and bodily harm. You call that no big deal? Section Chief Wu, you really are a principled and trustworthy fine cadre, a model for our County Public Security Bureau. Some other day, I'll organize a meeting for the Police Stations under me to study Section Chief Wu's spirit. We need to learn from fine cadres like you!"

Dong Xuebin was his superior, so Wu Jun did not argue with him. "I have things to do here. I'm hanging up."

Over there, nobody knew what Wu Jun had said to Shan Dabing, but the hoodlums grew even more aggressive. Some began kicking the van doors over and over with loud thuds! Although Wu Jun had told Shan Dabing to watch his limits, seeing the Police Station officers cowering in their vehicles and not daring to come out emboldened him. He had always strutted about the village, and no police officer had dared cause them trouble. Shan Dabing raised his Police Baton. "Brothers, stop wasting words with them. If we don't get tough, they won't release him! Come on! Smash the van! Rescue Da Lei!"

The atmosphere instantly tightened!

Fearless, Shan Dabing swung first. With a crash, he shattered the van's windshield. It was the old type of vehicle glass from ten years ago, and every shard had sharp edges. Crack! Fragments immediately sprayed onto the face of the officer driving. A cut opened beside his eyebrow, and blood began to flow!

Shan Dabing roared, "Smash it!"

"Smash it!" The hoodlums went wild. Some kicked the doors while others smashed the windows!

Within a dozen seconds, a third officer was injured!

Inside the Buick behind them, Liu Dahai was both anxious and furious. "Director Dong, let Shan Da Lei go for now! Something will happen if this continues!"

Though unwilling, Chen Fa added, "We can arrest him later! There'll be plenty of chances!"

Dong Xuebin stared grimly at the hoodlums smashing the vehicles. "Later? If we don't take him today, Shan Da Lei will run! Even if he doesn't, the resistance we face later will only be greater than today's, never less! Lao Liu! Old Chen! Can you swallow this humiliation? I can't! I can't let our officers' blood be spilled for nothing! I can't let the villagers suffer for nothing! Shan Da Lei—today, I'm fucking arresting him no matter what!"

Liu Dahai said bitterly, "But the situation now..."

Seeing that none of the police dared make a sound, Shan Dabing burst out laughing. "Smash it! Smash it hard!"

At that, Dong Xuebin turned and said, "Stay in the vehicle! Don't get out!" With that, he opened the door and got out!

Liu Dahai was dumbfounded. "Director Dong! Don't get out! It's dangerous!"

Chen Fa was equally frantic. He hurriedly grabbed Dong Xuebin, but failed to hold him back. "Director Dong!"

One hoodlum pointed at Dong Xuebin with a playful grin. "Hey, hey, their leader's out."

Shan Dabing waved a hand, and the thugs stopped smashing the vehicles. They all looked toward Dong Xuebin, then immediately surrounded him. Chu Feng, Da Lengzi, and the others in the van were stunned. Why had Director Dong gotten out? Was he going to reason with the hoodlums? How could they possibly listen? Director Dong was alone outside—something was definitely going to happen!

Seeing this, Chu Feng, Liu Dahai, and the others all wanted to get out, ready to fight these people. If that failed, they would fire their guns!

But Dong Xuebin calmly told them, "All of you stay in the vehicles! No one gets out!" No one in Yantai County understood Dong Xuebin. He was a leader who cared deeply for his subordinates. Many officers had already been injured, and their combat effectiveness had plummeted. The enemy also had superior numbers. They would definitely lose in a direct fight, so Dong Xuebin simply would not let them out. He was afraid someone else would get hurt.

Shan Dabing smiled. "Not bad. You've got guts."

Dong Xuebin rolled up his sleeves. "I can't compare with you. You're the ones with real guts. You're Shan Dabing, right? Wu Jun's relative? Heh, fine. Not only did you smash Police Station vehicles, not only did you openly resist arrest, you even dared assault police officers? Let me make this clear: today, it won't just be Shan Da Lei! You won't be getting away either! You two brothers have never been to the Police Station, have you? Fine. Today, I'll let you have a taste of it!"

Shan Dabing laughed wildly, thinking, At a time like this, you still dare talk big? He gave a look forward.

A yellow-haired hoodlum behind Dong Xuebin immediately understood. Raising the Iron Rod in his hand, he charged forward. Whoosh! The rod swung down onto Dong Xuebin's shoulder in a sneak attack!

Chu Feng and the others in the van shouted, "Director Dong, watch out!"

"Behind you!"

Dong Xuebin reacted too late. He cried out and immediately crouched down as blood flowed from his shoulder!

"Director Dong!"

That blow completely enraged Dong Xuebin. In that instant, he threw all concerns about repercussions out of his mind!

Back four seconds!

The scene flashed!

"Director Dong, watch out!"

"Behind you!"

Everyone at Huitian Township Police Station had witnessed Little Director Dong sparring with the Police Station officers and Er Lengzi that morning. They all knew his physical condition was terribly poor and that he had virtually no fighting ability. Let alone a sneak attack, he probably could not beat any hoodlum one-on-one. So when they saw someone swing an Iron Rod at Director Dong from behind, everyone at the Police Station was frantic. They could not understand why Little Director Dong, who knew no fighting techniques, would get out alone to court death.

But the next moment, a scene that left everyone dumbfounded unfolded!

Yellow Hair's rod had already swung over his head and came whistling down. Yet Dong Xuebin did not even turn around. It was as if he knew what was happening behind him—even the rod's exact landing point. He shifted slightly to the side and neatly dodged the Iron Rod. At the same time, the furious Dong Xuebin grabbed the Iron Rod as its momentum slowed, then kicked Yellow Hair hard in the crotch!

Yellow Hair screamed and clutched himself, releasing the rod.

With a cold expression, Dong Xuebin swung the Iron Rod without holding back at all, smashing it straight into Yellow Hair's face!

Rip!

The skin on Yellow Hair's left cheek split open at a visible rate! It was a bloody mess! He was knocked to the ground and lay motionless, unconscious!

No one had expected Little Director Dong to possess such formidable combat ability. They were all stunned!

Dong Xuebin leisurely took out a pack of cigarettes, flicked one out, lit it, and took a puff. "Who's next?"

Seeing his subordinate beaten so badly, Shan Dabing's expression immediately turned ugly. "Get him!" This time, two hoodlums charged forward together!

Chu Feng, Liu Dahai, Da Lengzi, and the others knew that two fists could not fight four hands, and they all wanted to get out and help.

Yet Dong Xuebin swept a cold gaze toward them in the vehicles. "No one gets out!"

Liu Dahai anxiously said, "But..."

The two hoodlums carrying wooden sticks had already charged over. One swung his club at Dong Xuebin's upper arm. Dong Xuebin blocked it with the Iron Rod, but that exposed an opening on his right side. The other hoodlum immediately succeeded, swinging his wooden stick hard into Dong Xuebin's waist!

Damn it!

Dong Xuebin's ferocity surged. Over the past few days, he had accumulated four minutes of Back time. During his practice and familiarization with the remaining time, Dong Xuebin had quickly realized something. If he fought barehanded, his stamina and strength could not keep up, making it difficult for him to hurt anyone. But once he had a weapon, things changed completely. With a weapon and Back working together, his combat power could reach a terrifying level. That was why he had dared get out of the car alone!

Back two seconds!

The instant time rewound, Dong Xuebin reacted. After blocking the man in front with the Iron Rod, he kicked to the side! The hoodlum trying to exploit the opening was about to swing his wooden stick when Dong Xuebin's kick landed squarely on him. Dong Xuebin's eyes turned fierce. Pulling back the Iron Rod, he swung it upward with the motion. Thud! It smashed hard into the kicked-back thug's chin. Blood and broken teeth immediately sprayed from his mouth. The man's head swam, and he collapsed unconscious!

"Fifth Brother!" The thugs behind them were enraged. One swung his stick as a feint, then took a large step forward and smashed it into Dong Xuebin's face!

Dong Xuebin tasted blood in his mouth and cursed inwardly!

Back three seconds!

After regaining his senses, Dong Xuebin did not dodge the feinting swing. Instead, he gripped the Iron Rod and met it head-on. The two rods collided in midair with a crack, and the hoodlum's wooden stick snapped at once. Dong Xuebin continued pressing forward with a trace of savagery in his eyes. The Iron Rod whistled onward and struck the hoodlum's arm with a thud. His right arm immediately twisted unnaturally, as though it had been broken. Still unsatisfied, Dong Xuebin drove a fist into his face. The hoodlum flew backward, hit the ground, and fell unconscious without a sound!

Seeing Dong Xuebin cripple three of his people in just a few exchanges, Shan Dabing was stunned. Then, gripping his Police Baton with hatred on his face, he strode forward. "A few of you stay behind to guard the vehicles! Don't let them escape! The rest of you, come with me!" About six or seven people moved with Shan Dabing. He could tell Dong Xuebin was no pushover, but with so many people attacking together, even someone with three heads and six arms would have to go down!

Dong Xuebin was dragged into a bitter fight!

There were too many people. He could not even attack, because the moment he made an offensive move, someone else would surely strike him a devastating blow! His arms, thighs, body, face—in just a few seconds, Dong Xuebin suffered attacks from every direction and nearly passed out. Shan Dabing's Police Baton in particular struck with tremendous force every time!

Dong Xuebin burned with rage. Under the protection of Wu Jun and Hu Yiguo, these people had clearly gone mad. Their arrogance had reached a certain point. They did not care about consequences at all and dared openly assault police officers in broad daylight. If they were allowed to continue, who knew what else they would do!

These bastards!

Dong Xuebin's heart turned cold, and his fury instantly ignited!

Back thirty seconds!

Dong Xuebin returned to the time before the group attack. Seeing one hoodlum take the lead and rush at him, Dong Xuebin knew the man's first move would be to throw the brick in his hand at Dong Xuebin's stomach from a distance. When he saw the man's hand move, he kicked off hard and dodged the brick, then swung the Iron Rod diagonally as he moved forward. Thud! The rod struck the man's mouth, splitting his lips open. The man cried out and clutched his mouth before collapsing to the ground!

The next instant, Shan Dabing and two other hoodlums arrived as well!

Dong Xuebin could not continue attacking. He could only use Back to predict their movements and dodge beneath one swinging stick after another!

Back three seconds!

Back two seconds!

Back five seconds!

After six uses, the battered Dong Xuebin finally found an opening. After dodging a swinging stick, he broke through the hoodlums' encirclement. Then, using all his strength, he gripped the Iron Rod with both hands and swung it to the left. Thud! With an incredulous stare, Shan Dabing clutched his arm and flew backward. Dong Xuebin had no intention of letting him go. Feeling pain in his left arm, he called out, "Back two seconds!" After returning, he fiercely dodged the stick from the hoodlum on his left, stepped forward, and smashed the Iron Rod into Shan Dabing's leg. There was almost a cracking sound. That leg was finished!

Shan Dabing screamed in pain, "Kill him! Kill him!"

Crash! Two sticks struck Dong Xuebin's back. He endured the pain and shouted, "Back three seconds!" Then he sidestepped, dodging the sneak attack behind him, and swung the Iron Rod at Shan Dabing on the ground again. This time, Dong Xuebin aimed at his other leg. Crack! He broke that one too!